politeness and poetry

It's happening... after way more nights than I care to admit of searching through blogs and getting at best too annoyed to sleep, I'm finding that community that I do want to be a part of.

Remember how once upon a time, people talked, shared ideas, even debated... and kept civility and dialog in their interactions? There's a saying in my circles... "Good manners have become so rare, I'll fall in love with them now."

And I've been politely prodded for some poetry and though these days, they tend to start like
there was an idiot from texas
who once....

Instead, I'll post an old one:

Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

Roses next to orchids next to daisies in a garden;
violet, indigo, blue, green, blend into a rainbow;
stars, the moon, the sun forming the heaven above;
consonants and vowels joining into words.
Differences combining to form meaning;
variations bringing forth beauty,
as grains of sand become a beach
only through the centuries
of working together
creating the world.
Diversified
entities
forming
One.

There. Thank you, YouGoMike and Utican... now this blog's fitting it's title.
-Maimun

Where the candidates stand...

From the Observer-Dispatch of march 27, 2006

"Where the Candidates Stand"

"Michael Arcuri

D-Utica

As a district attorney who has had to apply for many wiretaps, I know that liberty and security are not mutually exclusive, and there are lawful ways that we can protect both.

Tax cuts should be aimed first at the working middle class, and the child tax credit should be made permanent. But I oppose tax credits to big oil companies, corporations and the wealthiest Americans at a time when we cannot balance the budget and are forced to make drastic cuts in student aid and health care.

I am proud of our troops in Iraq and grateful for the sacrifices made every day by them and their families. That is why we need a realistic exit strategy based on tangible, achievable benchmarks that allow us to monitor our progress and lead us out of Iraq as soon as possible.

The Constitution protects an individual's right to privacy. I support a woman's right to choose.

Like Congressman (Sherwood) Boehlert, I support stem cell research and would oppose any unreasonable attempts to restrict this research and deny hope to those suffering life-threatening and debilitating diseases.

As a district attorney, my office has prosecuted many illegal gun cases, and we know it is not the legally possessed guns that cause danger to our citizens, but the illegally possessed guns. We don't need more gun laws; we need better enforcement of existing gun laws and more funding for police to enforce those laws.

I oppose unwarranted government interference in the private lives of consenting adults, and I support laws that provide equal benefits for all citizens, to health and life insurance, inheritance and other basic rights like hospital visitation."

And my take on the others:

Anti-terrorist objectives have been met? Did I miss the capture of Bin laden?

Who's traditional values?

Do you really think that laws that protect rights should be changed to no longer protect?

How in the world can a freshman Congressman force this White House to give up profiteering?

Yes, democracy can not be fostered by violating democratic principles!

Just where in the 24th CD is there a stimulated economy?

What was it Yoda said... Who is the fool... the fool or the one who follows the fool?

Is there a movement to repeal the 2nd Amendment that I don't know about?

If civil rights are good enough for Americans, aren't they good enough for everyone else?

I don't make enough to support the Bush Tax Cut.

Good thing I know the question's about stem cell cause at first read, I first thought of produce.

Might be lawful, but there's no moral reason for owning assault weapons.

Slavery was an institution once too... that's not reason enough to continue it.

Now, I've been pretty flip about the other candidates' stands, but also there was nothing in this article to change my mind. Read the article and decide for yourself who's the best candidate.

And a HUGE HUG AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER STEP TO ADULTHOOD for the girl who called me today and said that she read the article and from what the candidates said, she now knows that she's a Democrat!
-Maimun

Meiers: Keep 'em Dumb

Academic Bill of Rights

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

George Orwell would have loved it.

It's also known as Bill S6336 in Albany.

The justification offered (you'll probably need to type in S6336 for the Bill #, and click "Sponsors Memo") for this Bill includes:

Every institution of higher learning has a duty to promote intellectual

diversity on campus. Too often, students find many college classes

biased or one-sided. The ideas of all students and faculty members

should be treated with respect, and all ideas deserve to be represented

on campus.


Professors and administrators have an obligation to make students aware

of a broad range of viewpoints and perspectives. They are not hired to

teach only students who share their political or philosophical views,

and professors should never force their own views upon their students.

The classroom is not and should never be a soapbox for a professor to

promote his or her point of view.


The Academic Bill of Rights has been introduced as legislation in a

number of state legislatures, and a few states have already adopted a

form of the Academic Bill of Rights. In one of the most recent examples,

the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives -- in July 2005 --

passed a resolution supporting the principles of the Academic Bill of

Rights.

So, according to this Bill, places of higher education are being overwhelmed by intolerance, bias, and discrimination.

Not in my world. Not at the colleges I attended, the one where I work, nor the ones I've visited. Granted, I haven't been to Bob Jones University, but as a woman on color, Democrat, and Muslim, I'm smart enough to stay away from lynch mobs.

section A of the bill includes:

     5    a.  A  learning environment in which the student has access to a broad
   6  range of serious  scholarly  opinion  pertaining  to  the  subjects  the
   7  student studies in which, in the humanities, the social sciences and the
   8  arts,  the  fostering  of a plurality of serious scholarly methodologies
   9  and perspectives has a significant institutional purpose;

that would include all the psychology theories I had to memorize, learn, dissect and implement, right? Sec 1, A taken care of

section B:

    10    b. To be graded solely on the basis of the student's reasoned  answers
  11  and appropriate knowledge of the subjects the student studies and to not
  12  be  discriminated  against  on  the  basis of the student's political or
  13  religious beliefs;

You know... never once did I have to share my political beliefs and the times a student shared them with me as usually when they wanted to know if they could still join College Democrats (who I advise) if they weren't a Democrat. And, yes, anyone can join. And as an Academic Complaints Advisor, I've never had a student claim bias based on their beliefs.

section C:

    14    c. That the student's academic freedom and the  quality  of  education
  15  will  not  be  infringed  upon by instructors who persistently introduce
  16  controversial matter into  the  classroom  or  coursework  that  has  no
  17  relation  to the subject of study and that serves no legitimate pedagog-
  18  ical purpose;

Again, can't say that this has ever been ground for filing a complaint against a faculty member.

Section d:

    19    d. That the freedom of  speech,  freedom  of  expression,  freedom  of
  20  assembly and freedom of conscience of students and student organizations
  21  are  not  infringed upon by administrators, student government organiza-
  22  tions or institutional policies, rules or procedures; and

OK, I haven't faced this though the current rulings limiting the Freedom of Press at public institutions scare and anger me. It would seem contrary to this bill, but because the rulings targeted "liberal" college media is it probably OK.

I could continue addressing ever section of this Bill, but you can and should read it for yourself.

What's interesting is the most frequently cited justification for the Bill is not cited in the text. The "problem" with higher education is not that any of the things explained in the Bill are actually happening, but rather there are just too many more Democrats working in higher education then are Republicans.

So, could someone please sponsor a "Financial Bill of Rights," "Media Bill of Rights," "Healthcare Bill of Rights," and "Congressional Bill of Rights." In all those places, Republicans probably outnumber Democrats and I'd like to see everyone's rights fairly protected.

Oh, wait.. there I go again, another crazy liberal educator forcing my views on everyone else.

As if sitting at my keyboard, typing, magically changes everyone's opinions.

But that's exactly why the neo-cons want to limit speech... they think that expose means conversion.

What they fail to grasp is that the best college students learn the skills to listen, evaluate, judge, and choose so they can become contributing adult members of their world rather than drones waiting for Big Brother to send orders.

Why is this such an important matter? One of the co-sponsors of this bill is State Senator Raymond A. Meier who is now running for Congress. There are numerous centers of higher education in the NY 24th Congressional District, but the Bill Meiers sponsored would apply to all centers in NY. And there is an effort to apply this nationwide. Take a look at this article for more information.

Ironically, academicians are sometimes the wrong ones to talk about the effort to stifle learning on campuses. Maybe they are too close to the bullseye or more likely, they see it in their unique perspective. Certainly, the discussion can include theories of learning, methodology, and communications. But at it's most basic level, this Bill is to stop learning and create an atmosphere that limits teaching.

The new Republican plan for Higher Education: Unless they were born with a silver spoon, keep 'em dumb and let them flip burgers.
Maimun

Investing by Giving Away

(as submitted to the College Crier)

The other day, a student asked for help in completing an application for a scholarship. He was the first one in his family to attend college and many of the aspects and terminology of higher education were new to him. Although his parents had not attended school in this country, they had placed a great deal on importance on education and grades.

But the question asking him to explain his community service stumped him. Like many students, he attended classes, studied and worked. He spent time with his family and friends. For many people, not only students, volunteering is not a regular occurrence. For many, it is not even considered.

Yet, the benefits can far outweigh the efforts.

There are some people for whom volunteering regularly is not an option. Struggling to secure basic needs can be enough of a challenge on time and resources to prohibit donating them to others.

