The Open Road

I've taken to avoiding the news, or what passes for it these days.  To be more accurate, after scanning headlines, I very rarely read full articles, unless they deal with military or veteran matters.  And I have ceased watching televised so-called news programs all together.  Why?  Fake is confused by some with truth.  Opinion masquerades as legitimate reporting.  Screamers and zealots dominate virtually every possible format.  Inflammatory rhetoric meant to incite, incivil commentary, and preposterous allegations and assertions abound.  So taking all into consideration, it's best just to essentially ignore it.    

Instead, I think of two main elements in my life.  Family first and then the open road.  Love and freedom respectively.  In this post, the open road is the topic.

In thinking of the open road, I envision some of the most beautiful parts of the country it has been my privilege and pleasure to see from the saddle of a motorcycle.  Back roads and highways have taken me over majestic mountains.  I have rolled along through narrow valleys and across rolling hills.  Through deserts and forests.  Under blue skies and in rain.  In triple digit heat and frigid temperatures.

I have traveled highways on the Oregon coast and the plains in the Dakotas.

Cruising along on a motorcycle in these open spaces, accompanied by the sounds of the bike and rush of the wind, is nirvana, defined as "a place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world." 

Should I encounter a fellow motorcyclist heading in the opposite direction, we acknowledge each other with a salute of sorts.

    
We are, at that moment, sharing this form of nirvana.  
In this "state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world," the fools who falsely present themselves as journalists and their opinions, incessant negativity, haranguing, misrepresentation, blatant lies, pandering, craven commentary, unreasonable dictums, and selfcenteredness do not exist.    

What does exist is the freedom for which this nation was created.  Freedom for which I served in the Marine Corps.  Freedom that we all seek.  Freedom, pure and simple.  Most importantly, freedom from the crud taking the place of journalism.  

What does exist is one big smile.

Avoiding what passes for news today and focusing on family first, then the open road, isn't such a bad approach. 

Care to join in?   

Yet another mission

As the local news stations reported, there was yet another mission.

Patriot Guard Riders and others rolled out on their bikes this morning to honor Sergeant Chad Jenson, U. S. Marine Corps.

Sergeant Jenson died, along with other Marines and a sailor, when a KC-130 Marine Corps aircraft crashed last month.  On this cool, overcast San Diego morning bikers of the Patriot Guard Riders staged near the San Diego International Airport, awaiting Sergeant Jenson's arrival.  After the mission briefing, they rolled out to escort the procession of the hearse, Jenson's family, and friends to the mortuary.  Superbly led by motor officers from the California Highway Patrol, the procession made its way north from the airport.

In the staging area prior to the mission, two retired senior officers who were to ride in the missing man formation (Navy Captain aviator and Marine Corps Colonel air command and control) spoke in clear, unambiguous terms about the state of Naval aviation, which includes the Marine Corps.  Incensed by the loss of life, including Sergeant Jenson, the two officers are highly critical of the leadership (civilian and military) that made decisions leading directly to the situation in which we now find ourselves.

It is reported that 70% of Marine Corps F/A-18s can not fly.  Also reported have been the grounding of a Navy F/A-18 squadron that is forward deployed on a carrier.  These reports join those of maintenance personnel visiting aircraft "boneyards" to scavenge parts.  And another of a mid-air collision between an instructor pilot and "nugget" aviator.  Neither aircrew had anywhere near the required minimum flight hours needed to maintain proficiency.

Not enough money to maintain the aircraft.  Not enough money for flight hours to train aircrews in perishable skills.

Though both senior officers have been retired for some time, their anger is no less intense as they recount other PGR missions for active duty personnel killed in aircraft mishaps that just should not have occurred.  Like the Marine aviator who died when his aircraft fell apart during a training flight. 

"Who the hell made these decisions?" one was heard to say.  Condemning leadership failures at multiple levels, these gray beards are aghast at the needless loss of life.  And they are equally angry at the totally unacceptable lack of readiness.  The word angry does not adequately describe the intensity of their comments.  With careers built upon training and leading our nation's finest as they prepare for combat, these war horses roundly castigated the civilian leadership, read Obama and successive SecDefs, as well as the flag and general officers in the Navy and Marine Corps who took the force to where it is today.

Who will hold those responsible for these failures?

I have no answer.  So, on this Tuesday morning, it was yet another mission to honor a serviceman who died on active duty.  In this case, a young Marine Sergeant and newlywed who died (with others) in an aircraft mishap on what should have been a routine flight.

How many more missions like this will these two warriors ride in?

Damn it.       

Where is the outrage?

