Thanks to the advent of electronic media (invented in the last century), and of language, (a couple of thousand years ago), the 21st Century will never be as vague a period as say the third Egyptian dynasty or the Byzantine Empire. But it's fairly certain that ten or twenty years from now it'll be the Baby Boomers who will be called on to recount their stories of the 60s Civil Rights movement, the Kennedys, Motown music, stick-shift cars and sex before AIDs, the same way those Depression era kids still talk about World War II like it just happened.
In another decade or two it'll be those credit-chomping, hedonistic Baby Boomers who are the elders of our global village; not the penny-pinching old folk born before 1930 whose motto was get-by, make-do and save ten-cents out of every dollar for a rainy day. Although anyone born after 1960 may not realize it, it was that generation who gave Baby Boomers of all races their jump-start on fair employment, voting rights, equal education and a plethora of other privileges we and all other subsequent generations enjoy.
Now that the 1900s have officially passed into the status of the good old days, I am frankly worried that Baby Boomers may not know how to handle the awesome responsibility of upholding history. I know entirely too many Boomers who refuse to get old, completely unmindful that the 60s took place nearly fifty years ago. The only way they are going to relate history to younger generations is from the prespective of an outside observer. Or as a colorful embellishment of their own lives and careers.
I talk to young people today who have never heard any of the time-honored expressions of my childhood, those quaint old sayings that were thick as molasses with meaning. I recently discovered that, although most Boomers are too busy to share them, those old barnyard philosophies brought up from the south by our grand- and great-grandmothers still sticks with youth today. Advice like "Birds of a feather, flock together," "A dog who brings a bone will carry it," or, "Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free" is as fresh to the hip hop nation today as a new pair of designer athletic shoes.
What Baby Boomers don't seem to appreciate is that getting old is 21st Century chic. Trying to stay young forever is what is definitely very uncool. Unfortunately I see too many signs of Boomers trying to stop the clock to feel optimistic about the immediate future of middle class philanthropy. Take one of my girlfriends, for instance. She has had more cosmetic surgery than most folks have had vacations and she cares more about her fingernails than she does the working poor. She cares for no one other than herself.
And I see aging Boomers every day dressing like they just stepped out of a funky music video. Or a Sean John commercial.
I know a number of middle-aged men who, under their god, Viagra, worship at the altar of Tae Bo. And ladies who think that buying Oprah can really help them.
Finally, I just wanna know, just how many sets of gold golf clubs is it going to take for some guys to feel good about themselves? I just don't know what kind of a world it will be in the second quarter of the 21st century if 70-million Baby Boomers insist on hogging the spotlight instead of focusing it on the world's theater of concerns and problems.
Across the country, schools are screaming for retiring Baby Boomers to return to the classroom as mentors and volunteers. Throughout the city, community services cry out for modern equipment and experts to train their aging all-volunteer staff.
In practically every neighborhood there are incubator high-tech multi-media companies (mostly founded and run by Xers and the Hip Hop Nation) that are begging for capital infusions. Yet, for Baby Boomers, easily the most pampered generation in the history of the world, volunteerism and charitable donations, according to the most recent studies, are going down.
With "Forever Young" as their anthem, I am worried that too many Boomers are forfeiting their rightful place in history as the historians of the old days--the 1900s--and as the great philanthropists of the 21st Century. Most Boomers I know are totally preoccupied with turning back the clock on their youth, or they're investing fortunes into trying to erase the aging process entirely. [To hell with succeeding generations that hunger for their knowledge.]
Since this subject is rarely talked about in polite company, I realize that that the concept of hedonistic selfishness due to the natural aging process may not sit well with many graying Boomers. Many, I suspect, will be in such a state of denial, so out of touch with reality, that they won't recognize the unsettling truth -- that they are Baby Boom Bummers. That's right; they are bumming a ride through life on the past glory, the laurels and accomplishments of their entire generation. Boomer Bummers are living proof that some people never grow up. Holding grudges they worked up in 1984, Boomer Bummers have every plan to take their silly selfishness to the grave.
