Who
Are We. . .
Defining
who we are is an important part all of us as humans. As social creatures we need to establish our
identities and work hard to get others to see us in positive ways. This is true for individuals, and it is also
true for larger groups of people as well.
We spend a lot of time and energy working to create perceptions of who
we are and what we stand for. Some of
these perceptions are accurate and others are more "PR" that we
create, or perceptions, accurate or not, that others create for us. As Machiavelli stated, “Everyone sees what you appear to be, few
experience what you really are.”
For most individuals, how
we are perceived by others is a matter of personal interest, but is of little
importance outside our immediate circle of friends, colleagues and
associates. However, for those who have
greater societal influence, or for groups of people the impacts of public
perception are of more significance.
This is why advertising and public relations departments become so
important in creating an image of major political, social and economic figures
and groups. There is a need to influence
public opinion in order to sell a product, whether that product is an item, an
idea or a specific individual. This is
especially true in a society like America's where choice and freedom
are held in such high esteem.
There is a constant
balancing act that goes on in our public debates here between convincing people
and coercing people. Our idealism tells
us that we can use facts and sound arguments to convince others that our
viewpoints and ideas are correct. If our
argument is sound, or our product is good then others will buy into our way of
thinking, or literally buy what we are selling.
We see efforts to convince others in many places in our society.
Yet, there is another side
to public perception and gaining the support of others in our efforts to
promote ideas and things that we value.
Coercion is always a part of the human experience. Once again turning to Machiavelli, “it is
much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of
obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity
for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which
never fails.” In other words, since
people can't be trusted we need to have some type of mechanism in place to make
others do as we want, and fear or punishment is the most effective way to
insure cooperation and compliance.
The more important the
"product" is to us, the more likely it is that we will turn to
coercion over cooperation. This is very
logical, after all, in matters that are considered important we should do
everything possible to make sure that everyone does what is necessary for the
survival and prosperity of our society as a whole. Even in a "free" society like America's we
use a number of different mechanisms to insure the compliance of members of our
society. We use physical force and
maintain our police and military forces.
We use economic force. We also
use social forces to control the thinking and actions of people in our society.
This may all sound a
little heavy handed and bleak. Yet, it
is part of human nature and doesn't have to become Machiavellian in
nature. Human interactions are complex
and we rely on a number of different mechanisms to get the things that we want
and to promote our ways of thinking. The
language of our founding documents is filled with these conflicts. On one hand we have the hope and optimism
expressed in the power of the people and their efforts to create a just and
free society, and on the other hand we see the constant fear of the misuse of
power by people.
In the end, what really
matters is our view of humanity and our ability to tolerate our imperfections
and our trust in our ability to resolve the problems that we face. Either we, as a collective whole are able to
work together to create a better society, or we must rely on outside forces or
strong individuals to control our less positive traits. The questions of where the power to make
decisions lies and who should be responsible for the directions that our
society takes are not simple ones, nor are they ones that should be taken
lightly. They also are not as ideologically
simple as we would like them to be.
These are conflicts that
have been ongoing throughout human history and that are often masked by other
factors. It is here that our ability to
present ourselves in a variety of different ways comes into play. Honesty isn't something that we have come to
expect in our politicians or other prominent public figures. In recent years we have been conditioned to
mistrust those in power, while at the same time we find ourselves turning to
new leaders (who frequently end up failing us in the end). There is a significant amount of irony in
hearing candidates tell us that we should trust them and not their opponent,
when in reality they are closer in thoughts and actions to each other than they
are to the people they are supposed to represent.
It all comes down to the
ability of the people to discern what is reality and what is a façade,
manufactured to generate support for an ideology or candidate. However, we live in a complex world, one
where fact and fiction often seem interchangeable. We need an educated, constructively
suspicious population that participates in all processes involved in decision
making and governing our society.
Education is the key to this, and is vital to the survival of our ideals
and our democratic institutions. No
wonder that public education has become a central battleground in the conflict
for control of our society.
Our public education
system is a reflection of our society and where we are headed. How we treat our children and how we choose
to educate them reflects on our core values.
It is also a place where we see public perception manipulated and an
effort made to control the debate in a variety of ways. If this premise is true, than what do our
stances on public education tell us about the direction our society is moving
in?
As individuals and as a
society, we spend our money on the things that value and express our ideals
through our use of financial resources.
In other words, we put our money where our mouth is. The question becomes, who owns and controls
our rights to an education? Is it the
citizens, students and their families, educators, or some other interest?
If one employee leaves Cuba
City High
School for a higher-paying position elsewhere in Wisconsin, it can leave
the school short of instructors in two or more subjects.
Green Bay
Press-Gazette
Like so many people, when I read Mercedes Schneider's posts
on Bill Gates and the Common Core I struggled with a jumble of emotions.
