Greatest generation: Financial setbacks hurt most at end of life

Carol Forsloff - People in their 80’s and older who went through WWII and the Great Depression and who have been called the Greatest Generation, have seen their plight worsen with health and financial burdens.   Is it time to get back to remembering this group, when we think of patriotism?

The Greatest Generation is suffering despite their often-lauded status and having been defined great because of their sacrifices and suffering, all done without complaint. But it isn’t just the financial downturns that will cause many of them to suffer more than just a little bit.  ” It’s money and the “me first philosophy” that experts warn will cause many seniors to struggle now and in the years ahead.

 As homelessness and state funding is cutback in the wake of the recession, and as states worry about their budgets, social service agencies and charitable organizations observe a reported increase in the number of seniors in upper age brackets seeking help. Due to the housing crisis many are unable to sell their homes and move to where their children live. So they turn to public agencies, to state governments, church and private groups for aid. 

But local governments complain about financial burdens already too heavy for them to move forward on critical needs, namely paying salaries, while the impact of so many people out of work has created growing concern over charitable options for everyone. Also as working people try to keep their jobs and homes, it’s easy to forget those who are neither seen nor heard daily because they are tucked in some corner in an apartment complex, retirement center, or home away from those who in decades past were called upon to care for elders during hard times.

 Seniors struggle around the world now.  In Toronto The Star stated in December 2008 that 30% of Canadians believe they will have to work past 65. But most folks in their 80’s would neither be hired nor have the health or other resources to allow them to get out of their easy chairs, and more likely beds, and return to the workforce, as health professionals maintain. 

 The Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel several years ago wrote that those over 70 are likely to feel bleak by their next birthdays because few resources exist for upper age seniors during this recession. The Journal calls these people “the forgotten people” because no bail outs have been planned for them. This comes at a time when pension plans that do not provide fixed benefits, are seen likely to decline while 401K retirement plans already have declined. So the small, average $63/month Social Security increases at the turn of a year likely won’t do seniors very much good.'

In Hawaii the long-term residents who are past 80 find their property values have soared, so they fare fairly well.  On the other hand, the price of medicine and necessities for living still make budgets tight for people.  Those people who decide to retire in Hawaii find their money drained with housing costs, unless they know the best places on the islands to live, something not always readily available in the tourist brochures.

Some seniors are faring worse than they thought because they lost even more of their savings in the great upheavals of the stock market of several years ago.  The fact many of them did not remain in the stock market, or reenter it, means they may not have regained what they lost.

 But it’s the fact that seniors can’t rely on their last hope, their children, that is the saddest cut, according to elders across the country who bemoan the fact that they can’t move and don’t have the financial resources to pay for the kind of help they need. Furthermore folks lament that they will be unable to regain economic stability any time soon.

Economic experts tell us that it took until 1954 for the stock market to reach the level it had in 1929 at the time of the stock market crash. Folks in their 80’s don’t have 25 years to wait for help to arrive. So our greatest generation is rapidly becoming the forgotten generation by the culture that is predominated by baby boomer leadership, the “me first” folks, the group with the upper age senior parents, even though this greatest generation, people in their 80’s, was declared the best for doing all the right things.

The Greatest Generation sacrificed a great deal during the Depression and war years.  Those sacrifices might well be remembered every day, for the Greatest Generation to live out their remaining years with the respect and consideration it deserves.

What value do grandparents have in family relationships

Grandparents have qualitative and quantitative value

Carol Forsloff  Grandparents may be more valuable than many people think.  In fact not only is there emotional value in having grandparents, but the value can be quantified as well. 

The value comes with child care while parents take vacations and when they work.  That is the time grandparents often step in and assume the responsibility for caring for the children.

One night stands: Where do they stand in the ethics, freedom debate?

Joan Baez who captured in song her one-night stand

Carol Forsloff - With the 70's came a wave of independence for many women, after civil rights and the sexual revolution, and with it came the one night stand.  How has that changed since STDs and AIDS?

It was, in the late 60's through the 1970's thought a craze that would pass, an experiment, romanticized like Joan Baez  "Love Song to a Stranger, " a song about her own experience.

It turns out rather than vanishing, one night stands have become part of the culture, so much so that there are YouTube videos devoted to the subject and magazine articles as well. These give advice on the how-to's and what-fors, and there are even organizations that cater to the business of one-night stands.

AskMen.com came up with some sizzling advice for these frisky capers, making sure men know the difference between one-night stands and permanent engagements.  The beauty of the former is the ability to escape entanglements and just buzz along afterward with each party having no obligation to the other.

This article directed to the guys advises the fellow to go to her place, not his; so he is in control of the getaway, and there are no lingering issues in getting the gal to move along. Furthermore, there are those reminders (likely addressing those STDs for sure), of having protective gear as well.

Now that's the culture of sex these days in the back rooms of America and everywhere it seems.  But there are counters to this culture that say whoa there, not so fast. Experts tell us it's very important to remember that in a casual relationship it's very difficult to determine who has a sexually transmitted disease and what other issues might be involved.  There are also other risks, of a stranger turning violent, and of other potential dangers as well.  But Ask.com gives instructions on the practice of safe sex from all different angles.  Their advice?

They don't recommend it, but underline if practiced it ought to be safe. The practice of one night stands has created disharmony for such online dating sites as eHarmony.  The site at one time wrote an article on navigating the one-night stand, and after a minor uproar, wrote a retraction.  In fact the founder is said to have espoused relationships that wait for sex until a serious arrangement is made and permanent.

