Advice to My Black Son if He’s Being Followed

Since it continues to be asked in the past week in news interviews and during protests I thought I would share the advice I would give my son if he finds himself being followed while walking home from the store, like Trayvon Martin did.

GO HOME!

 

…or to the home of the nearest friend or relative. And to any parent who would advise their teen to turn and confront the follower I would say you are telling your kid to put themselves in potential danger versus doing what they were doing before detecting a follower.

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Immigration Reform Sounds Great, But Get It Right

English: Benjamin Franklin National Memorial i...

Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Immigration Reform is finally front and center in our national debate, no thanks to a feckless President unwilling to show his hand in this controversial debate. A group of republican and democratic Senators have come forward with a framework for a bill they hope to write, then pass on to the GOP controlled House by Spring. It’s a noble effort that will only become law if priorities are straight. And so far I’ve not seen evidence that their priorities are straight. So far, the only priority I’ve seen bantered about is the news medias claim the Republicans might come on board due to their desire for Hispanic votes. How’s that sit with you for integrity?

Estimates place the number of illegal aliens in this country at 11 million persons. 40% of these immigrants came to the country legally and over-stayed their visas. 80% of these illegals came from Mexico or some Latin nation. All of them place heavy burdens on our countries resources; jobs, welfare, schools, hospitals, justice system, etc. It’s a blight on the country and a serious threat to both economic recovery and deficit spending. And unless the problem is solved there is no hope of it getting better. It will only get worse. So some compromise, in the spirit of Benjamin Franklin, seems in order.

One of our countries greatest statesmen was the Philadelphia printer who almost singlehandedly brought the French into the Revolutionary War, and through an established aura pressed authors of our Federal Constitution to accord. The 81-year old Franklin urged his fellow delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention to be willing to sacrifice, not their principles, but their overwhelming urge to be right.

Franklin said that day that through his long life, he had often been forced

“by better information or fuller consideration to change opinions . . . which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others.”

Details of the proposed immigration reform plan can be read in detail here, in the ABC News story: Details of the Immigration Plan.

What has always been the sticking point is what to do with the 11-million illegals already in this country. Hard liners insist they not get “amnesty”. But lets face it. Such a stance is both un-American and cruel. Americans grant amnesty all the time. It was written into the Constitution that Franklin worked so hard on. But Liberal Democrats have never wanted to face the reality of Republican priorities first: secure the border and remove the magnets. Granting illegals a path to citizenship is absolutely fine with me. But first things first. The border must be secured and allowing illegals to suck-up every welfare and entitlement program this country offers will not diminish the uncontrolled flow of illegal immigrants into this country. It will, in fact, accelerate it.

I’ve never understood why Democrats failed to understand that the jobs and benefits taken by illegals more drastically affect people who statistically tend to be Democratic voters. When you employ a Spanish-speaking person to cook your hamburgers, lay your carpet or install your new roof you aren’t taking a job from some college educated intellectual. You are taking a job from the least educated in our society, and far too often that person is black. When you provide a Section 8, or welfare home, to an illegal Mexican family you aren’t shutting out that home from a Stanford University grad and their kids. The American family who needs the warmth and security of that shelter is poor and ill-educated.

The current compromise proposal calls for more border agents and security monitoring using unmanned drones before any amnesty is granted. This sounds like a step in the right direction. It also proposes stream-lining the legal immigration process to make it easier to come into this country than the current nightmarish system. It also allows for more immigrants to legally come during times of economic growth and slow immigration during times of no or slow growth. Again, good ideas.

American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, has already come out against a registration plan allowing background checks for employers to see if potential new hires are legal residents in this country. They have an excellent point. A national ID card program, which this plan would certainly require, is an infringement on the implied Constititional right to privacy. But the problem can be easily solved by making the Federal Background check program and registration voluntary. If employers choose not to use it and are found to have hired illegals penalize them with such severe consequences that they would be unwise to not use it.

At the turn of the 20th Century and just before, this country was being overwhelmed by new immigrants. But at that time you were not allowed into this country without a sponsor and without a desirable skill. That too would seem to be a standard in our own national interests.

I don’t expect this bill to go anywhere. Because while I hope and expect Republicans to compromise on the “path to citizenship” issue; I expect Democrats to use the poor Hispanics/Latinos in this country as they continue to use the blacks in this country as political footballs with which to perpetually bash the GOP and subsequently remain in power. It’s not solutions they want. They’ll paint the Republicans reasonable positions regarding border security first as too tough and inhumane. And in doing so the complicit media will again drive more Latinos into the hands of their overseers, the Democratic party.

Are Men Al Bundy or John McClain

June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and...

June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont). 

 

A trend begun in the 1980s in this country is to portray men as either clowns or unimaginable macho freaks. No where do you see images of strong and wise men worthy of respect. We’ve come a long way from Ward Cleaver of the Leave it to Beaver 1950s TV show. The end result is a diminishment of men and their roles in society. More women occupy jobs in our country for the first time in history. More women earn college degrees now, than do men. And it’s time to examine if this is a good thing; and if not what to do about it.

