Showing posts with label Affordable Healthcare Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Affordable Healthcare Act. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

THE FINAL ASSIGNMENT:

Preparing for Your Defining Moment© 2014
by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.
A Message to the Graduating Class of 2014
1.       Good day to the Graduating Class of 2014!  I hope that as your graduation day approaches, you are each reasonably prepared for the many challenges ahead.  I realize that you can’t be fully prepared, because we just don’t know what life will throw our way on any given day.  I do hope that as you graduate, that you will embrace the outstanding accomplishments that you are making, and that you will use the gifts and tools that you have gained over your successful lives, to really make some great strides, for yourselves, family, professionally, and for your communities.  Why do I place this challenge at your feet?  Because, the world is waiting for you, and you are a very important component to the growth and development of the next generation to come.  Please, don’t let us down.
2.       My message, as I have prepared it for you, is entitled: The Final Assignment:  Preparing for Your Defining Moment.  If you have had an opportunity prior to today, I had left word for you to take an opportunity to see a wonderful family movie, entitled:  The Bee Movie[1].  If you have not had that opportunity, please, at your earliest convenience, do so.  Of course, if you haven’t seen the movie, then that would theoretically make my message here today, null and void.  But, knowing that I was asking a lot, I prepared my message for the worst case scenario:  you didn’t have a chance to see the movie.
3.       I would like to thank my daughter, Jaymee and my grandson, Doo (Josh, Jr) as we affectionately call him, for the inspiration for this message.  I and his Mimi have spent a number of enjoyable moments watching this movie, even as we tried during his younger years, to get him to watch other movies.  It was one of his favoritest (sp) movies, and we watched it, and watched it, and, watched it.  We have no regrets here.  It is just one of many enjoyable moments we have been blessed to enjoy, and love having the little fellow in our lives.  We are indeed grateful to be his loving grand-parents.


4.       The Bee Movie[2]
5.       So, with the time that I have, I will give you a blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute account of the life of the main character of this animated movie.  Okay, maybe not a blow-by-blow account, but at least a snapshot of what the main character experienced at about the same time that you are in your lives right now.  Our main character, Barry Bee Benson, a bee, along with one of his millions of cousins, Adam, were graduating,  he was faced the opportunity of a lifetime, to work in the sole industry of bee manufacturing.
6.       What Barry soon finds out, and perhaps too late, is that despite his having completed school, he had limited opportunities, as he saw them.  Your results may vary from Barry’s, but it is important that we focus on what Barry was facing as he was prepared to go out into the world. 
7.       For Barry Bee Benson, it was a critical time in his life.  He had to decide whether to work in the factory doing the same job that his father, and his father before him, had done for millions of “bee years”.  To add to his dilemma, as Barry saw it, his father and mother were pressing him to work in the factory because it was a “good job”. Barry’s cousin, Adam, was not only excited about the prospect of working in the factory, but was adamant about Barry staying the course, of those who had gone on before them.
8.       But Barry the bee saw another opportunity to be something that wasn’t presented to him.  He saw, the Pollen Jocks!  Pollen Jocks were guys who, as Adam pointed out, “were bred for those jobs”, and Barry, according to Adam, would not be able to fulfill those responsibilities.  Eventually, Barry would become a Pollen Jock, but it would come at a cost to him.  You see, what we discovered about Barry is the same thing that we have to discover about ourselves.  And that is, that no matter what job we ultimately find ourselves in, or no matter whether we may have a high school diploma, a PhD.,  a BS, or JD behind our names, the real concern we have to have is: have we really been prepared for the challenges that life has to throw at us?  Have we really been prepared for any number of circumstances that tests as to whom we ultimately become?  In other words, have we really been prepared for our defining moments?
9.      Despite Barry’s discovery of becoming a Pollen Jock, a job he loved doing, he discovered something else. He discovered that the honey that he and his family of bees had produced for millions of years was being stolen, by humans, no less.  For Barry, it would have done him well to just go along, do his job, and say nothing.  After all, he had the perfect job, and as we also discovered, he may had a little sweetie on the side, Vanessa, a human (Talking to humans was a violation of Bee Law #1- No Talking to Humans)[3].  Barry had it made, so to speak.  But his discovery of what he thought was not right, in that humans were stealing honey to put into their coffee, in their food, and marketing it as though it was rightfully theirs, caused Barry to rethink his priorities.  And, as we would soon find out, Barry would take on the humans, in court, to stop them from stealing honey from the entire Bee population.


