SENSE & WISDOM

NEW WEBSITE

2012-03-20T19:55:00.000-05:00

Please note that I now post under my own website

http://jcsprenger.com

Please visit me whenever you have a chance; I have a lot of posts on education and a few on politics.

Moving to WordPress

2012-02-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOW POSTING ONLY ON

http://jcsprenger.com/

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND CONSIDERATION AND PATIENCE

The Art of Education

2012-01-24T13:35:00.003-06:00

When a teacher faces a new class at the beginning of the school year, he (she) sees 25 bodies belonging to girls and boys. Some are thin, some fat, others are tall, or short, but the main information, the one the teacher really needs, is hidden from sight. A good instructor will make sure he finds out what’s going on before the first month is over. Learning each name is essential, of course, to set up a good relationship with the youngsters; but more important is getting to know as much as possible about their life experiences at this stage of their existence.

Sudden Change
A good example is a boy we’ll call John: He seemed normal until the day he got really mad at the teacher, screaming at her in front of the whole class. Her first reaction was to send the student to the principal, where he would be punished accordingly. But Ms. Jones was an experienced teacher; she knew something was wrong with John, so she called the mother and asked for a conference. It turned out that John suffered from a light form of autism and did not know how to confront opposition from another person. The school had not detected the disability as yet as John was extremely intelligent and aced all his tests.
A pensive student

Some disabilities are not as easy to detect; case in point, Aaron, a real case whose name has been changed, often fell asleep in one of my classes and failed to pay attention to instructions when awake. I took him outside and had a man-to-man talk (he is 18). He told me a heart-wrenching story: drunk, abusive father and a harassed mother who tried hard to educate him and his three siblings. He had to take a job flipping burgers after school and often got home after midnight. He was exhausted and hungry as his mother had almost nothing in the refrigerator in the morning. The little money he made barely paid for rent and utilities. I connected him with a community outreach program that has been helping him and the family with food, clothing, and daycare ever since.

Teamwork
It’s easy for a bad teacher to simply give his lesson and forget about his students’ needs. That is not education, it’s instruction; anybody can do that. A great educator will spend free time to talk to parents, counselors, and other teachers to learn as much as possible about each and every student. Lessons must be tailored to individual needs; for example, some students are too shy to ask questions in class. A mediocre teacher will fail to detect the reason behind their apparent passivity and will reward only those who participate.

Adapting Instruction
I consider every student as a special needs child; we all have some type of academic disability; it’s just a matter of finding out what it is in each case. A close relationship between parents and teachers will help detect why Johnny is not doing well in English. For example, a few of my students came to this country recently and have not yet mastered our language. Others were born here but the family only spoke Spanish and only watched Spanish TV channels. When the home environment is not propitious to learning, I cannot expect my students to do their homework. They may have quarreling parents, or 3 or 4 very young siblings they have to care for because mother is working. Whatever the reason, I have to adapt my teaching to every student’s personal needs.
Educating is a never-ending process, just as learning is a life-long adventure.

MOVING TO WORDPRESS

2012-01-22T20:16:00.000-06:00

I will be moving to

http://jcsprenger.wordpress.com/

in the next few weeks; it will give me more flexibility to make my blog what I really want: a professional site.

Meanwhile I will continue to post the same piece on both blogs. Thank you to my readers for their patience.

Bad Teacher, Good Teacher, Great Teacher

2012-01-21T20:22:00.001-06:00

Nobody has ever measured the harm done on children who have a bad, really bad, teacher. The younger the child, the more the harm, and parents are usually unaware of the enormous stress placed upon their son or daughter. A bad teacher is much like a bad priest or its equivalent, a preacher or minister, except that the first sees and interacts with this child five days a week. Just imagine being subject to scorn and ridicule for a whole school year; the other students, who miss nothing, quickly notice that their classmate is being harassed by their teacher. Whose side do they take? Of course, the guy or the lady who gives them grades, the adult in the room who can cause havoc at home with one phone call.

Detection

School districts rarely have the tools to detect and eliminate such nefarious influence; yet, the one person who is in daily contact with every teacher is the school principal, and that's the person you, the parent, must talk to immediately if you suspect that something amiss is occurring. I am not talking about sexual abuse, a topic that seems to pop up more and more frequently involving coaches, priests, and occasionally teachers. The attentive mother will notice that very quickly and report it to the respective authorities. I am talking about these few cases in which the child's self-esteem is systematically pummeled and eventually destroyed.

For Example

Students of all ages tend to blame the teacher for their low grades or for discipline measures taken against them. "She doesn't believe me," is one of the many excuses children mention when their parents ask for an explanation. "She doesn't like me," is another, or "She is picking on me." Standing in a classroom in front of 25 kids 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for almost 10 months every year is no easy task. The teacher may have the same students the whole day or a different batch every period. I dare you to try and remember 140 names, in a high school setting, and their individual needs and idiosyncrasies. Add the names of the parents and you have a momentous task in front of you. But that of course does not excuse abusing the kids just because you got up in a bad mood; it's not allowable for parents or for teachers. But it happens, unfortunately. I clearly remember my third grade teacher, a middle-age spinster who apparently hated the male species; she allowed the girls to do anything they wanted, while the boys were severely reprimanded if they dared stand up and ask to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, my self-esteem suffered a rude downgrade.

Not Born Equal

In spite of the beautiful thought shared by our Founding Fathers, that all men are born equal, that is not the case when it comes to academic skills. A teacher knows immediately who can and who cannot follow the lesson at a rapid pace. We have of course the special education program set up to detect severe learning disabilities but there are many who slip through the cracks so to speak and, though considered regular students, simply cannot keep up the pace. They are the ones most often targeted by really bad teachers, who also show their lack of sensibility with academically disabled kids. In the best scenario, these are ignored; in the worst scenario, they are targeted repeatedly as examples of what not to do in the classroom. After a couple of years of such abuse and neglect, these kids simply give up on school and the parents, in some cases, wrongly assume that their child is simply too dumb to succeed in the classroom.

Talk to Your Kids

Your first line of defense is to maintain an open and frank communication with your children; find out if they are simply venting steam because they failed a test, or whether their complaints have a solid and rational basis. If it is the second, go and talk to the teacher first so you can make up your mind about her; then ask the principal if they will allow you to spend a couple of days in the classroom and watch carefully how the teacher handles the kids. It might be sufficient to make the educator reflect on his or her behavior and start treating the kid with respect. If this fails, ask for a conference that should include the teacher, the principal, a counselor and, if you think it is needed, your lawyer. Request an investigation that should reach other parents to see whether they also believe that a problem exists. Just remember, bad teachers are few and far in between; a good teacher may sometimes be accused unfairly simply because she tries to discipline your child who did not behave well. She represents the parent in a school setting and must also be treated with the same respect.

Next Generation

Education is not only the responsibility of educators; it must be a coordinated effort by parents, teachers, counselors, and school staff. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it if we want the next generation to make this country even greater.

The Forgotten Ones

2012-01-19T19:09:00.000-06:00

Capitalism rewards the smart, the savvy, the lucky, the great athlete, the hard-working entrepreneur, the astute financier, the hypocritical politician, and rewards very well, in the millions of dollars. But aren't we forgetting the rest of the people, the ones at the bottom of the pile, the almost untouchable ones, those who have no special skills, those who'll never have a pension plan, those who sometimes seek refuge in the bottle, or in drugs?

As a high school teacher, I meet all kinds of students and I usually can tell whether they are destined for high level jobs or menial poorly paid positions in life; they will always belong to the bottom of the totem pole. We can all admit that if you are reading this blog, you most likely navigate the waters of the middle or high class, and are therefore blessed with a better than average intelligence. Human beings with low levels of intelligence must be treated with all due respect and consideration; they were born that way and until science comes up with some magical gene therapy to correct the mistake, they will remain that way until they die. Can they be happy? Of course, I have met many such individuals who seem to enjoy life much more than I did.

Political systems, however, within capitalistic societies, offer very little protection to people who cannot fend for themselves sufficiently to enjoy a carefree old age. Oh, we have Medicaid, a bonafide mana from heaven for those who find themselves below the poverty line! But many end up on the street, depending on the generosity of passers-by. They starve, freeze to death, and die of unnamed diseases. Even worse: When they have children, these end up sometimes as preys for crazy sick predators. Every year, 50,000 kids are sexually abused in the United States. If they survive the rigors of poverty, these children will do very poorly in classrooms across the country. What they learn might help them get a job flipping burgers or burning their hands picking up lettuces.

Yet, we cannot have a happy society in which nobody wants to do the dirty jobs. There is even a TV show on the subject where the star gets his hands dirty for a couple of hours. But the real workers suffer day in and day out for the rest of their lives. We seldom reflect on those hardy souls who make our lives more comfortable; we very rarely thank them for their efforts. And we never think of those Chinese "slaves" forced to work for 30c a day for 10 to 12 hours without a break and without the possibility of escaping; they make our precious cell phones.

A purely capitalistic society is synonym with inequality and injustice. Do we treat very poor people the same in court as we do with the rich ones? Ha, ha! What a stupid question! "They are too lazy, too stupid, to enjoy the American Dream," said a prominent businessman to his buddy in a moment of rare candor.

