Darf ich auf die Toilette?

Last week, a student commented about how she hated the blogs that dealt with politics. Unfortunately, a presidential election only occurs every four years. It is especially rare this year because there is no incumbent president or vice-president running. Obviously, presidential elections are pivotal events in American history. Just consider what the election of Abraham Lincoln meant, for example. If we are going to be informed citizens and make wise choices, we do need to explore the key issues of our day and where the candidates stand, especially if there is a moral side to the issue.

The blog last week was not particularly political. At least it wasn’t intended to be. It was more a review of the week’s events with my observation that, in our postmodern world, there are an awfully lot of different ways of approaching moral and ethical questions if you don’t have a faith-centered foundation on the objective word of God. However, understanding that some would like a non-political topic, I present to you a story about the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, China…and how a cultural difference is causing some pretty big turmoil.

Despite hosting the world toilet conference in 2004, it seems that China is still reliant on its unsanitary squat-type toilets. Although these are commonplace in Asia and France, most of the modernized West is more comfortable with the sit-down variety. With Beijing and China eager to show the world that they are a modern, industrialized, advanced nation, they will apparently need to invest heavily in either sit-down toilets or portapotties. I’m sure this story will turn out to be the butt of many jokes. I’m getting pooped out just thinking about it.

Seriously, did you know that there is a World Toilet organization, dedicated to improving sanitary conditions for toilet facilities throughout the world, promoting the general health and welfare of the planet’s inhabitants? I found it amazing that 42% of the world does not even have a latrine or any sort of basic sanitation facilities to do its duty. I also found myself thinking about how poor we imagine ourselves to be, when even our poverty-level Americans have toilets, TV’s, a car, and countless other things unknown to billions of people.

If you wish, you can consider this an open thread. Feel free to comment on the story above, or on anything else that has caught your eye. If you mention a news story, include the link so other readers can follow it up. Or, just discuss your Easter celebration or plans for spring break.

Have a great week off!

Liberty, libertinism, libertarians

Early last week, headlines briefly declared that the Vatican had announced new sins for the 21st century. I was pleased to note that, despite the headlines, the Catholic church was not attempting to add to God’s Word with new traditions, but was attempting to analyze and make application of Scriptural, moral principals to today’s ethical issues. Besides warning against “pollution,” which is perfectly valid in the light of the Christian principle of stewardship, the Pope also cautioned careful treading in the area of bioethics. Issues such as genetic engineering, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research that may involve experimentation and disposal of human life, however small (even “Who-sized?"), are to be shunned and condemned.

Not to be outdone, the Southern Baptist convention also made headlines by taking a position against Global Warming. It was ironic that this announcement came during the same week that Global Warming skeptics had a big conference in New York, disproving the notion that a consensus of “all” scientists agree with the Al Gore position that catastrophic global warming is caused by humans and that if we do not impose rigid environmental controls on big economies like that of the United States, the earth itself will be doomed. It was also ironic to note that this has been the severest winter on record in China and Russia, and that the Arctic ice cap is not only fully frozen but is increasing its depth and level. Of course, Mr. Gore will remind us simpletons that it is “climate change” that is the threat to humanity, not “global warming” (that is so last year).

Barack Obama’s minister was in the news as well. A few weeks ago we discussed the guilt by association suggested by the appearance of a Che Guevara flag/poster in an Obama campaign office. Obama surely cannot be held responsible for everything any of his supporters say; it was simply worthy noting that those for whom Che Guevara, communist murderer nonpareil, is a hero, are Obamaniacs. But the issue of Obama’s association with the Trenton United Church of Christ and Dr. Jeremiah Wright was another issue. Obama chose to follow Wright’s pastoral leadership for 20 years, nearly his entire adult life. Wright performed the Obama’s marriage, and baptized their children. It was one of his sermons that gave Obama the inspiration for his book “The Audacity of Hope.” One can surely hold the candidate responsible for his association with Rev. Wright, because it was voluntary, prolonged and sustained over time, and knowledgeable.

Obama’s spiritual mentor has preached such controversial sermons as the one in which he said “Not God bless America, but God damn America” for its racism and racist policies, and that America deserved the 9-11 attacks. Here’s a link to the church’s website where you can examine its mission statement and beliefs. From it, you can conclude that here is a church with a much different view of what constitutes “sin,” and most of it is racism perpetrated on African-American victims.

Finally, the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, has submitted his resignation, effective on Monday morning. A former state attorney general, Spitzer made a career of self-righteously attacking corruption on Wall Street. For him, corporate America represented a kind of evil in which business and capital sought to stick it to the little guy. Spitzer was also known for his penchant for busting prostitution rings. Of course, everyone by now knows that this crusader of justice himself was caught with 22-year old “Kristin,” AKA Ashley Dupre, who was charging him, well, let’s call it over $1000/hour for her company.

Surprisingly, there are many Americans who believe that Spitzer did nothing wrong, but Bush and Cheney are the real criminals for deceiving this country into going to war under false pretenses. Many of them consider themselves “libertarians.” This political philosophy believes that the government should not regulate or ban anything considered to be a “victimless crime.” In this regard, the US is rather unique among western nations, because we actually consider prostitution to be illegal. The premise of libertarian philosophy is that the government wastes too much time and law enforcement money going after people who engage in consensual behavior where there is no victim.

How is it possible to sort through all of the moral and ethical decisions presented in the modern world? Is it even possible to agree on a definition for the word “sin?” Even among us conservative evangelical or Reformed Christians, there exists difference of opinion on whether something may be an issue of Christian freedom or one that is sinful. People have different convictions regarding liberty, its exercise and its restrictions.

