Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Drunk With Power

             On Monday night Roland and I watched 911.  One of the stories focused on a mother who’d been drinking while driving.  Due to her poor decision to find the bottle (or flask) more of a priority than any other human beings -  including her own child. Because he is a scared-out-of-his-mind passenger not able to communicate with his mom, he calls 911.  By the time the emergency crews arrive on the scene there is a horrific accident involving 10 – 20 cars – all because she had been disoriented behind the wheel.


            Toward the end of the show, Bobby, who is a main character in the show, goes to an AA support group and talks about how so many people think they can handle the situation of drinking and staying sober – not at all rational about what their decisions may cost others.  While he was giving his speech I thought about the mandating on mask wearing and the decision of those who are able to “remain sober” by not wearing it or ever thinking of others. 

The mask wasn’t designed to protect ourselves so much as it was designed to respect others that we may come in contact.  Even now that many have received their shots, there is a new attitude that “I have now received my shots – I no longer need to wear a mask”

WE STILL NEED TO WEAR MASKS!  The pandemic is NOT over!  There I go being a rational buzzkill.  But am I really?  Biff thinks I’m a weenie who is afraid of getting COVID.  I am NOT afraid of getting COVID.  I am appalled how torn up this nation has become. I also think Biff is too focused on having the approval and living the ways of the world than of God.  

 There were other stories that overlapped.  One was about caring for a child in child care and having that child taken away because the biological mother supposedly turned her life around – and perhaps the parent should have rights but at the same time at how many expenses of the child or others who are involved in the child’s life.  Reminded me of when I had worked for the Department of Child and Family Services and the heartbreak of it all.

I like that the show focuses on what is happening in our nation right now and keep the mandated mask as part of the storyline. Like it or not – it is a part of history.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Mask Wars


    
                          purcaholic.tumblr.com

           Cory mentions the facebook post of a friend who addressed concerns about “shaming people” into not agreeing with individual choices.  Some people are designed to be social even though others may feel comfortable with staying at home.  Some people feel the need to open non-essential employment in oeder to make a living.  At the same time there are many employed front-line workers who would gladly trade places with the unemployed in order to get a break.  There are valid reasons that others have for social distancing or choosing not to.  There are valid reasons for choosing to stay at home.  There are those who believe wearing a mask is connected with saving lives. Mask wearers may feel annoyed with ones who don’t.  And yet not all of these non-mask wearers are selfish, self-centered or ignorant.  Many of them view the mask wearers as the ones who are ignorant and self-absorbed. 

          Another post gave an example of ignorance with safety issues expressing the inhumanity of others who are so busy with their masks and social distancing that they overlook others who may needs assistance – such as elderly people at a supermarket who may not be steady on their feet, lose their balance and fall.  Does anybody rescue the one who falls?  Is the rescuer wearing a mask or not?  It doesn’t seem possible to help an individual to his/her feet while maintaining social distancing.  When we attempt to follow the law to the letter, we often forget about our fellow beings.  Aren’t they more important?  We can’t just blindly wear our mask and look away.  What would Jesus do?  I think he’d wear a mask, but he would also come to the rescue of whoever needs it – social distancing or not.

           A quote from her post says: “You cannot continue to harden your heart to the peple around you, just so you feel a little safer today.  Because that safety is a fallacy.”

 She closed her post with quotes from scriptures as a simple reminder of where our priorities should be. 

dailyverses.net

 

thedome.org

dailyverses.net

        I love this quote from one of my brother’s posts:  “Compassion is a key, not just for the people we are trying to protect and save from the virus, but also for the ones we don’t understand and who may require saving from other insidious difficulties. . . . when I make assumptions or judgments about [other people] perhaps it is me who is being unkind and self-centered.”


from spirit science quotes

Thursday, May 21, 2020

How Amazing It is When You Put Others First

I’ve been watching the Daily Social Distancing Show because Trevor Noah makes the news entertaining because the news by itself really isn’t.  After watching this segment, I am shaking my head.  Does the guy who filmed the Costco employee truly believe that the sun rises and sets just for him?  Does think he is immune to driving 100 mph on the wrong side of the road?  Does he think not taking  others into consideration is okay?  Because, heaven forbid, someone site him or jail him for reckless driving, does that mean he they have taken away his freedom?  No.  He is still free to make dumb choices.  But he can’t expect the consequences to work in his favor.  

