Human Communication

According to Beebe, Beebe and Ivy, “. . . human communication is the process of making sense out of the world and sharing that sense with others by creating meaning through the use of verbal and nonverbal messages.” This is one of many definitions for human communication. Consider that we almost always have problems with definitions. Take Christianity for example: many in the United States point to the Bible as the core document in their beliefs, but somehow they have come up with different definitions for their religions. We have to assume that if anyone were attempting to build the best possible definition it would be the founders of these denominations.

In discussions we do exactly the same thing. We can establish a basic definition from which our contributions to any discussion are drawn. Put another way, we decide what we think and then discuss from that position. In daily life application, probably all of us have had this experience. Mom asks us to clean our rooms. You set out to clean the room and in five minutes are finished. Mom comes by the room and says, “When are you going to clean your room?” Clearly there are different definitions of “clean” in those two minds.

Unfortunately, since we are all different and have had different experiences, we will always find that the starting point or definition in our mind is different from the starting point in the mind of others. For that reason, the definition above will be the one that should be used in discussions with classmates during the quarter. The definition is one of many possible definitions and should not be considered the best or only.

One last thought, words, like everything else, have to be defined by experience, real or vicarious. Each of us have had different experiences and that means that the words in our head don’t mean the same thing to everyone. They don’t even mean the same things to us over the years.

Communication is tough. To be successful each of us must spend a great deal of energy and time examining the communication process.

Human Communication

You and I tend to think that ideas clear and obvious in our heads will be every bit as clear and obvious to everyone around us. If we can understand it, they should be able to understand it as well. On the other hand, as we gain more experience we begin to discover that things we used to “clearly” understand just aren’t the way we thought they were and we are forced to change our thinking or ignore the problem.

When I was a kid, folk talked about the back country of the high Sierras in California. When I visited the high Sierras I was impressed. Nobody bothered to explain to me that the Sierras were a range of mountains and there was another side. (I knew there was an east side, but I just thought it was a very long way away.) It came as something of a shock to me to discover that the back country was much smaller than it seemed in my imagination. The experience of actually crossing the Sierras and seeing the other side forced me to change my thinking.

My home town of Mountain View, California, seemed to be quite nice and quite large as I was growing up. I didn’t have a lot of travel opportunities and so hadn’t visited a lot of places. When I went back recently to visit my old home town I was amazed at how small and average it had become. (It’s is still my home town and I have many fond memories from there.) Then it dawned on me that the “reality” in my mind was just plain different from the “reality” that I have now. Oh yes, and Mountain View has changed as much as I have.

It’s clear to me that the things that are “real” in my head are not always what I find them to be later on. That forces me to make changes in the way I think about things and what I say. Put another way, the “reality” that we are constructing in our minds is necessary, but not necessarily accurate. What is necessary to live a longer and more prosperous life is the acceptance of the fact that we all have partial grasp of “reality” and we are forced to accept that, until we can revise and update it.

And that has a huge impact on human communication.

I’m certain that you have discovered things in your “reality” that seem to have shifted. How fast can these shifts occur? Are there thought processes that might be useful in detecting these shifts before they embarrass us?

Creating Common Ground

Building common ground is difficult and not natural for many of us. On the other hand, common ground is one of the essentials of living together in tight spaces (cities) and increasingly politics and professions. Often the building of patriotism makes building common ground nearly impossible. We can spin our wheels looking at all the problems that face us when we're trying to build common ground. Instead, let's look at what we can do individually to increase common ground.

1) Since one of the of easy and comfortable things we do everyday is travel with people who think like we do and in fact do many of the same things we do. We can deliberately set out to find, listen to and ask questions of people who are clearly different from us.

2) Since it is quicker and easier to take the same route to work or to visit friends every time, think of ways that can vary that path. That might expose us to a different set of challenges causing us to think differently about the world immediately around us. That may cause us to rethink some things we held to be true when we view new sets of data.

3) Since we have limited resources in general we tend to read, view and discuss things that are clearly of importance and value to us and our kind. Periodically set out to read things that you expect/know you will disagree with. Try to do it with an open mind. Go to a movie that others seem to enjoy and you know you will hate. To better understand, even if it is so that you can better handle folk who think a certain way, why people do what they do, carry on a discussion the goal of which is to better understand rather than to persuade.

Put another way . . . seek information, a perception check if you will, rather than trying to change their mind or make them feel inferior. After you have gathered the information think about it. It can be very rewarding and it may very well lead us to encourage the building of common ground.

Thinking to Avoid Collapse

In a section of the book Collapse the author Jared Diamond calls "Signs of Hope," he lists the following, which on the surface seem like very sensible things of which to be aware.

“Thus, human societies and smaller groups may make disastrous decisions for a whole sequence of reasons: failure to anticipate a problem, failure to perceive it once it has arisen, failure to attempt to solve it after it has been perceived, and failure to succeed in attempts to solve it.”

Looking at the idea above that there is a "failure to attempt to solve it after it has been perceived," Diamond has pointed out that at times powerful people or groups don't want the problem solved because it won't be to their advantage.

If we look for those who might be benefiting from a problem, then we might know better who the enemy is. That will make it easier to find a solution, because we will understand what, or who, we are fighting. Keeping a good thing going is not an easy job. It will take all of us thinking all the time to avoid what so many societies have failed to do: survive.

Creeping Normalcy

A great concept which can be used to help understand why we tend not to notice things that are happening right under our nose. In interpersonal relationships it sometimes produces a surprised partner who says quite truthfully, "I had no idea that we had any serious problems." In government we adopt laws that reflect where the constituents are, and to the "old folk" in our community there is amazement that our system could do such a stupid thing. In our everyday life we have shifted from party lines for telephone use to individual handheld phones that we wouldn't be caught dead without. All examples of creeping normalcy.

Jared Diamond uses this concept in his book Collapse to describe how we are able to overlook some of the most obvious things that are happening to us. A new normalcy creeps up on us so slowly that we don't even notice it. We fail to notice the importance of the everyday things which when we look back make is so clear where we left one era and entered another. This is where mass media should be playing a key role. They have themselves shifted from a set of goals which included keeping the electorate informed to a new and powerful one: maximize profits from quarter to quarter.

So it is up to us to learn what is necessary to know in order to build the world we want to live in and start building the world we hope our children will live in. Creeping normalcy is a risk to us all and the way we live.

Things We Should Avoid

According to Jared Diamond in his book Collapse, the following items are present in the failure of the societies he has studied.
1) "A first set of factors involves damage that people inadvertently inflict on their environment, as already discussed"
2) "A next consideration in my five-point framework is climate change, a term that today we tend to associate with global warming caused by humans."
3) "A third consideration is hostile neighbors."
4) "The fourth set of factors is the converse of the third set: decreased support by friendly neighbors, as opposed to increased attacks by hostile neighbors."
5) "The last set of factors in my five-point framework involves the ubiquitous question of the society's responses to its problems, whether those problems are environmental or not."

Diamond's 560 page book seeks to determine why and how societies fail. The framework that he describes is worth our consideration. Applying the first item in the list we see the need for free and open discussion. When anyone spots a problem that might face us all sooner or later, they should be encouraged to "speak out" about what they are seeing. In a free and open discussion, it is not our job to silence those who are "speaking out" but to determine what they have to say and its possible impact on them and the rest of us.

In a society that says it is interested in free speech and also seeks to limit free speech, there is a problem. Some in our midst tell us that they are not being allowed to speak out. That should alarm all of us. But, it is time consuming and requires that we focus on the problem. If should be clear that basic to the preservation of a society there is high value placed on communication in all directions. Anything that gets in the way of that communication needs to be examined with great care. Then appropriate actions need to be taken. To avoid inadvertent death in our society we need to be free, willing and able to communicate. Anything less than full discussion/communication is to move toward damage to our society caused inadvertently. We must discuss.

Avoiding National Collapse

Most of us would like to leave our homeland to our children the same as, or even better than we received it from our parents. But, there are many things that can go wrong along the way. In his book Collapse, Jared Diamond discusses the "tragedy of the commons." He explains: "Consider a situation in which many consumers are harvesting a communally owned resource, such as fishermen catching fish in an area of ocean, or herders grazing their sheep on a communal pasture. If everybody overharvests the resource, it will become depleted by overfishing or overgrazing and thus decline or even disappear, and all the consumers will suffer."

