Thoughts on Trayvon

I never write in this blog anymore. I don't have time and I guess I just don't think I have many deep thoughts worth sharing with the world (or with my one reader, my husband). However, the recent events surrounding the murder of Trayvon Martin have really got me thinking and I wanted to write them down and share them. I look at the picture of Trayvon that is on the news and I see a baby. He was just a kid. How could anyone think he was a thug? I don't know Trayvon, I don't know his family. All I know is what has been presented on the news programs that I typically watch (The Today Show and Keith Olbermann). His face just looks so full of promise and even though I don't know him, it saddens me that he is gone from this world. It also angers me that his killer is not in jail. I think that alone speaks volume about the society we live in.

I read an article in Time recently. Unfortunately, I don't remember title of it or who wrote it. It was a one page piece giving advice to young black men on how to conduct themselves in public so they can avoid the fate of Trayvon Martin. It gave advise on how to move in a non-threatening manner, how to react to situations when people may want to harm you and even how to dress. That article got me thinking a lot. I was under the impression that in the America of 2012 we had moved beyond this. I am not completely naive . I know that racism is still alive in America. I just didn't think it was to the point that a whole race of young men had to think about how they are presenting themselves to the public every second of the day. That just makes me sad. It also makes me hope that I have never acted in a way that has made a fellow human being have to act different that they really are because they are black and I am white.

I have so many random thoughts on this. The whole hoodie issue. I wear hoodies all the time on the weekends. They are warm and comfy and I like them. I can't imagine being gunned down because my hoodie was threatening. Then again, I probably never would be because I am white.

My thoughts on the President's comments on the topic, if he had a son that son would look like Trayvon: That probably wasn't the most eloquent statement the president has ever made and a lot of people came down hard on it. I think what he was trying to say is that even though our country has evolved to the point where a black man is president, we are still in a place where a black kid can get shot simply for being black.

My thoughts on the congressman who was kicked off the floor just for wearing a hoodie: That man was just trying to support Trayvon's family and make a statement that you shouldn't judge someone by what they are wearing. I think the fact that he was kicked out for some ridiculous bylaw (wearing a hat?!?) says a lot about how out of touch our elected officials are with the American People.

My thoughts on the slandering of Trayvon's name: I have heard reports that people (and I don't know who these people are) saying that Trayvon did drugs and had recently been caught with drugs at school. I don't know if these allegations are actually true or just an attempt to slander a child. Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the biggest anti-drug people around. I have never done drugs and I expect the people in my world don't do them around me. I believe drugs rob potential from young kids and I pray that my daughter stays away from them when she grows up. Even with my adamant anti-drug stance, I still say who cares? It's not relevant. It doesn't matter if Trayvon was the bigger drug pusher in school or if he had never used drugs. At the time he was murdered, he was not selling or using drugs. All he had on him was a bag of skittles and a bottle of iced tea. Furthermore, even if he were selling or using drugs at the time, he didn't deserve to be shot. If that were the case, that is a job for the police, not some self-appointed neighborhood watch guy with a gun. The attempt to slander a 17 year old boy who was doing nothing but walking through a neighborhood at the time of his death sickens me.

One thing that does make me hopeful in the aftermath of Trayvon's murder is the cries for justice that have been expressed by people of all races and ethnicities throughout this country. Our country has been thrown into rioting and turmoil for lesser crimes than this. People are demanding justice, but they are doing so peacefully. I think the calm but insistent pleas for justice by Trayvon's parents have helped to set the tone for the country and for that they should be commended.

As for the shooter, George Zimmerman. He needs to be arrested and put on trial in front of a jury of his peers. That due process of law is one of the basic tenants that this country was founded upon. What the jury's decision will be is out of our hands but the trial needs to happen. Anything less presents the image to Americans and to the world that it is ok to shoot someone just for walking in your neighborhood. That is not an America I want to live in and I hope I never have to.

I Never Write in My Blog Anymore

Things that have happened since I have last written:

*I got a job with Matthew's Center

*I got pregnant

*I bought a Prius

*We got Willie Dog a sweet old beagle from the pound

*I discovered I hated my job at Matthew's Center

*I lost my job at Matthew's Center

*We had a baby girl! Addison Brooklyn Kenney was born on 4/27/10. She was 5 lbs 15 oz and 17 1/2 inches. She is beautiful! She is almost 6 months old now and so smart!

