There was a reasonable argument from the very beginning that the Mandate in Obamacare made the whole Act unconstitutional. And the line of questioning recently by the Supreme Court Justices suggest that they see the same problem. But...that is only the beginning of the morass. If they see the mandate as unconstitutional, what is the next step?...and why? Whats the problem, you ask? Well, there are two follow-up directions to determine if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional: it that mandate severable from the rest of the act, or not. If it is, then the rest of the Act could continue to stand. If not, then the whole Act must also be ruled unconstitutional.
The Court in the past has bent over backwards to sever parts of bills, and they will undoubtedly look to do the same here. But there are considerable problems with this, however. And those problems go back to the clear language of Congressional deliberations prior to and construction of the final ACA. Specifically, the original draft provided for a severability clause; it, as most bills do, indicated that if for any reason a portion of the bill were to be ruled unenforceable, the rest of the the bill could stand and be severed from the failed portion. However, Congress removed that clause. And, in addition, the Congressional Record shows that the Democrat majority which passed the final bill both understood and agreed that without the mandate the bill would be a financial disaster.
So, both logically and logistically, it would seem that Congress intended that the entire bill should and would fail if the mandate failed. Ah, but enter the illogical and thoughtless process that so pervades our Capitol and its inhabitants: as it passed, some desirable things were tacked on as a quick, expedient way to get them passed when it was suspected that they would not be enacted on their own merits...and then consider that some of the provisions in the Act are actually desirable, such as the elimination of limits on benefits and raises in premiums after purchase in response to developed claims.
The clear...and neat...way would seem to not severe the mandate and rule the entire bill unconstitutional as the Congress clearly intended. That way, Congressional negotiations could begin immediately to formulate a way of re-establishing those particular insurance rules that most people would agree should be re-enacted and thus preserved. And I earnestly hope that will come to pass...but in the meantime, the spectacle is absolutely riveting.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Public Schools: their Prussian and Progressive origins remain active today...
I have posted ad nauseum on the background of our educational system as an off-shoot of the Prussion model designed to indoctrinate in the guise of education, so I will not repeat that here. But there is a story in the news that not only supports the continuation of that emphasis in the public schools of today, but also provides still more evidence on how completely the Progressive Ideologues have taken over control of our schools
Consider the case of Liberty Middeschool in Fairfax County, Virginia, where early in January a Conservative who found himself in the back of the eighth-grade class being taught by one Mr. Michael Denman might have been excused for hearing etherial music and thinking he had been transported to the Twilight Zone, either into some point in the far future or into a 1930's classroom in Germany. Because, Mr Denman was in the process of assigning, as a learning (dare I suggest, "training") project the following: You will devide yourselves into 4 groups; each will choose one of the Republican's currently running for the nomination to run against President Obama in the fall and research the flaws and weaknesses of your chosen candidate; you will then determine how to best attack those weaknesses; and finally, you will research who in the Obama campaign would be the right person to send your findings to as well as how to accomplish that.
Public School children 1)being trained and indoctrinated to investigate non-Democrat seekers of public office, 2)trained how to look for and exploit perceived weaknesses for the purpose of attacking the candidacy, including contacting operatives in the actual Democrat campaign with that information and, most importantly, 4) no consideration of investigating corresponding matters and the manner of exploiting them on the part of the current office holder.
It was only when some parents expressed concern and the matter was made public that the Superintendent and the Principal claim that they had conversation with Mr. Denman and indicated he should have made Mr. Obama available as a person of interest as well. Now, curiously, there is a policy that no teacher should further any political point of view in class but this policy was not deemed to have been violated to a degree that resulted in anything more than an alleged direction for future assignments. Absent nothing more than this (which, it should be noted, is merely claimed by the Superintendent but not confirmed by either the Principal or Mr. Denman [both of whom refused to comment]), apparently there are no consequences for violation of the stated policy...which suggests that if there is no public outcry, the policy is not enforced.
Why am I not surprised.
