Great Britain, Here We Come!

Diana and I are starting to get excited about our upcoming May 2008 trip to England, Scotland, and Wales. We decided on an escorted tour, the Best of Britain by Trafalgar with a couple of days added in London at the end. I was last in London about 35 years ago (tut tut), so I am sure some things have changed as well as remained the same. I, particularly, love English history as it is the very basis of our own American history.

I know about most of the traditional historical sites, however, I don't want to miss anything worth seeing in London or nearby. What is the London Eye? Is there a not-to-miss pub in Chelsea where we are staying? Any helpful hints besides bring LOTS of money?

My wife has never been to England so I have tortured her (not really) with reading a hefty tome to give her a "flavor" of old England. The Autobiography of Henry VIII, by Margaret George is a historical novel that paints the English tableau very well. I enjoyed it much more, I am sure, but even Diana found it charming except for its length. And now I want her to read Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, also by Margaret George but I may be pushing my luck.

So readers, comment away with tips, warnings, and anecdotes for all to savor.

Dad Sells Son's Christmas Present After Dope Incident

Well, is this a case of a responsible parent demonstrating that there are consequences for his son's actions, or a case of a little greed when the reselling if the video game nets over $9000?

A Canadian dad finally found a rare copy of the Nintendo game, Guitar Hero III, on eBay for $90. He couldn't wait to give it to his son for Christmas. Alas, Dad comes home early one day to find his gamer son smoking a little of the weed with a couple other ne'er-do-well kids in the back yard.

So Dad, as a consequence, puts the sought-after game back on eBay and allegedly got a bid of $9100. Certainly a good business decision, it seems. But.... the debate now is whether he should have so publicly shamed his son (if indeed his son was awash in ignominy).

First, shouldn't it be the parent's responsibility to have a serious consequence for a serious violation? He could not have known what the Guitar Hero game could have brought at auction, so I think his windfall is just that. He taught his son a lesson that illegal activity will not be tolerated and certainly won't be rewarded. As a bonus, if the money comes through, he will have padded his bank account a little in the process of teaching this life lesson.

So my friends, does the punishment fit the crime? Is this in fact a crime in your eyes? Is shaming such a bad thing? How would you have handled this?

Parents and Schools: Babysitters vs. Partners

With the first semester's end fast approaching in our nation's middle and high schools, it is not too late for parents to take affirmative action to ensure their child's school progress. Far too many parents think they are too busy to check on their child's success or lack of it, and depend on the school to notify them if there is a problem. In other words, these detached parents send their kids off to school expecting the teachers and staff to babysit them, teach them what they need to know, and only contact the parents if their kid is involved in a school shooting.

OK, that's a little hyperbole. However, relying on the school to provide a timely notification of missed classes, minor behavior issues, or socialization problems could be folly. Quite frankly schools have enough to do to try to teach today's kids without having to also track down working parents to inform them that "Justin" or "Bethany" has missed a class or two.

Schools posit that they want parental involvement, but often that is window dressing. A parent wanting to be involved may have to push through some barriers to find what, if any, problems exist. Remember that it is your obligation to be involved, and therefore also your right.

Skipping one class may not indicate anything. Or it may indicate the beginning of what could be a pattern. Knowing about it the same day or the next allows the parent to ask their child about the absence. A "progress report" sent home mid-semester may, if it isn't intercepted at the mailbox by the student, give a clue to problems but often it may be too late to do much about it. The classroom instruction for those two or 10 absences is lost forever.

Parents must make contact as soon as possible after the beginning of a semester with a reliable person that they can check with at least weekly. They must co-opt a teacher, a counselor, or a vice-principal and let him or her know that they will be checking frequently but also that they want to be called immediately for the slightest thing involving their child.

Parents will find that with minimal effort, they can really effect their child's ability to be successful in school. Judicious parental advocacy can make a difference.

U.S. "cornered" on Global Warming

Does it outrage you that the United States has fallen so far in the world's esteem that we now have to be "cornered" or "forced" to go along with other countries wishes? Without regard, for now, to the merits of getting on board with solving climate change issues, it galls me that the United States of America has fallen so far that we have to be embarrassed into agreeing to consensus by some nations that probably already benefit from our largess.

The headlines that the "U.S. Relents..." is as irritating to hear as chalk on a blackboard, yet maybe we deserve this comeuppance for our lack of leadership in so many things.

I feel "uglier" now that America has to be chastised for not doing the right thing according to the other nations. We try to win the "hearts and minds" by our charitable work and foreign aid around the world yet we continue to make decisions that cannot win us anything but the booby prize.

Now to the climate issue. From my perspective, in this climate conference our representatives should have taken the lead, or failing that, should have simply agreed that larger nations should help smaller ones meet pollution goals. Sometimes we (as in our U.S. administration) seem just plain stubborn, often to the point of not just ridiculous, but maybe to the sublime.

The United States is and has been the leader of the free world for so many years that maybe we need to hear some opposition to our quirkier stances. Let's learn from the disrespectful Venezuelan president who calls our president the devil. We have emboldened so many tyrants to defy us, that it has almost become de rigeur to do so. Let's begin to see that occasionally "the Emperor really has no clothes".

Good Cop, Bad Cop

One may think the title refers to the age-old police interrogation technique, still very much in use today. I am instead acknowledging that there are such things as a "bad cops" across America. It is easy to attach the "bad" label to a police officer who is "on the take", or one who commits other crimes while working in his or her official capacity.

In my opinion there are a few bad cops who need to be weeded out for lesser reasons. These are the officers who use their awesome power to intentionally intimidate (some people are always intimidated by a police presence and that can't be helped). Policing in a free society is a huge task. While trying to protect the citizenry from harm, person or property, American police officers have a narrow path to follow that is dictated, in the end, by the U.S. Constitution.

Those officers who complain their hands are tied by cumbersome rules and red tape are often the ones who might cut a corner if they thought they would not be found out. They might change the tone of their reports, or worse, change the evidence.

Yet I speak of only a very small percentage of the cadre of U.S. police officers, deputies, and agents. I would be the first to want a "dirty cop" not only fired but prosecuted if possible. To have violated the sacred public trust by any law enforcement personnel is more than criminal. Any wrongdoing by bad cops taints the profession and makes the policing job that much harder for the good cops.

So why do I get incensed when I hear people complain when good cops do their jobs? The speeder who whines that "everybody was speeding", or tells the officer that he should be chasing burglars just doesn't get it. The usual comments about "making their quotas" or "he must need to buy his wife a gift" are just mean-spirited.

If you were speeding, made an illegal turn, or drove without the proper tags, then take your lumps and move on. If you feel the charge is not legitimate, then take it to court. Just don't take it out on the officers on the street. Their jobs can be stressful enough, and besides, it won't help. Cops are human too, and resistance generates more resistance.

So let's condemn those who feel they are above the law, and give harsh punishment to cops who step beyond the line. Just keep in mind that nearly all cops will protect you and yours with their own lives if need be. Most will rush toward the fire, the explosion, the crash, the robbery, the danger, whatever it may be.