What are things that everyone ought to understand, but many don't?

[Debrah N.]

I like the Canadian model of Policing, where the Police are directly accountable to a civilian over sight and investigative body, that reports directly to the Attorney General of each Province or Territory within 90 days of a situation where some one is seriously injured or killed in an interaction with Police officers. The Provincial SpeciInvestigation Unit takes over the investigation and delivers a detailed report on what happened, who was involved, what they did right or wrong, and if Police acted improperly, the SIU lays criminal charges against them.

Police in Canada are subject to 2 types of criminal charges. First under the Canadian Criminal Code, just like all other Canadians, and they may also be charged under the Police Act, for things such as failing to properly investigate a situation or for neglect of their duties. Canadian Police are subject to close scrutiny by their senior officers, and by the public.

There is a very long list of things that a Canadian Police officer cannot do or be involved in. For example, a Canadian Police officer of any rank cannot own or operate a bar, a debt collection company, a Private Investigation company, a towing company or auto storage compound, provide body guard services, sell security equipment, act as a bouncer or security guard, or act as a security consultant. Canadian Police officers cannot act as a landlord or building manager of a rental apartment complex. Canadian Police cannot wear any type of political party emblem while on duty, and they cannot attend political events in uniform. Canadian Police cannot publicly endorse any political party or candidate while in uniform.

Police in Canada must be impartial, and must be SEEN to be impartial.

I like all those rules for police. Thanks for posting this, good to know.

 

[Vida May]

I have done work in prisons as a teacher of Buddhist psychology. I am very aware of how the classics have influenced cultural ethics. They have fundamental principles for a healthy functioning democratic society. What I don't see happening is any kind of curriculums anywhere except a few, and far between, institutions teachings them. I live in a town with 3 major colleges. Liberal Arts leaning. I love it here. When I was younger I loved going in to town and go to the beer and pizza shop. I had some great conversations with the students.

You are a very interesting person and that is pretty important to having an interesting discussion.
What drew you to Buddhism? Have you read other Eastern philosophers?

I think it is important to understand Buddhism if we are to understand Jesus. I think our materialism came from Rome and I do not admire the Romans as much as the Greeks. How far can you go with a conversation about such matters? Perhaps another thread would be appropriate.

 

[chic]

We're stronger together than we are when divided. Nobody seems to really grasp this one anymore.

 

[Debrah N.]

I'll let @Vida May respond to this, since you can't have the censorship she supports without someone deciding what is right and what is wrong.

Maybe what Vida May is referring to is observably true stuff. Where you can look back at the history of a person, his/her statements and actions, or the timeline of events and the outcomes, etc. There are far too many who make stuff up as they go and purely designed to make their opponent look bad. Pretty easy in those instances to see what is true, what is right and what is wrong.

 

[Vida May]

Unfortunately, as our prison system becomes more and more privatized and big businessy, I fear that there'll be less and less efforts made to help prisoners in that fashion.

I hear you and I am afraid I agree with you but we must not give up hope. We must unite and than spread our thoughts as they were once spread during the Age of Enlightenment. Imagine a small handful of literate people in a world without social media and the technology we have today, influenced the development of the US democracy by writing books and communicating with each other, and at times risked their lives to have freedom of speech in Christian-controlled countries or having to flee the Christain authority over them.

It is understandable why some people insist history is not important.

But there are more well-educated people today and I believe we are in the Resurrection. The work of archeologists and geologists and related sciences are resurrecting the past and it is our duty to learn as much as we can and RETHINK EVERYTHING. That is thinking based on facts and knowledge. Something that could not have happened in the past.

 

[Vida May]

We're stronger together than we are when divided. Nobody seems to really grasp this one anymore.

Interesting comment. Reminds me of an explanation of Christians in the North and in the South both being strongly motivated by the belief God wanted this side or that one to win the Civil War. War is good for God and God is good for war.

 

[Gardenlover]

What are things that everyone ought to understand, but many don't?​

No one, including family, ever think about you as often as you believe they do and honestly don't think that much about you after your pass. They value their own opinions and live their own lives.

Harsh, maybe, but true.

How often do you think about your great grand parents?

 

[Debrah N.]

