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If Illiteracy Is the Disease, Then Literacy Is the Cure

In Economy, Education, Health, Media, Opinion, Politics on March 13, 2012 at 10:32 pm

Michael Martin and Gery L. Deer give a public reading of their writing during a Western Ohio Writers Association event, promoting literacy through creative prose.

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines 

Most Americans probably take for granted the ability to read and understand the words on this page. As a writer, I depend on the ability of the media-consuming public for my livelihood. But according to the National Adult Literacy Survey more than 42 million of my fellow Americans will never be able to enjoy (or detest) what I write because they can’t read.

Back in college, I took a job with the school newspaper as a staff writer where I learned a great deal about journalism and the power of the written word. One of the best lessons came from our staff advisor who once said, “No matter what your career or life path, your communications skills, reading and writing, will be your most valuable asset.” She couldn’t have been more correct.

I spent several years in the engineering fields for which I earned my degree, but ultimately I found my place as a full-time business writer, editor and columnist. Unfortunately, I found my calling far later in life than I’d have liked to due to an undiagnosed learning disability that seriously impacted my reading speed and comprehension.

Thousands of Ohio school children with learning disorders that affect their reading and writing skills continue to slip through the proverbial cracks every year, for a multitude of reasons I’ll reserve comment on for another time.

Suffice to say, it’s our own fault, and by “our” I mean the taxpaying public that does far more to insist on a fancier football stadium than to demand instructional accountability and better support for these kids.

Yes, there are laws in place and special education professionals to help identify and establish individualized educational plans for them, but, somehow, that never seems enough. Far too many still grow up unable to interpret the instructions on a can of soup.

Growing up, a person with illiteracy will adopt various coping skills needed to get by, but are never able to fully realize their potential. Illiterate adults have more difficulty finding jobs, developing business relationships or even doing household chores like paying bills.

Many politicians believe that illiteracy is one of those liberal issues, best left to bleeding hearts. In fact, such a staggeringly high number of illiterate citizens can be phenomenally detrimental to productive nation with a stable economy.

As the economy crawls to recovery, illiteracy will continue to keep some people on the unemployment lines, thus, adding one more contributing factor to suffocating fiscal growth. Adults struggling with illiteracy earn, on average, less than $250 per week, work less than 20 weeks per year and are at least ten times more likely to live below the poverty line.

How do we solve the problem? That’s a good question, with no easy solution. It often boils down to manpower and, dare I say it, money. If we think of illiteracy as the disease, then, surely, literacy should be the cure. So the best first step is to seek out help. Whether a child or an adult with a reading problem, there is help available, but sometimes you may have to get things started.

If you believe your child is struggling, meet with his or her teacher as soon as you believe there might be a problem. With tighter budgets, class sizes are increasing and sometimes being pro-active is the best way to get individualized help from an overwhelmed, underpaid faculty. You can also find tutors at local colleges and civic centers.

The same goes for adults as well. Community and career centers, local libraries and even senior citizen organizations are now offering adult literacy classes, either free or at a minimal cost.

And schools can help too by reinforcing the importance in the curriculum of the Three R’s –Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – with sharp emphasis on the first R, which will make the other two far easier to learn.

And, while technological education is important, particularly in today’s world, it might be time to cut back on the advanced computing classes and focus more thoroughly on reading skills. After all, knowing how to click a mouse is pointless if you can’t read what’s on the computer screen.

 

Independent columnist Gery L. Deer is the founder and director of the Western Ohio Writers Association. More at http://www.westernohiowriters.org.

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Iran: Obama’s Potential Holy War

In Economy, National News, Opinion, Politics, Religion on March 6, 2012 at 1:08 am

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama at The White House.(Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

How difficult it is to imagine that in the modern world, entire civilizations are still willing to bomb each other out of existence over religious rhetoric and what they believe to be holy territories. Human civilization may simply be doomed to destroy itself once and for all because of ancient tribal god images and a twisted belief in a kind of manifest destiny.

Apparently Man has learned nothing from his past, a millennium of history soaked in the blood of countless millions all in the name of “god.” The Crusades, for example, consisted of seven separate Christian campaigns, lasting from 1095 until 1291 and costing the lives of hundreds of thousands.