*Since I didn't have a job anymore I got to experience being a stay at home mom. I am really grateful for the time I got to spend with Addie in the first 6 months of her life.

*We moved back to PA. We live in Lansdale now and love it. We missed PA lots and are so happy to be back, although we do miss our VA friends.

*We had to give away Willie Dog because we couldn't have him in our new apartment. I still miss him terribly and hope he is happy with his new family.

*I just got a new job. On November 1st I start as the Director of the Logan/Olney preschool in Philadelphia. It is a preschool for children with disabilities.

I think that is about it. It has been an interesting year. I will try to write in my blog more but I doubt that it will actually happen since I am now a working mom!

I'm Graduated!

After 4 and a half years in my doctoral program for special education, I finally graduated on Saturday. It was a great weekend filled with friends and family. My parents came from Maine and Bill's family came from Pennsylvania. The only one missing was my brother Jason, but being the he lives in Japan, I think its ok he wasn't there :). It was a beautiful day (it was supposed to rain and ended up being 80 degrees and sunny) and the ceremony was very meaningful. Instead of reading our names and herding us through a line like cattle like most graduation ceremonies, they took the time to read a statement that our advisors wrote about us as we were being hooded. It was really nice. I am still in shock that I am finally done. After 4 and a half years or a doctoral program and 10 1/2 years of college education (undergrad-doctorate, thankfully not consecutively), I don't quite know what to do with myself not being in school. I'm sure I will figure it out soon though. One thing I do know. The doctoral program was one of the toughest challenges I have encountered so if I can do that, I can take on pretty much anything a future job could throw at me. Now if only I could find a job! I want to thank my family and Bill for encouraging me and believing in me. I couldn't have done it without you. I haven't downloaded the pictures on my computer yet so check out the hubby's blog to see them. 

Remembering Catherine

I got the news today that one of my former students, Catherine, passed away yesterday. Catherine was in my class for all four years that I taught and she quickly became my favorite (teachers are not supposed to have favorites but we all do). Catherine was really quiet and reserved when I first met her. A lot of people didn't even realize she could talk but it didn't take long to discover that she could talk up a storm. Every time something crazy happened in our classroom (which was often) Catherine would say "Oh My God". Writing that in a blog doesn't really do it justice because the tone of voice she used when she said it was really funny. Catherine loved cats and every so often, out of nowhere she would just say "meow". I had kept in touch with Catherine's family since I left teaching and just last week Catherine's mother said that they were going to her sister's to watch their cat and she could hear Catherine meowing. I just can't believe she's gone. In my line of work, it is an occupational hazard to have students die before their time. I've had three students from my last class die in the last four years (that is almost half the class from that year- we had 8 students in that class). Each of the deaths were very sad and difficult to take. Catherine was just so alive though. She wasn't sick. She had a disability but she was healthy. Its really a shock. When Tom (the principal of the school I worked at) told me about Catherine he said that when people hear about our job they think we are doing so much for kids but the students we work with give us back so much more. It is true. Catherine gave me so much more than I gave her. When I first started teaching, it was really difficult for me. It was my first "real" job and I had to create all my lessons and materials from scratch. I was so stressed out. When Catherine started coming out of her shell and talking, it made me think that maybe I was a good teacher and maybe I could do this job after all. She gave me the confidence to keep on going. Who knew a little girl with a big voice could shape the direction of my life. I never got to thank her properly for that. So Catherine, thank you so much for making such a difference in my life. I will miss you so much. Every time I hear a "Kitty Cat" meow I will think of you. Above are pictures of Catherine when she graduated last June.

