The Honest Truth On...

  2012 Election Results

      My heart is heavy. I know some people are elated over the results of last night’s election, I for one am not. And I think most of America is there with me. I have many questions running through my mind as to how it could have gone the way it did. I don’t think, after the past four years, Americans envisioned voting the 43^rd president back into office. This was my first time voting in a presidential election, and I am mourning over what I believed occurred. I thought I lived in the United States of America, the nation of freedom, prosperity, and opportunity. Where we as citizens have our voices heard and are properly represented by our votes, beliefs, and values. I thought I lived in a nation that was opposed to corruption, cheating, and secrets. After last night I realized I live in a nation that engages in these activities, and I live in a nation where people are naïve enough to believe the lie.

     As a part of Generation Y (or Z) I don’t have the ability to let what is occurring in our nation and economy roll off my back so easily as others. I know some in my generation are more concerned with "standing for change" or "taking back our country". I am concerned with the economic well-being and safety for our country. People have bought into cool concepts of “change” and “a new beginning”. I have bought into better concepts called jobs and freedom. I have my future ahead of me, and right now I am worried over what that future will be.

     I know in my heart that God is in control, however I am still upset. I believe that feeling is valid. Jesus didn't sit on his butt while on earth and wait for God to work. He was active. He engaged. I am taking his lead, and I am engaged in the world I live in. That is how to make a difference. My feelings over these results is not over lack of faith or trust, my feelings are, as my mom so aptly described it with C.S. Lewis' Narnia in mind, the longing for spring when it is always winter but never Christmas. My heavy heart is due to the ache for spring.


"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
              - 2 Timothy 4:3-5

The Honest Truth On...

Politics

        This is for every person, it’s for the person who wants to stick their head in the sand, or the one who wants to put their fingers in their ears and scream “I’m not listening”. Whenever election season begins people become frustrated with “all the politics”. Considering we are at the peak of this election season that frustration is at an all-time high for people. I have been hearing “all the politics” too; the debates, comments, and grumblings. I have not really forced my political views on people I know, not because I don’t care about politics because I do, but because I have never really cared for the outcome as much as I do today. I want my peers and friends to understand what politics means. It is not some dirty word to bring a bad taste in your mouth, it's not fighting, or even synonymous with lying. It is the change in our lives, and let me explain how.

        First things first, I don’t care what you say about your vote not counting. It does. And if you don’t vote in elections you have no business, no business complaining about what happens to our country. You had your chance to choose the person to best represent your morals, ideas, and views and you passed it up. So if you care one iota, vote.

      I also want to address those who don’t really believe the issues people are grumbling about or the legislation that is passed really affects us. Think for a moment on the legal changes that our country has made since its begun…

The Sherman Antitrust Act - passed in 1890, was the first federal antitrust law and is the source of all American antimonopoly laws. It was designed to protect consumers from large corporations that were using unscrupulous means to raise prices artificially.

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916- banned the sale of products from any factory, shop, or cannery that employed children under the age of 14, from any mine that employed children under the age of 16, and from any facility that had children under the age of 16 work at night or for more than 8 hours during the day.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964- prohibited segregation in public places, terminating Jim Crow laws in the South. It also outlawed segregation in businesses, required the integration of schools, eliminated unequal voter registration requirements, and prohibited employment discrimination. The law was a significant step toward equal treatment of both blacks and women in the United States.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act -passed in 1967, is a wide-ranging law that protects workers age 40 or older from employment discrimination.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act - passed in 1978, amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting workplace discrimination based on pregnancy. It also requires employers who offer health insurance to provide coverage for pregnancy-related health needs.

       Many of these have been adjusted since they first became legislation. Here are a few other examples of major changes…

13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution- in 1865, this amendment officially abolished slavery in the United States. It passed the Senate on April 8, 1864 and after some political struggle, it made it through the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865.

 14th Amendment of the U.S Constitution- contained three major terms; The Citizenship Clause granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, The Due Process Clause declared that states may not deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law.", and finally The Equal Protection Clause which said that a state may not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. This amendment marked a significant shift in the way the Constitution was applied in America, and it is cited in more court cased than any other.

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution- granted women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a long and difficult struggle, spanning generations of lobbying efforts and protests by supporters of women’s suffrage.

