FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

May 2

Student Protests in U.S. and Canada More Than Just About Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

by bcurry

As most people know who follow current news and social media, college student protests in both countries have escalated in recent weeks.  Students have now set up encampments on campus grounds and have even occupied university buildings.  In numerous cases, especially in the U.S. to date, the university administrations have called in the police to physically force the protesting students from their encampments on campuses.  Universities are doing so under the guise of protecting the safety of their student population, especially in the case of Jewish students who appear concerned for their safety on campus.  In some cases, faculty members have joined the protesters in objecting to the use of physical force, especially where the protests have been peaceful.

However, the fact of the matter is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has also galvanized the unrest witnessed among student bodies over the last two to three decades.  As one observer notes, in many students’ eyes, the war in Gaza is linked to other issues, such as policing, mistreatment of Indigenous people, racism and the impact of climate change.  More than likely, protesters have been joined by others who oppose the role of their governments in terms of their global policies and lack of action on tackling climate change viewed by many as the first priority in terms of today’s issues.  There is a lot of pent-up anger among young people over a number of social issues that they are facing on a daily basis.  In addition, many college programs and policies supporting diversity, equality and inclusion have been watered down, particularly in the U.S. as a result of recent Supreme Court decisions.

In addition, there is the apparent lack of transparency among university administrations concerning the allocation of resources and investments in various domestic and foreign industries and businesses.  Students pay a lot of money to attend these universities and are asking for greater transparency and accountability in such transactions at home and abroad, not only with respect to Israel but also other global matters.  One has to ask whether such student demands are indeed reasonable under the circumstances?

Most would agree that violence on campus, including hate mongering, is not the answer.  Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail over the course of the coming weeks.  However, with pro-Israel students ratcheting up their counter protests on a number of campuses, the climate could grow even more strained in the coming days.  The current disproportionate involvement of an increasingly militarized police force is a major concern, and can only exacerbate the situation on many campuses.

Young people have a right to peacefully protest, which is part of the freedom of expression normally supported in universities and colleges across Canada and the U.S.  Unfortunately, college faculties in many states have come under attack by governments over what is being referred to inappropriately as the “woke” effect.  Critical thinking has come under attack by conservative elements in both countries.  Some faculties are being told not only what they can teach but also how they go about teaching certain subjects.  We must all agree that this is a major affront on the fundamental rights and obligations of universities to offer open and considered dialogue on today’s important issues.  These attacks have once again frustrated many students in light of the increasingly apparent lack of respect for these institutions of “higher learning”.

Universities have often served as one of society’s important settings for activism, given the very nature of examining and questioning many of our daily issues; whether political, economic, environmental or technological.  Activism can often lead to open peaceful protests in a democratic society and must be supported, especially on our campuses.

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Jun 24

How We Are Taught Is What We Become

by bcurry

Recently, a friend of mine, who is a retired teacher in Canada, made a very interesting point about the influences of teacher hiring on students at all levels of our schools.  The just of the position is that teachers are not always hired for their qualifications and teaching abilities, but are instead hired primarily on the basis of their core beliefs.  This is particularly true where religious beliefs are considered a primary criteria for hiring.  Now, such criteria do play an important role in religious-based schools where religion plays an central part in the curriculum and extracurricular activities.

In some states and provinces, teachers with certain values and beliefs are expected to promote those same values to their students.  As a result, students can often be indoctrinated into certain belief systems which will form the basis for their future abilities to critically think.  Even at the university level, there may be a tendency on the part of administrators to seek out professors with similar beliefs to those promulgated by the faculty at large.  Unfortunately, such beliefs can most often reflect antiquated value systems which are regressive and unresponsive to the changing value systems reflected in a twenty-first century society.  For this reason, young people leave these institutions with preordained and out-of-date biases and a fundamental lack of critical thinking capabilities needed in modern society.

Under these circumstances, the danger is that the affected young people will not be able to easily adjust to the ever changing value systems associated with the majority of people in North American society.  They will continue to have difficulties in dealing with such issues as inequalities, racism, sexual orientation, discriminatory practices, diversity, etc., etc.  While everyone has a right to commit to certain beliefs and opinions, they cannot extend that right to promoting intolerance and extremism.  After all, values affect opinions and attitudes which then subsequently lead to actions.  Such actions can often have negative consequences and contribute to greater divisions within societies.  Sometimes, they can even lead to violent actions.  The result is a more closed society or certainly a less open one.

