Resist

I just got to thinking about how many former students have struggled with addictions. We blame and shame the individual but not the companies marketing and profiting- from what I consider criminal acts of propaganda. Companies (BM's- business model sorts) like alcohol, pharmaceutical, tobacco/ juul, technology prey on the insecurities of kids that they, the BM's, helped to create in the first place.

It breaks my fragile heart to hear about students as young as 9 withdrawing. Withdrawing from school, from life, and are getting nicotine patches, more drugs just to 'function'. Young, young teens are joining 12 step groups and if they are 'lucky' get intense psychotherapy.

On the one hand I am proud and impressed- but not surprised with the strength and resilience of students. It just simply does not have to be this hard! Life is hard enough without vultures, sinister greedy BM bastards that use data to harvest children.

There is no face for these companies for us to face. We/ I can only look at the faces of kids. Why not blame them? "If you kids only"... and sadly we do blame them. I would like to teach how massively powerful and destructive ads are- the subtle daily, hourly whiffs of disappointment for not being perfect.

Yea, may I suggest the next time you/we shame a kid for getting in trouble, doing drugs, drinking to excess- that we pause- and put the anger and fear towards the true culprit. Big BM's.

And to be fair, it is not BM's fault either. They are doing what is in their nature. To profit at all costs.

And we/ I need to do what is in my nature. RESIST.

Word!

Ever heard of Linguistic Imperialism?  Me neither. Niether? Either? Anyway, Linguists understand the power of language and its ability to dominate. Linguistic Imperialism is, was… IS a (hypothesized) tactic used by powerful nations extending political, economic, and ideological rule over “weaker” subjects.  

Because England dominated the globe during a global height of Imperialism/ Colonialism in the early 20th century, the language of English prevailed. 

Sure, most people think of military command or economic stagnation vs. superiority, but none of those could be possible without the very language shaping our minds supporting such ideology.

It is imperative for dominating countries to institutionalize subjects through words. 

India’s schools slowly became English speaking schools starting in 1848.  Native American children were tortured and killed (see Thanksgiving mass grave articles) if they were not complacent.  

This could be a long article, and like so many things about education, complicated- but I want to keep it short- it is in black and white.

Black: 

Absence of light; “eye’s pupil”; bad or evil; (n) black people; (adj) without hope; dirty, soiled; indicative of condemnation or discredit; connected with or invoking the supernatural and especially the devil (black magic); very sad, gloomy, calamitous; marked by disaster; characterized by hostility or angry discontent; sullen: ‘black resentment filled his heart;  distorted or darkened by anger- ‘his face was black with rage’; having dark skin, hair and eyes. 

White:

Having the color of new snow or milk; free from moral impurity; innocent- ‘the pure white heart of devout’; purity, not intended to cause harm- a white lie; favorable, fortunate ‘that’s mighty white of you’; the opposite of black; white-a person of European ancestry; free from spot or blemish; free from guilt or pollution; ‘white as thy fame, and thy honor clear’; white magic is with the intention of doing good; neat and clean; beholden to no one; wholesome; nonthreatening; free from sin. 

Antonyms of each: good/ evil; white/black

I picked examples from Cambridge dictionary, Online dictionary, Merriam Webster, Webster, Macmillan and Wikipedia.

Oh, and about sex- there is not a word in the English language (spell check capitalizes on the e), that describes the sex born, opposite of man without being subjugated by the masculine. 

Wo-man (old English from wyf, ‘wife’ of man); Fe-male; lad-y; madam (originally ‘my’ lady, ownership, until the word turned meaning into prostitute); Mrs. is still a title meaning property of Mr.  Mr.’s. 

Language shapes our perceptions of the world.

And that is why English must be mandatory requirements for graduation in the US. The highest prerequisite hours in every state is English. Without mastery of the ‘master’ language, there might be mistrust in the master.  

And it’s spreading.  Countries are clamoring for English to compete or decease. 

But what are we creating?  The “Right” words for a white world. 1984 kinda stuff.

