brushfire"This, yes, this, it was always like this." -Stanley Koehler
REFLECTIONS OF AN EMPTY NESTER
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Who am I voting for? I am voting for my Hispanic and Latino students in my 5th grade classes, many of whom are still learning English, hailing from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. I am voting for them, in the hopes that they can live in a country where the fact that they are bilingual is not disregarded as un-American, but embraced as something to be valued, a skill that is seen as an asset and respected as something that makes them smart. I am voting for my refugee students, coming from countries in the Middle East, including Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and others from countries in Africa, including Zambia, the Congo, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. I am voting for them in the hopes that they will live in a country where their refuge is not seen as a problem for our country, but something to be celebrated, for it shows that they are safe. I want them to be viewed as survivors, who have every right to be here, and to be embraced as emblematic of America. I want them to have found a place of true religious liberty, a place that does not think that they and their families are the problem, but understands how they have been the very victims of that problem. I am voting for them to live in a country that does not contribute to the danger they left behind, a country that does not institutionalize, accept or contribute to profiling based on religion or the melanin of one's skin. I want them to live long, abundant, joyful lives, none cut too short from prejudice, guns, or fear. I am voting for all 48 of my students this election, who have made an incredible imprint on my heart through their joy, resilience, curiosity, smiles, and endless abounds of love. Although there is not a perfect presidential candidate, there is a clear and utter distinction between the candidate that will get us closer to the world I imagine for my students versus the candidate that would get us farther away than ever. Their futures are at stake. That is why #ImWithHer. #DedicateYourNoTrumpVote Somers Brush is a fifth-grade math and science teacher in Prince Georges County, Maryland and corps member of Teach for America.
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To those who voice opposition to San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision not to stand when the national anthem is played before football games, I have two things to say. First, I respect your opinion and right to express it — a right represented by that flag. Second, I couldn't disagree more.
Kaepernick is taking a stand, for lack of a better word, against unjust treatment of black people by police officers. Like the flag itself and all the rituals revolving around it — standing at attention, putting our hands over our hearts, taking off our hats — taking a knee is a symbolic gesture. Athletes do this to show respect for injured players from their own or the opposing team. They're honoring a fallen comrade, so to speak. Kaepernick is honoring fellow Americans who have died senselessly from police violence. He's not calling all police officers bad people or disrespecting the military. He's saying there's something wrong with a system of institutionalized racism and it needs to change. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman recently said in a press conference, “I think people are still missing the point. The reason these guys are kneeling and the reason we're locking arms is to bring people together and make people aware that this is not right. It’s not right for people to get killed in the street.” Baltimore Ravens' Ben Watson, who chooses to stand for the national anthem, wrote on Facebook: “My hope, though, is that these actions bring more attention to the problem than to the protestor. And that ensuing dialog discover truth and that truth give birth to justice in legitimate situations where there is none. My hope is that in this time of toil and discord we collectively use our positions in public and private life to take responsibility for our role and collectively seek solutions, not because we have to but because we care to. Sometimes listening is of greater value than speaking. As elusive an aspiration as it may be, our goal, especially in the arena of race, should continue to be to create an America where eventually everyone can, in good conscience, stand.” Will anything change as a result of these protests or statements? Is calling attention to a problem enough? Two years ago, everyone jumped on board with the ice bucket challenge promoting awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. People posted videos like crazy — many of whom never donated money — and thought they were making a difference. Turns out they did. The ALS Association announced in July it was able to fund research resulting in a breakthrough — the identification of a gene, NEK1, contributing to the disease — thanks in part to these viral antics. Kaepernick, along with many other professional athletes, is increasing awareness and making significant cash donations. Yes, they earn a ridiculous amount of money. No, we shouldn't idolize athletes or pop stars or actors. But shouldn't we applaud those who use their fame, fortune and God-given talents to effect change and stand up for something they believe in? Kaepernick may be more of a role model to young people than we realize. Do you think the people on the bus with Rosa Parks applauded her actions at the time? They probably were annoyed and wished the old lady would just take a seat at the back of the bus. Whether he's remembered as a quarterback or an activist, Kaepernick has a lot more to lose than gain in the short term. But at least he's trying to make a difference, which is more than most of us can say. What his efforts will amount to, only time will tell. In the meantime, we're having conversations about what the flag means to us as a symbol of our unity, a representation of the military’s fight for freedom and an emblem of liberty and justice for all. Maybe those armchair quarterbacks turned La-Z-Boy patriots watching games in the safety of their living rooms will put down their Budweisers and bowls of popcorn to listen during the playing of the national anthem and reflect on what the flag means to them. Or not. In the meantime, for those offended by Kaepernick's stance, if this is the most offensive thing you deal with on a weekly basis, good for you. Clearly you don't share the outrage of other people in this country, myself included, when black people are shot and killed for carrying a toy gun or walking in the middle of the street or driving with a broken taillight or selling CDs or reaching for their wallet at the officer's request or standing beside a disabled vehicle waiting for help. Or maybe they're not shot, but choked in a headlock or taken on a “rough ride” in a police van. Or they're not killed on the spot, but pulled over for failing to use a turn signal, arrested for not putting out a cigarette, thrown on the ground and found hanging in a jail cell three days later. And you wonder why people say 'black lives matter' rather than 'all lives matter'? The difference between their outrage and yours, though, is you can turn off the TV. Where is the off button for them? |
Mary Anne BrushJournalist, fiction writer, wife and mother |