Week of Tragedy and Triumph

This past weekend has been filled with terrible and remarkable stories.  Baltimore, Maryland and Nepal have both been the point of tremendous suffering and incredible demonstrations of the human spirit since this past weekend.

Baltimore

It has been a trying week in the City of Baltimore.  Monday night resulted in 235 arrests, 20 police officers injured, 6 seriously, 144 vehicle fires and 19 structural fires.  The peaceful riots turned to violent acts of vandalism and destruction of property.  

The incident began with the arrest of 25 year old, Freddie Gray.  About a week after his arrest, Freddie died of a spinal injury.  Many in the Baltimore community have been protesting over the treatment of Freddie by the police.  Up until Monday, the protests were non-violent.  That all changed Monday, the day of Freddie’s funeral, when groups decided not to protest non-violently, but to create chaos and crime throughout the city.  

The residence of Baltimore, the family of Freddie Gary, and many Americans were horrified by the actions taken by these lawless thugs.  The Mayor and Governor of Baltimore have responded with additional protection for the residence and the police.  

If Monday was utter chaos, Tuesday was a sign that peace can overcome.  While protests continued, many of the people of the city spent the day cleaning the streets.  A group of committed and considerate citizens spent the day standing between the police and angry demonstrators in an effort to maintain civility.  Tuesday had 10 arrests and countless acts of concern and care for the community and law enforcement. While the underlying issue remains, hopefully the members of the community can continue to look for solutions in productive and non-violent actions.

Nepal

The country of Nepal was rocked with a 7.8 magnitude earthquake over the weekend.  Most recent reports estimate the death toll at 6,100.  Cities and communities were turned to rubble.  Approximately 450,000 people will be displaced, having to find a new home.  Additionally the earthquake triggered a landslide on Mount Everest, killing 19 climbers.  The death toll is expected to continue to increase as the debris is cleared.  

Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest nations.  Recent estimates believe the cost to rebuild Nepal will exceed $5 billion. This is about 25% of the entire Gross Domestic Product.  The international community is expected to assist Nepal in their recovery efforts.

With all the tragedy, there have been miraculous stories.  For example, after 22 hours of being buried beneath the debris, rescuers recovered a 4 month old boy.  The efforts of the first responders and the strength of the human spirit are never short of amazing.

What are your reactions to the events in Baltimore and Nepal?  What actions can we take to assist the people of Baltimore and Nepal?  

Earth Day 2015

April 22 marks the 35^th Earth Day in the United States.  The idea for a day dedicated to the environment originated 7 years earlier by Senator Gaylord Nelson.  He was concerned over the lack to awareness and regulations of the pollutants being released into our world. 

Now more than 35 years later, Earth Day and its organizers have increased public awareness of pollutants, identified and promoted “green” acts, have leveraged our schools and communities to enhance the knowledge and dedication of our youth to the cause, and countless other accomplishments. 

The Earth Day websites (http://act.earthday.org/) is tracking personal pledged to commit “green” acts.  The pledges include recycling grocery bags, unplugging appliances, recycling paper and plastic, and buying more local food.  While each of these acts may seem futile on their own, the impact of the collected groups across the globe will have a significant impact on our environment, especially over an extended period of time.  To date the website has over 1 billion personal pledges. 

What do you think of Earth Day?  What are some additional ways we can support Earth Day at school and in our community?  What are things you do at home?  Are there any additional activities you would be willing to commit to at home to support “green” living?

Presidential Campaign 2016

Once every four years, the United States holds an election for the President of the United States.  According to the Constitution, presidents are limited to two terms, or a total of 8 years.  Our next election for president will be in November 2016 and since President Obama has already served two terms, the United States will elect a new president. 

November 2016 may seem like a long ways off (8^th graders will be sophomores, 7^th grades will be in their freshman year of high school, and the 6^th graders will be the 8^th graders of St. Joe’s) but campaigning for the position is already underway.  Over the past few weeks a number of candidates have come forward to announce their presidential campaign.  This week announcements were made by former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and

Florida Senator Marco Rubio.  Over the past few weeks we have heard from Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and others.  This is just the beginning.  In the coming weeks, more candidates from both parties are expected to announce their intentions.

Since from this election will be a new president, the nominating process will be extensive.  Beginning in January of 2016, each party will hold primary elections.  The intention is for each party to determine the best candidate for the position.  Each candidate will be scrutinized and evaluated about every aspect of their lives and their positions on issues ranging from immigration to same-sex marriage, from Vladimir Putin to Israel.  No stone will go unturned.  At the conclusion of the primaries, there will be one candidate from each major party.  They will choose a running mate for vice president and hit the campaign trail, again. 

Do you think it is necessary to start this process 18 months before the election?  Is it an effective way for Americans to become familiar with the candidates or does it distract the government from dealing with issues facing our country?  What do you believe are the most important issues facing the president in the world today? What qualities do you think would make the best president for the 2016 election?  

Civil War - 150 Years Later

April 9, 2015 marks the 150^th anniversary of the infamous surrender of General Robert E Lee and the Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army bringing an end to the American Civil War. 

The American Civil War was the most deadly war ever fought by the United States.  After 4 years of fighting, approximately 2% of our population had lost their lives.  That is the equivalent to the entire population of Chicago in terms of today’s population. 

It was the beginning of modern warfare.  In addition to new weapons making it easier to eliminate your enemy, we also made significant progress providing medical care in the field of battle and addressing the sanitation of camps.  Of the 620,000 fatalities of the Civil War, more than 66% died of disease.  By the end of the war, the US Sanitation Commission reduced the disease rates by 50%. 

The Civil War redefined the United States and forever altered the ideas of freedom and liberty in our country.  At the conclusion of the war, more than 4 million slaves were freed.  In addition to the physical wounds and rebuilding the structures damaged and destroyed during the war, the country needed to redefine its culture and views of humanity.  There is evidence today that we are still a work in progress. 

What do you know about the Civil War?  Knowing what we know today, was the Civil War worth the cost, or was there another way?  How should the Civil War be remembered, something to be celebrated or a source of embarrassment?