How Can Prince Georges Improve via Government and Citizens (Clinton: schools, moving)

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by 1973 Forced Busing

Don't forget to vote!

Yes, this is most important in the face of all of the crazy posts being flung about.
Most people do not believe their vote counts. I will agree on the presidential level. If no one voted for a president on election day the USA would have a new president the following morning. How or why I don't know. It's in the constitution but makes no sense.
The legislative branch of the government is the most powerful and that is where one's vote actually counts. That is where we, as citizens, need to pay the most attention. The dog and pony show that is the presidential election plays no part in your congressional voting - please look to your state senators/representatives and what they are all about. The one thing I recommend is voting out members that have been in office for more than 2 terms.
They passed amendment XXII, ratified in 1951, which limited the president to two terms - effectively eliminating the possibility of a lifetime president with the power of a king. However, there are representatives and senators that have the power of barons by the fact they have been in office multiple terms. Ted Kennedy has been in office over 40 years. Our own Barbara Mikulski has been in over 30. Those in this class wield a lot of power as they head committees that investigate and legislate the entire USA.
They need term limitation as well and it is up to us as citizens to do so.

VOTE

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

I don't agree that all children can learn at the same level and I definitely don't say that because I think any race or socio-economic situation has something to do with it. My friend's daughter was a year ahead of my son. She worked hard in school and was determined to graduate and at least attend a 2-year college. She had an excellent work ethic and did everything right when it came to study habits, attendance, taking notes, etc. She struggled the whole time. She came home with D's in the classes that counted (science, english, math). There is such a thing as IQ. I don't believe in it 100% but there is a reason some of us do better than others and it has no relation to the environment we come from. And I don't downplay my kids working hard in school because, to be honest, they don't. Just like I didn't and I managed to get A's and B's.

So, after having said that, I still agree with you in many respects. Hard work does go a long way and my son is just learning that now. He is really doing well in his job and moving up. I was very disappointed that he chose not to go to college because I thought he would end up not very productive. However, he chose not to go to school because he didn't want to be $35,000 in debt when he got out. He apparently has a great appreciation for money and decided to dedicate himself to the pursuit of it. My daughter still needs to learn that hard work gets you more. Hopefully, with maturity, she will come to realize this.

This is off the subject of this forum but rather a direct question to you; did your son not want to try to get a scholarship, or apply for many scholarships? I'm always a little bummed when I hear that money/finances was the reason a young adult avoided college. Well, at any rate, if he decides later in life that he is no longer being promoted because a certain position may require a college degree, he can always go back...his company may even pay for it! I'm sure he'll do well, from reading your posts he sounds like a smart, honest, hard-working young man. Congrats on your parenting!

[kjg1963]

Thank you Jaded! At the time of his graduation, he was living with his father (I had him the first 16 years). He was only with his father because his school here became a problem. His father was barely involved with him before this. Luckily, at the time, his father had a really great girlfriend who was willing to take my son into her home. When he applied for financial aid he only used his father's income and and he applied for grants and still would've had to come up with alot more money. I would go on line and find scholarships that he could apply for and I'd keep on him to start getting this stuff done. His father would complain about the cost of everything (clueless when it comes to raising kids). I was still paying for almost everything for my son. Part of the problem is my son is a procrastinator, he did everything last minute. His father is even worse. I tried to stay as involved as possible and gave guidance but I couldn't do everything, he's father should've taken control of the situation and helped my son. By the time the school year started, he was no where near prepared to go. He also was clueless about what he wanted to study. Now, however, he is in management and has direction. We have discussed him taking a few classes in business. Hopefully he'll do this in the next year.

My daughter is hyped about college. Hopefully, I'll do everything right this go round with her.

[truthhurts]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

Thank you Jaded! At the time of his graduation, he was living with his father (I had him the first 16 years). He was only with his father because his school here became a problem. His father was barely involved with him before this. Luckily, at the time, his father had a really great girlfriend who was willing to take my son into her home. When he applied for financial aid he only used his father's income and and he applied for grants and still would've had to come up with alot more money. I would go on line and find scholarships that he could apply for and I'd keep on him to start getting this stuff done. His father would complain about the cost of everything (clueless when it comes to raising kids). I was still paying for almost everything for my son. Part of the problem is my son is a procrastinator, he did everything last minute. His father is even worse. I tried to stay as involved as possible and gave guidance but I couldn't do everything, he's father should've taken control of the situation and helped my son. By the time the school year started, he was no where near prepared to go. He also was clueless about what he wanted to study. Now, however, he is in management and has direction. We have discussed him taking a few classes in business. Hopefully he'll do this in the next year.

My daughter is hyped about college. Hopefully, I'll do everything right this go round with her.

Kjg, great story and i wish your kids all the best success. While many on this board lump me an elitist or racist, because of my views I strongly believe anyone is capable of success regardless of background, IQ (btw the story was hilarious about the daughters friend, I know you did not intend it to be, but the reference to she works very hard, so maybe it is her IQ) in other words maybe she's just an idoit lol, was sort of funny and a chuckled anyway i digress.

Point of the matter i believe with effort, hard-work, (a little nudge/help for some people), and a belief you can succeed, you can definitely do it. To make excuses as to why you or someone else cannot is a big mistake.

There's a book out called "Freakenomics," that discusses this sort of phenomenon. It details two seemingly different kids from two completely different backgrounds, one from a well-educated, two family household, with ihigh ncome earners, and attended great schools. However, the other was from a broken home, abusive childhood, and attended poorer schools. In the end on of the men turned out to be a very well respected professor at Harvard University, and the other turned out to be the infamous "Uni-Bomber". Can you guess, which one turned out to be the well respected Harvard Professor? Well, if you guessed the one that came from the household more likely to succeed, you would utterly and completely wrong.

