If You Don’t Do Anything, Then You Didn’t Do Enough Yourself

All of you already know about a certain story over the weekend.  I’m not going to mention because all of you have an opinion of it. 

Now, with that said, let me ask all of you a question.  While you have been forming opinion about the person in question, have you bothered to ask yourself this: 

• what could I learn from this?
• what can I do if I see this happen?
• how can I get involved so that I can make a difference? 

That’s not exactly what I asked Adam Wilson from the Altoona Herald, but that’s pretty much what I asked. 

We spend so much damn time talking about “what could have been done”, and not “what can we do right now”, we forgot the real lesson in this story:  if you don’t want it to happen again, get off of your ass and make a difference. 

It’s pointless to use the “what could have been done” excuse.  It happen.  It’s done.  You can’t change it.  You’re not Superman, where you can fly in reverse to save Lois Lane and stop a comet.  That’s fiction.

“But, but, he could have…” 

But nothing.  It’s over.  You learn from history and mistakes and you work towards being proactive down the road.  Trying to relive the past and what you could have done is a waste of time. 

Stop it. 

If you are really passionate about stopping physical and sexual violence and abuse against children, stop talking, and sign up at a local shelter that provide services to children, and to women.  In 2010, the Iowa Department of Human Services had 32,841 cases on file of child abuse and neglect.  20,246 were unconfirmed cases, 2,687 were confirmed, while 9,908 were founded cases of abuse. 

You want to know the sad part?  For every case worker that gets hired, at least 3 of them quit, after being burned out, lack, little, or no resources, no help with the work load, and not enough support, from lawmakers to taxpayers. 

Those taxpayers are us, folks. 

If we care so much about the kids, then why do we become skittish when a child does need our help and when the child doesn’t get it, then we look to blame someone else?  You could have done something, but you didn’t.  It makes you as guilty as the person being discussed over the last 72 hours. 

How does that feel? 

But I doubt many of you will.  You love to talk and pontificate about what someone else should have done, but you expect others to do something that you don’t want to do your damn self.  That’s what I’m pissed off about:  all of you trying to be a moral compass.  Shut up and get involved.

Most of you didn’t care about what goes on in our own backyard, until I gave you the stats a few paragraphs ago.  Some of you have suspected or witnessed possible child abuse.  And yet, like the person in the center of the national story, you turned a blind eye as well. 

In fact, when it comes to abuse towards women and children, all of us have turned a blind eye.  Don’t even lie, especially those who follow sports.  As long as the athlete or the coach wins, you turn a blind eye to the player slapping his GF around at the Ped Mall, or the coach lining up rows of cocaine in the basement of his house. 

We’re all hypocrites and to read what some guys have written and tweeted on Saturday and Sunday, I wonder if they would have given that much attention to what goes on in their own backyard. 

I doubt if they did.  Which is why I’m extremely disappointed that they haven’t realized the opportunity they have right in front of them, especially sports writers and bloggers:  turn a horrible negative into a ray of hope by advocating and supporting groups that are dedicated in stopping the culture of human abuse, young and old. 

So, to most of you who seem to have an opinion about “what could have been done” or “it could have stopped”, let me give you some advice.  Stop saying it.  Start asking yourself “what can I do?” 

The first place you should call is Prevent Child Abuse Iowa.  Call, ask about learning more about abuse, educate yourself, educate others, and be an advocate.  If you care about the prevention of abuse towards women and families, call the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

It’s getting tiresome hearing about what one person could have done.  What are you going to do if you are in a similar situation?  Keep referring back to the one person that didn’t do something?  Or are you going to get up and do something and in turn make a difference? 

Stop being reactive.  Start being pro-active.  Stop whining.  Start doing.

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa: 1-800-CHILDREN (to those on Twitter, give a shout out to @Trillix.  They designed the website for PCA Iowa.)

Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence:  244-8028, email icadv@icadv.org

The End of the Internet As We Know It?

 

Will laptops, iPads, and computers become extinct if two controversial pieces of legislation passes?

 

I don’t know a lot about the internet or what is permissible or not with respects to content.  Nor am I a huge fan of cause celebre.  I will admit that I didn’t have a clue what the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act, SOPA and PIPA respectively, was, that are about to be debated and ultimately voted on in Congress over the next week or so. 

All I do know is this:  a lot of people are not in favor of these two pieces of legislation because both would impose a considerable amount of censorship and/or limit the use of the internet.  I think it’s important that to provide what the actual bills say, verbatim, courtesy of Thomas, the official congressional resource site, operated by the Library of Congress, one of the best resources to find and read bills. 

