A lot of things have changed since I was a kid. Life was easier then, especially when it came to speaking English. Political correctness, whatever that means, has so messed up the language that it is difficult to understand what is being said. I have some problems getting straight in my mind what the rules are, what the words mean, and what the logic of what is said really says.
For example on the radio last week the gal giving the news of the day made the announcement, in a very cherry voice, that the economy was improving. This was a sure thing as the number of foreclosures last month were down two percent from the previous month. This is a good sign? What it means is that instead of a hundred homes being lost only ninety-eight were foreclosed on because the mortgages weren't being paid. Wow! That is really a good sign that the depression is on the wane?
There was an article in the paper about that time that of the 21 practical nursing students at Buckeye this year, ten of them failed to pass their examinations. The students, who couldn't pass the test, have complained to the school administration that it was unfair that they failed and something should be done about it. What do they want done? They failed. That's the school's fault? Eleven students passed. What does that tell you? Maybe the reason they failed was because they didn't study. Maybe the reason they are complaining is because our society accepts failure as the norm. I mean, after all, if they are too lazy to study or educationally challenged, in my day we used to call it stupid, to understand what is being taught, why should they get a second chance to pass the test? How would you like being treated by a person who couldn't pass a test on matters which affect your health and well-being? Kinda' like being in an airplane with a pilot who only crashes on landing thirty-percent of the time.
Then there's Berkeley, California. Seems the high school didn't have enough space in the science labs for all the students to do the experiments. In an effort to allow students access to the labs, the science teachers went in early, stayed late, so the students could get their experiments and lab work completed. Didn't cost anybody anything except time. The administration took a look and found that the majority of the students taking advantage of the extended classes were white. Oh, oh. Discrimination. Why? Because colored students didn't go to the before and after hours labs. Nothing restricted them, they just didn't go. The school board's decision to rectify the problem? Forbid the off hour lab sessions because more white students participated in the after hours program than did colored students and that was discriminatory. Unbelievable.
Worked on a couple of Indian reservations when we volunteered with the National Park Service a few years back. Bureaucracy and the political correctness bunch have a field day with Indians. Oops. Can't say Indians, have to say Native Americans. I don't know why that is. Neither do the Indians. They like the terminology Indian. They prefer being called by their tribal names, Sioux, Ojibwa, Apache, but that doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. I mean, what do they know? They're only Indians. Got into a discussion with a couple of tribal leaders in Minnesota about that. I got told that they were Indians. I guess that I could agree with that. I'm a Native American. I was born here, didn't immigrate, disn't sneak across the border, or wade the Rio Grande. That qualifies me as a Native American. Government doesn't agree. I don't understand why they don't. The Indians did.
Had an interesting experience in Arizona. Went to an Indian rodeo with a friend of mine. He rode bucking' broncos and was pretty good at it. Wanted to give it a try at this rodeo and was turned down. Wasn't discriminated against. Just wasn't an Indian. Go figure.
When I was young, people of the age I have obtained used to be called old. That isn't good anymore. Now we're seniors. When we named my son the same as me, I became a senior. I wasn't even thirty then but figured if there was a senior discount I deserved it, being a senior and all. Didn't work. I'm way over 55 now and think I should get a senior senior discount, but that won't fly.
Sure gets confusing.
For example on the radio last week the gal giving the news of the day made the announcement, in a very cherry voice, that the economy was improving. This was a sure thing as the number of foreclosures last month were down two percent from the previous month. This is a good sign? What it means is that instead of a hundred homes being lost only ninety-eight were foreclosed on because the mortgages weren't being paid. Wow! That is really a good sign that the depression is on the wane?
There was an article in the paper about that time that of the 21 practical nursing students at Buckeye this year, ten of them failed to pass their examinations. The students, who couldn't pass the test, have complained to the school administration that it was unfair that they failed and something should be done about it. What do they want done? They failed. That's the school's fault? Eleven students passed. What does that tell you? Maybe the reason they failed was because they didn't study. Maybe the reason they are complaining is because our society accepts failure as the norm. I mean, after all, if they are too lazy to study or educationally challenged, in my day we used to call it stupid, to understand what is being taught, why should they get a second chance to pass the test? How would you like being treated by a person who couldn't pass a test on matters which affect your health and well-being? Kinda' like being in an airplane with a pilot who only crashes on landing thirty-percent of the time.
Then there's Berkeley, California. Seems the high school didn't have enough space in the science labs for all the students to do the experiments. In an effort to allow students access to the labs, the science teachers went in early, stayed late, so the students could get their experiments and lab work completed. Didn't cost anybody anything except time. The administration took a look and found that the majority of the students taking advantage of the extended classes were white. Oh, oh. Discrimination. Why? Because colored students didn't go to the before and after hours labs. Nothing restricted them, they just didn't go. The school board's decision to rectify the problem? Forbid the off hour lab sessions because more white students participated in the after hours program than did colored students and that was discriminatory. Unbelievable.
Worked on a couple of Indian reservations when we volunteered with the National Park Service a few years back. Bureaucracy and the political correctness bunch have a field day with Indians. Oops. Can't say Indians, have to say Native Americans. I don't know why that is. Neither do the Indians. They like the terminology Indian. They prefer being called by their tribal names, Sioux, Ojibwa, Apache, but that doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. I mean, what do they know? They're only Indians. Got into a discussion with a couple of tribal leaders in Minnesota about that. I got told that they were Indians. I guess that I could agree with that. I'm a Native American. I was born here, didn't immigrate, disn't sneak across the border, or wade the Rio Grande. That qualifies me as a Native American. Government doesn't agree. I don't understand why they don't. The Indians did.
Had an interesting experience in Arizona. Went to an Indian rodeo with a friend of mine. He rode bucking' broncos and was pretty good at it. Wanted to give it a try at this rodeo and was turned down. Wasn't discriminated against. Just wasn't an Indian. Go figure.
When I was young, people of the age I have obtained used to be called old. That isn't good anymore. Now we're seniors. When we named my son the same as me, I became a senior. I wasn't even thirty then but figured if there was a senior discount I deserved it, being a senior and all. Didn't work. I'm way over 55 now and think I should get a senior senior discount, but that won't fly.
Sure gets confusing.
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