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republican national convention

After two weeks of wall-to-wall politics, we are all this baby seal being rescued from a fishing net in Australia:

Since the conventions began last Monday, it feels like we've been trapped in an endless loop of cable news kibitzing, longwinded speeches, and arguments with friends and family on social media — a feeling not unlike being tangled in a rope with no means of escape.

All images via ViralHog/YouTube.

Then, as if by magic, Friday morning rolled in, like a friendly Aussie with a bowie knife.

And cut us all free.

Sending us galloping full force into the weekend with the RNC and DNC safely behind us.

Politics are important, but they're not everything.

A well-informed citizenry is essential to a functioning democracy. But a citizenry that spends too much time watching CNN and refreshing Twitter is an exhausted citizenry. A cranky citizenry. A citizenry that needs to bike over to the Y, do some laps in the pool, and take a nap.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

So this weekend, let's take some time off. We've earned it.

Read a book. Play a board game. Tell your children you love them.

Be free, America!

Happy weekend.

These badass teachers aren't taking Trump Jr.'s judgmental speech lying down.

Trump Jr. messed with the wrong powerhouse educators.

ICYMI, Donald Trump Jr. gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in which he dismissed public schools and their teachers.

Trump Jr. throwing shade on public schools. Image via Patsy Error/YouTube.

Here are just a few choice phrases from that particular segment:

"Our schools used to be an elevator to the middle class. Now they are stalled on the ground floor. They are like Soviet-era department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers, for the teachers and the administrators and not the students."

Needless to say, it ruffled the feathers of many educators at both public and private institutions for a number of reasons, perhaps the most significant being that he spoke from no experience.

Trump Jr. grew up in a privileged household and went to The Hill School, a preparatory school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. After that, he attended The University of Pennsylvania — another privately owned institution.

Simply put, Trump Jr. has no idea what it's like to be educated in public schools.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

Thankfully, one incredibly eloquent teacher decided to call out Trump Jr. on his misinformed speech.

Dani Bostick is a Latin teacher at a public school in Winchester, Virginia, who just happened to have the RNC on in the background while working on lesson plans.

After she heard what Trump Jr. had to say about her profession, she simply had to respond.

Bostick wrote on The Huffington Post about how dedicated she and her colleagues are to the kids they teach despite their "pitifully low" salaries. She wrote about how time in the classroom is such a small part of the hours teachers put into their work. And she stressed how "reckless" it is to say public schools serve teachers instead of students because it's simply not true. One quote sums her sentiments up pretty perfectly:

"Tenure or no tenure, union or no union, teachers dedicate our lives to students. Or, as we teachers call them 'our kids.' ... They are our kids because we are as invested in their academic growth and personal development as if they were our own literal children."

Once her post was up, teachers of the world (well, at least those on Twitter) united behind her.

Erin Johnston, a public school teacher from North Carolina, responded succinctly to the Democratic Party's "fear" of free-market education:

"The only thing I fear is yet another politician running their mouth about how education is broken while at the same time passing legislation to break it even more because it gets them elected."

Boom! Mic drop!

There is a good lesson to be learned here that can be summed up by a quote my high school English teacher had on her classroom wall.

"I say, there is no darkness but ignorance." — William Shakespeare, "Twelfth Night"

If you're going to trash talk the people who educate others, you'd best do your research; otherwise they'll take you to church.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

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Teachers are sharing epic quotes from little kids, and they're so wholesome and hilarious - Upworthy ›

Lawyers' Committee

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

Between a plagiarized speech from Melania Trump and Ted Cruz being booed after refusing to endorse Donald Trump, 20-year-old James Villalobos walked around Quicken Loans Arena with his all-access pass and his eyes and ears wide open.

Villalobos scored a correspondent gig to the Republican National Convention after being picked from almost 200 applicants in a nationwide search by Fuse Media and Voto Latino for aspiring journalists to "Crash the Party."

The University of Massachusetts Amherst journalism student and first-generation Latino was hoping to witness the Republican Party finally coming together. What he saw was much different.

Here's what he learned during his week in Cleveland.

1. There was a lack of diversity at the convention.

"Walking around that convention hall, there was very little diversity," Villalobos explained. "With the exception of a few black people, I didn’t really come across any Latinos so that was a bit disappointing because you want to see that representation there." According to The National Review, Latinos — one of the country's largest ethnic minority — account for only 17% of the GOP, and that number is declining.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

2. The Trump swag is cringeworthy.

"There are a lot of people taking advantage of the number of Trump supporters present and making revenue off of it," Villalobos said.