Consider the case of Liberty Middeschool in Fairfax County, Virginia, where early in January a Conservative who found himself in the back of the eighth-grade class being taught by one Mr. Michael Denman might have been excused for hearing etherial music and thinking he had been transported to the Twilight Zone, either into some point in the far future or into a 1930's classroom in Germany. Because, Mr Denman was in the process of assigning, as a learning (dare I suggest, "training") project the following: You will devide yourselves into 4 groups; each will choose one of the Republican's currently running for the nomination to run against President Obama in the fall and research the flaws and weaknesses of your chosen candidate; you will then determine how to best attack those weaknesses; and finally, you will research who in the Obama campaign would be the right person to send your findings to as well as how to accomplish that.
Public School children 1)being trained and indoctrinated to investigate non-Democrat seekers of public office, 2)trained how to look for and exploit perceived weaknesses for the purpose of attacking the candidacy, including contacting operatives in the actual Democrat campaign with that information and, most importantly, 4) no consideration of investigating corresponding matters and the manner of exploiting them on the part of the current office holder.
It was only when some parents expressed concern and the matter was made public that the Superintendent and the Principal claim that they had conversation with Mr. Denman and indicated he should have made Mr. Obama available as a person of interest as well. Now, curiously, there is a policy that no teacher should further any political point of view in class but this policy was not deemed to have been violated to a degree that resulted in anything more than an alleged direction for future assignments. Absent nothing more than this (which, it should be noted, is merely claimed by the Superintendent but not confirmed by either the Principal or Mr. Denman [both of whom refused to comment]), apparently there are no consequences for violation of the stated policy...which suggests that if there is no public outcry, the policy is not enforced.
Why am I not surprised.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Perhaps Foreign Policy SHOULD be a factor this year....?
As we get into the mentally dangerous election season, we focus quite correctly on our domestic lack of jobs as well as our unwillingness to be financially accountable. In so doing, we logically reflect our most immediate concerns about personal and familial well-being; we (apparently unlike the Federal Government) need to balance our budgets while providing subsidence and pleasure (in that order) for our families. The result of this targeting of concern, of course, leads to the quite unsupported conclusion that foreign policy is either “fine” or “not important.” And that is, quite frankly, not only wrong...it is disastrous, particularly long term.
Consider the acts and attitudes that this administration has taken and expressed:
The missile shield for easter Europe was scrapped for what was claimed to be an equally effective (but later shown to fall short) mobile system;
Support has been shown for regime change in courtries where the result was either unknown, or guaranteed to put Islamic militants in power;
Support has been denied to uprisings in Iran where the result would be guaranteed to put less theology-based rule in effect;
The U.N. Has received both financial and vocal support for plans to place control of small arms under treaty-based International Control under the aegis of the U.N., thus abrogating the United States Constitutional protections of such ownership within the United States;
Support continues to be expressed for Agenda 21, which would decimate the rights of personal property ownership, and remove state and local control of land and natural resources;
And the one democratic country in the Middle East, Israel, has found that the official administration support for its safety and well-bing is illusory at best, and non-existent at worst.
Some of you might argue to the contrary, quoting the statement of Mr. Obama while still a U.S. Senator in 2008, to AIPAC on June 6th, “That is the change we need in our foreign policy. Change that restores American power and influence. Change accompanied by a pledge that I will make known to allies and adversaries alike: that America maintains an unwavering friendship with Israel, and an unshakable commitment to its security."
Sounds great, right" No doubt what he said or the plain meaning of his words...
However, might I suggest we look at his, and his administration's, words and actions since then to see if those wonderfully clear words translated into consistent action? Or did they prove an easily voiced dis-ingenuousness on the part of Mr. Obama during an election season?
Consider the following:
!. Without any "heads up" to Israeli leaders, he calls for Israel to unilaterally return to 1967 borders as a precondition to starting negotiations with the self-proclaimed "Palestinians";
2. Mr. Obama makes a speech in Cairo in 2009 in which he equates Israeli and "Palestinian rights;
3. The President then compounds the insult by failing to include a visit to Israel and it's leaders as a continuation of that same trip;
4. Mr. Obama reveals his true feelings about Israeli leadership in a conversation with French President Sarkozy when he respond to a complaint from Mr. Sarkozy with the infamous reply, "You're Fed up, but I have to deal with him every day" as reported on November 8th, by CBS News (and how painful must that have been for them!);
5. And in December, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was quoted as telling the Israelis, regarding peace talks, "Just get to the damned table."
