I Resolve . . .
Something Could Change
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org Come 2009, I will commence on a new path. I will exercise regularly, smoke not at all. A healthy diet will become my regime. On Monday, January 5, my life mission will be realized in my work. The opportunity to inaugurate again, to give birth to me at my best will inspire a rejuvenation. Today, I resolve to . . . not make a single New Years resolution. In truth, I never have committed to change. Yet, the person you see before you is not the same being that might have appeared on any other day, of any other year. I have evolved, and so do we all.
No matter where an individual might reside, the calendar motivates people to review, reflect, and revise schedules that did not work as well as once envisioned. Pages in an almanac pass, and people presume, surely, these sheets of paper were meant to show signs of progress. Most ponder; twelve months of misery or mindless maneuvers. It is time for a change. Yet, the mantra few admit to on January 1st, is the one individuals maintain throughout their lives, 'people do not change.' Experts espouse there is evidence for this belief.
Dr. Edward D. Miller, Dean of the medical faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, refers to the more than 70 percent of coronary bypass patients who revert to unhealthy habits within two years of corrective surgery. Although two-thirds of Americans believe they weigh seventeen pounds more than their ideal weight, few are able to shed the pounds. In a recent study, nutritional specialists at Duke University affirmed that two-thirds of dieters gain back any lost weight within a year.
While more than seventy-four percent [74%] of the Americans who are willing to confess, they smoke express a desire to give up the habit, 67% of these say they are addicted to cigarettes. Even the most sanguine studies state "20 to 40 percent of participants are able to quit smoking and stay off cigarettes for at least one year." For nearly everyone, a New Years Resolution is no more than a trial declaration. People propose; "I will try." Rarely do individuals voice a determined decision to do.
As I said, I never did. My fear of failure secured my silence. Personally, while it appeared that I battled with unhealthy habits, these were not my genuine challenge. My fear for the change I thought would never come, a career that fosters contentment, a close connection with a compassionate someone who would not suffocate me, a personal sense of fulfillment were the greater challenges.
Severe trepidation told me I could not achieve as I believed best. Even if I thought the impossible probable in time, I trusted that a resolution would not help me realize a transformation. Some might have said I was resistant, resigned to life as it was.
Certainly, Marion Kramer Jacobs, a Clinical Psychologist in Laguna Beach, California could concur with such a conclusion. Doctor Jacobs offers the decree, defeatist yearn to hear. "We're hard-wired not to change quickly." She declares; "Think of what chaos would ensue if you could snap your finger and change instantly tomorrow. You would be one person today, someone else tomorrow."
The author of "Take-Charge Living: How to Recast Your Role in Life . . . One Scene at a Time," is cited amongst those who contend the challenge to change may have evolutionary origins. She and other experts in human behavior surmise, mankind is accustomed to hierarchies. Rules, regulations, [even traditional resolutions] inform us. Societal structures require us to know our roles and perform them dutifully. Oh, how we do.
Governments guide us. Policymakers pass laws. People obey. Entrepreneurs employ us. Bosses bark of business strategies. Supervisors boom orders to subordinates. Laborers walk in lockstep. Families flourish when parents lead the little ones. Therefore, the accepted theory seems to be a person cannot change without assistance. Community, career, and domestic counselors count on this conviction.
Constituents are elated change has come in the form of a new President, Barack Obama.
Small business owners are advised if they follow a profound plan, they too will be transformed. "Clarify and Simplify," create an action plan for your workforce, soon all will be well. Certainly, a focused staff with will reap fiscal rewards.
Experts also seek to assist employees. Articles and airwaves are filled with plans, Again Americans are presented with secrets for success. Follow this strategy and realize your dreams; secure your resolution. Persons accustomed to being told what to do read essays such as, What says 'hire me!' to employers.
Dieters are delivered dictums. The plump are given programs to eliminate the excess pounds; 5 small changes to help you lose weight. Yes, fat persons, just as those fit to be tied by debt, an addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, or other penchants, are ready to follow the steps anyone might present. The hope is they might avoid another year of harrowing habits.
"Most of us think that we can change our lives if we just summon the willpower and try even harder this time around," said Alan Deutschman, the former Executive Director of Unboundary, a firm that counsels corporations on how to alter business agendas. Mister Deutschman, author of "Change or Die," declares in his diary, while most people have the ability to alter behaviors and attitudes, they rarely do. "It's exceptionally hard to make life changes and our efforts are usually doomed to failure when we try to do it on our own."
Perchance that is why most turn to friends or more frequently family for moral support. Authorities who admit a personal life is not as predictable as supposed facts, figures, and formulas might pretend it to be, give parents recommendations that provide greater flexibility. As 2008 exits, and 2009 enters, Moms and Dads are invited to resolve that they cannot solve every problem. This is the truth most people believe. Good intentions, while admirable, do not achieve results. Yet, men, women, and children never stop trying to transform others or themselves.
Perchance, rather than accept the rituals, adopt our roles, or obligate our selves to rules that dictate a future of failure, we might resolve to recognize that change comes slowly. Transformation travels from within. Growth is a process. Dreams are not realized in an instant.
As infants, we did not walk or talk. Toddlers have few tales to tell and narrate none exceptionally well. Children can make choices; however, by the time they are teens the decision to run out into the street, against traffic, may not seem wise. Little humans change constantly, as do bigger-in-mind-and body beings.
Young adults will assess all they knew again and again. What a woman or man, in her or his twenties, thinks is best may not be what the same individual at thirty would advise. Resolve, as I have, no matter the day or eve, New Year, or old, that rather than bemoan the research that elucidates why eighty percent [80%] of people will not successfully embark on self-renewal projects, embrace that you are, just as I am, not as we were. Tomorrow, we will not be as we are.
I resolve to remember change is a constant. My path is well traveled. At times, I tripped. I fell from the healthier course and then I picked myself up. Harmful habits went by the wayside with help from me. Friends, family, and experts may have lent a hand. However, they could not do what only I could achieve for myself. On this, the First day of January, I resolve to recall that I have evolved.
Resources for Resolutions . . .
- Average American Weighs 17 Pounds More Than "Ideal." By Frank Newport. Gallup. November 28, 2007
- Most Americans Consider Smoking Very Harmful. Gallup. July 28, 2008
- Smoking Cessation. American Heart Association. January 1, 2009
- So, you've lost 100 pounds. Now what? The struggle to stay slim doesn't end, even after the fat pants are gone, By Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D. MSNBC News. April 18, 2008
- Planning for a Happier New Year, By Paul B. Brown. The New York Times. December 30, 2008
- Parenting Resolutions, By Lisa Belkin. The New York Times. December 31, 2008
- New Year, New You? Nice Try, By Alex Williams. The New York Times January 1, 2009
- Poll: Obama leadership rates high as Bush's after 9/11, By Paul Steinhauser. Cable News Network. December 31, 2008
- 5 small changes to help you lose weight. Cable News Network. January 1, 2009
- Smoking, weight, money top New Year's resolutions, By Adam Crisp. The Chattanooga Times Free Press. MSNBC News. January 1, 2009
- Blame brain for failing to keep New Year's resolution. Daily Telegraph. December 31, 2008
- Experts warn against going cold turkey. Daily Telegraph. December 31, 2008
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on December 31, 2008 at 11:58 PM in Addiction, Americana, Dreams Live and Die , Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Habits, Life, A Forward Motion, Looking at Life, Philosophy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Lesson; All Beings Are a Beautiful Bundle of Love
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
The day was delightful. The water was superb. The sun was full and bright. A few billowy, puffy clouds floated through the sky. They were white, cumulus, fluffy fellows, the type that excite many a child as they gaze into the heavens. In parks, on lawns, little ones were likely looking up and pointing. "Look," they might say, "It is a horse, a donkey, or perchance a unicorn." It was a day for whimsy. The children, playful in the pool, barely noticed the graceful shapes as they danced above their heads. Instead, they were focused on what they decided were June bugs.
Three young sweet girls stood in the warm water near their Daddy. All were calm, content, and serene. The sisters chatted easily. Father smiled. The youngest lass expressed her curiosity. As her sibling searched for bugs on the plastic rope line, the "baby" in the family asked of the insects. "Are they icky to touch," the cautious curly haired youngster inquired. The more confident elder sister said, "No! They are cute," she said. See." The "older" child showed the girl of fewer years.
A stranger, in the adjacent lane was preparing to swim. Becky was her name. She was much older than the children, and perhaps no wiser; nonetheless, she share her assessment of the beetle. Becky said of the six-legged lovelies, "They are life; all creatures are beautiful." With that thought, the father beamed, and the older lady plunged head first into the water filled cement reservoir.
Lap after lap and look after look the woman and children enjoyed the quiet of the day. The words the swimmer shared seemed to hang in the air. People came and went, throughout the afternoon, and splendor was all anyone saw.
Then, everything changed. The evolution from tranquil to trauma was slow; nonetheless, unexpected. Those in the recreation park were struck, as if by a bolt of lightening. However, unlike when a storm threatens, swimmers were not forced to leave the pool. The jolt evoked more silence. No one screamed, but the sole boy, victim to the method his Mom's adopted for instruction.
The young mother, a woman, perhaps, in her early thirties, was extremely pleasant in appearance, and it seemed her personality was equally delightful. She, Madison, entered the deck area with her small son in her arms. Skin, beautifully tanned, this well-dress lady strode to the lifeguard tower. The little guy, let us call him, Michael, was not as bronze in color, and was visibly agitated. Michael whimpered, even as his Mom held him close.
Becky, the swimmer who enjoyed the company of the little lasses and their Dad before she began her exercise had just finished the more strenuous part of her routine when the mother and child came into view. Becky, a teacher, enjoyed children, in or outside the classroom. She marveled at the openness of a mind not yet crushed by the weight of worry. The sincerity of a small one was a source of fascination for Becky. Children, early in life, were candid and joyous, at least most were, or appeared to be.
Little Michael, a lad, maybe three, or four, was not a cheerful child. He wore no glee on his face, although his features were cute as could be from what Becky was able to see. When the swimmer first noticed Madison and Michael, they were yards away. They approached the guard tower at the opposite end of the pool and spoke with Brianna, the young adult hired to protect the public in an emergency. Becky thought nothing of the interaction. She was relieved to have only her stretches left to complete. Becky moved the shallow end and commenced with another ritual.
Behind her, a metal chair scraped along the concrete. The sound startled her and she looked up at the area where people sat enjoying the sun. Had Becky waited just a moment she would have known Michael and Madison had moved closer to her. The cries filled the air. The sweet little boy shrieked, "I wanna go see Daddy." Michael howled; "No Mom!!!! No!" His face scrunched tightly, this little lovable fellow yelled, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Please Mom! No!" Michael repeated the words, "I wanna go see Daddy!"
His mother chided him, gently. "We have to do this." Madison did not seem to believe she could quiet her son's fears. An expectation that the little guy might enjoy was void from her voice. The Mom simply worked feverishly, to accomplish the dreaded task. She prepared Michael for his dip in the water, and said, "Let's just get this over with."
Becky continued with her work out and wondered of the circumstances. Perchance, the mother and father were divorced or newly separated. Michael may have expressed the deep distress he felt for a family no longer united. Becky, the daughter of parents who parted understood how stressful such a situation might be. She was eight when . . . her reverie was interrupted.
Madison had abruptly carried Michael to the step at the shallow end of the pool. The Mom now wore a white shirt over her own bathing suit. Sweetly, she smiled and leaned forward. Madison said to Becky, "I do not wish to disturb you. I want to warn you; I am teaching my son to swim and he screams, loudly." As an experienced educator, Becky imagined it would be a mild and momentary shout. As one who swims daily and had for well over a decade, the teacher witnessed many a young child learn to paddle and breathe in water.
Indeed, at this very facility she has observed perhaps hundreds of child learn to master their strokes. The excellent swim teachers, parents and paid professionals, helped calm many a neophyte nerve. Often Becky watched with admiration as patient Moms, Dads, and lifeguards helped little ones wade through the water. It was as she shared with the girls earlier in the day, "They, people and insects, are life. All creatures are beautiful."
What Becky witnessed next was not beautiful; it was brutal! Madison held Michaels arms tightly. She forced him into the water. The Mom insisted the boy's head remain face down immersed until she pulled him up. Apparently, they had practiced this cycle before. Becky now understood why Michael cringed and cried out long before he was ever near the expansive liquid sea.
Initially, the trained instructor was paralyzed. Becky could not imagine that a mother might torment her child. The volume of Michaels screams increased. His little arms flailed. "Mom, No! Pleassssssssse!" The emotional agony he felt was palpable. Mom did not stop as he pleaded. The pain on his face did not move Madison to succumb. His words, his anguish, nothing stopped this mother on her quest. For Becky, what must have been a minute or less seemed like hours, years, decades. She thought of sweet obedient Michael. While he shed many a tear and shrieked when he could gasp for air, the little love did as he was told or required to do. He dropped his head into the pool on demand.
Off into the distance, in the parking lot, just outside the fence, Becky noticed a late model shiny black vehicle. The man at the wheel peered in. His car was not situated in a space meant for stopping. This fellow seemed interested in the antics of Madison and Michael. Becky mused; possibly the sound of suffering haunted him as it did her. She could not stand by a moment longer.
With an earnest concern, Becky expressed her empathy for the child. She inquired; "Is he frightened.." The mother responded, "He can swim." Becky queried aloud, had the mother sought other means for instruction. Perchance, if Michael were given the opportunity to slowly adjust to the water. If he were allowed to breathe easily as he slowly learned to stoke . . . Becky's words were cut off. Still somewhat genteel and reserved, Madison explained, "This is what his teacher taught me to do." "She is excellent. Everyone goes to her. They call her the swim Nazi."
The practiced swimmer, and professional educator, shared her own expertise. Becky told of a time when she worked with another teacher who was extremely punitive. This castigatory colleague was an award winner. Some children loved her, parents too. Students taught Becky what she had not known; if you are raised in a family where cruelty is common, you learn to believe that rough treatment is love. Violence is fondness when a family is familiar with vicious behavior.
Becky spoke of a man she loves. He was introduced to swimming in much the way Michael was guided. This man loathes his parents. As an adult, he says of himself, he is really messed up. For the man Becky cares for, trust is not an option. The lesson he learned at the hands of his mother, who taught him how to swim, just as Madison now advised Michael, is that people will hurt you.
In this very short and quick conversation Becky, recalled her own memories, and how she has vivid recollections of events in that occurred in her life when she was younger than Michael. Becky looked over at Michael's face. The torment was already etched into his skin. The screeches scarred him.
Madison listened, maybe. She was polite. The Mom never let go of her cherished son, Michael. The activity did not stop. Nor did the blood curdling screams. The echoes of pain continued to pierce the air, and break delicate decorum.
People within the recreation center while startled, they stood still or pretended to ignore what escaped no one. Only Becky articulated her concern. Madison expressed her interest; more so once she realized Becky is an educator. However, without a moment of hesitation, or a break from or for Michael, she offered a retort. "I will speak with the teacher." Becky again offered, the teacher does what she thinks is best. Perhaps, she, just as the pupils Becky spoke of, had parents who were as aggressive as she was.
Those who admire the techniques the Nazi swim teacher endorses may also be intimately acquainted with instruction through intimidation. "In my family no one yells," Becky said. Madison responded; the same was true in her life. She and her husband do not scream.
Michael continues to squeal. "Mom, Please, No!" He thrashes. He grabs for her mother. Michael reaches for Madison's shirt and slaps her body and face. The Mom had mentioned she wore the blouse just for this purpose. Michael grabbed at the swim instructor, just as prescribed, and when with her, Michael clawed for Madison's clothing.
His moves do not seem to suggest an intention to hurt the mother Michael loves. From appearances, the boy only hopes to find a source of solace. He wants to hold on to someone, anyone. His words seem to express a desire that his Mom will save him from her. The child cries out again and again. He flaps; he flounders. Little lovable Michael thrashes and struggles. Madison was not discouraged.
Still alert and attentive to her purpose, Madison proclaims, "The swim teacher has them trained within a week." Once more, she says, "Everyone goes to her." She may have sensed or seen Becky's alarm. Apprehensive, the mother said, "I will speak to my husband. He is in the car."
Becky realized the man who she had observed earlier might have studied the pair with an interest that could not be described. Possibly, what the father felt was beyond words. Becky knew that emotionally, this event tugged at her heartstrings. She wondered; did the Dad wait for he too could not endure the misery inflicted on his son. How could a mother be so cruel? How could anyone treat a child with such contempt? Why were words of compassion and caution not enough to stop the abuse? Was Becky alone in her anguish?
She exited the pool area, entered the locker room. Then she scrubbed herself in the shower. All the while Becky heard the howls and the hollers. This small sorrowful soul did not rant or rage against his Mom. He only called out for help. Each shout sliced the air and sent chills up Becky's spine. She could hardly contain her own tears.
Becky left the building and again approached Madison, whose energy and purpose had not waned. The worried woman spoke, "If I could I would like to inquire; would it not be better if Michael loved his lessons (and the person who teaches him)?" Did she share the latter thought? She was so troubled, she did not know what she said. Had she asked if it was necessary to master the skill in a week? Madison ignored Becky. She was done with this exchange. She said to Michael, "Just a few more minutes."
Defeated, Becky left the deck. She walked to the office where the guards stood in alert. The group discussed what left each of them distraught. A resigned Brianna verbalized her belief, "There is nothing we can do or say." Shocked to discover Becky spoke to the woman, Brianna began to ask of what was said. Then she realized Madison, with a drained and strained Michael in her arms, was near. She let out a sound that signaled the need for silence.
The mother and her madness quickly fled the premises. After a short discussion with the guards, Becky thanked them for listening to her fears and followed the path from the pool to the parking lot. Apparently, the couple and their child were settling into the coupe. The father glanced over as he saw Becky near the vehicle. Nothing was said. For Becky, there were no words.
She pondered. Was Becky the person now considered a predator? Had Madison grumbled to her husband as she shared details of the encounter? Exhausted and uncertain of the empathy she had supposed all beings had for others, Becky went to her car. She could not drive away, although she saw the family did. The lover of living beings, of children, could not fully understand what existed only for moments in her own life. She was haunted by the hurt she saw in Michael's face and heard in his calls.
Stunned and shaken Becky sat trembling for a very long time. She wailed; she wept. Had she just let a sweet child fend for himself in a world too awful to survive?
Hours passed and Becky imagines, in her life, Michael, and the impression he made on her would never move on. Sadly, she fears, what for her was but minutes, for Michael, will be life.
