School 1957 verses 2007

This is a copy of one of those e-mails that has been doing the rounds. I'm not sure where it originated.

Scenario:
Jack goes rabbit shooting before school,
pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1957:
Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his rifle & chats with Jack about guns.

2007:
School goes into lock down, Star Force called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his ute or gun again.. Counsellors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1957:
Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2007:
Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board hold meeting to impliment bullying prevention programs

Scenario:
Robbie won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1957:
Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2007:
Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie's parents get fortnightly disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.

Scenario:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957:
Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2007:
Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.

Scenario:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school..

1957:
Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with.

2007:
Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario:
Pedro fails high school English.

1957:
Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2007:
Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. AFRE files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a bullant nest.

1957:
Ants die.

2007:
Star Force, Federal Police & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957:
In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007:
Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

So Long 2008

I've had hundreds of interesting post ideas over the last few months but have only managed to get a few posted. Busy busy busy. I look forward to attempting to post with more regularity in 2009, say once a week.

Holiday starts today which is outstanding. I am having a month off line and will not be checking, e-mail, surfing, blogging, facebooking or anything else to do with the interweb.

Back online Tuesday the 22nd of Jan.

Have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

An Inconvenient Truth

I have just finished watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. It is an extremely enlightening movie / documentary. I thought it was outstanding and very challenging. If you have not seen it then you need to go to your local DVD store, hire it out, and watch it. I took four pages of notes.

Quotes (more or less)...

Al Gore - 'There are good people who hold this (issue of Global Warming) at arms length because if they acknowledge it and recognise it, the moral importance to make changes is inescapable.'

Mark Twain - 'What gets us into trouble isn't what we don't know but what we know for sure that isn't so true.'

Click here for more info on the DVD, and again; you need to watch this!

Issues I'm Wrestling With

Here are some of the things I have been thinking about recently. In regards to most of them I don't really know much about them but feel that they are issues I cannot ignore or put aside because of ignorance. My goal of course is to discover a biblical perspective and Christian response to each issue.

Environmental Issues...

- Climate Change
- Peak Oil
- Genetic Engineering
- Food Shortages and the increasing difficulty of growing food in some places

Justice Issues...

- Sweat Shops
- World Poverty
- Western Social Conditioning (that may be extremely unbiblical) and its negative impact on the world

Over the next 6 months I am hoping to have developed a genuine understanding of these issues and how average Joe should respond.

So far I have been talking to people I know that already have a real interest and understanding of these issues. I have been asking them to recommend books, websites, documentaries, etc that would be insightful. I've also been watching a fair bit Discovery Chanel and Documentary Chanel as well.

I'll keep you posted.

Also feel free to recommend books etc that you have found helpful in regards to these issues.

Reflections on Reflecting - Part Two

So how do you get better at reflecting? How do you get better at weighing up all the variables, possibilities, contributing factors, to a situation or circumstance?

Here are a few quick fire thoughts...

1. Understand your biases - we all have them, we are all biased towards all sorts of different things in all sorts of different situations. We have complex personality biases, biases due to nature and biases due to nurture. We have simple biases, some people are more negative than positive, some people all ways take the side of the underdog. Know your biases and take them into account when you are reflecting on something.

2. Ask someone what they think and why they think it - have you ever noticed that different people have different opinions than you on all sorts of things? Have you ever noticed that some of these people (one or two) are intelligent and wise people that you respect? How can these intelligent people draw conclusions on an issue so different to yours? Ask them. It will give you insight into their reflective process and perhaps allow you to see things from a different perspective.

3. Try using different thinking hats has you reflect - this just means intentionally thinking about things from different perspectives. Negative, positive, objective, creative, etc, etc. Make your own (figurative not literal) or use Edward de Bono's.

4. Learn to mull - that is to think over, consider, dwell upon, ponder, muse, contemplate, and weigh. Certain situations require quick thinking, instant consideration of all the facts known, and decisions to be made. Where possible; mull. Take time to consider. It can be over the course of a week, a couple of weeks, overnight, or best off all with some cheese and crackers and a fine Shiraz (all though not possible when you are required to mull over something at work). Basically practice slowing things down where possible to give careful consideration.

5. Converse more - make an effort to have more conversations and more meaningful conversations with the world around you. Learn to ask questions, this will get conversation going and also allow you to hear other people's considered (hopefully) opinions. You'll never know what your learn. As you reflect on what they think, don't just reflect on their theories, reflect on how they may have come to their conclusions and ask them. You'll learn a lot that could help you.

Here are some things to reflect on...

* What are we going to do about child abuse in New Zealand? What could you or I do?
* How green has God called us to be? What part should Christians play in looking after the environment?
* What are the top 10 essentials of every summer break? Will test match cricket make the cut?

I look forward to reflecting on these issues in future posts.