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by Richard L. Weaver II
There is no doubt that a democratic government exists to serve the people and democracies grant many freedoms to their citizens, but when you talk to some people it seems they like the rights they are given but, somehow, tend to downplay or not mention at all, the responsibilities. When you recognize the time and hard work involved in being part of a democracy, however, it is no wonder that the responsibilities often go unvoiced.
Much of the information in this essay comes from a web site, “Principles of Democracy,” and an essay there, Citizen Responsibilities, sponsored by International Information Programs.
Some of the responsibilities of citizens of democracies are clear simply because we face them on a regular basis. For example, respecting the law, paying taxes, accepting the authority of the elected government, and respecting those who have points of view that differ from our own, are some of these. These are clarified, obviously, when we see law enforcement officers, receive the tax forms from the government, see and hear our elected officials in action, and enter a discussion with someone from an opposing political party.
Many people take the democracy we live in for granted. That is, they seldom give it a second thought. Why? Because they were born and raised under its banner. They didn’t choose it; it was always there. That is why it is sometimes said that converts make the strongest believers because they choose what they want to believe, and when their choice is made, they give all their heart and soul to their newly held belief. How many people do you know who were born into a democracy and give all their heart and soul to it? Perhaps that’s too much to ask.
That only a few who live in a democracy participate is not new. According to Wikipedia, in Ancient Greece, “Of the 250,000 inhabitants only some 30,000 on average were citizens. Of those 30,000 perhaps 5,000 might regularly attend one or more meetings of the popular Assembly.”
What if elected officials in a democracy suddenly said, “Unless you [citizens] bear the burden of the democracy you live in [in obvious and manifest ways], you will not benefit from the protection of your rights?” Oh, I know it’s preposterous, but can you imagine the ramifications of such a move? Perhaps there would be an explosion of selfless service, volunteerism, joining of political parties, people running for office, letters to the editor by those speaking out on local and national issues, service on juries, joining of labor unions, community groups, and business associations, joining of the military, and an upheaval of those dissenting and criticizing their government — especially raising objections to such an absurd requirement.
If there was one, single, individual requirement I would make for all those who live in a democratic society, it would be to be informed. True democracy demands it. In August, 2008, Bill Maher said to Larry King (and has repeated several times since), “I often think they [Americans] are too dumb to be governed.” Having lived in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) for one year of my life, I contend that there are a number of societies in the world that cannot, and are unlikely to ever be, true democracies — much to the chagrin of some in government. The simple fact is that democracies require an informed populace. An interesting question, of course, is, “How fast are we in the U.S. moving in that direction?” Or, are we already there? It’s a question worth pondering.
The problem is that democracies require more than just an occasional vote from its citizens to remain healthy. It may well be that the lack of steady attention, time, and commitment from many people has resulted in where we are today and what we have. I’m not saying that it did, but I would contend that with greater information, more informed (and perhaps better) choices would and could be made. No election should turn on one or two issues alone.
“The number one job of a citizen is voting in elections,” it says at “What is a citizen’s job? This essay continues, “Voting is the best check we have against tyranny in the government and incompetent politicians. If your Congressman is supporting abortion and you do not like it, vote him out. If your Senator wants to increase the power of the I.R.S. and you do not agree, vote him out. If the president cannot keep his pants on, and you do not think it is appropriate, vote him out. In the end it is the vote that makes politicians accountable. And, if you want to vote, the first thing to do is register. Today, this can even be done on-line through the American Voters Coalition and through M.T.V.’s Rock the Vote campaign. These two sites are not only a place to register but centers for the next job of a citizen — not just voting, but voting intelligently.”
I thought Wikipedia’s explanation of democracy is not only excellent, but the way this paragraph quoted from that makes the case for the importance of voting supports the point of this essay. “There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their citizens than others. However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated to avoid an uneven distribution of political power with balances such as the separation of powers, then a branch of the system of rule is able to accumulate power in a way that is harmful to democracy itself. The ‘majority rule’ is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without responsible government it is possible for the rights of a minority to be abused by the ‘tyranny of the majority.’ An essential process in representative democracies are competitive elections, that are fair both substantively and procedurally. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests."