Hitler’s mass extermination of Jews, a quintessential catalyst for World War II, was religiously motivated, albeit orchestrated nearly single-handed by a madman. Even the American Revolution had its roots in religious freedoms.

Muslims, Jews, Christians, it doesn’t matter who it is, they are all the same; it’s their God or no ones. If you don’t believe their way, they’ll start a war, take the land and force the survivors to capitulate or be exterminated.

That kind of extremism might seem foreign to Americans, but it has happened in the “land of the free” as well, perpetrated by our own citizens, all in the name of a higher power. If you don’t think so, just mention the idea to the next Native American you meet and see what he or she has to say about the subject. Their people, culture and religions were all but wiped out, mostly by people claiming to be Christians; an ugly black eye on the history ofAmericaand Christianity.

Today, as theUnited Statesstands poised once again in a stand-off with yet another militant nation (Iran) steeped in religious fanaticism, the stakes are higher than ever. President Obama has already toldIsraelthat theU.S.is committed to denyingIrana nuclear weapon, which is like a triple-dog dare to the likes ofIran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad has already said thatIranwould not hesitate to execute a pre-emptive attack against any enemy. A nuclear arsenal would not only give them the power to keep even theU.S.at bay, but neighboring countries would likely surrender just to avoid the possibility of starting a war no one could win.

IfIrandoes have nuclear weapons capability and provides that technology to operatives sympathetic to Al Qaeda, the next terrorist attack onU.S.soil could see casualties in the millions. Of course, these same arguments were made by President George W. Bush to gain support for invadingIraq, which, as it turns out had no weapons of mass destruction.

Iranis different however, in that there is solid evidence of advanced uranium enrichment and testing of missiles to carry the nuclear warheads, in fact the Iranians revel in boasting about what they’ve accomplished.

Some sayIran’s threats are merely saber rattling in an attempt to loosen more than a decade of embargos against the country. That could be, but it could also be a definite threat byIranto the rest of the region, particularlyIsrael, and a warning to theUnited Statesto stay out of their way.

The president is threatening military intervention to protectIsraelas well as other interests in the region. But should he? What has to happen for the president to commit resources and manpower to endingIran’s nuclear development programs?

Unfortunately, just as it was during each of the previous Mid-East conflicts, the situation is just as much about oil as it is religion. We need it, and they have it. Oil rich and power poor,Iranmust sell its oil to have money to at once feed itself and buy more weapons.

One thing is certain, Americans are tired of war. The president and members of congress will most likely need to weigh the politics against the benefits of a military move againstIran, pre-emptive or otherwise. Whatever happens, it is clear that peaceful coexistence is simply not an option when dealing with religious extremism.

 

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America’s Political Landscape Stalled by Public Apathy

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Local News, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on February 21, 2012 at 10:42 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

When considering the country’s currents political and economic state a great deal hinges on some pretty ignorant, uninformed and out of touch people – the American voters. People sit and blame the president, congress and their neighbor’s dog for just about everything that’s wrong with our country, but the best place to start looking for problems is in the mirror. After all, it’s the public who voted them in and only the voters can change the political landscape.

There is an unfortunate tendency in our country (and it’s growing) to want someone else to solve our problems for us. I’ve written countless times on the subject of self-accountability but people still want bailouts and tea parties to make the world right. And if you’re unhappy with what’s going on, but refuse to vote or choose to ignore the facts about candidates and issues, your problems are your own making.

When considering election issues or choosing a candidate, we tend to go with our heart, not our head. I realize that touchy and deeply personal issues like abortion, religious freedom and marital regulation are important to some people but I don’t believe they should be the leading factor that determines which lever to pull on Election Day.

Moral issues, while significant, affect a smaller percentage of the population at any given time than would the economy, civil rights or tax concerns. And, despite White House reports to the contrary, we’re still in the midst of continuing economic troubles and we would be better to first focus on potential solutions for those tribulations.

For example, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels recently signed the first right-to-work law enacted in the area known as the Rust Belt, a stronghold for union-represented work forces. The new law makes it illegal to force employees to join a union or pay union dues. Twenty-two other states have similar laws already on the books – andOhiomay be next.

