President Biden, Too Old To Run Again?

This week President Biden announced he’s running for a second four-year term, urging “let’s finish this job.”

The video announcement made official what was expected, so the news has focused on the president’s low standing in the polls and his age — born in 1942, Biden will be 86 at the end of a second term.

My take: based on his decades of experience in government, life experience, and good health, Joe Biden is the most qualified to serve as president, certainly far better than his leading and likely opponent, former president Trump.

Should ill health or death prevent Biden from completing the term, Vice President Kamala Harris will step in, with more than four years in the administration in addition to her experience in the Senate. This twist of history would be far better for the country than another four divisive years of a Trump administration.

In addition to supporting a second term for President Biden, I hope the Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate and regain the majority in the House so the administration can, indeed, finish the job. The Democrat’s vision for the country is far more inclusive and inspiring than the vision and policies I’ve heard from Republicans.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey Apparently Feels Empathy is a “Woke” Concept

Hard to believe how absurd and damaging “anti-woke” politics has become.

Governor Ivey,

I am dismayed that you asked — forced according to the Alabama Reflector — the secretary of early childhood education to resign because of her support of a resource for educators, a book your communications director said included “woke concepts.”

First, the term “woke” should be banished from any government communication. It’s a pejorative, inflammatory political term that plays to your conservative base and precludes a thoughtful, reasoned discussion of any legitimate concerns about the book published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Second, the NAEYC is a respected organization, formed in 1926, that helps educators and schools create a supportive learning environment for children through age 8. NAEYC’s policies and recommended practices are based on decades of research. 25 years ago, the preschool my two children attended was accredited by NAEYC after a rigorous audit to assure the school’s program was appropriate for their stages of development.

Third, it’s so important that young children begin developing socialization skills: seeing that everyone is different, learning that each person deserves respect, and beginning to feel empathy for the other. According to the Alabama Reflector, your office received a complaint about the NAEYC book, claiming it teaches “white privilege, structural racism and messaging promoting ‘equality, dignity and worth’ around LGBTQIA+ identities.” If that was indeed the complaint, it’s a gross distortion that mirrors the bias, fear, and political agenda of the person making the complaint.

An actual passage from the book encourages teachers “to be particularly aware of providing supporting environments and responses to children who are members of marginalized groups and those who have been targets of bias and stereotyping.” Bullying based on perceived differences — gender, racial, ethnic, language, economic, academic, athletic — is a significant issue in our schools, with potential outcomes that increase in severity as children progress from preschool through high school. Telling teachers to ignore the innate diversity of our children won’t solve these issues and yield a more civil society.

Last, I’m confident all parents want their children’s teachers to see and encourage their uniqueness, helping them gain the confidence to pursue their potential. That’s the vision promoted by the NAEYC and what makes this complaint of “wokeness” — which is counter to acceptance and encouragement — so perplexing.

Perhaps you reacted to the word reflexively, not looking beyond the term to see the accusation as the unfair and fearful political play it is. Unfortunately, Alabama has lost Ms. Cooper’s talent and devotion to our children.