REMINDING A TEACHER
My husband is a teacher at one of the high schools in the Pflugerville Independent School District and has all the qualities of an exceptional teacher. He realizes the importance of teaching, really likes the students, facilitates success in his classroom, and each day he is at school he takes on the positive role of mentor.
His son, Daniel, is an engineer and a Captain in the Army. During his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq he was stationed at Camp Taji. He was the Assistant Brigade Engineer and was coordinating efforts to build a fire station for the Iraqi people. He needed information to determine the best location for the station and through several emails he was put in touch with an official at the Austin Fire Department.
Daniel received an email from this official with the necessary information. At the end of the email he had added, “Your last name is Seiter, does your father live in Austin? There was a teacher by the same last name at my son’s high school?” Daniel wrote back, “Yes, that’s my dad”. I know in the mathematics of statistics there are no coincidences or small worlds, but, what a small world.
The return email to Daniel detailed just how important his dad, the teacher, had been in his son’s life. The direction his child had received, the influence it had had on him and the successes he way now enjoying because of it. “Your dad had such a big influence on my son.”
Daniel called with pride to tell his dad this story and his dad’s heart swelled as he listened. I have always told my husband that teachers don’t often get to see the fruits of their labor or know just how they impact their student’s lives. But, this teacher has just been reminded.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
CHANGE
Our government is set up in such a way that change is difficult. Maybe our founding fathers had the insight to visualize a Hitler, Stalin or Hussein but regardless, change does not happen easily.
I look at the children in this country that live in poverty and do without and I feel so helpless to do the right thing and yet the people with power like the Angelina Jolies and Brad Pitts of the world take their compassion to other nations.
As Americans we complain. It is our right. I am sure the same complaints can be heard around the country. We complain about our health care system and the high cost of our health insurance. Schools are another hot topic. Today’s school children are in crisis. Kids are dealing with things my generation could never have imagined. They come to school hungry or maybe even suffering through the loss of a parent whether it is from divorce, death or even jail. There are gangs in our schools, teachers that no long care, an ever increasing dropout rate, and the thought of a disgruntled student bringing a gun to school is no longer just a concern but a real possibility. And, don't get me started on the economy, the jobless rate and the fact that government spending is out of control.
What has happened to us as a nation? These are issues that concern us all and yet we do nothing. Nothing, that is, but complain.
At times all of this is overwhelming. I hate injustice and I hate seeing the meek taken advantage of. This pertains especially to those that have no voice like the poor, the elderly, and children. Can you imagine what would happen if we stood up and said, “No, enough is enough”? Collectively our numbers are staggering and our power unimaginable.
Change does happen. It took one pissed-off mom to start M.A.D.D., Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. It was one woman who lost her child to unthinkable circumstances that started AmberAlerts. This is legislation that has been adopted nationwide and that has been instrumental in helping save countless lost and abducted children. An elementary age boy in Florida brought about change while doing a school project involving the poor and homeless. He found that restaurants, because of health department regulations, were prohibited from giving any of their unused food to shelters. At the end of the night, each restaurant was throwing away all of their unused, uneaten food. This one child changed the Florida laws and made it possible for restaurants to distribute this food to the needy.
These stories feed my consciousness and make me believe in the power of one, the power that each of us can make a difference. But where do you start? It just all seems overwhelming. So, right now, like all the other millions of Americans that so desperately want a better America, I will continue to sit here with my remote and effect the only change that seems within reach; the channel.
Our government is set up in such a way that change is difficult. Maybe our founding fathers had the insight to visualize a Hitler, Stalin or Hussein but regardless, change does not happen easily.
I look at the children in this country that live in poverty and do without and I feel so helpless to do the right thing and yet the people with power like the Angelina Jolies and Brad Pitts of the world take their compassion to other nations.
