Why I "Really" Support Libraries

Talking with my Dad on the phone yesterday he asked me what was going on politically here in Ohio. He lives on the east coast and seemingly loves to talk politics.

But I don’t. I don’t do public politics. Oh, I vote and I have preferences or parties I prefer and some folks might even know what they are, but outside of maybe 10 or so people that I feel comfortable having that discussion with - they don’t know because I told them. At best, they’re just guessing.

Publicly I preach purple because that’s truly what I believe. United we stand. Divided? Well, I think we look like idiots most of the time.

I try to stick to my guns with this too. It’s just one of those things...

No goofy signs in my yard. No diatribe commercials on my television. If you send me a postcard I keep it so I know who to strongly consider not voting for. If you call me, yeah that seals it.

Recently however, I’ve had to make a couple exceptions to my hard fast political rules. If you know me, you know why...

I placed a sign in my yard last May, August & November for The Southwestern City Schools levy I discussed here, that thankfully finally passed, and I placed 2 signs in my yard this year for library levies both that of the Southwest Public Libraries, Issue 8 and The Columbus Metropolitan Library, Issue 4.

I have the post cards. I even took a couple phone calls. In this case, that's okay.

Now, before anyone even asks let me say that I do not support these levies just because I work at the library. This is not about my job.

What it is about, much like the school levy is the kids. I support things that help children.

Just yesterday I talked to a woman who told me how much she appreciated the children’s librarian who read to her son when he was young and recognized him years later when he visited the library again, and how much that meant to him as well. Children’s librarians in particular are pretty magical people by the way.



(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

While the library provides a slew of services for adults, Job Help Centers, computer and business resources, the list goes on and on - I think that the library’s strongest contribution to the community is what it can do for kids. If you take a look at those kids and realize the benefits they see from the library, how much it means to them and their future,... - you know why this is so important.

Which is why I make the exception in case you don’t know me or didn’t already know...

Children in story time, teens in Homework Help Centers, Latchkey kids having a place to go and thrive after school, a welcome, learning environment that is not the street, where a friendly librarian might even sit down and play a game with a kid who looks like they just need a friend. Hey, I’ve seen it happen.

The best thing?

It’s free.

Okay, the levy might cost the taxpayer a few bucks, the price of a fancy meal perhaps, but to that kid who has nothing else, and nowhere else to go - Free is a pretty darn good price.

If you haven’t already please be sure you get out and vote tomorrow. As a personal favor, and I don’t ask for many, if you live in Franklin County, or you have a library levy in your own area please consider voting yes and making a difference in the life of a child.

Thanks!

Friday Feature 2 The Team The Team The Team

Friday Feature number 2 is about the importance of your team. To keep things timely, I thought I'd riff a little on the importance of this week and a very important team.

In the spring of 2003 after the Iraq invasion had begun a number of people asked me what I thought of the president "sending our boys over there."

My reply each and every time was exactly the same. It doesn't matter how I feel about it, those are our boys, American boys and I stand behind them 100% no matter what.

America, the land of the free, the home of the brave and sometimes - a house, a team divided.

As I wrote in this space in November - we cannot afford such division, now or at any other time for that matter.

Our country is supposed to be the most powerful, the most respected, and perhaps most importantly - the most united.

This is how we will succeed. This is how any team succeeds.

They play hard and they play united.

The dictionary defines team as "a group on one side."

I have a funny feeling that the inauguration tomorrow and other activities from the week are going to put us to the test when it comes to America being the group on one side.

Why you may ask?

Well for starters there are the same old tired political differences. Republicans vs Democrats or Liberals vs. Conservatives or whatever labels you may choose.

I remarked to a colleague yesterday that I did not remember the inauguration and the accompanying celebration lasting all that long i.e. starting before and ending after the actual inauguration date. (Hey, the last one was a long time ago. Sue me.) My colleague got a little defensive which was understandable considering she had been flamed earlier in the day for celebrating the day's activities.

