Justice. Is it worth it?

Hello!

Came across a really powerful video today and just had to share. It speaks to what I want to do, in a small part, with this blog.

Here is the link: http://vimeo.com/60349898

Justice is never not worth fighting for. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; so we fight everyday and we struggle and we become a voice for those who are voiceless, a noise for those who can't beat the own drums or toot their own horns. We should never tire from demanding what is right in this world. And we can all debate what right is and where that notion comes from but in the end we all know the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And I would go so far as to extend it. Expect what is good for others as you would expect for yourself and when you see disparity, do what you can to help. It may not be much. But whatever you can.

If everyone on the planet jumped at the same time we could knock the Earth off it's axis a little. So if we all do a little something, something amazing could happen.

That's Where I Stand.

Cellblock v. College

Hi Everyone,

While perusing through Tumblr tonight, the following story caught my attention:

More Black Men in College than in Prison

In 2009, the DOJ’s most recent year for data on prison populations, there were more than 150 percent more black males in college than incarcerated. Given the declining prison presence of African Americans—incarceration rates fell sharply between 2000 and 2009, and remain on a downward slope—and the growing presence of blacks in higher education, the difference between the two populations is likely larger.

 The first thing that came to my mind was: YESSSS!!! Then I read the article..

While I am happy the numbers are there, the reality is so much more dismal and to see a pure lack of understanding for that in this piece is disheartening. Don't let the facts get in the way of the truth.

The way the author disregards the fact that black males are still disproportionately represented in community colleges and alternative higher education due to a lack of opportunity in public elementary and secondary education (which the research article he wrote this piece on acknowledges) is a disrespect to many who are working towards building up those systems.

For instance, at the University of Michigan, where I am currently an undergraduate, there are more International students enrolled than African American students, with one of the most African American populated cities (my hometown of Detroit) less than 50 miles away.

And this is not to say, of course, that those institutions can not serve those students well. But there is a definite lack of opportunity when compared to schools like Harvard, Berkley, or Michigan, further disenfranchising this community. 

Another fact that I believe should be included in the research and should have been a apart of his analysis is the fact that the research article implied that many schools did not report to the 2001-2002 data, which could mean that there has not been that great of a change, while the number of African American males incarcerated seems to have remained stagnant. This implies that nothing has changed, we still incarcerate many black males who are victims of a failing system instead of righting their path to truly see these two data sets become inversely proportional. That complacency is saddening.

I will say, however, the fact that more Black males are seeking higher education of any kind is elevating as a Black male to hear, but to say that this number makes everything ok, which is the sense I got from the article (especially the last line), shows true ignorance on the part of the author and anyone who doesn't ask for a deeper understanding of this complex issue.

I don't profess to have all the answers but as someone who is a part of these numbers and someone who will make it his life's work to change them for the better, that ignorance can not stand alone.
So That's Where I Stand.

Silver Linings- Seeing Small Light in the Tragedy of Newtown

Today, while browsing the internet and coming across some good ol' Sunday morning politics, I came across a story that ended with a statement from some who represents the NRA that not only peaked my interest but seemed so immoral that it couldn't get passed up.

"The National Rifle Association distanced itself Tuesday from a comment made by a lobbyist for one of its “chartered organizations” in Wisconsin, who said recently that gun rights proponents need only to wait out the “Connecticut Effect” before passing laws loosening restrictions on guns." (full story here)

"The brush-off came three days after Welch was recorded telling an audience at a Wisconsin state NRA meeting that the group has 'a strong [lobbying] agenda coming up for next year, but of course a lot of that’s going to be delayed as the 'Connecticut effect' has to go through the process.'" (full story here)

And here is an audio of his comment.



Wisconsin lobbyist Bob Welch, shown here in this 2004 photo handing out literature during his Republican primary run for the U.S. Senate.