As Americans we complain. It is our right. I am sure the same complaints can be heard around the country. We complain about our health care system and the high cost of our health insurance. Schools are another hot topic. Today’s school children are in crisis. Kids are dealing with things my generation could never have imagined. They come to school hungry or maybe even suffering through the loss of a parent whether it is from divorce, death or even jail. There are gangs in our schools, teachers that no long care, an ever increasing dropout rate, and the thought of a disgruntled student bringing a gun to school is no longer just a concern but a real possibility. And, don't get me started on the economy, the jobless rate and the fact that government spending is out of control.
What has happened to us as a nation? These are issues that concern us all and yet we do nothing. Nothing, that is, but complain.
At times all of this is overwhelming. I hate injustice and I hate seeing the meek taken advantage of. This pertains especially to those that have no voice like the poor, the elderly, and children. Can you imagine what would happen if we stood up and said, “No, enough is enough”? Collectively our numbers are staggering and our power unimaginable.
Change does happen. It took one pissed-off mom to start M.A.D.D., Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. It was one woman who lost her child to unthinkable circumstances that started AmberAlerts. This is legislation that has been adopted nationwide and that has been instrumental in helping save countless lost and abducted children. An elementary age boy in Florida brought about change while doing a school project involving the poor and homeless. He found that restaurants, because of health department regulations, were prohibited from giving any of their unused food to shelters. At the end of the night, each restaurant was throwing away all of their unused, uneaten food. This one child changed the Florida laws and made it possible for restaurants to distribute this food to the needy.
These stories feed my consciousness and make me believe in the power of one, the power that each of us can make a difference. But where do you start? It just all seems overwhelming. So, right now, like all the other millions of Americans that so desperately want a better America, I will continue to sit here with my remote and effect the only change that seems within reach; the channel.
Monday, April 7, 2008
THE GREAT COMPROMISE
The article entitled “Team Work” posted to the blog “JENNASA 18 ON POLITICS” points out how close the race is between Obama and Clinton and then asks the question that has probably been asked by a lot of us. Couldn’t they just work together? Why couldn’t one of them be President while the other one takes the seat as Vice-president?
In theory, this would be great, but I tend to have my doubts as to whether we will actually see that happen. Certain professions demand personality traits and ego is high on the list when you run for President. You are out there in front of millions stating that you have what it takes to run the country. You are so good that the majority of the nation is going to put a check mark next to your name at the voting booth. I can’t see that ego taking a back seat.
Suppose the candidates did declare that they were going to be running mates, how would that work? Who would take the back seat? There is a picture that keeps running through my mind. I keep seeing Hillary Clinton in the role of “Mom”. As President or Vice-President, she is shaking her finger at Barack Obama, second-guessing every decision. It’s a no-win situation for Obama.
I hope Jennasa 18 is right and that we see a meeting of the minds. We are lacking the spirit of cooperation and communication for which both candidates stand. It would be great for our country. We could call it the Great Compromise, version 2.0. I’m not going to hold my breath. My experience has contributed to the fact that I am very jaded and often cynical. I would be among the first to embrace a Clinton/Obama (Obama/Clinton?) ticket I look back longingly at the time when I would have believed it possible.
The article entitled “Team Work” posted to the blog “JENNASA 18 ON POLITICS” points out how close the race is between Obama and Clinton and then asks the question that has probably been asked by a lot of us. Couldn’t they just work together? Why couldn’t one of them be President while the other one takes the seat as Vice-president?
In theory, this would be great, but I tend to have my doubts as to whether we will actually see that happen. Certain professions demand personality traits and ego is high on the list when you run for President. You are out there in front of millions stating that you have what it takes to run the country. You are so good that the majority of the nation is going to put a check mark next to your name at the voting booth. I can’t see that ego taking a back seat.
Suppose the candidates did declare that they were going to be running mates, how would that work? Who would take the back seat? There is a picture that keeps running through my mind. I keep seeing Hillary Clinton in the role of “Mom”. As President or Vice-President, she is shaking her finger at Barack Obama, second-guessing every decision. It’s a no-win situation for Obama.