There are your run-of-the-mill propaganda items like "Make America Great Again" hats, buttons, and T-shirts, but there’s also an ugly side to the items being peddled, he said. As you may imagine, Villalobos confirmed, there's plenty of anti-Hillary goods for sale — including a disturbing shirt reading "Hillary Sucks, But Not Like Monica." Of course, though, there's sure to be anti-Trump merchandise at the DNC next week as well.

Photo by Robyn Beck/Getty Images.

3. There were plenty of protesters but no civilized exchange of ideas.

"It’s sad we live in a time where we don’t listen to each other," Villalobos said. He saw a lot of anger with people screaming and swearing at each other. Among the protesters that Villalobos saw at the RNC were Black Lives Matter activists, anarchist groups, and the Stop Trump movement.

"My only hope is that we as a country can discuss the issues and together work on solutions," he explained.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

4. The Republican Party may be divided on many issues, but members are united on their dislike of Hillary Clinton.

In spite of the numerous attempts made to present a united front during the RNC, the party of Lincoln still seems pretty divided, according to Villalobos. Ted Cruz's address at the convention and subsequent refusal to endorse Trump by encouraging people to "vote their conscience" seemed to fracture the party even further.

The one thing everyone seems to have in common, though, is their disdain of all things Hillary Clinton. The most popular chant throughout the four-day event, Villalobos said, was "Lock her up!"

We should expect to see Democrats unite at their convention, as well, in their collective disdain of Trump and everything he stands for. This is clearly one of the most polarizing U.S. elections to date.

Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

5. People expressed gratitude toward law enforcement.

There was a very large police presence — understandably so given the devastating attacks and other acts of violence we've seen in the past weeks. What struck Villalobos the most, he remarked, was how the Cleveland community embraced the officers' presence, taking the time to say, "thank you for being here" or "thank you for keeping us safe."

Image by Dominick Reuter/Getty Images.

Villalobos is the only U.S. citizen in his family. His parents and sisters were born in Costa Rica.

When he heard about this amazing opportunity to cover the RNC, he thought it was a long shot. But after a public vote and impressing a panel of judges including Rachel Maddow — the rest is now history.

Seeing the RNC through Villalobos' eyes gives us a unique perspective from someone who's experiencing the political process for the first time.

In four days, Villalobos didn't see himself represented in the RNC. He also witnessed a divisive party, but he achieved what he set out to do. He went. He saw. He conquered. And most importantly for him, he became a better journalist, and that's something we can all benefit from someday.

Read all about Villalobos' journey covering the RNC for Fuse Media and Voto Latino's Crash the Party.

Lawyers' Committee

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

They can't vote yet, but that doesn't mean kids aren't paying attention to the election.

They hear the news, see the ads, and watch their parents cheer and jeer at the candidates. And whether they realize it or not, they're often the first to feel the consequences.

Will they attend safe, well-funded schools with a rigorous curriculum? Is their water OK to drink? Are there safe places for them to eat, play, and shop? Will children of color have the same opportunities for success as their white peers?

Like many of us, they're scared and worried about the immediate future of our country — only they have no control over what happens next. Until now.

We wanted to hear from young people, so we invited them to weigh in.

We asked children ages 5-14 from around the country to draw their reactions to a few highlights from the Republican National Convention.

We wanted to see the spectacle, the fanfare, and the rhetoric from their perspective. And with pencils, crayons, markers, and cartoon speech bubbles, they exceeded our wildest expectations.

The artwork is funny, unpredictable, and compassionate. But most of all, it's honest.

And in a campaign season filled with double-talk and vitriol, a little honesty goes a long way.

See the RNC like never before ... through the eyes of children.

It's colorful in every sense of the word.

"Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are."

Can you believe it's been nearly a year since Jon Stewart said goodbye to "The Daily Show"?

And what a year it's been! With election season coming down the home stretch, it feels odd not to see the former host offering his take on some of the campaigns' more absurd moments (and oh, have there been many of those).

Last night, Stewart returned to late-night TV for one night to deliver an important message to the American people.

He stopped by "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and gave an epic, 13-minute, mic-drop epilogue to this week's Republican National Convention. And no matter what party you're affiliated with, it's an epilogue you'll want to hear.

Images from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"/YouTube.

His message was simple but necessary: Today's politics of division aren't sustainable.

And while many politicians claim they stand for unity, they undermine that with platforms built around inequity.

