Les Miserables, part deux

One of my favorite stories is that of Valjean, Javert, and the Bishop Myriel from Les Miserables. When I describe it to my students, I like to simply say that it is a story about the interpretation of "doing the right thing". (of course, the musical Wicked is also a great backdrop for the same theme).

• The Bishop is "good" because he is forgiving, generous, accepting - almost too much so.
• Javert is "good" because he enforces society's rules; innocent or guilty with no in-between.
• Valjean is "good" because he responds to the needs of others, often casting aside the laws or norms of society.

Most of us accept that we cannot be good like the Bishop. We'd like to believe that we're more like Valjean - a champion for those who cannot rise up themselves. But honestly, we mostly behave as Javert... conforming and judging, trusting in the government structures and other protectors of status quo.

After watching Spike Lee's docu-drama on HBO, WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS, I'm again reminded of this pattern of docile obedience supplanting irritating activism. Years from now, history will be taught in classrooms that revises the devastation of Katrina, not as a natural disaster, but as a failure of government to serve its people. But, the history lesson will not stop there, instead it will continue on to point out how the rest of us stood by and watched it happen - satisfied that enough had changed, when in fact, nothing really has. Where is the outrage, the irritating activism that pushes us forward?

In Pennsylvania the lawmakers gave themselves a raise. The result was a tremendous burst of irritating activism that drove the electorate to vote for change. Most analysts will say that the results of the election following these events, were shaped by this force of change - out with the old, in with the new... and by the way, we're watching you!

AND YET, it seems as if two years after Katrina, little has changed for the better - especially at the federal level.


Javert, upon realizing that all of his years of judging and conforming had left him on the wrong side of being right, takes his life, having "fallen from grace". Let us work now to see the wisdom and power of irritating activism - before its too late.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/whentheleveesbroke/
http://www.teachingthelevees.org/

The Power of One

Science as a priority in 2007-2008

Habit. Difficult to change.

Science is change. There is little that does not change when examined by a scientific eye. Our future depends upon change and therefore upon science. We cannot continue to use and abuse the natural world the way we have -- and expect to live free of consequence. Habits will not change, but science can help reduce the negative consequences those habits have on nature.

To do so, we need to make science a priority in 2007-2008. We can no longer coast upon the investments made in the 1960's, post-Sputnik era. A new generation of problems face this nation and it is time for a new generation of science-minded leaders to promote the change needed to solve those problems. We need to invest. We need to support. We need to understand natural law.

Make this the year that begins the change. We cannot afford to wait any longer.