Topical subjects

Sometimes topics occur to me (or are sent to me) that really only work that day or maybe the next. After that the topic is kind of like cold mush - there's still stomething there but it certainly isn't as interesting as it was hot off the stove.

Today, one of the first things I saw was an announcement from Virgin Records and Google that they were planning a joint operation to select the best crew for a Mars journey. You can see that announcement here on YouTube.

The second topic is a good explanation for why many state employees were off yesterday. Many people had no idea it was Cesar Chavez Day and even those that knew about it don't know exactly what Chavez did to warrant his own named holiday. Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (Secretary of Education) issued the following statement:

STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O’CONNELL ISSUES STATEMENT COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF CÉSAR CHÁVEZ

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today released the following statement regarding César Chávez:

“Every year on March 31^st we pay tribute to the tireless and passionate efforts of a genuine leader who gave voice to millions of Latinos in their fight for economic equality and social justice. Having had the immense privilege of knowing César Chávez personally, I witnessed firsthand his unique ability to envision a plan for change and his determination to see it through to fruition.

“His many accomplishments include his historic 1966 Peregrinación, or Pilgrimage, from Delano to the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento to draw national attention to the plight of farm workers. He also played an instrumental role in the passage of the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which afforded a number of basic, fundamental rights to migrant workers.

“Throughout his life, César Chávez remained fully committed to his ideals, always emphasizing the use of peaceful, non-violent strategies to bring attention to the plight of migrant farm workers. He remains an inspiration to me for his leadership and determined conviction to improve our world.

“As we near another celebration of this extraordinary man’s life, his eternal words “si se puede,” and his legacy continue to inspire people to organize and make their voices heard when confronted by inequality and injustice.”

The California Department of Education makes standards-based model curriculum on the life and work of César E. Chávez available to schools. http://chavez.cde.ca.gov/ModelCurriculum/Intro.aspx. This site also lists many resources available for the general public.

The reference at the end is a great resource for information on Cesar Chavez. I'd like to add my thanks for all that Chavez did for workers' rights. And, I appreciate the holiday.

Interesting sideline: While the head of the California Department of Education was issuing the above statement, several dozen students from area high schools were marching on the state capitol to protest the fact that state workers had the day off but schools did not. Mr. O'Connell was not amused and told the kids to get back to school. He said Chavez would have told them that. I wonder.