Should we vote? Of course. But, also, we should be interested in giving all classes of citizens a full and equal right to vote as well. Federal elections should be national holidays, or, as in many European nations, extend over a weekend, as John Buell explains in his essay, Protecting Democracy in a Lame Duck Congress.
At the web site of the International Information Programs, in Chapter 12, “Rights of the People,” presents in excellent essay on “The Right to Vote,” which first presents the contents of the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, then presents the entire history and background of this essential and important right. This is an excellent and informative web site.
The web site of Vote Utah, at their “Learning Booth,” they have material on “Citizen Rights” that includes explanations of our freedom of religion, freedom of the speech, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble. Also, they explain the right to petition and additional freedoms as well as the rights of Black Americans and the rights of all Americans. The information is succinct and easy to digest.
Copyright And Then Some Publishing, LLC 2008
Last Thursday, October 23, 2008, we had a 12 hour "blip" in our blog service. There was an error on our end which was remedied as quickly as possible. And Then Some Publishing LLC apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.
There was some great news, however, that occurred on the same day. While waiting for the blog to come back, Richard L. Weaver II, PhD, shot 10 more videos. Yep, ten more videos! We will be releasing the new videos over the next few weeks so stay tuned to all our websites: publicspeaking rules.com and yourulescaution.com as well as andthensomeworks.com
Thursday’s essay, “The message citizens don’t want to hear,” is the third of three essays designed specifically for this presidential election period.
Share your And Then Some Link about citizenship. What are your thoughts about it? Have you taken an active part in our society? Can you tell us in what capacity you have been involved, if you have? With respect to citizenship, what would be your message(s) to citizens? Can you share any tips, stories, or suggestions regarding citizen responsibilities? We would love to hear your story. Do you have a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone you just know from a distance who has been an involved and active citizen? Link us to your story...
Click here to LINK your And Then Some storyThursday's And Then Some Essay preview
The message citizens don’t want to hear
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
If there was one, single, individual requirement I would make for all those who live in a democratic society, it would be to be informed. True democracy demands it. In August, 2008, Bill Maher said to Larry King (and has repeated several times since), “I often think they [Americans] are too dumb to be governed.” Having lived in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) for one year of my life, I contend that there are a number of societies in the world that cannot, and are unlikely to ever be, true democracies — much to the chagrin of some in government. The simple fact is that democracies require an informed populace. An interesting question, of course, is, “How fast are we in the U.S. moving in that direction?” Or, are we already there? It’s a question worth pondering.
And Then Some Works - see you THURSDAY!!
by Richard L. Weaver II
It doesn’t come as a surprise that people, in general, prefer entertainment over almost any other choice, and when it comes to speeches, entertainment over substance. One reason Ronald Reagan was considered a great speaker was because he told great stories — and people connect with stories. Sarah Palin’s speech at the Republican convention went over well because she connected with the people, and her story of the difference between a soccer mom and a pit bull has been repeated and remembered by most everyone. The difference? Lipstick.
People have never been good at detecting issues (substance) in speeches no matter the length, speaker, or situation. It happens in the academic environment, too. A short survey I conducted in a class of over 300 second-year students showed they prefer an entertaining instructor who did not know his or her material well to a knowledgeable one who delivered material in a dry manner.
Stories, laugh lines, one-liners, and cute phrases capture attention, hold interest, and make the evening news. Entertainment sells; however, should that be a criterion, even a minor one, for a candidate running for president? Obtaining the highest office should not be a laughing matter.
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A question to both presidential candidates on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric caught my attention. Asked if they would ever lie to the American people, both said, “Never.” Of course, what could they say when asked directly, only in my advertisements? Why is it they are willing to support advertisements during the presidential race that lie to the American people? And they end each ad saying, “I’m John McCain [Barack Obama], and I approve this message.”
I fully realize that presidential campaigns have never been genteel debates over policy disagreements. What is troubling is that both candidates promised that this would be a better campaign composed of more substantive discussions, and yet both have given in to the same imperatives that turned other campaigns ugly. They have abandoned honest attacks for distortion and outright falsehoods. The candidates won’t lie, but they will allow it in their ads?