"You got a problem with those Americans fighting for their place at the table," Stewart said about the politics of subtraction. "You got a problem with them because you feel like the ... 'sub-groups' of Americans are being divisive. Well, if you've got a problem with that, take it up with the founders [of America]. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

"Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are."

Stewart called out the rhetoric of the RNC specifically because of its divisive language about immigrants, racial minorities, LGBTQ people, and women.

"You feel that you're this country's rightful owners," Stewart said of the idea that the status quo enables discrimination.

"There's only one problem with that: This country isn't yours. You don't own it. It never was. There is no 'real America.' You don't own it. You don't own patriotism. You don't own Christianity. You sure as hell don't own respect for the bravery and sacrifice of military, police, and firefighters."

Stewart's words might seem a bit partisan, but arguing for inclusion is arguing for humanity, no matter what political party you're in.

Honesty, inclusion, and equality are core tenets of humankind. And like Stewart said, we should put our trust in leaders who stand for those ideals.

That's what matters in — and is missing from — the current state of politics. That's what the future children of America need.

Watch Jon Stewart's epic segment below.

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Annie Dickerson took a big stand for LGBTQ rights.

On July 11, 2016, the Republican party got together to put the finishing touches on their platform for the upcoming election.

The platform — which outlines what the party stands for and aspires to — is a handy resource for voters and politicians alike.

It's basically a sales pitch to the electorate and a way to measure how views change among the party's members over time.

And for some people, a relatable platform may sell them on the idea of voting in favor of a party's candidates. For others, an unrecognizable or frustrating set of values might indicate the party isn't the best fit for their personal ideologies anymore.

During that meeting, a woman named Annie Dickerson surprised everyone by offering up a passionate plea for a new set of compassionate values.

She proposed that the party act with compassion on a topic that has always been a bit controversial among Republicans: LGBTQ rights.

Historically speaking, the Republican party has never been especially LGBTQ-friendly. Whether the discussion is related to marriage, parenting, employment, housing, or public accommodations, the party line has remained firmly anti-LGBTQ over the course of time.

Dickerson, who's a member of the platform committee, hoped to change all of that with her speech.

First, she spoke out against language arguing that children of gay and lesbian couples are more likely to be involved with drugs, commit crimes, and wind up in poverty — none of which is supported by evidence.

Then she urged her colleagues to scrap language in support of "traditional marriage and the families a husband and wife create," in favor of more inclusive language simply stating that children need a "loving and stable home." She also argued against the platform's "salute" to the state of North Carolina for its anti-LGBTQ law. And she begged them to show some empathy, to take a stand on the right side of history.

Sadly, though, she mostly stood alone while giving this speech. In the end, most other members of the platform committee adopted anti-LGBTQ positions instead.

Although Dickerson didn't affect the overall 2016 GOP platform, her speech was still really important.

Support for various LGBTQ issues is on the rise across the political spectrum. As a group, Republicans are still less likely than Democrats to back rights like marriage and employment protections. But individually, it looks like change is underway.

You may not hear prominent Republicans speaking out in favor of things like gay marriage (nominee Donald Trump has promised to appoint judges he believes will overturn the Supreme Court's 2015 marriage equality ruling) or civil rights for trans people (earlier this week, RNC speaker Ben Carson referred to transgender people as the "height of absurdity"). But it's important to remember that there are people like Dickerson within the Republican Party offering passionate arguments for change.

Maybe it takes people like Dickerson who will continue to step up and ask for compassion and empathy to change the party line. By 2020, maybe the party will reverse course on some of the more explicitly anti-LGBTQ positions. And maybe, following this fall's election, it'll become clear to those in power that political success cannot be built on the exclusion of others.

No matter what happens, I'm thankful for people like Dickerson.

You can watch Dickerson's speech to the RNC platform committee below.

There was more to Third Eye Blind's RNC-related performance than just 'trolling.'

Whether or not you agree with their message, their willingness to take a stand speaks volumes.

Do you remember the band Third Eye Blind? (Don't lie; you know you do.)

GIF from Elektra/YouTube.

Well, they were in Cleveland to play a show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while the Republican National Convention was taking place down the street. Playing for an RNC-friendly audience, the '90s alt-rockers decided to use the platform to speak up for their own personal beliefs.

Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind performs during a 2012 concert in New York City. Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images.

But in what many are calling an act of "trolling," the band's Cleveland show didn't feature many of the band's hits. Instead, it featured something much more heartfelt: truth.

"To love this song is to take into your heart the message and to actually have a feeling to arrive and move forward and not live your life in fear and imposing that fear on other people," Jenkins told the crowd before strumming the opening chords of "Jumper," a song about a gay friend of his who jumped from a bridge to his death.

