Victor Lana

Field Tests To Increase In Schools – Do We Want Our Kids to Be Test Dummies?

2013-05-22T06:21:00.002-07:00

Article first published as Field Tests To Increase In Schools â€“ Do We Want Our Kids to Be Test Dummies? on Blogcritics.

Educators everywhere are all tested out; however, it is worse in some states than others where they are forced to administer field tests. “Field tests” are instruments of mass instruction, usually given after other standardized testing and state testing is completed. The goal is to use students basically as test dummies, but instead of putting them into a car and having them crash into a wall at 50 miles per hour, the kids have to suffer through yet another exam. Parents are told it doesn’t count and not to worry. The students are told the same thing, but the bottom line is valuable instruction time is being turned into a destructive practice – more testing in the name of testing to fine tune future testing. Does anyone feel angry yet?

A recent article in The New York Times focused on this issue, indicating the widespread problem that is growing across the United States. On TV we see people worrying about the so-called zombie apocalypse, but in education we are turning our kids into testing zombies. As an educator I can tell you that nothing – and I mean absolutely nothing – dumbs down the classroom environment more than these standardized tests.

What educators are forced to become now is glorified proctors. We hear people banging the drum for the Common Core State Standards (which are sadly and inextricably linked to these assessments), but in the same breath they have no clue how kids are supposed to reach heights suggested by them, especially in classrooms where teachers are unnerved by having to teach to the test. The tests are like a hydra rearing its ugly heads, and this is mainly because the testing in many states is now being tied to teacher evaluations.

What these states are basically saying (and New York State is at the forefront of this) is that teachers need to learn the new standards, teach in a new and more challenging way while they are learning them, make sure that the students grasp everything about them, and also succeed on the state tests. Oh, and by the way, if the students do poorly, you’re probably a bad teacher.

So at this time of year, after students have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous assessments, now some of them will be selected to sit through field tests. Having been through this process, I can tell you that there is nothing a principal or a teacher can do about it. Your school and grades to be assessed are selected from on high and you get the directive to administer the test. After a long haul of state exams in math, English, and science, this is asking a great deal from those selected schools.

Now should be the time not for field tests but more for field trips. In beautiful spring weather, many learning experiences await students at conservatories, farms, parks, and museums. As a parent as well as an educator, I would rather see our children out in the sunshine learning about something in a vibrant and memorable way than being stuck behind a desk taking an exam that will facilitate the testing companies and the state’s plan for more testing.

This June over a quarter of a million students in over 3,000 schools will be forced to take field tests in English and math. Outraged parents can bang on the principal’s door and ask why, and the principal can only respond that he or she has been directed to do this. Of course, the salient reason is that the alignment of the CCSS is going viral nationwide, and the companies are scrambling to craft a “national exam modeled on the new standards.” Next year more than a million students in 22 states will be subjected to more of this insanity, all in the name of propagation of more and more testing at a school near you.

People everywhere need to stand up to the testing companies and state education departments and demand for an end to this ludicrous waste of school time. It doesn’t take a degree in education to realize that tests do not teach kids anything more than they know; in fact, over-testing like this inhibits true instruction and actually impedes the learning process.

I have always hoped that we would view testing through the less is more lens. I would prefer a more holistic model, one that could involve a wide variety of things to assess knowledge and cognition. I believe students who have to compile artifacts of their own learning into a portfolio over time, who can become the center of learning rather than the object of outcomes, and who can fully and actively participate in their own education will not only become outstanding students but the brilliant leaders of tomorrow.

But now we are caught in the bind of contracts with testing companies and a course that has been set for us. It is as if we are on a ship caught in a flow of water with no oars, sails, or anchors. If there is nothing that can stop the direction we are heading, we are on course for a disaster when we hit the iceberg of inevitability.

Testing is not teaching; it has never been teaching. True educators view testing as a necessary evil in a grade oriented world, but in reality most of us who are in this because we are passionate about our subject matter and love teaching it know that testing only stops the educative process. There are better ways to assess such as portfolios, oral presentations, visual essays, and digital projects. This is the direction education should be heading in because life is heading in this direction. If the goal of the CCSS is to prepare students for the “real” world of work, then taking the over-testing route is by far the most horrendous and eventually detrimental way to go.

Ask your children when they come home from school what they did today. Chances are if they took a test they will grumble, groan, and a short time later forget everything they studied to pass the exam; however, if they had gone on a field trip that day to a farm and learned about irrigation, raising crops, caring for livestock, and bringing goods to market, chances are they will be smiling and happy. There is also an amazing opportunity for retention because they will never forget what they saw on that farm.

Everyday cannot be a field trip, but it also should not be another day to prep for testing. At this time of year especially kids shouldn’t be subjected to field tests in a hot classroom and should have the vibrant experience of meaningful field trips. We are only wasting valuable class time on tests that do not count and mean nothing now or later in our children’s lives.

Parents should rightfully reject these tests and the more extensive testing yet to come. We know our kids are not test dummies, and it is high time that testing companies and education departments across the country know how we feel. We need to fight to get these bloated instruments out of the way in order to get back to the basics of learning, of wonder, and of joy that education can bring into our children’s lives. Teachers do not want to teach to the test. Students shouldn’t have to be subjected to this, and it is up to every parent to make a difference and the time to do that is now.

Photo credits: testing dummy-testing.gobanana.com; test dummies-roadandtrack.com

Drunk Driving Blood-Alcohol Level – Nothing More Than Zero Is Acceptable

2013-05-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Drunk Driving Blood-Alcohol Level â€“ Nothing More Than Zero Is Acceptable on Blogcritics.

It is the weekend and workers are ready to let off some steam. All across America people leave work on Friday evening and head to “happy hour” at bars and restaurants. They have some cocktails, maybe then follow that with wine at dinner. Perhaps they have an after dinner drink with their desert. By the time the night is over many dig keys out of their pockets or purses and then head out to the car to go home. If this doesn’t shake you up and scare you there is something wrong with this picture.

On Tuesday the National Transportation Safety Board urged states to adopt a new definition of drunken driving – lowering the blood-alcohol level from 0.08% to 0.05%. This recommendation comes as alcohol-related traffic deaths jumped last year to 10,000. Anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to a drunk driver will tell you that even one death is too many, but obviously something is happening to have the figure jump after six years of declining alcohol-related deaths in traffic accidents.

I would argue that the NTSB’s suggested level is too high. Consider that a woman weighing around 120 pounds could drink a glass or two of wine and drive and still not be considered drunk. A man of significantly more weight (let’s say 200 pounds) could consume three to four glasses of wine and still not meet that level. Unfortunately, impairment begins with the first sip, and alcohol affects everyone differently.

I have had the opportunity to be the “designated” driver, and it is amazing how when one is sipping club soda how the effects of drinking become obvious rather quickly. I can say unequivocally that in these moments I have seen changes in my friends even after a few sips of an intoxicating beverage. There is also the matter of whether or not they are taking medication, eating while drinking, and just their individual level of tolerance. In the end, any amount of alcohol could affect a driver’s ability to react in a situation and cause an accident.

As would be expected, a recommendation of a level of 0.05% has the restaurant and beverage industries crying foul. Sarah Longwell, of the American Beverage Institute, said that the recommendation is ludicrous because the prime drunken drivers are not in “the .08 to .05% range” and that authorities should focus on the “biggest boozers” that are well over the .08% level. Isn’t this just what we need in society – more enablers?

As of now Mothers Against Drunk Driving has not endorsed the NTSB’s new proposal, and all along MADD has emphasized that the government should enhance technology (car ignition breathalyzers for instance) and an increase in sobriety checkpoints all across the country. I have great respect for MADD and believe its members have done great work, but I think they are missing a golden opportunity here. They should not only endorse the lower standard but even go further – I believe the most logical and safest of all blood alcohol levels is 0%. There has to be a realization here that drinking alcohol (in any amount) and driving is unacceptable and absolutely illegal.

Let’s look at some statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services. Alcohol is involved in 37% of all traffic deaths of persons 16 – 20 years of age. Considering the drinking age is 21, that is a mind numbing figure; furthermore, 17% of traffic deaths involving children 0-14 years of age were due to an alcohol impaired driver. These numbers are totally unacceptable and are a salient reason that something more needs to be done as soon as possible.

Zero Tolerance Laws (for those drinking under the age of 21) reduce over 1,000 alcohol-related traffic deaths a year. It doesn’t take a long and expensive study to indicate that expansion of “zero tolerance” for all drivers, not just those under 21, would have a profound effect on the number of alcohol-related deaths. Of course, there will always be those who still grab the keys and think they are super drivers, even while drinking. That is why besides zero tolerance even more steps need to be taken.

A quick glance at Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration should get people thinking differently. Even with a blood-alcohol level of .02% (below the NTSB’s current proposal) impairment is absolutely evident. By the time someone reaches a .05% level, significant impairment is evident. As we go up to the current nationally accepted level of .08%, it is frightening to realize how deeply affected the driver can be.

I think besides lowering the accepted blood alcohol level to absolute zero, we need cooperation from other industries (most notably beverage and automobile) immediately. I believe that every bar, club, and restaurant should have readily available breathalyzers for customers and that it has to be mandatory for each adult to check his or her level upon exiting the establishment. Upon entering the adults should be required to deposit car keys in a secure location. If the adult is found to be impaired, the keys will not be returned and the management should be required to provide a complimentary car service to bring the adult home.

I also propose that every car available for purchase in the United States be equipped with factory installed ignition systems that require an alcohol breath test each and every time a key is put into the ignition. There should be no exceptions, no wriggle room of any kind. Everyone, absolutely everyone, from the President of the United States to the bus driver in NYC to the soccer mom in Connecticut must engage a system to the detect blood-alcohol level before a vehicle can be started.

I know that this will cost money and time and will be an inconvenience, but these would be extremely effective ways to stop drunk drivers in their tracks. Of course, bar, club, and restaurant owners and automobile companies will want to know who pays for all this, and the answer is that we all do. Each time a young driver's car is wrapped around a utility pole, his or her family has to plan a funeral, and we drag the drunk driver into court, we pay. We pay for the children lost when their parents get behind the wheel drunk; we pay in so many tangible and intangible ways that preventative measures should seem inconsequential in the big picture.

We worry about all sorts of things that kill people. We raise money to stop cancer and other diseases, to feed the hungry, to help the homeless, and to bring medical help to the poor. We advocate laws for soda cup sizes, cigarette smoking, wearing seatbelts, and gun ownership. All of these things are ways to protect life and our citizenry, but then why are so many people reticent about regulating the ultimate lethal weapon – the driver of a two to three ton vehicle who is impaired?

I must share a personal anecdote that affects the way I feel about this matter. I recall being at a party with friends as a young man. We were all graduating college and had beautiful futures awaiting us. There was a keg of beer and bottles of whiskey, and a number of people were quite drunk. One of my good friends was so drunk that he could barely stand. As the night was winding down, he took his car keys from his pocket and placed them on the table next to his drink. Another friend and I distracted him with conversation, and I managed to snatch his keys and hide them. When he realized he couldn’t find his keys, he was very upset, but I offered to drive him home and said that he could get his second set of keys and we would come back in the morning.

The next day we learned that three young people from that party never made it home. They were all in a horrific car crash and were decapitated. My friend and I went back to get his car the next morning and we saw the remnants of the crash on the highway. He looked at me and said, “I know what you did; thanks, man.”

All these years later I think about that life altering event. My personal policy is don’t drink and drive – ever. I will not have even a sip of alcohol if I am going to drive. I know that drinking is a personal choice for everyone, but safety has to become always the bigger picture. Those three friends of ours who died are gone for over thirty years now and never had a chance to realize their futures. We can only multiply that by the tens of thousands who have died over that time due to alcohol-impaired drivers. The time to stop this madness cannot be put off until tomorrow; it has to be faced now!

The goal has to be to stop drivers from drinking and driving. We need new zero tolerance laws for all drivers. We need ignition systems on all vehicles, and we must require the essential cooperation of entertainment establishments to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. The only acceptable blood alcohol level for all drivers has to be 0%; the time has come to accept nothing less.

photo credits: breath test-dps.mn.gov ; drinker-hayspot.com ; accident-nydailynews.com

David Beckham Retiring – He Writes His Own Happy Bending

2013-05-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

Article first published as David Beckham Retiring â€“ Writes His Own Happy Bending on Blogcritics.

When I heard the news that David Beckham has decided to retire from soccer, it seemed like one of those watershed moments for all sports. We can arguably say that Beckham is the most famous soccer player ever, though when I mentioned this to someone who loves the game, I was immediately told “One word – Pelé.” I am sure others will chime in with their candidate as well, but it seems obvious that no soccer player ever transcended the sport the way Beckham has.

