Domestic Psychology

Civics parenting

// November 2nd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // parenting, politics

Today, I was a negligent parent. My children were playing happily with their friends and for the first time ever, I didn’t take them along when I went to vote. I feel appropriately guilty at not including them in such an important civic responsibility, but I balance that guilt with pride in my oldest, who is spending the entire day working at a polling place. Yes, Aspie caveman is one of the brave volunteers who spend their day listening to a little bit of everything and responding only with smiles and comments about the weather. That is remarkable for more reasons than need to be listed.

Standing in line for my turn at a machine, I smiled at waved very subtly at my baby who is a full head taller than me. His cheeks turned slightly pink as he grinned sheepishly and he returned the wave. Then, I motioned for him to look away from me and toward the machines where a voter was trying to get assistance. My son waved at me again and gave me a confused look because he couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t quit waving. I put my hand on my hip, looked at him with my serious face and pointed at the machines. He spun and raced to confused voter. I waited to be excused from the building for acting silly, but the only response from the other volunteers was muffled giggles.

So, if you haven’t voted yet, do me a favor and smile at the volunteers. They are all someone’s child, sibling, spouse or parent and they need to feel appreciated too. You should probably skip the waving and camera phone pictures though. That tends to get them flustered.

Ten days out

// October 18th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // people, politics

Ten of the reasons why I am going.

• One week I found an Obama is the anti-Christ pamphlet under my windshield wiper.
• The following week someone tried to scrape the Obama sticker off of my car.
• A relative stopped speaking to me when I told him to stop sending my children anti-Islamic e-mails.
• A neighbor is stockpiling weapons while waiting for the signal to begin the armed uprising.
• Another neighbor is unable to afford utilities and food on a full-time salary.
• I’ve been called a socialist and told “my kind” isn’t wanted around here.
• Politicians whose only goal is hurting the other side aren’t helping anyone.
• My youngest children have never been on an airplane.
• We haven’t taken a vacation this year.
• Hate is a disease and laughter is the best medicine.

Noah voted

// August 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // kid quotes, politics, teenagers

Until they invent a “family” sized voting machine that all the children can squish together and watch, the children take turns accompanying us to the voting machine. Last week, Noah was my voting buddy.
“Why isn’t it a touch screen?”
“Where’s the keyboard?”
“How old is this machine?”
“What if you don’t like either one?”
“If only one person is running, why do they put them on there?”
“You want ME to push the big button? Is that legal?”

This year, our school system has decided two of the school days will have special themes. One is Constitution Day and the other is Civics Education Day. Either day will be the perfect day to put voting machines in the schools and let all students turn the dial and ask questions. Have a school-wide election about a relevant issue, like selling ice cream during lunch. Let’s raise a generation of of voters.

local elections – school board version (pt 2)

// July 23rd, 2010 // 3 Comments » // politics, school

If you live in the 9th district, your School Board choice can be narrowed down to one simple question. If you want to continue with the representation you have now, Bratton is your candidate. If you want something different, Trainor is your candidate. If you live in a cave and don’t know that both of your candidates are well-known figures in the Knox County education community whose careers speak for themselves, then consider the candidates’ responses to the following question.

Should school foundations be allowed to fund specific classes? Bratton’s response was that it wouldn’t be fair to allow that, because it would create have and have not schools. In other words, if we can’t have it, nobody can have it. Trainor stated that if foundations can help schools keep from losing classes, they should be able to do so.

Neither candidate stated that the current funding already gives disproportionately to schools from lower SES communities to balance the communities that can afford to provide more themselves. Why would you cripple the schools that are getting less government resources from using the community resources that eliminate them from additional government funding? That’s like shooting yourself in the foot because shoes don’t fit on your hands. Moreover, why wouldn’t any School Board member have the maturity and intelligence to allow each and every school to be the best that it can be?

The 9th district needs a School Board representative who cares about all schools and all students. That representative needs to be Trainor.

local elections – school board version

// July 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // politics, school

If you live in Knox County’s seventh district, your choice for School Board is Sepesi or Warwick. Both seem like good people with sincere motives. Because of their career histories, both are going to be clear and quick thinkers if there is a crisis. If you want to save vo-tech programs, Warwick is your candidate. If you think your district is getting the budgetary short straw, Sepesi is your candidate.

Based on their responses at the most recent forum, both candidates are facing a steep learning curve. The “Race to the Top” money is not what they think it is. It is going to be like rain in the desert that evaporates before it touches your skin. No volume of weather reporters saying that it rained is going to change the fact that you are still thirsty.