Now, any one of these acts and/or words would be considered merely a "hiccup", a stumble if you wish, in our relationship with Israel. The administration has claimed just that, and the media has accepted them as such, looking at each of these occurrences in isolation and as a minor glitch. But...when looked at as a whole they show not only a constant degradation of the importance placed by this Administration on the American/Israeli connection but rather a disregard that is diametrically opposite of Mr. Obama's words back in 2008.
Now, any one of these acts and/or words would be considered a "hiccup", a stumble if you wish, in our relationship. But when taken together they reveal a pattern of both disregard and greatly reduced (and, perhaps, even the absence of) concern for the well-being of Israel; there is, instead, evidence of a greater concern with ameliorating and placating those who oppose the well-being and welfare of the United States in the world, encouraging Islamic-themed theocracies in the Middle East, and reducing the stature and power of the The United States of America throughout the world even as he personally acts in a manner designed to further his own self-aggrandizement.
So, while all of the elements noted above can and have been written off as relatively insignificant and/or meaningless indicators of diplomatic direction if viewed individually, when viewed as a whole they reveal a disquieting pattern...one that surprisingly has failed to garner the attention of either the public or the media. The United States is likely to pay dearly for this lack of interest.
Now, any one of these acts and/or words would be considered a "hiccup", a stumble if you wish, in our relationship. But when taken together they reveal a pattern of both disregard and greatly reduced (and, perhaps, even the absence of) concern for the well-being of Israel; there is, instead, evidence of a greater concern with ameliorating and placating those who oppose the well-being and welfare of the United States in the world, encouraging Islamic-themed theocracies in the Middle East, and reducing the stature and power of the The United States of America throughout the world even as he personally acts in a manner designed to further his own self-aggrandizement.
So, while all of the elements noted above can and have been written off as relatively insignificant and/or meaningless indicators of diplomatic direction if viewed individually, when viewed as a whole they reveal a disquieting pattern...one that surprisingly has failed to garner the attention of either the public or the media. The United States is likely to pay dearly for this lack of interest.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
A Christmas reflection on a spiritual path...
Another Christmas. Alone, this time, and thus an opportunity to reflect on just what Christmas means to me, and how that meaning has changed over the years. Well, more than an opportunity; more like a mandate, as when you experience Christmas alone there are no distractions with which to busy your mind and your body that speed you through this time that is usually so loaded with activities and preparation that, when over, leaves you ready for the proverbial "long winter's nap."
I was raised in a very fundamentalist evangelical church. I didn't know that at the time; there was no awareness any gradation or intensity to the religious experience. Nor was there any sense that religion and God were not synonymous. All that I knew was that there was a sense of warmth and love that permeated the entire season and that that sense included all those around me...family, friends, acquaintances and the whole community. Even in times of stress and uncertainty, Christmas seemed to transcend all and bring everyone together in an affirmation that regardless of the current challenges, all would be and was well.
Christmas is the one element of my childhood that I wish I could revisit and recreate in my life even now.
Youth doesn't leave us all at once; it is a gradual disappearing act that goes largely unnoticed in the excitement of the new experiences of growing up. But it does disappear, even if unnoticed. And those new experiences, for me, included questioning the Faith in which I was raised. Kids have questions. While we can be put off with non- and partial answers, our brains are not quieted and questions inadequately answered lead to diminished trust and belief. Much of the time this reduced belief is based on the false premises that our parents and elders know all and are simply refusing to reveal that truth to us; only much later in life do we realize that they weren't holding out on us; they didn't have the answers either. After all, it takes more than a little maturity to understand the difference between "faith" and "wishful thinking"; many adults still cannot tell the difference.
So, over the years I became what I only much, much later came to identify as an agnostic; I believed there was a God, but could not reconcile the various beliefs between the different religions in the world, all of which seem to declare supreme exclusive knowledge of the "Truth.". At the time, this awareness was lost in the main activity of "putting on" Christmas for my family and my children...the desire to reproduce for them the same sort of warm, fuzzy, loving and inclusive feeling that Christmas' past had provided me so long ago. My personal joy had largely disappeared in the process of trying to recreate that special feeling for the kids. When it was over I looked for nothing so much as the opportunity for that proverbial "long winter's nap."
