TSA Hires Convicted Felon
How can you form an air-tight opinion on this when you have so little information? Is this man still 18 and committed this crime mere weeks ago? Or is a 35-year-old man, who has had no other incidents with the law? Does the TSA paperwork request only convictions in the last 7 years, as many applications do? Or did he actually omit the information on purpose? Or is it like TSA has said and he was a minor, in which case the record is expunged? It is the opinions of folks such as yourself that prevent "convicted felons" from being able to return to society and become productive members. You say he was convicted of robbery, was that a petty $50 from a convenience store or did he hold up a bank at gunpoint? Men returning from jail, after having paid their debt to society according to the laws of the country you live in, cannot support themselves or their families in a legal manner, if people like you won't let them work. And fine, you say this is TSA, our security. But there is always an excuse at every job. And again, should this man be expected to spend the rest of his life working at Burger King because he made a mistake once in his life?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
We Don't Live In Yesteryear
9-Year-Old Foils Would Be Car Jacker
As one mother found out, leaving your kids, all 4 of them, in a car while you run in for a drink isn't the best idea. Many people are calling those of us who feel the mother was in the wrong, too harsh. How could she be expected to carry all of those children, ages 9, 3, 19 months, and 4 months, into the store for just a drink? Back in the day, parents left their children in the cars all the time. In answer to the first question, I don't expect her to take all of her children into the store for a drink, I expect her to go through a drive thru like the rest of us. As for the 2nd thought, we don't live back in the day.
Almost everyday, I hear of one person or another talking of yesteryear, a time when parents weren't afraid to let their children play alone outside. Or run into a store and leave their kids in the car. Some feel parents today are overprotective, our children are becoming wimps. But gone are the days when others would look out for your children. We live in a time where people stand around and watch a young woman being ganged raped outside of a school. We live in a time when some idiot tries to jack a car with 4 children inside of it. This little boy was brave, but he shouldn't have needed to be. He shouldn't have been held responsible for the safety of his baby brothers.
I don't subscribe to the theory that the mother should be tarred and feather, or the equivalent of being processed through Child Services. It was a bad decision, and hopefully she will learn from it. I am not without guilt. I have left my son in the car while I used a port a potty at a park. I left him in the car in the pouring rain while I had to run through a flooded parking lot to ask a gas attendant to turn on a pump. Both instances where I felt he was safer in the car, both instances where I was panic stricken the entire time that something was going to happen to my kid. And maybe I am overly cautious, but for all of the children who are safely sitting in the vehicle when the parent returns, there are the ones who aren't. The ones who have accidentally pulled the emergency brake and rolled the car into traffic. The babies found sitting on the side of the road where the car jackers tossed them once they were discovered in the back seat. The children who are never found. Because even if the ratio is 150 to 1, the ratio means nothing if your child is the one.
As one mother found out, leaving your kids, all 4 of them, in a car while you run in for a drink isn't the best idea. Many people are calling those of us who feel the mother was in the wrong, too harsh. How could she be expected to carry all of those children, ages 9, 3, 19 months, and 4 months, into the store for just a drink? Back in the day, parents left their children in the cars all the time. In answer to the first question, I don't expect her to take all of her children into the store for a drink, I expect her to go through a drive thru like the rest of us. As for the 2nd thought, we don't live back in the day.
Almost everyday, I hear of one person or another talking of yesteryear, a time when parents weren't afraid to let their children play alone outside. Or run into a store and leave their kids in the car. Some feel parents today are overprotective, our children are becoming wimps. But gone are the days when others would look out for your children. We live in a time where people stand around and watch a young woman being ganged raped outside of a school. We live in a time when some idiot tries to jack a car with 4 children inside of it. This little boy was brave, but he shouldn't have needed to be. He shouldn't have been held responsible for the safety of his baby brothers.
I don't subscribe to the theory that the mother should be tarred and feather, or the equivalent of being processed through Child Services. It was a bad decision, and hopefully she will learn from it. I am not without guilt. I have left my son in the car while I used a port a potty at a park. I left him in the car in the pouring rain while I had to run through a flooded parking lot to ask a gas attendant to turn on a pump. Both instances where I felt he was safer in the car, both instances where I was panic stricken the entire time that something was going to happen to my kid. And maybe I am overly cautious, but for all of the children who are safely sitting in the vehicle when the parent returns, there are the ones who aren't. The ones who have accidentally pulled the emergency brake and rolled the car into traffic. The babies found sitting on the side of the road where the car jackers tossed them once they were discovered in the back seat. The children who are never found. Because even if the ratio is 150 to 1, the ratio means nothing if your child is the one.
