education – Scott Saxe

We hold these truths to be self-evident…

History has proven them to be anything but.

If we genuinely care about this ‘grand experiment’ in democracy, we must actively participate in it.

We must take action and we must vote to ensure everyone feels they are represented by those who put life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness above everything else.

This past Tuesday was our primary election day in Illinois, and the picture I chose for this blog was purposeful. Sadly, the turnout for this important event was abysmally low.

Since declaring our independence, we’ve always been trying to ‘form a more perfect Union’, despite a rocky start and diversions along the way.

While many of us revere the writings of the Founders, they were not perfect men, nor did they live in perfect times, nor did they have the experiences and access to knowledge that many of us take for granted today.

What they did have was a vision for a more perfect Union. The framework for our Constitution goes back to our Independence Day. I urge each and every one of you to read the words of that Declaration again today. It wouldn’t hurt to read our Constitution again, either.

Here are links to both: Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives & The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription | National Archives

For years, I’ve celebrated our Independence Day with all the pomp and circumstance the Framers intended. As I got older, I learned more about Americans who did not feel that they’ve achieved the ideals set forth on July 4, 1776. These groups continued to be marginalized for decades and centuries after, even to this present day.

Today, a new group of our citizens is feeling that same disenfranchisement.

Those ‘truths’ Jefferson found to be self-evident, were anything but.

For those who thrust this concept of “originalism” as a justification for abridging rights, this is not what America stands for. It never has.

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”
Thomas Jefferson

Our focus has always been forward, on achieving what the Founding Fathers could not or would not do. If we genuinely care about this ‘grand experiment’ in democracy, we must actively participate in it.

When government no longer represents the governed, when citizens no longer have body autonomy, when one Right infringes on the safety and welfare of any American, we must stand up, we must act.

Change does not happen because of thoughts and prayers, marches and chants, or social media posts. Change happens by voting.

Voting in every election, not just the Presidential elections. In every Local and State election, your voice needs to be heard. The power to elect those who can make change in our laws is given to every single American citizen over the age of eighteen.

So today, you can have your BBQ and your fireworks, or you can have your protests and parades, but between now and November you must educate yourself beyond what your TV or your Party tell you, you must register, and you must vote.

Governing isn’t about appeasing special interests; it is about representing the entirety of your constituency.

The time for partisan politics and winning at all costs is long past.

We all hope for a better tomorrow and that change will come, but hope is not a plan.

Take action. Vote as if your future depends on it.

Just as it did in 1776, your actions can change the course of this Nation and bring us to where ALL of us are equal, all have the same Rights and responsibilities, and all feel represented by those who put life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness above everything else.

I will still celebrate our independence today, not to honor the past, but for the opportunity to create a better future and a more perfect Union.

New Year 2021

‘We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.’
John Dewey

Before we finally close the door on 2020, we should take a moment to reflect on the year.

We need to remember all those we lost this past year. Whether from COVID, or cancer, or heart disease, or stroke, or violence, or other diseases and natural causes, we have lost far too many people.

We need to remember all we have learned in 2020.

We always knew that our first responders and health professionals were essential, we now know that delivery drivers, pharmacists, grocery store workers, janitors, truckers, and so many others are the ones who kept us healthy, clothed, fed, and secure.

We learned that teachers are even more remarkable than we ever gave them credit for. They pivoted on a dime from in school to virtual learning to hybrid and every combination thereof. They created new lessons, found new ways to engage and interact, and keep children curious and educated.

We managed to live without sports and entertainment and found new ways to connect with family, friends, nature, and our communities.

We saw a successful return to space through private company launching from American soil.

We managed to safely and successfully fast-track a vaccine to change the course of this pandemic and bring a sense of normalcy back to our chaotic world.

There have been other medical advances that have improved the lives of patients around the country and around the world. We must continue to invest in research to ensure this momentum continues.

As we welcome in 2021, I remain hopeful and optimistic that we can take these tough learned lessons and create a better tomorrow.

That we learn to be respectful and civil to our neighbors and fellow countrymen. We do not have to agree with each other, but we do have to live together. Our differences should not divide us, but provide opportunities to collaborate and to improve. We all want a better world for our children and for each other. Kindness does not take an additional effort but makes a huge difference in how we interact.

