Friday Follies...
In spite of the crazy-ass weather, we've made it to the end of another week...huzzah!
Wifey has been feeling a bit UNDER that weather, so she's here at home, resting up.
The weather is stable for the time being, with a bit of snow tomorrow (1-2 inches), hardly a dusting for me.
So naturally, I did what any loving husband and help-mate would do:
I "volunteered" to fill in for the Missus at school, but since I don't have a piece of paper that SAYS I'm qualified, that washes me out.
I will admit that given the atmosphere in today's classrooms, I could easily be considered a "hard-ass" as far as teachers go.












I just expect kids to pay the hell attention (like WE had to). And I suppose the whole "running out of corners in the room to put the DUNCES in after the first few minutes" would have nothing to do with that.
Yeah, I could see myself as their WORST nightmare...I like that.
*** There are several careers I could not possibly perform in TODAY'S society, and not for the lack of wanting or knowledge of the "mission-specific" material involved.
Two of those careers would be TEACHER and POLICEMAN.
I remember who my teachers were, and the impact upon me that many of them made.
They were people we (as students) looked UP to...
Much the same could be said of the police officers in those days.
You just didn't backtalk to either of them, because that would put your ass in a sling faster than you could blink.
These days...it's a whole different ballgame.
Teachers have to deal with students that are WAY more unruly and disrespectful, and the punishments for those kids is not as severe as in decades past. Parental involvement (on the whole) has waned over the last 30-40 years, and that just adds to the problems.
Police officers have it just as bad (if not worse) with these kids both when they're IN school, as well as when they get (read drop) the hell out of school.
There used to be defined areas of BLACK and WHITE when it came to dealing with either person.
Today, it's more about all those SHADES OF GRAY...where teachers and police have to be more "user-friendly" and more "diplomatic" when dealing with the public. And the "public" is a lot more prone to violent behavior and dysfunctionality (Bob's lexicon...lol)...so go figure how THAT'S supposed to work out.
I'm from the era when if you did something wrong...you were punished...period.
THAT alone was sufficient to dissuade you from becoming a further annoyance to others.
Once in a great while, you got a second chance, and you made sure you didn't go and piss THAT up against a wall.
In essence, you LEARNED from that mistake, and when you decided NOT to learn, the punishment became appropriately MORE severe.
Yes, there were consequences to be had in those days.
Today, some people wind up getting a dozen 2nd chances...and keep on screwing the hell up.
Or problem students continue to be mainstreamed with the regular kids, when they should be in a special school for hard-heads with attitude.
And that's not exactly working out all that well in our classrooms OR on our streets.
But, I digress...
We do have other more pressing issues about town, so let's check them out while pondering the above.
*** Fort Wayne's RECYCLE program is doing quite well...mostly.
Here's the link to today's story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120127/LOCAL/301279971/1002/LOCAL
King, I mean MAYOR Henry's goal is to have 80% of the city on the ONE-BIN system for recycling...(ROFL - good luck with that one).
I've been in contact with Matt Gratz (head of solid waste department) for more than a few years, and we've developed a good rapport (as well as with his predecessor, Dawn Ritchie, who taught Matt very well), and I can say that this one-bin rollout was handled in an exemplary manner.
There was media coverage, explaining in full what the mission statement was, and literature pertinent to the rollout was included in the utility bills preceding the acquisition of the bins my residents.
And Wifey and I were at the forefront when the "yellowtops" were provided. Been doing it from day-one.
It works for us...very well, in fact.
But you have to track back to 15 January when a story in the J-G described just HOW "successful" this program was citywide.
Here's the link to THAT story (New Bins a Boon for City):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120115/LOCAL/301159920
There is an enclosed MAP of the city by zip code and you will notice that the zips with the LOWEST participation rates are those with the highest number of MINORITY groups. (mostly black & Hispanic)
The zip codes with the LOWEST participation rates are 46816 (61%), 46802 (56%), 46803 (47%), and MY area, 46806 (46%) nicely at the BOTTOM of the trash heap (pun intended).
