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The School Board.

1/30/2012

Last year I asked the School Board to make some changes. ( See -"Letter to School Board December 2010 over there on the left bar) I thought it was a great letter with good points and that common sense would prevail and that a rainbow would appear in a wooded glenn and a happy white unicorn would frolic about and all would be well.

Yeah...
That did not happen.

They pondered it for a month and said if the Armed Forces recruiters bothered me - then I should tell my kid to not go near them.

Sigh.

Every school day since the first of the year - I carry my sign and walk up and down the sidewalk and smile and wave to everyone.
I have composed another proposal to the School Board and hope they reconsider it once again.
I have been told that my sign and I are making an impact.
Stay tuned.

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Week Three of my Protest.

1/25/2012

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I read that a person must see a sign or advertisement at least 7 times before it sinks into their brain.
I have a lovely professionally made sign for my protest and it has taken 3 weeks for one person to walk up and talk to me.
Now, of course, that person totally disagrees with me.
She said I was being disrespectful of all the soldiers who died so I could carry that sign mocking them.

I told her that I believed that the Constitution gave me the right to carry that sign.
She insisted that I was not a good citizen.
I told her that I consider myself quite a good patriot.
She was upset and yelled at me.

It would be a very boring planet if everyone was the same.

My job is not to change her mind.
Did not try.

I was just nice and polite.

Which is my basic nature.

I told her that this school does not have a recruiter policy and that I was trying to get the school to create a policy so that all recruiters would be allowed to visit the school twice a year and no more. That would apply to colleges - prospective employers and each branch of the Armed Forces.

She came back today after doing much internet research with a list of colleges and wanted to know if I wanted them to come to this small rural district to solicit students.
Then she prattled off a list of colleges that she found were really just cults. University of Phoenix is Islamic. Berkeley was on the list- they are run by Scientologists, you know. She mentioned others run by other cults.
Mormons
Jews
Seventh Day Adventists
You can see where this is going.

She wanted me to educate myself on the evil dangers of inviting any old college to this school.
Them internets tubes reach everywhere.

And if you read it, it must be true.

Read this then.

I will effect change in this school district and help create a safe and equitable recruiter policy for these and future students.

2 Comments

Two weeks.

1/16/2012

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I have been carrying my sign up and down the sidewalk in front of my kid's school each morning for two weeks.

It has been a very interesting experience.

The first 2 days, I just stood in one place holding my sign.

Then I decided that that was just not fun and too awkward.

I now walk up and down the sidewalk and wave and smile to everyone.

I have met some nice people who walk their kids to school.

I met a young man who walks down to the market in the morning and he is amazing. He stopped and asked if he could get me anything at the market. What a kind offer! The next day he brought me a donut. How nice was that?

Lots of people drive their kids to school here - so there is a lot of waving and smiling (on my part) going on.

Drivers learned quickly, that I will smile and wave if I make eye contact. So many do not look at me anymore. Some wave and smile right back. A few give me a "thumb's up."

There are some students who walk by and smirk and I give them a big "Good Morning!" and they are obligated to return the greeting.

I just enjoy the fresh air and I hum "Alice's Restaurant" (you CAN get anything you want!) or Pete Seeger's "What Did You Learn In School Today" to myself and enjoy the view of the hills beyond the school.

The superintendent sent someone out of the district office with coffee for me. What a nice gesture.

I am getting the hang of this.
More later....

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One Person.

1/6/2012

10 Comments

Me holding my sign on the public sidewalk in front of the public school.

Can one person make a difference?

Yes.

Yes, I truly believe that.

I would have never imagined that the "One Person" would be me.

I have a child.

I never anticipated the things you do as a parent for your kid that can take you so far out of your comfort zone.

It is what a parent does.

If I am not an example for my kid - who would replace me as that example?

My son is now 14 years old.

He does not understand why I am doing what I am doing.

That is the difference between a child and an adult.

My hope is that as he grows up that he will learn to not fear to be different and to not doubt what he feels in his heart to be right and to be kind and
considerate to others in his efforts to simply be himself.
I want him to know that he can also be the "One Person" if need be.

So.....
Here I am on the sidewalk each morning waving and smiling to anyone who makes eye contact with me and even to those who do not.

One person.

Yep.

That's me.

10 Comments

Signs of the times.

1/3/2012

1 Comment

My signs that I had made:

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The School Board.

Week Three of my Protest.

Two weeks.

One Person.

Signs of the times.

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