Raber and I spend a few minutes each 4th listening to the Declaration of Independence recited on NPR.
I used to enjoy teaching the Declaration in the American lit class. Students had rarely ever read it, so I asked them to each pull out three things that struck them as interesting in some way, discuss, and look up context info on their phones.
Then I asked them to use it to develop a definition of tyranny as understood by Americans in 1776 and present it to me at the next class. In doing that assignment, they inevitably wanted to talk about their definition of tyranny.
Always an interesting week to just listen and let them run with ideas!
Yes, thanks for the pictures. Jean, I wish you could have prepped me for my Constitution test in middle school!
If I may get something off my chest: I am anti-fireworks. I don't mean the professionally-executed visual/sonic spectaculars. I mean the neighbors who run out to the fireworks store, buy their own explosives, and stay up all night blowing off firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets, fingers and toes. Almost invariably, the adults think consuming lots of alcohol heightens the experience. Had to listen to it all last night; was having a hard time falling asleep, and every time I was drifting off, another round of explosions, and/or beer-fueled guffaws, would pull me back into wakefulness.
And they're not even legal in Illinois. But Chicago is close to both Wisconsin and Indiana, in both of which they are legal. Naturally, fireworks merchants have built their equivalent of superstores off the Interstate highways, as close to the Illinois state line as they can get.
My theory is, attitudes toward do-it-yourself fireworks are one cultural marker that separates MAGA true believers from the rest of America.
Fireworks legal here, and it starts big fights every year on the community page. The cops always post safety tips and ordinance reminders. Horse and dog owners plead for neighbors to back off on the really big rockets. The Vietnam vet down the street goes to the VFW hall to hide out. And responses like this are common:
"You do what you have to do [with your horses] and we will do what we have the RIGHT to do. My animals aren’t scared and I have yet to meet one person with ptsd that’s so bad they can’t stand fireworks. In fact out of the countless vets I know - they are alllll gun enthusiasts…. I don’t even light off fireworks anymore….but I am sick n tired of ppl trying to others what to do on their own property. You mind yours. Nothing more n nothing less. Stop trying to infringe on others!"
I used to enjoy peeling these responses off the community page and asking students to analyze the credibility of the arguments on the basis of evidence offered.
MAGA? Maybe, but this kind of attitude has prevailed here in the cornfield for 30 years. Just normal, red-blooded, gun-loving Americans celebrating their freedom to scare livestock and say FU to their neighbors.
Washington Post has a quiz w sample questions from the test for new citizens. Some are quite tricky. I got all of them right, but had to read carefully and confess that I guessed on one. "Can you pass a U.S. citizenship test? Take our civics quiz."
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Thanks, Jack. Really nice cloud pics!
ReplyDeleteRaber and I spend a few minutes each 4th listening to the Declaration of Independence recited on NPR.
I used to enjoy teaching the Declaration in the American lit class. Students had rarely ever read it, so I asked them to each pull out three things that struck them as interesting in some way, discuss, and look up context info on their phones.
Then I asked them to use it to develop a definition of tyranny as understood by Americans in 1776 and present it to me at the next class. In doing that assignment, they inevitably wanted to talk about their definition of tyranny.
Always an interesting week to just listen and let them run with ideas!
Jean, I would love to know what your students said. Great assignment . You must have been a fantastic teacher.
ReplyDeleteJack, gorgeous photos. They lift my spirits. Thank you,
Beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks for the pictures. Jean, I wish you could have prepped me for my Constitution test in middle school!
ReplyDeleteIf I may get something off my chest: I am anti-fireworks. I don't mean the professionally-executed visual/sonic spectaculars. I mean the neighbors who run out to the fireworks store, buy their own explosives, and stay up all night blowing off firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets, fingers and toes. Almost invariably, the adults think consuming lots of alcohol heightens the experience. Had to listen to it all last night; was having a hard time falling asleep, and every time I was drifting off, another round of explosions, and/or beer-fueled guffaws, would pull me back into wakefulness.
And they're not even legal in Illinois. But Chicago is close to both Wisconsin and Indiana, in both of which they are legal. Naturally, fireworks merchants have built their equivalent of superstores off the Interstate highways, as close to the Illinois state line as they can get.
My theory is, attitudes toward do-it-yourself fireworks are one cultural marker that separates MAGA true believers from the rest of America.
Fireworks legal here, and it starts big fights every year on the community page. The cops always post safety tips and ordinance reminders. Horse and dog owners plead for neighbors to back off on the really big rockets. The Vietnam vet down the street goes to the VFW hall to hide out. And responses like this are common:
Delete"You do what you have to do [with your horses] and we will do what we have the RIGHT to do. My animals aren’t scared and I have yet to meet one person with ptsd that’s so bad they can’t stand fireworks. In fact out of the countless vets I know - they are alllll gun enthusiasts….
I don’t even light off fireworks anymore….but I am sick n tired of ppl trying to others what to do on their own property. You mind yours. Nothing more n nothing less. Stop trying to infringe on others!"
I used to enjoy peeling these responses off the community page and asking students to analyze the credibility of the arguments on the basis of evidence offered.
MAGA? Maybe, but this kind of attitude has prevailed here in the cornfield for 30 years. Just normal, red-blooded, gun-loving Americans celebrating their freedom to scare livestock and say FU to their neighbors.
Washington Post has a quiz w sample questions from the test for new citizens. Some are quite tricky. I got all of them right, but had to read carefully and confess that I guessed on one. "Can you pass a U.S. citizenship test? Take our civics quiz."
ReplyDelete