Tag Archives: school

22

Jan. ’23

I Am Not Naive

The other day I saw a local article that took me by surprise. Not the contents of the article but the fact that the reporter seem very surprised about what was found and what it meant. The article stated old bodies were discovered in graves on the property of The Medical College of Virginia (MCV). These graves were of slaves that were used (for labor?) at the school.

               What got me was people are surprised that slaves were used there. I stated in a blog I wrote a long time ago which said people need to think like it is some time ago, not like it is today when reading about yesteryears. Evidently the people that are surprised about this situation is viewing it like it is today. Yes, slaves were used everywhere back in the day. Not too long ago, some wealthy people were keeping people that worked for them as slave labor. They kept their passports, did not pay them, would not let them leave the house, and had them work very long hours because they were migrants.

               Let me explain why I am surprised about people around here being so naïve. The Medical College of Virginia is in Richmond, Virginia (Capital of the Confederacy), around the corner from the President of the Confederacy’s home (Jefferson Davis). The entire southern states had slaves as well as some places in the other states. Slaves were used to do anything and everything the White person could not do or did not want to do. They cooked, cleaned, did all the field work, and made things (horseshoes, clothes, buildings, etc.).

               As the doctors, nurses, etc. worked and taught at the college it stands to reason that either the school bought slaves to labor or the people there used their own slaves. That is not too hard to imagine, especially if you think as if it was the time of slavery. It would be expected. In fact, when I was growing up, those were the only jobs a Black person could get, labor at very low pay.

               A while ago graves were found (also bones in an abandoned well) of cadavers used in experimentation and teaching. It was never said if these were of White or Black people. I would assume most, if not all, were White. The reasoning for that is 1) there was a stigma that Black people were not like White people. 2) there was a lot of grave robbing during that time. 3) Black cemeteries were not close to White people. 4) In case you do not know this, free Black people could not live within the city limits. Therefore, graverobbers would have to travel a long way to get a fresh cadaver of a Black person.

               So, people can stop trying to make me think I am naïve enough to believe they are surprised to discover people used slaves at a prestigious school. If I remember correctly, not too long ago The University of Virginia (UVA) (which have a great medical school) found graves. I am assuming it was everywhere because Blacks were used for labor, free or enslaved, and experimentation (remember The Tuskegee Experiment). Why are people so naïve or is it a ruse to make us think they are?

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14

Nov. ’21

I Remember

It is ludicrous that people are still hating, riling, and believing stupid rumors about wearing masks and getting COVID vaccine. This have been going on far too long for anyone to still have an argument against it. After millions upon millions of people have taken the vaccine and only a handful of people developed an adverse effect from it there should not be a wait and see attitude.

               I am an old man now and I still remember seeing pictures and news clips of people in iron lungs to help them breath. I also remember going to school, on a Saturday, to eat the sugar cube to eradicate people having to be in an iron lung. It worked. Only people in my age group and older can remember the iron lung. There was not much fighting about the vaccine and the iron lung is a thing of the past.

               I remember getting measles and chickenpox (among other ailments) were normal diseases and sooner or later you knew you would catch it, just like everyone else. Then vaccines were developed for that and now it is seldom that anyone catch the diseases. Now everyone can walk around with the knowledge that there is not anyone around them with it.

               I remember when I was a child, I heard about the Tuskegee experiment. I did not understand exactly what that was but later in life I fully understood. The implications of the experiment still affect Blacks today because the story of the experiment is passed along, I would imagine, forever. There were other experiments on people especially those ordered by Hitler in Nazi Germany.

               I remember seeing the Television news, reading the daily news, and seeing the internet about what those that do not take the vaccine or wear masks say. Like, along with the vaccine shot the government have a tiny tracking capsule mixed in the serum. There are many conspiracy theories going around and far too many people are believing them with little or no proof. Here is one; a six-year-old child have a heavy menstrual cycle after getting the vaccine shot. The truth is the person is forty-one years old, not six years old.

               I remember when my daughter registered for a school season, I had to show proof of many different immunizations that she had to have before she was allowed to register and go to school. This was not only for her protection but also for the protection of her classmates and, in turn, the classmate’s family. The same thing applies for this vaccine.

               It is said that it has not been out long enough to prove it works. My response to that is to ask the multimillions of people around the world if it works. Then the naysayers say they made the vaccine too fast to be any good. I say, why wait for half the world to die before there is a vaccine? If a family does not want the children of that family to take the vaccine, homeschool them. That way the family does not have to take the children to a school that they disapprove. There is also no fuss and no fight.

               I remember a lot of things that can be added here but these are only some of the highlights and a little of what is on my mind. I have my three shots and I wear my mask when I am out among the public. I truly wish others thought the same way. When they catch the COVID I will remember them when they are gone.