Many challenges face today’s youth, and they cannot afford to be hard-wired.  They will need open minds to deal with tomorrow’s issues and to be able to quickly adjust in light of those very same issues.  Parents along with teachers and elders can play an important role in inspiring our young people without handicapping them with antiquated extreme beliefs, religious or otherwise.  We inherit our value systems from our parents, and develop our capacity for critical thinking through thought-provoking education institutions.  Hiring the right teachers to help provide them with the tools needed to function within a modern society is of utmost of importance.  Allowing young people to explore, without rigid restrictions, all facets of our histories, culture and governance is a must.  Maybe by doing so, we will then be able to narrow the evident divisions and intolerance existing today within North American society.

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Feb 25

Is Changing Text in Classic Novels a New Form of Censorship?

by bcurry

This week is Freedom to Read Week (February 19 to 25).  In Canada, we have the Freedom to Read Foundation which organizes this week and is sponsored by the Book and Periodical Council (BPC), the umbrella organization for Canadian associations whose members are primarily involved with the writing, editing, translating, publishing, producing, distributing, lending, marketing, reading and selling of written words.  Through earlier blogs, I have been an advicate for any persons or organizations that oppose the banning of books or overt censorship in reading materials, whether in our schools, libraries or publishing firms.  Imagine that books such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer are among those books that have been challenged in North America.  The list is much more extensive in states such as Florida and Texas, where there have been right-wing efforts to ban swaths of stories about Black Americans and LGBTQ people.

The latest example of overreach concern classic books by Roald Dahl, wherein the U.K. publisher, Puffin U.K., decided that there was a need to censor several of the author’s cherished children’s stories.  News broke last week that hundreds of changes were made in the latest editions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda” and other Dahl classics.  The changes reportedly have been made to align his language with modern standards of inclusion, diversity and accessibility.  In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” for instance, Augustus Gloop is no longer “fat”; he’s “enormous.”  And the Oompa Loompas aren’t “small men”; they’re “small people.” While Matilda once went to India with Rudyard Kipling, now she travels to California with John Steinbeck.  In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” even the chickens’ feelings have been spared; they’re no longer called “stupid.”  These changes remind me of the removal of the n-word in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn.  However, these more recent publishers’ changes are even more ridiculous!

This movement is once again a result of attempts by certain factions of today’s society and parents to protect their children from exposure to so-called sensitive materials, as well as the rise of so-called “safetyism.”  For some reason, there are those that believe children and adolescents are so fragile that they need to be protected from stressors.  What I don’t understand is that almost all books are reviewed by schools and libraries before they are made available to children and adults alike.  According to well defined criteria, they are then placed in the appropriate areas depending upon the recommended areas of interest and applicable reader ages.  In addition, parents do have to option of contesting the criteria and limiting what is read by their children at home.

Trying to limit ourselves and our children’s exposure to history and past societal attitudes appears to be another means by which we are shielding people from the realities of certain times reflected in past and modern literature.  This behavior in turn leads to more and more censorship based on one’s perceived needs to provide such protection, often to the detriment in the normal development of youth in our society.  While language evolves from one generation to another, it partly does so because of our understanding and appreciation of history itself.  Changing words to reflect current morality and societal values does not change our history.  Indeed, we are doing a disservice to up and coming generations if we continue to attempt to shield them from certain past and current realities.  How otherwise do we get the opportunity to seriously and frankly discuss certain critical issues, both past and current?  This process is what constitutes the very basis of knowledge, regardless of the disciplines involved.  How else can we learn to deal with certain realities, thereby creating a greater chance for future understanding, respect and tolerance?

We may not always like what we read, but in a democracy one has the right to be free to choose what we read.  This is what universal literacy is all about.  The more resources that we can freely access, without censorship, the better!

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Feb 16

We Now Have a Generation of Survivors of School Mass Shootings

by bcurry

Since the Columbine High School attack of 1999, which left 12 students and one teacher dead and reshaped how Americans viewed mass shootings, we now have a generation of young people who have witnessed more than one school shooting.  Most recently, gunshots erupted on the vast Michigan State University campus, killing three students and injuring five others.  Unfortunately, many on campus felt a chilling sense of familiarity.  Today, several college students were just children when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 26 students, teachers and staff members in 2012.  Nine years later, the Oxford High School shooting in a nearby township outside of Detroit left four teenagers dead.  These were just but a representative few of the recent school mass shootings in the U.S.

Following the recent shooting at Michigan State University, the New York Times interviewed several students only to find that a number had also experienced a school shooting when they were in elementary and high schools.  One student interviewed on campus, who was at Sandy Hook Elementary on the day of the shooting, was reported to have said that “it was incomprehensible to have lived through two mass shootings in her 21 years.”  University faculty interviewed also noted that a number of their students had experienced a school shooting while in primary or secondary school.  Can one imagine how this latest school shooting must psychologically affect these young people?  I couldn’t imagine their current state of mind!

Those of us who attended college understand that the idea of security on campus is a difficult concept because of the size of a campus, with many buildings and facilities being frequently used by students, teachers and administrators.  Since mass school shootings occurred more frequently, colleges have introduced new security or safety measures in order to protect students and to prevent casualties from such incidents.  These include requiring key cards or photo identification to enter most campus buildings, sports facilities and residences.  Common across the country, campus wide systems were introduced whereby security alerts are sent to cellphones when there is a possible or actual threat on campus.  However, in most cases students must opt into the service, rather than opting out.  Campus police departments as part of their continuous training learn to prepare for and how to respond to threats. In the U.S., they often work closely with Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) campus liaisons to track potential threats from outside the school.  Many colleges also have threat-assessment teams made up of public safety officers, counsellors and student affairs groups, who try to spot troubled students and staff members who might be considering violent acts.  In such cases, school and community support services are made available to students with any issues.  However, this does not help those situations, as in the case of Michigan State, where the perpetrator comes from off-campus and is not affiliated directly with the school.

The ideal is that campuses of colleges and universities are meant to be open in the spirit of higher learning and freedom.  Therefore, at the post-secondary level, the authorities have to undergo a balancing act between allowing freedom of movement and enforcing security on campuses.  In the U.S. in particular, this is not an easy thing to do.  Even in Canada, colleges and universities have introduced more security measures in light of what has happened south of the border.  Fortunately, Canadians have seen far fewer violent incidents on our campuses, especially incidents involving gun violence.  Remembering back to my days in college, it is a shame that young people today go off to campuses under such a cloud of insecurity.  One has to feel for the parents who can only assume that their children are learning and developing in a safe environment.

Students today are being forced to be ever vigilant, recognizing that even college campuses are but another reflection of our societal woes.  Gone it appears are the more carefree and anticipated opportunities for growth that come with college and university experiences.  Increasingly, students are being forced to deal with continuous security and safety issues.  However, perhaps these experiences are meant to prepare young people for what they will experience in later life.  Alas, reality has indeed embraced our campuses.

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Dec 11

Issues Raised Over Military’s Junior R.O.C.T. Programs in American High Schools

by bcurry

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times (Times) which highlighted the apparent mandatory participation of high school students in the military’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (J.R.O.C.T.) program.  The article points out that J.R.O.T.C. programs, taught by military veterans at some 3,500 high schools across the country, are supposed to be elective, and the Pentagon has said that requiring students to take them goes against its guidelines.

In Canada, over 57 000 youth, aged 12-18 participate in the after school and summer Cadet program: supervised and led by over 9000 military and civilian members; supported by their communities, sponsors, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Navy, Army Cadet and Air Cadet Leagues of Canada.  Cadets generally run activities one night per week, and one weekend per month, with additional opportunities for unique experiences during the summer and throughout the year.  As in the case of the J.R.O.C.T. program, the cadet program markets once in a lifetime opportunities that develop leadership, citizenship, and self-confidence.  However, unlike the J.R.O.C.T. program, it is completely voluntary.