But how can we call ourselves a successful nation if we don't protect the less fortunate with every means at our disposal? Private charities do a lot, certainly, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the immense needs of millions of American citizens. Remember the War On Poverty of 1964 launched by President Lyndon Johnson? Well, 40 years later, we are still fighting it and we still have a long way to go.

Re-Thinking Our Country

2012-01-17T19:19:00.000-06:00

What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance (Thomas Jefferson)

He surely was thinking of the OWS movement, a resistance to the present cozy alliance between politicians and bankers.

Considering all the problems that are presently affecting the United States, why don't we ask a group of the greatest thinkers to re-think America; they would be chosen among philosophers, scientists, writers, historians, poets, comedians, teachers, and a few farmers, engineers, military guys, and ordinary people such as common sense imbued senior citizens. The membership would have only one condition: no politician, present, past, or future.

Colbert For President?
The idea came from an unexpected source: the candidacy of Stephen Colbert, the well-known entertainer who launched an exploratory committee toward the presidency. Why a comedian, some people would ask? Well, why not? One cannot have "experience" as a president, one must learn on the job, which is why Obama will be a much better Commander-in-Chief the second term if reelected. A professional politician like Romney or Gingrich brings a lot of "baggage" to the task. They have extended their tentacles over Washington for the last 20 years at least. They have "obligations" or IOU's all over the place, which they would "repay" if elected. A brand new civilian would have no such load on his/her shoulders and could thus concentrate on governing rather than finding positions in the government for his cronies.

No Elections?

The "thinking" group mentioned in the first paragraph would be charged with re-inventing the United States, and that would include a new way to s'elect (sic) a president, if they judged that our present republican system is adequate for our needs as a super power. Maybe a king would be better (just kidding); but a Parliament might work better than our present Congress. Just look at the British Parliament in action to see the Prime Minister being grilled mercilessly. I would love to see our president respond for his actions and decisions the same way. Perhaps the "elite" group could be trusted with picking a new president from among the most successful businessmen, or academics, such as a Nobel prize winner. We could even do away with elections altogether!! Oh Democracy, how much wrong has been committed in thy name!

Nefarious Polls

Meanwhile, is there any way we can have political campaigns without polls? No, of course not. There is too much money at stake; but the trouble with polls is that they have become extremely accurate; what's the point of voting if the results are already known? Who is to say that voters are not influenced by the polls in such a way that they finally pick the candidate ahead in the preferences? If true, it negates the very foundations of a democracy, just as super PAC's are destroying the fairness of elections. Just pour enough money into a candidate and even the most incompetent politician can be elected. Furthermore, with today's instantaneous communications through smart phones, the first voters are able to tell the later voters and the media whom they selected. The whole system is flawed and the "super group" should find a new way to restore our democratic ways.

I don't believe for a moment that my idea will bear fruit; political and financial interests are so entrenched in the present system that nothing of importance will be changed, nothing that could give us back a real democracy. The same people who must be eliminated are the ones who have the power to do it. No respectable (if not respected) Congressman (woman) will vote for self-immolation. It would take a popular tsunami to realize that dream, much more than the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Life on the Border

2012-01-15T10:36:00.001-06:00

He went to Matamoros to resupply his medications, which are much cheaper in Mexico. As he was leaving the pharmacy, a burly man brandishing a gun told him to turn over everything, including his truck. This is a common story that illustrates two important social factors 1) Joblessness is Mexico is much higher than what the government claims and 2) Local police forces are totally corrupt and/or incompetent. My friend did not bother calling the cops as he knew that his assailant was most likely one of them. Carjacking takes place in broad daylight as testified by this young American tourist who was simply waiting in line to cross the bridge; a pair of ruffians just told her to get out of her Camry or suffer the consequences.

A Tale of Two Cities

Brownsville and Matamoros, just like Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, or El Paso and Juarez, or San Diego and Tijuana, are all twin cities on the border with Mexico which share a lot more than a bridge and brisk trade. Many American families have relatives on the other side and many Mexican businesses have opened a similar one on this side. They share the good and the bad, just like a married couple; in fact, they are joined at the hip, an analogy that illustrates how any serious problem in one city affects the other one. Maquiladoras for example, which are American factories on the Mexican side, offer better paying jobs to thousands of families while reducing their cost thanks to lower salaries. They too are closing their doors until a safer climate returns.

All these border towns are presently suffering from a grave illness: violence and the loss of trade that results from chronic insecurity on the Mexican side. The two examples I cite above are not simply isolated cases, they are weekly events that tell American citizens not to travel to Mexico. Dollars are no longer flowing to local businesses in Matamoros the way they used to only a few years ago. Restaurants and bars that used to cater to American crowds are closing their doors, thus eliminating much needed jobs and pushing more young Mexicans toward the drug trade.

Spill Over

The violence has started to spill over on this side and local law enforcement are beefing up their resources to face possible cartel threats. That is, with the exception of a few cops who take bribes to look the other way. Governor Perry is right in at least one aspect: The federal government must pay more attention to making the border safe; the billions spent in foreign wars can be better used here in the United States to fight drug traffickers. Every week its seems a new safe house to stash drugs or illegal immigrants is found in a border town. We as citizens living close to Mexico must keep our eyes open and report any suspicious activity....and we do.

Armed and Dangerous

Another crime spree is occurring in cities in the Rio Grand Valley; home invasions are becoming more frequent and more criminals have been shot and killed by homeowners. The bandits are often drug users looking for money to feed their addiction or Mexican nationals unable to make a living in their country. Since Texas has some of the most permissive laws regarding gun possession and use, most people are arming themselves to fight off a possible intruder. Nothing wrong with that, as long as parents make sure the revolver is not loaded and/or accessible by kids. But the message to criminals is clear: stay out of my house or risk getting killed. A homeowner is safe from prosecution while defending his house and family...and that's the way it should be.

As a national election for president is getting closer in Mexico, most citizens in that country are hoping that a new administration can restore the peace and prosperity they used to enjoy.

Hegemony or Survival

2012-01-13T09:43:00.000-06:00

The title of this piece comes straight from the famous book by Noam Chomsky on America's role in this new century, in which he analyzes with relentless logic our "imperial" foreign policy.

Chomsky is probably one of the authors read by the presidential candidate Ron Paul, a man I really like and admire; he is a vet, like me, he is over 70, like me, but he is also a doctor, a medical doctor and apparently a successful father (no mean feat). His youthful following, the many young volunteers who are helping him in his successful campaign to the White House, are not blinded by the music of a rock star, or by the superficial beauty of a female singer, they are with him because they share his ideas and his vision of the future for our country. Ron Paul is a man who speaks his mind bluntly, without artifices and without a holier-than-thou attitude. That is quite refreshing in a politician.

Yes, Dr. Ron Paul is too old to become the next president and he is too extreme in his views to fit comfortably in either the Republican or Democratic party. He would normally be an ideal third party candidate and do as well or better than Ross Perot who put a scare in his two opponents in 1992. Some of his proposals would coincide with Paul's ideas. Both Perot and Paul are for balancing the federal budget for example and favoring American made products. Both are enjoying the support of those voters fed up with business as usual in Washington, with the cozy relationship between lobbyists and congressmen, and especially with our role as Policeman of the World.

Come Home

Congressman Paul, quite wisely, though no other Republican has repeated this position, states that we no longer need to spend billions on other countries; let's eliminate 90% of our military bases, let's bring back our troops from Afghanistan, and let's stop pretending that we have to fix the world's problems because our security interests are threatened. What interests in Iraq (aside from oil), what interests in Afghanistan, a nation never conquered and often invaded, what interests in Pakistan, now that bin Laden is no longer, and so many other countries where our presence is felt by pouring millions of dollars to their corrupt politicians.

World Super Power

It is true that we have the most powerful military, which makes us the Big Bully wherever we interfere with local politics. But when the atomic age came to light after WWII, it no longer was possible to risk an all-out world war which would annihilate civilization as we know it. So we made the tragic decision to send troops to Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Ira, and Afghanistan. Tragic because we lost many, many young American lives for very little gain. South Korea is perhaps the only jewel we can be proud of after witnessing the sad fate of North Korea and its totalitarian regime. Vietnam was no doubt the worst mistake ever made, fueled by a blatant lie by President Lyndon Johnson. It was also the only war the United States has ever lost.

New Military Strategy

President Obama recently said that we have to downsize the Armed Forces to rely more on small groups of highly specialized soldiers who would operate in regions of the world where American interests might be threatened. With our highly sophisticated planes and drones, we could send a clear message to would be terrorists that there was no place to hide on the planet. Ron Paul clearly embraces this strategy in foreign policy. The days of imperial dominance are clearly over for two important reasons: 1) The emergence of Russia and China as possible foes and 2) The sad state of our empty coffers and huge debt. Libya and Iran present two classic and ideal scenarios for our new military strategy: Air power and special forces can turn the tide without engaging thousands of boots on the ground.

