Local Politics Matter: #SaveAP

I don't write about politics often, but I had to write this one. (Note for regular readers: the next When I Grow Up post will appear next Wednesday.) You see, the state of Oklahoma, the state I love and call home, is in the national news for a bill that was introduced to ban Advanced Placement (AP) US History. I'll go in detail on the ridiculous reasons they gave in a minute, but it's important to note that the notorious OK Representative Sally Kern has jumped on this idea and decided that ALL AP classes should be banned because they are too similar to Common Core, which our state voted to repeal last year. 

I have oh so many issues with what is going on. Let me start by saying I don't think this discussion should be partisan based. But since most of the people arguing in favor of the ban are Republican (more specifically, ultra conservative Republicans) it will probably turn into that. However, let it be known that I am a registered Republican and a Christian. And I am still adamantly against what some of our legislators are trying to do.

Let's look at the argument against AP US History. The bill (follow the link to read it in its entirety) was introduced by  Representative Dan Fisher. He introduced this "emergency" legislation because he believes AP US History fails to teach "American exceptionalism". He argues that AP US History only teaches "what is bad about America".

Created by @bobby_griffith

I'm not sure what Fisher thinks students should be learning. Are we supposed to avoid talking about the Civil War, slavery, Plessy v Ferguson, women's suffrage, the civil rights movement, the internment of American citizens in World War II, and how the government treated Native Americans? I guess we avoid all the messy history and just focus on the good stuff. Maybe the teachers should just show movies like Team America: World Police and call it a day? 

Now please don't assume I don't love this country. I absolutely 100% do. I've teared up at the National Anthem on more than one occasion, ok? I believe our country has done some serious good in this world. I believe that overall we are an amazing nation. But I also know that we have done some messed up things. Every country has. Every person has! You can't have good without bad. And covering up the bad things is NOT what this country is about. You know what they say about history, right?

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

Ok, I think we can all agree that Fisher's reasoning is far from sound. Now let's talk about Sally Kern's proposal. (Full disclosure: that woman may be my least favorite politician of all time.)

Oklahoma repealed Common Core last year, but I don't want to focus on that. I want to talk about the fact that AP classes have been around for years. In fact, they predate Common Core by about 50 years, and now Kern is wanting to lump them all together. Her exact words were "AP courses are similar to Common Core, in that they could be construed as an attempt to impose a national curriculum on American schools." Except they are anything but. Schools are NOT required to offer AP classes. Students are NOT required to take them to graduate. And the government has nothing to do the curriculum. That is chosen by the College Board, a non-profit organization.

Look, our state is not doing too well education wise. Oklahoma consistently ranks well below average on all education measurements. In fact, we are usually in the bottom 10. I don't have the answer on how to change that. But I can guarantee that banning AP classes is not the way to go.

I personally took several AP classes in high school, and I think they are a great way to save some money on tuition. Banning AP classes would only deprive Oklahoma students of that opportunity, not to mention deprive them of the chance of a higher level of education. I know my AP Biology class was one of the few high school classes that really prepared me for college.

If you agree with me and think Oklahoma should NOT ban AP classes, make your voice heard. If you don't live in Oklahoma, you can sign this Change.org petition. If you live in Oklahoma, take a few minutes and call your legislators. They have no way of knowing how you feel unless you actually tell them. Don't know who to call? I didn't either! There's a page on www.okhouse.gov that lets you enter your address and see who represents you at the state and federal level. This is a state issue, so call your state representative and state senator and tell them what you think.

For more info on this craziness, check out some of these articles.

• Oklahoma Might Ban AP Tests, but Why? - Washington Post
• Oklahoma Bill would Make AP US History History - CNN
• Oklahoma lawmaker seeks to do away with AP history courses, says they emphasize 'what is bad about America' - KFOR
• Oklahoma Lawmakers Vote Overwhelmingly to Ban Advanced Placement History - ThinkProgress
• OK Lawmakers Seek to Ban "Un-American" Advanced Placement High School History Class - Sputnik International

So what do you think? And if you live in Oklahoma, are you planning on calling your legislators? I know it sounds scary, but I promise most of them are nice and really do want to hear from people like you! If you are at all against what these representatives are suggesting, please take a few minutes today and make your voice heard.