10.   What Will Be Your Defining Moment?
11.   I will stop here on the Bee Movie, in hopes that you will, if you haven’t already done so, share this delightful and thought-provoking animation with your families.  But I also want to ask you, as graduates, to relate to Barry Bee Benson,[4] just for a few moments. 
12.   As you prepare for your graduation, many of you may already know what it is you will be doing over the next 5, 10 or 20+ years.  Some of you will be going on to higher education.  For some of you, this is the end of the road, you have careers lined up, and you will be settling into life as you would have it.   If not any of these, please consult with a career counselor, or someone whom you believe can provide you with a great piece of information and direction on how to acquire, or obtain a great rewarding career.  But whether or not you are prepared for a job, or going off to higher education, the relevance to Barry B. Benson here is that whatever position in life that you are successful in achieving, you will still have to be prepared for your defining moment.
13.    For many of you, preparing to receive your respective degrees, diplomas, or Certificates of Achievements, this may be your perceived defining moment.   While I applaud you if that is the case, I will dare to caution you, that it is not.  Your defining moment, as I have learned over the years, is not one moment in and of itself, but a collection of life affirming , and in some cases, life altering activities, that you will have faced.  Moments, that  if you are not at your best, those activities will catch you at the worst possible time.  They maybe the kind of activities, that at first glace, may appear to be insignificant.  But know that in the total scheme of things, that that per-chance moment maybe the very measure of who you are, for some time to come.
14.   How you may react to those off the cuff moments, could very well determine how you live out the rest of your life.  So, it will be important for each of you to always be ready to act accordingly.  Meaning, that today’s defining moment, your graduation, is the tip of the iceberg, and when all is said and done, the true person that you are has yet to be revealed.  Therefore, your final assignment, if you decide to accept it, as did Barry B. Benson in the Bee Movie, is to be at your best, at any given time.


15.    Real-World Defining Moments
16.   As we all know, life is filled with real-world defining moments as well.  If we go back to our history classes, we can rattle off any number of names of world leaders, politicians, public servants and everyday ordinary people, who, when faced with life’s unexpected challenges, stepped up, and took on those challenges, making the world a better place for their efforts.  Even if their efforts may have resulted in their unlikely demise.
17.   Real-world moments for many of us are too frequent, and in some cases, deadly.  But they don’t have to be.  We can still look at history and see how people who are with us today, have taken on life’s challenges, and in so doing, may have met their ultimate defining moment.  For example, how will history decide on our Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal and his refusal to accept the US Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act of 2012?[5]  Conversely, how will history reflect on our President of the United States, Barack Obama in his status as the first president to get legislation past enacting the Affordable Care Act of 2012?[6]  Will history indicate that this one piece of legislation defined both of these leaders? 
18.  Additionally, how will history reflect on the men and women whose lives were either lost, or greatly changed on September 11, 2001?  Those who were in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when terrorists crashed two planes into the Twin Towers, as well Flight 93 that crashed into a vacant field in Pennsylvania where passengers were reported to have forced the plane down to save others from harm in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as those lives lost and impacted when a fourth plane crashed into the Pentagon? And how about the men and women who responded to these incidents?  Was it not their defining moments, as they themselves put their lives at risk, in order to save the lives of others? [7]
19.   Real-world defining moments presents us with heroes, as well as those who fail to make good decisions.  While many of us are poised to achieve great things in our lives, the media, nor history will need to be there to record our greatest defining moment.  We dare not choose to live so that our efforts are recorded for posterity, but instead, just for the betterment of mankind.
20.   If we need a real-world defining moment, reflect if you will, on Chelsney Burnett “Scully” Sullenberger, Captain, Retired, U.S. Air Force. [8]  Or, as you may know him as he has been affectionately referred to as ,“Captain Scully”.  His real-world defining moment occurred on January 19, 2009.  As an airline pilot for US Airways Flight 1549, Captain Scully was piloting an airliner out of New York’s LaGuardia Airport, when a flock of geese struck both engines of his plane.  Forced to make an emergency landing, he and his co-pilot, took constructive maneuvers that allowed the plane to emergency land in the Hudson River.  Lives lost: zero; Injuries: Zero to minor.  From that moment on, Captain Scully would receive notoriety from all over the world as the first pilot to safely land an airliner in water and not loose a single passenger.[9]


