Shameful

It is shameful that...

• Our great nation can't seem to find decent, capable,  ethical people of integrity and patriotism to run for the highest office in the land.
• The Washington Posts calls one of the most violent terrorist of our time an "austere religious scholar."
• State legislatures and city councils seek to nullify federal laws.
• Chicago teachers reject a 16% pay raise, while active duty military will receive 3.1%, the largest in decades.
• School boards are "convinced" by teacher union money to eliminate or curtail their competition: charter schools.
• Candidates for elected office pander in the worst possible ways.
• The NFL and NBA, once stalwart examples of American culture and competitive spirit, are now bastions of PC and foreign influence.
• People with no military experience presume to dictate to the men and women in uniform.
• Politicians appropriate cultures of which they do not belong.
• So-called social justice warriors believe that race, ethnicity, and gender identification provide shields of immunity for their illegal, unethical, and prejudiced actions.
• Candidates for public office who lost elections persist in proclaiming they actually won.
• Rich politicians take more and more from hard working American citizens.
• Illegal aliens are treated better than veterans.
• Colleges and universities deny legal rights to anyone merely accused of sexual assault, rather than refer the allegations to law enforcement.
• The media, once the lighthouses of truth, have sunk to being biased arms of the political parties.
• The American flag is scorned by some of her people.
• Colleges and universities no longer educate; they indoctrinate.
• Members of Congress amass fortunes while elected.
• California works at breakneck speed to irreparably damage the worlds 5th largest economy. 
• Hypocritical politicians dare to dictate to free American citizens.
• Government issued photo identification is required to buy beer, but not to vote.
• People will take out their smartphones to record someone in life threatening danger, rather than running to their aid.
• California raises taxes on gasoline and spends the money on everything but roads.
• The predominant answers from progressives is to dictate behavior and attempt to remove the rights of citizens.
• Congress spends money the nation doesn't have, while exempting themselves from the laws forced on the citizens.
• An elected official says, "a lot of people [are] more concerned about being precisely, factually, and semantically correct than about being morally right."
• All too many people accept the tripe filling social media platforms as verified facts.
• Most folks do not understand that the 1st Amendment means the government can not abridge free speech; private entities can.
• Elected individuals refuse to accept responsibility for their words and actions.
• Narcissism, illustrated by social media comments and selfie mania, has gripped the country.
• Federal, state, and local benefits are paid out to non-citizens. 
• Professional (entertainer) athletes are paid obscene amounts of money.
• California passes a law authorizing college student-athletes to be paid...on top of the enormous scholarships they receive.
• A candidate for president says, "...we choose about truth, not facts..." as if they are mutually exclusive.
• Public discourse and debate have been lowered to gutter level profanity.
• There are no term limits for Members of Congress.
• Law enforcement officers are derided by elected individuals.
• Failed candidates for president seek public acclaim long after the election they lost.
• Junior military enlisted are paid so little they qualify for food stamps.
• Free speech is trampled upon and limited by elected individuals.
• Texting and social media posting has replaced person-to-person conversations.
• Obesity is rampant in America.    

Wednesday morning

Come Wednesday morning, it's pretty damn certain the sun will rise.  Nearly as certain is that one side or the other of the political spectrum will be apoplectic.

Yet the sun will still rise.  No apocalypse occurred overnight in the wake of the election.

Life will go on.

But if listening or reading only in the echo chambers of the (inaptly named) major political parties, left or right, liberal or conservative, roughly half of the average american citizens will hear doom and gloom.  It is also reasonable to predict an onslaught of associated claims and counterclaims about this or that injustice.  Just as during the lead up to the election, exaggeration, embellishment, overstatement, and hyperbole will fill the day.  Self-appointed pundits will flood (mainly in the aforementioned echo chambers) broadcasts, the airwaves, and Internet with their (anything but) sage views.  Absolutism will dominate.  Handwringing will be elevated to an art form.  Invective will be shouted.  Protests may be mounted.  

Sheesh!

Yet the sun will come up and life will go on.  

