Tag: society

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 29

On By WinstonIn Enlightenment, homelessness, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, Personal Responsibility, Poetry, Society, Values, VolunteeringLeave a comment

I have a friend named Gene who has been working for years to make the world a better place. Slowly, steadily and most importantly, deliberately. He has worked for youth employment programs, outreach programs, community health networks, school breakfast programs, non-profit housing… the list goes on. All of it with the intent to make life better for other people. He is one of my heroes, and this poem is for him.

A Better World

How many lives do we each touch,

As through this life we pass?

Perhaps a bit more focus there,

Than on things we amass.

It’s what we’ve done as we pass through,

That says just who we are.

The choice we make to harm or help,

Dark cloud or shining star.

All ethics and morality,

Are just a guide it’s true.

What matters is what’s in your heart,

Intent must come from you.

Now do you seek to lift someone,

Or only cause them pain?

If you would seek the former great,

If not please think again.

For in the end the life you’ve lived,

Is judged by those you touch.

So hold your anger, spread your love,

Your kindness does so much.

Not one of us can change the world,

There’s none of us that strong.

But every kindness great or small,

Still counteracts some wrong.

If each of us but try to make,

Things better for someone.

The world will change for that is how,

The greatest works are done.

Not one of us but all of us,

Have strength to shift the stars

If we all try a kinder path,

Might shift this world of ours.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo Day 16

On By WinstonIn NaPoWriMo, Personal, Personal Responsibility, Society, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

So I’ve got a funeral to attend today. I don’t like large groups of relative strangers, or stranger relatives for that matter. I especially don’t like funerals. But I’m going anyway because it’s what we do. This poem is about that sense of obligation.

OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT

There’s things in life we can’t avoid,

There’s things we have to do.

Those things we hate, and would avoid,

But no where to run to.

A social obligation is,

A dreadful weight to bear.

We must fulfil it all the same,

To show how much we care.

We are all social creatures and,

On each other rely.

But there are times, we’d rather be,

Alone to sit and cry.

Instead we wear our public face,

The one we wear for show.

We put away the truth of us,

That no one else should know.

We go and do expected things,

Because that’s who we are.

When we’d far rather go and spend,

That same time in a bar.

But we know others count on us,

We’ll count on them one day.

So brave face on and out the door,

The platitudes to say.

Now do the things I can’t avoid,

The things I have to do.

The things I hate, and would avoid,

All right, I will, for you.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo Day 15

On By WinstonIn Environment, Global Issues, NaPoWriMo, Nature, Poetry, Science, Society, Uncategorized, Values2 Comments

I know not everyone believes in the reality of climate change. I’ve read a lot on both sides of the question and to me it’s obvious that we’re having a huge impact on the planet. Wherever you sit on this debate, I hope you enjoy today’s poem.

OUR CHANGING WORLD

The climate’s changing very fast,

More than we thought it could.

The future’s looking different than,

Most of us thought it would.

 

I know there’s those who claim that all,

The climate data’s fake.

And nothing that is done by us,

Could any difference make.

 

But I have looked at this a lot,

And I just can’t agree.

The climate’s changing and the cause,

Comes down to you and me.

 

We love our cars, we love our trucks,

We love our SUVs,

We love to drive so who cares if,

They cut down all the trees.

 

We love our cities sprawling ‘burbs,

We’ll pave all of the farms.

And as we stand in flooded streets,

Claim we don’t cause these harms.

 

We’ve engineered some crops that can,

Both heat and drought resist.

But GMOs are “evil” so,

That research gets dismissed.

 

As millions starve because their land,

Can them no longer feed.

We let our surplus food just rot,

So much more than we need.

 

As deserts grow and forests shrink,

We multiply so fast.

‘Til all that’s left to eat is us.

Then see how long we last.

 

But disregard this poem ’cause,

It’s not what you would hear,

I’m just another scaremonger,

Who’s spreading pointless fear.

 

When the last lonely tree has died,

On dead and barren Earth.

Look then and see what we’ve done to,

The planet of our birth.

 

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo Day 13

On By WinstonIn Enlightenment, NaPoWriMo, Personal, Poetry, Society, Uncategorized, Values2 Comments

Over the yers, I’ve become a huge fan of situational ethics. Mostly, questions of “right” or “wrong” boil down to one answer. It depends. That extremely grey area is the subject of today’s poem. (Before anyone tells me, yes I know that there are certain things which almost everyone now agrees are beyond the pale. Don’t feel obligated to provide examples.)

MORAL RELATIVISM

I wish I was a wiser man,

Than what I seem to be.

Then knowing what is right would come,

More easily to me.

But wisdom’s not what I possess,

So I just try to guess.

And hope the choices that I make,

Might turn out for the best.

What I’ve learned is that right and wrong,

Are never what you think.

The more you know the more they change,

Before you’ve time to blink.

To kill is wrong, this we all know,

Except for when it’s not.

For they will order us to kill,

When battles must be fought.

To steal is wrong, so we all know,

Unless it’s by the state.

Like taking land from other folks,

To make our country great.

So many more could illustrate,

The point I seek to make.

That right and wrong depend upon,

The point of view we take.

So think on this before you rush,

To judge another’s act.

Without context we cannot see,

Their truth and that’s a fact.

To understand the other one,

Give empathy a try.

Then right and wrong will matter less,

On reason more rely.

Cheers, Winston

On Education Reform

On By WinstonIn Education, Society, ValuesLeave a comment

I recently visited TED Conversations. It’s one of my favorite places to go when I’m looking for things to write about. They came through for me again.

The thread I was following concerned the need for education reform. I have a daughter who recently graduated high school and is entering college as we speak. So the education system is is something of an issue for me right now. The comments on the subject were amazing, enlightening and sometimes scary.

One of the more popular ideas involved home schooling via internet and virtual tutors. The use of augmented reality for children exploring their environment was another one that caught my eye. Replacing books with digitial information made me laugh too. The general tone was that “traditional” education techniques had failed and need to be replaced.

A personal favorite of mine suggested that reading, writing and arithmetic are over-emphasized. Really? There’s some secret “learn by osmosis” technique that I missed? Darn, that would have been handy back in school. Unfortunately, there isn’t.

What most of them agreed on is the need to make education more interesting and accessible. This is what I like to call horsepoop. Education is what you need to do in order to do what you want. If you want education reform, there are some things that might help more than some radical deconstruction.

Genuine equality of access would be a good start. If all students have the same quality of facilities, instructors, materials etc, that would be a worthwhile reform. If there were an increased societal value placed on education, that could be worthwhile. Ensuring sufficient funds without the political wrangling normally involved could be a worthwhile reform. Re-instating refor schools for those intent on disrupting classes and denying others their education, I think that might be worthwhile too.

I don’t think that easier/more interesting is a viable path for reform. Easy doesn’t generally equate to being worthwhile, and oftentimes, less challenging is boring. The fact is, some things have to be learned because they have to be learned.

I don’t think there’s much that would have made multiplication more interesting for me. I ended up writing my multiplication tables out one hundred times. It wasn’t easy or interesting, but I still do most of my basic math in my head.

One more reform. Let’s lose the idea of passing a set percentage of students regardless of actual achievement. It creates an underclass of people who don’t possess the tools to function effectively in society. They may not get teased for being held back a year in school, but they will be when they can’t get a job because they can’t read.

Reforming education will require a reassessment of what we expect it to achieve, what we are willing to invest in it, and what we expect of our children. There is no “one size fits all” solution. One thing is certain. The longer we wait to address the problems in our education system, the greater the harm to those we should be helping.

Cheers, Winston

Quick Tips For Political Reform

On By WinstonIn Politics, SocietyLeave a comment

There is a growing sense of dissatisfaction with politics today. When politicians notice they start using words like, “reform” and “accountability”. Here in Canada, we actually had a Reform Party for a while before it got rolled into the Conservative Party. In the US, If a politician hears those words, he joins the Tea Party. At least until after the elections.

Speaking of elections, we recently had one. If you went by the tv and radio ads, the entire campaign can be summed up like this: “Vote for me because I’m not the other guy.”. Steven Harper’s Conservative’s won the election by having a more consistent message. It wasn’t about policy, but rather personality. “Michael Ignatieff (who left Harvard University to lead the Liberal Party) didn’t come back for you.” Really? I never would have figured that out on my own. The implication of course is that Mr. Harper gave up his life’s work, (probably something humble and humanitarian) and entered politics to make my life better. Steven Harper came to Ottawa for me! Or maybe not.

You see, I’m not convinced that Mr. Harper moved to Ottawa and became Prime Minister with my best interests in mind. I think he did it with Mr. Harper’s best interests in mind, maybe those of the Conservative Party. That’s the way of politics. But what if it wasn’t?

What if there were some way of encouraging our elected officials to put the needs of the voters first? What if the average person’s quality of life were more important than the party line? Impossible? Perhaps it is, but if anyone’s curious, think about this.

What if a politician’s pay were tied to the average income at their level of government? Federal pay would be the national average household income. Provincial / State averages would determine pay at their level, and Municipal wages would be averaged against similar sized communities nationwide. The idea is for politician’s to actually understand the people they represent.

But wait, there’s more. There are a few other conditions they need to agree to if they want to run for office. To start with, any pre-existing assets get frozen for the duration of their term. Yes, they get to live within their means like the rest of us. Speaking of living within their means, the average person doesn’t get to travel first class for business. Nor do they get to take their families, pets, hangers-on etc.

Without access to those pre-election bank accounts, they might find it a bit rough affording high-end private schools. Once their kids are enrolled in the same schools as all the others, they might see why other people are demanding education reforms. The list could go on, but you get the idea. The more they improve everyone’s standard of living, the more they improve their own.

I can hear some of you saying that we would lose a huge swath of potential candidates. You’re probably right. That’s kind of the idea here. Lawyers, corporate executives, and in the US, entertainment personalities, that’s who’s been running the show lately. If you like where we are at the moment, then ignore the whole idea. For the rest of you (including the 30+% who didn’t vote in the last election here) it’s something to think about.