 

I want to head-off-at-the pass any hyper-sensitive types who will polish their indignation hormones by claiming I’m longing for society to revert to the times of Leave it to Beaver. This silly claim was heard about Republicans throughout the 2012 political season as Democrats repeatedly claimed a false “War on Women” that does not exist. And, by the way, if it does exist its a battle its advocates are losing terribly as evidenced by the facts already sited in this blog.

 

Popular cultures examples of men who portrayed characters of a “real life” world 40-50 years ago include Ward Cleaver,

 

TV Guide #203

 

Robert Young in Father Knows Best,

 

Cropped screenshot of Fred MacMurray from the ...

Fred MacMurray 

 

Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons,

 

The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show

 

 

 

Publicity photo of Andy Griffith and Don Knott...

 

Andy Griffith in the Andy Griffith Show. My childhood television example of manliness and being a good, wise, strong father was Mike Brady on the Brady Bunch.

 

The Brady Bunch opening grid, season one

 

It wasn’t until decades later we all learned that Robert Reed, the actor portraying Mike Brady was gay. And while not significant toward my point; it is an interesting, quirky twist in the examples I sight.

 

Al Bundy

Al Bundy 

 

The clownish, oafish Al Bundy of Married with Children fame became the standard example of an American Dad through the 1990s. Another example of a “man” and a husband and father in popular culture was John McClain, played by Bruce Willis in the Die hard movie series. He was wise cracking, and tough and leaping from sky scrapers and crashing trucks and cars and shooting dealy, evil villains. The problem with this is neither of the examples are worth exemplifying as what a man and/or father ought to be. Bundy was completely dorkish and without many positive qualities, and

 

Bruce Willis as Hartigan.

 

McClain was totally unrealistic, not to mention too violent.

 

I don’t pine for the days of the little woman being bound to the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, and being nearly completely subservient to the man. And I certainly don’t wistfully wish for the days of racism and segregation imposed on the racial minorities of this country back in the “good ‘ol days”.

 

But I do wish I could see in pop culture more examples of honorable men. Clowns are fine as are heroic macho gun toting crime stoppers. But what’s wrong with having positive male role models being displayed in our tv and movie entertainment? What’s wrong with Leave it to Beaver? Or Mike Brady for that matter?

 

Fear the Mob Mentality and Vigilante Justice

English: Anonymous Español: Anonymous

The internet hacking group Anonymous has posted a video showing members of the Steubenville (OH) High School football team laughing and joking about the rape of a sixteen year old girl by members of their team, and apparently individuals appearing in the video. And Anonymous has posted a threat to “those responsible” and school officials who supposedly protected some of the suspected culprits. Let me be clear Anonymous is threatening people who were not present and had nothing to do with the rape. 

The rape occurred August 22, 2012. The girl was drugged, sexually assaulted and transported by the group of football players from party to party where she was photographed and raped repeatedly. Two members of the football team were charged with rape of a minor. But rumors persisted that many more teen boys were involved.

We post the video here with the warning: This video contains extremely crude language. And you are advised that if you have a problem with the efforts by Anonymous to promote this vigilante justice, then you shouldn’t watch this video.

The problem with Anonymous is their efforts indict, at least in public opinion, almost every kid on the Steubenville High School football team whether they were involved in the rape or not. Anonymous and others who engage in vigilantism have made themselves Judge, Jury, and possibly Executioner. They are fomenting a mob-mentality that in the end can only be bad.

4_7_12 March for Justice for Trayvon Martin-12

4-7-12 March for Justice for Trayvon Martin

One need look no further than the Trayvon Martin case to see the ill effects of what a mob frenzy will do. I wrote a blog called “Trayvon Martin’s Killer Should be Punished, Right?” on March 28, 2012; a tongue-in-cheek effort to point out how the mob mentality drove police and local prosecuting attorneys to reverse their initial, and seemingly correct, decision not to bring murder charges to the teen’s killer George Zimmerman. As I wrote in my blog “Trayvon Martin beat his Killer” and as has become apparent through released photographs and doctor’s testimony since the frenzy that caused the arrest there is more than a little evidence to verify Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin in order to protect his own life.

George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman

I don’t know if Zimmerman is guilty or not, but I think NOT is far more likely. And since I took the heat for my earlier blogs questioning the mob indictment of this poor little man, Zimmerman, I won’t feel the least bit of problem proclaiming “I told you so” when his trial results in his acquittal.

I don’t know if more kids were involved in the Steubenville rape. I don’t know if the primary trash talkers in the video aren’t the two individuals who were charged in the case. I don’t like the laughing being done in the video by several other KIDS. I can’t emphasize enough I’m disgusted by the behavior of those in the video and I believe anyone who was present, eye witness to and cheering on the rape of the girl needs to face criminal prosecution. But regarding those in the video I know laughing is not against the law. Nor is being stupid. At least, it’s not currently against the law. The wave of ugly political correctness that covered this country like a blanket in the 1990s never fully went away. So laws forbidding laughing at crude humor may be just around the corner.