Is our survival as a nation at stake or are our politicians still living the Monroe doctrine, albeit on a universal scale? Can't we just mind our own business and let other nations seek their own path, as long as it doesn't interfere with ours? Isn't it more practical and sensible to develop our own sources of fuel by investing heavily in research and development? Do we have to irritate great powers like Russia and China instead of negotiating win-win treaties? Do we have to continue favoring great corporations over the welfare of our citizens? Do we have to tolerate this great divide between republicans and democrats, all of whom are patriots and Americans?

Please let your voice be heard in this forum!

The Challenge of Becoming an Adult

2012-01-10T12:27:00.002-06:00

Every new high school student must focus, from the very start, on the transition to the "real" world. Parents play a vital role in this quest for self-sufficiency as a young adult. As a teacher of academically challenged teens, I have the great responsibility, established and supervised by the State, of making sure my students are placed in the right career path. I need the constant cooperation of the mother, a times the father is able to participate, in order to give these young people a chance to survive the challenges of getting a job, founding a family, and setting goals for constant self-improvement.

What am I going to do after high school?

Parental Essential Role

Parents must be an integral and fundamental part of this process as even children with severe disabilities should have a chance to get a job. One mentally challenged girl graduated and is now making tacos and tamales for sale, a skill she learned while in high school. Another special student discovered he had talent for carpentry and is now making cabinets for new homes. A recent graduate who had great difficulties reading and understanding academic texts is now working as an air conditioning assistant in a local business. These success stories are, unfortunately, not the norm. Some special students fail to reach their goals and are still dependent on their families to survive according to the one-year-later survey conducted by a state agency.

From the Beginning

The process of becoming a useful and positive adult starts with the first day of school. We, as teachers and parents, have the sacred duty of building self-esteem and self-confidence in children by complimenting them when they act well and refraining from punishing them when they misbehave. Having conversations one-on-one can take place as soon as they show the ability to understand the rules of society, which should occur at the age of 6 or thereabouts. Teachers know very well that individual development varies from child to child, and between girls and boys. Thus we must adjust our behavior according to the stage they have reached mentally and emotionally.

Focusing On A Career

More often than not, a 14-year old has not yet focused on one career or occupation; teachers and counselors can apply vocational surveys and advise the teen, but again the parents' cooperation is essential. The best way to discover the young man or woman's future career is to: 1) Examine all the existing skills and preferences 2) Give the teen the opportunity to see first-hand what professionals do, from burger flippers to engineers, from cops to office workers. If the child has already shown a certain skill, he likes to read, he makes superb drawings, he fixes dad's car, she makes her own dresses, she takes wonderful photos, he looks like an NFL linebacker, she handles animals like a pro, and so on, try and see whether the teen is aware of all the existing occupations that may require his or her abilities.

A good school district will offer several choices: Special schools will be set up to cover the needs of willing students; right now, we have a great amount of demand for the medical and engineering fields in our district, which has recently increased the capacity of such training. In some areas, additional vocational formation will be necessary after high school to obtain a license or a diploma. Again, parents must be in contact with their school where all the needed information is available: scholarships, educational requirements, names and addresses of local vocational schools, colleges, and financial aid data.

The preparation for a successful future begins in elementary school but it takes its final shape in high school.

No Greater Vocation

2012-01-08T10:01:00.002-06:00

Romans 12:7 “If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.” (NLT)

Being a teacher must be the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition. Many seek to work in schools even though they could make a lot more money in the private industry. A few are there because of the meager paycheck and the security of a pension. They would be failures wherever they worked and the tragedy is not with these few misguided mentors but with the children who have to suffer in their classroom. Yet another male teacher was recently caught abusing his very young female students, giving all of us who love our vocation a very bad name. But they are the exception and bad apples are found even among coaches in prestigious colleges or among politicians who aspire at a seat in the White House (sarcasm intended).
Some of the best teachers in history never had a classroom or a blackboard; Socrates, Confucius, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, all lived what they taught and taught what they lived. And so it is with genuine teachers, including preachers who should also be leading by example.

Authentic Human Beings

Teachers, good teachers, know that their students are quite capable of detecting phoniness. They much prefer a person who says "I don't know, but I'll find out" than one who pretends to be omniscient. Children under 10 in particular have a special skill that seems to disappear when they become adults: They are incapable of malice by nature; if they lie to the teacher, it means that they lie to their parents and that they learned the habit in the family. If these kids are vicious and aggressive, they reflect their life experiences and simply use defense mechanisms. Fortunately, most elementary kids are open and frank and quite willing to trust their teacher. By the way, there is no bigger crime than to abuse that trust. Once a child's innocence has been violated , it will be very difficult to heal him or her. They expect their teachers to be authentic human beings.

Establishing Bonds

Parents should be aware of their children's reactions to a specific teacher, particularly at the elementary level. Schools very seldom agree to match students with their educator and yet the need is there. Just as professional football players respond better to a head coach than to others, so students' personalities sometimes clash with their teacher's. I clearly remember having my worst year in school in 4th grade with a male teacher who believed in running a military academy. My constant questions annoyed him as they disrupted his carefully laid plans. He failed to notice that I wanted to learn more and that asking why is the way to discover the truth. No bonding was possible between him and me, though some of my classmates thrived under his guidance.

If a parent notices that her son or daughter is not progressing and seems uncomfortable with a specific teacher, she should approach the counselor or the principal and ask about the possibility of moving her child to another classroom. I recently did exactly that with one of my special education students in high school; academically challenged kids are much more sensitive to human relations and require, just like a beautiful rose, constant care. I put her with another teacher who knows how to nurture students with special needs. My student is now doing very well.

Only For A Couple Of Hours

The other day I watched a reporter doing a piece on local schools; she was interviewing teachers and insinuating that their job was really not that difficult with the added bonus of long vacations. The educator, an elementary third grade teacher, suggested that the reporter take over her class for a couple of hours to get a "feel" of what it means to control and guide 27 kids. The dare was accepted and the journalist then related her experience; she was glad when the experiment was over. She realized what an exhausting job teachers are doing day in and day out. There are many rewards, yes, but also many heart-breaking moments. Some people just can't take it.

Parents, make sure you establish a good rapport with the teachers; such constant communication will go a long way towards helping your children be successful in school and in life.

The (Contorted) Language of Politicians

2012-01-06T15:20:00.000-06:00

Promises, promises, promises. Once elected, the campaigner forgets all about his glorious promises because he knows that one politician does not have the power to change the business-as-usual atmosphere in Congress or in the White House, not even the President can transform money grabbers into dedicated defenders or the people. Yet we believe them enough to vote for them; why? Because we have no choice, literally no choice. The ballots have their names; not the names we would like to see, but the names of those who won primaries and caucuses, of those who had a lot of MONEY.

Imagine an election in which everybody was free to write-in a name, any name. No campaigns, no primaries, no personal attacks, no TV ads, no stump speeches. Sounds crazy certainly! After all, it would be an enormous task to tally all the results of unknown citizens, especially in national elections. At the very least it would avoid the immense and decisive influence of MONEY. Utopia? You bet. Ain't going to happen and you know that; you, the regular guy who works two jobs to pay off mortgage and 3 children. It is frustrating certainly to see perfectly incompetent people elected or nominated to very important jobs, for example Mr. Carter, Mr. Bush II and Ms. Condoleeza Rice? You might say that it is the risk of a democracy, especially in huge countries like ours. We can only base our vote on sketchy and often erroneous information. But do we have a recourse that will fight special interests?

As I have suggested in an earlier piece, citizens must create their own lobby to defend their interests; after all, money is what motivates our august Senators and Representatives. If every person in the United States gave $1, we would have close to $100 million. Think what we could do with that amount in Washington D.C.! The hefty budget would "buy" a lot of politicians who would then vote for bills that could help the middle class and the less fortunate citizens. Lawmakers have a nasty habit to feather their resume: They put forth a bill that limits their pay, or prevents them from benefiting from inside information, and they publicize the fact in the press, knowing full well that it has no chance to succeed. Later they can boast that they tried to change the system but that their nefarious opponents sabotaged their "valiant" effort.

I truly believe that experienced politicians have a limited vocabulary of maybe 1,200 words (There are more than 300,000 words in the Oxford Dictionary). First of all, they cannot use the following: Yes, No, I agree, I disagree, I will not vote for or against, I prefer, I know, I don't know, Leave me alone, Don't ask these questions, I refuse to answer (equivalent to I confess). Getting a straight answer from any Congressman is like pulling a tooth from a tiger (Good Luck). Ask any question and they will weave, circumvent, elude, deviate, meditate, delay, until finally the reporter gets fed up and says: "Congressman, do you or don't you agree that...?"

This pernicious linguistic attitude from our politicians isn't just an amusing side show; it permeates every bill, every law, every Department, every Agency, until the result is totally incomprehensible except to a few lawyers who make a great living interpreting official tomes. It has converted our federal government into an enormous labyrinth where the Minotaur lurks awaiting his prey.