The concept is an effort to make it easier to get a job and for companies to be able to afford to pay workers instead of being strong-armed by over-reaching unions. Some see it as an attack on unions and an attempt to diminish wages and benefits.

Whatever your point of view on the subject, right-to-work legislation is one of those issues that can affect a great number of people and in more ways than people realize at first. The trickle-down, economic and political repercussions from laws like this can impact entire communities, even the whole state.

At the water cooler, discussions about these issues tend to segue into confrontational debates over ineffectual politicians. Ironically, with all that debate, most people never learn one thing more than they’ve already decided about a candidate right up to the time they walk into the polling place.

Many people are voting for the lesser of, “who cares,” but in fact, we need to be more choosey about who we are sending toWashington. While Democrats are stuck with President Obama in the fall, Republicans should have stood up to demand better options than mud-slinging hairdos like Romney and Santorum. In my amateur opinion, none of the Republican frontrunners carries a strong challenge to the president in November.

Each of us needs to make the effort to separate our feelings from the facts and do our best to approve issues and candidates that will best serve the greater good, not just those that pander to the Left or Right to get votes.

In the end, the fate of the country depends on the voters; those diligent, savvy individuals who, more times than not, make the choice in the voting booth based solely on a commercial they saw on television the night before. Could it really be that apathetic a decision for some people? I think it is and that’s why we can only blame ourselves.

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50 Years Later, Oh, That View Is Still Tremendous

In Local News, National News, Opinion, Politics, Science, State News on February 21, 2012 at 6:36 am

Col. John Glenn on his first orbit aboard Friendship 7 in 1962

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

In 1958 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was commissioned to getAmericainto the space race and beat the Russians to the moon. President Kennedy had set a public deadline of landing a man on the moon by the end of the 1960’s but no one even knew if it could be done. To make it happen, NASA had to invent new technology and learn new skills previously conceived of only in the pages of comic books.

To get things started, NASA established Project Mercury and seven test pilots were chosen from various branches of the armed services to be the first American astronauts. Sitting in tiny capsules atop converted ballistic missiles, these brave men learned how to break the bonds of gravity, achieve orbit, navigate and then return safely back to earth.

On February 20, 1962, Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr., a Marine Corps fighter pilot fromCambridge,Ohio, blasted off fromCape Canaveralto become the first American to orbit the earth. Only the second Mercury flight, Glenn’s Friendship 7 capsule and splashed down safely in the ocean after completing three orbits. The mission lasted only 4 hours, 53 minutes and 23 seconds but it was long enough to allow the United States to catch up to the Soviets.

Glenn’s mission was considered a great success especially considering it happed less than a year after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard flew the firstU.S.space shot aboard his Mercury capsule, Freedom 7. Shepard and Glenn had paved the way for the future of theU.S.space program, and within a few years, Project Mercury had achieved all its objectives.

The next series of missions, Project Gemini, allowed the astronauts to leave the relative safety of the capsule and the new two-person spacecraft that was more maneuverable than the Mercury craft. The Gemini vehicles were also used to develop docking and rendezvous technology, vital to the lunar landings.

By 1967, however, NASA had hit yet another growth spurt. Project Apollo replaced Gemini and, along with a few of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, nine new pilots were selected. Things were moving at a feverish pace and NASA was making good time to fulfill Kennedy’s promise but that achievement did not come without a price.

Each and every mission had multiple objectives ranging from simple tests of new equipment to advanced flight evaluations. Whatever the purpose, procedures were established in order to minimize danger. Ultimately, however, space flight was dangerous and these men were test pilots and sometimes things didn’t go as planned.

In January of 1967, Apollo 1 Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee died in a fire during a ground test of the command module capsule atCape Canaveral. The accident forced several design and safety procedure changes and delayed manned Apollo flights for nearly two years.

When the first manned Apollo mission launched in October of 1968, many in Washington felt the Apollo 1 accident was caused by haste and carelessness and pushed for the program to be shut down before more money and lives were lost. Work continued, however and today Neil Armstrong’s immortal words from the Sea of Tranquilitystill resonate across the generations.