I’m sure Anonymous feels fully justified and righteous in trying to expose the guilty in this horrible crime perpetrated against a young girl. And I sincerely hope those responsible face justice. But I also pray innocents are not swept up in the wave Anonymous is trying to generate. I fear they will be. Just like before.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Be Yourself on Social Media.

Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...

I joined Facebook with my personal profile page in May 2008, and some would say at that point a monster was made. The truth isn’t quite so dramatic and was in fact a slow evolving process. Now I’m very active on Social Media and a lot of it is for fun, but most of it is a calculated effort to promote my company Total Broadcasting Service, and recently my wife and my Advisor status with the direct sales company, AdvoCare.

The truth is the “monster” reference above refers to both my frequency of posts and my willingness to break some long-standing “rules” for business and networking. The big one of which I refer is “never talk religion or politics”. It’s long been believed crossing the line into those two subjects is a sure way to lose customers or potential customers. Well, I’m a happy example of how that “rule” is largely myth. And I’ve come to the conclusion that the politics and religion banishment from social media discussion or business and networking discussion is created mostly by people who are personally more reserved anyway.

Nothing is wrong with being more tightly guarded about your thoughts, actions, or beliefs. But those who are ought not unfairly judge those of us who are happily more vocal. After all, if everyone held ideas so closely to the vest and never shared them how would people learn and grow and solve problems. It’s the more boisterous in society who call attention to problems and those problem’s solutions.

FB Tower pic w-number

Total Broadcasting Service is an eight year old company. We’re a radio advertising brokerage and audio production company that has added video production for internet marketing to our list of services. We experienced four years of growth after beginning operations in 2005, and then fell on hard times like so many others in 2009. We saw a lot of customers close their doors that year. Since then every year has gotten progressively better. And in 2012 we have recorded our best year ever in terms of gross income.

What I find interesting about this is the fact that 2012 was an election year and I made no secret about my support for what the election determined was a minority opinion. Not only was it a minority opinion nationally, but my Conservative politics was and remains an extreme minority opinion where I live and where most of my business originates from, in King County, Washington. So how can it be possible that my business has continued to grow and support my family with what amounts to an above-average income and life-style?

Stephen Colbert in New York City at Border's s...

Stephen Colbert

As Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert demanded to know during the Chick-fil-A vs Gay Marriage controversy last Summer, “I’ve got to know what positions my food has taken on all the issues. For example, I love Carl Jr’s Western Burger. It must be anti-ObamaCare, because it is clearly trying to kill us. And whenever I go to Applebee’s, I insist that they only give me right wings. After all, you are what you eat. And now, you also believe what you eat.”

The absurdity of Colbert’s comment should be obvious. And to me the obvious conclusion I’ve come to is that most people don’t care about politics or religion. Traditionally poor voter turnout proves this fact. Studies showing only about 50% of Americans regularly attend church further proves it.

Like Adam Smith clearly enunciated in his seminal book, The Wealth of Nations“, 

Profile of Adam Smith

Adam Smith

everyone cares about their own selfish interests. And that’s a good thing. Because in caring for our own selfish interests we as individuals and individual businesses are stronger and better able to serve specific customers and the general populace. Weak people and weak businesses serve very few. And in caring for their own selfish interests people care little about my politics or religion. They care about whether my business can make their lives better, something we constantly strive to do. And we strive with equal fervor for our Liberal customers as for our Conservative customers; for our Christian customers as for our Jewish, Buddhist, Atheist, or Muslim customers. Doing so is in our best interest.

My efforts on Social Media now include regular posts to my Facebook personal page, business page, and personality page. In 2010 I added Twitter and LinkedIn personally and for business to my Social Media promotional efforts. And in 2012 Pinterest began receiving our attention. And we are bloggers here on M Schuett blah blah blah. (We’re also on Biznik. But since they started charge money for even their most basic profile page we discontinued our subscription). Selfish advocacy of my political and moral points of view are frequent subjects of my posts. But foremost at ALL TIMES is merely to be interesting to as many people as possible in order to promote my business interests; Total Broadcasting Service, and in the past 3-4 months, AdvoCare health and nutrition.

AdvoCare allowed me and my wife to lose 30 lbs each in just 4 months.

AdvoCare allowed me and my wife to lose 30 lbs each in just 4 months.

Social Media experts will tell you that marketing through social media is not intended to get you direct business; but instead to keep your brand, product or service in the front-of-mind for potential customers. That’s true. But when you make yourself interesting on Social Media and are not afraid to “show a little leg” and make yourself vulnerable you gain credibility with even those who disagree with you. And in gaining credibility you gain direct customers. As we have. And we’re grateful.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.