Return to Work Conversations Thursday, May 2 2013 

Adaptation and Social Welfare , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 4:49 PM

Robin Roberts interviews Will Smith on Navy carrier On January 14, Robin Roberts (host of Good Morning America) made a scheduled announcement about her health status. She’s been away on medical leave since August 2012 because of a rare bone marrow disease. With all the brouhaha on January 13 to entice viewers to tune in and learn what the news would be, in addition to the smiles on every face that pronounced the upcoming announcement, it was a foregone conclusion that it involved something with regard to imminent return to work. And it was.

While the news about her return to work was celebratory for all, Robin talked about some of the expected and probably didn’t realize she also disclosed unexpected information. Most people diagnosed with and treated for a major illness are put on some degree of disability and remain in that status for the rest of their lives. They become part of the 47% that Romney and Ryan spoke during the 2012 campaign who subsist on entitlements and expect a handout in order to survive in an economy with increasing inflation and little real money. There are few exceptions where there is a discussion about return to work; there are fewer about accommodations in order to make that a possibility.

Robin talked about the partnership of her doctors and care providers had with regard to formulating a plan for how she will transition from being ill to gradually working her way back to the studio and full time work. She outlined the stepped process and the various types of subtle dangers of being in the studio and under the lights. She shared conversations about regaining her energy. She will not be left floundering for answers and searching for what may be appropriate and safe in the way of accommodations during her early days of work resumption and progressing to “normal” life.

Viewing Robin’s announcement and the recitation of her recovery and re-entry regimen could cause some with jaded healthcare perspectives to feel she is receiving privileged treatment. Some have the opinion that because she’s already in front of the camera as part of her livelihood and career, that there’s a foregone conclusion that she will be returning to work, not sidelined as disabled. Her non-visible disability, albeit temporary, does not color her employment opportunities nor her right to work and earn a living.

There are those who suffer from non-visible impairments but they are not counseled in clear and specific terms about what accommodations are required for them to resume full, meaningful employment in their chosen profession. Few are counseled about what to do or what restrictions could apply to them as it relates to their line of work.

My health issue focus of choice is coronary conditions. It could easily be other non-visible conditions such as back injury, emphysema, or venous stasis ulcers. Because the heart is so central to our well being but impairments of the organ are not visible, it is my focus. There are scales for measuring disability and whether a person is still employable. There is a presumption that the disability scale for physical activity is used by doctors in order to determine whether it’s feasible for a person to look forward to returning to full time work, with or without restrictions. Does that conversation happen so that the patient is aware of all of the options available to them? If they’re well below retirement age, they’re not savoring the idea of spending the rest of their life subsisting on social Security Disability Income and restrictions on whether or not they may work. Even if they are able to find various types of employment, they’re at a loss when it comes to truthfully responding to the question, “Are you able to satisfactorily perform the principle duties of this position with or without moderate accommodations?” And if they respond that they will probably need some accommodations, the question of which and what types of accommodations should be requested comes into play.

In addition to the activity scale, there is also the disabling conditions scale that covers a large number of issues. Our focus today relates to Cardiovascular Disorders. There are eight subsections of that type of disease and all have different ratings with regard to level of disability of an individual. It is possible for a person to have more than one condition co-existing with others.

How many suffer heart attack

How many people are suffering heart attack in the u.s every year? According to Americanheart.org, there are 1,255,000 heart attacks per year in the United States. This includes new heart attacks as well as recurring heart attacks. In the United States about 1.5 million Americans suffer a heart attack every year, from which as many as 500,000 die. I could not locate information about the number of individuals who survive heart attack and return to work.

What I could find, however, is individuals do return to work after heart attack. In fact, ehealthMD offers a very detailed article about Living After A Heart Attack that includes information about a sensible return, timing, as well as not often covered information about cardiac rehabilitation. What is it like to live every day with Heart Attack? Read real life accounts from people living with this condition can be found in an article on the condition at ThirdAge.com.

So this leads to how many suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) and the number of those survivors who return to work. According to Staying in Shape, there are approximately 5 million Americans who suffer from the disease. Although their information is quite extensive, they do not answer the question about the number who return to work after being diagnosed with CHF. However, their article is dense with information about various other related matters as well as rehabilitation therapy.

There are guidelines for patients who suffer from heart failure and desire to return to work. The Job Accommodation Network (called JAN) has an accommodation series that includes heart conditions. It would be wise to refer to that resource first when seeking guidance on what to do in order to accommodate a worker with a heart condition. It therefore appers a return to work is not out of the question and in certain conditions can be done with success. Another place where guidelines for restriction and accommodation guidance regarding health condition can be found on MDGuidelines. There is advice available for the patient in regard to the advisability of returning to work full time available in many places. One of them is Heart Failure Matters.

Most of the language relating to heart attack and CHF put the two conditions into the same category of heart failure and heart disease. The information, in most respects, about after care, prognosis, and recommendations is similar.

What is worth noting is the fact that most people are 100% invested in their physician and rely on their professional to tell them what they need to know. Survivors and their families don’t ask questions. When they are put on total, 100% disability, there are no questions about returning to work, extent of activities that are acceptable (except for sex), life expectancy, medications and what they do, alternative treatments. The physician takes it for granted that if there are no questions the patient has all of the information they need and will ask if there’s something that needs clarification. Additionally, the physician is focused on the condition, not the person, and their focus remains in that area. People are living in a sea of being uneducated and possible risk for another attack that didn’t need to happen.

What all of this means is be proactive with regard to your health condition. It may not be visible but it is definitely real and it is mandatory that it be handled and managed properly. A dismissive physician, when it comes to questions about the condition and management of it, is not serving your needs. Form a healthy partnership with your medical practitioners. Find someone who will communicate with you in an understandable fashion. Find someone who will have not only your health condition but also you in the upper parts of their mind and concern.

Resources:

Sponsored Link: Heart Failure: Evaluation and Care of Patients With Left-Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (Clinical Practice Guideline Number 11)

 

Fourth Thursday in April Thursday, Apr 18 2013 

Leadership and Models and Social Welfare , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 6:47 PM

When does succession planning start? Some have posited that it starts when the CEO (or the executive who will soon be leaving) identifies several in their midst who appear to be likely candidates to step into the their shoes. The candidates are sort of taken under wing and given projects that will amplify the native skills and talents while also prodding creative thinking and strategy issues. The mentor will interlace these with conversations about not only theory but also practice. And guidance will come through being engaged in the projects together so that the progress, strategies, and rationale can be discussed.

Similar to Youth Development

Succession planning in the business world is not that different from teaching youth. The difference is that in the business world, we’re working on fine tuning competencies and empowering to lead in a responsible way. With youth, we’re developing core competencies and critical thinking skills. We’re also leading them to their introduction to the world of work, wherever that may be for their talents, as well as how to be responsible and mature.

Even when they’re in school, the purposes of the classes such as getting to class on time, turning in assignments, reciting before the class, and so on, all relate to being in the real work world. They are part and parcel of training to be a responsible, intelligent part of the workforce. Unfortunately, school is a bit theoretical for the youth. It’s difficult for the various exercises to be palpable. The age old complaint about “Why do I need to learn this? It doesn’t have anything to do with [insert name of profession or discipline here].” Ah, my petulant pupil, it has everything to do with it, and more.

Putting Context to Theory

I’ve talked about it many times over the years. There’s the fourth Thursday of April each year when Ms. Foundation promotes its Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. It’s a day when the practice and the theory become actualized at a real workplace. The youth have an opportunity to be in the real workplace and be involved in part of the processes that create the enterprise. It’s a time when many of the pieces can fall together and form a better picture of what it’s all about; youth have a chance to realize the answers to their strident grousings about the relevance of what they’re doing.

But the day needs to be kept relevant. This isn’t a day for sending the youth to the copying center or collating and stapling mountains of forms. For the day to be meaningful, this should be a day when the youth shadows a particular role model or mentor who includes the youth in the various aspects of doing that job. For example, there should be opportunity for understanding the reports that need to be prepared. In fact, it would be a good idea to have them be involved in the preparation of a report, along with the research to create it, and a conversation about what the report should deliver to its audience.

Follow Up and Follow Through

The young interns spend only one day in the real workplace on this Thursday in April. Many think of it as a day for the kids and then back to the usual. Hold up. Anything done deserves to be done well. Anything done well deserves recognition in some way.