Fear of Information
Convicted Bomber Invited to Speak at University
When did our society become so afraid of information that we want to refuse adults the right to decide if they want to hear a lecture? I personally would be fascinated to hear this man's story, the who's, what's, and why's. This doesn't mean I agree, or disagree, with his actions, it means I enjoy and value knowledge. Without speaking with those who have committed crimes, everything we know about those crimes is speculation. You can't possibly understand, or even know, a person's motives unless you speak with them. Maybe a greater understanding of the thought process behind terrorists would give us little bit more assistance than the unsuccessful beatings at Gitmo.
Honestly, though, this is not a question of agree or disagree, right or wrong. This is a University. The students are adults. This is not mandated as part of their grade. This is an informational lecture, they may participate or not. They may agree or disagree. They may walk away changed or have more conviction of their established morals. The choice is theirs. Our country is so afraid of "indoctrination" that we are willing to raise sheep, those who follow blindly without ever being given all of the details. Information is power and we should be teaching our children to embrace it, not be afraid of it.
When did our society become so afraid of information that we want to refuse adults the right to decide if they want to hear a lecture? I personally would be fascinated to hear this man's story, the who's, what's, and why's. This doesn't mean I agree, or disagree, with his actions, it means I enjoy and value knowledge. Without speaking with those who have committed crimes, everything we know about those crimes is speculation. You can't possibly understand, or even know, a person's motives unless you speak with them. Maybe a greater understanding of the thought process behind terrorists would give us little bit more assistance than the unsuccessful beatings at Gitmo.
Honestly, though, this is not a question of agree or disagree, right or wrong. This is a University. The students are adults. This is not mandated as part of their grade. This is an informational lecture, they may participate or not. They may agree or disagree. They may walk away changed or have more conviction of their established morals. The choice is theirs. Our country is so afraid of "indoctrination" that we are willing to raise sheep, those who follow blindly without ever being given all of the details. Information is power and we should be teaching our children to embrace it, not be afraid of it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Learning doesn't stop once children exit the classroom
In discussing the state of our education system, Obama was quoted as saying, "Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas… But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." (msnbc.com)
The thought process being if we wish to be competitive with other countries, we must focus more of our time on school. According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, we spend 25-30 percent less time in the classroom than foreign countries. But what are those countries giving up in their quest for educational dominance? When does education begin to hinder rather than help?
Being the parent of a 2-year-old, I have not yet faced the concerns of school through the eyes of a parent. But I hear from parents with children in the Carroll County school system that school is far from over when their children step off the bus. First graders have 2-3 hours of homework a night. In addition, the parents are sent their own list of tasks to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis. And let’s not forget about the all too important standardized testing time, when the earth stops rotating on its axis and parents, students, and teachers must study for tests that serve no real purpose aside from determining a school’s budget for the next year. In addition, parents and students are expected to participate in school functions outside the realm of education: chaperoning field trips, attending sporting functions, and raising funds for the school through constant fundraising.
Elementary school used to be a stepping stone, a foot in the door, to teach basics, and prepare children for middle then high school. These days, children are being treated like high schoolers right out of the gate. Parents are being told children’s elementary school careers are determining factors of how they will do later in life. I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of people who would be doing a lot worse (and some better) if elementary school was a true indicator of their adult life.
I remember starting school when I was 5, no preschool for me, and then I only attended half-days. My kindergarten class consisted of interactive play that taught me my ABC’S and 123’s. It seems now the kindergarteners are expected to learn as older children do, with less play and more book learning. The ABC’s and 123’s are expected to have been taught prior to what used to be a child’s first year of school. I understand the science behind this, children under 5 are better able to learn and retain information, such as numbers, letters, and languages. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are antsy, squirmy little creatures who need to be taught in an interactive atmosphere rather than from behind a desk. I’ve heard of teachers telling parents of 1st and 2nd graders that their children lack focus and will have no hope of a good education if it isn’t reigned in now. But, and it’s been awhile, I remember most 1st and 2nd graders lacking focus. Shouldn’t the teachers have some way of garnering their attention? Helping to make it interesting enough that they want to focus?
