Is there Entropy in Your Life?

Maggie Gillel

Entropy : a measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system that is also usually considered to be a measure of the system’s disorder;  a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder;  chaos, disorganization, randomness.

 When I am out and about on my errands throughout the days and weeks, I notice homes, yards, businesses, schools, etc.  I have seen those who are tended to carefully.  Repairs are made, lawns are mown, weeds are kept under control,  trash is picked up.   I have also noticed other establishments where this is not the case.  I have watched as two homes were  built, moved into and life begun therein.  In just a matter of months, it was clear that entropy had taken over:  weeds, trash, unfinished landscaping, unfinished parts of the house, broken windows.  It was not because of a lack of financing, it was a lack of priorities and caring. I have neighbors who are not wealthy, but they carefully tend to their property.

What about our lives?  Are they cluttered with ‘weeds’ – (lies, dishonesty, immorality, laziness) ‘unfinished landscaping’ – (drifting through life, no direction, crime, no education) – ‘trash’ – (unkempt, dirty, odorous, mean, angry, life of crime) ‘unfinished parts of the house’ – (little care or regard for others, uses others, no self-respect, no care about self-improvement,  no family by choice, contributes only negatively to society).

It does make a difference the choices we make each and every minute, hour, and day of our lives.  We are either fighting entropy by building and growing the good in our lives, or we are losing the battle with entropy by taking the course of least resistance and letting others take care of us in one way or another.

Making good choices continually will determine whether people admire and respect us and want to be with us (and we have self-respect ourselves),  OR whether anyone cares about us ever – least of all ourselves.   Choices have consequences.  We can’t have it both ways. Entropy is always lurking in the shadows waiting for the opportunity to take over.

 

The Way We Speak to Our Children…

Aubrey Wood & Kirstie Steel

Many of us would be appalled if we were in a grocery store and watched as a parent smacked the back of their child’s head for the offense of reaching for a box of cookies the parent had just denied.  But how many of us would feel the same level of horror if we saw that parent hiss at their child that he or she was being bad, “just like always?”  Though no physical harm came to the child, such belittling is abuse.  Abuse is defined as anything that is harmful, injurious, or offensive.   Verbal abuse can include swearing, threats, insults, bullying, and/or name calling.

The old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not nearly as true as we might want to believe.  Although, in the scenarios we are focusing on, there is not physical harm or danger associated with the words, they carry just as much negative power.  The wounds of a spoken word remain much longer than those of a physical touch.  They can remain with the victims for a long time, and can affect the way they view the world, and themselves.

HelpGuide.org is a non-profit resource designed to help readers resolve a variety of “health challenges.”  One of the topics listed on the website is Child Abuse and Neglect. To help the reader obtain a basic knowledge of this topic, the article lists “Myths and facts about child abuse and neglect.”   The first of the five myths says: “It’s only abuse if it’s violent.”  The article argues this myth by stating: “Physical abuse is just one type of child abuse.  Neglect and emotional abuse can be just as damaging, and since they are more subtle, others are less likely to intervene.”

Benj Vardigan in his article “Verbal Abuse of Children” gives a list of the types of verbal abuse – some of them we might not even think of as being abusive:

1. “Name-calling, belittling, swearing, and insulting.”  Whether these types of criticisms are indirect or intentional, direct or not, they are harmful.
2. “Rejecting or threatening with abandonment.”  A parent’s love should be unconditional, and the child should know that it is.  They should never be threatened with the possibility, no matter how probable, of the love being withdrawn.
3. “Threatening bodily harm” is another listed type of verbal abuse.  Even if the parent never intends to follow through with this threat, it can create a relationship of fear and distrust.  This fear and distrust are not momentary—the child will not “get over it” after the threat has diminished.  It will reappear in the child’s life, and will forever be a stain on the relationship.
4. “Scapegoating or blaming.”  If children are constantly blamed for the things that go wrong, they will begin to truly believe that they are the root of the problem, and that they deserve any negative thing which happens to them.
5. “Using sarcasm” is also included on the list.  While the person using such a tactic may think that they are letting out their frustrations or anger in a way that the child will not understand, that is not the case.  Children, though they may not fully understand the sarcasm, are perceptive enough to know that they are being demeaned and treated unkindly.
6. “Berating your spouse.”  Children who see their parents verbally abusing one another are more likely to be anxious, depressed, and experience more interpersonal problems of their own.  Surprisingly, verbal aggression between parents is more traumatic to children than physical violence among parents.