Whether or not someone is a soccer fan, that person probably knows David Beckham. If you mention his name they recognize him for his model good looks or his marriage to Spice Girl Victoria Adams. I heard someone on sports radio this morning saying that he is better known in this country as a “fashion icon” than as a sports figure, and that could be true more because the United States has never opened itself up to soccer (which everyone else in the world calls football).

As someone who has gone to his daughter’s soccer games for years now, I have a rudimentary understanding of the game. I appreciate it when my daughter scores a goal and her team wins, but my connection to the sport ends when her games do. I believe many Americans have a similar point of view.

I am a baseball-(American) football-basketball fan who invests too much of his time watching teams I have loved all my life (Jets, Mets, Knicks) that continue to disappoint me. I used to be a hockey fan but after the last strike I have stayed away from the Islanders (even if they had a decent season) because I vowed never again and stuck to it. Soccer does not enter the equation because I did not grow up with it, did not play the game, and only watched during the Olympics.

Yet Beckham’s retirement troubles me in that it is another end of an era, and one I only knew in a cursory way. I felt the same way about the TV series The Office, which had its series finale the other evening. It was on for nine seasons and I had never watched one episode. The next day everyone was moaning about it all being over, and I only knew of Steve Carrel from his films and that’s about it, but I still felt that end of the era thing – one that I guess I missed just as with Beckham’s career.

Beckham’s accomplishments are the stuff of a legend. Besides having a film made about him Bend it Like Beckham (2002) and being married to a Spice Girl and appearing in all those sleek advertisements, the man could really play the game. Sepp Blatter (FIFA President) said that Beckham was “one of the most iconic figures in global football.” Proof can be found with his winning championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Paris Saint-Germain (his current team). If that doesn’t make him a “global” superstar then I am not sure what would.

Beckham has two games left with PSG and seems to be happy to be going out with a title. He said, “It’s every athlete’s dream, every footballer’s dream to go out on top – on top form or winning a trophy – leaving as a champion.” No one would argue with that, and Beckham also has to be seen as one nice fellow since he has been donating his salary to a children’s hospital. I cannot think of one American athlete in any sport that has done anything like that, and there are many who have amassed so much money that they could for certain.

So, as he retires at a ripe old age of 38, one can only wonder what is next for Beckham. He can be a model with those dashing good looks, or he could go into the movies and be the next Tom Cruise. One can probably safely say “The world is his oyster” and get away with it.

There is one more thing to note about Beckham – he is a family man. Beckham makes it clear that what matters most to him in his life when he says, “I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family. I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realize my dreams.” And he added, "I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period."

This is such a great story that it should be made into a film. What about David Beckham starring as himself? Now that would be a happy bending!

Photo credits: beckham-fanpop.com; beckham family-mirror.co.uk

Angelina Jolie Reveals Double Mastectomy – Will Her Bravery Help Redefine What Is Beautiful?

2013-05-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Angelina Jolie Reveals Double Mastectomy â€“ Will Her Bravery Help Redefine What Is Beautiful? on Blogcritics.

In her extremely honest and well written New York Times Op-Ed entry entitled “My Medical Choice,” actress Angelina Jolie explains the reasons why she underwent a double mastectomy. The bravery involved in an A-list actress doing such a thing is obvious, for all of Hollywood is built on an extremely shaky foundation of so-called beautiful people, many of whom only got that way through artificial means. These enhanced individuals set the tone not only for the tinsel world of spotlights and movie premieres, but also influence young people everywhere who want to be like the false gods who become their idols.

Ms. Jolie could have hidden her “choice” from the public, which would have been her right, but she chose to reveal what she experienced. Her choice not only will be an inspiration to many other women but could also help to redefine, or perhaps create a new category of what is a thing of beauty.

Ms. Jolie goes into explicit detail as to how the procedures took place, and she speaks about her reconstructive surgeries as well. In this way she is letting women know that options include ways to feel whole again.

What was her motivation for taking this path? The fact was that after taking a gene test doctors told her that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk for ovarian cancer. Since Ms. Jolie’s mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at 56 from ovarian cancer, Ms. Jolie (37) took a proactive approach because she had a greater risk of getting breast cancer.

She also mentions that her children were the most important factor in her decision making process. Since only her older children had a chance to know her mother and the others will “never experience how loving and gracious she was,” Ms. Jolie began thinking about her own mortality and her role as a mother, and that impelled her to follow the steps she needed to take.

When she writes, “For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,” she is setting the stage for many others to think differently. Unfortunately, the idea of beauty and what is beautiful obfuscates the thinking of not only Hollywood types but all people. Ms. Jolie knows this better than anyone, and we need only look at her film career and understand that it was established in large part because of her physical appearance; however, she also manifested a reputation as a serious actress in various roles and also became a female action hero. She certainly made her mark, but she also settled down and took her obligation to her family as a serious priority.

Not one to seem to be held down by standards, Ms. Jolie is now setting new ones. She writes, “I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.” Clearly there will be people who have feared even getting a breast exam who may now think differently, and it is obviously Ms. Jolie’s hope that by revealing her ordeal that she will help other women.

In Ms. Jolie’s article she also tells of the strong support that she got from her partner, A-list actor Brad Pitt. If you didn’t like this couple before, you may start to think differently about them now. Clearly theirs is not some superficial Hollywood union; rather, it is obviously one based on love, family, and mutual respect. Ms. Jolie notes that Mr. Pitt was there “for every minute of the surgeries.” Hopefully, this will also put men into the right frame of mind as well when and if they learn that their partner has breast cancer.

Ms. Jolie wants women to face facts about their options, especially hoping that they will “get gene tested” in order to ascertain their risk for developing these cancers. If even a few lives are saved, then Ms. Jolie has done a great service through her selfless act of revelation.

I have always thought Ms. Jolie was a beautiful woman, and I have enjoyed the movies that she has been in, but I have to say that now she is even more beautiful than ever. In my mind this is the kind of thing poet John Keats defined as “beauty is truth, truth beauty.” Keats knew, as we should too, that physical beauty is fleeting; however, true inner beauty resides in a place that is unaffected by time’s cruel hand. Ms. Jolie has written about a truth in her life that in the end is a beautiful thing that she has shared with us.

Ms. Jolie is a brave and truly beautiful woman. Hopefully, her words will reach as many individuals – male and female alike – as possible and help them as they deal with this pernicious disease. Now Ms. Jolie has transcended what it means to be a Hollywood star, rising to new heights in the firmament by telling her story. Let’s hope she will be a guiding light for many years to come for people everywhere.

Photo credits: jolie-getty images; bertrand-imdb.com; pitt-people.com

Tiger Woods Wins Players Championship – Now Destiny Awaits Him

2013-05-14T14:32:00.003-07:00

Article first published as Tiger Woods Wins Players Championship â€“ Now Destiny Awaits Him on Blogcritics.

You can arguably say that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever, but almost no one will dispute he is the best here and now. By winning the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Woods won his fourth event this season and 78th of his career. In doing so he made it resoundingly clear that not only is the old Tiger back but he is ready for more conquests.

Of course, Tiger is not Tiger without some sort of drama, and in this case it involved fellow player Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard accused Woods of trying to mess up his shot by causing a commotion in the crowd as he chose a club. Where I come from in New York City, we street kids used to call for a “Do Over” in cases such as these, but this is the PGA Tour and not some stickball game. Whether you like Woods or not, it seems to be more like sour grapes coming from Garcia, but there will be those who want to believe Woods conspired to throw Garcia off his game.

Later on Woods and Garcia were tied on the 14th hole after Woods’s double bogey, but then Garcia sent two balls to a watery grave and had no one to blame but himself (unless he felt Woods conspired with the wind to blow his shots off course). Woods got more assistance when rookie David Lingmerth missed the birdie on the 18th hole, securing Woods his second Players victory (last one came 12 years ago).

After the victory Woods told reporters that a lot of people thought his career was over and done, but Woods assured the crowd “But I’m not.” That kind of confidence has to be a little unsettling for his opponents now, reminding them that the big cat is back on track and ready to reclaim his kingdom. Consider the following incredible statistics* regarding Woods’s career at this point:

4: Victories in 2013. This is the earliest Woods has ever reached four wins in a season.
7: Victories in his last 21 PGA Tour stroke-play events.
52 of 56: Conversion rate when Woods has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
78: Career PGA Tour victories. Sam Snead, with 82, is No. 1 on the list.
300: PGA Tour starts (including as an amateur). Woods also won in his 100th and 200th PGA Tour starts.
$5,849,600: Official PGA Tour earnings in 2013.
$106,800,300: Official career PGA Tour earnings.
*USA Today

If these numbers don’t impress you, then I guess nothing will. Obviously, Woods has been chasing Snead and, at 37, it is highly likely that he will overcome that record. Only a year ago people were thinking that Woods was finished and that he would never get back his confidence on a course, and even only last week when he got too well lubricated at the Met Gala after-party in New York, many thought that was a sign he was unraveling. After this victory, we can safely say that Tiger has proven them all wrong.

Watching Woods walk around the course, it is clear that the old confidence is back and more. He stares with (please forgive me) the eye of the tiger, surveying the jungle and keenly observing all. It is also pure poetry to see Woods take a swing, just as it was to watch Tom Seaver pitch a baseball, Hank Aaron hit a homer, Julius Erving (Dr J) sink a basket, Muhammad Ali land a punch, and Joe Namath throw a touchdown pass. In sports poetry lies in the beauty of the moment, the majesty of its effect, and the long lasting memory of its greatness. There is no question that what Woods does on the course is the stuff from which legends are made.

Besides Snead’s record, perhaps the even more elusive and important number is 14 – Woods has been locked on that number of victories in the four majors since 2008. More meaningful to Woods is catching Jack Nicklaus, whose record 18 stands as a golden sports record in a way that Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs once did.

To clarify this record's Mount Everest quality, Snead only won the four majors 7 times. Gary Player and Arnold Palmer, both iconic golfers whose names can be said in the same breath as Nicklaus, won the majors 9 and 7 times respectively. Directly below Woods the late great Walter Hagen stands with 11, a number surpassed by Woods so early in his career that Nicklaus’s record appeared to be easily in reach.
After all his problems, it seemed Woods would never get back on track, but now that record is there for the taking again, and Woods is the only one around with a chance to reach it.

Tiger Woods is the superstar of golf, the reason why people follow the tour and watch on television. He is like a golfing Tom Cruise, and you can bank on his attracting interest and his performance always commands your attention, but perhaps more than ever this season. For now it is clear Tiger is playing like he did a decade ago, and that means all things are possible.

Photo credits: tiger trophy – usa today; tiger with club - getty images

First Mother’s Day Without Dad

2013-05-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

Article first published as First Motherâ€™s Day Without Dad on Blogcritics.

In the past I have written about the difficulties of living through Mother’s Day without my mother. This is now my seventh Mother’s Day without Mom, and it is no easier than the first. I think about her, wish she were here, and try to celebrate the spirit of the day for my wife and children's sake; however, there is a noticeable heft in my heart.

When I went to the grave to place flowers there, for the first time I was also placing flowers on my father's grave. As to get the fact into my mind, I traced his newly engraved name on the tombstone with my fingers, and I realized, perhaps for the first time, that he really was gone now.

In the past years since Mom passed away, I always had Dad as a support on this day. After all, we were suffering the loss and got through the day together. That gave me an emotional crutch to lean on, and we would share our stories and it felt as if Mom were there with us. Now with Dad gone, those stories are exclusively mine now.

My sister’s stories are hers and they were shared with them too, but there are those things you share by yourself with your parents, and those get filed in the memory banks as moments no one else is familiar with. Therefore, things that I could have just mentioned to Dad that we three experienced would make him laugh, perhaps something Mom did or said in our presence. Now only I know these things, remember them, and I realize they are lost when I pass on.

I know I am not alone in this; everyone eventually loses his or her parents. Of course, this is a natural progression of things. Now I go on, share what I can with my children, and realize some things do not need to be transmitted. Now if I see something that I could only reference to my parents, I speak to their ethereal presence, and I know that they hear me. More than ever since my father passed on I feel an aura, some spiritual companionship that is fleeting but I know is there.

So on this Mother’s Day I will try to get through the day knowing Mom and dad are together but also with me. They are watching me with my children and wife, and this helps me appreciate what is happening now. One day I will join them when I pass on, and there will be so much catching up to do for me because I believe they will already know everything that happened here.

If you do have your mother in your life, I wish you and her well. I hope you can be together, but if not there are ways you can connect from far away. Do not let the day slip away because one day you will wish Mom was here and you’ll only be able to bring her flowers in the cemetery. Believe me when I say at that time you will feel empty and lost and just wish you could have her back to kiss on the cheek.

