"Walking on Water: Reading, Writing, and Revolution" is a book about writing classes Derrick Jensen gave in colleges and prisons.

But "Walking on Water" also focuses on education. Derrick asserts that education is designed to teach us to submit to authority, ESPECIALLY public education. He writes near the end of the book that he gave a writing workshop that took place in a middle school. The first sign he reads on the classroom wall is, "This is not Burger King, you cannot have it your way." There were all sorts of signs reminding students that they must submit or be punished. No wonder there are never folks in the streets struggling for universal health care, stopping genocide, free higher education, etc.

John Taylor Gatto talks about the 7 seven lesson school teacher. The seven things your average teacher educates our children on, according to John, is:

1) confusion
2) class position
3) indifference
4) emotional dependency
5) intellectual dependency
6) provisional self-esteem
7) one can't hide

I don't see the three R's nor do I see critical thinking or thinking in any form. The seven lesson school teacher's seven lessons teach the most important lesson of all, submit to authority.

In "Walking on Water," Derrick also points out that the American education system helps teach us to submit to the fact that our world is being destroyed by corporate owned civilization. Having been taught to submit, which means we must believe in superiors (those who have power over others), civilization is seen as a superior way of life. So there is little REAL concern for the devastation caused by civilization as many people have been taught not to think. (Derrick asks his college class at one point, "How many of you hate thinking?" One third of the classroom raises their hands.) People, in being taught to submit to authority throughout their educational careers, are busy waiting for leaders to take them away from the bullshit, if they are capable of seeing the bullshit civilization provides, and don't look to the leader within because they've been taught their is no leader within. Like Barbie says in the joke, "Thinking makes my head hurt."

Unlike Derrick's other works, though (usually gloom and doom), this has to be the most inspirational book of his I've read! It is sometimes inspirational for folks to read gloom and doom because they are not taught reality in school or on TV or in the news. They have to search it out. "Walking on Water" is inspirational to me because he has taught these folks to find out who they are, reminded them of their creativity and ways to perfect it, encouraged and cheer leaded these folks into becoming thinking and effective human beings in the world.

The neocons have changed the world for the worst, we can change it for the better. We outnumber them. I realized that the biggest reason I could never get folks organized to struggle for change in this nation and the world is because they've BEEN TAUGHT they have no power. In "Walking on Water," Derrick reminds his students they do indeed have power, have the right to think, and don't have to submit to authority.

Let's hear it for Derrick Jensen! [APPLAUSE]