And the sexual freedom has become so absolute that there adult dating sites that underline people meeting for sexual frolic more than the idea of romance itself, marriage or any permanent relationship.

The ethical and healthy ideas about casual sex, and the problems it incurs related to mental and physical health added to the Evangelical push to put women's rights united with morality as well, one might think one night stands might be a thing of the past.  It appears, however, they are here to stay, surely among the youth and the rank-and-file of today's singles.

Still while one-night stands remain part of the culture, with the impetus given by the sexual emancipation of women after the 60's, there are still groups that question the practice and whether it should be habit-forming.  It is the kind of personal freedom some might debate about, the ethnics of which for youth has simply to do with choice as opposed to morality.

The young does not ask if it is right, but do I have the freedom to do so if I wish, which is uniquely different than past generations where the freedom to do it was less an issue than whether or not it was right.

What's the truth about eating spam in our world?

Spamarama--spam eating contest

Carol Forsloff - Of all things that may foretell the future, how about spam?  It was a depression favorite, and it began to again be on the menu of many when the economy began to splutter several years ago.  People who look for cheaper and cheaper ways to feed a family turn to spam, so spam may be a way of telling us when times are hard or not and how everyone feels about the world economy.

One finds spam often in Hawaii, where it became an island favorite many years ago during World War II.  It was those cheap eats with the G.I.s that offered island folk something they have turned literally into a delicacy.

All in the family: Elder abuse a growing problem

 Editor - -- Most people when they think of elder abuse consider this must be a
care home problem, but more and more social services are finding it is
often a family member of the abused doing the harm.

Why does this happen?  The reasons are many.  It can be money, or inheritance issues; but more often it can be other concerns.

And often the crime goes unreported because the abuse occurs in the family.

An elderly man's oldest son steals the money the old man had been hiding in his bedroom.  The old man's daughter learns about it, creating a rift between her and her brother.  The brother denies taking the money, shifting the blame to the others, until the whole family is involved.

Financial abuse may be more difficult to spot, but it is a major crime against the elderly, often perpetrated by a family member.

And physical abuse is hidden and described as the result of a fall or running into a door or some other event that makes it appear as an accident, when in fact a son, a daughter, a nephew or some other close relative is the one to blame for the bruise.  Or worse: the death.

This kind of issue is seen around the country, as national surveys of the problem indicate.

There are ways to protect the elderly from relatives who seek to take
advantage of them or harm them.  One way is to seek to have an offending
relative's power of attorney or guardianship rights removed.

In 2007,  in just New Jersey alone there were 2,249 cases of abuse, neglect
or exploitation of the elderly. In 2008, the number climbed to 2,492.  That was just one state seven years ago.  The problem has grown even larger since then.  The numbers, however are expected to grow even further when more cases are reported.

There are many forms of elder abuse.  Abuse can be emotional, sexual, exploitation, verbal or neglect.  The abuse can occur inside the home or in care facilities.

Some states have a Bill of Rights, as New Jersey has for its nursing home
residents. Assisted living facilities are bound by a separate set of
regulations, which are similar yet distinct from the statutes governing
nursing homes.

Along with the statutory/regulatory difference between nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there is a general, practical difference. Assisted living facilities generally provide less care than nursing homes. Thus, if a loved one is still independent and, for the most part, able to care for themselves, then an
assisted living facility may be the appropriate setting. However, if a
loved one is less independent and needs assistance on a more regular
basis, a nursing home may be the best place for them.

To help protect the elderly and prevent abuse in nursing homes, the state of New Jersey has established the Nursing Home Resident's Bill of Rights. If a residence or state has no Bill of Rights, the following is a guide used by many facilities to help people understand the seriousness of abuse and report it when it occurs:

According to the Resident's Bill of Rights, nursing home residents have certain rights, including:

- Right to manage own financial affairs, unless a guardian authorizes (in writing) the nursing home administrator to do so

- Right to wear own clothing

- Right to retain and use personal property, unless it would demonstrably unsafe to do so

- Right to receive unopened mail

- Right to a private telephone at own expense

- Right to privacy

- Right to a safe and decent living environment

- Right to reasonable opportunity for interaction with the opposite sex

According to the Resident's Bill of Rights, nursing homes are required to do certain responsibilities, including:

- Maintain a complete record of all funds, personal property and possessions of residents

-
Provide for the spiritual needs of residents by providing arrangements,
at resident's expense, for attendance of religious services

- Admitting only the number of residents that the nursing home believes it can safely and adequately provide care for

- Ensuring that medications are not used for punishments or administered for the convenience of the staff

If a nursing home is found liable for violating a resident's rights or
failing to perform any affirmative duties, the resident is able to
recover punitive and actual damages, attorney's fees and costs.

If you suspect that an elderly relative is suffering abuse or neglect at

the hands of a relative, nursing home or assisted living facility, there
are warning signs experts tell us that you can look for.

Possible warning signs of abuse include:

- Cuts, broken bones or bedsores

- Abrupt behavioral changes

- Missing possessions, including money from bank accounts

- Unexplained changes to a will

- Restricted or delayed visitation by the nursing home or assisted living facility

Possible warning signs of neglect include:

- Foul odors in bed or clothing

- Unclean hair or nails

- Unexplained weight loss

- Unexplained changes in behavior

When a loved one, an elderly individual with limited physical and emotional
resources, has to deal with abuse; the pain of living can be difficult.

Those who are interested in helping protect the elderly from abuse should maintain a close watch on the senior, the facility and individuals who are providing care to ensure the rights of the person are being protected. a loved one has been the victim of elder abuse at the hands of a relative, a nursing home or an assisted living facility.

Are pit bulls dangerous or just picked on by the media?

Pit Bull

 Carol Forsloff - Pit bull owners become defensive when there is news or discussion about attacks described in the press, which brings outrage from citizens at the same time who worry about these dogs in neighborhoods where there are children.  

Pit bulls are hanging around in rural areas of Waianae, not too far from its pristine beaches and on streets with young children. In fact some local folk think it's tough there to have a dog that can be fierce enough to attack on sight. Owners consider the dogs protection.  

While some cultures and some people are tolerant about pit bulls and consider them just like other dogs, there is still plenty of news from time to time about them to indicate concerns that come about these dogs. 

At a Christmas holiday in 2008, a 21-year-old man, Christopher Friesen, was attacked and injured by a pit bull in Molalla, Washington. The local television channel provided the news about it. There were two pit bulls involved in the attack, and they were quarantined for 10 days following the attack. They had been found inside an empty lumber mill building foundation and were reported to be very aggressive. Friesen was initially hospitalized at Silverton Hospital with injuries that included what was described as " serious puncture, abrasion and crushing injuries" He was out on a walk on Christmas day when the dogs attacked him.

Right before the holidays that same year another pair of pit bulls mauled to death a 60-year-old man in California. The man was the grandfather of the dogs' owner. He was outside taking a cigarette break when he was attacked by what the sheriff called very aggressive pit bulls. It was said by the County Animal Services spokesperson about it that since the dogs had not been spayed they were particularly aggressive. They were also both good-sized dogs with the male weighing 107 pounds and the female 52 pounds. The name of the victim was not released at the time of the media report.

Three other attacks by pit bulls were reported in the United States in the last two months of that year. In Camarilo, California a man and woman were both treated for hand injuries resulting from an attack by a pit bull, according to newspaper accounts. . In New Orleans a man shot and killed two pit bulls that attacked him.

The New Orleans news online considered the problem of pit bulls material for a serious article about them. Two pit bulls seriously mauled a six-year-old boy and were put down as a result. The television stationthat broke the news in September said the child was in serious condition at a local hospital. 

In Cleveland, Ohio The Metro reported nearly a thousand pit bulls had to be killed because their owners disobeyed the law that required them to be muzzled and kept in a fenced area. So it appears that in many places pit bulls are out and about without supervision.

Pit bulls have not only their friends as apologists, but others as well. There are a number ofwebsites that plead the case for these animals, talking about the abuse they suffer. These people are quite protective of pit bulls.

It isn't difficult to find a recent case of a pit bull attack in the United States. OregonLive reported an incident in November of a 7-year-old who had been attacked badly by a 90-pound pit bull that took several people to subdue. 

Dogs most involved in violent attacks are Rottweilers and pit bulls, according to statistical reports. Although some people claim it is the owner as opposed to the breed of dog that is responsible for the problems caused by dogs like pit bulls who attack and often severely injure or kill their victims, the question continues to arise: why are they kept as pets in ordinary neighborhoods?  But there are those who continue to say pit bulls are fine as pets.

The dog debate has a history. That debate has raged for centuries. If 2009 mirrors 2008 and previous years, it’s likely the argument will continue. 

Some pit bull advocates defend the breed by declaring that there is a form of profiling done with pit bulls that targets them in the media and the neighborhood. A journal article by David A. Harris reviews a book about racial profiling by Frederick Schauer, (Profiles, Probabilities, and Stereotypes Cambridge, MA: Belknap/Harvard University Press, 2003. xiii 359 pp.). Harris discusses Schauer’s argument about profiling and his example of pit bulls as part of his examination of the controversial nature of profiling. 

Schauer wrote many contemporary laws about dogs were in response to public panic and profiling that were put on the books in the 1980’s from spurious or isolated cases that neglected information about the overwhelming numbers of docile pit bulls.  

Another author determines that pit bull owners are treated like owners of guns and with similar arguments on both sides. In this case the “weapon” is the pit bull. Owners maintain that it is the owner of the dog who should be held liable for the dog’s behavior. This is similar, according to the author cited here, to the argument that it is the owner who uses the gun that is culpable and not the gun itself. 

So are pit bulls “mean, dangerous and uncontrollable beasts” as one author discusses? The question allows a look at history to examine this issue. Animal trials have been part of history since the medieval period, with the animals cited as dangerous, and some of then executed in much the same ways as humans found guilty of crimes. The fact that there have been animal trials shows the tendency of some to ascribe legal person hood characteristics to entities that are actually property. These days some animals get “hung” and some persons do, depending upon the circumstance. 

An example of dogs being declared guilty and sentenced to death in 1998 shows the controversy. A young man with a criminal history owned several dogs that allegedly had terrorized the neighborhood. The dogs had attacked a 74-year-old man. The neighbors asked for the dogs to be killed. It was acknowledged by the spouse of one of the claimants that it would be impossible to pass a law barring people with criminal records from owning certain types of dogs but mentioned that owners should be responsible. The article summary noted that there had been 90 dog bites in the fiscal year in Montgomery with pit bulls accounting for only 10% of them.  

A review of the literature on Questia found no reliable statistics on the rate of pit bull attacks vs other dogs. The one site commonly cited on the Internet, on dog bite laws used in my previous article, has been seriously questioned by dog owners and their defenders.  

In recent years, 2014 as an example, there were numerous incidences of dog bites from pit bulls leading to death.  Many of the victims were children and the elderly.

So incident by incident the issue becomes part of newspaper literature, with the full story continuing to unfold. 