Too many citizens are underinformed regarding the candidates; they go to campaign events and get seduced by the politician's charisma. They fail to analyze his speeches carefully to detect anomalies and inconsistencies. Even though there are a few publications and groups who actually dissect each candidate, few voters bother to do an in depth study of their favorite man or woman. The inevitable result is of course that we often elect people who have their own agenda, using their position to enrich themselves and their friends. Do we really need 475 representatives, half of whom are never heard from? Couldn't we do a better job with 200 or 100 Congressmen and women? And save some money in hefty salaries and expense accounts?

Come on, ordinary citizens, let's come out and manifest our frustration... Oops, I forgot, we have some bodies out there, the OWS movement! Join them and demand reforms from our legislators! Maybe they will listen!

Dangers for Children On The Web

2012-01-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

One cannot open a website without learning something (Analogy from opening a book)

Millions upon millions of websites, touching every human topic under the sun. Who could have ever imagined this day would come, the Google day, and all the other search engines. If you are, like me, over the age of 50, you surely remember your parents' warnings about books and magazines during the 1960's, 1970', and 1980's. "I don't want to catch you with dirty magazines," said Mom, and naturally we immediately investigated the matter with our peers at school. There was always some kid with a copy of Playboy, Penthouse, or such girlie magazine. Pre-teens and teens would find ingenious ways to avoid mother's wrath or father's interest, but if they were discovered they swore that the fault lay with some rich schoolmate who could afford the $4 or $5 to buy that "trash." Dad would often confiscate the graphic evidence under the guise of avoiding the corruption of young minds.

Parental Control
Today's Internet fare would make a Playboy Bunny blush with shame, thus the imperious need for parents to be very careful about what their kids are watching at 3 o'clock in the morning when the elders are fast asleep. There are several software makers who offer good products to protect children from adult sites: Net Nanny, CYBERsitter, Safe Eyes, and PureSight PC are some of the best. They concentrate mainly on pornography and social sites predators who engage kids in chats pretending to be their peers. But the software doesn't cover every possible danger.

Modern children can give us, parents, lessons in electronics, computer software, and even hacking. Despite all the firewalls and protective software in our high school servers, some students still are caught every month accessing adult sites. How they do it is a complete mystery; I even asked one of my kids to explain how he was able to disable or bypass all the school filters on our computers and he just looked at me mockingly as if to say, you are too old to understand.

Dangerous Ideas
Pornography is probably not the greatest danger to our children's minds. The real danger lies in chats, emails, and subversive websites that fill our kids' brains with perilous and provocative suggestions. If you try hard enough, you can even find a detailed description on the Internet on how to make explosives with kitchen ingredients. Violence, weapons, and propaganda against the family, against American Society and Government, against some religions, and even against schools can affect juvenile minds which can easily be convinced that the system is out to destroy them. We have unfortunately too many examples of teens taking a weapon and using it against teachers, cops, and even against other teens.

Racism, bullying, incitements to violence, invitations to meet away from parents' eyes, phony financial offers to get even, sexual innuendos, and falsehoods regarding the American government, are all verbal weapons that can turn a teen against his or her own kind. Witness what happened to some kids born in the US with parents from Yemen; they were convinced to escape and become jihadists. Brainwash is not a new concept of course; it became popular when some prisoners of war in Korea related their experiences in Chinese concentration camps. In modern times, the Internet can play the same role if we are not careful. Yes, the Web can offer wonderful opportunities to learn about magical new worlds and ancient civilizations. But just like a knife, it can be used for good purposes or for evil ones.

False or True
By all means show your kids how to take advantage of this new tool; they will need to learn how to apply its infinite resources to build a better world, to connect with friends in far places, to visit the world's wonders without moving from their office chair, to learn new languages, to do the homework, to research all that was published about their favorite area of science, and to see grandpa on his birthday even though he lives in Canada and they in LA. But the one rule you must never forget is to doubt everything you see or hear on the web; there are many lies and falsehoods available, even on Wikipedia, that look convincing. Do your homework and make sure your corroborate the information...then convince your kids to do the same.

Anecdote: A friend who has a 13 year-old daughter asked me if she should buy her a smart phone, which she had done with the older brother. I said no, no way; you cannot control smart phones the way you can control a computer and a young teen girl is facing more dangers than her brother. So my friend bought her kid a regular phone, you know, the kind that allows one to call people!!

Justice And Good Governance?

2011-12-31T13:44:00.000-06:00

There never was such a thing as absolute justice, but only agreements made in mutual dealings among men in whatever places at various times providing against the infliction or suffering of harm (Epicurus, ancient Greek philosopher)

The ideal state is the one in which men live in harmony and peace, their basic needs having been met, including a government that protects them from harm. This concept should be a guideline for all politicians in all societies; alas, we know well that this is not the case, by a long shot. Epicurus acknowledges the weaknesses of human nature, though he recognizes that all men (and women) seek protection against harm and that means a ruling body, a government in other words, designed to oversee and protect such agreements among men.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Nowadays we would say the pursuit of sufficient resources to retire and live out the rest of our existence in peace and contentment. "Happiness" was not the original word in the Declaration of Independence, but rather Locke's "property". Jefferson preferred "Happiness", a vague term in many people's opinion. But let's not quibble: The real purpose of government is to make MY life as safe as possible which includes all basic necessities such as food and shelter. It should also make sure that I have the fair opportunity to reach my personal goals. What about individual responsibility you ask? What about effort, work, social contributions and obligations?

Well, of course, that is the social contract I implicitly sign with my government as soon as I turn 18; it is also known in the United States as the Pledge of Allegiance. All legal immigrants must swear to it when they get their green card. Every country has its own equivalent, thus marking the beginning of a "beautiful" (irony) relationship between the citizen and the government. The strange and unjust part is that the word "government" applies to so many people, elected or not, local, state and federal, that the ordinary citizen has a very difficult time getting compensated when he/she feels wronged by his/her governing body. Try suing the mayor, or the governor, or any bureaucrat and you will quickly discover that the task is almost impossible. Just ask those folks whose property was cut in half by the border fence with Mexico.

Such is the fate of all great ideas proffered by great men: They hit a wall call Human Frailty. We can pursue all right, Mr. Jefferson, but no government can guarantee that I will achieve my goals, and neither should it do so; at the very least, and Epicurus clearly says so, the ruling body should not cause me, the ordinary citizen, such harm as will prevent me from leading a satisfactory and peaceful life. But it does, every day, in every situation, and the worst part is that the governments, state and federal, usually rule in favor of the very rich and powerful. Hence the mighty popular protests known as Occupy Wall Street. The ordinary citizen has no recourse in a court of law; he or she cannot afford the best defense, the most expensive lawyers and so, Mr. Jefferson, we may be born equal in the eyes of the law, but we sure don't stay that way.

Justice for sale?

I remember a distraught Mexican citizen who once said to me "Let them (politicians) steal, but at least, do your job properly." The meaning was obvious: Take the graft, but give us justice, security, clean streets, parks for our kids, and a chance to get a decent paying job. That's how bad politics are south of the border, and we are slowly but surely gravitating in that direction.

This great Republic was founded to fight tyranny and injustice and it has prospered as no other nation has been able to. We are still the greatest power on this Earth; shouldn't we also be the best Democracy?

Very Special Kids

2011-12-30T11:22:00.001-06:00

About 10% of students suffer from what we call in education Learning Disability (LD), a puzzling but detectable brain malfunction that makes it very difficult for kids to process academic information. It is often confused with low I.Q. unfortunately as most students enjoy a normal level of intelligence. Another more "popular" disability is dyslexia, which is strictly related to reading as students do not perceive letters and words "normally". Parents of such children should pay close attention to these diagnoses obtained through a series of verbal and non-verbal tests. They should ask to see the detailed results and if they note something amiss, they must request a re-test by a different agency. That is their right, at least in public education schools.

"Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com"

Just as "normal" students are better at math than English, LD students may show different abilities; one of my teen special students has excellent results in science, i.e. chemistry and biology, while struggling enormously in social sciences and English. Science cannot pinpoint the actual cause for such dysfunction, but we can certainly help as parents and as teachers. Special students labeled as L.D. usually need to study twice as long as regular students and they must do so just to keep up with the class. In the best scenario, they have a tutor, sometimes provided by the school or offered by a private company. But most pupils in relatively poor areas, where I teach, cannot afford such personal trainers and their parents are seldom able to help them with their homework. It is therefore up to the school to provide such support with volunteer teachers staying after school.

Parental support is absolutely critical to ensure success in disabled students; these usually suffer from a low self-esteem, a condition brought about since elementary by the taunting of their more fortunate peers. Unfortunately, a few teachers also contribute to the fact by failing to establish high expectations and by not preventing the verbal bullying. A welcoming home where the special students feel loved and appreciated goes a long way toward establishing a firm mental base upon which these kids build a solid appreciation of themselves.

A special education teacher's main concern is to motivate these struggling students; too often, they show that they have given up by sleeping in class or by not doing their assignments. But with the parents' help, the teacher's efforts will have a higher probability of success. Constant communication between home and school must be the norm in order to achieve the goal of graduating from high school and preparing for the rigors of earning a living. My greatest reward is to receive the visit of an ex-special student who is doing well in life. It doesn't happen as often as I would like.

