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Talking Points #10- Johnson

Allan G. Johnson. "What Can We Do?: Becoming Part of the Solution"; from Privilege, Power, and Difference.

Johnson argues that in order to solve the problems plaguing our communities, everyone must acknowledge their existence. Problems such as racism and sexism cannot be solved without the help of white men, for example. Unfortunately, all of us will not be around to see the the end of racism, intolerance, and oppression. Just because we will not be here when they are solved, does not mean that we should not do our part to help solve community problems. When attempting to solve community problems, the smallest contributions matter. A contribution now can help solve a problem one hundred years from now. Working to solve these problems will leave the future brighter.

• "Their silence and invisibility allow the trouble to continue. Removing what silences them and stands in their way can tap an enormous potential of energy for change." This quote is important because it reiterates the point Johnson made in his earlier chapter. People must learn to "say the words". These words will allow you to see what the problem is. You must state what the problem is before you can solve it. Using words will allow for a dialogue to be created between individuals. This dialogue will allow for an exchange of ideas to help solve the problem. The muzzles that we place on our belief systems and ways of thinking must be removed to open up new pathways for change.
• "It (trouble) does this in part because misery visited on others comes back to haunt those who benefit from it, especially in the form of defensiveness and fear." This quote is important because it connects to the Lawrence article that we read in class. Lawrence stated that feeling guilty about the actions of past whites will not help further the cause of African Americans. The fear and shame that trouble causes only works to stop the progress of equality for all. Those people who have benefited from the "Culture of Power" feel guilty for having done so. They feel ashamed that they did not stop the "Culture of Power". People who work towards securing true equality for all must stop looking in the past. The past cannot be changed. You can change the course of the future. Working towards attaining a better future for all of our citizens can help right some past wrongs. As a society, we must learn as much as we can from the problems of the past, but not become consumed by them. If we are consumed by the guilt and shame of the past, we will not be able to solve the problems of the present.
• "We become part of the long tradition of people who have dared to make a difference- to look at things as they are, to imagine something better, and to plant seeds of change in themselves, in others, and in the world." This quote is important because it states what educators must do. The job of an educator is to instill the belief in their students that they can make a difference in this world. It is our job to cultivate these seeds of change. Before we can create change in others, we must create change in ourselves. Educators must examine themselves to see how they view the problems plaguing the world. This self-examination must be done before we can take our first steps on the road of change.
  

Like his previous chapter, this article was a fairly easy read. It was a bit long though. Johnson gives the reader much food for thought. How has the "Culture of Power" influenced our lives? Did we even realize that the "Culture of Power" influenced us? A point that he made really stuck with me. We must get over the belief that we can only cause change if we are around to see the benefits of those changes. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not around to see the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement. That does not mean he was not a major contributing factor in that movement. If Dr. King had said that he was not going to try and better his community because he was not going to be around to reap the benefits, where would our society be? Helping to solve community problems is a selfless act. You must not think of yourself, you must think of others. Our society is centered around what is best for the individual. When attempting to solve these problems, we must think about what is best for society as a whole. People must realize that you cannot solve a community problem by yourself. We must work together to solve these problems. One person cannot strike a blow that will shatter the glass ceiling of community problems. It will be much easier to shatter the glass ceiling by having everyone make a little dent in it. If we help to initiate change today, the problems of tomorrow will be much easier to solve.

Down Syndrome Link

Hey everyone,

The following is information from Wikipedia about Down Syndrome. It helps explain the side effects of Down Syndrome and it's origins.

Judge Makes Gay Marriage Legal In Connecticut

Talking Points #8- Kliewer

Christopher Kliewer. "Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"; from Schooling Children with Down Syndrome.

Kliewer argues that students with Down Syndrome should not be treated as burdens in the classroom and in society. Teachers should treat all students as valuable assets to the classroom. Every child has something to contribute to society. Educators should not view students with Down Syndrome as failures because they may not achieve every standard set forth by the curriculum. Educators should modify how they view the curriculum to play to the child's strengths.

• "Judith A. Snow (1996), a self-advocate in the disability rights movement, decries this judgment, stating: How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don't listen to the voices we have. (p. 12)" This quote is important because it exposes the hypocrisy that certain educators and members of the community have. You cannot tell a child with Down Syndrome what he or she can do, especially if you have no experience dealing with the disability. Certain educators and members of the community believe that people with the same disability need the same amount of help. That is not true! Two people with the same disability can lead two vastly different lives.
• "In establishing a representation of citizenship for all, Shayne recognized the transactional relationship of human reciprocity: Community acceptance requires opportunity for individual participation in the group, but opportunity cannot exist outside of community acceptance." This quote is important because it shows how dependent members of the community are on each other. We need each other. Students with Down Syndrome will not be able to function in society if that society does not accept them. Students with Down Syndrome will not be allowed to show their community what they can do, if they are not accepted as members of the community. In order for anyone to succeed in life, they must be afforded an opportunity.
• "To value another is to recognize diversity as the norm. It establishes the equal worth of all schoolchildren, a sense that we all benefit from each other, and the fundamental right of every student to belong." This quote is important because it sums up perfectly how all educators want to construct the atmospheres contained in their classrooms. The atmosphere in any classroom must be conducive to learning. A child cannot learn in your classroom, unless he or she feels comfortable there. Children will feel comfortable in your classroom if you recognize their individuality and "see" who they truly are. If you make any child conform to what you want him or her to be, that child will quit on you. A classroom is like a wheel. The children represent the spokes in the wheel. If one child is isolated or removed from the classroom, that classroom is damaged. Every child's educational benefits would have been lowered. If you remove a spoke from a wheel, that wheel cannot run effectively, if at all. This should show all educators that every child is vitally important to the function of the classroom, and the continuation of the educational process.

This article was rather long, but it was a fairly easy read. Words cannot do justice to how this story resonated with me. Although I do not have Down Syndrome, I am disabled. Being a student in the public school system, I can recall how educators and administrators would think they knew what was best for me. They could never truly know what was best for me. They are not the ones living with the disability, I am. Some educators and members of the Support Staff could only adhere to my needs as long as it fit within the financial budget of the city. Many times I was left without the accommodations that were owed to me by law. This left me feeling abandoned by my own district, like no one could hear my voice. No child should have to feel like they cannot be "seen". Every child's voice must be heard in our society. Separating students with Down Syndrome from the "normal" population is an injustice for everyone involved. The social skills gained by allowing students with Down Syndrome to interact with all of their peers is an invaluable resource. This will build their confidence in social settings and help contribute to their success in the future. The "normal" students will see that students with Down Syndrome and other disabilities are not so different from them. As educators are primary job is to foster the development of understanding and tolerance between students. We must help to "build bridges" to connect people of different races, genders, ethnicities, and social classes together. Educators should never label their students! Labels make students feel that they can only achieve so much. As a student, you must perform above the expectations of your label and not settle for the expectations that your label gives you.

Talking Points #7- Lawrence

Charles Lawrence. "One More River to Cross"- Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown: A Prerequisite to Shaping New Remedies; from The Institution of Education.

Lawrence argues that the implementation of Brown vs. Board of Education was a failure. Schools across the country failed to desegregate quickly. Most importantly, the Supreme Court failed to recognize that African American students were already emotionally and physically scarred from the institution of segregation. Segregation was created to make African Americans feel inferior. This feeling of inferiority and the institution of segregation itself caused their education to be unequal.

• "The Court's failure to recognize and articulate the true nature of racial segregation was more the product of an intentional, knowledgeable decision than the result of any inability to comprehend." This quote is important because it shows that the Supreme Court refused to acknowledge that they fell asleep on the job by allowing segregation to continue for such a long time. By only ending segregation and not admitting that it was created to keep African Americans separate from the rest of the population allowed the Supreme Court to save face in the public eye. By not admitting the existence and true nature of segregation allowed the American public to feel that our country's ideals of equality and freedom for all were actually being enacted.
• "Once it is understood that the injury results from the existence of the label of inferiority, it becomes clear that the cure must involve the removal of that label. The mere placement of black and white children in the same school does not remove the brand imprinted by years of segregation." This quote is important because it illustrates the emotional scars that segregation inflicted on African American children. Removing a label does not stop a child who has been told that he is inferior all of his life from feeling inferior. The damage of segregation had been done. You cannot just remove labels from children and walk away thinking that the problem is solved. Adults and children must be educated to realize that no person is inferior.
• "But the Court has never followed its reasoning in Brown to its logical conclusion. If state-sanctioned segregation injures black children by stigmatizing them (or engendering feelings of inferiority) then they are deprived of an equal educational opportunity by segregation outside of, as well as within, the school systems." This quote is important because it shows that the Supreme Court never acknowledged the intent of segregation. Their decision was only half-complete. The Court made a decision, but they failed to acknowledge the true injustice of segregation. By not admitting the problem, you cannot fix it.

Lawrence's article was a bit long, but it proved that the implementation of Brown vs. Board of Education was a failure. By refusing to acknowledge the problems faced by the victims of segregation, the Supreme Court continued to make African Americans feel inferior. By not admitting these problems, you cannot solve these problems. If these problems go unsolved, they will continue to grow. African American children still felt inferior years after the desegregation of schools. The trauma these children experienced stayed with them as adults. Their childhood experiences had a profound effect on their educational development. This trauma caused inequalities in their educational development. The inequalities in their educational development caused African American children to unfairly fall behind white children in terms of opportunities. As teachers, we must make sure that every child has an opportunity to succeed in life. Every child must know that they are special and of great worth. No child is worth more then another. Our curriculum must include the promotion of fairness, love, and equality.

Talking Points #6- Oakes

Jeannie Oakes. "Tracking: Why Schools Need To Take Another Route"; from Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality.

Oakes argues that grouping students based on their abilities is an ineffective method of teaching. Statistically, grouping students based on ability only seems to help the "top-tier" of students. This leaves the "average" and "below average" students behind. Oakes argues that alternative teaching methods must be implemented to improve the learning of all students.

• "Moreover, the nature of these differences (in learning) suggests that students who are placed in high-ability groups have access to far richer schooling experiences than other students." This quote is important because it shows the large gap in school experience between the top-tier of students and everybody else. School districts make sure that every opportunity is given to the top-tier of students, while they let the "below average" students muddle through the school day. The students who need the most help are not getting it, while the students who need the least amount of help are getting everything handed to them.


• "Recent work of cognitive psychologists suggests, for example, that academic ability is not unchangeable but developmental and grows throughout childhood." This quote is important because it shows that "average" and "below average" students can be worked with to improve their abilities. Educators must learn that no child is a "lost cause" or "unteachable". A student can have great academic success if they work hard in conjunction with their teachers to improve their abilities.


• "Unless teachers and administrators believe and expect all students to learn well, they will be unlikely to create school and classroom conditions where students believe in their own ability and exert the effort it takes to succeed." This quote is important because it shows just how necessary teachers are in the educational development of students. If educators do not believe that all students can succeed, then their students will quit on them because their teachers have given up on their abilities. If students do not feel that their abilities are being fostered by their educators, they will feel inadequate and become unmotivated to learn.

I found that this article was fairly accurate in describing how some school districts treat students who they perceive to be "average" or "under-performing". These schools give every opportunity to the "above-average" students, while leaving the other students to wallow in mediocrity. More learning tools must be given to "average" or "below average" students to reduce the educational learning gap among the population. Instead of separating students based on abilities, classes should include students of all different abilities. This way it could be possible for the "average" or "below average" students to learn not only from the teacher, but from the "above average" students as well. School districts must stop labeling their students based on ability. It makes every student in that district uncomfortable and self-conscious of their skills and their worth. Every child is worth something. No child is worth more then another. The educational learning gap can be reduced, but it will take hard work from the teachers, students, and administrators involved.

Talking Points #5- Kahne & Westheimer

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer. "In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning"; from Phi Delta Kappan.

Kahne and Westheimer argue that educators must teach their children to use their service learning projects to transform their communities, rather than only using them to perform a civic duty. If children only try to be good servants of their communities without analyzing the problems plaguing them, then those problems will remain.