“[The English language] becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts... if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

― George Orwell, Politics and the English Language

Chaos

​"It’s familiar, but unhelpful, to believe that chaos exists only outside of us, “out there” somewhere. And that this chaos “out there” presses in upon our internal lives in an intrusive and disruptive manner. Yet referencing chaos as solely occurring outside of ourselves positions us as passive victims. If we could only trust the grace, beauty, flow and fluidity, which can potentially arise out of chaos, we’d then touch into the boundless possibilities that exist beyond our commonly held misconceptions." Joseph Campbell

For El

In my minds eye I can see you sitting in the front desk just to my left as I looked at the classroom.  I’m not going to lie, your face had a permanent -credulous look each day in Philosophy.  You didn’t speak much but your face was telling.  One day we were talking about Truth and Authenticity, Sartre, I think.  And you raised your hand and coldly said something like this:  “Ms. Newson, you talk about authenticity, but you dye and straiten your hair.”  And I did.  I used to ‘highlight’ my hair and straighten it frequently. 

Your one sentence changed me.  I thought about what you said all the way home that day.  I came to the conclusion you were right.  I may not have liked what you said or how you said it, but you were right El.  I’m glad you and I became friendlier as the semester went on and you began to trust me.  I am also grateful for your comment.  Thanks to you, I stopped coloring my hair, and straighten it only occasionally.  But you spoke the truth, and I listened.  Thank you El. 

For C

I remember after the first two days of my class, you wanted to drop.  I happened to walk into the counselors office while you were explaining why.  I don’t remember what happened that made you come back to class, but it turned out to be a long teacher-student relationship.  A year later, you were calling me mom.  I really liked that. 

I treasure those chats with you and  I am so happy to hear about your new baby girl!  You look so happy and she is precious! My heart!  XXOO to you and she. C.

~mamaNewson

Dis-Orders

Growing up, I watched a lot of TV.  I was exposed to commercials that cleverly instilled marketing tools for kids that got them to spend, beg for toys- and to get fat.

No big mystery to solve when there was an epidemic of eating dis-order’s. Then follow that up with decades of billion dollar diet schemes.

Angry about that? Well, then you are hysterical. You have a mood dis-order.  Just stay calm and carry on.  Anger is not to be tolerated. That is, unless you have the laws on your side- then let the fury unleash! (Thanks radio).

Sad that you are a tool? You now have diagnosed depression due to your inability to adapt (to an intolerable circumstance).

Afraid you are not enough? Take an anxiety pill. It’s you, not me (says big pharm) Shame the individual for taking pain killers- not the promoters.

Drinking? Shame on you. Now enjoy 90% of media that promotes alcohol consumption- in oh so subtle ways…

Feeling ugly? Good. Buy products to perpetuate your self-loathing.  It and you will never ever be enough, without spending, always spending.

Economically sandbagged? Too bad, your fault. Although laws, socio-economic policy, and private banks promotes and obviously perpetuates a galvanizing disparaging money gap- it’s still you. Happy Holidays. Now Go spend. Charge it. 

Confused about science? Perfect.  Let “us” tell you what to do.  Don’t listen to scientists, that’s for dummy’s.  Listen to the big money makers and politicians to decipher facts.

And by “facts”, we mean our interpretation of facts.  Data used for manipulation. 

It’s imbedded:

Athletes? Take the money and run. Do not kneel, do not speak, just bow and nod to owners.

Musicians? Shut up and sing.

Educators? Do not be human, teach to the test. 

Stay Calm, Carry on… for ‘us’. 

Politicians? Say what you want, post threats, get angry, be sad and afraid- but know the laws are in your favor, you are good. 

We clearly go after the abused and not the abuser. The abuser is a vague faceless logo, and ironically we champion ceo’s behind the scene.  “They must be brilliant to make that much money, have that much power”… I hear.  They? Or, the they inherited an empire already under control with fancy lawyers who keep the money hush hush.  but your neighbor, your kids, your friends and family- are faced with the burden of proof.  Go ahead and shame your neighbor, go ahead and blame a friend. Do it unconsciously, so you can rationalize it in the end.  

Don’t fix it.  Just ‘pay’ attention to the dis- Order around.  It’s you, not me, and if it is me, I am a product of this created dis-ordered-ness. 

Fat? Confused? Addicted? “Its’ you, not us!”

Spain will ban advertising of unhealthy foods targeted at kids.  Reuters

“Our children are very vulnerable to advertising and it is our obligation to protect them,” Minister Alberto Garzon on Twitter

“Nine out of ten food advertisements targeted at children are for unhealthy products, according to consumer association OCU.”  And governments are intervening. 