But this period was still surrounded by the "spirit" of Christmas. It permeated the town, the community, the schools and even the Town Hall. Christmas was a unifier, and it provided a spirit of togetherness and dependence on and desire for a certain guidance from above as well as the the expectation that such guidance would be forthcoming if we only took the time to listen for it. I understood that my separation, even in part, from this experience was of my own doing, and I accepted that separation as what I perceived as a part of being "an adult." Time, of course, allowed be to much later discover that I was totally wrong on that count.
Today's life in America has changed so much. Religion...and the Christian religions in particular...have become unwelcome presences in official circles. Official America has become an acolyte of Secularism; Man has replaced God as the guiding element in life. Apparently the absurdity of such boot-strap reasoning is lost on all except me...but I am now old and my opinions are now deemed worthless. But I look with wonder and sadness at those growing up and now in power with no sense of guidance other than that of other men with no more wisdom that that which those in power already possess...and they know how inadequate and uncertain their own point of view; how, indeed, can they even suspect that any other human has anything more? How do today's leaders survive such burdens in the absence of knowing that there is available the guidance of a higher power? No wonder they fail so miserably so much of the time.
As we grow up, some of us put God-like wisdom in the person of our fathers...or mothers, or priests...and know we have grown up when those dependable rocks in our lives pass away and suddenly those younger that we are coming up to us with the same questions that we once asked our elders...and those asking the questions look at us with that same trusting sense of expectation of wisdom that we once put on our elders. That is the moment of truth, and the moment (for me) that I blessed being imbued with a sense of the availability of guidance from God.
Well, I certainly have no absolute answers. But I do have a certain comfort level for the present at least. I know that...again, at least for now (who knows what I will be led to be aware of in the future)...it matter little what errors we make in terms of mankind. God prevails, even as mankind chooses to suffer the consequences of bad decisions. Those consequences do, in fact, lead to learning...although each new generation apparently has to re-learn the same lessons. That is a shame, but not necessarily a bad thing.
I have come to terms with the fact: that the only absolute answers are those that seem to come to me directly from God; that all men of God may be presumed to mean well, but are fallible and their declarations and commands and judgement should be checked through individual prayer while remembering that all utterances of any man (or woman) are just that...human...and may not be assumed to be commands from God until confirmed in our souls by the almighty. I leave it to each individual to determine what form that confirmation takes. I, for one, take the utterances of Priests, Ministers, Imams and all other self-proclaimed representatives of religions, both organized and not, as statements worthy of noting but lacking any inherent sense of imperative or command...another human being's statement of "truth" is neither greater nor less than my own.
Age brings upon us a certain sense of quiet acceptance of ignorance and in comfort in knowing that the more you know (or think that you know) only makes you aware how much you do not and cannot know, leading to a willingness to accept the undeniable fact that the universe came into being long before our lives started and will continue long after it ceases and that we can take comfort in the fact that maybe we should often take our hands off the wheel, that maybe there is someone already at the wheel who knows more and can direct our lives more efficiently...and definitely more lovingly.
Christmas has become a time to be quiet and listen. And often the silence becomes a silent approbation of the fact that I am doing my best to not get in the way, not be too prideful, not be too "full of myself." Such quiet is reassuring and feels like the spiritual caress of a loving parent seeing my essence while ignoring my foibles.
I wish the same for each and every one. Merry Christmas
I was raised in a very fundamentalist evangelical church. I didn't know that at the time; there was no awareness any gradation or intensity to the religious experience. Nor was there any sense that religion and God were not synonymous. All that I knew was that there was a sense of warmth and love that permeated the entire season and that that sense included all those around me...family, friends, acquaintances and the whole community. Even in times of stress and uncertainty, Christmas seemed to transcend all and bring everyone together in an affirmation that regardless of the current challenges, all would be and was well.
Christmas is the one element of my childhood that I wish I could revisit and recreate in my life even now.