21.   How About You?
22.   Many of us will perhaps go our whole life and never have to face a challenge of the various magnitudes described in these real-world instances.  But it is not impossible.  As Captain Scully was once quoted as saying in an interview with Talk Show hostess, Katie Couric[10]:
23.   "One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 (2009) the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."[11]
24.   Obviously, the story with Captain Scully and Barry the Bee are never to be compared.  Animation vs. Real World.  But for some of us, either may work.  But, I am sure that the real-world will have a greater impact, as it speaks volumes to each of us.  Captain Scully’s experience, education, and training, as he indicated, was constantly being deposited throughout his life.  One day at a time.  One challenge at a time. He was building towards an (unknown) moment, he apparently could never have imagined.  It seemed that despite his experiences as a former U.S.  Air Force pilot, it would have appeared that he had faced his greatest defining moment fighting for his country.  When, on January 15, 2009, a challenge of significant proportions, presented itself to him and the crew on his plane.  He was the captain, and all depended on him to make the very best decision, based on his approach to all of his life’s challenges up to that moment.  How about you?[12]
25.   Are you doing as Captain Scully suggested?  Are you willing to deposit into life’s bank your experiences, education and training to prepare for your defining moment?  Obviously, we don’t know when that moment will be, but preparation is the key.   Even though many of you will be out of the classroom, you will still face tests and challenges in your life.  For all that you know, you could be tested on the streets of New Orleans; you could be tested on the streets of Chicago, or, you could be tested on the streets of Patterson, LA (my hometown).  You could be tested driving your car, riding on the bus, or even while you are alone on a busy corner in New York.
26.   The tests that you will each face, will be to determine if you are who say that you want to be.  The tests that you will face, will challenge each of you to prove, that you are either the dishonest, underhanded, sneaky, backstabbing, low-down good-for-nothing rogue that you present to others, or, that you are the trust-worthy, honest, roll-up your sleeve, let’s handle this, above-board person that you want others believe you to be. So, here is your final assignment:


27.   Your Final Assignment
28.   You final assignment, and I hope you will decide to accept it, is to determine how all that you have done up to this moment in your life, will help you to be the very best person that you can be.  Obviously, I am going out on a limb here,  believing that each of you, pursuing your respective degrees, diplomas or some level of recognition and achievement, are out to make the world a better place to live.  If not, hang around, you may still benefit.
29.   Your final assignment will consist of living each day to its fullest.  With the life that many of you will be living, you will have no shortage of opportunities to do so.  For each day that you are able to rise and face the day in front of you, be prepared to demonstrate what makes you the very best possible person to make a difference in the world in which we live.  Live your life as though you will be graded.  And please, don’t live just enough to get by.  But instead, live each day as though it is your last, and best.  In so doing, prepare for your finest hour.


30.   How Will You Be Graded on This Assignment?
31.   I call this your Final Assignment, because you will not come back here for your grades, or an evaluation.  Your final assignment will carry you through the rest tof your life.  You will know how you will be graded because of how you will choose to live your life.  You will know all of the in’s and out’s of life.  You will know right from wrong.  You will know ethical behavior, honesty and integrity.  Keeping terms such as these as a part of who you intend to be, will make sure that  your final assignment will assure you of a passing grade.   And if you do as admirable a  job as I know that each of you are capable of doing, you will always be on the honor roll of life.  You will always be that person whom others can call on, and know that they are getting one of the world’s finest individuals that life has ever produced.  Your grade, will always be a passing one, because you are committed to being the very best at who you are, and nothing less.


32.   To all of you, the Graduating Class of 2014, I encourage each of you to prepare for your defining moment, as I wish you the very best that life has to offer, and always, continued success.



33.   Disclaimer:  All information is deemed to be from reliable sources but not guaranteed.  No information should be considered as legal counseling or any other relationship not so designated as of this posting.   The Coveted Commandment Blog and The Coveted Commandment are copyrighted by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr. © 2014.


[2] Innocent definition- https://www.google.com/#q=Innocent+
[3] Bee Law #1: No Talking to Humans- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Movie
[5] LA Governor Bobby Jindal refuses to accept US Supreme Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act- http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/29/1104440/-La-Gov-Bobby-Jindal-refuses-to-implement-Obamacare-despite-Supreme-Court-ruling
[7] Timeline for September 11, 2001 Terrorists Attacks- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_for_the_day_of_the_September_11_attacks
[10] Katie Couric Show- http://katiecouric.com/
[12] Flight 1549 Lands in the Hudson- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549
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Monday, September 16, 2013

VOTING AGAINST YOUR BEST INTEREST © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.

 VOTING AGAINST YOUR BEST INTEREST
 © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.


What does it take to get us into a voting booth?  Jobs? Potholes? New schools? The fear of a minority in control? Your best friend from high school?  The possibility that things are going to change, once and for all?  The right to vote is a very private one.  Who we vote for, why we vote for them, or what party we belong to, is really no one’s business.  So if we vote for someone or an issue that someone else doesn’t like, does that constitute voting against our best interest?  Only we who cast our respective votes will know for sure. 

But, as private as voting is, it is a community right as well that those who vote, or who choose not to vote, get a fair and equal opportunity to make their choices.  It is important that nothing, or no one obstructs our right to vote, regardless of how direct or subliminal.  Unfortunately, as many of us know, that is not always the case.  Voting is so important to our American way of life, that there are those who may take the risk of pre-empting the constitution to prevent, or obstruct other American citizens the right to vote.