The Times found the vast majority of the schools with those high enrollment numbers were attended by a large proportion of non-white students and those from low-income households.  The role of J.R.O.T.C. in U.S. high schools has been a point of debate since the program was founded more than a century ago.   What is disconcerting is that in many schools a student is automatically enrolled, and must put in a request in order to leave the program.  Some have described such a military program as a means to indoctrinate young people and a form of “brainwashing”.  Others, including civilian teachers, are uncomfortable with military posters and recruiters on campus and the curriculum taught in J.R.O.T.C. classes, especially as it pertains to U.S. history regarding foreign policy and military initiatives oversees (e.g. Vietnam).  Some high school freshmen are also in J.R.O.T.C. at the start of the school year in part because of a shortage of physical education teachers.

These types of military sponsored programs advertise their worth in terms of better attendance and graduation rates, and fewer discipline problems at school.  However, critics have long contended that the program’s militaristic discipline emphasizes obedience over independence and critical thinking. The Times found the program’s textbooks falsified or downplayed the failings of the U.S. government, suggesting the promotion of “fake history”.  It is asserted by some opponents that the program’s heavy concentration in schools with low-income and non-white students helps propel such students into the military instead of encouraging other routes to college or jobs in the civilian economy.  I am a firm believer that what is needed by young people is more in the line of developing “self-discipline” and “commitment” to their studies and communities.  After all, schools are expected to provide guidance and programs aimed at self-discipline and other behavioural issues.  Not all young people respond well to the forced adherence to disciplinary measures and regimentation. 

Yes, in both Canada and the U.S. without compulsory military service, there is a shortage of personnel in the professional military.  However, a mandatory J.R.O.C.T.-like program in high schools is not going to resolve the problem.  The requirements of the modern military today are totally different from years ago.  Recruiters today are looking more for better educated and more technically savvy candidates.  Indeed, they may be better off promoting military service at the post-secondary level, especially were STEP programs are available.  If eventual serving in the military subsidizes post-secondary tuitions and other expenses, then perhaps more young people would voluntarily consider such a program.  Simply having a high school diploma no longer cuts the mustard.  Governments will have to consider improving wages, working conditions and benefits just like employers in the private sector.  The concept of “patriotism” can go only so far in today’s competitive society.

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Jun 18

American Public School Teachers Facing Several Challenges Depending On Where They Teach

by bcurry

For decades now, many American primary and secondary school teachers have faced low wages and poor working conditions.  When adjusted for inflation, the national average salary for teachers has only somewhat increased over the past decade, according to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union.  This is unlike in Canada where most teachers are members of strong provincial unions and are considered to be well paid and to have excellent benefit and retirement plans.  In many instances, there are long waiting lists for recent graduates from Canadian teachers’ colleges to become fulltime teachers.  In the U.S., several states are apparently loosing teachers for a number of reasons — low salaries being among the most important.

However, what has become more of a concern in American schools is the evident attempt within certain states, such as Florida, to inject politics into the state’s non-partisan school boards.  For example, under Governor Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights Education Act was passed into law.  It has been dubbed by some critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill for its restrictions on what teachers can say about sexual orientation and gender identity.  Then in 2021, DeSantis signed an executive order banning school boards from enacting mask mandates during the pandemic and threatened to strip state funding from ones who did.  Such measures have encouraged some parents to replace school board trustees with more conservative members and to launch book bans within the school district.  Teachers perceived as teaching anything related to politics, race, history, gender identity and sexuality are often attacked and frequently forced to resign.  Teachers in some states believe that they are caught in the crosshairs of the current culture wars, and are increasingly being forced to leave their jobs at a time when good teachers are in short supply.

In recent years, administrators, teachers and school staff are facing increasing threats of violence to themselves and their students.  Mass school shootings, such as the most recent tragic one in Uvalde, Texas, appear to be on the increase.  Recent research by The Washington Post reveals that more than 300,000 children have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine High School massacre of April 20, 1999.  They found that last year there were 42 school shooting incidents – more than in any year since 1999.  Already this year alone there have been 24 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during the school day.  Since Columbine, the total amount of children, educators and other people killed during such traumatic incidents stands at 185, with another 369 injured.  Disconcertingly, in some states, they are putting forward arguments that teachers should be armed to protect themselves and their students.

