My two-cents worth and then some. An online journal by LP Brown.

Browsing Category The Way I See It

To Hug or Not to Hug

by on ·Lifestyle and Culture, Opinion, The Way I See It

schoolgirl--51689332When I was a child, a hug from my teacher was comforting and encouraging. Giving a hug to a favorite teacher showed my appreciation. But today conscientious teachers are afraid to touch or be touched by students. What’s more, a student displaying physical affection toward a teacher or another student could face suspension.

Such was the case on December 3, when Sam McNair, a 17-year-old high school senior in Duluth, Georgia, was suspended for sexual harassment because he hugged his teacher. A week earlier, six year old first grader, Hunter Yelton, was suspended from a Colorado school for kissing his female classmate on the hand. Following a wave of negative publicity, the Colorado school system lifted the suspension. People tend to regard the action of the six year old as innocent and impulsive, but some are less forgiving of the high school senior.

I queried a few teachers on the subject and have summarized their views below. To protect their privacy, I’ve used bullets instead of names to represent each teacher’s remarks. Here is what they had to say.

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So You Want to be a Writer

by on ·General, Opinion, The Way I See It

Publishing-Contract-30036044If you are looking for advice from an expert who has spent years studying and teaching writing you’re on the wrong blog. I am no expert. I am a freelance writer. In the ocean of prominent authors, I am a minnow. But while the big fish swim circles around me, I don’t cringe.

Writing is my passion and words are my pearls. Apparently, I string them together adequately — most of the time, because over the years I have been fortunate enough to have had articles printed in various publications including The Washington Post. In addition to my essays, I’ve had enough Letters to the Editor and opinion pieces in print to paper at least one wall in my den. Rejection slips from my perceived prize winning compositions could cover the opposite wall. Aside from college English and writing courses, I’ve had no formal training, but I’ve had excellent mentors including my friends Walter Kiplinger and Alex Lajoux. For the past four years, I’ve been happily blogging on my own websites. Hopefully, I have eliminated any pretentiousness, and I will now tell you what I know about writing and how I do it.

Writing well requires practice. Decide for yourself whether you want to write news articles, fiction, poetry, speeches, or whatever. The field is wide open. Just write. Write. Write. And write often. That practice makes perfect is no lie. I write on a variety of subjects and get ideas at any time or place; so much so that I keep a small notebook and pen handy to jot down things to write about as they occur to me.

As you write, keep in mind that your composition may require that you validate details. When I write, I fact check like a research junkie.  I also take pains to ensure the accuracy of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. After I’ve finished my final draft, I proofread it multiple times, and when necessary I cut wordiness like a pathologist dissecting a multilated corpse. Okay, perhaps that description was a bit melodramatic, but I enjoy spicing my writing with a bit of color and humor.

After you write your manuscript and submit it for publication, you can bet your binky that it will be critiqued with an eagle eye. Any piece that is fraught with grammatical errors, misspelled words and obvious impractical facts will go directly into the recycle bin. But if it is acceptable, someone from the editorial staff will likely contact you and ask you to swear on a stack of emails that what you wrote is your own creation and was not plagiarized nor published elsewhere at any time. If you truthfully answer yes, then voila!

The subject of writing well requires many more words than I can squeeze into a single post. So look for me to expand on this subject in the future. My bottom line, humble advice, is this:  make sure that what you write is original, error free, and accurate – your integrity is on the line.

Oh, one last tip – if you want to learn to write well, it helps to be an avid reader.

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Truth and Consequences

by on ·Race Matters, The Way I See It

This commentary was co-written with a gentleman who chooses to remain anonymous.

N-word--15952934Truthfulness, sincerity, and honesty are qualities to which conscientious people aspire. In fact, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affords us the right to speak the truth; and a court deposition – like that which brought an outcry of “foul” to Paula Deen –requires an oath or affirmation of truth.

Deen is paying the price for her decision to be truthful about her past use of the “N Word.” She has been dropped by the Food Network and will likely lose other endorsements, because big businesses do not always appreciate honesty and loyalty from its promoters or consumers. Many organizations perceive their employees as mere pawns used to generate profits, and those pawns are quickly disposed of when their words or actions threaten a potential loss of profits.

Deen chose to be truthful about something that occurred in her distant past and — just like that — the very industry that celebrated her dropped her like a hot potato in order to distance itself and avoid financial repercussions. I commend Deen for speaking the truth, but shake my head at her naivety in trusting an intolerable and hoggish capitalized society.

Sides are being taken on the issue of Paula Deen’s use of the “N Word.” If truth be told there are numerous Caucasians in all walks of life who use that word in the privacy of their home or among their close friends and trusted co-workers. Deen admitted to using the word, and for being truthful she faces the consequences. We live in a hypocritical society, where pretence brings more rewards than honesty and truth; and where it is better to pretend to go along for the sake of getting along, then to risk being ostracized and penalized by a public where political correctness is the rule of the day and the so-called “new norm” sets the standard.

What is very troubling about this matter is the fact that it is acceptable for some people to indiscriminately use the “N word” while others are ostracized for it. Is the use of the word “Reserved” for use only by a select group?