Everywhere ELSE in the city, people seem to want to be on board with this, but NOT down here?
Why is that?
Apathy would appear to be my first response, followed by blatant stupidity and/or disrespect for ANY type of authority (like the city saying what you should do).
I would LOVE to see how Mayor Henry plans to get those mooks down here "with the program"...that would be fun to watch, because if there is one sound you ALWAYS hear on trash day, it's the clinking of booze bottles as the NON-recycle bins are emptied into the trucks when they pick them up.
Imagine how MUCH of that IS able to be recycled.
I'd bet if they brought BACK things like DEPOSIT BOTTLES, I'd not have nearly as much lawn trash from the troglodytes as I enjoy now.
Cripes, they'd be fighting each other FOR those bottles...LOL.
(now there's an idea to rid my area of undesirables...let them kill one another for deposit bottles...a marvelous concept)
Like I said...gonna be fun to watch the city TRY to get these people to recycle...Lord knows they can CREATE enough trash (from seemingly thin air) each and every week, and that's amazing in it's OWN right.
*** Bob Aldridge (local NRA-certified firearms instructor) had a great editorial yesterday in the paper regarding CCW laws in Indiana (and other states).
Here's the link to it:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120126/EDIT05/301269992/1147/EDIT07
I bring this up for a good reason (or three)...I'm a STAUNCH supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and I know my rights granted under our Constitution in such matters.
Recently, Indiana passed HR 822 (Nat'l right to carry reciprocity act of 2011) which basically allows law-abiding people to carry from state to state without incurring a felony (like you would get if you crossed into Ohio, which doesn't have such a law).
The discussion of the right to "Constitutional carry" or unrestricted carry is at the basis for the concept.
The 2nd Amendment, as established by TWO Supreme Court decisions (McDonald and Heller) says:
1) It's an individual right
2) The right applies to ALL states and federal enclaves
As said in the editorial, Vermont has NEVER had nor required a handgun carry permit for it's residents, and in 2003, Alaska removed it's requirements for law-abiding citizens to have a permit to carry a handgun.
Wyoming (that's "Momma Fargo-land" for you followers out there) and Arizona joined the Constitutional carry club in 2011.
Sixteen MORE states have introduced legislation along similar lines.
It would appear that THESE states realize that law-abiding citizens are the LEAST likely to cause trouble, and that the 2nd Amendment is NOT a "privilege", but a RIGHT, and as such, NOT subject to license OR permissions by governmental entities.
Besides, the criminal element is NEVER deterred by licensing laws...are they?
Bob Aldridge feels that Indiana should follow suit in eliminating the "requirement" for law-abiding citizens to purchase and posses a license to carry.
And I agree with him 100%.
(It would save me having to dole out $125 to get that lifetime license, $75 for 4 years, renewable through the FWPD).
I could use the money saved to...buy more ammo...lol.
*** Lastly today, there are people out there with GREAT ideas, and noble concepts.
Many times, they often involve less intrusion BY the government, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.
I believe that the majority of us CAN (and should) be able to self-govern a lot more than we do now.
But there will always be that portion of the people that REQUIRE governance, and that's on THEM...not me.
I'm not asking for ANY part of our federal, state, or local governments to "take care" of such people...just to hold THEM to the same level of accountability that we (those able to do for ourselves with less "supervision") hold ourselves to...that's all.
I feel that's the best way to get everyone on a similar page in life.
And why not have good people get a break for once...shouldn't a reward in some fashion be the result of being a good person, rather than being put down for being that way?
They say no good deed ever goes unpunished.
Maybe it's time to change that, and start looking up to such people again...like we used to do with those teachers...and police officers.
...And this post has come full circle - as was intended.
Have yourselves a fantastic weekend (whatever the weather).
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.