You can be either a Democrat or Republican and be completely out of touch with reality. Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested today for trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama. Out-going president George W. Bush is claiming to have preserved the "honor and dignity" of the office of the President. Actually, the honor and dignity of the office was discarded through the dishonest election in 2000. Even Karl Rove has raised concerns about the legitimacy of Bush's election. The lies and manipulations in elections in both 2000 and 2004 makes one wonder if they have any idea of what the terms honor and dignity might actually mean.
Educational sloyd sought as one of its primary objectives, to use craftsmanship as a means through which children might learn honor, and integrity along with a number of other valuable social qualities including a sense of the dignity of labor. Too bad it was abandoned early in the 20th century. We still need that kind of education today.
Between CEOs and their selfishness, and the selfishness of some American politicians, you can see that we are ready for a reexamination of our nation's moral stature. A whole lot can be learned from the hands through the pursuit of craftsmanship. So, let's put it back in schools.
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"The lies and manipulations in elections in both 2000 and 2004 makes one wonder if they have any idea of what the terms honor and dignity might actually mean."
ReplyDeleteTo say nothing of the alleged "falsehoods and deceit" in the 2001 election. . .
Blagojevich is our reality in Illinois. He's not out of touch with a thing.
ReplyDeleteHe's a standard Regular Organization Democrat. Plenty voted for him, including many UUs with few illusions about what he was about.
We accept his behavior as sop.
It is tragic that such behavior would be standard operating procedure. It sounds like he will be in touch with prison before long.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is a shame that expectations of honest service and behavior are so low. You get what you are willing to accept. And I guess in that, what you deserve.
Actually I considered saying pretty much what Bill Baar said in my initial comment but I am glad to see that he dropped by and said it himself. Sadly "lies and manipulations" is par for the course for many if not most politicians these days. Even more sadly, "lies and manipulations" are par for the course for too many U*U religious leaders and UUA administrators these days. . . I am quite prepared to provide examples of such "lies and manipulations" if anyone doubts me.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all point to examples. I also think it is interesting what William James (later post)and others have said about the ways in which craftsmanship can shape character. I have other posts here in the blog about Matti Bergström's concept, "finger blindness" and the loss of basic human values when the hands are left untrained. He would describe both the crooked politicians and the greedy CEOs as being "values damaged".
ReplyDeleteWe have this sorry perception in today's society that moral values originate in religious precepts. The answer from that angle is to put religion in schools. But the truth is that moral values originate in the efforts to create things with beauty and utility in service of others. We dropped hands from general education way back in the early part of the 20th century, and the decline of social values is the result.