Tag: #gapol

Faux Outrage: Politics in the Era of Trump

Posted on by Scarlet Hawk

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I feel I have either recently had an excellent reprisal on history lessons or politics has dwindled to nothing more than reuse and recycle.  This idea crystallized for me watching Netflix (the bastion of intellect and high-minded shows that it is).  Netflix has The Kennedys on tap right now, and after my binge watching of Mad Men and House of Cards in lieu of watching the Republican debates, this seemed like a natural order of viewing pleasure.  The last episode I watched was the one where Kennedy has to send the National Guard down to Ole Miss to allow James Meredith to register for classes that led to a riot that killed two people.  Prior to the riot, Governor Barnett stoked the flames of the already burning anger in the crowd by citing their outrage over all the “wrongs” the Kennedy Administration had done them, not disclosing that he and Kennedy had repeatedly been in discussion over the matter in an attempt to prevent the situation becoming a riot.  The outrage that Barnett fueled reminded me so much of what’s going on now in politics.  Not much has changed since the 1960s: Confederate flags, reproductive rights, belittling of women.  The names have changed, but the song remains the same.

In each situation, the outraged party says someone has gone “too far”.  I don’t disagree. 

Personally, I find outrage to be a poor tool for getting anything actually done policy-wise.  I have done my share of marching and angry finger-wagging to be sure, and once I recognized how little the other side listened to this (and how these stunts are used to manipulate the media), I chose a different path.  There is a place for passionate discourse in politics- lord knows I have my soap boxes.  Yet as soon as the conversation ends, you have no means for a workable solution, only fallout.  You have no ability to interact across the aisle without the courtesy of respect for the other side.

But it sure gets you attention, does it not?  Take a look at the headlines compiled over the weekend. Continue reading “Faux Outrage: Politics in the Era of Trump” →

Georgia: Somewhere Between Koinonia and “The City Too Busy To Hate”

Posted on by Scarlet Hawk

I am somewhere firmly in the middle.

Growing up in the bustling metropolis of Social Circle, Georgia was idyllic.  I grew up on a farm where the gravel meets a road named after a Primitive Baptist Church.  My parents believed very deeply in education as a key to my future success, and whereas my clothes and toys may have been limited by budget, my parents never allowed my love of books to be.  The problem with rearing me was that I always asked questions and wanted to understand the hows and whys of things.  My mother is a spitfire optimist who fiercely believes in the potential of all children, especially her own precocious one.  When she hears of something new, she often wishes to try it, much to my father’s consternation.  In me this fostered a love of innovation and an innate curiosity about whether a different method might be more effective.  My father is a resolute pessimist who enjoys stories of yesteryear, traditions, and the quality of developed ritual.  From him my love of folklore, politics, and ambition in business was cultivated.  He is the steady; she is wide open.  As I have aged, I am a strong representation of both and, like my geographical location, I am caught somewhere in the middle of hope and reluctance. Continue reading “Georgia: Somewhere Between Koinonia and “The City Too Busy To Hate”” →

Georgia: Trailblazer or Perennially Lost?

Posted on by Scarlet Hawk

appalachian-trail-approachI have had the pleasure of travelling around the Southland a bit lately.  Although I reside in the city of Atlanta, my favorite spot to get away is ALWAYS in the mountains-Georgia or North Carolina; does NOT matter.  Wherever the pine trees are in abundance and the paved roads are not is where I wish to be.  Cooler temperatures and rolling landscapes abound and the elevation of certain points allows me to indulge and get lost metaphorically in my own thoughts.  However, I recently became actually lost-as in could not find my path back to the beginning of the trail.  It’s a very different feeling when one is truly lost- the disorientation, the heat of the midday sun beating down, and my body already tired from the hike I had originally set out on, never expecting to cover this many miles or take THAT much time.

 

Clearly I made it back, but as I was climbing over hills and dodging the brambles in my unorthodox path, I thought much of how this could have been prevented.  Where were the colored blazes marking the path?  Why have the trails not been tended so that the vegetation did not cover my previous steps?  I walked back over the same path many times in hopes of finding the switchback I missed, or the small bridge I had crossed.  The path was there, I had simply forgotten its image and location.  And in my foolhardy arrogance, I had not adequately prepared for if something went wrong.

