Is This the Reward?

By Gloria E.

We canvas in a lot of apartment complexes, and some are well-designed and well-maintained, some not so much.

Where I canvassed today was not the worst housing in Jacksonville, and certainly better than the housing for many of the world’s people. But, not only did you have to walk up stairs to get to the second floor, but the stairs were exposed to the rain. The railings had a lot of rusty, peeling paint, so if you grab them, you’re risking a cut or splinter, and maybe a trip to the ER.

The pool had no water—in mid-July!—and the beach volleyball court was taken over by Canadian geese. All of that made me think that if you needed repairs in your apartment, it might not be such a smooth process.

Among the many people I spoke with there who understood the issues before the Duval County School Board and also the harmful actions of Republican Senator Rick Scott (even if they didn’t know the specifics of the upcoming August elections) were at least two teachers. Neither was a new teacher. One mentioned teaching for 17 years, though she looked young to me, and another had been teaching even longer.

And I thought to myself, this is the way we let people live who have devoted years of their lives to teaching the children of our community? Doesn’t seem right, does it?