The problem is that advertising works, and the candidates know it. My wife and I were on a “great rivers” cruise during the last presidential election (George W. Bush vs. John Kerry), and we were seated in the dining room talking with an ex-military man and his wife about the election. To support his vote for George W. Bush, the fellow repeated, almost verbatim, ideas he had gleaned from the swift-boat advertisements. To him, a former military man, the swift-boat ads proved the illegitimacy of John Kerry’s credentials and, thus, his candidacy. It shocked us that someone actually took those ads seriously, believed exactly what they said, and used the information from them as part of their own belief system.
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It’s emotion over logic, passion over rationality, and fervor and fervency over wisdom and good sense. This is a fundamental for some! There are people who vote based on emotion, passion, and fervor. If it isn’t what they themselves feel passionate about, it is the passion created at the decision-making moment — whether by a candidate, a misstep, an advertisement, or the media. This is especially true for those who haven’t made up their minds (or say they haven’t), and it can be that it is some small, truly insignificant item that tips the emotional balance.
This isn’t the case of being democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, a religious fundamentalist or otherwise where the choice of candidates is and has been clear for some time. These people are not those who swing elections one way or the other. They don’t need to listen to the candidates, absorb the advertising, read new information, or become better informed. In some cases they are simply bored by the entire process because their mind is made up.
It is the swing voters and independents (sometimes one and the same) who have no solid, identifiable allegiances who give credibility to last-minute emotion, passion, and fervor. It is the responsibility of voters to measure the sincerity, wisdom, undertone, and truth factor of the sound bites and advertisements designed to bypass logic, rationality, wisdom, and good sense.
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There is something to solid consistency and evenness in disposition. When candidates appear stable and steady they come across as dependable and reliable. When candidates are full of surprises, unpredictable turns, eye-opening changes, astounding statements, and startling choices, it makes you wonder, and properly so, what their presidency will look like. Is it not a snapshot?
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It is important for citizens, if not the candidates themselves, to keep their eyes on the issues. Democracies are built on and maintained by an informed citizenry. And by keeping their eyes on the issues, citizens are able to see through the manipulation that candidates, their parties, and the media promote through their tantalizing images and promises. When the country is facing record deficits, a crumbling infrastructure, a heavy dependence on oil, lack of incentives for developing green technologies, the need for universal health care, an unnecessary war that is killing young men and costing the nation enormous sums of money, and lack of support for stem-cell research, it must be clear — every voter must realize — that solid, realistic, and practical political programs demand compromise and some kind of sacrifice from each and every one of us.
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It is important to have smart people running the government. True, it is no guarantee; nothing is. But there are advantages of having intellectuals in charge. First, they tend to surround themselves with other intellectuals --- knowledgeable, clear-headed, experienced, well-educated people. Second, they approach problems by considering alternatives, weighing possibilities, and taking time to arrive at answers. They are careful, methodical, meticulous, and thorough. Third, they are flexible and open-minded. Fourth, they are less likely to shoot-from-the-hip and make irrational, illogical, unfounded, senseless short-term decisions.
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This election is unique; the two sides are truly different. No matter where you get your information, no matter the qualities you consider important, and no matter how you choose your candidate, the fact is that there is an enormous difference between the candidates, and who gets elected will have a major effect on each and every person in this country for years to come.
At essortment.com, there is a terrific essay entitled, “Understanding the importance of voting.” The essay underscores the importance of the future president’s selection of a (or several) Supreme Court justices and the influence the selections will have as many as 40 years into the future.
“Thoughts from another country on the U.S. election process,” offers a short essay that serves as a small window into our process by someone living abroad. It is not just interesting, it is refreshing as well.
Copyright And Then Some Publishing, LLC 2008
You Rules - Caution: Contents leads to a better life! is now available at Amazon.com
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You Rules! answers the questions:
1. How do you establish the characteristics for success?
2. What are the essentials for a healthy lifestyle?
3. What methods can you use to get where you want to go?
4. How can you best exercise your creativity?
5. What can you do to maintain your program of self-improvement?
6. How do you look to a positive future?
With the answers to these questions, the guidelines offered throughout this book, your commitment and self discipline... you can obtain anything you desire in life.
