Double Standards in Civility--Crippling the American Dream

     For many generations, American politics has been eroding before our very eyes.  Republicans and Democrats seem to costantly find new areas to attack the other verbally or through the media in order to discredit the opponent in the eyes of the public.  While this remains a practice that is accepted, social media has taken these words, actions, and plots to soaring heights.  Politicians remain unfocused as to the idea that their jobs entail serving their constituents and the Constitution that this great country thrives upon.  This is even more predominant when a story such as Jan Brewer, the Arizona Republican Governor decided to grab Democratic President Obama's arm and wag her finger in his face in a heated discussion on an Arizona tarmac. 

     It is disturbing that the two major parties have come to this level of disagreement on how to lead the country in these tragic times of a recession, unemployment, healthcare and various other issues that need to be addressed to move forward.  Brewer, for all that she has accomplished within her state with balancing the budget and creating jobs has no right to grab anyone like a child, let alone the President of the United States.  Brewer has taken civility to an all-time low and this is what will ultimately destroy our country.  The very people that should be concerned with the welfare of our nation are fighting, bashing and circumventing the system in order to just prove a point and put another person down.  These are the types of men and women who are running our country. Just take a good look at the GOP primaries recently and you will see backstabbing, arguing, malicious rhetoric, and personal attacks rather than debating solid, real-time issues that affect the growth of the country.

     Obama did the right thing and kept his cool in a rather precarious situation with Brewer.  If those roles were reversed, the calling for his dismissal, for the sole reason of him being a black man and Brewer a white woman, would have been monumental.  Brewer needs to step back and re-evaluate her situation and ask herself if that is how she would teach her own children to act in that same situation.  This is yet another reason why the American public needs to assess how they go about voting at all elections from local, to state, to the federal level.  Voters need to take serious time and research all candidates that represent them, not just on a presidential level.  In N.J. there has been talk of moving the school and local elections to November because of only a 9-13% turnout in April.  That is appalling that for officials trusted in the education of our children that there is such a poor turnout.

     This needs to be addressed and quickly as it's no wonder why the U.S. is ranked 23rd in the world in education.  The politicians need to step up and do their civic duty and work together on an even playing field, but the public needs to vote for those that will progress their town, state, or country, not regress it because of personal gain.  Let all politicians know and understand that morals, civility and progress will win come election time.  Let them know that we will not stand for double standards where it is alright for one politician to grab and yell at another, let alone the leader of the country.  It is troublesome to see that the lack of civility in this election year has been at an all-time high and that eventually it might even cripple the American dream.  Yet there is one way to make the change--to vote with confidence and authority by doing your research and choosing the right candidate, not just the candidate who can persuade the public through countless lies and sneaky jargon.  

JoePa--Final Thoughts

     Joe Paterno, the legendary footbal coach of Penn State University has died at the age of 85 after being relieved of his duties under the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal involving young boys.  Let's put this aside for the moment and understand just who JoePa was in the grand scheme of things.  Joe was the NCAA all-time winningest football coach with 409 career victories in 46 years as a head coach. He coached at Penn St. for 61 years altogether and built a monumental program that will most likely never be seen again in any lifetime.  Paterno took his team to 39 bowl games and saw over 250 players from his program move on to the NFL.  Joe lived on campus, donated millions of dollars back to Penn St. in many facets, and indelibly touched the lives of many individuals throughout his life in a positive and personal level.  JoePa WAS Penn St.  He lived for Penn St.  He was probably one of the most influential and powerful men who the collegiate sports world has ever seen. 

     Paterno, on a political level could sway votes within the state, and was responsible for most, if not all of the hirings from president of Penn St. on down to the coaching staff.  To say the least, JoePa should be lauded for all that he had done for the Penn St. football program, as well as the university itself.  Yet for all of the good that he had done, for all that he had accomplished, there was one moment in his life where Joe could've been a true hero.  There was that one moment where Joe could've saved the Penn St. "brand" from a monumental failing.  It was all about the "brand" for Paterno and the insular community that he had built.  Nothing more, nothing less.  If JoePa had come out in 1998 and confronted the allegations of Jerry Sandusky and taken control, that very "brand" would've been saved because Joe would've been looked at as a hero for stopping the monstrous abusing of innocent children.

     Joe Paterno would have been lauded by the community and the sports world as a hero that would not allow innocent children to be hurt and molested under his watch.  Instead, JoePa decided to bury the paperwork, force the retirement of Sandusky and hope that it would never resurface under his watch.  Joe decided to allow that monster to roam the very campus that he was supposedly banned from WITH children, even as recently as 2007 in a closed practice.  Joe decided to ignore McQueary and his claim of walking in on Sandusky and a boy in the shower in the Penn St. locker room in 2002.  Joe Paterno had not one chance to stop this evil man, but several.  Yet, the great hero, the wonderful man, the monument that was Penn St.decided to let evil walk amongst his university.  That hero turned into a goat and faltered because of the "brand" that he was trying to protect.

     So, in these final thoughts of Joe Paterno, it is human to feel sorry for the loss that his family has now incurred.  It is natural to remember the good that he had done for so long as a leader in the Penn St. community at Happy Valley.  It may also be easy for all of us to say our goodbyes to a man that many looked to as a mentor and friend.  Yet, for all of this, it is also not easy to feel sorry for a man that would not protect our most valuable resource as a country--our children.  JoePa might have been many things to many people over the course of his 85 years, but one thing he was not, was a hero to the boys that needed him most.   Only Joe Paterno knows if he could've done more for those battered and abused boys.  Only Joe Paterno knows if he, himself, will rest in peace.