A fair game on a level field

Did I ever mention that I have a small collection of kaleidoscopes?  I used to have more of them, but currently have three, I think.  Along the path of my life, others have been lost or discarded, I guess.  I have never put much value in stuff and each time I have moved, some of it has gone away.

I also have different lenses through which I view life.  I've not discarded any of those, even if I may forget some of them from time to time.

For the past week, I've remembered a lens from the past which intersects with my critical thinking lens.  It's all about fair play, about having a level playing field.  I don't expect that many people will view the world through those same lenses.

So I may be speaking to the wind.  That seems to be happening more often lately.  But I don't believe it is pointless.  I believe the wind sometimes listens.

Originally posted at Docudharma

In the deep dark past of another life I played sports.  I played baseball (third base, shortstop, and pitcher), football (end and quarterback), basketball (forward/center), and later, when I gave up football because it was too violent, I ran cross-country.  In college, I rowed crew on the Schuylkill for a time and Dick Harter asked me to play on his basketball team.  I turned him down.

I was a fair athlete with good skills...and I had my moments of excellence.  But I had a problem keeping me from being better than fair.  That problem was that I never could adopt a "win at all costs" mentality.  It was always more important to me that the game be played fairly and in accordance with the rules.  I mean, who would want to win if you have to cheat to do it?  How can you feel good about doing so?

To many people I suppose that makes me appear to be a fool.  If that's how you see it, so be it.  I still believe it is more important that a good game played fairly is more important than who wins or loses.  I revel in Tiger Woods and Ernie Els going stroke for stroke in the President's Cup until it is too dark to play anymore...and then calling it a draw.  To me, the view of life as an exercise in trying to be a winner rather than a loser is nearly the very definition I have for labeling someone a loser.

I refuse to consider life a game...unless it is a cooperative game we can all win.  I detest using sports as a metaphor for life.  But if I am forced to do so, I believe in a level playing field for human endeavor.

That last thing is apparently difficult for some folks to envision.  Some people refuse to see the tilt in the field.  Some people think one makes the field level by refusing to put more thumbs on one corner or side than are already there.  But refusing to tilt it further is not going to result in making it level.  One has to remove the thumbs that are already there...and probably put a thumb on another corner or side for awhile.  That last thing is a problem, because the folks who refuse to acknowledge the tilt in the field seem to think trying to level it is somehow cheating them.  It is a conundrum.

How does this translate to politics (as if it had to be)?

Being willing to believe only the worst about one candidate and only the best about another does not exemplify a level playing field.  Prooftexting every word each of our wonderful candidates utters...as well as anyone who has anything to say concerning them will always overlook the good in favor of finding the bad.  

Whatever happened to truth, justice, and fair play?

I'm a teacher.  I believe in the concept of the level playing field for my students.  As far as I know, there is no other way.  I do not tolerate cheating.  Neither do I believe in holding any of my students to different standards than others.

And I believe that it is my duty to teach my students how to think critically.  To think critically requires fair consideration be given to alternative points of view.   To think critically requires the fair consideration of the consequences of conclusions drawn and actions which are proposed to be taken in order to solve our problems.  The important word in there is fair.

Has our society come to such a state that fairness has been erased as a principle?  I've always thought that what made us differen't than "the other side" is that we believed in fair play.  I always thought that our principles were sacrosanct.

I have always had faith that the good guys would win in the end.  I didn't ever believe that they had to morph into the bad guys in order to do it.  I refuse to believe that.

Art Link Landscape of the Mind The Candy-colored Clown In my dreams the eagle transforms into the dove of peace every soul is sparked by precious pieces of Martin and Coretta their essence permeates the landscape of my mind fairness prevails people are kind nice caring helpful human warmth flows toward everyone through everything replenishing the fabric of this mortal coil There's always fair weather where justice reigns the justice that Martin saw from the mountain top Then I awake let out a gasp and cry out in despair --Robyn Elaine Serven --February 17, 2006