ADORING YOUR CHILD IS NOT ENOUGH

ADORING YOUR CHILD IS NOT ENOUGH

By Domenick J. Maglio Ph.D., Traditional Realist

You give but little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Kalil Gibran

The current ideal concept for parents is that children should be happy to develop automatically into a well-rounded human being. Unconditional love received by the child would be an elixir for their entire development. A loved child would naturally blossom for they feel the safety and protection of the most significant people in their early life: their parents. Only adoring parents will produce productive, successful children.

It is obvious that a child facing his early life without parental love is more prone to psychological issues. The lack of having a significant person to meet his needs and wants leaves him deprived, insecure and depressed in too many instances. The child will suffer scars although going down this path could temper him to be tougher and more independent to struggle his way to success.

Living for one’s child is becoming more prevalent with a proliferation of single child families. Even with larger families, parents feel obligated to fulfill their children’s unlimited demands for expensive, novel experiences and objects to demonstrate their love. Parents who instantly meet the needs of their precious child’s every need and want can smother their child’s development of independence while fostering parasitic behavior. A child highly dependent on his parents can become a highly dysfunctional adult.

“Affluenza,” the ability of parents to give their children whatever  and whenever they want has not produced happy children. It has infected the spirit and soul of children. Many of the children who are given everything to appease them wind up without any concept of gratitude or empathy for others.

In our modern world love has become the giving of things rather than spending time and energy helping the child be a well rounded person. Parents sharing practical skills, knowledge and moral values assist the child to better face the future.  Children inculcated with moral values will have a moral compass. Without parents teaching these moral lessons children are vulnerable to negative peer pressure and evil.

Discipline is a higher form of love than mere affection and or be a dispenser of physical things. Disciplining a child to develop positive habits, strong work ethic, common sense, good manners, are gifts that are more complex and meaningful than simply transferring monetary wealth to a child. Anything that comes easy leaves just as easily. Trust fund babies are a testimony to this truth.

An individual who knows he is loved by others has a wonderful foundation for building emotional stability and self-worth, although the reality is these relationships will eventually end with death leaving the offspring to face reality without parental protection and assistance. Parents who do not give the child the necessary means to deal with the difficult realities of life will not fulfill their sacred duty of a parent to prepare the child to be able to live independently.

The parents communicate wisdom, giving the child a valuable gift. They become an integral part of the child’s thinking and behaving. These lessons in life strengthen when the positive results are seen over and over again.

Disciplining one’s child to deal with all aspects of reality is indispensible for his well- being and success. The child needs and deserves discipline. When the child is wrong he should be corrected in doing simple tasks such as chores as well as acting appropriately in a multitude of situations. A child is a work in progress that needs parental parameters to put him and keep him on the right track.

Discipline training is an essential part of loving ones child. It does not produce warm fuzzies but it is love. This training approach will be acknowledged and appreciated if he has matured when he has reached adulthood. The young adult will be grateful that his parents did love him enough to demand high standards to become an independent and successful adult.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

POWER OF TRUTH SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

POWER OF TRUTH SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

By Domenick J. Maglio, Phd., Traditional Realist

In our modern society lying has become an art form that is admired rather than rejected. Most people elected or quickly advancing such as politicians, corporate businessmen and government officials are people who self-promote to further their careers. This often means the person weaves fiction and some grains of fact to create a “celebrity image” of himself.

The social media phenomena has facilitated and encouraged people around the globe to instantly become the person they want to be, a celebrity, instead of the person they actually are. In this virtual world there is a strong temptation to embellish and directly lie to make oneself more appealing. People alter their photos, claim accomplishments and skills they do not possess and associate with people they do not know. This phoney process through social media has given everyone, including youngsters, a great temptation to practice the art of deception to be famous at least in their own minds.

Telling tall tales about oneself and others in this anonymous world has become more commonplace and accepted. Lying has lost its stigma as a destructive behavior that leads people not to trust each other.

Today’s truth has become less important than the ability to convincingly state a false narrative to appear “cool.” Brian Williams was finally outed by US soldiers who were aboard the helicopter that he said was in direct fire from the enemy. This fictional story and many others were not disclosed for years. The NBC News anchor’s staff accompanying him had remained silent. Others in the largest nationally watched newscast in America were also accomplices. According to their perspective Mr. Williams was merely taking liberties with the truth.

The reaction of others in the media has been more revealing. The people interviewed in the news business expressed he was a likeable guy. They related they wished he would continue in his position even though most were uncertain that he would. There was not the slightest consideration concerning the integrity of the news profession and its impact on the viewers.

There was not the slightest outrage in the media concerning Mr. William’s outright lying, which undermines responsible reporting. Besides embellishing and exaggerating is a major component of most of today’s media. After all he was untouchable since he was a household name. The media too often views itself as elites who shape events rather than report them.  These so called reporters are more invested in their own celebrity or the progressive movement than providing citizens with accurate information where they can draw their own conclusions.

