On the Soapbox: September 2006 Archives

...have ticked me off today. You'll find two of them in entries below. The third thing had to do with the speech by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the United Nations.

I was sitting with Dear Husband, listening to the news tonight, and we heard clips of the speech. The first thought that came to my mind was "WHY are we buying oil from this man's country?" I mean, why support someone who is so antagonistic?

Dear Husband, who thinks more globally than I do, and who is less emotional in his responses, cut to the chase and said, if we didn't buy Venezuela's oil, they'd just sell it to China. I have no doubt he is right.

Still, I'd like to see my country spend the money that is currently being spent on war, to find or develop other forms of energy, or other resources, which will make us less dependent on oil from other countries, or even better, not dependent at all.

For the first time, I truly feel that our government has made serious errors in their choices. I believe that our present government only responds to those who have the biggest lobbies, and that their decisions are not necessarily for the good of the many. I have the sense that our foreign relations are being handled ineptly. I hope that the administration is not setting the stage for WW III.

Am I being pessimistic? Probably. As I've said many times, it's my job to worry. But, I'd like to leave a better world to my granddaughter than the one we live in now. I have a mental list growing. Global warming, e coli spreading through our food system, mad cow disease, improper farming techniques, the giving away of our jobs and manufacturing industry and research and development, the "dumbing down" of the nation, lack of decent health care for every citizen, horrendous prescription drug costs, abuse of the people by the government we elect, and even the need to update our election process.....these things all weigh on my mind. What about you? Are you bothered by these things?

I was a bit irritated to find today that the USPS produces a stamp in their Holiday Celebrations Series that celebrates two Muslim holidays.

This address from Snopes.com has more information on the stamp.

Yes, I'm prejudiced. I understand that this could be considered an olive branch to Muslims, and I understand that we should willing to allow the celebration of every religion within our borders. But....why the heck are we honoring a religion that wants to wipe the United States off the face of the Earth?

It seems to me that we are hurting ourselves by trying to be politically correct.

Every now and then I'll hear something on the news that makes me want to take to my soap box. Tonight, I heard about a young man who finished a four year degree in physics and math at the University of Virginia in just one year. That's an amazing feat. Even when you take into consideration that he finished half his requirements through Advanced Placement courses in high school, he still completed approximately 60 semester hours in one year. The maximum course load when I was in school (way back in the dark ages), was 21 semester hours a semester, with a lighter load of 10-12 hours in the summer.

This young man is of Asian heritage. I don't think it's a coincidence that so many Asian students are the best students in their schools. I believe that Asian families teach their children that doing the absolute best they can in the class room is their responsibility.

I think we have made an error in letting our young people believe that socializing and extracurricular activities are the reason for attending school. Somewhere along the line in the past few decades, we have slipped away from the idea of serious study being our child's job. Instead, we spoon feed them in the class room, and try to find ways to "motivate" them to learn, and hope that they will take the bait. It's not happening. Tests used to measure the success of our teaching across the nation show the students are mastering less material every year, and I'm very concerned about the trend toward "dumbing down" subject matter.

Perhaps a decade ago, in a Chicago school, the principal announced that if the 8th graders could not pass 70% of the material on a final test in the school year, they would not be promoted to high school. There was a HUGE hue and cry. The principal was reviled, but she held her ground. Those students who were not able to pass the test arranged for summer school and retested. Oddly, they managed to learn 70% of what they had been taught over the previous 8 years, in just 8 weeks of summer school, when they buckled down and applied themselves. Most of them were allowed to pass on to high school that fall.

Some parents will cite the number of pages of homework their children bring home, and will complain about the difficulty of the subject matter for kids in third, fourth and fifth grade. I suspect that the schools are hoping to teach them as much as possible before socializing interrupts their education.

There are several ways we could change the situation. We could ditch the idea of co-ed classrooms. Separate schools for boys and for girls might be a partial solution. Or, we could give a final test for each school year. To pass to then next grade, you'd have to master 70% of the material. Or, we could ban participation in any extracurricular activity if your grades dip below a "C" or 80% of the material.

But more than that, we need to work with students at home. We need to have them sit with us at the dinner table and talk about their day at school. We need to establish study times, and study places. We need to create daily habits for them to follow: feed the dog, pick up the toys, finish today's homework. We need to give our children "jobs," and establish penalties when the jobs are not done right, or well. Not every child is going to be a genius, but every child should know from the start that they are expected to do the absolute best they can do.

There's one other thing we can do. We can limit their use of electronic toys. We can establish early on that there will only be (for example) one hour of Nintendo, or TV or DVD or telephone a day, and those things will only be allowed after homework is completed. Two days in a row of poor showing on homework, and those toys will be set aside until grades rise once more.

It's a shame that these values are considered old-fashioned. It's too bad that so many parents today have lost control of their children, and don't understand that THEY are responsible for teaching good habits, morals and ethics to their children. Schools are no longer allowed to teach ethics, morals or religion, so parents need to step up the plate, and resume their responsibilities.

I was listening to the radio this afternoon, and learned that to celebrate Mexican independence, more than twenty buildings in Chicago will be lighted with red, white and green lights.

I think I'm missing something. Did I miss a celebration for all the Germans to settled here? I know that we have nearly as many Polish people as the city of Warsaw, Poland, but I can't remember ever seeing the City light the buildings for them.

We have a large population of Chinese in Chicago, and they have interesting celebrations in Chinatown, but I've never seen the entire City decorated for the Chinese.

So, why are we celebrating Mexican Independence in Chicago? We don't celebrate for any other ethnic group. Yes, we dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day, but that's a bit different. Chicago's St. Paddy's celebration is really a Chicago political activity. If we were celebrating Irish Independence, I'd be asking the same question.

We used to talk about "diversity" in a way that indicated we were proud to be a melting pot. Most of us who live here are not Native Americans. Most of us are here because an ancestor thought there was a better life to be had here. They left their native country behind and emigrated to America, and most of them became American citizens.

Now there seems to be a trend toward diversity, with no intent to melt into one nationality. We're seeing people come to the United States who want the freedom and benefits, and opportunity to change their economic status, but they have no allegiance to the country, and frequently choose to ignore our laws.

In the nineteenth century, and the first half of the twentieth century, people who emigrated to the US most often settled at first in a neighborhood where people spoke their native language. They followed relatives who would help them settle in and find a job. Wisconsin is famous for its German population, and the western side of the state was the home to Cornish miners. New York City is famous for it's ethnic neighborhoods. Families encouraged their children to get an education, and to learn to speak English. Frequently, it was the children who drew the adults into life in America.

I don't have the sense that our Mexican immigrants wish to blend themselves into the culture of the United States.

I've re-written this section of my entry half a dozen times, trying to find a less incendiary way to phrase my concerns, and it still sounds harsh. The truth is, I feel the same about anyone who emigrates to my country. I'm concerned that the "melting pot" aspect of our country is part of what makes it strong. I'm worried that if we become a group of people who more strongly identify with previous nationalities, that we will ultimately fragment, and loose the strength for which we are known.

If you come to the United States for the good life, then you have some obligations. First, learn to speak English! Secondly, learn our laws. Third, be prepared to vote when you don't like those laws. Don't assume that you can come to us illegally and then demand a driver's license, or health care. Don't be surprised when we ask you to leave, if you've come to us illegally.

Okay....I'm going to step down now. Am I a bigot? I don't think so. Am I prejudiced? I hope not. I hope that I'm just a concerned American citizen who knows how much we have to offer those who want to be a part of our nation.