New Midwest Director Elected at 2012 RA

The Peace & Justice Caucus conducted its annual elections at this summer’s NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C.   When I know the names of all the newly elected members, I’ll have them posted on this website, but the only significant changes were at the regional level.  The new director in the Midwest is Danielle Dickert from Caledonia, Wisconsin.

She is a delightfully bright and energetic young lady who will be a welcome addition to our caucus, and I am very glad to have her take over from me.  She is very busy now, so I have promised to give her time to ease her way into the job; ergo, you may hear from me again from time to time.  In the meantime, feel free to drop Dani a line and give her your ideas for improving our badly needed caucus.

Thanks again,

Tom Wolfe

Marines Aim to Counter Teachers' Opposition to Recruiting Students

Staff Sgt. James McFalin, a senior Marine Corps drill sergeant, gets a few laughs as
he talks about recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego,
Calif., last week. Educators from the Los Angeles and Sacramento
areas spent four days at the base to experience some of what recruits go through.

by Tony Perry, and Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times (MCT) 

The bellowing from the drill instructors began as soon as the newcomers arrived.
"GET OFF THE BUS!" barked one D.I.

It's a ritual reenacted countless times since 1923, when young men first began coming to boot camp to see if they were tough enough to be Marines.

But last week's group was not composed of frightened young recruits.

Instead they were high school teachers, guidance counselors and administrators from school districts in the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. All had accepted the Marine Corps' invitation to spend four days at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, watching the training and talking to recruits, enlisted Marines and senior officers.

“Afghanistan taught us an invaluable lesson . . . It has been and always will be impossible to solve political problems using force. We should have helped the people of Afghanistan in improving their life, but it was a gross mistake to send troops into the country.”

– Retired Red Army General Boris Gromov.


The success at the 2012 RA in DC is reflected by the Peace and Justice Caucus community on the passage of  NBI 81 which states we will advertise International DAY OF PEACE on September 21.  Peace Iowa is co sponsoring an event at the Coralville Public Library the entire month of September.  This event is called Windows to Mirrors, a reflection of the war in Afghanistan, and displays paintings and murals by Afghan children.  Everyone is invited to view works of art and learn about the organizations sponsoring the event the entire month of September.  Docents will be available and there is always need for more(training 9AM, Saturday, September 1). Iowa NEA Peace and Justice Caucus is one of the sponsors.  See www.windowsandmirrors.org for more information.


Thanks to all who attended summer conference!  Nancy

I am running for my first political office.  I turned 60 last week and have been evaluating where I am with my life up to this point.  I have written a number of blogs and have commentated on a number of issues for many years now.  While I should be looking to retire and going into another direction in my career, I find myself unable now to do this because of the financial conditions of our nation, of the state of Illinois, and of my household.  When I coached, I was often irritated by the ignorant comments of those in the stands since they did not really understand the game, the strategy, the rules of the game, and the conditions on the court/field.  I think it is time to get out of the stands and into the sausage-making process that is developing policy.

While I am running to become part of a small cog of a large political process, I find I have a lot of research and understanding to get to before I want to become an effective member of this Board.  So, I have been talking to a lot of conservatives, particularly now that the ACA has been upheld and their hairs are on fire.  This has been a very interesting week.

So, here are the arguments I've been hearing and why I am very concerned.  They truly believe that people in poverty deserve it.  I have always thought this was an exaggeration by the Left about the extremists on the Right, but I am finding this is not the case.  They truly believe that laziness is the driving force to this horrible state in humanity.  When Alan Grayson went onto the floor of the House and did his presentation of the GOP health care plan (http://www.vxv.com/video/mJoiG6IAUg2n/alan-grayson-on-the-gop-health-care-plan-don-t-get-sick-and-if-you-do-get-sick-die-quickly.html), he was not kidding.  I think it's safe to say that these guys are not pro-life, they are pro-wealth--period.  Let's not kid ourselves here.  If we want justice for all Americans, we need to come to this realization:  we are not dealing with pro-life people.  We are not dealing with moralists.  We are not dealing with problem solvers.  We are dealing with the ugliest form of political force.  I have railed against money and its ugly influence on our lives when dealing with religion, health care, and peace.  I think it is safe to say that it permeates every aspect of our decisions.