The effects of verbal abuse are not just harmful in the moment, but can have longer-lasting effects, which can both linger and reappear later in life.  About 30 percent of abused and neglected children will later abuse and/or neglect their own children.  About 80 percent of children who were abused, in any manner, when they reached the age of 21 were tested and met the criteria for at least one psychological disorder.

According to a study done by Florida State University researchers, “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.” A child who is the victim of verbal abuse can also be susceptible to having a more negative self-image, become more prone to committing self-destructive acts (such as cutting), antisocial behavior, and delayed development.

Regardless of what our relationship may be with the family, Preventchildabuse.org states that to help those who are struggling with verbal abuse (on both the receiving and the administrating end), we can “Be a friend to a parent you know.”  Verbal abuse may likely come because the adult is feeling overwhelmed or stressed in their care for the child.  If the parents feel that they have a connection within the community, someone who they may depend and rely on, it could take some of the burden off their shoulders, and allow them to feel more at ease with their children, and better able to care for them.

Peggy O’Mara, editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine and author of the book Natural Family Living, has said “The way we speak to our children becomes their inner voice.”  As parents, leaders, teachers, or any adult who has stewardship over a child, we carry much more power and influence than we might be aware of.  For a child who is verbally abused, they will begin to associate the bad things that happen in their lives with the “truth” in the voice of a trusted adult that drifts back to them, saying how “bad,” “stupid,” or “worthless” they are.

Children depend on us to lead them, teach them, and guide them.  We show them the world—they will see it in the color that we paint it.   The way they view themselves is largely a result of what we tell them they are.

Kirstie Steel and Aubrey Wood are both students at Brigham Young University-Idaho and are interested in Family and Child Advocacy.

Mothers: Influencers Extraordinaire

Rachel Allison

I recently read the following:

I am totally convinced that once a woman has borne a child, she owes that child herself more than anything else in the first five years of his life…

I fear that raising emotion-starved and love-starved children can produce calloused, robotized adults—people who follow the group in straight lines and do exactly what everyone else is doing, because someone has said it is time.

I fear for the working mother who is deluded to believe that some kind, patient woman will tend to her child’s emotional needs until she can take over, that someone else will see that her child discovers he is unique, until she can pick him up at the end of the day—when she is perhaps so tired that the best he can hope to hear is, “It’s time to go to bed.”

I fear for the future of the child whose hunger for love and recognition must be satisfied in large groups.  I beg mothers to wake up, to experience the precious dawning of their child’s life with him.  Evening comes quickly—but the evening may be too late.”  Rita Chapman of Dallas, Texas as quoted in Blueprints for Living

As I read these words my first thoughts were, “Wow!  That’s strong medicine!” But hearing the news, and observing the heartbreak that is taking place in homes and families, I think that we all need a dose of strong medicine.  We may not like it, but if it helps to heal, we should do all we can to make appropriate change.

One of the speakers at church this past Sunday paid tribute to her mother.  Because her father was diagnosed at an early age with an extremely debilitating disease, her mother stepped up to not only provide the income, but she chose to work a night job so that she could be at home with her children when they needed her presence and watchful care. This little family was far from affluent.  In fact financially they were considered poor. But I know six of the children who grew up under the watchful eye of that mother.  They are well-adjusted, good, fun, talented, hard-working individuals and they adore their mother and each other.  What a blessing one selfless woman can be in the lives of her children. What a blessing her choices have been to the community where her children choose to settle.

Unfortunately, we are seeing mothers have to choose between their children and a myriad of interests, activities, and opportunities that promote their own fun, pride, and sense of fulfillment.  Our society is experiencing the results of children whose lives and care have been put on the back burner of their mother’s priorities… Years ago my son brought this poem home from school. I have never forgotten its message.  It has helped me determine where to spend my time, and where to give my heart.

             Mother

She laughs my laughter

Sheds my tears

Returns my love,

Fears my fears.

She lives my joys,

Cares my cares,

And all my hopes and dreams she shares.

Proselytizing compared to rape? Really?

Rachel Allison

There are bombs going off on more fronts than I can name.  The attacks are relentless and escalating.

Abortion—Now the truth is coming out about the “safety” and “compassion” of abortion clinics.  And we thought the supposed “back-alley abortions” were bad?

Euthanasia—being legalized and accepted as “killing with compassion.”

Marriage—If the Supreme Court redefines marriage, marriage, completely severed from its original purpose, might never pull out of its death spiral.  Religious freedom and rights of conscience will be severely compromised.

Educational decline—we have all witnessed its decline, and with Common Core being rammed through at break-neck speed, it will continue to be an agenda driven program run by non-elected federal agencies.

And there’s so much more…

What’s most alarming, a majority of the people seem to be totally unaware and even apathetic to the bombardment.

The most recent bombshell: Court marshals for those who proselyte  in the military.

I quote Bethany Monk from CitizenLink

The Pentagon has released a statement, confirming its policy that would punish service members who share their religious beliefs.

That follows a private meeting last week between Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and the Pentagon. Weinstein said military personnel who proselytize are guilty of sedition and “treason.” He said they should be punished to quell a “tidal wave of fundamentalists.”  

“If this policy goes forward, Christians within the military who speak their faith could now be prosecuted as enemies of the states,” according to the Family Research Council. “This has potential to destroy military recruiting across the services as Americans realize that their faith will be suppressed by joining the military. Our brave troops deserve better. If chaplains and other personnel are censored from offering the full solace of the Gospel, there is not religious freedom in the military.”

As I have studied this and other relevant reporting it looks like the Department of Defense has had this particular regulation in place prior to Weinstein’s demands.

“Air Force Culture, Air Force Standards,” published on Aug. 7, 2012.

Section 2.11 requires “government neutrality regarding religion.”

“Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for an individual’s free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion,” the regulation states.

Military leaders were admonished not to use their position to “promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion.”

Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council has said Weinstein’s hands are all over this work.  I wish I understood better whether MRFF could actually have had imput into the writing of the militaries’ regulations. Weinstein, an avid atheist is now demanding that the DOD start implementing it.

I quote Todd Starnes from Fox News

President Mikey Weinstein and others from his organization met privately with Pentagon officials on April 23. He said U.S. troops who proselytize are guilty of sedition and treason and should be punished – by the hundreds if necessary – to stave off what he called a “tidal wave of fundamentalists.”

“Someone needs to be punished for this,” Weinstein demanded to Fox News.  “Until the Air Force or Army or Navy or Marine Corps punishes a member of the military for unconstitutional religious proselytizing and oppression, we will never have the ability to stop this horrible, horrendous, dehumanizing behavior.” He compared the act of proselytizing to rape.

“It is a version of being spiritually raped and you are being spiritually raped by fundamentalist Christian religious predators,” he told Fox News.

He said there is a time and a place for those in uniform to share their faith – but he took issues with fundamentalism that he says is causing widespread problems in the military.

Perkins and members of the Family Research Council were stunned that the Pentagon would be taking counsel and advice from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

“Why would military leadership be meeting with one of the most rabid atheists in America to discuss religious freedom in the military,” Perkins said. “That’s like consulting with China on how to improve human rights.”

If Weinstein has his way, and apparently he has the attention of military leaders “it threatens to treat service members caught witnessing as enemies of the state.”  “Non-compliance,” the Pentagon suggests, “even from ordained chaplains could result in court-martialing on a case-by-case basis.”

Does this sound like something that should be happening in the United States of America…or Hitler’s Germany?

With all the social, moral, and religious bombardment taking place we need to choose our battles wisely…but for America’s sake let us choose to fight! Apathy is a killer.