Those most impacted by the results, the average citizenry of the nation, will go about their daily lives, in spite of the election.  Some will grouse, some will smile.  But they will go about their lives, regardless of their views and feelings.  Because that is just the way it will be.

The winners may celebrate and the losers may complain, but neither will simply lay down and do nothing.  Momentary anger or joy will by necessity yield to the demands of the new day.  Breakfast will be consumed and off to work they will go, happy or not.  The activities of daily life will continue pretty much unabated.   

Perhaps only in the woefully unrealistic and insular bubbles called college/university campuses will activity momentarily cease.  Classes may be cancelled.  Marches may be organized.  Even as parents pay the bills, academia may raise its strident voice.

Everywhere else, life will go on.

That is an absolute certainty for Wednesday morning.

     

Protests or anarchy?

Interesting, isn't it, that published pictures from the recent clash during a pro-president demonstration at Berkeley show the anti-Trump instigators of violence are wearing masks, while those supporting the president are not.

It is also interesting that published reports indicated the anti-Trump protestors came with bats and other implements to use as weapons.

Interesting as well are other anti-government, anti-conservative, and anti-Trump so called protests are characterized by violence in published reports.

From this perspective, a trend is developing.  A scary, negative trend.

These so called protests are no where similar to the civil rights protests of the 60s.  They are more like the violence associated with the Democratic national convention in the 60s.  These so called protests are the sources of property damage, physical assaults, and lawlessness.

Moreover, the recent report that Berkeley has cancelled a speech by conservative commentator Ann Coulter highlights the deeply disturbing practice by universities and colleges of denying free speech.  This practice is particularly onerous when it occurs on taxpayer funded campuses.

The combination of the trend of violence perpetrated by those against conservative views and denying free speech by universities and campuses refutes all that for which the civil rights movement stood.  The combination sounds more like something that would happen in a despotic country than in America.

Peaceful protests - yes.

Anarchy - no.     

Let loose the dogs of therapy

Let loose the dogs of therapy

Reading and listening to the reactions across the country since the election is, if nothing else, an interesting and somewhat entertaining exercise. There is certainly rich fodder for articles and posts in the overreactions in some quarters, most notably the left. Strident calls for this and that permeate the reactions, like demands for electors to change their votes to Clinton. Perhaps nowhere else is reaction more absurd and downright silly than on college and university campuses. Let loose the dogs of therapy I say. Fill the crying rooms to the maximum. Provide huggers at every building entrance and exit. Open the gates for protests. Cancel classes and exams. Build entire safe space buildings instead of football stadiums.  

For the most part, conservatives tolerantly stand aside and watch, stifling the urge to rant and rail at the ridiculous. Why? Because conservatives are, by nature, tolerant.

Central to the conservative approach to life is tolerance. As long as others obey the laws, all laws, and respect others, conservatives are tolerant of their personal decisions, actions, and views. Conservatives may not agree with those decisions, actions, and views, but normally remain tolerant of them. It is when others demand conservatives accept, agree with, and even actively support decisions, actions, and views with which they disagree that the fat is in the fire, as the saying goes.

Ironically, in the aftermath of the election liberals and progressives continue demonstrating their lack of tolerance, a hallmark to their approach to life.  Dogmatic statements abound, underscoring the liberal/progressive stance. Intolerance abounds, as they make claim after claim, demand change after change, and attempt to repudiate the election results. So be it. 

But there are times when conservatives must react as liberals cross a bright and shining line.  One such crossing occurred at Amherst College when first the American flag was lowered inappropriately by the campus administration to half-staff after the election.  Then a student took down the flag and burned it.  Then the administration put a flag up, again at half-staff.  Then, in a final insult, decided not to fly the American flag at all.  Such action requires a reaction.

The reaction occurred over the weekend when hundreds of veterans and others protested at the college by bringing and waving hundreds of American flags.

Amherst College President Lash should be ashamed of the message he sends.  He should be fired for insinuating all forms of hate to the American flag, under which millions of men and women have served.  The federal government should immediately place a hold on all federal funding awarded the school (except individual student federal financial aid) until the flag is once again flown at full staff.