Other countries are taking similar actions to protect kids:

Conversely, in the US, bm’s (business management sorts) continue to hold the kids responsible, not the militant, hyper-aggressive companies profiting off the backs of those kids. And why would the US government intervene?  Because the government is beholden to monetary incentives.  Bm’s and the government are inseparable.

Frustrated parents and teachers will get all kinds of ‘helpful’ tips like: “limit screen time”, “turn off the tv,” “create a bedtime routine to help kids sleep”.  As if!  

BM’s are masters at spinning the blame, guilt and shame at the individuals for “screen addictions”. “It’s you, not me”.  

We point fingers at each other and ourselves.  This creates more anxiety and depression- on top of the piles of negative feelings dumped on by bm’s. 

There is (intended to be) separation of Church and State dating back to the Middle Ages.  The church controlled all learning and it got too powerful. Learning ceased.  But there is no separation of corporation and state in the current era.  Yet, corporations control all learning and they are too powerful. 

Schools are ads within ads within ads surrounded by profiteers of addiction in a coerced and controlled environment. No escape.

Until we start focusing on bm’s influences, and stop blaming each other (and kids!), this will only intensify, if you can imagine that.

Propaganda

Speaking of Freedom, Time and Trust Truth…

Word o’ the week: Propaganda

Or, in America, rebranded and made into a government agency: “The Counsel of Public Relations.” You know, it sounds better.

Ads targeting kids, misleading and false or exaggerated information for the purpose of profits or political endeavors. 


It is estimated that advertisers spend more than $12 billion per year to reach the youth market and that children view more than 40,000 commercials each year. These figures represent dramatic increases over those from the 1970s.  APA.

Is there any place a kid can go and not be manipulated by ads?  

Those who can't...

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. 

_George Bernard Shaw, 1903.

I’m afraid that is true with me.  That scandalous slur is meant to degrade teachers and mock the entire profession.  Thanks GB. Admittedly, you might be right in my case.  

I “do” nothing. But I do nothing really well.  Honestly, I have no skills. I don’t cook well, I don’t sew well, I’m a terrible house-keeper (whatever that means).  I’m not a good driver, writer, artist, or builder.  I don’t do fashion, nails or hair, well.  Oh, I can copy a style, and stick with it, but it’s not what I “do”.  I don’t speak another language. I’m not a scientist, mathematician or engineer.  This is not self-deprecation, this is a testimonial. 

I’m scattered, quirky, weird and crazy, cantankerous and argumentative- but those are not a “do-ing”, more of a be-ing.  I guess reading, researching and being curious can-be-a-do, but I don’t think that is what Shaw had in mind.  It’s also less acceptable to answer “I watched clouds,” to the question, “what did you do today?” 

But what if teaching is what I “do”? Or did? For me, it was the doing of teaching that was the discipline in and of itself.  It was my art form.  In teaching- I was a stand up comedic actor, a storyteller, a listener, a mother-figure, a historian, a disciplinarian, an advocate, a revolutionary, a student, a sage… of sorts.  

3-5 shows a day, 5 days a week.  29.4 years. 

There is no data or detailed algorithms to watching a student ‘click’. Witnessing a person have an insight, an epiphany- seeing a facial expression go from a human do-ing into a human be-ing (see what I did there?) is like describing a cloud.  You can’t define it, but you know what it is when you see it.

Those who can teach,  do wonderful things for those who can’t. 

For J

I will remember you.  You curly haired moppet. Born on this day, gone now but not forgotten.

I see you as a casualty of a sort of modern warfare on the human spirit. Squelching the wild ones!  As promised, I will keep on keepin on.  Avoiding the captain’s seat but still minding the rudder. Steady slow as she goes while others have quick ambitions. 

And now, a moment of Silence… as I miss you.

Remember Remembrance Day.

11.11.18  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marked the end of WWI.  No doubt there were celebrations, but more like celebrating in a cemetery. Partying with corpses.  It is/ was not intended to be celebratory, but contemplative. “Lest We Never Forget”. Teach future generations the ghastliness of war as to not repeat history.

