Dear Senator Ron Paul your immigrant hate can't stop my love

I refuse to let these haters bring me down to their hater world...

Senator Ron Paul apparently thinks Congress Woman Ilhan Omar should go back to Somalia to appreciate the food stamps her family received when they first came to America as refugees.

Senator Paul, where should I go back to? As a child, my mother was given food stamps when we were homeless. Of course, you were born wealthy and would have no clue about needing that kind of help. All you have ever had to do is call Daddy.

Senator, let me share a little secret. My wife sealed a single one dollar food stamp behind the frame holding my Ph.D. It hangs in my office, and I have never told anyone it is there. Somehow, knowing it is there reminds me of the sacrifices my wife and I made to earn that degree. We moved 2800 miles to go to the University of Arizona to chase our American dream.
We had the promise of full-time jobs. We packed our bags as soon as those promises came in. But, as soon as we arrived those promised jobs turned to part-time ones. Like millions of other Americans whose promises fall through...we did what working people have always done...Without a Daddy Big bucks to call, we made do.

Only a fool thinks people who need food stamps are not appreciative. Only a fool thinks that needing that kind of help doesn't carry some extremely heavy shame. Shame that sinks deep in your bones. People who just call Daddy, have no idea about climbing up from that deep bone shame.

How would you ever understand, that even with my student loans, and 4 part-time jobs between us we needed food stamps to get by. Living in a right to work state where no one would give you a full-time job because then they would have to offer you health care.
You never had to take your sick daughter to the doctor with no way to pay, and hope the doctor would treat her...
Yeah, Rich Daddy Boys have no clue what it means to walk in the shoes of the working poor.

We regularly visited the food pantry. We don't talk about it, we have never told our friends, or family about it. We hold that pain deep in our hearts, and we never ever talk about it. But, you Sir need some teaching.

How would you a Daddy's Silver Spoon boy, understand...What everyday Americans go through? You know the ones that work for a living, daring still to reach for the stars. They make countless sacrifices, swallow their pride often, and unlike you, they never complain. They just get it done.

You, sir, have no clue about the difficult path America's poor and the working poor must walk. You have always been able to call Daddy Big Bucks.

I am not angry,
I don't hate you,
I wish you no harm, and
I pray that your family will never have to walk in the shoes of Congress Woman Omar.
I pray for your children and grandchildren never have to go into debt to pay for their higher education or need food stamps, or a food pantry.
Senator all I ask is you keep your hate to yourself.

Dear Congress Woman Omar, and to every American who may need food stamps to survive, this song is for you. For you are our star reachers, and you are loved. 
Love Wins,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner 

In case you like to listen to the song that inspired my blog tonight...its Play For Love Around The World Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=132&v=mxEd_8Bv7XQ&fbclid=IwAR2p-tBjLtDIhoW21wiT0JRwh7o3XavyWeykcFMWinmMNMPC_gaF0Izz6Qs 

Radical against the unimaginable

Looking back from 64 and decades of being a teacher I have found the new normal is an unimaginable betrayal of childhood, learning, teaching, and public education.

If one of my teacher educators professors had said someday future teachers will have to defend play in the classroom, play in the schoolyard, recess, imagination, inquiry, curiosity, equity for all? That standing up for these things would be radical.

I would think her or him insane or if I accepted it as truth? I might have gotten up, and chosen some other profession. The new status quo for teachers at every level in America is to go along to get along. Stay quiet, or you'll be punished by the wealthy, the powerful, and the connected.

The New Radical

Teachers keep your heads down,

Be quiet,

Say nothing publicly.

Do this, and we'll let you get by.

Teachers, be silent and be safe.

To stand up for the truth in education is the new radical,

To stand up for Black, Brown, Speical Education, and Poor Children is the New Radical,

To stand up for a living wage for all is the New Radical.

To fight for health care for all is the New Radical,

To fight for our elders to retire with economic dignity is the new Radical.

To fight against hate is the New Radical,

To fight racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry is the New Radical,

To fight for the union is the New Radical,
To fight for affordable Higher Education,

To fight White Supremacy in the public schools is the New Radical.

To stand up for play, imagination, gym, art, music, in public education is the New Radical.

To stand up for school librarians and libraries is the New Radical,

To stand against a School To Prison Pipeline that dooms children of color,

To stand up and fight back is radical.

I know who I am,

I know where I stand,

Call this teacher RADICAL

The new normal in public education demands an end to teacher silence and apathy,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Radical Educator For Justice For All

I know what Radical looks like, for I have stood on that stage with Radical Educators who stand and fight back in the classroom and outside the classroom every day.

I know what Radical looks like because my rank and file sisters and brothers have met with Chigaco Teacher Rank and File leaders. We have broke bread together in Chicago. We have embraced a radicalism for justice in and outside the schools and the communities we teach in at every level of education.

If you like to listen to the song that inspired my morning walk today? Its Rebel Diaz's tribute to Chicago teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k

What If, policymakers and legislators listened to teachers?

There is no greater disconnect in education reform than between our politicians, policymakers and our nation's teachers than on the value of high stakes testing and standards.
One group feeds off the campaign contributions of for-profit education reformers,
Another group depends on elected officials to keep them employed,
And our nation's teachers dealt with the pain of damage left behind by policies driven not by data, but by greed.

How else can we accept hundreds of billions of tax dollars wasted on testing, while school budget after school budget is slashed?

America needs to ask only one question.
What if we started spending this money on other solutions?
Let me begin the list for us:
Summer schools,
Saturday schools,
Music teachers,
Art teachers,
School librarians,
Special Education teachers,
Reading Specialists,
Gym Teachers,
Real books,
Playgrounds,
School nurses...

WHAT IF, we change the same old, same old to something that mattered?
Respectfully
Dr. Jesse P. Turner

If you like to listen to the song that inspired my walk this morning its Rebel Diaz singing "Chicago Teacher". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k 

On my way to Chicago this week. You can bet your bottom last dollar, that this Walking Man will be meeting and listening to some Chicago Teachers.