Shorter School Days?

What@the merits of shorter study days for school age kids? Remote learning shows shorter chunks really work. Kids are happy they don't have to be in school for six hours/day but how can parents manage? Is a shorter hybrid school day our future? #remotelearning

Extreme Right Entraps Us!

Like many gen-Xers, I was always a bit apathetic about politics. At best, I coined myself a moderate playing the fair hand and trying not to offend. However, little by little, far right extremism is bearing down on my daily life in ways I never could have imagined.

When Donald Trump won the election with xenophobic and nationalist rhetoric, it was a distant news story. I was not shocked as I had expected his election win. I, myself, had witnessed firsthand the psychologically weak and troubled succumb to the rhetoric of the far right. Yet, I felt this extremism was still far from affecting me personally, so, like many others, I went about my daily life.

Then, slowly the far right's influence encircled us. The travel ban affected my work because I teach international students who suddenly couldn’t enter the U.S., stuck in airports or denied visas. As anti-ethnic sentiment grew acceptable, as a multiracial family, my husband, an American by choice, and I began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Although most people were polite that little doubt began to creep in, so we stuck to familiar metropolitan areas. And little by little, extremist ideas began to chip away at our hopes. The hope after mass shootings that our leadership would enact sensible gun laws died away. When I hugged our son goodbye on his way to school, a dread filled my heart even though I knew chances were statistically low, lack of gun sense sparked fear in my heart. Why did a child in America, the land of the free, have to practice for active shooter lock downs? Then, America abandoned the Paris Agreement and hope for a green environment faded.

Most recently, COVID-19 reared its ugly head, but, surely, this great country would mobilize with federal help and strong leadership, right? However, our president lagged behind spouting far right attacks of media exaggeration and leaving states to barter for supplies.  Had we had strong leaders who believe in science and took seriously the World Health Organization warnings, with early quarantine, federal action, and military mobilization, we would not be facing such unnecessary and tragic loss of human life. There seemed to be an atmosphere of denial with a lack of social distancing, but we suspected the worst was yet to come. We began to brace ourselves for closures.

As schools and campuses closed, our social lives and work became virtual. Local teachers and staff stepped up to feed the needy and supply online materials, a beacon of hope. Beloved activities like music, martial arts, and play dates became virtual. At home, we began counting. We counted the quarantine days hoping we hadn’t been exposed to the virus. No child should have to count the days hoping to not get sick or see their parents sick without reassurance that his country’s leaders are doing everything in their power to help them. But, the final blow, was seeing my sweet, sweet brothers and sisters-in-laws who are doctors and medical professionals on the front line worried about running out of PPE and putting their lives on the line.

Now, I am left to explain to my child why we have a president who is incapable, and why America is failing his generation.  For us and so many decent American families, extreme right-wing rhetoric and power is not a distant news story. Now, it affects our daily lives. In fact, far right power has slowly encircled and trapped my family and friends. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference (Ellie Wiesel). Perhaps, it’s time to end apathy and act to stop far right extremism.

Carrie Shaw-Subedi
@CarrieShaw_MC

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