 

If I go somewhere in which a policy is enforced, I can choose to abide by what is expected of me or I can choose to avoid said place because I don’t wish to abide by their policy.  In this case Costco has required each of their customers to wear masks and distant themselves.  It’s a precaution.  If this fellow doesn’t wish to wear a mask that is his free right, but he will have to shop somewhere else.  It’s not as though Costco is in business solely to cater to him or his kind.  Just don’t shop at Costco if you’re not willing to wear a mask.  Not that hard.

I also wonder if this Costco employee now has to worry as to whether his life may be in jeopardy or not.  Not from the coronavirus, mind you, but from the wacked customer who has the freedom to bear arms.  After all, he would be able to use his free agency to harm the employee.  Am I right?  He could shoot him dead.  But then what, I ask, are the freedoms of those who get shot by those who are “free” to bear arms. 

I am reminded of the many times that Mormons (or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) have been accused of giving up their freedoms as the commandments seem so restricting. We are free when we keep the commandments.  Let me use the Word of Wisdom (here) as an example as it seems to be a great concern for those outside of the faith.  

 Though the revelation was given in 1832 long before scientists also agreed (but hey, who in the USA can even trust scientists anymore – after all Trump doesn’t seem to.  Thank God there are people who realize not all Americans think like Trump does) basically a health code of dos and don’ts that help us keep our bodies and minds in good condition.  Because we chose to follow the commandment we are free.  We are not slave to addictions as some people have.

Same with the laws of the land.  Okay, perhaps there are some laws that seem insane, but for the most part they are there for the protection of the people.  Rules at school don’t just apply to academic learning but also to the environment to keep children safe and give them a sense of respect. 

 

 All of us need respect regardless of our position.  I am grateful to those who pick up my garbage each week so that I no longer have to deal with it.  I am grateful to those who volunteer their time and their services to so many individuals who are not in good health or unable to do for themselves.  I am grateful to farmers who grow food and for truck drivers who deliver their goods.  I am grateful to educational instructors who seem to be putting in a lot more hours than they did when the schools were open.  Nobody on this planet is getting paid what he or she is worth.

 Some people complain that politicians are overpaid. Are you kidding me?  It does not seem to matter what decision is made lately, not everybody will be in favor.  How well do these leaders sleep at night if at all.  This nightmare is happening to ALL of us.  Not just the so-called “sheep”.  Not just the ignorant.  Not just the entertainers.  Not just the unemployed.  Those that are employed are fighting a virus far worse than COVID.  It’s called ignorance.  It’s called lack of gratitude.  It’s called poor human behavior.  Talk about being childish.  Geesh!  Did that many people not learn even one thing from history?

 In this same segment, Trevor Noah goes on to interview Jose Antonio Vargas – an “undocumented” immigrant.  These are real people who, believe it or not, help to keep the economics of this county running. Respect.  Reaching out to or showing one kindness should take less effort than wearing a mask.  So let us band  together and uplift one another instead of pointing fingers or getting upset or consumed with hate.  It’s not healthy!

 


Thursday, December 5, 2019

Weather Perdition

Cold and Freezing Fog.  Does that mean a solid fog that can't be driven through?  Interesting.


For driving safely in "freezing fog" conditions, see here

Friday, October 25, 2019

Timelines Include Good and Bad


                I remember my niece had some kind of surgery and had worn a pink cast in the hospital bed.  Her dad, who is a professional photographer who always takes huge amounts of pictures, did not document any of Anna’s time at the hospital.  It was a sad event not to dwell on and he didn’t want any of the family to have that painful memory.  That doesn’t change what happened.

          My sister and I have a great four-year-old nephew has cancer.  His parents (or other family members) have taken lots of pictures.  It’s a sad event – one the family just assume forget and yet it’s a milestone that may need to be documented so one day the family will have proof about facing a challenge and learning things that perhaps they would rather learn another way.  It’s not a pleasant milestone – but there will be growth and learning experiences to share.

          Anna has another cousin on her dad’s side who has battled and may continue battling cancer.  I remember Bill sharing a picture of the family standing with their then four-year-old son who had cancer.  They thought it could possibly be the last family picture with him in it.  His mom just recently dropped him off at college.  He’s a survivor and I’m betting my nephew will be also with many years ahead.

          Yesterday one of Jenna’s former instructors showed a slide of an old car seat from the sixties.  After the students made their guesses as to what it was, she told them about an incident that happened to her family involving the car, a similar car seat and an overly cautious father (ahead of his time for car safety).

          He’d been driving the family car.  They were on vacation and had pulled off the highway to get something to eat.  Because it was summer and cars didn’t have such features as A/C’s (not to mention GPS units or even seat belts in all cars as it was optional back then) the windows had been rolled down and apparently a grasshopper had invited itself to roost on their dashboard.

          The mother and father changed places so that he could lie down in back.  He had strapped himself in with two seat belts.  The instructor who told the story had been five at the time and rode in front.  In between her and her mother was her one-year-old sister sedated in the old-time car seat which did not come with a belt.  However, her father (who had purposely purchased a car that not only offered front seat belts but back seat belts as well) had removed a seat belt from a junk yard car and bolted them into his own so that a strap could be placed over the one-year-old in the car seat.

          The mother, who was driving, decided to get rid of the grasshopper. Unfortunately she made the choice while she was driving.  She somehow managed to overturn the car so that it rolled two and a half times away from the road.  The car landed upside down.

          The dad somehow managed to free himself and crawl through the window, rescuing the instructor first and then her sister.  Everybody was fine.  The mom had received a few bruises and broken skin on her left hand as she had grabbed the bar that separated the winged vent from the rest of the driver’s window.  Other than that, there weren’t any injuries to any of the passengers – only the wrecked car that had to be towed.

          The teacher telling the story said that when the police arrived, the family was asked, “Where are the victims?”

           What a great thing to survive! Well, the results being great but not so much the event itself. 

          After telling the story, she assigned the students to each write a time line including at least ten things of significance that happened during their lives.  She said some memories will be sad.  Some will be happy.  Some will be first-hand events that are remembered first-handedly and some will be the memories of other family members that have told about what took place – like the birth of the individual.  Everybody was born and so had to come up with nine more things.  I found it to be quite an interesting assignment. 

          Later I had asked Jenna if she had ever had that assignment.  She said she had not.

Friday, November 16, 2018

We All Have a Voice But Not Always Heard . . . We All Have Ears But Not All Listen


          I dragged my family to the high school last night.  I understood the meeting to start at 5:30, but it must have started at 5:00 as we walked into a mass production that had already obviously started.  It seems that the focus was mainly on just one school, though the elementary next to it had been mentioned.  There were parents there for both group.  I saw several youth but not a huge number.  The meeting was at the high school library and it was filled and overflowing.



          Three separate events had taken place.  The first was a threat made by a person that was being bullied.  The threat made was toward the bullies and not the entire school.  On October 23 a "prank" phonecall had been made to 911 about a shooting.  Two youth were arrested.  Last week there a note had been left in one of the bathrooms leaving the impression of a bomb threat.  The school was placed on lock down and the adjoining elementary was put on a soft lock - dismissed from elementary - and I have learned they keep all of the doors locked anyway.

          Of course there were and are concerns about each time the police have been called in.  While searching the lockers, police did find evidence of other misdemeanors NOT related to  the bomb threat.  It was announced last night that 17 youth have been arrested for various reasons - though the only I remember mentioned was possession of drugs which were discovered when the police were combing the area for evidence of weapons and just happened upon other criminal activities during their search.

          Sadly, there are some youth whose parents just don't care.  I was pleased by the turnout of so many who do.  Unfortunately, many of them are so caught up in speculation and fear of what might be that they aren't seeing that the school and police really are taking measures for the safety of the students.  Not enough tax payers were willing to pay for a new school when it was proposed on the election of 2016.  Our school buildings are OLD - they start in the early 1900's - I think Canyonville (the main building anyway) may be even older than that. The most current building was probably built in the 1950's.  Architects didn't make plans for extra securities as it was a foreign concept at that time. 

          Some of the parents want the police to patrol the schools and add securities - which of course, require money.  But I am not fond of having the school appear have the a prison feel to it.  I think about 1989 film "Lean on Me" in which Morgan Freeman portrays a principal determined to change and not live in fear.  I don't want our schools to become how they were before he stepped up and made changes - many against the parents' wishes. 

          I've learned that it does not matter which direction you take, someone is not going to like it.  Someone is going to be offended.  Others are going to react - but not all the reactions are going to be positive.  Some are going to create more problems if they feel ignored or if they misinterpret or (here's a big one) they panic.  Don't panic!  Don't make worse.

