Ever
hear of Chris Hayes? Me either until recently. Now I know why. The
reason is Chris Hayes has a show on MSNBC called, “Up with Chris Hayes.”
Not only do I not watch MSNBC, I don’t even know anybody who watches
MSNBC. After hearing what Hayes said I am certain I would never watch any TV network that would employ a Chris Hayes.
This
is what he said. It seems Hayes is “uncomfortable” calling our fallen
military men and women heroes. He believes that identifying those who
die in war as heroes serves only to encourage politicians and Generals
to continue to fight wars. Not only is this piece of human waste
“uncomfortable,” he also has the bad fortune of bad timing. You see he
chose the eve of Memorial Day, one of the most sacred days of our
calendar year, as the time to announce this thinking to his audience.
Fortunately the entire audience watching MSNBC on any given day may
often number less than a few hundred viewers
It
is long past time for the American people to tell MSNBC and their
advertisers that such pronouncements and other un-American activities
promulgated by them are unacceptable. Hayes and his ilk should get some
remedial education studying to learn how they have the good fortune to
live in a free society. They might want to know how this freedom came
about. They could start with Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton who
famously said, “War is the price of liberty.”
Hayes
and people like him have doubtless never served their country in the
military. They take for granted their easy, free life. They never had to
face the draft. Consider if you will how General George S. Patton might
have regarded and dealt with the Chris Hayeses among us had they been
required to be inducted into the military service. Somehow I don’t think
it would have been a happy time for Hayes. I have often wondered how
these punks would fare taking eight weeks of basic training in June and
July at Ft. Benning, Georgia where the average temperature is 90 to 100
degrees every day. How would they fare facing a rabid zealot in the
Middle East who murders women and children regularly? How long do you
suppose he could go without a shower? What about a nice little jungle
war? Humidity, snakes, booby traps, and crazed killers behind every
tree. No, I don’t think these little metro-sexuals, who seem more
concerned with their manicures and their make-up, would handle life in
the real world. No, I don’t think it would work out very well for them.
The
VFW has demanded that Hayes and MSNBC apologize for his comments. I do
not share their thoughts. I would prefer that people like Hayes be
required, as was I and millions of others, to serve a period of time in
the US Military. Send these clowns to basic training. Load them down
with the gear of war and send their butts off to the Middle East. Let
them learn to appreciate the free and easy life they enjoy. Let them
learn what being an American means and what is required of that
citizenship. Hayes might quickly understand what a hero truly is. Then
and only then would I or anybody care about what he thinks about
American heroes.
Here
during this Memorial Day period, we should all remember those who
served. Those who gave their time, those who gave limbs, and especially
those who gave their all. Hero is such an easy word to say and yet its
meaning is so profound. To all who serve and to those who have served,
thank you. You are all our heroes.
Finally,
concerning Mr. Hayes, I would re-name his TV show. Instead of “Up with
Chris Hayes,” I would much prefer, “Up yours, Chris Hayes.”
Ron Scarbro May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
BEING FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLYING
Have
you heard the story of Desmond Hatchett? Desmond is a 33 year old man
from Knoxville, Tennessee. His claim to fame? He has 30 children by 11
different women, none of whom is his wife. He has petitioned the state
of Tennessee to help him pay child support because he only has a minimum
wage job and the state already takes half of his paycheck. I am not
making this up. I don’t do fiction.
I have purposely stayed away from columns about the plight of minorities but sometimes I just can’t help myself. There are some issues that need discussion and examination. Here’s my first question. What in the world were these women thinking? Is it possible that in their community these women didn’t know about the other “baby mamas?” Is it possible that Desmond was just so irresistible that they just had to jump into the sack with him? Aside from a roll in the hay, what did Desmond bring to the lives of these women?
Let us look at some of the possibilities. Some will say that the women were just looking for a paycheck from the welfare department. We have all heard about people gaming the system by producing children strictly for the money. Or, maybe they were in love with Desmond. Naw, I doubt it. More likely these women, along with Hatchett, are just irresponsible dregs of society. Maybe they don’t have any concern for themselves or for the children they are inflicting on the community.
