A More Perfect Union

Four years from now . . . What will you say if someone asks, "Are you better off?"

I hope we'll be able to say YES.

My last post was on "inspiration"—a challenge to us all to identify something inspiring in the political campaigns. Last night's speech by Bill Clinton certainly was inspiring, wasn't it? (Listen to the whole thing on YouTube or on a dozen different websites by googling "Bill Clinton DNC 2012 speech." It's long but you can fold laundry or wash dishes while you listen—I did both!) I still don't feel that I can list specific presidential campaign promises that inspire me, but that speech convinced me that things are better today than they were 4 years ago and will be even better 4 years from now. I'm eager to hear President Obama's speech tonight.

Back to inspiring promises: maybe it's not even necessary to be inspired by specific promises. When you get excited about your birthday, it's the whole thing that you look forward to; you don't separate out your excitement about the cake and the presents and the music and the friends. When Clinton ended his speech with a nod to our preamble—"a more perfect union"—I thought, "That is something I can look forward to!" Here's a little top-of-my-head poem inspired by that:

A More Perfect Union
by Janet Wong

Hard to say
what would make
a more perfect union

So many layers
to that answer

But
a more perfect onion:
that's easy

Would not make you cry
would not stink things up
would give you strength
would flavor your life

I guess
it's kind of the same way
with a more perfect union
too


Four years from now: a more perfect union! How's that for a goal?

Discussion Question #7: Inspiring

The Voter's Journal at the back of Declaration of Interdependence provides this prompt: Write a list of the most inspiring or sensible ideas you've heard from presidential candidates (official or unofficial) in this election.

Here we are, two months from the election date, and I'm very sad to say that I can't think of a single inspiring idea that I've heard from the mouths of Romney or Obama. But the Democratic National Convention is about to begin—and I'm sure I'll hear at least one inspiring thought there.

It would be inspiring for me to hear that a billion dollars will be poured into schools simply for the purpose of "increasing the joy of learning." Is that going to happen? (I doubt it)

It would be inspiring for me to hear that X million additional acres of land will be set aside for national parks next year. Will that happen? (probably not)

It would be inspiring for me to hear that our federal government will give tax breaks to corporations that  change their regular work week to 4 days x 8 hours/day; I truly believe that the biggest impediment to quality of life for many people is the lack of adequate time to relax. (dream on)

So: what WOULD be a realistic inspirational campaign promise?

Have you heard any?

We the People

"We the People" is one of my own favorite poems in Declaration of Interdependence: Poems for an Election Year because I truly believe in the message, which is: Let kids vote! Here's the poem:

We the People

There's a crazy guy:

Scares kids on our street
kicks old dogs
pours oil down the drain
cusses loud about
e-v-e-r-y-thing
hates "wasting money"
on schools

And he has the right to vote.

Then there's me, just fifteen:

I worry about war
watch the 6 o'clock news
raise money for the poor
plant trees in the park

But where's my vote?

Yesterday
I filled out forms
for Grandma, Mom,
and Aunty Lin
to get their ballots
(absentee)--

And next month,
come election time,
I won't have a vote, no,
I'll have three:

Grandma,
Mom,
Aunty Lin
and me--

We are
We the People.

My mother became a U.S. citizen in the 1970s but she has never voted in an election. When we'd ask her to vote, her answer was always, "No--if I vote, I know I'll get called for jury duty." So I stopped asking. Until last week. We were walking past a voter registration display and, out of impulse, I asked if she wanted to vote in November. Shocking me, she answered, "I would love to . . . but I don't know how." Well, that's easily solved: an absentee ballot. Thank goodness I asked!

Let's get kids asking their grandmothers, great-aunts, and neighbors if they need help voting. Wouldn't it be great if absentee ballot (or advance voting) parties became The Next Big Thing during the first week in November!

Discussion Question #6: Ridiculous

Write a list of the most ridiculous (or scariest or most impractical) ideas you've heard from presidential candidates (official and unofficial).

For instance, Newt Gingrich suggested that poor kids should be offered jobs as school custodians/janitors. One of my friends thinks this is a ridiculous, stupid idea. What do you think?

Buy X, get Y FREE!

I learned recently that there are still some free copies left to give away as part of Richard C. Owen's "buy X, get Y free" deal at RCOwen.com. Buy a copy of my Meet the Author book Before It Wriggles Away, and you'll get a free copy of Declaration of Interdependence sent to you with your order. Take a look here!

Thank you, Fellow Bloggers!

The poetry universe is rich in talented bloggers. I am thrilled that three of the best--Elaine Magliaro (Wild Rose Reader), Julie Larios (The Drift Record), and Sylvia Vardell (Poetry for Children) have embraced Declaration of Interdependence and written wonderful reviews of it. 

Please take a look--and spread these links far and wide! 

http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2012/02/declaration-of-interdependence-poems.html

http://julielarios.blogspot.com/2012/03/poetry-friday-for-new-generation-of.html

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2012/03/patriotic-poetry.html 

Discussion Question #5: Possible Promises

Write a list of 10 possible things that you would want to do if you were president . . . and share one of those wonderful ideas here. Sometimes the line between possible and impossible is blurred--a millimeter (or a minute or a vote) can separate a silly dream from a very real accomplishment. If you're not sure whether your promise would be "possible" or "impossible," list it here--why not dream big?

Update [Oct 2012]: If you think "No Homework" is an impossible presidential promise, think again. French President Francois Hollande just proposed this very thing as part of his redesign of the French education system. If our leaders did this in the U.S., I think a lot of kids (and parents and teachers) would say: "Merci!"