Becky had mentioned to Madison, or hoped she had, the effect of trauma. To this day, the older educator recounts the stresses that transformed her being. The lessons, what her Mom, Dad, and mentors did supposedly for her benefit, if not facilitated fondly, harmed her deeply. Cognizant that children absorb all they encounter and are affected by every exchange, Becky contemplates the drama Michael endured.
In a desire to calm her self, Becky, an educator who loves to learn, sought answers. She had so many questions, so many concerns. As a teacher, never labeled a dictatorial tyrant, she had much trepidation. What had Madison taught Michael? Was he expected to sink or swim? As she read, her angst increased. What would become of Michael?
How Do You Recognize a Patient (or Person) with Trauma if it is Not Always Obvious?
Different people respond differently to traumatic events. Some people will carry it around in ways that everybody can see that they've been impacted. But most people actually will go through a traumatic experience and won't have any easily visible or obvious manifestation of that. The problems may emerge many months or sometimes even years after the original event. So it's very important for people who are trying to understand trauma to become aware of the various ways in which traumatic symptoms can manifest, the various ways in which trauma can be carried forward by children and adults, and the pervasive impact that trauma has independent of the way someone is observed to perform.How Do Relationships Affect the Way the Brain Develops?
Human beings are at our core, relational creatures. We are designed to live, work, play, and grow in groups. The very nature of humanity arises from relationships. You learn language, you learn social language, you learn appropriate emotional regulation, and essentially everything that's important about life as a human being you learn in context of relationships. And the very substance of a successful individual is bathed in a whole host of relationships with people in that person's life . . .
Can You Continue with the Relationships and How it Affects the Brain
When you look at someone, when you hear someone, when you have a conversation, when you make a joke with somebody, when you touch someone, every single one of those physical interactions are translated into patterned neuronal activity that go into the brain of both people in that interaction and result in positive changes. These physical changes influence our immune system and they influence the autonomic nervous system that controls your heart and your lungs and your gut. Literally, when people have a wealth of relationships, where relationships are present in high quantities and they're of good quality, these individuals are actually physically healthier, they're emotionally healthier, they're more cognitively enriched, and they actually reach their potential to be humane in ways that are impossible without relationships.It's a very interesting thing that people don't really appreciate this very much, but that there's no better biological interaction that you can have than a relationship.
Yes, all beings are but a beautiful bundle of love. Yet, rarely do humans honor that veracity. So few people understand the depth of each interaction. Too frequently, individuals do what was done to them, or what they think they can. Societal standards, customs, traditions, the lessons taught by authoritarian teachers shape them. People learn. Yet, they may not have studied the ultimate lesson. We are each a lovely and fragile beings. We grow well when hearts, minds, bodies, and souls are tenderly touched.
"Michael, I am soooooooo sorry," Becky mused. What of the relationship she had with Michael, or for that matter, with all beings. What affect did her actions or inactions have. Becky though of how all that occurred developed, and how Michael might grow. "If only I had done more, been more, were a better teacher to your Mom, or had offered to help you learn to swim." Becky, heart heavy with regret promised herself, if she were to meet this family again, she would . . . in truth, she did not know what she could or would do. She only hoped that someone would tell her. How does one swim in a world where too many forget, all beings are but a bundle of love.
Sources and Suffering . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on July 6, 2008 at 09:00 AM in "Take me as I am!", Abuse, Adult Influence on Children, Aggression, Approval or Love, Art of Loving, Have or Be, Change the World [Within], Children, Desire to Learn, Dreams Live and Die , Education, Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Family, Functioning, Fables, Life, A Forward Motion, Looking at Life, Nature or Nurture, Quality of Life, Teach The Children | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Issue Number One; Economic Insecurity Breeds Bigotry, Bias and Bitterness
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
He was a beautiful bouncing baby boy. He was born to two parents that love him dearly. Even before his birth, indeed, prior to conception, this little fellow was the apple of his parent's eyes. His biological beginning was carefully calculated. As the seeds of life developed into a bright-eyed baby, the people he now knows as Mom and Dad thought of little else but Maxwell. The soon to be proud Papa and Momma anxiously anticipated the day they could hold this bundle of joy. Each of his parents was eager to meet and greet the small, sweet face of the guy that they would call Max. Maximum value, supreme significance, marvelously magnificent, all this was and would be their son. After Max was delivered and during any political season, such as this, Mom and Dad feel certain Max is issue number one.
The guardians look over their angel. They plan for his future, and they are apprehensive, just as their parents and grandparents were before them. For generations the realities of daily life have shaped parental priorities. First and foremost, families want to survive, to feel safe and secure. Yet, much that accounts for stability is beyond the control of a parent or any single person. Moms and Dads agonize, as do all individuals. Economic, educational, environmental concerns have an effect on caregivers and all citizens. Military engagements also affect households, even if only one lives within the domicile. Mothers, fathers, and babies, boys or girls learn to fear.
Ultimately, in the course of a life, each individual will ask, how does any matter affect me, my family, and friends of mine? Countless citizens sense we have loss the sense that within a society, each individual works for the commonweal. The words of Thomas Paine On the Origin and Design of Government in General are principles from the past. In America today, the common folk feel they can no longer trust the government. In recent years, people profess too many promises were broken; lies were told. Intelligence was not wise. Still, Americans sense there is an enemy.
In the minds of most Americans, the foe exists outside self. Few have fully internalized the truth of the words uttered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." As people do, citizens in this country trust themselves. People know their faith will guide them. The Almighty will not disappoint them. Proud of their personal strength and all they survived throughout the course of their lives, the American public, no matter their economic station believes their family will be fine. All Americans trust in their ability to fight the opposition. Residents in the United States are not afraid to take up arms if they need to protect themselves from evil forces.
Nevertheless, Americans are "bitter." People in the cities, the suburbs, and in the countryside, resent the precarious position their leaders have placed them in. In the "Land of the free and home of the brave" the public is "looking for strong leadership from Washington." Individuals and communities recognize they cannot go it alone. Sadly, those previously entrusted with Executive privileges have not served the common folk within the United States well. Citizens have expressed their ample concern for quite a while and no one seems to hear the cries. While some of the Presidential aspirants wish to believe Americans are not indignant . . .
Poll: 80% of Americans Dissatisfied
By Associate Press.
Time Magazine
April 4, 2008(New York) — More than 80 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the highest such number since the early 1990s, according to a new survey.
The CBS News-New York Times poll released Thursday showed 81 percent of respondents said they believed "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." That was up from 69 percent a year ago, and 35 percent in early 2002.
The survey comes as housing turmoil has rocked Wall Street amid an economic downturn. The economy has surpassed the war in Iraq as the dominating issue of the U.S. presidential race, and there is now nearly a national consensus that the United States faces significant problems, the poll found.
A majority of Democrats and Republicans, men and women, residents of cities and rural areas, college graduates and those who finished only high school say the United States is headed in the wrong direction, according to the survey, which was published on The New York Times' Web site.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents said the country was worse off than five years ago; just 4 percent said it was doing better . . .
The poll also found that Americans blame government officials for the housing crisis more than banks or homebuyers and other borrowers. Forty percent of respondents said regulators were mostly to blame, while 28 percent named lenders and 14 percent named borrowers.
Americans favored help for people but not for financial institutions in assessing possible responses to the mortgage crisis. A clear majority said they did not want the government to lend a hand to banks, even if the measures would help limit the depth of a recession.
Intellectually astute, each individual understands to his or her core, a country must work well as a whole. If we act independently of others, with little regard for those who reside in our nation, we all will realize a reason to feel insecure. No family can survive alone. Maxwell's parents can plan and work to provide, but if the country suffers from a crisis, be it fiscal, a protracted feud, the cost of food, or fuel, the family will also find themselves in situation critical.
In a society, we are our neighbors' keeper, for what affects those in adjacent abodes will influence us. If one person is poor, so too is his brother.
The tenet is true in the abstract; it is also viable concretely. We need only consider what occurs when one domicile on the block is in disrepair or foreclosure flourishes in an enclave. Property values for all homes in the area plummet. A family functions best as a unit. A nation fares well when we are one.
Our most conservative estimates indicate that each conventional foreclosure within an eighth of a mile (essentially a city block) of a single-family home results in a 0.9 percent decline in value. Cumulatively, this means that, for the entire city of Chicago, the 3,750 foreclosures in 1997 and 1998 are estimated to reduce nearby property values by more than $598 million, for an average cumulative single-family property value effect of $159,000 per foreclosure. This does not include effects on the values of condominiums, larger multifamily rental properties, and commercial buildings.Less conservative estimates suggest that each conventional foreclosure within an eighth of a mile of a property results in a 1.136 percent decline in that property’s value and that each foreclosure from one-eighth to one-quarter mile away results in a 0.325 percent decline in value. This less conservative finding corresponds to a city-wide loss in single-family property values of just over $1.39 billion. This corresponds to an average cumulative property value effect of more than $371,000 per foreclosure
In 2008, this consideration consumes millions of persons who thought they were safe and secure. As the subprime debacle ripples through every community, people realize their very survival is at risk. Everyone, even some of the elite now experience a profound sense of insecurity. Again, people ask who or what might they trust. The average American has faith only in what is familiar. Max, Mom, and Dad, families turn to what is tried and true. Whatever has protected them in the past, they hope, will save them from what is an uncertain future.
Certainly, people have no confidence in government. Many are frustrated. They resent those who placed them in such a precarious situation. Mothers, fathers, sons such as Max, and daughters are reminded, without regulations only the few profit. Dreams die. Witness the subprime debacle.
Mortgage companies and banks, such as Wells Fargo, have twisted the average prime mortgage loan into something much more incapable of paying by the recipient, but profitable to the company. Subprime loans, as “adjustable rate mortgages,” are packed with deceiving modifications that have low “teaser” rates that expand in interest exponentially after an initial low pay period. Families that have received Subprime loans have bit into a bitter center of the sugar-coated American dream.
Citizens in this once prosperous country wonder whether they will ever again be able to trust that they can aspire to greater heights. Homes are no longer worth what they were at the time of purchase. Payments on adjusted rate mortgages [ARM] are exorbitant and balloon expenditures are now due. Americans feel pinched. Businesses are also affected by a slowed economy and bad investments. Bankruptcy is an option, although brutal. As the cost of fuel and food rises, financial fears become more real. Existence takes a toll. As Americans assess the circumstances within their home region, they realize there is reason to hold on tightly to what they know and love.
Perchance G-d and country are all citizens can believe in, and maybe there is no longer reason to believe either of these will save them. Certainly, Administrations in the recent past and present have not protected us well. After all, our Presidents, Congress, and the Federal Reserve were responsible for the Demise of Glass-Steagall Act. This law once regulated banks and limited the conflicts of interest created when commercial depositories were permitted to underwrite stocks or bonds. Without such oversight, Americans lost their security. Survival no longer seems possible. The American Dream is a nightmare.
The Next Slum?
By Christopher B. Leinberger
Atlantic Monthly
March 2008Strange days are upon the residents of many a suburban cul-de-sac. Once-tidy yards have become overgrown, as the houses, they front have gone vacant. Signs of physical and social disorder are spreading.
At Windy Ridge, a recently built starter-home development seven miles northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina, 81 of the community’s 132 small, vinyl-sided houses were in foreclosure as of late last year. Vandals have kicked in doors and stripped the copper wire from vacant houses; drug users and homeless people have furtively moved in. In December, after a stray bullet blasted through her son’s bedroom and into her own, Laurie Talbot, who’d moved to Windy Ridge from New York in 2005, told The Charlotte Observer, “I thought I’d bought a home in Pleasantville. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that stuff like this would happen.”
In the Franklin Reserve neighborhood of Elk Grove, California, south of Sacramento, the houses are nicer than those at Windy Ridge—many once sold for well over $500,000—but the phenomenon is the same. At the height of the boom, 10,000 new homes were built there in just four years. Now many are empty; renters of dubious character occupy others. Graffiti, broken windows, and other markers of decay have multiplied. Susan McDonald, president of the local residents’ association and an executive at a local bank, told the Associated Press, “There’s been gang activity. Things have really been changing, the last few years.”
In the first half of last year, residential burglaries rose by 35 percent and robberies by 58 percent in suburban Lee County, Florida, where one in four houses stands empty. Charlotte’s crime rates have stayed flat overall in recent years—but from 2003 to 2006, in the 10 suburbs of the city that have experienced the highest foreclosure rates, crime rose 33 percent. Civic organizations in some suburbs have begun to mow the lawns around empty houses to keep up the appearance of stability. Police departments are mapping foreclosures in an effort to identify emerging criminal hot spots.
The decline of places like Windy Ridge and Franklin Reserve is usually attributed to the subprime-mortgage crisis, with its wave of foreclosures. And the crisis has indeed catalyzed or intensified social problems in many communities. But the story of vacant suburban homes and declining suburban neighborhoods did not begin with the crisis, and will not end with it. A structural change is under way in the housing market—a major shift in the way many Americans want to live and work. It has shaped the current downturn, steering some of the worst problems away from the cities and toward the suburban fringes. And its effects will be felt more strongly, and more broadly, as the years pass. Its ultimate impact on the suburbs, and the cities, will be profound.
Perchance, more weighty than the influence of a social degradation on a community is the impression such dire circumstances leave on a little lad such as Maxwell. Young Max will learn, just as his parents had. Likely, he too will come to believe that he can only depend on himself. An older and wiser Max will not fully grasp how extraordinary he is, or perhaps he will know all to well that no matter how glorious he is, someone might jeopardize his stability. No matter how well he lives his life, another force, power, person, or authority might cause his dreams to go awry.
Maxwell sees how hard life is for his parents. He comes to understand that he too will always and forever, need to prove his worth. How else might he hold onto his job, his home, his money, or his sense of self? For Maxwell, as for us, anyone, innocent as they may be, might seem a threat. His Mom and Dad, fearful that they might lose their livelihood, health care benefits, the family home, and their ability to provide, let alone survive, teach their young son trepidation.
Mom and Dad look around the neighborhood and they see society is shifting. People of other races, colors, and creeds are destined to overtake the white majority. This can be nothing but trouble, or so they think. Maxwell trusts this sentiment to be true. The parents wonder; might immigration and Free Trade deprive them of their life style? In the United States, Anglo Americans react more to what they muse might be so. However, ample evidence affirms the contrary. A 2006 study, by the Pew Hispanic Center avows, the sudden rise in the foreign-born population does not negatively effect the employment of native-born workers.
Growth in the Foreign-Born Workforce and Employment of the Native Born
By Rakesh Kochhar, Associate Director for Research
Pew Hispanic Center
August 10, 2006Rapid increases in the foreign-born population at the state level are not associated with negative effects on the employment of native-born workers, according to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center that examines data during the boom years of the 1990s and the downturn and recovery since 2000.
An analysis of the relationship between growth in the foreign-born population and the employment outcomes of native-born workers revealed wide variations across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. No consistent pattern emerges to show that native-born workers suffered or benefited from increased numbers of foreign-born workers . . .
The size of the foreign-born workforce is also unrelated to the employment prospects for native-born workers. The relative youth and low levels of education among foreign workers also appear to have no bearing on the employment outcomes of native-born workers of similar schooling and age.
Nevertheless, people continue to fear what is less than familiar. Maxwell's mother and father often speak of the immigrants. The words voiced are unkind. Assessments often are unrealistic. In this country, on this globe, our apprehensions, our insecurity, the fear that we might not survive divides us. Self-surety is issue number one.
When individuals do not feel as though all is fine, when distressed, emotional reactions may be exaggerated. Many persons prefer to deny that they feel distraught. The press, the powerful, and persons who wish to be more prominent understand this. Each is expert in the art of persuasion. Tell us that we are doing well, that we are strong, that they will help bring certainty, security, and safety to our lives, and to our country, and we will croon along with them.
Anxious Americans, at home and abroad, such as the parents of young Maxwell attack. Anyone can be considered the enemy. Bankers, big business, bureaucrats, billionaire oil magnates, migrants, and of course, mutineers of Middle Eastern descent. Our fellow citizens are easily terrorized, if not by the persons who they think might destroy the neighborhood, or take their job, the people who crashed a plane into the Twin Towers must be a target. Since September 11, 2001, Maxwell parents have thought it wise to protect United States shores.
Some Americans say we must stay the course in Iraq and Afghanistan. These persons may fear terrorists from the Persian Gulf. There is great consternation when people do not think they are physically safe.
Citizens feel a greater concern when they discover the reasons we went to war are invalid. Again, the people in this country recognize the adversary is the American Administration. Lie by lie, the Iraq War Timeline reveals greater reason for antipathy.
Those who cite security and survival as the primary concern proclaim, "It is the economy." They say, this is the number one issue Americans must address. Too many persons, today, cannot even live paycheck to paycheck. Disposable income, discretionary spending, savings to fall back on are luxuries of the past. People dream of the cushion they hope to create. Yet, in the back of their minds, they fear. Again, foreclosures are in the forefront in people's minds. Many are mired in debt. In February 2008, another sixty percent (60%) of Americans concluded they could no longer pay the mortgage. Mortgage Woes Boost Credit Card Debt. Balances on charge cards cannot be reconciled.
Plastic Card Tricks
The New York Times
March 29, 2008Americans are struggling with a very rocky economy while they are also holding almost $1 trillion in credit card debt. In most cases, those cards provide a little flexibility with the monthly bills. But an increasing number of people are defaulting because of the “tricks and traps” — soaring interest rates and hidden fees — in the credit card business.
Before more Americans get in so deep that they cannot dig out, Washington needs to change the way these companies do business to ensure that consumers are treated fairly.
The stories about deceptive practices are harrowing. At a recent news briefing in Washington, a Chicago man told about what happened when he charged a $12,000 home repair bill in 2000 on a card with an introductory interest rate of 4.25 percent. Despite his steady, on-time payments, the rate is now nearly 25 percent. And despite paying at least $15,360, he said that he had only paid off about $800 of his original debt.
Once more Americans are confronted with what causes great bitterness. No one, not Congress, the companies that lend citizens cash, the corporate tycoons, or candidates can imagine why Americans might be bitter. None of these entities care enough to help the average Joe, Jane, Maxwell, or his parents.
Why might inhabitants in this Northern continent be cynical, or feel a need to cling to religion, weapons, or hostility. Perhaps, these sanctuaries feel more tangible. Faith, as an arsenal, and anger too, are at least more affordable than other options.
