This story came across the news this morning:
http://time.com/3428238/denver-students-history-curriculum-respect-for-authority-jefferson-county-school-board/
The school board proposed editing history texts to only highlight the positive aspects of American history and eliminate "social strife". Frankly I'm speechless. Is it fair for me to say that one simply cannot pick and choose which pieces of history to teach? How can we develop an understanding of how we got to where we are now (for better or worse) if we omit fundamental elements? History is not a string of unrelated occurrences. It is an interconnected web - things don't just happen. And throughout history that social strife, civil disobedience, and outright aggression has, ultimately, affected the greatest changes. I would also encourage you to check out the Twitter feed. Some of those are hilarious.
*I'm choosing to move past the clear connection to all the historical examples of the government trying to alter history. It's certainly not a new phenomenon so hopefully we just won't have to teach that to kids and no one will be the wiser....
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Apparently because I'm tall...
I deserve less consideration. According to a (relatively) recent article in the New York Times regarding the airline-seat-reclining-fiasco not too long ago, tall people shouldn't be thought of as any different than short - excuse me: "vertically challenged" - people. And I would never argue that point. As a vertically gifted person (6'6"), I've long accepted that, contrary to the American Myth, I cannot do whatever I set my mind to. I will never be an undercover espionage agent (I don't blend). I will never be a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force nor an astronaut (height restrictions) nor a very good jockey (unless I'm on a Clydesdale taking a break from pulling the Budweiser wagon) . I will always be asked "how's the weather up there?". I will never excel at hide-and-seek. I will forever be self-conscious on the dance floor because I can say without a doubt that everyone will be keeping close tabs on the gargantuan flailing around for fear for their personal safety. These are things I've learned to live with. I know. The trials and tribulations my people face.
But in the article, the author cites statistics that we shouldn't really complain. After all, tall people earn more each year and have more sexual partners than our "average" brethren. Ergo, I mean, obviously, we don't deserve the same consideration; indeed, having some dude gain 3 inches of "comfort" compared to my suddenly feeling like I'm in a toy version of a Geo Metro is almost justified! Who cares that I can't walk down the aisle of a plane without hitting my head on every damn thing around. Or have to walk sideways because my shoulders don't fit between the luggage racks. Or not even be able to put my tray table down without it sitting on my knees regardless (always a good test of character when the guy in front of you reclines and sitting next to you is a socially-conscious individual who lets you use a corner of their table so you don't have to worry about gravity defeating your flimsy cup of ginger ale). But no, we have it coming. I see that now. It's karma for the life decision I made years ago to be tall. Damn my short-shortsightedness!
Don't worry though, the author does go on to point out that he wouldn't recline if he was paid to do so. Quoting another author, he asks if his kind were such "monsters", why is no one willing to pay him to stop? And, admittedly, even as a relatively intelligent individual, I find myself dumbfounded by this argument. That someone could even dream of opening that door. Because let's stop for a second and think about the vast array and extremes of applications for the logic that "if we don't want someone doing something, we should pay them not to". I hope you're there by now. I mean, he might as well go on to consult our corrections programs. Turns out we've had it wrong all along!
In essence, instead of bribing people to be decent, why not just be decent? This is a very simplistic example, but let's see if he could follow it: if you know that people don't like the seat in front of them reclining, wouldn't it appropriate to either a.) not recline the stupid damn seat or b.) have the common decency to at least turn around and ask? It's just a seat. Don't be a jerk. It's not hard.
Unless of course the person behind you has it coming. Like if their tall.
But in the article, the author cites statistics that we shouldn't really complain. After all, tall people earn more each year and have more sexual partners than our "average" brethren. Ergo, I mean, obviously, we don't deserve the same consideration; indeed, having some dude gain 3 inches of "comfort" compared to my suddenly feeling like I'm in a toy version of a Geo Metro is almost justified! Who cares that I can't walk down the aisle of a plane without hitting my head on every damn thing around. Or have to walk sideways because my shoulders don't fit between the luggage racks. Or not even be able to put my tray table down without it sitting on my knees regardless (always a good test of character when the guy in front of you reclines and sitting next to you is a socially-conscious individual who lets you use a corner of their table so you don't have to worry about gravity defeating your flimsy cup of ginger ale). But no, we have it coming. I see that now. It's karma for the life decision I made years ago to be tall. Damn my short-shortsightedness!
Don't worry though, the author does go on to point out that he wouldn't recline if he was paid to do so. Quoting another author, he asks if his kind were such "monsters", why is no one willing to pay him to stop? And, admittedly, even as a relatively intelligent individual, I find myself dumbfounded by this argument. That someone could even dream of opening that door. Because let's stop for a second and think about the vast array and extremes of applications for the logic that "if we don't want someone doing something, we should pay them not to". I hope you're there by now. I mean, he might as well go on to consult our corrections programs. Turns out we've had it wrong all along!
In essence, instead of bribing people to be decent, why not just be decent? This is a very simplistic example, but let's see if he could follow it: if you know that people don't like the seat in front of them reclining, wouldn't it appropriate to either a.) not recline the stupid damn seat or b.) have the common decency to at least turn around and ask? It's just a seat. Don't be a jerk. It's not hard.
Unless of course the person behind you has it coming. Like if their tall.
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