Goodbye PA

In four days I will be moving from Pennsylvania back to Northern Virginia. I have some mixed feelings about this. While I'm happy to be moving near friends again and excited about Bill's first full time job in baseball, I remember how much Bill and I hated that area and how much we wanted to move. Below is my list of things I will miss and wont miss from our great adventure in Pennsylvania:

Things I will miss about PA:

*Our first apartment as husband and wife with the huge living room and kitchen

*Quakertown

*Quakertown Farmer's Market (even though it smells funny, you can't get better quality produce)

*Lee's Hoagie House

*My friends at work

*The comparative (compared to NOVA) lack of traffic

*Hobo's

*Good pizza

Things I absolutely WILL NOT miss about PA:

*Rednecks

*The people who live below us who constantly slam the door and make our whole house shake

*My job

*The extra pounds I've gained from eating all the good food around here. Now that we are moving back to the crappy restaurants in VA, I expect to lose those pounds.

So goodbye PA. Bill and I started our marriage here. I've enjoyed the time we have spent here and maybe will Bill and I will be back again. I'm sure it wont take long before we realize that the reason we moved to PA in the first place is because we hated VA and want to move again. 

Disappointment

That is the only word I can use to describe the whole A Rod steroid scandal. Although I have to say that I'm only somewhat surprised. I am a huge Yankees fan, but I've never really cared for A Rod. I appreciated his talent but did not care for his personality. He is too egotistical and whiney for my taste. I am more of a Derek Jeter girl. Anyway, it doesn't really surprise me that someone with his personality would turn to steroids if his performance was not meeting expectations. I don't give any credit to A Rod for admitting his steroid use either. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the pariah that Roger Clemens has become by denying the obvious and compare that with the forgiveness that Andy Pettite got by admitting steroid use and realize that coming clean is the better option. The worst part about all of this is that A Rod has a good chance of breaking Barry Bonds fake record. I was looking forward to Big Head's record falling but now its going to fall to another cheater. Its really sad that a record that was hard earned by Hank Aaron has to fall to two cheaters.

Our New Baby

This morning Bill and I brought home our baby. This baby is 42" long. We have named him Samsung Kenney. Of course I am talking about our new 42" plasma flat screen HD TV. We got up extra early this morning to wait in line at Kmart for a chance to get the TV for the unheard of price of $700 and we got one! After years of watching TV on a 20" screen, I don't know what to do with myself. I know we will have many years of TV watching with our new baby. :)

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We have 14 people coming to our house! This year, I am thankful that I have a husband that cooks so I can sit around and do nothing...oops, I mean "entertain our guests" this Thanksgiving. Have a great holiday!

YES WE CAN!!!!

I am so proud of this country right now! Electing Barack Obama is the first step towards getting our country out of the mess it has been for the past 8 years. When it was announced that Barack Obama was the president elect, I got teary-eyed because I felt hope for this country. Barack Obama wont be a perfect president. He will make mistakes as all presidents do, but I feel that he is the first president in a long time that is on my side and is working for me and not corporations and lobbiests. I know Obama will do all he can to be not just be a president, but be a great president. I can't wait to see what changes are in store for us over the next four years. GOBAMA!

My Grandfather

I got news that my grandfather passed away this weekend. Most of you who are close to me might not even know that I had a grandfather who is living. I talk a lot about my grandmother but not about my grandfather (they got divorced before I was born). The truth is, I didn't really know grampy that well. I usually just saw him once a year at Christmas time. I never really understood this since he only live two or three miles from my parents. That's just the way it has always been and I've never really questioned it- not out loud, anyway. The last time I saw him was at Christmas time. He talked more on that day than I had ever heard him talk in 32 years. Maybe he knew his time on earth was coming to an end and was making one last attempt to reach out to all of us. This is what I found out that day- Grampy was a World War II Veteran. He got a Purple Heart because he was shot in the leg during the war. He told us about all the places he had been during the war. He and my grandmother got divorced when my mom was in high school. He went on to marry Isabelle. Isabelle was a nice woman who died last November. Mom and her brothers and sisters were with grampy when he died. In the end, he only wanted to be with Isabelle. As he was dying, he reached his hands up in the air, like he was reaching for her. I hope they are together now. Writing this blog is hard because I have always resented my grandfather for not being a part of me and J's life. I never understood why he didn't want to be. I'm sure he had his reasons. I'm sure there is a lot I don't know. I am grateful to him because without him, there would be no me. I just hope he is at peace now.

A Day of Rememberence

I just want to take a moment to remember the people who died in the terrorist attacks seven years ago today and their families. This day is a sad day for our country and thoughts and prayers need to be focused on the families of the dead. Keith Olbermann made an interesting special comment last night about how September 11th has been turned from a day of rememberence to a trademark used to justify certain policies and ideals. I usually think Keith's special comments are a little over the top but the one is right on. It is posted below.

Dissertation Update

This post may seem like a senseless promotion for a pat on the back...and it is. To update everyone, I just sent Chapter Four of my dissertation to my advisor on Sunday. Only one more chapter to go and I'm done. Unfortunately, Chapter 5 is the hardest to write and I'm ready to throw my ibook out the window. So, I need encouragement from you, my loyal readers (all four of you). Any praise you want to throw my way will be accepted and appreciated :)

Happy Anniversary

One year ago today I married my best friend. Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest. If this year is the hardest, than the rest of our lives should go pretty smoothly. We've had a great year together in which we've built a strong partnership. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. Happy Anniversary Baby! I Love You! SGK

Lessons Learned???

Almost exactly three years after Katrina hit New Orleans, the city is again bracing itself for another massive hurricane. Hurricane Gustav is supposed to hit ground on Monday as a category 5- the most powerful hurricane. To put things in perspective, Hurricane Katrina was only a category 3 hurricane. According to the coverage on MSNBC a mandatory evacuation order has been issued. New Orleans will not offer emergency services to anyone who chooses to ignore the order- those people will be on their own. Unlike last time, residents will not be allowed to take shelter in the Superdome. The only options for evacuation are to drive or take a bus north out of the area. According to coverage, most of New Orleans are choosing to leave. It is a good thing that Katrina wasn't so long ago that people have forgotten the devastation.

New Orleans is also offering options for people who might not leave their homes because of their pets. As an animal lover, some of the most heartbreaking scenes from Katrina for me were stranded animals. The stranded people were sad too, but they had a choice to stay or leave, the animals didn't. Anyway, New Orleans is offering an animal registration program. Pet owners can register their animals and leave them in a safe shelter. When they return to the city, they will be able to claim their pets. A lot of people did not evacuate during Katrina because shelters do not allow pets. This option takes away that excuse for people who are considering riding out the storm.

The major question in all the coverage seems to be, Will the levees hold? No one seems to know. We can only hope that they do. One the lighter side of all of this, it is reported that President Bush will be unlikely to be at the Republican Convention on Monday in order to respond to the hurricane. It does take a lot of time and energy to fly over a disaster area. I'm sure he needs that time to prepare for his flight :)

Has the area learned its lesson from Katrina? Only time will tell. My hope is that they have. Even though this post focuses on New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi and Texas are also targeted to be hit by Hurricane Gustav. My thoughts and prayers will be with the people of that region this weekend.

Barack Obama Rocks!

Hi all. As I have said before, I am not a very political person but because it is an election year and the week of the Democratic National Convention, I have become more interested in politics. Living with an amateur political analyst doesn't hurt either. Some background on my political affiliation: I am a registered Democrat currently, but not by choice. Most of my views align with Democratic Party views but I have always registered as an Independent because I like to believe I can think for myself and vote on issues/candidates based on my opinion and not the opinion of a political party (party line voters are the worst form of evil- no matter the party). When I moved to Pennsylvania, I had to register as either a Democrat or a Republican to be eligible to vote in the primary. I chose the party that, in my opinion, was the lesser of two evils at this point in history. That being said, let me tell you why I think Barack Obama rocks! This is the first political convention I have ever paid any attention to because I am so captivated by Barack. He truly inspires me with his ideals and visions for this country. His speech tonight got me a little teary-eyed at points because I felt like he was talking about me and Bill- regular people who are struggling financially but striving to make our lives better for ourselves and any children we may (or may not) have. Regular people who are are racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans (me) and working 60 + hours a week without health insurance (Bill). For the first time I can recall, I feel like there is a politician who is on my side and will work for me and not CEOs and lobbiests. I feel proud of my country tonight for nominating such a great man. Hopefully, we will see him in the White House in January. If not, you can find me hiding under a rock for the next four years, or until McCain kicks the bucket, whatever happens first :)

My Day

Taking a day off from work because you're car broke down and you have no way to get there- 160 Dollars

Having a locksmith open your apartment door (after waiting outside for 1 1/2 hours in 90 degree heat) because you locked yourself out- 132 Dollars

Having Meineke take all day to replace a car battery that was just replaced two years ago- 232 Dollars

Having one of the worst days of your life- priceless.

