Team Peace

One of the most pervasive and problematic aspects of American politics is the viewing of everything through the sports lens. From horse-race election coverage to the red team against blue team mentality, Americans think of politics like a sports game when nothing could be further from the truth. Politics, in essence, is a conglomeration of diverse people with diverse opinions working towards consensus built around fundamental equalities. The us vs. them mindset is both structural from our two-party system and evolutionary from our tribal ancestry. But it leads to bizarre, illogical outcomes.

The current Israeli-Palestine conflict is a perfect and sad demonstration. Both Democrats and Republicans have generally sided with Israel quite explicitly. But a significant portion of the far right has long been antisemitic. And the far left is extremely pro-Palestine. So are the raging liberals and neo-nazis on the same team? Are mainstream D's and R's united? Everyone seems angry and certain the other side is wrong even if they don't really know who or what the other side is. And very clearly, there is no rational discussion with consistent logic intended to solve the problem. We just want to beat the other team, even if it's only by yelling louder. 

But if you step away from the two-side fallacy, things become much clearer. If your goal is peace and you want to prevent people from dying, then analysis is easier. Hamas killing 1,500 Israeli civilians is bad - an atrocity. Israel killing 10,000 Palestinian civilians is bad - an atrocity. If it's wrong for Hamas to deny Israel's right to exist, it's wrong for Israel to deny Palestine's actual existence. I believe we should start by acknowledging Palestinians are human beings who deserve a right to live free from violence with political self-determination and autonomy just as much as Israelis are human beings who deserve a right to live free from violence with political self-determination and autonomy. Both sides are right. Both sides are wrong. The only thing that matters is how to move forward towards a better future.

And the only path to peace is with a Palestinian state. If Israel deserves to exist, so does Palestine. If Israeli's deserve a representative government and a military to protect their country, then Palestinians do too. It's the only logically consistent solution. And Israel is the team that currently has the power to allow such a solution. They have the ball. The Israeli government is the only democratically elected entity, governed by a constitution and subject to international law, that is preventing such a solution. Instead, Israel operates an apartheid state that denies fundamental rights to a large population living under its control, and such a regime only perpetuates violence on all sides. A two-state solution will not guarantee peace. Nothing will do that. But it's the onlysolution that offers peace as a possibility, and the only thing that is fair.

The alternative is genocide. Israel can simply annex the occupied territories (which it has been doing piecemeal over the last thirty years) and either expel or exterminate the Palestinians. I guess some would call that an Israeli win. While it would end the current two-side debate and fighting, I think we can all agree it would not be a lasting peace and would only create a larger fight between more nation-states. There is no real win for Israel without a win for Palestinians. This is not a game. Don't think about which side wins, but how to prevent all deaths and preserve all life. Peace should be the goal for everyone.

What is a Public School?

 A lot of the political divisions in our country are based around large, national questions: who do you want for President? Should the U.S. support Ukraine? Should our government provide a safety net? Most of these issues are covered by the news media so people can hear about them easily if they wish, and often even if they don't want to. And it doesn't take a lot of effort to weigh in on them - just cast a vote every couple of years. But local issues - issues that really affect people's daily lives and can change the structure of our society - those issues are often invisible in the background and take a lot of sustained effort to understand and affect.

If there is one idea in our liberal democracy that holds true to the purported ideals of our nation's founding - equality and opportunity for all - it is the public education system. There is no better way to level the playing field so naturally distorted in a capitalistic society; no clearer signal that every child deserves a chance at a bright future; no system more geared towards true meritocracy. Providing a good, free education for everyone is the cornerstone of what America thinks it is and has the opportunity to become. But that very notion is under threat.

For the very notion of a public school is dependent on the idea of serving the public, which by definition must include everyone. There is no more insidious threat to the public than the exclusion of some people from the definition. And that is exactly what some groups in this country are attempting to do.

While no one may be trying to ban actual individuals from attending public schools, by restricting what is taught, who it's taught to, and who can be represented and acknowledged on campus, certain identities are being restricted. And if someone knows their identity is not fully accepted, then they are no longer welcome or equal. It's discrimination. It cannot be allowed to continue.

If you tell black children that their history can't be taught, not because it's not true, but because that truth might upset white children, then you are telling black children they are lesser than white children. If you can't allow a teacher to acknowledge they are gay, then you are telling the child with gay parents they come from a lesser home and that their parents are not equal. If you ban books featuring minority characters, even if it's just a purple shadow, you are telling all the students that some colors don't matter - some children don't matter. If you do not explicitly offer dignity, humanity, and equality to all of the members of a community, then you have expressly condoned a hierarchy that says some are better than others. And there are always those who will take advantage of that opportunity to spell out who is who.

A public education has to be for all of the public. It has to teach inclusivity and acceptance, even if that is divisive to some, because the only alternative is discrimination, which is unacceptable to the principles of our society. Public school is for all the public, or else it will once again become an institution of segregation and shame. We've made the mistake before and have corrected it. We can't let a vocal minority drag us back to repeat our own failings. Now is the time to show up and stand up for what's right. 

And doing what's right takes getting involved. Showing up at school board meetings. Telling some of your neighbors they are wrong. Telling all the marginalized kids they are right. It requires bringing politics into your local life because it's already there whether you want to admit it or not. If the greater public doesn't support a truly public education system, then we have failed our future generations and our country will fail because of it.