Heather in Neverland
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Posts posted by Heather in Neverland
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I am so sad and humiliated that this happened in my home state. I feel like crying.I know I said that I would not post again in this thread, and I shouldn't. I know that. It's too raw for me because I feel so deeply about this topic, almost viscerally.
But, I'm heart broken today. Vassar, MI...a community close enough to my area of Mid-Michigan that I could have volunteered there and rallied the 4-H volunteers as well, was asked to take 100-120 of the children because they have a wonderful facility there that used to be used for distressed teens that needed a group home, but is no longer in use yet not in need of repair. That area NEEDS employment opportunities and Lansing has the dollars from the Fed to make it happen and the jobs would pay well more than minimum wage. This could have been a win win. We have at least two ESL teachers that I know of out of work in this county that have been applying all over the place, and more in other communities that are within commuting distance. So, Monday night, a city council meeting was held to discuss Lansing's proposal.
It was the largest meeting in the last ten years in that community. The room was packed to the point the fire chief had to say "no more" and people stood outside, many people. It was huge for a town that size. While some residents were supportive of the proposal, most were not and the children were referred to by one man as, "Dirty, diseased drains on society that we don't need" for which he received a standing ovation. So many of these children are young, little, not even close to adulthood. To think that people that I see coming and going from my own county seat, in and out of the 4-H office or the local Walmart, etc. think this way about innocent, vulnerable babies who never asked to be brought into this world, and are suffering, desperately hoping somebody cares about their plight....I'm ashamed. Deeply, profoundly ashamed of them.
I haven't heard back from Senator Stabenow or Senator Levin, nor representative Mike Green. Those wheels of course turn slowly so it's too soon to hope they have anything of substance to say. All I can do is hope that the heart of that community changes. I would gladly be at the forefront of finding donations of children's furniture, toys, ESL curriculum, books, games, puzzles, clothing, first aid items, food, you name it. My own family dentist already offered pro bono services. He has always done this. He's a good man...lose your job, he'll take care of your child's teeth anyway even if all you can pay is $5.00 a month. Every year he does three days of pro bono work for migrant agricultural workers. It's a crazy time for his practice. I think last year they managed a 1000 fillings, but I also know he got a bunch of other dentists involved in order to make that happen. But, we have people like this all over the area. I know we can take care of these children, at least in the short term, if only this community would say yes.
I'm reminded of this poem:
Give me your tired, your poor.
Your huddled masses yearning to breath free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the hopeless, tempest, tost to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden shore.
If America has no desire to help frightened, suffering, homeless, vulnerable children, then possibly it's time to knock Lady Liberty into New York Harbor and let her sink.
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Someone mentioned something to the effect that "if we could have stopped the Holocaust, wouldn't we have been willing to take in all those people." Actually, and incredibly sadly, the answer is no.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89vian_Conference
The Évian Conference was convened at the initiative of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1938 to respond to the plight of the increasing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing murderous persecution in Europe by the Nazis—and perhaps he hoped to obtain commitments from some of the invitee nations to accept more refugees, although he took pains to avoid stating that objective plainly. It was true that Roosevelt desired to deflect attention and criticism from his own national policy that severely limited the quota of Jewish refugees admitted to the United States.[1]
For eight days, from July 6 to 15 at Évian-les-Bains, France, representatives from 32 countries and 39 private organizations and some 24 voluntary organizations met and formally discussed the issue among themselves, both orally and in writing.[2] Golda Meir, the attendee from Palestine, was the only representative of a landed Jewish constituency, but she was not permitted to speak or to participate in the proceedings except as an observer. Some 200 international journalists gathered at Évian to observe and report the conclave.
The dispossessed and displaced Jews of Austria and Germany were hopeful that this international conference would lead to acceptance of more refugees and safe haven. "The United States had always been viewed in Europe as champion of freedom and under her powerful influence and following her example, certainly many countries would provide the chance to get out of the German trap. The rescue, a new life seemed in reach."[3]
Hitler responded to the news of the conference by saying essentially that if the other nations would agree to take the Jews, he would help them leave.
The conference proved a failure because both the United States and Britain refused to accept any (substantially) more refugees, and most of the countries at the conference followed suit, the result being that the Jews had no escape and were ultimately subject to what was known as Hitler's "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". The conference was seen by some as "an exercise in Anglo-American collaborative hypocrisy."[4]I can only hope and expect that the other world, which has such deep sympathy for these criminals [Jews], will at least be generous enough to convert this sympathy into practical aid. We, on our part, are ready to put all these criminals at the disposal of these countries, for all I care, even on luxury ships.[4]
ETA, I know that's Wikipedia, but it gave a good summary.
This actually made me feel nauseous when I read it. We should be so ashamed.
I have mixed feelings. As someone who just went through FOUR YEARS of waiting and living outside the US and piles of paperwork and thousands of dollars to get US citizenship for my adopted daughter (and I am a US citizen for goodness sake), you would think I'd be yelling that all people should be forced to go through what I went through. If I had to do it why shouldn't they, right?
