Sunday Bites

Ita quiet here on Sunday. As I work - its mostly a compose color palettes and cut out garments day - I watch and listen to CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's This American Life and follow up with The Splendid Table. Often sound bites will leap out at me causing me to think. Here are two from today.

"Education is fine as long as it doesn't stand in the way of thinking." In the current atmosphere of standardized testing, school budget cuts and beleaguered teachers, this statement should be in every teacher's room, every principal's office, every school board's meeting room, every legislative office and in every room in the suite occupied by the Secretary of Education. We need to help our students to sift through and interpret the overwhelming amount of information to which they are subjected at every turn. For the sake of a healthy democracy led in wisdom and courage by the upcoming generations, they must learn to think, to listen and to question intelligently. I leave it to those smarter than me to come up with curriculums to create schools that foster thoughts, don't stifle them.

"I'm sick and tired of anger." This quote comes from one of the 911 widows. Such a simple statement fom one who could be filled with rightful anger at what life has dealt her, but instead wants the world to move beyond the rage and vitriolic language that is so prevalent in out country, the media, the politics and a vocal minority (I hope it is a loud few.). Lets listen to her. Lets start a movement for civil debate that is polite and respectful of our differences. Lets stop the name calling, the shouting, the talking over people and the factless generalizations. Each one of us can take the first step by treating others the way we want to be treated. Lets all try it for a month and see what happens. Lets insist that our children practice it for a month and see how it feels. Such a grass roots movement would be away to give back to one who in the death of her spouse asks for so little.