Anyone who watches day time TV and talk shows such as Ricky Lake will know about the Boot Camp edition of behavioural adjustment in problem children. Drill sergents will yell at kids to do push up, pick up messes, dress in a uniform and do long hikes or hard runs. You will see a short time compressed version where there is a lot of yelling and tough love. A lot of people see these kids turn around and support the idea. When we hear about a death related to these boot camps, we think 'the drill instructor is at fault' and not 'this was a bad idea through and through'. Sometimes, people think they can do a better job and make sure their kids wont suffer the same fate. Well, not in Alabama.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Quick Three - Parenting
I posted this in the wrong blog by mistake. I will post a continuation in connection to a new case.
Abuse is a pretty touchy subject. The line between doing what is best for a child and what is worst for a child can be pretty thin. Sometimes, it is just a matter of perspective that separates the two. This topic came up recently when a New Yorker from Eastern China made his son run nearly naked through the snow. The son was born prematurely and it seems the actions of this dad are premeditated, directed, pointed. From his perspective, this is was is best for his son and seen through the perspective of Eastern Chinese Philosophy, it just may be true. The Western perspective is quick to condemn this kind of behavior and may even question the Chinese ability to parent a child in the Western world.
But freedom to decide how one raises one's own child has not always been universally agreed upon, demanding decisions from the Supreme Court. Education, what kind of or if there should be any at all, is a child welfare issue taken up from time to time. In the United States, parents have a great degree of control over what their children learn. However, in Europe, education is stricter. Some commentators have questioned if teaching religion to a child is a form of child abuse by it self.
Then there are cases where the government insists on presenting a picture of a parent that doesn't match up to what the rest of the world sees. Kerry McDougall fled the UK at night for Ireland because social workers claimed she was too stupid to marry or care for a child. That kind of ruling happens...often enough that it would make more sense to ask you to Google it and pick a story than link to all of them. One would expect a judgment in one country to hold up in another country, however, the social workers in Ireland disagreed with the UK and Kerry has recently given birth to another child and seems to be doing well. Child abuse doesn't always means abuse at the hands of the parents and government systems that have the power to take children away are supposed to do it right the first time. If the Western world can screw up and traumatize kids by taking them away or by not (Baby P), what right do we have for judging a dad who makes his son run through the snowy streets of New York City if there is a specific point and benefit for the child?
Abuse is a pretty touchy subject. The line between doing what is best for a child and what is worst for a child can be pretty thin. Sometimes, it is just a matter of perspective that separates the two. This topic came up recently when a New Yorker from Eastern China made his son run nearly naked through the snow. The son was born prematurely and it seems the actions of this dad are premeditated, directed, pointed. From his perspective, this is was is best for his son and seen through the perspective of Eastern Chinese Philosophy, it just may be true. The Western perspective is quick to condemn this kind of behavior and may even question the Chinese ability to parent a child in the Western world.
But freedom to decide how one raises one's own child has not always been universally agreed upon, demanding decisions from the Supreme Court. Education, what kind of or if there should be any at all, is a child welfare issue taken up from time to time. In the United States, parents have a great degree of control over what their children learn. However, in Europe, education is stricter. Some commentators have questioned if teaching religion to a child is a form of child abuse by it self.
Then there are cases where the government insists on presenting a picture of a parent that doesn't match up to what the rest of the world sees. Kerry McDougall fled the UK at night for Ireland because social workers claimed she was too stupid to marry or care for a child. That kind of ruling happens...often enough that it would make more sense to ask you to Google it and pick a story than link to all of them. One would expect a judgment in one country to hold up in another country, however, the social workers in Ireland disagreed with the UK and Kerry has recently given birth to another child and seems to be doing well. Child abuse doesn't always means abuse at the hands of the parents and government systems that have the power to take children away are supposed to do it right the first time. If the Western world can screw up and traumatize kids by taking them away or by not (Baby P), what right do we have for judging a dad who makes his son run through the snowy streets of New York City if there is a specific point and benefit for the child?
The Ohio School Shooting - Where Education and Parenting Unfortunately Collided
It is a somber moment when ever a child brings a gun into a school, regardless if the gun is discharged or not, We recently have seen a school shooting come to national attention in Ohio. Two victims are dead now, three physically wounded and many more survived by those passed away. We will have a cycle of media talk about gun control, where were the parents and if teachers should have guns. We wont have a cycle of media talk about the art of teaching, where the rights of the parents intersect the art of teaching and the motivations children have in school.
The Department of Education has a new program it is pushing; Raising the Bar. I heard about this push on the Daily Show; Jon Stewart interview Arne Duncan. Teaching to Test and No Child Left Behind came up as relevant subjects. Jon Stewart's observation that teaching is an art, not a science, and current programs seems to treat education as a science with exact cause and effect, universal laws and sameness from area to area struck the nail on its head.