Between 1969 and 1972, there were six successful moon landings. In 1973, NASA launched America’s first space station, “Skylab,” and by 1977, the first space shuttle, Enterprise, was ready for flight control and landing tests. The space shuttles were retired in 2011 after three decades of service.

 

None of these later accomplishments would have been possible without the bravery and fortitude of those first 7 space pioneers. Ironically, John Glenn was one of the first astronauts to leave the space program (to pursue a career in politics) but he is also the only Mercury astronaut to return to space after retiring.

In 1998, Glenn flew as a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery at the age of 76 – the oldest human ever to fly in space. Here’s to John Glenn on the 50th Anniversary of America’s first orbital flight.

 

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Local Elections are More Important and Less Visible

In Business, Economy, Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on January 24, 2012 at 1:03 pm

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

Over the next ten months, the American people will be bombarded with campaign propaganda from all sides. From local races to the push for the White House, billions will be spent in 2012 to persuade voters to flip the lever in favor of one over the others.

Meanwhile, down onMain Street, local campaigns are underway relatively unnoticed almost until the day of the election. Voters often report on exit polls that they know little or nothing about local candidates and make selections based on name recognition alone, with no real basis for the choice.

So why don’t people take as much of an interest in local politics as they do in the national elections? In my opinion, there are several reasons for this, the first being flat out laziness.

Most people are exposed to the daily media barrage of national campaign information, although its accuracy is always in question. But there is almost no coverage of local candidates and virtually no direct resource for voters to learn about them.

Ask someone on the street about local council members or county commissioners and it’s unlikely they can name even one of them. Most people can’t name their state representative.

Some say they simply don’t care about the local races citing relevance to their lives. But, regardless of someone’s view of politics it will still affect them – especially on the local level.

Unfortunately, information about local and state candidates can be a challenge. Voters can usually find a variety of information about state or national elections on the Internet, but, without knowing the names of local candidates that option may be unrevealing.

It may be necessary to do a little legwork in order to obtain details about open government seats and candidates for those jobs. A good place to start is the local board of elections.

The boards of elections offer resources for local races and are positioned based on the region. It may be named by county, city or district, depending on the area and most can provide the most current and complete information about the various races on the November ballot. It may take some time to figure out exactly who to speak to for the right information, but most have a chairperson or board president to begin with, and then work down the list of committee members from there.

Another resource is the local League of Women Voters office. Not only will they have information on each and every race, they usually publish a voter’s guide available to anyone. In addition, most league offices offer a representative who can come out to speak to other concerned organizations such as service clubs or business groups. Information about all possible sides of issues campaigns is provided.

For those who tend to lean on party lines, the local precinct office can provide ballot information, but for their side only. Any issue information will likely be written towards the party line as well. So if balanced, neutral information is important this may not be the best option.

As antique an option as it might seem to the younger crowd, the local library can also be an invaluable source of information about local candidates and issues. Newspaper archives, free Internet access and the reference personnel can offer great benefits unavailable to someone doing the research alone on the home computer.

Business owners concerned about how candidates and issues affect their future in today’s economy might want to contact the area chambers of commerce. Sometimes the chamber will have already assembled any information that may have an affect on their members, including the repercussions of certain candidates being elected. Be aware, again, that there may be a politically-motivated slant to the information but it’s generally in favor of small business development.

These are only a few of the potential resources available to voters where they can learn more about the candidates and issues affecting them on the local level, where the real work is done. Clearly, the point to take away here is that it is up to the individual to educate themselves on those elections that most affect their lives.

Gery L. Deer is an independent business writer and columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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Prayer Is Meaningless Without Action

In Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized on January 17, 2012 at 9:30 am

Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

I have known people in my life who are very religious, counting on and crediting God for every positive thing in their lives. I’ve also known those who have no god at all – relying entirely on practical indecision to produce the same unpredictable outcome to a situation. While polar opposites in belief, these people are actually different sides of the same coin.

Anyone who depends on prayer or supernatural intervention to solve every problem is doomed to a lifetime of disappointment. The same can be said about someone who continues to make bad choices on their own, letting an indecisive nature create self-doubt and shadow individual common sense.