Since teachers already have complaints about children’s attention now, what will happen when children are expected to be in the classroom 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 11 months a year? When will they have the time to recoup, unwind, and start fresh? Children need decidedly more down time than adults, their brains and bodies are still growing, at warp speed some times. This requires more sleep, and when kids are stressed, just like adults, sleep is restless.
And in all of this hubbub about competing with other countries, are we forgetting the importance of a well-rounded child? A child exposed to sports, leisure reading, playing on the swings, enjoying a movie with their family, as well as school assignments. Countries way ahead of the curve in education, allow their children to miss out on most of these things. But if a child doesn’t have the opportunity to be a child while they are attending school, when will they have the chance? These same countries also have students who attend graduate school well into their 20’s.
I think the approach here is off. Before we start adding time to school, why don’t we do more with the time we have? Give teachers the tools they need to make their classrooms a place of learning for children with all types of personalities, not only those that are easy to deal with. Give back the time that is taken away to focus solely on standardized tests. Reduce the amount of written homework and assign interactive assignments. For instance, if you are working on conversion of measurements, have the children help make dinner. Longer hours and more days is not the answer to a better school system. Focus on our children and don’t worry about how well other countries’ students are doing. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t a competition, and maybe if we stop treating education like it is, then we may see some results. And most importantly, let’s remember, school needs to be a part of children’s lives not be their life.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 11/3/09
The thought process being if we wish to be competitive with other countries, we must focus more of our time on school. According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, we spend 25-30 percent less time in the classroom than foreign countries. But what are those countries giving up in their quest for educational dominance? When does education begin to hinder rather than help?
Being the parent of a 2-year-old, I have not yet faced the concerns of school through the eyes of a parent. But I hear from parents with children in the Carroll County school system that school is far from over when their children step off the bus. First graders have 2-3 hours of homework a night. In addition, the parents are sent their own list of tasks to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis. And let’s not forget about the all too important standardized testing time, when the earth stops rotating on its axis and parents, students, and teachers must study for tests that serve no real purpose aside from determining a school’s budget for the next year. In addition, parents and students are expected to participate in school functions outside the realm of education: chaperoning field trips, attending sporting functions, and raising funds for the school through constant fundraising.
Elementary school used to be a stepping stone, a foot in the door, to teach basics, and prepare children for middle then high school. These days, children are being treated like high schoolers right out of the gate. Parents are being told children’s elementary school careers are determining factors of how they will do later in life. I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of people who would be doing a lot worse (and some better) if elementary school was a true indicator of their adult life.
I remember starting school when I was 5, no preschool for me, and then I only attended half-days. My kindergarten class consisted of interactive play that taught me my ABC’S and 123’s. It seems now the kindergarteners are expected to learn as older children do, with less play and more book learning. The ABC’s and 123’s are expected to have been taught prior to what used to be a child’s first year of school. I understand the science behind this, children under 5 are better able to learn and retain information, such as numbers, letters, and languages. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are antsy, squirmy little creatures who need to be taught in an interactive atmosphere rather than from behind a desk. I’ve heard of teachers telling parents of 1st and 2nd graders that their children lack focus and will have no hope of a good education if it isn’t reigned in now. But, and it’s been awhile, I remember most 1st and 2nd graders lacking focus. Shouldn’t the teachers have some way of garnering their attention? Helping to make it interesting enough that they want to focus?
Since teachers already have complaints about children’s attention now, what will happen when children are expected to be in the classroom 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 11 months a year? When will they have the time to recoup, unwind, and start fresh? Children need decidedly more down time than adults, their brains and bodies are still growing, at warp speed some times. This requires more sleep, and when kids are stressed, just like adults, sleep is restless.
And in all of this hubbub about competing with other countries, are we forgetting the importance of a well-rounded child? A child exposed to sports, leisure reading, playing on the swings, enjoying a movie with their family, as well as school assignments. Countries way ahead of the curve in education, allow their children to miss out on most of these things. But if a child doesn’t have the opportunity to be a child while they are attending school, when will they have the chance? These same countries also have students who attend graduate school well into their 20’s.