• "The hope (of the service learning projects) was that students' values and beliefs might be transformed by these experiences. As Lawrence Cremin explains, these educators believed that, 'by manipulating the school curriculum, they could ultimately change the world.'" This quote is important because it states what every teacher wants to accomplish. Every educator wants to instill the values in their students to not only be charitable within their communities, but to get at the root of the problems plaguing their communities and fix those problems. Students must be taught that you cannot put a band-aid on a gushing wound. Being charitable is only a band-aid being put on the gushing wound of community problems. Being charitable is wonderful, but being able to solve the problems is even better.
• "We attempt to 'apprehend the reality of the other' and then to 'struggle [for progress] together.' In so doing we create opportunities for changing our understanding of the other and the context within which he or she lives." This quote is important because it shows what students who truly want to solve the problems in their communities should be doing. Students must learn that before you can help solve the problems of another person, you must first see the problems from their perspective. This process goes beyond civic duty or performing community service. It is about thinking analytically to solve the plight of another.
• "While requiring students to 'serve America' (the rhetoric of the federal legislation) might produce George Bush's 'thousand points of light,' it might also promote a thousand points of the status quo." This quote is important because it shows that being charitable is not the only solution to our country's problems. Being charitable will not cause the problems to go away overnight. Being charitable to those less fortunate then you is only a small part of the overall solution. To solve a problem, you must first look at it from all angles and from all points-of-view. Working towards solving the problem completely is much more effective then putting a band-aid on the problem. Charity does not solve the problem, it continues to perpetuate the problem.

This article was somewhat long, but it was a fairly easy read. The article sent an important message to students. Being charitable is a wonderful thing, but being able to analyze the problems in your community in order to solve them is much more important. It is not a feasible idea to put a band-aid on a wound that requires stitches. So, it is not feasible to believe that charity alone will solve community problems. Believing that charity alone can solve serious community problems such as homelessness or poverty, is turning a blind eye to the real issues. This article reminds me of a very famous quote where "if you give a hungry man a fish, he will have dinner for one night, but if you teach him how to fish, he will never go hungry again." The purpose of our service learning projects is to experience life from the children's points-of-view in order to better educate them. By understanding other people's problems, we can come to a better understanding of how we relate to one another and how we can work together to solve each other's problems.

Obama presentation went well!

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone enjoyed my group's Obama presentation. The goal was to present you with the facts so that you can make an informed decision come Election Day, regardless of who you vote for.

Random Thoughts:

I thought the Sarah Palin appearance on Saturday Night Live was very entertaining. While I do not want McCain and her to win, she seemed to take the jokes about her in stride.

I saw a clip from a McCain rally last week in Missouri. The statements the people attending the rally made were extremely unsettling. One lady told John McCain that she was not voting for Barack Obama because he was an Arab. If that reason wasn't stomach-turning enough, I was stunned by McCain's response. McCain told the lady that Obama was not an Arab because he was a good man. This upset me because being an Arab and a good person are not mutually exclusive. You can be both an Arab and a good person. These people do not seem to realize that there are good and bad people in every race, ethnicity, or creed. The people at the rally have much to learn about people and life in general.

Remember to laugh,
James

Talking Points #4- Christensen

Linda Christensen. "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us"; from Rethinking Our Classrooms.

Christensen argues that teachers must educate their students to question the stereotypes and inequalities found in movies, television, cartoons, and the world as a whole. Teachers and students must work together to create a world where respect, equality, and understanding are the ways of life, and stereotypes, inequalities, and racism is a part of the past.

• "True death equals a generation living by rules and attitudes they never questioned and producing more children to do the same." Wow! Just wow! I was floored to learn that a comment like this could come from someone my age. This girl is wise beyond her years. This quote is important because it illustrates that teachers must educate their students to question the rules and why they are in place. Educated people must question the "status quo". Humans are not meant to be mindless sheep following the herd. If humans do not question life, progress stalls and begins to move backwards.
• "We are not only taught certain styles of violence, the latest fashions, and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines, and comic strips; we are also taught how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future. We are taught, more than anything else, how not to rebel." This quote is important because it demonstrates the "codes" that are transferred to our children through the media. Children learn how to act and behave mostly through what they see in the media outlets. Teachers must educate their children to be individuals and to always question what they do and do not understand.
• "It (Cindy Ellie, A Modern Fairy Tale) celebrates the beauty, culture, and language of African Americans. It also puts forth the possibility of cross-race alliances for social change." This quote is important because it illustrates an example of what our society should be striving to be like. The beauty, culture, and language of every person should be celebrated. Individuality is beautiful. People, regardless of their races, should work together to solve their problems.

