Comments (41)
Posted by Mihaela Zeinali | less than one minute ago
Our President has being and is ongoing abusively criticized and verbally assaulted in the public media, why can't he, in turn, criticize, express his personal judgment and visions, or expose wrongdoing without a hostile reaction? At least he is expressing opposition in a civilized, respectful and decent way, without abusive verbal attacks or threats.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Politics Your Comments On... Both national party committees spend big chunks on fancy meals, hotels, travel Both the national De
zeinali wrote:
Speaking about bipartisan common ground...we normally say: "united we stand, divided we fall". What about: "united we fall, divided we stand"? Divided we can stand against hypocrisy, fraud, corruption and abuse of power; united we can stand for a genuine democracy, for ethics and integrity in the general political process and structures of our leading major parties.
4/21/2010 11:53:28 AM
Speaking about bipartisan common ground...we normally say: "united we stand, divided we fall". What about: "united we fall, divided we stand"? Divided we can stand against hypocrisy, fraud, corruption and abuse of power; united we can stand for a genuine democracy, for ethics and integrity in the general political process and structures of our leading major parties.
4/21/2010 11:53:28 AM
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Comments 6 | Recommend 1 Print RSS Yahoo! Buzz Share Paddling is back in Temple schools 12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, April 18, 2010 Michael Birnbaum
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Paddling is back in Temple schools
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, April 18, 2010
Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post
TEMPLE, Texas – Most school districts across the country banned the paddling of students long ago. Temple has gone the other direction.
The Central Texas city of 60,000 revived the practice at the demand of parents who longed for the orderly schools of yesteryear. Without paddling, "there were no consequences for kids," said Steve Wright, who runs a construction business and is Temple's school board president.
Since paddling was brought back to the city's 14 schools by a unanimous board vote last May, behavior at Temple's single high school has changed dramatically, Wright said, even though only one student in the entire school system has been paddled.
"The discipline problem is much better than it's been in years," Wright said, something he attributed to the new punishment and other discipline programs the schools are trying. Residents praise the change.
"There are times when maybe a good crack might not be a bad idea," said Robert Pippin, a custom-home builder who sports a goatee and cowboy boots. His son graduated from Temple schools several years ago.
Corporal punishment remains legal in 20 states, mostly in the South, but its use is diminishing. Ohio ended it last year, and a movement for a federal ban is afoot. A House subcommittee held a hearing on the practice last week, and its chairman, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., is gearing up for a push to end the practice once and for all
"When you look that the federal government has outlawed physical punishment in prisons, I think the time has come that we should do it in schools," she said.
A joint American Civil Liberties Union-Human Rights Watch report last year found that students with disabilities were disproportionately subjected to corporal punishment, sometimes in direct response to behavioral problems that were a result of their disabilities. Many educators and psychologists say that positive tools, such as giving students praise when they behave well and withholding it when they don't, are far more effective for discouraging misbehavior.
Rules about paddling vary from district to district, but typically only administrators can mete out the punishment, which is done in private. Usually, a long, flat wooden paddle is used to give as many as three blows across the student's clothed rear end, although Farmer found students who had been hit many more times. Boys are overwhelmingly the target.
Not everybody in Texas is gung-ho about paddling. The practice has been banned in the state's big cities, and its use varies from campus to campus in districts that allow it.
In Alvin, a formerly agricultural city of 23,000 that has been swallowed by Houston's suburbs in the past decade, the policy is on the books but not used in many schools.
"I don't think it's that simple anymore," said Terry Constantine, who added that she hadn't swung a paddle in her 16 years as an elementary school principal there. "We look for our parents to work with us now."
At Alvin High School, where the technique is used, principal Kevon Wells said he has paddled students about six times this school year. If a student continued to misbehave, he said, he wouldn't do it again.
"I'm not into beating kids," he said.
Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post
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Posted by Mihaela Zeinali | less than one minute ago
"It takes a village to raise a child". Many people, blinded by old-fashioned ideological extremism or rough individualism, scared by too much government involvement, don't seem or want to understand the importance of social/cultural environment aspects and values, their enormous significance and impact on our children. Not only educational institutions, teachers and parents, but also the entire society are responsible, are influencing and forming our children, their education and general development. The physical punishment should be only a parent's privilege, and parents should not be intimidated by fear of overzealous government intervention, violating their privacy and their parental discipline rights. Schools in other countries are operating like military institutions, with no need for Police on the campus, where children understand respect for authority and appreciate education and educators, where teachers can tech without serious disruptions and Police intervention. In a democratic and multicultural society, to achieve positive and constructive learning school environment and culture, the whole society needs to be funded on mutual respect, positive and flexible integrative cooperation between diverse individuals and groups of people, harmoniously embracing their various values and structures to its benefit.
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Paddling is back in Temple schools
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, April 18, 2010
Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post
TEMPLE, Texas – Most school districts across the country banned the paddling of students long ago. Temple has gone the other direction.
The Central Texas city of 60,000 revived the practice at the demand of parents who longed for the orderly schools of yesteryear. Without paddling, "there were no consequences for kids," said Steve Wright, who runs a construction business and is Temple's school board president.
Since paddling was brought back to the city's 14 schools by a unanimous board vote last May, behavior at Temple's single high school has changed dramatically, Wright said, even though only one student in the entire school system has been paddled.
"The discipline problem is much better than it's been in years," Wright said, something he attributed to the new punishment and other discipline programs the schools are trying. Residents praise the change.
"There are times when maybe a good crack might not be a bad idea," said Robert Pippin, a custom-home builder who sports a goatee and cowboy boots. His son graduated from Temple schools several years ago.
Corporal punishment remains legal in 20 states, mostly in the South, but its use is diminishing. Ohio ended it last year, and a movement for a federal ban is afoot. A House subcommittee held a hearing on the practice last week, and its chairman, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., is gearing up for a push to end the practice once and for all
"When you look that the federal government has outlawed physical punishment in prisons, I think the time has come that we should do it in schools," she said.
A joint American Civil Liberties Union-Human Rights Watch report last year found that students with disabilities were disproportionately subjected to corporal punishment, sometimes in direct response to behavioral problems that were a result of their disabilities. Many educators and psychologists say that positive tools, such as giving students praise when they behave well and withholding it when they don't, are far more effective for discouraging misbehavior.
Rules about paddling vary from district to district, but typically only administrators can mete out the punishment, which is done in private. Usually, a long, flat wooden paddle is used to give as many as three blows across the student's clothed rear end, although Farmer found students who had been hit many more times. Boys are overwhelmingly the target.
Not everybody in Texas is gung-ho about paddling. The practice has been banned in the state's big cities, and its use varies from campus to campus in districts that allow it.
In Alvin, a formerly agricultural city of 23,000 that has been swallowed by Houston's suburbs in the past decade, the policy is on the books but not used in many schools.
"I don't think it's that simple anymore," said Terry Constantine, who added that she hadn't swung a paddle in her 16 years as an elementary school principal there. "We look for our parents to work with us now."
At Alvin High School, where the technique is used, principal Kevon Wells said he has paddled students about six times this school year. If a student continued to misbehave, he said, he wouldn't do it again.
"I'm not into beating kids," he said.
Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post
Print | RSS | | Yahoo! Buzz | Send a news tip
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or edit your screen name once you hit "Save".
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Guidelines: We welcome your thoughts, but for the sake of all readers, please refrain from the use of obscenities, personal attacks or racial slurs. All comments are subject to our terms of service and may be removed. Repeat offenders may lose commenting privileges.
