Darla Meyers
Snapshot of a society in decline: when wrong is portrayed as right and "a right"
By Darla Meyers
Wisconsin Civil War-weary residents have been at the center of a national spotlight that is not a badge of honor. Original Sin, in all its dark consequences, is being played out in our back yards, in our families, and in our state. Recently, the Hudson (Wisconsin) School Board met and received public input addressing an agenda item relating to the Friday, February 18, 2011, school closure due to a high number of teacher absences. According to the statistics presented, one-third of the teachers would be present on Friday, February 18, to fulfill their contractual obligations; one-third called in sick; and one-third did not respond. The attorney mediator laid out the ground rules for speaking to the issue. He was clear that the comments must be germane to the agenda item and personal attacks would not be tolerated. Several pro-teacher union speakers were interrupted and reminded of the ground rules, especially as it related to personal attacks. One speaker invoked the United Nations in her attempt to portray the teacher's "right" to abandon their students and contractual obligations. Some even went so far as to believe that they were teaching the students about democracy. The word "democracy" should have been defined prior to commentary, because the democracy I understand to exist does not tolerate violations of legally binding contractual obligations. If legal contracts can be broken on a whim, what about a mortgage? How about a car loan? Bail jumping?
How would the union respond if two-thirds of the student body skipped school to publicly protest their issue of the moment? Would the union plead with the teachers not to punish those who skipped school? Would the union praise the students who skipped school as the heroes? What kind of a message would that send to the students who stayed in school? How could any order be kept if wrong is right and right is wrong? Would the teachers remind the protesting students that there would be consequences to skipping school? When I was a senior in high school we were issued an advance warning about our perceived "right" to skip-out day. The school administration explained to us verbally and in writing that we did not have a "right" to skip out of school, and we would be punished with either having our diploma withheld or docked in grades.
How is this senior skip-out day example different than the teachers skipping out of school on February 18? What was sadly missing from the whole comment time was the teachers' refusal to show remorse for their wrongdoing and to publicly state that the teachers who did not skip out were those who did the "right" thing. In any world other than an upside-down world, doing the right thing is expected-not something that is put on a pedestal. But in an upside-down world, doing a wrong is lauded, applauded and held up for heroism.
Maybe I was alone in catching the irony of the teachers claiming they had a "right" to abandon their contractual obligations and protest their own employer (the taxpayer) with the employer (the taxpayer) paying their wages while they were violating their employer's (the taxpayer's) contractual obligations. Not once did I hear the teachers and their supporters cite their employer's (the taxpayer's) "right" to require them to be at work. Whose legal "right" should take precedence?
In another local incident, the teacher union mob confronted a private gathering by impeding traffic on a country road, including banging their signs on a people's cars and frightening unsuspecting young girls. While I heard many reports of the fear that some people felt that night trying to get to their destination on a public road to a private location, I have seen this mob hate in person several times when I pray in front of an abortuary like Planned Parenthood. I was not surprised by the shock people felt in seeing this mob hate in person. While we see all the video and words and even physical violence of what's going on in Madison, it is difficult for people to understand what that atmosphere is like unless you've lived it. Maybe it's important to witness that type of Lord of the Flies society in order to fully understand the mob mentality. And for those who are intimidated or fear speaking out, if you don't speak out now, when will you?
While never having been at a parole hearing, I would think that those pleading for someone who violated the law would express remorse for the harm and violation that may have taken place. I can't imagine anyone in favor of an early release would rise and defend the guilty party's "right" to break their contractual obligations or even the law. What was witnessed at the board meeting, at the private gathering and at a protest yesterday was a shameless disregard for societal right and wrong, trying to convince the school board and the taxpayers that the teachers shouldn't be punished for doing wrong, because with their linguistic contortions, can't you see? Wrong is RIGHT! Are we to believe that these wrong-is-right-believers are teaching their children and government school students the same? Witnessing our society in decline, I believe the answer is Yes, they are.
