This too shall pass; yet something has to give...and change. (A reflection)

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

From 9 pm EST last night until a few hours ago, I was not surprised by what happened; yet I was bitter. Yesterday was Election Day 2010 which was projected months before a day of reckoning for the Democratic Party. While the Democrats barely retain control of the US Senate, they lost control of the House in great numbers. In addition, many GOP candidates in state elections won in a convincing fashion. There is so much more I can say, but it is pretty much summed up here. Nevertheless, it is a wake up call for President Obama and other Democrats as they heal from the "shellacking" they got last night from the Republicans.

As a life-long Democrat, I still believe in its principles. I just don't think the Democratic politicians or the general public do anymore. As a party, somewhere along the way, the Democrats lost sight of their principles. Or at least, there is a lack of consensus within the party itself. That was evident when they were in power in Congress. Look at the education policies, for example; there are some Democrats who favors the current education reform tactics for a corporate takeover of public education. While the current economy is the most important issue among voters, education reform issues aren't far behind.

Via Facebook, political analyst and TV commentator Roland Martin shared some interesting insights about the elections outcomes:

I have said this since last year. I said it on November 2009. You have to move your supporters to action outside the election...You have to put your troops in the game. You must tell them who to call. Who to write. Where to mobilize. You MUST engage!

 

...but Pres Obama MUST return to his roots as a community organizer in the next 2 years. That means galvanizing the people in order to rise up and support his agenda. It will be a tough road with the GOP controlling the House.

 

To [Obama's] supporters, you must stop with meet, talk, disperse. It must be meet, mobilize, act. Stop whining about the Tea Party. They did their duty. The folks who mobilized in 2009 and 2010 won last night. Those who complained about those who mobilized lost last night.

 

He is so right. As much as I don't care for the Tea Party, one have to credit them for mobilizing the conservative base and energizing their voters to go to the polls.

 

So, where do we go from here? Well, reflection is always a good thing. But something has to be done. 

The next two years will be a test for both political parties and the President. If Obama wants a second term, he will have to appease his base, which will be harder to do now. While he inherited a "mess" in the beginning, he made more of a "mess" by not fighting hard enough for the concerns of his own base. But this goes back to the lack of consensus within the Democratic party. Traditionally, for example, most teachers and the teachers unions supported Democrats. How can we...and why should we...when some within the party support privatizing public education, a typical move of the GOP? The "lesser of two evils" excuse isn't cutting it anymore. At least with the GOP, we know what type of animal we're dealing with; we can't say the same for the Democrats.

 

Prior to the election, I have called for more activism among teachers. Now I have extended that call to the entire moderate and liberal bases. It has to start from the bottom up. That's how the Tea Party succeeded at best in gaining publicity and winning some political battles during yesterday's elections.

 

On a personal note, for weeks now, I have been internally fighting my passion. While I do have a passion for education, as expressed on this blog, I feel like I am not doing enough to fulfill it. I do miss being in the classroom, but I know in my heart, the timing for me to return is not good right now...at least that's how I feel. Being a doctoral student in grad school doesn't help either. Nevertheless, it just won't go away. What am I to do? My next passionate option is activism. When I was teaching, I was very active and vocal in my local teacher union association. This year alone, I have participated in four protest rallies. I have written several letters and e-mails to elected officials. But I don't feel that's enough. Although Georgia is a right-to-work state, there is a high level of complacency among teachers that is sickening to my stomach. So again, what am I to do? I guess more soul-searching, reflection, and prayer are in order for me. More to follow as I pressed on...

 

Until then, the late great Mahatma Gandhi charged all mankind "to be the change we want to see in the world". In doing so, individually, we must reflect on the change we desire, look within oneself, and make something happen. Then collectively, we come together, build a consensus around a shared vision, and move forward as one unit. Time isn't on our side anymore. While this too shall pass, something have to happen soon. If we want change, we have to demand it.