Now I must get through my first Mother’s Day without Dad. It’s harder than I thought, but I will get through the day thanks to my own kids. Yes, I know Father’s Day is the next hurdle, but I’ll face that when the time comes. I’m told it gets easier with time but that hasn’t happened for me yet, and I have my suspicions that it never will.

One World Trade Center – Now Stands a Symbolic 1776 Feet

2013-05-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

Article first published as One World Trade Center â€“ Now Stands a Symbolic 1776 Feet on Blogcritics

The final piece of the comeback of 1 World Trade Center was hoisted into place: a 408-foot antenna that now sits atop of the building, making it 1776 feet and the tallest building in the western hemisphere. 1776 connects with the year Americans declared their independence from England, and workers flew an American flag from the railing as the spire went up into the bright blue sky. It is a symbolic message to the world that not only this building but all of New York City stands tall and strong.

The World Trade Center has been called many things, including Ground Zero because it is here that the worst terrorist attack on American soil occurred. Many have called it a sacred place, and if you go there now and stand near the footprints of the old towers, where water cascades and mist flies, it is hard to not feel the spirituality of the place, to sense that those 2,753 souls lost on 9/11 are never far from there. It is a burial ground, a place where blood and bone mixed with concrete, steel, and earth. It is impossible to separate what happened here and what was lost; they are sacrosanct acres that should be seen as a place of remembrance and reverence.

I lost a family member and friends on 9/11, and in the days after the attacks every time I looked at the skyline the emptiness in that space where the Twin Towers once soared pierced me right into the heart. Not only were loved ones murdered but the physical damage compounded their loss, and as the city stood resiliently against the despicable evil that brought those buildings down, plans almost immediately went into the works to rebuild.

Over the years I heard people rant about this and that. Some called for the towers to be rebuilt just as they had been in their footprints, but the idea of making those voids sacred spaces made more sense. The concept of the Freedom Tower (now One World Trade Center) came into being, and the building would go up floor by floor and eventually defiantly stand out in the skyline, a message to those who would destroy us that we will never be defeated. New York is bigger than all its skyscrapers because its essence is not brick and mortar but flesh and blood.

As the original towers were being built I watched from my roof in Queens, and as they rose against the
skyline I felt like they were New York. Years later when I visited other countries and my friends would get postcards from people visiting America, invariably they would get one with a picture of the Twin Towers on it. They were a symbol of America’s greatness, and it doesn’t take much to understand why the terrorists hit them. They wanted us to break as the buildings did, but they miscalculated our resilience and determination.

So as I stand back and look at my city’s skyline now, I see the gaping space being filled. Now One World Trade Center soars up into the sky like a beacon of hope and strength. Other buildings are going up there too filling in the emptiness, like Two World Trade Center that will be a modest but still impressive 88 stories tall. As things go up we can’t help but remember the day everything came down so dramatically, and we inherently understand that this had to happen in order to get back to where we need to be.

There is also the controversy about the 9/11 museum that is opening next year (it will charge $20 admission fee), and the whole bloated $700 million mess that it became. This is not what families and friends of the victims wanted or deserved, but it was forced upon them. Whatever happens with the museum notwithstanding, millions of visitors from around the world will once again walk around Manhattan and tip their heads upward to see the magnificent new buildings going into place. They will stand close to the footprints and feel the surge of emotion this place causes, and this and the view of the skyline will not cost anything. That is how it should be.

The building is worth more than anything else because it was erected with those lost in mind. It is a monument, as soaring as any one in the world, and it stands tall and powerfully as a message to everyone. Those who would do us harm should take note that this proves they failed. They may have thought they won something but because New York stands taller than ever they lost big time. They just made us stronger, more determined, and showed the world what New York is all about.

One World Trade Center now touches the sky and our hearts. Yes, the pain never goes away, but it can be eased by knowing that what we are back big time. New York is not just the city that never sleeps but one that never gives up. That building is our symbol now and honors those lost in that sacred space and that is forevermore.

Image credits: 1 World Trade Center-ny daily news; workers – getty images

Age-Old Question: Olivia or Peppa Pig?

2013-05-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Age-Old Question: Olivia or Peppa Pig? on Blogcritics.

In my house the age-old question of the moment (with “age” being approximately between 4-12 years old) has to do with pigs, or more appropriately with animated pigs that appear in television shows. Nick Jr. here in the United States currently airs three shows with pigs as main characters, and poor old Porky is not to be found. Instead we have Toot and Puddle, Olivia, and Peppa Pig. For this discussion we are limited to the last two because Toot and Puddle was voted out of it. Therefore, my favorite “pig” show was determined by my kids to be unworthy of examination.

Olivia and Peppa Pig are for younger viewers to be sure, but although there are many similarities, there are distinct differences that set them apart. My son’s (4) favorite is Peppa Pig; my daughter’s (12) is Olivia, though she used to see the merit of Toot and Puddle, two pigs who travel by plane all over the world. In general she’d rather be watching Disney shows like Ant Farm and Shake It Up; however, since my son has no tolerance for “girl” shows, that is not to be when he is in the room.

Since both main characters are female pigs one could assume that these shows are meant for girls, but both feature little brothers (Olivia has two – Ian and William and Peppa has one – George), fathers (Olivia calls hers “Dad” and Peppa calls hers “Daddy Pig”), and male friends. Thus boys will find something of interest here, especially when the brothers are taunting their sisters (Ian is dubbed “my little bother” by Olivia).

My son likes shows that depict families, and in his opinion Peppa Pig has a family that he identifies with quite closely. Being a little brother, he sees the world as revolving around his bigger sister (nothing could be further from the truth), and George basically sees things as all part of Peppa’s world. My daughter likes Olivia more (and she has liked this show for years) because Olivia shares similar interests (plays piano, goes to ballet class, is an actress and born leader). Olivia tries to manipulate situations, and sometimes Ian is an accomplice akin to Ethel to Lucy in the old I Love Lucy sitcom; other times Ian torments her or blocks her plans.

What really sets these two shows apart even more are the worlds they depict. Olivia is a pigs only world. All her friends and acquaintances are pigs, as are her teachers, doctors, mail carriers, and police officers. In this world the painter Degas uses pigs as subjects, and Olivia allows her imagination to run away with her (in sometimes elaborate fantasy sequences) and she becomes famous people whom we know as humans but she envisions as pigs.

In Peppa Pig we have a much more diverse landscape. Peppa’s friends include Suzy Sheep and Danny Dog. There are many other species depicted, and this adds a richness and complexity lacking in its counterpart. Peppa’s world includes her navigating the ins and outs of most childhood dilemmas, but when all else fails she and her family revert to a snort and a dip in a muddy puddle to solve the world’s problems.

One of the great things that both of these shows have in common is a little girl (uh, pig) who dreams big, plays hard, and is not afraid to try new things. Olivia is much more dynamic and determined (perhaps because she is 6 and Peppa is only 4), but Peppa too knows what she wants and tries to get it.

Another especially important thing the shows have in common is cohesive family portrayals. I think my son particularly likes Peppa and family most because he sees the love they share, the fun they have together, and that the little brother gets many things that he wants (like a big dinosaur birthday party). I believe he is a little daunted by Olivia’s independence and her usually victorious outcomes over brother Ian (who is 4). He will watch Olivia and laugh when Ian teases or tortures his sister, but he is not pleased when Olivia comes out on top.

Peppa Pig is a British animated series from creator, director, and producer Astley Baker Davies. It has a distinct British feel with the characters all speaking with accents that my children recognize and enjoy. Olivia is a British-American series based on the books of Ian Falconer (my daughter always notes that his first name is the same as the brother who taunts his sister). Peppa “episodes” are shorts, lasting about five minutes a piece (which may be the main reason why my little one likes it more with his attention span).

Olivia shows are approximately twenty minutes and contain conflict and resolution within that span.
Both shows are family friendly, but Olivia has nice insider jokes that will make parents chuckle while the reference goes over their kids’ heads (Olivia mentions her “blue period” being over as a painter, for example). There is great theme music associated with each, which will keep the kids humming along, and both shows teach a “lesson” along the way, with Olivia being more sophisticated in delivery.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Toot and Puddle one last time. It is my favorite show of the three because the traveling pigs make me believe in anything because these pigs fly. My daughter used to like them but sadly she is on to more important things (like Dancing with the Stars), but perhaps my son will get what’s going on with them when he is a little older. Until then, I’ll be watching Olivia and Peppa and keep thinking, “Where’s Porky Pig when I need him?”

Photo credits: peppa pig-tvrage.com; olivia - newshoppher.sulekha.com; toot and puddle – timeout.com

Randi Weingarten Tells Truth About Testing and Common Core Standards

2013-05-02T05:23:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Randi Weingarten Tells Truth About Testing and Common Core Standards on Blogcritics.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has come out swinging against state testing that is aligned with the new Common Core State Standards. Weingarten knows of what she speaks – she has worked as counsel to United Federation of Teachers President Sandra Feldman from 1986-1998, a history teacher at Brooklyn’s Clara Barton High School from 1991-1997, President of the United Federation of Teachers from 1998-2009, and has been president of the AFT since 2008.

Weingarten noted that while the Common Core makes sense in the big picture that it should never have been allowed to be attached to state exams in ELA and Math, ones that will count on students’ records and in teacher evaluations. Of course, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo are all in favor of such a connection because it advances their plans to try to get rid of senior (read that highly paid) teachers. Weingarten rightly objected to such a ludicrous situation, citing how teachers have been poorly prepared for the CCSS, which means that their students will also be unready for them at this time.

This is not music to the ears of the state and testing companies because their lucrative (and dubious) relationship is based on the assessments and making them count. Isn’t it odd that even the NY State Education Department and the New York City Board of Education have expressed that they expect lower (perhaps much lower) test scores this year. So what are teachers, parents, and students supposed to think? Is this is business as usual or monkey business?

What Weingarten is saying is the clear and salient truth. Talk to the teachers whose students took the exams in April, or better yet ask the students how they felt about the tests. It is not surprising that there is an overwhelming voice of concern from those who are most directly affected by the testing. We are talking about students’ records and teachers’ evaluations, so it matters to them most of all. Parents should be outraged that the state and city accepted this situation without educators being adequately prepared.

Weingarten has called for the state and city to wait at least one year before they start using test scores to evaluate teachers; however, both Bloomberg and Cuomo are salivating like dogs over a bone. They are no doubt hoping for disastrous results and that will set the stage for their obvious plans to remove teachers in order to save money on salaries and benefits.

Sadly, none of this is a benefit to students. It is ludicrous to expect teachers to get an entirely new set of expectations in September, give them minimal training during the year, and think that they will have the students ready for the assessments in April. Weingarten’s call for a moratorium for a year not only makes sense but is an equitable way to bring teachers into the new reality of evaluations that are based on testing.

Like taxes, the Common Core is never going away, and teachers, students, and parents need to face the facts about it. There are great online resources like Engage NY that provide a rich resource for anyone who wants to understand the standards and expectations. Also, the goal of the CCSS is a noble one (to make students prepared more deeply and ready to join the workforce), although its connection to testing and testing companies has sullied its reputation for many.

Weingarten’s critics say that she is trying to protect her teachers, but the reality is that she is asking for them to be given a more reasonable amount of time for training. Asking teachers to teach what they do not fully understand is like asking a student in medical school to walk into the operating room and perform surgery. There can be no expectations except for disaster.

Hopefully, Weingarten’s plea will be considered as reasonable and teachers will be given a chance for more professional development, but that will not please those who wish to use these assessments for their own nefarious plans. In reality most of us know that after students teachers are the most important people in our schools. Most of them are on the front lines doing their best to help their charges succeed every day. Weingarten is asking for them to be treated as professionals and given proper training. The stakes are high and we must recognize that teachers should be treated fairly if we want our students to emerge from their classrooms well prepared to take not only the tests but to take on life.

Photo credit: ny daily news

Martin Richard’s Image Should Become Worldwide Symbol of Peace

2013-04-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Martin Richardâ€™s Image Should Become Worldwide Symbol of Peace on Blogcritics.

Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy who was killed during the Boston Marathon attacks, was laid to rest on April 23, 2013, in a private ceremony. It is incongruous to even think about someone so young dying, but even more so when we realize it was because of such incomprehensible violence perpetrated for reasons beyond rational thought.

In the days since the bombings that killed three and injured hundreds, we have been subjected to seeing the faces of the terrorists responsible for the carnage everywhere in the media. Truthfully, I do not want or need to know about their backstories. Yes, these brothers had their reasons for doing what they did, but they are always the same story (with a particular axe to grind). The face we should be seeing everywhere is Martin Richard, specifically in this picture where he holds his handmade sign that reads “No More Hurting People.” This heartbreaking image should be what we see when we see something about this story because this beautiful boy is what those terrorists callously destroyed.

