Standards? What standards?

We are living in a society where today standards are simply suggestions that can be discussed and tossed aside, or ignored altogether. We have rising numbers of youth and children who are committing suicide and basically not knowing how to handle it when some issue in life doesn’t go their way. It’s sad when you look at a school district that makes a rule that everyone who tries out for an interscholastic sport must make the team and must get playing time. It’s disgusting to hear educators say that they aren’t allowed to fail students even if they didn’t do the work, didn’t try to do the work and basically didn’t care. What are e teaching our youth? That no matter what, everything will be ok…that they don’t have to put forth any effort and they’ll still get what everyone else gets? I recently attended a sports banquet for kids where they gave trophies to every play on every team. Whatever happened to the old adage ‘to the winners go the spoils’? I came up (not too long ago) in an era where if you won you got a trophy and if you lost, you tried harder next year. What you basically learn from this is that everything just ain’t for you (yes I used ain’t)! If you’re 4’11” and in the 11th grade with no dribbling skills and no vertical then you have no business on the basketball team. Perhaps the chess club would be better suited for you…or perhaps debate. There’s a suburban school here in Texas where they allowed a male cheerleader to wear the same uniform as the female cheerleaders, skirt and spanks included, and thought that was acceptable. I ask again, what are we teaching our youth? What kind of world are we creating? Yes, we live in a free country, but just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should. All things that are possible aren’t always permissible. That’s just my take on it.
Aside from the previously stated social ills, let’s also look at the educational permissibility. I spoke to a kid who told me that the teachers at his school aren’t allowed to fail students. They get a 60 for simply putting their name and date on the assignments and tests. The worst they can do is a D…the school district doesn’t want them to feel bad if they don’t pass or make the same grades as their peers. Yet they have no problems not allowing them to graduate when they can’t pass the standardized tests; interesting concept there. I heard an interview this morning on the drive in with an Army recruiting specialist. She advised that many high school graduates aren’t even equipped to serve their country. In a study over the past five years 40% of black, 25% of Hispanic and 16 of white high school graduates could not pass the Army entrance exam. This is preposterous! These folks are supposed to be ready for the world right? If they can’t pass the Army entrance exam, then they obviously aren’t ready for the workforce either; since jobs in the military closely mirror jobs in civilian life to a certain extent. The saddest thing was the first question from her interviewer was, “So, why doesn’t the Army just lower their standards?” What?!?!?! Why is it when someone doesn’t reach the mark we decide that the standards need to be lowered? Why not keep the higher level of expectation and give out youth something to reach for...something to work toward? I’ve said for years that the reason why we have so many people in the highest level tech jobs in this country born outside of this country is because the American educational system is failing our country. This is true, but perhaps Mr. Jamil was right as well when he made the statement back in 1988…Americans are lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Why else do we give our kids 2 to 3 months off each year from learning when the rest of the world educates year round? Why else do we make rules about teachers not being able to fail kids? Why else would we have sports organizations for kids where they don’t keep score and give trophies to everyone? Why else would we stipulate acceptance for whatever it is that you want to be, think or do?
What these ‘save your self confidence’, ‘don’t hurt my kid’s self esteem’ idiots fail to realize is success is born out of failure. You can’t learn the right way if you have no knowledge of wrong. You cannot improve your game and win next year if you have no incentive to do so. We need to let our kids fail and teach them, in that failure, how to deal with it and use it to propel them to success. No one likes the feeling you get when you give your all and it just isn’t enough…so work harder next time to make sure you don’t get that feeling again. People, stop lowering standards…set some standards, high standards, live by those standards and do your part to create a stronger society than the one we’re headed toward now.

-Harvey J. Whipplemeyer

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong!

Now What?