Petroleum prices are also an issue of import. Citizens cry, I now work for fuel. Only four short month ago, oil hit $100 a barrel for the first time ever. The rate charged for petroleum continues to climb. Now the expense exceeds what was once unimaginable. The cost of crude is the cause. The effect is, Mommy and Daddy do not drive much anymore. Each trip is evaluated. Carpools are common considerations. Vacations are not thought vital. Parents who had hoped to show Max the seashore this summer cannot keep the promise they made to themselves and their progeny. Plans did not prove to be predictions.
In 2008, the inconceivable is classified as inevitable. Scientists share a stingy assessment. The environment is no longer stable. Nor are our lives on the planet Earth. We, worldwide, have passed the point of no return. Globally, groups and individuals pooh-pooh this determination. For them, immediate concerns take precedence over the future.
The question we all inevitably ask, even if not expressed aloud, is, "Will I continue to exist?" If so, "Will my family and I be comfortable?" The answers shade our sense of what is right or wrong. Maxwell hears his Mom and Dad speak of free trade. This is another hazard that haunts them.
The link between economic integration and worker insecurity is also an essential element of explanations for patterns of public opposition to policies aimed at further liberalization of international trade, immigration, and foreign direct investment (FDI) in advanced economies. Economic insecurity may contribute to the backlash against globalization in at least two ways. First is a direct effect in which individuals that perceive globalization to be contributing to their own economic insecurity are much more likely to develop policy attitudes against economic integration.Second, if globalization limits the capacities of governments to provide social insurance, or is perceived to do so, then individuals may worry further about globalization and this effect is likely to be magnified if labor-market risks are heightened by global integration.
It seems every issue intimidates us. Each challenges the security we crave. All beckon us and cause us to question whether we, Maxwell, or his parents will survive. Our serious fears force us to believe we must separate ourselves from others, from our brothers and sisters. In an earlier speech, echoing the words of Franklin Roosevelt, the eloquent Barack Obama spoke of this situation and how our own anxiety harms us.[ The Presidential hopeful offered solutions.
[W]e need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all . . .Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, “The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.” We do not need to recite here the history of racial [or economic] injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the [any] community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered . . .
Legalized discrimination . . . That history helps explain the wealth and income gap . . . and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today’s urban and rural communities.
A lack of economic opportunity . . . and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family, contributed to the erosion of [all] families – a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban [and now with "no new taxes" suburban] neighborhoods – parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement – all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
Potential President Obama understands and hopes to help all American realize that we are one. While this vocalization was meant to focus on the more obvious rift between the races, the Senator from Illinois, the community organizer, attempted to advance awareness for what troubles Americans as a whole.
In fact, a similar anger exists within [all] segments of the . . . community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one’s handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They’ve worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense . . ..
Americans, no matter the color or circumstances might contemplate that anger is "often proved counterproductive" as are resentments. These attitudes distract attention and widen any divide. If Americans are to find a path to understanding, we must accept that our insecurity, our fears need not distract us. We will survive if we work as one.
This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of [any child] black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can’t learn; that those kids who don’t look like us are somebody else’s problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy . . ..This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics [poor and those the government classifies as affluent] who do not have health care; who don’t have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn’t look like you might take your job; it’s that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should’ve been authorized and never should’ve been waged, and we want to talk about how we’ll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
Today, we must be honest with ourselves. We can admit that we are incensed, irritated, infuriated, and irate. These feelings do not immobilize us. Nor do we necessarily need to fight, and be combative. It is time we teach Maxwell and also Maxine, distress can inspire us to dream the of impossible and make it our truth. We, Americans can rise above our bitterness and build bridges to a fine future if we unite.
It is not elitist to speak truth. It is ignorance and obfuscation to deny how we feel and what we fear. We cannot change what we do not acknowledge. Elusion will not bring bliss. We may be insecure; we may question whether we can survive. Indeed, if we act as we have in the past, if we focus on our faith and antipathy, there will be no reason to hope. Americans, divisions have distracted us for too long. To negate our natural response is to restrict our growth. This time citizens of the United States, let us come together. Bitterness can become sweet.
Sources of insecurity. Resources for survival . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on April 11, 2008 at 11:00 PM in American Dream, Americana, Domestic Security, Dreams Live and Die , Economics, Elections, Immigration, Immigration Politics, Iraq War, Looking at Life, Oil, Politics, Ted Stevens, Republican Senator, Terrorism, Xenophobia | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Calm Communicators Unite Us. Cruel Commanders Divide Us
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Americans are at odds. As a nation, we are splintered. The parts do not function as a whole. Some wish to control and command. Others prefer to work for the common good. As we stand, we are a country divided.
The most recent Internal Revenue Service data, shows one percent of Americans received twenty-one and two-tenths [21.2] percent of all personal income. In 2005, fifty [50] percent of the people in this nation, those who have long struggled to survive, earned twelve and eight-tenths [12.8] percent of all wages and salaries. In the United States, dollars earned split the population. Wealth is not all that separates us.
Color causes schisms. Citizens live in regions of the country labeled Red, or Blue. Brownish immigrants, with or without papers, are relegated to reside in neighborhoods far from the affluent or influential, even when authentic assimilation is meant to be an option. Frequently Black Americans are housed in communities where opportunities are few. When persons of various hues intermingle with the massive pinkish population, in the United States, the people of color are alienated.
Were Americans do physically unite, they would likely remain segregated. Americans subtly separate themselves from those they loathe, and form the people they love. Few ever consider what they do to create a rift. In America, demeanors, the way in which we communicate, divides us.
In this nation, a large portion of the population is frequently aggressive, abusive, and antagonistic. Those they encounter, the not obnoxious or toxic ones, accommodate, appease, appear unaffected, or remain anxious when in the company of the people who believe the best way to appear authoritative is to dictate what needs to be done, by whom, when, where, and why.
At times, the public is able to openly observe and discuss abuse, but usually, only when it is evident in the extreme. Banner headlines may scream a need to attend to what, for the most part remains hidden. Neglect, Abuse Seen in 90, 000 Infants. However, mostly Americans demonstrate their angst in manners identified as normal. No one speaks of what is standard. Perchance, the reason is, in the States reactive behaviors, which reveal annoyance, are so common as to be customary.
Daily, in periodicals we read of what we would wish to think is not traditional, but may be. The accounts scream to us. Citizens in this country think it outrageous when they realize. In Chicago, youth violence is increasingly prevalent. Twenty-two [22] students were slain in this heartland city so far this year. Our fellow country men remark, 'This sort of thing occurs only among 'those people.' Surely, the rest of us are sane and serene. 'The average American would not strike out in such a manner.' People say, 'Weaponry is for outlaws,' or at least, mechanical arsenals are meant only to combat a political enemy. Those who reside in the United States never imagine that "they" would use a gun in anger, or lash out when with a friend. Few consider how frequently they attack those they say they are fond of.
When words are the weapon of choice, and blood is not spilled, most in this country think no harm is done. War and wounds are what we see on the battlefields, and mostly abroad. In this country, life is calm.
We read of skirmishes elsewhere daily. Americans witness what occurs in the Persian Gulf. Iraqi deaths are on the rise regardless of the Americans attempt to Surge and subvert the violence. Now, that is awful. Thankfully, this nation is not torn apart by war.
Few ponder the fact that these excessive examples illustrate and amplify what is apparent in American homes. People pounce easily and often. We cruelly criticize and intentionally drive a wedge between unions. We conquer; and in America, we destroy.
In this country, enemies are thought to be around every corner. We publicly rant and rage when we refer to people of another race or religion. Privately, many are punitive towards those who reside in our homes. When we look upon those the "commanders" consider beloved, we see differences, and ignore similarities. He is wrong; I am right. She is flawed. "I am perfect." Spite is right. Malice is might. Vindictiveness is used to undermine viciousness. In many American homes, tit for tat is the acceptable.
Those in authority, "Tsk, tsk," the ones who they would wish to weaken. Children are infrequently given information about the consequences of their choices. Calm and complete communication is too often a rarity in our abodes. Rather than work to create cohesive communities within a household, parents and their progeny dictate, and divide.
Adults learn their aggressive manners in childhood. A slight from a toddler's first teachers cuts to the core. Terse comments, a tease, or a taunt directed at a teen does not simply slide off the back of one scarred by a lifetime of verbal slashes. Adults do not deflect digs; some have merely learned how to present the appearance of being unaffected by an oral assault. In truth, "Sticks and stone may break my bones, and names hurt me more than a physical attack might." Many may relate to a common event and decide this is not my business.
As I was leaving gym one morning, I overheard a mother berating her daughter for refusing to put her face in the water during a toddlers' swim class. "You're such a little coward," she told the sobbing child -- who could not have been more than three years old. "It's the same every week. You always make your daddy and me ashamed. Sometimes I can't believe you're really my daughter."Although my stomach churned with rage on the child's behalf, I said nothing. After all, I rationalized, the mother would just tell me to mind my own business. But I had no doubt that what I had witnessed was in many ways as bad as a brutal beating. It was emotional child abuse.
"The bruises don't show on the outside, so there are no statistics on how many children are victims," says Dr. Elizabeth Watkins, chief of pediatric primary care at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. "But anyone who works with children knows that the problem is widespread."
University of Minnesota psychologist Byron Egeland, who has conducted extensive studies on parenting and early-childhood development, says the effects of emotional child abuse may be at least as devastating as those of physical abuse. Research conducted by Egeland and his colleagues suggests that emotionally abused children suffer an even greater decline in mental and psychological development as they grow older than do physically abused children.
This abated state does not necessarily translate to an academic deficit. Often times, persons who were beaten down emotionally excel in their physical and intellectual endeavors. Countless adults, who were verbally assaulted as children, believe that the cruelty and callousness they endured, has made them stronger. People in older bodies show no physical blemishes. A mature member of society is not noticeably bruised or disfigured. Most middle-aged grown-ups, those once exposed to such exploitation have learned to hide the scars. Hurt hearts do not inhibit intellectual growth; nor do the effects of verbal and emotional injuries restrict achievements. As a tot, a teen, or an individual in his or her golden years, a person harmed by words can thrive and triumph. The attitude is, "I will show them!" The thought that provokes our success is, "I will do well. Then, they will [finally] love me."
The truth is mean Mom's and dismissive Dad's do love their offspring. They simply do not know how to show it. Too often, we do as was done to us. As adults, we become the people our parents were. While we may have abhorred mother or father's behavior, it is what we know. We grow to be as those who taught us were.
At birth, we learn of what we despise most. In our parents dwelling, as tots, we become acquainted with insults, invectives, and insolence. The invisible barbs are experienced as a barrage of bullets; each pierces the flesh. Mothers mock us. Fathers jeer. Brothers and sisters, bully. In our earliest years, we begin to think of when and how we can leave the company of those who say they treasure us. In time, as children we decide the best defense is a good offense. Hence, we become equally odious, angry, and ambitious. Often adults, who were verbally abused as children, when they speak of their parents, state, "They did the best they could." Indeed, perfectionist parents do what they believe is best, and they expect their progeny to do better.
In ambitious middle-class families, one of the most common forms of emotional abuse is the denigration of any achievement that falls short of perfection, such as when a child is punished for bringing home a B instead of an A. Jeree Pawl, director of the Infant-Parent Program at San Francisco General Hospital, observes that "perfectionist" parents may display irrational expectations.
After a time, Mom and Dad no longer need to express what they expect; children know what is necessary. In fact, a young person will demand more of him or herself than either parent ever did. In our youth, we become self-critical. Our parents likely did not disparage us as well as we demean ourselves. Each day, we improve. We can deliver venom more vigorously than Mom or Dad ever did. Persons, who were the victims of verbal mistreatment in their youth, inflict the same sarcastic and sardonic on them selves as they age.
The use of hurtful declarations becomes a habit. Spoken stabs pull a person down. Those not stated aloud do us in with greater force. The voice within is perhaps more furious than the one separate from self. Our self-assessments are as a cancerous virus. Merciless messages kill. Yet, no one notices the cause or effects of the illness. Too many Americans share the symptoms; hence, the pain is standard.
Parental verbal abuse may wound children's psyches so deeply that the effects remain apparent in young adulthood. Such abuse may wreak psychological havoc greater than that caused by physical abuse.With an M.B.A. degree under her belt, 24-year-old "Jaime" (not her real name) should have glowing job prospects in Chicago. But she harbors memories that erode her self-confidence and make her bristle with anger—memories of her father shouting at her, during drunken rages, that she was ugly and of little value.
Indeed, verbal abuse during childhood can scar people deeply, a new study suggests. It was headed by Martin Teicher, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program at McLean Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Results were published in the June American Journal of Psychiatry.Although the injurious effects of child physical and sexual abuse have been the subject of considerable inquiry, not much attention has been paid to the possibly noxious effects of verbal abuse on children.
People attend to what they see. The battered hearts, the wounded souls are not visible to the eye; although the effects of these are apparent if we wish to see them. Researchers studied and discovered what lies just beneath the surface.
People who were verbally abused had 1.6 times as many symptoms of depression and anxiety as those who had not been verbally abused and were twice as likely to have suffered a mood or anxiety disorder over their lifetime, according to psychology Professor Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, the study's lead author."We must try to educate parents about the long-term effects of verbal abuse on their children," Sachs-Ericsson said. "The old saying about sticks and stones was wrong. Names will forever hurt you."
Moms and Dads wield words as weapons daily. An innocent and sweet child may be saddened by what is said to them. Frequently, a lad or a lass, who has come to expect the worse is fretful, frightened, or apprehensive when near those who vocally attack. After a time, a child turned teen, may appear angry, as an adult resigned, acquiescent when with Mom or Dad. Still, the pain seeps out. It spills onto all the injured individual encounters.
The cycle starts subtly. It is all so subterranean. How often is a child told, "You need to take responsibility"? Yet, how frequently does neither guardian seems to accept that they play a part in what occurred in their own lives. After a night on the town, too much food, and an abundance of alcoholic beverages, Dad may bellow, "Stay out of my way today if you know what's good for you." Then, as if to inform his brood, father would offer, "I'm in a bad mood." Daddy does not wish to be liable for his own limitations. Thus, if he was under duress, or hassled, surely, someone else must be to blame.
It is a "me against the world" mentality. Those who command and seek control, the power they did not feel they had in their youth, see themselves as separate from the others. Hence, the great divide.
Mom may be no different from Dad. This sweet, soft-spoken woman, a mother committed to her children often commented, "My life would have been perfect if it were not for you." She would then say, "Get out of my sight; you are a bad boy, a hateful, ungrateful girl." Then, moments later, Mommy would say how much she loved you, or I. Life and love, as a child, and later as an adult can be caustic, chaotic, and troublesome, even if we emerge confidently. Either parent can do the damage. Both can build the barriers that teach one of the brood to be boldly brazen.
Weeks ago, Americans watched an esteemed achiever, a Presidential aspirant, vent wrathful words. The statements made echoed in every American household. On television and radio airwaves we heard, "Shame on you. “It is time you (act in a manner) consistent with your messages in public. That is what I expect from you. (L)et's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior . . ." Only days prior, we, as a nation, were moved by the magnanimous words, "(Y)ou know, no matter what happens in this contest -- and I am honored, I am honored to be here with [the same person who was slammed two days later.] I am absolutely honored." Hours before the homage was delivered in a face-to-face encounter, the self-proclaimed "fighter" raged, she was ready. The person she humiliated after offering a sincere homage was not. Then, in a fit of anger, this eloquent and accomplished adult exclaimed to her audience, "Let's get real."
On an occasion or two, the New York Senator states if she and her adversary worked as one, all dreams would come true. Quickly, Hillary Rodham Clinton reminds us that the same individual who she thinks praiseworthy is incompetent. He cannot command; nor is he qualified. The waling wounded Clinton claims the man who might steal her win is but a "child." She demeans his experience while she exaggerates her own. In a breath, the scared child, now a grown Senator, cries out. The former First Lady, who continues to carry the weight of a world built on pain within her, tells us the man who angers her is eloquent, admirable, and yet, inadequate.
One day this wise woman is passive or polite; then in the next moment she is aggressive and antagonistic. As Hillary Clinton speaks of Uniting the States, creating a cohesive Democratic Party, she works to divide these entities. She loves her country, her challenger, and her community; yet . . .
The push-pull of these love-hate relationships may remind us of what too many of us as children and adults experience in our family homes. In the "United" States, division, derision, declarations that divide a union are natural. Most accept the conventions that have been familiar throughout their lives. Few are disturbed by the divisiveness a Presidential candidate puts forth. Perchance, the American people relate. Might we consider the climate that was the candidate's childhood, her history, and the truth that fashioned her family?
The couple fought. In 1926, Dorothy's father filed for divorce, claiming that his wife had hit him in the face and scratched him on three separate occasions, according to Cook County records. In a March 1927 court hearing, Della Howell's own sister accused her of abusing her husband and abandoning her two daughters."She had a violent temper and flew at him in a rage, and would fight him," testified the sister, Frances Czeslawski.
Della Howell did not show up to contest the divorce -- she could not be found by subpoena servers. Dorothy's father was given custody. But, either unwilling or unable to take care of his daughters, he put them on the train to California, where his parents, Edwin Howell Sr. and Emma Howell, had moved a few years previously. . . .
The grandparents were ill-prepared to raise Dorothy and her sister, Isabelle.
Edwin Howell Sr. had emigrated from Wales. He worked as a machinist in an auto plant and as a laborer for the Alhambra street department, according to Alhambra city directories from the time. He mostly left the girls' care to his wife.
Emma Howell was a strict woman who wore black Victorian dresses and discouraged visitors and parties. Once, discovering that Dorothy had gone trick-or-treating on Halloween, she ordered her confined to her room for a year except for school.
"Her grandmother was a severe and arbitrary disciplinarian who berated her constantly, and her grandfather all but ignored her," Clinton wrote. . .
"Once I asked my mother why she went back to Chicago," Clinton wrote in "Living History." The answer? "'I'd hoped so hard that my mother would love me that I had to take the chance and find out,' she told me. 'When she didn't, I had nowhere else to go.'
Too many of us can recall a time when we wanted to be appreciated, admired, accepted by those who brought us into the world, or taught us to be the best we could be. Even when those we care for harm us, we still crave their adoration. A child who feels less than cherished will try harder. Humans will do whatever they believe they must do in hopes that someday, they will be treasured by their first teachers, the people they call family.
Hillary was the best student among her siblings, the one who took her parents' lessons most seriously. . .Hugh Rodham, unlike many other fathers of his era, raised his daughter to be ambitious. When she brought home straight A's, Rodham would say, "Well, Hillary, that must be an easy school you go to," she [Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton] wrote. . .
