Who was your government teacher?

The first decade of the 21st century has been one of the most interesting and oftentimes the mindboggling. This decade began with a denial of the many citizens in Florida their constitutional right to vote and have that vote counted. This was sanction by the Supreme Court of the United States, cumulating in the election of a President who describe himself as a born again Christian. Many Americans were expecting a change in our morality. By the conclusion of President Bush’s second term, our society exhibited behavior that was less Christian and moved towards a more self-indulgence society. It interesting to note that since the Johnson Presidency, we have moved from the “Great Society” through these more troublesome battle cries: “The silence majority”, “the moral majority” and of course the famous “contract with America.” The result, since 1964, is a society that is less accepting of those of who have a different views or different life styles. We have become the antitheist of those noble ideas of Christianity, Islam or Judaism. Our children have witness up close and personal the negative results of a society that has lost it focus. The last time that our values and actions were so out of alignment was during the 1920’s. In his classic novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald characterized those times as a time of dissipation and corruption.
We have rapidly moved through the September 11th attacks, wars in two theaters (Iraq and Afghanistan) to the election of a Black American as President of the United States. In between the aforementioned events, we have had a first row seat as this American drama has played out right before our eyes. There was the magical rise of reality television. Programs which actually supported our beliefs that reality television shows actually capture our view of the world, with greater accuracy than scripted television. A noteworthy reality was the NASDAQ (stock market) hitting the 5132.52 mark on March 10, 2000. Thus producing new millionaires daily and of course our love affair with this innovative apparatus called the internet. Most of us truly believed that we would become wealthy and retire one day in our dream homes. Although we witness the rise and fall of our athletic heroes, we continued to lift these individuals to the loftiest position of mentors. Now we were encouraged to create mentors because of the number of absentee black fathers. Yes, this is true and there were a host of individuals who stated; “ya’ll just need to grow up and become more responsible.” I am not in disagreement with the analysis; I only wish that our leaders in point of fact tell the American public the truth. The massive incarceration black men, especially those non-violent offenders, as a cheap labor force is nothing more than a 21st century plantation. We now have an appetite for punishment and a distain for rehabilitation. This appetite for punishment has produced devastating consequences; one in three black men in their 20’s is under some form of supervision by the justice system. Compounded by the fact most of these young men are products of a failing educational systems it is no wonder that the unemployment rate among black men at 40% and 50% in many urban areas. Yet, there is an additional truth that is rarely addressed by our leaders; the divorce rate in white America is more than 50%, which means that half of all white dads are not in the homes with their kids. It seems to me that society has once again created this wedge where blacks are given reasons for beating up on themselves. And just like the stirring collapse of the financial markets our leaders have given white people another symbolic pass. The corporate leaders who created this economic collapse, you do know that the market is trading 300 points lower, are never vilified in the media. They did not create a riot at a strip club, where a bouncer was shot and paralyzed. They were not charged with rape. They did not participate in dog fighting. They did not run into the crowd after having a beer tossed on them. They were not murdered by a jealous girlfriend. They did not take performance enhancing drugs. They did create this public era of hatred to conceal their own corruption. We have become a society that are more concerned with Tiger Woods imploding in front of us daily on television, yet there is no imploding when an honor students is killed in Chicago. It is interesting this student was doing what we asked of him, attain an education. There is no imploding when children are graduating from high school and cannot read. Yet, there is a solution. The President, The Senate, The Congress and The Cabinet Heads are in a position to exert influence, corporations in reality respond to government policy, and more importantly individuals change their decisions based on policy. The history of this country is filled with examples as how public policy has impacted the lives of all Americans. I guess the question really is do we will still teach government in school?

Why do we change the things that are working?

Recently I had a conversation with a person who attended elementary school in Philadelphia during the 1960’s. We were discussing the movie Invictus and the person asked me if I knew the poet W. E. Henley and immediately began reciting the words to the poem Invictus:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate.
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.