I think the approach here is off. Before we start adding time to school, why don’t we do more with the time we have? Give teachers the tools they need to make their classrooms a place of learning for children with all types of personalities, not only those that are easy to deal with. Give back the time that is taken away to focus solely on standardized tests. Reduce the amount of written homework and assign interactive assignments. For instance, if you are working on conversion of measurements, have the children help make dinner. Longer hours and more days is not the answer to a better school system. Focus on our children and don’t worry about how well other countries’ students are doing. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t a competition, and maybe if we stop treating education like it is, then we may see some results. And most importantly, let’s remember, school needs to be a part of children’s lives not be their life.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 11/3/09
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Redefining The American Dream
A tragedy occurred in Mt. Airy, MD recently: a murder-suicide involving a husband, wife, and their 2 children.
No note was left, so the true motive will never be known, but due to the family’s economic situation, financial strain is being speculated as the cause. A decline in profits from a home improvement business and a house on the market for over a year may have lead a man to kill his family and then take his own life. I can’t imagine the unbelievable pain and anguish someone must be in to lead them to such a drastic step; but I can say with some certainty, it was unnecessary. And though it has not been absolutely determined to be the cause in this instance, there have been many similar cases where this is indeed the reason for such drastic, horrific measures. We have gotten so far from what’s truly important in life we feel our children are better off dead than living below middle-class.
In my area of Maryland, not too far from Mt. Airy, I have friends ranging from well-off to head just above water, though on all ends of the spectrum, no one seems to think they are doing well. How is this possible? According to the US Census Bureau, the median income in Carroll County in 2007 was $79,803. So, how are people making $80,000 a year in the same boat as those making $40,000? How did the American Dream make $80,000 a year the poverty line in some people’s minds? Do we truly believe a job as a school janitor, a 2-bedroom apartment, only 1 car, and food on the table is a failure? So much so, that we’d rather not live, than live without?
Our economic crisis unfolded as we all chased a fleeting image of what we felt we deserved. And when we caught it, and didn’t have the money to buy, we got in bed with the banks and let them control the situation. We accepted everything from “sub-prime” mortgages to credit cards that increased your limit anytime you came within $200. We lost control of our financial selves and when we were finally forced to stop and see what had come of it, we gasped. And then we started pointing fingers. And as the economy as a whole began to further decline, we asked the government how they were going to fix it. But, in the end, we can only blame ourselves because we are the only ones we can fix. Right now, as the realization of our monumental mistakes become clear, is the time to show our true character. Everyone talks about finding our real selves in the tough times, well that time is here. Now is the time to see what we can live without. What’s truly important can’t be paid off over time.
I’m not without fault. I’m constantly worrying how I will pay my $600 credit card payment. A payment that slowly grew over time as I tried to avoid facing my financial issues. A payment that reflects so many things I could have lived without. Some days I feel I’m at the bottom of the economic barrel, with no way out. Yet, when reality slaps me in the face, I realize, my priorities need to be readjusted. A few weeks ago, I was pulling into a Shell parking lot when I noticed a man clutching a little girl’s hand and in the other he held a baby in a carrier. The sight warmed me and I smiled. As I pumped my gas and made faces at my son through the back window, the image quickly faded from my mind. As I drove away, I noticed them, along with a dozen others, standing in front of a building next door. It was then I noticed the sign on the building, “Family Services”. And directly above the man and his children was a sign that read “Food”. Since then, I haven’t been able to shake the image of this man and his children crossing the street, to me seeming just a happy family out for a stroll, when in fact he was headed to a place to ask for food for his children. I worry about how I’m going to pay a credit card bill and he worries about how is going to feed his kids. Perspective is usually hidden in a piece of humble pie.
As I was growing up, my mother worked everywhere from a gas station to an industrial laundry mat. My dad was a laborer in a heat treating plant that left him with medical problems for the rest of his life. My parents chased the American Dream and it left them with irreparable damage to their credit. We moved a lot, sitting here now I’m counting 10 homes I lived in before my 15th birthday. Some were purchased, most rented. Of those 10 houses, 3 were foreclosed on, 1 burnt to the ground, and 1 flooded. I’m not without a story, but I never felt I was missing out. My mother planted flowers in front of every single one of those houses. And I called all of them home. Even today, when I go to my parent’s house, a place I’ve never lived, I feel at home. It’s where my parents are, their scents, their voices, their laughter, the pictures from my childhood, the knick knacks I’ve seen a 1000 times. It’s where the things that matter are.