Get a sneek peek into You Rules! Full chapters are available at YouRules.com. We're excited!
Thursday’s essay, “Random thoughts on the presidential election of 2008?,” is the second of three essays designed specifically for this presidential election period. It makes observations, raises questions, and offers suggestions.
Share your And Then Some Link about presidential elections. What are your random thoughts about them? Have you taken an active part in any of them above and beyond voting? Can you tell us in what capacity you have been involved, if you have? With respect to national (or state and local) elections, how would you encourage the public to become involved? What would be your message(s) to citizens? Can you share any tips, stories, or suggestions regarding politics, involvement in them, or in dealing with them in any capacity? We would love to hear your story. Do you have a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone you just know from a distance who has been involved in politics at any level? Link us to your story...
Click here to LINK your And Then Some storyThursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Random thoughts on the presidential election of 2008
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
This election is unique; the two sides are truly different. No matter where you get your information, no matter the qualities you consider important, and no matter how you choose your candidate, the fact is that there is an enormous difference between the candidates, and who gets elected will have a major effect on each and every person in this country for years to come.
And Then Some Works - see you THURSDAY!!
by Richard L. Weaver II
There are so many people and so many ideas about the qualities they want to see in a president, and, yet, it is surprising how often judgment about who they would vote for often comes down to a single item. For example, some will say, “I come from a Republican family; I was raised as a Republican; I will vote Republican [no matter who the candidate is]” or a similar comment. For others, who they vote for may come down to the single issue of experience, pro-life or pro-choice, pro-Abortion or not, pro gay-marriage or not, gun control, tax breaks for the very wealthy, pro-big business vs. pro-mainstreet, or some other issue or cause they support. In the forthcoming election, it may also come down to the issue of race, and if a woman was heading one of the tickets, then it could have been a gender issue, too.
The presidential election of 2008-2009 offers citizens the most dramatic set of choices in our history, and no one can look at both parties or both candidates and say, “One party [or candidate] is as good [or bad] as the other.” The distinctions are real, and they are substantive.
But the intention of this essay is not to clarify either the issues or the candidates’ stand on the issues. This is, rather (as much as is possible) a non-partisan essay designed specifically to formulate a set of credentials for whomever is to serve our country as president. It is then up to the reader, using this set of credentials or any other, to determine which candidate best measures up. The underlying intention, or ulterior motive, is to show how voting for a president requires a broad array of judgments, and using a single issue or even a small set of issues can easily betray one in making the best choice.
Ultimately, and this is important, who people vote for for president must be based on a dual set of characteristics. That is, it must be based on the qualities candidates will bring to the Oval Office as well as the qualities that make them a good candidate. That is, certain individuals will suit the times because of their peculiar character, just as one can easily delineate all the characteristics they would like to see in a person who becomes president regardless of who is running for the office. This essay is about the latter, however, often it is the former (the qualities candidates bring to the office) that get them elected.
One clear caveat must be that no candidate will be perfect, of course, and reasonable people will always differ on whether or not a candidate possesses the characteristics or not. This is the nature of the “beast” that is the subject of this essay.
All right, my first essential characteristic is that I want someone we can trust who can make rational, intelligent decisions that are in our country’s long-term best interests. Rational, intelligent decision-making requires thoughtful consideration — not making quick decisions, shooting from the hip, revealing macho bravado and instant decisiveness, operating on “gut” thinking, or following a plan only when the stars are properly aligned. I am looking for competence that includes superior intellectual ability.
This first quality rules out the desire for “someone who looks and acts like the average person,” “the person you could see yourself sitting down and having a beer with, “ or the quality reflected in the statement, “I like him (or her) because he (or she) is like us.” Presidents must not represent the average person. They must be intellectually superior and reveal flexibility and open-mindedness.
Part of the trust we place in presidents is that they will surround themselves with knowledgeable, clear-headed, experienced people who reveal divergent interests, suggest alternative points of view, and keep them (presidents) abreast of all there is to know about issues and problems. To have them surround themselves only with friends, sycophants, and “yes-men” (or “yes-women”) who subscribe to the same philosophy and support only the party-line-truths is a recipe for failure.