The FRC has launched a petition drive urging Defense Sec. Chuck Hagel to protect the religious freedom of troops “and not to proceed with the purge of religion within the ranks called for by anti-Christian activists.”

An Untold Tale of Resilience

Kristi Kane

We are regularly reminded of the bad and the ugly that goes on in our world by just watching the news or surfing the internet. With the attack in Boston a few weeks old, there have been stories of those who did great good and put themselves in harm’s way to help another.

Even though these events are tragic, they are times that remind us that there is still good in the world. Ironically, it is an act of evil that brings it out. One of my favorite stories is “Boatlift,” the story of selfless volunteers with boats who evacuated nearly 500,000 people from Manhattan on that fateful day, September 11, 2001.

I could write about it, but I’d rather you watch it, and feel the emotions I did.

Today’s Peace Signs

Rebecca Mallory

National headlines from the past news week have undoubtedly set most Americans on edge. Shocking scenes of the tragedy at the Boston marathon finish line and the fiery images after the explosion of a fertilizer plant in Waco, Texas leave us all bewildered and baffled in the aftermath of unspeakable human suffering. Similar tragedies such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Indonesia’s tsunami, and countless others leave us wondering where we can turn for peace. Perhaps you have specific sources of comfort on which to rely.

May I suggest some universal truths that apply to all?

Unfortunately, our destructive politically correct society has dictated the way we are “supposed” to react and respond to life’s tragic events.  Thank goodness many Americans in Boston, Waco and countless other great American cities ignored that memo this week. How refreshing it was to see the streets of Boston lined with selfless Americans forming a gauntlet and linking arms while singing “God Bless America”, praising the first responders, and supporting the victims of that tragedy. Their automatic  reaction was a testimony to human nature and the true American spirit that blasted meaningless PC nonsense and further verified that human behavior cannot, and never will be, mandated just because a few “feel good” politicians deem it so through legislation.

Anyone remotely familiar with history is no doubt reminded of the universal truths that made America the greatest nation in world history.  Through the U.S. Constitution, wise founders prepared for the frailties and selfishness of man by preparing a document unrivaled by any other nation. It is a system of checks and balances that prevents kings, dictators and imperialists from controlling a free people. Our Constitution brilliantly provides for man’s innate desire to be free and pursue his/her own happiness through liberty and the dictates of his/her own conscience. It has been the envy of every other nation. Why has it lasted so long? Why is it being threatened today? Will it survive?

Something that I have observed with each terror attack, or horrid crime committed, is how the government attempts to band-aid the situation after the fact. Everyone rushes to the scene after the damage has been done. The shocked media then puzzles away. “What happened? What possibly could have prevented this tragic event?”  The answer is in our history books. It lies in the universal truths about different forms of government and the governed – Rome, England, Greece, France, China, etc.  What do they all have in common? All world super powers crumbled and failed because of interesting similarities: an obsession with the rich and famous, with sports and entertainment and loss of moral compass. They wanted to be taken care of… They wanted things to be easy – a “give it to me now” entitlement mentality. Sound familiar?

To cure what ails us in these uncertain times, there’s a simple solution to achieve a higher degree of personal peace. Not easy, but simple.

Individual responsibility, integrity, respect and love of fellow man, and hard work. That’s it. Imagine how the world would change instantly if everyone truly adopted those universal principles. Or even made an effort! Until we take responsibility for our own character flaws, stop blaming others for our misfortunes, and correct our own selfish desires, we imperfect humans will allow other imperfect humans to govern us. There are those who “think” they know the rules better and they should be able  to  imposed them upon us. Is that a free country? (Incidentally, America isn’t even ranked in the top 20 “most free” nations in the world. And you thought we were #1, right?)

There are those who complain that Capitalism and the American ideal is somehow evil and does not work, even though history shows that more people have risen from poverty and squalor because of Capitalism than any other system.  But it is not without a price.  Capitalism and a free Republic can only be successful with an honest and self-governing people.