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Comments (6)
Posted by Mihaela Zeinali | less than one minute ago
"It takes a village to raise a child". Many people, blinded by old-fashioned ideological extremism or rough individualism, scared by too much government involvement, don't seem or want to understand the importance of social/cultural environment aspects and values, their enormous significance and impact on our children. Not only educational institutions, teachers and parents, but also the entire society are responsible, are influencing and forming our children, their education and general development. The physical punishment should be only a parent's privilege, and parents should not be intimidated by fear of overzealous government intervention, violating their privacy and their parental discipline rights. Schools in other countries are operating like military institutions, with no need for Police on the campus, where children understand respect for authority and appreciate education and educators, where teachers can tech without serious disruptions and Police intervention. In a democratic and multicultural society, to achieve positive and constructive learning school environment and culture, the whole society needs to be funded on mutual respect, positive and flexible integrative cooperation between diverse individuals and groups of people, harmoniously embracing their various values and structures to its benefit.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Business > Business Policy Your Comments On... Obama, Republicans square off on financial-regulation bill President Obama accus
zeinali wrote:
If we only could get the truth, complete and accurate information, so that we, the people and the media, can make educated and smart comments and suggsestions, can contribute efficiently to the democratic process and progress. What I can figure out as an independent thinker with incomplete knowledge and information, is that the whole process is very complex, there are a lot of national and global interrelated structural political, legal and economic mechanisms to be addressed, analyzed and improved. One of them, in my opinion, is the governmental structure and process. I agree that we need stricter financial regulations, however, in order to achieve positive changes, we first need an efficient and high quality government regulatory system, so that the new regulations won't fail again under new government structures' abuses of power. It is outrageous and unbelievable, that a whole country and ultimately the whole world , have to suffer and pay for the mistakes and failures of a few irresponsible national and international executives and because of governmental structural weaknesses and corruption. I think that this is the first big picture to start with in the process of eliminating the evil roots and avoiding such historical catastrophic repetition.
4/17/2010 10:59:30 AM
If we only could get the truth, complete and accurate information, so that we, the people and the media, can make educated and smart comments and suggsestions, can contribute efficiently to the democratic process and progress. What I can figure out as an independent thinker with incomplete knowledge and information, is that the whole process is very complex, there are a lot of national and global interrelated structural political, legal and economic mechanisms to be addressed, analyzed and improved. One of them, in my opinion, is the governmental structure and process. I agree that we need stricter financial regulations, however, in order to achieve positive changes, we first need an efficient and high quality government regulatory system, so that the new regulations won't fail again under new government structures' abuses of power. It is outrageous and unbelievable, that a whole country and ultimately the whole world , have to suffer and pay for the mistakes and failures of a few irresponsible national and international executives and because of governmental structural weaknesses and corruption. I think that this is the first big picture to start with in the process of eliminating the evil roots and avoiding such historical catastrophic repetition.
4/17/2010 10:59:30 AM
Friday, April 16, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Columns » Follow The Post On: Mobile Newsletters & Alerts RSS Facebook Twitter Your Comments On... Leaving one Afghan valley: Wha
zeinali wrote:
We accomplish what responsible adults normally teach children and teenagers in good faith: bad choices, bad consequences. It's time for the so-called responsible adults in charge, to really be responsible and really be a positive role-model for our growing children, as they learn from our principles and deeds, not from our first-class diplomas, titles and privileged offices.
4/16/2010 10:07:16 AM
We accomplish what responsible adults normally teach children and teenagers in good faith: bad choices, bad consequences. It's time for the so-called responsible adults in charge, to really be responsible and really be a positive role-model for our growing children, as they learn from our principles and deeds, not from our first-class diplomas, titles and privileged offices.
4/16/2010 10:07:16 AM
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Your Comments On... Are Republicans losing their nerve on repeal? The party needs to hang tough, not cave in. - By Marc A. Thiesse
zeinali wrote:
For both sides, right and left, it's time to stop playing the same sclerotic and infantile game over and over again at the cost of the growing populations' impatience. It's time for some extra mental and emotional efforts, to overcome old ideologies and structures, and instead, to create new ways of positive, practical and ethical thinking, followed by more efficient, progressive and flexible operating systems; it's time for modernizing and restructuring obsolete political structures, for integrating diverse channels into a more constructive and productive cooperative way of doing business, for the benefits of the majority of people.
4/13/2010 4:18:56 PM
For both sides, right and left, it's time to stop playing the same sclerotic and infantile game over and over again at the cost of the growing populations' impatience. It's time for some extra mental and emotional efforts, to overcome old ideologies and structures, and instead, to create new ways of positive, practical and ethical thinking, followed by more efficient, progressive and flexible operating systems; it's time for modernizing and restructuring obsolete political structures, for integrating diverse channels into a more constructive and productive cooperative way of doing business, for the benefits of the majority of people.