The stress on mothers at work increase with autism

Mothers with autistic children have so many demands from work and from home they are disproportionately and negatively impacted according to research done at Washington State University Vancouver.

Autism spectrum disorder, or autism, is a neurological disorder affecting the development of social and communication skills with more and more children diagnosed each year and impacting one in 150 children. 

The study covered the experiences of 3226 families in the states of both Oregon and Washington.  What researchers found is more than half the women worked fewer hours in order to care for the needs of their autistic child.  Three out of five could not work because of the demands placed upon them by the child's autism.  

In order to properly care for these children, one-quarter of the mothers had to take time from work to do so.  Many had not received a promotion, and nearly 60 percent had financial problems in the past year. 

Two-thirds of the parents said the mother's work outside the home was particularly impacted by their child's autism.

"We found that negative effects concentrate on the mother," said Dana Baker, lead author with Laurie Drapela of a paper published online this month in the peer-reviewed Social Science Journal.

Baker explains what happens with these mothers and why they have difficulty at work maintaining schedules and keeping up with work demands, and thereby not getting promotions or good pay.  What the researchers learned was mothers of autistic children have to take children to extra medical appointments, have conflicts with school schedules and teacher concerns about their child, individualized plans at school, and have to work around these extra demands.  The mother is then reprimanded at work, which causes her even more stress.

"Understanding how to adapt programs and policies to better fit the more intractable challenges of these parents represents a vital responsibility of the twenty-first century," researchers concluded.

In spite of these findings, however, that have been available for several years, the number of companies that allow mothers special time off has not increased significantly.  In fact few companies allow either parent time off when a child has a disability.  This is one of the more stressful factors in the economy, especially following a recession or when both parents have to work.

Because of the cost of raising an autistic child, and often the extra help that is not reimbursed by special funds, both parents are often called upon to do more than the usual parent.  The stress can be exacting on health and finances as well.

And that stress can often be lifelong, given the fact that the children will often outlive the parents, since the fact a child is autistic does not necessarily mean longevity will be impacted.

It is difficult for parents of autistic children to manage multiple responsibilities, and the time off from work that is needed remains part of the dilemma of working parents, particularly for mothers for whom the obligation most ordinarily falls.

Self-respect, control over environment and unpredictability appear consistent American values

The symbol of America and its core values

In 2010 researchers found that Americans value self-respect more than security.  But five years later, have attitudes changed, and what appear to be the most consistent American values?

While politicians and in pollsters stressed in 2010 is what Americans wanted at the time is that self respect and the interest in it was found to be steadily growing over the years.

The research was done at the University of Oregon found a sense of belonging and security had diminished over the past 30 years.  This was in spite of 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Towers.  But the focus on the research was on personal safety as much as anything.  The results were published in the Journal of Advertising Research at the time.  It was done in order to examine people's values and to understand them in order to target marketing campaigns.


"Research on advertising effectiveness has shown that advertisements that connect to people's core values are more effective than ones that don't," said Lynn R. Kahle, the Ehrman V. Giustina Professor of Marketing in the UO's Lundquist College of Business in her remarks related to the research. "If you keep questioning people on why they buy something, before very long you will get to a core social value. We find that understanding these core values is the basic reason that people buy certain brands of products."

Self-respect also was the most important value expressed by most of people in previous surveys. Since 1976, self-respect has risen from the top pick by 21.1 percent of all respondents to 28.8 percent in 2007. Also rising fast was "warm relationships with others," from 16.2 percent to 20.9 percent since 1976. And the popularity of "fun-enjoyment-excitement" more than doubled as a top choice, from 4.5 percent to 9.3 percent.

Security was the #1 worry in 1976, but in 2007 its social value had fallen to 12.4 percent.  That's because the emphasis of the research was on the security of material belongings and whether that identified someone's sense of self-worth.

"Security and sense of belonging decreased in importance since 1986," said the new study's lead author Eda Gurel-Atay, a doctoral student working with Kahle. "Security has been decreasing a lot in importance. We found this surprising because people were talking about security all the time, such as in relationship to 9/11 and economic issues as well as Hurricane Katrina. We found that people want respect for themselves and they want to be important to other people. Knowing this is important because, as marketers or advertisers, we can come up with strategies that are most usable to our audience and to our products."

Researchers say social media may have played a part in how people view themselves and their world.  It shows how a person feels internally is more and more important in comparison with material security.

The reason for the fluctuations in American values from time to time is another value University evaluations have found when looking at core values.  They actually value unpredictability in themselves, spontaneity, creativity, individual freedom to examine themselves and their world.  It is considered to be an ongoing value, although it may be expressed differently depending on the time when polls and surveys are taken.  In fact the #1 core value over time is considered to be personal control over one's environment.  It is considered very important that people take responsibility for his or her well-being within the context of where he or she lives and the conditions of the environment.  Americans see the value of man controlling nature rather than nature controlling man.

So while pollsters often survey American ideals and values from time to time, the individuality of one's beliefs, ideas and that environmental aspect of control, as well as the value of unpredictability may account for the fact that Americans may actually be hard to predict and why the politicians and pollsters try to make their surveys often.

Complications faced by women aging without children.

Older woman, some of whom face aging without children

Women in every country figure higher in their rate of poverty along with longevity, in the United States and other developed countries, that exceeds that of men.  One of the major problems in America is the number of women reaching middle age and older without children who can care for them when they are old.