I am extremely against censorship with exceptions, of course. No one has to accept lies. But if someone chooses to believe lies, then that’s their issue, not mine. Harmful beliefs, judgement call, and no one is entitled to judge anyone else’s beliefs. What harms some, does not harm others. I am not allergic to strawberries, but they kill others.

Calling fire in a movie Theater, gets people killed. This kind of censorship, yes, any other type no.

Highly educated people can be and are frequently stupid. There is no cure for stupid. If you crave censorship, which is simply one group controlling another, there are several countries that will be happy to accommodate you.

But not the USA.

The problem is, that when the majority accept lies and policy is based on that, then everyone suffers. Harmful beliefs are acceptable as long as they only harm the one believing it. Unfortunately, even harmful beliefs can and often do hurt others. I watched a movie about a death cult where the members eventually killed themselves and they all had family who were horrified and grieved deeply. What harms one, can sometimes harm others or even everyone. In both Canada and the USA, far too many just believe whomever has the most interesting rhetoric and too often fail to look up any of the stuff those 'interesting' people are saying.

 

[Vida May]

Your response is completely wrong, irresponsible, and over-the-top. Nobody - least of all me - said anything about your right to free speech, except that I would DEFEND it.

The rest of your claptrap is just that - nonsense. I said nothing about morals, democracy, and social responsibility in my post, which focused solely on the 1st Amendment's right to free speech and the liberty contained within.

I said nothing of culture. I said nothing of teachers. I said nothing of 1958's legislation.

My suggestion: Focus on what I wrote, not what you think I wrote.

Your reply is completely wrong because it begins in a most disrespectful tone, so I am not obligated to read it.

 

[Twostep]

Interesting comment. Reminds me of an explanation of Christians in the North and in the South both being strongly motivated by the belief God wanted this side or that one to win the Civil War. War is good for God and God is good for war.

If you want to dig deep I to it there was a War between the States. We have family on both sides and mostly on the third which you apparently disregard.
Whatever your war is good for God and God is good for war is based on who knows. Please consider others when you are posting. Thank you.

 

[Warrigal]

Interesting comment. Reminds me of an explanation of Christians in the North and in the South both being strongly motivated by the belief God wanted this side or that one to win the Civil War. War is good for God and God is good for war.

"War not good, but if must fight, ... win". Paraphrase of the Karate Kid?

 

[Debrah N.]

@Vida May, when I was in Teachers' College way back in the 1960s, I was taught that the primary purpose of public schools was to transmit cultural values. This is not to say that the three Rs are not important but it is even more important to transmit cultural values to every child.

This is a truism for public education in every country of the world. As a child I was taught about our native birds and animals and our obligation to look after them and their habitat, not that the word habitat was ever used back then. We learned that their home was the bushland and to have respect for it. My father reinforced this message by taking us on bushwalks.

We recited a simple oath of allegiance to the flag, to God and to the King at every assembly, and learned the European version of the settlement and development of Australia. What we did not learn was the cost of settlement for the indigenous people. Back then, while Australia was no longer a colony of Britain, we considered ourselves to be British and we read mostly British story books and dressed like English children. Culturally we were copies of English people set in an Australian landscape.

Then we began to absorb American culture via the movies. Pre WW II we had an Australian film industry, but American film moguls began buying up the movie theatres and our film industry was strangled. We continued to watch British movies but westerns were pretty much standard fare, along with Hollywood musicals and Tarzan movies. Ned Kelly was out and Daniel Boone was in. In effect, three different cultures, British, American and Australian were competing for our hearts and minds.

Australian nationalism began to reassert itself in the years leading up to our bicentennial celebrations. When Britain joined the Common Market and our exports to what we considered to be the Motherland were not wanted any more, people like me had to realise that Australians were no longer British and we had to face the new reality of what it means to be an Australian. This turned out to be a good thing.

Forgive the long ramble, but I wish to make the point that one of the primary purposes of public education is the transmission of national culture. Culture is not fixed nor unchanging, nor should it be. There is no going back to past times. Schools must adapt to current times.

I think to transmit national culture, every country needs to be truthful about the good and the bad of that country's evolution. So for example, I think a true Canadian education should include not only the names and accomplishments of our leaders, our most important business leaders and their accomplishments, but the bad things that have happened in their names and just as a matter of course. As our indigenous population for example, was pushed away and squashed.....so that as those indigenous cultures are beginning to come into their own now more and more, we get a fuller picture of our still evolving 'national identity'. Then we can truly appreciate how far we've all come.

