Are you liberated?

Our choice today - Oppression or liberation?

   Is individual freedom or liberation tied or interdependent with community or to the liberation of others?  I know that when one becomes liberated then one can guide others to liberation. Or to say it another way, how can you help guide others to their higher-selves if you yourself are lost or fearful or anxious?  So is it the other way round as well – is the liberation of others inextricably linked to your liberation?  It appears that this is the case as where else are you to live except on this beautiful planet with others?  Let’s keep our home livable and help guide our world family to freedom and true happiness.

                       How are we oppressed?
                       Here are a few ways:

1.        Lack of funding for education- A good example of this is Texas public schools.  Many class sizes are too large already – over 27 students per class. And the newly re-elected Governor of Texas –Rick Perry, wants to cut funding to public education by $8 billion and not use the rainy day fund to help alleviate some of the pain so that he can keep the appearance that he did not assist in mismanaging the state gov. the past few years he served as governor. - (Some say he wants to run for President.) 
                  Many of schools in Texas and perhaps the country are still based on the 1950’s and 60’s model of education –we can see evidence of this in the fill in the blanks State testing.  The 1950’s model which was partly based in fear of the Soviet Union’s advancements in science began to replace progressive education with more authoritative and controlling and that was much less student centered and more teacher centered.  Progressive education as modeled in the Hull House in Chicago near the turn of the century was less interested in rote learning and believed in engaging children via following the student’s interests.

                      “Progressive philosophy was based on an optimistic view of human nature. Progressive schools avoided the regimentation that characterized most schools of the era. The children who attended progressive schools learned in informal settings. These schools enlisted the spontaneous interests of the pupils and adapted the curriculum to the interests and needs of each child. The authoritarian approach was replaced by a more democratic mode and the ultimate goal, in Dewey's terms, was for the classroom to be an “embryonic community” that would provide a model for a more democratic larger society. “   (-excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Chicago -http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1012.html)

2.        The largest cultural influence in America is hip-hop culture and none of the top executives at the 4 mega-record companies are a person of color.  Even though hip-hop was founded on the principles of the poor and everyday people challenging the status quo and Black improvement.  So these white rich execs. via owning and controlling the record companies, distribution, radio and media, advertising, etc., control much of what is said.  -If not what is said they suppress what they want us to hear via control of distribution.  So how can a rich white exec. who is focused on profit as the bottom line and not improvement of people – listen to the lyrics of the hip-hop music that makes the airwaves! – You know! - tell us about the struggle of the poor and people of color or just everyday people period?

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”     -Steve Biko

More of this list to come. . .