Carole J. Garrison

Queen of the Hill

I stopped breathing as I imagined myself toppling over and getting crushed under the large feet of the plodding beast.

The Golden Mean in the Age of Covid-19

Aristotle established the concept of the Golden Mean 2,500 years ago. Simply put, the middle path—or moderation—is the correct choice for right behavior and making good decisions. During this pandemic, we Americans are choosing between extreme options and moderate ones. On one side of the continuum is an extreme option: shutting down the economy, curtailingContinue reading “The Golden Mean in the Age of Covid-19”

Letter to the Editor: Unity and Diversity is What Will Make America Great

Congress has enacted a number of civil rights statutes prohibiting discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. These statutes are as follows: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion and national origin); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibitingContinue reading “Letter to the Editor: Unity and Diversity is What Will Make America Great”

Passing It On

It’s likely that you’ve heard of pay it forward —the wonderful practice of doing an act of kindness for someone and having him or her return the favor by doing something kind for someone else. Popularized in the Kevin Spacey/Helen Hunt 2000 movie by that name, the practice has been resurrected during the pandemic. MyContinue reading “Passing It On”

“ALL” is a Four Letter Word

I have taught a class on ethics for police over the course of 36 years, at two different universities, and continue to teach the subject online. With absolute certainty, I can tell you that the vast majority of the students in my classes want to become police officers to help their communities, to help people.Continue reading ““ALL” is a Four Letter Word”

The Lie of Charter Schools

Many legislatures at the state and federal levels, claiming to be hell-bent on educational innovation, actually limit the people with the most educational experience. They thwart those who are the most knowledgeable about our students—the most committed to all children and their collective future. If they were sincere, they would increase funding for our publicContinue reading “The Lie of Charter Schools”

To Sleep or not to Sleep

Bob’s chirp—staccato and loud enough to jar me from my stupor—was followed by her ritualistic head bobbing and a softer, rolling chirping. I lay there, eyes still closed, forcing myself to listen to her gentler song, trying to wake my brain and force myself back into full consciousness. Bob began singing again and playing withContinue reading “To Sleep or not to Sleep”

Bras and Nylon Stockings

I drank the Kool-Aid. I wore the undergarments. I had bouts of anorexia. I was so concerned about saggy skin that I wore panty hose with my bathing suit.

Busted: We are all Racists

But of course I am a racist and I have to work at it every day, every day, so that I don’t add to the harm racism does to people, to society, to the planet. We all do.

Dichotomous Thinking

WHEN GIVEN TWO CHOICES, I ALWAYS GO FOR THE THIRD. I doubt that I’m the first to say that, nor do I want to suggest that other people haven’t been pondering the consequences of our dichotomous thinking in the US: like-dislike, friend-unfriend, win-lose, us-them, right-wrong, prochoice-prolife, Republican-Democrat, and now social distancing-opening up the economy. WeContinue reading “Dichotomous Thinking”