What Diamond is describing is happening all around us all the time. The oceans, forests, even our agricultural processes tend to use up the land so that in the long run we may not be able to depend on it for food. He points out that there are a couple of common ways we can look at the problem. One would be to say to ourselves, "If I don't force this crop, somebody else will and so I might as well." Another might be, "If I don't cut this land, somebody else will and so I might as well."

Diamond suggests, "The remaining solution to the tragedy of the commons is for the consumers to recognize their common interests and to design, obey and enforce prudent harvesting quotas themselves." None of that can happen without communication. A skill we must have and use if we hope to achieve success as individuals or as a nation. At least, we must be willing to talk (communicate) with others if we hope to successfully pass on to our children that which is best about the places we live.

How Can We Know?

The problem of an "informed American electorate" has been with us for a long time. But, in the past few years the problem has become even more acute. To a certain extent we all depend on the media to keep us informed. Now there is increasing evidence that we need help in knowing what is happening within our own country.

Reporters Without Boarders publish a freedom ranking each year which is very revealing. The USA is quite a way down the list. Perhaps it would be best if we spent more time with the media that ranks higher in our attempts to find out what is going on in our own country.

Reduce Conflict

We often use e-mail to get done quickly those things we are attempting. There can be problems. This item recently appeared in the Christian Science Monitor.

"The answer, the professors conclude, is sometimes "no." Though e-mail is a powerful and convenient medium, researchers have identified three major problems. First and foremost, e-mail lacks cues like facial expression and tone of voice. That makes it difficult for recipients to decode meaning well. Second, the prospect of instantaneous communication creates an urgency that pressures e-mailers to think and write quickly, which can lead to carelessness. Finally, the inability to develop personal rapport over e-mail makes relationships fragile in the face of conflict."

Next time you think of exploding on-line or think that you have just made an excellent point, take care.

Keep This In Mind

The world that you know exists within your head. You are the one that is responsible for building and maintaining that world. We all know some folk that seem to live in a world that doesn't make any sense to us at all. It is very likely that it does make sense to them.

At first, our parents are very interested in helping us create a world that is very much like their own within us. As their influence is diluted with other influences we begin to create a world which is very much our own creation. But, the important thing to remember is that we have a responsibility to ourselves to build the best possible world making is more likely that we will be able to achieve our goals.

Be careful what you put into your world.

Communicating

One of the best ways to improve in an area is to be willing to go back over the things in that area that we believe to be true. In short, be willing to question the things we believe. If you are correct in your position you will reinforce the belief. And if any modification in your belief system might be useful, this process will show you what the modification might be.

When we were 18 months old there were many things that didn't bother us that would at this point in life would embarrass us. Not looking for change assumes that we are not only correct but there can be no improvement. By questioning some of our favored positions we run the risk of growing and becoming more effective in life.

Where Are The Headlines?

Why aren't the news agencies screaming about what is going on? Congressman Tom Delay, former House Majority leader, may or may not be innocent of the charges made against him. But, there is one thing we now know that should cause us all to scream. Congressman Delay has managed to confound justice in the United States by saying he didn't want a Democratic supporter to be his judge. Once we allow party affiliation to decide our guilt or innocence we will need two sets of law enforcement, two sets of prisons, and so on.

Justice should be based on law, much like the Republicans claim they want it work. When and if things don't work out the way you believe that they should, then you can appeal. If we can choose our mom to be our judge, of course we'll be found innocent. But, there will always be a question about mom's ability to judge the case based on the facts.

If Tom Delay has the right to choose his judge or their party affiliation then so do 285,000,000 other Americans. Justice is confounded. We don't have justice any more than any other country on earth if you and I can choose those who would judge us. Scream. Scream to everyone who will listen to you.

How Can We Build Ourselves

One of the most important forms of communication is interpersonal communication. The more time and energy we spend in this area, the more likely that we will be able to reach the goals we set for ourselves. This is the area of abilities which makes it possible for us to live with the person of our choice and work at the job or our choice. Those are two of the most important considerations for anyone.

First, we must look at ourselves. Who are we and who do they think we are? Look at these areas carefully. Most of us have some idea of who we are. But, we make a simple mistake by assuming that what we think is what others think as well. Other people decide about you and me based on what we say and do. Clearly the most important of those two is what we do. We can clarify what we are doing by providing those around us with explanations of what we are doing and why. What we believe to be perfectly clear can be made much clearer by what we say. Those two must go together.

Second, we must look at others. Who are they and who do they think they are? We look at them and what they do and decide for ourselves how they mean. We often don't ask because there's no real need to have explanations for what we already "know to be true." Often we are wrong, at least in part. We must set aside the time and energy to do what is necessary for us to reach our goals.

Clearly, this is going to involve doing what we do, and then finding a way to talk to those around us so we can adjust their perceptions of what they think we're doing. For a start, this will give us a plan to begin building a future for ourselves that we can be happy about.

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

These are the ground rules: the job of the mass media is to create profits. In order to be able to do that as effectively as possible, they need the largest possible audiences. To create large audiences the media must give audiences what they want.

The need to know what is "really" going on in the world never goes away. So, what must we do in order to find out what is going on in the world so that we can make the best possible decisions.

We must first be aware that media no longer feels the responsibility to provide their audiences with what they need to know. Their responsibility is to assure their owners that they will get a return on their investment.

Each of us must setup our own system to determine what is really going on in the world. Then we must learn and act on what we learn. But, there aren't very many ways you can inform yourself quickly and easily. Here are some ways you can begin to inform yourself.

1. Use the internet. There's a wide range of excellent sources available to choose from and as you search you will be able to add to the list of sources you find.

2. Read widely and regularly. Don't decide what your position is or should be, but instead, decide that you need to know as miuch as possible about "reality" and follow the data where ever it leads.

Now, Where Were We?

(Back in the office now. Now is the time to get back into the discussion of the various elements that make up our lives through communication. Our focus will be on what we can do to improve our communicaitons and through them our lives. While we're improving our lives, we must always keep an eye on what is happening to others. That way, we build a world through communications that not only we want to live in, but others can join us.)


Over the past few weeks it has become increasingly apparent that the information that we use to make decisions that are going to affect us and those we love, isn't always clear or accurate. In fact, there's a fairly large group of people whose sole task is to make us feel good about what they want us to do or think. Our job then is to be certain that we come as close as possible to "reality" so that the decision we make get us closer to our goals, rather than closer to somebody else's goals.

Newspaper less than radio and TV, make their living primarily by acquiring huge readership or listenership. The larger the number, the more you can charge for your product. That means, right out of the blocks we have to protect ourselves from thinking that what we see, hear and read are the heart and soul of news or public affairs. That would be foolish. These folk have to produce large audiences or they're looking for work. That, put simply, means that they will give you what they think you want.

It's true that once in a while, some news gets through because it can't be hidden. That tends to shake the confidence of many of us because we didn't like what we saw. Take the governmental reaction to Hurricane Katrina. Most Americans didn't like what they saw. Even the President of the United States didn't like what he saw. Many Americans had been lulled into a feeling that most conditions are reasonably safe where we live. After the hurricane, many of us had questions.

Why hadn't that sort of thing been discussed in all news agencies before? Why does it take a disaster to show us where we really stand? Now, what are some of the other areas that should be concern to us now? Do we know? Have we thought about it? Where are we getting our information and how reliable is it?

Our concern is not only how skillful and careful we can be when communicating, but what we are communicating and to whom. I really don't want a bunch of highly skilled commnicators running around our communities that really don't have anything to say. Communication has to involve not only those communication skills, but careful thought.

An article on the light side of dissidence

The New York Times > New York Region > No Need to Stew: A Few Tips to Cope With Life's Annoyances: "Work slowdowns are methods commonly used by labor unions to apply pressure without actually striking. During the Solidarity movement in Poland, people expressed their disapproval of the government-run news media by taking a walk with their hats on backward at exactly 6 p.m. when the state news program started. When the government noticed the trend, it issued curfews, but people then put their televisions in their windows facing outward so that only the police walking the streets would see the broadcasts."

