The Conversation

What If… We treated problems holistically instead of individually?               One of the things I realized early on in my adult education was the relationship between seemingly disparate ideas. My bachelor’s degree focused on the relationship between biological equilibrium, environmental factors, and the mental reaction of individuals. From the beginning, I knew that it was folly to think that any of these categories could be studied in a vacuum. It did not take long for me to realize that it was not only in my own specialty that this was true, but in many other aspects of life. Yet, the compartmentalized view of the world is how the general populace perceives its environment, and social problems in particular.               As an educator, I found myself unable to teach only the subject with which I was tasked. I found the need for students to be able to express themselves in written and verbal form necessary to master the scientific concepts I was mandated to teach. I

The What If… Series               What if we focused on how to truly solve problems, instead of putting band-aids on bullet wounds? What if we restarted discourse so that we focused on how to help each other, instead of complaining about how we are not as happy as we could be? What if we spent more time talking about the good we can do, instead of the evils done by others? These and other fundamental questions will drive my new What If… series of blog posts.               The inspiration for the series comes from my experience as a classroom teacher. I am a fan of discourse and questions in the classroom, and encourage them from my students. Often, I will hear a “What if” question from my students, usually presented as a source of distraction. My answer to this is often, “Your guess is as good as mine. Think about it and let me know what you come up with.” While the students often ask for my opinion on the question, I encourage them to look at facts and observations to come u

              I recently took a trip down an emotional rabbit hole. Between a book I finished, the next one I started, and a new binge-worthy TV series, I came in contact with the three categories of evil that exist in the world. I was overwhelmed by it. Part of me is still. There is too much of it, and it seems the people fighting it are losing the war over the heart of humanity. However, the first step in solving a problem is understanding what it is.               I finished reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This is a book that is profoundly sad, and a book everyone should read. I had considered myself sympathetic to the plight of Black Americans, but I had no idea how much one racist act, unconscious though it may have been, reverberates throughout the community. This book does an excellent job of illustrating the evil in the world that exists through decades of historic racism and the institutions it created. This evil cannot be combated effectively until the infrastr

              “To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is as assumption of infallibility.” - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty               The nineteenth century philosopher, quoted above, discussed the nature of freedom of speech and its impact on society, among other things. One idea that I have wrestled with is the polarizing opinions that seem to dominate discussion. This problem manifests itself on the freedom and censorship of speech on the internet. This conundrum has led to the digital powers that be to censor those whose opinions seem detrimental to society. I will admit that I agree with their opinion, but as I learn more about the nature of liberty, I know that this action is not moral.               Even though I believe that everyone should be able to express their opinion, I do not want those opinions that incite violence or hateful a