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28

Apr. ’19

School Problems

I have heard the numerous candidates for President of the United States concerning our schools. I have heard and seen what the present administration is doing for our schools. Depending on the locality, parental and community income and federal help, shows the condition of the buildings and study material used in that school system.

I saw an article on Facebook (re-posted by a friend) that made me think about my childhood schooling. Paraphrasing, the article talked about children going to school with shoes that cost more than the teacher’s clothing, but the children does not have enough money to buy notebooks to help themselves in classwork. The children will pitch a fit for not having a two-hundred-dollar pair of shoes for school but do not worry about getting a two dollar note book for a class.

When I was in school, I seldom had new clothes for school, but I did have the necessary material that made learning easier. Getting class material was the priority. Most of my classmates were in the same boat, but we learned and did not fret. No, I do not come from rural America. I come from the city and never, if ever, thought about what I wore. I remember, all I thought about is learning for the upcoming tests and whether I studied hard enough.

Money is spent for ultra-modern schools, décor for the campuses, and not so much on the learning. Today, most children think about socializing and dress. I remember bringing home, each day, all my school books because I had homework to do for each class. After at home chores, I had hours of homework, including weekends. I had pop quizzes on, not only what is learned in class that day, but what was learned a while ago. That is not done today, so I am told.

My parents made sure I was prepared and enforced it. They did not condone skipping school, acting up in class, bringing home anything less than above average nor did they condone not bringing home my books and not doing my homework. They encouraged doing more than is required and attended all parent-teacher conferences to see that I was doing the schoolwork and my deportment.

The teacher was always right unless proven, without a doubt, they were out of order. Today, the child seems to be the adult and must be given what they want, and they are the ones that are right. It seems the child knows what is better for themselves. If they know as much as they think they do, maybe they should be the teacher. Maybe they should get a job and get their own two-hundred-dollar shoes, or pants, or dress, etc. Maybe they should be their own keeper and we, as adults, sit back and relax.

Yes, I agree the school system need more and better schools. But, at the same time, parents need to control their children, teach their children values at home and the children need to learn much more and socialize less. Too many things have been dummied down to satisfy the child. In some homes, it seems as though the child rules. Nothing in this world is given freely or easily. It takes a long time in continuous learning and then it takes a little more. I learn something new almost every day and I am an old man. I don’t know everything and there is always someone that know more than I. These are just my thoughts on the subject. I guess I am old fashion and need to (as I am told) come into the twenty-first century. If so, we will always have a school-teacher-child problem.

 

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08

Dec. ’18

The English Language

The other day I talked to a young man and I barely understood what he was saying. I know I am an older individual and my hearing is not getting any better. In fact, it is getting worst at each check-up. I was given hearing aides to help my tinnitus and hearing loss. However, I heard him perfectly, it was the way he spoke. I speak English and two other languages but I have a very hard time understanding badly spoken English (broken).

Here is the problem, it seems that today’s young people believe it is okay and very hip to speak that way. I, of course, do not. Sorry. I guess I am old school but think about this. A few other countries speak English as their language. There are a few other countries that speak English as a second language. There are many countries that have a law that require English to be taught in school, from beginning to end. Broken English is not taught or spoken in any country that I am aware of. Then I must ask the question, why does so many people speak broken English?

English is taught in American schools and a degree can be obtained in college, university. I was in radio and television and I know very correct English must be spoken while on the air. I also know that correct English must be written for all professional media forums. Broken English is forbidden and frowned upon in any form. I attempt to write correctly although at times I fail. I want to be understood because I am aware my blog is in ethernet and can be seen by anyone anywhere in the world.

These people that use broken English, in media form as well as face to face, really believe they are fashionable, understood and there isn’t anything wrong. These same people may one day try for a higher job position and wonder why they were passed over. CEOs do not hire people that may present a poor image and language is one of the deciding factors about which the CEO base on whether to hire or not. The resume is another and if it is filled with writing errors, forget being hired for the job.

The educational system has jumped onto the bandwagon and have acquiesced to the point of students using block letters instead of cursive letters. Will banks accept checks that have a signature using block letters? In writing other things, are block letters a signature? I remember being with the grandkids at a mystery house, looking for clues that will lead the way out, there were many clues that I could read and they could not. The clues were in plain sight but in cursive writings. I showed them, but they still could not read it.

I also remember asking about the content of a speech and not a single child could explain what was said because large words were used. However, a rap song was on the radio, I could barely understand the words, but the kids could understand each word. Language is everything and we, as a nation, is losing our language as well as other very important things. Once this older generation is gone, the younger generation will, among other things, lose this nation’s language and capability to write. Only a few will be able to do the things that make our nation unique from other nations. Something that have been existence from its beginning.