But on the other hand, there are those of us who choose not to vote.  Why is that?  Yes, it is a private decision, understandably.  But, is it not a valid question? What keeps many of us from voting?  What keeps so many of us, as American citizens, from taking the time to early vote, to send in our absentee ballots, or just showing up at the voting polls?  How many “good excuses” do we have for not participating in the voting process?  In the interest of full disclosure, I have missed a few voting events myself.  My excuses were:

1.  I didn’t like any of the candidates, or,
2.  I put everything that day ahead of voting, and when I finally had the time, it was too late.

But I rarely miss voting.  I know how important it is, and when I have missed the opportunity, on those rare occasions, I felt extremely guilty.

I ask these questions while I reflect on several presidential elections of recent years.  One of those presidential elections that I reflect on is the one in 2000, between former Vice President Al Gore[1] and then former Governor of Texas, George W. Bush[2], which was ultimately determined by the United States Supreme Court.[3]

I also reflect on the Presidential Election of 2008,[4] between then, Senator John McCain of Arizona[5], and then, Senator Barack Obama[6] that ended with America’s first African American President.  And lastly, I reflect on the presidential election of 2012. That election resulted in America’s affirmation of President Obama’s work, by returning him to the presidency
Each of these 3 elections were a remarkable turn of events in American history. 

Many of us were fortunate to not only witness these last 3 presidential events, but to also participate in the voting process that for good or bad, or for better or worse, resulted in that part of American history moving forward.  Many of us were disgruntled, angry, mad, excited, filled with exhilaration, and perhaps, extremely emotional by the results of any one of these events.  And reasonably so.  Many of us voted for what we believed was in our best interest.  Or, did we?  Of course we did, didn’t we?

Let’s see:  We voted in our best interest when we voted either Democrat or Republican; we voted in our best interest whether we voted Liberal or Conservative, and no doubt, we voted in our own best interest when we voted for the first black president from Chicago, IL, as we did when we voted for the POW candidate from Arizona.  We knew that for all we were worth, if we voted, we were voting our in our own best interest, maybe.  What decisions could have made a difference in how we voted in just those 3 presidential elections?  I can only suggest five decisions that could have affected our decisions to vote one way or another, and perhaps, these decisions may have affected our best interest.  Here are the five:

  1. Voting along racial lines-   It is without question that many people who voted for President Obama may have not voted for him if he were not black, including non-blacks.  Is that a good thing?  Let’s agree, race is a very important part of our decisions to vote, whether we admit to it or not.  We have been taught this, however subliminally, that in America, only white males can be leaders.  We have been taught, subliminally, that the presidency, for example, should only be held by white males.  The underlying message seems to be that not even white women should run for the presidency.  But through the years, positions of political leadership have gradually eroded from the perception that only white males can hold roles of leadership, especially in our politics, and even in corporations.  Today, because many Americans have registered to vote, and in some cases disagreed with many of the philosophies often promoted by white males in leadership, many Americans, from varying backgrounds, race, creed, religions, and color, sought to promote people from their own communities.  Blacks wanted Blacks to represent their communities; Hispanics wanted Hispanics to represent their communities, and so on, including Asians, Native Americans, and others.  All of whom believed that they could best be represented by someone who looked the most like them. Or, so they believed.   But, history is beginning to show that even those who look like you don’t necessarily have your best interest.  Many of you may disagree, so disagree at will.  The idea of voting someone primarily because they have the same skin color, or perhaps the same sex as you, or even because they have the same religious background, would seem to suggest that we are lazy.  It doesn’t mean that we are lazy, just suggests it, and here is why. 
In today’s world of easily accessible information, the ability to research a candidate’s background and to find our who they truly are, is very important.  If a candidate’s background, or field of experience does nothing to move the community forward, would it make sense to vote for him or her if their only common denominator is that they look like you?  Or, if the only common denominator is that they are from our old high school? Or, if you and they share the same hairdresser?  Voting should seem more important than that, I believe.  Do you disagree?


  1. Voting for or against someone whose ideals are inconsistent with a popular issue via “fear-mongering[7]”. When we talk about popular issues, we are speaking about issues such as abortion (Roe v. Wade[8]), the 2nd Amendment,[9] Affirmative Action[10], or Obamacare[11].  As the 2014 elections come around, the Affordable Healthcare Act[12], or Obamacare will continue to be an issue that Conservatives will target as a taxing issue, literally.  And this not to pick on the Republicans.  (This is not a Republican bashing post, I am an independent.  Democrats are not exempt here).  The fact that Obamacare focuses on preventing insurance companies from dropping those with terminal illnesses, and does not include abortion, is of no consequence.  So, fear-mongering is the order of the day.  The messages seems to be:
“Obamacare must go, or we will be taxed into oblivion!” Or,
“Obamacare must go, or there will be abortions at the ready when Obamacare is fully implemented”, and the fear mongering continues.  
Additionally, the 2nd Amendment is another hot button issue.  If the President of the United States can be portrayed in any way, shape, or form as having an agenda to “take our weapons”, he will be portrayed as being the president capable of violating, or even repealing the 2nd Amendment.  As we have all seen, this level of campaigning, “fear mongering” often results in otherwise good, intelligent, law-abiding, God-fearing citizens running for the sporting goods stores, or gun shops buying up every type of weapon and ammunition believing that they will never be able to own a gun again. Or, that every gun that they ever owned will be confiscated, on general principal.   