A Pew Research poll found a few years ago that nearly one in five American women ends her child-bearing years without having had a child.  This compares with one in ten in the 1970's.  What groups show the most significant changes? The Pew Forum found that while childlessness has risen for all racial and ethnic groups, and most education levels, it has fallen the most for women with advanced degrees.Women the most likely not to have a child are those who have degrees beyond the bachelors level.  There was, however, one exceptional year for 2008, when these educated women showed 24% without children in comparison with 31% in 1994. These women were mostly 40 - 44 years of age. The most educated women still are among the most likely never to have had a child.

White women are most likely not to have had a chld by the end of child-bearing years, but the gap is narrowing as childless rates have increased across the board with many groups. Among all women ages 40-44, the proportion that has never given birth, 18% in 2008, has grown by 80% since 1976, when it was 10%. There were 1.9 million childless women ages 40-44 in 2008, compared with nearly 580,000 in 1976. This report is based mainly on data from the June fertility supplement of the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.

The United States is on par with many other nations and higher than others.  For example, the rate of childlessness is 22% in Great Britain 7% for Eastern European countries. 

Why has childlessness rates grown in recent years?  Experts tell us what today the decision is seen as a woman's individual choice.  Women also have better job choices and contraceptive methods.  Furthermore there has been a general trend toward delaying marriage and child-bearing, especially among more educated women.

What happens when this population of women reach retirement and beyond, needing medical care and help with navigating through the problems of aging?  That is the question confounding the experts, especially when the cost of health care is increasing.  It will also mean an increased demand on social service systems.  One of the political issues has to do with the conservative groups that clamor to reduce the safety nets even as more people are poised to need them.

Women's needs in aging are part of the problem social scientists maintain need to be addressed, even as the population itself is in flux.  In 2014 more women who are older are known to be having children, yet the rate of childlessness will surely impact the cost of care and other social issues in the coming years.

Many new mothers remain unmarried in growing percentages

Bristol Palin, who was unmarried when she gave birth and who now preaches abstinence

Several years ago the Pew Forum reported a shocking statistic, and that is 41% of new mothers at that time in the United States were unmarried. Have those statistics improved?

So Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and Levi Johnston were not aberrations when Palin ran on the ticket with John McCain, while her daughter clearly showed her pregnancy.  The couple were unmarried and later split up, just like many other young adults do when the woman is pregnant before marriage.

In the decade reported not just teenagers had babies without marriage, which is a big increase over the previous ten years.

The Pew Research Center in 2010 found a record number of unmarried women gave birth in the U.S.  and that nearly half of these new mothers were unmarried.  1.7 million babies were born that year, most of them to women under the age of 25.  59 percent were to unmarried women in that age group.

This is a growing trend apparently when compared with numbers from 20 years ago when only 28 percent of births were to unmarried women.

Unmarried mothers face a set of legal issues that include establishing paternity, setting a support agreement, custodial agreements, financial agreements, and other related issues.

Each state has its own laws regarding child support, and these vary a good deal across the country.

Americans are not entirely positive about the trend of unmarried mother because as the Pew Center has reported, "while Americans have softened slightly in their disapproval of unmarried parenthood, most continue to say it is bad for society."

The rates dramatically increased in subsequent years.  In 2013 statistics showed that 60% of the women who were having children in their 20's were unmarried.  At the same time Generation X is said to be different than the women in the generations before them, as they are, for the most part, neither in favor of or opposed to abortion even though many of them are on the lines of people protesting against abortion.

And while the marriage rate is falling, out-of-wedlock rates are increasing.  The potential result?  Increased poverty at a time when the gap between rich and the middle class continues to grow as well, pushing further down the ladder those without the resources to struggle up the ladder, which means those babies born to without a two-parent balance or those without the economic means to provide the education and long-term security for them.

•  

Wikipedia first stop for student research, but should it be?

Wikipedia

Carol Forsloff - Wikipedia may be criticized for its errors and amateur ways at times, but recent research reveals that many students make it their first stop in research.

As one student said, "Wikipedia tells me what's what."

Wikipedia is often an early resource for university students bent on research, according to a study produced at the University of Washington in 2010.

Researchers, Michael Eisenberg, dean emeritus and professor at the Information School, and Alison Head, a research scientist at UW, conducted a survey of 2,300 students and interviewed 86 in focus groups. They found that 52 percent of students frequently used Wikipedia, the online, peer-produced encyclopedia, for background information, even if an instructor advised against it. Eight of 10 students said that to get their research underway, they often go to Wikipedia for background information.

Uniquely it was science students that used Wikipedia more than other students.  Google users used it 10 times more than others.

Some faculty members and librarians have been leery of Wikipedia because of concerns about credibility and intellectual rigor, Head said.

"Nevertheless," she said, "Wikipedia helps many college students because it offers coverage, currency, convenience and comprehensibility in a world where students don't always expect credibility."

Wikipedia drew fewer students than other background resources such as course readings (97 percent), Google (95 percent) and scholarly research databases such as ProQuest (93 percent), but it was the point where they started their research.

For the research, Head and Eisenberg gathered data from sophomores, juniors and seniors at six college campuses between April and June of 2009. Freshmen at four-year colleges and students who had taken fewer than 12 units at community colleges were excluded, as they were more likely to discuss research strategies they had used in high school. The mean grade point average was 3.4, or B .

The research subjects were full-time students at Harvard University, Illinois State University, the University of Washington or students who had completed at least one semester at Chaffey Community College (Calif.), Shoreline Community College (Wash.) or Volunteer State Community College (Tenn.).

"We found that while college students use Wikipedia, they do so knowing its limitations -- it has some credibility but not deep,” Head said. "Our findings also lead us to believe that support and solutions from multiple outlets, not just one tool, service or individual, may work the best.”