Youth doesn't leave us all at once; it is a gradual disappearing act that goes largely unnoticed in the excitement of the new experiences of growing up. But it does disappear, even if unnoticed. And those new experiences, for me, included questioning the Faith in which I was raised. Kids have questions. While we can be put off with non- and partial answers, our brains are not quieted and questions inadequately answered lead to diminished trust and belief. Much of the time this reduced belief is based on the false premises that our parents and elders know all and are simply refusing to reveal that truth to us; only much later in life do we realize that they weren't holding out on us; they didn't have the answers either. After all, it takes more than a little maturity to understand the difference between "faith" and "wishful thinking"; many adults still cannot tell the difference.
So, over the years I became what I only much, much later came to identify as an agnostic; I believed there was a God, but could not reconcile the various beliefs between the different religions in the world, all of which seem to declare supreme exclusive knowledge of the "Truth.". At the time, this awareness was lost in the main activity of "putting on" Christmas for my family and my children...the desire to reproduce for them the same sort of warm, fuzzy, loving and inclusive feeling that Christmas' past had provided me so long ago. My personal joy had largely disappeared in the process of trying to recreate that special feeling for the kids. When it was over I looked for nothing so much as the opportunity for that proverbial "long winter's nap."
But this period was still surrounded by the "spirit" of Christmas. It permeated the town, the community, the schools and even the Town Hall. Christmas was a unifier, and it provided a spirit of togetherness and dependence on and desire for a certain guidance from above as well as the the expectation that such guidance would be forthcoming if we only took the time to listen for it. I understood that my separation, even in part, from this experience was of my own doing, and I accepted that separation as what I perceived as a part of being "an adult." Time, of course, allowed be to much later discover that I was totally wrong on that count.
Today's life in America has changed so much. Religion...and the Christian religions in particular...have become unwelcome presences in official circles. Official America has become an acolyte of Secularism; Man has replaced God as the guiding element in life. Apparently the absurdity of such boot-strap reasoning is lost on all except me...but I am now old and my opinions are now deemed worthless. But I look with wonder and sadness at those growing up and now in power with no sense of guidance other than that of other men with no more wisdom that that which those in power already possess...and they know how inadequate and uncertain their own point of view; how, indeed, can they even suspect that any other human has anything more? How do today's leaders survive such burdens in the absence of knowing that there is available the guidance of a higher power? No wonder they fail so miserably so much of the time.
As we grow up, some of us put God-like wisdom in the person of our fathers...or mothers, or priests...and know we have grown up when those dependable rocks in our lives pass away and suddenly those younger that we are coming up to us with the same questions that we once asked our elders...and those asking the questions look at us with that same trusting sense of expectation of wisdom that we once put on our elders. That is the moment of truth, and the moment (for me) that I blessed being imbued with a sense of the availability of guidance from God.
Well, I certainly have no absolute answers. But I do have a certain comfort level for the present at least. I know that...again, at least for now (who knows what I will be led to be aware of in the future)...it matter little what errors we make in terms of mankind. God prevails, even as mankind chooses to suffer the consequences of bad decisions. Those consequences do, in fact, lead to learning...although each new generation apparently has to re-learn the same lessons. That is a shame, but not necessarily a bad thing.
I have come to terms with the fact: that the only absolute answers are those that seem to come to me directly from God; that all men of God may be presumed to mean well, but are fallible and their declarations and commands and judgement should be checked through individual prayer while remembering that all utterances of any man (or woman) are just that...human...and may not be assumed to be commands from God until confirmed in our souls by the almighty. I leave it to each individual to determine what form that confirmation takes. I, for one, take the utterances of Priests, Ministers, Imams and all other self-proclaimed representatives of religions, both organized and not, as statements worthy of noting but lacking any inherent sense of imperative or command...another human being's statement of "truth" is neither greater nor less than my own.
Age brings upon us a certain sense of quiet acceptance of ignorance and in comfort in knowing that the more you know (or think that you know) only makes you aware how much you do not and cannot know, leading to a willingness to accept the undeniable fact that the universe came into being long before our lives started and will continue long after it ceases and that we can take comfort in the fact that maybe we should often take our hands off the wheel, that maybe there is someone already at the wheel who knows more and can direct our lives more efficiently...and definitely more lovingly.
Christmas has become a time to be quiet and listen. And often the silence becomes a silent approbation of the fact that I am doing my best to not get in the way, not be too prideful, not be too "full of myself." Such quiet is reassuring and feels like the spiritual caress of a loving parent seeing my essence while ignoring my foibles.
