It’s time to teach “ethics” in schools…again

Some 30-40 years ago, a certain Cabal of Intellectuals decided to prohibit teachers from teaching “ethics” to their students. You know, the personal qualities that set one above what some refer to as the common herd. A sea of renegades you can see so evident in Today’s world. By the term “herd” I think they mean those who are unethical, dishonest, refuse to be civil and lack character. Sadly, we need not search far and wide for examples of uncivil/unethical behavior. We need only to look at our present “professional representatives,” our own Congress, rift in unethical behavior. It’s terrible that we can’t even trust our elected officials to come down on the side of “ethical, professional representation” deserving of the public trust. Not so long ago, in the not-so-distant-past, we as a People could count on our professional sect – white collar workers and elected officials – to hold themselves to a higher standard than the average citizen. They are role models, after all. This aforementioned Cabal of Intellectuals, be it academic, military or governmental, seemed bent on socially engineering a population of unruly renegades worthy of containment, worthy of imprisonment, internment or martial law in order to facilitate seizing complete control over us plus our precious land and resources. Fleece us, if you will. And sadly, we need not look for some future catastrophic event to put this dastardly scenario into effect.  We are this scenario – now.

Think about it. What would you imagine need be done to bring about complete control of a population? What need be done aside from taking away from the People their jobs, their homes, any semblance of a secure future?

That select Cabal of Intellectuals had a plan, a set of strategies to take down the intellect, reasoning powers and critical thinking faculties of the People, a dumbing-down principle, in affect, so People would be easier to control, corral in, manipulate and exploit for their own purposes.

So what can we do? you might be thinking in disgust. I offer this – educate yourself. Find out what you’re an heir to – left to you by those who fought so hard for your freedom and your right to be left alone. Familiarize yourself with self-empowering documents – like our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Then, educate others.

Insist, as parents, that schools teach our children how to be good, upstanding, ethical citizens with knowledge and information to ensure they become pillars of our communities; able to guide others into “good practices” applied to every good endeavor.

We need to lift our children up to their full potential. We need to imbue them with high standards of personal conduct, truthfulness, honesty, and the rewards that come from public service, fair & equal treatment for Everyone, and reverence for every living creature.

How else can we stem the onslaught of indifference, complacency, cruel & unusual behavior that is evident every where we look? The antisocial & psychotic behavior in our “professional” ranks – like doctors and health care workers who molest and rape their patients? Or, high-level managers who steal and lie their way into personal riches? The despicable behavior of our governing bodies?

We hold the future in our hands – now! We are the future! We are the oil that greases the upcoming Machine which is our children who will be the next governing body. They will decide what “we” are to “them,” what means of employment will be available to us, what services they will provide to the needy & poor, what laws will be enforced and how we will be punished for breaking them. Our children will be responsible for our future care as senior citizens. With these things in mind, you can see why it’s imperative that we raise up compassionate, decent, upright, honest and ethical children – they are our greatest and most important resource!

Why develop “character”?

Character draws admiration to us like a magnet. It’s because there’s not enough of it in the world and those who have it look like brilliant balls of light. Much like why there is death: it makes life more precious. A beneficial but scarce commodity is always prized. Something of value, like personal character, is well sought out, and snapped up quickly. Imagine everyone thinking of themselves as having value to the whole of society, yet retaining their own individuality.  One teacher of character can turn out into society 30 people of character. One high school of character can turn loose as many as 1,000 almost-adults into a community. One family of character can turn loose into the world a Toby Tanser, Jason McElwain, Talia Leman, Craig Kielburger, John-Henry Lambin, Suzie Tipton, Melissa Poe or Sabriye Tenberken.