And when you consider the children, what chance do they have for a reasonable life? Who will be their father figure? Will they, if they survive to adulthood, become the same societal dregs that their mother and father are? Any study of economics already shows us that the surest way to live a life of poverty is to be born out of wedlock, in a minority community and with no father figure at home. Desmond and his co-respondents have given us 30 such children. The odds of these offspring continuing this dependent life on welfare and becoming the next criminal element as they grow up are staggeringly high.
So, what is society to do? Are we just to pay up? Are we just to arrest them when they eventually become the next criminals? Do we continue to send the welfare checks with no restriction? When will we have had enough?
It would seem that the Hatchetts of this world have reverted to a feral animal lifestyle. They have become opportunity breeders. Like other male animals they wander through the herd of females and breed anyone who stops long enough. There is a large segment of our populace who believe we should castrate Desmond and his ilk. They also believe we should take the children away from these irresponsible women and put them in real homes where they might have a chance at a real life. These are indeed harsh solutions.
Others will say we need to educate these people. They need to understand that their actions have consequences. Unfortunately there are none so stupid as those who refuse to learn. Sadly this appears to be the case of Desmond and his “baby mamas.”
If you will be true to yourself and examine this situation without prejudice, you have to conclude that this situation, and others like it, are caused and exacerbated by such liberal fixes as “The Great Society.” The liberals have spent billions of taxpayer dollars trying to assuage their own guilt under the guise that they are helping the minority community. Some seem to have the belief that if we just keep these people down on the plantation and send along a little money, they will not be a bother to us. The result is that we have created a dependent society who will never grow out of it. We have generations of dependents producing more dependent generations.
Finally, excusing these actions without calling the guilty to account is a crime in and of itself. We are doing this minority community no favor by looking the other way. I know I have some readers from minority groups. I hope you will offer your thoughts. I and many of my fellow taxpayers are fed up.
Ron Scarbro May 23, 2012
I have purposely stayed away from columns about the plight of minorities but sometimes I just can’t help myself. There are some issues that need discussion and examination. Here’s my first question. What in the world were these women thinking? Is it possible that in their community these women didn’t know about the other “baby mamas?” Is it possible that Desmond was just so irresistible that they just had to jump into the sack with him? Aside from a roll in the hay, what did Desmond bring to the lives of these women?
Let us look at some of the possibilities. Some will say that the women were just looking for a paycheck from the welfare department. We have all heard about people gaming the system by producing children strictly for the money. Or, maybe they were in love with Desmond. Naw, I doubt it. More likely these women, along with Hatchett, are just irresponsible dregs of society. Maybe they don’t have any concern for themselves or for the children they are inflicting on the community.
And when you consider the children, what chance do they have for a reasonable life? Who will be their father figure? Will they, if they survive to adulthood, become the same societal dregs that their mother and father are? Any study of economics already shows us that the surest way to live a life of poverty is to be born out of wedlock, in a minority community and with no father figure at home. Desmond and his co-respondents have given us 30 such children. The odds of these offspring continuing this dependent life on welfare and becoming the next criminal element as they grow up are staggeringly high.
So, what is society to do? Are we just to pay up? Are we just to arrest them when they eventually become the next criminals? Do we continue to send the welfare checks with no restriction? When will we have had enough?
It would seem that the Hatchetts of this world have reverted to a feral animal lifestyle. They have become opportunity breeders. Like other male animals they wander through the herd of females and breed anyone who stops long enough. There is a large segment of our populace who believe we should castrate Desmond and his ilk. They also believe we should take the children away from these irresponsible women and put them in real homes where they might have a chance at a real life. These are indeed harsh solutions.
Others will say we need to educate these people. They need to understand that their actions have consequences. Unfortunately there are none so stupid as those who refuse to learn. Sadly this appears to be the case of Desmond and his “baby mamas.”
If you will be true to yourself and examine this situation without prejudice, you have to conclude that this situation, and others like it, are caused and exacerbated by such liberal fixes as “The Great Society.” The liberals have spent billions of taxpayer dollars trying to assuage their own guilt under the guise that they are helping the minority community. Some seem to have the belief that if we just keep these people down on the plantation and send along a little money, they will not be a bother to us. The result is that we have created a dependent society who will never grow out of it. We have generations of dependents producing more dependent generations.
Finally, excusing these actions without calling the guilty to account is a crime in and of itself. We are doing this minority community no favor by looking the other way. I know I have some readers from minority groups. I hope you will offer your thoughts. I and many of my fellow taxpayers are fed up.