We have also been subjected to the terrorists’ mother being everywhere in the media exclaiming, “They killed my son!” One of the brothers died in a shootout with police; the other is now incarcerated. As you can see, I am purposely not using their names here. The reason is simple – by giving them more and more publicity we only encourage them and those of their ilk. These people think that by committing some kind of senseless act or acts that they will get their warped version of fame. The press is complicit in this matter because they usually are only more than willing to give these people the coverage they long to get.

Consider the case of David Berkowitz, dubbed the Son of Sam, who killed six people and wounded seven during his reign of terror (1976-77) in New York City. He loved the coverage that the TV and newspapers gave to his attacks, even writing to one paper and taunting law enforcement. Each time he killed or wounded someone, it was guaranteed front page headlines. It was as if he had written his own denouement, for when he finally got caught his picture was on every front page. He had achieved the warped ending that he wanted.

Let us not promote those who cause such pain and suffering and instead utilize the image of Martin Richard holding his sign asking the world for peace. We have to hope that this image can be seen everywhere. If I could I would rent a billboard in every city in the world and have Martin’s face beaming out with the words “Give Peace a Chance” under it. We have to understand that, as John Lennon once noted, war can only be over if we want it. The killing has to be stopped, especially considering the most young and innocent victims that are seemingly always caught in the crossfire.

This means that our own country has to be meaningfully part of the process. I understand that the military has used drones to target terrorists, but there seems to always be children in the same vicinity. That kind of collateral damage can never be acceptable; therefore, the use of drones should be severely curtailed or eliminated. It would be my hope that all governments and even terrorists would reconsider their actions and limit the types of assaults they implement during times of war or for political motivations.

A terrorist blowing up anything that kills innocent people may indeed be creating the “terror” he or she seeks to foment; however, the political message they are trying to convey is always lost in the human suffering that inevitably follows. The same can be said about the governments (the U.S. included) who claim they are targeting the enemy and hurt innocents in the process. There is no way that people who lose sons and daughters during a drone attack are going to understand that the U.S. is fighting its “war on terror” as they bury their dead children.

I am realistic and know we can never stop all these kinds of things from happening. There will always be that guy, like Berkowitz, who snaps and goes off the deep end; however, we can try to eliminate state sponsored violence that causes loss of life and hope that, as many people note, that terrorists only react to violence that is perpetrated by governments. Whether it is state sponsored or not, killing people should be murder in every sense of the word, just as it was in the Boston Marathon attacks.

The other day Martin Richard’s baseball team played its first game of the season. Instead of standing on the field, Martin is lying in the ground. The immensity of this loss was noted in the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, with a solemn march and ceremony. The Savin Hill Little League kept to the tradition of a parade from its headquarters to McConnell Field, but this year the heft of what happen on April 15, and the loss of Martin, weighed heavily on the proceedings. On the field “Boston Strong” was stenciled along with a huge number 8 (Martin’s number). Martin’s memory was honored, but his absence was felt by the many people in attendance, and his teammates and classmates are all grieving and will continue to need support and guidance as they deal with their friend’s loss.

In moments like these we always seek something good to come out of such horror. That is why Martin Richard’s message of peace needs to be broadcast to the world. We Americans need to be meaningfully involved with making true peace happen, and we need the governments of the world to join us as we attempt to make the world a safe place for our children. Nothing else – and I mean truly nothing else – matters more.

Yes, I know how difficult this process will be, but think how arduous it is to bury children who die from such violence. Perhaps the United Nations could declare a Martin Richard World Peace Day. We have to start somewhere, so why not honor a boy who dreamed of a world being at peace? In doing so we could begin taking steps (and they will be baby steps at first) toward making Martin’s dream a reality. Can we truly give peace a chance for our children? It is up to adults everywhere to make it so.

Photo credits: martin Richard – people.com; mcconnel field –espnboston.com

Boston Marathon Bombings Should Not Figure Into Immigration Debate

2013-04-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Boston Marathon Bombings Should Not Figure Into Immigration Debate on Blogcritics.

The terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon spawned nefarious plots and ploys in a relatively brief time. Despicable people immediately tried to capitalize on the horror by setting up Internet scams to suck in those grieving and those sympathetic to the victims and their families. This is how things work in our modern oh-so-connected world; unfortunately, people will always chase ambulances and we are not going to change that.

The same thing happened after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Hurricane Sandy, and 9/11. We want to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity, and what Anne Frank wrote that despite all that madness around her that people are really good at heart, but there will always be those who are out to prove us wrong again and again.

Now, as the nationwide debate about immigration continues and Congress considers reform of policies, there are those saying that the Boston bombings are a red flag – we should not consider offering approximately 11 million immigrants already in the United States a chance to become citizens – because citizenship does not necessarily mean loyalty to the United States as in the case of Dzhokar A. Tsarnaev (19) and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev (26), who are suspects in the bombings that killed three people and injured many others.

There is a problem with this kind of thinking because those brothers entered the country as children. It would be nearly impossible to say at that time of entry that they would become homegrown terrorists. The opponents of immigration reform use this as an example of limiting or prohibiting immigration. We could expect as much from these people who have an isolationist mentality and would like to seal off the borders to all newcomers or limit entry to just a select few.

Sadly, they are forgetting about that lady in the harbor south of New York City. The Statue of Liberty has been a beacon to the “huddled masses” yearning for the freedom to be found in America. Everyone who is a citizen has come from someplace else (even Native Americans originally came across a land bridge over the Bering Strait). We are a nation of immigration, born of elsewhere, but we mix into the glorious pot creating a spectacular brew that is unique yet unified.

Make no mistake – Americans are other! We are not the same because we were engineered to be different. Each wave of immigration brought something new to our shores that helped build the country. Yes, there were problems for many of those people, prejudices to overcome, and a language to be learned, but that only made our country stronger. People could practice their religions, speak their own languages, and try to build their own version of the American dream. No, it was not always easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever simply achieved.

Now we have those who want to use the Boston bombings to their advantage. Some will argue that there should be no new immigrants, while others will want to stop the ones already here from gaining citizenship. I guess this should have been expected, but the argument doesn’t make sense. With millions of immigrants already here, we get very rare cases of them ever being involved in a terrorist incident like the one in Boston. In fact, the rarity of such occurrences should stoke the fires of immigration reform. Most of those 11 million immigrants currently just want a piece of American pie, however small, and wish to be citizens because they genuinely want to belong here as did all those who came before them.

In Congress there are those only too ready to jump on the ambulance chasing bandwagon. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who is on the committee for immigration, has come out to say that the bombings should be a factor in the ongoing debate about immigration reform. He and others in Congress will try to move the logic of immigration reform based on the American tradition and history and use the bombings as a way to push for tighter borders and more stringent regulations to get into and stay in the country.

What is worrisome is that this detour should never have been considered, but the bombings give these detractors an opening. They believe they are patriots, but true patriots do not try to stop others from becoming part of the country. They are using the moment to their advantage, and the public (understandably nervous after the Boston attacks) may be susceptible to some of these arguments based on fear. If we allow the bombings to influence the discourse regarding immigration reform, it would be a sad day for America because it may cause people to forget the essence of what built this nation.

Anyone who was watching the Boston Red Sox game on Saturday probably got caught up in the feeling of patriotism and love of country and city. When Neil Diamond stepped onto that field and sang “Sweet Caroline,” even I forgot I was a Mets fan from New York and wished I was a Bosox fan. Similarly, there are millions of people looking in from the outside who envy that kind of fervor, who wish to be a part of the glorious mix that is America. How can we turn them away when we all came from other shores? How can we not live up to the words of Emma Lazarus that appear at the Statue of Liberty, lift up the lamp, and welcome them to come inside the golden door?

Photo credits: Ellis Island-scholastic.com; Statue of Liberty-uscitizenpod.com

Movie Review: Oblivion - The Best Tom Cruise Film Ever

2013-04-21T05:35:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Movie Review: Oblivion - The Best Tom Cruise Film Ever on Blogcritics.

Film superstar Tom Cruise has made plenty of movies (37 and counting), but his turn as Jack Harper in Oblivion is probably his best work ever. Yes, he did incredible and serious work in films like A Few Good Men and The Last Samurai, and he has shown remarkable good humor in movies like Rock of Ages and Tropic Thunder, but Oblivion provides him an opportunity to give his most nuanced and mature performance yet, with touches of humor but also deep and affecting moments of emotion and passion.

Jack is a lone tech guy (official name Tech 49) on a ravaged earth in the year 2077. We get a back story told in voiceover by Jack about a war against aliens that left the moon destroyed, the earth barely recognizable, and humans winning by using their nuclear arsenal. Now all humans live on Saturn’s moon Titan, and one lone project called Tet remains, sucking up ocean water for humans to use on Titan. Jack’s job is to repair drones that patrol the skies searching for Scavs (Scavengers), the last remaining aliens who are now the only inhabitants of earth.

Jack lives a relatively idyllic life in a raised and secure platform with Victoria (a stunning Andrea Riseborough), who monitors all of Jack’s actions on the planet on a huge computer board while talking to Sally (Melissa Leo), the seemingly omniscient person in charge on Tet. Jack and Victoria have all the amenities, including a swimming pool, and make love and are obviously very close. They are almost done with their mission, and in two weeks Sally has promised them that they will be able to move on to Titan and join the rest of humanity living there.

One problem is that Jack is haunted by dreams, particularly one involving a beautiful woman (Olga Kurylenko) he keeps seeing on the observation deck of The Empire State Building. Supposedly he and Victoria had their memories erased five years before in order to keep them focused on the mission at hand, but Jack is bothered by these intrusions into what he thinks is his life and career.

Things do change considerably when a spaceship, The Odyssey, crashes with human survivors. Although Jack is ordered by Sally not to go to the crash site, he feels compelled to do so and attempts to save the survivors (who are in suspended animation containers). The drones come and kill all the survivors except one that Jack saves, and this happens to be the woman he sees in his dreams.

To complicate matters even further, Jack returns the woman to the platform for medical attention, and Victoria is not pleased with her presence. Setting up the eternal love triangle, Andrea stares at the woman with looks that could definitely kill. We learn the woman’s name is Julia and that she was on a spaceship in 2017 going to Titan but something disrupted the journey. Having been in animation for 60 years, Julia insists on getting the flight recorder from her ship to find out what happened to it.

On a journey to the crash site Jack and Julia are captured by the Scavs who turn out to be humans, led by Beech (Morgan Freeman) and his second in command Sykes (Nicholas Coster-Waldau). Beech tells Jack that everything he thinks and knows is wrong, and Sykes tries to get him to program a captured drone to take a nuclear device up to destroy the Tet. Jack refuses, and they eventually send Julia and him on their way, urging them to go into the off limits Radiation Zone to find the answers that they need to know.

To go further would reveal major spoilers, but let it suffice to say that Jack and Julia have a touching scene on the observation deck of the now mostly buried Empire State Building, jogging Jack’s memory even more. The sight of the iconic building buried in the sand will remind some viewers of the ending of the original The Planet of the Apes, when Charlton Heston’s Taylor finds the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand, but I think that’s the whole point.

Director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy), making only his second film, has chosen to make it an amalgam of films he has probably admired and loved. There are so many nods to classic movies here including the original Apes and Total Recall, as well as Star Wars (the drones are mean versions of R2-D2 and the Scavs look like Sand People), 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Cruise’s own War of the Worlds and Minority Report; furthermore, it is really great to see Cruise in a cockpit again, with some scenes being reminiscent of Top Gun as Jack talks to his bobble-head and swoops his ship through tight spaces in between mountains while dispatching rogue drones.

Besides Kosinski (who also co-wrote the screenplay), huge accolades should go to cinematographer Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi) and Darren Gilford for production design. They bring this damaged world to life in vivid and distinct ways, with Iceland’s stark landscape also lending a hand in the projection of an earth that seems like a foreign planet. Also, the film is greatly enhanced by the score by M.8.3 (Joseph Trapanese and Anthony Gonzalez co-composers) that is haunting and powerfully appropriate.

Overall, Oblivion has an “epic” feel to it, a huge film that starts the summer season a month before the traditional big movies hit the screen. It also has the depth and scope to be a meaningful and memorable addition to the cinematic canon, and for Cruise this is another great role in his career. You shouldn’t go to see this one because it is another Tom Cruise movie but because it is the best Tom Cruise movie to date.

Photo credits: Universal Pictures

Boston Marathon Attack – A New Vigilance Most Needed

2013-04-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Boston Marathon Attack â€“ A New Vigilance Most Needed on Blogcritics.