I am hoping that this little slap of reality will cause a buzz among Bummers; maybe even cause a backlash. I can't tell you how much I love to stand corrected. Meanwhile, however, until I'm disproved, I have identified at least 21 signs that someone you know may be a Baby Boom Bummer. Stay tuned!!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
130 Baby Boomer "Firsts" make Boomers special
See, Boomers have one foot in the Industrial Age (before their jobs got automated or outsourced) and the other foot in the Information Age (where everyone gets to work at home). Boomers are the new village elders, so let's get real; 60 is not the new 30! In order to enjoy authentic Village Elder status it seems to me that Boomers should embrace all the history they’ve changed and acknowledge all of their incredible firsts.
1. Wear disposable diapers..
2. Be raised by Dr. Spock.
3. Be saved by penicillin as infants.
4. Use two-ply toilet paper.
5. Enjoy a wide variety of baby food, toys, and entertainment venues.
6. Watch television.
GROWING UP, Baby Boomers were the first generation to:
8. Eat a cake mom made from cake mix, instead of scratch.
9. Eat a McDonald’s® hamburger.
10. Carry school lunch in Tupperware®
11. Use hair spray from aerosol cans.
12. Watch Saturday morning cartoons.
13. Have a closet full of battery operated toys.
14. Shop for toys and games in a toy store.
15. See partners sleep in the same bed on television.
16. Hear profanity on television.
17. See televised sports (other than boxing, wrestling or Roller Derby).
18. Eat TV dinners.
19. Eat microwave meals.
20. Play with Barbie dolls.
21. See an in-flight movie.
22. Send a letter or package Air Mail.
23. Grow up with plastic.
24. Play with Frisbees ® , Hula Hoops, Play-Doh, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head and Legos.
25. Get six-month dental check ups.
26. Watch a moon landing on television (or anywhere else, for that matter).
27. Call 9-1-1 in any city and reach an emergency operator.
28. Grow up under the threat of atomic, chemical, biological and nuclear war.
29. Wear Velcro ® instead of having to tie everything.
30. Have co-ed college dormitories.
31. Hold college panty raids.
32. Listen to FM on a car radio.
33. Listen to stereo sound.
34. Listen to 45 rpm records.
35. Rock ‘n’ Roll.
36. Use a push button telephone.
37. Practice birth control by pill.
38. Wear different sneakers for different sports.
39. Use tampons.
40. Wear pantyhose.
41. Wear a bikini bathing suit.
42. Wear rubber gloves for washing dishes.
43. Wear polyester clothes.
44. Wear designer blue jeans.
45. Have designated disabled parking and public telephones.
46. Wear contact lenses.
47. Enter the Information Age.
48. Shop in a mall.
49. Own a bicycle that shifts gears.
50. Drive on freeways anywhere in the country.
51. Have the Surgeon General’s warning printed on cigarette labels.
52. Recognize women’s rights, gay rights, civil rights and animal rights.
53. Denounce a war.
54. Call air pollution, “smog.”
AS YOUNG ADULTS, Baby Boomers were the first generation to:
55. Use non-dairy creamer.
56. Own a color television.
57. Have a credit card before getting a job.
58. Flip the dial on the television set by remote control.
59. Get an automatic can opener for a wedding present.
60. Bank electronically.
61. Take classes in computer programming or computer graphics.
62. Bank after 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
63. Bank on Saturday.
64. Use a cheap portable calculator.
65. Watch/play sports on AstroTurf.
66. Drink diet soda.
67. Carry a hand-held calculator.
68. Eat fruit-flavored yogurt.
69. Watch calories.
70. Consume sugar substitutes.
71. Count cholesterol.
72. Wear acrylic fingernails.
73. Use self-tans.
74. Get breast implants.
75. Get a vasectomy.
76. Get artificially inseminated,
77. Or get a legal abortion.
78. Use electrolysis for cosmetic reasons.
79. Consider genetics in having kids.
80. Eat multi-grain cereals.
81. Stock up on vitamins and nutritional supplements.
82. Call marijuana an “herb.”
83. Smoke LSD.
84. Take Valium.
85. Call the sexual assault of an intimate, “date rape.”
86. Shop for clothes and beauty products on television.
87. Wear designer sunglasses.
88. Care about animal rights.
89. More or less sanction interracial marriage.
90. Get a no-fault divorce.
91. Bring charges against a spouse or partner for domestic violence.
92. Recycle for fun.
93. Willingly (more or less) use condoms.
94. Die from AIDs.
At WORK, Baby Boomers were the first generation to:
96. Use a Post It ® note.
97. Bring charges against someone for sexual harassment.
98. Question Authority.
99. Work in an office cubicle.
100. Work in an air-conditioned office.
101. Become female newscasters, police officers, fire fighters, paramedics and astronauts.
102. Use a computer to input work.
103. Use computers at home and work.
104. Make a multi-media presentation at work.
106. Use a portable telephone.
107. Watch videocassette movies.
108. Travel by airplane for pleasure.
109. Wear orthodontics for cosmetic purposes.
110. Change eye color for cosmetic purposes.
111. Consciously buy American-made products.
112. Diet as an obsession.
113. Have two paychecks in the family.
114. Use the word “trendy.”
115. Carry credit cards.
116. Own a home computer.
117. Make Ecology a movement.
118. Buy a condominium.
119. Read a book on tape.
120. Revolt against taxes.
APPROACHING RETIREMENT, Baby Boomers are the first generation to:
122. Call slums, ghettos and barrios, the “inner city.”
123. Care for two generations—an elder and a child or grandchild.
124. Own a vacation home.
125. Fear for the future of the Social Security system.
126. Fear terrorism.
127. Fear “illegal aliens.”
128. Fear getting old.
129. Fear death.
130. Work overtime to bring about the End Times through endless wars.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
An Open Letter to the Mother of a Teenage Killer
Note: Since 2001, with the murder of my son's teenage friend, Efren Diaz, when this letter was first published, there have been hundreds of young Los Angeles residents needlessly killed by gun violence. This re-print, then, is in memory of those young people whose lives were cut short just this month—July 2008*: Jasmine Sanders, 8; Jesus Guevera, 24; Alcus Mallory, 15; Adrian Garcia-Diaz, 16; Christopher Sloan, 22; Kimberly Bonds, 19; Cynthia Vargas, 20; Diego Cruz, 14; Joshua Ford, 25; Roberto Lopez, 23 and Christopher Payne, 24.
-----
Dear Mom,
I confess that we have a lot in common. We are both mothers of boys who are just beginning to shave. We both live in Highland Park. We are both minorities. And we both, I think, love our sons. The difference between us is the life your son took at a supervised Highland Park house party. Last night my son lost one of his best friends--a wonderful young man filled with hope and promise--and your son killed him.
Today, dear Mom, Efren's mother and father are grieving, as I am. Today, dear Mom, you should be too; for your son is a murderer and he can know no peace until he meets the same fate, by the Law or by the Law of God.
Cradling an inconsolable mother in my arms, I wondered if you were cradling your son in your arms. Are you condoning his crime or do you even know about the horrible act of violence he committed last night? Maybe he slept late and you made him a Sunday breakfast. I just want you to know that Efren's mother cannot eat or sleep. She hasn't changed her clothes or stopped crying since she learned that her son, her boy, named after his devoted father, is dead.
Efren was only 18, dear Mom. How old is your son and how old do you think he will live to become? I know that Efren's mom and dad expected him to outlive them. Will your son outlive you? And if he does, will it be behind bars?
Dear Mom, I know that I can't do anything to bring my beloved young friend, Efren, back to us. I know that there is nothing I can say or do to console his parents. There isn't anything I can say to console you either. But maybe, by writing to you I'll inspire other moms like you to talk to their children, to check their kid's behavior and friends, to search for weapons, and to deal with any family crises that appear to be getting out of control.
I may never know your name or the name of your son, for Efren's death is just one more Highland Park homicide. Nonetheless, God bless you, dear Mom. I won't believe, until it's proven otherwise, that you are not a good mother who wanted the best for her child.
What went wrong, what turned your little boy into a ruthless killer, maybe you don't even know. That's why I'm holding you in prayer—you and the parents of a young man who brought only light and love to everyone he knew. I wish you and your son could have known Efren; I am certain that you would have loved him too.
Prayerfully yours,
Valerie Shaw,
Parent/Friend/Community Activist/Teacher
UPDATE: Efren Diaz' homicide was never solved. His parents and all who love him are still grieving.
*July homicide statistics provided by Los Angeles Times.
-----
Dear Mom,
I confess that we have a lot in common. We are both mothers of boys who are just beginning to shave. We both live in Highland Park. We are both minorities. And we both, I think, love our sons. The difference between us is the life your son took at a supervised Highland Park house party. Last night my son lost one of his best friends--a wonderful young man filled with hope and promise--and your son killed him.