Stop Online Piracy Act (synopsis without text) (with full text)

Protect IP Act (synopsis w/o text) (with full text)

Several thoughts from me:  There are those who have chosen to put their websites in black or use a form of a black ban in support against these bills.  I respect that, but for me personally, I am not going “black” on this blog.  First of all, I don’t know how to put anything in “black”, and I feel that by continuing to blog, without blocking anything, this is my personal way of voicing my concerns about the bills. 

I do feel that there is bipartisan support and bipartisan dissent against these bills.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s this and this as evidence.  Tell me how many Dems and Repubs are co-sponsoring SOPA and PIPA?  Yeah, that’s what I thought.  As the great basketball website Rush The Court tweeted last night: 

Best part of SOPA/PIPA discussion: both bills have bipartisan support/dissent, so no reflexively blaming the party you don’t like.

Amen to that. 

Second of all, they have to debate these bills before they can vote on it.  Education and explaining the ramifications of what these bills could do is vitally important than just saying “stop SOPA (or PIPA).”  The disappointment is that many non-internet-savvy folks like me were not given much text about it.  We were just told to send a message to our Congressmen and ask them to vote no against it. 

I don’t send anything to anyone unless I read it and I understand what it means. 

Earlier today, I tweeted the following, thanks to a Facebook post Tuesday night by great friend Phil James when Cat Rocketship and him mentioned the Motion Picture Association of America’s role in the internet bill debate: 

You know, if we’re going to ask Congress not to pass SOPA/PIPA, how about going to the groups like MPAA and bang on them as well?

Only one person retweeted it.  Look, it’s fine to bang on Congress, but who lobbied Congress to create and shape these bills?  Who are the groups, individuals, and others who are pushing for the passing of SOPA and PIPA?  The Motion Picture Association of America is one of them.  Who else is in favor of the legislation?  Apparently, there has to be more than the MPAA, law enforcement, and unions, right?  So far, no one I know has offered or named these groups.  I researched online to find these groups, but to no avail. 

Is Pearl Jam and the RIAA still suing the mess out of people for downloading their music?  Just asking, because I haven’t heard much from them in awhile.

Are groups like Pearl Jam in favor of restricting usage of their music, image, and brand by shutting down individuals who uses them, like me w/their picture?

It should be a two-pronged approach:  lobby to Congress to reconsider the bills, and to rally support against the powerful MPAA and others who are pushing it. 

Look, there are individuals who abuse the privilege and use the internet for their unscrupulous agendas and plans.  There are still hackers all across the world looking for attention by throwing a monkey wrench and blowing up someone’s website, blog, and whatever.  Those are the jerks that need to be put in their place, but not at the expense of regular internet users who use common sense and do the right thing. 

There are also those we call “flamers” who go to great lengths to shut a website down that they do not agree with or just to bring attention to themselves.  Those jackasses should not be able to control and run the internet so that their view of the world can dominate and rule online. 

If SOPA and PIPA are voted down, then it is up to not only Congress, but to those who understand the positive benefits of the internet and its usage, to work on stopping bad people from destroying the internet, so that all of us can use it for education, entertainment, and information.

Not Just “One Day”, It’s “Everyday”

Community service is more than a glorified one-day deal. It's an everyday job.

Today, everyone will talk and espouse about community service and peace toward mankind, for this is a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.  Community service and peace were two of the main facets that made Dr. Martin Luther King one of the most revered Americans ever during a time where our nation went through a period of evolution that challenged our societal attitudes and way of life. 

But as I think about this day, I can’t help but to ask this yearly question to myself…

…have we really learned anything from the words and actions of King, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and others? 

My answer is a resounding “no”.  We say we want to adhere to those principles of civility and peace, but we feel the need to say, act, or behave in ways that we know is wrong, but we do it anyway. 

Remember last January and the Tucson, Arizona shootings?  Everyone was quick to say that the shooting was triggered by the political rhetoric.  It wasn’t.  Jared Loughner had a history of being an unstable individual due to mental illness, and Loughner acted out randomly as he fired upon a crowd, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  It was never directly due to political rhetoric. 

We ignored the real problem:  the state of mental health in this country. 

After that tragedy, we “pledged” to be kinder and gentler when it came to poltiical discourse. 

That was short-lived.  Our attention span is so short, we can’t even recall who was in the 2011 Final Four besides Butler and UConn.  We’re back to the same old thing, because we “chose” to continue this silliness ourselves.  It’s not just the Republicans’ or the Democrats’ fault. 

It’s ours.  We encourage the unruly behavior as a way to satisfy ourselves and what we want.  And I doubt if we’re really going to make an effort in being civil in every day life. 

Many of you are not fans of ESPN Radio‘s Colin Cowherd.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  I’m one of a few that like him, regardless if I agree with his opinions or not.  I bring him up because of a video clip after the jump that I’ve adopted in 2011 as a mantra for myself.  The clip is worth listening as he asks “Why are we always looking to strike back (or seek revenge) when someone says or do something wrong towards us?” 

