Be-Think [Please visit BeThink.org]

Ohio Opportunity. Call For Change ©

This weekend I had the opportunity to touch Ohio.  I volunteered.  With thanks to MoveOn.org, I “called for change.”  I shared my support for Democratic Senate, candidate Sherrod Brown.  Phew, what a relief this was, interesting, inspiring, and sadly, disillusioning.  Nevertheless, I was, I am elated.After decades of political activism, unexpectedly I participated no more.  The decision was not mine; circumstances led me down a path I did not relish.  I moved from Southern California, a place where activism was and is a constant, to Southern Florida. 

Single and Married Parents Spend More Time With Children. Much is Lost. ©

Decades ago on October 16, I was born into a family that admittedly wanted no more children. My mother was not working; nevertheless, before and after my birth she was rarely home. My natural father did not wish to entertain the notion of a newborn. With my birth, he decided to focus on life far from the family house. During my youth it was thought, parents spent time with their progeny. However, mine did not.

On October 16, 2006, a report was released, “Married and Single Parents [are] Spending More Time With Children, Study Finds.” This too, is not as expected. New York Times Journalist, Robert Pears reveals, “Mothers are spending at least as much time with their children today as they did 40 years ago, and the amount of child care and housework performed by fathers has sharply increased.”

Daily Distress. Heartbreak, Heartache, and Heart Felt Feelings ©

Currently I am writing for an educational organization. In penning my pain for what occurs today in our schools, I realized the same impersonal approach, awareness, or lack thereof, is evident in offices, neighborhoods, and in our broader community.

People pretend to or believe they “know” their fellow workers, their family members, and their friends. Yet, more often than not, I observe that this is not necessarily true. I, we, she, or he only comprehends what is visible on the surface.

Few choose to ask of, address, or answer the deeper concerns that life delivers daily. I offer this narrative and request your reflections. We all have our own tale to tell. I invite you to share yours. Please trust that I care; your secrets are safe with me. I suspect that others will honor you as I choose to do. I believe we all relate to sorrow.

School Shooting Safeguards. Arm Educators? ©

In the last few weeks, school shootings have dominated the news. The frequency of these seems to be increasing. People throughout the nation are panicking; what are we to do? President Bush spoke of this situation in his Saturday, October 7, 2006, radio address. He proclaimed, “We will bring together teachers, parents, students, administrators, law enforcement officials, and other experts to discuss the best ways to keep violence out of our schools.” Conferences have been called. The problem has been discussed for years.

President Clinton convened such a forum in 1999. Educators, policy-makers, law enforcement officials, and adolescent-development specialists came to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study on May 21, 2002. Each group was equally intent on investigating the causes and effects of Lethal School Violence. In the symposiums, experts sought solutions. Everyone wanted [and wants] to protect our progeny.

Marital Status. Single. Married. Satisfactory or Searching? ©

Early morning television viewing can stimulate a mind. Today, while preparing breakfast, I was watching the CBS Sunday Morning Show. They announced this is National USA Singles’ Week. On the screen statistics were flowing.

• Ninety-six [96] million Americans are single.
• Fifty-four [54] percent of singles are women.
• Sixty-three [63] percent of singles have never been married.
• Fourteen [14] percent of singles are widowed.
• Twelve and two-tenths [12.2] percent are single parents.
[Ten [10] million women, two and two-tenths [2.2] percent men]
• In New York State alone, fifty [50] percent of the population is single!
• One third of all births in 2002 were born to single mothers.

I thought; how fascinating, so many singles celebrating their marital status; yet, from my observations many are actively searching for a spouse, a soul mate, a sense of security, a sex partner, or something else.

Income Inequity. The Real Reason the Rich Get Richer. ©

Income inequity has been in the news of late; disparity is increasing. Jared Bernstein, of the Economic Policy Institute, wrote of this in, “The Catch-Up Economy.” Paul Krugman, a writer-economist for the New York Times shared his views in “Left Behind Economics.” Economics Professor J. Bradford DeLong comments on the subject. However, it seems to me that the views of these learned economists are limited. While assessing the statistics, I think experts miss the substance, what lies behind simple “economic” causes and effects.

Sex Education; Abstinence or Advancing Knowledge? ©

The sight of a New York Times article peaked my interest. It aroused my curiosity. This piece stimulated my psyche. Reading “Muzzling Sex Education on Anything but Abstinence,” by Samuel G. Freedman was an experience. Reflecting on this essay was the climax of my day. I found the information in this expose fascinating. Were it not so sad, this scenario would be almost humorous. It says much of today’s mores.

Isolation. Insulation. The Go-Go Garage Society and Its Islands ©

Days ago I was scanning My Left Wing and saw a diary that drew me in, “I Look at All the Lonely People.” The author, Eugene, stated “I've never been one to have many close friends . . . I am very, very choosy with who I care to spend my time with, who I open up to.” I thought, “Me too!” I have been very selective all of my life and it has served me well. Eugene’s words peeked my curiosity; thus, I continued.

As his article expanded, I discovered that he was discussing a recently released study, “Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades.” This report revealed people in America no longer have the close ties they once did. A quarter of the population has no one they confide in. Most persons are fortunate to have one close friend, perhaps two. Intimacies within families are not what they once were, or at least they are not as they were once believed to be. People in America feel alone and isolated. Interesting; now, I am among the “norm” and yet, simultaneously, still far from it.

World Refugee Day. What Does This Mean To U.S.? ©

Yesterday morning I awoke to news that I wish I had known earlier. “Today, June 20, 2006, is World Refugee Day.” I found my own lack of awareness for the date troubling. I pondered further; I wondered of our collective consciousness.

Currently, there are fifteen to twenty million refugees. There may be more. There are millions of persons without a home, a community, a family, or any real belongings. These individuals have experienced violence that few of us in the can imagine. We sit in our safe havens, and occasionally, we watch the misery on television. We read of their lives, and the plight these people suffer. At times, some American citizens acknowledge that the refugees have lost their homes and their health. Their existence has been threatened. We know something; yet, we understand little. Our lives in the U.S. are so separate from those that were banished from their homeland. It is beyond sad.

As I reflect on the homeless in distant lands, I remember, there are those here in the United States that are also without permanent shelter.

Failing Children, Accountability and Testing [FCAT] ©

• Dear reader, as you review this treatise, please consider, the parallels. Pedagogy and poverty are poignant concerns in Florida and throughout the United States.

The results were announced; Florida students overwhelmingly failed the science portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test [FCAT]. More than two thirds of the population tested below grade level. Science instructors are looking at the recent test results as an opportunity. They have a chance to improve their curriculum. The Science studies departments are planning more hands-on instruction. They intend to attend seminars on how to best prepare students in the summer.

J.P. Keener, the supervisor of secondary science education for Broward County promotes the positive. This official says, ‘‘we're in a good position to line everything up to attack this exam seriously.” Then, the administrator adds, “Now, the last part is the kids, and that's the unpredictable part.''