Do I think Deen should have been fired from the Food Network and then figuratively stoned? No.  Do I dislike hearing that word with all of its negative connotations being used at all? Yes.

Paula Deen will not sink into poverty because she loses a few endorsements, but she may be distraught because she told the truth. Any white people who may decide in the future to admit to using the word consider this (and I am paraphrasing an old cliché): “It is better to be thought to be a racist, than to open your mouth and be accused of being one.”

 

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Jodi Arias Dethrones Casey Anthony

by on ·Opinion, The Way I See It

Mirror15460337Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the most hated woman of them all?

Not since the Casey Anthony trial aired in 2011, have I been so captivated by a live televised courtroom trial; albeit one that features yet another woman who — in the court of public opinion — is the queen of evil, more familiarly called the “most hated woman in America.”

I admit that I am hooked on live courtroom programs. If I could I would rather view every live courtroom trial on TV than watch a single episode of Scandal. Okay, I perjured myself with that statement and request that it be stricken from the record. In my opinion Scandal trumps all other TV shows. But this is not about Scandal. It is about the reigning courtroom drama queen.

My research reveals that the first woman to hold the title was Madalyn Murray O’Hair, founder of the organization American Atheists. O’Hair was born on April 13, 1919, decades before courtroom trials became a television staple. But because her U.S. Supreme Court case contributed to the removal of prayer in public schools, proponents of universal prayer dubbed her America’s most hated woman. In August 1995, O’Hair, her son Jon, and granddaughter Robin suddenly disappeared. Six years later, in January 2001, one of the men convicted of kidnapping and murdering O’Hair and her relatives led police to a Texas ranch. Buried there law officers discovered the mutilated and dismembered bodies of the trio. Some considered it poetic justice.

The second infamous person to hold the uncomplimentary title was Casey Anthony, accused in 2011 of the death of her two year old daughter, Caylee. The child who lived in Orlando, Florida with her mother and her maternal grandparents had not been seen by the grandparents since June 16, 2008. She was reported missing to 911 a month later by Casey’s mother after Casey could not substantiate her daughter’s whereabout. Caylee’s decomposed remains were found in a garbage bag, in the woods, in December 2008. On July 5, 2011, despite overwhelming evidence including the then 25 year old’s proven web of lies, the jury found Casey not guilty. Outside the courthouse, TV cameras revealed the outrage of numerous nail-biting angry people. They, like many spectators who had been in the courtroom or  had viewed the proceedings on TV asked, about the jury, “What were they thinking?”

Now, Casey Anthony — who has been in hiding since her release — has been dethroned by the infamous Jodi Arias.

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When Sparky Lost His Spark: A Dog Dies of a Broken Heart

by on ·General, The Way I See It

Old ShepherdMy Aunt Sarah died over 16 months ago. During a recent conversation I had with her husband, my Uncle James, he shared with me a story about their dog’s unusual behavior following my aunt’s death.

As a dog lover, I’ve always been impressed with stories I’ve heard about the instincts and loyalty of animals and how some of them travel great distances to reunite with their owners. And research has proven that dogs have an innate sense of protection for the people with whom they live. After my uncle told me about their family dog’s performance following my aunt’s death, I am even more convinced that just as dogs are “man’s best friend” we are theirs also.

When my aunt died not only was she mourned by numerous relatives and friends who traveled from far and wide to celebrate her homegoing, unbeknownst to us her absence was also felt by her family owned German Shepherd named Sparky.

My aunt and uncle had owned Sparky for many years and although I never knew the dog’s precise age, I do remember him being a frisky, energetic young canine that could easily intimidate anyone entering my aunt and uncle’s yard. Back then, when my aunt saw our family arriving at her home and then backing away when the dog appeared from around the side of the house, her confident words before shooing him away, “He won’t bother you.”  didn’t make me feel any less afraid of that dog. It’s like a dog owner telling me, “He won’t bite.” and me thinking, “He’s got teeth, doesn’t he?” As I said, I do like dogs, providing they don’t frighten me. I remember being wary of Sparky even after he grew old and slow; because as is a dog’s nature, he was no less territorial.

Long before Sparky became a member of their household my aunt and uncle lived in New York City. After retiring from their jobs in the Big Apple, they built a spacious brick house on family-owned land in Eastern North Carolina, outside a small town with a Mayberry feel to it. Several feet across the lawn from my aunt and uncle’s place, within shouting distance, is an old wood frame house built by my grandparents during the period dominated by World War II. They lived there until their deaths. Grandpa, the town’s popular Baptist preacher, who I never had the pleasure of knowing, died in 1946. Grandma left us in 1987. I cherish memories of the wonderful times that my immediate family and I spent visiting between the two houses over the years when grandma was alive.  After grandma died, my aunt and uncle’s home became the primary gathering place for many family members on holidays, getaway weekends, and other occasions.

In the rear of those two houses, partially encircled by a forest, is the small, family cemetery, the final resting place for a number of our family members. It is a quiet place where the living who visit the gravesite can connect spiritually with our departed loved ones. Apparently, Sparky connected there, too. 

I will tell you Sparky’s story as my uncle told it to me. 

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