“Ball of confusion … that’s what the world is today.” — concisely stated by The Temptations
Welcome to the first day of March, which is the 60th day of the year — meaning there are a mere 305 days remaining in 2023. March, named for the Roman god of war, is also the month when most of us think spring. It has always been a month of change, contradictions, and conundrums for me, but then so much of life seems that way any more. The saying if March comes in like a lion, it will exit as a lamb is an example of those opposites.
Positive aspects of March include March Madness basketball; Women’s History Month, as designated in 1987; and, since 1914, March 8 is International Women’s Day. The spring equinox is March 20. There is also March 12, where we “spring forward” setting the clocks one hour ahead; March 15, which is the Ides of March (let’s hear it for The Bard); St. Patrick’s Day; the start of Ramadan; and lest we forget, March 16 is Absolutely Incredible Kid Day. One of my favorites is actually today, Zero Discrimination Day, established in 2014.
A person would not be remiss to question why we need a “zero discrimination day” designated. Wouldn’t it be logical to assume that every single day would be such a day? I guess I consider that same point about the necessity of International Women’s Day. Are we to believe that there is no need for an International Men’s Day? (Or perhaps that would be the other 364 days of any given year.) But that takes me to the aforementioned changes, opposites, and conundrums I am battling this particular March.
Let’s begin. Indiana legislators passed HB 1177, which will arm teachers in K-12 classrooms. While participation is voluntary and paid for through state funds, the fact remains that if the bill is passed by the Indiana Senate, armed teachers could be in our classrooms. Now what comes to my mind initially is: What kind of sense does this make? Where will said weapon be carried or stored? Will it be loaded at all times? Who is responsible for any unintended casualties? What if an armed teacher or other school personnel draws, fires, and hits the “wrong” person? A pathetic point of irony, this legislation passed on Feb. 14, which is, to the day, five years from when a shooter killed 17 students in South Florida. Now some advocate that if the teachers there had been armed, the outcome would have been different. Maybe. Adding another 54 guns to the equation would undoubtedly change the results, but perhaps not all in a positive way. I’m just asking us to think about that.
Missouri passed legislation that makes it legal for any child 18 and under to carry a firearm in public without adult supervision. The argument for those in favor was again 2nd Amendment concerns. Those in opposition questioned what could be acceptable reasoning for an 8-year-old to have a loaded weapon at any time — especially in light of the 6-year-old who shot his teacher just days before. The response to this inquiry was that “we cannot prohibit the 2nd Amendment only because of what ‘might’ happen.” We have already seen this movie and witnessed over and over what “might” happen. When will we say “enough” and then freaking do something?
Perhaps in honor of women everywhere, Virginia’s governor vetoed legislation that would shield women’s menstrual information from search warrants and any “governmental tracking.” Once again I am left to ponder exactly what situation would require menstruation information? How would it be “tracked” and by whom? For a whole slew of people who want “less government interfering in their lives,” this would appear to be a huge contradiction. Maybe I am missing something here. I will think about it.
And then we have a member of the U.S. House of Representative advocating for a “national divorce” between “red and blue states.” I have so many questions about this one that I can barely form a coherent response. A paramount concern is what would the logistics of this kind of “divorce” even look like. Can you imagine anything that would further foster more separation and conflict in our nation? This person also stated that she thinks that those who move to another state (from red to blue or vice versa), not be allowed to vote “for say up to 5 years.” Now that would definitely affect voting rights that are fundamental to the very tenets of democracy. Does a national divorce make sense to anyone? Is it even Constitutionally feasible? Think about that.
Among the most troubling issues confounding me on this March 1 is the “national hoax in schools.” Schools across the country are dealing with multiple phone threats from unidentified sources that there will be gun violence in their schools that day. While many of the threats have not been deemed credible, schools in several states have initiated lockdowns in conjunction with local law enforcement and the FBI to deal with this ongoing pattern of what is referred to as “swatting.” “Swatting” is a hoax call to 911 falsely reporting an emergency such an active shooting or bomb threat. This is not a small problem as there has been a 600 percent increase in such calls in the last four years. Look it up, and think about it.
Here’s the thing: These concerns are clearly not relegated to only March. What we have here are conundrums we confront year around. I didn’t even get to the elimination of AP courses, CRT debates, the possible politicization of school boards, prayer being removed from schools (anyone anywhere can pray any time — no one can remove prayer from another’s head), book banning, pronoun usage, conspiracy theories, LGBTQ, Ukraine, immigration, environment, inflation, humanitarian crisis in Yemen, racism … well, the list seems endless primarily because it is. We have much to do, much to understand. Best we get to it then and stop with the petty divisiveness that gets us no closer to any worthwhile solutions.
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Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of articles written by a group of retired and current teachers — Ken Ballinger, Billy Kreigh, and Anna Spalding. Their intent is to spur discussions at the dinner table and elsewhere. You may also voice your thoughts and reactions via The News-Banner’s letters to editor.