 

[Warrigal]

We can argue our own definitions. I will argue a moral is a matter of cause and effect. We used fables to teach morals. The Little Red Hen. The Little Engine that Could. The Fox and the Grapes are such moral tales. Why didn't the Little Red Hen share her bread with her friends? How did the Little Engine make it over the hill? What is the moral of the Fox and the Grapes?

If you do not think those are moral tales, why not?

How do you want to define moral?

I was taught that western and eastern moral values are not the same. Our Latin teacher told us the story of the Spartan boy who stole a fox cub. Stealing was not the problem; the problem was that he was caught.

I could not accept the Spartan (eastern) moral code at all, especially so because the version we were told had the boy dying rather than own up to stealing. Owning up was a high moral principle in my home and at school.

 

[Paco Dennis]

But there are more well-educated people today and I believe we are in the Resurrection. The work of archeologists and geologists and related sciences are resurrecting the past and it is our duty to learn as much as we can and RETHINK EVERYTHING. That is thinking based on facts and knowledge. Something that could not have happened in the past.

Resurrection is an interesting way to describe the waking up of a democratic culture that has learned the aspects of creating a functioning civil society. The next few years a vital for us to change directions. We should have known better than put profit over sustainability and human well being. We didn't, and somehow, we need to all change course. Those old motives need to be reversed if our resurrection is to be realized.

 

[officerripley]

I hope there is a resurrection or something good; I am sick and tired of the worship of business and money and this ultra competition sh*t. I thought kids were supposed to grow out of that "king of the hill" sh*t. I guess if adults aren't teaching the kids how to, they never learn when they're young when things are almost always easier to learn.

 

[Eupher]

Your reply is completely wrong because it begins in a most disrespectful tone, so I am not obligated to read it.

Here's your statement to my initial post in this thread.

You say you will accept my right to freedom of speech, but I think you would shoot me dead if we were in the same room.

To put it quite bluntly, you're insane. You're so caught up in your pollyanna-ish Utopia that you actually think that I'd shoot you dead. You need help, and I hope you get it soon. Your fear is palpable, and yet you have no cause to fear me. After all, I served my country to protect you.

 

[Dave03]

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but one thing I have never understood is electricity. I know there's volts and watts and currents and such, but I don't get the correlation. LOL.

Therefore, I have a very healthy respect (translation: fear) of electricity.

I remember once, when my wife and I were newlyweds, I was going to replace a ceiling fan. I turned the power off in the entire house, and was still scared of getting shocked. There were three wires on the new fan, but four wires coming out of the ceiling.

I called my father in law. LOL.

 

[bobcat]

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but one thing I have never understood is electricity. I know there's volts and watts and currents and such, but I don't get the correlation. LOL.

Therefore, I have a very healthy respect (translation: fear) of electricity.

I remember once, when my wife and I were newlyweds, I was going to replace a ceiling fan. I turned the power off in the entire house, and was still scared of getting shocked. There were three wires on the new fan, but four wires coming out of the ceiling.

I called my father in law. LOL.

I've done a lot of electrical, and I think you made a wise decision. It's really not all that complicated, but if you don't understand it, the results can be shocking.

 

[Eupher]

We can argue our own definitions. I will argue a moral is a matter of cause and effect. We used fables to teach morals. The Little Red Hen. The Little Engine that Could. The Fox and the Grapes are such moral tales. Why didn't the Little Red Hen share her bread with her friends? How did the Little Engine make it over the hill? What is the moral of the Fox and the Grapes?

If you do not think those are moral tales, why not?

How do you want to define moral?

I'll make one last stab at your mutterings.

Fables were and are great STORIES that were told to convince others of many things -- primarily the difference between right and wrong -- I'll grant you that.

But there should be no doubt that MORALS -- if properly applied by PARENTS who are involved with their children -- are the BEST practitioners and examples of what morals should be to their children. Others outside the family certainly come into play -- clergy, Scoutmasters, other adults who involve themselves with children. But PARENTS are where the effort starts and are most effective. Granted, not always successful, but parental involvement in teaching of children is MOST effective.