The second characteristic is that I want presidents willing to admit they are wrong or that an idea, program, suggestion, or approach was a failure. Admissions of personal failure or mistakes (without blaming the opposing candidate, party, or anyone else) are indicators of strength of character and people who are comfortable and secure with themselves.
The third characteristic is willingness to confront difficult problems and issues. Despite the political climate, opposing forces, lobbyists, and special interests, presidents must be willing to face the numerous problems of our society, and based on serious and mature reflection, present realistic and acceptable ways to deal with them. Presidents must be hard working and persistent.
The fourth characteristic is that I want presidents to represent all the people — not just the less fortunate nor just the rich. I want presidents to strive to do well for everyone. People of all colors, of all professions (and even those without one), of all levels of wealth (including those with no wealth at all), must feel that their president is looking out for their best interests, making judgments and decisions that will help them become better citizens, more improved human beings, or the society or environment in which they exist more suitable.
The fifth characteristic is that I want presidents willing to be transparent. I want them to tell me the truth. That is, I don’t want to be humored, coddled, or treated as a naive child incapable of understanding reality or making decisions. Presidents must be willing to share ideas and information openly with citizens, and they must be willing to listen to and, when appropriate, adjust to the views of those who disagree with them — rather than rejecting them outright or, using their “bully pulpit” to call their ideas irrelevant, insignificant, or inconsequential. There must be honest and demonstrated tolerance for those who disagree with them.
The sixth characteristic is that I want presidents who will truly unify the country, bringing disparate interests together, reaching across the isle to get things done and make progress, and who will make an indelible impression on everyone for their ability to make friends, generate warmth, demonstrate generosity, develop trust, and reveal kindness in this country and around the world. They must tolerate stress and adversity and demonstrate, as well, assertiveness.
These six characteristics provide a broad but sufficient base for measuring the qualifications of a potential president. There are a number of characteristics, however, that are (and should be) totally irrelevant to becoming president like a candidate's religion, marital history, race or ethnicity, financial background, or gender. If we are lucky enough to find a candidate who fulfills all six characteristics, he or she should not just get our vote, but, perhaps, be considered for the position of king or queen.
Ann McFeatters, syndicated columnist, has written, “Qualities for next president,” for the Daily News Tribune. Her essay adds some important qualities — like the ability to inspire others — to those I have mentioned above. This is a “must read” essay.
At MegaEssays.com, there is a short essay, “Qualities of a great president.” The essay primarily focuses on leadership qualities that are important.
Contact Richard L. Weaver II
Thursday’s essay, “What qualities make a good president?,” is the first of three essays designed specifically for this presidential election period.
Share your And Then Some Story about presidential elections. What are your thoughts about them? Have you taken an active part in any of them above and beyond voting? Can you tell us in what capacity you have been involved, if you have? With respect to national (or state and local) elections, how would you encourage the public to become involved? What would be your message(s) to citizens? Can you share any tips, stories, or suggestions regarding politics, involvement in them, or in dealing with them in any capacity? We would love to hear your story. Do you have a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone you just know from a distance who has been involved in politics at any level? Can you tell his or her story? Feel free to use a pseudonym for the person’ real name.
Click here to share your And Then Some storyThursday's And Then Some Essay preview
What qualities make a good president?
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
The intention of this essay is not to clarify either the issues or the candidates’ stand on the issues. This is, rather (as much as is possible) a non-partisan essay designed specifically to formulate a set of credentials for whomever is to serve our country as president. It is then up to the reader, using this set of credentials or any other, to determine which candidate best measures up. The underlying intention, or ulterior motive, is to show how voting for a president requires a broad array of judgments, and using a single issue or even a small set of issues can easily betray one in making the best choice.
And Then Some Works - see you THURSDAY!!
by Richard L. Weaver II
The messages could be, “Obey your parents,” or “Do what’s right,” or “Eat your vegetables,” but there are ten other messages I want to discuss in this essay. Are the messages I discuss more important than these? What could be more obvious or important than “Obey your parents,” or “Do what’s right?” The point is, there are numerous messages kids don’t want to hear, and I have selected my favorites.
The first message kids don’t want to hear is: Keep your room clean without being asked. What you may not know is that keeping your room clean is just part of a cleanliness, good hygiene, care and responsibility routine, and by establishing the routine early, you make it a habit to have your surroundings in good order. Just picking up after yourself can keep your room clean, contribute to a neat house, and help you find things when you want them.
It is easy to think of cleaning your room petty, trivial, and unimportant, but if you think of it as part of a cleanliness, good hygiene process that can and should include taking care of things you own (like your bicycle, video games, and clothes), caring for your pets, having a clean, good-smelling body, brushing your teeth, and, in general, presenting a fresh, upstanding, clean-cut image, you will be well on your way to presenting to others a positive character, pleasing personality, and likable and attractive self.
The second message kids don’t want to hear is: Learn how to read well. Whether you are asked to read by your parents or by your teachers, take every opportunity to do so. Also, read when you are by yourself, waiting for others, or trying to find something interesting to do. Always have a book or magazine with you. Good reading skills — which you develop simply by practicing it over and over — will help you do better in school, make all of your education easier and more comfortable, bring you a greater amount of information, and help you stand out from others. Good reading skills are the foundation from which all educated, intelligent, and well-informed growth and development can and will occur.
The third message kids don’t want to hear is: Take school seriously. If good reading skills are the foundation, then school is the structural support that is fastened to that foundation. Whether it makes sense to you now, whether you think it will be valuable to you in the future, and whether you want to accept what you are being told, all that you are learning in school will help you in the future. You are too young for it all to make sense; you are too young to see its value; and you are to young to be making judgments about what to accept and what to reject. Be a sponge, and absorb everything you are being told, everything you are reading, and everything that goes on each day in your classes. The big payoff will come, but you must be patient.
The fourth message kids don’t want to hear is: Stop wasting your time playing video games. As a brief recess from homework, as a break from doing your chores, or as a brief opportunity for doing something different, they are okay. But, the skills learned from playing video games will make no contribution to a successful life. All they will do is keep you from the other kinds of things you should be doing, and that includes reading, doing homework, playing outside, exercising, and talking with family and friends.
The fifth message kids don’t want to hear is: Keep physically active. Whether you are playing outside, riding your bike, walking to the store or school, or following a regular exercise routine, regular physical exercise is important. Often the habits that are necessary for keeping us young as we age, are habits established while we are young. Physical activity is a great compliment to mental activity (like reading), and the two of these will help you keep your body slim and fit.
The sixth message kids don’t want to hear is: Treasure your family and friends. It is easy, as a youth, to climb into your own, individually constructed, safe and protected world where others are not free to enter or intrude. You come home from school, you shut your bedroom door (maybe even post a sign on it that says, “Do Not Enter!”), and you escape into your space — away from family (as far as you can get, anyway) and away from friends (if you have any). Healthy children have friends; healthy children interact regularly with others; healthy children learn who they are through their interactions with others. To maintain contact is to sustain a healthy, social, support network.
The seventh message kids don’t want to hear is to listen. There are many reasons to learn to listen: you learn more, show respect to others, better prepare yourself for the future, and stay alert to the information you need to perform better on a daily (even hourly) basis. I’m sure you have heard the saying, “"The reason that we have two ears and one mouth," the Greek philosopher, Zeno, said, "is that we may listen the more and talk the less."
The eighth message kids don’t want to hear is to be yourself. There is a great deal of pressure as a child to be like everyone else (to fit in), or to try to make yourself into something or someone you are not. This doesn’t mean you don’t obey the rules and listen to your parents and friends. What it means is to let your creativity and your uniqueness be revealed. Don’t stifle what is naturally, comfortably, and genuinely you.
The ninth message kids don’t want to hear is: Always look on the bright side. It is easy to view the problems of this world, the difficulties of your society, the problems of your family and friends, and the troubles you face on a daily basis and become sad and depressed. The fact is, you are lucky to be alive, lucky to live in this world, society and community, and fortunate to have family and friends. If you are patient you will find that your own troubles will disappear very soon, and when looked at in retrospect, you will find your problems are surprisingly minor.