I hope Jennasa 18 is right and that we see a meeting of the minds. We are lacking the spirit of cooperation and communication for which both candidates stand. It would be great for our country. We could call it the Great Compromise, version 2.0. I’m not going to hold my breath. My experience has contributed to the fact that I am very jaded and often cynical. I would be among the first to embrace a Clinton/Obama (Obama/Clinton?) ticket I look back longingly at the time when I would have believed it possible.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
THE CHOICE OF INACTION
I first became aware of the voting process and its power during the Kennedy election. My mother, the daughter of an Irish Catholic, voted for Kennedy. My father did not. I still remember the hushed words between them. Most importantly, I remember the feelings behind the words that weren’t spoken at all.
Then it became my turn. But when I was finally of voting age, I didn’t. My family has always been knee deep in politics. I am, if we could warp time backwards, the great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson and his daughter is my grandmother. We even have a family home in Williamsburg. More recently, my grandfather was a judge in Washington DC, served on numerous committees, and was also head of the boxing commission. So, the pressure was on. I felt such a responsibility and that responsibility was so great, that I did nothing.
Voting is a big responsibility and the stakes are high. You have to do some work, some research. I would need to be informed. What if I made a mistake? What would happen if I picked the wrong person? What if I were wrong?
I still remember my grandmother’s Presidential Campaign pin that declared, in rhinestones, “I Like Ike”. During my lifetime I have had the privilege to be a part of, in one way or another, some of the great events of our time. I remember the election of Kennedy and the fear of the Pope in the Whitehouse, the inception of the space program, which my father was a part of, and the proud moment when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. I stood in line at the local community center, with my family, for the Salk vaccine – the new cure for polio. My best friend's sister was stricken with the disease only months prior to its release. I have lived through a portion of the cold war, remember vividly “duck and cover” drills that were held in my elementary school, have suffered through every childhood disease that we now have vaccines for, remember the arrival of the Beatles and Elvis, and also knew of people that dug underground bomb shelters to protect them from nuclear annihilation.
The horror and anticipation of the Cuban missile crisis came and went and I can’t convey to you the sorrow of the nation when JFK was assassinated. With President Johnson I saw Vietnam and the civil rights riots. I had friends with brothers that never returned from Vietnam and I know exactly where I was when Martin Luther King was assassinated. The 60’s brought with it not only the turmoil of war, racial injustice and Kent State, but also the threat of rock and roll, reefer madness and the thought, by the establishment, that all hope in the youth was lost. The 70's saw Richard Nixon, or Tricky Dick as my grandmother so fondly referred to him, resign the presidency because of Watergate and his abuse of power. Things were bleak.
In more recent times President George Bush (the first one) presided over Desert Storm. I endured, with much embarrassment, the sex scandals that overshadowed the Clinton Presidency and was brought to tears with fear and anger on September 11, 2001 which subsequently led us into the war in Iraq.
Thinking back through the years, I have come to the realization that our country has never failed us. That no one single person, no one President, no one Congress, no one wrong vote, no one horrific event in history, has ever brought this country to her knees.
I have also come to the conclusion that picking the wrong person isn’t really the point. The point is that by not voting, by not being involved, I had been letting fear and apathy control me. Doing nothing is the same thing as giving permission. It is the same as saying yes, to whatever the situation.
This does not lessen the awesome responsibility of voting or the need to be informed; on the contrary. But, if the fear of “How do I know who to pick" and "what if I pick the wrong person” has you making the choice of inaction, then take solace in the fact that no one elected official can destroy our country. However, the millions who make the choice to do nothing year after year might.
I first became aware of the voting process and its power during the Kennedy election. My mother, the daughter of an Irish Catholic, voted for Kennedy. My father did not. I still remember the hushed words between them. Most importantly, I remember the feelings behind the words that weren’t spoken at all.
Then it became my turn. But when I was finally of voting age, I didn’t. My family has always been knee deep in politics. I am, if we could warp time backwards, the great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson and his daughter is my grandmother. We even have a family home in Williamsburg. More recently, my grandfather was a judge in Washington DC, served on numerous committees, and was also head of the boxing commission. So, the pressure was on. I felt such a responsibility and that responsibility was so great, that I did nothing.