Today, dear Mom, Efren's mother and father are grieving, as I am. Today, dear Mom, you should be too; for your son is a murderer and he can know no peace until he meets the same fate, by the Law or by the Law of God.
Cradling an inconsolable mother in my arms, I wondered if you were cradling your son in your arms. Are you condoning his crime or do you even know about the horrible act of violence he committed last night? Maybe he slept late and you made him a Sunday breakfast. I just want you to know that Efren's mother cannot eat or sleep. She hasn't changed her clothes or stopped crying since she learned that her son, her boy, named after his devoted father, is dead.
Efren was only 18, dear Mom. How old is your son and how old do you think he will live to become? I know that Efren's mom and dad expected him to outlive them. Will your son outlive you? And if he does, will it be behind bars?
Dear Mom, I know that I can't do anything to bring my beloved young friend, Efren, back to us. I know that there is nothing I can say or do to console his parents. There isn't anything I can say to console you either. But maybe, by writing to you I'll inspire other moms like you to talk to their children, to check their kid's behavior and friends, to search for weapons, and to deal with any family crises that appear to be getting out of control.
I may never know your name or the name of your son, for Efren's death is just one more Highland Park homicide. Nonetheless, God bless you, dear Mom. I won't believe, until it's proven otherwise, that you are not a good mother who wanted the best for her child.
What went wrong, what turned your little boy into a ruthless killer, maybe you don't even know. That's why I'm holding you in prayer—you and the parents of a young man who brought only light and love to everyone he knew. I wish you and your son could have known Efren; I am certain that you would have loved him too.
Prayerfully yours,
Valerie Shaw,
Parent/Friend/Community Activist/Teacher
UPDATE: Efren Diaz' homicide was never solved. His parents and all who love him are still grieving.
*July homicide statistics provided by Los Angeles Times.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
When A Kid's In Crisis, So Are His Parents
When people find out that I authored 2 Late 4 Time Out: A Parent's Guide To Understanding The Juvenile Justice System, they ask me a bunch of questions I only wish I could answer.
The Internet is much smarter than me, any team of experts or policy makers. Here's just a brief sample of what people are asking in whispers and cries, gleaned from the confessions of hundreds of tearful caregivers and other adults concerned with troubled youth.
-----
Q: My 23-year-old son lost his job, his wife left him and now he’s back home with me, his retired 65-year-old mother. I’m too tired help him get himself back on track. Where can I send him or where can I get help before he falls back in with his old friends and ruins his life?
A: We couldn't think of where to start with your question, so we typed your entire question into Goggle and found an excellent 12-page Recovery Support Provider Directory that is certain to be helpful. It's at the California Access To Recovery Effort (CARE) program website, brought to you by the County of Los Angeles, but when we went to the L.A. County Info portal and used “L.A. Cares 4 Youth” as our search criteria and we couldn't’t find the list.
Q: I heard Monica’s Scream and I just want to tell you that I understand!!! I am a hard working single mother who lives in Inglewood and works in Orange County, commuting 3 hours a day. My 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter don’t just disrespect me, they violate all my house rules. My son has an anger problem—he hits the furniture, the dog and he even hit me once or twice—and my daughter may be seeing boys in the home. Where can I go for help?
A: We tried L.A. County Online, with the pretty basic search criteria “juvenile anger management programs” and then, just “anger management.” Besides a Courtney Love story and some other editorial stuff, we couldn't’t find anything here. But we did find a few good resources in the California Safe State Teen Dating Violence 11-page Directory. You and your daughter, on the other hand, could benefit from the resources and advice on the Girls Inc. website.
Q: I’m so embarrassed—too ashamed to tell my priest, my family or anyone—but I’m afraid that my 15-year-old son is either in a gang or ready to join one in our East Los Angeles neighborhood. Someone told me that Mothers Against Gang Violence could help but they can't help me now and that's when I need it. How can I find some intervention in our area? P.S. We live in public housing!
A: Besides the Sheriff’s and Probation Department's programs, we had to really hunt for this. Doing a search for “L.A. County Gang Intervention Programs East L.A.” produced no results. But we have a little better luck with the County's programs here, L. A. Gang Intervention Contracts, 10/06-07, East L.A. Service Area. [Psst!!! The list is Attachment “A” Now you can let your fingers do the walking.] Also, dear Mom, there's a very comprehensive list of resources at the Street Gangs Dot Com website.
