Words Matter
It was with an unbelievable sense of shock and sadness that the California Council for the Social Studies Board of Directors, of which I am a part, received information about the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords while conducting business in its January board meeting. Our business was being conducted in the historic courthouse in Ontario, CA, in a building over 100 years old. That morning, Social Studies leaders from all over the state flew in to participate in the democratic process of leading, guiding and debating the issues pertaining to our discipline, as time-consuming and grinding as the process can sometimes be.
Due to the age of the building, we were not connected to wireless internet during the all-day meeting, but reports of the tragedy soon trickled in via Blackberries and iPads. Stunned silence followed the news announcement by CCSS President Greg Spielman, followed by cries of disbelief and shock. How could this be possible?
As social scientists, it is in our nature to place events on a timeline of a history, to look for patterns or changes