Hugh Rodham took thrift to even greater heights than many survivors of the Depression. If Hillary, Hugh Jr., or Tony left the cap off the toothpaste, he would toss it out the window and send the child to search for it. An allowance was out of the question. "I feed you, don't I?" she remembers him saying.
Clinton speaks of her father admiringly, but . . . no one disputes his gruffness. "He was character building, like our winters in Chicago," Ebeling, Clinton's best friend, said. . . .
He was "highly opinionated, to put it mildly," [Hillary] Clinton wrote. "We all accommodated his pronouncements . . .
Hilary is as many warriors in society are. She expects the electorate to tolerate her brusque, sometimes demeaning, statements, just as she accepted much of what her father said. If the people wish to argue with the aspirant, as occasionally she did with her dear Dad, Clinton thinks that is fine. After all, she is a fighter. She knows how to win. Just as Hugh Rodham did when he felt his children were uncontrollable, the dictatorial, decidedly aggressive decider known as Dad escalated the argument. "You are with me or against me" is a common refrain among those who command cruelly.
Many progeny adapt to parents who can be punitive. After a time, offspring learn, the boundaries that divide them are best when they remain as invisible, just as the wounds on the heart are. Children convince themselves, they are strong. They are in control. As long as they go along to get along all will be well, and it will be, until the next emotional upheaval. Even then, those who scream and demean will be fine, for what they experience is familiar.
I offer a personal anecdote, one that helped me to understand the divide that exists among us in America. There are the "fighters" well-trained to battle, and the peacemakers, those who talk in tones that are more tranquil.
I realized this only in recent years. A time ago, after I had lived on this glorious green Earth for more than three decades I thought I understood people. I experienced much in my lifetime. As a child, I settled in the suburbs, the city, and the country. In my earliest years may family had all the fineries. We were exceptionally wealthy. Then, there was the divorce. My Mommy, new Daddy a sister, and I were extremely poor when I was in Elementary School. Eventually we evolved into Middle Class. I felt as though we were average.
At seventeen years of age, I declared my independence. I left home, lived on my own, and struggled to earn enough money to survive. I inhabited neighborhoods not thought to be safe. My knowledge of life and it's various styles, I believed was expansive.
Then, it occurred. I met a man. Immediately, I knew I loved him. I had never been easily impressed. Romantic relationships were not part of my repertoire. This person, I perceived as beyond special. I admired him, and I intensely appreciated him. This gentleman was brilliant. He was very successful. He smiled ever so warmly. Until . . . suddenly, he yelled. The wrath was intended for me. As Gary excitedly expressed his disgust, his face was flush. His eyes and veins were bulging. This cherished chap was agitated, accusatory, and exceptionally anxious. To this day, I know not why. I have asked. Yet, an explanation was not forthcoming.
As Gary ranted and raged, I stood frozen, as a deer in headlights. I was stunned. In my whole life, no one had ever yelled at me, or so I thought, previous to that day. There was one other occasion.
That narrative aside, as Gary and I stood face to face, as he screamed and shrieked, he articulated the assertion, "You are having a tantrum." I marveled. I am a calm person. As a child, I was just as serene. In my entire life, I did not recall being explosive. As I observed Gary and listened to his words, I was uncertain which aspect of this encounter was more amazing to me, his conduct, or his contention. After, the damn or dam broke, he seemed free of his agitation. I was anxious, although still silent. I knew not what to say or do. What had I witnessed? What did it mean? How did I feel about it?
In time, I did learn as Hillary Clinton, and others whose hearts are hurt by words, do. I could choose to tolerate the brusque and debasing language. I could choose to appease, to please, or to patronize. However, I also understood no matter what I decided to do, there would be consequences. There would always be a chasm between Gary and I. I would never fully feel comfortable, for I did not know what might bring on another brutal belch of bitterness.
I walked on eggshells, and he, with all his hollering, hoped to secure the impression that he walked on water. I came to discover that Gary had been challenged all his life. His parents were the purveyors of agenda after agenda. As a child he had felt as he now teaches others to feel, as though he was and is less than. Gary was told too often, he was not good enough, smart enough; he was wrong. If Gary received an excellent evaluation in class, he too was meet with the remark similar to the ones the New York Senator heard in her youth. "Well, that subject is just too simple." "An "A" grade is not good enough."
Dissect a heart. Dismember a sweet spirit. It is the American way, divide and conquer. In a competitive society, where cruelty is common, most everyone will suffer, so that the few spoiled souls can feel, even if only for a moment, that they have succeeded. Sadly, their triumph is our demise.
Gary, Hillary, and too many we encounter have become so familiar with belligerent behaviors they no longer think there are other ways to work with people.
I was raised in a family where no one yells. To say I am jarred by loud aggressive rants is to understate what I feel. For a time, I team-taught with an instructor deemed superior. This person won District-wide awards. I understood why when I assessed the curriculum this teacher originated. Yet, this individual chastised students vociferously and with ample abandon. When in a rage, this educator's voice traveled throughout the building. I literally jumped in fright on more than one occasion.
Even without the volume, this teacher's words could cut like a knife. When the venom was directed at me, I froze. I am extremely sensitive to the lexis. The phrases this instructor used were not part of my reality. Our philosophies on life were disparate. Yet, I truly enjoyed this individual when the conversation was amiable. When jovial, the professor was a delight. Indeed, this person often was happy and genuinely fun.
When a scream was heard through the walls, students and I would react. Some smiled. A few laughed nervously. Others and I were startled. We cringed. When the world was again calm, quietly, throughout the room, discussions emerged. The demeanor of this academic was the topic. Talk of the teacher was approached tenderly. As I listened, I learned. If a person grows up in a home where one particular approach to life is normal, they learn to accept and appreciate that manner of expression. People who were taught to expect verbal lashings, as Hillary Clinton noted, learn to accommodate or accept.
If cruel criticisms were common in a home; howls were considered to be a sign, someone cares, painful as that might be. Those never exposed to love that did not hurt could not imagine the possibility. Tis a sad state in this union, when those we treasure most are the ones we whip to a pulp with words. A country divided cannot stand.
Perchance it is time to truly discuss what divides America. Dollars and legal documents are not divisive. Paper does not have the power to pull us apart. Race cannot physically separate us. In nature, every hue is a significant part of the whole. Religion does not cause a rift between neighbors. A philosophy can only teach us. Principles do not reach into our souls and cause us to slice and dice. It is we who control the chaos that drives a wedge between our brethren and we.
Might Americans come together at home and on every avenue? From Wall Street to Main Street let us speak kindly to each other. Let us teach the children well.
Perhaps, it is time to tell those you share a life with that you revere them without reservations. If we choose to use words that consistently show we care for those we love, perhaps, peace will have a chance. If our words were to mirror our stated beliefs, possibly, money would have no power, color could do no harm, and religious principles would be evident in our every expression. Please, imagine and work to give birth to what for too long was thought impossible. Let us live in an America, united in more than name only.
Sources, Scars, Screams in a divided society . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on April 4, 2008 at 08:00 AM in Abuse, Aggression, Americana, Approval or Love, Art of Loving, Have or Be, Children, Compassion, Conflict, Complex, Dreams Live and Die , Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Family, Functioning, Fables | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fragrances and Food; The Way to a Heart is Through the Stomach and Nose
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
We met in December. The year was 2007. He was a friend of my cousin's. The two were best of buds; they still are. Cousin Paul has known James for decades. Jim moved to my hometown only months earlier. He felt alone. James longed for a friend, locally. Paul introduced us on the Internet. After my relative played the mediator, the man in the middle, the means for a message, he asked if he might share our electronic mail addresses. James and I each consented, and from then on, we exchanged epistles directly.
In letters, we liked each other. Admittedly, for us, the electronic medium was limited. We decided to share a drink together; although I let him know, I only imbibe water. James said that was not a problem. We arranged to get together at Starbucks. The coffee shop was near to his home and mine. Neither of us wished to share where we lived exactly. We were hesitant, cautious, or just not willing to chance the unknown.
Today, speed dates are popular. For some, a minute or two is more than enough to determine whether he or she is the "one." Some believe in love at first sight. They know immediately when Miss or Mister Right walks through the door. From across a crowded room eyes meet, sparks fly; for many providence steps in. Cupid's arrows are manifest destiny.
A gallant gent may meet a genteel girl and the two will gallivant forever. If a lady were to encounter a extraordinary lad in the last month of the year, by Valentine's Day, perchance the two would be wed. That is unless she eats garlic onions, or spicy foods.
James enjoyed our first encounter. He took pleasure in our later luncheon. My cousin's best friend looked forward to our every conversation. The more we chatted the more he longed to converse, connect, and commune in every way possible. This fine fellow spoke of copulation often. While he had been with others at the time of our introduction, he did not feel as close to them as he did to me. James spoke of our shared energy, enthusiasm, interests, and the excitement he felt in my presence. Nonetheless, one day, as he readied to rally at my home he decided he could not do it.
The smell of my well-seasoned skin was just too much for this lovable man. James diet is bland in comparison to mine. He did not wish to tell me I could not dine as I do. He did not wish to end our relationship per se; James just needed to create a physical distance. All the while, he reminded me of how much he loved me and always will. Certain he did not want to think of a time when we would not be emotionally together, James concluded, at least for a time, he needed to occupy a separate physical space. Perhaps, we could see each other and just not share a repast.
In the Twenty-First Century, the dynamics of dating are more complex. People are sensitive. The personal preferences of one person may offend another. Individuals are vocal.
Sharing meals has always been an important courtship ritual and a metaphor for love. But in an age when many people define themselves by what they will eat and what they won’t, dietary differences can put a strain on a romantic relationship. The culinary camps have become so balkanized that some factions consider interdietary dating taboo.No-holds-barred carnivores, for example, may share the view of Anthony Bourdain, who wrote in his book “Kitchen Confidential” that “vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”
Returning the compliment, many vegetarians say they cannot date anyone who eats meat. Vegans, who avoid eating not just animals but animal-derived products, take it further, shivering at the thought of kissing someone who has even sipped honey-sweetened tea.
Ben Abdalla, 42, a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Fla., said he preferred to date fellow vegetarians because meat eaters smell bad and have low energy.
No matter how delightful a mate may be, if she eats meat, or finds a meal of fish repugnant a male suitor may not pursue her. If a woman thinks a man prefers a menu that is ethically loathsome, she will say so. Even those trained to understand, may not empathize at all.
Lisa Romano, 31, a vegan and school psychologist in Belleville, N.Y., said she recently ended a relationship with a man who enjoyed backyard grilling. He had no problem searing her vegan burgers alongside his beef patties, but she found the practice unenlightened and disturbing.Her disapproval “would have become an issue later even if it wasn’t in the beginning,” Ms. Romano said. “I need someone who is ethically on the same page.”
While some eaters may elevate morality above hedonism, others are suspicious of anyone who does not give in to the pleasure principle.
James did not quibble with my decision to avoid caffeine or alcohol. He did not question my desire to shun sugars. It made sense to this sweet man that I do not dine on meat, fish, chicken, or potatoes. James did not find fault with my wish to preclude processed foods from my diet. I did not consider his choices flawed. For me, people eat as they do. I delight in my entrees and worry not of what others consume. I understand change comes from within. I have no desire to transform another; nor do I wish to be converted.
As with other differences couples face, tolerance and compromise are essential at the dinner table, marital therapists said. “If you can’t allow your partner to have latitude in what he or she eats, then maybe your problem isn’t about food,” said Susan Jaffe, a psychiatrist in Manhattan.Dynise Balcavage, 42, an associate creative director at an advertising agency and vegan who lives in Philadelphia, said she has been happily married to her omnivorous husband, John Gatti, 53, for seven years.
“We have this little dance we’ve choreographed in the kitchen,” she said. She prepares vegan meals and averts her eyes when he adds anchovies or cheese. And she does not show disapproval when he orders meat in a restaurant.
“I’m not a vegangelical,” she said. “He’s an adult and I respect his choices just as he respects mine.”
In a former relationship, Eric and I were as Dynise Balcavage and John Gatti are. Never once was food an issue. I cooked meat for Eric with little hesitation. Admittedly, I would pay more for chicken parts. I could not bring myself to cut into the flesh and bone of one of G-d's creatures. When liver was prepared, I could not season the slices. In truth, my eyes could not gaze upon the bloody organ. Eric would place the animal protein in the bag I prepared with flour and spices. Then, he would lay the organ into the heated pan. Only after the meat was seared, could I continue to cook the "delicacy."
However, while I do not define myself by what I eat, I can no longer look at animal flesh on a plate and feel the same emotional distance I once did. While I still do not struggle with what another ingests, I do not believe that I would be so willing to bake, broil, or boil a bird, cook or carve a piece of beef, slice or dice a chop of pork. Perhaps, I have changed, even if ever so slightly.
I cannot be certain whether trends transform a person, age alters an individual, or if experience hardens hearts. Perhaps, ancient hurts hinder us. In an era where divorce defines the population, people have become more discriminating. James was married twice. I am the daughter of divorced parents. In America today, our experiences are common and likely shape us. The subtle nuances of companionship possibly affect the stomach and the nose..
Children watch Mom and Dad coo, only to see them separate. The pain of parents parting can cause a stomachache. Teens remember when their parents were romantic, rather than full of rage when together. As an adolescent reflects on unity he or she ponders, 'This stinks!' Adults cannot forget the one who broke his or her spirit. Habits of lover were appreciated. Slowly, but surely, all that seemed beautiful left a lover nauseous. The scent of one who was adorned becomes a reminder of all that was lost. Closeness can be sickening. Smells and tastes are no longer savored.
Nonetheless, people wish to believe passion is pure, adoration is in the air, and that special someone is just around the corner. Hence, we look, and look, and hope to find our Valentine. Restaurateurs rely on the human desire to love and be loved.
Valentine's Day ranks second only to Mother's Day at restaurants."It's something that restaurants all over the country . . . look forward to," said Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association.
Thirty-five percent of Americans dine out on Valentine's Day, close to the 38 percent on Mother's Day.
Of those who dine out, 80 percent pay an average bill of $62. The remaining 20 percent spent more than $100 in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to Sherry Gillespie, the association's marketing manager.
Those spending $62 are paying $20 or $25 more than usual, Chucri said.
"I think people go out and spend more because they enjoy the day," he said. "They might get that bottle of wine instead of a glass of wine. Or they might get an appetizer and a dessert."
Pleasure or the want of it can be blissful. James and I experienced that from the first. The conversation, started and stayed interesting. We were authentically animated. He thinks I am saucy and sweet, but perhaps a bit too spicy. Like or unlike millions, James does not revel in the smell of natural seasoning. At one point he explained, "I think you are great. I enjoy your company. I yearn to be with you and would be if only you would stop eating garlic, onions, and spicy foods for three days."
While intellectually James does not object to my nutritional regime or my being as I am, his stomach and nose struggle to follow his fondness. Delicate scents do not disguise the aroma of peppers. A bouquet of cologne does not cover the odor of onions. From food to fragrances, friendships are fragile.
Perfume has long been an aphrodisiac decanted sparingly from an iconic glass bottle. But for Leslie Ware, a fashion editor at a quarterly magazine in Huntsville, Ala., fragrance has worked its magic in the opposite direction, as a romantic deal breaker.Several years ago, Ms. Ware was engaged to a gentleman who did not like Trish McEvoy 9, the fruity vanilla blend she had been wearing for seven years.
“He thought I smelled like a traveling carnival, the kind where they sell corn dogs, because I guess the smell was reminiscent of cotton candy,” Ms. Ware, 28, said. “This was the demise of Trish No. 9.”
It was a bad omen.
Soon after, Ms. Ware said she broke up with the perfume-averse boyfriend. She has not worn fragrance since.
A more recent boyfriend fared no better after he bought Ms. Ware what she called “an old-lady perfume” against her wishes.
“It made me mad,” she said. “I told him not to bother buying me fragrance since I am picky, and now I have a $125 bottle of perfume sitting in a closet.”
Just as stomachs lead many men, and women, noses help navigate these same individuals through the maze of ardor. When we wish to give to one we love, money is no object. The cost of the gift does not deter a admirer. Nor does the price impress the person who receives a present. There is much to love, and more to learn if we wish to create a bond that lasts.
This Valentine's eve women will not douse themselves in fragrances and men will be reminded not to buy perfumes as they did in the past. Colognes and toilette water are not collected as they were years ago.
[M]ore women are forgoing scent altogether. Last year, about 15 percent of women said they did not wear fragrance, up from 13 percent in 2003, according to a survey of 9,800 women conducted by NPD.“That may sound like a small number, but nationally that translates into two million more women who are saying ‘I don’t wear fragrance,’ ” said Karen Grant, the senior beauty industry analyst at NPD. “Eighty-five percent of women are still buying fragrance, but an increasing number tell us they are wearing fewer scents, less frequently or not at all.”
Fragrance fatigue is probably inevitable, with heavily fruited scents wafting out of everything from dishwashing liquids to hotel linens to candle displays at the mall. But perfume aversion seems to be tapping into a larger societal phenomenon that may have its origins in bans on cellphones and cigarettes: the idea that the collective demands of the public space trump one’s personal space.
“People are shying away from fragrances not for the traditional reasons that you’d expect, that it is too expensive or that they are wearing alternative products like body sprays or lotions,” Ms. Grant said. “Many people said it bothers them that fragrance has an effect on other people, that they are trying to be considerate by not overcoming others with scent.”
Indeed, Rochelle R. Bloom, the president of the Fragrance Foundation, an industry trade group, said that people who worry that their fragrance may offend others simply may be wearing perfume improperly.
It is not difficult to hurt the feelings of another. People are sensitive souls. Stomachs ache. Noses run. Hearts hurt. Cupid's arrows are curved; however, they can be straightened.
But sometimes couples can reach olfactory accord. Last fall, Robert Flood, a retired technology platform tester in Allen, Tex., worried how to tell his wife of 25 years, Amy, that he could not abide her new perfume, Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion.“It was very atrocious, at least to me,” Mr. Flood, 52, said in a phone interview last week.
The couple later worked out a compromise so that he would not be discomfited should her scent again stray into his air space. Henceforth, each will choose a fragrance for the other to wear.
“On Valentine’s Day, we will go to one of her favorite stores and she will buy me English Leather and I will buy her Jean Naté, which is the fragrance she was wearing when we had just met and she was 17 going on 18,” Mr. Flood said. “We are not smelling the perfume so much as the memories.”
Indeed, for the Floods, fragrance brings with it the Proustian power of recall. One could argue that those who forgo perfume now may inadvertently diminish at some future date the textural memories of relationships past.