We need to continue to remain engaged in politics and policy, to stand up for what we believe in, and to vote those beliefs. Individualism remains much more important than party loyalty. We need to continue to improve the processes to make it easier and more secure for everyone to cast their ballot. Government works best when ALL voices are heard.

We have learned how important our health is and access to care. It is time we put aside the politics and find a way to ensure everyone has consistent access to quality, affordable care. No one should have to choose between medicine and food, or choosing between losing their home or losing their child.

We must continue to fight for equity and equality across the country. Our ‘freedoms’ are meaningless if they’re not applied equally. As good citizens, we have a responsibility to ourselves and our country to do better.

Finally, we must prioritize education and ensure that truth and facts are the basis of our national discourse. We need to encourage investment in science and technology, not just to improve medical outcomes, but to ensure our assets are protected in ever-increasingly connected digital world.

If we can launch a rocket to space, we should be able to do so many simpler, yet important, things. We just have to put our collective minds and efforts behind it.

Thank you for the friendship, the debate, the support, and the commentary. Whether we agree or not, my life is richer for each and every one of you.

My wish, as always, is for a healthy and happy New Year to you and your families.

Pay It Forward Day 2019

“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.” – James Monroe, born on this date in 1758

Today is Pay It Forward Day.

Rather than simply holding a door or buying a cup of coffee for a stranger, I’m making a much bigger ask this year.

Raise your voice to ensure that attacks at schools, churches, synagogues, and other places of worship, work, and education, are unacceptable; that perpetrators are held accountable, and that violence and hatred have no place in our society.

Hold your elected officials accountable and push them to focus on the important aspects of our society: our health, our education, our infrastructure, and our safety.

Both parties are guilty of distracting us from what we need to capitalize on what they want.

We should not accept the narrative from either side but focus on what is best for ALL Americans.

No one should go bankrupt to care for their child or spouse, and everyone should have access to quality, affordable care. Treatment options and outcomes should be dependent on science, not on geography.

All children deserve an education that prepares them for a successful future, that establishes a lifelong yearning for knowledge, and a quest for truth and facts that drive their decisions today and tomorrow.

We will no longer abide by partisan divisiveness and insurmountable debt while our critical infrastructure crumbles. We must have dependable roads, bridges, and tunnels. Children should have safe passages to their schools, and our utilities should be reliable, efficient, and secure.

We should not live in fear of our neighbors, the police, or our government.

Government derives its just powers from the governed, and it is beyond time we take our rightful place in oversight.

On this Pay It Forward Day, let’s preserve the legacy and memories of our Founding Fathers, our military veterans, and all who have sacrificed to guarantee our way of life, based on our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights.

We must continue to pay it forward with our passion, our commitment, and our voice, to ensure we remain a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Thank you!

We are more the same than we are different

today, instead of just expressing anger, fear, and confusion, reach out to someone who isn’t like you; learn something new

Terribly saddened by the events of the past days and weeks, not just in the United States, but around the world.
Yet in all the expressions of outrage, and even in words of comfort, we continue to build the barriers that cause all this hatred.
Instead of defining each other by our differences, let’s remember our common bonds. Stop separating us and them, blue and black, Muslim and Christian, Jew and Gentile, liberal and conservative. In the United States, we are all Americans. We don’t need to create separate classes based on ethnicity, religion, color, or anything else. American is enough. Stop the passive distrust caused by breaking us apart. American lives matter. All lives matter.
The same is true around the world. Why must we focus on where we differ, when there is so much that ties us together.
Do we not all occupy the same planet, breathe the same air, bleed the same blood, and fight the same diseases? These are human conditions, not unique to any continent, country, or civilization.
Take a moment to reflect not just on these recent tragedies, but how you react to them. What you say and do has a tremendous effect on how you are perceived by others, and how they are perceived, as well.
If we all have a little empathy and understanding, the world would be a better place. I’d rather listen and learn, than continue to fight based on meaningless words. I matter, just like you.
So today, instead of just expressing anger, fear, and confusion, reach out to someone who isn’t like you; learn something new, discuss ideas, embrace differences, create a new friendship, and make the world a better place.