Login with user name "unfortunately" and password "required."


petty

The Culture of Secrecy

There is a clear need for some kinds of secrecy and our government should provide the safety that secrecy can give us. But, when the culture of secrecy is embedded in the administration we have and you add a war to it, there are huge potential problems.

Rick Blum writes a story which appears in the Provo, Utah Daily Herald. His lead paragraph spells out the problem: "Last year our government spent $ 6.5 billion -- or for every woman, man and child in the United States -- to classify and secure its millions of accumulated secrets. That is 60 percent more than it spent just two years before, and the most it has spent on secrecy for at least the past decade -- not even counting the cost of keeping the CIA's extensive records secret. Sorry, the CIA keeps that figure classified."

Blum's closing paragraph: "Openness, not secrecy, makes our democracy and economy strong. Information in the right hands can produce medical breakthroughs, advance technology, apprehend criminals, and make us safer, healthier and more productive. At best, excessive secrecy is an abuse of the fundamental trust that the public places in government. At worst, it puts uncounted lives and communities at risk, and wastes billions of taxpayers' dollars."

Democracy can and does flourish in a society that is open. One of the things we often say of other countries is that they need to have a free and open discussion of ideas. The culture I would prefer is one of openness.

The Culture of Secrecy

There is a clear need for some kinds of secrecy and our government should provide the safety that secrecy can give us. But, when the culture of secrecy is embedded in the administration we have and you add a war to it, there are huge potential problems.

Rick Blum writes a story which appears in the Provo, Utah Daily Herald. His lead paragraph spells out the problem: "Last year our government spent $ 6.5 billion -- or for every woman, man and child in the United States -- to classify and secure its millions of accumulated secrets. That is 60 percent more than it spent just two years before, and the most it has spent on secrecy for at least the past decade -- not even counting the cost of keeping the CIA's extensive records secret. Sorry, the CIA keeps that figure classified."

Blum's closing paragraph: "Openness, not secrecy, makes our democracy and economy strong. Information in the right hands can produce medical breakthroughs, advance technology, apprehend criminals, and make us safer, healthier and more productive. At best, excessive secrecy is an abuse of the fundamental trust that the public places in government. At worst, it puts uncounted lives and communities at risk, and wastes billions of taxpayers' dollars."

Democracy can and does flourish in a society that is open. One of the things we often say of other countries is that they need to have a free and open discussion of ideas. The culture I would prefer is one of openness.

The Culture of Secrecy

There is a clear need for some kinds of secrecy and our government should provide the safety that secrecy can give us. But, when the culture of secrecy is embedded in the administration we have and you add a war to it, there are huge potential problems.

Rick Blum writes a story which appears in the Provo, Utah Daily Herald. His lead paragraph spells out the problem: "Last year our government spent $ 6.5 billion -- or for every woman, man and child in the United States -- to classify and secure its millions of accumulated secrets. That is 60 percent more than it spent just two years before, and the most it has spent on secrecy for at least the past decade -- not even counting the cost of keeping the CIA's extensive records secret. Sorry, the CIA keeps that figure classified."

Blum's closing paragraph: "Openness, not secrecy, makes our democracy and economy strong. Information in the right hands can produce medical breakthroughs, advance technology, apprehend criminals, and make us safer, healthier and more productive. At best, excessive secrecy is an abuse of the fundamental trust that the public places in government. At worst, it puts uncounted lives and communities at risk, and wastes billions of taxpayers' dollars."

Democracy can and does flourish in a society that is open. One of the things we often say of other countries is that they need to have a free and open discussion of ideas. The culture I would prefer is one of openness.

What Culture Do You Favor?

When it comes to secrecy, you might hate it or you might embrace it, depending on your background. Businessmen don't like having everybody know what they're doing and why. They want to be able to keep their "advantage" over the competition and will go to great lengths to protect "their territory." That is their mindset. That's the way they live and few see any reason to change that part of their culture.

When it comes to secrecy, we always must keep in mind that when we vote for any candidate we're voting for more than the positions they proclaim to support. We're voting for their cultural position as well. When you vote for managers, you're voting for folk who fear and mistrust the "press." When managers "sell" ideas and concepts they use the same culture they have used to "sell" processes and products. Its their culture, the way they view the world.

In Krugman's Op/Ed piece today in the New York Times, he points out that "The argument over Social Security privatization isn't about rival views on how to secure the program's future - even the administration admits that private accounts would do nothing to help the system's finances. It's a debate about what kind of society America should be." This is a debate over cultures.

What culture do you favor?

When Can Secrecy Harm You?

In today’s USATODAY an Op/Ed piece points out a trend that should have everyone’s attention. “In 2004, the government created 16 million new secrets, 75% more than in the year ending in September 2001. Sixteen million! And each new ‘classification decision’ can involve many documents.”

What you don’t know can hurt you. That’s why the nation agreed to, and made into law the Freedom of Information Act. This gave us protection against the unknown from our own government and made it possible for us to vote with greater wisdom.

Fear is the usual reason information flow is slowed or stopped. We’ve been living in an environment of fear now since 9/11, and in our efforts to protect ourselves we may very well have hurt ourselves. In order to be a viable democracy we must have an informed population. They must be able to gather their information from any and all sources or abuses will happen.

Of course adjustments need to be made. That’s almost always true. But, when you couple national fear with a tendency toward secrecy by culture, there can be major problems. When things happen in our government that we are not allowed to know about you can bet the potential is there for our harm.

What To Watchout For

We all want and need dependable news sources, so that we can make the best possible decisions for ourselves, families and communities. Sometimes we overlook obvious indicators of actual and potential problems. For example, as businesses attempt to increase their profits, they do what is necessary to maintain their product, if possible, and to meet the target for profits set by their owners. This is a problem.

News people have to abide by the same rules other businesses do and they too have been under great pressure to increase or at least maintain profits. There's a limit to what businesses can cut and still maintain their product's integrity. As the cost of labor goes up, fewer can be hired and maintained, and that means potential and now probable problems for those who need reliable news.

When a reporter was expected to research and write three news stories a day and because of costs we now have half as many reporters to fill the news the clients are accustomed to receive. The organization either has to become more efficient or the reporters have to produce more stories each day. Unfortunately, there are lots of folk who are willing and able to supply the news. We call some of them public relations agencies. They package stories which often are very good and at times little more than propaganda.

The New York Times article in today's issue reports that we are in the era of prepackaged news which puts your ability to trust the news in deeper jeopardy.

First Ammendment

Most Americans are proud of the First Amendment of the Constitution. We point to it and reassure everyone on the planet that we have a country that allows free speech. An article in USAToday reminds me that rights are most often lost because we forget the importance of those rights.

Here is the lead paragraph: "One in three U.S. high school students say the press ought to be more restricted, and even more say the government should approve newspaper stories before readers see them, according to a survey being released today." Somewhere along the line, we have a growing number of students that think that the role of the journalist in our society is to support, or at least not criticize those of us who live in our society.

If journalists do not watch and report on those in power, there is little hope that we will remain free. A free press is the backbone of a free society. Without that, we're all in trouble.

Fair And Balanced

We must learn to keep an eye on the media. There job is different from ours. They must make profits and we are trying to inform ourselves. So, when we're out there in media land we must always keep in mind that they are trying to build audience and we are trying to decide if our country is on the right track.

In a recent posting of Media Matters , they investigate the fair and balanced coverage the inauguration received. They describe themselves as "Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit progressive research and information center. . ." Take a look at the "balance" between Republican and Democratic individuals represented during broadcast.

Media Matters reports, "Between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Republican and conservative guests and commentators outnumbered Democrats and progressives 19 to 7 on FOX*, 10 to 1 on CNN (not including a Republican-skewed panel featuring Ohio voters), and 13 to 2 on MSNBC."

We must be aware and then take the time necessary to inform ourselves, or our decisions will be made for us with lopsided information.

How Do We Know?

