Thursday, March 4, 2010

The F Word

Since the dawn of time Families have always been a considerably important aspect of community and civilization alike. The Family has been re-defined numerously over the centuries, reinvented and re-approached while reinforcing new ideals into it. Today, it is considered a collaboration of various individuals that are bonded either by blood, marriage or affinity. The original formation of a family has slowly been losing its importance and impact on people, both individually and communally.

A family is like a tree. It has its roots and from those roots forms a trunk, the base, the solid foundation. As the years pass it begins growing larger, buds slowly developing in different directions, but still, everything is attached all the way down to the roots. Soon branches are formed and they continue to grow, forming leaves and seeds which can be planted to grow more trees. They require the light of day to be most productive and depend on nutrients from the earth's soil and water to develop and stay healthy. Some branches become sick and it requires energy from the entire tree to restore it no normal. Sometimes, branches even die and yet, for some time, they stay attached. Sure, they can always be cut off, but eventually they will fall off on their own. The tree will continue growing and developing seeds and leaves, that is, until it is damaged. As soon as a living branch is cut off of it, it is weakened, it's production slows down, concentrating mostly on the injured portion. The more branches that are cut off, the weaker and weaker it gets. If too many branches are cut and the tree is unable to heal itself properly, not effort is given (or can be given because there are too many cuts), then the entire tree can die. A family is like a tree because regardless of how big it is, how many people are involved in it, they are all apart of it, they are all attached. Both of them require maintenance, care and appreciation in order to survive and not a single branch can survive solely on its own.

The term family is common throughout history, in fact, in religious contexts, it has been around since the creation of mankind. Adam and Eve were the first “Nuclear Family.” Since then Families have slowly evolved and developed from a Husband and a Wife with their own children to anywhere from a Wife and a Wife with an adopted kid from a war-torn or oppressed nation to a Single Woman with Six children from six different fathers. The strength of Families, and also within them, has also dwindled incredibly. There were times when children respected parents and also a time when parents were respectable enough to call themselves such. People used to proud of their families and their ancestry, families were big, sometimes entire communities consisted of a few families, or even one largely extended family. They were important and are important because, just think, if even one link is missing, that effects every link following it. My grandparents made it out of war-torn Poland and came to Canada (I posted an earlier post on this), but if they hadn't, let alone had they not met, I would not be here today typing this.

Many children that are born into this world without are born without marital consent, in some cases forcing a marriage and legal family to be formed (this was known in the early 20th Century as a “Shot-gun wedding” because the father of the bride would sometimes have a shotgun at the wedding ceremony to ensure the groom married his pregnant daughter. [abortions were not allowed because they didn't agree with ending any human life]). Most people are not truly ready to be parents, or do not care enough and so they irresponsibly raise their child(ren). We were all children before and we should be thankful for being alive in the first place and appreciate whoever it was that brought us into this world, but it is up to the parents to be “parents.” A child is a creation between a man and a woman, both have equal responsibility of their actions. There are consequences for every choice we make, so take responsibility for your actions. There are plenty of single mothers and fathers out there who are doing a better job than two parents put together. A mother and father should both have a part in a child's life, and it would be best if he child was in a “family” of both the paternal parents, but either way, that child needs guidance into this world and it is up to the parents to their job.

Families are being forgotten and in a lot of ways it is difficult for people to securely maintain one. It is only difficult because the choices are a) so few, b) so askew. Without substantial merit or abundant cause within society, they are basically irrelevant. There is a major independence streak in today's society that is effecting not only the imagery of Families but also the actual existence of them. Three major reasons for this decline are: 1) Government, 2) Education [correlation to the first point], and 3) Media [also in correlation to the first point]. Basically, to sum it up those three aspects are in a combined trend that has, over time, corrupted, tainted and devolved the Families true sanctity, leaving us with a scattered puzzle. Bottom line is that, regardless of where you fit into the puzzle, you are still one of the pieces that make it complete. A family is a family, regardless of who and what makes it such and it is up to those people and those people alone to make sure that it is in tact.

The importance of Families have been undermined so much that, today, a parents role is nearly a role at all (this role has been in a downward spiral since government took control of Families). They can be a huge portion of support and when you break it down, every one of us comes from one and every community is a collaboration comprised of them. Logically and simply put: We all need Family, we are all a part of one. Why go through the trouble of it being trouble when we can have it to benefit ourselves and the others in it. It should be a strongly-bonded and closely knit group of people of sharing or similar beliefs that look to each other for support, guidance and appreciation. We should appreciate who we are and what we have in this world, especially our family, after all, we do share the same blood.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

O So Funny

O.k. so one minute "Diabetes kills", then the next "Look at all this chocolate, my entire set is made of it." ... Contradictory? Here it is, on the Daily Report "moment's end." Oprah?

http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-colbert-report/full-episodes/#clip269157

Oh Canadian Gold!