I wish the same for each and every one. Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 15, 2011
One main reason that todays schools fail miserably...
I cannot remember not being able to read. My mother told me that I could read before I was two, but I take that claim on faith...and it doesn't matter. But, without an age reference, I can recall my mother insisting that I learn the alphabet and learn to sound out words. And then she insisted that I learn the definition of every new word. As I got a bit better, she taught me how to look up the definitions in a dictionary that I always had handy when I was reading. I was taught how to read using phonetics, although I only learned this later.
Reading was my key to the world. I could pick up a book and travel all around the world. I could even travel to the stars and in time. It was not just learning...it was entertainment. If I had a book, I was King; I was the master of my own mental destiny.
Reading was power. Reading was the vehicle for success and for achievement of my goals, regardless of how I define that at any given moment.
If I didn't fully grasp what a teacher had attempted to teach me in class, I could read the textbook and think it through again...or go to the library and look for additional information...and, in a sense, become my own "extra help" provider. When I got older, I could get a book to tell me how to fix my beat-up used car, could get a book that would tell me how to properly fix a household appliance, repair a hole in the wall, or even take down or put one up. Reading has always been the key. Without it, I would be no better off than an uneducated person in what we call a third-world country.
All of this is merely a premise to my main point: our schools are failing to educate kids today, and the primary reason is a failure to teach them to read. Yet these blameless illiterates are graduated from High School, many go to college and the illiteracy is indulged and they get higher degrees. Why? You will have to decide that...I cannot know the hearts, souls and minds of those who caused and now continue to enable this failure to qualify our children for success. But it is undeniable that this had gone on for so long that it is not possible that this is accidental...it is done with full knowledge of the results...failure. Our children are not equiped to be self-reliant, to achieve on their own, to learn for themselves. They are doomed to be dependent on Television, DVDs, CDs, and real life in person direction by others, and thereafter on the ability to remember what they were told. There is no way they can do independent research, checking or learning...they lack the tools.
In the middle of the last century the schools for reasons unfathomable to me moved away from the phonetic teaching of language to an approach called "whole word" reading which, as close as I can understand, depends on memorization of whole words, and filling in unknown word meaning by using the context of the sentence or paragraph in which it appears...in other words, guess. No dictionary skills, no sounding out the word, no study of the origin of the word in another language that might give you a better grasp of what was meant by the word. And certainly no test or requirement that you ever learn that unknown word or its real life meaning.
And we wonder why even come college graduates are illiterate.
Yet, our educational system and our governmental powers never question this failure. All they do is claim that we must throw more money at the problem. Not only doesn't it help, most cannot even do the math to evaluate how much money per student we are wasting by such illogical action. They cannot do basic math either...without a calculator. But that another problem for another discussion. Just consider...no one has asked why Johnny or Carol cannot read.
Isn't it time that we demand that Educators and those that fund and rule them answer that question?
And for those of you who would like to read more on the subject from someone with some logical thought on the subject, I recommend the following link: http://www.rightsidenews.info/2011121515165/life-and-science/health-and-education/fake-reading-theory-is-the-slave-trade-of-our-era.html?utm_source=Right%20Side%20News&utm_campaign=c1d5ba69ec-daily-rss-newsletter&utm_medium=email
Reading was my key to the world. I could pick up a book and travel all around the world. I could even travel to the stars and in time. It was not just learning...it was entertainment. If I had a book, I was King; I was the master of my own mental destiny.
Reading was power. Reading was the vehicle for success and for achievement of my goals, regardless of how I define that at any given moment.
If I didn't fully grasp what a teacher had attempted to teach me in class, I could read the textbook and think it through again...or go to the library and look for additional information...and, in a sense, become my own "extra help" provider. When I got older, I could get a book to tell me how to fix my beat-up used car, could get a book that would tell me how to properly fix a household appliance, repair a hole in the wall, or even take down or put one up. Reading has always been the key. Without it, I would be no better off than an uneducated person in what we call a third-world country.
