Ray Harrell in LO14172 makes many salient points, offers much food for
thought, and, as we used to say a decade or two ago, his post was "heavy,
man, heavy."
Ray touches on themes running through the LO list lately, from Maslow to
shared visioning to educational themes. I know that, sometimes, too much
food for thought can make one gag, but it was worth the effort. I won't
try to address all that he said, only one or two small things which I
found deeply moving.
In his position of artistic director, Ray can see both the positive and
negative sides of we "do" (as work) in this society, and how it affects us
all. He can see what currently stands for "education" in this country, and
speaks in eloquent terms about the linkage between that system and the
drive for increased capital, albeit for noble purposes.
He can see, from the perspective of a Native American, what stands for
truth and lies in the context of history. If it is one thing that we can
say with some certainty, it is that one's view of history depends upon
where one is standing. When it is beneficial to see "discovery" as a goal
which has great merit, it becomes much easier to deal with certain
"obstacles" in a manner which would not be acceptable in one's own
country.
The same can be said for the great drive to justify one's actions based
upon a particular worldview (or perhaps one's own educational system)
which provides simple answers in the form of labels or categorizations for
what are considered to be "problem elements", evidence to the contrary
notwithstanding. "They" are to be seen as worth eliminating by "us" and
this WILL happen if we have the power to make it happen.
Whatever the culture, whatever the country, wherever the occurrences, the
only consistent prohibition against such destructive acts is the BELIEF on
the part of those in power that it IS NOT RIGHT TO DO SO. Whether it is
stealing or killing, raping or pillaging, one's mindset and worldview must
allow for such a thing to be possible before it BECOMES possible. In my
understanding of history, ancient and modern, national and international,
simply BEING wealthy, educated, artistic, creative, productive, a good
citizen or even religious has NEVER prevented those same people from being
gassed, burned, starved, tortured, their families destroyed, or their
property stolen by those in "power". So, what is the point?
If the purpose of education is to "lead one out of or be led out of" one
condition into another, then it behooves us all to be certain we are aware
of what the end is, not just the simple fact that education is a public
good, paid for by our tax money. Is it for the learning of the basics? Is
it because "all children under the age of ..." must go to school? Is it to
reinforce the concept of a just society? Is it to become more capable of
learning how to think?
I see in Ray's lamentation the disparity between the theory and the
reality. From being educated as a singer to being unemployed and not
singing. Simply a matter of choice? Simply a matter of winning over
losing, the "losers" being the unemployed singers? Certainly easier to
swallow if one thinks that "they" probably didn't deserve a job since they
couldn't get one. Heavy stuff.
The Cherokee being well-educated in the Southeast states, with members of
the House of Representatives among them, didn't get a break in their
disposession and removal. Nor did the Seminole, the Navajo, nor the
Lakota, nor the Japanese citizens of California when they were "removed"
from their own homes and sent to places like Manzanar (some even to Santa
Fe.)
Being black was good enough for some Muslims in West Africa to make a
profit from selling slaves to the Americas. Their being of nobility or
high standing in their own country didn't seem to make a difference to the
slave master and slave owner. It did not offend the conscience of the
seller to a sufficient degree to make a difference. It was a sale, an
exercise in true capitalism, and it still goes on today with the
educational system being fueled by tax-based formulae which provide more
to the "winner" than to the "loser". So, to the point.
1. We are not clear as to what we mean by education.
2. We are not clear as to what we expect from education.
3. We are not clear as to what it means to be educated.
4. We are not clear as to what "winning" means in the context of
education, nor "losing.
5. We are more inclined to blame the losers resulting from the system
than to blame the system which produced them.
6. We are not prepared to address the tax issues of the educational
system, whereas we are prepared to respond favorably to corporate
interest in locating "here" rather than "there", in the form of tax
credits.
7. We as a society are not dealing with the effect of what was created
by importing slaves into this country under the guise of cheap,
renewable labor.
Finally, unless this country comes to grips with the fundamental aspects
I've mentioned, it will continue to "train" rather than educate, waste
taxes attracting (or stealing) businesses which don't need help, and
produce another generation of the discontented and the maladjusted
recipients of the fruits of this system.
(And to Ray... you are not alone. The Santa Fe Opera reportedly was two
thirds empty on opening night of La Traviata.)
--Regards, John Constantine rainbird@trail.com Rainbird Management Consulting PO Box 23554 Santa Fe, NM 87502 http://www.trail.com/~rainbird "Dealing in Essentials"
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>