I did remember the last two lines of the poem, but I ask immediately when did you learn this poem? The response was simple yet thought provoking, “I learn this poem in the 6th grade and we had to memorize the poem and recite it in class.” Instantly I began to search my memory rolodex, asking the rhetorical question of myself: Why did we
discontinue memorization as a teaching tool? Did those educational leaders who advocated the removal or memorization and recitation truly think that this practice was at the root cause of our students’ academic failure? Yet there certain areas within the educational system where memorization is vital. Consider team sports, you must have the plays or sign memorized if the team is to function as a unit. The chorus has to memorize the song if they are truly singing with passion. I am at a lost, has society decided that memorization is not useful in the age of technology? Well, that cannot be true because we are society that has thousands of passwords. Is it me, I actually memorized my times table up to 12 and I memorized the 26 letters of the alphabet. Doesn’t most children games use some form of memorization to teach children? I believe that little children learn at home by utilizing memorization. Thus, I return to my original question, why would our educational leaders remove memorization and recitation from daily classroom activities? I recall Ron McKenna, the principal of George Washington Preparatory School in Los Angeles stating to the faculty and administration of Luther Burbank High School, I want all of you to look at the rug and tell me if it is okay. We all looked at the rug in the library and in harmony we responded that the rug was ok. McKenna stated the obvious, “Why would you fix something that is not broke?”

But Mr. Copeland, I am an atheist!

During my last visit to Sacramento, I was afforded the opportunity to speak to selected students at C.K. McClatchy High School. This speaking engagement was facilitated by one my former students, Maria Roediger Perez. As I prepared for this event, I selected the title, The Urgency of Now….how to keep your dream alive. Additionally, I was accompanied by my wife, my best friend Alan and my brother in law Pastor David Johnson. It is was moment that required familiar support because these young people had no idea who I was and more importantly how my message would assist them on this journey called life. I also invited my favorite Sacramento sports writer because we would have an opportunity to reminisce about old times prior to my speaking.
I spoke for about twenty minutes and as is my practice I conclude with a quote prior to a questioning and answering session. The quote that I used at the conclusion of my speech was: “How one sees God will determine your theology. Your theology with determine your anthropology. Your anthropology will determine how you see other humans and how you view humans will determine your sociology.” I have founded that a person’s spirituality will always provide each of us with what I call our lyrics for life. It is important that the reader understand my operational definitions of theology, anthropology and sociology. (1) Theology is the study of God or, more generally the study of religious faith, practice and experience. (2) Anthropology is the scientific study or the origin, the behavior and the physical, social and cultural development of humans. And, (3) Sociology is concerned with all group activities: economic, social, political and religious.
I must admit that I notice from the podium a student in the third row of the center section of the auditorium intensely taking notes. As I proceeded with the questioning and answering section of the program I had become less conscious of this student and more focus on the questions from other students. Suddenly this young man stood and stated his name and said, “Mr. Copeland I am an atheist, does my beliefs deny me what you called the lyrics of life.” You can imagine that his question created stir among those in the auditorium. I first acknowledged that this young man had asked a very profound question. I immediately moved closer to this young man and asked him this question: What is your favorite subject? He stated the Humanities. I then asked him had he read any of the works of Sir Thomas More or Jean Paul Sartre. He answered yes Mr. Copeland I have; I replied Sartre said I think therefore I exist, son if you think and you know that you exist you will find your lyrics of life. At that moment I shared with all my lyrics of life. “When I look at the world it fills me with sorrow, children today are gonna suffer tomorrow. What a shame; a sad way to live when we can’t stop living. Save the children.” I gave the young man my business card and ask that he stay in touch. On December 10, 2009 he emailed me with a simple statement. Mr. Copeland, I found my lyrics of life. What is important about this event is very simple. Regardless of your passion or your belief, to change someone requires that you speak in their language at a tone that allows them to listen rather than hearing what you are saying. My friends never forget that: the work goes on…the cause endures…the hope is still alive and the dream shall never die. Edward M. Kennedy.

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