The transition from high school to regular life is a difficult one for any youngster; there are many poorly paid jobs out there and more often than not that is what special students end up doing. One of their better choices is to join the military, a career that can offer them many rewards, including paying for college or teaching them a specific skill that can applied in civilian life. Dangerous? Of course, but so is crossing a busy street. Other substantial possibilities lie in the realm of vocational schools where they can learn well-paid occupations ranging from medical assistant to carpentry, plumbing, or cosmetology. The key to all of them is learning how to read and understand at least 80% of the material.

Public schools have suffered severe budget cuts in 2011 which have affected all students with larger classrooms, less teachnology (sic, my invention), and fewer support classes. Teachers have also suffered by being laid off or not receiving an increase in their low salaries. Considering the enormous waste in resources at every level of government, it strikes me as completely irrational that a country such as ours would reduce financial support for our public education. These kids are our future, right?

Broken Elections

2011-12-27T15:28:00.004-06:00

“we the people of the United States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

"We the people" cannot be confused with "they...the Congress." However, If we really want to split hairs, we elected them and they are therefore the legitimate representatives of "the people." This is what lawyers do, they split hairs and get paid handsomely. But since I am not certified to work as a lawyer, let me use instead another concept that cannot be split; it either exists or it doesn't: Common Sense.

We all know by now that most people, i.e. voters, do NOT trust Congress, whether the Senate or the House. The latest quarrel involves extending tax cuts, which Obama wants and which the House doesn't (of course, how can they agree with the existing President?). Both Cantor and the Speaker are responding to the small group of fanatics known as Tea Party. They are making an enormous mistake, not only towards the country, but also for their own future as politicians with power.

Simple Common Sense

Allow me to digress for a minute: Section 9 of Article I prohibits nobility titles for American citizens, "So, an American citizen cannot be named a Prince, Duke, or any other noble title by our own government." Aah, but we do allow ex-Presidents to be called Mr. President, or ex-Senators to be called Senator, or even ex-Speakers to be called Mr. Speaker. That nefarious habit applies equally to ex-Governors and ex-Mayors, for example Mr. Giuliani. I can understand a general being called General the rest of his life because he will remain in the service forever, whether active or passive. But a politician, who represents US, returns to the status of a private citizen once he or she resigns or is defeated. To call Newton Gingrich "Mr. Speaker" is utter nonsense, since we already have one and, no, we can't have two. That is simple CS.

A Broken Election System

Common Sense CS) tells us that the elected officials should be in power for short periods of time: That does NOT happen. The longer they stay in power, the more arrogant they become and the more corrupt. They amass so much power that it becomes almost impossible to unseat them. We should really be allowed to RECALL the incompetent politicians, from dog catcher all the way to the presidency. Term limits have been proposed and squashed just as fast. Yet we have a limit for the office of commander-in-chief, eight years if elected directly. Why would senators and reps be exempted? Well, now who would change the law, you, me, nope, them. Would you resign voluntarily your well-paid position in a successful corporation? No. So why should they? Term limits should be imposed by an external august body similar to the Supreme Court, but set up as an oversight of Congress. Possible? No. But it feels good to dream.

Even the election of the President is completely twisted by the silly electoral college, placed there by our Founders as a last ditch resort to prevent a madman from accessing the highest office. We should have gotten rid of it a long time ago, says CS. But Congress, again, the only organ capable of making that decision, has procrastinated on the matter.

Money

Money really elects politicians, not the will of the people. Barring some sexual scandal, Mr. Cain included, almost anybody can win an election with sufficient funds (Hello, President Trump!). Since the Supreme Court has removed the only remaining obstacle, millionaires, billionaires, and powerful corporations decide who gets what position in Congress. Mr. Obama's success was probably the last time an unknown figure was able to snatch the prize from Washington's power lobby. We have truly become democracy's worst nightmare: A state run by the private sector, without the checks and balances our Founding Fathers envisioned.

And so the Constitution, as dreamed up by extraordinary gentlemen and philosophers, will remain a Utopia established by the People and misused by our modern politicians. And then they wonder why the Occupy Wall Street movement has lasted so long..

I'm Entitled..Or Maybe Not

2011-12-26T15:06:00.000-06:00

Today's teens have a sense of entitlement that did not exist in prior generations. Maybe the cause can be found in the fact that both parents work; they are too tired in the evening to put up a fight or follow proper parenting procedures and to quiet the brats they simply cave in to their demands. Another possible reason is the ubiquitous TV set and fare; it gives them instant gratification scenes four hours a day, the average time a child spends in front of the "idiot" box. Or maybe our modern society as a whole has become "entitlement crazy."

The "idiot" box keeps getting larger

Consider the often heard phrase "The government should do something about it." Or think of the child having a temper tantrum at the supermarket because his mother refused to buy him his favorite treat; or the pregnant teen telling me "It's O.K., I have Medicaid, they'll give me everything I need for my kid." Another common phrase from tots "I want it now", or something similar, is the precursor of tough times ahead for the parents. Think about the times when the baby started crying: Your first and understandable reaction is to run and find out what happened; if the kid is fine, no wet bottom and not time to feed, you put him back in the crib and wait for the next outburst. You have just started your own conditioning; the baby now "knows" that crying will bring mommy and her soft welcoming arms. In other words, immediate gratification and entitlement.

Evolution

As they get older, the little guys begin observing other kids, what they wear, what they play with, and what they eat. Since they can now talk, they waste no time in demanding the same items they saw on the playground, at school, or in a friend's house. Comparisons are inevitable: if one daughter marries rich and the other doesn't, Christmas reunions can become awkward when one kid gets an iPad ($800) and the "poor" one gets a $40 toy. It can be difficult to explain economics to an 8 year-old, including the enormous disparity in incomes between social classes.

If nothing is done to instill the proper values of giving and receiving, the child will become an "entitled" teen. Even when the parents can afford the expense, giving in to their son or daughter's demands will create a "monster", a selfish and insensitive "monster." There are ways to handle the situation; take the teen to a shelter, or food bank, and show him/her how the less fortunate live. Find a way to participate with your school or church in charity events; your teens will have a chance to compare with their own standing in life. If there is no change in "entitlement" attitude, start a new program that I call "Get it if you earn it".

Make Them Earn It

Even before they reach the legal age to work, there are many opportunities for your teens to make a few "bucks". In my home country I was delivering orders on my bicycle, rain, snow or shine at the age of 15. Here in the States it is acceptable to deliver newspapers (less and less common), or cut the neighbors' grass, or simply helping around the house. I wouldn't however pay my kid to fix his room, or eat vegetables, or bring home good grades; these are expected behaviors. Pay him or her a couple of dollars to help painting the house, to wash the driveway and the car, to clean the garage, and so on. A the same time, show him/her how to save 50% of their income which will be used for that special video game they must have.

Talking Helps

Organize family talks around the kitchen table at least twice a month; ask them to voice concerns or simply questions related to their relationships. It's an excellent time to broach the subject of entitlement with clear examples of when to and when not to. I am entitled to my social security check because I paid for it my whole life. I am not entitled to demand anything from my parents; I can ask for a favor, but I, the teenager, cannot expect anything besides food, shelter, protection, and love. I have to earn the rest.

Parents Beware!!

2011-12-23T12:07:00.006-06:00

I really don't understand!! How could so many victims fall prey to that monster for so many years without one parent noticing something? Children are not professional poker players; they cannot hide their emotions, especially when they have been abused. I am talking, of course, of the tragic events at Penn State where a conspiracy of silence took place during approximately 15 years, from the president to the head coach. They should all be co-defendants, since they became accomplices by not calling the cops.

Why Not?

The real puzzler however is the fact that not one single parent came forward to denounce the pedophile; if several boys aged 8 to 12 were abused, surely one mother or father must have discovered the tremendous emotional change in their children. The real question is: Did they and if so, why remain silent? Public shame is one explanation, not convincing at all, because they allowed other boys to be sexually assaulted. The famous and destructive attitude held by so many families of "what will people think" has caused so much harm that it should be the main topic for family counselors.

The other possibility, one that parents should be aware of, is that nobody noticed the change; sad as it may be, it highlights a more serious problem: the lack of meaningful communication with our children. Father is busy at the office or traveling constantly, mother works from 9 to 5, and the nanny or daycare doesn't know them well enough to ring the alarm.

What To Do

Fathers and Mothers, with a capital letter, should always watch their progeny very carefully:

     1. The child, usually happy and carefree, becomes moody and complains of nightmares.

     2. The 10-year old doesn't have appetite, not even for his favorite food.

     3. Your prepuber son no longer looks you in the eye; he may say that he feels sick

     4. The child refuses to go to school without giving an explanation.

     5. He or she may become aggressive and talks back to you (new behavior)

These are all signs that something serious is happening; while it may be problems of bullying or failing classes in school, never discard the possibility of sexual abuse. Sit down with the child in a
non-threatening manner (what have you done this time?), in a location where he/she feels secure and try to elicit an answer. Please remember that your son or daughter feels guilty, even though they have done nothing wrong. It won't be easy to extract the real story (though it may be a trivial matter such as stealing chocolates from your box), because at that tender age they don't know how to value their experiences and feelings.