Q: Tomorrow will be the fifth anniversary of the day my son was sentenced to 18 years in state prison. I am sick now and just want my son to have someone to write and who cares about him after I’m gone. Is that too much to ask?
A: Yep, Mom, we’re sorry, but it appears that your request is too much to ask. [Just kidding! Nothing is too much to ask of the Internet.]
First, you might consider talking to one of the caring folks at Friends Outside, for some guidance in this matter. Then try contacting International Directory of Prison Ministries; they are 3,800 members-strong. Or, maybe Christian Pen Pals can help.
Now that we're on a roll, here are two other very large non-denominational organizations you may want to contact:
Prison Fellowship Ministries and Operation Starting Line.
But since you're not the only one reading this, we'd like to encourage people interested in other prison outreach programs to contact the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents.
Q: I don’t know how involved he is but I just found over a dozen “High Times” magazines, strange glass bowl pipes and some small bags of white powder in my 16-year-old son’s closet. With his dark clothes, sullen and withdrawn behavior, and drop in grades, I’m afraid that he’s using drugs. We live in a gated community, so obviously I can’t talk to any of our friends, his school counselors, or our rabbi. What would you suggest before something awful happens.
A: You’re kidding, right? Guess what, something bad’s already happened. But that’s besides the point. You do need help, don’t you? I’m talkin’ letz get biz-e!
If there’s any doubt about what the substance your son is hiding and you don’t want to tell anyone just yet OR your kid is in straight-up denial, try the six-panel drug test from one of a thousand companies like Drug Test Your Teen, founded by a Mid-western mother-daughters team. For a quantity of tests [we're talking Costco], there are loads of sites, like the Canadian Pharmacy, you can purchase from.
Maybe your teenager comes clean with you but will only talk to a peer. Turn him on to the TeenLine Online site where, for nearly 30-years, professionally trained teen counselors in California have been reaching out to help other youth.
Now that you know your kid has a problem, consider family counseling before the Court orders it. Of course you can look at the listings on Yahoo or some of the other popular Yellow Pages Internet sites. Don’t hold us to it, but there’s a pretty good list at the Psychology Today website.
Drug treatment, intervention, counseling? You may have the bucks for private therapy, but there’s nothing like the fellowship of a good ol’ 12 Step Program for the addict and, yes, Al-Anon/Alateen, for you and the family.
Q: Three years ago we moved to Santa Clarita where we could buy a house large enough for our three foster kids. The problem is that one of our foster children is having real problems adjusting to life in the family’s new home. Can you help?
A: You’re in luck! Fifth District Supervisor, Michael Antonovich, is the only L.A. County Supervisor we've found who publishes an online Community Service Guide, and we looked everywhere for other County Supervisors with the same community outreach. [Thanks, Mike, you're on it for your constituents.]
Also, especially designed for foster care youth, check out the Steps To Independent Living website.
------
Why does the City and/or the County need the 2 Late 4 Time Out web portal? Because one road cannot serve the transportation needs of any thriving city. Nor can one website serve the needs of all who seek answers.
The Internet is much smarter than me, any team of experts or policy makers. Here's just a brief sample of what people are asking in whispers and cries, gleaned from the confessions of hundreds of tearful caregivers and other adults concerned with troubled youth.
-----
Q: My 23-year-old son lost his job, his wife left him and now he’s back home with me, his retired 65-year-old mother. I’m too tired help him get himself back on track. Where can I send him or where can I get help before he falls back in with his old friends and ruins his life?
A: We couldn't think of where to start with your question, so we typed your entire question into Goggle and found an excellent 12-page Recovery Support Provider Directory that is certain to be helpful. It's at the California Access To Recovery Effort (CARE) program website, brought to you by the County of Los Angeles, but when we went to the L.A. County Info portal and used “L.A. Cares 4 Youth” as our search criteria and we couldn't’t find the list.
Q: I heard Monica’s Scream and I just want to tell you that I understand!!! I am a hard working single mother who lives in Inglewood and works in Orange County, commuting 3 hours a day. My 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter don’t just disrespect me, they violate all my house rules. My son has an anger problem—he hits the furniture, the dog and he even hit me once or twice—and my daughter may be seeing boys in the home. Where can I go for help?
A: We tried L.A. County Online, with the pretty basic search criteria “juvenile anger management programs” and then, just “anger management.” Besides a Courtney Love story and some other editorial stuff, we couldn't’t find anything here. But we did find a few good resources in the California Safe State Teen Dating Violence 11-page Directory. You and your daughter, on the other hand, could benefit from the resources and advice on the Girls Inc. website.
Q: I’m so embarrassed—too ashamed to tell my priest, my family or anyone—but I’m afraid that my 15-year-old son is either in a gang or ready to join one in our East Los Angeles neighborhood. Someone told me that Mothers Against Gang Violence could help but they can't help me now and that's when I need it. How can I find some intervention in our area? P.S. We live in public housing!
A: Besides the Sheriff’s and Probation Department's programs, we had to really hunt for this. Doing a search for “L.A. County Gang Intervention Programs East L.A.” produced no results. But we have a little better luck with the County's programs here, L. A. Gang Intervention Contracts, 10/06-07, East L.A. Service Area. [Psst!!! The list is Attachment “A” Now you can let your fingers do the walking.] Also, dear Mom, there's a very comprehensive list of resources at the Street Gangs Dot Com website.
Q: Tomorrow will be the fifth anniversary of the day my son was sentenced to 18 years in state prison. I am sick now and just want my son to have someone to write and who cares about him after I’m gone. Is that too much to ask?
A: Yep, Mom, we’re sorry, but it appears that your request is too much to ask. [Just kidding! Nothing is too much to ask of the Internet.]
First, you might consider talking to one of the caring folks at Friends Outside, for some guidance in this matter. Then try contacting International Directory of Prison Ministries; they are 3,800 members-strong. Or, maybe Christian Pen Pals can help.
Now that we're on a roll, here are two other very large non-denominational organizations you may want to contact:
Prison Fellowship Ministries and Operation Starting Line.
But since you're not the only one reading this, we'd like to encourage people interested in other prison outreach programs to contact the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents.
Q: I don’t know how involved he is but I just found over a dozen “High Times” magazines, strange glass bowl pipes and some small bags of white powder in my 16-year-old son’s closet. With his dark clothes, sullen and withdrawn behavior, and drop in grades, I’m afraid that he’s using drugs. We live in a gated community, so obviously I can’t talk to any of our friends, his school counselors, or our rabbi. What would you suggest before something awful happens.
A: You’re kidding, right? Guess what, something bad’s already happened. But that’s besides the point. You do need help, don’t you? I’m talkin’ letz get biz-e!
If there’s any doubt about what the substance your son is hiding and you don’t want to tell anyone just yet OR your kid is in straight-up denial, try the six-panel drug test from one of a thousand companies like Drug Test Your Teen, founded by a Mid-western mother-daughters team. For a quantity of tests [we're talking Costco], there are loads of sites, like the Canadian Pharmacy, you can purchase from.
Maybe your teenager comes clean with you but will only talk to a peer. Turn him on to the TeenLine Online site where, for nearly 30-years, professionally trained teen counselors in California have been reaching out to help other youth.
Now that you know your kid has a problem, consider family counseling before the Court orders it. Of course you can look at the listings on Yahoo or some of the other popular Yellow Pages Internet sites. Don’t hold us to it, but there’s a pretty good list at the Psychology Today website.
Drug treatment, intervention, counseling? You may have the bucks for private therapy, but there’s nothing like the fellowship of a good ol’ 12 Step Program for the addict and, yes, Al-Anon/Alateen, for you and the family.
Q: Three years ago we moved to Santa Clarita where we could buy a house large enough for our three foster kids. The problem is that one of our foster children is having real problems adjusting to life in the family’s new home. Can you help?
A: You’re in luck! Fifth District Supervisor, Michael Antonovich, is the only L.A. County Supervisor we've found who publishes an online Community Service Guide, and we looked everywhere for other County Supervisors with the same community outreach. [Thanks, Mike, you're on it for your constituents.]
Also, especially designed for foster care youth, check out the Steps To Independent Living website.
------
Why does the City and/or the County need the 2 Late 4 Time Out web portal? Because one road cannot serve the transportation needs of any thriving city. Nor can one website serve the needs of all who seek answers.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
A Loud Open Letter To L.A. City Hall
[Note: Since no one in City Hall has written me back, I thought I'd share this sarcastic letter with the rest of the virtual world. If I'm gonna whistle in the dark, it might as well be as loud as I can.]
