White light
is nature's illusionist.
It seems so simple--just light.
But it's not.
Send a sunbeam into a prism
or a water droplet
or perhaps a tear
and it shatters into a hidden spectrum.
A paintbox so cleverly concealed
in our everyday illumination.
If so much convoluted beauty
can hide within the simplicity of light
How many more wonders are invisible
to our everyday eyes?
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Bang.
Hello all,
So yesterday I read an article that was making the lightning quick rounds of internet news sites, quipping talking heads and grumpy trolls.
This article described a teacher in Utah who went into the bathroom and proceeded to injure herself when her legally concealed gun went off, shattering the toilet and subsequently mangling her leg.
For those of you who don't know, in Utah it is perfectly legal for teachers to carry a concealed gun as long as they have the proper permit and training. And just so you know I'm not picking on Utah, this gun-carrying-teacher motif is spreading across the U.S., being discussed with serious consideration as a solution to the dangers of our modern society.
As it so happens, I am a teacher. I've been teaching for over 23 years. I have never felt the need to carry a weapon. Even during the times in my career when my school has had to go on "lockdown" status because some loony was in our neighborhood on the run from the law, even then I never said to myself "Gosh, I'd feel better if I had a gun in my waistband."
But I'm willing to give this whole "guns are protection" thing a think or two. Starting with the oft-quoted 2nd amendment to the constitution. Which states:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
I'm not going to pretend I'm anything but a kindergarten teacher. That is what I am. I'm not stupid, but I'm not a lawyer, or a politician, or Stephen Hawking or Einstein or anyone with a huge IQ or deep thoughts or special training in Constitutional law.
I'm a kindergarten teacher. So first off, I looked up "militia". A militia, according to various dictionaries, is:
1. A noun
Fair enough. "Militia" is a noun. No argument there.
2. Refers to a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.
Okay, as far as I know, unless one is a teacher at the Naval Academy, most teachers do not qualify as engaged in military service. Next.
3. A body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.
I'm pretty sure teachers do not qualify as either citizen soldiers or professional soldiers, no matter how much people may refer to teaching as "being in the trenches".
4. All able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.
This point could be debated if the teacher in question were a male of legal age for military service. But even then it would be a strange connection to make. Teaching=military service=yes, gun ok.
As for me personally, I may be eligible for military service (although I'm probably low on the list, being 47 years old, 5 foot 2 inches tall and not particularly prone to impressing enemies with my fighting prowess). But I'm pretty sure I'm not male, able-bodied or not.
5. A body of citizens organized in a paramilitary group and typically regarding themselves as defenders of individual rights against the presumed interference of the federal government.
Well here is the crux of it all, right? How do we define ourselves as citizens of any country? Does disagreeing with the actions or positions of our government give us the right to carry around weapons? I'm not talking about hunters hankering for venison here. I'm not talking about sport shooting. I'm talking about everyday people working in everyday jobs carrying around concealed--or in open-carry states, unconcealed--weapons.
Taking it a step back, even if we remove the word "militia" from the 2nd amendment, are guns and other weapons really necessary to the "security of a free state"?
Do we feel safer knowing that any time we go out our door--to get groceries, to fill the gas tank in the car, to walk the dog, to pick up our children from school--anyone, everyone around us could have a gun in their purse or in a concealed holster?
And just how much confidence do we have in our assessment about what makes someone "sane" and "in control"? Where is the line drawn when any of us rational,"normal" people have one too many bad days, with just a little too much stress? For the person carrying that gun, the gun becomes one of the many choices and tools that we all have to solve a problem, to meet the challenges of an emergency situation or to simply face another day. And how does one really judge a situation to merit using that gun, especially--for teachers--in front of children?
In the end, I'm one kindergarten teacher living thousands of miles away from my home country. And as I watch the swirl of fear, hate and intolerance grow larger every day, I have to wonder what on earth we will be coming home to, when the time comes for us to leave Japan.