He called on the audience to welcome LGBTQ people such as his gay family members "into the American fabric."

Some cheered and some booed, but everyone, for that brief moment in time, had a chance to reflect on where they stand on these important issues. Maybe if society would have been more accepting at the time, Jenkins' friend wouldn't have lost his life to suicide. While it's too late to change the past, a more welcoming world is still deeply needed today.

Four years ago, singer Jenkins blogged about the band's invitation to the 2012 RNC and why they declined.

"This is not my mom's Republican Party anymore," Jenkins wrote for The Huffington Post, criticizing the party's stance on things like LGBTQ issues, voter ID laws, disaster funding, and reproductive health.

"If I came to their convention," he later wrote, "I would Occupy their convention."

Fast forward four years, and Jenkins got his chance to do just that.

Jenkins performs during a 2014 concert in Dover, Delaware. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival.

And whether or not you agree with Jenkins on political issues, you really have to respect the fact that he's willing to stand up for what he believes is right.

He's willing to put his career and reputation on the line to get across what he believes is an important message. Did he alienate some fans? Possibly. Still, he had the bravery to take a stand, and that's worthy of applause.

republican national convention

After two weeks of wall-to-wall politics, we are all this baby seal being rescued from a fishing net in Australia:

Since the conventions began last Monday, it feels like we've been trapped in an endless loop of cable news kibitzing, longwinded speeches, and arguments with friends and family on social media — a feeling not unlike being tangled in a rope with no means of escape.

Then, as if by magic, Friday morning rolled in, like a friendly Aussie with a bowie knife.

And cut us all free.

Sending us galloping full force into the weekend with the RNC and DNC safely behind us.

Politics are important, but they're not everything.

So this weekend, let's take some time off. We've earned it.

Be free, America!

Trump Jr. messed with the wrong powerhouse educators.

ICYMI, Donald Trump Jr. gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in which he dismissed public schools and their teachers.

Simply put, Trump Jr. has no idea what it's like to be educated in public schools.

After she heard what Trump Jr. had to say about her profession, she simply had to respond.

Once her post was up, teachers of the world (well, at least those on Twitter) united behind her.

There is a good lesson to be learned here that can be summed up by a quote my high school English teacher had on her classroom wall.

Between a plagiarized speech from Melania Trump and Ted Cruz being booed after refusing to endorse Donald Trump, 20-year-old James Villalobos walked around Quicken Loans Arena with his all-access pass and his eyes and ears wide open.

1. There was a lack of diversity at the convention.

2. The Trump swag is cringeworthy.

3. There were plenty of protesters but no civilized exchange of ideas.

4. The Republican Party may be divided on many issues, but members are united on their dislike of Hillary Clinton.

5. People expressed gratitude toward law enforcement.

They can't vote yet, but that doesn't mean kids aren't paying attention to the election.

We wanted to hear from young people, so we invited them to weigh in.

See the RNC like never before ... through the eyes of children.

"Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are."

Can you believe it's been nearly a year since Jon Stewart said goodbye to "The Daily Show"?

Last night, Stewart returned to late-night TV for one night to deliver an important message to the American people.

His message was simple but necessary: Today's politics of division aren't sustainable.

Stewart called out the rhetoric of the RNC specifically because of its divisive language about immigrants, racial minorities, LGBTQ people, and women.

Stewart's words might seem a bit partisan, but arguing for inclusion is arguing for humanity, no matter what political party you're in.

Watch Jon Stewart's epic segment below.

Annie Dickerson took a big stand for LGBTQ rights.

On July 11, 2016, ​the Republican party got together to put the finishing touches on their platform for the upcoming election.

During that meeting, a woman named Annie Dickerson surprised everyone by offering up a passionate plea for a new set of compassionate values.

Although Dickerson didn't affect the overall 2016 GOP platform, her speech was still really important.

You can watch Dickerson's speech to the RNC platform committee below.

Whether or not you agree with their message, their willingness to take a stand speaks volumes.

Do you remember the band Third Eye Blind? (Don't lie; you know you do.)

But in what many are calling an act of "trolling," the band's Cleveland show didn't feature many of the band's hits. Instead, it featured something much more heartfelt: truth.

Four years ago, singer Jenkins blogged about the band's invitation to the 2012 RNC and why they declined.

And whether or not you agree with Jenkins on political issues, you really have to respect the fact that he's willing to stand up for what he believes is right.

On July 11, 2016, the Republican party got together to put the finishing touches on their platform for the upcoming election.