  1. Voting for those who have a history of holding offices, but whose accomplihments are lacking (What have they done for you lately?)-  Our constitution, and our various state and city charters allow us to decide on who to vote for within certain guidelines.  One of those guidelines is term-limits.  Depending on the office, some candidates can almost hold public office for an indeterminable amount of time, or so it seems.  Or, there are candidates who seem to be great at jumping from one office to another, and yet, we vote for them.  No harm, no foul, because it’s legal.  It’s America, and unless there is a violation of law, let’s just go with it.  What harm can come from voting for the same candidates over and over again?  What harm can come from politicians who eventually establish dynasties by their family members occupying any number of offices throughout the community, yet, the community moves forward at a snail’s pace, if at all?  If voting for someone new frightens us, then we should continue to vote for those whose history of success does no more than solidify their future in public office.  Again, no laws are broken, and it is far from unethical that political dynasties exists.  I’m just saying.

  1. Voting blindly without researching the background of existing or new candidates-Chronic voting is a good thing, right?  Maybe, but not if chronic voting means we just walk our little happy feet into the voting booth and we haven’t done our homework. It only means self-satisfaction that we are chronic voters if we are doing everything reasonable to ensure that our vote not only counts, but that we are voting responsibly.


  1. Not voting at all- It is a big responsibility to vote.  But that responsibility is just as important if, as American citizens, we don’t exercise the right to vote.  People of Color should appreciate this right now more than ever.  The fact that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled to remove certain provisions from the Voting Rights Act of 1965[13] should give People of Color great pause.  The repercussions are yet to come, but they will be coming.  For those of us who choose not to vote, regardless of our heritage, the failure to take advantage of this right is as dangerous as voting for someone who means no good to the values that we hold dear.  How is that?  Think about it.  Not voting is voting.  It is the one time “No” means “Yes”.  By not voting, it gives consent to those whose agenda maybe counter-productive to the community at large, to carry out the very ideals and programs that our vote could have prevented or made possible.  But, it’s our individual choice not to vote, and we have the right not to vote, even it is essentially voting against our own best interest.

Conclusion
These five areas may not apply to any one of us.  But, it is possible that we are influenced by fear mongering.   Or maybe, we do our homework by researching each and every candidate and issue that we vote for.  In either case, we are doing what the constitution allows.  And if we are, then choosing to vote for the same candidates over and over, or candidates who look like us, are the rights that the constitution also provides, and if so, what harm is it?  No harm! No foul!

Maybe, I am over analyzing, and perhaps, I just needed an article to post, but the 2014 mid-term elections are coming up, very quickly.  And then, to be followed up by the 2016 Presidential election.   These elections will be filled with candidates and issues that will no doubt be filled with fear mongering, possible voter suppression activities, as well as the usual array of back-biting, mud-slinging that makes American politics what it is.   What we, as Americans have to decide, is whether to vote for or against anyone who remotely agrees  with abortion, or the taking of our guns in violation of the 2nd Amendment is really the issue that affects our decisions to vote.  We have to decide how important it is to vote for someone who looks like us because of the color of their skin, or the fact that they are a woman, or whether they have the same sexual orientation, or not.  These elections will be filled with campaign promises from Democrats and Republicans that all but promise the moon, while delivering far short of the stars that either party is willing to fulfill.  Yet, for us to be swayed by any issues that are blatantly untrue, or lacking substance, is in itself, against our best interest. 
Our future generations are depending upon us to draw conclusions about their future based on substantive issues that help them to be successful.  Our future generations can’t be successful if, as in the 2012 Presidential election, voter suppression was running rampant.   Our future generations can’t expect to be successful if we, who have the opportunity to make a positive change in our American society, decide that voting was so insignificant, that not voting was a choice that so many of us make today, and perhaps forfeited the future for the better.  But that’s okay, voting is a private matter, but let’s not forget, it has a public impact.  So, in conclusion, any vote that is not cast, or cast for any reason that is made blindly, and without consideration for what the candidate(s) brings to the table, cannot benefit our community.  Any such vote is a vote made against our best interest, individually, as well as, collectively.  It’s our choice to continue voting as we do, where the end result is for our communities to remain unchanged, and lacking economic benefit in the form of jobs, job training, vital infrastructure improvements, schools, or any other improvements that makes our community a great place to be and live.  It’s our choice to vote, but it’s in our community’s best interest how we all vote.