No Matter What

Yes, the mother usually will have a better chance of obtaining information than the father; children are still very much attached to her and they probably see her more often. No matter what the consequences, you must turn the matter over to the police if you discover sexual abuse. The name of your child may be kept confidential, but not yours. So it may be a good idea to transfer them to another school to avoid taunting and bullying. Don't forget to get counseling as soon as possible for your child and make time, you the parent, to be with him or her as much as possible. Make sure you show physical affection to reassure the child that he is not guilty and that he has not lost your love.

One last piece of advice: Watch carefully for close relatives if you suspect sexual abuse; more often than not, somebody living with you or somebody who is frequently alone with your child may be the culprit.

Communicate With Teens??

2011-12-19T16:34:00.003-06:00

What to do with these "strange" teenagers? They may be your children, the friends of your children, or your students; in any case, YOU have to deal with them. They have their own jargon, often so obscure that the best cryptographers are still trying to decipher it (LOL). If you don't understand LOL, you clearly have problems with teens. Same thing with the word "bad" which has a totally different meaning than the one we, the adults, the old ones, use. If you can understand the following, then you are cool: whitgrl24:omg y u bi disin n mi? If you can't, welcome to the club!

That's me trying to figure out my grand kids' language

Rebellion

On a more serious note, parents often face the open rebellion when they say "No, you can't go!" The problem in communication in this case is simple: When your teen daughter asks for your permission, she doesn't expect a No. It's what we call among English teachers a rhetorical question. Movies exploit that facet constantly to heighten the suspense: The girl ends up going to her room and sneaking out the first chance she has. A simple yes or no is not good enough; a father must try to discover the hidden message, such as "This boy digs me totally and I can't wait to party with him." Or, if it's a teen boy "This older dude invited me to make a man out of me, he's got some cool stuff that he wants me to try."

They don't know
Adolescents are clueless regarding the dangers that modern society hides under pretended social graces and activities. They may have heard about VD (Venereal Disease) but it's just a class they took; they cannot "own" it. It's never going to happen to them, just like condoms, adults talk about it, but it's just talk, "I know how to handle chicks. Besides, it's their fault if they get pregnant. Who knows how many guys they've been with?" Girls on the other hand have that strange competition among themselves: they want to get the hot guy, the football player, of basketball star, never the nerd that aces all his classes. Teen girls focus on physical appearance, not on intelligence or honesty. They are blinded by false social mores and, as a result, they'll pay the consequences very dearly, the rest of their adult lives.

What conversation?

So when a teen "talks" to his or her parents, they don't really communicate, they simply test the waters to see how they can get what they want. A shrewd parent will be able to discover what the actual situation is by talking to siblings, to friends, to schoolmates, and to other parents. Find out the address, phone number, and take the time to visit the other father and mother to see whether your girl or boy will be OK. Drugs and alcohol, two different substances in the mind of teens, may be distributed free of charge in a party, so as to "hook" the young ones who'll become addicted. Bullies attend parties to find an innocent girl and rape her after slipping drugs into her drink. If no adult controls admission, the risks are too great.

Scolding and Preaching

You can sermonize till hell freezes over and they'll pay lip service, but without assimilating the message. Of course, your own behavior must reflect the fundamental values of our society: if you lie and drink too much, don't expect them to act differently. If you cheat the cashier at the supermarket and don't return the excess change, your kids will think that it's O.K. Don't ever say to them "I can do it because I am your father." Hypocrisy will get you a bucket, a large one, of scorn and derision.

Handling teens is a full-time job, as many teachers will tell you; you can cross your fingers and hope everything will be O.K. Or you can grab the bull by the horns and show them how much you care; screaming and cussing will never work, only patience, good sense of humor, and a lot of research in your social circle.

Our Declining Values

2011-12-18T12:16:00.001-06:00

What do we, citizens of the modern world, consider more important? Do we go by what the media tell or show us, or are we able to form our own judgment? Is the life of any celebrity and their sordid adventures, i.e. Paris Hilton, so fascinating that we immediately focus on the Hollywood show? Is Lindsay Lohan's fall from grace and what the judge said to her "How well she is behaving during her probation" so earth-shaking that millions of viewers will hit YouTube? What does such behavior say about our society?

What I love the most about the American society (I was born in Europe) are the many cases of generous support for victims of natural disasters, whether national or international. Such a prompt and massive response is not common in Europe and certainly not in Mexico where I lived for several years. It's easy for a millionaire to help those in distress, but what counts as true Christian generosity comes from those who struggle to make ends meet. I have witnessed personally the amazing hospitality of poor segments of the population who will share what little they have.

However, I am most concerned by the erosion of important values in this country as I navigate the perilous depths of modern media: Right in the middle of the page, the picture of a diamond-encrusted ring is asking me "Whose engagement ring is this?", as if the response contained the solution to homelessness or foreclosures. Prince Harry's adventures are prominently featured along with the convoy of departing U.S. troops from Iraq. One apparently must know which prince ABC news is talking about; do we live in a monarchy? Then we have the usual fare of crimes as in "No motive in office shooting", as if an ordinary murder in a nation of 320 million were so unusual. The video of a cart hitting some people at a football game is apparently important enough to appear on the front page.

The All-Important Ratings

Before blaming the media for such superficial and callous offering, let's look in the mirror: Yes, you and I are responsible for the selection of "important" news by commercial channels and newspapers. They cater to our wishes, to what WE consider important. That is not to say that our 6 o'clock news should consist only of dour political and economic information. What I object to strenuously is the sick emphasis, day after day, on cases like Casey Anthony's or JonBenét Ramsey's. This morbid fascination speaks ill of our civil interests which should be focused on more constructive issues. By the way, where is the feedback from the public during news time on television? And when will these news channels stop using the now trite expression "Breaking News"? The only thing breaking is my interest.

Video Era

Today's audiences are demanding to SEE, more than to HEAR. The new generation born after 1980 cannot imagine a world without moving images. They see it on iPods, iPads, iPhones, smart phones, and a multitude of new communication devices. These tools are invaluable when denouncing atrocities by police or by tyrants; we have witnessed the Arab Spring and the American Spring (OWS) in full color. Even grandpa and grandma are impatiently scanning their computers for pictures or movies of their grand kids. Making a video is now in the hands of a 5 year-old, whereas 20 years ago, only professionals or wealthy amateurs could make movies. The downside is that the public on YouTube is demanding more and more exciting action, raunchy and dangerous. Teen girls are "sexting", the new term for sending sexy pictures, moving or not, of themselves in various states of undress. The video era is exposing our most intimate and dirty secrets, avidly watched by a multitude of voyeurs. Everybody nowadays is apparently a paparazzi and whatever you do, make sure nobody is watching with a camera phone, a quasi impossible achievement.

Good-bye Modesty

Modesty is a value that has been lost, judging by the way some female students dress in my high school. Mini-skirts and plunging cleavage make the boys permanent oglers. Some young ladies feel no shame in asking a handsome boy for a date, no doubt the result of women's equality movement. Groupies, girls who follow rock bands, literally throw themselves at the feet of the musicians. Living together without getting married now involves quite a few minors, who enjoy their sexual freedom without caring about the consequences. Unprotected sex is extremely frequent as more and more teen girls become pregnant. Responsibility? The State will take care of me and my kids, says the 16 year-old single mother.

What To Do

Faced with political corruption, with the use of children to sell sugary treats on television (vile exploitation), with the breakdown of traditional marriage, with the approval of gay marriage, with the loss of traditional femininity, with parents too busy to love their children, with increasing teen pregnancy and neglected offspring, with rampant materialism and consumerism, our American society is in danger of accelerating the Decline of the Greatest Democracy this world has ever known. We can revert the trend by going back to our basic, traditional values of hard work, honesty, modesty, and respect. We already have generosity and tolerance; it's a matter of building anew on the forces that made us great.

Good Marriage, Good Family..Under Fire

2011-12-15T18:14:00.001-06:00

''A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.'' By Mignon McLaughlin

A good marriage usually ends up with a good family; barring mental illness o extreme circumstances, a happy, harmonious couple will produce happy, well-balanced, tolerant, sociable, and successful children. Judging by what happens nowadays in our society, people apparently get married to the wrong person. Actual weddings are less and less frequent and living together is more and more common. Divorces are up, and emotionally unstable children seem to grow in numbers, a fact that taxes our public and private schools. In short, marriage is no longer taken as seriously as it was 40 years ago. The reasons? There are many, but the key seems to be a generalized loss of social, ethical, and family values.

Our television fare is partly to blame as it offers us a steady diet of sexual deviations, broken families, gratuitous violence, greed, crime (the number one shows), perversions, and corruption. Last night, as I cruised the big screen, the first thing I saw was two men kissing each other on a commercial channel, ABC. They apparently live together as a couple and represent one of the "new" season's success. Some parents might argue that violence does more harm to kids than this type of scene, but I beg to differ. I agree that blood and gore do nothing to transmit solid values, except when it is justified. In the eyes of teens, violence is an every day experience through their video games and most of them do recognize the difference between fiction and reality.

