What's this world coming to?

Today I woke up a sunny sky & the first real look of Spring.  I was so excited I cleaned house & went to the gym for the first time since last fall.  I started out doing my 35 minutes on the elyptical. I brought my Book Club Book, "Look Again" to read & had the TV on in front of me on CNN 24/7 News.

What a world we live in. First I listened to a recount of the story on the former Rutger's Mens' Basketball Coach who was video taped physically & verbally abusing his players in practice. I watched it & was taken aback.  I have coached basketball for over 30 years & had thousands of inspired practices.  I would never think of using that tactic to motivate youths. I might yell.  Heck I might throw a ball in frustration.  But never at a player . He wasn't winning so I guess it wasn't working.

Then there was a story on the 28 year old president of North Korea & his hate of the United states.  Apparently he has given his army permission to attack the United States with a nuclear warhead if they felt it necessary.  Why would any country put that kind of power in the hands of a 28 year old, let alone one so unstable.  It's scary to think what he might do & cause.

Next was a story on three murders in Texas & one in Colorado where law enforcement officials were killed in , what looks like, revenge for doing their job.  There was a sheriff, two district attorneys, & a wife of one killed.  Why would anyone want any of those jobs now?

Finally, they broke into the news cast to deliver "Breaking News".  Their was an armed gunman walking around the University of Rhode Island putting the school in lockdown & cancelling all classes.  Are any of our campusses or schools safe any more?

I used to watch sports to get away from all this but even the sports world is full of this lack of moral fiber.  I have two grandchildren & I wonder just what kind of world we are bringing them in to?  Lots of plusses with the advances n technology & medicine . But wow, also some serious Nut Cases out there.  Oh well I'm sure my grandparents & parents thought the same thing at one time......& asked that same question....What's this world coming to?

Yellow Journalism is Alive .........Unfortunately

Todays news seems to be full of half truths, no truths, and sensationalism, and it's delivered to us by unnamed sources, sources guaranteed their anonymity, and rags. 

The latest is a reopening of the Steroid/PED wound in professional sports.   The timing is always the best.  This report coming out just after the Hall of Fame voters decided against allowing any player linked to their possible usage into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The much heralded & popular Yellow Rag known as the, Miami New Times , an alternative weekly has reported that they have gotten their hot little hands on proof that some professional baseball players including Alex Rodriguez purchased  PED's & HGH's from a clinic in Miami that has been connected to the sales of such products.   

Of course all involved have denied the allegations and no proof has been shared yet.  But the "Media" in all its wisdom or lack of any, has decided to "Make " a Story & sell some papers.  Don't they understand that there is always going to be someone out there willing to say anything to make a buck!!!!

I think the thing that bothers me the most is the lack of integrity by these rags and the lack of compassion. Maybe not in this case but so often, if you are a person of "interest" and you make a mistake.  They give you no second chances.  They jump on it , all to say they "Got" the story. 

Yes, I'm not sure where this "story" will go.  With 24/7 news, the millions of news sites, and the need to grab your attention,Yellow News sells?   Maybe it's more a reflection on Society's Core Values!!!! 
And with the events that have grabbed the headlines over the past few months, isn't that sad!

When are the Media & Professional Athletes Going To Wake Up

I believe in giving everyone a second chance & that people can change but before we all jump on the "Win this one for Ray" Bandwagon lets review the 2000 incident. Ray & two friends were involved in a fight at a post Super Bowl Party where two men were stabbed to death. Ray & his two friends were indicted for murder. Ray's Million Dollar Lawyer worked out a plea deal where Ray plead to obstruction of justice for false statements he gave police & he testified against his two friends who were later acquitted for the murders for which no one else has ever been charged. Ray got 1 year probation where he could not drink for a year.The Bloody white suit Ray was wearing that night has never been found. He later used his Millions to pay off the families of the deceased to avoid civil suits. THIS is the kind of guy Raven Fans are honoring!!!!! To me its just another case of the lack of character of so many professional athletes & that money can keep you out of trouble. These guys just don't get it.

The above is true.  The Media spends pages & hours of time on reporting things like Tom Brady's leg up slide.....the Notre Dame Girlfriend Hoax......and storiues like that.  Then they promote things like All Pro Ray Lewis's Run to the Super Bowl in his final year.   Who are they kidding?   How can they honor a Thug who used his money & status to stay out of jail?   It just sickens me.....How bout You?

