Teaching is one of those professions that most people—unless they have done it—have no clue how hard it is. Teachers are the favorite whipping boys of parents, other professionals, and now politicians. Since politicians seem to be the most vocal about their expectations from overworked, overburdened, and under-appreciated teachers, perhaps they should be held to the same standards they demand for them.
See also: “A Congress We Can Work With” and “The Most Honest 3 & A Half Minutes On Television”
As we observe “religious” politicians, religious fundamentalists blowing themselves up in the “name of “God,’” and self-professed “righteous” individuals proclaim to “speak for ‘God,’” a great argument could be made that religious fundamentalism is a form of mental illness.
See: “Religion & Politics, Part 1” and “Religion & Politics, Conclusion”
As much as some people would like to think that sexually-suggestive dancing is “harmless,” there are just some aspects of our current pop culture that forces us to throw modesty and self-respect to the wind. One of those things is the dance craze called “twerking,” something any self-respecting parents would not want to see their daughters perform (but have no problem watching adult women make a fool out of themselves doing it). And then we wonder why our kids’ sense of self-respect is in the gutter….
See: ”Did That Internet Father Who Spanked His Daughters Go Too Far?”
The problem with the (revised) DSM is that it pathologizes many aspects of human behavior that are learned rather “acquired” like in the case of a true (i.e., organic) mental disorder. Calling temper tantrums (“Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder”) and childhood defiance (“Oppositional Defiance Disorder”) disorders not only cripples mental health as a bonafide and defensible medical field, but allows kids (and their parents) an “out” in justifying their negative behavior…this absolves both kids and parents of personal responsibility. What do you think?
See: “ADHD, ODD, & Other Assorted Bull****!” and “ What American Parents Can Learn From The French…”
The United States is the only country in the world where the majority of people believe that healthcare is a marketable commodity, and not a basic human right or humanitarian concern. We pay highest costs for healthcare in the world, have the highest rising costs, the most uninsured people of any industrialized nation, have the highest percentage of healthcare as a part of any nation’s GDP, and STILL we believe that “The American health care system is the best in the world.” What good is having “the best” if you can’t afford it?
See also: ”Is ‘Socialized Medicine’ a Bad Thing?,” “Politics & Health Insurance - Separating BS From Reality!,” and “Affordable Health Care…Not Leftist, Just Right!”
The lesson here is with age comes both experience and wisdom. Quite often, youth is wasted on the young (See: “Bernard Hopkins Win Provides A Lesson In Life ”).
Perhaps the Tea Party and other so-called “patriots” should do a little research before claiming that they represent the Founding Fathers.
According to the upcoming revised edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (5th edition), extreme temper tantrums are now considers a clinical behavioral disorder (now recognized as “Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder-DMDD). Talk about BS…!
See: “Temper Tantrums Are Now “Disorder” (…or, “Are You S***ting Me?”)”
Comedians like Chris Rock are excellent observers of the absurd, especially when it comes to politics and social policies. Most of us tend to identify with our sociopolitical beliefs BEFORE when actually weight the merits of an argument. That is, we’ve made up our minds about an issue BEFORE hearing the issue by rejecting an idea because it goes against the ideologies we hold dear. STOP MAKING UP YOUR MINDS BEFORE YOU’VE HEARD BOTH SIDES OF AN ISSUE!
See also: “Why I’m Not A Democrat…or Republican” and “How To Fake A Political Issue (And Act “Outraged”)…”
