My favorite short story is The Scarlet Ibis. It's a story about Doodle, a little boy who was born with severe disabilities, and he defies the odds to learn to walk, talk, run and almost become a normal boy, just like his brother always wished he would be. The story is told from the brother's point of view, and as he thinks back about Doodle, he says, "I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that grows two vines, life and death." When I teach this short story in my English class, we talk about how pride can be a great thing when you have accomplished something you've worked hard at. When pride gives you motivation to become a better version of yourself, it gives you life. However, pride can be destructive when it breeds arrogance and selfishness. When pride causes you to damage those whom you love, it brings you death. What stands out to me more and more each time I teach this story is not just that pride can destroy, bu...
In March, executive orders from governors across the country forced us to stay home, to close schools and churches and to shut down private businesses. Businesses were classified as either "essential" or "non-essential." All businesses deemed "non-essential" were forced to close. This included markets, clothing stores, boutiques, dine-in restaurants, and beauty salons. State parks, city parks, beaches, walking trails, lakes, and other wide open spaces were closed as well. Many people feel that the "social distancing," as it has come to be known, and stay at home executive orders violate their constitutional rights, such as our First Amendment right to freely exercise our religion, our right to peaceably assemble, and that we shall not be deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of the people who feel their rights have been violated have decided to exercise their First Amendment right to protest. Some have even chosen...