----
Dear L.A. Elected Official & City Hall Personnel:
I read the L.A. Times article, "Miles to Go for L.A. Justice" juxtaposed against the Daily News piece, "L.A. proposed anti-gang tax taking its hits," which points out that right now there is no cap on this expenditure and it is exclusively a property tax.
If you'll take a couple of minutes to read the Daily News article you'll see a number of things Councilmember Janice Hahn doesn't mention in her news release. Excuse me, but gangs are every one's problem, not just property owners. Do you really think that in November, voters (who are fed up with pouring money into studies that chastise and programs that are microscopic or programs that fail altogether) will stand for this?
Please consider that nearly 1:5 homeowners in our city are in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure. [Let's throw some more straw on that fire, Mrs. O'Leary!]
Game over. It's time for change! A new strategy. A new way to think. This is the 21st Century, yau'll. We don't need another meeting to discuss where we're going to hold the next meeting. We are living in a very real paperless, virtual world. Councilmember Hahn is among other city officials who have not had the courtesy to respond to various e-mails sent to them regarding building the world's first all inclusive, user-friendly, Juvenile and Criminal Justice Internet portal.
Here's the prototype: 2 Late 4 Time Out, and an earlier version of 2 Late 4 Time Out, in the open-source format. [It's cumbersome, I'll certainly admit, but just click on the illustration of a kid in chains and enter as a "Guest."] Here, you'll find 10-years research and tons of very original content. While the City continues to search for effective ways to reduce crime, I would suggest to you that one way is right under their white linen napkins.
Following this e-mail I am forwarding you an e-mail sample of our one-way communication with Ms. Hahn and other City officials. Perhaps you can help me answer these questions:
Does the city re-e-e-e-ally want to reduce the violence in our communities; are they really trying to save our youth, or is the objective to have law enforcement, Department of Rec. and Parks and the Community Development Department dole out the money to programs they see fit or find worthy? What happens if you've got a program that is wonderful and worthy, like Mama Hill's Help, Inc., but it hasn't been anointed by the departments with the money? [Can you say bankruptcy, foreclosure and poverty, anyone???]
To Councilmember Hahn's invitation, "Come One, Come All!!!," I say to you, with all due respects, lip-service paid to this pandemic is not service. ["Good job, Brownie."] Certainly if we are going to pay for it, we, the people, deserve and need more. Can we do better? It is my sincere belief that "Yes We Can."
Yours in humility and service,
Valerie Shaw, M.PR
Youth & Gang Violence Consultant
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Dear L.A. Elected Official & City Hall Personnel:
I read the L.A. Times article, "Miles to Go for L.A. Justice" juxtaposed against the Daily News piece, "L.A. proposed anti-gang tax taking its hits," which points out that right now there is no cap on this expenditure and it is exclusively a property tax.
If you'll take a couple of minutes to read the Daily News article you'll see a number of things Councilmember Janice Hahn doesn't mention in her news release. Excuse me, but gangs are every one's problem, not just property owners. Do you really think that in November, voters (who are fed up with pouring money into studies that chastise and programs that are microscopic or programs that fail altogether) will stand for this?
Please consider that nearly 1:5 homeowners in our city are in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure. [Let's throw some more straw on that fire, Mrs. O'Leary!]
Game over. It's time for change! A new strategy. A new way to think. This is the 21st Century, yau'll. We don't need another meeting to discuss where we're going to hold the next meeting. We are living in a very real paperless, virtual world. Councilmember Hahn is among other city officials who have not had the courtesy to respond to various e-mails sent to them regarding building the world's first all inclusive, user-friendly, Juvenile and Criminal Justice Internet portal.
Here's the prototype: 2 Late 4 Time Out, and an earlier version of 2 Late 4 Time Out, in the open-source format. [It's cumbersome, I'll certainly admit, but just click on the illustration of a kid in chains and enter as a "Guest."] Here, you'll find 10-years research and tons of very original content. While the City continues to search for effective ways to reduce crime, I would suggest to you that one way is right under their white linen napkins.
Following this e-mail I am forwarding you an e-mail sample of our one-way communication with Ms. Hahn and other City officials. Perhaps you can help me answer these questions:
Does the city re-e-e-e-ally want to reduce the violence in our communities; are they really trying to save our youth, or is the objective to have law enforcement, Department of Rec. and Parks and the Community Development Department dole out the money to programs they see fit or find worthy? What happens if you've got a program that is wonderful and worthy, like Mama Hill's Help, Inc., but it hasn't been anointed by the departments with the money? [Can you say bankruptcy, foreclosure and poverty, anyone???]