But whatever we come home to, I do know this: I cannot teach my students peace, respect, tolerance and friendship if I'm carrying a gun in my pocket. No matter the intention to protect, that gun would negate and betray every good thing I tried to teach.
So count this teacher out.
Until next time....
So yesterday I read an article that was making the lightning quick rounds of internet news sites, quipping talking heads and grumpy trolls.
This article described a teacher in Utah who went into the bathroom and proceeded to injure herself when her legally concealed gun went off, shattering the toilet and subsequently mangling her leg.
For those of you who don't know, in Utah it is perfectly legal for teachers to carry a concealed gun as long as they have the proper permit and training. And just so you know I'm not picking on Utah, this gun-carrying-teacher motif is spreading across the U.S., being discussed with serious consideration as a solution to the dangers of our modern society.
As it so happens, I am a teacher. I've been teaching for over 23 years. I have never felt the need to carry a weapon. Even during the times in my career when my school has had to go on "lockdown" status because some loony was in our neighborhood on the run from the law, even then I never said to myself "Gosh, I'd feel better if I had a gun in my waistband."
But I'm willing to give this whole "guns are protection" thing a think or two. Starting with the oft-quoted 2nd amendment to the constitution. Which states:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
I'm not going to pretend I'm anything but a kindergarten teacher. That is what I am. I'm not stupid, but I'm not a lawyer, or a politician, or Stephen Hawking or Einstein or anyone with a huge IQ or deep thoughts or special training in Constitutional law.
I'm a kindergarten teacher. So first off, I looked up "militia". A militia, according to various dictionaries, is:
1. A noun
Fair enough. "Militia" is a noun. No argument there.
2. Refers to a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.
Okay, as far as I know, unless one is a teacher at the Naval Academy, most teachers do not qualify as engaged in military service. Next.
3. A body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.
I'm pretty sure teachers do not qualify as either citizen soldiers or professional soldiers, no matter how much people may refer to teaching as "being in the trenches".
4. All able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.
This point could be debated if the teacher in question were a male of legal age for military service. But even then it would be a strange connection to make. Teaching=military service=yes, gun ok.
As for me personally, I may be eligible for military service (although I'm probably low on the list, being 47 years old, 5 foot 2 inches tall and not particularly prone to impressing enemies with my fighting prowess). But I'm pretty sure I'm not male, able-bodied or not.
5. A body of citizens organized in a paramilitary group and typically regarding themselves as defenders of individual rights against the presumed interference of the federal government.
Well here is the crux of it all, right? How do we define ourselves as citizens of any country? Does disagreeing with the actions or positions of our government give us the right to carry around weapons? I'm not talking about hunters hankering for venison here. I'm not talking about sport shooting. I'm talking about everyday people working in everyday jobs carrying around concealed--or in open-carry states, unconcealed--weapons.
Taking it a step back, even if we remove the word "militia" from the 2nd amendment, are guns and other weapons really necessary to the "security of a free state"?
Do we feel safer knowing that any time we go out our door--to get groceries, to fill the gas tank in the car, to walk the dog, to pick up our children from school--anyone, everyone around us could have a gun in their purse or in a concealed holster?
And just how much confidence do we have in our assessment about what makes someone "sane" and "in control"? Where is the line drawn when any of us rational,"normal" people have one too many bad days, with just a little too much stress? For the person carrying that gun, the gun becomes one of the many choices and tools that we all have to solve a problem, to meet the challenges of an emergency situation or to simply face another day. And how does one really judge a situation to merit using that gun, especially--for teachers--in front of children?
In the end, I'm one kindergarten teacher living thousands of miles away from my home country. And as I watch the swirl of fear, hate and intolerance grow larger every day, I have to wonder what on earth we will be coming home to, when the time comes for us to leave Japan.
But whatever we come home to, I do know this: I cannot teach my students peace, respect, tolerance and friendship if I'm carrying a gun in my pocket. No matter the intention to protect, that gun would negate and betray every good thing I tried to teach.
So count this teacher out.
Until next time....
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