Everything is Getting Better…

Sure, I’m with you on the idea that banks, corporations and shareholders who run huge companies don’t care… a lot of them don’t give a damn. But then again… others among them DO care.

In today’s world, I see MORE caring not less.

I went out to lunch this weekend with a girlfriend and we talked a lot about the state of the world. She is a 3rd year law school student, and she REALLY cares… not about money, but about helping others. Her and her husband (an attorney) assist low-income families during weekend “legal-aid” clinics.

Another girlfriend of mine was busy with her kids this weekend putting together baskets for people for Thanksgiving… her own money and food to help people she doesn’t know.

There are millions of people who recycle now. There are millions of people who use energy-efficient light bulbs.

There are millions (?) of people involved in groups which help our environment. There are lots of people who carpool, bike to work, or drive fuel-efficient cars.

One of my friends works at a dilapidated public school because she wants to make a difference, even though she could get paid a lot more at a private school nearby.

I meet business owners every day who really care about doing the right thing…And these business owners, despite the so-called “poor economy” are still putting their customer’s needs first, and really providing value. There are many small business owners who I personally know, who go out of their way to take care of their employees, too. I see some really amazing things on my travels around my city.

I also see people being a lot more tolerant, more interested in one another’s opinions, and more civil in conversation.

Hell, the fact that we’re all here reading about what’s happening in the world must show you that at least some people care.

I guess it’s all how you look at things.

I don’t think that it’s that people “don’t care” about the greater good — I think that OBLIGATORY caring is a possible problem.

The media tells you what to care about.
Your family/friends tell you what to care about.
Your manager tells you what to care about.
Your church leaders and politicians tell you what to care about.
When you finally step away from the noise of all of these influences, it makes sense that you would care mostly about yourself… that’s what happens.

I could go on about this but I’m too tired to write more right now… really tired. It’s not that I don’t care…

School Isn’t The Only Place You Learn

Homeschoolers’ setback sends shock waves through state

Friday, March 7, 2008

Source

“A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.

The homeschooling movement never saw the case coming.

“At first, there was a sense of, ‘No way,’ ” said homeschool parent Loren Mavromati, a resident of Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County) who is active with a homeschool association. “Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation.”

The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their teacher, but holds no teaching credential.

—

Yet the appeals court said state law has been clear since at least 1953, when another appellate court rejected a challenge by homeschooling parents to California’s compulsory education statutes. Those statutes require children ages 6 to 18 to attend a full-time day school, either public or private, or to be instructed by a tutor who holds a state credential for the child’s grade level.

“California courts have held that … parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children,” Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. “Parents have a legal duty to see to their children’s schooling under the provisions of these laws.”

Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,” the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

Link to full article here

————————

MY THOUGHTS:

I don’t know if this sounds totally Orwellian to you, but it does to me. Someone making a law that says that I cannot teach my child at home because I don’t have “teaching credentials”? I learn something every day from people without teaching credentials…including my child!

I think that I, as a parent, can better help my child learn and grow than ANY teacher or outside authority. If this would have become a law, the basic authority of parents to teach their children anything outside of what “society says is right” would be gone soon after. By claiming that parents are “criminals” for keeping their children home (instead of sending them to be educated with the masses) the State becomes the parent!

I know that a lot of homeschoolers are crazy fanatics… but I personally know A LOT of well-educated or just plain intelligent parents who teach their children at home.

They are fully accountable for their choices and their children are delightfully de-programmed human beings who LOVE learning. Should these parents have to go get a teaching certificate? Because I also personally know A LOT of crazy, fanatical, unquestioning, mean, effed up life-havin’ teachers WHO HAVE teaching certificates and teach ‘the children’ in our schools.

Imagine if parents were told that they could no longer teach their kids because they didn’t have a ‘teaching certificate’. Then we’re saying that parents know less about their OWN children than the teaching-certificate-givers.

This affects you whether you have children or not.

If the government takes over the lives of children, when do the children get their lives back? How long before every person becomes a ‘ward of the state’?

—- Update: The juvenile case was dismissed last month so the appellate court decision will probably be overturned.  (YAY!)

Pissing On Your Celebrations

Nothing is real…

Nothing that we have been told is real… our whole lives have been a fabrication… destined towards slavery.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and I’m supposed to celebrate the freakin’ Irish today. I have nothing against the Irish… then again, I really care nothing about them either…because I care about individuals and not some group, “nationality”, or religion… but here we go again. I can’t seem to get away from people being “proud” of who they are rather than what they DO.

Yeah, it’s cool…green beer, corned beef, drinking all day… I can’t argue with that… but what does it really mean?

I’m not trying to stop celebrating certain things… because anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE a PARTY…but come on….what are we celebrating? Does anyone stop to think? Nationalism. That’s what we celebrate. Group-ism…that’s what we celebrate. I can’t stand that shit.

If I were Emperor for the day, I would declare Universe-Yurii Day, where everyone paints, plays, and acts like their real selves. I would declare Universe-Joe Day wherever is honest, intelligent, strong, and hilarious. I would declare Universe-Kiersten Day where everyone acted intelligently, pushed themselves to their limits and had curiosity for the world around them.

Irish Day, St. Patrick’s Day, is just an excuse for all of us to be the alcoholics (or-anything-we’re-addicted-to-type-of-people) that we are… sans guilt. I’m annoyed by what we celebrate… and I have been for awhile.

St. Patrick’s Day? Really? A Roman Catholic/Church of Ireland relic?
St. Valentine’s Day? From Medieval Times?
Christmas? Easter? For real? Watch Zeitgeist.
The Fourth of July? Patriotism? For what?

I just want to know what I’m supposed to celebrate. I don’t care about the “nation”. I have no feelings of kinship with any “race”. There’s nothing for me to celebrate. Why can’t I just celebrate every day? Why do I need some holiday, either national or non-national, to celebrate? My life is good. Actually, even with all of the minor occurrences…it’s great. Can’t I just celebrate life…each moment? I kinda do that anyway.