All of this is merely a premise to my main point: our schools are failing to educate kids today, and the primary reason is a failure to teach them to read. Yet these blameless illiterates are graduated from High School, many go to college and the illiteracy is indulged and they get higher degrees. Why? You will have to decide that...I cannot know the hearts, souls and minds of those who caused and now continue to enable this failure to qualify our children for success. But it is undeniable that this had gone on for so long that it is not possible that this is accidental...it is done with full knowledge of the results...failure. Our children are not equiped to be self-reliant, to achieve on their own, to learn for themselves. They are doomed to be dependent on Television, DVDs, CDs, and real life in person direction by others, and thereafter on the ability to remember what they were told. There is no way they can do independent research, checking or learning...they lack the tools.
In the middle of the last century the schools for reasons unfathomable to me moved away from the phonetic teaching of language to an approach called "whole word" reading which, as close as I can understand, depends on memorization of whole words, and filling in unknown word meaning by using the context of the sentence or paragraph in which it appears...in other words, guess. No dictionary skills, no sounding out the word, no study of the origin of the word in another language that might give you a better grasp of what was meant by the word. And certainly no test or requirement that you ever learn that unknown word or its real life meaning.
And we wonder why even come college graduates are illiterate.
Yet, our educational system and our governmental powers never question this failure. All they do is claim that we must throw more money at the problem. Not only doesn't it help, most cannot even do the math to evaluate how much money per student we are wasting by such illogical action. They cannot do basic math either...without a calculator. But that another problem for another discussion. Just consider...no one has asked why Johnny or Carol cannot read.
Isn't it time that we demand that Educators and those that fund and rule them answer that question?
And for those of you who would like to read more on the subject from someone with some logical thought on the subject, I recommend the following link: http://www.rightsidenews.info/2011121515165/life-and-science/health-and-education/fake-reading-theory-is-the-slave-trade-of-our-era.html?utm_source=Right%20Side%20News&utm_campaign=c1d5ba69ec-daily-rss-newsletter&utm_medium=email
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Smartest person I have ever known...
I have a University degree. I have a Doctorate. I have known many people with multiple degrees, as well as people who successfully ran large companies. I have also known those in the Academic World, studying, ad nauseam, the intricacies of various parts of our world, both physical and mental. I have also spoken to those who were homeless, those who begged on the street and at traffic lights. Each and every one of those people taught me something that I had not known before speaking with them. Everyone we meet has the potential to teach us something if we take the time to listen without pre-judging. Yet they each pale in the mental presence of the smartest person I have ever met or known: my father.
My father was born in Norway. His father died in a mining accident when he was very young, leaving his mother and sister in very dire financial circumstances. He had to quite school after the 6th grade in order to help earn money so the family would not starve. That experience formed his attitude about life forever. He had suffered poverty. He grew into a man who was generous to a fault, yet very, very aware that one needs to be frugal and consider that you never looked at any opportunity with an eye to "what can I make?" but rather to first ask, "what can I lose?", followed by "Can afford to lose it?". Only then would he evaluate the possible gain. When recessions hit, he saw them earlier than most around him and by the time it was obvious to all, he had explained that our family was going to have to do with less, that we were going to keep as much in savings as possible, cutting costs and doing everything possible to be ready if everything "went south."
My father came to this country in 1921, not speaking the language. He could not tell anyone that he was trained as an electrician. The saw that he was from Norway and assumed that he was a carpenter and offered him a job laying hardwood floors. He worked hard, learned well, grew to be a foreman in the firm, stayed employed, albeit at a lower wage, through the depression. He quickly agreed to take lower pay, understanding that some pay was better than no pay at all. Again, the experience underscored and intensified his belief that he had to take responsibility for watching out for his own economic security. He started his own business in the suburbs of New York City (actually, at that time it was "the country", before people started living outside the city and commuting...it was mostly farmland), and always lived within his means...and trained me to do the same.
I have survived pretty well over the years...mostly by applying the rules of life taught to me by my father. I did this when I was young out of knee-jerk training, even as I thought my father was behind the times. But as I grew older and saw the wisdom of being self-reliant wherever possible, I began consciously considering "what would Dad have said about this" whenever making decisions for me or for my family. The only time I have ever been disappointed was whenever I failed to follow that remembered quiet voice in my mind.
