It’s a spectrum of color that makes light possible. Each color operates at its own wavelength to illuminate a dark space, the face of the moon or the road ahead. Once a week, Politicolor contributors will answer two simple questions to share the objects of their own mental wavelengths that inform their work as teachers, citizens and thinkers.
Take a look at what we rounded up this week and share your own responses by leaving a comment. If you’d like to contribute to the initial post on a regular basis, mention that in a comment and I’ll let you know how to join the effort.
What didn’t you know last week?
Japan now has one vending machine for every 23 people and there are more cell phones than toilets in India. (Shellee/Stepwinder)
Nazi Otto “Scarface” Skorzeny’s role in training global terrorists. (Keith/Hobbes21)
That we don’t know what’s in corexit. It is a proprietary formula. Also, corexit is banned in Great Britain. Heard a piece on Democracy Now on public radio yesterday about this. They were interviewing a reporter from ProPublica about the spill. Read the ProPublica article here. (Shayne/conteach)
What are you reading?
M.I.A.’s Agitprop Pop in the New York Times. I believe there’s an inexorable link between our political selves and our music. In this article M.I.A. answers accusations of being a terrorist sympathizer and an outsider who doesn’t understand the politics of Sri Lanka where she grew up. (Shellee/Stepwinder)
Lois Lowery’s Number the Stars; Ralph Ketchum’s James Madison: A Biography; watching this video, Bring on the Learning Revolution, a few times. (Keith/Hobbes21)
Ta-Nehisi Coats who blogs for the Atlantic. I really loved his stuff on the Civil War that he was posting last month (April, though it extended into May) – here’s a sample post. But the recent stuff on Rand Paul and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has been great. The comments can be great too. (Shayne/conteach)
Regarding the Coats post, most definitely KEEP the statue, adding the excerpt. (Much like the Constitution keeps the 18th Amendment, etc.) Statues and landmarks are such powerful symbols, drawing in those who might otherwise have no interest in history. Imagine someone stopping and reading the quote and just being jaw-smacked (hopefully).
I took two of my boys out to Badlands National Park a few years ago. Speaking with a young naturalist after a program on Wounded Knee, I found out that he was from South Dakota and they didn’t even learn about the massacre (or subsequent political actions in the 60s) in school. With an unwillingness to face the past, how can we truly move forward?