Ron Scarbro May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
FRANCE'S GIFT TO AMERICA
Back
in the 1700s when America was young and fighting for her independence
from England, France came to our rescue. They sent troops, arms and
money. Their assistance was invaluable. They later gifted us with the
Statue of Liberty, a gift that still shines off our shore welcoming
visitors as well as new citizens. During World War II, we repaid that
debt many times over. Thousands of our finest soldiers and sailors lie
beneath French soil, their lives given to free the French people and
kick the Nazis out of France. Our two countries are forever linked as
allies. Today France is giving us yet another gift. A gift whose value
could never be calculated. A gift which will prove, in the final
analysis, to be her greatest.
France has decided at the polls to re-institute a socialist government. The voters have decided the austerity efforts of Sarkozy were just too unfair. Raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 was just too harsh. Requiring citizens to help pay for their services and retirement was just unfair. This, they said, was the government’s job. Never mind that France, along with most of Europe, is broke, the money will somehow appear. The new Socialist government plans to increase the tax rate on their wealthiest citizens to over 75%. That, they opine, will fix everything. Of course if those wealthiest people move or transfer their money offshore, 75% of zero is still zero. In our own country it has just been reported that Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, will renounce his American citizenship in order to evade some 600 million dollars in capital gains taxes occasioned by Facebook going public. His 4% share will be 3.84 billion dollars. So much for taxing the rich.
The French gift to which I refer is a picture of what happens when socialism becomes the government of choice of formerly free people. The gift to America will be to watch what happens to a once great country when the takers outnumber the givers. We get to see what happens when you try to create wealth by taking away from the producers and giving to the non-producers. We have reported time and again Margaret Thatcher’s comment, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” The world will now see clearly that socialism is a fantasy and has no place in a modern world.
The civil service unions that dominate France’s workforce seemingly don’t care. The welfare class of France will continue to have their hands out.
There seems to be a class of people in every country that believes money grows on government trees. That certainly is true here in America. There are people who think rich people are rich because they are lucky. There are even some people, the “Wall Street Occupiers” for example, who believe that they should never have to work, that the government should just support them from birth to death. They will just sit around and sing Kumbaya. They never seem to consider where the money will come from.
There are some realities that must be faced by everyone. Governments don’t produce wealth, they only consume it. Monies that fund governments are the result of profits created by working people in successful, working companies. Money doesn’t fall out of the sky. It doesn’t just magically appear. If governments overtax and overspend, they contribute to the ultimate destruction of their own existence. Greece is a prime example of this overtaxing and overspending. France has apparently decided to be next.
To France I would say keep your gift. Save yourself. But if you insist on killing yourself, don’t look to us. We will not be available to bail you out again. You will have to depend on Germany for your salvation, and I don’t like your chances. After all, how did that work out for you the last time?
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2012
France has decided at the polls to re-institute a socialist government. The voters have decided the austerity efforts of Sarkozy were just too unfair. Raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 was just too harsh. Requiring citizens to help pay for their services and retirement was just unfair. This, they said, was the government’s job. Never mind that France, along with most of Europe, is broke, the money will somehow appear. The new Socialist government plans to increase the tax rate on their wealthiest citizens to over 75%. That, they opine, will fix everything. Of course if those wealthiest people move or transfer their money offshore, 75% of zero is still zero. In our own country it has just been reported that Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, will renounce his American citizenship in order to evade some 600 million dollars in capital gains taxes occasioned by Facebook going public. His 4% share will be 3.84 billion dollars. So much for taxing the rich.
The French gift to which I refer is a picture of what happens when socialism becomes the government of choice of formerly free people. The gift to America will be to watch what happens to a once great country when the takers outnumber the givers. We get to see what happens when you try to create wealth by taking away from the producers and giving to the non-producers. We have reported time and again Margaret Thatcher’s comment, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” The world will now see clearly that socialism is a fantasy and has no place in a modern world.
The civil service unions that dominate France’s workforce seemingly don’t care. The welfare class of France will continue to have their hands out.
There seems to be a class of people in every country that believes money grows on government trees. That certainly is true here in America. There are people who think rich people are rich because they are lucky. There are even some people, the “Wall Street Occupiers” for example, who believe that they should never have to work, that the government should just support them from birth to death. They will just sit around and sing Kumbaya. They never seem to consider where the money will come from.
