You want to know how much of the Kavanaugh-Ford confrontation I watched? None of it. Not even a video news summary or story afterward. Sure, I read about it, but I was not going to buy in to a spectacle that was more thermal heat than pinprick of light from a distant star. And I… Continue reading How Do You Say Justice? Just Us.
Author: Robert I. Grundfest
I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.
Men Will Be Boys
And boys, you know, can be clueless about some things, like sexual harassment and thinking that they can do anything to a girl or woman if they feel like doing it. They also sometimes have trouble understanding just how offensive they are by dismissing a woman’s claim that she’s been the victim of any kind… Continue reading Men Will Be Boys
The Storm Before the Storm
For a man who demands loyalty, the steady drip of betrayals and plea bargains have to be driving the president wacky. And by the tone of his recent tweets, I’d say that I’m not saying anything new. But loyalty is as loyalty does, and President Trump has repeatedly shown that he is not terribly loyal,… Continue reading The Storm Before the Storm
Teachers Need Some R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Most of the nation’s schools are now open and running, but what of education? Here in New Jersey and in much of the New York suburbs, the opening week was an exercise in damage control. Most school districts, including mine, that do not have air-conditioning suffered through a terrible four days that saw students and… Continue reading Teachers Need Some R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The Back-To-School Special: What You Know Beats How You Feel. Every Time.
My school district thought that it would just a fabulous idea to have the faculty report at the end of August, and not wait until September as they had for, say, the past 110 years. And to try and mollify us, in addition to giving us something to think about, they contracted with Dr. Robert Brooks and had… Continue reading The Back-To-School Special: What You Know Beats How You Feel. Every Time.
The Silly Season Gets Ominous
Gee. It turns out that the president actually lied. Not that this is a total surprise given his history of being a liar, telling untruths, exaggerating facts, creating alternative facts, being 100% wrong, saying one thing and contradicting another, making stuff up, fibbing, retweeting fake news stories, lying to his wife, and getting his American… Continue reading The Silly Season Gets Ominous
What Party? Some Democrats Aren’t Helping the Cause
Remember when the two worst words you could post on your Facebook feed was when a group of friends were talking about a party that you weren’t invited to and you plaintively asked, “What party?” I’m starting to feel that way about my party, the Democrats. I’m a registered Democrat and have been since I… Continue reading What Party? Some Democrats Aren’t Helping the Cause
I Know! Let’s Allow Businesses to Take Advantage of Consumers!
What a fun game this is. The country elects Republicans who oppose government involvement in our lives, except for our private parts, favors businesses over people, and makes it easier for businesses to take advantage of us when we try to fight back. The game then continues when we elect Democrats to fix all of… Continue reading I Know! Let’s Allow Businesses to Take Advantage of Consumers!
What A Great Idea! Let’s Pollute More!
I agree that any talk of restoring this country’s greatness must include a return to the smoke-belching, less-regulated, gas-guzzling, backroom-deal-making era that characterized the United States during its hegemonic, paternalistic, condescending, arrogant post-World War II to 1991 past. If I’ve argued anything in my life, it’s that smog and respiratory distress are about as American… Continue reading What A Great Idea! Let’s Pollute More!
Think the Supreme Court is Non-Political? Think Again.
I just spent a week doing what all teachers should have the option of doing in the summer if they didn’t need a second job to make ends meet. I attended a seminar on a content topic that was both fascinating, useful, and timely. It was sponsored by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History and… Continue reading Think the Supreme Court is Non-Political? Think Again.
You Want Change? Eyes Forward
I’m sure you’ve heard about the latest outrage. Of course you have. It was about foreign affairs or the economy or immigration or something that will make the country weak or less democratic or dirtier or something. You reacted to it on social media. Maybe you organized something or gave money to someone or just… Continue reading You Want Change? Eyes Forward
The Issues That Will Win the Day
Have you noticed that Congress hasn’t passed any laws lately? Yes, I know they’ve probably snuck in some measures having to do with the awfulness of the government being able to help poor people or possibly allowing people to cite religious beliefs as a way to discriminate, but other than that, nothing. I’ve already written… Continue reading The Issues That Will Win the Day