And some may say my parents never got the American Dream. But they’ve gotten to love the same person for 40 years, raise 4 children who still speak to them regularly, spoil 6 grandchildren, and on the rare occasion they have a few extra dollars in the bank, they get a crappy motel room, no more than 20 miles from their home, and spend an evening on the beach together. If that’s not the American Dream, then perhaps we should redefine it. If my parents had decided to end it all the first time they lost everything, I wouldn’t have made it to my 2nd birthday.
Everyone’s problems are real and I don’t discount them, but in the larger view of life we have to worry about the things that matter. Could Charles Dalton have had a decent life without his business or home? Unfortunately, we’ll never know, but my thought is yes. Because a business and home don’t make you what you are. The people who love you do. Possessions can only define us if we let them and sometimes the only way to keep that from happening is to just let it go.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 10/21/09
No note was left, so the true motive will never be known, but due to the family’s economic situation, financial strain is being speculated as the cause. A decline in profits from a home improvement business and a house on the market for over a year may have lead a man to kill his family and then take his own life. I can’t imagine the unbelievable pain and anguish someone must be in to lead them to such a drastic step; but I can say with some certainty, it was unnecessary. And though it has not been absolutely determined to be the cause in this instance, there have been many similar cases where this is indeed the reason for such drastic, horrific measures. We have gotten so far from what’s truly important in life we feel our children are better off dead than living below middle-class.
In my area of Maryland, not too far from Mt. Airy, I have friends ranging from well-off to head just above water, though on all ends of the spectrum, no one seems to think they are doing well. How is this possible? According to the US Census Bureau, the median income in Carroll County in 2007 was $79,803. So, how are people making $80,000 a year in the same boat as those making $40,000? How did the American Dream make $80,000 a year the poverty line in some people’s minds? Do we truly believe a job as a school janitor, a 2-bedroom apartment, only 1 car, and food on the table is a failure? So much so, that we’d rather not live, than live without?
Our economic crisis unfolded as we all chased a fleeting image of what we felt we deserved. And when we caught it, and didn’t have the money to buy, we got in bed with the banks and let them control the situation. We accepted everything from “sub-prime” mortgages to credit cards that increased your limit anytime you came within $200. We lost control of our financial selves and when we were finally forced to stop and see what had come of it, we gasped. And then we started pointing fingers. And as the economy as a whole began to further decline, we asked the government how they were going to fix it. But, in the end, we can only blame ourselves because we are the only ones we can fix. Right now, as the realization of our monumental mistakes become clear, is the time to show our true character. Everyone talks about finding our real selves in the tough times, well that time is here. Now is the time to see what we can live without. What’s truly important can’t be paid off over time.
I’m not without fault. I’m constantly worrying how I will pay my $600 credit card payment. A payment that slowly grew over time as I tried to avoid facing my financial issues. A payment that reflects so many things I could have lived without. Some days I feel I’m at the bottom of the economic barrel, with no way out. Yet, when reality slaps me in the face, I realize, my priorities need to be readjusted. A few weeks ago, I was pulling into a Shell parking lot when I noticed a man clutching a little girl’s hand and in the other he held a baby in a carrier. The sight warmed me and I smiled. As I pumped my gas and made faces at my son through the back window, the image quickly faded from my mind. As I drove away, I noticed them, along with a dozen others, standing in front of a building next door. It was then I noticed the sign on the building, “Family Services”. And directly above the man and his children was a sign that read “Food”. Since then, I haven’t been able to shake the image of this man and his children crossing the street, to me seeming just a happy family out for a stroll, when in fact he was headed to a place to ask for food for his children. I worry about how I’m going to pay a credit card bill and he worries about how is going to feed his kids. Perspective is usually hidden in a piece of humble pie.
As I was growing up, my mother worked everywhere from a gas station to an industrial laundry mat. My dad was a laborer in a heat treating plant that left him with medical problems for the rest of his life. My parents chased the American Dream and it left them with irreparable damage to their credit. We moved a lot, sitting here now I’m counting 10 homes I lived in before my 15th birthday. Some were purchased, most rented. Of those 10 houses, 3 were foreclosed on, 1 burnt to the ground, and 1 flooded. I’m not without a story, but I never felt I was missing out. My mother planted flowers in front of every single one of those houses. And I called all of them home. Even today, when I go to my parent’s house, a place I’ve never lived, I feel at home. It’s where my parents are, their scents, their voices, their laughter, the pictures from my childhood, the knick knacks I’ve seen a 1000 times. It’s where the things that matter are.