But has Wikipedia been found useful four years after the University of Washington study?

Even Wikipedia itself tells us that it is not considered a credible or authoritative resource for serious study, academic use or student papers.

What about for journalism?In an article called "Wikipedia in the newsroom" the pros and cons of using information from Wikipedia is discussed.  Many newsrooms have policies banning their use because of potential inaccuracies.  But reviewers tell us it is unclear how many newsrooms have these policies.  However, as the writer assessing Wikipedia's usefulness for reporters tells us,
use caution when using Wikipedia in any authoritative way because its facts are often uneven.  And again folks are said to be cautious because the users of Wikipedia are often its writers and editors as well.

So despite the fact that students have used Wikipedia to write papers and to find facts, the bottom line conclusion is to use care in doing so, which means turn to other sources to check the facts, just as it is good policy for doing anything relative to finding information and substantiating it as well.

Erosion of civility in politics; grassroots folks have answers

The beautiful town of Natchitoches, Louisiana where people strive to get along with one another

President Obama was quoted as saying at a prayer breakfast in 2010, there's been "an erosion of civility" in politics, giving as examples questions concerning his faith and his birth.  Four years later, political divisions seem only to have increased.  But is this true everywhere and how can politics improve?

To find some of the answers to the problems concerning the lack of civility in political discourse and whether or not folks think it's a problem, I interviewed Jack McCain, a member of the city council of Natchitoches, Louisiana, a few years ago.  That interview is particularly appropriate in 2014, as the country's political divisions have seemed only to increase over time.

McCain has been active as a political and community leader in the town since 1988. He also owns his own business in auto supplies and has the perspective of small business as well as that of a conservative from the South. But he had a history of taking pride in himself on looking at issues and working towards areas of agreement.

McCain was asked, "Do you think there are problems with civility in political discussions today?" He said, "Yes I do." When asked why that is, he responded, "I don't really know for sure all the answers. But this is what I think. We are more polarized now that I have ever noticed before. I think a lot of it is due to public unrest, like the parties, the tea parties, the health care debate and all that." He declared he thinks Obama is setting a trend that's divisive.

When asked if former President Bush might have been divisive as well, "He said I think he (Bush) was perceived that way, as a divider." He agreed that neither Bush nor Obama were politicians who have been able to moderate discussion and bring people together.
But the effect on future generations is McCain's greatest concern.

 He said this, "What are we doing to our children? It's really scary. We have to stop spending. We need to be more interested in the private sector, small business. Not a lot is being done to help small business." He expalined it's tough for many small businesses, although his is doing well.

I asked McCain if he thought political dialogue was better in Natchitoches than other places in the country. He said, "I think it's better. But there are those trying to drive a wedge between us from both the conservative and liberal sides." McCain referred to a march on city hall that had taken place a couple of months ago where a group of people demonstrated against bringing back what is commonly known as a "darky" statue of an African American man bowing at the waist while tipping his hat. 

McCain went on to explain how there had been major objections to the statue and talk of bringing it back as simply a historical piece. Marchers instead didn't want it in town, unless it was placed in the hands of African Americans, exclusively in a museum; and some even objected to that.

 It was found later on the statue was not coming back for some technical reasons set outside of Natchitoches, so it had really become a non-issue. Still council members were accused of wanting to bring the statue back in some negative way and were even accused of shutting down the local radio statue so the proceedings couldn't be heard on the air, although the owner declared later it was a problem simply with the radio station itself. McCain declared, "people didn't seem to want to listen, the effort was divisive and caused some hard feelings." He went on to say, however, "that most folks don't want this kind of stuff to go on, including most of the African Americans I know."

McCain, at the time of the interview, told me of his belief people can find areas of political agreements and should focus on them. He said, "There are ways people can get together and focus on issues not personalities." He agreed things like medical marijuana and legal rights for all groups regardless of sexual orientation are some of the areas where open agreements might be made. He went on to emphasize, "the militant factions should back off."

I asked McCain what kind of person he thought might be able to get the country together. He said, "That's a difficult question. That's really tough. For my part, I think someone with Christian values, someone who is centrist but progressive in some ways, but still thinks less government is better. The person should want the government to be safe." He observes that money and lobbyists get in the way of good communication and prevent some good people who might be the right kind of folks for political office. He mentioned people like former Governor Huckabee, but how he stumbled on pardoning a man from prison, who later killed several police officers. He likes some of Newt Gingrich's ideas but not his personal values because of his divorces.

"Could you accept a Democrat"? McCain who admitted to being a lifelong Republican said, "Yes, and there could be some unknowns out there. The person could be an independent or Democrat, not just a Republican person. Republicans do a lot of things I don't agree with, so the person could be an independent, for example. A lot of people are moving in that direction for that reason, I think."

McCain is often talked about in the town of Natchitoches as someone most folks respect. So I asked how he was able to communicate with most people in Natchitoches and are to moderate discussion." He said, "Well, first of all I don't think of myself as a politician, although technically I probably am. I pride myself on looking at every issue on its merits, the human side of the issue. I will do what is right for Natchitoches, not just to get elected. I avoid racism when it comes to relationships with the African American community and stick to the issues at hand." He also said this might be his last term on the city council, and he wants as a replacement, someone "who has the right kind of thoughts and is able to communicate them well and get along with others."

On a personal side, McCain talked about that human side of interaction as very important. He mentioned his own personal pain, like the deaths of two of his children, that had helped him relate to people who suffer from hurts. "Losses make people look at things differently, with their hearts. I try to do that as well."