American citizens are becoming cynical of our media. President Obama admittedly lied twenty-one times saying, “you can keep your own doctor if you want,” “ the Affordable Care Act would save the typical American an average of $2500 in insurance payments.” This direct lying by the oval office was ignored as an insignificant event.

The Benghazi fiasco was a series of lies about our actions and the blatant attempt by many high ranking administrative officials, including the president, to convince us it was a spontaneous demonstration. For two weeks the press reported the claim that a little known anti Muslim video ignited a spontaneous attack on the American embassy. There was no investigative reporting to counter this administration claim. In Libya the people on the ground noted the attackers carried sophisticated weapons and were coordinating on radio the assault on the US annex.

The in-your-face fantasy scenario for six years about a miraculous economic recovery is based on smoke and mirrors. They refused to note that quantitative easing was devaluating our dollar, which caused a speculative stock market to skyrocket. There was no press challenge to dubious economic formulas and indicators.  This ridiculous charade continues.

In a September 2014 speech, President Obama claimed that the US strategy in Yemen had been a successful part of an anti terrorist strategy. In a year’s time the Houthi forces have forced us to abandon our embassy in Yemen. America is learning from the top down that lying works.

Lying is easier than telling the truth in the short run when there are no immediate consequences for this behavior. There is no longer a press acting as a check and balance on our political system. Instead the press has practically become a state run news organization that is trying to win favor with politicians to gain access to powerful political elites.

America is forgetting that lying does not pay. The press, politicians and businessmen could not get away with their deceptions and blatant lies if We the People did not practice and tolerate it in our own daily lives. We must eliminate lying in our homes, schools, businesses and government. In the long run lying does not pay.

Taking shortcuts by lying does not end well in any venue. Eventually the truth breaks through the web of lies. Once that occurs lives and careers are ruined since no one can trust a liar.  This fact that a liar will have to face his lies and receive  punishment in this world or the next has not changed throughout history.

As a people we must teach lying does not work by doing our duty to stamp it out. We need to give severe consequences not tolerate or ignore it. The United States is doomed to rapid decline if we do not get our house in order.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

AMERICA SHOULD REMAIN ON ITS HIGH HORSE TO FIGHT EVIL

AMERICA SHOULD REMAIN ON ITS HIGH HORSE TO FIGHT EVIL

By Domenick J. Maglio

America is great because of the sum total of its parts- its people. These are people who believe in moral values, freedom, work ethic and merit, which have fueled our greatness. Our success as world leader was not given to us or robbed by evil ways but earned by hard work, doing what is right and works. The people, not the ruling class has made us a great nation.

The only way an oligarchy’s leaders can take total government control of the United States is by degrading the moral values of its people. This strategy of demeaning good and instilling bad as the way we should believe and think about ourselves, has been taking place since the 1960s. This gradual process has been greatly accelerated in the past six years. Good has been redefined as bad and bad as good not only in the pop culture or in our institutions but also in our foreign policy.

The progressives throughout our society have been undermining our virtues and highlighting our faults. As a people we are painted as evil even though we are for the most part sharing our generosity and our brave to assist those resisting brutality and fighting oppression.

Every US institution has been under attack by the progressive movement. Our child rearing practices have been ridiculed by emphasizing the extreme cases of abuse (the exception to the rule) and pseudo science to undermine it. Since the introduction of modern permissive materialism child rearing parental neglect and absence have skyrocketed. Parents have lost their authority over their children to the state, which has paralyzed them from doing their duty. Children no longer have respect for their handcuffed parents or other authority figures.

Schools have dumbed down standards and eliminated necessary courses for educating children in critical thinking and communication. Civics and history have been revised or eliminated while cursive writing and speaking grammatically correct English have lost favor. The schools have circumvented competition in academics and sports achievement to establish a more equal mediocrity not to establish excellence.

The armed forces and police are the most constrained, well trained and just in the world.  Yet they are often accused of war crimes and racism while the terrorist enemy, paid anarchists and partying looters that are without any standards of conduct are praised.

Over the past six years this radical Obama administration has jumped at every opportunity to imply that all white people are racist. They are supposed to be responsible for all the evils in this country and around the world.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama told Americans to “Get off their high horse,” when they criticize the barbaric actions of radical Islam. The burning to death of a Jordanian pilot in a cage was explained as no worse than what happened in the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition or slavery by whites. This was supposed to be morally equivalent to what is happening now by Islamic terrorists even though these ancient events were responses to the harsh reality of the time and none done by anyone existing today.

