The Primaries

It's a very special year in the US and the Czech Republic as we both choose a new president. In the Czech system, the Parliment elects the president, and the process is completely different than in the USA. So I thought it would be fun for the kids to learn about our process while they're hearing and reading about it in the news.

This week we had our own round of Primaries where we selected candidates from most of the classes to run for President of English Classes. Next week we will form our campaign and make a video, which will be shown in the classes during the following week when they make their final decisions.

You can follow our progress and even vote in the poll for your favorite on our website: www.anglictinapolicka.blogspot.com

Our Adult classes have been considering different issues at hand, such as "Should a woman be able to serve as President?" and "Should the President be chosen by the popular vote of the people or by a governing body?" I enjoyed discussing these issues with them as I myself have been tossing these thoughts around in my own head. I'm finding it a challenge to understand the candidates from so far away, especially when I live in a different society and culture. I find myself looking for a President who would be the best representative to the world, dealing with social issues and conflicts, instead of trying to match the candidates platforms with my own beliefs. I cannot vote in the Primaries, because I don't have an address in Wisconsin and I'm no longer registered in Oklahoma, but I can't help checking every morning after to see the results as the parties choose their candidates. This is the most interesting race I can remember; whether we end up with a woman, a black man, a Morman, or an ordinary white man, I think the race will be entertaining to say the least.

Note: I hope no one takes the last comment as offensive, because I do feel that a candidate(and every person for that matter) cannot be judged by the labels that society gives them. However, I think the world and history will take notice if we elect anything other than an ordinary white male with protestant beliefs like the forefathers of our country. I wonder where American stands, because I'm not sure I can tell from here.