#saddayforusa2012...or can change happen?

     In the coming months, there are going to be many decisions made as to the direction this country needs to head in order to solve our many issues.  On the table are the usual debates as to healthcare, economy, jobs and taxes and americans will be hard pressed to actually find a solution within any presidential candidate.  In fact, if you look back over just the past fifty years, no matter who resides in the oval office, GOP or Democrat, all of our problems have never been solved.  You can never please every person that lives in our great country...it is impossible.  But how do we go about making feasible changes that can allow the rich, middle, and poor classes get the most out of our politicians that "serve" their constituents?
     The answer can only lie in the education of voters to understand that while having a POTUS that is respectable, knowledgeable, hard-working, truthful and caring for the citizens, even the most powerful man in the world has checks and balances.  The POTUS needs to balance his ideals and political ambitions alongside other men and women that don't necessarily share the same direction that he wants to take the country.  Our POTUS, no matter what party he belongs to, simply needs help.  That is where the citizens, you and me, need to educate ourselves about the men and women who belong to our House of Representatives.  These 435 seats must be filled on November 6th. These 435 seats vote in all districts of every state, for you, the citizen of that district.  So many of these seats have been filled by the same representatives for two or more decades without reproach.
     These are the very same men and women who will tell you, the citizen, that they know what is best for your district and state as a whole.  These are the very same individuals that challenge most presidents and the changes they want to make, based on the premise that it is what you, the constituent want.  These representatives are out of touch and bow only to the wealthy and their donations(bribes).  Education is the only way to change the direction of this country.  If you are sick of how your state and country are run, there is only one way to change.  Register to vote and make that vote count.  Possibly the only way to start a change in this great country is to vote out ALL incumbents and start fresh with those men and women who are not out of touch with society.
     In the upcoming two months, I will be previewing all states and their representative elections and showing guides on what to look for and how to educate yourself for the most important election in recent history.  Not the presidential election itself, but the ballots that need to be cast in order for the president, be it Obama or Romney, to have a chance at making change for all people of the nation.  Just remember that your vote does count, if you use it wisely.  Do not let this be a #saddayforusa2012.  Help our country prosper instead of continuing this tailspin we have been in for nearly a decade.

Title IX and its Rhetorical Farce

     In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act, which eliminated segregation and discrimination in many areas of life, although mainly intended for African-Americans in this country.  Titles IV and VII are inherently known for their failure to address sex discrimination in the academic environment, even though Title VII did add ‘sex’ to its vernacular when discriminated against in the workplace.  These two provisions and their possible oversight of sex discrimination in schools led to the passing of The Higher Education Act of 1972: most notably Section 1681.  The general wording of what came to be known as Title IX leaves no doubt that Congress was aiming to prevent sex discrimination and exclusion of women within any institution that receives Federal financial aid.  The Title IX provision was a vague outlet that gave women the opportunity for acceptance and equal rights in all aspects of their education.  Section 1681 of the Educational Amendments is a law that has been carefully, and expertly, interpreted by women, even though it does not promote gender equality in any sport, let alone college sports; in reality, nothing is farther than the truth.
     Where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 failed to desegregate the sexes, the Title IX provision accomplishes this goal by clearly (or maybe not so clearly) stating, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." ).  This simply worded law, so generally applied to education, has, because of two words, changed the landscape of women’s intercollegiate sports.  ‘Program or activity’, as clarified in Section 1687, incurs all operations of colleges, universities, and other institutions, and reiterates compliance with Section 1681.  The law aimed to end sex discrimination in college admissions and academic subjects, yet actually defined sports as a sex-specific activity, without naming the term.  It is in this interpretation that all colleges and universities must offer equal sports options for women that are in proportion with enrollment in the school and men’s programs.

      The words, educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, turned out to be the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg for women’s sports across the nation.  Congress left that opening to interpret at a later time if the situation were to arise, as in athletics.  Fortunately for women, they not only challenged, but won the right to include sports as part of Title IX when the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in 1975, put regulations into law to expand Section 1681 in regards to athletics and their departments.  