The youth were given permission to miss a school day of attending classes in order to have their one day in the life of an intern. When they return to school, their teachers will want to have an oral report on what transpired, especially as it relates to their middle or high school subject, so that there’s accountability. But the oral report can also serve to make this occasion viral and inspire other students to vie for the opportunity to spend a day in the real work world in the following year.

Meanwhile, it would be wise for the oral report to be reduced to writing and shared with the coordinator of the TODSTWD event. The report will serve as feedback on what was learned and what revelations occurred during the one-day internship. The coordinator can then share the information with the mentor so they have some appreciation of how effective they were as a role model.

What Industries, What Businesses

Even though this article is written with deference to a business that sits in some office building, the dynamics of the day and the purpose of it is not constrained to just an office setting. There are all types of businesses. We would do well to let ourselves as well as our youth begin to see the world as more than just a brick and mortar site.

There are alternative careers in forestry, many aspects of beauty and fashion, services from keysmithing to plumbers. Many young people think of the local fast food franchise as their “just out of high school” option. But what would it take to run the independent store that competes with that franchise? Perhaps a mortician or a minister could get involved in making the day meaningful for a new generation of service providers. As stressful as it is, getting to know the other side of social work is also an option that should be available to the youth so that they gain a better understanding of the governmental side of the picture.

What Outcome?

But even more can come out of the day’s events and follow-up reports. How well did these sycophants perform? Maybe they’re worth having return for more than one day. Perhaps they could be interns during the summer months or be involved in some type of work-study program designed to train them for a more involvement in the business. And that just may lead to developing your company’s pipeline of qualified candidates in the future.

 

Inner City Development Tuesday, Feb 12 2013 

Discrimination and Social Welfare , , , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 1:57 PM

Maybe it’s because the last Thursday in April is right around the corner. That’s the traditional date that Ms. Foundation created for recognizing Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Maybe it’s because there’s dialogue and LinkedIn status updates that talk about development of youth. Maybe it’s because as we sit and observe the future workforce and those who are entering it, the needs and the underpinnings of doing work evidence there’s a drastic need to expose that talent to the fundamentals of how the wheels of enterprise mesh and spit out the goods and services we demand.

You know, maybe it’s the fact that I recently read an article by a young woman who was trying desperately to talk about the concept of the glass ceiling but lacked the grounding to comprehend to what it refers. If we aren’t talking about the business world and the workplace at home, how do we expect our newcomers to understand what it is that they’re supposed to be equipped to do? Furthermore, it’s extremely important for these emerging candidates to see real world examples of what’s done and what’s available. They shouldn’t be forced to rely on the artificial (and superficial) images on the silver and small screens.

The agrarian life was good for development in many ways. But the Industrial Age eventually displaced the homespun lessons of being a responsible individual. Then other modern age dynamics essentially strangled most of former efforts to develop the new workforce.

I still hold out hope that we can have more than lip service development of youth in our inner cities. Where Ms. Foundation started a one-day exposure to the possibilities, there are ways to reach into those communities to nurture what we want and what we need. It would be so refreshing to see businesses that reside in communities do outreach to the Middle and High Schools to seek “interns.” These young people could spend about four hours per week being immersed in activities that teach them about the workplace and duties involved in a particular job. The interns could learn about being responsible in a palpable way, not in theory. Exposing them to the real world of costs to run a business or department, expenses of payroll and taxes that impact a business, the various components of creating and delivering the product, and one of the most important aspects, customer service all need to become part of the early exposures so that the workforce can present theirselves as better prepared and ready.

While this may sound like advocating for Regional Occupational Program (ROP), it is not. What I press you to consider is going beyond that program and perhaps folding into it the dynamics of nurturing a more aware workforce. My vision is an opportunity, an alternative, to being doomed to lack of opportunity and despised by society as a scourge. That can only lead to becoming at risk of turning to gangs for acceptance and shunning education because it is fruitless and difficult.

Is there a way that we can create more or better options for those who would have hope but for?