Democracy is a tough business. Maintaining a thriving Republic is even tougher. Most of us have never experienced anything but freedom and prosperity and cannot fathom anything but. How can we expect it to survive if each of us refuses to take an active role in preserving it? What will you sacrifice to insure a prosperous future for your children? If “you’re just too busy” or “politics just isn’t your thing”, then don’t complain when your freedoms are further eroded and safety is compromised. Today’s peace signs will be allotted to you as the government sees fit. Don’t be surprised when your parental rights are slowly usurped by that same government.

The great news is- though a small window – you and I still have a little time. Within our four walls we can affect change by teaching our children and grandchildren personal responsibility, integrity and hard work; not to sit around and wait for someone to come “save” them. They are capable of anything they can dream of. They can do it themselves. They need to hear it from you every day.  And that, my fellow Americans, is where we can turn for peace.

Suicide and Sorrow

Kristi Kane

On Saturday I got to watch as my girls prepared for their school’s Prom. It was an exciting day. They helped each other with their hair and makeup, talked with their friends about how much fun they were going to have that evening, and finally, the main event: they put their gorgeous gowns on. Wow, did they look good. When their dates showed up there was a lot of whooping and hollering and more excitement coupled with lots of pictures. Off to the Prom they went for another rite of passage that gets them farther from the days of elementary school and closer to making the transition into the adult world.

Sunday morning we were all still talking about Prom. My husband and I were asking for the particulars: what they did, who all was there. Was everyone having a nice time, etc., etc. And then we received an email that evening from our girls’ high school principal. A young man from my girls’ school had taken his life that morning. Suicides always fill me with an overwhelming sadness. I feel bad for the child that did that. They had no idea what they were doing. I feel sorry for the parents. Sorry for the siblings. Sorry for the family and friends who loved that child and will never understand, but will always be haunted by that horrible act, that terrible day.

My daughter had been over at her Prom date’s home for a couple of hours Sunday evening, and when she got home, I showed her the email from her principal. If you have never heard your child cry tears of sorrow that come from the deepest regions of their heart, I will tell you that it is a gut-wrenching experience. My daughter had been friends with this young man. She had even seen his prom pictures from the evening before on facebook.

It is now Monday morning. Those people we call our children are now on their way to school. It will be a somber, quiet day. School counselors are already preparing for grieving students and parents to come to them for grief counseling. It even snowed last night, which makes the day seem somehow sadder than it already was.

Memories of one of my own dear friends who took her live five years ago have found a fresh vent through my tears today. Life will never be the same. All I know is that life is a precious gift. When someone dies, especially that dreadful and final way, I think what could we have done to change that? Were there any signs that would have let us know we could have helped? I pray for those who have lost, for those whose happiness will never be complete, for those whose grief will never be truly gone.

For coping with the suicide of a friend or loved one see:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/suicide/MH00048

For suicide prevention see:

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

 

A Crisis in our Culture

Maddie Gillel

During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.

While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as “Medic…aid”! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.

And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman’s health care?

I contend that our nation’s “health care crisis” is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a “crisis of culture”, a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one’s self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance.

It is a culture based on the irresponsible credo that “I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me”. Once you fix this “culture crisis” that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you’ll be amazed at how quickly our nation’s health care difficulties will disappear.  (Dr: Anonymous – written to President  Obama)

The following is an email I received from my sister who lives in another state:

I subbed at an alternative school last week – it was awful.  Those kids are losers, they’re bad and proud of it.  I’m not subbing there ever again-  insubordinate, rude,  e.g.: 

• “I slapped a teacher, that’s why I’m here.”  
• “If my mom hits me over the head again with that d- – - shovel, I’m runnin’ away for good.”  
• “ I lost my virginity when I was 14 to a 37 year old woman”.    
• “My grandpa’s 75 and he still does drugs- that proves that drugs don’t kill.”

  Most of them are on probation. This other poor kid said his mom was in jail forever because she was busted with a ton of meth-  impounded their car – “that was a f—- good car” he said.  They say the ‘f’ word in there all the time.  I tell them “stop the language” and they say “sorry miss” and then they say it again.  They don’t even know they’re saying it.  I said “you guys need to be sitting in Sunday School and learning about God.”  