Needs and Wants

Today I subbed in a second grade classroom.  When I entered the school, I was buzzed in by someone who knew me.  As I looked up at the camera I thought, " What an important job the person buzzing me in has".  So many thoughts ran through my head the rest of the day as I worked with those little children. Their parents sent them to school & intrusted their safety in others.  It IS a big deal! 

Earlier this year, I was in a first grade classroom teaching the 6  and 7 year olds about 'Needs & Wants".  You NEED air, water, food, shelter, certain medicines, etc.  You may WANT chocolate milk, candy, an I-Phone, a bike, etc. 

I read this morning, that the shooter had enough ammunition to kill every child and adult in that school three times over.   I guess he felt he needed an assault rifle.

However we , as a nation, address this problem, it must include a way to keep these types of weapons out of the hands of people who might do this.  There are billions of people in our world.  How do we know who will do something like this?  Putting armed weapons in everyone's hands will create a potentially explosive situation everywhere.Putting armed guards in all our schools, malls, sporting facilities, etc  is a maybe.   I just don't know.  The solution can't be a debate about rights because the Right To Life supercedes it all. We can't waste time arguing who is right & who is wrong.  While we do, Kids are being killed. Ask the questions:  Why are Assault Weapons made?  And Who really needs one?  Again I don't know the solution but I do know Something Needs doing & after it's done, we all need to work together as a Nation to see that it works because if we don't....More Kids will be killed.  So please don't get defensive.....instead find a way to keep our kids safe.

I don't Want our Kids to be Safe......I NEED them to be.  Actually I both Want & Need that.

Let's Talk About It....

Tell me you didn't shed tears this weekend.  Tell me you didn't think about 26 innocent victims....20 children ages 6 or 7 RIDDLED with bullets. (the ME found 3 to 11 bullets in each child) Tell me you're not angry. We say over and over that keeping our children safe is our #1 priority.   Polititions say that the Nation's security and our people's safety is MOST important.  Well, it is time to put our money and their vote where their mouths are.  They need to stand up to lobbiests and those who would threaten to pull their support and just do what is right. These forces have held our country and it's people hostage for long enough.  At What Cost?  Are Twenty innocent babies enough?  Yes I am talking about Gun Control and the NRA.  I'm talking about creating Laws that will really safeguard our children. If this past Friday's Massacre isn't enough....then what is?

The second ammendment gives Americans the Right to Bear Arms.  It was wriiten at a time when all Americans hunted for their food.  A time when their was no law enforcement.  A time when guns shot off single shots and you needed time to reload.  There were no police.  There were no super markets where you could buy meat.  There were no automatic or semi -automatic guns that could shoot literally hundreds of bullets a minute. 

It's time that laws caught up with the times before anymore children are massacred.   I'm sure our forefathers didn't have in mind for this law to be so abbused as it is today.    It is way too easy for anyone to secure a gun.  Ask yourself this:  Why would anyone need a semi -automatic or an automatic weapon?  You don't use them to hunt.  Picture this:  I have a gun shop located near me advertising a semi-automatic rifle for Home Security.  Have we gone mad?  The statistics show that over 10,000 americans were killed by guns this past year.  More then in the next 10 countries combined.    In Japan, all guns are banned.  Automatic guns were banned up until 2004 when a George W. Bush led congress failed to renew the ban inorder to apease the NRA & the anti-gun control lobbiests who supported their elections & reelections.  Appeasing them & getting reelected was more important then the safety of our children. What does that say of the most civilized country in the world?

Any type of automatic weapon needs to be banned.  If it was, some of those children might be alive.  The ability to own a gun needs to be made so only people who can act responsibly should own one  or two,  not 10 or 15 or more.  We need control.  Arming everyone is NOT the answer as many anti-gun control people are saying.   Can you imagine a country where everyone is packing a gun? I don't know all the answers, but our law makers need to act and act seriously for the safety of all.  Help to create a safer America.