There are some realities that must be faced by everyone. Governments don’t produce wealth, they only consume it. Monies that fund governments are the result of profits created by working people in successful, working companies. Money doesn’t fall out of the sky. It doesn’t just magically appear. If governments overtax and overspend, they contribute to the ultimate destruction of their own existence. Greece is a prime example of this overtaxing and overspending. France has apparently decided to be next.
To France I would say keep your gift. Save yourself. But if you insist on killing yourself, don’t look to us. We will not be available to bail you out again. You will have to depend on Germany for your salvation, and I don’t like your chances. After all, how did that work out for you the last time?
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A LANGUAGE PROBLEM - FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
Ever
since man has inhabited this planet he has developed language to
communicate with his fellows. Groups of people split off from each other
and subsequently began formulating their own languages. This split
often caused other problems. When diverse groups were unable to
communicate they then became unable to solve their differences. This was
probably the beginning of wars in an effort to solve such differences.
As man grew and developed more intelligence, he figured out ways to communicate with other groups. This was necessary for trade as well as just getting along. Different religions came into being. Most, but not all, religions figured out ways to co-exist with people who didn’t share their views. This is the issue that brings up this discussion.
I believe our problem with the Middle East is a language problem. This is what I mean. A short time ago an individual sitting on an airplane decided to ignite a bomb in his underwear. He was not an American citizen. He was grabbed and held for arrest. He was read his Miranda rights, as if he had Miranda rights, and told he had the right to remain silent. And he did. People from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.” There was also the moron who, also on an airplane, chose to attempt to kill the entire planeload of people as well as anyone on the ground by firing up a bomb in his shoe. We arrested him, called him sir, treated him as if he were human, fed him, clothed him, and tried him in a real court as if he was actually entitled to such treatment. The people from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.”
As a response to these airline attacks, we instituted the TSA. They stop 85 year old ladies in wheelchairs and strip search them while allowing twenty year old Muslim men to go through the line unencumbered. The people from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.”
Now we have the military trials in Guantanamo where seven known killers are being tried for the massacre of thousands of innocent people. They are treating this trial as if it were a joke. They even have a female American lawyer who has chosen to dress in a burkha, covering her entire body and face, so as not to offend her “client.” Some of these idiots are making paper airplanes and mocking the families of their victims and we are allowing it. The people of the Middle East are saying, “We don’t understand.”
The best guess is that this trial could last for years. Vital evidence could be excluded from the trial so as not to prejudice the judges. In other words this trial will be handled as if it were for real humans with rights being granted to non-citizens and protections given where no protections should be granted. And the Middle East says, “We don’t understand.”
I think I have a solution for this language problem. I think we need to speak to the Middle East in a language they will understand. Here is my plan. Bring out these seven defendants, stand them up near a pickup truck. Shoot each one of them in the back of the head with a .45 slug, tote their bodies out to the nearest swamp and dump them where they will be disposed of by feral hogs. Oh, and telecast the entire event to the entire world so that all can see.
I believe the response from the people of the Middle East would then be, “Aha, now we understand. There had been a failure to communicate. Nobody ever explained it to us before. All we ever needed was for someone to just speak to us in our own language.” Language problem solved.
Ron Scarbro May 9, 2012
As man grew and developed more intelligence, he figured out ways to communicate with other groups. This was necessary for trade as well as just getting along. Different religions came into being. Most, but not all, religions figured out ways to co-exist with people who didn’t share their views. This is the issue that brings up this discussion.
I believe our problem with the Middle East is a language problem. This is what I mean. A short time ago an individual sitting on an airplane decided to ignite a bomb in his underwear. He was not an American citizen. He was grabbed and held for arrest. He was read his Miranda rights, as if he had Miranda rights, and told he had the right to remain silent. And he did. People from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.” There was also the moron who, also on an airplane, chose to attempt to kill the entire planeload of people as well as anyone on the ground by firing up a bomb in his shoe. We arrested him, called him sir, treated him as if he were human, fed him, clothed him, and tried him in a real court as if he was actually entitled to such treatment. The people from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.”