As you read about the investigation into the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, you know they are going to get the perpetrators. The FBI and state and local authorities are devoting endless hours to the investigation, and though some reports were coming out that a suspect had been arrested (wishful thinking on everyone’s part no doubt), it is inevitable that soon someone will be in custody.

One thing people must think about that they don’t usually do as they go about their busy days – imagine how many of these attacks have been avoided because of the work of the FBI and other intelligence agencies and law enforcement? There are the ones we know about and the ones we will never know, and that is why the “homeland” has been relatively secure since September 11, 2001.

As a New Yorker who rides mass transit, in the days after 9/11 I was in awe of how security came into place and how it effectively locked down my city. Yes, we were all inconvenienced back then: trains were slower, buses and trucks were stopped at the tunnels, and there were troops obvious everywhere, but especially in Penn Station and Grand Central Station with their bomb sniffing dogs. I lost people on 9/11 and never minded this; in fact, I kept thinking too bad this all wasn’t in place before the attacks.

I recall one time riding on the E train and getting off at the last stop (World Trade Center) in lower Manhattan. I was in the car with one other person, and after all the people had gotten off I noticed a backpack under a seat. Now this was about a year after 9/11, and I started getting all sorts of ideas. I also recalled Mayor Guiliani saying that ordinary citizens had to be vigilant. When I got off the train there I told the conductor about the backpack, who got on his walkie-talkie.
Within less than a minute, there were transit cops descending onto the platform and rushing into the car. I was seriously impressed with that response. Late for an appointment, I went upstairs feeling that my city had things covered.

Now all these years later, before the Boston attack, people were falling into complacency and forgetting things. I still walk the streets looking up nervously. You don’t lose a family member and friends in a tall building and not remember. I honestly think about 9/11 every day; I have no choice in the matter. I keep it mostly to myself because, quite honestly, most people say, “Get over it!” and no, they are not being inconsiderate; they are just uncomfortable with the subject and want to move on with their lives. While this is understandable, it could also be extremely dangerous.

The Boston Marathon attack is a slap in the face to a sleepy headed America. We were slipping perhaps, thinking that we were invulnerable again. We can never fall into that complacency again, that isolationist notion that we are safe in the homeland. We should have been more vigilant all along, but time causes people to forget, to willfully ignore the signs, and sometimes let wishful thinking that we’re safe to get the better of them.

New Yorkers were shaken by what happened in Boston. Now our city is locking down more tightly again. Whether or not this bothers you will depend on your thought process. To me I keep thinking about that backpack on the train, and how many more backpacks are being left unattended all over the country. If we choose to ignore them and put our heads in the sand, it’s very likely we are going to regret it.

Across the ocean a madman talks about sending ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads our way. We only have to look at New York’s skyline to be reminded of what can happen when our guard is down. If you need a real jolt awake, look at the pictures of the wounded from the Boston marathon. Each one is a bloody warning that is as clear as possible – we can never leave our guards down because this is not over. I hate to break this to you, but it will never be over. Ever!

In World War II America and its allies defeated an unthinkable evil; however, that was a different kind of war. We defeated countries, signed treaties, and then we moved forward. Here we fight a war against a shadow enemy with no nation’s flag flying that can be lowered in defeat. The warriors here are not wearing uniforms and are not pledging allegiance to anyone or thing but terror. That is why terrorism is the most pernicious and evasive enemy we have ever faced. As long as there are terrorists willing to perpetrate this war, it will never be over.

So now we are vigilant again. As New Yorkers we have been taught a horrific lesson and now we have to relearn it after Boston. We can stand with our sister city in grief, offer it support, and remind people elsewhere that there is no getting over it. This kind of thing is with you forever, so it is best to face it now rather than avoiding things. Yes, we all must move on with our lives, but in doing so we can never be the same again.

Photo credits: FBI - frrole.com; E Train - wkikpedia.com; boston wounded-businessinsider.com

Boston Marathon Attack – The City and Sportsmanship Will Not Be Diminished

2013-04-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Boston Marathon Attack â€“ The City and Sportsmanship Will Not Be Diminished on Blogcritics.

Once again some group or someone thinks it can frighten Americans – that is what terrorism is all about. The idea is to scare people into submission or disrupt their daily lives. This has happened before in Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Washington D.C., and New York City. People lose their lives in these attacks, and many more grieve for those lost. There are also those people wounded, either physically or psychologically, and that lasts a lifetime. Despite all this, we Americans always come back and stronger than ever.

The terrorists (or others who perpetrate such dastardly acts) never learn that Americans are stronger than they realize. That is our secret weapon, stronger than planes flown into buildings; stronger than bombs going off at sporting events, and stronger than squadrons of planes sinking our ships. Each time an enemy attempts one of these assaults, it learns that it has only scratched the foot of a sleeping giant, one that cannot and will not let such cowardly actions defeat it.

Now and forevermore 8-year-old Martin Richard (one of three who died in the attack) will be remembered, as will his sister (6) who lost her leg, his mother Denise (hospitalized with serious injuries), and his father William (who was running in the marathon). Richard's name will join a solemn list of dead and wounded that will no doubt be read every year at some memorial that will eventually be erected in Copley Square. This is the kind of notoriety no family wants, no person wants, but it is inevitable and necessary to honor our dead lost in battle; make no mistake, this is a war and this was a battle and the people who lost their lives or suffered injuries are to be honored as we would any military casualties.

Martin Richard joins a grim fraternity of those lost to terrorism. As someone who lost a family member and friends on September 11, 2001, I could only stare at the TV screen and feel revulsion and shake with anger. I know what it is like, as do so many other New Yorkers, and my city will never be the same. No one here in New York can ever be the same. We look at our city’s skyline, permanently and irrevocably altered by madmen in planes, and to this day I feel sickened by it.

There is, however, the other side to this. The sleeping giant does not take these things lying down. Hirohito and his minions found this out after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. We fought a war that truly was “world” wide and defeated evil – there is no other way to describe the Empire of Japan and Nazi Germany – and now we face similar foes. They do not fly a nation’s flag and strike like hyenas in the night, but when the giant finds their lair it is safe to say they will regret it.

None of this brings back Martin Richard or any of those lost. All the bombs dropped on Afghanistan will never bring back those lost on 9/11. All the boots that have marched, all the men deployed overseas, all the ships at sea, and planes in the air cannot erect the Twin Towers again. Yet the worst thing to do is capitulate or change the way we live our lives. There has to be a bigger and better Boston Marathon next year as tribute to this year’s victims. Sports and sportsmanship cannot and will not be diminished because of this because the essence of sports is universal.

After 9/11 the Mets played a game at old Shea that I will never forget. The team wore caps of those first responders lost in the towers – NYPD, FDNY, etc. – and then Mike Piazza hit the biggest homerun in Mets history, not only winning the game but bringing the city to its feet in a roar of support for all its citizens. That’s the power of sportsmanship and that will never die, and that’s another reason why whoever did this failed in every way except in hurting people.

All New Yorkers send their thoughts and prayers out to Boston’s people now, to those affected families, and those lost. New York and Boston are now forever linked as sisters in sorrow, but our example can provide something to remember as Boston slowly heals its wounds.

All you have to do is go downtown in Manhattan and see our resilience, our strength as a people as you stare up at the new tower that is scraping the sky where the World Trade Center used to be. All you need to do is see the memorial for those lost, to stand in the mist of the falling water, and feel the rush of souls that now watch over Ground Zero.

It is too soon now in Boston, the heft of the bombings too fresh and the wounds will take a long time to heal, but they will no matter how slowly. New York will stand with Boston, as will all Americans, and April 15, 2013, will (like December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001) be a day that will live in infamy.

Photo credits: boston first responders – aol.com; martin Richard whdh; freedom tower – the blaze.com

School Testing Scandals – Time to Stop the Madness

2013-04-15T04:47:00.002-07:00

Article first published as School Testing Scandals â€“ Time to Stop the Madness on Blogcritics.

It has happened again here in New York. Some people in the Glen Cove City School District (Long Island, NY) may have felt enough pressure to generate high test scores that they cheated to get them. The district indicated that it is involved in an investigation to determine if “testing administration irregularities” occurred during NYS English Language Arts (ELA) and math exams given in April 2012.

18 or more teachers in the district are being probed regarding “coaching” of students on those high stakes English and math examinations. Teachers in the district’s Margaret A. Connolly and Landing elementary schools are being investigated for inappropriately helping students in 3, 4, and 5th grades in those two schools. Glen Cove Schools Superintendent Joseph Laria revealed this information on the schools’ website in a “Testing Irregularities Statement.” As part of this statement, Laria condemns the alleged actions by the teachers writing, “It is with great disappointment that the Glen Cove City School District must report allegations of testing administration irregularities. These allegations, if true, represent a grave disservice to the children, families and community of Glen Cove.”

We can remember only too well the most recent testing scandals in Great Neck public schools on Long Island and at Stuyvesent High School in Manhattan. These incidents are not isolated to New York alone because there have been recent testing scandals in other places such as El Paso, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. In El Paso, Lorenzo Garcia, the school superintendent, is currently in jail, and this could happen in the Atlanta case as well. Are superintendents everywhere taking notice? Well, they should be.

The motivation is always the same: boost students’ test scores to either enhance the district’s performance, protect people’s jobs, or for students to secure better grades for personal gain. The New York State Education Department, according to spokesperson Dennis Tompkins, is “monitoring the situation” in Glen Cove. This is another way of saying that they are waiting to get involved once Glen Cove is done conducting its probe. All signs point to this thing not going away but becoming a much larger problem for the district.

The issue here in New York State and elsewhere is that so much weight has been tied to students’ scores on these assessments that the increasing heft is weighing down everyone involved. With New York also linking test scores to teachers’ evaluations, there is a great fear that lower scores will get teachers terminated. The reality is that both Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg are waiting patiently for this to happen, and with the tests being linked to the new Common Core State Standards, there is a tangible reason for teachers being nervous about what will happen next. If some of them are thinking that their jobs are on the line, is it so incredibly impossible to believe that they may try to boost scores to protect their positions?

Of course, this goes back to the districts and state education departments that have enabled testing companies to rule the day. While it makes sense to come up with “common” standards that all students should aspire to achieve, forcing them to be linked to assessments is the first mistake. Allowing those assessments to then be used to qualify teachers and districts as good or bad is poor practice, but when it then becomes a case of determining teachers’ employment status, then we have gone to the lowest depths of absurdity.

All of this is nonsense happens to be business – extremely big and lucrative business – for those testing companies and the districts. If districts can be locked into long-term, expensive deals with testing companies, and those districts in turn can use the test results to eliminate some higher end salaries, it’s a win-win for both parties, with teachers and students being on the losing end of the deal.

It really is time for parents to be advocates for their children because no one else will be. Parents are actually the employers of public school employees, including all those highly paid superintendents who seem to like standardized testing and all of its trappings. The taxpayers must stop the madness, and one of the most powerful ways is by opting out of the testing. Of course, parents are concerned about these grades being used for placement and graduation, but if they all came together and universally refused for their children to take these tests, something powerful would happen all across the nation.

Right now we are mired in a testing nightmare in this country. Assessments are only instruments, and just like drums, guitars, and keyboards, they can make no music without someone to play them; however, the testing companies are counting on everyone to push their children to be reluctant performers, no matter how bad the music may end up being. Since the companies already have their big contracts, no one is worrying about students playing the wrong notes.

That is why someone has to come in and stop the madness now. Word about the possible scandal in Glen Cove is yet another example of what high stakes testing is doing to people. Teachers who have always followed the rules are worried and rightly so, and the pattern is continuing all over the country. It is time to put the most important people in this equation first – the children!

The only way to do that is to eliminate the source of the problem: faulty assessments that should never have been given so much importance to begin with. If we can stop the pattern, we can hopefully ensure that children won’t be going to school to be taught to test but rather to learn they way they are supposed to be learning. Otherwise, the testing will continue to overwhelm all other educational matters and that will be a disservice to all especially the students.

Parents must ask themselves this question: do I want my child’s teacher teaching to take tests all year long or do I want him/her to provide meaningful instruction that will prepare my child for college and life? The answer is relatively a simple one if you view assessments as “evil” that is not necessary. Testing is only a necessary evil for the companies and districts who stand to gain from them. Stopping this testing madness now will ensure that our children will receive a quality education, and that lasts a lifetime.

Photo Credits: glen cove-newsday.com; lorenzo garcia-npr.org; classroom-mashable.com

The Masters: No Country for Old Men

2013-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Article first published as The Masters: No Country for Old Men on Blogcritics.

If you have been following The Masters from Augusta, Georgia, you probably have been amazed not by names like Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, or Phil Mickelson, but rather by the wonderful story of 14-year-old Tianling Guan from China. Amazingly, the “young” golfer made the cut and is the youngest player in the history of The Masters.