Thank you, Dad. You prove, as do so many who came to this country with real life experience rather than letters after your name, that being smart is not formal learning...it is application of the practical experiences in our lives, using them...even the failures...to make the future better.
My father was born in Norway. His father died in a mining accident when he was very young, leaving his mother and sister in very dire financial circumstances. He had to quite school after the 6th grade in order to help earn money so the family would not starve. That experience formed his attitude about life forever. He had suffered poverty. He grew into a man who was generous to a fault, yet very, very aware that one needs to be frugal and consider that you never looked at any opportunity with an eye to "what can I make?" but rather to first ask, "what can I lose?", followed by "Can afford to lose it?". Only then would he evaluate the possible gain. When recessions hit, he saw them earlier than most around him and by the time it was obvious to all, he had explained that our family was going to have to do with less, that we were going to keep as much in savings as possible, cutting costs and doing everything possible to be ready if everything "went south."
My father came to this country in 1921, not speaking the language. He could not tell anyone that he was trained as an electrician. The saw that he was from Norway and assumed that he was a carpenter and offered him a job laying hardwood floors. He worked hard, learned well, grew to be a foreman in the firm, stayed employed, albeit at a lower wage, through the depression. He quickly agreed to take lower pay, understanding that some pay was better than no pay at all. Again, the experience underscored and intensified his belief that he had to take responsibility for watching out for his own economic security. He started his own business in the suburbs of New York City (actually, at that time it was "the country", before people started living outside the city and commuting...it was mostly farmland), and always lived within his means...and trained me to do the same.
I have survived pretty well over the years...mostly by applying the rules of life taught to me by my father. I did this when I was young out of knee-jerk training, even as I thought my father was behind the times. But as I grew older and saw the wisdom of being self-reliant wherever possible, I began consciously considering "what would Dad have said about this" whenever making decisions for me or for my family. The only time I have ever been disappointed was whenever I failed to follow that remembered quiet voice in my mind.
Thank you, Dad. You prove, as do so many who came to this country with real life experience rather than letters after your name, that being smart is not formal learning...it is application of the practical experiences in our lives, using them...even the failures...to make the future better.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Do any of us really care anymore?
The curse of retirement has resulted in the time to read, study and ponder on many things, one of which unfortunately turns out to be government and politics. A friend recently responded to one of my multiple paragraph musings with the observation that these matter have been the subject of thought by untold numbers of individuals over the ages and he stated that he would leave further exploration of the various matters to the "deep thinkers." He is probably right. Life was much easier when I knew less. I could decide matters on what usually ended up being a "black" or "white" basis; grays were minimal and my attitudes tended toward the absolute.
The more I read and study, the less certain I am about the propriety of any action, or belief. If unchecked, I can reach a state of decision-paralysis because of the now-apparent multiple repercussions of a particular action.
But...I have to discuss, write, and debate with others even though I am fully aware that none of these activities will actually solve, correct, or even answer any of the questions of the day...even the simple ones. I will do all this because...and I admit to a level of narcissism here...it makes me feel better, more alive, more engaged with life. At my age I am no longer able to sweat out my frustrations and stress, so I have to "think" and "express" them out. Fortunately there are some of my friends and acquaintances who find this behavior on my part either entertaining or enabling (I am not sure which, and I don't much care since they put up with me...so far) so I am not yet an exile or a mountain-top hermit in a cave. Perhaps that will come later.
Meanwhile I wonder if any of us really care anymore...and whether or not we should!
The more I read and study, the less certain I am about the propriety of any action, or belief. If unchecked, I can reach a state of decision-paralysis because of the now-apparent multiple repercussions of a particular action.
But...I have to discuss, write, and debate with others even though I am fully aware that none of these activities will actually solve, correct, or even answer any of the questions of the day...even the simple ones. I will do all this because...and I admit to a level of narcissism here...it makes me feel better, more alive, more engaged with life. At my age I am no longer able to sweat out my frustrations and stress, so I have to "think" and "express" them out. Fortunately there are some of my friends and acquaintances who find this behavior on my part either entertaining or enabling (I am not sure which, and I don't much care since they put up with me...so far) so I am not yet an exile or a mountain-top hermit in a cave. Perhaps that will come later.
Meanwhile I wonder if any of us really care anymore...and whether or not we should!
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