*For the record, Fisher is part of the Black Robe Regiment, which is a group of "church leaders and laypeople can network and educate themselves as to our biblical responsibility to stand up for our Lord and Savior and to protect the freedoms and liberties granted to a moral people in the divinely inspired US Constitution", according to their website.  Do with that what you will. 

Don't Even Blink - My Favorite Doctor Who Episode

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Blink is one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes ever. It's the tenth episode of the third series of the show (David Tennant's second season) and I love it. 

For one, the star of this episode isn’t the Doctor. It’s Sally Sparrow, played by Carey Mulligan. The entire episode revolves around her. This makes Blink one of the few entirely stand-alone episodes. It has a Twilight Zone kind of feel (I mean that in the best way possible, I love the Twilight Zone) in that you could watch this one episode and know everything that you need to for the story line. You don’t need the full history of the Dalecks or Cybermen, you don’t need to know who Jack Harkness or Harriet Jones is. It actually doesn’t even matter who the companion is (it’s Martha, but who cares?) because the Doctor is a pretty minor element of this story.

Ok, this episode does set up a lot for future episodes (for Whovians, did you just tear up thinking of Angels Take Manhattan? Because I did) but that doesn’t matter for the story line. All you need to do to appreciate the gloriousness of Blink is to watch it. 

This episode is so good that it is one of the episodes recommended by Sarah Bessey in the Beginner's Guide to Doctor Who who just can’t sit through the cheesiness of the Ninth Doctor (who I’ve already defended). Really, if you have never seen an episode of Doctor Who and just want to spend an hour seeing what it is about, watch Blink. The first time I saw it, I was on the edge of my seat. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it now (I may have watched it three times in the past week…) but I appreciate it more every time. To me, the Weeping Angels are one of the creepiest Whoverse baddies there are (the Vashta Nerada and the Silence are up there too).

In fact, I refuse to ever own a statue now. Back when my husband and I were dating, we went to a home and garden show and I might have freaked out in the statuary section. I kind of hate that I even put an image of a Weeping Angel in this post (that which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel itself, right?)

I’ll be back soon with more Doctor Who updates. If you’ve seen this episode, did you love it as much as I did? Or am I just a little too cuckoo for this storyline?   

While you're here, check out some of my recent posts!

Quick Lit: February 2015

It's that time again! Time to link up with Anne Bogel over at Modern Mrs Darcy and talk about I've been reading lately. Let's dive in!

I had to force myself to finish The Circle. About halfway through I started really hating it. I found the main character obnoxious and brain washed, though perhaps that was the point. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The Circle features Mae, a twenty-something who has just started working for a company called the Circle. Basically the company is Google, if Google had joined forces with Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, and was behind every single tech thing. To me, this book is like a prequel to something like the Hunger Games or Divergent. It’s pre-dystopian, if that makes sense. It sets up a world where one company slowly starts to take over everything. I found it incredibly interesting in the beginning, but about halfway through (if you’ve read it, my icky feelings began with the kayak incident) I almost couldn’t stand it. By the end, I was just glad it was over.

 That being said, it was very well-written. Perhaps it was meant to make you feel that icky nasty, to make you grateful for a world where privacy can still exist. I know it made me want to pack up and move to a cabin in the woods, if only for a night. (Don’t tell my husband that, though. His dream is literally for us to live in a log cabin in Alaska!) I wouldn’t call this book a pleasant experience, but I do think it is worth a read. Maybe with a glass of wine to help you through.  ($9.99 for Kindle) 

Now let’s talk about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. First, stop what you are doing right now and get yourself a copy of this book. It’s only $1.99 for the Kindle version, so go ahead and click through and buy. I’ll wait.

