Dear Mr. President, can I ask you one question? (John Mellencamp)

The United States election captured students' and staff' attention to an extraordinary degree last week.

It would be fair to say that talk in the staff room was centred around how Trump was going to lose and, therefore, it would be the end of his divisive rhetoric. And outright lies.

It hasn't turned out to be as clear cut as hoped, with a huge number of Americans voting for the Donald.

One of his supporters, when asked why she voted for him even though she knew he often had his foot in his mouth, shrugged and simply stated, "He's not a politician".

Which I guess points to a huge, tremendous distrust of politicians in America.

Watching on from New Zealand, it baffles the mind why it's taken so long to count votes and declare a winner. 

In a democracy, it's an incredible thing for the President to ask that counting votes should stop. I guess that would certainly speed things up though. Democracy is such a messy thing - all those bothersome people who vote for the other guy.

I kind of get that though - when Arsenal were winning the Premier League after one game this year (thanks to the alphabet) I thought they should have stopped the season right there - no need to play any more games. Just crown us Champions and move along. Nothing to see here.

Meanwhile we have the undignified incumbent and his family stirring up rebellion over alleged cheating without any proof. It's just unfair! 

Incredible. 

It keeps changing fast and it don't last for long (John Denver)

In 2020, nothing is off the table.

Colorado just went from a massive heatwave to a snowstorm in 48 hours.

This, plus Donald Trump has been nominated (luckily, along with over 200 other people) for the Nobel Peace Prize.

He was nominated by a right-wing Norwegian. 

Who says right-wing Norwegians don't have a sense of humour?

Southern change gonna come at last, now your crosses are burning fast (Neil Young)

Slight deviation for today's Baggy Trousers' post, because it's hard to concentrate on worthwhile things like education when all the noise from America is hatred and division and chaos and violence. And that's just the President!

It's hard to focus when the American President is so shakey - advocating the ingestion of detergent to combat Covid-10 was a recent low point. A President who one minute is fleeing to a bunker (for an 'inspection'), the next going on a bizarre photo op with a bible. A bible? I guess symbolism is important, but what does a divisive scaremonger holding a bible mean? 

In the current climate it's hard to see how America emerges from the on-going spiral of violence fueled by the deep seated racism that has existed since the country was founded.  

There has to be hope though, doesn't there! The Roman Empire eventually ended (Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire couldn't conquer the blue sky - Neil Finn). The troubles in Northern Ireland eventually ended (at one point it seemed impossible that catholics and protestants could coexist). Thanks to some outstanding leadership, and a policy of reconciliation, apartheid in South Africa ended when it seemed it would go on forever. Germany emerged from two world wars to change itself.

So, I have to believe that there is hope that America can emerge from the current climate of fear. Unfortunately Donald Trump is most decidely NOT the individual to unite and heal. Just the opposite.

Unfortunately, Martin Luther King's dream is still as relevant as ever in 2020.

Here's a good teaching moment: King's I Have A Dream speech.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

Task: Compare and contrast with any coherent speech Trump has made on ending racial inequality. Good luck finding one.

Be afraid. Be very afraid (The Fly)

After talking about this video to a colleague at school, I realised I hadn't added it to any of my blogs, so...here it is! 

The item in question is a fantastic video analysis of Donald Trump's media spokeperson Kellyanne Conway.

Like it or not (and I don't), we are living in a post-truth world where communication is fudged and lies are passed as fact. As an English teacher and a human being, this is bad news.

All this spin and post truth stuff is scary, fascinating and deeply troubling - much like Trump himself!!

 

I been workin' on words, phrases (The Guess Who)

Words. Language. Communication.

As an English teacher, those three words actually mean something to me! As in, that's my life's work - to explore words and language; to improve communication. 

When I tuned in for a few minutes to the YouTube live stream of the second US Presidential debate, I heard Mr Trump say, "It's just words".

This in response to a question about his misogynistic 'locker room banter' (his words, that don't really matter, according to him).

I then turned it off. Luckily I had to go and teach an English class. Year ten. I kept thinking about that glib phrase of Mr Trump's. And shuddered!

What? So all my life has been a waste? Words and language mean nothing? Communication means nothing?

Then I realised. The giant con. Hiding in plain sight - he was talking about himself. HIS words mean nothing. His marriage vows clearly, mean nothing. HIS promises - nothing.

HIS words...are just words and they mean - nothing.

He's not shallow. He's empty.

Today, I read this and it made even more sense.