I know you’re probably weary of all the talk of culture crisis and even more weary of the actual culture, but I believe it’s imperative that we continue to address it.  It is especially important to find ways to turn it around.

You can see from the school teacher’s example, that a lot of this is generational.  Horrible attitudes and lifestyles of fathers and mothers passed on to their children: swearing, violence, drugs, bad marriages, casual sex, etc.  If we are guilty of any of these behaviors – STOP IT !

When I was a young mother, I had two or three favorite cusswords.  I would use when frustrated or when trying to drive home a point to children (I grew up with these cuss words – and more – in my environment.) Then I began to hear my children saying these words and it horrified me.  I began working to eradicate that bad habit.   My husband and I had tempers in those days and that is not a climate for children.  Children are afraid of a lot when they’re young, and a screaming mom and dad don’t help at all.

Now my children have children of their own – and guess what? – they have tempers and can cuss when the ‘right’ occasion arises.  As someone once wisely said: “too soon old, too late smart.”

Children are not reared in a vacuum.  They will learn attitudes and habits in their home that we as parents do not realize we have. I wish as a young mother, I had understood that.  I see much more clearly now (“too late smart”).

Next week, I will have some treasures to share with you on ways to deal with the pressures and trials of family life (and life in general) that have helped me tremendously.

 

Critical Question

Marlene Hinton

Shortly after I wrote a response (here) to Dr. Harris-Perry’s comments that children should belong to the collective community rather than their parents, I received a phone call asking if I seriously took Harris-Perry’s comments literally.  Does she really advocate removing children from the home and installing them in a State institution?

Short answer:  Literally, physically, personally, herself?  No.  The school bus does that for her.

Ideologically, really, and actually:  Yes.  Compulsory schooling that began in Massachusetts in 1840 initiated, as far as I can tell, the trend toward government intervention in and control over families and parenting.  These include (but are not limited to) child labor, child abuse/neglect, medical treatment, car seats/seat belts, etc. along with countless regulations in every industry remotely connected with children.  You may favor all of these. So why do I have a problem with Harris-Perry’s comments?

Elaborated answer:  First, Mirriam Webster defines collectivism as “a political or economic theory advocating collective control over production and distribution.”   Harris-Perry’s comments are not really about education at all, but power and money, politics and economics.  They gain the control over the children and the production and distribution of a particular type of education, I lose my kids and my money.

Second, she claims that children belong to whole communities.  Humans, who may exhibit a herd mentality at times, are best equipped psychologically and emotionally to function as part of a small, intimate group such as a family provides.¹  That includes an innate compulsion to belong – perhaps part of the survival instinct.  Parents are endowed with an intense, natural protectivist impulse and children require a stable, consistent, caring environment for healthy cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual growth.  Children belong to families, in homes.

The cozy, comfortable reference to community is progressive-speak for State, which is what she means.  Harris-Perry is saying that the State should be given ultimate control over what children learn, how, from whom, when, and where, with no cost – or other – restraints.  None of this pesky, private, parent interference.

What is alarming is that Harris-Perry is only one voice in a cacophony calling for control.  Her view is consistent with James Dwyer, who “challenges parental rights in their entirety” (p. 1371), with his claim that “parental rights constitute the greatest legal obstacle to government intervention to protect children from harmful parenting practices” (p. 1372), and that the parental “’right’ to control the life of another contravenes the legal and moral commitments of the liberal state” (see Hamilton, p. 1082) .

This perspective is also supported by J. C. Blokhius’ claims that children are born to both parents and the state, but the state has priority, and Catherine Ross’ argument that “the state’s interest in educating children for life in a pluralist democracy trumps any asserted parental liberty interest in controlling their children’s education” (p.992).

Vivian Hamilton, like Harris-Perry, laments that “the state at best squanders opportunities to more effectively advance its ends with respect to immature citizens [i.e., children]; and at worst, fails to meet its most basic obligations to them” (p. 1055).  This refrain reverberates across the liberal landscape in phrases such as “compelling state interests,” “common good,” “social capital,” “parens patrie” (the State is the parent) and “reasonable state regulation.”