I’m going to conduct a secret test regarding your answers to this blog. At the end of the week, I will reveal what the test was and what the percentage of responses that failed the test had been.

Women's history month

March is Women's history month. Are Americans poised to "make women's history" and elect the first woman president? Although it is a long way to November, Hillary Clinton still has a chance to capture her party's nomination and run against John McCain for president of the United States.

Whether you like Hillary's politics or not, it definitely would be a big step for a nation that denied even the basic political right to women until after World War I to choose to be led by a woman.

Your task this week is to choose a biography from the linked list. Read it, summarize it, and express your opinion regarding your choice of a famous woman in history. One rule--no repeats. If someone else has already done research on a particular woman, just choose another one.

Link to Biography.com is here.

Better late than never

At John D. O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Sciences (the OB) of Roxbury, Massachusetts, students and administration have locked into a power struggle. The issue is student tardiness.

Newspaper accounts relate that the school’s headmaster (principal) felt that tardiness was becoming a chronic problem, where students would simply loiter in the halls for 7 or 8 minutes before showing up for class. So he ordered a “sweep” of students who were still in the hallway after the late bell, and ordered them into the gymnasium for a lecture on punctuality and the composition of a reflective essay on the importance of punctuality. This, of course, made the students even later to class than they would have been, and in a fighting mood. Later that day, having communicated with each other via text messages, another protest was planned; when the plot was revealed, the headmaster ordered a lockdown for the last two periods of the day. It may or may not end with that. The school’s junior and senior class advisors have declared that they would not assist in anything related to student life as long as they continued their protests. This means that such events as the prom would be cancelled.

I’ve been reading the student reactions in some of the comment sections here and here. They claim that the school is so big that it is impossible to make it to class in the allotted time. They can’t carry more than one book to class at a time because they weigh ten pounds each. They assert that they have tried to get the administration to pay attention to this problem, but they are always in meetings and unavailable. They don’t mind taking a detention for tardiness, but find it ridiculous that the penalty for being late was to write an essay on being late which made them even more late.

On the other hand, teachers, the headmaster, and adults in the community are rather unsympathetic to the plight of the students. I've got to admit a lack of sympathy as well. We have a much smaller school, and most high school classes are within a few footsteps of each other and within easy reach of individual lockers. When I look out in the hallways during passing period, I do not see students forced to rush to class because they are not given enough time to make it. I see lots of socializing. In my opinion, we should trim the passing time to 3 minutes and create a 15-minute break after third hour. All socializing can take place then, as can all bathroom functions. What need is there for a student to socialize for the entire 5 minute passing time, and then ask to use the bathroom as soon as they walk into class? Having a 3-minute passing time would also ensure that students stay focused, instead of losing that focus by whooping it up in the hallways between classes and continuing to carry on long after the bell to start class rings.

At any rate, why do administrators and teachers at "OB" high school, or at any school, for that matter, make such a big deal out of school attendance and tardiness? Why all of the disciplinary action? They serve as reminders to students that punctuality is a vital trait. For example, this article from “Career Opportunities” tries to explain why, especially in the workplace, tardiness is considered intolerable. Here is an excerpt:

The problem, of course, is that the late person has wasted one of the most precious resources in today’s world – time. Worse still, they haven’t just wasted their own time, but the time of everyone involved with them. Meetings start late. Medical patients sit waiting in the lobby. Long lines start to form. The actions of one person can end up effecting hundreds of people and every one of them will feel abused by the waste of time that could have been applied, more effectively, elsewhere. People will forgive you wasting their money, to some extent, but they are unlikely to forgive you for wasting their time.

Think about that the next time you decide to miss a deadline or arrive late for an appointment. Multiply the wasted time, and ill will, by everyone involved and I think you will quickly see why everyone is so irritated. Your actions do have consequences regardless of what you might think.

Here is another bit of advice from “Career Superstar.” These are the things punctuality says about you. You can draw your conclusions about what chronic tardiness says about a person as well.

1. You care. Showing up and on time is one of the best ways to show someone that you care about them.
2. You respect others. Arriving on time shows that you respect others. Respect is the foundation for creating great long-term relationships.
3. You are professional. Being on time is a fundamental tool for anyone who wants to be perceived as being the very best.
4. You are confident. When you show up on time, it’s a sign that you are confident to take on whatever might lay before you. Tardiness can imply that you aren’t confident, or that you are hesitating to deal with a person or situation.
5. You are open to others. Punctuality says, “I’m ready” -- to be involved with whatever is set before you. People who aren’t ready often show up late or not at all.
6. You have an edge. Being punctual gives you an edge in business. The early bird truly does get the worm. Timing is everything. Being punctual is great; being early is even better!
7. You’re in control. People choose to do business with those they like, know, and trust. They like doing business with people who are in control. If you always arrive early or on time, you give the impression that you are in control and manage things well.
8. You have a standard for excellence. Punctuality is but one standard of excellence. It implies that you are in control of your life and shows that you respect yourself and others.
9. You keep things in flow. Other people are affected by what you do and don’t do. If you don’t show up or deliver as promised, you adversely affect others. By showing up on time, you allow other people to get things done on time as well. Everybody wins.

Your habits are your brand. Brands take time to build. When you become known as someone who is punctual, you will enhance your brand. The common sense point here -- be punctual. You’ll enhance your brand and create a positive personal impact.

What do you say about the Massachusetts situation? Are the students learning anything through their actions, or through the actions of the administration? Are you a punctual person who gets irritated at the tardiness of others to make their appointments with you on time? Or do you think that punctuality is overrated?