Ojooido

World Book Day 2026 is officially marked on Thursday, April 23, 2026, as recognized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The 2026 theme focuses on diving deeper into reading with children to encourage children's reading.

El Día Mundial del Libro de 2026 se celebra oficialmente el jueves 23 de abril de 2026, tal como lo reconoce la UNESCO para promover la lectura, la industria editorial y los derechos de autor. El tema de 2026 se centra en profundizar en la lectura junto con los niños, con el fin de fomentar el hábito lector entre la infancia.

This post is in remembrance and honor of Jürgen Habermas who passed on March 14, 2026. A man who steadfastly believed in the emancipatory potential of reason. Habermas held a central conviction that is both simple and radical: Democracy thrives only when citizens engage in collective reasoning.

In college, I was introduced to his work. His views on reason, democracy, and the power of public dialogue in the modern era significantly shaped my perspective as a citizen of the United States. His concept of "communicative action" emphasizes that genuine dialogue transcends mere persuasion or power dynamics. It is a process where individuals exchange reasons in good faith to achieve mutual understanding.

In today's climate of skepticism regarding truth, "communicative action" defends the Enlightenment belief that rational communication can guide societies toward justice and consensus. In a time influenced by propaganda, digital noise, and ideological polarization, I uphold his belief that public discourse grounded in reason is democracy's most potent tool: citizens exchanging reasons in good faith to achieve mutual understanding rather than manipulating others for selfish purposes.

In an age marked by democratic erosion, polarization, misinformation, and algorithm-driven echo chambers, we must confront these challenges with the power of reasoned dialogue. Habermas believed, as do I, that the health of democracy can be measured by the quality of its public conversations. Ultimately, a democracy depends on a vibrant public sphere, where citizens deliberate together in rational, free, and open dialogue aimed at validating truths, normative values, and sincerity about matters of common concern. Rest in peace.

🇺🇸🇲🇽✌🏽

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has been clear about her desire to shut down the agency she runs. She’s laid off half the staff and joked about padlocking the door.

She calls it “the final mission.”

But the department is not behaving like an agency that is simply winding down. Even as McMahon has shrunk the Department of Education, she’s operated in what she calls “a parallel universe” to radically shift how children will learn for years to come. The department’s actions and policies reflect a disdain for public schools and a desire to dismantle that system in favor of a range of other options — private, Christian and virtual schools or homeschooling.

Over just eight months, department officials have opened a $500 million tap for charter schools, a huge outlay for an option that often draws children from traditional public schools. They have repeatedly urged states to spend federal money for poor and at-risk students at private schools and businesses. And they have threatened penalties for public schools that offer programs to address historic inequities for Black or Hispanic students.

Allison Rose Socol, a policy expert at EdTrust, an organization focusing on civil rights in schools, decried what she called the “demo crew” in McMahon’s office. Socol described McMahon’s push to help grow private school enrollment through taxpayer-funded vouchers and other means as a “great American heist” that will funnel money away from the public system.

“It’s a strategic theft of the future of our country, our kids and our democracy,” she said.

Read the full article: http://edtru.st/3J4RJKJ

El último rubor del verano, en cestas yace,
Una despedida de dulzura, bajo cielos que se desvanecen.
La última cosecha, cada esfera suave y cálida,
guardando el recuerdo del sol, a salvo de la tormenta.
De las ramas cargadas, se recogen los últimos frutos,
una abundancia dorada, donde el verano ha estado.
Su piel, un abrazo aterciopelado, su fragancia, un suspiro,
de días largos y soleados, que pronto pasarán.
Cada bocado, una explosión jugosa, un estallido de deleite,
un sabor de la temporada, que contiene la llegada de la noche.
Un placer agridulce, un momento para retener,
mientras el verano se rinde, historias no contadas.
Así que saborea estos melocotones, con reverencia y gracia,
por la calidez que encarnan y la alegría que abrazan. 😋

“Education is not memorizing that Hi**er killed 6 million Jews. Education is understanding how millions of ordinary Germans were convinced that it was required. Education is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself.”
~Noam Chomsky

Today, education is not knowing that the department of education is being eliminated by Trump & his MAGA sycophants. Education is understanding how millions of ordinary Americans believe and support these corrupt politicians and their undeniable undemocratic nonsense. Education is learning the democratic principles and moral values of our Constitutional Republic and applying critical thought to contemporary issues.

🇺🇸 “A right to an opinion doesn't mean it's right" 🇺🇸

You cannot be intelligent merely by choosing your opinions. The intelligent person is not a not the person that that holds such views but the person who has sound reasons for what he believes and yet doesn’t believe it dogmatically. The quote "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong" is attributed to Bertrand Russell. The importance of humility and open-mindedness, particularly when holding strong convictions cannot be overemphasized.

