Readers, I have borrowed the dissent form one of my heroes who wrote "Dear Mr. President and Sir" practice letters to President Woodrow Wilson. It is with the deepest respect and gratitude to the life of W.E.B.Dubois, that first editor of "The Crisis" the NAACP's 106 old Civil Rights magazine. Thank you W.E.B. Dubois for lighting the way to the rejection of helplessness, silence, and apathy.
Dear Mr. President, there is written into our our Declaration of Independence an essential American aspiration. An aspiration that has become our nation’s promise that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are meant for all people. I find it odd that you see building some wall as more important that working on our nation's promise of life, liberty, and happiness for all. Perhaps your Mar-A-Lago crowd doesn't quite understand the word "All" I like to remind them of these words today: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Notice the word ALL sir? Please inform your cigar smoking, champagne drinking and caviar eating Mar-A-Lago Club buddies of your the key word is "ALL" not wall?
These words "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are our nation's well-known aspiration. A 243 year unfulfilled promise. A promise written into our national fabric, but blocked to many by systemic racism, sexism, and economic oppression. I am holding America to those words for all in our United States Declaration of Independence.
Those three examples of the "unalienable rights" which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their creator. They sir, are unquestionable. You might want to inform your White Nationalist friends about these rights.
I woke up today, just like I did every other day, understanding there is work to do. That Declaration promise is not yet real for our Black, Brown, Immigrant, LGBT, and the poor brothers and sisters.
That promise written by humans, but with the understanding that they are not man made, but given to us by God. If you want to do God's work sir, may I suggest you give up your wall, and join us in making those three rights real for every American. Come do God's work Mr. President nothing else really matters.
Mr. President, I woke up today with my eye on the prize, and I not looking away for any wall. Got these eyes on the prize!
I am my brother and sister's keeper, and they mine.
Jesse The Walking Turner
Thank you. Just telling it like it is Ajitha.
ReplyDeleteThe truth, is we have not given our Black, Brown, Poor and Special Education children a level and fair playing field since the very first day our public schools opened. We have had 170 years of more rigorous standards and new assessments, but never equity...it has always been compromises and choices without equity.
Testing is not equity, and the only real standard that matters to communities of color, the poor, and special education parents, children, and their teachers is equity for all.
170 years of blaming students, parents, schools, and teachers, but never once have we put the blame on those at the top. Never have we asked our political leaders and policy makers to be held accountable for the very system they run. It would be like blaming the passengers on a bus for the bus breaking down. Blame the passages not the bus company for not maintaining their buses. Blaming parents, children, and teachers leaves the bus company off the hook. I want accountability, but that accountability should be focused on the top.
In my humble opinion when such a vast inequity exists in your system for over 170 years...the system is broken, and those inequalities are intentional. Choice without equity, assessments deeply rooted in Eugenics are all part of well-oiled White Supremacist doctrine. Why, people can't see this...is beyond me.
Thank you for noticing,
Jesse The Walking Man Turner