Resources and References:

Sponsored Links

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Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from EverybodyElse

 

Who Is Considered “Sufficiently Able” for Discharge Wednesday, Jan 2 2013 

Fair Comment and Social Welfare , , , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 7:05 AM

It’s been very interesting in this time since Thanksgiving. What I’m talking about is the dichotomy between evaluations and other deferences accorded to people of different races and backgrounds compared with those who are wealthy compared with those who are not and those who are White compared with those who are not. I’ve dealt with the disparate treatment all of my life by virtue of the fact that I am multi-racial. I’ve also observed it being meted out. The part of my family that is White is accorded privileges and respect whereas the exact same situations leave me abandoned, penalized, and disenfranchised. When my family members proclaim they would not tolerate a certain type of situation or treatment, they become tongue-tied and confused when I ask them why I should find it acceptable for me. They have no answer.

Chances are people who are not part of Romney’s 3% feel the same way in regard to disparate treatment. They have no answer for why they should be left lacking while being charged inordinate sums of money for services. They are probably baffled at the prospect of not receiving extra care when it comes to their rights or the type of health care they receive.

Former President Bush, the Elder, became hospitalized for bronchitis around Thanksgiving. He’s still in the hospital. His discharge from the hospital was anticipated in early December but was deferred because his medical team determined he did not have enough energy at this time.

Bush has health insurance. Part of it is provided by virtue of the fact that he has been a public servant and government worker. No doubt he has additional private health insurance that he can afford because of the salaries he earned before his retirement plus the stipend that’s paid to people of his status and his retirement benefits of various sources. He has the financial resources to entitle him to extra attention. So he should expect to be catered to by the hospital. After all, he is one of the 3% and has the reserves to keep the hospital bed occupied.

Bush is also in a financial position to afford in-home support in the form of housekeepers and various other household attendants. He can afford to hire home health support for his current needs. But the determination was made to keep him in the hospital. What’s puzzling is that there are people who are covered by Medicare and even Medicaid who do not receive this extended hospital care even though their conditions are just as compelling. They don’t have deep pockets and if they have insurance coverage other than Medicare or Medicaid, it isn’t sufficient to cover the expenses. On discharge, they will still have large medical bills facing them contrasted to marginal to sparse retirement income.

Who’s to say who is entitled to a prolonged hospital stay? In fact, the question pivots on whose insurance will pay the most for the greatest number of procedures. Life-giving and life sustaining measures will be provided for the few who can afford them. If there is no insurance, perfunctory care will be delivered and the bed will be made available as quickly as possible for the next occupant. Hospitals are businesses and do best when operated as businesses.

Perhaps it’s his advanced age that caused his doctors to decide not to send him home. Perhaps the decision was based on immediate access to necessary equipment that could be put into operation within minutes if not seconds. And as to Bush’s weakened condition, well, I have no answer for that. Again, in-home health care and household attendants could be enlisted. But for the unlucky average citizen, they’ll just have to do the best they can.

Unfortunately, some are prematurely released and then find themselves readmitted either to the hospital or to the Emergency Room.

Resources:

Sponsored Link: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: A Guide for Clinicians

 

Signs of Time to Leave the Party Sunday, Sep 16 2012 

Communication and Ethics and Fair Comment , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 10:19 PM

In the past month or more, I’ve been plagued by vandalism of blogs and their content and harassment from the back office of community sites, and harassment from some LinkedIn members who appear to object to my work. In the case of LinkedIn, it appears they are being used in a cat’s paw scenario and they fail to take cognizance of the malfeasance.

Most recently, I discovered solid evidence of vandalism from, of all places where I thought there was integrity, Toolbox for HR.

In July, I updated my profile to include some certifications and accomplishments. I also updated my projects to show I was working on writing a book. Maybe it’s good that I did not include the fact that I’m working on a seminar. On September 13, I finally wrote a journal entry for my profile on Toolbox. It read:

I Wonder What Happened

Yvonne LaRose 3 days ago | Comments (0)

 In trying to set up some systems to monitor reception of my content, I just discovered my bio and work history that were created for this site are gone.

I have to wonder how long ago those deletions occurred and why. I realize the site has been undergoing a lot of reform. They never sent a notice that there was going to be destruction of content.

It was then that I realized some of the interferences and accidents with my work are not necessarily concerted via a group of people. Instead, they’re part of being involved with the wrong people and the wrong places. Like Alice in Wonderland, the journey through fantastic situations seems to be infinitely raveling into the horizon. But like Alice, there is an end to the bizarre; it doesn’t have to be infinite. That change in direction comes from being focused on the principle goal – reach the intended destination – and get out of the absurd.

In anger, I published a statement on my profile intended to redirect anyone who found the empty bio and work history. Realizing the full impact of the chicanery would only reach a very small number and that whoever is involved in performing these acts will continue with impunity, I turned the statement into a blog post on September 15.

It was interesting to track the visitors to my blog and see where visitors were going. What was even more interesting was the information collected about two days after that blog post went live. Take note:

Time of Visit   Sep 15 2012 1:46:38 pm

Last Page View   Sep 15 2012 1:46:38 pm

Visit Length   0 seconds

Page Views   1 Referring URL unknown

Visit Entry Page   http://rebelmouse.com/

Visit Exit Page   http://rebelmouse.com/

Somehow, someone associated with the site managed to redirect the visit to a different site (that requires registration and log in) called “Rebel Mouse.” It appears that’s how that individual sees me. Maybe that’s how those associated with the back end management see me. That’s fine. The message definitely registered for me. It said (by inference) I’m extremely small and meaningless. It said I’m a nuisance. It said a rebel mouse is not very effective. Hah! I remember the movie, Ben.

It could be that whoever is responsible for these changes is one of my recruiting industry detractors who is doing contract work. I don’t have the time nor the energy to devote to that investigation. Alice did not stop to try to figure out the ailings of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. She did not try to correct the madness of the tea party – nor any of the other situations and personalities she encountered. She simply found a way to ease herself out of the scene and continue on her meaningful journey.

Toolbox for HR’s Mission Statement is in direct contradiction to the activities that have occurred. The site was taken over by ZDNet in January of this year, 2012. Apparently these events represent how ZDNet intends to treat their adopted child. But these events also show what happens when workers with sophomoric mentalities, make that childish mentalities, are involved with product integrity.

There’s no longer a contact person who can clear up these situations nor bring things back into control. Attempts to contact someone regarding other similar site difficulties resulted in no response. So while this writing is not a professional manner of dealing with the situation, it is a stab at acknowledging to the public that some behaviors simply are not to be tolerated.

The tamperings create a blemish on the quality of the site and therefore mar the brand and goodwill of ZDNet as the parent company. Values such as ethical behavior and reliability are called into question. The vandalism acts to deter those who are serious about growing their careers. They will not be viewed as being part of any type of meaningful professionalism nor quality work.

I’ll flesh out that blog post with some discussion about professionalism and brand. Maybe I’ll finish up the four or five posts that still reside there in draft form. However, it may be much more prudent to simply transfer those drafts to one of my own blogs and publish the completed content there. After all, why waste good effort on pitching into a black hole?

Sponsored link: Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow

Sponsored link: Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Leadership for the Common Good)

 

Technicalities of “Right to Vote” Sunday, Sep 9 2012 

Fair Comment and Politics , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 9:28 AM

In this season of making decisions about who will lead our country for the next four years, several things arose while I worked on some projects. Pulling some of the pieces together brought me to scouring my old Facebook Notes. Each reminded me of something significant that was happening. And it reminded me of why some of the priorities and goals that I’ve had for more than 13 years are still not realized.

One of the obstacles to progress is the necessity of keeping myself safe. I have a person who is stalking me and has been doing so for the past 15 years or more. By virtue of the fact that the person is a relative, they have quite literally all of my identifying information. It isn’t possible to use police protection because the restraining order I attempted to have become permanent was quashed by a Judge Pro Tem who admitted on the bench in full court that she did not understand the concepts of domestic violence as it related to family members. That action by Pro Tem Glenda Veasey spelled living my life by my wits and using my resources to develop different strategies to keep my whereabouts confidential so that I may live productively and in relative safety.

Unfortunately, my right to vote became compromised in the 2000 and then again in the 2004 presidential elections. By 2008, I thought an alternative was finally discovered. I was wrong. In frustration, I memorialized my thrashing about in a Facebook Note on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 7:32pm.

###

Here I was feeling so smug with myself. I’d not only gotten determined and motivated, I did! I found how to register myself to vote online.

It was simple. Merely go to the Secretary of State online. Click “register to vote.” Well, if you click at this time, you may have to start all over again because all of the instructions need to be followed and done completely. But I did complete the form according to the instructions and then clicked “Submit.”

Then it was a waiting game. Wait for the paper confirmation of what I’d submitted to reach me by mail. If all of the information was correct, merely sign off and date the form. Drop it into the mail and voila! Registration completed.

That is, registration completed until the phone call yesterday morning. The County Registrar of Voters representative called. My registration could not be processed. I need to include my residence address.

“But the residence address is confidential,” I protested, “I’m a survivor of domestic abuse.” Actually, the same premise would apply to one who is the victim of a stalker. Although the worker understood (or at least said she did), she could not contact her superior to find out what to do.

Until she calls back, I am still not a registered voter. Those of you who are survivors of domestic abuse of any type, those of you who are victims of stalkers, be forwarned. Your citizen right to vote is at jeapordy because at this writing you must disclose your residence address.

THIIS MAKES NO SENSE! There must be a way to allow a person to live safely yet also allow them to say how they want their government run by being allowed to register to vote with a confidential residence address or else use a business address as a substitute for the residence.

Comments:

  • Solange Bitol Hansen - It’s called a P.O. Box – you list it along with an address that stays confidential. February 8, 2008 at 9:05am ·
  • Anne Gervais – Congratulations for at least VOTING. That is positive.
    February 8, 2008 at 4:07pm ·
###

My right to vote in the 2008 was still compromised. In order to do so, I was forced to divulge my residence address. By the time the registration deadline arrived, it no longer mattered whether I made the disclosure. I was being subjected to physical violence from the people with whom I shared residence. The determination to leave and stop paying to be physically assaulted was firm. And according to my plans, I would be out of the house within a month or two after Election Day. So I gave my residence address. By March 2008, I had voted and left the premises.

March of this year arrived along with a surprise. A sample ballot for local elections was sent to my business address. Apparently something happened in the course of the four years of my advocacy, pleas, and research for alternatives to registration without disclosing one’s confidential address.

But in August, yet another tool that was created to suppress suffrage. Voters will have to provide proof of citizenship or some type of government issued identification. It isn’t clear to me if this move is an effort to prevent non-citizens from voting, perhaps illegal aliens, or if it’s a throwback to the Jim Crow days of voter literacy tests. I tend to see it as the latter.

Unfortunately, one court has upheld the requirement; no doubt others will follow suit. So it isn’t just the population that has a need to protect the information about their residence that’s in jeopardy of not being able to vote this year. Should this new rule take effect and be upheld throughout all the states, there will be certain classes of people who will have their right to vote stripped away because they do not have the required government-issued identification.

If the person has received their sample ballot, that also contains the information about their polling place, it seems that should suffice for identification. It was sufficient in the past.

I don’t think voter fraud is at issue here. The People want to have their say and want their voices heard. The problem is becoming historic. Our partisan politics are bending the outcome of elections. In 2000, we had the advent of hanging chads. In 2004, the phenomenon of provisional ballots caused the vote of some people to not be counted while votes of others were. I might add here that it seemed certain ethnicities were singled out as provisional voters.

Yes, this will be a watershed election in November. It will show us in which direction this country is headed. It will show us whether our guaranteed rights will continue to be preserved and allowed or whether the whittling away will resume until there are no more guaranteed rights.

Sponsored link: The Politics of Voter Suppression: Defending and Expanding Americans’ Right to Vote (A Century Foundation Book)

Sponsored link: The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States

Sponsored link: Voting Rights–and Wrongs: The Elusive Quest for Racially Fair Elections

 

Never Stopped to Think About It That Way Sunday, Aug 5 2012 

Communication and Ethics and Fair Comment and Media , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 12:48 AM

It was December 12, 2001 when Shaun Michael Jex wrote an insightful piece that related to the sacrifices that foreign correspondents and journalists make to deliver their message. Shaun’s column was Literary Theory Explorations and the installment was titled “By Any Means Necessary.” It was a challenging read; it was a very good read. Shaun’s writings were not simple and superficial. They dug deep into the subject matter and challenged the reader to consider the subject from many aspects. It was a read that compelled some comment and mine was among four that were published.