Now, before I talk more on what I think, I went and looked up information on Bob Welch. I couldn't find much, but here is what I found. According to his lobbying firm:

"A graduate of MATC and Ripon College, Bob is a land-surveyor by profession, and served in the State legislature for twenty years. Bob was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1984, quickly rising to leadership positions. After ten years of service, Bob was elected to the State Senate in 1995, serving until 2004. The eventual sale of the surveying business allowed Bob and Jeanne to expand and diversify the services of The Welch Group. An active member of national political organizations, Bob has expertise in both national and international policy and business." (Source)

That's about all I can find that speaks to his character from him officially. I am trying to stay unbiased on forming an opinion of him, outside of this comment, but cant seem to find much. If anyone knows more please email me at mlchrzan@outlook.com. But right now, seems like he is no different from those who would knowingly surrender what is best for everyone in place of personal gain. Not my type of person and not one I particularly care for either.
 
So, now onto what I think, after finding all of this...

I hate that this is what had to happen to make this a reality with all my heart and soul, but do you know what's the glimmering sparkle of hope for the Newtown shooting? It's outside of the talk on gun violence (and violence in general) that has been LONG overdue.
 
It's that, for the first time in this type of situation happening, and it has happened FAR too often, I don't know the name of the shooter. I know little to nothing about the shooter. Every time someone talks about it, they talk about the tragedy of almost 30 lives being lost, a number of those being children. They talk about the 2 administrators that immediately ran to protect their students after they heard the first shot. They talk about the teacher who hid her 30 students in cupboards and took the bullet for them. They talk about what should be talked about so that we can finally enact common sense, positive, change that we all so desperately need. I hate silver linings. But I understand how dark it would be without them. Don't let the "Connecticut Effect" pass. Especially not before we get some shred of future peace and justice for those children and educators. Silver linings. Got to hate 'em.
 
So no, Mr. Welch, the 'Connecticut Effect' will not pass so that you can continue lobbying. Because people, the people who those you lobby to, are tired of the games and the antics that halt progress and, eventually, hurt us all. We're tired and we want change and we will get it.
 
That's Where I Stand

Intolerant of Ignorance- A Beautiful Quote

Happy Friday Everybody! 

Saw this on the interwebs and found it so inspiring and relatable to what I am trying to accomplish with my blog. (picture from Google)  

Maya Angelou 

“My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.”
— Maya Angelou

We must work to abolish ignorance, especially willful and stubborn ignorance, and be open to learning from others. Everyone has a story to tell, a history to learn from, and we all have something we can learn from one another. Our stories are our collective history. We should strive to make it one we can be proud of. 

Happy a safe and happy weekend! 

No Less for Yourself- My Stance on Israeli Democracy and Justice

Today, I saw something on Tumblr that really spiked my interest in a topic that I had not actually thought to ever discuss. However, as someone who wants to try to always do what's right, it can't mean just right to me, or even what is right to my part of the world. It's about that notion of what's right that so many scholars before me held up that I now take on as my own.

Being 'right' is made to be very subjective in today's world. However, I believe 'right' is not subjective but objective; it is not something we each define on our own but is a notion, a higher notion, of respect for life and humanity that should come as natural to us as breathing but at times leaves our minds as quickly as breath leaves our lungs. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere*, after all, and we should all be astounded and offended by injustice, NOT complacent because of it's prevalence. I hold true the fact that there are things 'right' for each of us as individuals. But I also challenge the idea that what we hold as unrighteousness in one domain should be considered okay in another. We should not be hypocrites to ourselves.

In light of that idea I quote Judith Butler, speaking at Brooklyn college 2 days ago on the topic of the Israeli democracy.