I am posting this because I am proud of my nation as we defeated the United States hockey team 3 to 2 in overtime to take the Gold Medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Hockey championship. It was a great game and we are still the best in the world at our national sport, which made it even better. It was a well deserved victory and they did a great job in earning their medals.

Justice IS Blind (Literally, She/It can't see a thing)

There are countless and countless stories in which the current justice system has failed us, the majority of the people in which it is supposed to be in place to protect us. There are some people that are protected, Government Officials, Politicians and Police who protect themselves and those with money to protect. Not only are people refrained from protecting ourselves, we are unable to defend ourselves.

I do find it quite humorous how the Lady Justice is often depicted as being blind, and I do understand that is supposed to represent that it is impartial and unbiased, without fear or favor, but in all reality, Justice is Blind. Racism still exists within it, it is extremely biased. A man, Kent Hovind is arrested and convicted for tax related crimes (he believes in the Bibles view of economics which is Libertarian and contrasts Free Market beliefs). "...After a 5-year misdemeanor court battle over the $50 building permit, on June 5, 2006, Hovind pled nolo contendere as charged to three counts: constructing a building without a permit, refusing to sign a citation, and violating the county building code. Hovind was ordered to pay $225 per count. That month Hovind complied with the county law: Hovind estimated he spent $40,000 in legal expenses on this case, but, in a 2002 CSE newsletter, Hovind requested donations stating that the costs approached $100,000." He was sentenced to 15 years in prison with three years of probation under surveillance.

On July 2, 2007 Hovind's appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court for the 2006 US Tax Court judgment (Kent E. Hovind v. Commissioner of IRS) was denied. Hovind "filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit claiming he was prevented from challenging the amount of his tax liability." But "a three-judge panel ruled that Hovind failed to raise the issue at the right time, so he waived his rights to contest his tax liability."

His wife, Jo Hovind, was sentenced in 2007 to 1 (of a possible 225) years in prison. Today both of the Hovind's are still in prison and Kent Hovind is considered an "Administrative Level Threat." On December 30, 2008 the Hovinds' criminal appeal was denied by the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court, which affirmed the Hovind's attempts to dismiss their convictions were "without merit." With the appeal denied, wife Jo Hovind began serving time on January 20, 2009 at Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna and then moved to Metropolitan Correctional Center, Orlando where she was released December 3, 2009. The court ruling allowed forfeiture proceedings on Hovind property to continue to satisfy the debt. Eric Hovind kept DAL and CSE open throughout 2008, but in July 2009 a judge allowed the government to seize Hovind property for restitution. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Kent Hovind, BOP Register number 06452-017, is scheduled for release from prison in August 2015.

One of the things that has been said by people, such as Ron Paul, is that it is unconstitutional for the government to charge income tax. Our government has created Regulations, Acts and Statutes that conflict with our liberties, one of these is the United States Patriot Act. There is no patriotism in it, they only called it that to deceive. It is the most unpatriotic Act possible as all it does is give the Government total control and the ability to arrest anyone at any time for any reason.

Then, we have Politicians and Corporations who are caught with fraudulent acts effecting millions of people, in some cases even causing mass death, and some of these people still have their jobs. The ones that get time, only serve a minimal (sometimes someone has to take the wrap to make the people feel satisfied, slap on the wrist) amount of time and are usually able to get back to whatever it was they were doing before. People who don't have money are treated/viewed as criminals and those who steal money to make themselves richer are laughing because there criminal acts, for the most part, go unnoticed. Justice is Blind.

Not only that but the statutes and Acts that have been created (so many of them at that) in such a way that, we, the people they are supposed to protect, can not even understand them correctly and are forced to pay hundreds/thousands to a lawyer who took years of school just to understand the jargon let alone all the regulations/acts/statutes that have been created. It's twisted.

Here's some links reflecting all of this.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Justice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Hovind#Property_taxes_and_zoning_ordinance
http://ncse.com/news/2006/07/kent-hovind-arrested-federal-charges-00795
http://ncse.com/news/2009/07/dinosaur-adventure-land-to-be-seized-004963

Check out these links about Wall Street receiving their bonuses and their responses to the crisis and how began.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23034-2004Nov3.html
Wall Streets response - WATCH IT

Finally, the last two links, two well educated men talking about the current economic crisis and on how it doesn't look like it'll be getting better any time soon and why that is the case.

http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=fH-a4nq6ja8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPmdzKcDe-s

Insipration and Support

*This is definitely a personal post about me, if you don't care to read it, you can always stop here.*
Something I have put a lot of thought into in the recent weeks is some of my inspirations. I consider myself lucky, as many people is this day and age barely have a relationship with one of their parents, let alone are able to spend time with the parents of their parents. I come a very family-orientated background, both of my grandparent's were married until both of my grandfather's had passed away and I had the privilege and honor to know both of them for periods of my life. My parent's are still married to this day with no signs of that dissipating. My parents and grandparents are amazing role models for me to have and I haven't always given them the appreciation they deserve, so maybe that is a part of the reason for this post.

