Blog Archive » 2007 » July

Guess what? Hillary has cleavage. Wow. Who knew? Washington Post Fashion Critic Robin Givhan exposed this amazing fact after Senator Clinton appeared on C-Span giving a speech on the Senate floor while wearing a v-neck top that went slightly lower than expected, given the Senator's normally conservative neckline. Givhan's column ignited a furious storm of protest, including a marvelous column by Ellen Goodman in the Boston Globe in which she makes this pithy statement: "In the end, the question is not whether a candidate can show a hint of breast but whether you can have breasts and be president." The Clinton campaign has used this episode to launch a new round of fund raising, reminding voters that the women's revolution is far from over.

C'mon folks, there's a war on. There's massive flooding in Texas, wildfires in the West, and a stock market plunge that's far more serious than a little skin. There's the usual summer spike in violence in major cities, and terrorism lurking in blocks of cheese in suitcases. There's almost no one left to win the Tour de France, and the sports pages read like the docket at the local courthouse. Lindsay Lohan flunked rehab for the third time, and Nicole is following in Paris's footsteps to the local jail.

But we're talking cleavage. It's silly season in the media, and the political campaigns have already exhausted themselves and everyone else with too much scripted talk about too many trivial things. The You Tube debate was further evidence of the decline in serious thinking in our political discourse.

I spent part of my summer vacation reading 1776, David McCullough's insightful history of how we almost lost the battle for independence in that fateful year. Through working with many original documents, letters and diaries, McCullough carefully recounts the suffering of countless patriots in the Continental Army who struggled through unimaginably horrific conditions in the early days of the Revolutionary War.

It's a long way from the freezing banks of the Delaware River where George Washington's stealthy December 1776 crossing launched the Battle of Trenton to the comfortable salons of politicians and pundits in 2007 Washington. Perhaps a more astute sense of the obligations that our history imposes on us — a more passionate understanding of the moral obligation we have today to be good stewards of our freedoms — would elevate our national discourse going into the 2008 elections.

Our debates should be about war and peace, civil rights and threats to justice, how the richest nation in history cares for the poor among us, whether all people truly are able to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness equally. We the people must demand an end to the trivialization of political discourse.

We can start by demanding an end to the trivialization of candidates for political office. The only thing that's important is what they think and how they will achieve the true goals of our democracy. Whether male or female, black or white, fashionista or frumpy is truly irrelevant. What counts is moral character, courage and the deep passion necessary to lead this fractious nation to a more peaceful, equitable, satisfying future for all to enjoy.

See givhan

On the radio this morning I heard a commentary about how to talk to your children about Michael Vick, because this "role model" NFL quarterback has been indicted for running a brutal and illegal dogfighting operation. I found myself wondering why we ascribe the term "role model" to professional athletes whose main claim to fame is that they are celebrities who make a lot of money entertaining fans through sport. Sometimes they get into a lot of trouble; Vick has had his share of ugly headlines. Same for Barry Bonds, the "home run hero" of the moment.

I'm not sure why popular culture reveres professional athletes as "role models" and even "heroes." Talented? Yes, for the most part, in their one particular position in one sport. Courageous? Hardly, for the most part, albeit we have the occasional triumph-over-adversity stories about athletes. But many regular people triumph over adversity every single day, and millions are more talented in a broader range of more productive human activities. How many lists of popular "role models" are led by critical care nurses, special ed teachers, cancer researchers or advocates for the homeless? Such true heroes are rarely recognized outside of their own communities. We revere soldiers as heroes, but how many of us know their names?

38 years ago this past Friday, some real heroes and role models did something quite extraordinary — the Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong took "one giant leap for mankind." But their story was little remembered amid the media din over Vick, Bonds, Harry Potter, and other real or fictional characters.

The real meaning of a "role model" is someone who sets an example to inspire others. Women's colleges like Trinity are serious about role models — we have more women leaders than a typical university, from numerous executives and tenured professors to student leaders and alumnae who have achieved considerable status in their professions. We are not celebrities, by and large, but regular people who hope to inspire other women through the example of our own work and achievements. Through the numerous examples we present to students, we are able to show how such achievements are possible, and we inspire succeeding generations to reach their own goals.

Certainly, we can cheer for our favorite teams and celebrate the accomplishments of professional athletes when those accomplishments are genuine, not manufactured. But the real answer to the "problem" of explaining Michael Vick to your children is simply this: let's stop exalting celebrities — athletes, movie stars, politicians — as "role models" unless or until they do something truly inspirational. And, let's be clear that fame is not the same as true achievement.

See an interesting opinion on a similar topic in today's Washington Post by Shankar Vedantam.

See today's Washington Post editorial on the real hero in the baseball home run saga, Hank Aaron…

See this Sports Illustrated article on Barry Bonds…

See Barry Bonds, Vick,

Leaving the Adirondacks… never easy, save for the happy anticipation of seeing friends, colleagues and students again! There are only so many good stories I can invent while watching loons!