The Department of Education has a new program it is pushing; Raising the Bar. I heard about this push on the Daily Show; Jon Stewart interview Arne Duncan. Teaching to Test and No Child Left Behind came up as relevant subjects. Jon Stewart's observation that teaching is an art, not a science, and current programs seems to treat education as a science with exact cause and effect, universal laws and sameness from area to area struck the nail on its head.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Hitler Chic
Adolf Hitler...
A truly hated and despised man.
A historical figure.
A fashion statement....
Wait, what the hell?
Yeah. Hitler is now a fashion statement in Bangkok. Hitler t-shirts. Hitler logos. Hitler Ronald McDonald. Thailand didn't go through Adolf Hitler's WW2. They saw Japan's war instead, so cultural sensitivity is, for a very good reason, lacking. But does this excuse Thailand's youths from turning such a hated man into an icon?
A truly hated and despised man.
A historical figure.
A fashion statement....
Wait, what the hell?
Yeah. Hitler is now a fashion statement in Bangkok. Hitler t-shirts. Hitler logos. Hitler Ronald McDonald. Thailand didn't go through Adolf Hitler's WW2. They saw Japan's war instead, so cultural sensitivity is, for a very good reason, lacking. But does this excuse Thailand's youths from turning such a hated man into an icon?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Super Powers - Ages of Humanity
Think of the largest powers in the world, otherwise known as Super Powers. I think of the U.S., as does everyone, Cold War Russia..... and China.
That last country is one few people think of when we think of the most powerful nations of the world. We otherwise think, they are an emergent economy that continues trade practices that harm the economies in the West. We perhaps think so because of how critical the U.S. is of the trade balance and the monetary basket the Chinese government keeps to inflate the value of the Yuan. When we then hear about China buying parts of infrastructure, we feel threatened by the Red Giant taking over. We protest. We pass laws. We pressure them to play our game instead. Yet, this is an acknowledgment of their position in the world, even if we are not self aware enough to realize it.
China today is an economy that is rapidly developing. Components for our goods are produced in China in ever increasing ratios. China sits on rare earth metals and other natural resources that the world demands be mined. It is educating and training people for a market reformation to compete with the State's knowledge and innovation economy. It is what the United States was in the 70's and it is rapidly making up ground, and we should be happy they are doing so. Please allow me to explain why we should forget our fears and be ecstatic.
We have gone through ages and states. We have gone through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and now we have recently had our Industrial Revolution and live in the Information Age. The last two I believe are mislabeled. In the last hundred years, the west has seen a rapid development with electricity and running water reaching nearly every single town on the map. We enjoy the newest of technology. Computers, mobile phones and paved roads. We have learned this is normal for us. We forget, what is normal for us is luxury for most of the world. Electricity is only common in the West and most developed part of the East.A significant part of the world is unconnected to a source of electricity. Even China, a work horse of manufacturing, is yet to connect everyone. The problem is most apparent in Africa, where only thirty percent have access to electricity in the Sahara. I so propose, we call our current age the Electric Age until 99% of the world has access to electricity and celebrate the progress China is making towards developing itself, building power networks to make a mains common and producing a significant portion of its energy from renewable sources. It is the first step towards star treks perfect world.
- Servus
That last country is one few people think of when we think of the most powerful nations of the world. We otherwise think, they are an emergent economy that continues trade practices that harm the economies in the West. We perhaps think so because of how critical the U.S. is of the trade balance and the monetary basket the Chinese government keeps to inflate the value of the Yuan. When we then hear about China buying parts of infrastructure, we feel threatened by the Red Giant taking over. We protest. We pass laws. We pressure them to play our game instead. Yet, this is an acknowledgment of their position in the world, even if we are not self aware enough to realize it.
China today is an economy that is rapidly developing. Components for our goods are produced in China in ever increasing ratios. China sits on rare earth metals and other natural resources that the world demands be mined. It is educating and training people for a market reformation to compete with the State's knowledge and innovation economy. It is what the United States was in the 70's and it is rapidly making up ground, and we should be happy they are doing so. Please allow me to explain why we should forget our fears and be ecstatic.
We have gone through ages and states. We have gone through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and now we have recently had our Industrial Revolution and live in the Information Age. The last two I believe are mislabeled. In the last hundred years, the west has seen a rapid development with electricity and running water reaching nearly every single town on the map. We enjoy the newest of technology. Computers, mobile phones and paved roads. We have learned this is normal for us. We forget, what is normal for us is luxury for most of the world. Electricity is only common in the West and most developed part of the East.A significant part of the world is unconnected to a source of electricity. Even China, a work horse of manufacturing, is yet to connect everyone. The problem is most apparent in Africa, where only thirty percent have access to electricity in the Sahara. I so propose, we call our current age the Electric Age until 99% of the world has access to electricity and celebrate the progress China is making towards developing itself, building power networks to make a mains common and producing a significant portion of its energy from renewable sources. It is the first step towards star treks perfect world.
- Servus
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