Guan’s still learning English, but he said rather clearly to the press, “I want to win a major and hopefully I can win the four majors in one year.” If you are chuckling about this, please note that Guan is quite serious about hitting a Grand "Guan" Slam, no doubt before he hits the ripe old age of 20.

Those of us of a certain age can remember the golden age of golf, when names like Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus defined an era and what great golfers would be like for generations to come. Those men were of their time, and now we see someone like Palmer (83) watching Guan and thinking of a whole new era in the sport.

In between golf’s Mount Rushmore of Player-Palmer-Nicklaus and the emerging Guan is Tiger Woods, who continues to define his era and no doubt is the guy Guan wants to supplant one day. Woods (38) has no peers such as the greats in the past; he is up on his own peak, the Mount Everest of golf where he stands apart with no one even close to his ability.

Despite Woods’ personal problems, he is the Babe Ruth of golf, swinging his way into fame and fortune. Tiger attracts the fans like no other golfer and gets people watching on TV. The endorsements are coming back his way now, and what other pro golfer wouldn’t want to be standing in Woods’ Nikes right now?

Maybe that would be Guan. Clearly, the young man has his eyes on the prize – if not the green jacket – somewhere down the road. Guan has the poise, skills, and determination to keep focus, and he knows what possibilities await him. His talent has been evident and impressive (a putt from the fringe on 18 that rolled in for a birdie is a prime example). Even seasoned guys like Ben Crenshaw (in Guan’s group) are noting his talents, with Crenshaw stating, “He played more like a veteran. That’s what really impresses me!”

So, ladies and gentleman, take note that there’s a new kid in town, with emphasis on kid, and his name is Tianling Guan. Remember that name because maybe he is the future of golf, and perhaps will change the direction of golf the way Mr. Woods did not so long ago. For now, Guan is the best story at The Masters, where Player-Palmer-Nicklaus are just memories, and for now it is a country for a very young man.

Photo credit: guan-guardian.co.uk; woods-people.com

Margaret Thatcher Is Gone with the Wind

2013-04-09T04:14:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Margaret Thatcher Is Gone with the Wind on Blogcritics.

When you think about your young and easily distracted days, sometimes a moment or an object stands out as a vivid memory that helps qualify time and place. I recall being in London at a flat party in the early ‘80s, and everyone was having a grand old time. We were trading our horror stories about growing up in our respective whited sepulchers (I in New York and the rest in London). I was ready to rant and rave against America’s policies – foreign and domestic – and my English friends had no problem confronting the same issues with their government.

What I remember most was not the political conversations (the specifics of which have long since faded from memory) but the unforgettable image of a poster tacked on the wall. It featured U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher being held in the arms of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The poster was fashioned like a movie advertisement, with a mushroom cloud in the background, the title screaming out: Gone with the Wind.

I remember staring at that poster for a long time, fascinated by the obvious and clever connection to the iconic image of Clark Gable (as Rhett Butler) and Vivien Leigh (as Scarlett O’Hara) from the famous American film Gone with the Wind.

The imagery evoked the old film poster in such a way as to enhance the humor of the Thatcher-Reagan one. While Rhett and Scarlett’s romance sizzled even with Atlanta burning, Thatcher and Reagan’s did so as well as a nuke went off in the distance.

Fortunately, there was a real world qualifier in the room that I cannot forget either. A fellow named Nigel sat in the corner in his wheelchair smoking a pipe and drinking whiskey. We were all pointing at the poster, chatting about it and laughing, and he seemed to be brooding as he stared blankly across the room at someplace beyond its walls.

I asked my friend Gary, “What’s up with him?”

Gary sipped his bitter and leaned towards me to whisper. “He lost his legs in the Falklands.”

“Oh,” I said, remembering the “war” that took place earlier that year over the disputed islands off the coast of Argentina. I had been in America at the time and thought it odd that we were supporting a colonial power when the Monroe Doctrine supposedly forbade that kind of thing in our hemisphere long ago.

We all stopped our foolish laughter after that and got on with other things. Gary took a Depeche Mode album off the turntable and slipped U2’s Boy onto it. As “I Will Follow” blasted out of the speakers, I turned away from Gary and walked over to Nigel and sat down next to him. “I’m sorry if my laughing about that stupid poster bothered you.”

Nigel stared at me. “It’s not just the bloody poster; it’s that wretched woman!”

“Yes, well, many of us Americans aren’t too happy with Ray-guns either.”

Nigel pointed the wet end of his pipe up at the wall. “You see, you are all laughing about that, but there is a mushroom cloud there. I’m certain the Japanese tourists who see it in the shops in Piccadilly aren’t laughing!”

I nodded but said nothing. Gary came over and sat next to me. Nigel stared off again at the distant place beyond the confines of the flat and said, “The whole thing is not amusing.”

I glanced down at the stumps of his legs, the floppy ends of his jeans hanging over the seat of the wheelchair. I felt compelled to respond so I said, “You’re right; it’s not funny at all.”

The proceedings turned decidedly grim after that, so Gary and I ended up leaving the flat and going down to a pub where we knew everyone. We both ordered a pint and Dexys Midnight Runners were singing “Come On, Eileen” on the jukebox, and everything seemed right with the world at that moment, yet I knew that wasn’t true.

Later that night I walked home the long way along the Thames and stared at the illuminated Big Ben and Parliament, the lighted bulbs along the embankment swaying in the breeze. It was a great photographic moment, but I didn’t have my camera with me. I recalled the poster and Nigel’s reaction to it, and all I could think about was how he said it wasn’t funny and how all of Reagan’s shoot-from-the-hip stuff wasn’t humorous to me either.

All these years later I had forgotten about Nigel and that poster and the night walking along the Thames, and then I heard that Margaret Thatcher died. I guess she and Reagan are having a few laughs now, reminiscing about how they did this and that and stopped the Cold War, and I am certain that world leaders from many countries will heap praise on the “Iron Lady,” so named by Russians who thought that she was a strong-willed leader.

A new indelible image comes into my mind now. I picture Nigel sitting in a room somewhere watching TV. When the announcer says, "Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died," I see Nigel removing the pipe from his mouth, raising his glass of whiskey in a mock toast, and saying, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

Photo credits: reagan/thatcher-flickr.com; gable/leigh-cornel1801.com

North Korea’s Intimidation Strategy – Time for the U.S. to Get Some Headlines Too

2013-04-08T06:34:00.001-07:00

Article first published as North Koreaâ€™s Intimidation Strategy â€“ Time for the U.S. to Get Some Headlines Too on Blogcritics.

If you are like me, probably you wish to wake up one morning and not see or hear a story about North Korea; however, that seems unlikely to happen any time soon. Leader Kim Jung-Un and his spin masters have cleverly positioned themselves onto the front page and into the top stories on CNN and other TV news stations. We hear all about missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland, how Seoul will become a “sea of fire,” and basically that Kim is like a gunslinger with an itchy trigger finger.

Well, all of this has to reach a saturation point, but for now it seems to be working in North Korea’s favor in that it keeps the country in the news. Instead of being a small country on the periphery of importance, Kim has jettisoned himself into that dubious cast of characters on the world political stage that include Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, and the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

Now is the time for the U.S. to get some headlines of its own, and the way to do that is not to counter with defense systems being put in place, recalling our diplomats, and trying to sanction North Korea into compliance. None of these things are working with the volatile Kim, so it is time to take a different course of action.

The first and most crucial step Mr. Obama should make is to name Dennis Rodman, the former outlandish NBA star, as Ambassador to North Korea. I am completely serious on this issue, for Mr. Kim found a kindred spirit in Mr. Rodman (who said that Kim would be his "friend for life"). Mr. Kim’s love of basketball is an important link between him and America. Hitler liked King Kong, Saddam Hussein enjoyed American spirits, and Usama bin Laden apparently loved American reality TV shows, but no one ever tried to exploit those avenues in the past.
Naming Rodman ambassador will grab international attention and plenty of press; it will also signal to Mr. Kim that Mr. Obama is serious about connecting with him and working on a relationship based on respect. Mr. Kim seeks to be respected as a leader, so that will be accomplished with this move.

The next step is to get some NBA games to be played in Pyongyang, with Rodman and Kim on the sidelines. More press will follow and Rodman can work his magic on Kim, perhaps even present him with a series of gifts (like basketballs signed by Michael Jordan – a Kim hero) and ply him with some KFC.

The final step Mr. Obama should make is to offer to play a game of one-on-one with Mr. Kim. Can you imagine the headlines? Mr. Obama has some serious on court skills, but this is no time to showcase them. Mr. Obama has to do exactly what I do when I play games with my four year old – Obama has to let him win, but Kim can never know that (wink, wink).

Overall, some may dismiss this strategy as ridiculous, but I think it has an excellent chance to succeed. Mr. Kim will be able to tell all his friends, “I beat Obama! I beat Obama!” In such a simple but significant way, Obama will be the real winner, as will America and the world.

We have always heard that Fidel Castro wanted to be a major league baseball player, but he didn’t make it and we all know how that worked out. Mr. Kim could be emboldened by his defeat of Obama on the court, try out for the Lakers, and the wisest move would be to give him a job. Yes, that means he would be making headlines again, but the kind of which would be the best publicity for all parties.

Photo credits: north korea-cia.goc;kim & rodman-sportsgrid.com;obama-sportsillustrated.com

Why Good Friday Is Indeed a Good Day

2013-03-29T15:26:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Why Good Friday Is Indeed a Good Day on Blogcritics.

All over the world Christians are marking the most solemn day in the liturgical calendar. It is the day we observe the crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans. This brutal form of capital punishment employed by Caesar’s minions was meant to be a very public kind of intimidation, and it was employed against enemies of Rome or anyone else, like Jesus, who got in the way.

The Romans used this barbaric means of execution from the 6th century B.C. until 337, when Emperor Constantine banned the practice as he embraced Christianity. Over that time it is impossible to estimate how many people died the slow, excruciatingly painful death on a cross; however, there is the most famous victim, and on this day we honor Jesus and call the day “good” even if he went through a horrific time that defies comprehension.

During the time called Lent we Christians reenact the Way of the Cross. This marks the journey Jesus took from conviction under Pontius Pilate to the moment he dies on the cross. Many images and films have been made over the years of this event, and the Stations of the Cross are performed in various ways in churches, including full action productions that include people playing the parts of Romans, citizens, and Jesus.

Looking in from the outside, some people may question all this. I know over the years I have heard friends who are not Christian ask, “Why would they call this ‘good’ Friday?” The answer is that it is an inherently good day because of what is to come, not due to what happens on the day itself. The death of Jesus on the cross is a solemn event, but one that has to occur. We cry for the death of the man but realize that nothing could destroy his spirit, which is what makes him ultimately victorious in what seems to be the end of things.

Over the years many films have depicted the torture Jesus went through, and none does it more graphically than Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, which chronicles the enormous brutality of the event. Many people protested against the film for its violent nature, but it was far more realistic than many films that show an almost pristine Christ getting nailed to the cross without a hair out of place.

What happened on this day to Jesus was sadistic, barbaric, ugly, and uncivilized. What could we expect from an empire that allowed the gladiators to be the greatest form of entertainment in its capital city? Besides the fact of the cruelty inflicted on Jesus and that he dies in excruciating pain, we Christians still call the day “good” because we know it was not the end but just the beginning. For those who don’t believe, it was just a terrible death of a man and nothing more. Only faith allows us to see the magnificence of the moment.

On Easter Sunday Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, defeating evil and creating a pathway for everyone to salvation. This is our faith. Otherwise, Easter is just another Sunday: one with a parade of people in silly hats, or maybe it’s a day for finding colorful eggs under the sofa and getting chocolate bunnies for the kids. Like Christmas, Easter can be appropriated for a secular celebration, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am sure Jesus wouldn’t mind, so why should anyone else.

Good Friday is a culmination, one that Christians have been preparing for since they received ashes on their foreheads at the start of the Lenten season. Those ashes are a reminder of our mortality at the start of a time that is haunting in its significance. We are supposed to give up something, help those less fortunate, refrain from eating meat on Fridays, participate in the Stations of the Cross, and go to confession more often. All of this is preparation for Good Friday – a day that changed everything.

So yes, today is a “good” day indeed if you believe. We Christians believe that Good Friday is the day that death no longer had dominion. Death and Satan may have been doing a dance on this day, thinking that they both had won big time; however, we believe on Easter Sunday they both hung their heads and sulked in defeat. Jesus not only defeated them but saved us, and that couldn’t have happened without that Friday that we mark every year as “good.”