What can you do as a citizen in this moment to respond to a government you do not recognize as your own. As citizens we cannot standby as a spectator as the Republican administration demonstrates disdain for the work of democratic governance and carries out a shameful “whatever it takes to cling to power” retribution agenda as demonstrated by its hateful purpose of harming people, places and things Republicans do not like.

An “enlightened citizen”, as described by Thomas Jefferson, must willing to question their own beliefs and consider the possibility of being mistaken because its not what education has taught us but the critical thinking process (how and why she/he believes what she/he believes) that distinguishes the beliefs of an un-informed citizen from the informed citizen.

In considering the predominate spread of misinformation in the contemporary political world it is worth noting following two maxims: (1) “that jobs should be given to people on account of their fitness to perform them; (2) the aim of education should be to cure people of the habit of believing propositions for which there is no evidence.” This can only be done bt generating an enlightned public opinion. And an enlightened public opinion can only be generated by the efforts of tnose who desire it to exist.

In short, reasonably informed Americans are not afraid to challenge the status quo and express their unpopular or controversial opinions in whatever the political landscape the nation finds itself—particularly if that means expressing opinions tirelessly every day to restore freedoms that are under attack and to protect the norms and values of our democratic institutions by being a vocal civic advocate for democracy, social justice, human rights, pacifism, and rationality.

🇺🇸 “A right to an opinion doesn't mean it's right" 🇺🇸

You cannot be intelligent merely by choosing your opinions. The intelligent person is not a not the person that that holds such views but the person who has sound reasons for what he believes and yet doesn’t believe it dogmatically. The quote "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong" is attributed to Bertrand Russell. The importance of humility and open-mindedness, particularly when holding strong convictions cannot be overemphasized.

What can you do as a citizen in this moment to respond to a government you do not recognize as your own. As citizens we cannot standby as a spectator as the Republican administration demonstrates disdain for the work of democratic governance and carries out a shameful “whatever it takes to cling to power” retribution agenda as demonstrated by its hateful purpose of harming people, places and things Republicans do not like.

An “enlightened citizen”, as described by Thomas Jefferson, must willing to question their own beliefs and consider the possibility of being mistaken because its not what education has taught us but the critical thinking process (how and why she/he believes what she/he believes) that distinguishes the beliefs of an un-informed citizen from the informed citizen.

In considering the predominate spread of misinformation in the contemporary political world it is worth noting following two maxims: (1) “that jobs should be given to people on account of their fitness to perform them; (2) the aim of education should be to cure people of the habit of believing propositions for which there is no evidence.” This can only be done bt generating an enlightned public opinion. And an enlightened public opinion can only be generated by the efforts of tnose who desire it to exist.

In short, reasonably informed Americans are not afraid to challenge the status quo and express their unpopular or controversial opinions in whatever the political landscape the nation finds itself—particularly if that means expressing opinions tirelessly every day to restore freedoms that are under attack and to protect the norms and values of our democratic institutions by being a vocal civic advocate democracy social justice, human rights, pacifism, and rationality.

Today, July 4, 2025, foundational American principles face a grave threat from within. Though Donald Trump was democratically elected, he aspires to be a dictator. For him, governing is done only through corrupt patronage and fear. The fabric of freedom is unraveling as policies target the very essence of our nation. Immigration criminalization, healthcare denial, LGBTQ rights erasure, women's rights restrictions, voter suppression, and secretive deportations strike at the heart of our values.

The assault on immigrants is an assault on the essence of America. By singling out those who contribute to our society, from farm laborers to military personnel, the American Dream itself is under attack.The push to undermine birthright citizenship and stifle voter voices lays bare the stark contradictions in our society. It's a stark reminder of our collective humanity and the responsibility to safeguard America's promises for future generations.

In a healthy democracy, leaders govern through persuasion. They make arguments and respond to critics. They observe norms and advance proposals through compromise and mutual respect. We must reject a vision of America that condones child detention, judge-free deportations, and a judiciary that disregards its own principles. As Republican leaders flirt with authoritarianism in the name of patriotism, we must reflect: What exactly are we commemorating on Independence Day.

Today, Americans are not living in either a healthy democracy nor in an authoritarian regime. Though Donald Trump was democratically elected, he aspires to be a dictator. For him, governing is done only through corrupt patronage and fear. Historically, “…the power of the president is the power to persuade.” Authoritarians, by contrast, rule through fear. They seek to impose their will on others through terror, cruelty and physical force.

Today, is an optimal opportunity to reflect and "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country!" Do something for democracy today. I wish my fellow Americans a happy 4th and suggest “WE THE PEOPLE…” start a conversation with each other and be a voice for our Constitutional Republic-a voice for freedom as the founders originally intended.