While it appears nowhere in the Bible, there is an old saying. God helps those who help themselves. The saying is attributed to Benjamin Franklin but probably originated much earlier in Ancient Greece.

Even though some Christians have criticized the expression as being contrary to the Bible’s message of God’s grace, but I disagree. Indeed, for the faithful, I think it may be the quintessential stepping stone to that enlightenment.

Some argue that this statement nullifies charity and faith. Instead, it implies a common sense approach to helping others and ourselves. After all, before we can help anyone else, we must stand on solid ground. Every structure needs a foundation.

The phrase also illustrates that each of us must take action to be successful in our endeavors or improve our situation. We can’t depend on others – God or otherwise – to solve our problems.

Of course there are times when we must make decisions for which we need guidance.  In those instances, a prayer, a talk with a friend or family member, or just quiet meditation can help. But, in the end, we must still act on our own accord to bring about the desired outcome. Dependence solely on prayer may do far more harm than good.

There is an anecdotal story about a very religious man who was seriously ill. Friends and neighbors begged him to seek medial help, but he just insisted he would pray and God would save him. After a few weeks the man finally died, never having seen a doctor. He is said to have had a simple case of pneumonia that could have been easily treated with antibiotics.

One interpretation of this story is that the man didn’t recognize God was, indeed, sending him help – in the form of friends and neighbors who were trying to get him to a doctor. So how do we know when and how to act? Good question, to which we all have to look inside ourselves for the answer.

Regardless of the denomination, to the devout, understanding what their god wants of them is rarely clear but all important. Even when the opportunities are placed in front of us, sometimes our own interpretations can get in the way of taking the action necessary to solve the problem for ourselves.

Even more confusing, however, is the realization that there are times when inaction is the best action to take. And, for some people, one of the hardest things to do is nothing. I’m one of those people.

As my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease exhibited more symptoms and complications, sometimes there was nothing to do but wait and watch. Nothing could have been more frustrating. Still, we all made the decision to wait and see what happened. But even in our day-to-day lives, sometimes we have to decide what to do, take whatever actions we can and then wait.

Whatever we are faced with, we each have decisions to make every day that determine the outcome of our lives. Should you have turned left instead of right, zigged instead of zagged.

There is no way to know for sure what to do. Whether we are guided by prayer, an inner voice or a Magic 8 Ball, how we act on those decisions is what really counts.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based in Jamestown. More at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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Super Committee Failure Not Surprising

In Business, Economy, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on November 22, 2011 at 12:42 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

President Obama announced this week the abject failure of the so-called congressional Super Committee, which had originally supposed to hammer out a bi-partisan deal to cut the deficit by a whopping $1.2 trillion. Following the announcement, the president told reporters, “Despite the broad agreement that exists for such an approach, there are still too many Republicans in Congress that have refused to listen to the voices of reason and compromise that are coming from outside of Washington.”

Another typical Obama move; when in doubt, blame the other side. It seems the president has forgotten the definition of the word, “compromise,” wherein both sides need to give and take. They must not teach that concept at Harvard Law.

By definition, a committee is a group of people with differing ideas who are charged to work together towards a common goal. Whether it is made up of government officials or members of the local parent-teacher organization, committees generally produce more problems than they solve. Super-size the typical ineffectiveness of any committee, particularly one made up of bickering, self-aggrandizing members of congress, and the result is at minimum counterproductive and at most disastrous.

Given the poor history of compromise between the Democrats and Republicans in recent years, any attempt at a cooperative group was doomed to failure before it was commissioned. Unfortunately, congressional representatives are far more concerned with gaining political points and winning the day than solvingAmerica’s debt problems.

With the next election barely 11 months away, Republicans are firmly against pretty much anything the Democrats have proposed in the way of budget cuts, primarily because most plans involve tax increases. Conservative committee members insist that higher taxes will increase the burden on the average citizen and cause the country’s economy to backslide.

So what will happen next? Since the committee was unable to meet the deadline for the deficit reduction plan, programs like Medicare will experience automatic cuts in funding. Payments to Medicare providers, for example, will be cut by 2 percent across the board by 2013. Government sources state, however, that expenditures to beneficiaries of the program will be unaffected.

Additionally, the affect on general economic growth is, at this point, incalculable. As the country’s debt rises, it’s overall fiscal worth declines. As an example, as news of the super committee’s ineffectiveness spread over the last several days, Wall Street experienced general overall losses, with the Dow, down, 248 points on Monday.

Inaction on the part of the committee only serves to reinforce the idea that neither Congress nor the West Wing is up to current economic challenges. So far nothing has been done to even encourage long-term business and financial growth and spur job creation. Temporary fixes are not going to carry the country through a recession that is constantly on the verge of resurgence.

And, while the White House is responsible for pushing bad programs onto the Democrats in Congress and leveraging future cooperation to get them approved, it’s up to the legislature to determine the benefits, or the lack thereof, to their constituents. Apparently, common sense is not part of the job descriptions inWashington. Only those capable of double-dealing, back-room politics and cold-heartedness need apply.

Considering all of that, at the end of the day, each and every bad decision made by government officials are actually the final responsibility and fault of the American people because they were elected by the short-sighted, easily coerced voter. Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government; except for all the rest.”

He couldn’t have been more correct. A government by the people has a pitfall for every promise. As long as Americans keep sending the same kinds of self-serving, greedy, power-hungry people toWashington, positive change is highly unlikely.

Gery L. Deer is an independent business writer and columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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Occupy Wall Street Protests Lack Purpose

In Business, Economy, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on October 12, 2011 at 11:40 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

For the last couple of weeks I have been deflecting questions as to why I haven’t weighed in on the recent Wall Street protests. The main reason is pretty simple. While they might have a legitimate gripe with the government’s corporate bail out policies, I really didn’t want to give further publicity to their unbelievably socialistic agenda. But since this pointless movement seems to be spreading and shows no signs of weakening, here’s my take on it.

Taking a page from the Tea Party’s playbook, hoards of disgruntled citizens have gathered in protest of … what, exactly? The so-called “Occupy Wall Street, Boston, insert your favorite city here” groups have collected in more than 60 cities across the country. But for all their apparent numbers, they lack a common purpose and desired outcome.

In fact, protestors are insisting that a unifying cause or message is not required. Every movement must have a message. Surprisingly, this particular cause has dozens of different messages and that will likely be their downfall.

If anything, these self-aggrandizing rejects from the Tea Party movement see themselves as future folk heroes standing up for the “common man.” Sorry folks but we common men have to spend our time finding work and paying bills. We can’t spend weeks on end camping out with our hippy brethren in a public park.

Don’t be fooled. This is not a protest for civil rights or freedom from tyranny. Instead it’s a protest against success and achievement and nothing short of a demand for the adoption of socialism. Yep, you read that right – socialism.

According to the dictionary definition, socialists advocate the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of land, capital, etc., into the community as a whole. In plain English, they want to take what you have worked hard to earn and divide it up amongst the rest of the population so that others don’t have to work or pull their weight. I think there’s something strangely ironic about a group that is pushing a socialist mentality which has no real community goals.

If the utter lack of a unifying purpose isn’t enough to label this movement ridiculous, the list of pseudo-celebrities who are lending their voices to the cause certainly does. On the off chance that participants of these occupations are reading this, I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Giving Al Sharpton or Sarah Palin a soap box and free publicity will do nothing for your absent cause. You’re allowing millionaires to use you like so much left over bacon grease and they’re just getting richer at your expense.

Speaking of expense, no one has considered the financial harm these gatherings are doing. At a time when city governments are struggling to balance budgets they now have to spend millions of dollars for extra security and maintenance that would not have otherwise been required.

In short, if these people don’t get a handle on exactly what they want they’ll never get it.  All I can say to this is that they have far too much time on their hands. Maybe they would do better to redirect some energy from whining and complaining to taking a shower and finding a job.

In any case, some of the anger demonstrated by the protesters should be directed away from corporateAmericaand pointed at President Obama. After all, he’s the guy you want to blame for the bail outs, and, by the way, he’s a multi-millionaire too and a self-admitted socialist. Interesting how he has done nothing to unburden himself from his top-heavy bank account.