Voting is a big responsibility and the stakes are high. You have to do some work, some research. I would need to be informed. What if I made a mistake? What would happen if I picked the wrong person? What if I were wrong?
I still remember my grandmother’s Presidential Campaign pin that declared, in rhinestones, “I Like Ike”. During my lifetime I have had the privilege to be a part of, in one way or another, some of the great events of our time. I remember the election of Kennedy and the fear of the Pope in the Whitehouse, the inception of the space program, which my father was a part of, and the proud moment when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. I stood in line at the local community center, with my family, for the Salk vaccine – the new cure for polio. My best friend's sister was stricken with the disease only months prior to its release. I have lived through a portion of the cold war, remember vividly “duck and cover” drills that were held in my elementary school, have suffered through every childhood disease that we now have vaccines for, remember the arrival of the Beatles and Elvis, and also knew of people that dug underground bomb shelters to protect them from nuclear annihilation.
The horror and anticipation of the Cuban missile crisis came and went and I can’t convey to you the sorrow of the nation when JFK was assassinated. With President Johnson I saw Vietnam and the civil rights riots. I had friends with brothers that never returned from Vietnam and I know exactly where I was when Martin Luther King was assassinated. The 60’s brought with it not only the turmoil of war, racial injustice and Kent State, but also the threat of rock and roll, reefer madness and the thought, by the establishment, that all hope in the youth was lost. The 70's saw Richard Nixon, or Tricky Dick as my grandmother so fondly referred to him, resign the presidency because of Watergate and his abuse of power. Things were bleak.
In more recent times President George Bush (the first one) presided over Desert Storm. I endured, with much embarrassment, the sex scandals that overshadowed the Clinton Presidency and was brought to tears with fear and anger on September 11, 2001 which subsequently led us into the war in Iraq.
Thinking back through the years, I have come to the realization that our country has never failed us. That no one single person, no one President, no one Congress, no one wrong vote, no one horrific event in history, has ever brought this country to her knees.
I have also come to the conclusion that picking the wrong person isn’t really the point. The point is that by not voting, by not being involved, I had been letting fear and apathy control me. Doing nothing is the same thing as giving permission. It is the same as saying yes, to whatever the situation.
This does not lessen the awesome responsibility of voting or the need to be informed; on the contrary. But, if the fear of “How do I know who to pick" and "what if I pick the wrong person” has you making the choice of inaction, then take solace in the fact that no one elected official can destroy our country. However, the millions who make the choice to do nothing year after year might.
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Blame Game
The Queen said Harry must go - so he did. To war that is. Just like the Kings and Princes before him, it is his duty. Prince Harry has been on combat duty in Afghanistan for approximately ten weeks and no one knew. Because of a deal that was made between the British Military and the British media the news was kept secret. But, not anymore.
Now that the secret is out and the safety of his entire unit has been compromised, Harry, the third in line for the crown, is on his way back home. The recent story "British Prince Harry to Leave Afghanistan" states that even though the information about Harry and his possible where abouts had already been written about in Austrian and German magazines the British are blaming the US Drudge Report for leaking the news. The Brits are extremely upset with us.
Catherine Watts, a London journalist, says she wishes we (the U.S.) "would follow principles and basically, shut up". It seems like someone around the world is always mad at us. Much like the way you hate your parents, until you need money or a ride to the mall. British executive, Neil Wallis, editor of the "News of the World" and co-author of the deal between Britains military and media is also upset. He was quoted as saying, "I wonder if Drudge would have done the same (leaked the news) if it were George Bush's cildren or Hillary Clinton's child who was risking his life in Afghanistan".
Well, Neil and Catherine, that's not the way it works here in the United States. We have something called free speech. And, although you might not be able to question the Queen's judgement on sending Harry to Afghanistan in the first place, I can. The difference between us is that we would not have made the decision to endanger other's just so a couple of kids could have the experience of war. However, I can assure you that if a child of Bush's or Clinton's did go to war - we would all know about it. So, long live the Queen but our Constitution and the freedoms that come with it will out live us all.