The point of the book is what a lot of my points are on here in reference to a lot of those things. The person that comes from the two parent household, the educated family, the high income, and good school system clearly has the best chance of success. Anyone denying that reality is crazy. However, that is not to say the person that comes from the broken home, bad school system, and low income earning family, is at a total loss. For this person to make up the gap it is extremely important they take it upon themselves to make the right choices througout their lives.

The bigger issue the story deals with is the rights we as individuals have in exercising our free choice. The guy from the more disadvantaged background made a concscience choice, that he was going to contribute positively to society, whereas, the guy from the advantaged background made a choice he was going to take from society and contribute nothing. To say that somehow choice does not matter in society is again shortsighted and extremely crazy.

In the end we all have the ability to succeed, but we have to make the choices neccessary to succeed as individuals. No government, parent, or friend can make that choice for you. Clearly your children are indications of individual choices they have maturely made early in their lives. It is really great to hear these sorts of stories. As opposed to dismissing most of my points you help prove them.

Here's another quick short story. I was friends with a kid from the dreaded "inner city" in college (and still am friends with him). This guy spent part of his youth in a shelter home, because his dad walked out on his family, his only brother was shot and killed, and his mother eventually became a drug addict. However, he was able to get into a top notch college, made good grades, and graduated and now works on wall-street. When I asked him what made the difference in his life between becoming a success story or the lastest statistic he said "CHOICES." He explained that at an early age he understood, that to get out of his current circumstance he needed to make the mature individual choices to better his situation, because no one else was going to do it for him.

[kjg1963]

Truth, lol, she was a sweet girl. Did you ever ask these questions when you thought someone might not be the brightest bulb in the bunch: "Who fought the Spanish/American war? When was the war of 1812?" She got the spanish/american war right but she asked me "Was the war of 1812 before or after the revolution?"

Needless to say, I agree with you about hard work and right choices. Even though I tried to contradict you with my story, what you state is true in the majority of cases. One thing about the girl I mentioned is that she is determined to make it. I don't think she'll turn to crime or live off the system. She is currently enrolled in a program for nursing aides and will be graduating the soon. She then plans on going from there to a 4-year college and study in the nursing field. She may not make the grades to be an RN, but she will have a bankable skill.

I forgot about this also when relaying my story. My daughter is on the varsity softball team. She also plays in leagues outside of school. To be eligible she needs to keep above a C average. This probably drives her more than anything because softball is something she identifies herself with. Its a huge part of her life.

[hairmetal4ever]

Simple.

1. Stop voting for Democrats, or, at least the SAME Democrats. The government in PG (and most other places) is very much a wink, nod, and back-slapping corruption club.
2. Start valuing education. The problem in PG (and every) county isn't that the schools are inherently bad, but that a lot of kids aren't raised to value education. Furthermore, the kids who DO value it end up getting negatively influenced by the majority that doesn't care about it.
3. Start cracking down on illegal immigration.
4. Crack down on crime and PUNISH criminals before the victims have to make 4 or 5 calls to the cops.

[lscalder]

Originally Posted by hairmetal4ever

Simple.

1. Stop voting for Democrats, or, at least the SAME Democrats. The government in PG (and most other places) is very much a wink, nod, and back-slapping corruption club.
2. Start valuing education. The problem in PG (and every) county isn't that the schools are inherently bad, but that a lot of kids aren't raised to value education. Furthermore, the kids who DO value it end up getting negatively influenced by the majority that doesn't care about it.
3. Start cracking down on illegal immigration.
4. Crack down on crime and PUNISH criminals before the victims have to make 4 or 5 calls to the cops.

.

or how about we stop voting for Republicans. Our economy is mess up because of the Republican party. We are in war because of the republican party. Our dollar is worth nothing because of the Repulican party. America is hated by every country because of the Republican party.
People will continue to vote Democrate as long as the Republican stop destroying the country. When we get the Republican Party out of office America will be alot better.

[hairmetal4ever]

Originally Posted by lscalder

.

or how about we stop voting for Republicans. Our economy is mess up because of the Republican party. We are in war because of the republican party. Our dollar is worth nothing because of the Repulican party. America is hated by every country because of the Republican party.
People will continue to vote Democrate as long as the Republican stop destroying the country. When we get the Republican Party out of office America will be alot better.

Did the DNC pay you for their endorsement?

Here's my point: Regardless of their (Republican) shortcomings on a national level, which I'll admit but also blame Democrats where blame is due, what party HAS been running PG County for years? The Democrats.

The problems with the dollar run MUCH deeper than President Bush or anyone else. Who controls Congress BTW??? Not the GOP.

Bush has a lot of faults. His inability to admit mistakes is among them, and most of the others are where he acts too much like a Democrat, such as immigration, fiscal policy (save for taxes) etc. Economics, by the way, goes in cycles. Unemployment is still relatively low. Growth has slowed and I'd say we're near a recession, even though technically we're not according to the strictest definition (three consecutive negative growth quarters.)

And we're at war because of terrorism, not the Republican Party.

[hairmetal4ever]

Originally Posted by lscalder

.

or how about we stop voting for Republicans. Our economy is mess up because of the Republican party. We are in war because of the republican party. Our dollar is worth nothing because of the Repulican party. America is hated by every country because of the Republican party.
People will continue to vote Democrate as long as the Republican stop destroying the country. When we get the Republican Party out of office America will be alot better.

My only point, really, was that the same old-guard politicians, regardless of party, aren't doing much. If you like Democrat policies at least replace the ones that are running PG at the moment as they obviously aren't doing their jobs well. That's what primary season is for!

[1973 Forced Busing]

Democrats were the party of bigots and racists. Lincoln was a Republican. Remember you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig!