There’s an old saying, “history doesn’t repeat itself; it rhymes.” I thought of this recently during a week punctuated by the anniversary of the Parkland shootings, pushback over the New Green Deal proposal and the ongoing debate about “The Wall.” Clearly a new generation rising is “woke” to America’s failure to embrace the principles of social justice, racial, gender and economic equality that we all fought to achieve more than half a century ago. The sad truth is that people of color, … [Read more...]
Stigma Impacts Mental Health Treatment for Children
A stigma often surrounds those children who suffer silently from depression and mental illness. Having been prescribed medication to treat the symptoms, children are sometimes signaled out, particularly at school, as school staff have one additional need to contend with. As a former administrator, I understand the time and effort it takes to make sure these children are properly attended to. And, having suffered from depression and mental illness myself, I know what it feels like to be on the … [Read more...]
The Times They Are A-Changin’: How Music Inspires the Courage and Hope of a Rising Generation
Each generation comes to reject, in one form or another, the conventional rules for getting along in the world as defined by their forebears. America last experienced this rejection in the 1960s. Having lived during that time, I can tell you the process is profoundly unsettling, scary, invigorating and yet cleansing. Sometimes the upheaval is so powerful that it unleashes a torrent of new ideas that engulf an entire society, a deluge that creates swirling eddies and cuts new channels into our … [Read more...]
Look for the Helpers
On a beautiful fall morning 16 years ago, our nation’s collective consciousness was shattered by the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center. That day, our shared belief in the safety of our nation and its borders was instantly changed into a sense of disbelief, fear and anger, all of which persist to this day. However, despite the negative ramifications of that fateful day, I’d like to remember a bright spot, reminiscent of which I witnessed this past week in the way first responders and … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: God Bless the U.S.A.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that destroyed New York’s World Trade Center. This cataclysmic event will forever be cited as an important historic event that marked the ending of one era and the beginning of a new, more uncertain period for our country and its place in the world. Today, with so much divisiveness in our society, one thing we collectively share as a nation is the remembrance of the horrific events of that day. They will remain indelibly etched in our … [Read more...]