The Queen said Harry must go - so he did. To war that is. Just like the Kings and Princes before him, it is his duty. Prince Harry has been on combat duty in Afghanistan for approximately ten weeks and no one knew. Because of a deal that was made between the British Military and the British media the news was kept secret. But, not anymore.
Now that the secret is out and the safety of his entire unit has been compromised, Harry, the third in line for the crown, is on his way back home. The recent story "British Prince Harry to Leave Afghanistan" states that even though the information about Harry and his possible where abouts had already been written about in Austrian and German magazines the British are blaming the US Drudge Report for leaking the news. The Brits are extremely upset with us.
Catherine Watts, a London journalist, says she wishes we (the U.S.) "would follow principles and basically, shut up". It seems like someone around the world is always mad at us. Much like the way you hate your parents, until you need money or a ride to the mall. British executive, Neil Wallis, editor of the "News of the World" and co-author of the deal between Britains military and media is also upset. He was quoted as saying, "I wonder if Drudge would have done the same (leaked the news) if it were George Bush's cildren or Hillary Clinton's child who was risking his life in Afghanistan".
Well, Neil and Catherine, that's not the way it works here in the United States. We have something called free speech. And, although you might not be able to question the Queen's judgement on sending Harry to Afghanistan in the first place, I can. The difference between us is that we would not have made the decision to endanger other's just so a couple of kids could have the experience of war. However, I can assure you that if a child of Bush's or Clinton's did go to war - we would all know about it. So, long live the Queen but our Constitution and the freedoms that come with it will out live us all.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
Or
The Democratic Party has Come to Town
I like John Kelso. He is with the Austin American Statesman and writes about the hot topics of the city but with a slant of humor and is often "right on target". Anyway, I get him. His recent article is entitled "Democrats should tell TV to buzz off and get debate tickets out to the people" (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/15/0215kelso.html ) It is about the democratic debate to be held here in Austin. He voices his opinion about the limited public audience that will be allowed to see the debate. There will be 100 tickets and tickets holders will be chosen by a "lottery". At last count there are over 40,000 entries; I am one of them. The remaining seats will go to elected officials and guests by special invitation.
I was extremely upset when I heard that only 100 seats would be available to the voting public. So upset infact that for the first time in my life I wrote a letter (by email) to the National and State Democratic party officials and a letter to the editor of our local newspaper.
Kelso relates that a smaller venue was chosen for the debate because it would decrease any audio complications. CNN is in charge of broadcasting the debate and according to them, if the size of the venue were increased then the poorer the sound quality would be during broadcasting. OK, I have to admit. Seeing the two delegates screaming at each other across podiums in Zilker Park (a larger venue) would tend to send the wrong message. But, Kelso has me sucked in now and I'm fired up. If it's all about how the candidates come off on TV then they should have gone to Hollywood. Right?
It is very easy to be emotionally pulled in to a news story, commentary, or editorial, especially when it hits close to home. After a good laugh I started looking into why the guest list for the debate did not include "the people". All of the "guests" represent the Texas delegates and superdelegates. The Texas Democrats divide up delegates in a multi-step process. The primaries count but the delegates that cast their votes count more. These are the people that are being wooed at the debate and whose vote ultimately can make or break a candidate.
Even though I have a better understanding of what's at stake I still don't like the fact that the voters, the American public, are not on the guest list for the debate. This is such an historic event and the excitement that it has generated is infectious and there are a lot of people that want to be a part of it. The general public should have been considered. An event for the "uninvited guests" (aka the voters) would have been nice. I realize there is an "after party" but the admission price is fairly steep. I wonder if anyone has taken note that this admission price leads to another group of uninvited guests, the economically challenged.
I think John Kelso hits the nail on the head in this commentary however, if you take a deeper look there are so many other issues at hand here than just the size of the venue and the limited guest list.