          I think some valid points were made last night, but for some nothing was resolved.  Some will be (or already have) removing their children from the school.  Home schooling for some.  Transfers perhaps for others.  Jenna and I share the same attitude - don't stress over what you can't control.  Changing schools doesn't guarantee that your child will be any safer.  Stop the bullying.  Chances are really good that they are connected.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Lockdowns are for Safety


            Lockdowns, shootings and bomb threats were unheard of during my youth - not in my neighborhood.  It was such a foreign concept by yesterdays standards.  Today it is the beginning of norm.

            We were living in West Valley.  Jenna was in the fifth grade. I had been working on the scrapbook that I mention here.  I find it ironic that I had come to a page to explain about how life was then, and what makes her life experiences different from my own when I received a computerized phone call from the school.  The school was on lockdown and no one would be coming in or going in until whatever cause for lockdown was lifted.

            As it turned out, there had been two teenage girls in the area who had been going from residential door to door to steal what they could from houses that seemed unguarded or unlocked.  As the houses were located near the school, the police had asked the school to keep all youth inside until the felons were caught.  Prior to that, I had mentioned smart boards and computer centers that did not exist when I was a youth.

            On October 23 this year, a 911 call was placed to the police about a possible shooting at one of the schools.  The phonecall turned out to be a hoax but the two youth responsible were arrested and placed in juvenile detention.  Two weeks later, there was another threat made when a note was found in the bathroom of that same school.  I would have gone in to assist that day if I hadn't had that appointment in Roseburg.  When I returned home, I got on the computer to look up something else.  I was surprised to see the position still available for a substitute as the day was nearly over.  The reports that the "lockdown had been lifted" were rather sketchy and reported different hours for Thursday than it had reported yesterday.  Last report was that there is still an ongoing investigation. 

            Unfortunately this act has stirred up many emotions and speculations.  Many students were absent from various schools yesterday.  Several are being pulled out and will be home schooled.  Many thought the huge number of absentees was due because of the lockdown.  I personally think that some of it has to do with extending the holiday as the schools have Monday off for Veteran's Day. A meeting scheduled for this Thursday to weed out any misconceptions and help with understanding.  I, for one, refuse to be scared or live in fear as many have done throughout history, and when the plains had been grounded and became active and many refused to fly.  Life goes on.  I'm going to live it to the fullest without being frightened about it.  Whatever will be will be.  I'm certainly not going to stress about it.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Mr. Ruthless


          Everyday school crossing guards put their lives on the line – whether intentional or not. With the guard at Jenna’s school it is intentional.  Oh, sure,  there is more than one crossing guard, but Mr. Ruthless is stationed at the main street populated with cars and drivers with led feet.

          Drivers might not respect Mr. Ruthless, but I think as I parent I would feel honored to have him as Jenna’s crossing guard (if we were near enough to go on foot) but because my usual route is to drop her off behind the school,  my encounters with Mr. Ruthless have been brief.

          Mr. Ruthless is one who will intentionally put his life on the line.  I am floored whenever I see it happen.  And yet I can’t help feeling a sense of pride that he is seriously willing to lay down his life for our children.  He will walk out into the street and stop as he faces the oncoming traffic with a challenge to either slow down or be sent to prison for plowing him down. He also keeps a pad of paper handy to write down the license plates of anyone going over 20 mph.

          I don’t know if he lost somebody personally due to speed.  My guess is he has.  Or else he is a retired police officer who has just seen too much pain cause by drivers who may never slow down.  He is a good man to have on your team – so long as you are working with him.  But cross him and he becomes your deadly opponent – not in a physical way – but with a vengeance that almost makes you wish that you were.

          At the end of each year, the teachers are honored.  The PTA (or PTO) creates an environment to show respect and appreciation.  I don’t think they have a crossing guard day.  And not everybody has a need for the crossing guard.  But how extremely blessed we are to have crossing guards who will keep our children safe – especially the ones like Mr. Ruthless – who even though can swear provocatively as the speeding drivers and raise his fists and occasionally hit the moving cars with his fists or whatever.  It’s obvious that he knows his priorities and is watching out for our children’s welfare. 

Thank you Mr. Ruthless.  And thank you to all who keep our children safe.