According to the rationalization of this inhuman behavior, Americans should get down from their “high horse” and wallow in the cesspool of evil. We should accept evil as a payback for all our past mistakes. Citizens should stop being judgmental and understand all people are equally evil. Being non judgmental and morally equivalent have been introduced into our culture by progressives to justify horrific behavior and degrade our belief system.

Most inmates use this ridiculously illogical reasoning. They ask civilians if they have ever broken the law and cite jaywalking and speeding. Of course the person answers, ”yes” which is supposed to vindicate the prisoner’s incredible evil acts as everyone is imperfect. Thus normal citizens should not bother to struggle against their base urges.  They should just do whatever they want.

It is true we are all sinners and evil has always existed. We have been imperfect as a nation but this does not mean we should not recognize and define horrendous acts as evil.  An “anything goes” attitude develops in a society when there are no black and white moral values and appropriate punishment. Ignoring evil encourages it to grow. Confronting it by shining a light on it and standing up causes it to retreat. Our “high horse” has protected millions in nations all over the globe since our nation’s inception.

We need to return to our role as the leader of the free world rather than negatively exaggerate our history and “lead from behind” encouraging chaos to usher in one world government. Instead we should inculcate the traditional moral values of the American way and live them. We should not stupidly lower our standards of right and wrong. Maintaining high moral values and standards will strengthen us to defeat evil internally and externally.

Our survival as a nation and the free world necessitates our staying on our “high horse, ” walking the walk of doing what is right. This commitment to good and right will unite us as a people. This will turn back the barbarians who know no limits to the use of evil to enslave us all.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

"PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOLS" ARE NOT PRIVATE SCHOOLS

 “PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOLS” ARE NOT PRIVATE SCHOOLS

By Domenick J. Maglio Ph.D. Traditional Realist

Many charter schools advertise themselves as “Private, Public Schools.”  This branding is at best misleading or an outright deception. All of the money they use to finance these charter schools comes from public school tax money.  The amount of funding they receive differs from state to state.  They are publicly funded but privately run.

“School privatization is another confusing term that refers to establishing public charter schools through state legislation in the United States. The use of public money to hire private companies is the language of outsourcing government responsibilities. Again these often-large speculative companies are not using their own money to operate rather the tax money of the people.

Charter schools were founded in 1992 in Minneapolis and have expanded throughout the USA. Most of these schools are smaller than current public schools.

They can be brick and mortar schools or virtual schools. There are great variations in effectiveness. Some are high performing and others are mired in horror stories of providing inflated grades but producing poor standardized test results, college admission and retention.

The public school establishment argues that charter schools are siphoning off school funds that negatively affect the quality of public schools. They fail to state the charter schools are given approximately 80% of what an average public school student receives, which means 20% of the funds remain with the district. They say the unsavory relationship between state legislators and private companies has led to waste, corruption and fraud.  The public school proponents note that thousands of dollars are donated to state representative’s campaigns from these private companies seeking favorable laws for charter schools. They point to a lack of oversight and regulations leading to millions of dollars being embezzled from taxpayers.

The CEOs of some of these private companies refuse to release their exorbitant salaries.  Dollars are taken for services that are not provided by the charter school. These companies often transfer public money that was given in one state to use in another state to start a different enterprise. The disbursement of public funds for personal use has been another recurring issue. Government has a poor record of monitoring and regulating its public services and charter schools seem to be more readily falling through the cracks.

These private companies use public money as their cash cow.  They can purchase  privately owned buildings, and charge the state an outrageous price.  Some pay family members huge salaries for questionable services, which is forcing many charter schools to run at a loss. These financially questionable practices are causing some to even close their doors leaving the students and parents in disarray. 

The academic inadequacies or the fiscally mismanaged charter school’s demise does not usually devastate the private company. They use public school money, not their own.  Unless they are prosecuted for breaking a law they can walk away without losing a dime of their own money.  Often they can reapply and obtain another charter school in the same community or move to another state to start this process over again.

For profit private school owners are totally different from charter school CEOs since their investment in their private school business belongs only to them. Their money is generated by tuition paid by parents, not taken from the public coffers. They are self-sufficient business people that pay taxes to the local community. These schools have the autonomy and flexibility to provide unique educational opportunities for many students.

The students and their parents are the customers. Parents and thus their children are invested in the school as they have “skin in the game.” When a significant number of dissatisfied families leave, the school makes necessary changes or goes out of business.  When their constituents love the school, it thrives. 

Private schools do not cost but instead save the public money.  They provide educational services that are free to the state and require no public money. According to studies, most provide quality education.

The state and federal government tax any revenue and financial transactions of the private school. Any loss incurred by the business directly affects the owner’s assets not anyone else’s. These entrepreneurs are willing to compete with “free” public education, which indicates a mission of caring rather than one of money.

Private schools are a win-win for the state and its citizens because they take students off the public school roll plus provide taxes for the state without draining any public funds. 

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.