Days are getting longer – are the weeks?

The calendar works that way. The shortest day is around December 21. And the length of the day then changes slowly. The days get longer and longer and longer, and the changes happen faster and faster. And the fastest change happens around March 21.

We are now a third of the way from December 21 to March 21 (roughly), so the days are starting to get noticeably longer.

The story continues. After the first day of spring (roughly) the days keep getting longer, but the changes become smaller, until they reach their longest (and stop getting longer!) around June 21. And then shorter and shorter, fastest change around September 21, until the cycle completes just before Christmas.

But are the weeks getting longer? This one seemed packed.

1. Culture. I signed a petition to reinstate Samia Halaby’s retrospective show at the University of Indiana, which the university administration had canceled with a flimsy excuse – actually because Samia is outspoken about Palestine. Here’s the petition. Here’s an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. Also, I joined a Cultural Resistance march on January 13 and marched with some NYC teachers, and alongside marchers in solidarity with the Jenin Freedom Theater.
2. Birthday. Mine is on my mind. Big one soon. But I went to a friend’s 60th – wanted to go – wasn’t sure what to expect – and had a great time – got there early, left late.
3. More marching. 42nd street to 86th street Monday. Actually, 40 years in NYC, many years of many protests, and this was my first time passing Gracie Mansion. I didn’t actually see it though.
4. Ceasefire? Another attempt to get the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to take an immediate ceasefire position failed to get on the agenda. A resolution was raised by someone from the Educators for Palestine group (don’t know if they were a MORE member, might have been.) They pointed out that AFT President Randi Weingarten tweeted in favor of a ceasefire (clearly. She was responding/echoing an Israeli ally who was making the call.) It got 51% of the vote, but needed two-thirds to get on this month’s agenda. It is clear, though, that something big is going on. The UFT was long one of the most anti-Palestinian unions in the country. There has been a shift. MORE and E4P do not organize anywhere close to half the Delegate Assembly vote. That total reflects real change. Independent delegates must have voted to put a ceasefire on the agenda. And there’s no way to reach a total like that without quite a few of the leadership’s delegates (Unity) breaking discipline and voting to put an immediate ceasefire on the agenda. Strangely, New Action’s blog takes a seemingly anti-ceasefire stand. I will try to clarify; perhaps I misunderstand. But look – this is a big shift. It took years to move the UFT off of Shanker’s pro-Vietnam war position… but eventually we (before me, but, “we”) prevailed. There was a moment when the UFT shifted, and that was big. We are close to another such moment.
5. Bigots in NYC? Yes, we have our own. There is an infestation called “PLACE” among some of our parent bodies. But this week we had Moms for Liberty – an invasive pest from Florida. They specialize in anti-trans bigotry, but have branched off into generic anti-LGBTQ, racism, and book banning. They were able to rent space at the Bohemian National Hall on the east side, which is actually owned by the Czech government. The Czech foreign ministry shamefully refused to step in and cancel the contract. In the end, the shabby group of bigots and right-wingers did speak, PLACE was prominent, but to an audience full of protesters (out of just 75 people) with 100 more protesters outside. I’m glad they were overwhelmed, but that’s not good enough. They should not have been here. Let’s make sure they do not come back.
6. And ending on a high note – went to visit my mom. I brought her narcissus (paper whites), and she enjoyed potting the bulbs.

Bad Mom

Good Mom