People take up causes when they’re convenient or only after something bad has happened to them or someone they know. Without a meaningful goal, however, the Occupy movement will start fizzling out fairly soon, especially in the east, once the cold weather arrives. It will die out because there is no unifying message. In the meantime, the rest of us will keep working and trying to provide for our families so those people can continue to play in the park – on the tax payer’s dollar.

 

Gery L. Deer is a freelance business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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Amanda Knox Conviction Overturned

In National News, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on October 3, 2011 at 3:02 pm

American Amanda Knox to be freed immediately.

Perugia, Italy – 3:54PM ET – After four years the murder conviction of American exchange student Amanda Knox has been overturned by a Perugia, Italy court. Found guilty only of accusing an innocent party in the case, Knox has been credited for time served and will quickly leave the country with her family as soon as possible. Knox was arrested and convicted in 2007 for the killing of her roommate Meredith Kercher. During the course of the appeal, much of the evidence presented by the original prosecution was thrown out.

 

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9/11: Oh, the humanity.

In Media, National News, Opinion, Politics on September 5, 2011 at 6:52 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

I don’t know which is harder to believe; that it has been ten years or that it really did happen. Unprecedented in the history of the United States, the events of September 11, 2001 changed lives around the world.

The savage, heart wrenching images of that morning are forever emblazoned into the collective memories of a generation. A horrible tragedy set against the clear, blue sky of Manhattan. Those of us watching from other parts of the country felt it right along with New Yorkers; the tragedy, the helplessness, the pain, the destruction, the hot, debris-filled wind that would sweep over our nation and rock us to our very core.

The day before the attacks, I had returned to Ohio from a week-long trip in Las Vegas. A co-worker heard on the radio that there had been some kind of bombing in New York City and was frantically trying to find information about it on the Internet. But CNN’s website would not come up, neither would CBS nor NBC. In fact, none of the major news sites were available. Millions of hits at once knocked down the websites before any of us could find out what had happened.

Retrieving a 3-inch color television from my truck, several of my colleagues huddled around my desk trying to get a look at the replay of the first plane flying into one of the World Trade Center towers when the unthinkable happened. A second plane ripped through the remaining tower and it too burst into flames. Shock and silence settled over the motley crew of engineers and technicians gathered around the tiny screen.

Ten years later, we’ve all seen those images over and over again, from virtually every angle. We’ve been deluged time and again with eye-witness interviews and video of the brave emergency response teams trying desperately to save as many lives as they could in the midst of utter chaos and destruction.

Many of the morning television news programs originating from New York had instant coverage of the disaster. Reminiscent of Herbert Morrison’s anguished report from the site of the Hindenburg crash, live broadcast reporters were overwhelmed by pure emotion, moved to tears by the terror they witnessed. Morrison was the radio announcer on the scene in Lakehurst, New Jersey that day in 1937 as the great Zeppelin exploded and crashed to the ground.

Sent by a Chicago radio station to cover the airship’s arrival, the recording of Morrison’s immortal delivery and genuine disgust for the disastrous scene before him became the prototype for how broadcasters would report tragedy and war for decades to come. I wonder, at times, how he might have described the scene that day in New York but I believe his most famous phrase is more than sufficient, “Oh the humanity.”

Actually, even after the hundreds of news stories about the terror attacks, it’s difficult to fathom what else could be said to describe one of the worst days in American history. I can say, though, that I believe the days that followed 9-11 brought about an amazing spirit of survival and determination in our country.

From unmitigated calamity arose an unparalleled sense of unity and patriotism. Americans had spent the last half-century bickering amongst themselves over political and social issues. For the first time since the Second World War, we had a common enemy, even if we were not yet sure who it was. What we did know, however, is that the United States would recover, as a people and a nation; and we did.

On the tenth anniversary of that fateful day, all Americans send thoughts, prayers and best wishes to the families and friends of those who perished in New York, at the Pentagon and in the fields of Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania. Nothing can return their loved ones to them but they will be forever remembered by a nation.

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com