Perchance, passion is more than a perfume or a pound of flesh. Spice may not be the cumin poured into the curried dish. The flavors that create true fondness are not found in the pantry or the powder room. The zest and zing that brings zeal into a relationship does not originate during a meal. A scent will not make heartstrings sing.
If two are to enjoy as one they must be responsive and receptive to what is not visible to the eye or smelled by the snout. Memories made and remembered satiate more than a stomach and flood more than a muzzle. This Valentine's Day may be the time to steam sweet nothings and sniff a bit of fresh air. Hugs, kisses, and Happy Valentine's Day.
Sweetness and Spice Sources . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on February 14, 2008 at 05:30 PM in "Take me as I am!", Approval or Love, Compassion, Conflict, Complex, Dreams Live and Die , Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Food Folly, Looking at Life, Looking for Love, Marital Status, Quality of Life | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Exit Exams, High School Dropouts; Cause and Effect
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
In California, students are crushed by the weight of exit exams. Some feel defeated. After numerous failures on test after test, pupils presume, rather than make another attempt, it is best to just dropout. In 2006, 24,000 high school seniors dropped out, about 10,000 more than just four years earlier.
Nationwide, the number of dropouts is staggering; however, in states that require the ever-popular exit exams the rate rises steadily.
HighSchool Exit Exams Linked to Higher Dropout Rates, Researchers Find
By David GlennSince 1979, a growing number of states have required high school students to pass exit examinations before they can receive diplomas. For nearly as long, scholars and policy makers have debated whether such exams do more harm than good.
Proponents of exit exams say they improve learning and future employment by giving both students and school districts better incentives to succeed. Skeptics say the exams needlessly prevent students who have otherwise completed all their course work from receiving diplomas. They also warn that the exams could prompt some students to drop out of high school as early as the 10th or 11th grade, if they think they will fail the tests.
The latest battleground over the issue is California . . .
Now two teams of scholars have written papers that support the more harm than good thesis. In a recent working paper, Thomas S. Dee, an associate professor of economics at Swarthmore College, and Brian A. Jacob, an assistant professor of public policy at Harvard University, reported that students in states with relatively easy exit exams are roughly 4 percent more likely to drop out of high school than similar students in states with no exams. In states with relatively difficult exit exams, students are 5.5 percent more likely to drop out than their counterparts in states with no exams.
The effects are stronger among African American men, Mr. Dee and Mr. Jacob found. In states with easy exit exams, black male students are 5.2 percent more likely to drop out of high school than their counterparts in states with no exit exams. In states with more rigorous exit exams, they are 7.3 percent more likely to drop out than are their counterparts in states with no exit exams.
Those that struggle to do well yet miss the mark by a point, two, or twenty must not be college material, or so a disheartened adolescent is led to believe. Tens of thousands of distraught pupils give up on themselves just as their elders have done. Young academics that do not measure up on exit exams often conclude they are misfits; they do not seem to fit in a society that demands they meet agreed upon standards, as senseless and biased as these standards might be.
The force of mandated exams looms large over the heads of want-to-be High School graduates. Beginning in the sophomore year, young academics are required to test for graduation. Examinations focus on math, English, and algebra skills. Formulaic solutions are featured. There is no need to think deeply when faced with standardized Scantron™ answer forms. Indeed, if a learner ruminates intensely they may be penalized. Time is of the utmost importance. Those that administer the exam remind test-takers you either know the correct answer or you do not. If uncertain move on. Your overall score matters most.
Critical thought can consume minutes, hours, days, and months. High School curriculums have no time for such an exercise. Analysis is not crucial if a pupil wishes to advance. A learner is considered capable if they are able to choose the correct bubble and completely blacken the circle. Results are recorded for posterity. Granted, pupils have multiple chances to pass the mandated multiple-choice examinations. However, if a student cannot deliver after six attempts, they are done. They have "failed"
Policymakers presume they have given pupils an equal chance. They think it irrelevant that the assessment rarely relates to the life of a student or the lessons received in class. It matters not that individual learning styles are ignored or that a learners language skills are not considered. When the school determines it is apt, a student is placed in a room and told "Perform."
Administrators' demand or command excellence. The date, or the dilemmas that teens cope with daily is not averaged into the grade. What occurred on that day, at that time, in that year, or within the institution are not considered applicable in calculations. When it is convenient for the school, students must achieve.
Reach for the gold star. Grab the brass ring. Success will be yours. Pencils down. Pooh! Failed again.
Confronted with a curriculum that does not meet the needs of the student population, or of a particular pupil, many young scholars are overwhelmed with fear. Apprehension alone is enough to affect achievement. Language barriers also boggle a mind.
For a 16-year-old, Iris Padilla's resume looks pretty good: Not only is she already a senior close to completing all the credits needed to graduate from Richmond High, she's president of a Latin American culture club and is active in political and religious clubs at school. Next year, Iris wants to go to college and study psychology.But Richmond High might not let her graduate this spring.
That's because Iris hasn't passed the exit exam, and she has only one more chance before graduation day to tackle the two-day test, on March 21-22.
Iris is one of 73,270 California high school seniors in the same pickle -- unable to fulfill a new state law requiring students to pass a test of basic English, math, and algebra to graduate. That's 1 in 5 members of the state's Class of 2006, says the state Department of Education.
More than half of those who still need to pass -- 40,002 students -- are like Iris: They don't speak much English.
Iris Padilla is a superior student. Any college would welcome a young woman so dedicated to her education, and to her community. Perchance, in an institution of higher learning faculty and facilitators understand that, typically it takes seven years to acquire fluency in a foreign language. A University may give Iris Padilla the opportunity to truly acquire English language skills. However,, we may never know, for the young woman may not have the chance to apply to one of the many ivory towers, although she has prepared to do so all of her life.
Iris is a disciplined scholar as are most in her precarious situation. The vast majority of teenagers that cannot pass the exit examinations have hopes, dreams, and drive.
Her school day begins at 7:30 a.m. with an exit-exam prep class in math. Then it's on to geometry, economics, computer graphics, world history, and an English-language class. She is passing them all. After school, Iris attends another prep class for the English portion of the test.Her teacher, Isidora Martinez-McAfee, has been teaching English to newcomers in the same classroom for 30 years and has seen most of them graduate, and many go on to college.
"Some have become dentists, hygienists, nurses, psychologists, teachers," said Martinez-McAfee.
But now, she fears, students like Iris will stagnate.
With one month left to go before her final shot at passing the exit exam, Iris still finds an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem on the practice test impenetrable, and word problems in math as clear as Greek.
Does that mean Iris should be barred from walking across the graduation stage with her classmates, or that she should receive an empty envelope when theirs contains a diploma?
State Superintendent Jack O'Connell, who wrote the exit exam law in 1999 while a state senator, calls it "immoral" to award diplomas to students who can't pass the test.
Time, narrowly-focused-dogmatic-dictatorial bureaucrats, and those that profit from the policies these legislators devise are not on the side of students such as Iris. American-born Iris Padilla [and others] is punished upon her return to the homeland. Iris Padilla, for most of her life lived with her Grandmother in Mexico. She came back to her mother's home only months before she shared her story with Journalist Nanette Asimov. Iris may not receive a diploma. Dependant on the District, she too may be defined as a dropout. The dropout crisis is, in many ways, contrived.
To complicate matters, dropout rates do not simply or directly translate to an accurate graduation rate. Multiple methods and definitions can result in what appears to be conflicting information. For example, it is possible to have a low rate of dropout based on event or status calculations, and to have a low rate of graduation as well. The formula and parameters (e.g., age, grade, accountability period) used to determine the rate must be carefully considered and explained . . .
A focus on measuring graduation rates is conceptually linked to recent increased emphasis on the importance of promoting student engagement to enhance school completion. However, due to lack of standardized definitions and methods for computing dropout rates and graduation rates, interpretation must be carefully considered. Until a standard procedure is established and used across districts, states, and national reporting agencies, reports of dropout and graduation rates can be interpreted accurately only when accompanied by explanations of how the numbers were derived.
Rarely are the numbers reflective of what occurs within a school, a District, or a State. While elders stress accountability for students, they, themselves are not held to a rigid standard. It behooves an educational facility to filter out those that lower the ranking. No Child Left Behind laws put Administrators in a position to choose. Punish the student or punish the school. Most prefer to penalize the youngster.
Administrators might justify such an act. After all, America needs an unskilled labor force. Those without a high school diploma can fill those slots. Besides, once out of the system they have one more opportunity to take the exit exam. Thus, there is no reason to worry if students dropout.
If a pupil cannot pass the exam after five tries while enrolled, then financially, it is better for the institution if that student is no longer counted in the final tally. Federal officials will not fund underperforming schools. Sanctions are progressively more punitive each year. Hence, a school benefits when those registered are able to do well on standardized tests.
Affluent parents pour millions into test preparation classes. Online training is also available; however, that too costs money. Some schools also supplement schedules to accommodate students in need of more guidance. This helps those that have access to such assistance. However, sadly many students do not have this luxury.
A young person that receives no one-on-one instruction at home or at school often feels lost and fears stating this aloud. Peers can be cruel. Yet, if parents are absent, away at a one job or another, children are left to fend for themselves. The economically poor child is poorer still. A Mom or Dad working multiple jobs cannot give a child the attention instruction demands. An underprivileged parent is frequently of meager means because they are undereducated. The two characteristics collide and all in close proximity feel the impact.
Based on the most careful calculation of graduation rates and the longest time span, this study concluded that exit exams, and particularly the more difficult exams, did reduce high school completion rates by about 2.1 percentage points. Furthermore, the negative effects of exams were larger in states with high rates of poverty and with more racially and ethically diverse student populations. This conclusion reinforces results from other studies indicating that test score results and passing rates vary substantially by race, ethnicity and income.
Young persons without the tools, left alone at home, must rely on teachers to teach them. Most educators are preoccupied, too many pupils, too many tests. Thus, a frustrated teenager flits and flitters. Angst filters through the mind and body of an eager scholar stressed to the limit. Trepidation coupled with confusion does more than merely aggravate an academic. Aspiring adolescents in California conclude, it is better to give up, dropout, and forfeit a diploma.
California Exit Exam Boosts Dropout Numbers
By Juliet Williams
Associated Press
November 8, 2007Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — The number of California high school dropouts spiked in 2006, the first year seniors were required to pass an exit exam to graduate, according to a report presented Wednesday to the state Board of Education.
The analysis found that 24,000 high school seniors dropped out in 2006, about 10,000 more than just four years earlier.
The information could give ammunition to lawmakers and others who have criticized the exam, as well as those who have lobbied for alternative assessments.
Currently, politicians and policymakers decide how we might evaluate learning. These persons are rarely if ever trained professional teachers. Nor do most recall life as a student. Superintendents, Commissioners, community leaders ignore or forget what they once knew. Intelligence and knowledge are fluid. Statistical calculations are fixed.
A child develops; wisdom expands. Under stress, growth is stunted; intelligence wanes. We struggle to access acumen when placed in a situation that breeds anxiety.
Children learn well when they are not forced fed. So too do adults. Contemplate the myriad of facts you gathered quickly. When a topic was of interest to you personally, you seized the vital statistics with vigor. Consider the data you forgot over the years. Records memorized only to recite back on a test, soon fade from memory.
The wonks may want us to believe that instructors can teach to a test and children will learn. However, when we study, what has no meaning for more than a moment, we internalize little if any of what was placed before us.
Insight is accrued slowly. Erudition is a process. A portfolio of work demonstrates the evolution known as scholarship. Experts in education understand this.
However, in most other regions enlightenment is delayed. Emissaries and executives look on from outside the classroom. They decide what is best for those in schools. When the voices within educational system dissent, the sound they make is often muffled. At times, there is a small victory. Overall, little changes.
Exit Exam Challenged!
POOR Magazine Youth intern who didn't pass the Exit Exam reviews the legal challenges that were recently decided on.
Antonio William/PNN Youth in Media
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
"How can they talk about us standing on corners, using drugs, we are hard-working students trying to get an education," a Latina Richmond High School Student wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke into the corporate media lens. She was speaking outside a school board hearing in April on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
Earlier this month two major legal challenges to the CAHSEE were heard and adjudicated on in California courts. The first one: Liliana Valenzuela, et al v. Jack O'Connell, which was fought by attorneys Arturo Gonzalez and Chris Young from Morrison and Foerster on the basis of the educational, due process and equal protection rights afforded to students under the California Constitution. We won this one. Alameda County Judge Robert Freedman decided on Friday May 11th to delay diploma denial for the class of 2006.
When issuing the injunction, Freedman said he was swayed by Gonzalez's argument that low-income of color students, English language learners in particular attend low-performing schools that do not prepare them adequately for the test.
Of the 46,700 seniors who have failed the test, 20,600 are designated as limited English learners and 28,300 are very lo-income. I am one of those 28,300 students.
Progress is slow, be it in learning, or in policy making. We accept and expect adult practices to be measured. As a culture, we believe that change must calculated. The pace need be unhurried and deliberate. However, in the area of education, we want assessments to be completed without delay. The process quick and is dirty. Children are damaged by the experience. Still, the need to be saturated with statistics is honored and gratified.
We have all heard the ancient axiom that discredits educators. It seems the general public, Boards, Judges, and legislators believe anyone can do what most dare not, enter a classroom full of twenty, thirty, or forty unique, excited, expectant young persons and make a significant difference. The accepted adage is, 'Those that cannot teach.' Thus, educators have no power to determine the curriculum. Teachers are trained to oversee tests. That is the way their superiors like it.
Jack O'Connell, superintendent of public instruction, has consistently opposed such an [alternative] option.
Exit exams remain a requisite for High school graduation. The practice is profitable for publishers and other adult professionals, [not for pupils.] Mega millions are spent on improving evaluative systems.
Hidden Costs Present ChallengesThe costs are considerable for a state, as well as individual school districts, to put in place a high school exit exam and help students meet the standards required by the test. For example, it costs Indiana, a state with an exit exam of average difficulty, $557 per student to maintain the state's current level of performance on the exam, according to the Center on Education Policy.
The argument is that if a student is well prepared the cost of remediation will be reduced. However, there is no need for further instruction after graduation if a child is taught well initially. Society invests little in schools in poorer neighborhoods, less on quality teachers for impoverished pupils, and even less on the students that sit in inadequate classrooms, and it shows. Pupils trapped in an inner city ghetto help us to see the stark differentiation between the best of conditions and the worse. Without well-educated parents to supplement a child's education at home, the outcome for a student is dire. Impoverished students suffer the consequences of their birth and station.
The report's findings validate the argument that the test is hardest on students who do not have access to good schools or good teachers, said Liz Guillen, director of legislative and community affairs for the nonprofit law firm Public Advocates. That applies mostly to poor and minority students, she said . . .The report also highlights California's persistent achievement gap and found an even more worrisome problem: Students who are black, Hispanic, poor or learning English did even worse when they were in schools with high concentrations of similar students.
The disparity between the haves and "have-nots" is daunting. The separation between the socio-economic classes is broad and widens. As we assess dropout rates, we can see that city school students are far more likely to drop than suburban scholars are.
Perhaps, exit exams have a purpose, albeit financial. Institutions gain when students are encouraged to forfeit a diploma. If those that struggle to pass the required assessment dropout, the percentage that graduate appears higher. The books are "legitimately" cooked.
Thus, the accountability standards designated by No Child Left Behind are achieved. Conveniently, children left behind fill the ranks of the lower caste. American society remains stable; the status quo is preserved. The haves are served and the have-nots continue to dream the impossible.
We may think we are comfortable as long as we, and our progeny, graduate. However, there are repercussions, not only for the children, but also for society as a whole. When a nation breeds a poor population, we give rise to generational poverty, people in need of assistance. This can burden a community, as well as bring about greater resentment, rebellion, and ultimately to increased societal ills, physical, emotional, intellectual. Welfare is but a singular, isolated, and the smallest consequence of poverty.
The community, as a whole, suffers when we do not care for each other. Wages fall. There is less opportunity to work. Physical and mental well-beings are threatened. Poverty is a shared load. It taxes individuals, institutions, and neighborhoods. The effects of impoverishment may be more evident among the young. Sadly, the weakest among us, from birth, are lumped together in underperforming schools. Through them, we might better diagnosis what affects us all.
[T]he vast majority of underachieving students are concentrated in such [poor] schools [with minority populations.]Most students are able to pass the exam in time for graduation, although critics note that as graduation day approaches more students drop out of school and stop being counted.
Poor and minority students help to remind us what occurs when we ignore or deny sound pedagogical principles. Children must be taught and tested in a manner that mirrors the way they learn. The acquisition of knowledge internalized occurs over time. Elucidation occurs when we meet people where they live. Attention to learning modalities matters.
If a pupil acquires best information when active, we must provide them with opportunities to produce. Then, we can evaluate the product. Educators must recall the maxim, "Practice makes perfect.'" One project completed does not equate to scholarship. The process, the progression affirms full comprehension. When an individual has a foundation, they are able to create anew. That is excellence.
If a child acquires knowledge aurally, that option must also be available. Appraisals for such a child need to also accommodate this learning modality. Once more, a young person cannot be accurately evaluated on one occasion. We each are a mixture of moments. Any of us may excel in the morning and fade in the afternoon, or vice versa. We cannot be sure what a day will bring. We can be certain that if we evaluate a pupil frequently, if a young academic is challenged to grow at their own pace, in a manner that meets their needs ultimately, they will do well.
Again, a collection of work helps us to understand how a child performs in various conditions. No one of us is ever the same in every moment. We may do well with a good night's rest, with sufficient food in our belly, and if we have had ample and exceptional opportunities to associate ourselves with the material. However, even all these advantages will not compensate for what occurs on any given day. Word of a parents' divorce, a death in the family, or just dread can doom a thinker to failure.
We all have feelings. Perchance we, as a society, might realize our emotions often lead us to defeat. Great angst felt at the prospect of a test, one that could shape our future and cause us to fail. Indeed, it probably will.
There’s no doubt that today students are under intense pressure to perform academically, but at what cost? The Institute of HeartMath® (www.heartmath.org) and Claremont Graduate University (www.cgu.edu) released a new study that depicts the high levels of anxiety students are shouldering due to the pressure to excel intellectually. Nearly two-thirds of the high school students who participated in the study reported being affected by test anxiety. The study underscores the detrimental impact of test anxiety on academic performance. Based on their findings, researchers say that students’ high levels of anxiety may jeopardize NCLB assessment validity and could be compromising testing results.HeartMath researchers explain that feelings of anxiety drive up the level of “noise” or mental static to such a pitch that it overloads the circuits in the brain needed for paying attention, learning, focusing, and remembering.
