I don't watch "reality" shows. Ever. I personally feel they are a waste of time, since a good majority of the supposed "reality" is manufactured reality - tape that has been edited to the nth degree in order to make everything more EXCITING and SUSPENSEFUL. Bah. So, I come at this post admitting that I have never seen this show, nor do I ever plan to. But I don't think I need to have seen this show to feel that the current standpoint taken by its "stars" is absolutely absurd.
The show in question is Jon and Kate Plus 8. They have been in the middle of a media firestorm lately, with both spouses having been painted as adulterers. There are open questions about whether the marriage will survive, who is guilty and who isn't, blah blah blah. Frankly, I don't care. They are adults, and they make choices - and must deal with the ramifications of those choices.
But the issue I have has nothing to do with these accusations. What bugs the hell out of me is the fact that Jon and Kate have decided that much of this is the fault of the media, and they are not happy about it. Now granted, the media these days tend to prefer sensationalism to actual journalism. Fact-checking is tardy, if done at all. Mea Culpas tend to flow like wine when said "journalists" get caught in their own web of garbage. And with Jon and Kate, it may be exactly that - everything is innocent with both people and the damn media just won't let them alone.
HOWEVER. I must ask this question - who put themselves out there to become targets of the media? Jon and Kate have used their children to make money and to become famous (and, according to some media outlets, to get tummy-tucks). They have brought cameras into their home, and kept them there, for years. These kids have no idea of what a normal household might actually be like - where their faces aren't splashed all over the place, and a director has final say in what people know about them. Knowing this, do these people have any right to complain?
Honestly, it kind of annoys me when actors give the same complaint - however, actors are doing a JOB, a craft. And the paparazzi attention that actors get is FAR beyond what these two are receiving - to the point of stalking, in many cases. They do their job, and then they go home, where they should be expected to have some peace. Primary difference between them and Jon and Kate is that their whole existence revolves around bringing the media INTO their home, which basically removes any concept of privacy they seem to be expecting. Not only that, but I don't recall hearing any complaining during the last few years, as they were raking in the dough and exposing the lives of themselves and their children on television. But suddenly, as cracks begin to appear in their relationship, the same media that has given them the money and fame they were previously enjoying has now become the cause of their problems.
Even worse, to me, is that they are continuing with this show during all of this. Common sense would seem to dictate that they would lay low, work things out however ends up being best, and spend extra time with their children. Their kids may be young, but I'm sure they know something is wrong - children have an extraordinary way of picking up on vibes and problems, which they then tend to believe is all their fault. Instead, Jon and Kate have chosen to continue the show, bringing their marital problems and their children further out into the spotlight. The health and well-being of their children seems to be down on their list of priorities - under the entries that are marked 1. Fame and 2. Fortune.
I can't help but wonder what the consequences of their choices will be - and whose fault it will be this time.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Trading children for political gain
Lip-service. I am so tired of the lip-service. "Oh, this is one of the most important things for our country to take care of...we must strive for excellence." soon becomes "Budget cuts? These are the things that can stand to be cut - and number one is...". How does that work exactly? And why aren't more people standing up and drawing a line in the sand?
While the above paragraph could probably work for many different things, the focus is on education. People complain and moan about how the educational system is broken, and how our children aren't learning enough to be able to keep our nation on par with other nations - and yet, when there is a budget shortfall, the biggest cuts come from our children. For make no mistake - when we take educational money away from the schools, we are stealing from our children.
I'm sure to many that would seem harsh, and maybe even a bit dramatic. But think about it - money is being taken away from the very system that needs it the most, and that stands to do the most good for our country. Money that should be ensuring our children can compete within the workforce, that should be helping them in their quest to be self-sufficient in the future and well-rounded citizens. Instead, they are losing school days, teachers are being laid off, buildings are hopelessly old and outdated...It's no different than stealing from Junior's college fund to help pay a gambling debt. The children are being short-changed for something they had no control over and no say in.
For example, the latest figures for this theft here are either 15 days removed from the school year or over 200 teachers laid off. That's just in our local school system, and that is AFTER some cuts have already been done! Then you have jackasses like South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who is SUING his own Attorney General over stimulus funds that are designed to help STOP education cuts. He wants to use the money instead to cover his gambling debts...er, state debt. He is perfectly willing to gamble with the lives and futures of thousands of school children so he can satisfy his political ambitions (This issue has led to talk of him running for President in 2012...how stealing from children is a GOOD basis for election is beyond me.). All the while, I guarantee you that a good number of his constituents will continue to complain about the terrible education children are getting these days. "Well, in MY day...blah, blah, blah".