Or
The Democratic Party has Come to Town
I like John Kelso. He is with the Austin American Statesman and writes about the hot topics of the city but with a slant of humor and is often "right on target". Anyway, I get him. His recent article is entitled "Democrats should tell TV to buzz off and get debate tickets out to the people" (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/15/0215kelso.html ) It is about the democratic debate to be held here in Austin. He voices his opinion about the limited public audience that will be allowed to see the debate. There will be 100 tickets and tickets holders will be chosen by a "lottery". At last count there are over 40,000 entries; I am one of them. The remaining seats will go to elected officials and guests by special invitation.
I was extremely upset when I heard that only 100 seats would be available to the voting public. So upset infact that for the first time in my life I wrote a letter (by email) to the National and State Democratic party officials and a letter to the editor of our local newspaper.
Kelso relates that a smaller venue was chosen for the debate because it would decrease any audio complications. CNN is in charge of broadcasting the debate and according to them, if the size of the venue were increased then the poorer the sound quality would be during broadcasting. OK, I have to admit. Seeing the two delegates screaming at each other across podiums in Zilker Park (a larger venue) would tend to send the wrong message. But, Kelso has me sucked in now and I'm fired up. If it's all about how the candidates come off on TV then they should have gone to Hollywood. Right?
It is very easy to be emotionally pulled in to a news story, commentary, or editorial, especially when it hits close to home. After a good laugh I started looking into why the guest list for the debate did not include "the people". All of the "guests" represent the Texas delegates and superdelegates. The Texas Democrats divide up delegates in a multi-step process. The primaries count but the delegates that cast their votes count more. These are the people that are being wooed at the debate and whose vote ultimately can make or break a candidate.
Even though I have a better understanding of what's at stake I still don't like the fact that the voters, the American public, are not on the guest list for the debate. This is such an historic event and the excitement that it has generated is infectious and there are a lot of people that want to be a part of it. The general public should have been considered. An event for the "uninvited guests" (aka the voters) would have been nice. I realize there is an "after party" but the admission price is fairly steep. I wonder if anyone has taken note that this admission price leads to another group of uninvited guests, the economically challenged.
I think John Kelso hits the nail on the head in this commentary however, if you take a deeper look there are so many other issues at hand here than just the size of the venue and the limited guest list.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
IF THE WAR DON'T GET 'EM SOMETHING ELSE WILL
And that is the obvious position of our government and the military.
The young man in this story, Carmelo Rodriquez, joined the Marines, went to Iraq, put his life on the line for all of us, and served his country with honor only to come home and die. He was seen by doctors both before and during his tour in Iraq. He was diagnosed with melanoma. It was in his medical file, the military knew it but, no one ever told him. What started out as a small wart on his buttock grew to be the size of two hands side by side. He fought hard but last week he died at home, in his bed, surrounded by family. He was 80 pounds.
And that is the obvious position of our government and the military.
The young man in this story, Carmelo Rodriquez, joined the Marines, went to Iraq, put his life on the line for all of us, and served his country with honor only to come home and die. He was seen by doctors both before and during his tour in Iraq. He was diagnosed with melanoma. It was in his medical file, the military knew it but, no one ever told him. What started out as a small wart on his buttock grew to be the size of two hands side by side. He fought hard but last week he died at home, in his bed, surrounded by family. He was 80 pounds.
Now, I know you're wondering what in the world this has to do with our class. Well, it appears that when you enter into military service you sign documents giving up your rights as a citizen!!! Isn't there tacit and ongoing consent, under the Constitution, with regards to our citizenship? Who would ever have thought that when a soldier signs on the dotted line that he or she then becomes the property of the military and is no longer entitled to the same rights and privileges as a United States citizen? Don't we have provisions in our Constitution against slavery????
This poor marine was given a military funeral. However, his family had to pay for it out of their own pocket. Because of his illness, the one the military failed to tell him about and that killed him, he had had to retire from active duty and was no longer entitled to a military funeral paid for by the government. Does this sound wrong on all levels to anyone else besides me? My son just returned from his second tour in Iraq just last week. My son-in-law leaves this month for his first tour. This story has given me even more cause to worry.
Our rights are something we should never take for granted, so why is the military doing just that?
To read the story in it's entirety you can go to:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/31/eveningnews/main3776580.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._3776580
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