“Uno tiene la obligacíon moral de ser responsable de sus actos y tambíen de sus palabras e incluso de sus silencios, sí, de sus silencios, porque también los silencios ascienden al cielo y los oye Dios y sólo Dios los comprende y los juzga, así que mucho cuidado con los silencios. Yo soy responsable de todo.” Nocturno de Chile, Roberto Bolano (2000)
One has the moral obligation to be responsible for one’s actions and also one’s words – including one’s silences, yes, one’s silences. Silences also rise to heaven and God hears them. He alone understands and judges them, so it’s wise to be careful with your silences.
Translated roughly by M. Hersh 2013
Cryptic yet salient point. The silence candidates have had over the malicious attacks carried out in the yellow flyers (which Judith mentioned in her earlier post) has been deafening.
Read the book, Dan. I love the quote, and I’m glad that you [and Claudia] do too, but Bolano was actually describing the thoughts of a dying priest who had quietly collaborated with the horrible crimes of the Pinochet regime in Chile. I don’t know of any candidates in the school board race who approve of those yellow flyers, but I do know that Claudia Vizcarra and Karlo Silbiger would not quietly collaborate with reactionaries trying to destroy unions, student organizations, social justice activists and intelectuals that happened in the Pinochet years. They both understand that a strong public education system is necessary to permit an electorate to make knowledgable decisions in an election and that attacking key stakeholders in public education does not improve public education, it merely politicizes it to the detriment of the students and parents we all wish to support.
Dan,
Maybe you missed my blog on Negative Campaigning: http://culvercity.patch.com/groups/claudia-vizcarras-blog/p/negative-campaigning-does-not-foster-a-healthy-dialogue.
Claudia Vizcarra
Claudia,
I appreciate what you linked, and I believe that you stand by that. I have just felt that you and others have tried to lump valid criticisms with mean-spirited attacks. There is a difference. And speaking for myself, when you use a broad definition that puts criticisms of your positions with assaults on one’s character under the same guise, it waters down the power of the message.
Sort of like making parent activism analogous to the murderous actions of a despot in Chile.
Oy vey, Dan. Scott Kecken brought this up in another comment
to another post. May I correct you all once again, in stating once and for all, this is a parent with a child with special needs, who has been in legal action to provide educational services for her child for 2 or maybe even 3 boards now. Hint: when the Board had not one but three lawyers doing various bidding for the District, and ask Robert Zirgulis what he thinks of that!
Of course I am referring to the yellow flyers handed out
at Board meetings, candidates events, she is one detemined
and brave mother. I have spoken with her, and will defend to the death her right and obligation to bring attention to what she as a parent sees as her duty to her child’s educational needs. There
have been times when other simple folk parents like myself have dared to wonder if Kathy the unquestionable parent of parents does not represent some spooky undead force, but no! that would be giving her too much credit. She does carry someone’s water tho.
Sorry Michael for “going negative” on your fine post.
My last point is we all have ties that are no secret
to anyone paying attention, and it’s what makes us
who we are. I salute you all and Happy Dia de los Muertos
Mis perdones a la memoria de los que han muerto
en las guerras de latinoamerica en el siglo XX.
Que su memoria sirva para encontrar como desarrollar sin violencia,
sea esa violencia facista, marxista, maoista u personal…