For years, many school boards and administrators supported racial equity programs in their school districts.  However, more recently, even such programs are being challenged by conservative factions to the point where plans to beef up recruitment of a diverse teaching staff, to address the implicit biases of teachers and to overhaul discipline practices are all now dead or in limbo.  The Washington Post reported that, across the U.S. last year, school board elections became the epicenter of a culture war over race.  Conservative victories led many boards to fire superintendents and curtail racial justice initiatives.  In some districts, white teachers continue to far outnumber black teachers disproportionately to the schools’ black populations.  Discussions of “systemic racism” are even no longer permitted within the school districts.

All in all, although several states have given wage hikes and signing bonuses to teachers, the ability and freedom to teach within the curriculum has been greatly restricted.  In this day and age, it is not easy being an American in the teaching profession.  They must feel that they are constantly under attack and their teaching methods questioned at every turn.  No wonder so many are contemplating leaving this worthy profession.  A sad commentary for sure!

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Mar 23

Book Banning in American Schools Continues to Grow — What Next, Burning Books?

by bcurry

A recent article by Hannah Natanson in The Washington Post outlined the continuing issue of schools nationwide quietly removing books from their libraries, particularly books dealing with discussions of race, gender, sex, the Holocaust and LGBTQ identities.  Some of the removals have been even apparently done outside the normal school board processes for book review and assessment.  Many of the banned books include such classics as Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” M.O. Yuksel’s “In the Mosque,” Zetta Elliott’s “A Place Inside of Me,” Kyle Lukoff’s “When Aidan Became a Brother,” Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” Jonathan Evison’s “Lawn Boy,” George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” and Vladek Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Maus.”  The list goes on and on.

Yes, these are books that some would deem controversial, depending on the eyes of the beholders who hopefully have taken the time to actually read the books.  Unfortunately, some parents have taken it upon themselves to engage in censorship, believing that today’s eight to twelve year olds cannot handle any discussion related to important societal issues.  However, one has to ask, where does such censorship all end?  Kind of reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel, “Fahrenheit 451”, which presents a future American society where books are outlawed and “firemen” burn any that are found.  Bradbury wrote his novel as a result of his concerns during the McCarthy era aimed at so-called un-American activities indiscriminately directed at artists, journalists and others.  He raised concerns about the potential threat of book burning in the U.S. at that time.  Today, one might conclude that his novel may be somewhat prophetic.

No one can deny that parents are entitled to oversee the daily activities of their young children, including those in middle school.  However, as a taxpayer supporting public school education in particular, one might feel taken aback by such censorship which would completely remove relevant books from school libraries.  I would have no problem should parents choose to send their children to private schools, certainly those proposing to be faith-based.  As parents who would like to see their children in public schools being allowed to address a number of issues in an intelligent and meaningful manner, their children should have free access to recommended readings.  Banning these books is an infringement of the rights of these parents.  The continuing harassment by some parents of school boards and librarians over the contents of their libraries and curriculum is totally uncalled for and inexcusable.  As noted in the above article, one district adopted the permission-slip policy to allow parents to be the decision maker in what materials their children are reading and have access to, seemingly a reasonable compromise. 

Young people are going to be naturally curious about numerous modern societal issues, be they about sex, race or gender.  Taking into consideration age-appropriate materials, many of the controversial books alluded to would appear to be highly useful in opening discussions about a number of difficult topics.  As the above article notes: “Psychologists, academics and librarians reached by The Washington Post said they see value in introducing children to books that contain challenging material, including of the sexual kind, provided it is done with appropriate context, care and tact.”  Throughout formal education today, children will be faced with information and discussion about a number of difficult topics — where better than in schools.  People need to place more trust in educators, who after all have extensively studied and researched many of these topics in compiling their curriculum.  Misinformed and indiscriminate censorship doesn’t have any place in these processes, especially where educators and librarians unfortunately can end up facing daily harassment by fringe groups.  Freedom of thought and practice should be the foundation of a public school education, while respecting the rights of all parents and not just a few.

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