If he wants to provide therapy dogs, hugs, crying rooms, safe spaces, and the like, so be it.  I disagree, but will tolerate his actions.

But do not expect me to tolerate the disrespect he shows our American flag.

Mandatory National Service

Published views advocating national service of various types have surfaced, including from General McChrystal, Eric Navarro, and Karen Whitney.  They are on the right path, but don't take the concept far enough.  

The nation needs to implement mandatory national service for all able bodied citizens.  Underscoring the last word, mandatory national service and its ensuing benefits must be available only to citizens of the United States of America.

At age 18 or 60 days subsequent to graduation from high school, whichever occurs last, all able bodied citizens will be required to serve a period of three consecutive years of mandatory national service.  All forms of national service will include introductory in residence training, aka "boot camp."  This introductory training is described later. 

National service will include serving in one of the existing programs, some of which will be converted from volunteer status, for example:

• Armed Forces
• Peace Corps
• Greatly expanded Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• National Park Service
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• US Forest Service
• US Geological Survey
• National Resource Conservation
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency
• US Bureau of Reclamation
• Americorps
• Volunteer Generation Fund per Serve America Act
• Americorps National Civilian Community Corps
• Volunteers in Service to America
• Federal Emergency Management Agency Corps
• Note: State and local governments may choose to opt in, by providing state and locally funded positions ccomparable to those listed above.

Every component of the national service will include the following ancillary elements during introductory training, which will be conducted at residential sites (as done by the military during basic training):

• Personal financial management training.
• Consumer skills training, such as house buying, car buying, comparison shopping, credit card management, Internet security, etc.
• Citizenship skills training, such as applying for employment, resume construction, job interview skills, filing tax returns, voting, etc.
• Remedial English language arts, math, and writing for those identified by entry level evaluation during introductory training.
• Administration of interest inventories to help our citizens identify for which fields of employment they are best suited. 
• Applying for college or trade schools.
• GED certificates for those who have not graduated from high school.
• Internships with applicable businesses.  

Only upon successful completion of a three consecutive year stint in national service will citizens be eligible for:

• Federal student financial aid,  
• Federal grants of any kind,
• Federal unemployment insurance,
• Federal health care subsidies,
• Federal employment,
• Federal home loans, 
• Election/appointment to federal office, or
• Any of the 2,302 forms of assistance listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.   

In addition to the above direct benefits, other indirect benefits of mandatory national service include:

• Identifying as American citizens.
• Earning federal benefits.
• Earning employment experience.
• Learning workplace teamwork.
• Leadership.
• Exposure to individuals from outside of ones immediate environment.
• Contributing to the nation, leading to developing citizenship. 
• Gaining three years of crucial maturity before entering higher education, trade schools, or the employment market.
• Exposure to different parts of the country.
• Exposure to various fields of employment.
• Development and enhancement of adult social skills.
• Learning which fields of employment may suit the citizens best.
• Learning to manage personal finances.
• Reduction of student debt.
• Preparation for higher education or trade school.

This program employs our youth as soon as they have completed or departed high school, provides skills often noted as missing in the entry level workforce, enhances academic skills where needed, directly contributes to the welfare of the nation, builds effective citizenship, and breaks from the current approach.  Federal benefits will be earned, rather than simply provided, and citizens will identify as Americans.  

Paying for a college/university education

At the beginning, the following are stipulated:

• Earning that first undergraduate degree remains a solid predictor of future success.
• The cost of obtaining that first undergraduate degree has unreasonably risen over time.  One major contributing factor, seen first hand as a staff member at two public universities, has been the enormous increase in administrative personnel on campuses, particularly in senior positions.
• Too many students enter colleges and universities inadequately prepared for the rigors of undergraduate studies, ultimately prolonging their studies or resulting in dropping out.
• Too many universities, particularly in urban settings, require students to reside on campus, at a much higher cost.
• Too many students are ill advised, both before and after beginning their studies as to which major they should pursue.  Consequently, time and money are wasted in classes outside of the requirements for the eventual majors the students pursue, contributing to four year degrees now taking between five and six years to earn. This, of course, directly impacts student debt.  If it takes 50% more time to earn a degree, the cost rises at least another 50%.
• Too many colleges and universities offer majors that do little if anything to prepare degree earners for future employment.  Consequently, students leave with large debts and have significant difficulty finding meaningful employment.
• Too much, way too much, of the financial aid models rely on loans, either student or parent.
• Post secondary education is focused too much on being a business, rather than providing schooling.