I must apologize. It has been a minute since I posted. I initially thought I’d take a few days and marinate about the magnitude of Obama’s presidential victory. Then it turned into a month. Anyways, since I didn’t post about that, let’s talk a bit. I am happy that we have a new president that is qualified, certified, and the best man for the job. It is simply the icing on the cake that he is a black man. If you voted for him because he is black, shame on you and you really don’t deserve the right to vote. [seriously] If you had the foresight and intelligence to review the issues and actually pay attention to the debates, platforms and campaign stump speeches and chose to vote for him because he IS the best man for the job, then congratulations. Those who actually reviewed the candidate’s views, stances and platforms know that there really wasn’t much in the way of difference between McCain and Obama, however Barack Hussein Obama IS our new president (I know he hasn’t taken office yet, but that’s the way I want to say it).

I was never more embarrassed than to see so many black folk over the age of 25 who were voting for the first time in this presidential election. What the hell have they been doing? Where have they been living? I would be willing to bet that these are the same idiots who ran around complaining about the mayor, governor, city councilman, etc and were too lazy, stupid or trifling to take part in the process. I always say that we have the right to vote, but we have the responsibility to be informed voters. I hope those who are 1st time voters aren’t last time voters. I believe we ought to vote every time there’s an election. Vote for everything from dog catcher to county tax assessor, they all affect you and your place in this society.

Now, I know this might not be a popular stance, but hear me out and, by all means, share your views as well. As I was saying, I believe that the election of this nations first non-white president says less about this country and racism than it does about the black community. Case and point…we keep hearing, “they finally elected a black man.” Think back and name three black men who were qualified, competent and available to run for POTUS in your lifetime…I’m still waiting. I didn’t think so. We’ve had Jesse and Al, neither of which were suited, competent or qualified for the job, and both are opportunistic racist morons who care about nothing more than the spotlight being shined on them and their fake causes. Then there’s Alan Keyes, from the republican Motissa tribe. He is an idiotic, moron who doesn’t have sense enough to know that they use him to try and divide the black vote every time they can. In order for there to be an indictment of this country, we ought to have had someone who was qualified in the position to run for president. Who’s to say that we wouldn’t have had a black man in the white house before? I can call Barack an African-American, because he IS one. He is 1 generation removed from the continent and actually has family to visit there. I’m about sick of black folk claiming to be African American [that’s another topic for another day].

Anyway, I say congratulations to America, Barack Hussein Obama, and all of my countrymen who will put their shoulders to the plow and work to make this country a great one under this new administration. This country and its leaders need our prayers, determination and ingenuity to turn around this economy and our reputation in the world’s eyes. While it is a great feat to have achieved, I’m not sure it is one that is going to be as great as he thought considering the plight he faces. He’ll be criticized greatly for not implementing all of the things he promised during his campaign, but those who pay attention will know that he can’t with the economy as it is, spend some of the money needed for the implementation of some of his platform programs. In 2012, his opponents will play looped tapes of him promising things that will not have been delivered. We musn’t be fooled by such. I simply pray that he and his administration are able to steady this economy in one term, then we’ll go from there.

This musing is entitled ‘Now What?’ for a reason. Regardless of why he won the election, as black people in America we are in a different position than we were this time last year. We have all heard folks complaining about being held back just for being black...not any longer. Now what will you use as your excuse? A black man now holds the most powerful title in this land [some would say the world]. What I really appreciate is all of the statistical realities that he shattered. In a time where black men aren’t respecting their women we have one who tells us every chance he gets that she is his rock and showers her with affection regardless of where they are. In a time where black men aren’t staying around to raise their kids we have one who is not only married to the mother of his kids, but is active in their lives. In a time where statistics say that the product of a single parent home is more likely to go to jail than college, we have one who graduated top of his class from one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. In a time where women are putting off having kids for their careers or having kids and letting someone else raise them for their careers, we have a strong, competent black woman, putting her career on hold for her the well being of her children. This family is a great American story as well as an inspirational story. Congrats to us all…I look forward to seeing the accomplishments he’ll be able to make in his second term.

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong.