Celebrating National Coming Out Day - Part 2

This week, we started a discussion of same sex marriage in class.  It happened to coincide with National Coming Out Day which is October 11^th.  National Coming Out Day, which began in 1987 promotes a safe world for LGBT individuals to live truthfully and openly.  You can read about the controversy that happened here in Indianapolis last year on National Coming Out Day and what your fellow students had to say about it here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2010/10/celebrating-national-coming-out-day.html

This year, in honor of National Coming Out Day and in support of a more tolerant America, I decided to blog about the rise of bullying due to sexual orientation.  In a previous class, we discussed the issue of cyber-bullying.  You can read my thoughts and the student comments here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2010/09/cyber-age-of-bullying.html  

The first time I remember hearing about this issue was in 1998, when Matthew Shepherd was targeted, tortured and murdered because of his sexual orientation.  I’m sure other hate crimes such as this had happened prior to this event, but it was Matthew’s murder that sticks in my mind most.  Tomorrow marks the 13^th anniversary of Matthew Shepherd’s death. Today, hate crimes and bullying based on sexual orientation remain on the rise.  Consider the following:

• According to the Gay Lesbian Straight Educator’s Network, students hear anti-gay epithets over 25 times a day and teachers fail to respond 97% of the time
• According to the Task Force on Youth Suicide, gay youth are 3 times more likely than straight youths to commit suicide.  In fact, 30% of all youth suicides have been linked to issues the youth faced concerning their sexual identity
• The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reports 28% of gay students drop out of high school
• In a survey done by the National School Climate Task Force, 64% of gay students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think can be done to prevent bullying or hate crimes against homosexuals?  How should students, parents and the community raise awareness of this issue?  Be specific!”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, October 16^th, 2011.

Are You Proud To Be American?

This week we started our study of the Constitution and the freedoms that make us uniquely American. You can order your own free copy of the United States Constitution from: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

There are things about America that I don't like; paying taxes (even though I know they're neccessary), crooked politicians and corporate greed. However, despite those things, I am still proud to be an American. I am proud to live in a diverse country where we can participate in our own political process. I am proud that we have the freedom to practice our own religion and speak our mind. Each quarter as we review the Constitution, I am reminded of all the freedoms that we have which I tend to take for granted.

So my question to you this week is, "Are you proud to be American? If so, why - what do you like about America? If no, why not - what are things you wish America would change?" Answers are due no later than Sunday, October 9th, 2011. P.S. So, three quarters ago, the students helped me create a really cool blog template that had a patriotic theme. Somehow, last quarter, I lost all the graphics and had to go back to this generic template. If any of you have any suggestions or know of any links where I can find a better

Your Thoughts and Feedback Are Appreciated!

When we started out together it was hot and muggy and now fall is finally here!  Yea! It has been a pleasure getting to know all of you this quarter and I wish you well in your future endeavors. For our last blog post, I would like to get your thoughts and feedback on the class. "What did you like or dislike about the class? What could I do to make it better?" Answers are due no later than Tuesday, September 20th, 2011. After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter.

Even though it's a short break, I hope you find time to relax and get some needed rest. I hope you all continue to follow the blog, and post comments whenever you like. For those of you who are graduating - congratulations! All you hard work finally paid off!

United We Stand

It’s hard to believe that the September 11^th attacks were ten years ago this week.  Like most of you, I remember exactly where I was that September morning.  Eleven days earlier I had graduated from Indiana University and moved to Indianapolis.  I was excited and hopeful about starting what I liked to call my “real life”.  That morning, I slept in and missed both planes hitting the World Trade Center.  By the time I saw the first images of people running down the street from a big cloud of dust and debris – I could scarcely comprehend what was happening.

It’s easy to look back now at the decisions we have made since as a country and find fault.  My “real life” turned out to be full of more heartache, war and an economy that never quite recovered.  I suppose like everyone else, my life changed a little that day.  America changed a little that day.

I will never forget the feelings I felt as I watched our country under attack.  I was sad, I was angry, I was horrified, but most of all, I was proud to be American.  I don’t say that often, but it’s true.  I have never felt so connected to my fellow citizens as I did on that day.  That is what I remember as I think about how to best memorialize the 10^th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks – our unity.  Police and recue workers from around the country left their families and went to New York to help in the recue and recovery efforts.  Blood donations soared and all around the nation, people were helping people. Something good came out of something so bad – even if it only lasted a short while.