Disclaimer:  Information deemed to be from reliable sources but not guaranteed.  Consult your respective representatives regarding your community’s future.  No one person, persons living or dead are implied by this posting.  Any incident suggested is coincidental, your situations may vary.


[4] Presidential Election 2008- http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
3 Presidential Election 2012- http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2012/
[13] Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court 2013- http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-96_6k47.pdf
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Sunday, June 9, 2013

STOP TEACHING OUR CHILDREN RIGHT FROM WRONG! © 2013 by Wayne D. Lewis, Sr.

Think about the many things that we try to teach our children as they grow up.  Many of those things center around what is right and what is wrong.  As parents we want our children to be good, law abiding kids who respect the rights of others and who follow the Golden Rule.[1]  The rule that simply says, ‘do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’  That’s all that we should want for our children. But realistically, many of us as parents fall way short of preparing our children for the world of today that they are about to enter.  As a matter a fact, I believe that if all we teach our children is the Golden Rule, we are setting our children up for failure.  Because the truth is, as important as it is to teach our children to respect others as we would wish to respected, this is not the world.  This is not the world that will act in kind to our loving children, whom we continue to try and convince that the world is a place that will treat you as you treat it.  We are setting our children up for a tremendous disappointment unless we take the Golden Rule off of the table, or make it the very last thing that we teach our children, even as they begin taking their first steps in life.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.[2]

It is only right that we teach our children to respect others as we would them to be respected, in all that they do, and with all whom they meet.  But here is where we, as parents and communities, maybe falling short.  We focus only on how our children should treat others, instead of instructing them to see how others will treat them.  Many of our children, whom we want only the best for, are often victimized by the very society that is supposed to protect them, or make a way for them.

If we were only talking about bullies, pedophiles, or other sexual deviants, that would be one thing.  But our children have to be on guard for other aspects of their lives that under the code of law, puts them at grave social risk early on in their lives, and possibly, by design.  And if we aren’t preparing our children to be on guard for educational systems that cheats them by not providing books or qualified teachers, then we are short-changing our children.  If we aren’t preparing our children by telling them that police officers are only there to serve and protect a select few, then we are doing our children injustice.  Whether it is education, criminal justice, healthcare, economics, or politics, we can no longer send our children out of our homes armed with just the Golden Rule, and then try to console them because everyone else is inclined to steal from them the very best that life has to offer.  In actuality, right from wrong is no longer relative to the society that currently exists, and the sooner our children learn this, the better.

As parents and communities, we need to put into context many important issues for our children that no longer focuses only on the differences between right and wrong, but between the rich, and the impoverished; the powerful and the weak; the politically connected versus the politically disenfranchised. Our children need to understand why a Constitutionally-guided country makes exceptions for crimes when it comes to those who are well-off, and literally plans prison populations for those who are economically disadvantaged, because right is relative.   It will be hard to explain, but our children will need to understand that if they are White that it is okay to be prejudice, racist, feel superior, and that if they are anything but White, that they should acclimate themselves to a life of fighting to prove that they are not second class citizens, and that because they are anything other than White, that right is relative. 

We should prepare our children for a life that confusingly presents the fact that those who look like them aren’t always in their corner, and anyone who is different from them, may well be their best friend.  We should prepare our children for a life where being on opposite sides of the (political) aisle means that you don’t collaborate or partner with anyone who is not of your party unless it benefits you specifically and to hell with your constituents.  Certainly our children will need to be duly informed that if they are against initiating, against continuing, or wishing to stop war, that they will be considered as cowards and un-American. 

As oppose to teaching our children right from wrong, we should instead, focus on their sexuality where the world will judge them because they will have to defend what we all pretend to know, in our heart of hearts, that because they are gay or lesbian, that they are supposed abominations before God, and couldn’t possibly be as much as a gift of God as anyone else.  Teaching therefore of our children, that we should be the judge of all, who is seemingly not like us.

We should in effect, dispense with the Golden Rule teachings to our children. Instead, inform them that their roles in life will be predisposed to being judged as to whether they are ready to be subjected to psychological evaluations that in themselves seem to be predisposed to medications designed to create a psychological profile akin to if not exactly Attention Deficit Disorder, or Attention Defecit Hypertensive Disorder (ADD, or ADHD)[3] that in our day was once considered needing a good wacking across the butt, detention, or both.

Last, but not least, we can’t teach our children right from wrong if they don’t know that they will forever be pigeon-holed as a leader or follower, a hero or a looser, rich or poor, good-looking, or unattractive.  They will in effect be labeled and have pressure applied to them to be anything other than a child.  Therefore, I believe we as parents, and communities, have our work cut out for us.