Thanks for your words, Shaun. Your tribute is (by the examples you give) to news journalists. There are many types of journalists and we all go into the trenches in order to get the real, true story from ground zero. Our desire is to know the inner workings of the whatever and then tell it to others so that they may have some appreciation of the perspectives powering and driving the events. We put ourselves outside of the events. We are but onlookers empathizing and understanding and then sharing that understanding.

One of the highest tenets of being a journalist is telling the accurate story. Another of the highest tenets is that you see each person in their own esteem and look down on nor up to anyone. They are all equal. Therein lie some of the secrets of reporting the events – by getting the right information and reporting it accurately.

The free press and freedom of speech are very precious commodities that are in real jeopardy these days. Too many times meaningful information that can empower or exalt understanding is suppressed while the journalist is beaten to the back of the crowd or else their words suppressed and altered in order to make them more palatable and attractive, more appealing to the masses and flatter them into ignorance. Too often the true and accurate words are erased into oblivion because they offended those who did not want to know and desired to continue in the old, uninformed ways.

Our Muses command us to write. Therefore, we do not shrink away and never tell the story again. We re-emerge another day, sometimes in another place, because for us the story must be told.

Thank you for your tribute to the news journalists. Thank you for speaking.

We need to hold the banner high for good reporting standards and excellent journalism. It’s up to the journalists to tell the story with truth and accuracy (to the extent possible). Slanted reporting, suggestions about the meaning of words, excessive emphasis on certain points, commentary inserted into reporting instead of saved for the reporter’s opinion column are not part of fair reporting and fair comment. It’s difficult to understand the good reporting that’s supposed to be delivered when all that can be found are talking heads behind a desk who are trading jokes and gossip. It’s more as though we’ve come to having 24-hour reality shows instead of good news reportage.

The reading public needs information to independently form their own ideas about a subject. There is little room in a free society for yellow journalism, and biased, non-factual writing that attempts to pass itself off as hard news. There needs to be fact checking and proofreading that goes into delivering the story and a reporter who has an appreciation of the subject or knows how to gain the information in order to provide an informative piece.

The sacrifices of our journalists are important. They should be applauded for doing their jobs.

 

Unions and the First Amendment Friday, Jul 6 2012 

Communication and Ethics and Fair Comment , , , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 8:19 PM

We recently had a ruling come down from the Supreme Court in the case of Knox v. SEIU. The issues were analyzed in a YouTube video “The First Amendment and Knox v. SEIU (Trevor Burrus)” by a CATO specialist, Trevor Burrus. The case involves matters related to the First Amendment and free speech. Secondarily, it relates to how money deducted from a person’s union dues can be used with regard to political activities. And thirdly, it relates to the rights of nonunion members in regard to the fact that they have expressly opted out of being in the union and paying dues yet funds are being taken from their salaries for use in union political activities.

First of all, what is the First Amendment. It’s the section of the Bill of Rights that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

The language of the First Amendment reads:

CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF; OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS; OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.

American Library Association

What we find as we follow the CATO/Burrus analysis of this ruling is that nonunion members were being charged a fee for expressions that did not match their desires as well as represented funds they had expressly said they did not want to pay. In essence, they were not only paying for something they did not want, they were also paying to defeat their own interests.

For further information about the implications of rights under the First Amendment and freedom of expression, comments on the philosophical theories of freedom of expression can be found in Notes and analytic expressions on FindLaw.

 

Claiming the Freedom Friday, Feb 10 2012 

Discrimination and EEOC and Leadership and Models , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 8:19 AM

Good. All the noise has settled down. The crowds are gone and the parades have ended. The “I Have a Dream” re-enactments are over and we’re getting back to Life as usual.

Let’s not let it be too much of the usual. Let’s take some time to reflect and then push off into purposeful inroads for making this year one that marks bolder efforts to kill the forces that suppress. Let’s consider two aspects of what became Affirmative Action in the United States. Let us reflect on why Dr. King took some of the steps that he did. It’s important to remember the circumstances of the day that brought a nation into agreement that things must change. Equally important is giving recognition to the major (and even minor) contributions the Black race of America has made throughout the centuries and history of the making of this country.