People, you're right! Our children are NOT getting education they should be getting, and no where near the education they deserve! But WAKE UP and smell the damn coffee - if you continue to allow your politicians and leaders to steal from your children to cover their debts, then your children will continue to suffer! It is not rocket science - there is no complicated formula. Here, I'll spell it out for you:
To borrow a punishment from his part of the country, Gov. Sanford should be tarred and feathered, then run out of town. Stealing is stealing, and to take it from children while trying to burnish a political reputation is flat-out wrong. Unfortunately, he is not the only one doing this - just one of the more prominent.
Until our country stops paying lip-service to education and truly starts to put their money where their mouth is, our children will NOT be competitive in this world. Our country will NOT regain its prominence in math and science. And while our children are getting short-changed, ultimately, it is our entire country that will suffer.
While the above paragraph could probably work for many different things, the focus is on education. People complain and moan about how the educational system is broken, and how our children aren't learning enough to be able to keep our nation on par with other nations - and yet, when there is a budget shortfall, the biggest cuts come from our children. For make no mistake - when we take educational money away from the schools, we are stealing from our children.
I'm sure to many that would seem harsh, and maybe even a bit dramatic. But think about it - money is being taken away from the very system that needs it the most, and that stands to do the most good for our country. Money that should be ensuring our children can compete within the workforce, that should be helping them in their quest to be self-sufficient in the future and well-rounded citizens. Instead, they are losing school days, teachers are being laid off, buildings are hopelessly old and outdated...It's no different than stealing from Junior's college fund to help pay a gambling debt. The children are being short-changed for something they had no control over and no say in.
For example, the latest figures for this theft here are either 15 days removed from the school year or over 200 teachers laid off. That's just in our local school system, and that is AFTER some cuts have already been done! Then you have jackasses like South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who is SUING his own Attorney General over stimulus funds that are designed to help STOP education cuts. He wants to use the money instead to cover his gambling debts...er, state debt. He is perfectly willing to gamble with the lives and futures of thousands of school children so he can satisfy his political ambitions (This issue has led to talk of him running for President in 2012...how stealing from children is a GOOD basis for election is beyond me.). All the while, I guarantee you that a good number of his constituents will continue to complain about the terrible education children are getting these days. "Well, in MY day...blah, blah, blah".
People, you're right! Our children are NOT getting education they should be getting, and no where near the education they deserve! But WAKE UP and smell the damn coffee - if you continue to allow your politicians and leaders to steal from your children to cover their debts, then your children will continue to suffer! It is not rocket science - there is no complicated formula. Here, I'll spell it out for you:
Education cuts + Action-less Complaining = A Failing Country and Short-Changed Students
To borrow a punishment from his part of the country, Gov. Sanford should be tarred and feathered, then run out of town. Stealing is stealing, and to take it from children while trying to burnish a political reputation is flat-out wrong. Unfortunately, he is not the only one doing this - just one of the more prominent.
Until our country stops paying lip-service to education and truly starts to put their money where their mouth is, our children will NOT be competitive in this world. Our country will NOT regain its prominence in math and science. And while our children are getting short-changed, ultimately, it is our entire country that will suffer.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Religion or Fear?
Big news the last couple of days about a mother kidnapping her son to remove him from being forcibly treated for cancer. While the family is primarily Catholic, they also subscribe to a belief that natural (or "alternative") treatments should be the only ones used. After the mother and son saw an x-ray that showed the boy's tumor back to its original size (after the first chemo treatment, before the refusal for more), they fled and have not been seen since.
There are so many people on the fence about this one. The biggest question, of course, being whether or not the state has the right to intervene and order the boy to get the treatments that will save his life. The judge went on record when he made his ruling and said that if there was any significant doubt as to whether the chemo would work, he wouldn't have ordered it. But apparently, the treatment has a 90% chance of successfully treating this boy, leaving the judge feeling strong enough that it is in his best interest. As for me - my biggest issues regarding this issue are the age of the boy, and the child's mother herself.
First, regarding his age...since when is the age of 13 old enough and mature enough to truly UNDERSTAND the meaning of death? I mean, sure - he knows the technical meaning. But does he truly understand the ramifications of refusing this treatment? Kids this age still have a very hard time understand consequences related to their simple, everyday actions - and this consequence could truly be the be-all and end-all for this child.