I believe that for many of us as parents, we think that many of the things that our children will ever really need to know or be aware of, won’t matter until they are in their early teens, or maybe, as a result of possibly naïveté and perhaps rose-colored glasses as parents, we don’t believe that our children need to be exposed to a lot of things that this harsh, cruel world has to deliver until they are adults.  We as parents try to take the most wondrous route possible to preserve our children’s innocence.  God knows that our children grow up fast enough, and that anything that we can do to preserve their youth, we do so, lovingly.  But, we maybe doing our children a tremendous injustice, perhaps even, a grave injustice.

The world at large presents to us not only as parents, but also as communities, challenges that we can no longer protect our children from observing, or being apart.  Yes, the world drops at many of our doorsteps great and positive opportunities, and we should be prepared and quick to take advantage of them.  But the world, in its unapologetic manner drops at many of our feet, instances of crises, biases, and outright injustices that we can no longer allow our children to be shielded from when it is convenient.  The world is no longer compromising or accommodating.  So, as parents and as communities, we need to step up our roles to teach our children far more important things than the difference between right and wrong, let alone, the Golden Rule.  

In essence, the difference between right and wrong should be moved far down the list of those things that will most likely impact our children’s lives, almost immediately to their being able to walk, speak and, bless their hearts, comprehend so quickly of the things that are going to be happing early on in their young lives.  Let’s make no mistakes, all of our children are extremely perceptive at a young age.  So what do we focus on right now that right and wrong has been pushed to the back of the list to teach them?  Below, in no particular order, are five areas that I believe we need to focus on as it relates to helping our children mature into the world today, as it relates to education, criminal justice, healthcare, politics and economics.  You may have other areas that you believe are more important.  But the point is, we can no longer allow our children’s intelligence be insulted by putting right and wrong as the exclusive lesson that we teach our children, to the disadvantage of knowing how to reasonably protect themselves in the world at large.  Let’s discuss.

*      Education-If we had to prepare our children for education, it would be to the effect that mothers and fathers have to begin almost at conception to find the perfect outlet to augment the brilliance of our children to be.  Almost instantly, our children will need to begin studying to be tested as gifted.  They are not going to walk their little happy selves into a given school, be a public or private, ready to prepare to color within the lines or circles.  No, our children will have to know Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (E=mc2)[4] in order to get into the “best” school(s).  Educating our children on education will also require them to understand that possibly, they may have to attend a school that is in a different neighborhood despite the fact there is one next door, or perhaps no further than the corner grocer.  Prepare our children for that part of their education where they may have to be tested on tests for the sake of testing, not on independent thoughts.  As a matter of fact, it would be great to ensure that our children never worry about thinking for themselves, as that is greatly frowned up, here in America.  In addition, let our children know to be on guard for programs that promises to be to their benefit with catchy names such as “No Child Left Behind”[5], even though the dropout rates of their classmates will indicate otherwise.  Of course, we should make every effort to educate our children as they prepare for life after high school, that college is optional.  And that if they decide to pursue their future via a college or university, pull out the calculator to determine exactly how much their future income will help off-set the cost of their education, as paying off student loans becomes an issue into the grave, literally.[6]

*      Criminal Justice-Where else should we teach our children right from wrong if we are not talking about crime? The problem is that right from wrong as it relates to the criminal justice system begins to crack and crumble when men and women are falsely arrested or accused and subjected to a system that grows merely by this offensive approach to justice.  Those who are innocent suffer injustices that our criminal justice system chooses to believe that everyone is guilty unless they are decidedly innocent.  What we need to teach our children is to prepare for their innocence to always be in question to their detriment, as the Criminal Justice system imprisons lives not behind bars, but also by reputations.  A wrongful arrest has to be expunged, but the record is permanent.  We have to teach our children that police officers are under a tremendous amount of stress and strain, and that in cases too many to count, the accidental killing of an unarmed person is the necessary detriment that police agencies will not necessarily work to improve on, so for our children, they need to be on guard and make sure that they always comply with the lawful, and oft unlawful demands of those who wear badge and gun.                     Teach our children that the Criminal Justice system’s perspective of having balanced scales is suspect and requires calibration that won’t happen anytime soon.  Teach our children that the courts speak with absolute power to those who are poor and who cannot afford an attorney accept one who can offer then to plead out even when they are innocent.  That the same court may offer to someone of means and opportunity a greater opportunity of freedom, because freedom is very expensive when it comes to a personal attorney.  Teach our children these important perspectives as it relates to Criminal Justice, that if anything, make sure that they are financially fit to face a criminal justice system bent on building a population by hook or crook, rather than by guilt or innocence.