 

Amateur.

 

One would never have believed I hiked 40 miles on the Appalachian Trail a few years ago and am a regular hiker who enjoys backcountry camping.  Bless MY heart.

 

In more than a decade of Georgia politics, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting at tables of power that others may not have with both the House and the Senate.  I have watched the paths of policy and party emerge from a grassroots level to the fall of some mighty grasstops under Lt. Governor Taylor and Speaker Richardson.  I have been impressed with the larger vision of the present Governor and the efforts of the sitting legislative members to initiate justice reform, a transportation plan and now educational reform.  I’ve watched the rabbit holes of RFRA and the Guns Everywhere bill send the legislature in strange meandering paths so that I’m left wondering where are our markers?  What will be the footprints we leave for others to follow?  More importantly, if Georgia wishes to move forward, what tools will we employ to blaze new paths? Continue reading “Georgia: Trailblazer or Perennially Lost?” →

Winning Requires Planning Ahead

Posted on by Scarlet Hawk

us-womens-world-cupThis past Sunday night, many Southerners huddled around their TVs to watch the Women’s World Cup, or at least those that were not shooting off their remaining fireworks and ammo from the night prior. With this win, the U.S. Women’s Team has become the team with the most wins in Women’s World Cup history.  While a team is climbing to the top there is lots of speculation, but when the victory is claimed, everyone wants to know how they did it.  Aside from hard work, LOTS of practice, and some killer instincts, the case could be made for the fact that the United States is the only country in the Women’s World Cup that provides IX funding, making it equally possible for young, female athletes to pursue their passions just like their male colleagues.  As a shock to no one, I am a big fan of this theory and of IX funding.  While I am no athlete, I do believe that planning ahead tends to make short work of competition.  Turns out, I am not the only one that feels this way.

Early last month, Paul Bowers, Chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce spoke with leaders at Berry College about the necessity of a good education.  You see, Mr. Bowers needs Georgians to have a good education so that when they apply to his company, they can actually meet the fundamental requirements of the job.  This isn’t rocket science to anyone.  Most people believe that with a better education, you can rise to the next level with a combination of hard work and integrity.  Yet Mr. Bowers’ statement on education here in the state should not be brushed to the side.  Frankly, it could be read another way: either Georgia needs to get their education act together, or our economy is going to suffer.  This is not the first time the Chamber has tried to get lawmakers’ attention, either.  Click here for the link to the “Economics of Education” report from the Chamber in 2012, or skip to the images below. Continue reading “Winning Requires Planning Ahead” →

Nuance in the John Wayne Era of Politics

Posted on by Scarlet Hawk

John WayneSome months ago, I took great pride in being blocked on Facebook by a member of the Tea Party.  It was amusing to me as I had not only worked with this person before, but she also prides herself on being the voice of “grassroots” conservatism in Georgia (whatever that means), which tends to vocalize a lot of dissent.  For so many, they can dish it out yet cannot take it.  From my experience in politics in the peach state, people can call themselves anything nowadays and with a mic loud enough, others will believe them.  Uninformed assertions are more welcome than humble questions.  Yet for successful navigation of policy, business, and most human interactions a little nuance goes a long way.

“Nuance” is a word of French origin (but don’t hold that against it), coming from the infinitive of “nuer”, or “to shade”, referring to the slight shades of gray that are the embodiment of nuance- both literal and figuratively policy-wise.  So as we embark on the campaign cycle across Georgia, the black and white contrast between candidates will be hotly purported as a means of each candidate to differentiate him/herself from the other.  The otherwise gray-areas of difference between stances taken on transportation, RFRA, same-sex marriage, and the Opportunity School District will help sculpt the images of candidates in vibrant litmus-test tinged hues as office seekers assert they are the “true” conservative/progressive/believer/liberty lover/tax payer champion/ethics guru/patriot.

Take your pick.

This is somewhat amusing as we exist in an area of the country where the term “bless your heart” can mean so many different things.  There’s very few things more Southern than nuance.

Yankees don’t understand that the Southern way of talking is a language of nuance. What we can do in the South is we can take a word and change it just a little bit and make it mean something altogether different.~ Lewis Grizzard

Continue reading “Nuance in the John Wayne Era of Politics” →