Just a little taste of what my day was like. Hope everyone had a better one than me.

I'm a Klutz

Me and my brother (see his recent post on Jei's Japan Network) seem to have both inherited the klutz gene from our dad (sorry dad). Earlier this week my brother hurt his knee dancing at a party. Today I strained my back falling down our stairs. While my brother hurt himself partying it up and having a good time, I wasn't so lucky. I hurt myself rushing to get to work. At the top of our set of 20 steps that leads to our front door one of my heels got caught in the carpet and I fell forward. I tried to catch myself on the railing but both my hands were full and I missed and fell all the way to the bottom. Along with a severe case of rug burn, I also had really bad back pain when I landed at the bottom of the stairs. Fortunately, we only live 6 blocks from the hospital so I was able to drive myself there (Bill was already at work). I am happy to report that I have no broken bones, just broken pride. I strained my back so I will be laying around living on pain killers and muscle relaxants the next couple of days but should be back on my feet (and my high heel sandals) soon. My ER nurse told my I need to put my heels in retirement but when you're only 4' 11" you need all the help you can get!

Last Trip to Yankee Stadium

This week Bill, Mary, Jimmy, and I went to Yankee Stadium for the last time. It was a very bittersweet trip for me. I have a lot of memories in that old stadium and I'm not ready for it to be torn down. When me and J were kids, we went to Yankees games with our parents and Aunt Ricki and Uncle Pat. My Uncle Pat was the lone Red Sox fan in a family full of Yankees fans so we had a lot of fun teasing him. I remember being in awe of the stadium. I thought it was the greatest place on earth. Until I met Bill, Yankee Stadium was the only stadium I had ever been to. Nineteen stadiums later, Yankee Stadium is still my favorite. It may not have the bells and whistles that the newer stadiums have, but it has a history that most other franchises can't compete with. Every time I tell Bill that I don't want to stadium to close, Bill reminds me that Yankee stadium hasn't been the original stadium since they renovated it in the 70s. That is true, but the stadium they are tearing down is my Yankee Stadium. It is the stadium where I saw my first live ballgame, the stadium where me and my family have fun memories, and the stadium where Bill and I sat in the dugout as part of the tour. There are too many memories of that stadium for me to list here. The new stadium looks beautiful and I hope to make new memories there, but for me it will never be the same.

Remembering Gregory

I just got some sad news. Gregory, one of my former students, passed away yesterday. I had Gregory in my class for two years and he was a very special guy. He loved to laugh and joke around with me and my other students. One of the clearest memories I have of Gregory is one day when I was transferring him from his wheelchair to a bean bag chair (one of his favorite places to be) and he bit me. I had some aggressive students that year but Gregory was not one of them. Gregory had been in pain from a condition he had that year and when he hurt, he clenched his teeth. It just happened that when the pain hit and he clenched his teeth on this day, my arm was there. I was so surprised, I yelled out. When I got Gregory into the bean bag chair, the look of remorse on his face was plain to see. Gregory couldn't tell me he was sorry, but the look on his face made it clear that he was sorry. Gregory was like that. What he couldn't communicate in words, he communicated in smiles and facial expressions. Gregory made it clear whether he liked a person he was with by his facial expressions. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones that he liked. I will miss Gregory a lot and I hope that he is now at peace. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I've lost a student. In my line of work, it happens frequently. I just hope I made a difference with Gregory while he was still here.

Happy Birthday Baby (and Happy Birthday to me too)

Today is me and Bill's Birthday. One of the many odd coincidences we discovered when we started dating is that we share a birthday (although Bill is, and will always be, two years older). Today was also my grandfather's birthday. I never met my grandfather but he has always been a part of me so I would like to wish him a happy birthday in heaven as well. So Happy Birthday Baby! I hope we have many more happy birthdays together. A picture of us on our birthday last year is above.