As she later told me - I love the pageantry and tradition of inauguration. It really is so very American ;o) of course better if your guy wins ;o)

We're supposed to celebrate our victories. The Giants had a parade when they won the Super Bowl. The Red Wings had a parade when they won Lord Stanley's Cup.

So yeah, her guy won and that made her happy, but that wasn't the "only" reason she was enjoying the day.

There is a question of technology. Do you think the president needs his Blackberry? How 'bout a laptop in the Oval Office?

Finally, there is the matter of race.

Yes, I said it. Why wouldn't I? It is important.

Barack Obama is our nation's first black president. It should be duly noted. It should be celebrated. It should be marked in time so that no one could ever forget.

Racism exists. You may not see it everyday. I don't see it everyday, but it does exist. For that matter so does reverse racism.

This ugly topic and all that go with it cannot be forgotten, nor should they be.

However, these things cannot be our focus, and I pray that those who predict that it will be are wrong.

Our focus has to be on America, on making our team united.

We need to seize the opportunity that new leadership affords us and use it as a time for change, a time for growth, and a time to come together as one team.

Therein lies our success.

So I am calling on my countrymen and countrywomen - regardless of your political affiliation, the color of your skin, your age, or your creed to remember this week that more than anything else you are an American.

To break it down to the simplest terms I'll borrow a phrase from a classic American moment and movie:

When you pull on that jersey, the name on the front is a hell of alot more important than the one on the back.

The front of that jersey says USA.

Please note - This post is not intended to support anyone's side. If you read it that way, I suggest you read it again. I don't believe in sides. I believe in purple.

Politics? Purple is Ideal

I'm wearing purple for the third day in a row. (Yes, I have 3, actually 4 I think purple shirts.) On Wednesday I wore purple because it is my favorite color and it helped me feel better. I thought that was the only reason at the time. Yesterday I just grabbed purple again and didn't really think anything of it. Today it hit me.

As I was watching the final election results and reading all the tweets on Twitter there was a call for no more red, no more blue - how about purple? I remarked at the time that I didn't think it was possible. What with all the hate filled diatribes, and mocking of all of the candidates, even as they were giving their concession speeches it didn't seem to me that the America we live in today was really capable of blending into purple.

I had planned on breaking down all of the attacks, from both sides in this space today, to talk about how wrong it is to hate because someone is different. But this is a lesson we all have learned long ago. Right?

Isn't it right to respect another's opinions or viewpoints even when they differ from our own? From the sandbox forward we've heard this, we've preached it, and we've passed it on to our children who we pray will pass it onto theirs.

When it comes to politics however we throw all that out the door. Anybody who is not on our side of the aisle is - well they're just not right. Right?

So here is my question - why does there have to be an aisle? Why do there have to be sides?

Shouldn't we all be on the same side?

I watched the president elect’s first speech after he won the election. He was very respectful in his comments toward Senator McCain, citing the service, the dedication of a man who can arguably be described as having given more for this country than any of us could ever give, or imagine we might give. The president elect gave a speech that was filled with hope. It was filled with promise. If we can accomplish even half of what Barack Obama talked about in his speech Tuesday night, well Wow!

But you know what? We can only do that together. We can only do that if we're purple, and we need to be that way for a long time.

The political process, the way the system works is broken. I personally believe it is damaged beyond comprehension. Still in four years the majority of our country will again repair to their respective sides of the aisle and we will start all over again, and it will happen again, and again, and again.

I'm not advocating the end of the political process and I'm not suggesting an 8 or more year term for our new president.

I'm presenting purple - the recognition that though there is a need to decide who leads, who is in charge, who governs, there is no need for the name calling, the bitterness, the hate. It is time to recognize that we are all ultimately on the same team, and we will succeed or fail together.

Please note - This post is not intended to support one side or the other. If you read it that way, I suggest you read it again. I don't believe in sides. I believe in purple.