Surprise. Disgust. Awe. Anger. I'm a visual learner which meant ...
honestpracticum.com
What we choose to spend our financial resources on
reflects many things, but we should be making decisions about technology and
curriculum purchases based on best practices for our students.
s a pediatric occupational therapist, I'm calling on
parents, teachers and governments to ban the use of all handheld devices for
children under the...
The Huffington Post|By Cris Rowan
The Waldorf
School’s computer-free
environment has become a draw for parents at high-tech companies like Google.
How we measure our school systems' successes or
struggles also helps define our views on education. We measure what we value and analyze the
results using ideological filters. We
continue to measure educational achievement in ways that are misleading at best
and harmful at worst.
The Senate and Assembly remain at odds over how to reform
the state's new school report card.
madison.com|By Lee Enterprises
The federal footprint on standardized testing would shrink
under a bill set to be introduced by Reps. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y, and Kyrsten Sinema,
D-Ariz., that has major backing from the largest...
blogs.edweek.org
The president of Bard
College says recent
changes to the SAT are motivated by the competition that College Board has
experienced with its arch rival, the ACT, rather than any serious soul
searching
TIME
There was a lot of "crazy" for comedian Jon
Stewart to review after last weekend's Conservative Political Action
Conference, or as he calls it,...
Talking Points Memo
How we treat those who work in our schools also
reflects the value that we place on education in general.
Between San Francisco's
hot real estate market and its dwindling teacher pay, not one home or apartment
is listed on the market there at a price a...
DailyFinance
A couple of comments from this article.
"So what ? Who gives a S_ _T about them or any other public sector
worker."
"Teachers work 9.5 months a year (180 days to be
exact), so yes, it might be difficult to make 12 months of mortgage payments on
9.5 months of salary. The math makes perfect sense to me .I have to work 250
days a year. (5 days x 50 weeks). So, they can either get a career working 12
months a year or get a summer/second job. I appreciate what they are doing for
our children, but don't complain about your salary being 75% of the rest of us
if you only work 75% as much. I'd love to have your year round health benefit
package also."
Whether we see attacks on individual educators, or
on the unions that serve and protect educators the message is the same,
education is a "lesser"
profession.
At CPAC panel, RNC Chair Priebus touts "total and
complete unity" between GOP, Tea Party, and Glenn Beck acolytes
Salon
I didn't think that I would have to update my
"Allegations Against Mr. Portelos" list again, but unfortunately I
did. Those who have been working tirelessly to end my career hit a new low. A
new...
wp.me
At a San Diego school board meeting on Tuesday, dramatic
testimony from teachers and parents uncovered serious questions about the way
their...
blogs.edweek.org
At one time our public schools were valued and
respected, but now. . .
Well, this is not something you hear every day. Ohio state Rep. Andrew
Brenner (R-Powell) has raised some eyebrows with a blog post titled
"Public...
The Huffington Post|By Rebecca Klein
The problem is that we are allowing our society to
be defined by those who would seek to profit as individuals from our collective
efforts. Public education is a bulwark
that stands in the way of oligarchy and other non-democratic forms of
government. We need to change the
discussion and move forward, building on the strengths of our existing system
and utilizing the talents and skills of the professionals who work in our
schools.
The
Good, The Bad and
The
Ugly. . .
The Good . . . It's still a long way to November, but not too early to hope.
A great piece of news for Mary Burke supporters and a
troubling wake-up call for Gov. Scott Walker's campaign.
madison.com|By Lee Enterprises
If we can weather this
current storm of Conservatism, maybe the future will look a little brighter.
Get off America's
lawn, you punks.
New York
Magazine|By Jonathan Chait
The outpouring of love and
support from the community was tremendous, and events like this would further
honor someone who worked hard to bring different parts of our community
together.
Michael Johnson and Ed Hughes are planning a potluck dinner
to strengthen community and honor the former Memorial High School
principal who...
madison.com|By Lee Enterprises
The Bad . . . It's still long way to November, and the quality and
"integrity" of the campaign will probably not rise to a higher level.
The Republican Governors Association was running a TV ad
linking Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke to the state’s economic
woes under former Gov. Jim Doyle.
Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel
We have to stay vigilant
and remember that our opposition is willing, and able to do just about anything
to maintain political power here in Wisconsin,
and around the U.S.
Backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, Americans for
Prosperity has campaigned against taxes and spending in Coralville, Iowa,
but some voters are skeptical of its motives.
The New York
Times|By JOHN ELIGON
In-person absentee voting would no longer be allowed past 7
p.m. or on weekends in Wisconsin
under a bill the Republican-controlled state Senate moved closer to passing
Tuesday, despite objections from those who say it's...
Green Bay
Press-Gazette
The problem with elections in Wisconsin — as it is across the nation — is
that not enough people vote.
postcrescent.com
The Ugly . . . No explanation needed.
George Zimmerman was shaking hands, smiling and signing
autographs at a central Florida
gun show Saturday.
WESH 2 News|By WESH
No comments:
Post a Comment