 

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11

Nov. ’18

Young People And Education

As usual, my wife and I went on another trip (casino/horseracing), this time to Hollywood Casino in Charlestown, West Virginia. We drove from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Imperial Plaza Senior Living in Richmond, Virginia. I ate breakfast with some old friends, went around the place greeting other old friends. We boarded a bus with the group that was going to the casino and had a pleasant trip. We stayed overnight because horseracing is always in the evening, and that was a lot of fun. We returned before the rain hit and got a hotel room in Richmond.

That same evening, we had a birthday celebration at Outback and had a good time being with a daughter, her husband and three daughters. The food and shenanigans were good which made me really miss seeing them as often as we used to. After saying our goodbyes, we went back to the hotel and I started reading messages on my pad.

The more I read the various messages, the more my mind kept straying to the English language structure and what I was reading. It seems that young people think it is so hip, cool or in fashion to misspell and/or butcher the English language. It is now natural to write in a bad way or to shorten a sentence or word. It is funny to them to write in such a way as it makes a normal person (senior citizen) cringe.

I know cursive writing is not taught in school these days. I’ve been retired from employment for a while and I wonder what employers think about this or are they making amends? I also wonder about banking; are banks making amends? What about misspelled words in the work place (ex: ‘your’ instead of you’re’)? In government as a whole? I remember, when I was in school, a child was graded on penmanship. Not anymore, I guess.

Today, young people write as if they are texting and must minimize the number of letters that are used in a message. Then, after all is said and done, it is a habit as well as ‘cute’, make them stand out among their peers. A few young people have tried to quantify the usage of such writing and have even suggested I should do it because it the way it is done now. I can not see myself putting a ‘z’ in place of ‘s’ or writing shorthand for words.

My own personal thoughts; the USA educational system is going to hell in a handbasket. I have asked college students common, easy questions and can not get an answer because they do not know. They have no idea what I am talking about. Something I knew in high school years ago. I have talked to high schoolers about things I knew in elementary school, they had no idea what I was talking about.

We, as Americans, supposed to have or want to have the best education system among all nations yet we are under-educating our children and putting up with the bad habits that they show. Why? What is the reasoning? Some say that they must try things on their own and become adults. They can not become adults and know right from wrong if they are never taught the right way and the continuous bad way is tolerated. We as older adults and the teachers and the educational system are doing our kids, our future, an injustice. Many other nations are not surpassing our system, they have surpassed our system. Our young people have been dummied down and will stay that way because I do not see any plans to change this.

 

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06

Jan. ’18

Cold, Cold, Cold

Here’s to hoping everyone is keeping warm during his beginning of 2018. For those that are not on the east coast of the USA or have not heard of the east coast cold snap, let me tell you about the cold. I heard a joke that will tell you…It is so cold that the US Congressmen does not have their hands in our pockets, they have their hands in their own pockets…I was stationed at two air force bases that, in the winter, was this cold, one was much colder. With the temperature being this cold here, Minot, ND is much colder than when I was there. The normal temperature there, during this time of year, is normally -30 without the wind. I would guess it is colder now than when I was there. The other base was Pease, AFB, NH.

I was also thinking about how this little bit of snow, with the wind and cold, stopped everything. I have been stationed at three snowy bases. Two in the USA and one in Europe. All three places got much more snow than here and the roads were never scraped to the bare pavement, nothing stopped, life went on. Here, one inch stops everything. There are times that a half inch will close everything. Schools will shut down when they hear snow is probable. My daughter was in high school when I was stationed in North Dakota, I don’t recall her missing a day of school because of snow, wind or cold. In fact, every year she wore a snow suit while going door to door for Halloween.

I don’t enjoy the cold. Never have, never will but I just deal with it, I go on. I also look at it another way because of what I was told by a German farmer. He said we need a week or more of a deep winter freeze to kill buried bug larvae in order for us not to be overrun by bugs when spring finally get here. I can understand that and appreciate it also. Let it freeze, let it freeze, let it freeze.

But, don’t be in a Blue Funk, Spring will soon be here. When spring arrive, so will the rain, melting snow from the mountains causing floods. Next come the heat and hurricanes. Every year is the same. Some years fewer of it all, some years there is more. Can’t fight Mother Nature, don’t try. Life goes on, this will come about each year.

Being a senior and retired let a person reminisce of the years of yore. Some young people (I really want to say ‘most’) believe they know or have seen or experienced everything. I secretly laugh at them, they only have to wait a little longer and things they have never thought about will come to fruition. Seniors may not, at times, be wiser but they certainly have been through much more. Being a senior and retired really mean you are close to the end but it also mean you have so much knowledge to pass on and stories to relay. If only someone will listen. It’s cold. Let me go back to reminiscing.

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