As a response to these airline attacks, we instituted the TSA. They stop 85 year old ladies in wheelchairs and strip search them while allowing twenty year old Muslim men to go through the line unencumbered. The people from the Middle East said, “We don’t understand.”
Now we have the military trials in Guantanamo where seven known killers are being tried for the massacre of thousands of innocent people. They are treating this trial as if it were a joke. They even have a female American lawyer who has chosen to dress in a burkha, covering her entire body and face, so as not to offend her “client.” Some of these idiots are making paper airplanes and mocking the families of their victims and we are allowing it. The people of the Middle East are saying, “We don’t understand.”
The best guess is that this trial could last for years. Vital evidence could be excluded from the trial so as not to prejudice the judges. In other words this trial will be handled as if it were for real humans with rights being granted to non-citizens and protections given where no protections should be granted. And the Middle East says, “We don’t understand.”
I think I have a solution for this language problem. I think we need to speak to the Middle East in a language they will understand. Here is my plan. Bring out these seven defendants, stand them up near a pickup truck. Shoot each one of them in the back of the head with a .45 slug, tote their bodies out to the nearest swamp and dump them where they will be disposed of by feral hogs. Oh, and telecast the entire event to the entire world so that all can see.
I believe the response from the people of the Middle East would then be, “Aha, now we understand. There had been a failure to communicate. Nobody ever explained it to us before. All we ever needed was for someone to just speak to us in our own language.” Language problem solved.
Ron Scarbro May 9, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I WONDER ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS
Do
you remember the old commercial that started, “I wonder about a lot of
things, like how balloons can fly. How can they when they don’t have
wings? I wonder.” I also sometimes wonder. There are so many things
about today’s world that seem strange to me. Like:
I wonder how a Federal judge can rule that Florida’s law requiring drug testing for all state employees is unconstitutional and at the same time most private employers continue to do this testing. Are the private companies violating some law or is the judge just overstepping his authority? I wonder.
I wonder how Warren Buffet can be trotted out as an example of the beauty of tax increases even to the point of naming a tax increase after him when Buffet himself, along with some of his many companies, is millions of dollars delinquent in their taxes and fighting it all the way. I wonder.
I wonder how the Federal Government, while refusing to enforce laws against illegal entry into this country, files a lawsuit against a state that is only trying to do that enforcement which the Feds refuse to take care of. Is there some financial benefit to the government for their actions? Like receiving contributions to Social Security when there can be no payout because of the fraud committed by the illegals? I wonder.
I wonder how our elected representatives, whom we hire to be our voice and speak for us, suddenly decide they are not our representatives at all but instead our leaders and in some cases even see themselves as our daddies. Daddies who come to believe they know what is best for us without regard to the law. I wonder.
I also wonder how any American Jew could be a Democrat. Never has it been clearer that Democrats are not friends of Israel. Are American Jews paying attention? I wonder.
I wonder what my hero, Harry Truman, would think of the Democrat party today. Do you think he would be a Democrat now? I wonder.
I wonder about National Organization for Women Chairperson, Gloria Steinem who famously supported Bill Clinton when he was dallying with an intern. It was an obvious case of workplace sexual exploitation. Her comment was that powerful men had unusually high sexual needs, which was the excuse she gave for Clinton’s action. If he had been a Republican what would she have said? Is this just a phony baloney double standard? I wonder.
I wonder about prescription drugs being advertised on TV. I wonder about any Doctor who would take the advice of his patient as to what medication to prescribe based on the patient’s watching of TV commercials. I also wonder how anyone would take any of these drugs after hearing their disclaimers. Oh and how much is the cost of my prescriptions increased by this silly advertising? I wonder.
Speaking of ridiculous advertising, would my auto insurance be cheaper if so much of the company’s budget wasn’t spent for non-stop TV commercials? I wonder.
I wonder, after just hearing of a poll which shows 45% of respondents approve of the job Obama is doing, what exactly about his performance do they approve of? Is it 8% plus unemployment, tanking real estate values, unending wars all over the world, or the poorest economic recovery in history? I wonder.
I wonder how a twenty year old could be arrested for a crime only to learn that he had been arrested and convicted of many, many crimes in his short life. How could he be walking the streets of our country and not in prison? I wonder. Is there some financial benefit to the lawyers, courts, and the judicial system to keep up this flow of crime? I wonder.
Is skeptic spelled with a “c” or a “k”? I wonder.
