Why we have racial issues in our country

I watched with horror as NPR unraveled this week.  What a PR disaster.

But the real problem is the underlying racial issues we have in this country.  And it isn't white, black, or Muslim causing the problem.  It is the lack of communications.

Juan Williams is fired for saying he gets nervous when he gets on a plane with people wearing Muslim garb.  Ignoring the problems with NPRs overreaction....

Bill O'Reilly's opinion on The View was incorrect but Whoopi and Joy were wrong to walk off rather than talk.

Until we can talk openly about issues - until we can communicate our fears and desires, we are stagnant and will not move ahead as a society.

boys inhumanity to girls

I have a great friend who was sexually abused as a girl.  By her brother and his friends.  And a local sex fiend.  And others.  Another friend was abused by her brother and his friends.  And another by her brother.  These women were young decades ago.

I have talked to many young men and young women about their views on relationships, marriage in their futures, sex.  They want relationships.  Girls want marriage with few exceptions.  Some guys want marriage.  Many do not.  Almost all of them have had sex.  And it is for many, a throw away.  Something to do.

Oh, and many of the girls - younger than 18 - have date rape stories.  Already.

I am getting old.  Certainly when I talk to kids I feel that way.  Wasn't like this when I was young....I thought.

 

Whats up with all the new diseases?

I have a good friend who has some serious mental issues - 7 different drugs, 2 different doctors and 3 different shrinks in a year.  She seems to be getting better but has given up a lot of things she loves because it messes with her head - like beer.  I know many people on different mind "altering" drugs like prozac and they live psuedo normal lives; they have meltdown on occasions but usually feel ok or even good.  I also know many people with autism and aspergers.  I am sure that I don't know that many people I know have problems like these.

Where does all this come from?

Is it really just a situation that has arisen in the past few years?  Or has it always been like this with changes that arise from "better" chemistry?

Do you think that mental health and Asperger's and Autism are related?

Dysfunctional politics and the people that make them so

I heard John Stewart prep for his DC rally by saying that 80% of the country is rational and reasonable and is being overrun by the 20% on each end of the fringes.  I could not agree less.  I think the number is considerably lower than 80%.

And I am not sure it is contiguous in the spectrum.  Or in the person.  We humans tend to be extremely good at matching things into patterns - what we think we "see" in a quick flash or the patterns of a "conspiracy".  It isn't the message as much as the receiver of the message in determining its correctness, reasonableness, etc.

If the fundamental world view you have is that there is a God that may or does use his/her power to evoke changes in peoples lives then your view of, say, abortion may be/is opposite a person who does not believe in God and believes we are random mutations over long periods of time and, therefore, it isn't a problem for a woman to have sole choice in the matter.  Where would reasonable behavior fit?

We can make a move to the middle of the spectrum on questions and find that the people who will accept that centrist view are small...less than 50% (?)

People with relativistic morals will move around as they deem necessary with absolutists will dig in heels and say - "you have gone too far" - pick a topic.

So, what is the solution?  In our esteemed country, we allow for the people of the particular day, vote their conscience.  Always has been that way and, hopefully, always will.  Looking for an answer to solve the problem?  It ain't here.

Why do people read blogs? Or write them?

Simple - people have things they need to say and they want to know what others think.  I think this stems from reality shows and facebook.

Of course, what happens when you have too many things to say that no one wants to hear?  Or you are just plain boring?  You end up here.  ;-)