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Friday, August 5, 2016 Burlington County Times

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Awaiting the revolución that never comes Capitalism is evil. Evil breeds greed. Greed fuels capitalism. Repeat. Viva la revolución! So shouted street protesters at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week, although I’m not sure why they bothered. American public protests, colorful spectacles, are stuck in an endless loop of marches, chants, bobbing signs, and the occasional raised middle finger. Shouting “Revolution!” amid the cheering crowds as skittish cops watch may give the sense that big change is coming, but it never does. Spot the significant differences between last week’s “March for Our Lives, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign” protest on Monday and the

J.D. Mullane

Commentary

“Bernie or Bust, Revolt Against Plutocracy” march on Tuesday. In three decades of walking with protesters, I can attest that the protest chants are identical in cadence (“Hey, hey, ho, ho, the DNC has got to go!”), that the signs are similar (“We Demand Economic Justice!” and “No More War!”), and that even the protesters look alike. There are hippie chicks, stoner dudes and little old ladies who’ve protested since “Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” Their issues hardly change. War. Racism. Economic justice. These are progressive causes on which progressives never seem to progress, if you go by the protests. Why? Because capitalism is evil. Evil breeds greed. Greed fuels capitalism. Viva la revolución! “I’m a socialist,” said Clarissa Cooney, 20, who hawked copies of the newspaper Socialist Alternative for $5 a copy at last week’s street protests. “Basically,

socialism means a democratically elected government, elected freely by the people, where everything is equally shared.” I said: So everyone will make the same money and live in the same-sized house? “We’re not really sure what the revolution’s gonna look like, but that’s the general idea,” Cooney said. “It will definitely be the end of capitalism and the beginning of socialism.” So the company I work for will be run by the government? She nodded yes, smiling. “Capitalism is not good,” she said, “since it’s giving all the profits to the elites and the upper class, and it’s not benefiting the vast majority of America.” The coming revolution will end free markets? “Eventually,” Cooney said. “The capitalistic system is gonna end, just like feudalism and all the other unjust economic systems of the past. The revolution will end it.” Because capitalism is evil.

Evil breeds greed. Greed fuels capitalism. Viva la revolución! “Our problem with the system of unbridled capitalism is that we are being ruled by people who want to make money off other people,” said Bob Shainwald, a retired teacher from New York who said he is an anarchist. “No person should have that kind of power over another person. I believe absolute power corrupts absolutely. I think we can live good lives without the powerful money men,” he said. “We don’t need people telling us what to do or how to live,” Shainwald said. “We certainly don’t need oligarchs who work for corporate interests, work for the military industrial complex. It’s pure greed. We don’t need that. They just oppress us with their corrupt system of money, and we need to get rid of it.” Because capitalism is evil. Evil breeds greed. Greed fuels capitalism. Viva la revolución!

“We have to fight the corporate forces, the ‘1-percent,’ for a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, things like that,” said Mark Lim, who is in his 20s, is from Cincinnati, and would like to be a labor organizer. I asked: Is a revolution necessary? “Well, things are escalating that way. But you have to see how far we have to go to really bring real change. It looks like Bernie (Sanders) tried to change things from within the Democratic Party, and was unsuccessful. Now there’s people talking about creating a new party, and I’m very interested in that. “It doesn’t have an official name,” Lim said, “but it will be the party of the 99 percent, and it will bring the change we need.” Because capitalism is evil. Evil breeds greed. Greed fuels capitalism. Viva la revolución! J.D. Mullane can be reached at 215-9495745 and [email protected]; Twitter: @jdmullane