To Councilmember Hahn's invitation, "Come One, Come All!!!," I say to you, with all due respects, lip-service paid to this pandemic is not service. ["Good job, Brownie."] Certainly if we are going to pay for it, we, the people, deserve and need more. Can we do better? It is my sincere belief that "Yes We Can."
Yours in humility and service,
Valerie Shaw, M.PR
Youth & Gang Violence Consultant
Monday, March 31, 2008
All I Need To Know About Life I Learned From Trees*
· It’s important to have roots.
· In today’s complex world, it pays to branch out.
· Don’t pine away over old flames.
· If you really believe in something, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb.
· Be flexible so you don’t break when a harsh wind blows.
· Sometimes you have to shed your old bark in order to grow.
· If you want to maintain accurate records, keep a log.
· To be politically correct, don’t wear firs.
· Grow where you’re planted.
· It’s perfectly okay to be a late bloomer.
· Avoid people who would like to cut you down.
· Get all spruced up when you have a hot date.
· If the party gets boring, just leaf.
· You can’t hide your true colors as you approach the autumn of your life.
· It’s more important to be honest than poplar.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The New Multi-Billion-Dollar Green Economy Leaves Minorities in the Red, Creating Eco-Apartheid
Global climate change is a process—not an event—that our children will inherit and live with throughout the 21st Century. Spawning a new nomenclature, lifestyle, culture and economy, it is imperative that concepts like alternative energy, ecosystems and biological agri-science are included as integral parts of today’s progressive instructional curriculum.
But are they?
According to a highly critical article by Van Jones, President of Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, “Green is rapidly becoming the new gold. The LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability) sector is growing like crazy: It was a $229 billion piece of the US economy in 2006. …But unfortunately, the LOHAS sector is probably the most racially segregated part of the US economy — in terms of its customers, owners and employees. Changing that could create better health, more jobs and increased wealth for communities that need all three.”*
Not only are blacks and browns not a part of the new green economy, they are the consummate uninformed consumers, or, as one environmentalist stated, they are “eco-parasites.”
According to the Department of Health Services, County of Los Angeles, “Food insecurity, defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods…” is experienced by “22% of lower income households (defined …as 300% of the federal poverty level…. This equates to over 400,000 households with food insecurity, of which 141,000 included someone who had experienced hunger in the past year.”
Jones writes, “The climate crisis is galloping from the margins of geek science to the epicenter of our politics, culture and economics. As the new environmentalists advance, only two questions remain: whom will they take with them? And whom will they leave behind?”
I couldn’t have said it better, but I just want to add that where there is a will there is definitely a way. Previous generations have produced innovators and inventors of color who contributed greatly to society in spite of all odds. Slave-born George Washington Carver taught Midwest farmers how to improve soil through crop rotation, invented over 300 products that could be developed from peanuts, and 115 uses for the sweet potato. Victor Ochoa, a Mexican revolutionary, invented the Ochoaplane, a precursor to the modern helicopter. In the late 1990s, Mexican-American Victor Celorio, patented the "Instabook Maker" a technology that now allows e-book publishers to print electronic books offline, cheaply and quickly.
With an emphasis on standardization in traditional public schools, this century’s inventors will most undoubtedly come from small, personalized high-performance schools that celebrate innovation and support individual achievement and from communities that support their efforts.
How can the new Green Economy be introduced to tomorrow’s leaders and innovators within the highest need communities, to those youngsters least apt to study or practice environmentalism at home or in school?
Here’s just one simple idea: With time restraints and set and structured classroom activities, vermicomposting (harvesting worm castings out of table scraps and other organic products) can increase awareness of vital environmental issues and provide a setting for the ideal after school, home or weekend project that can blossom into much, much more. Vermicomposting is, indeed, earth science studies from the ground up!
But that’s just one idea. Just one!!! This is a multi-billion-dollar industry whose time has come and there are a thousand ideas that can evolve the science that haven’t been discovered yet. The question remains, will our black and brown inner city youngsters be able to capitalize on the new green economy? With our help, the answer is “Yes They Can.”
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For more on Green Collar Jobs, follow the writings of Van Jones, civil- and eco-rights pioneer.
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