So this week, in honor of the September 11^th victims, I will be focusing on the good, not the bad.  I will do my part to bring back that feeling of unity that I had on September 11^th.  It may be just a small random act of kindness to a stranger. It may be spending time with people I love, or giving back to my community.  I may just be one person, but it’s a start. So my question to you this week is, “Where were you during the September 11^th attacks?  Do you plan to do anything special to memorialize the tenth anniversary?”  Answers are due no later than Tuesday, September 13^th, 2011.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of September 11^th, and our country’s servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much – thank you!

Rest, Relax and Have Fun!

I’ve been looking forward to the three-day weekend coming up for a long time. I get a “free” day off of work, football season starts and summer ends – which hopefully means and end to the debilitating heat. We always get together as a family and have one last summer cookout. I’ll admit, I’ve never given any real thought to why we have Labor Day until this week.

Labor Day is a federal holiday that is celebrated on the first Monday in September. It was first celebrated locally in New York City in 1882. In 1884, President Grover Cleveland supported making it a national holiday and Congress unanimously signed it into law. By the end of the 20th century, all fifty states had also made it a state holiday. According to the Department of Labor, the holiday is “dedicated to the social and economic achievements of U.S. workers”. It is a tribute to the “contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country”.

So, in honor of the holiday, my question to you this week will be an easy one. “Did you know anything about the origins of Labor Day? How do you plan to celebrate your three-day weekend?” Answers are due no later than Tuesday, September 6th, 2011. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Do We Really Support Our Troops

This week, I have decided to post something I posted just a little over year ago on the blog.  I know we have a few students in class who have served in the military, and I'm interested in hearing your point of view. Last year, I was watching an old episode of Boston Legal. My favorite character Alan Shore, played by James Spader, mentioned during a closing argument that in 2009, over 6,000 veterans committed suicide. That seemed like a pretty shocking statistic to me, so I decided to investigate further and what I found was appalling.

In December 2007, a Veteran Affairs (VA) internal memo written by the VA Mental Health Director said that there were 12,000 veterans attempting suicide every year. In addition, there were roughly 18 suicides per day, well over 6,000 per year, and these numbers don’t include servicemen and women on active duty. It seems the writers of Boston Legal got it right this time. The suicide rates are highest among male veterans of our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which means for the most part, we are talking about young men in their twenties. Young men who should have their whole lives ahead of them, but for some reason feel suicide is their only option.

The Chief Clinical Psychologist for the Army Reserve and National Guard cites multiple and extended deployments as the cause. Many veterans return home suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries and/or depression. In many cases the VA has delayed or denied disability and medical claims from veterans because they are unable to prove that these conditions are “service-related”. When I read that, I literally felt sick.

Now I admit I’m not a big fan of our current wars. In fact, I’m not a big fan of war in general. That being said, I respect and honor those individuals who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our safety. I can’t believe that we are asking them to sacrifice so much, only to return to so little. So my question to you this week is, “What should be done to ensure veterans receive proper follow-up care when they return home? What can you personally do to support an Iraq/Afghanistan veteran?” Answers are due no later than Tuesday, August 30th, 2011.

Tragedy At The State Fair

Normally when I think of the Indiana State Fair I think of games, good music and tons of fried food.  Okay, let’s be honest – mostly I think about the food! This year however, the Indiana State Fair will be remembered for something far more somber.  By now, you have probably all heard of the tragedy that struck at the fair Saturday night when the stage collapsed on a crowd of concert-goers, killing five people and injuring close to fifty others.

The winds on Saturday night have been estimated at 60-70 mph.  Officials at the Symphony on the Prairie concert that same night made the decision to cancel the concert and evacuate people because of the oncoming threat of severe weather.  At the state fair, the band Sugarland delayed coming onto the stage until the threat had passed.  It was a decision that probably saved their lives. Now many are left wondering why fans at the state fair weren’t evacuated as the storm moved in.

Others have raised questions about the safety of the stage structure.  State fair officials haven’t said if the stage and rigging were inspected before Saturday’s show.  The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said no one from their department inspected the stage, nor did any state fire marshals conduct any inspections.  City officials said they legally can’t conduct inspections on state property.  It will be months before the investigation is complete and people start getting answers. 

So my question to you this week is “Do you think people should’ve been evacuated Saturday night?  Could something have been done to prevent this tragedy?  Should someone be held responsible, or was it just a freak accident?”  Answers are due no later than, Tuesday, August 23rd, 2001.  To those of you who were at the fair Saturday night, or who know someone affected by this tragedy – my heart and prayers go out to you.