How do we know the things we know? We experience it for ourselves and should we be unable to do that, we are dependent on other people. Some of those people will be eye witnesses to what happened. They will likely be reporters whose task it is to give us a sense of what happened. In short, mass media has the task of informing us about what is happening when we can't experience it personally.

Over time, the mass media has changed its role. It no longer has a primary task of giving us information that we need, but instead are giving us information that we want. As a consequence we all have to find an adequate replacement for what we need to know.

At times and in certain places there are media that come closer to keeping us informed. An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer gives us some idea that there is a problem. This article relates events that took place during the presidential debates and immediately after. For example: "The candidates understood that their misleading claims would draw less scrutiny than the latest attacks and counterattacks or their speaking and management styles. That's why the Kerry/Edwards campaign seemed to feel no remorse in its constant assertions that the Iraq war cost $200 billion, an exaggeration of $80 billion at the time. That's why President Bush repeatedly made the false accusation that Kerry's plan would 'nationalize' American health care."

Our best method to help the media make better decisions is to support them when they do things we require. Don't support them when they don't. They make their profits on the creation and maintenance of large audiences. Keep that in mind.

When We Think About It

If we really wanted to improve education in the United States as the Bush administration often suggests, what should they be doing? It’s not clear that they are trying to improve education, but instead repair something that the Bush administration appears to believe is broken. If its broken, why not fix it? If its not broken, why not support it?

An article in today's New York Times, How We Learn, set me to thinking that we could do something to improve the chances that American education will improve. Let's figure out how we learn and then model our schools to reflect that.

We're Not All The Same

If we are not now in school, most of us remember certain things about school. One example, when our quizzes or tests were returned, some of us wanted to keep the results to ourselves. Others wanted to know what we got. We always suspected that they had done well and they wanted to let us just how well they had done. Not all of us are good at taking quizzes/tests.

Those who are good are able to put themselves into a group of people who often get higher grades but are not necessarily better able to do things. In this country, it appears that the leadership feels that testing is the best and perhaps the only way to determine whether education is working.

President Bush recently made this statement in a speech concerning education: "If you believe every child in America can learn, then it makes sense to raise the bar," Bush said at an appearance at a suburban Washington high school. "That's called accountability for results," Bush said. The accountability that he is talking about is testing. Some of us will look better than others just because we don't take tests well. That's a painful fact that many of us can remember or are going through right now.

Bush says that his administration would pay for the testing. On the other hand, he said that he would pay for No Child Left Behind and he didn't. This could lead to a wide range of tests given region by region across the country. In any case, do we really want to give those who take tests well an clear advantage over those who can't take tests well.

I have an acquaintance who was on the screening committee for applicants for medical school. His committee felt that the best doctors didn't necessarily come from the group with the highest grades. There are other things out there that we need to look for other than "How well do you perform when taking tests?"

Time Is Always A Problem

When we're doing things we enjoy time seems to fly by and when we're doing things we don't enjoy time often seems to drag. If you're going to become really good at listening you probably are going to have to change the way you feel about concentrating on what other people are trying to say to you.

It takes time, energy, ability to concentrate and a willingness to set aside your own concerns and problems to consider what someone is trying to say to you. It will also have some unique frustrations. Since very few of us spend a lot of time with people who really listen to what we're saying it often comes as a surprise that someone is actually listening to what you have to say. As a consequence, many of us haven't really thought about what we want others to hear, know and understand. So when someone really listens we find ourselves saying things like, "Well, what I think I mean is. . ." That's bad training for everybody. The listener knows that they have wasted their time and you feel foolish, because you don't even appear to know what you're thinking.

Its a two way street and both of you need to work on listening. When you're listening you're not trying to formulate what you're going to say to the person who is talking. Instead, you're seeking to understand what they are saying, why they are saying it and what they hope to accomplish by saying it. Once you have that under control you are in a better position to think about what they have said. Now your task is to think about what you're going to say, if anything. Sometimes listening is all that is necessary. But, if more is needed, now you have a solid idea of what is necessary. Take your time and respond in a thoughtful and appropriate manner.

That's the stuff friendships are built on, but it doesn't come naturally. It comes with thought, fitness, willingness and practice. Give it a try.

Our Culture And Time

Effective communication takes time. Our culture appears to value doing things quickly. "Time is money.” "Don't waste time." There are many more ideas that we are taught by our culture which implies that whatever we're doing it probably would be done better if it is done quickly.

Of course, we can think of things that we don't want to end, things that we enjoy. But, for most things the pressure is in the direction of quicker is better. But, in most cases, effective communication needs time. It is important to take time to listen, for example. We're so impatient that we try to multi-task everything. Drive a car in traffic while talking to someone on our cell phone, often ignoring the person you asked to come along on the trip. We think nothing of that kind of behavior.

To be effective at listening we're going to have to make time. We're also going to have to realize that multi-tasking is dangerous when trying to solve a problem with your boss or mate. You're not wasting time when you take time to listen.

Communication Is Difficult

In some areas we pride ourselves on being different from others. In fact, we try to create a style for ourselves. Some go further and tattoo and pierce themselves which clearly creates a distinctive identity. Probably more important than the distinctions we make between ourselves and others physically are those that are part of us. Those differences that are a result of who are parents are , where we were born and what experiences we've had, are must more important.

Sometimes we're tempted to not listen to others because we know what we would be doing or thinking by just hearing what they are saying. We can't safely think that we know what others are thinking and saying without careful listening. Because we are different in how we mean, we must first determine how "they mean" before we decide we know what they are saying. In our busy world, we just don't take the time to do what is necessary.

Make time to listen. Determine "how they mean" and then consider your response. Without careful listening, we are part of the problem. First, give yourself the chance to know. Then consider who you are, and who they think you are before responding. Things might go better.

More Division

Back. . .after a long break.

Still see the things that divide us in huge numbers. Somebody has got to make a move toward some goals that everybody can get behind. At this point we see ads for T-shirts that want us to wear our colors proudly. Thus making "the other side" hate us on sight. We have to really get serious about building common ground for my future and the future of my grand kids.

More Evidence Today

In today's New York Times some additional evidence is spelled out on the split in the United States. By itself the split is alarming, due to the lack of meaningful discussion between the sides. But if we look at what other humans do when there is a split similar to the intensity of the United States', we may have real cause for concern.

As a nation after this election we united behind a single candidate. As doubts, officially unchallenged, continue, suspicion grows and we might even see the same conditions here at home that we see in Ukraine. We can't afford to do nothing. We must begin the dialogue and then maintain it.

A Nation Divided

Seldom have we lived in a nation so divided. We had hoped that President Bush would be able to pull us together, but since he has taken office, with the exception of the 9/11 period the division has grown. During the election there was little or no contact between sides on the issues. Instead, we had televised speeches being made to audiences that already agreed among themselves and with the speaker.

What we have lacked in our politics we need to restore to our society: free and open discussion of issues that face us all. When have we ever noticed that a couple, for example, has grown closer because they didn't speak to each other about the issues that divide them? Not discussing issues between us will likely lead to suspision and mistrust. As a nation we are now seeing deep suspisions and mistrust. The buzz on the internet is constantly commenting and speculating about the evils the other side has committed.

The issues that face this nation, faces us all. We will either solve them together of continue to drift apart. Encourage discussion and debate in your own circles of influence. When there is disagreement think of it as an opportunity to grow towards common goals. Keep in mind, conflict is normal in humans. The resolution of the conflict is the progress we make in our lives.

". . .The Enemy Is Us"

There's much that's good about the United States. One of the things that made this country great is the citizen's willingness and ability to discuss/debate topics of interest to all our communities. There seems to be a growing feeling that in order to avoid conflict, we should avoid discussing/debating the issues of the day, especially when that involves politics. We need to continue this honored routine in our lives. We must use all devices available to improve our views of both the problems and the possible solutions. We can't do it by ourselves, we need each other.

The methods being used in politics today reduce very complicated issues to slogans. Then both sides imply that there is something basically wrong with you, and all your friends, if you don't agree with the slogans. We must insist that the slogans be fleshed out, made clear and applied in discussion. We must all understand what is going on and we must let others know if we think we see a better solution. This method made this country great. We must continue or we will lose or damage our ability to self-govern. Don't make decisions based on unnecessarily limited data and broaden your base of research and discussion, always seeking a broader understanding of the topic at hand.