But instead, I only feel like it is a ridiculous process that was too difficult and expensive for me and I am highly educated and have the financial resources to pay for it. I can't imagine being poor with no English skills and trying to navigate that process.
Believe me, I've had moments of anger thinking about "all those illegals sneaking in while I followed rules and did things the right way." But in the end, I understand why they do it. The process is so convoluted it makes you feel desperate enough to find other ways to get in.
So I argue with myself in my head: am I an American first with a responsibility to protect American resources? Or am I a human being first with a responsibility to help other human beings in need?
We could help these children but it would take a DRASTIC change in our mindset to do so and I'm not sure that's going to happen.
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(((Hugs)))
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We use http://www.unblock-us.com so we can get Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming. It works very well.
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When are you being forced to pay for abortions? Services? Do you mean like baking cakes? I see the frustration there but the restaurant owners who had to serve blacks at the lunch counters got over needing to treat all customers equally, so I imagine a baker here and there will as well.
And to the bolded...honestly, a little. I just don't feel for those who are upset because they can't dictate how others live their lives when it doesn't affect them in any way.
And remember, I said I am willing to fight for your rights if they are ever taken from you. You, however, have not been willing to do the same for others.
It is this type of utter disregard for anything we believe that makes us hold onto our beliefs even tighter. You treat our beliefs with condescension and contempt... As if they are nothing. And maybe they are nothing to you. So be it. There is plenty of blame for this rift in our society to go around.
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Nobody is asking to you to lose their faith.
You are being asked to not inflict it on others.
If someone ever tries to force you to have an abortion you don't want, enter a same sex marriage you don't want, or even force your church to recognize same sex marriage if it doesn't want to do so, I would be standing by your side ready to fight for your rights.
Just like I am standing by the side of people who don't want your "morals" dictating aspects of their lives that have NOTHING to do with you. If that disheartens you, then so be it. Now you know how others have felt for generations, except they weren't forcing their beliefs on anyone else then or now.
We may not be forced to have abortions but we are being forced to pay for them. We may not be forced to recognize same sex marriages but we are being forced to participate by providing services for the marriage. And so forth...
And honestly, just because "others" have felt in the past what we are feeling now... Does that negate the feelings we are having? Like some sort of strange "payback"? And I am truly not asking you to sympathize with my being "disheartened" but I would expect for you to empathize with it since you seem to hold to your values so strongly and are willing to fight for them.
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Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a sincerely held belief because a lobbyist contacted them and they wanted to do their part in the fight against the president. I think there is a lot of fear going on these days because of the decreasing religious people in our society. It's scary to go from being the majority, I'm actually not being snarky here. The reason religion is so much more vocal over the last decade or so is because change is happening, and fear mongers (looking at the likes of Glenn Beck here) are pounding it into people's heads that if they don't do something about it now they'll soon be persecuted. I think this whole case and the far right wing getting more and more religious really has to do with that fear. When I was a conservative religious person I felt it too, my pastor even preached it. We had a visiting convert from Islam come and tell us that they were training men to marry our daughters and turn the world into a Muslim majority. That kind of stuff is just so harmful and terrifying and it's been completely bought. So every case like this, every thing that has to do with religion in any way, shape, or form gets treated with way more importance than the case might warrant.
In many ways you are right. It is difficult to be part of a shrinking majority (minority?). It is sad to see all of your deeply held religious values not only tossed aside, but scorned and mocked. It is devastating to have everything that goes against what you believe now held up as the model for all. But what's even more difficult is being forced to participate in something you are deeply opposed to. It may be the way things are, and to the victors go the spoils... but it is still difficult to accept.
I get that the tide has turned, that the majority opinion is already against us (or soon will be). It doesn't surprise me and I've been expecting it. But it is tough. We won't let go of our deeply held beliefs without a fight and we don't expect those who believe differently to give up without a fight either. I mean, seriously, how important is our faith to us if we don't fight for it? Seems like those of you fighting for what you believe would get that part at least.
This is all new territory for everyone and there will be growing pains as we all figure out where we fit among all these changes.
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My niece (9yo) has recently been diagnosed with Asperger's. My brother and his wife know virtually nothing about it and want to start learning more. Can you recommend favorite websites or books?
Thank you!
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Can I ask a sincere, related question? Did insurance companies commonly cover contraceptives BEFORE Obamacare? I ask because I have always had really good insurance as a teacher (small or no copay, Rx coverage, not an HMO, etc.) but my "Cadillac" insurance has NEVER covered birth control pills. I had to pay for them out of pocket for decades. I assumed that most people did?
So the idea that these companies won't pay for birth control didn't really surprise me. I thought that was the norm. Are all these lawsuits really about birth control/abortifacients or is this mostly a reaction to Obamacare?
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I hope you have a wonderful trip!!! Iceland sounds awesome!!
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Another vote for a kitten. Cats are the easiest pet in my opinion. We had guinea pigs and they were vicious.
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I don't know if I would call it "forcing" my child to go. Going to church as a family unit is just something we do. It's understood that on Sunday morning we go to church, all of us, including my teen. He has never asked to stay home. If he did? I would say no, this is a family thing and we do it as a family just like all the other family things we do.
