Sunday, June 21, 2020

All Lives Don't Matter......


All lives don't matter to a great deal of those folks who claim they do. This pithy T-Shirt (above) ran out of room evidently. All lives clearly don't matter to the All Lives Matter crew. Not at all. Perhaps it is the word "lives" that stumps them. Lives as in life or death. Certainly not as in quality of life. Here they have made themselves very clear - people don't deserve the same quality of life, basic human rights, or privileges. So much so, that the very word "privilege" ignites them. They follow leaders who encouraged them to buy Krugerrands in the 80's at the height of apartheid; they elect politicians who would deny people simple, consistent rights in the workplace; they sue for the right to discriminate freely against the LGBTQ community or to control others reproductive rights; and they pine for the time (MAGA) when they didn't have to work so hard to hate.
You really have to do some soul-searching if you cannot disaggregate these issues. If someone challenges you with a proposition, you should entertain it, debate it, support it, and/or deny it. Once you have done that, move on to your issue. One of the most common logical fallacies is Ignoratio Elechi - whereby one provides a counter statement that does not prove the original statement false. Saying all lives matter does not refute the fact that black matters do - it is a slight of hand that diminishes the uniqueness of an individual or group in favor of a larger collective. Something a card-carrying Bolshevik would be proud of. The real malice of the retort, though, is the visceral pleasure one takes denying the original assertion without actually denying it. Like most cowardly tools, it slithers back into a coarse man's "plausible deniability." I mean it must really suck to be a racist and not be able to shout if from the rooftops (MAGA).
Imagine a mind that prioritizes guns, beer, that Confederate rag, and statues of treasonous villains over seemingly hundreds of core human values ostensibly available to them (e.g. love, charity, compassion, empathy, altruism, humanism (a word under-educated zealots confuse for hedonism), respect, tolerance, joy, justice, hope, service to others, courage, dignity, humility, sacrifice, honesty, loyalty, responsibility, etc.). Now they do dabble in perverted versions of these constructs from time to time, but you seldom see these decent human gestures on their signs or T-Shirts - or hear them from their contorted, malevolent lips. Instead they often embrace contrary explications that make them feel bold, strong, and perhaps, momentarily relevant.
So yeah, if you cannot say "Black lives matter", then you are lying when you say that all lives matter. It's kinda the hateful right's version of participation trophies.

A few words about the rebuttal, "Blue lives matter" - If blue lives matter more than black lives, get rid of that "protect and serve" nonsense.

Friday, June 12, 2020

A Bench For Betty

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us - and several folks in Learning Enrichment and College Readiness have experienced far more than their fair share of heart ache. A little over three weeks ago, Betty, one of our departmental secretaries, lost her son Frankie Jr. unexpectedly. The family's loss was unimaginable, and faculty and staff in our department were at a loss as how to console or support Betty's family. Our physical separation heightened our sense of helplessness, as so many families have experienced these past several months. We decided, as a department, that we would like to give Betty and her family something as a tribute to her son that was also related to her love of gardening. Larry, a good friend in shipping and receiving, had already made Betty two beautiful bird houses. We decided to make Betty a garden bench and planter. Carmela found a few examples online and she, Hortencia, and Meg settled on the one we ended up building. More than 40 people in the department contributed towards the construction of the bench. For me, this was especially amazing as these folks are always helping each other and they contribute to our philanthropic projects in Jordan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
We chose cedar posts for the planter/bench, as they are weather and rot resistant. Patrick and I spent nine hours building it at Hazem's shop. It was a lot of work and Patrick was a trooper - the sanding alone was a major undertaking. When we finished, Nina got us a beautiful plaque to put on the bench, and Carmela ordered a stone with a touching quote. We wanted to surprise Betty, so we had our best undercover operatives, Hortencia and Meg on the case. Carmela and John H. worked with staff and faculty, and Hortencia coordinated with Betty's husband, Frank Sr. Finally, Meg arranged to go over to Betty's for lunch on the Friday afternoon that we all decided to deliver the bench. Meg kept Betty busy in the back yard while nearly 20 of us showed up for the presentation.
This was truly a team effort. Many folks contributed, some lent tools, Kipp bought potting soil, and Yoanda, Chris, and Barb bought flowers for the planter. Hazem and Kennedy helped load the 400+ pound bench in the truck, and Frank, Kipp, Jeff, and Patrick helped unload it. It was a wonderful culmination of a lot of love from a lot of people.
After we had all assembled at Betty's house, Meg brought her out to the front yard. To say Betty was overwhelmed would be an understatement! I won't detail the next ten minutes because I am not articulate enough to capture the emotions and good will that followed. After Betty composed herself, we all adjourned to her back yard for lemonade and some catching up. After 45 minutes or so, we  dispersed saddened but also feeling blessed that we could participate in a small gesture that would help ease a little pain, even if just temporarily. Here are a few pictures:



17 4x4 cedar posts


We used 4 inch screws and dowel rods to connect the posts


And a whole lot of exterior grade glue


Patrick faded for a bit, but came back strong


90% done at this stage - getting it up on these tables was a feat


It's new home - at least until Betty decides where she would like it to be












Larry gave the center birdhouse to Betty and made her a second one. He gave us the other two for our fundraising for Zena and Jaina's tuition in Jordan



Betty and Frank Sr.


The three amigas - Betty, Carmela, and Hortencia


Enjoying a beautiful afternoon in the back yard


Pre-departure 


The crew: John H., Patrick, Hortencia, Christian, Meg, Carmela, Yolanda, Jeff, Nina, Kipp, (Betty and Frank Sr.) Lauren, Rita, Aaron, Mandy, Jenny, and David


As sad as these types of circumstances can be, I am so proud I work with a wonderful group of people who care about each other deeply, not only in times of great sorrow, but throughout the year. 

Our hearts go out to Chris R's and Jason K's families as well. 



Monday, July 15, 2019

Back Home

The two weeks flew by! Jeff and Carmela took a southern trip and I stayed behind to finish the English sessions and to visit the Jordan University of Science and Technology (J.U.S.T.). It was a busy last few days - Nina's sister, Samia, and some of her family stopped by to say hello, and I met Bader, one of Zain's brothers who will come to school in Chicago soon. We had a wonderful dinner at the Sweet Corner with Alaa, Captain Duaa, Lama, Rawan, Jocelyn, and Suad. It was a nice, low-key way to say goodbye. I will end here with pictures and a few captions, but I will have a longer post soon summarizing the trip :)


A princess showed up to bid us farewell


Almasa and Lean giving us some lovely presents :)





I left my military watch with Captain Duaa so she keeps a firm hand on the troops in my absence



The fist bump was the obligatory greeting and goodbye


Nina's sister Samia and family



Rana, Lana's sister escorted me out to J.U.S.T. for a wonderful visit


Mudheera Sughera 2


Fufu, Drs. Bataineh and Alzoubi at the International Relations Office


Selfi!


A big, sprawling, beautiful campus


Having tea with Bader



Back at the sweet corner with the gang


Our 5:30am taxi ditched us. A kind man brought Carmela a chair as we awaited rescue.


Our rescue vehicle was quite a bit smaller than we hoped, but we manged :)


Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Dragging a Bit

Today was a good day, but I think we were all dragging - at least those of us not journeying off to one of the new wonders of the ancient world.............
Carmela and Jeff are off to Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqabah for a whirlwind trip. After yesterday's emotional goodbyes for them and our wonderful, late dinner, I think the staff and I were a bit worn out. It was still a great day though. The kids were treated to an elaborate breakfast, I worked on basketball with the older kids, and Dr. Rifai from Yarmouk University stopped by for a nice visit. He is the father of one of our former student assistants, Zain, who is now off to be a dentist at UIC. As I am roommateless tonight, I think I am going back for some Yemeni foule :) After a nap mumkin



He put a move on me




Not in my house


Lilas going for the dunk. Captain Duaa and Anwar are great coaches





Yum




*Postscript
I meandered down to the Yemeni restaurant and had a wonderful meal. While there, I bumped into Zain, a young man who works in a shop we frequent :)