Ok, great. Now we can begin. Because I really think every single person should know who Henrietta Lacks was. You and I may not be here if it wasn’t for her cells. Is that statement too bold? Maybe, but it could very well be true. Because Henrietta’s cells have been an integral part of the medical community for over 50 years. Her cells helped create the polio vaccine. They’ve helped in cancer research, AIDS research, gene mapping, and so much more. And for decades no one had any idea. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s a brief summary. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of 5 who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the early 1950’s. A doctor removed two samples of cervix (a sample of healthy tissue and a sample of cancerous tissue) without her permission. At the time scientists were trying to find a way to keep cells alive indefinitely. And the only cells that were able to grow and thrive were the cancer cells taken from Henrietta, which were called HeLa cells. Those cells are still used in all kinds of research today. Those cells changed history. And Henrietta never knew about them. Her family didn’t know about them for years and years. And her family never saw any money from the profit made off the cells. Henrietta’s story is incredible and heartbreaking. While it is amazing what her cells did for the scientific community, it is also a story of racial and ethical issues. The Tuskegee experiment (a study where poor black men were either diagnosed with or actually given syphilis and then never treated for it to “see what would happen”) actually ran at the same time Henrietta’s cells were being mass produced. In Tuskegee. So a black woman’s cells were being used to save thousands of kids (at the time the cells were primarily being produced for polio vaccinations) at the exact same time that hundreds of black men were being  denied treatment for curable disease.

 This review ran longer than my usual Quick Lit reviews because this book had such an impact on me. And that’s why I think everyone should read it. Or at least do a Google search on Henrietta Lacks and learn about her. Or you know, read the book. ($1.99 for Kindle)

I had no idea what Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was about when I began. I picked it up in a Kindle sale because I’d heard good things. But I had no clue it was about monsters and time loops and children with special skills. (Not the Liam Neeson kind, by the way.) I liked it anyway! It’s a quick read, as it is a young adult book (I know not all YA books read like YA, but this one does). It is a dark fantasy, so if that isn’t your thing, you won’t like this. But if it is, definitely give this a shot. There are super interesting pictures in the book, and most are real vintage photographs. The only thing I didn’t like is that I wasn’t aware it was a series. The book could be stand alone I suppose, but it definitely sets things up for the next one. I’m not sure I want to keep reading. I have such a long To Be Read list as it is, but we’ll see. ($3.99 for Kindle) 

I have mixed feelings about The Good Girl. I listened to it through Audible after snagging it during a big sale at the first of the year. I’d heard it was a good one; I think it was compared to Gone Girl (in the same breath as the Girl on the Train, below). First, it was no Gone Girl. It’s the story of Mia Dennett, the daughter of a prominent Chicago judge who is kidnapped and held in a tiny cabin in Minnesota. The book was entertaining; I mostly listened to it while driving to and from the office every day. It is told from various view points (the mother, the detective, the kidnapper) and jumps between “Before” and “After”. You don’t know what the event breaking time into before and after is until the very end, though. They did use different narrators for each viewpoint, so it was fairly easy to keep up. My least favorite viewpoint was the kidnapper, at least in the beginning. I turned it off in the middle of one of his chapters one day because I felt like his parts got too monotonous. Overall, it was a decent read. Don’t skip the epilogue, though. It will confirm what you (if you’re like me) were suspecting all along. ($7.99 for Kindle)

Girl on a Train, unlike The Good Girl, has more of that Gone Girl feel to it*. As you read the book you know there is something you are missing. Something is going on, something feels off, but you can’t quite figure out what. This is another book told from multiple perspectives. Rachel, an alcoholic divorcee who is something of a voyeur who finds herself wrapped up in this mystery (or inserts herself in it, you be the judge), Anna, the new wife of Rachel’s ex-husband  and Megan, the woman who disappears. This book kept me intrigued all the way through. I read it during my lunch breaks and would get so annoyed when my hour was up because I just wanted to read one more chapter. This mystery kept me guessing until about ¾ of the way through, which is way longer than most of them do! (See the Good Girl review above.) I highly recommend this one if suspense/mystery is your thing. Bonus: it isn’t gory like some of the Gillian Flynn novels.  ($8.99 for Kindle)

And that’s it for this month! I’m still slowly working my way through the Magic of Tidying Up and Essentialism, and I’m slogging through Frog Music (not loving it - I might actually not finish it). But I have a big pile of library books, my Kindle library is overflowing, and my Audible collection is growing. I’m ready to tackle another round of books!

 But first, what have you been reading lately? Anything you think I should check out immediately?

 *Man, that is a lot of titles about girls, isn’t it? Especially when they are all about women not girls…but that’s an entirely different topic.

Check out some of my other posts while you're here! 

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