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We just flew 21 hours and we will fly back next week. We take iPads for each kid loaded with games, books and movies and headphones for each kid. And snacks. That's it.
For charging we bought extra battery packs.
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I think it sounds awesome and I am proud of you! I'd be both terrified and excited to do some of those activities. But I would still try to do them!
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That's one day of driving. Very doable.
Leave first thing in the morning, and you'll be there by dinnertime.
If that sounds too arduous for you, how about breaking it up into two five-hour days? Personally, is rather do one arduous day than two easier days, but ymmv.
This is what we do. We try to make a trip of it.... Drive 5 hours, stop somewhere that has something we want to see or do (a museum, etc.), stay in a budget motel that has a pool and let the kids swim. It's like starting the vacation a day early! Then we wake up, everyone gets a shower and a hot breakfast and we are at our destination by lunch time.
Easy peasy.
iPads have made travelling a breeze, too.
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With three Master's degrees, they should just award you automatically the PhD. Dontcha think? Curious what made you go for three graduate degrees but not the "third" degree?
It's a good question. It's because my 3 master's are all very different and have helped to move my career forward in different ways. They have broadened my scope of abilities, and opened up different pathways for me within my industry making me very marketable. If I had just gone for the doctoral degree I would have had to become very specialized and singularly focused on one thing.
I have way too much wanderlust for that! :)
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I am halfway through my third master's degree. This one is in curriculum and instruction. The class I am currently taking is on gifted learners.
I also work full time as a principal.
How do I manage my time? I hired a housekeeper. :)
Congrats on your new adventure!
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Back on topic...
This is an interesting wake up call. Many in America claim persecution for whatever it is they believe. Americans in general do not have a clue what real persecution is like. All the more reason to be vigilant and protective of our freedom of (or from) religion. Without it, we will devolve to Nigeria or any other country with the death penalty for not being the favored religion.
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It goes by fast doesn't it? We originally signed to come to Malaysia for 2 years and now it's been 5 years. In the blink of an eye!
I know what you mean with people leaving. They come in and out of our lives so quickly here. Like a revolving door of friendships. Sometimes I catch myself not getting to know many people because I know they will leave soon. I have to make a concentrated effort to make new friends. But it's worth it so keep diving in!!!
An interesting note on raising TCKs: my ds was reading up on this since he will be going off to college in two years and most of the literature out there talks about how TCKs don't feel "at home" anywhere. My ds said "That's not true. Because of this experience, I feel at home everywhere!" :)
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Well, Nigeria seems like just a peachy place to live.
You cannot FORCE a person to actually BELIEVE something. You can force them to say they do, I suppose. But you can't actually force the belief. So are countries like the Sudan and Nigeria (and heck, even Malaysia has laws against converting) actually concerned with people having the proper belief according to the government or are they just trying to have power over what comes out of your mouth?
In Malaysia for instance, not letting the Malays convert from Islam is more of a political move than a religious one. Seems like it is the same in these other countries.
This is awful.
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Praise God!!!
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I'm so very sorry.
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Started reading:
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Still reading:
all caught up!
Finished reading:
1. The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan (AVERAGE)
2. The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene (GOOD)
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (EXCELLENT)
4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (EXCELLENT)
5. The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith by Peter Hitchens (AMAZING)
6. Champion by Marie Lu (PRETTY GOOD)
7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (INCREDIBLE)
8. Cultivating Christian Character by Michael Zigarelli (HO-HUM)
9. Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff (um...WOW. So amazing and sad)
10. Pressure Points: Twelve Global Issues Shaping the Face of the Church by JD Payne (SO-SO)
11. The Happiness Project: Or Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. by Gretchen Rubin (GOOD)
12. Reading and Writing Across Content Areas by Roberta Sejnost (SO-SO)
13. Winter of the World by Ken Follet (PRETTY GOOD)
14. The School Revolution: A New Answer for our Broken Education System by Ron Paul (GREAT)
15. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (LOVED IT)
16. Beyond the Hole in the Wall: Discover the Power of Self-Organized Learning by Sugata Mitra (GOOD)
17. Can Computers Keep Secrets? - How a Six-Year-Old's Curiosity Could Change the World by Tom Barrett (GOOD)
18. You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself by David McRaney (GOOD)
19. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (OK)
20. Follow Me by David Platt (GOOD)
21. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman (SO-SO)
22. Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman (OK)
23. A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home by Jason Helopoulos (GOOD)
24. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan (DEPRESSING)
25. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (SO-SO)
26. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff (DELIGHTFUL)
27. The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman (WORST ENDING EVER)
28. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (SO-SO)
29. Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (BRILLIANT)
30. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (WONDERFUL)
31. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN-READ-IT-ALL-IN-ONE-SITTING BOOK)
32. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (SUPER CREEPY BUT REALLY GOOD)
Do phobias increase with age??
in The Chat Board
Posted
It's increasing for me. I was never afraid to fly and I have flown many times in life. But once I started taking these long trans-Atlantic flights when I am in the airplane for 17 hours solid, I started to panic. My doctor gives me Xanax whenever I need to fly now.