Photo credits: crosses - jesuits.org; jesus - spreadjesus.org

Common Core Wars – The Stakes Keep Getting Higher

2013-03-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Common Core Wars â€“ The Stakes Keep Getting Higher on Blogcritics.

In the past year more and more parents and their children have come to hear about the new educational reality – the Common Core State Standards. These standards are supposed to be “robust and relevant” to get students ready for the real world that awaits them down the road; however, as the truth about the new state assessments tied to these standards sinks in, many people will rue the day they ever heard of CCSS. We educators must also face the fact that these “new” standards are like the Hydra of Lerna in Greek mythology, and if we even try cutting off one of its hideous heads only more will grow back.

Thus, faced with the inevitability of having to deal with CCSS (45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted them), what are we all to do? The growing fear is that what the CCSS represent is not an effort to give students better instruction, but rather an easier way for the large testing companies to remain in bed with state education departments. This nefarious relationship is rather cozy, and both parties would like nothing better than to pull the covers up and leave the rest of us out in the cold.

Wise, sensible, and rather well respected people like Dr. Diane Ravitch have come out against the CCSS, mostly because they see them for what they have always been – a smoke screen – and it is being used by very powerful people like New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg not to better schools but to bludgeon teachers, to break the unions, and to reshape schools into smaller but in no way, shape, or form better institutions.

Where did this all start? Well, let’s look back to George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind and at Barack Obama’s current Race to the Top. On the surface, who can argue with every child learning (Bush) or all students doing well in school and teachers teaching more effectively (Obama); however, in reality NCLB and RTTT are the most pernicious educational initiatives ever enacted. Both were setting up almost impossible scenarios, and in the end teachers, students, and parents have and will continue to suffer because of them.

While NCLB was seen as ineffectual by many educators over the years, RTTT is a more dangerous matter because it basically is a grant contest where states vie for big dollars based on meeting certain guidelines, such as performance based evaluations for teachers, making assessments electronic, anid breaking bigger public schools into charters. What is wrong with this picture, you may ask, if it brings in more education dollars to the states? What is wrong with wanting our students to have high standards and rigorous preparation in order to meet them?

Well, for one thing the CCSS were dumped on teachers and students far too quickly. Here in New York, the state education department also made these standards “count” on the fast track by linking them to assessments. This is the biggest hoax of all – basing teacher evaluations on test scores. All over the country experts are recognizing that because of assessments linked to the new CCSS, students scores are going to go down – precipitously! How can any state education department in all good conscience allow teacher evaluations to be linked to these scores? The answer is that they would like nothing better than to give teachers poor ratings, hoping in the end to get to their true desire – ridding themselves of longtime teachers, ending tenure, and ultimately breaking the teacher’s unions. If things keep going this way, they will be getting closer to these goals very soon.

Unfortunately, absolutely none of this has anything to do with bettering education for students. When I say CCSS are “new” that is tongue-in-cheek, for most of what the standards call for are things good teachers have been doing since Plato taught Aristotle. There is no magic formula here that will help students do better, but with the promise that “the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers” is embedded in these standards, people have accepted with wide eyes that all of this is so. Big Brother also loves us all and is watching over each and every one of us too, I suppose.

What is happening now is coming to a crescendo here in New York, where state ELA and Math examinations will be given next month. Guys like Cuomo and Bloomberg are salivating like wolves outside teachers’ houses made of sticks and straw; they cannot wait to pounce and have their day. The teacher’s unions, wise enough to build their houses out of bricks, have stood firm, but we know that there may be a day when Cuomo and Bloomberg forget trying to blow down the houses and come along in bulldozers. It is only a matter of time.

In the coming years we may have what really will be the end of education as people know it. Can you imagine classrooms of one hundred students being taught by one teacher remotely? Can you picture that same teacher’s lesson being broadcast to other school buildings with similarly sized classes? This is the bold future that RTTT is pushing us towards, as well as students taking all assessments electronically. Yes, these tests will be quickly graded and require absolutely not even one teacher to raise a red pencil, but don’t start thinking things are getting better because of this.

So can you imagine an essay being marked by a computer? I can. This computer can recognize grammar mistakes, punctuation, spelling, and other elements of good writing; however, how will a computer ever pick up the intent of the author the way a teacher can? Will a computer recognize tone, style, humor, and creativity? What is being lost is obviously so much more than can ever be gained in this situation.

As a classroom teacher the thing I loved most was getting to know my students. Usually by the time January rolled around, I understood who each student was as a personality. Each student is unique, special, and these human snowflakes sit in those desks and we get to appreciate all their individuality. We also recognize their problems, their strengths, and relate to them as real people. I fear all of this classroom dynamic will be lost one day – and perhaps one day sooner than we can imagine.

The year 2525, as described in the old song of the same name, told of a world of robotic domination, but that year may be too far away for the robotic abomination that is forecast for education. We have CCSS to thank for that, and our state legislators and governors, and the state education departments. The days of chalk and eraser are over, as is the apple on the teacher’s desk. SMART Boards and iPads are already here, but the teacher is still in the mix, but not for long. Electronic education could be coming to a classroom near you before you can say “To Sir, with Love.” What a sad day for education; what a solemn day for us all!

Photo credits: hydra - elfwood.com; CCSS - ptacommoncore.com

Lost at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City

2013-03-17T06:14:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Lost at the St. Patrickâ€™s Day Parade in New York City on Blogcritics.

Many years ago I had the chance to go to Ireland and trace the steps of famous Irish writers I admired such as James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Bram Stoker, and Sean O’Casey. Armed with Joyce’s Ulysses, I did seek some sort of intimate connection with Dublin, though not specifically along the path of character Leopold Bloom. I also took courses at the Irish Writers’ Centre, met other writers from all over the world, and spent afternoons in the Garden of Remembrance thinking and writing.

I had a small flat on Upper Rathmines Road in a quiet section of Dublin, and I remember enjoying life there and the chance to get some serious writing done. I began work on what would eventually be my novel, Like a Passing Shadow, and it was a wonderful time in my life. I also got to know the family next door, including ten year old Brendan who was fascinated with the fact that I came from New York City.

“One day I am going to come to visit you and see the St. Patrick’s Day Parade!” he would state rather emphatically. Of course, I told him that if he ever came to the Big Apple that I would take him to see the parade. So eight years later, I was more than a little surprised to receive a letter from Dublin stating that Brendan was coming to New York for a visit. He was staying with his aunt and uncle in Brooklyn, and his arrival couldn’t have been timed more perfectly as it was the day before St. Patrick’s Day.

I took the subway down to Park Slope and met Anna and Patrick, the aunt and uncle, who were in their 70s and kindly folks. They broke out the Jamesons and made me feel right at home. Brendan now was a tall young man with twinkling green eyes and dark red curly hair. He was filled with excitement about being in New York, and reminded me of my promise to take him to the “big parade.”

The next day it was blustery and cold as we came up out of the subway and encountered the crowds of people running through the streets. Everyone seemed to be wearing green: hats, scarves, jewelry, coats, and shoes. Pretty girls ran past us with shamrocks painted on their cheeks, and Brendan grabbed my arm and proclaimed, “Vic, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

We passed a ubiquitous Irish New York bar with an illuminated Budweiser shamrock in the window, and this was the call to whet our whistles. Brendan noticed that customers were drinking green beer, and he had to try this at once. Afterwards, we exited the bar and continued walking toward the sound of pounding drums. Once we reached the parade on Fifth Avenue, a group of men playing bagpipes passed by as if on cue, and Brendan’s eyes widened and he looked at me with a glowing expression that reminded me of the Dublin boy who once said that he would be here to see this.

We continued walking up Fifth Avenue ostensibly following the parade route, stopping in another bar to use the bathroom and have another drink, and then we went out and stood on a street corner and Brendan saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the first time. We went inside and, with the sounds of the parade muffled as he walked around with his mouth agape touching the benches and the walls. We stood quietly for a moment until the sound of bagpipes broke the silence, and he looked at the doors as if he remembered why we were here.

We went back outside and made our way through the crowds, pushing northward. Brendan turned and saw everyone clad in green and waving the tri-color Irish flag, and he shook his head and said, “I never knew there were so many Irish folks in New York.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “Everyone’s Irish in New York on this day, even Mayor Koch in his green sweater.”

We kept walking and stopped in another bar, and then we came outside and Brendan got a glimpse of Central Park. He waited until a marching band from New Jersey finished its version of “Stayin’ Alive,” and then he dashed across the street flailing his arms and yelling, “I love New York!” I ran after him and we climbed over the wall and dropped down onto the grass. He was out of breath and laughing like crazy.

As we walked down the hill we saw mounted policemen chasing a group of about one hundred people who were carrying six packs of beer and bota bags slung over their shoulders. As the crowd dispersed, some of the young people came running in our direction. I saw a couple of my friends in the group and I jokingly asked, “Hey Sean, Jimmy, you bothering the horses?”

I soon found out that their bota bags contained whiskey, and I introduced them to Brendan who kept staring as the cops on the horses galloped away with the crowd running in all directions. “It’s like the wild west here!” he exclaimed.

Soon more of my friends’ group had come around the meadow and through the trees and gathered for the party they still intended on having. I hadn’t seen Sean and Jimmy for a while, so we started talking about high school and what had happened since then.

After a time I turned around and realized Brendan was gone. I heard the sound of bagpipes in the distance and realized that the parade was almost over, but people were still swarming all over the streets. I said goodbye to my friends and started a frantic search for Brendan. How was I going to find him amongst all these people? I walked around the park but I couldn’t see him, so I decided to go back over the wall and look along Fifth Avenue.

I passed the review stand where dignitaries were still talking and shaking hands with people, though Mayor Koch and his green sweater were long gone. I kept going, looking at everyone laughing and swigging bottles of beer, but there was no sign of Brendan. When I reached 81st Street, I pictured myself taking the train back to Brooklyn and telling his aunt and uncle that I “lost” Brendan.

Being a cynical New Yorker, I started having the worst thoughts imaginable regarding the young man’s fate. He was kidnapped, mugged, or dragged into an alley somewhere and beaten. How could I have let him out of my sight for even a few seconds? As I walked back to the subway station, dusk started falling over the city. The lights popped on in all the lamps along the avenue, and dark shapes of revelers rippled in the glow of now bright storefronts and illuminated restaurants. I remembered sitting and talking with Brendan when he was a boy in Dublin. He asked so many questions and seemed so determined to come to New York, and now I recalled how his parents treated me like family, and I couldn’t imagine writing that letter to them about what I had let happen to him.

After the long walk back to midtown, I was about to go down the subway steps at 42nd Street and Fifth to get the D train and go see his family, when I saw a transit cop standing there talking to someone who looked like Brendan. I walked over and the cop glanced up at me and I heard, “Oh, Vic, you found me.”

The cop was about to write Brendan a ticket for having an open container of alcohol, but I explained how he had just come off the plane from Dublin and that he had no idea about the rules here in New York. I noticed the cop’s name was Clancy and I asked, “Come on, Officer Clancy, are you really going to give an Irish kid a ticket on St. Patrick’s Day?”

The cop relented and soon Brendan and I were on the D and he was clapping his hands and barely able to contain himself. “What happened to you?” I asked.

He launched into what seemed like a stream of consciousness worthy of Joyce. “I saw this angel floating in the park and I followed her. She had long blonde hair and these large blue eyes and took me by the hand. She brought me to a meadow and then to some lake where the birds floated on the water and the boats were all upside down on its banks. We sat on a bench and kissed and then she said to follow her. We ran through the trees and came to the wall and like in Alice’s mirror she was gone.”

I stared at him. “Really?”

“Well, that’s one way it could have happened.” I laughed and he contnued, “And then I figured I’d get a drink and I remembered where we came out of the train tunnel, and I figured I’d go back there because you had to go back home that way.”

“I’m glad you thought of that,” I said.

Brendan stuck out his hand. “I just want to say thank you, Vic.”

“What for?” I asked as I shook his hand.

“You’re a man of your word. You said I could come here and you didn’t forget it, even after all those years.” He sat back with a silly grin on his face. “I can’t believe I saw the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City! You think I’ll have enough to talk about in the pub when I get home?”

“I imagine you’ll have a tale or two to tell,” I said.

I am happy to say I was able to deliver Brendan safely to his aunt and uncle that night. We got together a few more times before he returned to Dublin, and then I never heard from him again; however, every St. Patrick’s Day since, I have remembered that long day in New York City with the boy I used to know from Dublin. I will hoist a pint of Guinness and toast him as I do every year. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Brendan, wherever you are!