The tenth message kids don’t want to hear is: Help others. When you examine your luck, talent, and gifts, your position in this society, and what you have been given, and if you viewed it all in comparison with so many others in this world, you would quickly discover that you have so much to give. The more you give the more you will discover your true self.
Yes, ten messages sound like a lot, but if you show these messages to any adult, he or she will tell you 1) they are sound and true, 2) they will make you a better person, 3) they will help us all improve our society, and it is likely he or she will come up with one, two, or even three of their own messages not discussed here. Try it; you’ll love the results you get!
At Positive Path Network (Life by choice — not by chance) Michael Grose has written an essay entitled, “ Life Messages - Five Messages To Give Your Kids Every Day” that is relevant to mine. His include, “I care for you,” “You are unique,” “You can handle life’s difficulties,” “You choose how you think, feel, and behave,” and “There is no feeling so bad that you can’t talk about it.”
The entire purpose of PrevNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence) is “to stop the use of power and aggression in relationships and to promote safe and healthy relationships,” and the three messages are, “Bullying is wrong and hurtful,” “Bullying is a relationship problem,” and “Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence are Everybody’s Responsibility.”
Contact Richard L. Weaver II
You Rules - Caution: Contents leads to a better life! is on track for release November 1st. What happened to You Rules!: All you need for Self Improvement? After seeing the proof of the first version the "guts" had only minor changes. However, the cover was sorely in need of self improvement.
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Our website name has changed. Our new website name is: YouRules.com. We have added full chapters of the book so you can "try before you buy"... and don't worry, if you happen to click a link to our old website you will still find us.
The new You Rules - Caution: Contents leads to a better life proof is due in the next couple weeks... We're excited!
Thursday’s essay, “Ten Messages Kids Don’t Want to Hear,” is an essay for the kids of the world. There isn’t a child in the world who would not benefit by reading this essay or having it read to him or her by a concerned parent or adult.
Share your And Then Some Story about raising kids. What is your role in dealing with kids? How successful have you been? Can you tell us in what capacity you have dealt with them? When it comes to other people having to deal with kids, what would be YOUR message to them? What would be your message(s) to kids? Can you share your tips, stories, or suggestions regarding kids (raising them, teaching them, or dealing with them in any capacity)? We would love to hear your story. Do you have a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone you just know from a distance who has had success or is a complete failure in dealing with kids? Can you tell his or her story? Feel free to use a pseudonym for the person’ real name.
Click here to share your And Then Some storyThursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Ten Messages Kids Don’t Want to Hear
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
Yes, ten messages sound like a lot, but if you show these messages to any adult, he or she will tell you 1) they are sound and true, 2) they will make you a better person, 3) they will help us all improve our society, and it is likely he or she will come up with one, two, or even three of their own messages not discussed here. Try it; you’ll love the results you get!
And Then Some Works - see you THURSDAY!!
by Richard L. Weaver II
I have always been fascinated by authors, even put them on a pedestal. In my mind they possessed knowledge, ideas, and wisdom that exceeded those of ordinary mortals. And when I was asked in 1973, by Dr. Saundra Hybels, to write a textbook with her, I thought that I possessed nothing at all that satisfied my conception of what an author should be. I was neither trained sufficiently nor at the proper career stage—four years out of graduate school—to merit such an anointment, and yet I was brazen and cavalier enough to agree to do it.
Since then, the textbook I wrote with Hybels is in its tenth edition (eight with its current publishing company and two with a prior publisher), another textbook has seen eight editions, another one, three editions, and several others one apiece. There have been close to one hundred academic articles, numerous chapters in books, and more than a dozen published speeches and the same number of published essays. I chronicle these events not so much to convince readers that I am, indeed, a writer but more to convince myself. It is the same problem I mentioned in the first paragraph: at what point do you have the knowledge, ideas, and wisdom to think of yourself as a writer?