But even for those who are struggling, finding a way to help others brings a variety of meaningful benefits.

There are numerous ways a person can help others. Time, finances, material goods, and ideas all can be offered. An afterschool program for at-risk children did not charge families for their child to attend, but it did request that each family make a monthly contribution of their own choice. The offerings ranged from weekly donations of snack for the entire program to a single box of cake mix, from a family who found a supply of craft materials at a garage sale to a father who came in once a month to teach the children a new game in the gym.

The goal of the donation request was not to ease the needs of the after-school program though. Instead, it sought to offer the families and the children an opportunity to serve their community.

As participants of the program, the children knew that were “at-risk” and had a history of being recipients of assistance. All children are passive members of society with parents, schools and community giving or doing to them. But an opportunity to return assistance gives them the change to actively engage in the social interaction. In the same way, college students can return or pass on any assistance they received as children.

By allowing each family to decide how they would contribute, the families had the opportunity to evaluate their abilities and resources not only in light of what they had, but also with how they could be used. College students typically are better able to donate time and ability rather than money. It is with this that college students around the county donated their Spring Breaks this year to assisting in the reconstruction of New Orleans.

However, students can be and often are generous with their cash. Earlier this month, the Muslim Student Association of MVCC staffed a table to take donations for the daughter of a local police officer killed in the line of duty. In the 5 hours of collecting, numerous students stopped by the table and gave a few dollars or emptied their pockets of lose change. Almost $300 was collected for the fund.

Whether with time, goods or money, college students do volunteer. But a contribution that is usually lacking from college students is that of their ideas.

Actively engaged in learning, students are often able to develop ideas that reach beyond the usual standards. Typically, most community groups desire college students because of their combination of energy and learning. By forming new clubs on campus to volunteering in political campaigns, the infusion of new thoughts and excitement makes a significant difference.

All of these benefits echo into the community of the student, which in turn improves their environment. But too, it has the direct benefit of demonstrating that the student is an active participant in their world and not just a consumer.

Thus the student can show now only ownership of his or her abilities, but also the willingness to invest the abilities in the community. And beyond benefiting the world the student is it, it also increases the investment scholarship committees and employees are willing to make in the student.
-Maimun

For the Record

I have a feeling I might need to state this everytime I write an entry, but that gets boring. Besides which, I just shouldn't have to.

This blog is not a part of Arcuri for Congress.

I don't speak for Mike and no one could ever confuse us with each other.

Yes, I will write about the campaign because, like art, reading, counseling, my cat, the weather, West Wing, issues, Star Trek and everything else, it is a part of my life.

No, I will not be issuing campaign statements here nor answering questions that are better adddressed elsewhere.

That's it for now.
Maimun

Abortion

I've been asked twice here for Mike Arcuri's stand on abortion.

However, this is my soapbox. But before I try to explain my stand on abortion, I'll say this. Distilled down to my fundamentals, I am a woman who is pro-choice and I am supporting Mike Arcuri in his bid to be our Representative.

But, my job is neither to make nor enforce law. By day, I'm a counselor, but I've also mentored, been a big-sister-by-choice, friend, daughter and female through it all. We've become a society of cheap, fast and easy, but life doesn't always allow such a simplistic way of problem-solving. It often feels like some people on both sides want a easy, black-and-white approach to what has to be one of the most complex situations a human faces in life. Both sides seem to want "I'm right and you're wrong" to cover everything.

I don't have children and I'm not going to say that I know what it's like.

But I do believe, even in circumstances where both parents feel ready and prepared for a baby, there are times of uncertainly and fear. For parents who don't feel ready, those times must be so much more frequent. For a mother alone, even more so. Add to issues of preparedness any worries about health, etc and there are no black-and-whites anymore but only a vast array of gray.

Abortion isn't a problem... it's a procedure. And long before it was a sterile, regulated medical act, it was back-alley, and probably herbal before that. I would love to see the day it's no longer needed, but that day can never come.

It's one thing for a woman to choose to put her own life in danger to try to have a child. How scary is someone who would force a woman to do so?

And there is only one word that describes someone who would force a rape victim to have the rapist's baby and thereby create a permanent and active link between the victim and her attacker for the remainder of their lives. Evil.

I wish there was as much talk and passion about prenatal care, postnatal care, education, child wellness, family stability, good parenting skills, safe environments, health, medical care, fair opportunities and all the other things that children are born into as there is about abortion.