And some may say my parents never got the American Dream. But they’ve gotten to love the same person for 40 years, raise 4 children who still speak to them regularly, spoil 6 grandchildren, and on the rare occasion they have a few extra dollars in the bank, they get a crappy motel room, no more than 20 miles from their home, and spend an evening on the beach together. If that’s not the American Dream, then perhaps we should redefine it. If my parents had decided to end it all the first time they lost everything, I wouldn’t have made it to my 2nd birthday.
Everyone’s problems are real and I don’t discount them, but in the larger view of life we have to worry about the things that matter. Could Charles Dalton have had a decent life without his business or home? Unfortunately, we’ll never know, but my thought is yes. Because a business and home don’t make you what you are. The people who love you do. Possessions can only define us if we let them and sometimes the only way to keep that from happening is to just let it go.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 10/21/09
Saturday, October 17, 2009
This Is America, Land of Rule Breakers
Chester City Firefighter Suspended Over American Flag Sticker
Shared via AddThis
Once again, the point is lost. This isn't about whether or not an American flag is offensive, it is about keeping others from posting offensive items. Unfortunately, in this climate of 'give an inch, take a mile', employers are forced to take an all or nothing stance.
So many people are unable to differentiate between what is and isn't OK to post in a public area, the only way to prevent it from becoming a lawsuit is to ban everything. I worked in offices for many years, some allowed personal affects, some didn't. In the offices that allowed it, without fail, there would be at least one person a week calling foul because they were asked to take down an offensive item. When I was an employee, I would do everything I could to make sure their mistakes didn't affect my ability to post my extremely necessary "Live Long and Prosper" sign. When I became a supervisor and had to be the one to address the offenders, I became very anti-personal items. There were times I would pass a desk and not notice something someone else considered offensive, just to be called out later for allowing someone to break the rules. If the rule was no personal items, then it was easier to know when I had an issue to address. With most things, the few ruin it for the many.
This firefighter's refusal to remove his flag doesn't show his patriotism, it shows his lack of respect for rules. His anger shouldn't be pointed towards those who made the rule, but rather those who forced the station to make the rule.
Shared via AddThis
Once again, the point is lost. This isn't about whether or not an American flag is offensive, it is about keeping others from posting offensive items. Unfortunately, in this climate of 'give an inch, take a mile', employers are forced to take an all or nothing stance.
So many people are unable to differentiate between what is and isn't OK to post in a public area, the only way to prevent it from becoming a lawsuit is to ban everything. I worked in offices for many years, some allowed personal affects, some didn't. In the offices that allowed it, without fail, there would be at least one person a week calling foul because they were asked to take down an offensive item. When I was an employee, I would do everything I could to make sure their mistakes didn't affect my ability to post my extremely necessary "Live Long and Prosper" sign. When I became a supervisor and had to be the one to address the offenders, I became very anti-personal items. There were times I would pass a desk and not notice something someone else considered offensive, just to be called out later for allowing someone to break the rules. If the rule was no personal items, then it was easier to know when I had an issue to address. With most things, the few ruin it for the many.
This firefighter's refusal to remove his flag doesn't show his patriotism, it shows his lack of respect for rules. His anger shouldn't be pointed towards those who made the rule, but rather those who forced the station to make the rule.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Don't Bother, It Won't Last
Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License in Louisiana
Oh, Louisiana. You make my day a little brighter. I thought I would have to be married to my husband forever, but according to a Justice of the Peace in LA, it will never last. Thank goodness, because there are days I want to kill him. I muscle through because I made a commitment, but now I know not to bother. And I was afraid my child wouldn’t have any emotional scars to blame on me, but now, NOW, he has a whopper. His complete and total ostracization from polite society because he doesn’t belong to either race, he’s a hybrid, and everyone knows how much people hate hybrids.