Polarization in politics is said to take place in a country divided on strict political lines. But is it everywhere and where are the good examples? The interview with McCain provides evidence there are people at the grassroots level who care about others and want discourse to improve and try to set good examples for it so effective political discussions and civility can happen everywhere.

If people thought of a nearby state with all its people as simply part of a neighborhood or a small town with close relationships, respecting what folks often talk about, as the connectedness among us, perhaps the ability to get along politically would occur; and the gridlock in Washington would become a clear highway with the country reaching its destination towards prosperity and peace.

Carl Bernstein: Not much reporting any more

Carl Bernstein

         
Carol Forsloff---Margaret B sat at a table nearby, peering up at the television set in the back of the restaurant and exclaimed, "Not much on television these days except people saying there's breaking news, but then it isn't new at all, do you think?  And there's lots of just conversation back and forth, with young folks laughing as they are talking.  Doesn't sound like what I remember newscasts used to be."  Her observation mirrors that of Carl Bernstein reporter of the Washington Post and Watergate fame.

Bernstein was on the show Reliable Sources today, observing what others have often said about the media.  Too much of the news is of the armchair type and too little is news.

Hillary Clinton was the top of discussion on many of the news channels this weekend.  But for the most part the articles were speculation on how the new revelations about her personal life was going to impact her future possibilities as a Presidential candidate.  Bernstein offers the observation that it is often this type of news that dominates the air waves and the print form of the news as well.

The woman at a restaurant takes a moment to say out loud what she believes has happened with the news and offers her observation, albeit "no real names, please" to a reporter sitting nearby.  "I just don't watch much television anymore because I hear the same things repeated over and over.  And they say it's breaking news.  I mostly read the Portland Oregonian because at least I get some news about what's going on around here.

Local is what counts to many people.  But even local news is invaded by online "newspapers" that don't report the news but instead offer a series of canned articles that are cut and pasted from somewhere else.  So that's why people say they get tired of repetitions, the same formats in the same way, by armchair writers who don't go out and cover news on foot.

A casual conversation becomes the news of the moment, reaffirmed by Carl Bernstein, a reminder of what even people in the news media have said about themselves and expressing the concerns of many, that the old-style method of going out into the public arena and gathering information is a value many hope won't fade away.  In fact it is that style of reporting that leads to good investigative journalism.

Justin Bieber and Bill Cosby: America's preoccupation with jails

Justin Bieber mugshot

Carol Forsloff with Gordon Matilla---"He belongs in jail.  He's no better than anyone else.  Why should famous people get away with stuff, and other people can't."  This summary judgment was overheard at a nearby table in a restaurant where a journalist and spouse sat eating lunch.  People were discussing the accusations of rape against Bill Cosby and those of Justin Bieber's antics that had him arrested, then released after paying fines.  And that judgment is echoed by many people, which is one of the reasons why the United States leads the world in the percentage of the population in jail.

It is also why so many people are preoccupied with jailing individuals, even for minor crimes.

While some people believe Bieber got off easy for his drunk driving, speeding and resisting arrest, others want to see him deported.  Deportation is often the result of a country's view of an individual as being somehow a threat in relationship to crime or security.  Would it therefore follow that Bieber should be deported?  As for Cosby, if he were to be found guilty of rape, the date of any incident would have to be considered for any jail time to be the consequence.

Crimes and misdemeanors; there are many reasons why the United States puts folks in jail.  The South leads the nation in incarceration rates, with eight out of the top ten states imprisoning people;  but the rest of the country also has overcrowded conditions and attitudes from the population that reflect strong notions about punishment.   In fact there are more African Americans in jail than in slavery in the 1860's.

The notion about jailing people goes back to certain fundamental beliefs about crime and punishment inherent in American culture.  The most fundamental principle is often quoted as "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."  But why is it that the United States leads the world in jailing its citizens, far more than its neighbor, Canada?  And why are those whose crime is mostly related to drugs that are legal in some states and against the law in others given such harsh penalties relative to their "crimes?"  These are the questions people ask as they wonder about the system of justice in a country that offers itself as a model for the rest of the world.

The New Yorker attempts to answer those questions about why the US is so quick to imprison its people.  An article entitled, "The Caging of America" states, " Ours is, bottom to top, a “carceral state,” in the flat verdict of Conrad Black, the former conservative press lord and newly minted reformer, who right now finds himself imprisoned in Florida, thereby adding a new twist to an old joke: A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged; a liberal is a conservative who’s been indicted; and a passionate prison reformer is a conservative who’s in one."

In this discussion, it is not Bieber, the musician, that is an important topic, as celebrities seem to be in the news many times for drugs, sex and other issues.  It is an attitude that calls for punishment even before the facts are known, and the outcry if the "right" verdict isn't given about a situation where the law maintains one is innocent until proven guilty.

Recalling a pilgrimage to Dr. King's Atlanta home and the lessons of the day

[caption id="attachment_22440" align="alignleft" width="296"] Dr. Martin Luther King[/caption]

Carol Forsloff----It was a long day in Atlanta, warm, sunny, and a stopover on the way to Florida from Pittsburgh at a time when the country had moved on from the angry shouts and hurts that emanated from the Civil Rights era, and those wounds felt by so many, to another time, eight years after the death of Martin Luther King in 1968, and a pilgrimage to the memorials.  The memories remain, in reflection, along with life's lessons that stay in the heart as his birthday is tomorrow.

