A note to elementary school teachers

[cherylad]

HI

Comments

[thrace_adams]

Here Here!!! I second that motion!!!!!

[cherylad]

Thanks! And I'm so sorry we didn't get to meet at D*C!! Pi told me she talked with you and I didn't see you to catch up and introduce myself in person!

[thrace_adams]

GRRR ARRRGGGHHH! Did I know you were going to be at D*C? (thinks hard) I'm sorry we didn't get to meet too! That would have been very cool! Well, I'm sure there will be another time :)

[cherylad]

I know!!! And there will be!

[lurkrealclose]

Wow, great insight, Cheryl!

[cherylad]

Thanks LRC.

[lurkrealclose]

Hmmmm. I think Ani makes a good point, though. Do the ends justify the means. I'm not sure, but it's got me thinking.

[cherylad]

If it *was* illegal, I'd agree, but the E.C. has been the law of the land sinced 1776. Having said that, it wasn't my point ... or where I started with this.

[cherylad]

Hi! Thanks.... was have a 'Mommy' moment!

[tracyj23]

Very true. And being the parent of one of those 'quieter, less popular' types, I second it heartily.

[cherylad]

Thanks ... My son and I had a conversation on the way to school that morning and it got me to wondering what things would be different if things were done differently in those early grades. He is a great kid, very smart and had *wonderful* 2nd -4th grade teachers whom I adore. But, he learned to not step out there in that way. I just wonder...

[anastashial]

I'm torn by what you said cheryl. I heartily agree about the need to encourage the quiet ones. I'm reticent though, because of my inherent reluctance to "break the law" except possibly in very dire circumstances.

I don't know how a teacher would go about taking this electoral college role behind the scenes without risking the students finding out about it and in doing so feeling betrayed by the process. I'm concerned about how that would affect their development of trust in our one person, one vote heritage.

Don't know, maybe I'm just too idealistic. I am here wracking my brain. I'm trying to figure out another way that the election outcomes could be influenced or altered. A way that would give the kids an opportunity to learn how to be more inclusive of everybody, even the quiet ones, at an early enough age for it to make a difference on our society.

[cherylad]

Reality is, we NEVER had a one person, one vote heritage.

We always were exclusionary despite the flowery rhetoric. Initially, only white land-owning men could vote. Then it was tied to councils who decided who were actually "American Citizens." Then, poll taxes. And all of that blocked more than 50% of the population.

The Electoral College is set up that it can COMPLETELY OVERTURN a popular election ... even one that is a landslide. It is the final arbiter.

[anastashial]

Too true, like I said I'm an idealist

and

since I like to go really off the wall with my ideas, it might be interesting to see the state primaries and caucuses as a campaign for the electors and not the candidates. Or maybe the electors need to fill out those position questionnaires that everyone gets to see.

Then I've also the question what % of US voters even partially understand the process?

[cherylad]

The point of this post was about kids, particularly shy ones and what we are all lose out on when they are encouraged ... not a discussion of the American Political system.