How can it be that more than 70% of our population indicates that they believe that there are/were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that there was a direct pre-war relationship between Al Quada and Iraq. And yet, where is the data that backs up that belief? We cannot afford the luxury of being swayed by anything other than available data. Then we must use that data to guide our discussions/debates as we attempt to govern ourselves.

Interpersonal Communication Most Important

In the chapter, Understanding Interpersonal Communication, Beebe, Beebe and Ivy give insight into the role of communication in building relationships. There are many sources for this kind of information available and the broader your knowledge base the more likely you will have information that will aid you in reaching your goals.

This book, "he's just not that into you," is plain spoken and easy to read. For some, the authors Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo will have some insights that may fit the conditions in which you live. Rather than waste time on relationships that aren't going anywhere, learn to recognize where it may be wiser to spend your time and energy. Avoid becoming dependent on anyone who finds you merely convenient. Look for someone who shares your idea of what your relationship should be and spend your time and energy there.

Like The Air We Breath. . .

With a few and occasional exceptions, we are accustomed to how we sound when we talk. We travel with friends and family and their language patterns and sounds are familiar to us. Once in a while we run into someone who wants to know, "Where are you from?" They know we're not from "around here" because they hear it. Its in these transitions of life that our language trips us up and often we don't even know it.

For example, in a job interview, our language reveals that we have at least two standards for people in general: male and female. Human Resource personnel must try to hire the best people who will be the best fit for their organization. They will be listening for not only what you say, but how you say it. They don't want to have any problems within their organization and some problems can be avoided by not hiring people who routinely speak of the opposite sex in a negative manner.

The person being interviewed is simply saying "what everybody knows and believes." Your language has given your position away and you may not get the position you want/need because you were unaware that people can and do read between the lines. It is very likely that you don't even know why the Human Resource Director decided you weren't a "good fit" for their corporation.

The fear most employers have when they hear bad language is missed or misinterpreted communications on the job. Grammar is the method we use to control the number of possible interpretations of what we are saying. If our grammar is sloppy the outcomes may not be predictable.

The folk we travel with most of the time probably are not viewed by us as having an accent. Its only when you get out of your usual environment that others say, "Where are you from? I think I hear an accent in your voice." That example applies to many things, including the cultures in which we are raised. It certainly applies to the environment of most Human resource offices. The more aware of who you are and how you appear and sound the greater the probability that you will be hired.

There are some excellent resources available to you on job interviews. Take some time and begin working on this problem while you have time. When you're sitting in the interview it may be too late. (The links are just two examples of what is available to anyone interested.)

Self-Awareness Needs Attention

In the book Communication: Principles for a lifetime, there is a discussion of self-awareness. It quotes Stephen Covey saying, that self-awareness ". . .allows us to stand apart and examine even the way we 'see' ourselves--our self-paradigm, the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness. It affects not only our attitudes and behaviors, but also how we see other people."

The suggestion here is that time spent thinking and developing knowledge in this area will indeed help us to better understand and control our growth as a person. You don't have to depend on chance, or any other source of your own identity, to understand and control your own development.

Change The Future

One of the most important prizes awarded to any US President is the right to shape the future. If you pass laws, the next president can change them. If they create alliances, the next administration can violate them. But, in the area of the US Supreme Court you can make appointments to the bench that will affect the next 20 years of history. If you feel strongly about a candidate for president you must vote or not complain about the things that happen to you and your country over the next couple of decades.

Robert Cohan writes about the future and the past and the relationship between the president of the United States and what the court decides this country will do. Its good to remind ourselves that our participation in this democracy does make a difference.

Big And Few

Ownership of electronic media, radio and TV, has been concentrated over the past decade. Because of the possibility of great profits, corporations have invested huge amounts of money. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed increasing concentration of electronic media ownership and the Chairman of the FCC, Michael K. Powell, continues to push for greater ownership concentration. That concentration (at the bottom of this link) has a chilling affect on most who see the ownership expressed graphically. The implications are clear.

If a few wanted to swing the opinions, or votes of many, what would it take for America to head in the direction desired by the big and few that own much of the electronic media. Its worth considering. What should happen? There should be open consideration of our condition and debate about what is good for America as well as what is good for those investing in America. We need to know what Bush and Kerry think about this situation. Then we might have a clearer idea of what to do with our vote.

What Competition?

I have "conservative" friends who are constantly touting the great blessing we have in the United States of competition for our dollars. I have increasingly wondered where the competition was that they were talking about. I do see competition for market share. I don't see innovation and serious competition of product or ideas until every last cent has been squeezed from the earlier research and development. So, other parts of the earth have products which are years ahead of us in the United States. They have services that are fast and useful, such as broadband. Recently Wired News shared a bit of info with us that further confuses me when it comes to the current definition of competition.

What Has Happened To Republicans?

Not too long ago, Republicans were folk who were "right" much of the time. Folk you could trust and appreciate. Recently, Garrison Keillor wrote down some ideas that really ring true. The question that keeps coming to mind is, where has America gone. It seems to me that they used to be informed, think well and speak out. Now, it seems they don't know what's going on and if they do, they don't care.

Some Excellent Journalism

There have been examples of good journalism this past few months and this is an article that merits attention. Often, in face of very powerful people and administrations, the product that we have come to call news isn't what it ought to be. When we have little or bad information, " government by the people" becomes dangerous. When general citizens vote without accurate information our future is in doubt.

Conglomerates and Safe News

How safe is any democracy where a few control our information?

The New York Times for June 24, along with many newspapers in the United States, reported that “A federal appeals court on Thursday dealt a setback to the nation's largest media companies by ordering the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider the rules it issued last summer, easing the way for them to grow and enter new markets.”

The Bush administration, with its “what’s good for business is good for the nation” philosophy had hoped to make ownership of broadcast facilities even easier than it is now. So the New York Times reporter suggested “The decision was also a setback for the Bush administration, which supported easing the ownership limitations, and for Michael K. Powell, the chairman of the commission and the main architect of the new rules.” This trend toward fewer owners of communications media have “allowed companies to own as many as three television stations, eight radio stations and a cable operator, as well as a newspaper.”

My concern continues to be the concentration of ownership of all media, but in particular, the electronic media. Almost everyone in the United States listens to the radio at least once each week. The same thing is true about watching TV. If just a few corporations own a bulk of the electronic media, the temptation to present lopsided information may be too great to resist. These owners are already adept at presenting what the audience wants to see and wants hear. If, for any reason, the owners want to present politics, law, current events and world affairs in the same "unworrisome" packaging . . . presenting programming that is desirable to very large audiences, an unaware audience might be deceived. If the people of the nation believe that they really know what is going on in the world and they are not aware of how a few owners control a bulk of the mass media, they may be in for a rude surprise.

It is clear that we must use every resource to provide ourselves with a balanced view of the world we live in and avoid being swept along by those more interested in profits than accurate and balanced information or freedoms.

Enrons of the Future?

Enrons of the Future?

Bernard Wasow, Martha Paskoff
The Century Foundation, 6/18/04

An overlooked but important new study has uncovered yet another ingenious sleight-of-hand that top executives have been using to enrich themselves at the expense of their employees. The report by three economists—Daniel Bergstresser and Mihir Desai of the Harvard Business School and Joshua Rauh of MIT— provides evidence that CEOs systematically manipulate their employees' pension funds for their own personal gain.

http://tinyurl.com/ysqyf

Let's Rethink Brains

When I was young, it bothered me a lot that my parents didn’t think that I could be trusted to reason through situations safely and properly. After all, how are you going to learn to think and reason unless you are allowed to do it on a regular basis? Now some recent research is coming together that is beginning to explain why my parents were so uncomfortable with my youthful reasoning. Now that I’ve lived through that time in my life and watched my children live through that time, this research makes a lot of sense.

The first paragraph of an article entitled "Getting Inside a Teen Brain" in Newsweek, February 28, 2000, Sharon Begley spells out the observable data. “You probably recognize the species: it's known for making stupid decisions... barely able to plan beyond the next minute... clueless when it comes to reading parents' facial expressions... exhibits poor self-control... seems to think with its hormones more than its brain... all thumbs when juggling several tasks. Such is Homo teenageris.”

Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health: “What is most surprising is that you get a second wave of overproduction of gray matter, something that was thought to happen only in the first 18 months of life.”

“The first surprise came last May, with the discovery that the corpus callosum, the cable of nerves that connects the right half of the brain to the left, ‘continues growing into your 20s,’ says Giedd.”

In a piece entitled “Adolescent Brains are Works in Progress” by Frontline producer Sarah Spinks: “What the researchers have found has shed light on how the brain grows and when it grows. It was thought at one time that the foundation of the brain's architecture was laid down by the time a child is five or six. Indeed, 95 percent of the structure of the brain has been formed by then. But these researchers have discovered changes in the structure of the brain that appear relatively late in child development.”

At the NIMH web site there is a review of research into the development of human brains. The article entitled, “Teenage Brain: A work in progress” the following statement is made: ”The observed late maturation of the frontal lobe conspicuously coincides with the typical age-of-onset of schizophrenia—late teens, early twenties—which, as noted earlier, is characterized by impaired ‘executive’ functioning.” This, coupled with our own observations of others and ourselves might lead us to change many of the ways we do things.

It could be that we, as a nation, need to rethink several things: 1) parenting, what is involved and how long it takes, 2) voting age, 3) drinking and driving age, 4) minimum age for marriage 5) minimum age for the death penalty and possibly 6) minimum ages for becoming a soldier. It appears that our brains finally mature somewhere in the mid-twenties.

Give Us What We Need

Mass media seems to have abandoned the charge to provide the United States with news. Instead, it spends very nearly all its time trying to build yet bigger audiences. Right now, we read, see and hear constant comments about all the wonderful things President Reagan did for America and the world. Indeed, he did many good things.

On the other hand, it is increasingly customary for reporters to insert words and ideas that don't reflect the facts nearly as much as the reflect their ideas or their "corporate ideals." Two skilled writers published columns in the New York Times commenting on this problem. Paul Krugman points out information that doesn't seem to match what is being said in the media. It isn't the job of the media to rewrite history so that we can feel less pain or gain more political strength. When reporting news, its their job to give us the facts: what is happening, where is it happening, why is it happening and who is involved.

Maureen Dowd talks about the same problem in thought in her column "Epitaph and Epigone." In our grief, we must keep our balance. In our sadness at the loss of president that could bring thousands of people to unite behind ideas, we must not misrepresent either him or his achievements. Give us the facts. Then, in clearly marked areas let our columnists and others say how they feel about what is going on.

Patterns And Education

If we look at learning, brainpower, in another way, it might help us to break out of patterns that we seem to follow year after year.

Steven Johnson in his book Emergence says, “. . .unlike most computers, the brain is a massively parallel system, with 100 billion neurons all working away at the same time. That parallelism allows the brain to perform amazing feats of pattern recognition, feats that continue to confound digital computers—such as remembering faces or creating metaphors. Because each individual neuron is so slow, Kursweil explains, ‘we don’t have time . . . to think too many new thoughts when we are pressed to make a decision. The human brain relies on precomputing its analyses and storing them for future reference. We then use our pattern-recognition capability to recognize a situation as compatible to one we have thought about and then draw upon our previously considered conclusions.’ “

Education is a process that adds and teaches students how to continue adding to the patterns their brain recognizes. Education doesn’t have to be in some school, college or university. Education is the process of adding new and varying patterns to your memory increasing your abilities to “analyze” or spot similar patterns. Education should never stop. You are your own best teacher. Next best are those with whom you travel. Never stop.

What’s Happened To Our News?

There has been increasing concern about the effectiveness of the media and news coverage. Now the press has joined the concerned group. That’s good. Paul Krugman reviews some ideas that really deserve our attention.

“People who get their news by skimming the front page, or by watching TV, must be feeling confused by the sudden change in Mr. Bush's character. For more than two years after 9/11, he was a straight shooter, all moral clarity and righteousness.” Krugman points out that, “After 9/11 much of the press seemed to reach a collective decision that it was necessary, in the interests of national unity, to suppress criticism of the commander in chief.”

You may not agree with Krugman’s view of the president, but it is hard to escape the changes we’re seeing in the media and their impact on our ability to think effectively about the problems this country faces today.

Koppel Communicates

I hear “debates” wherever I go about the war in Iraq and I’m reminded that nearly none of us have firsthand information about what is happening in that country. We get it from the mass media. The mass media isn’t really in the business of keeping us informed nearly so much as making a profit. So we should be careful with the data we get from them. On the other hand, the “debates” almost always sound like the debaters have a complete and accurate database on the war in Iraq and that their conclusions are the only reasonable conclusions.

Here is just a part of Ted Koppel's graduation address at Berkeley recently. He points out that we must set aside how we feel about what we know in order to conduct the nation's business even on our own city block. We must be informed and think as clearly as possible before we become part of the problem rather than part of a solution. Koppel said, “We have become so embroiled in the distaste we have for one another's ideologies that we are losing sight of the real peril that confronts us. Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11, and invoking the war against terrorism for the U.S. invasion of Iraq invites skepticism. Still, terrorism is not a figment of this administration's imagination. It doesn't matter what you believe the United States is doing or may have done to earn the enmity of so many people around the world; someone has to be thinking about the consequences of that hatred, even as we consider what can reasonably done to address it.”

No matter what our government has done and no matter whether we agree with what has been done, we still have an obligation to become informed before we attempt to communicate what we think ought to be done. Knowing how to communicate is important, but it is not more important than the things about which we are expected to communicate.

Seek balanced information. Don’t rely on the efforts of the mass media to inform you and your community. Use every available channel, think about the information and then communicate. That is, after all, the only hope we have to live in the community of our own choice. We must help to build it.

How Should We Spend The Money?

We are facing some huge problems in the world and right here in the United States. They include: health, education, oil, crime, and highway infrastructure to name a few.

I agree that looking toward goals that stretch our imaginations and make us feel better about a brighter future raises the human spirit. But, when I think of the money spent on space missions and the attempt to land men on Mars, I can't help but think that there are students who can't afford to go to college. There are elderly folk who have to choose between eating and medication or worse.

How 'bout setting goals like these: find a cure for cancer, cover human beings need for health care, provide the best possible education for everyone, find a better source of cheaper energy and other goals in these areas.

How Do We Feel? How Should We Feel?

When horrible things happen and we feel powerless to do anything about it, that stirs us in many ways. Anger. Frustration. Hate. Powerlessness. We don't know what we should feel, although we suspect that dropping a nuclear device on the people who beheaded an American seems like a good idea. We know that isn't the answer.

What is the answer. First, don't lose your ethical balance. Continue to evaluate everything with the same ethical yardstick you used before this happened. Don't kill all, even figuratively, to be rid of the "confusion" about what civilized people will or won't do. Don't assume that only some civilizations do not have deviants in their midst. We all have our share of humans that seem to us to be uncivilized.

Talk to somebody. Not about what you've seen, heard or read, but about how you feel about what you've seen, heard or read. Friends are great for that. If you can't find a friend, find an advisor, councilor or anyone who will help you talk about your feelings. Don't keep them inside. You really can't. They will come out and you may not like what you see when you explode.

Give yourself a chance to absorb the event and keep expressing yourself as you do. You will be able to cope.

That is no way changes the horror of what happened. You're the one that adjusts. Now you're free to move ahead helping others cope with what life dishes out.

Paul Krugman Nails The Issue

Without the media we all depend on to know what is going on in the world, the probability of abuses of all kinds became real.

Paul Krugman in his column, "Just Trust Us" makes the point, "No administration since Nixon has been so insistent that it has the right to operate without oversight or accountability, and no administration since Nixon has shown itself to be so little deserving of that trust. He adds, "Sooner or later, a moral catastrophe was inevitable."

Great column giving us all insight into why we need a truly free press everywhere.

What About Oil Prices?