This article showed me the impact that television and media outlets had on me as a child. Like many people, I watched cartoons as a child. As a child, I was unaware of the racist and sexist stereotypes that were being conveyed to me by the media. I always enjoyed cartoons as entertainment only. As a child, I assumed that the media would convey the same values that my family believed. I always thought, to a fault, that all people accepted everyone as great people, regardless of race, creed, or ethnicity. As I have gotten older, I have realized that the world is not as accepting of everyone as my family and I are. Why does the world let these vicious and hurtful stereotypes to continue? As teachers, we have the obligation to teach our children to accept everyone for who they are and to disregard stereotypes. It is our duty to work with our students to leave the world in a better place then we found it.

Talking Points #3- Carlson

Dennis Carlson. "Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"; from Beyond Black And White.

Carlson argues that public schools must create a multicultural community where gayness is accepted. Gay and lesbian teachers and students must be allowed to be open about their sexuality and who they are. Carlson argues that discussions about gayness must be included in the curriculum to root out homophobia in the public school community.

• "Nevertheless, normalizing texts systematically exclude and neglect the culture of those outside the norm for the purpose of ratifying or legitimating the dominant culture as the only significant culture worth studying." This quote is important because Carlson is explaining that cultures outside the considered "norm", such as gayness, are not considered worthy enough to be discussed in the public school system. This type of attitude towards gayness contributes to feelings of homophobia among straight teachers and students. It also causes gay teachers and students to be afraid to show their sexuality in public.
• "This implies at the very least that educators involve young people in a discussion of gay identity within the context of a discussion of human rights in a democratic community, and it may extend to a discussion of caring for others, including the gay Other, in community." This quote is important because Carlson is stating that educators must teach their students that gayness is a human right and identity that must be protected in a community. Educators must teach their students to care about all the members of their community, including gay members.
• "Finally a democratic multicultural education must become a dialogue in which all 'voices' are heard and all 'truths' are understood as partial and positioned." This quote is important because all educators must teach their students that all people play an integral part in a community. All voices must be heard within a community and no voice should be silenced based on a person's sexual orientation.

I found Carlson's article to be very thought-provoking. Discussions about gayness are not talked about much in public schools. Gayness is considered by many to be too controversial or taboo to talk about. Silence about gay issues has caused homophobia to run rampant in the public school system. No one should ever go to school or work feeling uncomfortable about being who they are in public. How have public schools and communities been allowed to push gay issues under the rug? Educators must open up clear dialogues where gayness is discussed respectfully and where everyone has a voice.

Talking Points #2- Rodriguez

Richard Rodriguez. "Aria"; from Tongue Tied.

Rodriguez argues that it is imperative for minority children and adults to learn the most common public language in America, English. Rodriguez states that while you should retain your original language and heritage, you must learn to speak English in order to gain access to the "Culture Of Power".

• "In an instant, they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family's closeness." This quote is important because it shows what Rodriguez does not want to happen when a family is learning English. Rodriguez wants the readers to learn from his family's mistakes. Your family should be able to learn English, while retaining their original language and their closeness to each other.
• "The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold." This quote is important because it shows Rodriguez's realization that he was comfortably a member of the public culture. It is then that Rodriguez realizes that he has become "Americanized", by learning to speak English.
• "They do not seem to realize that there are two ways a person is individualized. So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality." This quote is important because it shows the importance that Rodriguez places on learning English. Learning English will allow people who spoke another language to have a voice in the American "Culture Of Power".

I found Rodriguez's article to be an easy read. A reader can tell that Rodriguez is grateful that he learned English because communicating in the most common public language in America is an important skill to have. However, it is easy to see that Rodriguez longs for the closeness he had with his family when they all spoke Spanish. I believe it is important for people to learn the most common languages of their country. However, I believe it is also extremely important to maintain your culture and heritage. Do you believe that assimilation into American society means giving up the values of your culture and heritage?

Talking Points #1- Goldberg

Bernard Goldberg. 110 People Who Are Screwing Up America (and Al Franken is #37): Jonathan Kozol.