     Title IX advocates never considered the questions and issues that would arise from the possibility of women’s sports interpreted as an educational program or activity.  While no language in the original Section 1681 declares gender equality in college sports specifically, Title IX has become a useful tool towards securing equal rights for women to have the same opportunities as men in all areas of education.  The rhetorical farce that was the issue of sports in the 1970’s clearly did not want to change the landscape of its college athletic programs, therefore, when Title IX was pushed into law, sports was not mentioned in the text.  Yet, for those two simple words, women had the ability to interpret and present their version of what the law did not intend to promote; gender equality in college sports.  It was merely up to women to broaden the scope of language, define its meaning, and fight for inclusion into an arena that was once closed because of sex.  

     Forty years later, the arguments over whether college sports have improved because of Title IX can 

forever be debated.  It is a known fact that men’s collegiate football carries most of the financial 

responsibility for college athletic departments.  Women’s basketball has made strides into supporting their 

athletic programs, but it is still not enough.  College sports would have thrived with or without Title IX and its later regulations on sex equality in sports.  Yes, the women’s softball, soccer, and basketball teams have produced some of the best players in the world in their respective sports, but it can never be proven if women’s inclusion in college sports via Title IX has made college athletics any better.  This remains an individual assessment based on personal views of those who want to challenge the question. But applause is necessary for those women who had the foresight to not only challenge the law and its hidden meaning, but to manipulate it and utilize it for generations to come.

The Heat Is On

     For nine years, he has been the Next.  The one to inherit the throne from Michael and those that came before him.  Throughout those nine years, he has been ridiculed and bashed by those that expected him to just waltz into the NBA and take control.  I have been one of those that has laughed at him as he was swept by the Spurs and lost in six to the Mavericks.  As Kobe kept winning championships and given the label of closer, all who watched just snickered at the boy who was waiting to become a man and hoist is own trophy.   Three MVPs and three finals appearances later, the man that calls himself King James has now reached the pinnacle of his sport.
     Throughout these finals against an incredibly talented Thunder team, LeBron had the look of a madman, a  psychopath waiting to pounce on his prey.  That look never faded from the opening tip of the first game to the final seconds as the clock hit zero.  There was no mistaking that LeBron would hoist his trophy and claim the MVP of the series.  James' numbers were incredible in this series as they culminated into a triple-double in game five.  He can now, at least for this offseason, claim his throne as the king.
     Now all of the claims that are putting him in Michaels' company are starting to surface.  This is just absolutely absurd.  The Great One, the best that has ever played the game, the one and only Michael is not to be confused with anyone in the game today.  LeBron is not even in the company of Kobe at the moment considering that Kobe has five rings.  Let King James win a couple more before putting him in anybody's company that has come before him.  LeBron is clearly the most talented player in the league at this time.  LeBron clearly is going to be a force to be reckoned with for many years.  But let's calm down with the Michael talk for a few years so we can see if King James has a few more runs in him.
     There are so many great individual players that the NBA has seen and we are witnessing the next handful of possible all-time greats in this era.  But to put any player in Jordans' company is absolutely insane.  Not LeBron, not Duncan, not even Kobe(who is probably closest) should be crowned the next MJ.  Congratulations to LeBron for getting his first, he is well deserving.  The league may have quite a finals rivalry brewing with the Heat and Thunder over the next few years and this will be incredible to watch unfold.  But until LeBron wins at least another couple of championships, lets just enjoy the look, and the outstanding highlights that he creates on the boards, in the lane, and on ESPN.

