Touched by ad
I was so touched by the lovely ad from Joslyn Burroughs.
I feel the same about all my pets.
I cut it out and saved it in my memory book.
Becky Bates
Bullying is unacceptable
I work for a company that develops online interactive gatekeeper training for educators, physicians, military personnel and other individuals in behavioral health settings.
One of the things I do daily is read articles about suicide prevention, anti-bullying and mental health to keep a pulse on school districts, communities and other organizations that may benefit from our training.
I read your article today (“Make bullies stand alone,” blog.sunnews.org/”My Turn,” Sun Newspapers, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014), and wanted to say thank you for putting something so personal out there.
Through reading about bullying, and working in this position, I have realized too that I was bullied as a teenager, and it baffles me also that teachers were so unaware of the problem. I hope this is one accepted “fact of life” that changes in this country.
Articles like yours will definitely help.
Lynn Davis
New York
LAUSD’s getting it right
Those first few paragraphs of Charles M. Kelly’s blog/column on bullying are difficult to read.
I grew up with a young man named Tom who endured unspeakable bullying. Once, I feared he might be drowned during PE class—in the shallow end of the pool.
I’m a few years younger than the author of this post, so, basically, we grew up under the same zeitgeist.
I look at today’s children and the way they’re reared and, typical of a middle-aged man, I find a lot of problems and I find myself shaking my head.
But on the issue of bullying my generation got it wrong and this generation, including Seal Beachers, is trying to get it right.
There’s normal conflict between children, and it’s part of growing up that they police themselves on that front.
But what Tom, and too many others, endured, goes so far beyond that, that it’s not borderline criminal, it IS criminal.
He was assaulted and battered and nearly killed, among other crimes, and the message he got from authorities—those teachers whose first priority, one would think, is creating a safe environment in which kids can learn—is that this is normal and maybe he should stand up to the sadists. I’d seen him try that and get his face kicked in.
Why the sadists weren’t taken to task is beyond me.
Good to see they are now, which is to say: hoorah, LAUSD.
Now track and measure and make sure you’re taking on-the-ground steps to rectify what has been an epidemic far too long in our classrooms and playgrounds.
Brady Rhoades
Fountain Valley
Response to Lowenthal
Compromise, to Left-leaning politicians, like Alan Lowenthal means “coming around to their viewpoint.” Spend more. Tax more. Spend and tax some more. Wash, rinse, and repeat.
It is interesting to notethat the last pieces of Legislation “passed by John Boehner” in the House of Representatives, just prior to the Government shutdown, included a one year delay of the ObamaCare Individual Mandate, and the excluding of the Congressional waivers that Harry Reid’s Senate passed, granting them exemption from this disastrous law (of the Land). In retrospect, John Boehner, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee’s effort to delay the Individual Mandate looks like an act of mercy.
It’s interesting to note BTW, how Liberal pol’s, and their media acolytes touted the “law of the land” meme, while our Legislator’s were attempting to modify the law, through the legislative process, but are now silent, as our Executive (and by our, I mean your) unconstitutionally rewrites the law, at his whim, to serve his political agenda, du jour.
Several facts are lost on Mr Lowenthal. Government spending continues to escalate (albeit, at a slower rate of incline).
Liberals like to use the term “a decline in the growth of government” to imply that government is spending less money.
While this might (and often does, sadly) appeal to the low-information voter, it is a sham. Our targeted budget deficit, prior to this “compromise” was estimated to be approximately $600B.
And, while this is down from the average of $1.1T overspent per annum, over the past 4-5 years, it is wholly unsustainable, and puts in peril the future for our children and grandchildren. Mr Lowenthal speaks of economic equality as a condition, that can be somehow legislated into fruition.
The only way to “make equal” is by force.
This tenet has been tried throughout history, and has ended with disastrous results(see: Stalin’s Russia & Mao’s China).
Equality, as understood by our Founders, was “of opportunity,” that conditions would be made such, that man would not be impeded from the “pursuit of Happiness.” Not that Happiness would be secured, as a right of privilege. The brokenness of our Immigration System, is in its enforcement. Ronald Reagan was promised secure borders, “if only he granted Amnesty, this one time.”
At that time, in 1987, we had approximately 3 million undocumented immigrants.
Today, we have upwards of 11-12 million, with some estimates running as high as 30 million. It is no wonder though that Democrats want “comprehensive reform,” as 75 percent of immigrants prefer Big Government, per PEW Research. I’ve often said that “we don’t have an Immigration problem – we have a Liberalism problem.”
The Welfare state (thank you FDR, LBJ, BHO) has long ago, exceeded the balance, at which our citizenry can viably support the number of people now dependent on the state for its sustenance. It is reported that there are more people receiving government assistance than are full-time workers. While this is not limited to, or caused by undocumented immigrants, adding 11+ million predominantly low-wage workers to our already burgeoning welfare system only exacerbates our already stretched funding mechanisms.
Of course, Mr Lowenthal wants comprehensive reform passed, as it produces for him, and his party, a built-in voting bloc. Before I move on, a quick note to immigrants of Hispanic origin – the Liberal Statist is not your friend. Big-Government cronyism, is why many of you left your country of origin. You possess strong family values, and work ethic. Do not be tempted by cheap promises, and cheaper still outcomes. Every municipality that is ruled by Liberals has, or is deteriorating (see: Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, Washington, D.C.)
Lastly, we come to Mr Lowenthal’s insistence on “beginning to deal with the devastating effects of climate change.” After cleaning up the coffee from my keyboard, from laughing hysterically, and regaining my composure, I direct Mr Lowenthal’s attention to the ironic comedy playing out in the Antarctic.
In the peak of summer, Global Warming (er, Climate Change) scientists are trapped in ice.
If there is a better visual of the calamity that is Global Warming, and more broadly Progressive Liberalism, I have yet to find it.
Earick Ward
Seal Beach resident
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