If we had the impression that 2021 was going to erase the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, this first week has demonstrated that it will take more than wishes, intentions and prayers to change our world. It will take each of us to reflect on the past and step up to make real change if we want to get out the medical, political and social turmoil faced by our country.
I haven’t written earlier this week because, for a woman of many words, I had none for the chaos at the capital. When the president of the United States holds a rally in front of the Capital, inciting his supporters with his rhetoric that our election was stolen, he proves the power of words. After numerous failed lawsuits and countless investigations into voter fraud that all proved the election was legitimate, he stood outside the capital as the Electoral college votes were being counted and recorded by Congress and demanded that they be declared illegitimate and that the election was stolen. The crowd rushed the Capital after the rally, and with the President safely away from the chaos, this crowd crushed through barricades broke windows and stormed the Capital. The police could not initially control the crowd, forcing Senators and Representatives to hunker down inside bunkers, while they stormed the hallowed halls of Congress. At the end of the chaos, there was vandalism, destruction, and ultimately 5 people dead.Ultimately, the mob did not win and democracy prevailed. Congress counted and recognized the Electoral college votes and President Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in to lead our country on January 20th.
The attack on the destruction created on January 6th demonstrated that our democracy truly is a fragile experiment, and it will take each one of us to keep our country from falling to hate and despair. But talking with my students this week gave me hope. They are watching, They are taking all this in and want democracy to prevail. They are looking for an end to the constant political noise. If we are going to move forward, when we move forward, it has to be in compromise. It must be that we recognize there are inequities that need to be addressed, and that each of us must take time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “what am I doing to make our country a better place for all citizens?” I am leaning into the voices of my students and authors like Peter Reynolds to help my students process these events and create positive change.
It has been quite a week. But the voices of my writers remind me that we will be ok as long as we are willing to stand up and say something.
A student response today as they were processing the news. She is an English learner, I think she nailed it. “We forget many things, like similarity of goals. We want America, a state of freedom and happiness.” Isn’t that what we all want? I think the greater question we have to ask ourselves today is not what happened, as that is painfully obvious. We have to ask ourselves, what’s next? Who do we want to be? We can’t count on the leadership to lead ethically at this time. We need to decide, here and now the America that we will be today, at this moment, and tomorrow, and the day after that.
Our theme for next week’s writing. Thank you @peterhreynolds #noexcuses
#newyear#nevertoooldforpicturebooks