Things change however when a family channel presents a pair of homosexuals living together as a "normal" family. I recognize that this preference is innate and not chosen, but why make it public, as if having two fathers is conducive to a good education. Keep your deviation to yourself; don't parade the abnormal behavior in front of my children. Yet more and more, what we used to consider shameful has become, alas, the norm in some quarters.

Parents have the urgent need to explain this to their children as soon as these are old enough to understand, usually around 6 (depending on their level of maturity, of course). Sexual scenes, explicit or implied, can be very harmful to a young kid, since they imagine that personal violence is involved. A movie on AMC recently showed a gang boss in a very clear sodomy attempt on his mistress (in the movie). I am no prude, but this is a channel available in most homes and I certainly would not want my children to watch this disgusting sexual behavior, real or pretended.

Parents are under fire; it has become more and more difficult to raise children. Both the father and the mother usually have to work, which means leaving the kids alone most of the day in places where the priority is to make money, not instilling values. The famous (or infamous) expression "Quality is more important than quantity" is just a rationale to explain that we, the parents, can compensate our absences by giving children intense love for the short time we have them. It does not work that way, especially in the early years. The first 2 years are absolutely crucial; the mother should be there 90% of the time to insure bonding and, most important, to create the feeling of security on the part of the baby.

I recently witnessed an awful event starring very young girls ranging from 2 to 5; they were dressed as little Miss Universe contestants with gaudy make-up. It sickened me to think that some mothers would "prostitute" their children in that manner with the only goal to make a lot of money. I almost added that the government should do something about it but reflected that we can't have the politicians tell us what to do with our children. Instead I would initiate a assiduous campaign against the organizers by marshalling as many parents as possible to denounce such practices. Public outcry can be a powerful weapon and we should use it more often; just look at the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Let's try and help those families who struggle with educating their children; let's find volunteers, well-prepared volunteers in each community, who can advise these parents on how to best teach values to their kids. And let's publicly exhibit those fathers and/or mothers who neglect their sacred duty. They wanted children and now they have to focus on converting them into model human beings. Nothing is more IMPORTANT!

America's Influence in the World

2011-12-13T13:06:00.001-06:00

During the Cold War, America influenced 1/4 of the world and communism the other 1/4. The rest were, as they called themselves, non-aligned, pretending to be neutral.

In reality, with Mexico heading the movement, their sympathy was with Moscow with few exceptions. Now that we have gotten rid of the Soviet Union, we have to deal with the remnants of communism in China, Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam. Beijing was the smartest of them all by combining private property within the communist regime. Cuba's ailing rulers, the Castro's, both of whom have passed the 80's, will soon disappear and relations with us will go back to normal. North Korea, of course, being ruled by a madman, has to find its own way to reemerge from the nightmare: A revolution would be nice, but a well placed Hellfire missile could also do the trick of getting rid of the pudgy dictator. Hey, I am a pacifist but sometimes the only language a gangster will understand is a well-placed bullet.. or drone. Think Hitler in 1938!

Few peoples really like us; by "peoples" I mean the ordinary citizens of 195 nations, though what really counts is what the human beings of the largest countries actually think of us. Thanks to Bush II, our image has been deteriorating steadily as a warmonger nation that tries to impose its culture on others. Never mind that we were attacked by some extremist Arabs on 9/11. They don't believe we had to actually send ground troops to 2 countries that did not represent any danger for us as such. Or do you think that a Taliban army could actually invade us? Or Sadam Hussein troops attacking our borders? No, of course not. And now we abandon Iraq with a bitter sweet taste in our mouths after losing more than 4,000 American soldiers and killing who knows how many innocent civilians.

True, our music, our jeans, our food, our iPads and iPhones, our movies, our actors, and our language have "invaded" the world; Chinese youths happily sip Coca-Cola while munching on a hot dog. Same for the new Japanese generation, the French, the Germans, the Russians, they all enjoy a taste of American lore. But that doesn't mean they like us as a people, and even less as a government. Why? Because we seldom learn another language, because we rarely make an effort to understand other cultures- think of the Griswolds in Paris, we appear to be arrogant, poorly dressed (by French standards), with no taste for good wine and good food and no appreciation for great music. We work too hard and too late (in European minds), we neglect our families, and we fawn over profit and the not-so-mighty dollar. And we have the most powerful military the world has ever seen, with fancy pilotless planes that can kill while invisible.

You can't expect a superpower to be loved, only feared. Oh, we were loved once, when we liberated France in 1945, and even in Germany, our enemy, because we treated them with respect. But after many years of neglecting our allies, of treating them as inferior nations (except for Great Britain of course), they decided to form a union that would be as powerful as America; it's called the European Union and it hasn't worked out that way. They are still divided, squabbling about the euro and about national sovereignty. And they still need us to put out the fire: example Libya.

Our influence on the world has waned, obviously, because of the emergence of new and extremely active nations: India and China, of course, but also smaller countries like Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland, Malaysia, and, yes, even Vietnam, our old enemy. President Obama has tried to offer an olive branch to some Arab countries, including Iran, but with no visible success; all he obtained was the ridicule of some Republican candidates to the White House. Arabs in general consider appeasement as a weakness. They respect power and strength, particularly military power. The killing of bin Laden restored some of our prestige in the Middle East as we showed that we can easily use the big stick after showing the carrot (silly metaphor). It is sad to admit that in this century violence can be a better tool to obtain our goals.

Did I mention Russia, the ex-communist superpower which has retained almost all of its weapons of mass destruction? Our influence there is limited; Russian teens love our music and our informal way of dressing, their parents not so much, as they still remember the hellish days of secret police and deportations to Siberia. Their financial situation, on the other hand, is much worse for 90% of them as prices have shot up while their meager salaries or pensions have stagnated. Many young Russian women try desperately to leave through marriage to a European or, preferably, an American. They see that as a way to escape the social and economic injustice prevalent in their country. Do they like us? Yes, very much. Their government however hates us with a passion, even more than when Gorbachev was in power. Why? Because we won the Cold War! Their cherished Mother Russia is no longer a dominant world power.

We all know that Mexico still considers us as their enemy for many good reasons: We have invaded them and taken half their territory. We have treated them as servants, as backward lazy Latinos. We buy their drugs and fuel the war between cartels. But they still try to come here because we offer jobs and better living conditions. Ordinary Mexicans don't care much for gringos, but they will admit that our shadow covers their land and our money keeps their businesses and industries humming. They can't live without us and we can't live without them; it's a Mexican stand-off!

Thanks to our vast diversity we have been learning, albeit slowly, to appreciate other cultures (taco anybody?), and other races. The day will come when the rest of the world will learn to appreciate us for what we really are: a strong, industrious, and fun-loving people who show their bottomless generosity by helping less fortunate human beings all over the planet.

The Speculating Fever

2011-12-10T09:45:00.000-06:00

In a word, the great speculating fever which breaks out every now and then in the country, had raged to an alarming degree, and every body was dreaming of making sudden fortunes from nothing. As usual the fever had subsided; the dream had gone off, and the imaginary fortunes with it; the patients were left in doleful plight, and the whole country resounded with the consequent cry of "hard times."

The Devil and Tom Walker (Washington Irving) 1824

Did Washington Irving foreshadow our present financial ills and plight? Or was he simply an astute observer of human frailty? There is no doubt that "the fever has subsided." We are swimming in debt, we are at the mercy of heartless lenders, we are manifesting our anger in the crowded streets, we are losing our homes, our dignity, our hope, our jobs, and our faith in our rulers. Tom Walker is probably the best representative of all the corrupt brokers, greedy bankers, and incompetent politicians. Did they, as he did, sign a pact with the Devil in exchange for untold riches, at whatever the cost and at whatever the suffering they might cause?

"The great speculating fever which breaks out every now and then" says Irving. We want something for nothing; we believe the promises of an El Dorado by investing in shady instruments; we give in to the demon of greed present in every human soul and heart... and we pay the price. So yes, we are in part guilty of listening to the false prophets, of wanting wealth without working hard at it. What did the financial crisis of the last 3 years say about us? Will we learn from the bitter experience? Or, as Irving emphasizes, will the speculation fever reappear? Soon?

Wall Street has often been compared to a giant casino, except that in Vegas you already know that you are there to lose and have fun, while investing in hedge funds and the like is much more of a gamble; we, the small fish in the financial pond, are an appetizing dish for those who speculate and thus manipulate the ups and downs of the market. Financial gurus come and go, and the end result is always the same: "This financial advice is given with the understanding that you may suffer a loss."

Strange isn't it that the loss is usually for the small investor and not for the one giving the advice. Do you remember the case of a giant brokerage house betting AGAINST its own clients? Talk about the right hand not knowing what the left is doing! Did any of these big shots end up in jail? No, of course not. They take the easy way out: paying a fine. Again, notice the disclaimer: ..without admitting any guilt in the operation. Now, how can you, the accused company, pay the amount set by the government and pretend that you didn't do anything wrong? You destroyed families, wiped out pensions, caused massive lay offs, and even suicides; and all you do is pay a fine??