In an absolutely senseless act of cowardly violence, the driver of an automobile drove into a crowd, killing one and injuring a score of others.

The Twittersphere, other social media, bloggers, and main stream media rightfully decried this heinous act, characterizing it as racist violence.

But where is the outrage at other senseless and heinous acts of violence allegedly perpetrated by others?  What about recent reports of roving gangs attacking people in Philadelphia?  What about the now infamous knock out attacks?  What about riots in Baltimore and other cities?

It seems the metrics used when deciding to explode a topic on Twitter or lead with a story in the main stream media are quite different, depending on the identities of the alleged perpetrator(s) and victim(s).

Should we want to move forward as a society, then all senseless and heinous acts of violence must be roundly and uniformly condemned by all, regardless of the identities of the alleged perpetrator(s) and victim(s).  

Otherwise, those tweeting, posting, blogging, writing, commenting, broadcasting, etc. severely diminish and delegitimatize their observations and arguments.

Outrage at any senseless and heinous act of violence should be universal, regardless.

K-12 Public Education in California

While perusing the news online, I came upon a local editorial concerning public education. Here’s an astounding bit. “ In the fall 2016 term, 23 percent of CSU [California State University] freshmen had to take remedial English and 28 percent had to take remedial math, with some students needing both such classes, which don’t provide credit toward college graduation.” Also astonishing was information the average high school 3.2 GPA for these students.

So, if understanding correctly, roughly one-fourth of the students admitted as freshmen to the CSU system did not meet basic math and English proficiency.  And this is for the admitted students, perhaps implying an even higher rate for those not provided entry in the competitive admissions process.  This, after years of increased education budget demands by the teacher unions, which claim to be doing a much better job educating California K-12 students, as reflected in higher graduation rates and higher GPAs. Yeah, right!

Reading what came next produced a shaking head. “CSU officials see the remedial classes as frustrating students, prompting some to drop out and slowing the progress to graduation for many.”  Of course students requiring remediation in English and math are going to be frustrated. After being socially promoted and given "good" grades by the members of the California Teachers Association, the harsh reality of undergraduate university education causes tremendous angst.  For years these students were coddled, only to find themselves ill prepared for college studies. So it is no surprise many drop out. And I would guess the majority of the impacted students are minority and low income.

Yet their plight has nothing to do with their race, ethnicity, or economic levels. These has been proved by the demanding coursework and approach by the Preuss School UCSD.  Admitting solely low income, first generation (neither parent attended college) students, then teaching only a demanding college prep curriculum, Preuss provides an education leading to highly qualified students ready for college.  Far too many California general public schools do not.

Per the editorial, the CSU’s answer, “No longer willing to wait for K-12 schools to improve, CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White last week announced that beginning in fall 2018, CSU will drop the English and math placement tests and end noncredit remedial classes.  CSU officials see the remedial classes as frustrating students, prompting some to drop out and slowing the progress to graduation for many.  They believe new ways can be adopted to help students improve English and math skills while taking regular college coursework.” 

What an abysmal and short sighted approach, particularly in the face of the all too common results from typical public schools.  Ignoring the lack of academic preparedness will not solve the problem.  How does one boost a college freshman’s inadequate math and English proficiency to levels required for university studies without remediation?  How can a college freshman begin successful studies without the minimum English and math proficiency, when the K-12 system does not educate to it??

If the CSU feels students are currently frustrated with remediation, what do they believe will happen as more and more students fail classes due to lack of English and math proficiency?  Perhaps they will reduce the number of students admitted from California public schools, in order to reduce the number of struggling freshmen.  Or maybe they will simply adopt the K-12 public school strategy of social promotion and grade/graduation inflation, providing employers a grossly under-educated employee pool.

Simply disgusting.

Putting all of this in perspective, let it be kept in mind that the admissions criteria for the CSU system is not as rigorous as the majority of the top universities and colleges in the nation.  Thus graduates of the conventional Californian public K-12 systems are unable to compete for spots in the most prestigious schools in the country.

Why do the people not see that lowering the standards, as the CSU appears to be doing, is not the answer?  For too many years the all too politically powerful California teacher unions have wasted taxpayer provided resources.  K-12 education is the foundation, one that needs immediate attention.  Attention, not dollars.  Effective policies, not apologies.  Teacher accountability, not raises for union officials.  Upheld standards, not social promotion.  Rigorous academics, not expensive sports programs.  Longer school days and school years, not fewer.

Until the people of California fully appreciate the seriousness of the failing public K-12 system, their sons and daughters will be less and less prepared for higher education.