President Barack Obama has spoken up about the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, and while the Commander in Chief did not pledge any particular action, he did offer acknowledgements to the murdered teen?s family that the case had not been handled very well. (Obama also noted that since the Attorney General reports to him, he was required to be cautious in any statements he made about the investigation.)
The Trayvon Martin case has to be a bit tough to navigate for America?s first black president- on one hand, as expected, Obama might identify more heavily with the grieving family of Martin than many white Americans. (And let?s not gloss over the fact that a lot of covert racism has become overt racism since the president took office.)
On the other, when Obama even hints at race, his critics jump all over him and accuse the president of ?reverse racism? or any other number of silly allegations that have probably led to some oversensitivity on his part overall. To wit, if Obama did?promise action on Trayvon Martin?s murder, the GOP outrage machine would go into overdrive and a million unsolved murders of white people would be held up as evidence that Barack Obama does not care about white people. So the president is probably left in the uncomfortable position of having to speak very carefully on Trayvon Martin- legality notwithstanding- when it is likely he is just as horrified and outraged as the rest of us about the continuing lack of justice in the case.
Obama hinted at patience- a common refrain from authorities in the wake of the shooting and one that many find frustrating, as it?s not often that civilians can shoot unarmed civilians on suburban streetcorners and remain free while the crime is investigated. But the president did express a degree of sadness over the killing, saying:
?When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids??I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative to investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together ? federal, state and local ? to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.?
Obama continued in a lawyerly fashion:
?I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen? And that means we examine the laws, the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident.?
Lastly, the president had a message for Martin?s grieving mom and dad, saying:
?But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin: If I had a son he?d look like Trayvon. And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are gonna take this with the seriousness it deserves and that we?re going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.?
While it?s tempting to think that President Obama can rush in and swiftly bring down the hammer of justice in the Martin case, realistically, it seems a resolution might be a long time coming. Do you think that progress in the Trayvon Martin case is imminent, or will George Zimmerman continue to not be called to account for his crimes? (Below, a video of Barack Obama?s statement this morning on Trayvon Martin.)
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheInquisitrNews/~3/DGAIgriolHU/
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Both the NSTA journal Science and Children, and the NAEYC journal Young Children, were especially riveting this month, March of 2012. I quickly look through the journals to get a feel for the issue, and then put them in my reading bag or pile, unless I happen to be sitting down to the rare quiet meal by myself?then I begin to read from cover to cover. This month I?ve read them little by little and here are a few thoughts. Please get these journals and read them yourselves, and then comment below to share your thoughts.
In the Early Years column I suggest that a water source such as a birdbath can attract animals close enough to the school to observe, and collect data by drawing. On a walking fieldtrip today just around the playground and school building my preschoolers saw many signs of spring, including flowering paw-paw and Bradford pear trees, forsythia flowers, Cabbage White butterflies, and a starling carrying pine needles from the big tree up to a hole in a pipe to build a nest. Nature is waiting for us just outside the door.
The Bradford pear trees in my community are in full bloom this week?beautiful when in a still picture and on a still afternoon but troublesome in the real world, especially on a windy day or in a heavy snowfall when their limbs are likely to break, or when they spread into a wild natural area. Read about how teachers developed the role-play to engage fifth-grade students in understanding scientific inquiry, ecosystems, diversity, and risks and benefits in Banishing Bradford Pears?by Cynthia Deaton and Michelle Cook. Then think of an environmental problem that is within the control of your younger?students, and role-play on how to effect change. The problems that preschool age children can fix are ones we are familiar with: the sandbox is almost empty because the sand has been carried to other parts of the school yard, a classroom toy is missing parts because they were not put away when last used, the paper towel dispenser has run out because people are using two and three towels when one would be enough, or the plants in the garden are wilted because no one has watered them.
Sobel reports that involvement with local nature experiences is strongly tied to environmental stewardship. The March 2012 issue of Science and Children focuses on ways to get teachers and students outside to have those direct experiences with nature. By supporting children?s development of empathy and their ability to act, as shown in the Young Children article, and providing direct experiences as part of the local nature, teachers can foster children?s love of the environment and stewardship actions appropriate to their age and ability.
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