If we really care about being civil, then I wouldn’t be writing this, or Character Counts In Iowa wouldn’t be on the forefront of fostering civil discourse and behavior in this world.

——————-

Also on this day, everyone will be participating in a “day of service” across the nation.  I’m for community service and individuals who are dedicated in helping their communities in the spirit of charity and service. 

But what I have a hard accepting is the notion that we should set aside this national holiday as a “national” day of service.  “Everyday” is a national day of service.  Police, fire, and EMT personnel don’t take 364 (365 as 2012 is a leap year) days off, so they could put all of their efforts into doing a “day of service” on this day. 

They are on call every second, minute, hour, and day to provide service to those in need. 

If you're going to do community service, don't half-ass it like Lindsay Lohan. She's only doing it to wipe that jail conviction off of her record.

There are people who need help everyday, not just on the Dr. King holiday.  From the homeless to those battling cystic fibrosis.  From battered women and children to military veterans battling Post-Traumatic Syndrome Disorder. 

For those who think they feel they have done something good by doing “a day of service” on this holiday, I want to challenge you to do more than just one day of service. 

In fact, I want you to find an organization, charity, or a group, join it, and immerse yourself into community service.  If you’re going to do it to “pad” your resume and look good in the community, you are better off not doing it at all.  You’re wasting your time.

Please don’t just show up for one day and then go back into hiding until the next Dr. King holiday.  It’s an insult to so many people who constantly provide community service worldwide. 

“Just Believe”

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos continue to amaze...and upset fans everywhere.

Take away the religious aspects, the miscues of other teams, and the sunny optimism, and Tim Tebow would be Tom Brady. 

Okay, that’s a bad analogy, but you know what, I can’t hate on the kid.  I’ve always respected him as an individual and as a player.  Yes, he was 10 for 21 in passing for 316 yards, and he threw a game-winning touchdown in overtime to eliminate Pittsburgh, 29-23.  That’s still not enough to make “converts” out of his critics. 

Funny thing, though, is that he isn’t trying to get you to love him or become a fan of his.  Far from it.  The most important job he has is to help his team win games. 

So what if he has a flaw?  All of us have one (including all of you haters out there).  Why be jealous or upset that he’s been able to succeed off of luck, happenstance, and just sheer belief (religious or not) that “if there’s a will, there’s a way.” 

Sorry, but I’m giving the guy his props.  You don’t have to, but keep this in mind:  when people doubt you and your abilities, do you listen to your critics and believe every word they say? 

Of course not.  You want to prove people wrong and shove it in their face.  

Isn’t that the same thing he wants to do?  Like Tom Brady did, like John Elway has? 

If someone believes in her or himself, they don’t care what their critics think or how others want to see them fail. 

They keep going and finding ways to make things happen, in business, sports, or in life. 

Tim Tebow isn’t asking you to like him.  He’s only asking you to let him show you that he believes in himself. 

Ignorance Is Bliss…In The National Media

London rings in 2012 (Arturo Fernandez)

Happy New Year 2012 to all of you!  I hope you had an enjoyable New Years Eve that was drama-free and safe. 

Over the past couple of weeks, there has been plenty of criticism towards the state of Iowa with respects to the start of the political campaign/election season.  The ongoing question is “why Iowa?”  Well, why “New Hampshire?”, “Why South Carolina?”

This isn’t about Stephen Bloom’s article in The Atlantic, and in some way, this isn’t about Tuesday’s caucus. 

It’s the national media’s continued effort to demonize Iowa as a “no-name” state that should have no business being in existence.  They’re probably saying the same thing about the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.  To the west coast media, we’re not “liberal” enough.  To the east coast media, we’re not “refined” for their taste. 

If that’s the case, then why didn’t California be the first to legalize same-sex marriages and why didn’t New York make the push to be the first to hold a caucus or a primary?

Jealousy?  Mmmmm???

If that “Raucous Before the Caucus” media-only event at the World Food Prize didn’t make the media understand about our fair state, then it’s time to fight fire with fire.

Honestly, I’m tired of it.  I’m tired of having to defend my state by pointing out that Iowa is a lot more than simple life, agriculture, and feeding wannabe Presidents at the Pizza Ranch and Java Joes.  We have issues and problems just like Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and Minneapolis.  I’ve said it as much in my rebuttal to Dr. Bloom. 

Today, I’m not going to reiterate it.  I’ll let Scott Siepker tell you what Iowans really want to tell the national media, on and off camera.  Scott gets a little assist from my friend Van Holmgren. 

To his credit, Scott isn’t going to play “nice”, so you have been warned… 

Not Safe For Work