Gadfly is defined by dictionary.com in two ways: as a fly that annoys domestic animals, and a "person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes ideas, demands, requests, etc." Politically speaking, a "social gadfly" is a person who "upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, or just being an irritant" according to this wikipedia article. The term has been used to describe politicians and other people of influence, perhaps most famously used by Socrates in Plato's Apology, a retelling of the Trial of Socrates when Socrates was put to death for "corrupting the youth". Here is a link with a simplified version of the quote. Socrates' teachings have served as a model for philosophers, educators, and other social gadflys for centuries.
I would like to use my blog to provoke important questions and thoughts involving education, including political aspects. Regardless of what people may think, education and politics are very closely related, making it imperative for educators to be politically involved. People tend to shy away from talking about politics because they are afraid of controversy. They think of politics and they think of arguing, and choosing sides: Bill O’Reilly or John Stewart, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, mainly Republicans vs. Democrats. Americans believe that there are two sides to every political story, which is simply not true; there are an infinite amount of sides. When I ask you to be political I’m not asking you to choose to be a Republican or be a Democrat, I’m simply asking you to educate yourself and be active in the world around you.
According to merriam-webster.com the word politics is derived from the Greek word politika meaning "of, for, or relating to citizens". Using this definition, it's difficult to argue against the fact that everyone is political in some way. This article from youthbuild.org does a good job of articulating this idea. Everyone is affected by the world of politics, and everyone affects the world or politics. One simple way to start developing your own political ideas is to understand how political ideas differ from each other using the political compass. Take the time to visit the site, first taking the test and then reading about the analysis to learn about how the test works, and learn about the “inadequacies of the traditional left-right line”.
I am a big fan of music, particularly deep thought provoking music. I think it's a good way to express ideas and feelings in a way that words alone cannot. I'm going to try to end every one of my posts with lyrics and a link to a music video from a song with at least a little bit of relevance to the topic. This song begins with lyrics that take an idea that is often linked with Socrates. (Plus he mentions one of the biggest political influences in recent decades, Nelson Mandela.)
"Any man who knows a thing, knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all"--Take a Minute by K'naan
