WAKE UP MIDDLE AMERICA !

Unions have played an important part in the development of our country. Child labor laws, decent working hours and wages have helped make the United States strong. Unfortunately there have been excesses. The automobile industry, for years held the public hostage with management and labor rewarding themselves with excessive salaries and wages, all the while producing mediocre products. They've paid the price. NEA & AFT's positions against charter schools, lack of enthusiasm for innovative improvements in education as well as a "protectionist" attitude for senior teachers,regardless of their competency, is not being fair to our children, nor to our nation! Tenure is a joke. There is no tenure in the private sector- either produce or find another job! Teachers and college professors look forward to tenure as it encourages them to "slack off", doing just enough to keep their jobs and in many cases to detriment. to the entire educational process. California, is a good example of public employee unions holding the State hostage. As taxpayers we have allowed Congress and these unions a free rein because of our apathy. While we have idly stood by, wringing our hands in frustration, the unions have stolen our piggybank, sapped our resources and decimated our economies. Let's do thing, starting this fall!

Political Parties: There's " Not a nickel's worth of difference" between Democrats and Republicans! The difference in the "worker bees and the drones" is about the individuals who are "givers" or "takers". Like tomatoes, some are good, some are over-ripe and some are rotten. The success of our Country depends on how to sort out the best ones and toss out the rest. Some of the most senior members need a closer look. Power breeds contempt. Neither should we "throw out the baby with the bath water." Select good people based our independent assestment, not on party affiliation.Voice your positive feelings at the next election, both state and national. It is our only hope!


Power: Power flows from the people! Growing up in a rural church, by the time I was elected to the church Board it was obvious that the church's hierarchy was calling the shots - not the people. Senior members of any governing body sometimes worship power and "forget" the peoples wishes. I know I'm biased when I say small town and country people have the edge on city folks when it comes to commonsense. It comes from growing up in rural areas, making do with the meager resources, and conservative values. In one of my first classes in college, our professor admitted he was an agnostic. Wow! Being in an agricultural program, conservative professors talked our language, but liberals amongst them slid in some new thoughts. Some liberalism is good, progressive. It prevents stagnation and lack of fresh ideas. I finished college with some moderate thoughts, picking up more as I matured, but my country roots hung in there. I was born a Democrat, worked later as a Republican enthusiast and am now an Independent,solidly. A third party won't work, but independent thought is our strongest suit. Term limits or at the very least strong voting by those of us with a grain of common sense is our only salvation! Fewer of us are paying taxes as greater feed at the public trough. Guess which group demands more service(our taxes)? It's our own fault for allowing this to happen. Remember, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! Contact your elected representatives in local, state, and national levels, now. Let them know your thoughts. Those folks get uneasy when we show up in big numbers! For God' sake, vote for sanity this fall-2010!

Conflict of Interest: When you're dealing with someone who stands to gain, more than you, from your final decision, not in your best interest. An acid test!

DISCIPLINE-THE KEY TO SUCCESS

An excellent “Letters To The Editor,” letter by Candace Young in the Richmond Times Dispatch about the importance of discipline hits the bull’s eye on a main stumbling block for successfully teaching our children. Discipline, like most of the important lessons of life, needs to be started early in a child’s life. Depending on the child’s maturity starting at one year old, but certainly by two is not too early.

What follows is my assessment based on my parents’ teaching and general observations. I started the first grade at six years old, in 1942. I was born in February, so I had a maturity jump on some of my classmates. Old fashioned as it was, my parents got the job done and when I walked into Miss Brizendine’s classroom, respect for my teacher and classmates, and a basic understanding of right from wrong was molded into me. Much of what’s said in this article some will say is politically incorrect, sadistic, and unfair. My psychic was not ruined, my life has been for the most part optimistic and happy, and though my parents loved me, they guided me on the straight and narrow pathway that has served me well.

A “hickory tea” or the use of a switch from the forsythia bush at our back door was applied when I failed to heed a verbal warning. Though I don’t remember them (it’s said we only recall the pleasant things!) the palm of a well-placed hand to my backside was probably applied from time to time. We were taught to say Sir, Ma’m, please and thank you, open doors for seniors and ladies (as soon as one was strong enough), and to step back and not butt in front of adults. So much for us little folks to learn, but by the first grade, all this was embedded in me. Of course there were some slip-ups. As an early stutterer, sometimes my “thank-yous” didn’t come fast enough and a friendly “say thank you” was prompted as a reinforcement. Though a belt or slap across the face was never delivered to me, others received them partly out of frustration or for something they’d done “really bad”, most “survived”, but never forgot the lesson taught that bad behavior was not to be accepted.

Since Mother was the primary disciplinarian, it fell to her to “hand” out our “corrections.” Daddy was the back up and handled most of the more serious offenses. First - a warning! No second chance. Discipline was immediately “applied” in various forms depending on the severity of the offense. “Time out” was not in my parents’ vocabulary. For example: In the summer we ate on our screened back porch. Daddy sat at the head of the table, Mama to his left. Sally, my younger sister, and I sat across from each other. A common problem was kicking each other under the table. At the first lick, a warning. If this behavior continued (and it rarely did), the second stage happened and on very rare occasions when Daddy, after a long hard day’s work on the farm, slid his chair back and quick as a flash was out the screen door, back with a switch and I was usually the loser. Sally and I from time to time did our “dance,” as a small switch was applied to our legs as a result of some unsatisfactory behavior. The switching, though more for effect than injury was usually accompanied with some words to the effect, “I told you not to do that and I expect you to act your age and behave yourself!” It ended quickly with some resulting red marks, but no lasting scars. Not soon forgotten, however.

Our teachers were respected and any infraction in school was dealt with quickly. Following a similar routine first came a warning. Serious mischief called for a march to the principal’s office, standing in the corner (later in the upper grades, standing in the middle of the auditorium, or the dreaded warning, “One more time and I’m calling your Daddy tonight!” Oh yes, our parents never questioned the teacher’s call and in most cases we got more grief when we got home.

Ms. Young properly points out that a teacher cannot teach unless “classrooms are places of calm and civility,” and further “Students must learn self-control leads to self-respect-which leads to a productive, meaningful life.” So—as parents it’s our responsibility to send our little ones off to school, at least “green-broke,” to give our teachers a fighting chance as well as save us from extra grief from the kids later.