Southampton fire company gets more than $84,000 in grant funds their residents and communities safe,” Menendez said. SOUTHAMPTON — A township fire “Our firefighters run into burning buildcompany has received $84,343 in federal ings and bravely put their lives on the line grant funds to buy safety gear. each day to protect us. Investing in them The award to the Hampton Lakes Volis an investment in our own safety and the unteer Fire Company made up the bulk of safety of our families,” he said. $147,486 in Assistance to Firefighters Grant “Each and every day, brave first respondmoney recently given to three New Jersey ers in New Jersey and across our nation companies. put their lives on the line to protect our The Secaucus Fire Company in Hudson communities when we need them most,” County received $34,858, and the RunneBooker said. mede Fire Department in Camden County “These federal grants underscore our received $28,285. commitment to ensuring our firefighters Hampton Lakes’ share will go toward have the resources necessary to do their jobs fire-resistant turnout gear that is worn efficiently while protecting themselves and at scenes as well as sets of self-contained our families.” breathing apparatus. Hampton Lakes, on Holly Boulevard, is Company officers could not be reached one of the town’s two volunteer fire compafor comment on how many sets of gear would be purchased or how long the equip- nies, along with Vincent Fire Company No. 1, on Race Street. ment is expected to last. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is In a release Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Robadministered by the Federal Emergency ert Menendez and Cory Booker lauded the Management Agency, which operates under grants as a way to bolster those who serve the Department of Homeland Security. communities across the state. Since it was established in 2001, the grant “These federal grants will help ensure our firefighters have the tools and resources program has given nearly $160 million to they need to protect themselves and keep New Jersey emergency response agencies.

By Joe Green

Staff writer

photos by William Johnson / For the BCT

STEAM Camp teacher Jacky Carey listens through a tube as sixth-grader Mya Milanese, 12, performs an acoustic engineering test at Delran’s STEAM Academy on Thursday.

Full STEAM ahead

Students become engineers for a week at Delran academy. By Kelly Kultys Staff writer

DELRAN — Mya Milanese worked as an “acoustical engineer” for the past week. “Did you know you can see sound?” she said. Mya, http://bit.ly/1ZebCwh 12, demonstrated this using salt spread on top of a bowl covered in plastic wrap. She hit a pot hard next to the bowl, making the salt bounce around. She was one of about 50 students who attended the Delran STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Academy summer camp over the last month at Delran High School on Hartford Road. “We wanted to give students an opportunity to work like engineers,” said Mary Jo Hutchinson, cofounder of the program and supervisor of mathematics for the district. The program was open to any area students who had finished third, fourth and fifth grades. The students who just completed third grade studied various bioengineering topics. Earth and space science was the topic for those who finished fourth grade, and kids who completed fifth grade worked in physical science. This past week, the rising fourth-graders designed a knee brace that would help keep a leg steady after it was injured. The rising fifthgraders created windmills out of milk cartons to not only create energy, but also to lift up a cup filled with washers. Steven Christie, 9, said his milk carton windmill was able to lift 22 washers

Fifth-grader Jack McStravick (left) demonstrates his wind power project to his younger brother, Emon McStravick, a fourth-grade student.

when all was said and done. “It was extremely fun. Before I came here, I thought it was just going to be geeks and nerds like me,” Steven said with a smile. “I made a couple of new friends.” Steven said he liked the fact that the students received individualized attention and weren’t stuck in a big group. His father, Dean Christie, sent Steven to the camp for all four weeks to get the opportunity to learn and continue to become interested in the sciences. “He really loves it here,” Christie said. He said he appreciated that the district was investing in science and technology education. One of the areas of emphasis was for students not to be afraid to make mistakes, according to high school math teacher Jaclyn Carey, who taught rising sixth-graders for the week. “Part of being an engineer is improving, improving, improving,” Carey said. Denise Belz, a thirdgrade teacher, emphasized this with the rising

fourth-graders designing their knee braces. The students tested a variety of materials to make the braces, and then had to see how they could attach them properly, without causing the “patient” too much pain. “That’s the engineering part — the redesign,” Hutchinson said. Students had the opportunity to come for one week or multiple weeks, as each week there was a different project under the three disciplines. High school students also came back to volunteer. Erica DeMichele, the other co-founder of the program and the district’s science and engineering supervisor, said she hopes the camp will continue to grow. DeMichele said many parents had asked for a fullday program instead of the half-day camp offered this year. She said the organizers also want to take advantage of the district’s greenhouse to possibly create a food science program next year. Kelly Kultys: 609-500-0429; email: [email protected]; Twitter: @ kellykultys