Thanks, Debbie. I'm sure I have students and teachers who will love to see
this. Thanks for always being a great resource for all of us.
Jo
Jo Melinson
Middle/High School Librarian & Literary Magazine Adviser
Sacramento Country Day School
https://saccdslibrary.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/saccdslibrary
On Jan 11, 2019, at 11:09 AM, Debbie Abilock <debbie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi BAISL folks,
National Issues Forum has developed a new 6-page issue advisory titled A
House Divided to download for free. The following is excerpted from the
advisory.
What should we do to get the political system that we want? How should we
begin to work together to solve our most urgent problems?
This issue advisory presents three options for deliberation, along with their
drawbacks. Each option offers advantages as well as risks. If we regulate
what people can say online, will we end up silencing voices we need to hear?
Should we push politicians to compromise more often even if it means they
must bend on their principles? Should we focus more power locally, or would
that result in an unmanageable patchwork of conflicting rules governing many
important areas of our lives?
Option One: Reduce dangerous, toxic talk.
The problem is that the way we talk is poisoning public life. The "outrage
industry" rewards people for saying and doing the most extreme things. Public
figures vie for attention on TV and online. Fringe groups feel empowered to
spread their hate and conspiracy theories. The lines between news, opinion,
and entertainment are erased. We don't know whom to believe anymore. And if
people say the "wrong thing," they are attacked because they are not
"politically correct." We need to stop rewarding outrage and bring back
common sense.
Option Two: Make fairer rules for politics and follow them.
The problem is that wealthy, powerful special interests game the political
system, making it impossible to find compromise. The flood of money into
campaigns and lobbying gives too much power to special interests. Political
parties redraw congressional districts to their advantage, which means more
partisanship in Washington. Elected officials leave Congress and join
multimillion dollar lobbying firms, giving their clients access and power not
available to ordinary people. It's time to correct the flaws in our system
that reward such extreme partisanship and to restore the tradition of
compromise that has served this nation well.
Option Three: Take control and make decisions closer to home.
The problem is that our most important decisions are being made too far away
from home. And when national government is embroiled in political infighting,
problems go unsolved. It's time to put decision-making back in the hands of
people who live and work closely together, share goals and values, and can
act quickly. Communities across the nation, frustrated by inaction in
Washington, already are moving to address problems they're familiar with at
the ground level.
<snip>National Issues Forums issue guides are designed to stimulate public
deliberation, which is a way of making decisions together that is different
from discussion or debate. The purpose of deliberative forums is to inform
collective action. As citizens, we have to make decisions together before we
can act together, whether with other citizens or through legislative bodies.
Acting together is essential for addressing problems that can't be solved by
one group of people or one institution. These problems have more than one
cause and therefore have to be met by a number of mutually reinforcing
initiatives with broad public participation. Click here to read more and to
download the issue advisory.
best,
debbie
Debbie Abilock
NoodleTools/NoodleTeach
Smart tools, smart research, smart teaching
Abilock, Debbie. “From a Foot in the Door to Being There: Leadership along a
Professional Development Continuum.” Libraries Unlimited-ABC CLIO, 2017.
Sample SLC Friction column
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