by Barbara Dorff and Lynn Gerlach
Everybody’s a little nervous about money and the cost of living these days, and we know our property tax bill will arrive soon. However, Brown County can’t print our tax bills until Green Bay sets its property tax rate in support of the annual budget. For the first time in recent history, the Council has been unable to agree on a budget – after two meetings and ten hours of deliberation!
Read MoreI remember my mother worrying about going into the “Medicare donut hole.” I recall it had something to do with money, and the donut hole was a bad place to be, but I’ve always found Medicare far more confusing than should be necessary. I dismissed the donut hole as something I’d never have to deal with. After all, I’d never “been on medication” in my life. At age 64, healthy as a horse, a long-time cancer survivor and a recent total hip recipient now walking without pain, I saw Medicare as an annoyance, a necessary evil I’d now have to face. I dutifully researched my health insurance options prior to my sixty-fifth birthday. Lord knows, I never thought about the donut hole.
And then, last week, I woke up in the donut hole.
Read MoreNote: This is the third article in a series on Critical Race Theory. You really, truly should read them in order:
Exactly What is Critical Race Theory (1)
Critical Race Theory as a Political Tool (2)
Critical Race Theory Opens my Eyes (3)
Recently I saw the oddest sign in the front yard of a Green Bay home: “Defund Critical Race Theory.” What on earth?! Who “funds” CRT? What is the point of this sign? I’d never seen it before. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the guy who put it out there (I verified it is a guy), among 6 or 8 scattered signs, has a clue what Critical Race Theory (CRT) is.
Read More[Note: The author assumes you have read “Exactly What is Critical Race Theory?” before you tackle this article. If you haven’t, please do so now and then return. This article assumes a basic, somewhat unbiased understanding of CRT.]
What a ride it’s been! On the first leg of the journey (I was such a neophyte!) I invited you to ride along with me as I sought to understand the very simplest facts about Critical Race Theory. Why? Because so many people are screaming about it, and school board meetings are spinning out of control, teachers are being “monitored,” and books are being banned. And I’ve had the impression that most people don’t have a clue what they’re fussing about. I surely didn’t. So we spent a little time discovering where this all came from and what the basic tenets of this critical theory are. We tackled some sophisticated concepts and vocabulary, and we even considered the significance of the words “critical” and “theory”; we spent a good bit of time considering the emotional baggage attached to the word “race.”
Read MoreI’ve never been on a skateboard or a scooter, and I never want to try. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love skateboarding and all the other amazing activities that sizzle in a skate bowl. I’ve spent probably 15 hours over the past few summers, my little Yorkie (bored silly) at my feet, mesmerized by the activity in Green Bay’s Joannes Park skate bowl. I’ve watched my youngest grandson ride some special kind of bike up and down the curved walls, and I’ve held my breath as my 48-year-old son has sailed down those slopes in homage to a lifetime of skateboarding thrills. But 99% of the time I’m watching kids and young adults I’ve never met doing what they love – and I love to watch them do it.
Read MoreGET RID OF THE GUNS! Seriously, you still haven’t figured that out?
Have you heard this one? “If guns made us safe, we’d be the safest nation on earth.” Ain’t that the truth? We have 4% of the world’s population and 42% of the world’s guns – far more guns than people, and yet thepercentage of Americans owning guns is shrinking. Sixty-nine percent of us don’t even own a gun, but of those who do, 29% of them own five or more guns! What does that mean?
Read More(with contributor Janet Winans, Ph.D.)
The older I get, the dumber I feel. I do remember, though, being told (when I was much younger) that the more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know. I guess that’s how life is. Seriously, my recent research on current issues – Critical Race Theory, gun violence, democracy/autocracy/fascism - has made me feel rather like an ostrich who’s had her head in the sand for decades. For a while, the learning was uplifting and invigorating, but then the strangest thing happened to me: All the pieces of the puzzle started to come together – and the image of our country’s history taking shape sickened me.
Read MoreI am absolutely opposed to gun control. You cannot propose any sort of gun control that I’ll support. I firmly believe in the Second Amendment. No gun control!
You probably think a good portion of the American population will agree with me. Not so fast. Read to the end, and then you’ll realize that not a single American is likely to agree with me – and yet, I haven’t the tiniest doubt that I’m right and you’re all wrong. Let me explain.
Read MoreWhy has Critical Race Theory (CRT) become such an explosive issue lately? I think that question is important to answer. It’s easy to say, “because those idiots believe it,” or “because those fools won’t believe it,” or some other simple explanation that puts the blame squarely on someone else and dismisses the controversy as stupid. But I don’t think it’s stupid. I think this disagreement is a microcosm of the general polarization of our country, and I believe it’s a good place to start the healing.
Read MoreYesterday I attended another one of those amazing classes through the Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. This class was about our national debt, taught by a very smart gentleman named Bob, an economist with a corporate background. I learned a lot, but it made me mad, because I soon discovered I’ve been snookered into helping a major player evade taxes and contribute to our growing national debt.
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