     All of these were issues that were debated, commented on, and grumbled about. As a matter of fact, people struggled with making these changes, some of which lasted for generations. Think about how much these changes have affected our country, people, and specifically, your life. Think about where you would be if these changes did not happen, if the people did not struggle and fight over it. This stuff matters, and usually it's the stuff that matters that you have to fight for.

     Also, let us be thankful we have the ability to voice our opinions in political issues. I know it can become annoying and frustrating, however consider the blessing of being able to say you agree or disagree with issues or candidates. In some countries people have been killed for this... or even less.

     There are certain issues that have caused people to pause before they mentally fill in the circle next to a candidate. Personally, I am not letting myself get hung up over one, or even two issues that a candidate and I don’t totally agree on. Why? Let’s face it, I am never going to completely 100% agree with any candidate because they are human beings. They are not perfect. Jesus Christ himself would have to run for presidency in order for me to be able to completely agree with a candidate on every single issue we face today. So it is time to buck up and pick the worthiest candidate to best represent yourself and our country.

     Yes, I am very conservative. I am not totally content with the candidates to choose from, but I have to make a choice. I honestly believe some candidates have harmful intentions (they may not think so… or they may) and I believe some have good intentions. I stand behind one.

      Let me touch on the “certain issues” topic. We live in tough times. We live in a Babylon (a culture filled with sin, immorality, and wrongdoing). There are some issues that I believe can be addressed by our president and legislators, and there are some issues that can’t. I honestly believe because we live in such times there are some issues I know will only be changed by an act of God, not legislation. And I do not take these issues lightly. I will repeat myself, I do not take these issues lightly. Why? Because one of the most discussed issues today has had an impact on me and my family. However, I understand we live in a worldly culture, and I trust God will work it out in the end. The question to consider is whether you can vote for the candidate that will represent your beliefs on issues that can be changed today, tomorrow, or in the next four years.

The Honest Truth...

                                                        On Loving The Beach

     

        I write to you all in a post-memorial day sunburn. I’m pretty okay about it considering it was that or working. The reason I love going to the beach is not just for some good old vitamin D, I like to people watch. The beach is one of the best places to people watch. So while I was lying out on the sand (okay not literally on the sand, I was on a blanket) I was looking at all the people enjoying our beautiful lakeshore. A Pocahontas and a Sacagawea chilling their feet in the lake while sporting some snazzy aviators, a small army of children building a civilization out of sand, and three boys of various ages in matching swimsuits chasing waves... and each other. Just to name a few. There were also many families and young couples enjoying the combination of the warm sunshine and cool lake.

       

      While I observed these people I thought to myself, gosh I love the beach. And then I realized, while lying there surrounded mostly by people on vacation, is how they view the beach. My beach. They are already sun kissed from spending spring break in Florida or Cancun and have already punched in more boat voyages this spring than I have in the past decade. I am pasty white because it has only been warm enough this past week to don the swim apparel and brave the windy shore. Bronzed and ready, they wander Lake Michigan beach and they probably say they love the beach too. As I lay blending in with the white sand, I watch them and think of the last time I was at this beach…

     

      The last time I was at Lake Michigan beach we had just had the worst snow storm in five years (to my knowledge). The power was out for thousands of people for over a week. The Sunday following this storm some friends of mine and my brothers decided to walk to the beach. It was freezing. Even being bundled in a hoodie, winter coat, scarf, hat, gloves, and boots one couldn’t fight the frigid air. The pier was fully covered in ice. I mean… it looked like ice was beginning to take over the earth with how it was frozen along the handrails, across the cement, and up the legs of the lighthouse. The beach itself was covered in snow with drifts twelve feet high from the wind off the lake. The shoreline was visible with stones exposed to anyone brave enough to reach into the arctic water to retrieve one. The indigo trees along the beach were burdened with snow. But the beach was also empty and deserted, nobody was brave enough to venture out and discover what it has to offer when it’s cold and cloudy. They don’t know how beautiful it is in the winter. But shhhh! Don’t tell them. It’s our secret.