The challenge I have, should I get elected, is to make sure that I stand up for the right choices when weighing all of the factors separately.  We can't get things done if the money is not there.  However, I can not in good conscience agree to a decision between a moral choice and a financial choice if the financial choice means crushing the moral choice (e.g. the many times we hear about an insurance company deny a young patient treatment because it hurts the bottom line).  I hope I never become so cynical in choices that I end up doing something so horrible.

Election Money Madness by Donald L. Cleveland

            The madness of spending money to win an elected office is reaching a point similar to the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland.  Elections are no longer won on the issues of the public welfare, but on the largess of the greatest propaganda machine output.  “A lie told often enough becomes the truth!” 

            Just for example, according to Mother Jones, the present dollar cost of Abraham Lincoln’s campaign was $2.8 million.  Then 100 years later, the Humphrey-Nixon-Wallace race topped $600 million.  Many thought that the 2008 Presidential Election was a barn burner with a $1.8 billion spent.  The interim U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United has opened the flood gates.  Now, PAC’S and large corporations can open their treasuries to elect those who will do their bidding.   News sources are predicting unprecedented spending in this year’s election.  Business Week and Reuters News have projected that at current levels of fund raising and spending the 2012 Presidential election will reach $6 billion in spending. News Max.com has predicted a total of $8 billion.

            While the candidates try to imply that it’s the small contributions that drive their campaigns, the reality is that few average citizens can afford a $35,000 a plate dinner to be with a candidate.  Then when it comes time to pitch a point to provide a change in the law it just takes a phone call from a member on the large contributor’s list to get an appointment with the chief of staff, the candidate or the President.  A contribution of $5 to $100 might not even merit a robo signature letter reply to a request to visit the Whitehouse.

            The large contributors also know how to butter their bread on both sides.  The Fanjul family , Florida sugar barons, have provided large contributions to both parties.  They could then ensure that regardless of who won, they could still get a favorable hearing on sugar subsidies and import duties.

            So, it is really important to ask if one vote really counts in an election dominated by such vulgar campaign spending?  Does your vote count?

One vote counts.  Make your vote count (editor's note)!

Archaic Immigration Laws

Obama-Napolitano Announcement Keeps Over 800,000 Dreams Alive

Today, President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitanoannounced that the Administration will stop deporting DREAM Act-eligible youth.  The Administration will also review and grant, on a case-by-case basis, deferred action and work authorization to young people who are not in deportation proceedings and who meet the following criteria: Entered the United States before the age of 16 and have not yet turned 30. Have continuously lived in the United States for at least five years. Are currently in school, have graduated from high school or obtained a GED, or have been honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or U.S. Armed Forces. Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or multiple misdemeanor offenses. Over 800,000 students will benefit from this decision, which means that over 800,000 dreams have a better chance of being fulfilled.  Preserving the ability for students in this country to go to school and on to college without fear of being ripped away from their US homeland is more than a victory for these students.  It is a victory for the country, because we will all be enriched by the talents and contributions of these young Americans.  Read NEA President Dennis Van Roekel’s letter to President Obama and Secretary Napolitano.

Atheists, Fundamentalists, and Empathy

A title in Raw Story really caught my eye.  “Study:  Atheists more driven by compassion than highly religious people.”  As a PK (preacher’s kid) and an observer of human behavior for almost 60 years, this comes as no shock to me.  What surprises me is that this connection is finally being made in a larger venue than the whispers and shakes of the head I have seen when I bring this topic to light.