In a recent column in the New York Times, Paul Krugman made some painful and obvious statements about oil in our lives. Among other things he said, “Thanks to the mess in Iraq — including a continuing campaign of sabotage against oil pipelines — oil exports have yet to recover to their prewar level, let alone supply the millions of extra barrels each day the optimists imagined. And the fallout from the war has spooked the markets, which now fear terrorist attacks on oil installations in Saudi Arabia, and are starting to worry about radicalization throughout the Middle East. (It has been interesting to watch people who lauded George Bush's leadership in the war on terror come to the belated realization that Mr. Bush has given Osama bin Laden exactly what he wanted.)”

By the end of this summer we may be paying more per gallon than we should afford. What advice should we be giving to your elected representatives and what sorts of things ought we to be campaigning for to assure us of the life style to which we’ve become accustomed? Krugman asks, “So what should we be doing? Here's a hint: We can neither drill nor conquer our way out of the problem. Whatever we do, oil prices are going up. What we have to do is adapt.”

The Bush administration’s stance on Kerry’s military service has been bothering me for some time. Until recently, it was generally assumed that one of the “smartest” things you could do was to serve your country in a low risk and rewarding fashion: join the National Guard. Unfortunately, the National Guard is no longer a safe haven for those who fear to serve. It’s becoming the backbone of the United States military. In fact, seen on an Oregon vehicle not long ago was a sign about the National Guard that said, “One weekend a month . . .like hell!”

That’s what George W. Bush did. Conventional wisdom held that military service could be “dodged” without the stigma. If you “needed” to do something other than serve the National Guard, an early out might be arranged. Sort of a flexible service plan.

Kerry, on the other hand, joined and risked everything in a war that Americans really grew to hate. He served without regard to the risk. He did the job he was asked to do and did it better than most. He was awarded medals and recognition for his service.

Now, by a strange kind of reasoning, Kerry is being depicted as a person who doesn’t understand things military and that he wants to make life for soldiers as bad as possible. The Bush administration is saying to the nation that Kerry, who fought and knows war from the ground up, isn’t worthy to think about wars and make decisions. While those who have avoided serving their country in the military, know best what to do with our young people by putting them to war for reasons progressively unclear.

The Bush administration's current TV spot about Kerry's military votes in the Senate, his military service and military support is, as the commercial says, “Troubling.”

An increasing number of people are beginning to notice and more importantly talk about the amount and types of information we’re able to read, hear and see on TV concerning the conduct of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. In The Sunday Oregonian, Michael Arrieta-Walden, reminded readers that reporting was different during the Vietnam War.

“Reports on Iraqi civilians killed are even more difficult to obtain for readers. The U.S. government does not provide the numbers of Iraqi civilians killed.”

“That contrasts with how deaths were reported in the Vietnam War. Take this account from government officials, published in The Oregonian 35 years ago today: ‘The casualty totals last week were 216 Americans killed in action, 1,162 U.S. troops wounded, 329 government soldiers killed, 884 wounded, and 3,379 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese killed.’ ”

There are those who think that the U.S. failed to finish the war in Vietnam and that in large part the failure was caused by news reporting, especially TV. So the U.S. during the Persian Gulf War limited reporters to areas deemed safe. Then they were provided regular news briefings, which in turn were sent back to the United States. There was a lot of complaining about the Pentagon’s methods and restrictions and so during the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. government has embedded reporters with the troops and restricted where they could go and apparently what they could report on. For example, little or no information or summary statements have been reported on troops that are AWOL, injured, and killed as well as civilians in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Recently, a photograph was printed in The Seattle Times, showing flag-draped coffins on board an aircraft bound for the United States. The photographer lost her job. The American people apparently aren’t supposed to see the coffins en route or when they arrive in the United States. The impact of such photographs would clearly be great. When we can see the consequences of our actions so graphically portrayed we might very well alter how we feel about any war.

I agree with the headline on the Commentary section of The Sunday Oregonian which reminds us that, “Reporting Can’t become war casualty.”

There’s a nagging doubt in the back of our minds: how are we paying the bills for, 1) war in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2) troops abroad, 3) homeland defense, 4) increased benefits for Medicare, 5) increased support for education, and many more increases, while at the same time lowering taxes and asking that the tax reductions be made permanent. The debt is huge: The estimated population of the United States is 293,862,533 so each citizen's share of this debt is $24,384.75.

Who will eventually have to pay these bills? How long will it take? Didn’t mom and dad tell us that when you live off credit bad things could happen to you? Have we all lost our concern for this kind of behavior by ourselves or by our government? Why aren’t there lots of folk talking about the massive indebtedness and its cost? Why aren’t more folk talking about the value of the dollar and what is likely to happen to it as the national debt increases? Where’s the discussion? Where’s the pressure to do something, anything, about this massive national debt? What’s up?

As I have said in the past, I prefer a government that will allow me to decide when and how to worship and a government that will take care of the roads, libraries, schools, police departments, water, etc. A thread in political discourse has been more and more noticeable: religion. In fact, it is assumed that one of the needs of both sides in this presidential election is the support of religious right.

In discussions, press conferences, speeches and interviews, thoughts such as Teddy Roosevelt’s words are beginning to tint the meanings of what is being said. For example, “If I must choose between righteousness and peace, I choose righteousness.” I think few of us would favor anything other than “righteousness.” The problem for the United States is severe. We have a very wide range of folk who live here and they don’t always believe the same things. What is righteous to one may not be to another. When one religion appears to be getting unfair support from government, we can expect trouble in the future. When one religion appears to be attacking another there will be problems.

We can see how that works by looking at Iraq in the news right now. The Sunni Triangle has become a deadly spot in these “after-war times.” Sunni Islam is different from Shiite Islam. Under Saddam Hussein's former government, the Sunni were favored, and since the war have lost position, power and money. They’re angry. The Shiites, on the other hand, are more accustomed to being oppressed and things appear to them to be more hopeful since the Hussein government has been overthrown. This is an example of what can happen when one group is favored over another, because of religion.

It seems that today we use the word “righteous” to mean correct, right and proper, as opposed to wrong-headed thinking. Further, if there is a disagreement and you suggest that we might approach our current problems from a broader base, it turns out you are “unrighteous.” I get the uncomfortable feeling that our right to freely disagree and freely discuss those things that are important to us is in danger. It almost seems there is a feeling when disagreement happens that those who disagree are thought to be “evil.” Allowing religion and religious nuances to enter the political discussion adds a force that can lead to your religion uniting with your government against you.

One of the main reasons Europeans came to North America was the right to worship the way they thought appropriate, when they thought appropriate. In addition, the government could not directly settle any disagreements on how individuals worshiped. This context provided us with the “freedom” to worship in the United States any way we thought we ought to without interference from our government.

Other countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia to name a couple, have their “normal” governmental responsibilities such as money, taxes, water, transportation and so on, interpreted through the expectations of a dominant religion. That presents the citizens of those countries with major problems. What if they don’t believe in the majority or dominant religion. All the limitations applied to the believers is also forced on the non-believers, because the government and religion are one and the same.

For example, “’Critique and criticism of the government’s policies are not bad, but when someone attempts to undermine the foundations of the government, it is treason and not freedom of expression" (Ayattolah Ali Khamenei, 1998)”

“These words, uttered by the supreme spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1998, very well explain the standpoint of the leaders, the so called gray eminencies, of the theocratic republic of Iran. Due to their religious principles they reject any outer influences which might restrict the power of the clerical institutions and might introduce unwanted democratic characteristics to the present regime.”

One of the problems with religions is that many of them claim to “have the truth” about life, which they have possessed since their religion was established. Most religions disagree in significant areas. Since there are no easy or quick ways to “update” those religions, they tend to be most satisfactory for the general population when they are started and as time goes by become less and less satisfactory when change may be called for by new circumstances.

In the United States we’re seeing an increase in religious pressures. The rest of the world has seen it as well. We are speaking less as a government and more like a religion each year. That works well if others are in agreement with the announced religious posture. That increases division if there is disagreement on the religious posture assumed.

In my opinion, we should ask our government to do well those things that governments can do for all of us. Be more careful when getting into areas where the government has to choose between religions in order to serve all of us. If unity is a good thing, and I believe that it is, then we should nurture an environment in which un-coerced unity can survive.