Unfortunately, this narrative has changed.  In the US, where there was no real homeland conflict, it was easier to make light of the War when most Americans were not in it. Over time, Remembrance Day in the US became Veteran’s Day- officially declared so, in 1954… Cold War Era. Soldiers were honored and hailed as heroes which played a psychological role in drafting young men into Korea and Vietnam, and later Iraq.  Being portrayed as a hero without the baggage is at the very least misleading.  War movies contributed to this ideology. 

In comparison, the 9-11 world trade center memorial is probably as close as Americans have to a remembrance day. Although there are statues of first responders and dedications to helpers on that day, it is a solemn day.  Never forget.  

Big picture.  This is to be a day to remember horror. Silent revery for senseless suffering.  You may not know war, but you do understand suffering.  Remember the pain of that suffering.  If we do, we may not be so inclined to repeat it.  Masking war in glorified refinery perpetuates bereavement.  

P.T.S.D. Rebranded

When I think of post traumatic stress disorder a few things come to mind. One, George Carlin’s stand up skit about hiding truth in soft language. “Shell Shock”, a condition soldiers were diagnosed with after WWI. two syllables that sound like the guns themselves.  Now we have ptsd- eight syllables and softened. The actual human pain becomes buried under jargon. 

I also think about how, what we think about -become words, words become action, and action becomes habit.  So if we keep thinking of the negative, use negative language, it becomes habit.  PTSD, indefinitely.

Then, one day I was babysitting a 7 year old. She wanted to play “summer camp”.  Ok, I’m in! She insisted I ask her what her profession is, as she was bringing in her kids-aka three year old little sister and invisible baby.  No problem, in character, with my pretend clip board and fake glasses.  I asked- what is it that you do for a living m’am? She pondered, tilted her head to one side, looked at the window and said: “I’m a Princess, Teacher, Superhero, and… Dancer.”  Excellent, I exclaimed. 

P.T.S.D. became my new motto.  I acknowledge I have symptoms of shell shock. Truth. Public education will do it to ya.  Then my mind sways to a new acronym; Princess, indeed, spoiled with ancestry.  Teacher, obviously which makes us all superhero’s, and I dance. PTSD rebranded makes me feel strong, confident, and as vibrant as a seven year old girl.  

True or False?

"More hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion." C. P Snow

There are many versions of the Milgram Shock Experiment- this is one where

3:15 seconds to 3:22 seconds, into the 1960’s Milgram Shock Experiment.  Two exchanges took place and have stuck with me.  The directives of some guy in a white coat saying “Continue Teacher. It is essential that you continue.” and the faint audio response from the volunteer: 

“Ok, but I’m not going to be responsible for it.” 

Milgram conducted this experiment after the Nuremberg Trials when Nazi war criminals used -what will be later known as the infamous Nuremberg defense- that they were all “just following orders.” 

I was teaching AP Psychology and have watched that one particular volunteer clip a hundred times.  There is more to the story in what was behind those experiments but I swear it was downright bone chilling when I would teach this unit-obedience- for Psychology  and then spend a week administering standardized tests- both AP and non AP related.  

Oh, most of us educators complained. I sure did, but I complied.  I have not seen one positive effect of the long institutionalized nationalized standardized tests on kids.  I’ve seen the opposite.  Stressed and shocked from years of high pressure test that virtually did just that- kept kids stressed and shocked and more importantly obedient.  

Just try and point out obvious falsehoods to these corrosive tests or try to object, and you will get a threatening “Continue Teacher, it is essential that you continue” from administration who get their orders from…? Don’t ask don’t tell, just do it.  Just follow orders. 

Once I made the connection it was deafening- quite literally- no one wanted to change.  Just complain and follow orders. “I’m just doing my job Newson, you don’t want to get fired. We Have to…” ok, but I’m not going to be responsible for it.  

Yea right!  Well I for one acknowledge I was complacent. We all were.  Although science has revealed we feel less guilt when we feel forced, the bottom line is I have to live with my decisions.  

I felt better when I wrote a philosophy/activity/ coloring workbook during tests to keep me sane. It was my defense mechanism from unbearable circumstances.

True or False?

I think more heinous crimes are done out of obedience than rebellion.  True.

"I have NO regrets nor guilt for my part in taking part of those heinous tests?”  False.