A person of character is:

• A good person, someone to look up to and admire.
• Knows the difference between right and wrong, and always tries to do what is right.
• Sets a good example for everyone.
• Makes the world a better place.
• Lives according to the Six Pillars of Character*:

-Trustworthiness
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Fairness
- Caring
- Citizenship

*Six Pillars of Character

New York Philharmonic: Music as diplomacy

The New York Philharmonic held a concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, and broadcast live on North Korean TV to be heard well beyond the 2,500 elitists in the theater. Will this concert that yielded three encores and had some musicians leaving the stage in tears over this monumental moment, produce warmer ties between North Korea and the U.S.?

I, for one, believe music is the universal language that everyone understands and can soften the heart often hardened by discontent, misunderstanding and even the vagaries of cold relations between countries. “The U.S. and North Korea found common ground in concert Tuesday that spanned American and Korean musical traditions,” according to an AP article. The final encore was the traditional folk song “Arirang” which was received with enthusiastic applause; a piece that’s often used as a reunification anthem at cordial events between North and South Korea.

Music director Lorin Maazel, after the performance said, “We may have been instrumental in opening a little door.” Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry attended the performance and called it a “historic moment” while reminiscing how close the U.S. and North Korea came to war in 1994 over North Korea’s nuclear program. Perry opined, “This might just have pushed us over the top” in finding a way to get past the recent tension between the two countries, and he would like to see Washington reciprocate by inviting North Korean performers here.

Music really is a prime example of soft power in diplomacy. Music is magical and can serve as an ice-breaker in warming relations between people, as well as nations. Maybe music should be used more in the role of peacemaker. Do you think this classical concert will yield warmer ties between our country and North Koreans?

Piero Forni, peacemaker, founder of Civility Project

Make peace person to person, then nation to nation. That’s what Piero Massimo Forni, founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, believes. He sees being considerate as the foundation for everything from the environmental movement to women’s rights. He’s talking manners, courtesy, etiquette, and civility.

Forni’s book, “Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct” talks about the soft power of politeness. Forni’s philosophy of politness has given birth to many programs on politeness and civility, one such program is the Howard County Library’s refrigerator magnets “Choose Civility” featured below.

As a result of Forni’s efforts to get the word out about civility through talks, newspaper columns, radio and TV appearances, similar programs have been established in Minnesota, Ohio and Florida.

In the mid-1990’s, uncivil behavior became evident to Forni. (This is the same time-period when I noticed the increasing rudeness of drivers in the Northern Virginia area. I wrote Letters to the Editor and made numerous stops at the Reston Police Department imploring them to take action on the rude driver problem before it became unmanageable. They might not remember me, but I’m sure my words still ring in their ears. They didn’t listen, and Road Rage ensued, its name coined to give a term identifying the new ugly-thinking, rude, and belligerent behaviors.) This rude behavior spilled over into other areas as well; store clerks, restaurant help, phone callers, office receptionists. It showed up in TV shows and movies which, in turn, affected school children. The Era of Rude had been born.

This Era of Rude didn’t die. In fact, it has grown to monster size – and shows no sign of ailing, withering, or death rattle.

If you’re wondering what civility and manners have to do with the disintegration of polite society and increase in violence, here’s what Dr. Forni has to say about it:

“Acts of violence are often the result of an exchange of acts of rudeness that spiral out of control. Disrespect can lead to bloodshed. By keeping the levels of incivility down we keep the levels of violence down…. If we teach youngsters in all walks of life how to manage conflict with civility-based relational skills, we will have a less uncivil society, a less violent one.” (emphasis mine)

Here’s some tips on how Forni puts the fires of discord out:

1. Use unchallenging “I statements” during encounters.
2. Workers who bring problems to Supervisors should also bring solutions.
3. After asking politely for someone to stop annoying behavior, turn and stare at person until bad behavior stops.
4. Using good manners are good for us because they help us manage our relationships.
5. Congeniality and consideration for others can decrease cardiovascular
and high blood pressure problems.
6. When Man notices the deterioration of civility, he can take a hand in making it better.

You can read the rest of the article in The Christian Science Monitor here.