There are two issues I’ve been thinking about this month. Both are really things that I can’t really change, but I can gripe about them. One is the lack of civility in our world mostly in the media. The other is the rise of technology that seems to be making such a difference in our everyday lives. I do not watch Donald Trump anymore because of getting upset a couple years ago about the way those appearing on the program were treated. I happened to turn it on the other day while I was surfing television and got upset all over again because of the rudeness and put downs of those on the show. The other show I watched recently and got very agitated about was Glee which I have come to enjoy and like watching because of the talented students in the glee club and the fact that they are willing to deal with gay students and what they face. But I can’t stand Jane Lynch who is a nasty, rude, condescending uncivilized person named Sue on the show. I know that is not a very nice thing to say but it is a show that is watched by young people and they do not need to see a character like that. I see her now on other shows, in ads, and speaking for other groups. And it is wrong. No character that is portrayed like that should be glamorized and portrayed as someone who others should emulate.

The other public figure who is now seen everywhere and quoted on absolutely everything you pick up or watch is Charlie Sheen who is a drunken, ill-mannered jerk who is also an abuser. I work at The Center for Prevention for Abuse and we don’t need someone like him all over the media. It is bad enough that we have to have domestic shelters because of men who can’t control themselves, but to put him out there as a model is wrong, wrong, wrong. I know that others will say that I am a dinosaur and maybe I am but we need more civility in this world, not less. Television shows that show rudeness, bad manners and other wrong behavior should not be on and I for one think we should protest and boycott those shows that are absolutely showing the wrong behavior particularly to children. How can we expect children to have any kind of good manners and care about others when they see this kind of garbage on television? I know there are those who say that I am living in another world and perhaps I am, but I like it and I think we need to have some positive role models for a change.

Now that I’m preaching, I’m going to mention another issue that drives me nuts. Many of our film stars and sports figures display really bad behavior and yet get paid huge salaries. What kinds of examples are we setting up for our children? Magazines and newspapers laud these people as if they are some kind of gods, and it is so detrimental to all young people. I think we need to start holding those that are in the public eye to some kind of standard. I see those who are in the entertainment industry held up in a different way, and we all need to counteract those images of what is right and good. Maybe a boycott of certain programs or entertainers would help if we could make it happen. A policy of respect, good manners and care would go a long way toward making things better.

And the other issue is technology which is consuming the world in a negative way. I know that it has helped a great deal in many ways, but now it is going too far. When our children spend more time on the internet, texting and playing video games, it is not helpful for their education. I see young people with cell phones in their ears or texting wherever they are. There seems to be so little social interaction among young people. They may be sitting at the same table, but texting someone at another location. A co-worker just came into the library looking for some poetry about bullying which is one of the extremes happening today which is truly scary. We had a workshop on cyber bullying and a young woman talked about how she thought she was talking with a young woman, went out to meet her, was kidnapped by a man, raped and held hostage. They finally found her through a zip code which is one of the serious issues with children going on the internet. Many children who go on the internet think they are anonymous, but they are not. We were warned in the workshop which was presented by Lisa Madigan’s office about the tragic happenings that can result from children giving out too much information. They suggested that parents have the television somewhere where they can supervise. The suggestion was made that the television not be allowed in a child’s room.

Anyhow it’s a fact that children are so involved with technology that they aren’t having any social life. I think that we should license cell phones like we do driving, because they get so involved that everything else is lost. Maybe having a license is extreme, but I do believe that children need to be kids a little longer and not get cell phones too early. Our children are really growing up very fast and miss out on their childhood. I know we can’t go backwards, but I think a little common sense could go a long way with our children.

I’m going to get off my soapbox now. I guess I’m in a bad mood because I love working with children and I hate to see the problems they face these days. I wish that the whole world would just sit back and see what is happening to children. We need to teach and practice acceptance and respect for everyone no matter what age they may be.

My reading hasn’t gone very far this month. I’ve read quite a lot of light reading but not much that I would really tell someone else about. I am reading a good book by Maisie Mosco called Scattered Seed which is about a Jewish family who immigrated to England from Russia. There is an earlier book called From the Bitter Land that I want to get and read now by that same author. Another book that I thought was well written was Cactus Garden, a mystery by Robert Ward.

I actually got out in the yard twice to work a little bit and hope the good weather returns soon so I can get back out in the yard to get ready for spring.