I have blogged earlier about the hijacking of Christianity in self-titled fundamental Christian churches.  Trust me, they are nothing close to fundamentalists.  I had a conversation with a conservative acquaintance who spouted all kinds of incorrect facts to me to make her point.  I asked her to give me websites for proof to back up her assertions.  All she should tell me was that she heard people say they were doing what she proclaimed they were doing.  I then asked her that if I said I was a millionaire, then that must be true—because I had said it.  Just because people call themselves fundamentalists does not make them fundamentalists.

According to the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science out of the University of California (http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/04/30/religionandgenerosity/),  “Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not,” said UC Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer, a co-author of the study. “The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns.”

Why is this?  What has happened that has completely derailed the decency that one would expect from an organization that professes Christian beliefs?  As I have said before, money certainly plays a big role in this—particularly in the mega-church organizations.  However, this goes beyond that.  Barry Goldwater, one of the co-founders of the modern conservative movement, observed the following in 1981.

"There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.' "

I believe he hit the nail on the head.  One problem with these people is that they will have no compromise whatsoever.  While I understand why they do it, it is unreasonable to demand this in a heterogeneous society.  The biggest problem, however, is that the assumptions or “facts” that they base their arguments upon are largely incorrect. 

First of all, this country is not a Christian country.  It was founded as a Constitutional separation between any church and the state, which drives them absolutely crazy.  James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights, gave his first veto against a bill that gave a religious group money to take care of indigent people.  While he agreed with the intent, he disagreed with the role of government giving public money to religious organizations, something that GW Bush and Obama have since allowed.

Now we see that these “religious” organizations do not even believe in the basic tenets of Jesus Christ (feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, curing the sick, taking care of the children, turning the other cheek, etc.) unless a profit is involved.  Yes, government is important in taking care of its people (the common good), but does not need to be involved in the accessory aspect of society.  It is the right thing to do.  It is the just thing to do.  Now, however, being a fundamentalist means turning your back on such ideas. At least, now it is being discussed.  Maybe a movement will develop that will remove the tax-exempt of these havens for the rich.

Justice in Florida

            Isn’t it amazing that we celebrate a semblance of justice when it occurs after a horrible injustice was initiated?  I am not criticizing what the special prosecutor in Florida did when she announced that second-degree murder charges were filed against George Zimmerman on Apr. 11.  In fact, I admire the way that Angela Corey has gone about determining the strongest legal action she could take by going through the information she had in front of her.  Instead of relying on a prejudiced pool of grand-jury members, she did all the analysis needed, in her mind.  Many pundits expressed surprised that she went after Zimmerman with second-degree murder instead of “just” manslaughter, but I think it is pretty obvious that she had much more available to her than was shown to the public.

            I have been sitting on my hands by commenting rarely on this case until something concrete were to happen.  I have been astonished at the way information has been leaked to the public.  I am especially disgusted by the Orlando Sentinel’s lack of journalistic standards by releasing the disturbing tidbits of information that were so heavily slanted without any research to prove these statements to be correct. 

            Thank goodness for the social media and for the brave reporters who brought this story to the forefront of the American psyche.  Outraged people responded appropriately against a slowly rising tide of hidden racism in laws like Stand Your Ground.  These laws needed to be brought out from under the rocks to be exposed to sunlight as the ugliness that they are.  This is one of those ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) ideas that billionaires like the Koch brothers have been pushing.  Check ALEC Exposed (http://alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F) for more information on this nefarious group.

            Now, we have to wait to see how this plays out.  I am hearing that the trial will be televised.  I hope so.  I want to see what evidence was not exposed to us in an attempt to manipulate our opinions.  We have a semblance of justice now that Zimmerman is in jail, but we have a long way to go before full justice is obtained.  What is full justice here?  I don’t know, but I will be watching this trial in its entirety.  Zimmerman may be on trial, but a lot of other issues are on trial as well:  journalistic standards, the legal system, the police force at Stanford, Florida, and more.  Whatever the outcome, let’s hope that it is just.  But then, this is the South. . .