But on my last full day here, I floated down a little bit of heaven while shooting frogs and turtles — not literally, of course, but with my trusty Nikon. They seemed stunned to have so much attention, these backwater creatures whose idea of a hard day at work is to jump from a log to the beach to the swamp. While most swamp things skitter away, the two in the photos above just sat there staring at me with those doleful eyes. Or maybe they were as happy with the day as I was…. I was even able to sit back and lounge for a while in the boat, feet on the deck, see above. That's not my usual pose when on the lakes! But this particular stretch of the Raquette River — which has big, wide, breezy showcases in Tupper Lake, Long Lake and Raquette Lake — is a more desultory, winding and narrow stretch that ambles through the heart of the wilderness.

Feeling at one with the water and sky and passing scenery and wildlife… this is the kind of balance most of us do not have time or the inclination to pursue most of the year. Yet, I find it to be the most peaceful, regenerative activity possible.

Until the motor boats blast along, piercing my happy karma with their noise and smelly exhaust! Yes, even on this very narrow waterway, far from roads, I was startled to see two motorboats zoom on by, their skippers completely ignoring the wildlife and human life glaring from the pools underneath some overhanging trees. (Last week I wrote about the lessons I've learned from kayaking — and here's one I forgot to mention: no matter how well prepared the paddler, no matter how calm and beautiful the day, there will always be some guy in a big powerboat who zooms past heedless of the wake he causes that can swamp a smaller boat. I seem to spend a lot of time, here and there, trying to keep my small boat stable as the big power machines race past. Just thinking.)

Even with the "forever wild" laws that ensure the permanent wilderness areas of the Adirondacks, the forest, rivers, lakes and wildlife are in grave danger because of the effects of human activity. Power boats may come and go, but acid rain, chemicals and raw sewage dumped into streams, and degraded air quality all affect even the smallest parts of nature. Global climate change, similarly, can have a devastating effect on wilderness areas as drought or winds or devastating storms displace wildlife and destroy trees.

As readers can gather from reading my Adirondack Chronicles, this annual sojourn in the wilderness is a time for me to reflect on environmental concerns and to observe, in a very limited way, the rhythms of nature in wild places. I return to Washington and to Trinity with a renewed eagerness to see that we address these issue more directly, in our curricula and programs, and in the various activities in which I participate in the community. In that regard, I'm pleased to say that I am co-chairing this year's Potomac Conference for the Greater Washington Board of Trade which has "green business" as its theme. Look for more on that in future blogs, as well as more specific thoughts on the ways in which Trinity will continue to address these issues in the days to come.

For now, as I tie-down my kayak on top of the car and head off to the Northway, I am grateful for the privilege of a few days in the woods, watching the small creatures, listening to the wind through the trees, and basking in the glory of creation.

Blue heron hide out in the marshes up here, and their favorite activity (when not avoiding photographers) seems to be fishing. The heron in the top photo above was very annoyed that someone was watching this exhibition, but the urge to eat was obviously far stronger than the instinct to fly away.

Osprey also hang out in the wilderness, though those in the pictures above were actually in a nest high on an electrical tower. They were guarding their new chick… and when they sensed an observer in the distance, Mama Osprey rose up to show her fierce wings… and then settled down again while Dad flew up and perched on a higher post to keep an eye on me.

Osprey and heron seem to adapt to civilization more easily than some other wildlife, like the loons. I've seen many on the waterways around Washington, too — but the loons keep themselves pretty well hidden in the back country. Except those who are showing off their little babies, of course!

Loons are the most iconic of all Adirondack creatures, even more than black bears. Regal, mysterious, smart and prickly, loons are most well known for their haunting calls and elusive behavior. You can hear some of the calls by clicking on the links here and here.

Loons definitely dislike humans, and their wary tolerance of a two-legged visitor with a camera even 50 yards away on shore is a true metaphor for the often-uneasy relationship between civilization and wilderness in the North Country. The loon will watch a visitor with that glowing red-eye look, and then without warning will dive beneath the surface of the water, perhaps gone for a long time, or resurfacing in seconds but a distance away. They are great underwater swimmers. Hatching just one or two chicks a year, they protect their young fiercely… and unlike some other waterfowl, the male loons stick around to help with feeding and protecting the family.

Protecting loon habitats, particularly nesting areas, is one of many important examples of effective wilderness management. Wildlife need the vast forests and lakes of the Adirondacks and similar places to thrive. Unlike the unspeakably pesky geese that have become an urban nuisance and brown ducks that have adapted to near-domestic life in many places, loons and other truly "wild" wildlife can only thrive in their natural habitat. Human behaviors — shoreline developments, powerboats, fishing lures, pollution, among others — are among the great threats to loons and other wildlife in the wilderness.

Understanding and respecting the needs of wild things ensures the health of civilization as well. I appreciate the need for some development — the roads and developments make it possible for me to come to the edge of the wilderness, to see the loons and other wild things at least from afar. Yet, when I sit on the deck and night and hear a loon call far up the lake, I hope that the rest of the shoreline will remain "forever wild" as it is today so that these beautiful creatures will always have this magnificent space as their own, first, with humans as visitors at a distance.