Judith Butler

“If Israel is to be considered a democracy, the non-Jewish population deserves equal rights under the law, as do the Mizrachim (Arab Jews) who represent over 30 percent of the population. Presently, there are at least twenty laws that privilege Jews over Arabs within the Israeli legal system. The 1950 Law of Return grants automatic citizenship rights to Jews from anywhere in the world upon request, while denying that same right to Palestinians who were forcibly dispossessed of their homes in 1948 or subsequently as the result of illegal settlements and redrawn borders. Human Rights Watch has compiled an extensive study of Israel’s policy of “separate, not equal” schools for Palestinian children. Moreover, as many as 100 Palestinian villages in Israel are still not recognized by the Israeli government, lacking basic services (water, electricity, sanitation, roads, etc.) from the government. Palestinians are barred from military service, and yet access to housing and education still largely depends on military status. Families are divided by the separation wall between the West Bank and Israel, with few forms of legal recourse to rights of visitation and reunification. The Knesset debates the “transfer” of the Palestinian population to the West Bank, and the new loyalty oath requires that anyone who wishes to become a citizen pledge allegiance to Israel as Jewish and democratic, thus eliding once again the non-Jewish population and binding the full population to a specific and controversial, if not contradictory, version of democracy.”
           

—

Judith Butler Butler, in addition to her rather impressive academic credentials, is a Jewish woman who has been criticized for supporting the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movement. She made the following response to her critics back in August: "I am a scholar who gained an introduction to philosophy through Jewish thought, and I understand myself as defending and continuing a Jewish ethical tradition that includes figures such as Martin Buber and Hannah Arendt. I received a Jewish education in Cleveland, Ohio at The Temple under the tutelage of Rabbi Daniel Silver where I developed strong ethical views on the basis of Jewish philosophical thought. I learned, and came to accept, that we are called upon by others, and by ourselves, to respond to suffering and to call for its alleviation. But to do this, we have to hear the call, find the resources by which to respond, and sometimes suffer the consequences for speaking out as we do. I was taught at every step in my Jewish education that it is not acceptable to stay silent in the face of injustice. Such an injunction is a difficult one, since it does not tell us exactly when and how to speak, or how to speak in a way that does not produce a new injustice, or how to speak in a way that will be heard and registered in the right way. My actual position is not heard by these detractors, and … [i]t is untrue, absurd, and painful for anyone to argue that those who formulate a criticism of the State of Israel is anti-Semitic or, if Jewish, self-hating."  Humanity, then, is not a subjective thought or a fleeting feeling. It is helping your fellow man and affording them those respects and rights you would expect no less of for yourself.     I would expect no less, then, for the Palestinians who are struggling against Israel.   If you have something you would like to add to try and change my opinion, please let me know! I do claim a lot of ignorance to of the history behind this struggle and even how it plays outs currently and would like to know more from both sides. You can comment here or email me at mlchrzan@outlook.com   But for now...   This is Where I Stand. *Quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A Letter to Todd

Hi,

I know I have not uploaded much but I am working on what I think will be a powerful first major piece for this blog. Keep an eye out for it; "Responsibility."

In the mean time, I have decided to write smaller ideas on topics that come accross my attention such as with former exec. of SC GOP, Todd Kincannon's, defense of openly mocking people affected by Katrina and the death of Trayvon Martin on Twitter this past sunday. 

Todd Kincannon in his Twitter Profile Picture 

A quote from the former exec defending his remarks reads: 

"“I think it is funny to make jokes that enlighten people on political problems,” Kincannon said. He added the purpose of satire “sometimes is to offend people, to teach a lesson.”~Raw Story (http://s.tt/1znAR)

No. What The Daily Show and The Colbert Report do is political satire, that is comedy for the sake of enlightening people and offending people to get a point accross. What you did was completely insult the death of a young man who even if he was a "thug," as you so beautifully and stereotypically put it, did not deserve to be shot like he was and for something as trivial as skin color, an issue a lot of people think we are past but it becomes so apparent everyday that we have SO much more work to do, as incompetent politicians like you prove. 

If you can't understand why the death of Trayvon was political, you sir, are clearly no politician and if you can't understand the differnece between political satire and blatant disregard for the sanctity of life I doubt your humanity as well. 

That's where I stand.  