Having fed at the taxpayer-trough for many years in a socialist culture, I know that unless you are released from those mental and physical bonds of entitlement, you will never understand life from the "other side." Yes, teachers are taxpayers; but they do not pay for my pension nor my benefits (or lack of them), nor do they have a vested interest in any contract I may undertake.
Not having the right words to describe this mob hate mentality, I came across an article that describes this sordid human condition. The title of the article is "The Hate that Feels Like Love," by Elizabeth Scalia. The Hate That Feels Like Love.
"Hatred," says psychologist Robert Enright, "has a long shelf life. Once it enters into the human heart, it's hard to get it out. It breeds destruction, discouragement, and hopelessness."
Enright hails from the University of Wisconsin, in the so-called "liberal enclave" of Madison, where ongoing demonstrations by members of public employee unions against the elected governor have put some vivid moments of hatred on view. Reporter Mike Tobin of Fox News remarked, "A teacher was giving me the business yesterday, and the teacher told me she hates me because it makes her feel good" (emphasis mine).
Anyone who has ever been targeted by a pack of bullies understands. Venting hatred, especially under the righteous cover of a "cause," gives one a sense of belonging and purpose and-quite unlike love-it does so in an expeditious and rather painless way. Mob-supported hatred removes openness from the social equation, and that in turn takes away vulnerability, leaving one with a powerful sense of communal well-being that can serve as a reasonable facsimile of being loved by others. One loves one's hate because it makes one feel beloved.
Read more at: The Hate That Feels Like Love.
If you don't see a mirror image of these words being acted out in Madison, then you need to ask yourself if you are purposefully disengaging yourself from the obvious Wisconsin Civil War that is taking place right in our back yards.
This is a black and white issue-there is no gray and should be no compromise on what is right and what is wrong. If wrong is considered right, or "a right," we are headed the "right" way to anarchy in this state, in this country, and in the world.
A Nation That Kills Its Own Children is a Nation Without Hope.~~Blessed Mother Teresa
© Darla Meyers
March 7, 2011
Wisconsin Civil War-weary residents have been at the center of a national spotlight that is not a badge of honor. Original Sin, in all its dark consequences, is being played out in our back yards, in our families, and in our state. Recently, the Hudson (Wisconsin) School Board met and received public input addressing an agenda item relating to the Friday, February 18, 2011, school closure due to a high number of teacher absences. According to the statistics presented, one-third of the teachers would be present on Friday, February 18, to fulfill their contractual obligations; one-third called in sick; and one-third did not respond. The attorney mediator laid out the ground rules for speaking to the issue. He was clear that the comments must be germane to the agenda item and personal attacks would not be tolerated. Several pro-teacher union speakers were interrupted and reminded of the ground rules, especially as it related to personal attacks. One speaker invoked the United Nations in her attempt to portray the teacher's "right" to abandon their students and contractual obligations. Some even went so far as to believe that they were teaching the students about democracy. The word "democracy" should have been defined prior to commentary, because the democracy I understand to exist does not tolerate violations of legally binding contractual obligations. If legal contracts can be broken on a whim, what about a mortgage? How about a car loan? Bail jumping?
How would the union respond if two-thirds of the student body skipped school to publicly protest their issue of the moment? Would the union plead with the teachers not to punish those who skipped school? Would the union praise the students who skipped school as the heroes? What kind of a message would that send to the students who stayed in school? How could any order be kept if wrong is right and right is wrong? Would the teachers remind the protesting students that there would be consequences to skipping school? When I was a senior in high school we were issued an advance warning about our perceived "right" to skip-out day. The school administration explained to us verbally and in writing that we did not have a "right" to skip out of school, and we would be punished with either having our diploma withheld or docked in grades.
How is this senior skip-out day example different than the teachers skipping out of school on February 18? What was sadly missing from the whole comment time was the teachers' refusal to show remorse for their wrongdoing and to publicly state that the teachers who did not skip out were those who did the "right" thing. In any world other than an upside-down world, doing the right thing is expected-not something that is put on a pedestal. But in an upside-down world, doing a wrong is lauded, applauded and held up for heroism.
Maybe I was alone in catching the irony of the teachers claiming they had a "right" to abandon their contractual obligations and protest their own employer (the taxpayer) with the employer (the taxpayer) paying their wages while they were violating their employer's (the taxpayer's) contractual obligations. Not once did I hear the teachers and their supporters cite their employer's (the taxpayer's) "right" to require them to be at work. Whose legal "right" should take precedence?
In another local incident, the teacher union mob confronted a private gathering by impeding traffic on a country road, including banging their signs on a people's cars and frightening unsuspecting young girls. While I heard many reports of the fear that some people felt that night trying to get to their destination on a public road to a private location, I have seen this mob hate in person several times when I pray in front of an abortuary like Planned Parenthood. I was not surprised by the shock people felt in seeing this mob hate in person. While we see all the video and words and even physical violence of what's going on in Madison, it is difficult for people to understand what that atmosphere is like unless you've lived it. Maybe it's important to witness that type of Lord of the Flies society in order to fully understand the mob mentality. And for those who are intimidated or fear speaking out, if you don't speak out now, when will you?
While never having been at a parole hearing, I would think that those pleading for someone who violated the law would express remorse for the harm and violation that may have taken place. I can't imagine anyone in favor of an early release would rise and defend the guilty party's "right" to break their contractual obligations or even the law. What was witnessed at the board meeting, at the private gathering and at a protest yesterday was a shameless disregard for societal right and wrong, trying to convince the school board and the taxpayers that the teachers shouldn't be punished for doing wrong, because with their linguistic contortions, can't you see? Wrong is RIGHT! Are we to believe that these wrong-is-right-believers are teaching their children and government school students the same? Witnessing our society in decline, I believe the answer is Yes, they are.
Having fed at the taxpayer-trough for many years in a socialist culture, I know that unless you are released from those mental and physical bonds of entitlement, you will never understand life from the "other side." Yes, teachers are taxpayers; but they do not pay for my pension nor my benefits (or lack of them), nor do they have a vested interest in any contract I may undertake.
Not having the right words to describe this mob hate mentality, I came across an article that describes this sordid human condition. The title of the article is "The Hate that Feels Like Love," by Elizabeth Scalia. The Hate That Feels Like Love.
"Hatred," says psychologist Robert Enright, "has a long shelf life. Once it enters into the human heart, it's hard to get it out. It breeds destruction, discouragement, and hopelessness."
Enright hails from the University of Wisconsin, in the so-called "liberal enclave" of Madison, where ongoing demonstrations by members of public employee unions against the elected governor have put some vivid moments of hatred on view. Reporter Mike Tobin of Fox News remarked, "A teacher was giving me the business yesterday, and the teacher told me she hates me because it makes her feel good" (emphasis mine).
Anyone who has ever been targeted by a pack of bullies understands. Venting hatred, especially under the righteous cover of a "cause," gives one a sense of belonging and purpose and-quite unlike love-it does so in an expeditious and rather painless way. Mob-supported hatred removes openness from the social equation, and that in turn takes away vulnerability, leaving one with a powerful sense of communal well-being that can serve as a reasonable facsimile of being loved by others. One loves one's hate because it makes one feel beloved.
Read more at: The Hate That Feels Like Love.
If you don't see a mirror image of these words being acted out in Madison, then you need to ask yourself if you are purposefully disengaging yourself from the obvious Wisconsin Civil War that is taking place right in our back yards.
This is a black and white issue-there is no gray and should be no compromise on what is right and what is wrong. If wrong is considered right, or "a right," we are headed the "right" way to anarchy in this state, in this country, and in the world.
A Nation That Kills Its Own Children is a Nation Without Hope.~~Blessed Mother Teresa
© Darla Meyers
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