As a Southern Baptist preacher, King was raised to have the humility typical of the Negro race. But his education showed him another side of life that was different from subservience. His delving into history and culture made him aware of Martin Luther (from whom he and his father were led to change their family name) and adopt the philosophy of peaceful resistance.

Where at first blush, the traditional Negro spirituals conditioned the people to acquiesce to the insults and harm as they passively waited for deliverance to come at someone else’s hands, King began to teach that change would only come by taking the reigns of the Horse of Deliverance. That horse had to be led quietly and determinedly lest the momentum of the effort be suppressed. So King led the peaceful marches. They let no stones, no feral dogs, no fire hose sprays turn them from their mission. They let no one turn them around from their mission to find civil Freedom, Oh, Freedom.

Even at the threat of death and mob riots, teens (surrounded by National Guardsmen) attended school at Little Rock High School and desegregated the halls, classrooms, and campus. We marched to Washington and demanded suffrage and equal civil rights in word and deed, not just on paper. There were sit-ins at diners and coffee counters as the would-be patrons were assaulted with various types of food and beverage poured over their heads and bodies.

These insults were televised on national news coverage and in print. In Southern towns and cities, word spreads quickly. On hearing of the events, others of the community joined in the quest for equal service and it happened. The economic pressures of no revenue while attempting to maintain supplies and stock became the straw that broke the dam.

Like their cousins of another age (Jewish slaves of Egypt), Black Americans strove against the many obstacles to suppress and negate what could have been contributions to the wealth of a nation. In those days, it took a leader with a vision to keep people focused on not only reaching the goal but clinging to the prize lest it be wrested away. By symbolic acts, they were admonished to press on for rights and freedoms by not acquiescing and passively waiting for someone else to carry the banner of agitating for their citizenship rights. Instead, under King’s leadership, they were encouraged to press on and to Keep [their] Eyes on the Prize.

 

Entitlement of Gen Y Tuesday, Oct 12 2010 

Fair Comment and Leadership , , , , , Yvonne LaRose 2:49 PM

Besides Facebook, what do the names Saverin, Moskovitz, and Zuckerberg have in common? Well, they’re all under 30 years old. For another thing, they’re all billionaires. And they’re among the ten most wealthy (we’re talking billionaires here) in the United States who did not inherit their wealth.

A news story from yesterday talks about the ten most wealthy in the United States. The remainder of the notables are young men who are in their 30s, and older, who have managed to get themselves listed on Forbes 400. What this story tells us in a very understated and subtle way is that the American dream of making something of yourself, even if you come from humble beginnings, by just working hard, working clever, and being innovative, is possible.

True enough, these young people probably have legal advisors helping them make the most prudent moves with their money, investments, and development. But before they reached the stage of needing and affording lawyers, there had to be some native intelligence and discipline that helped them reach these plateaus. I dare say these are the exceptions in the New Millennium.

Their college educations, their being raised in “dynasty” families where social issues and responsibilities were probably discussed at the breakfast table, the lack of a sense of entitlement without effort, is probably part of the subconscious decision-making process of each of these people. They are exceptions. We have to wonder how many of our youth who are their ages or younger appreciate these nuances of wealth.

If social responsibility has not been part of their development and growth, this type of emotional intelligence will come slowly and with many difficult lessons, if at all. What this then makes us wonder is whether these young people should aspire to such lofty attainments. Where are the mentors and counselors who will help them see things properly? Indeed, these spirits should be nurtured and taught that each act has a consequence. Their spirits should not be dampened by being discouraged from reaching for more than their present circumstances allow. Nor should they settle for the repressed life of the ghetto – the land of dashed hopes and dreams.

The other troubling thing about this list of billionaires is that there is only one woman on it. The reason she is there is because she’s the sister of one of the others who inherited the family fortunes. Therefore, the field of attainment, and accompanying responsibilities, has yet to be populated in an equal and representative way.

Back to the matter of the Gen Y members of this list. Only one of these people is a man of color. Many of them dropped out of school in order to continue the chase of their own personal balloons. However, dropping out of school was actually dropping out of the Master’s and Ph.D. programs of some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. Maybe this story isn’t really about the American dream but instead how some of the more privileged chose a different route to their own success story. Then again, that is part of the American promise.

 

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