How to pay for that first undergraduate degree?  Several, including some running for president, advocate having the American taxpayer pick up the tab.  News flash, it is not the task or role of the government to provide post secondary education.  Nor is it the role of government to provide jobs.  (For another view on government supported post secondary education, look at the option provided at the end of this piece.)

One route to pay for college is to work for it.  That is, the student works and earns the money to pay the costs.  It has been and is possible.  By no means is it easy.  And it requires tremendous self discipline, concentration, time management, and (at times) creative scheduling.  I know.  I did it.

My family could not afford to pay for my education, so it was known well in advance that I would have to foot the bill.  I began saving, by working after school, on the weekends, and over the summers of my junior and senior years in high school.  Although I could have attended a lower cost public university, I chose a more costly private one, meaning that I would have to work while attending school.  First in a grocery store, then in a restaurant  and finally in an auto center, my freshman year was difficult.  I stuck it out, and stayed with the company running the auto center for the remainder of my four year pursuit of that BA degree.  

I carried a full load (16 hours/4 classes) and worked full time (minimum of 40 hours per week).  Finding the right job with the right scheduling flexibility was key of course.  In addition to working every Saturday and Sunday, I worked three of the weekdays, normally always on Friday.  With an understanding boss, I took the late shifts each of those weekdays, attending classes in the morning and then heading off to work.  Of course, during the summers I worked the full 40 hours, with some rare overtime thrown in.  I found a way to make it all work and do not feel I missed out on any of the important college experiences.  

I was not in a fraternity, so that distraction didn't exist.  I did have a steady girlfriend (more on that in a bit), so didn't miss out on the romance.  I also was known to attend the occasional party or concert with my classmates, so didn't miss out on the social life.  For the first two years, I lived in the dorm.  For the last two, I lived out in town.  Up front, I won't claim to have been an outstanding student, but I was passing.

In addition to carrying the full load and working full time, my girlfriend and I married in the middle of my junior year at age 20.  There I was, married, carrying a full load, and working full-time.  The bills were being paid, with roughly 57% of my monthly take home going to the university.  Another 23% went for the one bedroom apartment.  The remaining 20% of my take home paid for food, gas for the one car (a clunker), and all other bills.  I did not seek loans.  I did not receive scholarships.  We were not racking up debt.  In fact, we were saving a little bit every month.  

In my senior year, my wife did get a minimum wage job, which made our lives easier.  We moved into a nicer place.  And we could afford a once monthly trip the best pizza place in town.  Normally, Saturday nights were either with friends playing cards or watching TV in that little place of ours.  When the clunker broke down, I walked to and from school and work.  Begrudgingly, we dipped into our savings for a down payment on a used car.  Nothing fancy, just basic transportation.  At work, I had earned small raises over the nearly four years.  Nothing huge, but every little bit helped.

After four years, I graduated with a BA degree.  We were debt free and had some money in the bank.  Determination.  Self-discipline.  Time management.  Some luck.  Delayed gratification.  And a very, very supportive wife.  It was and is possible.  

And there were so very many intangibles that we realized by the route we took.