About Me

Hi,


My name is Michael Leon Chrzan

       

       I am a University of Michigan student passionate about education, specifically urban education, and am working towards finding solutions to the problems facing students in urban environments. I'm a math major because "[it] is the great equalizer" and I want to show people that, although math gets a bad rap, he's actually very friendly. 

       I am strong-willed, funny, a little crazy, and usually work-oriented. I am a Gates Millennium and Coca-Cola Scholar. I try to do the right thing, the Godly thing, as I know Him. Just here to make a difference. Then I'll get some rest. Who needs sleep anyways? 

   








       


       My home town is Detroit, Michigan; home of the Red Wings, the Tigers, the Lions, the Pistons, Motown, the American Automotive industry, the Renaissance Center, the Riverwalk, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Renaissance High School (my alma matter), etc. I guess you could say I have pride about where I am from. While it's going through a rough patch right now, I know Detroit can and will rise again from its current ashes and I just hope I can be apart of the assent. 

        My life has not been what one would call easy or smooth. I have been a victim of domestic violence, gang violence, poverty, self-esteem issues, and many other things but I have always been able to come through. In high school, I garnered a determination that has carried me very far and that determination is this: that I will be the change I want to see in the world. 

      I still rememeber the first time I saw that quote by Ghandi. I was in Boston with my high school's choir on a college tour. From then on I committed myself to one idea: being a positive force for good. That has lead me to this blog. 

     In my life, a lot of my friends tell me I am always the one who does what's right and takes the moral high ground. Hearing that really lightens my heart because I do always try to do what is right- knowing that what is right is not always what is easy- and hearing that confirmed by others is a comfort. But, if I am going to be an example, be the change I want to see in the world, I have to show others that what is right- while difficult- is not impossible. That is what I want to write about. Doing what is right in light of controversy. I don't proclaim to always know what's right, Lord knows I don't, but I do my best and that's pretty damn good. But a person show's who they is in controversial times. Dr. King said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." So.... 

This is Where I Stand

      

       

About this Blog

       Inspired by a friend of mine who is taking an endeavor into extrapersonal blogging I thought I would give it a try myself. 

       I thought long and hard about what I would write about and struggled to find an answer. For him, it was easy. He wanted to be a sports broadcaster so he writes about sports. However, for me it is not so cut and dry. 

      I want to go into education. I plan to start as a teacher and eventually move to other branches (either policy or administration). While I could easily make this a blog about education, I feel like I wanted it to be more. Education is such a vital part of society and each of our histories that writing only about education in the secondary or post-secondary sense just didn't appeal to me. It would be too easy. 

       So what to write about? As I thought about it at work on day, I thought about what I wanted to teach people. When I thought about that, I realized it was not just my subject area (mathematics) but I wanted to teach people how to attain knowledge for pleasure and use knowledge for understanding. I wanted to talk about the tough topics in a smart way. I want to give logical arguments to have educated conversations about the controversies that plague us as a society and then relate them to education. When I thought about that, it finally came to me. 

       I wanted to write about controversial topics. I wanted to show people that often there is no right answer but that is no excuse for inaction for the common good and wanted to do that through the basis for truth; Logic. I wanted to try and use logic to dispel and educate and learn from others. 

       Then came the hard part; finding a name. I thought about things like 'Chrzan's Common Sense' or 'Chrzan's Frame of Mind' and thought that they made me sound a little too narcissistic. So then I looked to those who were more philosophical about controversy and looked for their words of wisdom. It was then I came across this quote:

       Seeing Dr. Kings quote along with hearing of numerous other controversial topics inspired me to write my own opinion about them. I try to be unbiased and take in multiple ideas on an issue and make a comprehensive, logically sound idea of what'w going on in the world around me. And what better a day to start this new intiative of mine then on the day we celebrate Dr. Kings legacy, usher in the 1st African American president for the 2nd time, and the day after my birthday haha. 

      Agree or disagree (I love a good debate), it's entirely up to you, but this.... 

this is 

Where I Stand