Photo credits: babble.com; nbcnewyork.com; Guinness.com

Viva il Papa! Cardinal From Argentina Elected New Pope

2013-03-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Viva il Papa! Cardinal From Argentina Elected New Pope on Blogcritics.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been elected the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by the Conclave of Cardinals in Rome. Bergoglio, 76, has chosen the name Francis, thus becoming the first pope to use this name. He is also the first pope from the Americas and from a Latin American country. The choice seems be groundbreaking; after all, this is the first non-European pope in 1,200 years; however, Bergoglio is a traditionalist in every sense of the word, much like his predecessor Benedict XVI.

I suppose this is a case of be careful what you wish for. Many of us had called for the selection of a pope from outside of Europe; we also made clear we wanted a younger man who would be open to taking the Church in a new direction. Unfortunately, this is a case of “Meet the new boss; the same as the old boss!” Also, Bergoglio is yet again an older fellow who has some health issues, so it goes without saying this appointment could be seen as a short-term one by the Cardinals who chose him.

As Francis I addressed the crowd in Rome, he did so with humility in Italian, “Thank you for your embrace.” Bergoglio is known for living a humble life and working to help the poor people of Argentina. Though he is the first pope elected from Latin America, he is of Italian descent (his parents were Italian immigrants) and he was raised in relative austerity in Buenos Aires. While he has clashed with the Argentinian government over the years, it seems that at times this was because he saw actions taken as “a war against God.” These clashes were most notably about things like state sanctioned marriage and adoption by couples of the same gender.

The selection of Bergoglio, while at first seemingly out-or-the-box thinking for an institution seeped in keeping its old ways, is actually a soft choice – and the safest one possible. The Cardinals make it appear as if they are reaching out to what appears to be the future of the Church, the Third World and its non-European majority of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, but in actuality the man is entrenched in keeping things status quo and is not a minority. It is a calculated and yet brilliant selection on the surface; however, Catholics should not be looking for the change they seek anytime soon.

Francis I inherits many difficult things from Benedict, including the priest child abuse and banking scandals, as well as a Church that seems to be losing influence and members worldwide. There is also the issue of how the Vatican deals with people of other faiths and those within the faith whose lifestyles are sometimes radically varied and beyond the influence of Rome. Francis will face tough questions about women in the priesthood, releasing religious from the the vow of celibacy, and bringing the laity into more meaningful roles within the Church.

Of course, Bergoglio may surprise us during his tenure. One has to like a man who cooks for himself, takes the train to work, and sells off the diocese’s mansion to live in a simple apartment. Obviously, Bergoglio made himself a citizen Cardinal in Buenos Aires, and any man who has that affinity for the poor has to be someone thinking in the way of Jesus, who said that it was harder for a rich man to get into heaven than it was for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

The world’s Catholics rejoice today as the election of the new Pope radiates feelings of good hope right before the celebration of their most solemn and joyous time of the year: Easter. Only time will tell what kind of Pope Francis I will be; however, some of us are applauding from the sidelines with apprehension, knowing the wait for major change in policy is likely to continue until the next time puffs of white smoke appear above the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

Photo credit: Washington Post

Bloomberg’s Big Bust – His Big Drink Ban Derailed in Court

2013-03-12T03:42:00.002-07:00

Article first published as Bloombergâ€™s Big Bust â€“ His Big Drink Ban Derailed in Court on Blogcritics.

For those of you not from New York City, you should know that we have a mayor, Mike Bloomberg, who thinks this is the Middle Ages. Lord Mike rules from the castle keep and expects his edicts to be obeyed by the peasants and serfs in his fiefdom. His latest commandment, to ban sugary drinks in containers greater than 16 ounces, was overturned by State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling, who called the plan “arbitrary and capricious.” This action came after the American Beverage Association sued the city, and now Lord Mike is not a happy little feudal tyrant at all.

The problem with the ban from the beginning is that it made no sense. The large drinks were to be banned from movie theatres, restaurants, coffee houses, and fast food places. This did not affect grocery stores, convenience stores, or street vendors; therefore, large sugary drinks would have still been readily available in the city. This magnifies what Tingling noted as “arbitrary” in his ruling.

This situation has been the fuel for talk radio and comics for weeks now. As if we do not have enough important news to deal with, Bloomberg’s ban seemed to be more an incredible case of ill-conceived hubris, even though Bloomberg repeatedly told everyone that he was worried about the public’s health. Most people realized Lord Mike was really saying, “You don’t know what’s good for you, so I will have to show you!”

Banning sugary drinks and foods high in sodium and fat is great for our schools. I support that because kids need to have more healthy choices, but adults have the right to make a decision for themselves. I personally don’t eat red meat, but I would never think of banning it from city restaurants. Adults should be able to choose what they want to eat and drink because they are capable of making choices, whether they are healthy ones or not.

People have been calling Lord Mike “The Nanny,” which is frightening enough as it conjures an image of Fran Drescher in the TV series, but it also is a microcosm of Lord Mike’s whole tenure in office. He believes he is right basically all of the time, and heaven help the poor sclemeel or schlemazel who begs to differ.

I have never been a fan of Bloomberg, mostly because in this city of millions of regular people we do not need a billionaire mayor. Yes, to me this is like those days of old when the lord in the castle ruled with an iron fist. We need a regular mensch in the office, a guy like Fiorello LaGuardia or Ed Koch. These guys spoke like New Yorkers, acted like them, and came from the streets. Sure, some people hated them but many more loved them, and that’s what New York is all about.

The only way Bloomberg ever got elected for three terms was because he had the money to overspend the competition in his campaigns. He aspired to a legacy, similar to La Guardia and Koch, but the only similarity is that Bloomberg served three terms as did they; otherwise, there is simply no comparison. At this point in time Bloomberg is about as beloved as the Soup Nazi in that Seinfeld episode. Can’t you just picture Lord Mike saying, “No Big Gulp for you” to customers waiting in line?

Of course, as we should have expected, Bloomberg doesn’t take not having his own way very well. He immediately said that he will appeal the judge’s ruling, then no doubt ran into his office, stomped his feet, adjusted the crown on his head, and then counted all his money just to get back to what’s most important. But there is joy in the streets of New York for the rest of us, where the Big Gulp is safe for now.

Photo credits: big gulp – daily news; bloomberg – abcnews

Senate Wars Episode II: Attack of the Drones

2013-03-10T07:08:00.001-07:00

Article first published as Senate Wars Episode II: Attack of the Drones on Blogcritics.

The appearance of Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) on the Senate floor in his marathon filibuster notwithstanding, the subject of Predator Drones is becoming an increasingly hot and debatable topic in Congress, in the media, and on the street corner. We Americans, famous for the “Don’t Tread on Me” attitude, have to be a bit wary about this technological marvel that can spy on us or kill us, depending on its mission. Like that old movie slogan tells you, “Be afraid; be very afraid.”

Only the other day there were reports that the pilot of an Alitalia flight coming into JFK saw what he believed to be a drone flying over Brooklyn. The NYPD and military said that the pilot was mistaken but, just as pilots who report UFOs seem more credible, I wonder if this is just damage control. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has spoken about using drones for surveillance in the city in the past, so it makes you think twice, doesn’t it?

Whether you see Paul’s recent 12+ hours of fili-bluster in the Senate as the second coming of Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Palpatine from Revenge of the Sith (a very bad guy senator in Star Wars films), you have to admit that he has stoked the fires of the public concern over drones. What would constitute the right to utilize drones over the continental United States? I would like someone to address that in a clear and expedient way.

For example, would a terrorist action on our soil warrant the use of a drone response? How about another 9/11 type of attack? As we know from the reports we get of drones being used overseas, there always seems to be collateral damage. Yes, you might take out a terrorist commander, but along with him you kill innocent civilians, including children, as well. How can we ever view this as acceptable policy?
I
f an airplane were heading toward a target over a major city like New York or Washington, how and when would the drone strike? Would not everyone on the ground be in danger? Do you save a landmark like the Empire State Building only to allow thousands of civilians to die on the streets below?

Although there are valid concerns about the use of drones. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), in full “maverick” mode, took Rand Paul to task for daring to question drone use; however, that makes the argument even more salient. If drones being used overseas are killing innocents, then it can happen here. If someone like McCain is so gung-ho about drone use, it makes me a little worried. Of course, he would like the unmanned aircraft since it keeps our pilots out of harm’s way, and he no doubt is thinking of his own days as a pilot and how it led to his capture in Vietnam. I know he was a brave and patriotic guy, but the use of drones worries me because we don’t have a trained person in that cockpit. I think that’s why there have been mistakes that have cost lives, innocent ones at that, and how can you ultimately defend that policy or want to extend it in the skies over our homeland?

Also, I can’t help but having thoughts about those science fiction films like Terminator where the machines turn on us. As of now drones are remote controlled, but I have read about “automated” ones as well. If we are setting up killing machines to function on autopilot, we have to wonder when there will be the inevitable mistake. An unintended missile streaking over Brooklyn from a drone and hitting a neighborhood would be catastrophic.

As always, I like to listen to “talk radio” in the car, and this week the callers were talking drones. Among the usual nuts and “experts” who like to get their few minutes of airtime, some have made valid points. Among them, would law enforcement ever use a drone in a situation like the recent shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut? While some of the opinions were that this was completely insane, a few callers said they felt it would have saved lives if a drone came in and took out the shooter. Of course, the school building and anyone in it would have been decimated, but who cares as long as we get the shooter, right?

I think the specter of drones hovering over our cities and towns has to be alarming to most people. Besides the armed ones, those surveillance babies are scary in their own right. Will we eventually become a completely monitored society? All of us could end up like Winston Smith from 1984, lost in an Orwellian nightmare where Big Brother loves us and watches over us – 24/7/365 for our own “good,” of course.

Right now I think we all should question the use of drones anywhere. They are killing machines and machines are indiscriminate, and therein is the problem. Machines don’t care or feel or think; they just do. We worry about hurricanes and tornadoes and asteroids from space killing us, but the devastation from one of those drones is just as frightening. Unfortunately, this will not be a natural disaster but a one of our own making.

Now is the time for us to say no to Big Brother and also to the danger posed by armed drones. If they are allowed in the skies over our country, it will change forever the freedom and safety we cherish most, and instead of making us safer they will imperil all those things we hold dear. Rand Paul took a stand, and now it is our turn to do so as well. If not then we better look in the mirror when one day fire rains down from the sky or our every movement is monitored. We will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Photo Credits: drone-U.S. airforce; palpatine-comicvine.com; big brother-forbes.com

Why Not Limit The Term of the New Pope?

2013-03-04T18:43:00.002-08:00

Article first published as Why Not Limit The Term of the New Pope? on Blogcritics.

Elected officials usually go in knowing they have a limited time to get the job done. In the United States those elected to the House of Representatives get two years, United States Senators get six years, and the President of the United States gets four years. This makes sense because as the years pass, people change as do those they represent. Now, as the College of Cardinals meets to elect a new pope, I think they should consider limiting the time he will stay in office.

Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign opens new possibilities for the papacy. As the cardinals contemplate their future leader, and thus the direction of the Catholic Church, they should definitely consider limiting the pope’s term in office. Why not designate a ten-year term or even a shorter one? Being the leader of over 1 billion Catholics worldwide, the pope needs to change with the times. A more fluid process and quicker turnaround would enable the Church to better meet the needs of its people.

Many Catholics respect and admire the papacy, but they often go about their daily lives taking their own direction. If a pope truly wants to be a modern leader and have a significant voice, he has to adapt and bring the Church along with him. A new pope needs to think about empowering the laity and placing them in leadership roles. He must find a way to give women more important roles and contemplate permitting them to enter the priesthood; furthermore, he should definitely rise to the challenge of increasing vocations by allowing all religious the ability to get married.

Yes, these are difficult things and it won’t happen overnight, but the right leader could get it done. That is why it essential that the new pope comes from someplace other than Europe. A person from South America or Africa would bring a fresh and much needed new perspective to the papacy; he would also be more likely to be realistic about taking the Church in a new direction.

By limiting the term of the pope Catholics worldwide would not feel as if they were trapped with a leader who doesn’t hear them or care about what they really need. If a very traditional pope (as was Benedict) is locked in for life, the chances for change are minimal, but with a pope elected for a limited time, there would be hope that the next one to come in would see things differently.

Obviously this will seem radical to traditionalists, but anyone who is realistic knows the church is in trouble. People aren’t rushing into religious life, and perhaps with a new leader with a fresh outlook we will encourage more people to pursue service and ministry. They should also want to bring more people into the church and not alienate those Catholics already onboard. The selection of the new pope is critical in this process.

Hopefully one day (and very soon) the papacy will be regulated as all elected officials should be. Until then, the selection of a pope from the Third World will be a much needed change. Let’s hope that as the College of Cardinals meets in Rome that it will have the capacity for envisioning not what is best for them but for the people that they serve.

Photo credit: nytimes.com