The Second Mile--Sandusky's Enablers

     Standing stoic and indifferent in front of the panel of jurors, Jerry Sandusky learned his fate for the rest of is life.  Forty-five out of forty-eight counts were returned guilty and he will now spend the minimum of sixty years behind bars and most likely the majority of those years in solitary confinement.  Yet, there are no winners in this very heinous account of real life which was hidden within the confounds of the game of football and the hope of a charity organization that was nothing more than a hunting ground.
     Sandusky was the defensive coordinator and heir apparent to the legendary head coach, Joe Paterno.  Penn St. was a legendary program under the two, better known as Linebacker U. Now we realize that Sandusky was nothing more than a monster using his power and genius to lure young boys into an insular community that turned its back on the most abhorrent of crimes to our nations youth.  Sandusky is a sick and twisted individual that most likely could not have helped his sexual urges.  Yet there was no reason why his wife, JoePa, Spanier, Curley, McQueary or any other person within that society that knew of is sickness could not of gotten him help instead of covering up his revolting acts.
     Where the hell was the integrity of a program that lasted sixty years under what one was led to believe to be the most genuine of men in JoePa?  Where was Dottie, the wife of forty-five years, who turned her back as children screamed for help from their basement?  Why did McQueary just turn his back and walk out of that shower in 2002 instead of using his size and strength to stop the atrocious act he had witnessed?  What the hell is wrong with society today that a major investigation in 1998 on one of the most well-known campuses in the country is allowed to be sealed and covered up, when even the Freedom of Information Act cannot view its details.
     Jerry Sandusky should never be allowed to witness daylight again after the abominable acts he has committed, we know that as decent human beings.  But it is the ones who walked beside him, the ones who allowed him to continue on the campus of Penn St. long after he "retired" that should follow him to the gates of hell where JoePa is waiting to take them to their destiny.  Sandusky,  no matter who will agree (or will admit it), has a disease that unfortunately cannot be healed or detected beforehand in order to prevent it from surfacing.  Sandusky is the worst monster that could ever be born and should have a far worse fate than living in a cell for the rest of his life.  I cannot even venture to explain what should be done to that man for the unspeakable acts that he has done to those innocent young boys that trusted him.
     The ones who stood beside him, covered up his actions, and tried to mask his deeds to protect the image of Penn St. should not be ignored.  Those people are just as atrocious as the one who stood before the jurors yesterday as each count was brought down.  With the first mile behind us (the passing of JoePa and conviction of Sandusky), it is now time to walk that second mile and indict the very ones who enabled this predator to do is deeds.  Nobody wins in this situation: not the boys who were molested, not the families that have been crushed by the crimes, not the university whose image was destroyed, or any individual involved in this atrocity.  There may never be an end to the healing process for anyone.  But one thing is for sure, if you walked that mile with Sandusky, there is always someone waiting at the end of your road to take you in the direction that you will spend eternity: only JoePa, Dottie, Spanier, Curley, McQueary and any other enablers know which direction they will head.

