Hal, thank you for writing this. The attack on education is only one of the many attacks on civilized thought that is taking place right now. People who think critically, i.e., who have honed by rigorous instruction and an insistence on wrestling with new and difficult concepts, are truly no longer welcome in Trump's USA. Even so, I keep telling myself that this will change. Or . . . we may be headed for another dark age.
Thanks, Christy. Indeed, only one of many things flying so fast we can't even keep track. I want to be optimistic and say these things are cyclical and will change ... but how much damage will be done first?? A lot, I fear. I'm taking inspiration from Rev. Budde (see my last essay, "Stepping Up.") Let's keep doing what we can.
Hal, there are numerous action steps to take. 1) Stay informed and do not drop out. Read Heather Cox Richardson, join the contrarian, etc. 2) Give money to groups who are bringing lawsuits (ACLU, Democracy defenders, Democracy Forward), 3) march. next big one is April 5, 4) give money to progressive candidates, and fight back in Wisconsin with a contribution to Susan Crawford's campaign to counter Musk's attempt to buy that court seat, 5) talk talk talk to your friends and especially to those who are ignoring the news or only get their news from FOX. Oh, and give to your local college or university.
Thanks for sharing these excellent suggestions! I read HCR every morning and really admire her mission and the clarity of her writing and thinking. Indeed, lots to do ... and not the time to drop out.
Well said! As a (mostly retired) academic I am worried for my colleagues who examine the now ‘prohibited’ topics in their research, writing, teaching, practice, and service. And that means pretty much all of them! The next generation of scholars, if they survive this, may see themselves self-censoring and may have missed important contributions to the field that have been excised to appease the anti-science bigotry of today’s authoritarians.
I, too, wish to see universities and research labs unite together in the NATO-like alliance you suggest. There is power in community.
Thanks Judy! Yes, just think of how much of the research we and our colleagues have done that would now be forbidden. It's chilling to even write those words. Power in community, yes! At the moment, those universities just look like individual sitting ducks. Let's keep talking!
Hal, Another clarion call beautifully done. The administration is killing off any institution/government office that might process data & produce evidence of their destructiveness! All we can do is join local groups organizing mass citizen RESISTANCE. I’ll be going to Detroit. People will show up in D.C. but we need them also in cities across the nation on April 5th! Thanks for writing.
Hal, thank you for writing this. The attack on education is only one of the many attacks on civilized thought that is taking place right now. People who think critically, i.e., who have honed by rigorous instruction and an insistence on wrestling with new and difficult concepts, are truly no longer welcome in Trump's USA. Even so, I keep telling myself that this will change. Or . . . we may be headed for another dark age.
Thanks, Christy. Indeed, only one of many things flying so fast we can't even keep track. I want to be optimistic and say these things are cyclical and will change ... but how much damage will be done first?? A lot, I fear. I'm taking inspiration from Rev. Budde (see my last essay, "Stepping Up.") Let's keep doing what we can.
Hal, there are numerous action steps to take. 1) Stay informed and do not drop out. Read Heather Cox Richardson, join the contrarian, etc. 2) Give money to groups who are bringing lawsuits (ACLU, Democracy defenders, Democracy Forward), 3) march. next big one is April 5, 4) give money to progressive candidates, and fight back in Wisconsin with a contribution to Susan Crawford's campaign to counter Musk's attempt to buy that court seat, 5) talk talk talk to your friends and especially to those who are ignoring the news or only get their news from FOX. Oh, and give to your local college or university.
Thanks for sharing these excellent suggestions! I read HCR every morning and really admire her mission and the clarity of her writing and thinking. Indeed, lots to do ... and not the time to drop out.
Well said! As a (mostly retired) academic I am worried for my colleagues who examine the now ‘prohibited’ topics in their research, writing, teaching, practice, and service. And that means pretty much all of them! The next generation of scholars, if they survive this, may see themselves self-censoring and may have missed important contributions to the field that have been excised to appease the anti-science bigotry of today’s authoritarians.
I, too, wish to see universities and research labs unite together in the NATO-like alliance you suggest. There is power in community.
Thanks Judy! Yes, just think of how much of the research we and our colleagues have done that would now be forbidden. It's chilling to even write those words. Power in community, yes! At the moment, those universities just look like individual sitting ducks. Let's keep talking!
Hal, Another clarion call beautifully done. The administration is killing off any institution/government office that might process data & produce evidence of their destructiveness! All we can do is join local groups organizing mass citizen RESISTANCE. I’ll be going to Detroit. People will show up in D.C. but we need them also in cities across the nation on April 5th! Thanks for writing.
Thanks Kris. I've got my eye on sites in Worcester or Hartford. Let's keep talking!!