Judge Keith Bardwell, a JOP in Tangipahoa Parish, is refusing to marry interracial couples based on their inability to remain married for an acceptable length of time. Uh, what ruler is he using, exactly? Last I checked marriage as an institution is in the toilet. I know you’ve heard the stats, 50% of marriages end in divorce. That’s all marriages. And while I understand that some of these marriages are interracial, what of the others? Bardwell would have you believe he is being fair because he has never married any interracial couples, but if his reasoning is in fact because of the breakdown of the marriages, then wouldn’t it be fair to refuse to marry anyone. If he is, in fact trying to prevent marriages that won’t last from happening, then why is race the only factor he takes into account. Why not age or economic status? Both of which are statistically proven indicators of doomed marriages.
And frankly, his ill conceived belief that mixed children aren’t accepted in either culture is hog wash. There are so many different races in schools today many mixed children aren’t even identified by white or black. Some are mistaken for Hispanic or Middle Eastern. Believe me, I have more to worry about when my kid enters school than how he will be judged for his heritage. I’ve got to watch out for 6-year-old cub scouts bringing utensils to school.
As with most racists, the judge is sure to point at his “piles and piles” of black friends, friends he allows to use his bathroom. And he’ll marry them, as long as they don’t get high and mighty and start wanting to marry outside of their socially acceptable pool of mates. Racism isn’t just about disliking a race as a whole, it is judging any person about anything based solely on their race. The fact that he holds this antiquated view that interracial couples aren’t able to make their marriages work makes him a racist. The fact that he is a sitting judge who openly allows his racism to sway his judicial responsibilities is a sign of how far behind the south actually is in race relations.
Regardless of Judge Bardwell’s true intention, whether it is as he says or it’s the very real fact that he is a racist, the point is moot. He agreed to uphold the rights of his citizens when he became a judge. He does not get to pick and choose which laws he upholds; he is required to uphold them all. If he is unable to do that, then perhaps he should find a career where picking and choosing your beliefs is allowed.
Oh, Louisiana. You make my day a little brighter. I thought I would have to be married to my husband forever, but according to a Justice of the Peace in LA, it will never last. Thank goodness, because there are days I want to kill him. I muscle through because I made a commitment, but now I know not to bother. And I was afraid my child wouldn’t have any emotional scars to blame on me, but now, NOW, he has a whopper. His complete and total ostracization from polite society because he doesn’t belong to either race, he’s a hybrid, and everyone knows how much people hate hybrids.
Judge Keith Bardwell, a JOP in Tangipahoa Parish, is refusing to marry interracial couples based on their inability to remain married for an acceptable length of time. Uh, what ruler is he using, exactly? Last I checked marriage as an institution is in the toilet. I know you’ve heard the stats, 50% of marriages end in divorce. That’s all marriages. And while I understand that some of these marriages are interracial, what of the others? Bardwell would have you believe he is being fair because he has never married any interracial couples, but if his reasoning is in fact because of the breakdown of the marriages, then wouldn’t it be fair to refuse to marry anyone. If he is, in fact trying to prevent marriages that won’t last from happening, then why is race the only factor he takes into account. Why not age or economic status? Both of which are statistically proven indicators of doomed marriages.
And frankly, his ill conceived belief that mixed children aren’t accepted in either culture is hog wash. There are so many different races in schools today many mixed children aren’t even identified by white or black. Some are mistaken for Hispanic or Middle Eastern. Believe me, I have more to worry about when my kid enters school than how he will be judged for his heritage. I’ve got to watch out for 6-year-old cub scouts bringing utensils to school.
As with most racists, the judge is sure to point at his “piles and piles” of black friends, friends he allows to use his bathroom. And he’ll marry them, as long as they don’t get high and mighty and start wanting to marry outside of their socially acceptable pool of mates. Racism isn’t just about disliking a race as a whole, it is judging any person about anything based solely on their race. The fact that he holds this antiquated view that interracial couples aren’t able to make their marriages work makes him a racist. The fact that he is a sitting judge who openly allows his racism to sway his judicial responsibilities is a sign of how far behind the south actually is in race relations.
Regardless of Judge Bardwell’s true intention, whether it is as he says or it’s the very real fact that he is a racist, the point is moot. He agreed to uphold the rights of his citizens when he became a judge. He does not get to pick and choose which laws he upholds; he is required to uphold them all. If he is unable to do that, then perhaps he should find a career where picking and choosing your beliefs is allowed.
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