So, you think you can make a difference and you still want run for office? Glad to hear it. To ensure you get a good sample of the “real world”, the minimum term of office would be five years. If you quit or get fired (yes, your constituents can recall you if you’re too incompetent), your assets remain frozen for the duration of your term. Think about that when you look at cuts to social programming because you could end up relying on it like so many others. On the other hand if you make it to the end of your term, what can you expect?

Here’s your chance to make some money. If you’re willing to work for it. There will be realtime tracking of your performance including attendance record, involvement on any committees, efforts on behalf of you constituents including success rates etc. All of these stats will be freely available to the public. By the way, if you’re thinking of using ads to tell your constituents what a great job you’re doing, be prepared to back it up with facts. Deliberately misleading the public is considered fraud and you will be fired for it with all that that entails. On a related note, graft or influence pedaling will result in corruption charges. A guilty verdict carries a ten year sentence and forfeiture of all assets. Now for the good news. If you work hard, serve your constituents and make every effort to genuinely improve the quality of life for the average person, it’s payday. You earnings for the term will be based on a combination of statistical (attendance, responsiveness, results, etc), with how your constituents feel you have impacted their lives. The better your composite score, the higher your performance bonus. You won’t become filthy rich, or receive a pension for life, but you will earn proportionally more than the average citizen who didn’t give five years of their life to the community.

I know this isn’t a perfect plan, but it is a “reform”. It would bring “accountability”. And isn’t that what the politicians, the media and the loud drunk at the bar all say they want? Just something to think about.

Cheers, Winston

South Africa Shines On Healthcare

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Society2 Comments

South Africa has announced plans to implement National Health Insurance. Acknowledging the great disparity in quality of service between private and public services, the Minister of Health stated 80% of the people cannot afford private insurance.

The plan at present calls for the first ten areas to be up and running by April 2012, with full implementation in 2014. The government will issue a green paper this Friday providing further details. It will then go back to Parliament for further discussion before becoming law.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi went on to say, “If you make more than a certain amount, you will be required to contribute to the NHI fund. It will not be possible to opt out of the responsibility.”. Some people are already questioning having to pay for a system they won’t be using.

This initiative by the South African government is a step towards addressing the country’s gaping social divide. Currently, they regarded as having one of the most unequal systems in the world. In the words of Mr. Motsoaledi, “The central challenge to the stability and well-being of our nation is reducing the deep inequality between rich and poor, between privilege and deprivation. This goes to the heart of South Africa’s future,”

Massive internal struggle combined with pressure from the global community ended apartheid. This was a massive accomplishment that started South Africa on the road to social justice and equality. The National Health Insurance plan is a significant step on that road. Perhaps the most significant thing about it is this. The African National Congress, the current ruling party, isn’t doing this because of massive riots. They aren’t doing because of international sanctions or intervention. The government is instituting universal health care because it’s the right thing to do.

I’m not saying that that South Africa is a social justice role model for the world. Far from it. What I am saying is, they’ve taken a step. That is something to celebrate. For that step, I honor them.

Cheers, Winston

The “True” Faith Is Only “True” For You

On By WinstonIn SocietyLeave a comment

I recently read an article about the need for men to attend Church (their capitalization) to ensure the next generation will also attend. So far so harmless. They go on to say that if the Mother attends but not the father, the next generation is less likely to than the other way around. According to one (and only one) study (done in Switzerland) if the father goes to Church regularly with or without the mother, the children are more likely to continue with the Church than if the mother attends regularly without the father.

The thesis here is that women are to be associated with early development only while men will shape the adult behaviors of the next generation. This apparently is the “created order” of things. If you just gagged a little, I’ll wait while you go rinse.

That is only the beginning. The author then goes on to state that a man who has been raised in a more gender equal environment will grow up to be “wet, spineless and unable to stand up in a breeze”. It seems that anyone who isn’t conforming to their narrow, fundamentalist, interpretation of Christian orthodoxy isn’t a real man, or real woman. Apparently, 99.5% of the world’s population is composed of inflatable pretend people. Who knew?

Whenever a religious group starts telling me why their interpretation is the ONLY interpretation I always have the same reaction. No it’s not hysterical laughter or sticking my fingers in my ears while humming loudly. I feel kind of bad that for believing themselves better than those around them they are (by their beliefs) committing the sin of pride. Claiming to know the will of God is, according to the scripture they love to quote, a sin. By their own deeds, if there is an afterlife, it may far different from the one they assume themselves entitled to.

I don’t mind if they choose to believe that a woman’s only role is that of supporting a man and nurturing his children. Not my belief, but hey; no harm, no foul. My issue is with the assumption that the entire rest of the world is wrong, and worse, worthless because they choose equality, inclusiveness and self-determination.

My Mother was equal to my father in my upbringing. My wife is my equal in every way, and we have raised our daughter to think for herself. Anyone who believes the women in my life are cheapened or failing as Mothers, wives or people, is welcome to tell me to my face. Then they can learn for themselves if a gender-equal upbringing has made me “weak” or “spineless”.

Believe what you like, but when those beliefs require the denigration of everyone else. That’s just wrong.

Cheers, Winston.