CEC--Criminals Entertaining Criminals

     You walk through the halls and at first glance you notice the color scheme and the many inspirational signs.  You keep going and are brought through sprawling hallways of an old rebuilt building that looks as if a lot of care and attention has been strewed throughout.  The first interaction with the "counselors" is one of wonderment as they call you "resident" as opposed to inmate.  You are no longer considered a number as the staff begins to learn your name.  The beds are spacious and more comfortable than the bunk you have been accustomed to for so long behind the wall.  You are promised a course of therapy that will help with reintegration into society and for the rest of your life if you follow the program and its leaders.
     That is when you first enter Talbot Hall and its spacious halls and question silently if it would've been better behind the wall.  That is when reality hits and you go to bed starving every night because food is scarce.  That is when you long to see the sun because outside recreation is limited due to lack of staff and you get a demerit just for looking out the window.  That is when you see the program in action and wonder who in their right mind came up with this form of rehabilitation.  That is when you realize that the staff is there only for a paycheck and you really are just a number in their checkbook.  Your name and everything about you seems to fade again as it did behind the wall.
     Groups are half led and the counselors seem disinterested as they are quick to point out that they are very happy only saving one "resident."  Most groups do not come close to running their full time unless there are "visitors" touring the facility.  Then you are herded to your rooms for hours on end while those "visitors" are only shown minute portions of the cleaned up facility.  These "visitors" are hoodwinked into believing that the facility is clean and run the proper way, without realizing that the maintenance staff has just worked 20 straight hours to clean, paint and spruce the place up for their guests.
     That is when they then assess you and transfer you to the next facility after giving you a completion of treatment when you haven't done or learned a damn thing for three months except not to look out a window.  That is when they transfer you to another CEC facility that is run by more criminals and is even filthier than the one you just left.  That is when you shower in mold-ridden bathrooms and eat in a lecture hall set up with dirty tables and no kitchen.  Food is brought to you from the next door facility and served on dirty trays with no sink or soap to wash them.  That is when the "counselors" really have no ability to teach you much but how to take count and go out for smoke breaks.  That is when you finally realize the big business that is the NJDOC and their halfway house facilities.
     CEC, otherwise known as Community Education Centers, is a big business enterprise that houses inmates in a halfway house setting that is supposed to prepare for reintegration into society.  The staff is made up of its share of those that have spent some time or another in prison themselves and knows the criminal mind.  They are quick to point out that they too have recovered in their life from drugs, street life and trouble with the law.  The problem does not lie in the fact that the are underpaid and undermanned for the amount of residents each facility houses.  The problem lies in that their program simply does not work because of the falsehoods that are seen every day.
     How does a program work if groups are cancelled because the degreed counselors are too overloaded to lead them?  How does a program work if the credo is not followed by the same ones who wrote it?  How does a program work if there just is no life within the signs on the wall?  How does a program work if the ones who are leading are the very ones who are setting the bad example?  CEC gets their money for every bed filled in their facility.  The sad part is tat if that bed is filled four times within that year, CEC gets paid four times for that same bed.  That is the nature of how they make their money and the root cause for turnover in halfway houses.  That is why they give demerits for small infractions like looking out windows that add up and send a resident back to prison.
     The inmate population sees the process and the cycle and is hard willed to follow this "program" that teaches serenity and change and truth.  The leaders of CEC can not mask their lies and therefore have a difficult time with their residents because, for most going through the prison system, they have been lied to their whole life.  Now here is another person asking them to believe in something that they themselves do not fully believe in.  It's a sad cycle for most that roam those halls and there does not seem like there is an end to this cycle.
     All anyone can ask is that a proper look into this system is erected because all that have come before have clearly failed.  NJDOC and any other correctional system does not want the recidivism rate to go down because it is a big business that needs to survive.  Why rehabilitate when all we will be doing is losing money?  Politicians such as Gov. Chris Christie will not even respond to questions about CEC because he has backed them for so long.  We need to call out Christie to stop the lies of CEC and their credo to help the recidivism rate in the state of NJ and any other state they occupy.  CEC controls the only two assessment centers in NJ which determine which halfway house an inmate is housed.  It is a monopoly that has been allowed for years and they can easily skew their numbers to send only what they deem as the best quality of inmates in order to make their facilities look good.
     This can no longer be allowed.  An inquiry must be made and a promise must be followed up on in order to improve the quality of life for reintegration in the state of NJ.  Do not turn your back any more Gov. Christie.  Face the cameras and go in to these facilities unannounced in order to see the real quality of life that is happening in those walls.  Do not let the population of inmates suffer anymore as there are many with great talents "behind the wall" that are only looking for a chance.  As most inmates go through reintegration, those chances are lost in those that simply do not believe or don't want to take the time to care.  Do not let CEC stand for Criminals Entertaining Criminals anymore.  Change must start at the top before others will follow.

Amazin'-- El Gocho Believe It!!!

