worries...

I must admit... I am worried about America...

There are many problems that we face as a nation...  unemployment...  war...  people losing their homes...  the economy...  

Two years ago as we elected a new president there seemed to be so much hope...  "Yes we can!" was the rallying cry...  in spite of the fact that the problems we faced did not seem to have an easy end in sight... "Yes we can!" was our answer...  

Our new president told us in his Acceptance Speech as President-Elect as well as in his Inaugural Address of the many problems we faced as a nation...  the economic recession being only one of them...  he told us that we would need to work together to find the solutions to our problems and that it would take time... that there were no quick fixes... that full recovery might not even be accomplished within a single term of office...   and still we answered, "Yes we can!"

What has happened to us Americans?

Are those of us who are older and in influential and wealthy positions within our country so secure in our own financial futures that it really doesn't matter to us about those who are struggling?   Has our thinking become, "We have what we want and need, so who cares about those who don't!"?

Have we older adults become so selfish, unfeeling and uncaring [unless of course the problems touch our own "pocketbooks"] ... or have we become so hungry for political power that we give up our common sense, civility and integrity to get it?  Are those who are in a political office so unwilling to work together with others who do not belong to their particular political party, that they are willing to sacrifice those for whom they are supposed to be working?   [...in case you aren't sure who I mean, I am talking about us common, not so wealthy or influential folk...]

And what about our younger adults?  Have we in our country under the age of 25 or so become so enamored with fast foods and the instant access that the internet gives us to almost anything and everything that we want, that we have forgotten what it means when someone tells us there is no quick fix…  that things will take time for us to recover fully?    Are we two year olds who throw tantrums and stamp our feet because we want it “NOW!”…and then because we have not gotten what we want as fast as we want, we lose hope, we give up and we give in to fear? 

What happened to the hope in the seeming infinite possibilities that existed two years ago, in spite of the difficulties we were enduring and that were sure to continue?  Has our, "Yes we can!" turned into, "No we won't!"

What has happened to us Americans that live in “the home of the free and the brave”?  Have we lost our courage in the face of those who would use fear and half truths and innuendo and outright lies for political power and gain, all the while hiding behind flashy smiles, cute “mama bear” rhetoric, and pretty faces?

Has the “home of the free and the brave” instead become a cesspool of fears and lies in which its residents have become mired?

Yes, I am worried about America... because I am worried about Americans!!

...but isn't that the way it works in politics?

Ok...   I heard on a morning news show today that some people in Florida from one of the groups of candidates identified with the Tea Party were going to file criminal charges against people in the Republican Party, because of disparaging ads painting them [Tea party candidates] in a bad light, and telling downright lies about them...  those from the Tea Party claim that these disparaging ads were put forth because of the Republicans' fear of having to deal with them as a "third party"...

"Mud-slinging" and lying about one's political opponents are campaign tactics that have been around for a long time... probably as long as political campaigns have been around...  I mean, why should candidates who are running for a political office try to win on their own merits, on their own integrity, or on their own abilities as a leader and a "statesman"?  Oh, wait... does such a word as "statesman" even belong in politics these days, or did it go out of fashion with our founding fathers?

Political advertisements that plant the seeds of fear and disparage and demonize opponents seem to be the normal fare of political campaigns these days...   and, interestingly enough, seems to have been taken to new "lows" by the Tea Party Movement in the last two years...

So what's the matter?  You can "dish it out" but can't "take it" when it comes back your way?

sticks and stones...

The old saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"...   in my humble opinion, that is a lie we tell ourselves...  and maybe we adults even believe it...  but I think children sometimes are smarter than us...  just try to get a child who is being teased and picked on to actually believe the saying...  they know it's a lie...

Recognizing the lie for what it is just might be the first [very, very, very, very small] step towards finding a solution to the problem of bullying...

If your child comes home upset because she/he is being picked on, don't tell them this lie...  they won't believe you...  instead, listen to them, acknowledge their hurt feelings, let them know you love and value them, and work from there to help them find creative ways to stand up to the bullies...

It probably won't be easy...   no one ever said it would be...   but no one deserves to be bullied for any reason...   and your child's life just might hang in the balance...


[video link]

bullying = abuse = big problem...

Recently I have heard more in the news about young people who have killed themselves because they were being bullied by others...   picked on mercilessly because they seemed "different"...  or "gay"...  or "nerdy"...  or ...  well, actually, someone who is going to be a bully doesn't really need a reason...  I suspect they just feel as if they have a right to be a bully...  and if the person being bullied doesn't like it? Well, whose gonna make the "bully-ers" stop, anyway?

Bullying has probably been around as long as people have existed...  it is an old, old, old problem that has mostly been overlooked with its consequences underestimated...  by parents, teachers and school administrators alike.  The stock answers ... "its just a part of growing up" ... "it'll toughen you up" ... "oh, its just harmless fun" ... "they didn't really mean anything by it" ... just are not acceptable anymore!!

Even worse, the attitude that the victim of bullying "deserved it", because they are perceived as gay, or because they are gay, is unconscionable!!  Whether or not you like a person, their life-style, their religion, or even their favorite sports team... does not give you the right to bully someone else!!

Bullying and intimidation is abuse, pure and simple!!   How many more children, teenagers, and college students will choose to die because they see death as the only way to escape being bullied, before people will begin to choose to help those who walk around with a "target" on their backs?  Yes...  it is much easier to ignore the problem or talk about the ones being victimized in disparaging ways than it is to really try to tackle the problem...  but we must find a way to help the victims...  to end bullying... we are losing too many precious lives!!


[video link]

Telling the Truth

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."                                                                  ~George Orwell