Fighting Ugliness

I was depressed after our IEA convention in Chicago a couple of weekends ago.  The mood was pessimistic, and the enthusiasm was mixed.  Our pensions are being attacked by a group of billionaires out of Chicago, and the only hope we have of stopping it is by making the public aware that all middle-class and poor people are under attack by pernicious groups like the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club out of Chicago.  We have to spend money, money that we are struggling to hold onto, to get the message out.  Meanwhile, our ESPs that are in our organization are fighting to gain merely a living wage, which most of its memberships are not getting.  If we fight, we hurt those whom we need badly to be with us.  I did not know where to go with these emotions.  I could not write convincingly to address these issues.

Watching the Trayvon Martin debacle unfold has been tough to follow.  While groups like the Civic Committee continue to attack with their ultra-conservative ideologies, racism in the form of these “stand your ground” laws that were sanctioned and pushed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a right-wing group (shockingly enough) are finally showing their ugly ramifications.  The way the police have handled this is no accident.  This is what these laws were designed to do:  kill the ones who are not whom we want them to be in the name of self-defense.  If Trayvon had killed Zimmerman because Zimmerman was stalking him, he would have been arrested instantly.  We all know that.  However, according to how the law was written, Trayvon should have been not only exonerated for doing so, he should not have even been processed.  But because he was African American, and, as Zimmerman put it,” they always get away with it,” he was put down like a dog and left with no dignity.  His killer walks free.

I was watching Chris Hayes’ show, and I was stunned when the reporter for the New York Times said that he was encouraged by the social media in helping to get the movement started that got this story to a point in which the authorities in Florida are becoming more and more uncomfortable with the public atmosphere.  He was optimistic with the direction this was taking.  On Lawrence O’Donnell’s show on Monday night (3/26/12), he was to talk to the lawyer of Zimmerman, but the lawyer bolted minutes before the show started.  What happened after that was a great discussion of what questions should be asked of the cowardly lawyer and why those questions were necessary to be addressed by Zimmerman and the authorities.  He also got on a reporter for the Orlando newspaper and slammed her for being a shill for the Sanford Police Department by posting false information as facts in her article.  It was powerful stuff.  I was getting my rage on again.  I stopped moping and started focusing.  

I will talk more later about this because this is pointing to our problem as a profession and to our dilemma as public workers.  However, the time has come to stop playing nice.  The right questions must be asked.  The right pressure must be applied.  We must press for justice for ourselves.  

Paul Mann Youth Activist Award, due March 28

Honor our Youth!

            The NEA Peace and Justice Caucus has initiated an award program to honor youth activism. As our students develop their critical thinking skills and independent belief systems, we believe it is important that they understand that they can be instruments of change, and can find their own avenues for expressing their beliefs.

            Please nominate a youth organization or individual youth activist who has been outstanding in the struggle for human rights, social justice, peace, and/or youth empowerment. You may nominate a young person, elementary through grade 14.  The student selected will be invited if possible to the  2012 Iowa State Education Association Delegate Assembly in Des Moine, IA, or to the sponsoring state education association affiliate’s Representative Assembly to receive their award.

 Due date: March 15, 2012.  Due date extended 

NEA Peace and Justice Caucus

Paul Mann Youth Activism Award

Name of Nominee: _________________________________________________________________________________ School_____________________________________________   Gradelevel/Age___________________________________ Address__________________________________________________City/State/Zip_______________________________________                                    Phone (c) ______________  (h)___________ ________________ email: _________________________________________

Nominated by______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Local and State Education Associations: _____________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________City/State/Zip___________________________________Phone (c) ______________________  (h) ____________________ email: _________________________________________ State Representative Assembly date, location________________________________________________________

Description of the nominee’s activism and achievements: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please return this sheet and supporting materials by March 15, 2012

Supporting materials could include copies of brochures, flyers, news articles.

Send to:  NEA Peace and Justice Caucus         

porternancy@msn.com