     June 1st, 2012 will forever be etched, not only in the record books, but in the hearts of all Mets fans that have folowed this laughable franchise over the past fifty years.  Today, Johan Santana has done what some of the most talented pitchers that have worn the orange and blue have never done--pitched a no hitter.  Names like Ryan, Seaver, Gooden, Cone, Viola, Hampton, Saberhagen and many others have had this monumental task elude them.  Now you saw Santana, coming off shoulder surgery, take a pitch count to 134 and complete the feat against the best hitting team in the National League.
     I have been a Mets fan for 30 years and have been toyed with emotionally as I saw pitcher after pitcher come and go, while usually throwing a no-no for other teams.  Yet today, the wait was well worth it for all the right reasons.  This team is beginning to show signs of something amazin'.  This Mets team is built with minor league players playing major roles and winning ball games that most would say they have no right to win.  This Mets team battles through every inning, takes pride in the way they play the game of baseball, and gives every fan a reason to believe once again. 
     Terry Collins has been the consummate manager that is teaching the game the right way and is allowing the players to grow together as a unit.  As I look back over the past 30 years especially, there really is no better person and player than Johan to go into Mets lore as the one to break the curse.  As the final pitch was thrown, I just closed my eyes and waited for the called swing and a miss.  History was made, Collins called Johan his hero, and Johan himself admitted that he has never thrown a no hitter on any level--even in a video game. 
     The raw emotion of a lifetime of fandom that has seen this team lose a 7th game to St. Louis to avoid going to a world series, lose back-to-back division leads in '07 and '08, only win once with the most talented teams in the late 80's and many other years of misery and heartbreak are all tossed aside.  This night belongs to Johan Santana, the Mets organization and all its fans.  This night leaves all of us absolutely knowing that with this team, anything really is possible.  That is the joy of being a Met fan.  The Mets don't win as many world series as their cross-town rivals, consistently win division titles like the Braves or Phillies, have a star-studded lineup with the best players(although they try--thanks Bay, Bonilla and Benitez, etc.), but what they do have is a faithful following that cherish all of these special moments.
     This is our team, and we love these Mets because of those special moments that we never take for granted.  As fans, this almost makes our life complete just knowing that the first one is out of the way.  Thank you Johan for restoring the faith and helping us to believe once again that miracles do happen, even for Mets fans.  Throughout the first quarter of this season, you can almost sense that this was a special team and today just solidified that notion. As we head towards the All-Star break and beyond, remember one thing Mets fans--El Gocho Believe It!!!  

Stop Blaming The Fu@%ing President

     This election year, as we watch the candidates through countless debates, forums, speeches and cynical commercial spots, remember one thing: no one man can change the future of America.  For all of you who look at a president as the definitive say in the direction of our country, you are extremely misguided.  I grew up in the days of Reagan and the Iran-Contra scandal, the first Bush and the idiocy of the initial Iraq invasion, Clinton getting sexual favors from interns, all the way to now with Obama and a deficit of over 16trillion dollars.  It is great to have a charismatic leader of the greatest country in the world but you would be hard-pressed to look back and find a president that everyone could agree upon and back, not named Kennedy.
     Understand that presidents such as Kennedy could never survive in this form of democracy.  He would have become too big for the House or the Senate to handle and sway towards their greedy swindling.  Do not be fooled that we have had any president since Kennedy that was nothing more than a puppet for all of the other politicians we have elected.  And that right there is the key to this and all future elections for the American public.  We elect our leaders.  We choose who makes the laws and who sets the standards that we live by each and every day.  We elected the senators and congressmen that have been incumbents for decades and have not earned anything but notoriety for poor decisions.  Yet the public insists on re-electing these individuals that do not allow a president to make change.
     It is not any one presidents fault, GOP or Democrat, that this country has been facing a depression amidst a deficit that keeps growing.  It is not any one presidents fault that our education is listed around 23rd in the world or that the tax laws have more holes than a box of fruit loops.  I stand by my belief that it is the responsibility of all citizens that want change to finally go to the polls and make that very change.  Don't bother starting with the president though.  Start with the very criminals that have been backing laws and fillibusting for personal gain.  Continue with the sheisters that take bribes doubling as donations.  Then conclude with the incumbents that have their constituents hoodwinked into believing that their way is best for your state and country.
     The only way this great country will make a rebound in a positive direction is to hold all politicians to a higher standard as well as a short term.  Vote out all incumbents and let the newcomers understand that if they do not support their constituents, then their term will be a one and done.  Do not allow Congressmen and Senators to become so comfortable as to lose touch with the everday american and his/her dream of hope and prosperity.  I use the hashtag #saddayforusa2012 on twitter because I truly believe that it has come to the point that we no longer have a possibility for change within our government until the people want it.  It truly is sad that republicans and democrats alike do not want to advance anything but their own agendas towards their own prosperity, damn the public.
     Kennedy was the last great president, although I'm sure many will inevitably argue that fact.  We all saw what happened when even the possibility of a larger than life president was in the making.  But one thing is for sure when going to the polls this year and any other election year; you can make a difference with your vote.  If the american public learns to vote from bottom to top instead of top to bottom, then we can all start promising a future for our children and beyond.  Otherwise, it will be just another sad day for the USA.