Bloomberg Businessweek (Oct 24-30 edition) says that Citi agreed "to pay $285 million to settle SEC claims that it marketed to investors a mortgage security that it also bet AGAINST." Then came the classic statement "It neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing." They must think that we are stupid! You pay a fine and then state that you don't admit committing a crime? Because that's what it is, a crime against American families who trusted you to offer a decent investment. I can just imagine one of my students caught cheating during a test saying:"I don't admit or deny I did wrong." What kind of message do we send to the next generation? That's it's OK to cheat and lie?

The OWS (Occupy Wall Street) movement is the result of so much anger and frustration at bankers and brokers getting away, literally, with murder. It's not a bunch of hippies, Mr. Gingrich, smoking pot and preaching free love. It's a multitude of families clamoring for justice! Of course, none of the republican candidates will admit that financial crimes were committed, simply because Wall Street is paying for their campaigns or hiring them as highly paid consultants; right again, Mr. Gingrich?

The author of the very successful book The Black Swan, Nassim Taleb, offers a strange analysis of the financial crisis; he says that our economic system is not capitalism or socialism, but rather "bankerism". The banks, instead of serving us, are demanding that WE serve them. This statement comes from a man who has been a hedge fund manager, a financial mathematician, and a professor of economics. Banks do us a favor by allowing us to be their customers and once our accounts are in their claws, they happily pile up fees upon fees, some of which most of us aren't aware of. Will some courageous politician from the right of the left rise and advocate putting banks back where they belong? Taking care of our hard-earned dollars and giving us a fair interest?

I know I should stop dreaming and fantasizing; as long as Congress is allowed to consort with financiers and corporations, the fate of the 99% is in the hands of the 1%. What we can we do?

Keep the Faith In Your Children

2011-12-08T13:20:00.000-06:00

As parents and as teachers we sometimes lose faith in a child or student; he/she doesn't want to do the work, doesn't respond adequately to requests to improve, turns his/her body away from us when we attempt to communicate, doesn't look us in the eye, sulks, mopes, shrugs his/her shoulders, and sometimes runs away to his/her room or out of school if it is a teen. All these are signs that something is bothering him; it may be of great importance or it may be a passing malaise due to a relationship gone bad with a peer. Responding with impatience, with sarcasm, or with punishment without ascertaining the cause is the worst mistake we can make.

It is imperative to discover the real cause of the child's behavior; is it drugs, failing in school, or worse, being abused by a family member or a teacher? With patience and insistence, the mystery will be solved and the door will open. The teen or the child desperately wants to tell someone of his plight, but shame or fear of punishment can hold them back; yes, punishment! They sometimes feel that they are guilty when abused sexually and some parents may have a history of punishing before knowing the cause of their strange conduct. If the reason is a benign one, it is still possible for the youngster to perceive his problem as a major one. They haven't yet acquired the notion of real value or importance as established by the society in which they live. At 12, I remember stealing an apple from a grocery stand in the street where I lived and feeling terrified that my father might find out. He never did, but a year later, I smoked one of his prized cigars, I was only 13; when he came home, he of course noticed the smell immediately. His punishment? He ordered me to finish it as I had been able to extract only a few puffs. Needless to say, I puked my heart out and never stole a cigar from him again. I was expecting a beating and instead, he selected the adequate consequence that didn't humiliate me (too much).

Children expect to be punished when they misbehave; that is the way it should be in a normal family. If parents ignore the fault committed they are initiating a cascade of unpleasant events: The unacceptable behavior will be repeated, as kids try to push the limits to see how far they can go. As far as they are concerned, there are no unpleasant consequences to the violation of the rules. It is essential however to apply the punishment as soon as possible after the misbehavior; waiting more than one day can only produce undue anxiety in the child; however, the consequences must fit the "crime." I had a tyrannical teacher in elementary who severely punished the most innocent peccadillo, such as turning around or talking to a neighbor. It took me several years to shake off the emotional effects of his discipline strategy.

As parents or teachers, we must be careful not to create permanent resentment against us, against the social group we represent. If there is one thing teens dislike the most, it is injustice; yet we often accuse them before we have all the facts. We preach respect for the law, respect for the rules of society, but we sometimes act as judge and jury, handing down the sentence with no possibility of appeal. I have witnessed numerous cases of teachers sending a student to the main office while ignoring the main culprit, the one who started the problem. Even serial killers have the right to their day in court, so why is it that we don't offer the same privilege to our children and/or students?

All kids have skills, whether we see them or not; we sometimes prevent such abilities from developing when we force our children or students to follow a different path against their will. I wasn't born to play a musical instrument, yet my parents registered me in an accordion class. My first lesson was how to read music and I escaped from that basement as soon as the poor teacher had her back turned. Luckily, my mother understood that I wasn't cut to be an artist and yodel on the local Alps (Yodeling is a traditional singing art in Switzerland, Germany and Austria). We should always study, assess our children to discover what they do best; this becomes obvious after their second year of life. They may be attracted to a particular activity and show a special, early proficiency. For example, I have seen remarkable drawings by a precocious 2-year old little girl, the daughter of close friends. Of course, all kids are different and some will reveal their interest later. It could be animals, mechanics, books, music, or even acting in front of a group. Leadership qualities also show early in elementary schools. These skills will serve them well in adult life if we give them opportunities to practice and polish them.

Perhaps the most important aspect of a growing child is the emotional development; parents and teachers have the enormous responsibility of providing the right environment at the various stages of early life. A student of mine is constantly interrupting the class by making "funny" comments about other students. He is 17, but he acts like a 3 year-old who constantly craves attention. The purpose is to be recognized, liked by his peers, noticed by the girls, even though he sometimes offends other students and always irritates the teacher. Between the ages of 3 and 5 we seek to establish a personal identity; between the ages of 13 and 18 we seek to establish a social and sexual identity. In both cases we need the affection and encouragement of our families and teachers. That was not the case for this young man who obviously lacked the love and attention he needed earlier in life.

Watch your children carefully; they possess hidden treasures that may remain that way forever if we don't let them flourish naturally by exposing them to a variety of stimuli. Once they become teens and pass puberty, emotional traps may cause them to close their mental doors and deny us access to their inner thoughts. We must keep a sharp eye out for any sudden changes that may signal potential problems. If we keep the communication channels open, free of threats, the teens will eventually find the courage to face and solve their difficulties... with our help of course.

France & Germany, United No Matter What

2011-12-06T19:32:00.000-06:00

Sarkozy, the current President of France, is making a desperate attempt to conserve his position in next year's election. According to the latest polls, he is behind Mr. Hollande, the Socialist candidate, by 15 points. That is the main reason why Sarkozy can be seen on European television almost every day, shaking hands with the German chancellor and trying to save the E.U. (European Union) from falling apart financially and politically. He knows that if he is successful in averting an economic disaster, his compatriots just might give him a second chance.

Let's go back 70 years and remember the invasion of France by the Nazis; this was the second war between these two nations in the 20th century and the E.U. was created specifically to avoid a third conflict. It is therefore remarkable to see these traditional enemies as the stalwart anchors of a united Europe. I can assure you that the ruling political class on both sides of the border are vividly conscious of that fact: It is not, as some analysts imagine, just to save the euro, or even to prevent a recession among the 17 members. The main concept behind the urgency of finding an agreement or changing the existing rules has to do with the enormous fear that a separate and powerful Germany causes to all its neighbors, including of course the Russian Bear.

Nobody in the European media has actually mentioned the primal shudder of another war on the old continent, but the older generation who still remembers the horrors of WWII is working feverishly to avoid the dismemberment of the 17 nations. I was too young to understand the events between 1940 and 1945, but I grew up listening to the tragic personal experiences of my older relatives and of many German and Italian adults who crossed my life later on. I understand now why my mother, born in Italy, threw away a magnificent photograph of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, and Stalin (a montage) playing pool: Each ball represented a different European country conquered and savaged by these monsters.

There is a strong reluctance among Germans to put more money into economies that were poorly managed; there is even a proposal floating around that would allow the Union to "take over" the finances of any country which shows an excessive deficit. It won't be approved, but it indicates the degree of impatience in Berlin's political circles. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, must balance the need to keep her majority in the Bundestag against the growing frustration of a large portion of its citizens who would prefer an independent Germany, the biggest economy in the E.U.

Berlusconi, the ex-prime minister of Italy, a billionaire who preferred luscious women to the task of governing, has almost bankrupted his country. I remember, being half-Italian and half-German, that Germany admires Rome, the Rome of Caesar, but not the modern one. During WWII, Mussolini was tolerated in public and despised in private; Hitler knew that Italy wasn't going to offer much resistance to the Allies, but my relatives who were called to fight with the Nazis told me that very few Italian soldiers felt a kinship with Germany. They were forced to fight and escaped as soon as they could.

Even today, Italians see the Germans with some suspicion and vice-versa. Italy is fun, which is why so many Nordic tourists flock to their beaches and historic cities in the summer. Germany is hard work and no fun, except maybe for their beer festivals. The two cultures are completely opposed and will never mesh completely. Thus the motive for keeping the E.U. together whatever the cost..and they will. It all comes together this week as the heads of state gather to draw the new rules.