Con un alluce nella politica locale.

Quando ero una giovincella, non me ne e' mai fregato molto della politica. In Italia, tutto mi sembra sia un bel concerto, dove gli "strumentisti" (gran tromboni, senza offesa per quelli "veri") seguono uno spartito con tutti i crescendo e i diminuendo che fanno scalpore, ma senza nessuna possibilita' per chi si trova al di fuori di questa orchestra, di intervenire e far sentire la propria voce. Non ho mai neanche pertecipato ad una manifestazione quando andavo al liceo, forse troppo paurosa o troppo "goody-two-shoes", troppo "brava ragazza" per unirmi ai cori e ai pugni alzati. Pero' mi sono sempre goduta i giorni senza scuola ugualmente...


Qui negli US ho proseguito nella tradizione soprattutto con la scusante che, essendo una aliena, non posso votare, quindi a che pro interessarsi?


Ma da quando ci siamo trasferiti qui nell'estremo sud dell'Arizona, dove la gente, uomini e donne, va a caccia per sport, dove Barack Obama e' ancora ritenuto un mussulmano, dove una (parziale) riforma sanitaria che va incontro ai bisogni di tutti i cittadini, non solo quelli piu' abbienti e' considerato un gesto terroristico di comunisti, ecco io qui ho scoperto di avere una voce, per quanto flebile e ho finalmente capito che starsene seduti di lato a guardare senza contribuire e' uno spreco.

Allora visto che tra meno di una settimana ci sono le elezioni chiamate "mid-terms" in quanto a meta' del termine di mandato presidenziale e che i cittadini di Sierra Vista sono chiamati a votare nuovamente, oltre che per i candidati al senato (e speriamo che Glassman vinca su McCain, che e' diventato vagamente senile secondo me) e al congresso, quelli per governatore ed altre cariche statali e locali, anche per un referendum che consenta la continuazione di una tassa sulla proprieta' secondaria, chiamata "override" (visto che si appoggia a quella primaria) in supporto alle scuole pubbliche locali. Per 3 anni, i referendum e' stato bocciato, grazie soprattutto all'abbondanza degli "snow birds" i pensionati che vengono a vivere qui in inverno (dove il clima e' temperato) mentre in estate tornano ai loro lidi, solitamente nel nord (Washington State, Oregon, Montana etc) e grazie anche all'assenteismo alle urne generale. Quest'anno genitori ed insegnanti stanno disperatamente cercando di far passare il referendum in modi tipici americani, proteste pacifiche (e se passate l'icrocio della strada 92 e Fry Boulevard, suonate il clacson quando vedete il gruppo di donne con cartelli con messaggi quali "Honk if you went to public school" oppure "Someone paid for your education"...e se ne vedete uno tenuto in mano da una tipa con occhiali e cappellino e una fagiolina nel marsupio, suonate il clacson 2 volte, perche' sono io!!) e scritte sulle macchine (quelle proprie, badate bene) e ovviamente anche con lettere al giornale locale.

Ho scritto la mia lettera e l'ho mandata ieri all'editore, il quale mi ha chiamato per dirmi che, sfortunatamente, la deadline per pubblicaziione di lettere inerenti le elezioni di martedi' era due settimane fa e che quindi non potra' pubblicarla. Mi ha detto che gli dispiaceva perche' e' una lettera ben scritta.
La professoressa responsabile del gruppo di attivisti pro-override cui ho mandato una copia, l'ha a sua volta mandata in giro ed ho ricevuto un sacco di email di complimenti, tant'e' vero che parte della lettera verra' usata in parte del testo della pagina pubblicitaria che il gruppo di attivisti comprera' domenica sul giornale locale.

Mi sa che ormai scrivo meglio in inglese che in italiano.

Questo il testo:

To the Sierra Vista Herald Editor:

Before we moved to Sierra Vista about 3 years ago, like all prospective residents we did our homework: we checked the availability of houses for our family and we checked the schools, because it was important to us that our children would receive a good education, and would be offered some, if not all, of the programs that were available in the school district we were going to leave. We felt we could get this in Sierra Vista, so we moved here.

Today, we would think twice before moving to Sierra Vista: in the last 3 years we have learned that Arizona ranks #50 for state funding to education, and we have seen art, music and physical education classes being eliminated in the elementary schools; they were actually "dumped" on the classroom teachers, who already had the difficult task to cram the daily lessons, test taking, discipline into shorter school days (yes, that was another change we saw: shorter school days) .We have also seen the average class size swell up to well over 30 students per teacher.

And if the override doesn't get voted in, another school will close, likely increasing the class size even more, cutting more classes and programs...

So to those folks who don't want the override to be continued, I ask: how can you say that you care about our community and our children's education and at the same time being against the override, without feeling like a talking and walking oxymoron?
A few weeks ago I read a letter of a man (I'm presuming childless) who says there's no need to teach art or music in schools, because, and I quote "So many of our children have been told that they have so much talent in music that they think they can make it to the big time and make millions." First of all I would suggest this gentleman to go to one of the concerts of our Buena HS chorus (I only watched them perform for a bit during BHS Open House and I was blown away by their talent!) and see for himself. Second, we have all watched the American Idol auditions on TV, and we have all felt the pain, but this is not what art and music classes in school are for: music and art should be taught in the classroom because it might the only place where a child hears other kinds of music beside, let's say, country or rap or heavy metal. It's about teaching how to appreciate music and art in your life and using them to better yourself, maybe even to save yourself. I know many people who are suffering from depression, for example, and turn to music or art to cope with their illness. And guess what? It turns out that you don't have to be Mozart or Madonna to listen to music, to pick up a guitar and sing a tune or even to sing at a karaoke bar; you don't need to be Michelangelo or Van Gogh to draw or paint or create a cup out of clay. And most of us who had the pleasure to be exposed to music and art since childhood, know this.

I would also like to argue how important teaching physical education to young children in school is, especially in this country where one person in three is obese: children need to be educated about the advantages and benefits of moving and exercising. They need to be exposed to different activities and sports so that, as they grow older, moving and exercising will become an important part of their life.

I read in one of these letters that if we want our kids to have "extra classes", we can pay for them. My o my, what an elitist position that is. Only the wealthy can take music or art... way to go backwards!

I read that we should cut the salary of the administrators instead of asking for the override... look, like many parents in town, I don't particularly care if this superintendent leaves tomorrow, however how can you think that even halving his salary would help? It would be a drop in the bucket.

I realize a lot of these folks are still upset about the mishandling of money that happened a few years ago (so I was told), but instead of punishing the children or the teachers, you should take your protest to the source of the problem, make sure that whoever made the mistake is made accountable and doesn't repeat it. Do they even realize that the collateral damages to this war waged against the district and its administration is our children, their future and, by extension, this community's future?

My last thought is about money, which I hear, makes the world go 'round. Do you know how much you would save by eliminating the override, if your own a $166,000 home for example?

Three dollars a month. Yes, 3 meager, stinking dollars every month of the year. That's what you will be saving.

Is our children's future worth $3 a month? I hope your answer is yes, so for God's sakes and our children, please vote yes for the override.


Monica S.

Se riesco, la traduco domani.