Maimun

Reality on TV

Thank you to all who were a part of giving this to everyone else...
-Maimun

After Pandora

"Being in public life requires our officials to take stands on important questions of public policy. When I was young, I would often ask my Father for advice on one thing or another, and he used to love to quote a passage from Dante's Inferno to me. That quote is: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."


This is not the time to be NEUTRAL.


This is the time to be BOLD.


This is the time to be PASSIONATE.


This is the time for CHANGE.


This is a time for US to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.


THAT IS THE NEW GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP THAT I WANT TO OFFER YOU AS YOUR CONGRESSMAN FROM THIS DISTRICT.


MY NAME IS MIKE ARCURI AND I'M RUNNING FOR CONGRESS BECAUSE I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE OF THE 24TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. "
from Michael Arcuri's Announcement


Been a while since a speech inspired hope in me.

Granted, I didn't expect anything less, but it's always nice to find it. Les Roberts spoke at the New Hartford Democratic Committee meeting on March 5th and when he was asked what he envisioned being left behind in the 24th CD after Election Day 2006, he replied "Hope."

Hope is already here.

Sure, like everywhere and everywhen else, it strengthens and fades. But it's here. With every new business that opened on Genesee St., with every treatment performed at the Regional Cancer Center, with every college graduation from the 8 colleges in the Mohawk Valley, with every refugee who bought a house and built a new live... Hope is here.

Now, by no means do I suggest that things are great and we're all happy people. There's a lot of work to be done and major changes needed, in spite of our current Representative, Sherwood Boehlert, stating that the people of the district "want more of the same."

For the record, I've had more than enough of the blankity-blank that we've been force fed by that side of the aisle.

More than enough lies that dragged us into an ill-conceived war...
More than enough tax breaks to the top one percent of the income bracket while poverty rates increase...
More than enough arrogance and ill-manners...
More than enough out-sourcing while cutting student aid...
More than enough dismantling of public safety while more people lack health care...

But in spite of all that and everything else (for instance, locally, having the highest sales tax that makes all the dollar stores in town really dollar-ten stores and the eviction of the Food Bank), not only do I know that things can be better, but that this is the year for it. Why else are there FOUR candidates for a job we typically struggle to find even one applicant?

But having hope isn't enough. If it's not converted to action, it's wasted. If it's not treated as a guiding light, it's lost. If it's not cultivated, it dies. With hope, all things are possible.... without it, suicide.

And that's why now is the time for Leaders.

One candidate has a proven track record of examining problems. Another teaches. Another criticizes and/or advocates. The incumbent states that his best strength is that he's been there so long.

But each skill alone is not enough. A Leader must have all those skills, the wisdom to know when to use what and when to learn more.

And it's time for all of us to say "enough is enough." The Constitution has not been suspended. The White House is not above the law. "F you" is not appropriate language on the Senate floor (or most all other floors too!)

The current mis-administration has done an excellent job of keeping most Americans in at least some combination of scared of terror, hungry, unemployed, sick, worried about children and/or parents, afraid, or at least feeling helpless. It's a great way of keeping all of us busy while the public safety net is unwoven, the likes of Enron take off with our retirements, and Mobil et al makes record profits.

Hearing of the profits that the oil companies made this year shamed and enraged me. I had students who had to drop out of college because they could not afford to travel to campus because of the cost of gas. And while these young people risk their education, the oil companies walk away whistling. What does it say about our current so-called leaders when they'd rather invest the country's future in the limited life-time of the oil companies rather than in the teaching of future generations?

No matter how we say it... The hottest places in hell is reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality... Lead, follow, or get out of the way... If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem...

It's time to make a difference.
Maimun

fighting the darkness

It's been a draining week for us here in the Mohawk Valley. Last Monday, a local jewelry store was robbed.

Now, around here, the robberies are occassional banks but usually mini-marts where the robbers grab a handful of candy bars on the way out.

But Monday, 3 or 4 armed gunman handcuffed the store employees and got away with 1 million dollars worth of jewelry, including unmounted diamonds (according to the Observer-Dispatch). From the robbery came a car chase, a foot chase, police helocopters, canine patrols, and residents being warned to stay in their houses. We're just not used to that around here.

And that made the death of Officer Joseph Corr that much harder to bear.

Friday, we held a funeral the likes of which has never been seen here. Due to a prior committment, I was unable to attend, though I watched as much as I could on television. Hundreds of police officers from across the North East, including Canadian Mounties marched. Fire departments were also represented by the hundreds. They closed school for the day in New Hartford and set up remote sites for people to watch the funeral on closed circuit TV in the schools. The funeral home and church were about half a mile from each other, yet it took over half an hour for the funeral procession to finish. I was out of town by the time the church service ended, but can't imagine the procession to the cemetary.

