So, let me start with this. HERE is a fun website to see how your elected local official in New Hampshire voted on issues that matter to you. It’s a trove of information that I think you should know. Politics is local right? If everyone is paying attention, even the local officials need to let the voters know how and when they are representing us right? Hey guys….I know the majority of you personally; a bunch of you sat in my classroom. I email you and very rarely get a response. One of you even ‘unfriended me’ on social media as I push for transparency in how my tax money is being used in the NH ongoing saga of funding our public schools. Hmm. Maybe it’s time for a review of THE GOLDEN RULE.
During the last ten years or so, I have noticed that it has become acceptable for some people to respond to everything and anything that they don’t agree with. I have been guilty of this as well since the vast majority of us now carry microcomputers around with us at all times, and God forbid we let something go by without telling others what we think.
Don’t worry, this isn’t another rambling post about technology and what we are choosing to do with it. This is one man’s view of how we have somehow normalized the lowest possible form of human communication with one another. The thing that we are taught from a very young age that is not ok to do. The thing we learn in the sandbox as toddlers, in our homes with parents and siblings (and pets!) and in day care and preschool.
You know the thing. Some call it the Golden Rule, or, to be sophisticated, it is sometimes referred to as an ethics of reciprocity.
Here are some more: “We should behave to friends as we would wish friends to behave to us.” “Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others.” “Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you.” “What you would avoid suffering yourself, seek not to impose upon others.”
Get it? Got it? Good. So how did we get from these words, and a basic code of human decency to the current name calling and belittling that we see in people who lead the country right now? It’s simple. We let them.
We have managed to let hate speech, name calling and a view that everyone around us who does not see as we do must be a moron. See how easy it is? I just did it.
So did Jane Elliot. If you are not familiar with her, take a look, with whatever color eyes you have…..As I watch her lesson, I wonder how long it would take me to be removed from my classroom if I tried this in today’s world. If you’re reading this and you think that you would be tolerant and supportive, think harder and deeper. See also: voting records of my NH state elected officials.
How about Ron Jones? Do you know what he did? It’s even more crazy to think how this would be looked upon in the climate we have today. Read what Mr. Jones did and spend some time pondering about how his lessons make you feel more than 50 years after he introduced them. All of the above during Social Studies class.
I attended public high school from 1987-1991. I had a required class called ‘Town and State.’ That’s what it was. Town and state government, the services, how we got the public library, what protected wetlands are, tree forests, the difference between a town maintained road and a state one, what the DMV does, the county government and how and when local elections are held, who helps, and how people can run.
I think we also called it civics. We read the local newspapers and looked for stories of people we knew in our town and state. It was a marvelous class. It was eliminated sometime between 1995 and 2000. I’m not sure why. I would love to know if YOU had a class like this in your state in high school. No real left or right politics….just an overview of how things function on a local level…..with people that you know. Like my current elected representatives who don’t often communicate with me. How cool it would have been to have them speak publicly about their jobs. I imagine today, someone would lose their shit and throw shade on a local politician ‘indoctrinating’ their kids. That kind of makes me wish I was still teaching just so I could try it. Ha.
So if you are still reading and you’re not entirely bored, hang with me for one more minute. As I wrote at the top, we the people made all of this normal. If name calling, belittling one another and slinging mud is what America is these days, how do we elevate our conversations, debates, and differences of opinion to advance and achieve what all of us want?
We the people show up. We call out our elected officials (respectfully) and debate stuff. We learn how to do it in school right? (see above). What happened since then? It’s become: I don’t see this issue as you do, so not only are you wrong, but you must be dumb too. We allow the President to amplify this everyday. Why? Why are we not demanding better?
That ain’t the Golden Rule.
Rant over. Actually no it’s not. I’ll be ranting to myself in November when I vote. We must do better. We have 300+million people. This shouldn’t be the standard behavior. RIP my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Moore. She didn’t tolerate it when I was 5.
Stay safe, stay awesome, and stay tuned. Happy Juneteenth everyone. Reciprocate those ethics.
Moeschen! 