I could fill pages with things I wonder about. But this is one thing I know. If you fill a balloon with hot air it will fly. And it would seem that hot air is one commodity we have in abundance.
Will our great country ever return to the paragon of civility and good where personal responsibility was once the norm? Will we ever again be what most of us remember? I truly wonder.
Ron Scarbro May 2, 2012
I wonder how a Federal judge can rule that Florida’s law requiring drug testing for all state employees is unconstitutional and at the same time most private employers continue to do this testing. Are the private companies violating some law or is the judge just overstepping his authority? I wonder.
I wonder how Warren Buffet can be trotted out as an example of the beauty of tax increases even to the point of naming a tax increase after him when Buffet himself, along with some of his many companies, is millions of dollars delinquent in their taxes and fighting it all the way. I wonder.
I wonder how the Federal Government, while refusing to enforce laws against illegal entry into this country, files a lawsuit against a state that is only trying to do that enforcement which the Feds refuse to take care of. Is there some financial benefit to the government for their actions? Like receiving contributions to Social Security when there can be no payout because of the fraud committed by the illegals? I wonder.
I wonder how our elected representatives, whom we hire to be our voice and speak for us, suddenly decide they are not our representatives at all but instead our leaders and in some cases even see themselves as our daddies. Daddies who come to believe they know what is best for us without regard to the law. I wonder.
I also wonder how any American Jew could be a Democrat. Never has it been clearer that Democrats are not friends of Israel. Are American Jews paying attention? I wonder.
I wonder what my hero, Harry Truman, would think of the Democrat party today. Do you think he would be a Democrat now? I wonder.
I wonder about National Organization for Women Chairperson, Gloria Steinem who famously supported Bill Clinton when he was dallying with an intern. It was an obvious case of workplace sexual exploitation. Her comment was that powerful men had unusually high sexual needs, which was the excuse she gave for Clinton’s action. If he had been a Republican what would she have said? Is this just a phony baloney double standard? I wonder.
I wonder about prescription drugs being advertised on TV. I wonder about any Doctor who would take the advice of his patient as to what medication to prescribe based on the patient’s watching of TV commercials. I also wonder how anyone would take any of these drugs after hearing their disclaimers. Oh and how much is the cost of my prescriptions increased by this silly advertising? I wonder.
Speaking of ridiculous advertising, would my auto insurance be cheaper if so much of the company’s budget wasn’t spent for non-stop TV commercials? I wonder.
I wonder, after just hearing of a poll which shows 45% of respondents approve of the job Obama is doing, what exactly about his performance do they approve of? Is it 8% plus unemployment, tanking real estate values, unending wars all over the world, or the poorest economic recovery in history? I wonder.
I wonder how a twenty year old could be arrested for a crime only to learn that he had been arrested and convicted of many, many crimes in his short life. How could he be walking the streets of our country and not in prison? I wonder. Is there some financial benefit to the lawyers, courts, and the judicial system to keep up this flow of crime? I wonder.
Is skeptic spelled with a “c” or a “k”? I wonder.
I could fill pages with things I wonder about. But this is one thing I know. If you fill a balloon with hot air it will fly. And it would seem that hot air is one commodity we have in abundance.
Will our great country ever return to the paragon of civility and good where personal responsibility was once the norm? Will we ever again be what most of us remember? I truly wonder.
Ron Scarbro May 2, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP
It
has recently been reported that some public schools are forbidding
their students from displaying in any way their acceptance by a college
of their choice. They cannot high five or brag to anyone. Their
teachers cannot congratulate them in class. The reason? Why the poor
little student who was not accepted might be upset. Their ego might be
harmed by the fact that someone fared better than they. Some of these
schools even go so far as to advise students to refer any student they
see crying to the counselor’s office. There they can receive the solace
they so desperately need.
It is hard to believe but there are some public schools that have eliminated the valedictorian program. Again the reason is so that other less accomplished students will not suffer damage to their poor self image. Apparently being the best is no longer considered a good thing. We wouldn’t want all the others, slackers, goof offs and under achievers to feel bad. It would seem that the “educational community” believes we all are equal and no one should stand out. It is somewhat similar to a little league game where all of the players get a trophy whether they win or lose.
Well guess what? That ain’t the real world. The world is a competitive place. Success both in getting a good job and succeeding in that job is not a matter of chance. Employers are looking for the best. They seek out the best students because they rightfully believe these people will become the best employees. Members of the “educational community” seem to think that all the world is like their school where everybody just goes through life with a guaranteed job and their future is secure just because they show up. I sometimes wonder if these kinds of thoughts are the results of aging 60’s hippies. Many of them who survived their excesses of youth are now in positions of authority. A lot of them gyrated toward education because they thought it would be an easy life with a lot of time off. The big difference is that they have to bathe on a regular basis, but I guess they could make that concession.
The problem with most of our public schools is they really do not know what it takes to succeed in the real world. The same is true, in large measure, in colleges. Most members of the academic set have never actually faced life in a competitive world with profit as the ulterior motive. Tenure is an artificial commodity that exists in educational institutions in order to insure the jobs of educators whether they are competent or not. That is not a part of the real world. In the real world you have to produce or else.
I have even heard of schools that choose not to give out any grades on anything. This, they opine, means that no one would ever fail and their little images of themselves would not suffer. Of course it also means no one could ever succeed. A side benefit from such a system to the teachers is there is no way of determining the proficiency of that teacher. Are they competent or are they not? There is no way to know.
Here is an inescapable truth. Most people coming out of school will have to earn a living. Most will have to get a job and perform and their bruised self image is their problem. There are no free rides or free lunches. So, my advice, “Suck it up Buttercup.” Study and learn your lessons whether your teacher is competent or not. In the final analysis it is going to be up to you.
Ron Scarbro April 25, 2012
It is hard to believe but there are some public schools that have eliminated the valedictorian program. Again the reason is so that other less accomplished students will not suffer damage to their poor self image. Apparently being the best is no longer considered a good thing. We wouldn’t want all the others, slackers, goof offs and under achievers to feel bad. It would seem that the “educational community” believes we all are equal and no one should stand out. It is somewhat similar to a little league game where all of the players get a trophy whether they win or lose.
Well guess what? That ain’t the real world. The world is a competitive place. Success both in getting a good job and succeeding in that job is not a matter of chance. Employers are looking for the best. They seek out the best students because they rightfully believe these people will become the best employees. Members of the “educational community” seem to think that all the world is like their school where everybody just goes through life with a guaranteed job and their future is secure just because they show up. I sometimes wonder if these kinds of thoughts are the results of aging 60’s hippies. Many of them who survived their excesses of youth are now in positions of authority. A lot of them gyrated toward education because they thought it would be an easy life with a lot of time off. The big difference is that they have to bathe on a regular basis, but I guess they could make that concession.
The problem with most of our public schools is they really do not know what it takes to succeed in the real world. The same is true, in large measure, in colleges. Most members of the academic set have never actually faced life in a competitive world with profit as the ulterior motive. Tenure is an artificial commodity that exists in educational institutions in order to insure the jobs of educators whether they are competent or not. That is not a part of the real world. In the real world you have to produce or else.
I have even heard of schools that choose not to give out any grades on anything. This, they opine, means that no one would ever fail and their little images of themselves would not suffer. Of course it also means no one could ever succeed. A side benefit from such a system to the teachers is there is no way of determining the proficiency of that teacher. Are they competent or are they not? There is no way to know.
Here is an inescapable truth. Most people coming out of school will have to earn a living. Most will have to get a job and perform and their bruised self image is their problem. There are no free rides or free lunches. So, my advice, “Suck it up Buttercup.” Study and learn your lessons whether your teacher is competent or not. In the final analysis it is going to be up to you.
Ron Scarbro April 25, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
MORE FOOD POLICE NONSENSE
This
morning I was watching a TV program and here comes the “food police.”
She was a gorgeous twenty-something hard body whose task it was to teach
me the evils of sugar. According to her most of the food we eat in this
country is poisonous and we are all doomed unless we change our ways.
She proffered that the sugar content in virtually everything was just
too high and that eating these foods would kill us. It was just a matter
of time. It’s a good thing she was pretty otherwise I would have tuned
her out immediately.
Last week some young man, again very young, was talking about that fatal food, fat. His thesis was that virtually all of the foods we eat are loaded with fat and it was going to kill us. Both of the young food police people were passionate about their positions. I am sure that in their heart of hearts they believe what they are saying.
In the very recent past the Mayor of New York City launched a campaign to curtail the consumption of salt. He also signed into law an edict that regulates the type of cooking oil that can be used by restaurants. It would seem there is no area of our freedom of choice that is immune from the long arm of the “do gooders” and those who believe they know best.
Well I have some thoughts for them. My father recently died at the ripe old age of 92. He was born and raised in the south. He ate the southern diet from the time he was born until his death. What is the southern diet? Have you heard of Paula Deen? The southern diet consists of a lot of pork, both the meat and the fat. Often the fat is used to make gravy. Mostly that gravy is poured over biscuits and mashed potatoes. Vegetables are cooked in bacon grease. I mean all vegetables. Butter is a common condiment. Other meats are seemingly always fried. You have to do that so you will have some grease left over to make the gravy.
I myself am a son of the south. I love the southern diet. My wife, on the other hand, is a little more picky about what she eats. Oh well, you can’t please everybody. If someone told me that I would have to stop eating the foods I love and change to boiled meat, steamed vegetables, no gravy, no biscuits and no butter or else, I think I would have to take or else. There are some things that are worse than death. For example steamed vegetables, boiled meat, etc. My father had a good life. He lived it on his terms and I assure you, he never once concerned himself with the fat or sugar content of the foods he ate.
I truly understand one’s food choices are very personal. There are mayonnaise people and there are mustard people, and you know who you are. For that reason, I promise never to criticize your choices. I will never make fun of you for destroying perfectly good food by trying to satisfy the food police. Chicken needs to be fried. Mashed potatoes need gravy. Biscuits need butter. For me to deny these truths is a choice with which I would not be comfortable.
Oh and by the way, the young hard bellies who feel the need to lecture me on food choices will, if they are lucky, grow old and their hard bodies will sag, and their tight skin will show the years like the rest of us. And who knows, they might even become fortunate enough some day to taste real food before they die. I can only hope they will be so lucky. If they ever do, they will quickly turn in their food police badges.
Ron Scarbro April 18, 2012
Last week some young man, again very young, was talking about that fatal food, fat. His thesis was that virtually all of the foods we eat are loaded with fat and it was going to kill us. Both of the young food police people were passionate about their positions. I am sure that in their heart of hearts they believe what they are saying.
In the very recent past the Mayor of New York City launched a campaign to curtail the consumption of salt. He also signed into law an edict that regulates the type of cooking oil that can be used by restaurants. It would seem there is no area of our freedom of choice that is immune from the long arm of the “do gooders” and those who believe they know best.
Well I have some thoughts for them. My father recently died at the ripe old age of 92. He was born and raised in the south. He ate the southern diet from the time he was born until his death. What is the southern diet? Have you heard of Paula Deen? The southern diet consists of a lot of pork, both the meat and the fat. Often the fat is used to make gravy. Mostly that gravy is poured over biscuits and mashed potatoes. Vegetables are cooked in bacon grease. I mean all vegetables. Butter is a common condiment. Other meats are seemingly always fried. You have to do that so you will have some grease left over to make the gravy.
I myself am a son of the south. I love the southern diet. My wife, on the other hand, is a little more picky about what she eats. Oh well, you can’t please everybody. If someone told me that I would have to stop eating the foods I love and change to boiled meat, steamed vegetables, no gravy, no biscuits and no butter or else, I think I would have to take or else. There are some things that are worse than death. For example steamed vegetables, boiled meat, etc. My father had a good life. He lived it on his terms and I assure you, he never once concerned himself with the fat or sugar content of the foods he ate.
I truly understand one’s food choices are very personal. There are mayonnaise people and there are mustard people, and you know who you are. For that reason, I promise never to criticize your choices. I will never make fun of you for destroying perfectly good food by trying to satisfy the food police. Chicken needs to be fried. Mashed potatoes need gravy. Biscuits need butter. For me to deny these truths is a choice with which I would not be comfortable.
Oh and by the way, the young hard bellies who feel the need to lecture me on food choices will, if they are lucky, grow old and their hard bodies will sag, and their tight skin will show the years like the rest of us. And who knows, they might even become fortunate enough some day to taste real food before they die. I can only hope they will be so lucky. If they ever do, they will quickly turn in their food police badges.
Ron Scarbro April 18, 2012
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