Being a parent is not easy, my parents had 4 children and I am the second oldest. Every child is a little different (we all tend to learn from the others, even the parents learn as they go along) with their own specifications, desires and uniqueness's. I don't know how my mother did it but she home schooled all 4 of us until high school (grade 8 and 7 for the younger two). To be honest, she is the best teacher I ever had, and she was definitely strict. Once I got to high school, I found out how easy it was to slack, and that was something I wasn't used to. It became a bad habit for awhile, I still did what I needed to do, I just didn't have anyone pushing me in the right direction constantly. I made it out, barely scraping along the bare minimum to get into college.

Now, I have been living on my own for 4 years. There are definitely times I wish I would have stayed at home longer (I moved out at 18). The support my parents and grandparents (especially my mother's parents) have given me is immense and their lives are inspirational. I won't lie, there were times I took it for granted, I misjudged myself and my surroundings and allowed my logic to be blinded by everything else conflicting. I've made some bad decision's in my life, some to this day I am still feeling the effects of. I haven't always tried my hardest, and in order to be successful, you have to work hard all the time at becoming exactly that: A Success. My mothers parents, Helen and Henry (my middle name is named after him), are a perfect example of this.

Their story is an such inspiration in itself, my mother has decided a while ago to write a book (for children, she does ECE work) and I have been planning on writing a screenplay (wrote some stuff but haven't worked toward anything solid yet) based on them. I miss my grandfather, he passed away on thanksgiving weekend of '08. He was the greatest man I have ever met in my life and I am proud to say that I knew him as long as I did. He didn't talk much, but he was always logical, always driving into people how to be successful, and really it was simple for him; Work hard.

Both of my grandparents were survivors of World War II. My grandmother grew up in a town on the far east of, what was then, Poland (her village is now in Belarus after the borders were readjusted, post-WWII). My grandfather grew up on the exact opposite side of the country, in a town on the Germany-Poland border. The war broke out and all its horrific events took place (btw, history has a funny way of being biased... there are a lot of first person accounts that aren't included in mainstream media or in educations replays of historical events), my grandmother and her family, through determination, and the bonding strength of their shared love and faith, made it to safety by crossing the country and evading capture. There, my grandmother would meet her future husband. They met but were split up as both of their intention was to come to Canada, only one made it first. They corresponded through letters and then were reunited many years later only to be married. Many years down the road I come into existence. I can actually say I thank God for being alive because both of my grandparents could have easily been one of the millions that had passed away during that period, but they made it, met one another, and now I am alive. I got fairly close to both of them, although for many of my grandfather's latest years he was very ill, I even lived with them for periods. They do mean so much to me, and I have a lot of love and respect for them. My grandmother stuck with my grandfather to the very end of his well-respected and successful life. He was a soldier until the very end, fighting cancer numerous times before leaving us to be in a better place. Even through his sickness, he was still supporting and mentoring those around him. He loved his family, every single one of us in it.

Both of them came here with absolutely nothing, took advantage of the system by working as much as they possibly could (even a little more perhaps) to make/save as much as they could. Over the years they bought land and farmed it, today what they created - Grand Bend Produce Co. - an extremely successful and large company distributing all over southwestern Ontario and in major grocery retailers. They were successful and it was because their hard work paid off. My grandparents were both well respected people in their communities who treated most people like family because they knew that life was so precious and important, for everyone. This is coming from people who had watched other people take other peoples lives from them, at young ages. Their childhood and teens were spent in war. I should have learned more from them at an early age, but I had to make some mistakes first to learn about me. I am glad I have had their inspiration and support, and the support from my parents, that I have been lucky at all to have around me. My parents learned from their parents and have always tried their best to make sure we knew what was best for us. Took me a little time, but I've been learning ;p. I know none of them will ever read this but I do wish to say thank you, especially to my grandfather's looking down at me today as I am doing what I can to make them proud, for that is all they wanted for us, success and happiness. I wish they would have been here to see me today, I am nowhere near where I want to be, but I am getting closer. Either way, they are watching, so I'll make them, my grandmother's, and my parents, proud to call me their (grand)son, their family.

http://www.grandbendproduce.com/OurHistory.htm