Goldberg argues that Jonathan Kozol is hurting America because he was the architect of the liberal American education system. Goldberg argues that American children have become indifferent to their heritage and have bought into the liberal views being taught to them.

• "Kozol is a fierce opponent of traditional learning, which he says deadens children's souls." This quote is important because it shows that Goldberg is an advocate of traditional learning. This quote shows that Goldberg and Kozol stand on opposite sides of the fence on issues.
• "Indeed, the once-outrageous idea that teachers should use their classrooms to espouse liberal/radical political views-i.e., to propagandize- can be traced directly to Jonathan Kozol." This quote is important because it supports Goldberg's belief that Kozol is hurting America. Many people believe the educational system should be politically neutral.
• "What will become of a country whose youngest citizens have been taught to have so little affection for it?" This quote leaves the readers with an important question to think about. What will happen to America if it's young people do not care about it?

Goldberg's article was an easier read then Kozol's was. Clearly, Goldberg believes that Kozol is ruining America's educational system. I disagree with Goldberg on some issues. Goldberg made it sound like all liberals do not love America. I am liberal and I love America very much. Not all teachers trash America. Some do teach the values of patriotism to their students. However, teachers should not use their classrooms as propaganda machines. Are all young people really indifferent towards America?

Talking Points # 1- Kozol

Jonathan Kozol. Amazing Grace: The Lives Of Children And The Conscience Of A Nation.

Kozol argues that there is a great difference in the lives of the people of Manhattan and the people of the South Bronx. He argues that New York City officials have turned their backs on their own citizens by not helping them get adequate shelter, medical care, and overall opportunities to improve their lives.

• "I saw a boy shot in the head right over there, he says a moment later, in a voice that does not sound particularly sad." This quote is important because it shows that Cliffie has become numb to violence. When people lose compassion for their fellow man at a young age, they become more likely to experience incidents of violence as they get older.
• "Why do you want to put so many people with small children in a place with so much sickness?" This quote is important because it shows that New York City has become indifferent to the plight of its citizens.
• "It's not just hatred. It's as if they're laughing at their lives-and yours." This quote is important because it shows that the citizens of the South Bronx realize that no matter how hard they try to improve their lives, they will not be able to get anywhere. Law-abiding citizens and drug dealers are both going nowhere.

This article showed me how poor and destitute some areas of the country are. Poverty is a huge problem in America! This article relates to others because it shows that poverty and racism go hand-in-hand. Most of the destitute neighborhoods in America include citizens of color. Why have citizens of New York City become blind to the poverty happening around them? Do they think that if they do not acknowledge it is happening, it will go away?

What's on my mind!

Hello everyone!

I was reading the excerpts from Kozol and Goldberg today. They are two distinctly different viewpoints on similar topics. It is rare for one author to openly say that another's viewpoints are hurting America. I disagree with Goldberg on some points. Goldberg's article made it sound like all liberals do not care about America. I do not consider myself conservative at all, but that does not mean I do not love my country. Just because I might be somewhat liberal does not mean I do not respect my country's heritage. I also find Al Franken amusing because I enjoy political satyr.

Random Thoughts:

Did anyone see the clips from the Republican National Convention? I cannot believe that Rudy Guilianni called Barack Obama too cosmopolitan. This is coming from the man who was the former mayor of New York City! I found most of the Republicans came off as very smug! I was offended that they made fun of Obama's work as a community organizer. Apparently they believe no one should try and help their community. Their own candidate, John McCain, is running on the slogan: service.

Why do we drive in parkways, but park in driveways?

Is one truly the loneliest number? Maybe it is zero, because it feels empty.


Remember to laugh,
James

My Blog Introduction

Hello everyone!

My name is James Kelly. I am a sophomore at Rhode Island College. I graduated from Cranston High School West back in 2007. I graduated from the Child Development program at the vocational school, so I do have some experience working with young children. My semester has gone fine so far. I have never actually created my own blog before, so this will be a new experience. When I am not in class, I enjoy hanging out with my friends. I am a huge New England sports fan! I am excited about the Red Sox pennant race, yet sad that Tom Brady has been injured for the season. This is my first election, so I am excited to finally be able to participate in the political process.

I hope to talk to all of you again very soon!

James