4/13/2010 4:18:56 PM
Monday, April 12, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Politics Your Comments On... Bill to extend jobless benefits faces Senate showdown Congress is poised for another partisan showd
zeinali wrote:
No rational and decent people want to be out of work, with no life quality and struggling to survive. Only because of some exceptions to the rule, of some people who prefer welfare because of whatever personal reasons, one cannot punish millions of people, who constantly and actively are looking for work but unable to find jobs because of a frozen job market, or because of catastrophic economic and social practical consequences derived from ideological politics and policies, and consequently, from unregulated and abusive free markets.
No rational and decent people want to be out of work, with no life quality and struggling to survive. Only because of some exceptions to the rule, of some people who prefer welfare because of whatever personal reasons, one cannot punish millions of people, who constantly and actively are looking for work but unable to find jobs because of a frozen job market, or because of catastrophic economic and social practical consequences derived from ideological politics and policies, and consequently, from unregulated and abusive free markets.
washingtonpost.com > Politics Your Comments On... Bill to extend jobless benefits faces Senate showdown Congress is poised for another partisan showd
zeinali wrote:
Even when Republicans have a good intention, to stop government overspending and deficit, they continue their political unfair and unethical game of saving money at the costs of the weak and poor, of the needy and suffering unemployed, disabled, old, young and children, instead of cutting spending at unnecessary, unproductive and excessive government and private industry money sucking monster machines.
4/12/2010 11:55:10 AM
Even when Republicans have a good intention, to stop government overspending and deficit, they continue their political unfair and unethical game of saving money at the costs of the weak and poor, of the needy and suffering unemployed, disabled, old, young and children, instead of cutting spending at unnecessary, unproductive and excessive government and private industry money sucking monster machines.
4/12/2010 11:55:10 AM
Sunday, April 11, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Politics Your Comments On... Steele urges Republicans to not let errors be turned into distractions NEW ORLEANS -- Michael S. St
zeinali wrote:
The facts speak for themselves...Who do you think is a better political person and role model for our nation's adults and children? A highly educated President, trying to positively solve and redirect the inherited nation's mess and catastrophic circumstances, in good-faith and in the best interests of the American people, while managing to be and remain a good and responsible father, husband and social human being? Or, an abusive angry and political ambitious man and his party, a morally ambiguous political leader, who, by pursuing first his and its selfish agendas, focus their primary goal on trashing, undermining and blocking most of the constructive politics and civil efforts of our elected and inspiring President, instead of concentrating their minds and efforts on positive innovative politics, to help lift the country out of the misery they primarily caused, to support the progress and peace for all the nation's citizens and the world?
You judge and decide what's best for the "American" agenda, for the Republican Party and for the global world!
4/11/2010 10:39:50 AM
The facts speak for themselves...Who do you think is a better political person and role model for our nation's adults and children? A highly educated President, trying to positively solve and redirect the inherited nation's mess and catastrophic circumstances, in good-faith and in the best interests of the American people, while managing to be and remain a good and responsible father, husband and social human being? Or, an abusive angry and political ambitious man and his party, a morally ambiguous political leader, who, by pursuing first his and its selfish agendas, focus their primary goal on trashing, undermining and blocking most of the constructive politics and civil efforts of our elected and inspiring President, instead of concentrating their minds and efforts on positive innovative politics, to help lift the country out of the misery they primarily caused, to support the progress and peace for all the nation's citizens and the world?
You judge and decide what's best for the "American" agenda, for the Republican Party and for the global world!
4/11/2010 10:39:50 AM
Friday, April 9, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Columns » Follow The Post On: Mobile Newsletters & Alerts RSS Facebook Twitter Your Comments On... Tone down the hatefulness in p
zeinali wrote:
I am pleased to see the light at the end of the tunnel, when discovering civility, maturity, sophistication and high educational quality in the media, like in this article. To be honest, I started to get tired of the numerous ignorant, primitive, immature, rude and vulgar public and official political cultural comments and opinions (or better said, lack of a civic political culture).
4/9/2010 3:47:34 PM
I am pleased to see the light at the end of the tunnel, when discovering civility, maturity, sophistication and high educational quality in the media, like in this article. To be honest, I started to get tired of the numerous ignorant, primitive, immature, rude and vulgar public and official political cultural comments and opinions (or better said, lack of a civic political culture).
