First they came for...

When I consider whether or not a cause is important enough for me to support, I often think of the above quote by Pastor Martin Niehmoller. He was a Protestant clergyman in Germany during the early days of the Nazi government in the 1930s. He initially supported Hitler because his mother did, but later actively opposed the Nazis. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1937 and sent to the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps. Allied forces liberated him at the end of World War II.

The background of the picture above is of the American Cemetery at Henri-Chappelle, Belgium.  It is where my uncle who died fighting the Nazis is buried. He was shot and died just after the battle of the bulge and not long before the end of the war.  He and many others DID stand up so that we could fight this awful evil.  Isn't it better to fight prejudice and bigotry BEFORE people have to die for it in wars? Whether or not our religious or political beliefs agree with something it is never a reason to support denying the human and civil rights of others.

Staples new teacher policy...

Teachers (specifically) have recently been notified of Staples new policy regarding limits on purchases during their special back to school sales.  Little Miss Kindergarten's blog explains the issue and why it is a problem here: http://littlemisskindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/06/dear-staples.html?m=0

I and some other have been posting on Staples Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/staples to find out more about this policy.  We would be more than happy to provide ID proving we are teachers so that we know we are not just crazy deal people looking to clear the shelves or something and hoarding the materials.  We really need those items for our classrooms. We are not asking for anything free, we simply wish them to continue letting teachers purchase more than 5 of each deal as they did last year during these sales.  Many of us teach in poor districts and need classroom sets of things that in other schools the students or school supplies. We do not mind paying out of our pockets or searching out deals.  We just feel it was offensive to single out teachers in this case.