The separation of church and state, freedom to make choices and freedom to talk about things that I believe are important, I never want to be without.

We can see what happens when countries like Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan try to build a nation which must deal with secular things that affect all governments, but attempt to do it with religions that are centuries old with little or no coping skills for modern problems. In most cases, the religion that is in the majority or has the greatest power, superimposes it's system on everyone in that nation. That type of situation can lend itself to all kinds of abuses and many are committed in the name of religion.

If I decide that I want to move from one state to another, with the freedom of choice I will be allowed. If I want to build my house close to the surf along the coast, I can if I want. If I want to change careers and need to go back to college to pickup a new area of expertise, I can if I want. The idea of having the government tell me that I can’t do any of those things seems deeply wrong.

If I want to talk about some method of accomplishing tasks in my community, I can if I want. Even if I know you’re wrong about what you’re saying, you should be allowed to talk about what’s on your mind. I get uncomfortable with folk start telling me that I can't say certain things, which I hold to be of value and true. I choose to believe that if you would just listen to what I have to say, you too might see the merit in my ideas.

These to me are very important freedoms. And, if I want to listen to jazz, rock, folk or polkas, I don’t want the government to be in a position to tell me that I can’t listen. I don’t want the government to tell broadcasters that they can’t meet my need when it comes to music or other programming.

The problem isn’t in these freedoms. The problem begins with us and then it is passed on to the children we raise. If the methods necessary to solve life’s problems are not in our citizens, we need to start by looking at parenting. After we’ve looked at parents and parenting then we need to look at the institutions we have established to transmit and improve our cultures and societies. When we find problems there, we need to have within us the resources to fix the problems without violence. But, we need those freedoms in order to assure ourselves that we have the raw materials to build a better world.

In the United States, we value freedom of choice and freedom of speech very much. We feel sorry for nations that do not seem to have those freedoms as we enjoy them. There may be some consequences to these freedoms. For example, “Poor eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking are to blame for more than a third of all deaths in the United States.”

Well, what do you think? Don’t I have the right to buy, eat or smoke anything that I want to? And if I don’t have that right, what is the basis for my freedoms being endangered? Why should anyone, no matter how well intentioned be able to stop me from getting my fries supersized? And if McDonald’s decides that they won’t sell me my fries supersized, why can’t I just buy a double order? If I decide I want to do something that other people feel I should not do, what gives those people the right to curb my rights?

I ask you. Why should the FCC be allowed to censor, in any way, what I choose to see on TV, or hear on the radio? What about the rights of the folk who simply want to hear “free speech” or take advantage of the delicious opportunities that present themselves to us every day?

In the British newspaper, The Observer, February 22, 2004, the following headline appeared: “Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us.” In the story filed in New York by reporters Townsend and Harris, they report that, “Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters.”

They report that, “The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure swindling food, water and energy supplies.” According to the Pentagon analysis, “Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life. Once again, warfare would define human life.”

This report published by foreign media was treated quite differently by US media February 25, 2004. “Pentagon downplays report on climate change that it commissioned” is the headline that appeared Tuesday, February 24, 2004. “According to Britain’s The Observer, US military officials censored an alarming report because the issue of global warming could wind up thrust into the US presidential campaign ahead of the November vote.”

Why should that report bother the citizens of the US that prides themselves on free speech? Why shouldn’t the issue get free and open debate? Why would we want to have an issue that might be extremely important to all of us on the planet, censored?

If we assume that everyone is different from everyone else because of DNA and our place in time and space, then it would seem natural that conflict is inevitable. If we add to that a natural tendency to seek out information that is substantially in agreement with our current positions in life, such as those who are interested in automobiles subscribing to automotive publications and visiting auto shows, then conflict is not only inevitable but also natural.

Add the cultural orientation given to our population by parents primarily, which defines the lives of their children. For example, men are supposed to be assertive, take-charge people who appreciate clear lines of difference between the sexes while keeping their emotions “under control.” Women are to be peacemakers and produce harmony whenever possible.

If in general parents across the land agree that taking care of yourself and making something of yourself are important components of success and that the individual is more important than the group, conflict becomes inevitable, natural and a way of life.

If all of that is true, or even close to it, what should we be doing to fix the problem? Is there anything we can do? Where do we begin? How long will it take?

“Freedom of speech does not give someone—anyone—the right to bust into your home to exercise it.” A well stated thought from Pseudo news, sordid culture in the Commentary section of Sunday’s Oregonian. The author, Stephen Kline, goes on to say that, “Buying a fax machine or a computer does not constitute a tacit or implied invitation to anyone to badger, harass, sell or promote.”

Just because some publicity agent somewhere hits on the idea of using the Super Bowl for a “coming out” party for Janet Jackson trying to reestablish her career doesn’t mean anyone should be surprised by unwanted actions. Shouldn’t our culture contain enough “expectations” to make it unnecessary to have our courts create rules to govern inappropriate behavior?

Cynthia-Lou Coleman, in her related article, also in the Sunday Oregonian, points out that, “The problem is, fake news over time becomes more interesting than the bland unfolding of reality.” How do we train ourselves, let alone our children, that they should depend on the media to keep them informed so that they can cast votes of value to positive growth in our nation?

Again we must ask the question, “What is there that we can do?” “Is there anything that can be done other than pass laws that prohibit what culture used to control?” “Are we a sinking ship with no way to save ourselves?”

For several years we have seen Bill Moyers' work published, on PBS and in person as a speaker in high demand. He thinks, and then tells others what he’s been thinking about. In November of last year he was the keynote speaker at the National Conference on Media Reform ('Our Democracy is in Danger of Being Paralyzed'), and he had a great deal to say about media and what should be happening.

He reminded the audience that the American Revolution “ran in good part on the energies of a rambunctious, though tiny press. Freedom and freedom of communications were birth-twins in the future United States. They grew up together, and neither has fared very well in the other’s absence. Boom times for the one have been boom times for the other.”

Moyers goes on to say that they drive for constantly increasing profits is eroding the role that journalist and journalism used to play in the health of our nation. He told the audience that indeed our democracy is being paralyzed and I think it should be clear that clouds our future as a free nation.

What is there that we as individuals can do to restore journalism in the mass media to a healthier position? Or, is it already too late to fix the system?

Our entire body is constructed according to the DNA our bodies have to work with. We have different abilities to taste, smell, see, touch and all the other things that make us what we are. The quality of our hair and are brain is ours, which is a good thing.

The hard part in this situation is that when you see, touch, smell or build an idea in your head, you are using equipment that is unique to you. That means that when you’re talking to anyone about the taste of food or the color on the house your “world view” will be different from his or hers.

Out of these differences grows conflict. We’re all taught to avoid conflict whenever possible. The fact is, we cannot avoid conflict. We are different and those differences cause conflict. Since we cannot avoid conflict, we must spend much of our time creating methods that will allow us to resolve conflict in appropriate ways.

Much of our communication must be devoted to the resolution of conflict, or we will suffer unnecessarily in life. Peace is something that seems to be a worthy universal goal, Perhaps we should combine the two concepts and recognize that peace may be the sustained satisfactory resolution of conflict.

What do you think?

When we listen to talk radio today, we are told repeatedly that “the media” is liberal and often unfair. As we listen we hear a wide range of things which, might lead us to conclude that anything we believe that doesn’t match what the talk show hosts are saying is incorrect.

Is there a possibility that by allowing concentrated media ownership, our nation has invited political control over the media and its listeners? In The Oregonian, February 1, 2004, Garrett Epps’ commentary, “Talk radio: It's time for more than right-wing hot air” clearly spells out the argument that the media is not only not liberal, it is conservative and just possibly conservative by intent.

What we need is balanced media that will provide us with what we need to make long-term plans and empower us to deal with people and issues. That way we can move ahead as a nation of freedom loving people rather than a workforce for a few who are very wealthy.

What do you think? Do we have balanced media? Do we have liberal media leading us down a road to self-destruction? Do we have conservative media creating a world where huge corporations are the primary beneficiaries of everything that makes the United States great?

What do you think? Until we can find another source for comments please use my e-mail address: ricej@mhcc.edu.