*      Healthcare-Despite the fact that “Obamacare”[7] proposes to offer healthcare for all Americans, it will come at a price.  Our Republican colleagues will stress the tax implications, and will, as in the case of our own governor of Louisiana, refuse to accept funding for Medicaid [8], where it would otherwise help provide healthcare for thousand’s of uninsured Louisianians and other citizens across the United States.  Democrats, their political counter-parts, will suggest that the Affordable Health Care Act[9] provides a tremendous benefit to millions of Americans who would otherwise not be insured. [10] Regardless of the argument, our children need to be pre-advised that their health or the care of it, will constantly hang in the balance when it becomes the ping-pong ball in the game of politics.  Teach our children to be forever aware of not only the cost, but the source of their healthcare.  There is no absolute answer as we speak, even as the Affordable Healthcare Act prepares to kick into full gear by 2014[11], but we cannot allow our children of today to walk into the future without being reasonably informed and prepared on those issues relating to whether they will be covered due to the fact they may have a pre-existing illness, or if they acquire a life-threatening illness.  Teach our children that their future will rely on them heavily investing their intelligence and monies in protecting not only their health, but that of their families to come.

*      Politics-One of the things that we should teach our children about politics is that it is consistent:  Make promises-break promises.  The other thing about politics that we can teach our children is that politics makes strange bedfellows, which simply means that even if our elected leaders pledge to fight against someone whose agenda is against ours, we should not be surprised when our elected official joins in partnership with that opposing politician.  It is important to teach our children as quickly as possible that politics affects them everyday and in everyway.  We need to teach our children that politics affects not only the fact that they were born, but even if they are aborted.  Teach our children that politics affects not only that they get educated, but also where they get educated, who educates them, and what they get educated on.  We need to not leave our children in the dark when it comes to politicians who write laws that they exempt themselves from.[12]  That politicians often are allowed to forget that they work for us, and that if ever we remind them, that they will pull rank on their constituents by pulling funding, cutting jobs, and other benefits to remind us that we got it twisted about whose in control.  More than anything, we may actually encourage our children to be politicians so that they live a life puts them in the driver’s seat and allows them to make promises that they don’t have to keep, and only cater to their constituents when it comes time to run for election.  Whatever we teach our children, please leave a little room to stress that we are painting with a broad brush all politicians because it is easier to focus on those whose reputations give being a politician a negative reputation.  The change of that perception, as we will teach our children, relies on those politicians who are willing to change that image, not that of the citizens.


*      Economics-Will we need to be economists to teach our children about the economics that they will be subjected to?  I don’t think so, but let me make sure that I state my disclaimer that I am not an economist, CPA, attorney, medical professional, or a member of the clergy, and that all information here is deemed to be from reliable sources but not guaranteed.  We can only teach our children so much when it comes to the economy.  We can prepare our children to learn all that they can in order to be the best employee or business owner that they can be.  But if we don’t emphasize to our children that the economy is subject to change, without notice, our children may find themselves in an unemployment line, homeless, loosing their businesses, or having lost all of their investments.  We can’t afford to allow our children to become adults without emphasizing to them to save their money by investing in as many long terms stocks or metals, commodities or what have you as history suggests.  Yes, we can remind them of the Stock Market crashes of 1987 and 1929[13], but we should always focus on the positive.  We may not know exactly what our children should invest in, but we should be at least directing them to consult with the most reliable professionals possible to purchase insurance or to protect their financial welfare, so that they don’t find themselves homeless, broke and penniless. 

Conclusion
We are always going to be concerned about our children’s welfare.  We are always going to try to teach them right from wrong.  But this is a new and more aggressive world.  It is a world that is prepared to take our children and chew them up and spit them out, at birth, perhaps while the placenta may still be attached.  From the moment they are born, we have to put our parental jeans in overdrive to ensure that our children are on the super highway of life.  If it was only the internet that we had to make sure that our children were up to speed on, we might not have as much to worry about.  But right and wrong is truly the least of our worries.  We maybe able to integrate a little right or wrong along the way, but the world that our children is coming into is ready to disavow any association with a child who expects to be treated nicely because they were nice first. 

For our children going forward, The Golden Rule will only get an honorable mention if it becomes a weapon that our children use offensively, if not maliciously while mastering testing and gaining a birth in a school for the gifted.  The Golden Rule will be a footnote in our children’s success unless we work overtime to make sure that they don’t get caught off guard academically, politically, through healthcare protection, the economy or through the turnstile of our Criminal Justice System.  Unless we stop focusing on teaching our children to be nice in a world that has decided that our children aren’t worthy of being respected or treated with dignity, our children are going to pay a horrible price if all we are teaching them is to follow the Golden Rule. 
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[1]“The Golden Rule”: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A12&version=NIV
[2] http://biblehub.com/proverbs/22-6.htm
[4] Einstein’s Theory of Relativity-http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/einstein.html
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act
[6] http://www.ehow.com/about_7518669_happens-student-loans-die.html
[12] Congress exempts itself from laws- http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-28259514.html
[13] http://www.ehow.com/facts_5028704_stock-market-crash-history.html
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