Dr. Rollin McCraty, lead researcher on the study and director of research for the Institute of HeartMath, says, "When students are anxious about their test performance, their brain doesn’t function efficiently. They can look at a test question and literally not see certain words, become confused, or miss the meaning of a question. They can even miss seeing entire questions on the page."
Hence, I plead. Policymakers, please understand, if we continue to assess our offspring in manners that befuddle them, threaten their sense of self, and serve only to generate a statistical base, we will alienate those we depend on most, our children. The young are our future. Do we really wish to throw them out of the schools and onto the streets? I hope not.
Some may see the poorest among us a disposable, dispensable, or expendable. They are not. Those that consider their children a priority and lessen the worth of the poor have yet to do the math. Compassion aside, we all pay the price for poverty.
A community is the sum total of the parts. If the elite do not invest in the education of impoverished youth, the cost incurred by all will be high. An unskilled, under-educated laborer is less likely to be secure in their employment. Wages for manual and menial work is low. Transitions affect economic stability. Uneducated employees may not have adequate health care. Bargaining for benefits is easier when you have an education to stand on. The shared cost of medical services alone takes a toll on the rates we each pay. Increased crime is a possibility we must consider. The effects of emotions expand. No one can predict with certainly what will become of our High School dropouts.
I invite educators and parents alike to advocate for the youth of America. Put yourself in the place of your progeny. Please do not be punitive and pedantic. Provide for our pupils. Bequeath them equal opportunities to progress over time in a manner that matches who they are. Let us not endorse artificial proofs of learning. May we empathize and embrace young minds while they are still in school. Policymakers, please drop in to our schools and experience the devastation exit exams reap before our children drop out.
Schools Days, Rigid Rules, and References . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on November 10, 2007 at 08:00 PM in Children, Creativity and Curiosity, Dreams Live and Die , Economic Policy Institute Reports, Education, Education or Economics, Education, Effects of Poverty , Failure, No Child Left Behind, Poverty in America, Racial Discrimination, School Days | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New Eyes Bestow Meaning; Making a Difference
Inspiration
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
As children, many of us decide we wish to help others. When asked what we want to be when we grow up, we typically respond, I will be a Teacher, maybe a Doctor, or a Nurse. I wish to serve society as a Social Worker, a Fireman, or a Law Officer. As a Librarian, I can truly help people grow intellectually. What they read will advance emotional enlightenment. Even food servers and those who prepare the fare, experience pleasure when he or she interacts with the connoisseur of sustenance and spirits. The builder provides shelter from the storms. We each wish to make a difference.
At a young age, we learn to admire those who encouraged us to grow our minds and bodies, no matter their walk of life. Throughout our teens, we study. Biological, physiological sciences are popular pursuits for pre-med students. Enrollment in Liberal Arts, Language Arts, and English courses is common among those that wish to practice pedagogy. Apprenticeships are available in other professions. Academic scholars and those who pursue lessons that are more practical diligently work to follow their dream. Finally, we finish. We feel our oats and exuberantly enter the workplace determined to inspire and bestow the best that we have to offer.
Each day, as successful professionals we awake to a new dawn. We drive to fulfill the promise of our chosen careers. However, after a while we feel drained. We believe we are not indispensable, effective, or even necessary. Many of us no longer feel committed to the profession that was once our dream. Millions of us fade fast when we do the work we once thought would feed our soul. We are stressed beyond belief. We do not think we can endure as we have for what seems forever.
Tired, worn, and torn we are tempted by higher salaries. The prospect of shorter hours excites many a mind. More prestige for less sounds great. Longer vacations intrigue others. Better benefits are a draw. For some, simply a break from the omnipresent demands might be nice.
In the field of education, each of these incentives is used to entice trained mentors to a District or to this calling. Yet, teacher turnover remains high.
In the medical profession, doctors too are extremely dissatisfied with what the vocation has become. Although physicians are thought to be more autonomous, they too feel ample pressure. Patients, insurers, Health Maintenance Organizations [HMOs], and fellow physicians all burden the mind and affect the quality of life.
Often individuals in every job are so overwhelmed. They think life would be better in another line of work. Stories of frustration are abundant. In each profession, people decide to move on; certain that the grass is greener elsewhere.
Americans are burned out, burned up, lighting the candle at both ends, and unhappy in their careers. Countless people question the choices they’ve made. Some assume they made decisions when they were young and naïve. They think as adults they are wiser. Numerous individuals acknowledge, in recent years the marketplace demands much. "Vacations" are defined as vocations on wheels. Trains, boats, and planes and now offices when on the go. They accept they are simply stretched too far. They see the evidence.
Five warning signs of job burnout
By Kate Lorenz
CareerBuilder.comDo you think you never have or never will experience work burnout? Consider these statistics:
The American worker has the least vacation time of any modern, developed society.
In 2005, 33 percent of workers said they would be checking in with the office while on vacation.
One-half of workers reported they feel a great deal of stress on the job.
Forty-four percent of working moms admit to being preoccupied about work while at home and one-fourth say they bring home projects at least one day a week.
Nineteen percent of working moms reported they often or always work weekends.
Thirty-seven percent of all working dads said they would consider the option of taking a new job with less pay if it offered a better work/life balance.
Thirty-six percent of working dads reported they bring work home at least one day a week and 30 percent say they often or always work weekends. These statistics, taken from CareerBuilder.com surveys of American workers, demonstrate the pressures employees in the United States are under [in order] to be available to the office, despite responsibilities -- or plans -- away from work.
All this, combined with longer work hours and many individuals handling the workloads of two, can easily lead to worker burnout.
If you think burnout on the job is just an excuse used by the weak to get out of responsibilities, think again. Stress and burnout can affect your immune system and have been linked to migraines, digestive disorders, skin diseases, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It causes emotional distress as well.
"Job burnout is a response to work stress that leaves you feeling powerless, hopeless, fatigued, drained and frustrated," writes Dr. Audrey L. Canaff, a UC Foundation Assistant Professor in the Counseling Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in her article on WorkplaceBlues.com. "But since job burnout is not an overnight occurrence, it's important to recognize its early signs and to act before the problem becomes truly serious."
At times, the actions we take only add to our strain. Some take medication to relieve the pain of pressure. Side effects can exacerbate our physical and psychological well-being. Others run from the scene of the crime they once called 'my career.' More eat to escape the encroaching misery. A few exercise. Each offers temporary relief. Most accept they must suffer in silence. They hope this too will pass.
People ponder. Perchance, the company will be sold. The District will appoint new Administrators. Hospitals, on occasion, hire new management firms. Some say I will simply transfer to another locale. Scores of employees count the days until they might quit. Several ask to be fired. Unemployment and lawsuits are options. A few people dream; their day will come. However, often it does not, or so they believe. Most of us miss what is right in front of us. We do not see what is there, for our eyes are tired and we are weary.
Author, and Physician Naomi Rachel Remen once practiced in an area of medicine that left her separate from herself. She was extremely successful; thus, she did not realize how torn she was. For this amazing professional, life offered unexpected opportunities. Experiences helped open her eyes. Now she gives us great gifts through her inscriptions.
Finding meaningTeaching the practice of medicine involves more than teaching its science. Medicine is in crisis, and in crisis, we need to find something stronger than our science to hold on to, something more satisfying and sustaining to us as people in this work. Perhaps the answer lies in learning to cultivate the meaning of our work in the same way that we have traditionally pursued its knowledge base. We will need to learn to educate students to find meaning as skillfully as we educate them to pursue medical expertise.
In times of difficulty, meaning strengthens us not by changing our lives by transforming our experience of our lives, The Italian psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli tells a parable about 3 stonecutters building a cathedral in the Middle Ages. You approach the first man and ask him what he's doing. Angrily he turns to you and says, "Idiot! Use your eyes! They bring me a rock, I cut it into a block, they take it away, and they bring me another rock. I've been doing this since I was old enough to work, and I'm going to be doing it until the day that I die." Quickly you withdraw, go the next man, and ask him the same question. He smiles at you warmly and tells you, "I'm earning a living for my beloved family. With my wages I have built a home, there is food on our table, the children are growing strong." Moving on, you approach the third man with this same question. Pausing, he gives you a look of deep fulfillment and tells you, "I am building a great cathedral, a holy lighthouse where people lost in the dark can find their strength and remember their way. And it will stand for a thousand years!" Each of these men is doing the identical task. Finding a personal meaning in your work opens even the most routine of tasks to the dimension of satisfaction and even joy. We may need to recognize meaning for the resource it is and find ways to pursue it and preserve it.
While the philosophical may be enlightening, often people read such tales and do not integrate the moral into their lives. People relate to practical paths. Medical Doctor, and Counselor to cancer patients, offers a personal narrative.
A former patient of hers, Josh is a highly gifted cancer surgeon. A bout of depression overwhelmed this extremely esteemed Physician. Josh sought counsel and turned to Naomi. Remen met a disillusioned and cynical man certain of a need to retire. The medical man expressed his disenchantment, "I can barely make myself get out of bed in the mornings. I hear the same complaints day after day; I see the same diseases over and over again. I just don't care anymore. I need a new life." Although the doctor's skills gave life to many on the verge of death, it did not matter to him.
Rachel Naomi Remen recounts for her readers in Grandfather's Blessings, an account that may resonate within you.
Proust said the voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new vistas but in having new eyes. New eyes can often be found in very simple ways. Drawing on the work of Angeles Arrien, the author of the The Four Fold Way, I sometimes suggest to people like Josh that they review the events of their day for fifteen minutes every evening, asking themselves three questions in a journal.The three questions are: What surprised me today? What moved me or touched me today? What inspired me today? Often these are busy people, and I tell them that they do not need to write a great deal; the key thing is in reliving their day from a new perspective, and not the amount that they write about it. I asked Josh if he would like to try this as an experiment.
He was dubious. "Less expensive than Prozac," I told him. He laughed and agreed to try. I was not surprised to hear from him in a few days. He sounded irritated on the phone. "Rachel," he said, "I have done this for three days now and the answer is always the same: "Nothing. Nothing and nothing." I don't like to fail at things. Is there a trick to this?"
I laughed. "perhaps you are still looking at life in old ways," I told him. "Try looking at the people around you as if you were a novelist, a journalist, or maybe a poet. Look for the stories." There was a brief silence. "right," he said. I sighed. But he did not call me back.
Josh did not mention the journal again for several weeks. Our sessions focused on relieving some of the stress and reducing his workload a bit. He seemed to be getting better, and I was optimistic.
Six weeks later Josh came into the office with his bound journal. He spoke of how he struggled to see beyond what he knew, what he was trained to observe. The physician focused on science. He wrote of how a cancer shrunk or enlarged. He penned words that related to his work; a new experimental drug was effective. Gradually, he saw the people he cared for. Josh realized individuals stricken with terminal illness . . .
found their way through great pain and darkness by following the thread of love, people who had sacrificed parts of their bodies to affirm the value of being alive, found ways to triumph over pain, suffering, and even death.
People moved this medical professional to tears. Josh was triumphant for he saw what most of us no longer observe. Each of us leads meaningful lives. We touch others and change lives. We, as individuals make a profound difference. While overwhelmed with the logistics of work we lose sight of what matters. The exchange you had with this person or that helped them to believe, to begin to live their lives anew. An encounter expanded the awareness of another, or perhaps you were changed by a comment, a compliment, a thought made in passing.
Surgeon, Josh realized if he listened to hearts not through a stethoscope but through new eyes he could hear love speak to him. Empathy is the best educator, the most qualified doctor, and it exists within us. Teachers do not impart wisdom. Physicians do not heal wounds. Librarians do not bestow tools for knowledge. Flight attendants do not ease the travel. Our own hearts inform and help us recover when we are hurt, bothered, burned out, and bleeding for relief.
What we see, feel, hear, think, and choose to be is not determined by our career. These are evoked from within. Wherever we go, there we are. We cannot separate ourselves from our interpretations, explanations, illumination, enlightenment, or existence. A change in careers will not calm the soul. Chaos cannot be lessened if we leave a location. What truly alters our perceptions is not the work [job] we do, the work we do within transforms us.
No matter our profession, a Mom, a Maintenance Worker, a Machinist, or a Corporate Mogul, we make a difference in the lives of others and in our own internal universe.
As you travel through your day I invite you to reflect. What surprised you today? What moved you or touched you today? What inspired you today? Write your answers and share these with us. I trust what moves you will be meaningful to us all. We each relate to a reality that is ours daily. Every one of us only needs to look through new eyes. Perchance your view will help expand my horizons.
Sources For Stress and Redress . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on November 8, 2007 at 01:16 PM in Dreams Live and Die , Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Life, A Forward Motion, Looking at Life | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
United Auto Workers Are Everyman; The American Experience
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
The morning broke. There was a momentary blip in the air as broadcasters spoke of the pending United Auto Workers potential strike. Was the short and sweet General Motors walkout the topic of discussion, or perhaps, the work stoppage at Chrysler was the focus. No matter; neither was of interest to Jack, a corporate executive. He received word from his accountant hours earlier; health care costs are too high. We must cut benefits. Perhaps it would be better if we eliminate a large portion of the workforce. Certainly, that would save us much money. The company must consider the stockholders. Individual buyers and brokers look at earnings and expenses.
Richard, a man that rose through the ranks, currently holds the title of Vice President in a well-known organization. His company is up for sale. Potential buyers will scrutinize the books. Every penny, nickel, and dime must be accounted for. He too was summoned. In his case, the President called. Employee medical expenses must be slashed. We can no longer offer life insurance. This business already purged the employees they could afford to lose. Workers wages are exceedingly low. That helps to make this company competitive. Richard recalls, years ago, he chose to work for this institute because of the benefits. Even then, he knew how valuable remuneration was. How might he endorse such a reduction or loss?
Bethany slept soundly, more so than she had before. Yesterday, she went to the doctor for a routine examination. Her tests were clear. A clean bill of health was delivered. That was wonderful. The results calmed her mind; indeed, she was elated. In the immediate, she was comforted by the knowledge she had health insurance. An indemnity would cover the bill. She said this aloud; for most of her adult life, she had no health care coverage.
Marion, a woman Bethany met in the waiting room, spoke of her concerns. She diligently punched a time clock for forty years. Marion is a retired member of the city staff. Possibly, she was a state employee, communications worker, a retail associate, or a salesperson. Maybe her hours were not logged in a conventional manner; nonetheless, she worked hard for decades. Perchance, Marion is a Mom. While she and Bethany sat, each expectant of their test results, they chatted.
Marion mentioned the change in her circumstance. With the new Medicaid "donut hole' as she called it, she could barely keep up. Routine examinations were now a luxury. She feared a thirty-five dollar co-pay. The funds seemed excessive. Bethany shared her saga. Only twelve months earlier, she had no insurance. Three tests were required. The total cost was close to a thousand dollars. For her, thirty-five greenbacks would have been a welcome fare.
Shelia chimed in. This lovely lady, also adorned in a medical gown offered she and her husband own a same business. Medical costs and coverage for their few employees is a concern that escalates daily. Often, the couple thinks to move from one insurer to another. However, in the past when they had, they realized no rewards. Shelia shutters, sighs, and then inquires, "How long have each of you been here today." She notes, my appointment was scheduled for two, Post Meridian. Now, near three hours later I sit.
The three women look at each other and exclaim. This is health care in America? The conversation continued. All were exasperated and excited to have an opportunity to speak. Marion mused as talk of health care turned to politics, and minutes were but a blur, "Now that we have solved all societal ills." Of course, they had not. Union strikes were not discussed.
Jack, Richard, Bethany, Marion, Sheila, and her husband are not employees of General Motors, Chrysler, or Ford Motor Company, another corporation we will hear about in the near future. Yet, each is affected by the circumstances that concern the United Auto Workers. They are all Middle America.
We all have our tales, our sagas, and situations. However, sadly, we see our own lives as separate from the anxieties of others. They are not. We are united, whether we are member of a labor Union or not. We are citizens of the United States.
For many decades, in this country, the cry was heard, "As goes General Motors, so goes the nation." While the prominent automaker is but half the company it was only years ago, it remains archetypal. What occurs within General Motors is emblematic and endemic.
Two weeks after GM laborers partook in a two-day walkout, and then agreed to terms of their new contract, a six-hour strike against automaker Chrysler began. It too was less than significant for most Americans. At least that is what journalists told us. The mantra on the morning of October 10, 2007 was Chrysler is now a privately owned company. Therefore, its woes will not affect the stock market, which, as we know, is the true economic driver.
As reports of a possible job-stoppage streamed across the screen, and announcers screamed of the possibility in the early morn, "average" Americans were reminded, they need not fear. Portfolios were safe. The implication was, and is, stockholders are important. Investors matter. Laborers do not; they are but a insignificant commodity.
In recent years, we have heard the hoopla; more Americans own stocks than had in the past. Everyone is invested in the market. The economy is strong and has been for decades. Currently, laws favor financial planning. Life for Americans is far better than it has ever been. Less than a decade ago, we read . . .
In 1998, 52 percent of Americans owned shares in public companies or equity mutual funds, either directly in their own accounts, or indirectly in retirement and trust accounts. This percentage was four times higher than in 1980, when only 13 percent of Americans owned stock. By the end of the century, more than half the population were capitalists in some sense.Many factors contributed to the broadening of stock ownership. New pension laws shifted many employees’ pensions to the new 401(k) plans, most of which are invested in stocks. Mutual funds made it easier and cheaper to start investing. Federal law deregulated brokerage commissions. On-line investing facilitated stock purchases by reducing both paperwork and commissions. Finally, after almost twenty years of unprecedented prosperity, many Americans had significant wealth with which to invest in equities.
However, even then, working stiffs did not prosper as polished "professionals" might have. Richard may have increased his income. He might have invested in a healthy portfolio. The authentically affluent such as Jack, certainly reaped some capital gains. There is little doubt; this entrepreneur likely increased his worth greatly. Nonetheless, as in years past, prosperity was not equally shared.
Approximately half the population still pinched pennies and tied their purse strings tightly. Bethany, Marion, and Sheila were perhaps among those that struggled. Dispensable, discretionary income was but a dream, the American Dream not realized. Life may have looked good for those that control the message and wish to promote further speculation. , the silent near majority knew then as they do now . . .
Dow's all-time high inconsequential for most Americans
By Sylvia Allegretto.