      

      Laying in the sand and watching what I would consider “beach people”, I realized who the true beach people really are. They are the ones who visit the beach not just when it’s warm and happy, but when it’s cold too. Those are the people who truly love the beach. Being out on the beach hunting rocks in during the winter even when you are numb throughout your whole body… that’s loving the beach. Not just when it’s sunny and it will get you a tan. Loving the beach means loving it during the good times and the “bad”. Love means summer and winter.  

The Honest Truth...

On Being an English Tutor

       I do not write perfectly. I will not have all the answers. And I definitely will not guarantee you a good grade. I will help you. I will be honest about your work. And I will like your story.

      

       One of the things I have noticed after being a tutor the past two semesters is how much people doubt their work. Yes, many of them actually have a lot of work to do to be on par with what society expects as far as writing skills or capabilities. However, what they seem to forget is everyone has room to improve. Even authors don’t get it right the first time, that’s why there are editors out there. Even the editors miss things, and I know this because I have seen so many errors and typos while reading a book it’s scary. So, who is to say your first draft is crap. It probably is. Most everyone’s is. All of mine are. That’s why we have drafts.  

       

        Why are people surprised when they hear me say I don’t write perfectly? I mean, I do write better than them (I hope so since I’m the one tutoring…) but who is to say that means my first drafts are perfect? They are total crap. That’s why I write another draft! Honestly, I am usually too ashamed of my crappy first draft to even show up in class with it, so most of the time (okay every time) I show up with my second draft… or third. Writing is a process. I know students look at an assignment and calculate about three drafts per paper; first draft, then peer edits on the first draft resulting in a rewrite (second draft), then a conference with the teacher which means another rewrite (third draft). Whew. That’s a lot of work for one paper, right? Piifffft. By the time I turn my papers in they are at least a draft five. Because writing is a process, it’s not a switch. I’m here because I made the effort on my papers whereas most students don’t. But that doesn’t mean I write perfectly. Just ask my mom…

     

       I am not a citation machine. I am not School House Rock. I am not a thesis sentence or creative title guru. I will not have all the answers. I can help you find the right way to cite something. I pray every day you don’t make me think about comma splices or conjunction functions. I will not write your thesis sentence or come up with your title. I think a thesis sentence just takes some thinking, and I know you can do that. If you are sitting by me asking for help on your paper, you obviously have a paper written. So, all you need to do is read your own flippin’ paper and sum it up in one sentence. What are you trying to say? I am not going to put those words in your mouth. It’s the mission for your paper. Your paper. Not mine. So it is your mission, it is your thesis. That ties right in with why I will not give you a magic title for your paper. If you ask me I will say some fluffy nonsense about how I believe the author and only the author should be the one to title their own work. Because… I kinda believe it.   

       

         Just because you show up and get help does not mean you will get 100% on your paper. Ultimately it is up to you to put in the effort and make the changes to your paper that I suggest. If you walk in and your paper was likely to be graded as, say, a C- then coming in does not mean you will receive an A. You will, however, save yourself from getting that C-.

      

         Honestly, I do love helping people improve their work. I love the fact that I get to be a part of the process of saving another student from a poor grade. I will be honest when I read your paper. Yes, having your paper read by your friends and family is helpful, but I am an objective reader and that is going to help you the best. So when I am confused by a sentence or suggest a different word choice, it is nothing personal, it is so the next reader can understand and enjoy your paper to its fullest.

        

         What I love the most about tutoring English is the stories. Most of them are very personal, because writing is personal. If you watch movies and say to yourself “stuff like this doesn’t actually happen though!” you are wrong. I have said that to myself so many times, but now I know I was wrong. People’s lives are like the movies. I’m not kidding. If you actually get a glimpse into a person’s real story like I have then you would realize this. I didn’t think people’s lives were like that because mine isn’t. If my life was a movie or show it would be I Love Lucy or something. I am constantly making mistakes and messing up funny little stuff and I can hear the laughter because usually it’s my own. But if you watch movies and think human trafficking, dropping out of high school, or teenage drug abuse doesn’t happen… well, let’s just say you are wrong. I’ve read too many stories that prove otherwise. What has been confirmed to me is, when I walk around and see people at the college, or anywhere, I should have compassion for them. I know not every person has a crazy story, but I bet most of them do. So I should show some compassion because… if Jesus would, I should.