An educated guess. pt 1

Waking up for an 8:30am class is hard to begin with especially when that class is an American History class. However, I muster up my strength every Tuesday and Thursday hoping to better understand what it is that this country went through in its struggle to get where we are today. No, this post is not about praising America’s greatness or, on the contrary, I am not saying we are a bad nation. It has more to do with our civic duties in this country and I’d like to make it more about the civic duties of people in Grand Rapids.

When I get up for that class, shower, make coffee and a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats I feel half asleep but prepared for the day. Yet, when I get to that class I am taken back by how little the students in that class (myself included) and I would gather the courage to say most “Grand Rapidians” know about this country. A simple question in that hour and fifteen minutes seemed to drag on because not one person raised their hand when asked what the first two articles of the constitution were (look it up). I cannot look at the other kids in the class and pretend I knew because I was wrong.

I spend a lot of thinking about the current political systems and the flaws of both parties. I read the tweets and attached links from a Brit and counter that by reading other tweets and attached links from a certain “pro-life Reagen Republican” (yes she really spells Reagan wrong). I have a left lean and admit it. However, I find it excruciatingly painful to realize I have spent 13 years in public schools and four years in college and didn’t know the first article of the constitution. It honestly made me a little sick.

If we are willing to engage in political tweets or start groups for or against a particular policy we should look at what we actually know. I went out for a beer with my dad at the Hopcatand discussed reasons for and against the (at the time) proposed health care bill and he said, “this whole thing is unconstitutional”. I, being a smart ass, asked him what the first two articles of the constitution were and he failed to answer correctly.

I wholeheartedly agree with anyone who says you do not need to know the constitution to have an opinion. I am the first to admit that I don’t know nearly as much as I claim I know. However, if we want to cite our opinions as facts that is when we get in trouble. That being said, this first portion is just a rant leading to my larger point. My next post will be about how we can help change the landscape of education in Grand Rapids. I will only offer up suggestions and hopefully I can get a few people to come to this blog and offer rebuttals and start a dialogue about this.

What I’m saying.

First: If we are going to speak or tweet or fan something we should have a basic understanding of what we are talking about. Even if only because it makes your argument more sound.

Second: What the hell did I, and I think most people, learn in school?! Why aren’t schools teaching student about the constitution? If they are being discussed why are they not talked about in a way that actually engages students?