Essay written in Feb 2017. Published June 2020
I was born and raised in Berkeley – something I had, at one time, been proud of. However, so much has changed since the 60’s, that I barely recognize my city.
I was born and raised in Berkeley – something I had, at one time, been proud of. However, so much has changed since the 60’s, that I barely recognize my city.
I was in 6th grade during the Free Speech
Movement and my elementary school was less than a mile from the Cal campus. The
majority of my classmates had parents who were in some way affiliated with the
university; some had studied there while others were faculty members. Therefore,
it was not surprising that the kids at my school were rather well informed
about the historic situation unfolding just down the road. It would have a
lasting impact on all our lives.
It was even more exciting for me because my friend’s father
was a prominent Political Science professor at Cal with connections to the
leaders of the Free Speech Movement. I remember being at her house when the
phone would ring, she would answer, then call out to her father that it was for
him. She would then run over to me and whisper in awe, It’s Mario Savio! He had rock star status, even to a couple of
12-year-old Berkeley kids.
A large number of our parents were 60’s liberals and democrats.
They believed in a country for all. They believed in tolerance. They believed
in civility. Many had come from working class backgrounds, and all the dads had
served in the military in WWII. Most had used the GI Bill to get their
university degrees at Cal and some stayed on to become faculty members. All of
our mothers and fathers were hardworking and did not expect handouts. Perhaps these
are some of the reasons there is such a difference between today’s liberals and those of my youth.
Much of my junior high and high school years were spent peacefully
protesting the war in Viet Nam, defending the right of People’s Park, and engaging
in debate about the future of our country. Conversations could become quite
heated, yet I do not remember anyone being frightened of physical repercussions
should their views oppose another’s. There were police altercations; some of
them rather intense. But to the best of my knowledge, there were never any
bands of black-clad anarchists intent on destroying the campus and city, with a
total disregard to the views of others.
Berkeley, to me, now represents the opposite of the Flower
Child ideals of my youth. It has turned into a city of close-mindedness,
intolerance, and the belief that there is only one correct avenue of thought.
And although I still hold one or two of my 60’s beliefs, I will never accept
the methods by which these now seem to be promoted. Regrettably, this new
paradigm begins long before students arrive at UC Berkeley.
When I was growing up, we may have guessed at the political
views of some of our teachers, but not one of them ever preached what their
students should believe. We were encouraged and allowed to express our own
opinions. As a lifelong educator, I still uphold the edict that was taught to
me during my college courses. We were instructed that we could never even display
political buttons on our clothing or divulge which candidate we supported. This
tenet was to allow for students to come to their own conclusions as well as to
protect the views of their parents who might have differing political affiliations.
My, how that has changed in the ensuing years. One example
is a secondary school teacher in Berkeley who is one of the leaders of the
movement to tear down our country. In February 2017, during destructive riots on
the UC Berkeley campus, this teacher stood in front of a crowd with a
megaphone screaming “…. if we stick
together and stay united…. We can shut this f***er down. We can get rid of
Donald Trump.” (I believe she is still employed by the district.) Then
there was the elementary school Peace (protest) March on the day of the
inauguration with 6-year-olds holding Not
my President signs. And the 7th grader whose I Have a Dream essay began: “Donald Trump should be killed,” because “he hates women”. Walk
into any school in the city and you will find these same sentiments on the
walls and in the classrooms, coupled with a complete lack of tolerance for any
opposing views.
So vile is the rhetoric against President Trump in my city,
that I am fairly sure the inauguration was not shown at most, if any, of the public
schools. As a politically aware child of the 60’s, I have made sure to watch
every inauguration. It does not matter that I may have disagreed with the
incoming president on any number of issues. I have always seen it as my civic
duty to witness one of the great hallmarks of our nation, the peaceful transfer
of power. Jan 20, 2017 was no different. Regrettably,
my local state official did not share my view. Along with many other House
Democrats, she chose to boycott the inauguration. I had wanted to call her
office and register my objection. After all, I am one of her constituents and
strongly felt that my district should be represented for this momentous
occasion. But one cannot do that in Berkeley. When one lives in a city,
district, and state that is so vehemently opposed to the president, it is not wise to speak out in favor of civic duty and
responsibility.
I remember when Nixon was elected in 1969, and how terribly
upset that made me feel. I could not believe that it had happened. My parents had
been equally unhappy about the outcome. But it was my die-hard Democrat father
who pointed out that the American people had spoken, and it was something I had
to accept.
Growing up in this city in the 60’s is why I became an
educator. I truly believed that I could change the world through education. At
this point in my life, I am totally disillusioned with a profession that seems
to have taken two steps back for every step forward. I grew up in the city
where the Free Speech Movement originated. We were the first city in the nation
to integrate its schools. There have always been strong ties between the
University and the public schools, both in research and innovation. One would
think that we would now be a sterling example of how to educate young children.
We are not.