4/9/2010 3:47:34 PM
washingtonpost.com > Politics > The Fed Page Your Comments On... Lawmakers, advocates push administration for appointments to privacy board Lawmaker
zeinali wrote:
Where are the voices of some outraged and abusive Republicans, trying to excessively and destructively criticize, demonize and obstruct almost everything the President does, tries to do or not do, or says, who don't want too much government? Can they counteract positively and in turn deliver some creative, clever and constructive analytical and systematic thinking, some pragmatical solutions to current national and international issues? Can they keep up with complex historic processes and changes, acknowledge and address them, and, consequently meet all the challenges with adequate responsible and progressive responses and actions? I hope that I don't ask too much from them, maybe they are in a dare need of some fresh blowing wind across their dead-bones party's antique structural body and operations.
4/9/2010 12:01:45 PM
Where are the voices of some outraged and abusive Republicans, trying to excessively and destructively criticize, demonize and obstruct almost everything the President does, tries to do or not do, or says, who don't want too much government? Can they counteract positively and in turn deliver some creative, clever and constructive analytical and systematic thinking, some pragmatical solutions to current national and international issues? Can they keep up with complex historic processes and changes, acknowledge and address them, and, consequently meet all the challenges with adequate responsible and progressive responses and actions? I hope that I don't ask too much from them, maybe they are in a dare need of some fresh blowing wind across their dead-bones party's antique structural body and operations.
4/9/2010 12:01:45 PM
Thursday, April 8, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Columns » Follow The Post On: Mobile Newsletters & Alerts RSS Facebook Twitter Your Comments On... Language proficiency is Foreig
zeinali wrote:
Languages open windows to new countries, cultures, variations of mindsets and perspectives, create the basis for an enrichment of spirit and visions, as well as for an open-mind, tolerance and flexibility. Foreign languages should be promoted and should be mandatory in schools, like in most of the world's nations. By promoting them, first at home and then abroad, we promote basic fundamentals for global understanding and communication, for world peace.
4/8/2010 5:03:33 PM
Languages open windows to new countries, cultures, variations of mindsets and perspectives, create the basis for an enrichment of spirit and visions, as well as for an open-mind, tolerance and flexibility. Foreign languages should be promoted and should be mandatory in schools, like in most of the world's nations. By promoting them, first at home and then abroad, we promote basic fundamentals for global understanding and communication, for world peace.
4/8/2010 5:03:33 PM
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
washingtonpost.com > Politics > The Fed Page Your Comments On... Neary on where the Office of the Director of National Intelligence went wrong Five
zeinali wrote:
Who needs to go to an Intelligence University to become intelligent, non-intelligent people?
Don't you think that our Intelligence agencies and operations are in absolute need of naturally intelligent people, people with life experience, special talents and skills, plus an international academic and work experience profile, in order to serve the country in more reliable, responsible and smarter ways?
4/6/2010 2:34:08 PM
Who needs to go to an Intelligence University to become intelligent, non-intelligent people?
Don't you think that our Intelligence agencies and operations are in absolute need of naturally intelligent people, people with life experience, special talents and skills, plus an international academic and work experience profile, in order to serve the country in more reliable, responsible and smarter ways?
4/6/2010 2:34:08 PM
washingtonpost.com > Religion Your Comments On... Obama to meet at the White House with black church leaders President Obama will sit down Tuesday wi
zeinali wrote:
I am glad that our President is honest and racially unbiased. He is right when choosing to represent and serve all Americans without preferences, we are all in the same boat. With all respect and compassion to the black people and their past history of oppression and injustice, why aren't black people honest and upright, to admit that their present privileged status and rights, enabled by the affirmative action in response to the past wrongdoings, create a negative and unjust impact on non-black people today, who often are treated unfairly, denied the same rights and privileges, or discriminated against?
4/6/2010 2:01:10 PM
I am glad that our President is honest and racially unbiased. He is right when choosing to represent and serve all Americans without preferences, we are all in the same boat. With all respect and compassion to the black people and their past history of oppression and injustice, why aren't black people honest and upright, to admit that their present privileged status and rights, enabled by the affirmative action in response to the past wrongdoings, create a negative and unjust impact on non-black people today, who often are treated unfairly, denied the same rights and privileges, or discriminated against?
4/6/2010 2:01:10 PM
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