Dear Senator Cruz, do you have a moment?

Dear Senator Cruz:

I know you're really busy running for President and all, but this will be quick. I hope you have time to answer my questions.

I read that given the recent attacks in Brussels you've now called to "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods" across the United States. I'm sure lots of your fan base agree and think this is a great idea, so I just wanted to ask a few follow up questions:

Did you call for similar patrolling and securing of White, Christian neighborhoods after the school shooting at Sandy Hook? Or the movie theatre shooting in Aurora? Or the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs?

And when you and I were just 23 years old, and two White, radicalized American citizens blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, did you think that the U. S. should be patrolling White, Christian neighborhoods then?

I mean, I'm just curious. Did you feel that way then or is this an "evolving" position, like so many of you and your presidential counterparts on both sides like to tout? For the record, I respect evolving positions when they're genuine, not when they're used to get my vote.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these questions, particularly since you're so close to God and seem to embrace all the teachings of the Bible. We're in the middle of this Holy Week, commemorating the suffering and death of Christ, and I can't help but think that your call for more patrolling of Muslim neighborhoods reminds me a bit of those times. Makes me think that you'd gladly have handed over Barrabas, just like Pilate did, because you'll do whatever the screaming masses think is right. It's not very Christ-like, Senator Cruz, and for someone who kicked off his campaign at Liberty University, I'd like to think that you have some more Christ-like qualities.

But actually, now that I think about it, you're more of an Old Testament kind of guy, so you like it the way things were. Pre-Christ. Before He came to save the people of the world from themselves. Before "turn the other cheek" and the Golden Rule. You like the "eye for an eye" vengeance part of Christianity, the God who punishes people.

You and a lot of other people seem to like that God. A lot. Me? Not so much. That God doesn't seem so Christ-like to me.

So as you continue to make these calls for Old Testament-type approaches to the world, I'd love for you to answer some of my questions along the way. And here's one final question for your consideration: When are you going to suggest these types of policies for people who might actually deserve them, not just the people that you and your fan base are afraid of?

Looking forward to your responses,

Joe Salvatore

#newyorkvalues: Are we wasting our energy?

Last week during the most recent Republican presidential debate, Ted Cruz made some comment about Donald Trump's "New York values," insinuating something negative about New York City and its general support of things like socially progressive ideas, consumerism and big business, and whatever else Cruz was lumping under his vague description. He said the following: “Everybody understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal and pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage and focus on money and the media.” Of course, politicians with New York connections came out swinging, including Trump and Clinton, and actual NYers started a hashtag (#newyorkvalues) and let their NYC flags fly in a storm of social media responses.

Maybe interesting to read and potentially amusing, but overall, a gigantic waste of energy.

All of this hoopla just kept Ted Cruz in the spotlight for more time than he deserved. First Amendment: Ted Cruz can say whatever he wants to say about New York City and its values. Thankfully, he doesn't live here. Just like I don't live in Texas. (No offense to my Texas friends, it's just where Cruz has done a lot of his work.) I have all sorts of thoughts about the values held in other places, and I've often voiced them. So be it. I choose not to live in those places.

We have to get smarter about how we respond to comments that these politicians make right now, as they're working very hard to get and keep our attention. If we buy into it and waste our time responding, we may be making a big mistake. There are far bigger problems and actual threats to address than how Ted Cruz feels about so-called "New York values." Cruz knew exactly what he was doing, as that comment kept his name flying around the media for two or three days after the debate. We should not give him the satisfaction or the benefit of our attention.

When I first started teaching at NYU, I team taught an integrated arts course for childhood education majors with some colleagues in the Department of Teaching and Learning. One of them introduced me to a small booklet called Winning Children Over by Francis X. Walton and Robert L. Powers. The pamphlet dates back to the 1970s (I think), but I found its message particularly useful, as it identifies four common goals for students to misbehave in class.

1. Attention
2. Power
3. Revenge
4. Inadequacy

If we really consider what politicians are saying right now and analyze their actions, can't we apply some of the above goals of misbehavior to explain some of the reasons for their statements and actions? I mean, really. Some of them are behaving like the child who continually acts out in a 4th grade classroom. They resort to tactics that garner them attention and thankfully for us, also point to their inadequacies.

Rather than resorting to the same tactics every time one of these politicians says or does something inane, which at this point is like every day, multiple times a day, maybe we would gain some power by IGNORING a lot of what they're saying. They say offensive things about people, communities, ideas that I care about, but if I write a response to every single one on Facebook, I'm wasting my time and I'm just drawing more attention to them. Not productive.

Two key points:

1. Notice I say "politicians." This is happening with Republican and Democratic candidates
right now, and it's embarrassing. No one is above it, and it's sad that they're modeling this kind of behavior for anyone who aspires to be a leader, especially a young person.

2. I'm not advocating that we ignore all statements and actions. There are some truly disturbing proposals flying around right now, and that's where we should be focusing our efforts. That's where we need to exercise our agency, not in #newyorkvalues.

The moment we get embroiled in the inanity of something like a pot shot at "New York values," we're losing the fight. And we risk democracy slipping further and further away from us.