Economic Policy Institute
December 11, 2006Much attention was paid last week to the Dow Jones recovery to its prior peak level first reached in 2000. It is important to put this milestone into perspective for average working families. Fostered by the constant focus and widespread attention given to the performance of the stock market, conventional wisdom has it that everyone in the United States is heavily invested in the stock market. However, the data tell a different story.
The most recent triennial data from the Survey of Consumer Finances show that the historically increasing trend in the shares of all households owning any stock reversed course from just over half in 2001 (51.9%) to just under half in 2004 (48.6%)1—the first such decline on record (Figure A ). In 2004, only about a third of Americans had stock holdings, valued at more than $5,000.
The distribution of stocks, by value, is highly tilted to the wealthiest Americans as shown in Figure B. In 2004, the wealthiest 1% owned 36.9% of all stocks, while the next 9% owned 41.9%. Hence, the wealthiest 10% controlled about 80% of all stocks while the bottom 90% owned just over 20%. Given the starkness and persistence of inequality in stock holdings, there is no reason to think those in the bottom 90% are doing any better today.
Those that were at the bottom in the 1990s remain there. Some sunk further into oblivion. Indeed, in the twenty-first century, the poor fell further than they imagined possible. Their hopes and dreams dashed. Few manual laborers see a home in their future. They worry; they do not believe they can provide an adequate education for their offspring. Putting food on the table has become a priority. The impoverished were not in the physician's office with the three women. They could not afford to be.
The Middle Class, or those that once were among the median population, also sink lower and lower. Caught in the vacuum of a downward spiral, formerly comfortable Americans fear falling down the dark hole. The darkness of the drain is in sight. In recent years, as the market races to all time highs, the decline downward accelerates for all but the corporate tycoon. Magnates prosper and plan to build their profits; Jack absolutely is.
Please consider the Chrysler Corporation and the company that purchased this organization months ago, Cerberus Capital. While circumstances differ essentially, the basic motivation is the same, big bucks. General Motors may be slightly more patient in their pursuit of ample profits and earnings; nonetheless, each company considers financial interest more than those of the workers.
"GM is a classic automotive firm," McAlinden said. "They're in it for the long haul, and they produced a long-haul UAW agreement, that says 'We're going to save money on this agreement, but it's going to take four years to roll out and we're going to do it with a lot of new product.'"Chrysler, on the other hand, was recently bought by Cerberus Capital, a private investment company that buys other firms, restructures them and then tries to sell them or take them public for a healthy profit.
"Cerberus is a private equity firm, who in the past hasn't really taken over a company to increase its product line," McAlinden [Sean McAlinden, a Michigan auto analyst] said.
If perchance Cerberus Capital were interested in the car industry, the likelihood that they would cater to the needs and concerns of the workers is not high. Consider a morning with Jack or his accountant. Chief Executives, in America, do not wish to negotiate. Capitalist cohort Ronald Reagan ensured entrepreneurs would not have to do more than the minimum. During the Reagan reign, in the 1980s, labor laws were re-interpreted. Legislation favored business owners. Richard Hurd, professor of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University spoke of a lack of incentive for employers to talk to disgruntled workers in recent decades. Moguls are legally able to stonewall employees; only a semblance of good-faith is required. Employers merely need to come to the table and talk, nothing more.
Magnates are in truth, in the driver's seat. Professor Hurd muses; today, we have one-tenth the strikes we had in the past. This Cornell experts expounds, globalization has lessened the power of employees. Americans can no longer afford to strike. Thus, today's workers, at least in the manufacturing industry have become cautious. They do not wish to challenge the company. They fear a loss of personal savings. More importantly, laborers are anxious, they will not have a job, if they leave, even for a moment.
In the past ten years, strikes have become creative vehicles. Protests are announced far in advance. The strategy is tactical. There is no incentive for the employer to make a quick change, such as hiring a new staff. Intentionally picketers hit the pavement for a day or two. Grievances are expressed. The intent of a walkout is meant only to send a message, Few hear the more subtle communication, or appreciate the endeavor.
Jessica Kelly, a twenty-one year old thinks people on strike are "over zealous." She believes walkouts are "not the proper way to handle a situation." Miss Kelly considers a picket line, a stampede, not an appropriate means of expression. Jonathan Yates, states, "It is just posturing." He concludes, "No one really cares about stopping work. They almost like they are just following up on their Union commitment." Yates states, "I think the Union largely exists for its own sake."
Apparently, in 2007, the Union, or the need to fight for fair wages and benefits is a dated concept. The populace is convinced; strikes serve no purpose. Unions are corrupt. They are but another Big Business and indeed, they are or will be if the recent trends are realized.
UAW dissidents argue against ratifying GM deal
By Nick Carey
Reuters.
Friday, September 28, 2007; 10:48 AMGrand Rapids, Michigan (Reuters) - Gregg Shotwell says that by agreeing to a new contract with General Motors Corp (GM.N) the United Auto Workers has ceased to be a union.
"The UAW is now a corporation," he said, sitting on the back porch of his home in a leafy neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan. "It has become UAW Incorporated."
Shotwell says he is one of a large number of UAW members, angry at the union for the groundbreaking contract it concluded with the top U.S. automaker this week. The pact would shift health-care costs away from the struggling company and create a lower tier of wages for new hires.
Those health-care costs -- if the contract is ratified by GM's 73,000 hourly workers -- would be managed in a UAW-administered trust fund that would have more than $30 billion in cash and other assets.
"There are a lot of people who are disgusted with what they've done," Shotwell said.
This is only one aspect that concerns workers. Those that care about more than their stock portfolios see it differently. Months ago, stock analyst speculated the adoption of a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association Trust [is] Unlikely To Cover All Future Health Care Obligations For Big Three Automakers.
Morgan Stanley analyst Jonathan Steinmetz on Tuesday told investors that negotiations next month between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three automakers could result in a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association trust that covers some, rather than all, of their future retiree health care obligations, the Detroit Free Press reports (Higgins, Detroit Free Press, 6/20).
At the time of this assessment, another labor expert voiced his opinion. Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, said, "I think it is going to be a hard sell. It is not out of the question, but there will be a lot of resistance to it." Perchance there was, then, or at least in the minds of many. However, desperation over time changes much. Perspectives are easily altered when job security is on the line, the assembly line. Shaiken explained, "The goal of the UAW leadership is clear. They want to provide as secure as possible a route for health care for the members. If they feel a VEBA will do that, they may be more open" (Detroit Free Press, 6/20).
Possibly, Union leaders presented a persuasive argument. Workers, financially strapped in an economic era that rewards only the top one percent, could not take the risk. The threat of temporary or permanent unemployment was one individuals, and families, felt they could not endure.
Many General Motors employees were aware of the Caterpillar situation. Caterpillar Corporation employees chose a similar option years ago. They too thought the funds would be managed well and last for decades. However, they soon found themselves in dire straights.
GM-UAW contract causes deja vu moment for Caterpillar retirees
Associated Press.
September 27, 2007Peoria, Ill. (AP) — Retired Caterpillar Inc. workers say they can't help but view a tentative contract deal hammered out between General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers with skepticism given their own bitter experience.
A key element of Wednesday's tentative agreement, which led the union to call off a two-day strike by the 74,000 workers it represents, is the Volunteer Employee Beneficiary Association.
VEBA, as the program is called, is a trust established by a company and union to pay for or defray health insurance costs for retirees.
A hard-fought contract deal hammered out between Caterpillar and the UAW in 1998 also included a VEBA trust funded by $32.3 million the UAW had set aside into special training and overtime accounts.
That VEBA trust, however, was depleted in just six years.
"God, did we get stuck," Caterpillar retiree Stan Valentine told the (Peoria) Journal. "Initially the VEBA worked OK, but it just got eaten up by the astronomical rise in medical insurance (costs)."
As a consequence, around 20,000 Caterpillar retirees now have no choice but foot the bill for much of their medical costs.
What is a worker or a retired employee to do? Bethany spoke of her situation. She had nowhere to turn for financial assistance when in need of medical care. In retirement, Marion realizes a similar distress. In an Industrialist country, investors are more far important than workers. People are but a byproduct of production. They can be replaced. Employees are dispensable. Money moves the nation. Humans that toil to survive cannot be bought and sold; thus, they are presumed to be worthless. The creatures that build the cars are costly. It seems those in other professions are considered an unwanted expense as well. Ask the communication workers.
Embarq Locals Protest Termination of Retiree Health Care
August 23, 2007Embarq members and retirees in six states will hold demonstrations this Saturday to protest the company's announcement that it will terminate retiree health benefits for Medicare-eligible pensioners.
The cuts average more than $2,000 per year for every retiree and dependent affected, and, "They will have an even greater impact on families with acute medical problems who rely on expensive prescriptions," said Telecommunications Vice President Jimmy Gurganus. "This will be devastating to many people, especially for longer term retirees who haven't seen a pension increase in years and are struggling on meager fixed incomes."
Embarq, Sprint's former local phone operation, which was spun off last year, announced it would drop its $500 annual subsidy for Medicare premiums as well as supplemental coverage that pays partial medical costs when Medicare payments are below 80 percent of treatment expenses. Embarq also is capping life insurance for retirees at $10,000, a substantial cut for many.
At demonstrations in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey and Oregon on Aug. 25, Embarq retirees – joined by local politicians and labor leaders in many locations – are set to tell the news media how the cutbacks would cripple their incomes and keep them from being able to afford needed treatments and drugs.
Many echoed Sandra Muntis of Elida, Ohio, who wrote to her local describing the situation of her husband, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and her own struggle with diabetes and ulcers. Without supplemental health care from Embarq, "we could not afford procedures requested by physicians to keep us in good health," such as colonoscopies, tests for prostate cancer and others, she said.
About 14,500 retirees and dependents, both management and union, would be affected. Embarq says it will save $30 million a year from the cuts.
Save the almighty buck. Sanction the free-enterprise system that, in all its compassion, leaves people behind. Human beings become ill. They are easily injured. Health Care is expensive and corporations say they do not wish to absorb the costs. Thirty million dollars a year saved. That is the priority.
Consumers, in this free market forget how they contribute to the cycle. They, the average buyer, craves low costs too, regardless of what this might mean. When the Big Three fret of medical expenses, we, the common folk forget, Big Businesses pass the cost onto the customer. "Woe is me" is quite a claim when we, those that purchase poorly made domestic or foreign products, those that pollute the environment, and encourage the notion of built-in obsolescence, propagate a profit driven margin.
Wal-Mart CEO defends low-cost imports
At conference, Lee Scott cites retailer's business model, says some customers don't have 'the economic luxury of making a broader social statement.'
October 12 2007: 8:07 AM EDTRogers, Ark. (AP) -- Chief Executive Lee Scott defended Wal-Mart's reliance on low-cost imports Thursday against what he called emerging economic nationalism.
Scott told a retailing conference he would like to stock more American-made goods but that Wal-Mart's business model is based on offering the lowest price for consumers who cannot afford to spend more.
Scott was answering a question from an audience member who wanted to know if Wal-Mart would buy more U.S.-made products to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of global transport and to bring manufacturing jobs back from places like China.
"Right now, the way it works, our model is 'We sell for less.' If we put products out there and we have to sell them for more because our competitors are sourcing more efficiently and more effectively for the same quality of product, our model doesn't work. We cannot be at a price disadvantage," Scott said.
"Lest anybody forget, 20 percent of Wal-Mart's customers don't have a checking account and they do not have the economic luxury of making a broader social statement," he told a conference of the Center for Retailing Excellence, part of the University of Arkansas' Sam M. Walton Business College.
And so it goes. Medical bills are calculated into the price of a vehicle, clothing, communication services, college tuition, as are wages, and pensions. Carmakers remind us, these overheads must be reduced if sales are to increase.
Chrysler, just as General Motors, and Ford, needs to be competitive. So too does Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, your corner market, your neighborhood retailer, the drycleaner, the bicycle shop, the bakery, and even the local bank. All must appear attractive. They react to the market. The law that governs each in this Industrialist Mecca is "supply and demand."
Customers and investors alike concur; they will only buy when a company shows itself to be strong. While the definitions may be nuanced, essentially, they are the same. Give me the best bang for my buck, even if it means that Mom and Pop will be out on the street without a penny to their name.
Why might we ask are workers willing to settle so quickly. How can we explain a reduction in labor strikes, or a reluctance to ask for fair and decent wages? Why are we willing to let retirees wallow in despair and ignore the reality that soon, we will be among them.
American workers are desperate; more than money, they crave stability. The little things, food, shelter, clothing to protect the body from the elements, and good health, are all most people long for. Equal opportunities are welcome, or at least an equitable education might be nice. However, at this juncture, residents of this great nation are happy to settle for the smallest slice of the pie. We heard the tearful cry during the General Motors industrial action.
UAW officials said the 73,000 UAW members who work at about 80 U.S. facilities for the nation's largest automaker didn't strike Monday over what many thought would trip up the talks: A plan to shift the retiree health care burden from the company to the union. They said they also didn't strike over wages.They said union members walked out because they want GM to promise that future cars and trucks such as the replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt small car or the still-on-the-drawing board Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car will be built at U.S. plants, preserving union jobs.
United Auto Workers, please understand the American Dream is not found in an assembly line mentality. Such a dream is wrought with strife. General Motors alone illustrates this truth. The once powerful workforce is half of what it once was. A new snazzy steel or aluminum design will not create other than it has. As long as we continue down this path and do not dare to take a detour, nothing will change. Economist and former blue-collar stiff Barry Bluestone understands this.
"By and large, they are looking for answers to the wrong question," said Barry Bluestone, an economist and labor expert at Northeastern University in Boston. "They are fighting over the same things they were fighting over 50 years ago."Bluestone is no stranger to the auto industry. His father, Irving Bluestone, 91, was the lead negotiator for the UAW with General Motors during the 1960s and '70s. As a college student, Barry Bluestone worked summers on an auto assembly line. And as an economist, he has documented the importance of unions in creating the American middle class.
Back in the early 1990s, father and son wrote a book, "Negotiating the Future," in which they argued that both unions and companies had to move their focus from dividing the pie to expanding it. That meant putting aside the rigid notion that the role of unions was to fight for better wages and benefits, and the role of management was to run the company, they wrote. To remain competitive, companies had to engage the energies, creativity, and commitment of their workers. And that process required a different approach to collective bargaining.
Perchance such a notion might be embraced in the work environment as well. Bluestone addresses such a need. He understands what some Japanese corporations do. The principles of Kaizen, consideration for the people, the process, and consistent improvement, can be fruitful and bring personal and professional fulfillment.
When people passionately pursue their endeavors health and welfare is improved. Possibly, the American Dream is achieved for one and for all. When a proud populace lives as the Constitution elucidates, we establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. When we honor society as a whole, when individuals are revered and valued happiness is more than a pursuit.
Imagine the reduction in stress related illness and injury if we all loved our work. If our careers enabled us to have a creative outlet that served the community, ah, how lovely life might be.
I suspect a street-paver, proud of his work stops to show his son or daughter what he has done to contribute to society. An electrician pleased with what she did speaks volume. She shares her successes. She installed the best sound system the Performing Arts Center has ever heard. People tell their friends and family of their triumphs, what they created that felt good and meaningful to them.
A teacher talks of the lives he changed. A retailer recalls the customer that came to the store everyday, only for the quality of the companionship. A restaurateur reiterates, his clientele came for the ambiance. The way the chef could put together a meal . . . hum waaah! The stories of success and satisfaction are innumerable when workers are allowed to be creative and feel committed.
As Bluestone acknowledges, this wasn't a wholly original idea, but one that had been a favorite of the left wing of the labor movement in the 1940s and championed by the UAW's own Walter Reuther until 1950, when he surrendered the dream of industrial democracy for the more fetching and immediate dream of a middle-class life for blue-collar workers.That grand bargain, known as the Treaty of Detroit, served both sides well until the early 1980s, when foreign competition began to render it unsustainable. And yet, in the 25 years since, very little has changed in the collective bargaining process.
During the late 1980s, there were some successful experiments with Total Quality programs borrowed from Japan. And General Motors had some early success with its new-age Saturn division. But according to Ruth Milkman, a labor expert at UCLA, worker involvement was never really embraced by either the unions or management and never allowed to rise beyond production issues on the factory floor. As long as oil prices remained low and SUV profits high, neither union nor management seemed to care.
The environment has changed, but the labor relations remain much as they were in 1950 . . .
Faced with the folly of many decisions, people are hesitant to move down the road less traveled. Americans would rather drive their gas-guzzlers and gather no moss than contemplate change. They fear that if they stop and examine their lives they may have to accept that what we do and have done for decades is not viable.
The battle over job security is also emblematic.With more than a quarter of GM's 73,000 unionized workers set to retire in the next few years, any job reductions that result from falling sales or increased productivity should be able to be handled through attrition. But the union is also worried that this might not be the case if the company decides to outsource entire functions.
By now, it should be apparent that the wrong way to handle this legitimate concern is to prohibit all layoffs, plant closures, or outsourcing. The right way would be to leave those out of the labor contract but give workers a real voice in those decisions and a financial stake in making the right ones.
Getting there would be hard. It would require not only new mechanisms and procedures, but a much higher degree of trust and respect.
But it would be a more hopeful sign if this strike were about hammering out a new model for labor-management relations rather than merely preserving job guarantees that no company can -- or should -- provide.
Might we dare imagine, that if we were truly happy in our endeavors, we might be healthier. Over time, many of us would want to pursue a dream that now, we do not have the courage to consciously desire. Change sends chills up and down the spines of most. The idea of an unexpected, unwanted, an unwarranted job loss makes us shiver. The prospect of happiness, doing what we love, creatively, with commitment, we cannot phantom what that possibility might bring.
Jack may seem to have success; yet, he as many Chief Executives understand he cannot continue as he has. Perhaps he will walk hand-in-hand with Steve Burd, Chairman and C.E.O. of Safeway supermarkets, who now advocates for Universal Health Care, or he might join a broader coalition.
Richard remembers what once was his truth. He sought employment with an organization that provided generous benefits. Now, will he have the courage to truly propose what even Presidential candidates only indicate is a necessary possibility, a Single Payer Universal Health Care plan. Will his upper management position yield the power to persuade.
Bethany understands what is like to be without. Will her time with an indemnity be short-lived as corporations crumble under the weight of health care cost, wages, and the misery a business experiences when they must be accountable to the market.
