Weekly Schedule 5/5/2024
You are meeting the soulful gaze of a white sheep with curly wool, with other sheep in a grassy field the background.
Image via Unsplash user Sam Carter @samdc
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Thoughts
Freedom. Such a loaded term in the last eight years. I had semantically (not ideologically) pushed it out of my mind, and reading The New Yorker article by John Cassidy brought the concept rushing back. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about freedom as I started reading this article. Would this be the enrobe-yourself-in-the-United-States-flag-and-storm-the-Capital type of freedom, or something different? Cassidy introduces us to economist Joseph Stiglitz's new book, The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society, in which Stiglitz "...seeks to reclaim the concept of freedom for liberals and progressives." Key examples like wearing masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, gun control, and climate change highlight his idea that [emphasis mine]:
In all these cases, ..., restrictions on behavior are justified by the over-all increase in human welfare and freedom that they produce. In the language of cost-benefit analysis, the costs in terms of infringing on individual freedom of action are much smaller than the societal benefits, so the net benefits are positive.
...[As Stiglitz cites on his first page] Isaiah Berlin, the late Oxford philosopher, [states]...: “Freedom for the wolves has often meant death to the sheep.”
Which brings me to a deeper understanding of the importance of social support programs. Not just to "do the right thing" and "be a good person", but the understand that respecting the freedoms of humanity into the future sometimes means restricting the freedoms of some people right now. I tried to say it more concisely, but Cassidy says it best [emphasis mine again]:
As an economist accustomed to thinking in theoretical terms, Stiglitz conceived of freedom as expanding “opportunity sets”—the range of options that people can choose from—which are usually bounded, in the final analysis, by individuals’ incomes. Once you reframe freedom in this more positive sense, anything that reduces a person’s range of choices, such as poverty, joblessness, or illness, is a grave restriction on liberty. Conversely, policies that expand people’s opportunities to make choices, such as income-support payments and subsidies for worker training or higher education, enhance freedom.
So with those thoughts at the forefront of our community mind, we can view May's AAPI Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and National Clean Air Month through the lens of creating a more free and just society by supporting these groups and causes. I'm interested in learning more about how Proposition 1 (CA Senate Bill 326 (Eggman) and Assembly Bill 531 (Irwin)) will effect the rights of unhoused people living with mental health conditions.
It reminds us that the 'freedom' of some individuals to marginalize or attempt to oppress and bully these groups does not supersede the right of these groups to enjoy, paraphrasing FDR's four essential human freedoms:
1. Freedom of speech and expression.
2. Freedom of religion.
3. Freedom from want.
4.Freedom from fear.
Let these be our guiding principles through the month. I am grateful for our community's commitment to providing a welcoming space for everyone to live their most fulfilled movement life. Thank you.
Housekeeping
Sophia is back! Be sure to confirm your appointments this week to help her with a smooth reentry.
A big THANK YOU to Maddie for teaching group classes during Sophia’s absence! Did you miss her classes? She'll return the next time Sophia is away.
What I'm Reading
These cites raised taxes -- for child care. Parents say the free day care 'changed my life' -- ABC News
LGBTQ+ Employees can't Be Misgendered or Denied Bathrooms at Work, New Federal Rules Say -- THEM (via The 19th)
One Mistake Led to a Lifetime Ban of SNAP Benefits. This Reform Rollback Can End It -- Capital B News
Weekly Schedule
Monday, 5/6/2024
12:00pm — GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower (Harriet)
Tuesday, 5/7/2024
9:30am — Online Pilates Mat (Harriet)
1:00pm — Posture Focused GYROTONIC® (Sophia)
6:00pm — GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower (Sophia)
Wednesday, 5/8/2024
12:00pm — GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower (Sophia)
5:00pm — DTC/SF Level 5/6 GYROTONIC® Conditioning (Sophia)
Thursday, 5/9/2024
9:30am — Online GYROKINESIS® (Harriet)
6:00pm — GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower (Sophia)
We're looking forward to seeing you this week! Until then, breathe deeply and move fully.
Warmly,
Harriet
GYROTONIC® TEACHER TRAINING
GYROTONIC® Leg Extension Unit
2/3/2025 — 2/8/2025
Conducted by: Adrianna Thompson
GYROTONIC® Level 2, Program 2 Pre-Training Course
5/2/2025 — 5/4/2025
Conducted by: Adrianna Thompson
GYROTONIC® Level 2, Program 2 Course
8/14/2025 — 8/17/2025
Conducted by: Adrianna Thompson
