* Central Michigan University, about 20 minutes north of us, discovered during a random check that several of their international students had their visas revoked and thus their legal residency terminated without notifications to the university or the students. I don't think this is what "Land of the Free" means.
* Ms. Rachel, the YouTube toddler entertainer, who has been compared to Mr. Rogers, shared UN reports of malnourished children in Gaza and started fundraising for Save the Children... and is being accused of being Hamas with calls for the Attorney General to investigate her for "anti-semitism." That term keeps being used incorrectly. Opposition to Israel is not anti-semitism, as Peter Beinart said recently.
*Nu's class was scheduled to take a senior trip to the zoo today. All week long, in anticipation, we've been pretending that we understood "going to the zoo" to mean that Nu was going to be a zoo exhibit. Our jokes are really old over here.
Pic: Nu's pic of the tiger at the zoo. Once upon a time, William Blake's "Tyger, Tyger burning bright" might have looped through my head. These days, I more likely to remember the six-year-old's poem so bright and clear it just cannot be misinterpreted:"The tiger
He destroyed his cage
Yes
YES
The tiger is out"
17 comments:
Take care.
Omg Maya, I have to tell you about something that happened at the Calgary Zoo - this is years ago, I think Mark was in kindergarten, so let's call it 2009? Anyway, there is a Siberian tiger exhibit and a man (possibly inebriated, I hope inebriated) somehow was there after hours undetected and for whatever reason, he climbed THE FENCE that separated the tiger's enclosure and the people (there are two fences, for safety, as you shall see). This man then decided to pet the nice kitty and had his arm ripped off. I think about this all the time. My friends and I were talking about this and one friend said "I mean, how stupid do you have to be to do this?" and this woman came up to us and shamed us for laughing about this. "This man is a friend of mine and he's in serious condition and won't be able to work again!" Which, okay? But also? He climbed into the tiger enclosure?
I don't even know our country anymore. Sometimes I think, where do we live? How is any of this right?
Well... in spite of Nicole's story above, I LOVE the six-year-old's poem. Love it.
Ok this story is BANANAS, Nicole! It's really really hard to find sympathy for someone who climbs into a Tiger's cage!!
Wow, if we are going after Ms. Rachel, things are real bleak. My kids were born before she really rose to fame but my sister dressed up as her for Halloween one year because her daughter was a huge Ms. Rachel fan. And yes she is totally a modern day Mr. Rogers type.
Things are so freaking bleak. I don't know where to find hope. I wish the Mid Terms were tomorrow because I do feel like we'll get a massive blue sweep, though.
I can't believe Save the Children is now considered a radical organization. And I am so appalled about the international students at CMU (and probably elsewhere)... I imagine the point is to entrap them into being in the country illegally so they can deport them and count them toward their "illegal alien" quota.
There have been a couple of dozen students in the UW system who have had their visas revoked. We just lost our first faculty member who is taking their family back to India (despite both people having tenure!) because of the political climate. This is going to be a bloodbath for higher ed. If we were counting on international students to help us weather the demographic cliff, well, that doesn't seem to be a good strategy now.
I used to think animals escaping zoos was a rare event, but it happens SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. Even for accredited zoos. That's INSANE.
--I'm appalled by the all-out assault on academics and virtually all immigrants. I'm echoing Engie on this.
--That poem! I'm so glad you introduced me to it. It's incredible. I read some of the accompanying discussion/comments as well, and so enjoyed that, too. What a shame it wasn't around when I was teaching my CW class!
Thank you.
I hate zoos as it is, and I hate even more when people bother the animals... What do they think will happen?!
How random that you met someone who actually knew the man.
The whole thing (except the arm part) reminds me of a short story called "Zoogoing" where this guy sneaks into zoos and animal enclosures...
https://www.google.com/books/edition/I_m_With_the_Bears/YkhOO9CGq3kC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
Jeanie--I NEVER imagined this level of authoritarianism would flourish in the U.S. As an immigrant, I come with starry eyes and rose-colored spectacles expecting freedom of expression, but I imagine people who've always lived here take it for granted.
Me too Jenny--it's so VIBRANT!
Lisa, I too keep thinking I just have to hold my breath till the midterms...
I saw a clip of Seth Myers talking about how it would be any day now, before pretending to realize it has just been 80 days... lol-sob
Steph--Save the Children isn't at all, and I doubt anyone really thinks it might be but it's all about escalation and seeing what might stick these days.
And sadly, I think your guess about the why of visa revocations might be right.
Engie, the visa thing is truly terrifying. That could be me... And yes, we too have been hoping for more international students, but would risk coming?
Wait--what is this about zoos?! Are the animals found safe later?
Nance--I was hoping you would enjoy it (either as a repeat or intro)! I sent it to the family chat and Nu said it was the third time I'd done so. lol
I'd like to get my hands on that anthology (They're Singing a Song in Their Rocket)
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