Marion put in her time. Currently, she resides in a nation that does not have time for her. How might she fare. In the future. Sheila, her husband, you, and I might be better served if we dreamt of what we never did before. Perhaps a paradigm shift, while a popular idiom was never tried. Until it is, we cannot know what is true. Might we embrace the worker more than the market. Perchance we could care for people, cover families, and create a culture where people are valued and valuable.
I leave the decision to you dear reader. Do we take the road less traveled or continue to see the USA in a Chevrolet, one whose cost continues to be too dear.
Health Care, Pensions, Stocks, What Bonds Us . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on October 12, 2007 at 11:00 PM in American Dream, American Jobs, Americana, Business, Current Affairs, Dreams Live and Die , Economics, General Motors, Health, Health Care, Health Insurance , Kaizen, Looking at Life, Medicare, Quality of Life, Wal-Mart, Wall Street Week | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Cindy Sheehan. The Plea, Promote Harmony Peacefully
Cindy Sheehan Quits
© copyright 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Dearest Cindy . . .
I meant to write this letter days ago after reading your farewell "Good Riddance Attention Whore." I watched as the number of electronic communiqués in response to your essay mounted. I thought my message might be lost and perhaps was not important. I decided to forego a seemingly fruitless endeavor.
Yet, as I reflected on my reading of your words, and those writing in reply, I was haunted. Still, I hesitated. I was drowning in sorrow as I observed the interchanges. Ultimately, I concluded I can stay silent no longer, for if I do I endorse the verbal struggle. Oh, how I long for peace, harmony, and tranquility in every aspect of life. I hope to express my thoughts in a manner that honors calm and furthers a shared understanding. However, if the present is as the past, what are meant to be peaceful ponderings may provoke.
Cindy, the chatter surrounding your letter of resignation reminded of what struck me most in your offering. I experience as you mention.
[T]he "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."I experience this as well. More often than not, my missives bring talk of divisiveness. When I am critical of those that send our young and now older to combat, I receive comments of how "evil" the right is. I may frequently speak of the neoconservatives with disdain; however, I think the Left is no less liable. For me, any being that thinks war is ever an option allows for the practice.
I have also been slammed for calling the Commander and his Cabinet criminal. While I do believe that all beings have the potential for enlightenment, some are extremely slow to evolve. The ego delays their ascent. I have faith that each of us will make errors repeatedly as we travel through this Earthly existence; nonetheless, when these blunders take sweet and vulnerable men and women into battle, I think that iniquitous.
For me, it matters not the Party affiliation; harming another is errant. I experience as you have.
I am deemed a radical because I believe that partisan politics should be left to the wayside when hundreds of thousands of people are dying for a war based on lies that is supported by Democrats and Republican alike.I cannot comprehend the reprimands of one that thinks I am too harsh verbally, when I, without swearing explain my disdain for any being that is willing to hurt others. Merely calling for censure or impeachment, a nonviolent means for ending mass murder, is considered illogical and disappointing to this self-defined contrarian. Apparently for this self-proclaimed Buddhist, placing the onus on me seems apt. I am bombarded with barbs while men and women die on battlefields abroad.
It amazes me that people who are sharp on the issues and can zero in like a laser beam on lies, misrepresentations, and political expediency when it comes to one party refuse to recognize it in their own party.The mad cap fellow I mention and I would each agree with this statement. However, he would remind me that the philosophical form of Zen, Hinduism that I hold dear is deeply flawed for it differs from the religious sect of Buddhism he prefers.
I sigh deeply. I trust that as much as I appreciate many of this man's musings, the need to be right or reproach drains me. I want no part of such exchanges. I long for peace in every effort eternally.
I am not a competitive person and have no interest in engaging is dialogues where one is left the victor, and the other defeated. I prefer peace. For me, even an arraignment is an opportunity for growth. It need not be confrontational. I only wish to lessen the power of those that think we have the right to punish another nation or our own citizens by putting them to death, or torturing them until they talk. Yet, consistently I realize bringing about harmony is not the intent of many in the movement.
I have also tried to work within a peace movement that often puts personal egos above peace and human life. This group won’t work with that group; he won’t attend an event if she is going to be there; and why does Cindy Sheehan get all the attention anyway? It is hard to work for peace when the very movement that is named after it has so many divisions.When working with an organization devoted to harmony, the two persons prominent is coordinating the events argued vehemently. Those assisting with the installation project then took sides. There was no tranquility among the pacifists; yet, they claimed to be people of peace.
While walking with a group dedicated to calm, marchers called out to the law officers. These peace protesters preferred to fight the fuzz. The antics of those supporting an end to war actually promoted the same on local streets.
Cindy, I relent as you have.
[N]o matter how much I sacrifice, I can’t make you be that [peaceful, loving] country unless you want it.Persons and political structures are as they wish to be. I cannot change them; nor do I desire to try. I speak out for I trust that my silence will not benefit them or me. In my own life much has been said when I was not ready to understand the meaning or significance. I trust that people and policies are in flux. They are evolving as am I. I can only hope that my love of peace will be honored within my lifetime. I accept that this may not be so. Nonetheless, for me and I trust the same is true for you Cindy Sheehan, I will continue to do as I can. However, I cannot sacrifice my own soul. If I am to stay strong, I cannot continually allow others to deplete my spirit.
Cindy, I thank you so much for sharing your self, your strength, and for remaining vigilant. I believe peace will come. You will be among those that made the transition possible. I am grateful.
Sincerely, with great respect . . .
Betsy L. Angert
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on May 31, 2007 at 02:05 PM in "Take me as I am!", Activism, Bloggers Unite, Cindy and Casey Sheehan, Communities, Communities and Communication , Compassion, Conflict, Complex, Discussion, Dreams Live and Die , Emotional Decisions, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Evolution, Humans, Self-Destructive, Iraq War, Peace Movement, Peaceful Protests, Politics, War is in the Wind, War Kills [Mind, Body, Spirit], “When is Enough, Enough?”, “You are either with us or against us” | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Policymakers Applaud Marginal Gains on History Test
Sec. Spellings admits lacks of educational credentials. YouTube.com.
© copyright 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Quick, answer these questions. You are being timed. However, do not feel pressured. Do the best that you can. Our school literally depends on you. Your performance on these examinations will determine whether our district or this facility receives Federal funding. Do not open your test booklet until I tell you to do so. When you are finished, close the pamphlet, put your pencil down, and sit quietly. You may begin.The voyages of Columbus changed life in Europe by . . .
A) introducing new foods and spices to Europe
B) showing Europeans a shorter route to Asia
C) introducing the horse to Spain
D) proving that the Earth was flat
In what year did Eli Whitney invent the cotton gin? More importantly, What was a major effect of the introduction of the cotton gin? Name the first permanent English settlement in North America. What was the main issue in the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858? Stop! Close your booklet. Place your future in my hands for now. I will pass your answers on to the authorities. Notes and Scantrons will be evaluated. Ultimately, a big bureaucrat will decide. Did you learn your lessons well? Was my teaching to the test effective? Might we all be rewarded for the rote recall that now defines education? Well, that depends on how the government spins the story. By the way, the answer to the first question is "A." The journeys made by Christopher Columbus introduced new foods and spices to European citizens.
You, dear reader, recall the drill. We have all experienced the trauma, drama, and thrill of standardized testing. In recent years, the excitement is expanding. Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, our children take standardized tests more regularly. The rewards for doing well are ample. The punishment for doing poorly is, some say, excessive. Nevertheless, students must be "accountable." Scores are scrutinized. The New York Times states, Students Gain Only Marginally on Test of U.S. History; nevertheless, as a whole, the pupils in this nation improved.
At least, that is the opinion of officials in the Federal government.
Federal officials said they considered the results encouraging because at each level tested, student performance had improved since the last time the exam was administered, in 2002.The government is proclaiming the educational system in America is better than it was and the progress will continue. According, to the Washington Post Department of Education personnel state . . . .“In U.S. history there were higher scores in 2006 for all three grades,” said Mark Schneider, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers the test, at a Boston news conference that the Education Department carried by Webcast.
The nation's fourth-graders have shown significant gains in U.S. history and civics test scores, federal researchers reported yesterday, a development that -- coupled with similar recent advances in reading, math and science -- experts attribute in large part to an intense national focus on reading in early grades.Such accolades, welcome progress and yet, there seems to be little concern for what is not working well.Educators said they were also heartened by significant improvement in 12th-grade U.S. history scores, the first national gain in any high school subject in eight years. The rise in elementary social studies scores, once considered in the doldrums, drew the most attention.
[M]ore than half of high school seniors still showed poor command of basic facts like the effect of the cotton gin on the slave economy or the causes of the Korean War.Excuses can be made. Indeed, Federal spokespersons are offering explanations that seem feasible. These High School seniors were educated under the older more lax system. Now, since No Child Left Behind was initiated, schools are moving back to basics. Today, students are succeeding in Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Better reading skills help pupils to extrapolate. The failings will never occur again, for learners that perform poorly will not be allowed to advance to the next grade or graduate with their classmates.
Department administrators prefer to highlight the successes. These are evident for the most part, only in the lower fourth grade results.
Since 2002, beginning in Head Start programs, and continuing into the twelfth grade, pupils are required to pass rigid and rote examinations. Students of all sizes, shapes, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences must meet specific minimal standards. Each scholar is assessed as his or her peers are, even if their background and aptitude vary. Every educator must be "accountable." There are no allowances or expectations. All are judged equally.
Educators argue against this unyielding system. Parents complain as imaginative programs are cut. Pupils are bored; however, these individuals are powerless against the Bush Administration. Over the years, some schools have chosen to be different and suffer the consequences.
Falls Church School Won't Teach to the TestThe elders at Bailey's Elementary school believe what we do in our careers and with our lives rarely relates to the mechanical "facts" we learn in school. These educators acknowledge as many a scientist might "facts are fluid." They often change over time. Only this week we learned that Darwin did not discover what he expected to find. The scientist wrote . . .
By Marc Fisher
Washington Post
Tuesday, October 12, 2004; Page B01Teachers grumble and moan about how politicians' love affair with tests has turned education into a grim mission to teach creative young minds how to darken the ovals completely and neatly.
Parents complain about the lost arts and athletics, the exciting labs and imaginative lessons that schools cut out to make way for classes on the art and science of taking standardized tests.
But rarely do public schools take a stand on behalf of the children left behind by the very law that promises to carry them forward.
This summer, Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences in Falls Church put down a marker. A letter sent to every parent said teachers are being forced to spend "valuable instructional time preparing students to take the Standards of Learning tests, to the exclusion of activities that extend and deepen student learning, integrate the arts with content, and allow students to develop and pursue their own questions."
The letter said Bailey's, which as Fairfax County's first magnet elementary school attracts immigrant families from its Culmore neighborhood and more affluent families from across the county, will still teach children how to think like scientists and historians, even though "this is not what standardized tests measure or encourage."
The letter was more than an ideological tract. It was a warning to parents that in the next few weeks, they may find their school declared failing under the federal government's No Child Left Behind protocols.
The problem is that about 77 percent of Bailey's students are immigrants, many of whom come to school knowing little or no English. The law requires the school to bring an ever-higher percentage of those students up to grade level each year. Bailey's, like most schools with large populations of poor or non-English-speaking students, isn't hitting its numbers.
"It's an ax hanging over our heads," says Jean Frey, the principal, who has to explain to parents that if Bailey's is declared failing, the county could fire its teachers, and families would have the right to transfer to another school.
"I have no problem with being accountable," Frey says. "As a citizen, I want these kids to grow up to be literate problem-solvers." But she will not shutter her science lab, pull the plug on theatrical productions, or tell teachers to scrap a literature discussion to drill kids on test facts.
"The testing itself is enormously time-consuming," Frey says. "We give up over two weeks in May to the tests. So, the rest of the year, we try very hard not to do 'SOL Prep Time,' like many schools do. How important is it to know how to fill in ABCD? I don't do that very often as an adult."
At last gleams of light have come, & I am almost convinced (quite contrary to opinion I started with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable.Yet, the current educational system acts as though they are. Individuals are thought to be standard or subordinate. Information is considered a constant. Data is indisputable. Events must be interpreted as reported in a particular historical text, and problems have one absolute answer. The correct response is the one dictated by National Assessment of Educational Progress.
When we as a society believe or accept that conclusions are unchallengeable, we no longer strive to challenge the minds of our children. We state No Child will be Left Behind; yet most are when American students learn to improve their memories while forfeiting their mental capacity.
The technique that interprets scores as success or failure is often referred to as "teaching to the test." This method is frequently questioned. The Bailey's School was not the first or only institution to reject the practice. This instructional method has its supporters and its detractors. Each argument may be apt and well stated. However, I believe the question is of greater concern than the answers might be. I think what is most important is that we "teach to the individual." As we evaluate further, we might better understand why the rise in scores is of little consequence in the real world.
Educational experts understand that students are well served if instructors are sensitive to the needs of their pupils as the unique persons they are. Learning modalities must be addressed. Relevancy needs to be realized if a student is to authentically acquire knowledge.
Giving grades, assessing moments, and memories does not establish or ensure that what was "learned" will last for a lifetime. Yet, under the current system grades not depth are crucial.
The ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and create is no longer as important as the details are. Critical thinking skills, those that develop through discussion take time and discipline. Teachers no longer have the minutes or hours needed for genuine instruction. They can only assist students in understanding the process of elimination in the event that the "fact" escapes you.
Let us truly assess what occurs when we do not teach critical thinking skills. The recent History and civic scores are revealing.
A sampling of what eighth-graders know about U.S. history:You might notice from the results the depth of knowledge is limited. Obviously, children are being left behind. Schools inevitably fall below minimum standards. Requirements are not met. In accordance with the law, educational facilities will not receive funding or they will be taken over if they do not perform as prescribed. The Administration declares, research has proven punitive measures work to motivate minds, or so we are told.
64 percent identified an impact of the cotton gin
43 percent explained goals of the Martin Luther King Jr. march
1 percent explained how the fall of the Berlin Wall affected foreign policy A sampling of what eighth-graders know about civics:
80 percent identified a notice for jury duty
63 percent determined an instance of abuse of power
28 percent explained the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress reports
It seems the incentive to succeed on strict and binding evaluations left educators with few choices. Courses were cut. Curriculums adjusted, and schedules were changed.
A number of studies have shown that because No Child Left Behind requires states to administer annual tests in math and reading, and punishes schools where scores in those subjects fail to rise, many schools have reduced time spent on other subjects, including history. In a recent study, Martin West, an education professor at Brown, used federal data to show that during 2003-4, first- and sixth-grade teachers spent 23 fewer minutes a week on history than during 1999-2000.However, the government counters, fourth graders scored higher in their history examinations.
The best results in the history test were also in fourth grade, where 70 percent of students attained the basic level of achievement or better.Imagine, only seventy percent understood the most basic concepts. This result is thought to be excellent by Federal spokespersons. Twelfth graders are said to be the exception. The Administration laments, these young persons fell so far behind due to less stringent earlier instruction and evaluations. No Child Left Behind laws are challenging adolescents to achieve after years of neglect. Federal officials say, prior to the preferred rigidity of No Child Left Behind, standards were lax. It is for this reason the results are less than stellar.
The tests, known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, divide achievement levels into basic, proficient and advanced. The 2006 history assessment had the highest percentage of 12th-grade students scoring below basic of any subject tested in 2005 and 2006.However, there are concerns beyond the scores of High School seniors.
[O]nly 1 percent of students at any grade level scored at the advanced level.While the Federal bureaucrats, those who dole out the dough believe the gains demonstrate progress, educators and experts do not think the statistics give reason for celebration. They are concerned; Americans scholars rank far below those in other nations. The advent of the newer tests and standards are lessening the quality and time allotted to genuine instruction. Rote is promulgated and critical thinking is rarely part of the current curriculum. There just is not enough time, particularly when punitive measures for not achieving as the Administration thinks best are but a step away. Professional educators say this report does not inspire hope.The history test was given to a national sample of 29,200 fourth, 8th- and 12th-grade students. Among the results were these:
¶Some 47 percent of the 12th graders performed at the basic level or above. In 2001, 43 percent were at or above basic.
¶Sixty-five percent of eighth graders achieved the basic level or better, up from 62 percent six years ago.
¶Seventy percent of fourth graders attained or exceeded the basic level, compared with 66 percent in 2001. Even this result, however, left 30 percent who, for instance, lacked an ability to identify even the most familiar historic figures or explain the reasons for celebrating national holidays.
“It’s heartwarming that the test organizers have found positive things to say, but this report is not anything to break out the Champagne over,” said Theodore K. Rabb, a professor of history at Princeton who advocates devoting more classroom time to the subject.By contrast, the Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings thought the scores superb. For Secretary Spellings, the result reiterated the Administration's claims, schools are now showing themselves accountable. They are offering a foundation for all knowledge. The Secretary, in a retort to detractors stated . . .The civics exam was given to a national sample of 25,300 4th, 8th, and 12th graders. Seventy-three percent of fourth-grade pupils performed at the basic level or better, up from 69 percent in 1998, the last time the civics exam was administered. The scores of 8th and 12th graders showed no change.
“What is most discouraging is that as students grow older and progress through the grades towards adulthood and eligibility to vote, their civic knowledge and dispositions seems to grow weaker,” said David W. Gordon, superintendent of the Sacramento County School District in California, who is a member of the board that sets policies for the test.
“When students know how to read and comprehend,” Ms. Spellings said, “they apply these skills to other subjects like history and civics.”It seems the solution amongst instructors and historians is we must examine a student's knowledge of history more frequently. Apparently, in the original No Child Left Behind law, learners were given Reading and Math test every other year. History evaluations were scheduled every five to seven years. Thus . . .
In Washington, Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, reintroduced a bill on Wednesday based on the premise that the National Assessment gave history short shrift, testing it every five to seven years instead of every other year as with reading and math. Their legislation would require national history tests every four years, with more students tested.It seems today, teachers are told to teach only lessons that correlate to tests. Evaluations no longer assess authentic knowledge. Tests are designed to pay the bills. I think we must ask ourselves, what are we teaching. Why do we instruct as we do, and are we doing a disservice to our children and society? I believe the answers to these questions might help, if or when we ever choose to evaluate ourselves.David McCullough, John Hope Franklin, Douglas Brinkley and dozens of other prominent historians have sent Congress a petition urging the bill’s passage.
References, Resources. Read Carefully. There may be a test . . .
Washington Post. Thursday, May 17, 2007; A09
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on May 22, 2007 at 08:00 AM in Dreams Live and Die , Education, Education or Economics, Emotional Intelligence, No Child Left Behind, Policy, School Days, Students Minds Stopped, Teach The Children | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