At graduation, I had a solid six years of employment (full time employment) history, adding together that of my junior and senior years in high school with the four years while in college.  My contemporaries were lucky to have sporadic summer employment.  I had learned how to work for supervisors, accept criticism, and improve my performance.  After a while, I also learned lower level supervision.  We knew how to manage our personal finances, never bouncing a check or missing a payment.  That in turn built a solid credit history.  We knew how to purchase and sell an automobile.  We knew how to budget our resources.  We knew how to enter into a lease.  I knew how to manage my time.  I appreciated the value of hard work.  I learned no job was beneath me, having swept floors, taken out trash, unloaded trucks, shoveled snow to clear paths for the customers, stocked shelves, and run a cash register.  I learned the responsibility of managing a cash box so it perfectly balanced each and every day.  I learned how to work with the public and my co-workers.  And I learned how to earn the respect of others by the quality of the work I did.

All of this and I had my degree.

It is possible to work your way through school, finishing not owing anybody anything, and having grown into a responsible adult ready to tackle the world.     

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So you want the government to pay for your schooling?

President Obama and others are touting another expensive, unfunded taxpayer supported program.  This one addresses paying for a college education - America’s College Promise.  It would provide for two years of “free” community college education to all.   (Of course, nothing is really free.)   In recent commentary, Dr. Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College, voiced support for the plan, by (among other points) citing the historical example of the post World War II GI Bill as an illustration meant to justify the president’s proposal. 

One major issue, however, exists in citing the WWII GI Bill (or the Post 9/11 GI Bill for that matter) as justifying the president’s proposal.  After WWII, the nation decided the GI Bill recipients had earned its financial support for higher education by honorably serving their nation in the armed forces during wartime.  There is no such requirement for serving the nation in America’s College Promise.  It is just free money.

There is no doubt paying for college is challenging.  If the nation believes it is critically important to incur more national (and state) debt in order to expend federal (and state) tax dollars to pay for or defray the costs of a college education, then loosely citing the post WWII GI Bill and its relative the Post 9/11 GI Bill for justification can be instructive.  Specifically, in order to receive this new benefit, the recipients must first earn it.

Just as soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines earned the benefits of the various GI Bills, let the intended citizen recipients of America’s College Promise earn it by satisfactorily completing three years of mandatory national service to begin upon graduating from high school.

The nation can greatly benefit from mandatory national service for all able-bodied citizens.  It was estimated that in 2014 approximately 4.1 million students started high school.  For the purposes of this piece, it is estimated that 15% of that student population would eventually be ineligible for mandatory national service for a variety of reasonable causes.  Based on this estimate, there would be roughly 3.5 million citizens eligible for mandatory national service beginning in the summer of 2018. 

Imagine how nearly 3.5 million young citizens can serve their nation, performing all manner of things that directly benefit their fellow citizens, while gaining many direct and indirect benefits.  From national defense to working in federal parks, the participants will serve across the nation for the benefit of its people.   

At age 18 or 60 days subsequent to graduation from high school, whichever occurs last, all able bodied citizens will be required to serve a period of three years mandatory national service.  Said national service would include serving in one of the existing programs (some of which would be converted from volunteer status), such as but not limited to the following: Armed Forces; Peace Corps; greatly expanded Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA); US Army Corps of Engineers; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Land Management; US Forest Service; US Geological Survey; National Resource Conservation; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency; US Bureau of Reclamation; Americorps; and Federal Emergency Management Agency Corps.  It is also offered that national service could support state and local programs benefitting all citizens.

Only upon satisfactory and successful completion of the three-year stint in national service would these citizens have earned and be eligible for a variety of direct federal benefits, such as federal student financial aid and, should the nation decide it is justified, America’s College Promise.  By their national service, the citizen recipients earn the educational benefits from their nation. 

Along the way, they would also receive indirect benefits, such as employment of an important segment of the population at a critical point in their lives (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July of 2014, only 51.9% of youth were employed at this normally high water point of summer employment); an early employment history; acquiring skills for personal financial management, which will have long term benefits for the nation; promotion of equality, because everyone serves; realizing critical maturity prior to attending post secondary education or entering the work force; learning service above self; instilling a work ethic and teamwork; and instilling national pride.

If satisfactorily completing mandatory national service is not embraced as a prerequisite for America’s College Promise, then the program should not be approved.  The nation cannot and should not provide “free” benefits.