Depending on your worldview, it’s difficult to tell who makes the worst parent, the State or the father and mother!

In proclaiming the supremacy of State control over children – especially the formation of their identity and perspective – there is harsh criticism for those who refuse public education.  Robin West decries the harm parents will do their own children, including creating ethical servility, “a failure to mature morally beyond the recognition of…obedience” (p. 10).

And, since alternative learning paths may pose a threat to democracy, parents who teach their children at home must provide the rest of us, insists Robert Reich, with “an assurance that children are exposed to and engaged with ideas, values, and beliefs that are different from those of the parents,” such as schools provide (p. 16).

There is a minimum, but no upper, limit at which the state must regulate education, maintains Kimberly Yuracko, because parental control flows from the state to the parent, not vice versa.  Chris Lubienski is critical of “a system in which parents make a decision without considering the common good” (p. 212).

These writers, like Harris-Perry and Michael Apple,² are PhDs and educators.  Given their opinion of families, Sara Lightfoot’s observation is no surprise.  Thirty-five years ago, she wrote that schools are “intent upon excluding families from school life.  They seem to want to establish an exclusive, isolated environment, free from the intrusions of parents” (Lightfoot, p. 8). ³

Is Harris-Perry serious may be the wrong question.  How serious she and others are is a matter of death for families.

______________________

¹Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990).   Flow:  the psychology of optimal experience.  New York:  Harper and Row.

²Apple, M.W. (1985).  Education and Power. Boston:  Routledge and Kegan Paul.  Dr. Apple supplies a significant insight into the Marxist theory foundation of public schools.  Free, public education is one of the ten points of the Communist Manifesto for a reason.

³Lightfoot, S.L. (1978).  Worlds Apart: Relationships between families and schools.  New York:  Basic Books, Inc.

Is Your Family Prepared?

Kristi Kane

Last summer, my state was plagued by several fires. Some were far, some were near. I started getting nervous when driving at night, I could literally see flames rising from mountain tops that were 40 miles away. Then a fire started in a city just 20 miles from my house, and then two miles from my house. That’s when the real tension set in. I had a panicked conversation with myself: if we have to evacuate, what should I take? Where should we go? What do we do?! Never had anything like being immediately prepared for an emergency become so real to me.

Fortunately, we did not have to evacuate, but the tension in my neighbors and me did not subside until a torrential downpour put out the majority of the fire that was closest to our homes. It really was a miracle, that kind of rain in July. When I was in a store a few months later, I started chatting with two of the women who worked there. We talked about the fire, and then I mentioned that I hoped there weren’t going to be mudslides during or after the Spring.

One of the women said she had had to evacuate during the fire. The firemen had given her 15 minutes.  I asked her what she had learned from that whole experience. She said two things: Have an out of state contact (it’s easier to call out of state than locally with an emergency disrupting phone lines and overtaxing circuits), and scan all photographs and other important documents onto a flash drive. She said she had boxes and boxes of photographs that couldn’t possibly all be loaded into her car in just 15 minutes. She also said she had now collected a box of things that could not be replaced  close to her garage door, so she could put the box in her car and go if she were ever in that situation again.

There were several senior residents of that city who left in such a hurry that they forgot their medications. I realize seniors are not the only ones who take medication, but you see the point. In a panic, people do not think clearly, and they forget important things and make irrational decisions.

So, what should you do to get you and your family prepared in the event of an emergency BEFORE the emergency happens? Please click on the following two links for help with emergency preparation. There are other useful sites to use to help prepare for an emergency, but these two are a good place to start.

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Prepared-for-Natural-Disasters

http://72hours.org/

Your area could be prone to any of the following: tsunamis, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, floods, fires, high winds, mud slides, tornadoes or earthquakes. Plan for emergencies that threaten your area. And even if you’re fortunate enough to never have to live through a natural disaster, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. You’ll thank yourself for it later, and enjoy peace of mind knowing you are prepared.