Atlanta was not in my traveling plans, but a missed plane left me stranded in a strange city with no sense of direction, unable to drive and without a car in a place I had never been and only read about.  Those things associated with the city of Atlanta had been the civil rights demonstrations and marches, the acrimony shown on television between blacks and whites and the still older images of the burning of the city during the Civil War.  It was not a positive mindset, held by a woman of the West of liberal leanings; and the first thought was to remain at the airport and simply read a book I had tucked in a travel bag for those occasions of boredom when traveling some distance from Pittsburgh, where I had been living for years.

But a venture out on the curb outside the airport terminal and a look around, emboldened me enough to flag a cab driver who happened to be driving along.  I knew Martin Luther King had lived and was buried in the city, so the plan was to go to the memorial, expecting to be one of a minority of white people interested in visiting the former civil rights leader's grave.

When I told the cabdriver of my plans he replied, "Well, this is my taxi; and I have never been to those places myself.  Why don't I show you the town, if you don't mind my picking up other fares along the way so I don't lose all the income for the day." The agreement was made, as funds were limited anyway by the unexpected time and cost of staying for hours in Atlanta, and a welcome invitation for sure.

We drove through the town through neighborhoods of plain, simple houses, of the kind where I had lived and other middle class friends did as well.  Along the way the cabdriver stopped for a man in a fine suit, who politely offered hello, took a seat, as we shared the ride to the home where Martin Luther King had once lived and the home still a residence for his family in 1976, long after his death in 1967.  The man in the suit offered his card, long lost and forgotten, with a name not recalled anymore, but said, with the card, "I am Sammy Davis Jr's agent, and I too have never been to the home of Dr. King.  I met him many times but have never been to the place where he lived." He seemed surprised I was going there too.

The conversations among us, the cabdriver, originally from the Middle East, a middle-aged African man and me were part of the day's good memories of how strangers meet and in a journey learn and grow with the time.  For each of us visiting King's home and his gravesite came with a different response, but similar too, with respect for the man who had dedicated his life to the freedom of man, black and white.

The house was modest, and not one folks might associate with a man of such incredible reputation, talent and moral strength.  Yet there it was, the downstairs portion dedicated to an office and library collection of civil rights books and memorabilia, while the upstairs, the secretary said, continued to be the family home.  I asked, "Mostly black people come here to visit or people from up North like me?"  "Oh no," said the woman, a smile on her face, "Actually most of the people who visit here and the grave, as well as Ebenezer Baptist Church are white Southerners."  The stereotype of angry white people assaulting black folks with rocks, hoses and epithets dissolved in that comment, to teach me that the news doesn't always present all the facts, but the sensational ones get more attention instead.  We three stood there, listened and wandered a bit through the small area, then left to visit the grave.

Davis' agent was the first to make his way to the gravesite, standing silently and saying aloud, "How I miss you, my brother," as tears began drifting down the cheek of a man who obviously knew Dr. King.  The taxi driver also stood in respect, saying nothing, but his eyes full of wonderment still.  And I feeling privileged just to be there to honor, remember the man I had only seen on television and celebrated just in my heart, knelt for a minute and prayed.

We returned to the cab, somewhat moved at the time, exclaiming, but softly, the feelings that all of us shared.  We three seemed to know we had been somewhere significant and expressed it with joy in our words, as the passenger, who had shared the journey, was left at his hotel, smiling and waving like a friend saying farewell to another on a day that was special to both.

What I learned on that day that has lasted for years is that strangers can share intimate moments of feelings, as had happened that day, especially when surrendering preconceived notions as well.  I wasn't a white woman from Pittsburgh, the cabdriver not a Middle Eastern immigrant and the man who had introduced himself as Sammy Davis Jr's agent was just another person that day, remembering to honor a friend and knowing that friend's greatness as well.  We were three people each on a pilgrimage of sorts to pay respects to the great man martyred for his work and beliefs.

 

 

Boomers worry, who will take care of me when I grow old

Many seniors already face long-term care without the funds or family to support them

Carol Forsloff - Tomorrow’s elderly will need to create non-traditional support networks or pay for the care they receive, since many of these folk didn't have children and lack resources for their old age.  What will happen in the future
for them?

The problem is not just one facing the United States, but in other countries of the world where the life patterns of baby boomers have been similar.

Baby boomers don't have children or the family circle
that traditionally cares for its elderly people who become frail and
dependent.  This means that 70 percent care that ordinarily is provided
by families won't be there for them.  Besides that life expectancy has
changed, and they can expect to live for a number of years in old age,
perhaps lacking critical resources during that time.

The conclusion reached by Jacques Légaré,
professor at the Université de Montréal, who studies aging baby-boomers,
is these people are going to have to make special plans and networks to
assist them in order to compensate for the fact they won't have family
care.

"Tomorrow’s elderly — today’s boomers — had far
fewer children. Who will take care of them?" the professor wonders.
"They risk finding themselves in difficult circumstances and might have
to turn to the public system or pay their way."

According to Mr. Légaré, baby boomers are going to have to turn to
non-traditional networks such as friends, siblings and even cousins, and
new programs will have to be created to help this group manage care.

Indeed it was pointed out in a financial news article in 2013 that one of the principal things baby boomers worry about is having enough money to meet medical costs as they age.

Also it has been found that two-thirds of those either in retirement or nearing retirement are worried about long-term care when they grow old and need special help.

The public is also going to have to change in order to accommodate the
needs of this sizable number of seniors who will require care by the
public if other care is not available.

"Boomers have done nothing like the others," Mr. Légaré points out. "They stand out from the other cohorts, and we believe they will do so again."