Joe Corr is 30 and he leaves behind a wife and 1 year old daughter. He comes from a family of police officers and public service was a virtue in the family. He also served in the volunteer fire department and his wife is a nurse.

Sometimes, it feels like there's a very thin line that keeps Evil away. People like Joe Corr keep that line intact for us, so we can stay in our homes, locked and secure, but while he and his brothers remain outside with what we hide from.

No words of thanks can ever repay what law enforcers give all of us, no word of sorry can ever ease the pain of of Officer Corr's passing, but may his memories comfort those who miss him and may his and the brothers' efforts continue through all those they touch.
Maimun

Les Roberts wrote a letter to me and all I got was annoyed.

It is annoying enough when it’s the Republicans that treat me like an idiot, but now a “fellow Democrat” is doing it too. What’s that saying about “friends like these”?

Saturday, I received a letter from Congressional candidate Les Roberts who’s running in the NY 24th. I’m a member of the Oneida County Democratic Committee. Now, it’s no secret that I’m supporting Michael Arcuri. But I do think that political discussions are important and there is value in different people coming forth with ideas and opinions. But this is a challenging election in a pretty red part of the state with a 12th term incumbent. Experience, integrity and leadership, I feel, is what will make the difference this year.

Les Roberts, even should he become the endorsed Democratic candidate, will not get my support because of the letter I received from him. At best, he does not understand the political process. And if a person can’t take the time to learn the process he is stepping into, I doubt he would be able to learn quickly enough to be an effective Representative for the one term he’d be elected for. If he doesn’t take the time, he’s not ready.

Roberts starts his letter by informing me of a “straw poll” being held by the Oneida County Democratic Committee on Tuesday, March 2nd. I work at a college and write a monthly column in a newspaper and I know how important proof reading is. And I also know that some things do slip through, so the error of the day-date I can live with.

But for a candidate screening by the Executive Committee before they make their recommendation to the general Committee as required by our bylaws to be tagged a “straw poll” trivializes the task the Committee has of endorsing the best candidate and ignores the importance of his involvement. Besides which… I don’t serve on the County Executive Committee, so I have no vote to cast in any direction. At least I understand the process the Committee must follow. Roberts’ statement could be taken by someone unfamiliar with our bylaws to imply exclusion and hijacking as most of the people who received the letter would not have known about or been able to attend the screening.

Then there’s this sentence in the letter:
“I am fortunate enough to have a supporter who is a political fundraiser in Congressman Rahm Emanuel’s
(Chair of the DCCC) Congressional District and is hosting a fundraiser for me this weekend”

For no valid reason, I’ll share with you that I am fortunate enough to have a friend I’ve known her entire life who is an artist in Congressman Rahm Emanuel’s (Chair DCCC) Congressional District and who has sent me artwork and poetry for over 20 years. I don’t know if she knows Emanuel, but I don’t him, have never met him and he hasn’t endorsed me or my friend for anything (at least not that I know of).

Sorry, Les. Both working brain cells read your sentence and unfortunately for you, I understood it for what it was.

He also invited me to look at the events listed on his website. But looking beyond just that link also showed more worrisome problems. A stated strength of his candidacy is his research and scientific background. The one concern the website raises that I’ll point to now is the lying by omission in referring to a web poll conducted by WKRT out of Cortland. Granted, the blog entry is written by Josh Lozeman, but it’s on the Official Campaign site. He writes:
“It is – of course – always wonderful for any campaign to see a poll showing them in the lead. It is even

Then he invites readers to look at the radio station’s site with the actual poll. I clicked on the link and found yes, Roberts is just 4 points behind Sherwood Boehlert. But neither is in the lead.

Yes, it is wonderful to see the candidate I’m supporting in the lead. The breakdown, as of February 27, 2006, 9:30PM is:
Sherwood Boehlert – 25%
Brad Jones - 12%
Les Roberts - 21%
Bruce Tytler - 5%
Mike Arcuri - 37%

I’ve been an active County Committeemember for 14 years, so I’m hoping that these serious errors in the Roberts letter are due to inexperience and ignorance. I’ve worked on a previous Congressional race and know that those two aspects alone can implode a campaign before the Republicans do anything.

Too much is at stake this year to start that much in the deficit.
Maimun