More importantly - I just cannot understand the mind-set of this boy's mother. I cannot. I have tried, and I have failed. I have two children, and if it ever came to the point where my religious beliefs would mandate the death of either or both of them from something that could be treated - my religious beliefs would no longer be an issue. Period. Even if it was something that *might* be cured, or that had a *chance* of being treated...I’d renounce EVERY religion if that’s what it took. Because isn't that what mothers are supposed to do? If you bring a child into this world, it becomes your job to make sure that child has the absolute best chance at survival possible in order to grow and to thrive. To me, it's no different than choosing to kill a snake who might be poised to strike - if there is a threat to my children, then that threat must be eliminated to the absolute best of my ability. And if that threat has an amazing 90% elimination rate, and I refuse to take that chance, then that is tantamount to murder. In this case, pre-meditated.
Irony is, the woman is Roman Catholic. Catholics have no issue with using modern medicine to treat illnesses. What this woman is claiming as a “religion” is, in fact, a belief espoused by a very few people and started by a man who CLAIMS to have healed his cancer with all-natural treatments. There does not appear to be anything to back up his claims, and nowhere does anyone seem to have made the connection that ALL PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. What works for one may not work for another – regardless of the disease. While I firmly believe that people should explore alternative medicines and natural remedies, and that modern medicine tends to be too firmly focused on treatment rather than prevention, that does not eliminate the use of common sense to decide that one may work better than another for a particular illness or disease. When so many options are available these days, only a fool refuses to see any value in exploring them all.
Part of me wonders if the absolute refusal of this mother to have her boy treated is more fear than anything else - fear of the pain and misery the child will endure to be rid of the cancer. Fear of the slight chance that it may not work anyway. Fear that what she has believed so far may, in fact, be wrong.
They say fear is among the most powerful motivators. If that is true, then she may just be motivating her child right into the grave.
There are so many people on the fence about this one. The biggest question, of course, being whether or not the state has the right to intervene and order the boy to get the treatments that will save his life. The judge went on record when he made his ruling and said that if there was any significant doubt as to whether the chemo would work, he wouldn't have ordered it. But apparently, the treatment has a 90% chance of successfully treating this boy, leaving the judge feeling strong enough that it is in his best interest. As for me - my biggest issues regarding this issue are the age of the boy, and the child's mother herself.
First, regarding his age...since when is the age of 13 old enough and mature enough to truly UNDERSTAND the meaning of death? I mean, sure - he knows the technical meaning. But does he truly understand the ramifications of refusing this treatment? Kids this age still have a very hard time understand consequences related to their simple, everyday actions - and this consequence could truly be the be-all and end-all for this child.
More importantly - I just cannot understand the mind-set of this boy's mother. I cannot. I have tried, and I have failed. I have two children, and if it ever came to the point where my religious beliefs would mandate the death of either or both of them from something that could be treated - my religious beliefs would no longer be an issue. Period. Even if it was something that *might* be cured, or that had a *chance* of being treated...I’d renounce EVERY religion if that’s what it took. Because isn't that what mothers are supposed to do? If you bring a child into this world, it becomes your job to make sure that child has the absolute best chance at survival possible in order to grow and to thrive. To me, it's no different than choosing to kill a snake who might be poised to strike - if there is a threat to my children, then that threat must be eliminated to the absolute best of my ability. And if that threat has an amazing 90% elimination rate, and I refuse to take that chance, then that is tantamount to murder. In this case, pre-meditated.
Irony is, the woman is Roman Catholic. Catholics have no issue with using modern medicine to treat illnesses. What this woman is claiming as a “religion” is, in fact, a belief espoused by a very few people and started by a man who CLAIMS to have healed his cancer with all-natural treatments. There does not appear to be anything to back up his claims, and nowhere does anyone seem to have made the connection that ALL PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. What works for one may not work for another – regardless of the disease. While I firmly believe that people should explore alternative medicines and natural remedies, and that modern medicine tends to be too firmly focused on treatment rather than prevention, that does not eliminate the use of common sense to decide that one may work better than another for a particular illness or disease. When so many options are available these days, only a fool refuses to see any value in exploring them all.
Part of me wonders if the absolute refusal of this mother to have her boy treated is more fear than anything else - fear of the pain and misery the child will endure to be rid of the cancer. Fear of the slight chance that it may not work anyway. Fear that what she has believed so far may, in fact, be wrong.
They say fear is among the most powerful motivators. If that is true, then she may just be motivating her child right into the grave.
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