There have been a number of influences in my development as a writer. Although I can credit my mother for her interest in and support of her son and his small writing efforts, and I certainly can acknowledge all my English teachers, and I must always note the contribution of my dissertation advisor, one influence—drilled into my consciousness as a graduate student at Indiana University—had to be the “publish or perish” conundrum [a perplexing thing] that I was told would be, like it or not, my Holy Grail—the sacred cup from which I would sup—if teaching in higher education ended up as my profession. “Publish or perish” has the power to both motivate and persuade—and it did. “Publish or perish” remained perplexing just as long as I had nothing to offer to satisfy its glutenous appetite.
I have no negative feelings whatever about the pressure to publish work constantly in order to further or sustain a career in academia. It was that pressure that made me competitive when it came to acquiring a tenure-track faculty position, and frequent publication, too, was my route to improving my visibility within the speech-communication field. I was fully aware that instructing undergraduates alone—although I dearly loved teaching—would automatically place me out of contention for available tenure-track positions, but I never felt this was wrong nor an unjust weighting of what was required to survive in academe: it was clear from the outset.
A couple of things occurred during my years as an academic writer that have influenced me to this day. First, to write academically required that I read academic books, journals, and articles. There was no way I could publish my own insights and research without knowing what else was going on in the field—and how it was being reported. Thus, my reading has always been confined to nonfiction, first out of necessity and then out of choice (maybe habit).
In whatever field or genre you choose, you have to discover what to say as well as how to say it, and that takes time.
Second, I had to follow the form and structure of academic writers. For me this was a difficult prospect since I had to publish academic articles because of the “publish or perish” dictum, and early in my career I began writing textbooks. Textbooks had to meet academic standards, of course, since it was my faculty colleagues who made the choice to use my textbooks. At the same time, however, they had to be written for students (non-academics), because if students did not find them approachable and readable, they would not only set them aside, but they would make it clear to their professors they did not like the textbook. I have always found this dichotomy difficult: how academic is too academic, or how unacademic is too pedestrian?
The way I made the distinction between writing academically and writing textbooks can best be illustrated in the difference between the way you write and the way you talk. Writing tends to be more formal; speaking tends to be informal. Written text tends to be more dense, with careful organization, and more complex language structures. Spoken language has simpler constructions with repetition and rephrasing—and it sounds spontaneous and natural.
What the “publish or perish” pressure did for me was to establish a habit of writing. It secured an approach to my discipline (and to life in general) that had me always on the lookout for new, interesting, and challenging ideas to write about. This willingness to be observant and constant awareness of and alertness to surroundings are important qualities for writers.
What many who aspire to be writers may not realize is that writing is often lonely and isolating. Writing is hungry for both time and emotional energy when some might rather be using both in other ways. There are days when you would like a life, when you would rather stop and find something else to do, or when you just want to throw your hands up in frustration and say, “I give up, that’s it, no more!”
Another aspect of writing many aspiring writers may not want to hear is that it is hard work. Some would prefer doing the research and not the writing. Some may even just want the title, “I’m a writer,” and do none of the work it takes to be a writer. One writer even said, “Oh to just ‘be a writer’ and ride along from speaking engagement to book club. Too bad I have to write in order to call myself one.” Often it isn’t the writing itself that is so difficult, it’s the tightening it up, then tightening it up again that draws all the fun from it. This is when it becomes hard, hard work.
Most writers have always wanted to write, felt compelled to express themselves, and wanted to make a difference in the world by inspiring, entertaining, or otherwise affecting their readers. Writing, for me, fulfills a need. Although it can be lonely at times, at others it can be terribly exciting. Because it exposes me when I write, it takes courage, and each time I sit down to do it, I overcome my insecurities, experience an emotional release, and enjoy my irresistible compulsion.
At allycarter.com, there is a great essay entitled, “101 Tips on being a writer,” by Ally Carter who is the author of the Gallagher Girls series. If you want to know how to start, or what to do, or how to prepare, this is a great essay.
Craig Harper discusses prospective writers to write from the heart, be prolific, let people see your personality, plan, use a thesaurus and dictionary, have an ideas book, don’t be a chicken, ask for feedback, and read your material back to yourself. This is a worthwhile essay.
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