Enough of the back room bargaining for votes.  We Elected You To Do What is RIGHT.  We Elected You To Help Keep Us SAFE.  So....What are you waiting for?  Replace all our tears with actions.  Let those Twenty Angels and 5 Heroes know that they MATTERED.

Home Needs to Hold Up Their End

I taught first grade in 1975.   My first graders played, took naps, had snacks, learned songs.  I taught them their numbers and letters and they began to learn to read using basil readers where Jack, Janet, Tip, and Mitten roamed.  I have subbed in first grade a number of times this year.  Today's first graders read and write complete sentences, add and subtract, learn about solid geometry, and are tested on a regular basis. No more naps & not much time to play.  They do get a snack but during snack time, they have a worksheet to work on.  Yes they are little sponges & Yes much more is expected of them.

In a first grade class you'll find children who can draw well enough  that their people have fingers and toes & all kinds of details.  These same kids can write a complete sentence, filling a page with their complete thoughts.  You'll also have children in the same room who draw stick figures or circles with eyes as their people and who still can't write their names.  Each night, the children take their folders home with all the day's work completed. The first group comes in every morning with their folders empty making room for the day's work.  The second group's folder gets thicker every day as the day's work goes unchecked.

The message is clear.  Those children who come from homes where education is valued, where their learning is nurtured, where they are read to and spent quality time with, will grow and blossom.  But those that are left to fend for themselves, who come from a home where education is left to the schools, where learning means being able to dress themselves and fix their own lunches, will continue drawing stick figures while trying to figure out how to spell their names.

Values are taught in the home.  All schools can affectively do is reinforce the good values.  A child who becomes an ethical person, who has a good work ethic, who learns to love his/her fellow man, and learns to be kind, learns all that in his home environment.  Those that learn to be mean, lazy, and have poor ethics, have gotten their early training in their home environment.  It is reinforced by the friends they choose.  Schools are fighting the good fight to try and instil good work ethics and values but are fighting a losing battle when these children go home each night.

The best way to fix societies ills are to turn the children over to schools at a earlier age.  To mandate pre- school and affective parenting classes.    Children who live in a house where good parenting is lacking & have poor role models, many times make the same mistakes with their children. 

Schools are only a part of the solution.  Putting them under a microscope and holding them to higher standards then we hold parents and society to is not going to cut it.  For Home & School to work together means holding home to the same standards we hold schools to.  Finally Values & Character matter.  We can't sacrifice them for higher scores.

I think we did a better job of that back in 1975.

Let's stop all this Shit & Really Help Education

Now that the Legislature has made Teacher Evaluations open to just the parents of the kids, we need a bill to evaluate parents and make that open to just the teachers of the kids. What a Joke!!!!! Like this will improve education. You want to improve education in this country!!! It's simple...Give every kid a stable, nurturing, & loving environment for them to grow up in. It's what they come to school with & what they do with what they learn , once they leave each day, that really matters. You can't expect schools to do EVERYTHING. I hope people realize this. Apparently Gov. Cuomo & the legislature like to play the blame game & point the finger at schools. They are more concerned with getting re-elected & heaven-forbid people look under their own roofs.

Look around....Those of us that used our education & came from a nurturing home usually do OK. Schools can't solve the problem of the poor home environment. That society thinks it can & therefore just puts them on the welfare rolls is what is sad. Put your education dollars to good use like a strong Mentor program for those kids that don't come from a nurturing home & help them before they join the welfare rolls. That's good use of education dollars.

There are other good answers to our country's Education Issues but as long as our leaders continue to try & win votes & blame everyone but where the blame really falls, the issues will remain issues. 

We need Parenting classes in our schools.  Help kids realize how important a job parenting is & how to do it right.  Open our schools up to help young parents do a better job.   A strong Mentor program for all those kids who don't come from a home where parents are able to nurture their child & their education.  Give these kids someone who cares.  A strong 3 to 5 program so kids don't have to go home to an empty house. 

These are just some ideas.  I know if we put our heads together we can come up with more.  Let's stop wasting time & money blaming schools & teachers.  For some kids, it's the only place they get that nurturing & get to hang with someone that truly cares.  Not all schoolls are perfect & yes their needs to be tweaking & a system that holds schools & teachers accountable & we need to be able to help them do better or get out but let's put the focus back on the kids.  Not just say we are.