Saving the vo-tech programs is admirable, but highly unlikely. Realistically, profit and non-profit groups are the future of vocational training. Getting more money into your district is admirable, but skip the politics of board member vs board member and work to get new business in your district and existing businesses in your schools.

Elect either one. The results will be nearly identical.

Friday afternoon press release

// June 18th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // humor, politics

This summer’s heat has been made increasingly intolerable by the presence of an outrageous quantity of mosquitoes. What has the other guy been doing while ordinary Tennesseans are being drained of the very blood that keeps them alive? Nothing. The lack of concern about this parasitic terrorism is outrageous. Where is their outrage? Why do they remain silent about the mosquito plague? What do they have to gain by the presence of mosquitoes? The outrageous support of mosquitoes is typical behavior for the other guy. We will not allow this outrage to continue. Unlike the other guy, we do not support mosquitoes.

CC: Aunt B

please stop arguing about guns

// April 27th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // politics, TN

Even though I am still bugged by one *aspect of the process, I am going to solve half the TN legislative activity in one sentence. Ready? Here it is:

If you have a carry permit, you can carry your gun.

See how simple that was? Now quit arguing and get back to work on things that matter.

*I know there is a difference between near sighted and far sighted. I maintain that if you can’t see to read the paper in front of you and you can’t see to drive, you need an eye doctor’s clearance to go with that gun permit.

signed, Captain Obvious

// February 17th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // politics, television

Dear <- insert name of politician here ->,

Do not go on <- insert name of entertainment program here ->. The publicity you get will not help you. There really is such a thing as bad publicity. The show’s host will mercilessly mock you and everyone watching will laugh. I will laugh at you, instead of with you. Carefully edited clips will saturate the web as your name becomes synonymous with clowns or worse. That is not going to help your career.

Every time that I laugh at your appearance on that show, I also feel a pain in my stomach. A pain of disappointment. I don’t want to dismiss you as a politician. I want to believe that no matter what letter is after your name, you take your work seriously. I want to believe that even when I disagree with your political decisions, you are acting with the best interests of all your constituents in mind. I want, no, I need to respect you as a politician and a person.

Have too much dignity and self respect to subject yourself to interviews by comedians. Every minute spent fixing your makeup and bantering for the live audience’s giggles is time that should have been spent working to make a difference. Please do not appear on <- insert name of entertainment program here -> while the working poor are paying your salary. Get back to work on the job you were elected to do.

my Tennessee

// February 11th, 2010 // 9 Comments » // people, politics, TN

When I expressed my disappointment at the behavior of Smart Girl Media, my DC brother quipped that I live in the “heart of the heart of it.” That makes me sad.

My Tennessee is mountains, valleys, rivers and forests. It is beautiful and filled with good people. The Tennessee that I know and I love doesn’t sort everyone by red shirts and blue shirts. My Tennessee realizes that everyone is connected and usually by family. My TN is composed of people who care about their neighbors, near and far. My TN is embarrassed by the undercurrent of racism and doesn’t tolerate it being out in the open. My TN has always looked upon college education as fancy, but expects children to graduate from high school and do their best. My TN doesn’t glorify ignorance and discourage small children from learning from anyone in the wrong color shirt. My TN church ladies are pure souls who quietly and without fanfare, lift the downtrodden. They are not the self-righteous wannabe church celebrities who pat themselves on the back as they kick the hungry or homeless. My TN is composed of politicians whose goal to remain in office is sought by helping keep economies alive and the poorest employed. It is not represented by elected officials who will sacrifice the needs of the people in order to block any accomplishments by the people in the wrong color shirt.

I love Tennessee and the people who live here. If the heart of TN has turned angry, I want to heal it. We are better than this. So much better that I don’t want to accept this ugliness as the heart of TN. I prefer to think of it as the gluteus maximus of our state. You know, the part that needs to shape up.

Not my cup of tea

// February 8th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // politics

Embarrassed this happened in TN:

“Eavesdropping on the Pajamas Media livestream is interesting stuff.

Bridget Geegan Blanton of Smart Girl Media was just asked how she handles those awkward moments when she’s volunteering at a voter registration drive and a Democrat tries to register to vote with her.

“The law requires me to give (a voter registration form) to anyone who asks for it,” she said. “But I’m not legally obligated to mail it in.”

In any case, she said, Democrats shouldn’t approach her booth in the first place. She signals her intentions by hanging an American flag before every event. “That should tell them whose side I’m on.”

h/t KnoxViews