 

[Vida May]

I think to transmit national culture, every country needs to be truthful about the good and the bad of that country's evolution. So for example, I think a true Canadian education should include not only the names and accomplishments of our leaders, our most important business leaders and their accomplishments, but the bad things that have happened in their names and just as a matter of course. As our indigenous population for example, was pushed away and squashed.....so that as those indigenous cultures are beginning to come into their own now more and more, we get a fuller picture of our still evolving 'national identity'. Then we can truly appreciate how far we've all come.

I think what you said carries a lot of wisdom. Yes that happened all over the world but I think the way the majority think about it today is very different from the perspective of the past. This excites me because it means we may evolve a higher consciousness like the people in the Star Trek series and become less like reactionary animals.

 

[Tish]

Men

 

[Vida May]

I'll make one last stab at your mutterings.

Fables were and are great STORIES that were told to convince others of many things -- primarily the difference between right and wrong -- I'll grant you that.

But there should be no doubt that MORALS -- if properly applied by PARENTS who are involved with their children -- are the BEST practitioners and examples of what morals should be to their children. Others outside the family certainly come into play -- clergy, Scoutmasters, other adults who involve themselves with children. But PARENTS are where the effort starts and are most effective. Granted, not always successful, but parental involvement in teaching of children is MOST effective.

And how do the parents become moral?

I think there are some things missing from your understanding of moral tales.

Written by a former Greek slave, in the late to mid-6th century BCE, Aesop's Fables are the world's best known collection of morality tales. The fables, numbering 725, were originally told from person-to-person as much for entertainment purposes but largely as a means for relaying or teaching a moral or lesson. These early stories are essentially allegorical myths often portraying animals or insects e.g. foxes, grasshoppers, frogs, cats, dogs, ants, crabs, stags, and monkeys representing humans engaged in human-like situations (a belief known as animism). Ultimately the fables represent one of the oldest characteristics of human life: storytelling.
Aesop's Fables.

I want to be universal about this and mention all people around the world have had their moral fables. Hear of native American examples https://fairytalez.com/region/native-american/\\

A very important moral tale for the US is....


"The Emperor's New Clothes" is a story by Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor who is tricked into wearing a suit of clothes that is invisible to those who are unfit for their position

I also don't want to leave out all US grade school textbooks presented the importance of sharing, cooperation, consideration. These lessons were hidden the teaching of reading and math story books. Without this education, how do the parents know morals?

 

[mrstime]

Simple, some don't understand the difference between ........then and than.........lose and loose.

 

[Vida May]

I was taught that western and eastern moral values are not the same. Our Latin teacher told us the story of the Spartan boy who stole a fox cub. Stealing was not the problem; the problem was that he was caught.

I could not accept the Spartan (eastern) moral code at all, especially so because the version we were told had the boy dying rather than own up to stealing. Owning up was a high moral principle in my home and at school.

I love your reply! And that was very much a problem when European immigrants were flooding into the US from very different cultures with no experience with democracy. At the 1917 National Education Association Conference a teacher questioned the best way to prepare children to understand our institutions and way of life. She mentioned the immigrant parents would learn from their children. If anyone cares I can quote from the book so it is understood that what I say comes from books, not my imagination.

Back to the Spartans, they were raised with great harshness and encouraged to kill Helots. Head hunters and some native Americans also had very harsh child-rearing practices. Moral if you want brave warriors that is how to raise the children. Moral- cause and effect.

 

[Vida May]

Robots and AI will eventually manage everything for us so there will be nothing left in the distant future for the human species as we are now, to live for.

That was one of the favorite themes of Star Trek, computer-run societies. I like to say we are already controlled by a computer, but the components are humans so we don't see the machine.

When we fought against Germany we said it was a mechanical society because of its bureaucracy and social organization. In the 1917 NEA conference, a teacher warned this bureaucratic order crushes individual power and liberty. However, the US adopted that bureaucratic model, and as the Germans did, we now worship "efficiency". How can this be in a nation that is built on the ideal of individual liberty and power? This is not the democracy our forefathers gave us.

I wish I were not alone with what my books say. I have been against AI since the beginning of online forums because when we have a problem with our username and password we can't just call someone and resolve the problem. Yelling at the computer "I know that name is already used, it is my name", does absolutely no good at all.