I had been looking for this for awhile and could not remember who made the quote. I paraphrase it often and never get it right. Now that I have it again, I include it here.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. The nations have progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith, to great courage, to liberty, to abundance, to selfishness, to complacency, to apathy, to dependency, back to bondage.” [Alexander Fraser Tytler, 1748-1813, From “The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic”]
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Holiday Season
Well, I have been out of pocket a little bit lately. Got sick with some sort of crud before Christmas. We had a death in the family (wife's side) and were unable to attend the funeral due to distance, finances, and the general horrendous weather in that part of the country. Other than that, my family had a nice Christmas at home.
Don't know what the New Year will bring. The job is definitely on the line. Will be lucky to last until March. But I am trusting in God for many miracles as we are on the eve of a new year. I am thankful for family and friends. I know a lot will change this year. Whatever is coming, I am sure it will not be boring. It is my goal to continue blogging and writing articles. Hopefully something amazing with burst forth from the ole noodle. But if not, all will still be well.
Here is a cartoon that I am sure was not meant to be funny. Sadly, this is how the year is ending for a lot of people, including the asses that sunk our economy.
Don't know what the New Year will bring. The job is definitely on the line. Will be lucky to last until March. But I am trusting in God for many miracles as we are on the eve of a new year. I am thankful for family and friends. I know a lot will change this year. Whatever is coming, I am sure it will not be boring. It is my goal to continue blogging and writing articles. Hopefully something amazing with burst forth from the ole noodle. But if not, all will still be well.
Here is a cartoon that I am sure was not meant to be funny. Sadly, this is how the year is ending for a lot of people, including the asses that sunk our economy.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Real Parents
Real Parents
When a couple adopts a child, many questions are asked about the child. Questions like where is the child from? How long did it take to adopt? Why did you choose adoption? How much did it cost? What agency did you use? What is the child’s story? Where is the child from? But the Number One question that is always asked of adoptive parents is, “Who are or where are the child’s real parents?”
I know from personal experience that the Number One question is always asked by people that are genuinely concerned about the adoptive child and the family the child now lives with. The question is asked out of ignorance of the adoptive process and I know it is not meant to hurt the Adoptive Parents. But the fact of the matter is the question of who are the real parents when asked can cause deep pain for the Adoptive Parents. The impression is given that the Adoptive Parents are not the parents of the child. I am sure the persons asking this question do not want to leave that impression, but nonetheless it often is the impression an Adoptive Parent is left with.
It really is just a matter of terminology. An adoptive child actually has two sets of parents. There are the Birth Parents – the couple involved in the physical act of conceiving the child and delivering the child into the world. Then there are the Adoptive Parents – the parents that raise the child from when the child was separated from the Birth Parents to adulthood and beyond.
As stated above, Birth Parents conceive and deliver the child into the world. In both domestic and foreign adoptions, a situation arises where the Birth Parents can no longer raise the child. At this point the child is removed from the Birth Parents either voluntarily or by the order of the prevailing legal system. In domestic situations, most children end up in the state run foster care system, as orphanages are limited. In foreign situations, most children end up in state run orphanages. Arguments are constantly being made on which system is superior. Either biological family members or friends of the Birth Parents take in small minorities of children. For most adoptive children, they never see the Birth Parents again. A very small number do search for Birth Parents as adults.
Since the Birth Parents are unable or unwilling to raise the child, the role of parenting now is entrusted to the Adoptive Parents. Adoptive Parents feed the child. Adoptive Parents clothe the child. Adoptive Parents send the child to school. Adoptive Parents put the child in extracurricular activities. Adoptive Parents meet needs such as obtaining glasses, dental braces, and other health care for the child. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to dress. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to interact with others. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to drive. Adoptive Parents send the child to summer camps. Adoptive Parents send the child to college. Adoptive Parents love and nurture the child. Adoptive Parents pray for the child. Adoptive Parents take the child to church. Adoptive Parents even argue with the child. Adoptive Parents sacrifice for the child. Adoptive Parents will advocate for the child. Adoptive Parents become grandparents to the child’s children. Adoptive Parents fulfill all the functions of every parent currently raising their own biological children.
Unlike Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents have a lot to prove before a child is given into their custody to parent. Adoptive Parents must prove to the local social services that they are competent. Adoptive Parents must prove financial stability. Adoptive Parents must have a criminal background check complete with fingerprints. Adoptive Parents may need State and Federal approval to adopt. Adoptive Parents adopting from foreign countries must prove the same items to the child’s birth country and submit a lengthy dossier. Adoptive Parents must take counseling before they can adopt. Most Adoptive Parents wait over 12 months to receive their child. Adoptive Parents spend thousands of dollars for the adoption process and have to seek aid from many different sources. Adoptive Parents must appear in court and submit to medical examinations.
Now the question I have to ask is, “Are Adoptive Parents real parents?” I can assure you that Adoptive Parents are the child’s real parents. An expression I have often heard from persons working in the social services field is, “Just because you can breed doesn’t make you a parent.” It is a crude expression but a true one nonetheless. When you start to explore the world of adoption, whether domestically or foreign options, you will be shocked by the vast number of children that have been thrown away. If you grew up with your Birth Parents or are currently being raised by them, you have a forever family. More Adoptive Parents are needed all over the world to provide the parentless children with a forever family.
My wife and I are Adoptive Parents. We are real parents. We go through the same struggles raising our daughter as other real parents. Due to our adoption process being foreign, we have the privilege of having even some extra challenges in raising our daughter.
When you encounter a family that has adopted a child and you really want to know who the child’s real parents are, you can be sure they are standing right in front of you. Like other parents in this world, you can be sure that Adoptive Parents love their children just as much as you love yours, maybe more.
By Steven William Freiman
Copyright@2008 Steven William Freiman
When a couple adopts a child, many questions are asked about the child. Questions like where is the child from? How long did it take to adopt? Why did you choose adoption? How much did it cost? What agency did you use? What is the child’s story? Where is the child from? But the Number One question that is always asked of adoptive parents is, “Who are or where are the child’s real parents?”
I know from personal experience that the Number One question is always asked by people that are genuinely concerned about the adoptive child and the family the child now lives with. The question is asked out of ignorance of the adoptive process and I know it is not meant to hurt the Adoptive Parents. But the fact of the matter is the question of who are the real parents when asked can cause deep pain for the Adoptive Parents. The impression is given that the Adoptive Parents are not the parents of the child. I am sure the persons asking this question do not want to leave that impression, but nonetheless it often is the impression an Adoptive Parent is left with.
It really is just a matter of terminology. An adoptive child actually has two sets of parents. There are the Birth Parents – the couple involved in the physical act of conceiving the child and delivering the child into the world. Then there are the Adoptive Parents – the parents that raise the child from when the child was separated from the Birth Parents to adulthood and beyond.
As stated above, Birth Parents conceive and deliver the child into the world. In both domestic and foreign adoptions, a situation arises where the Birth Parents can no longer raise the child. At this point the child is removed from the Birth Parents either voluntarily or by the order of the prevailing legal system. In domestic situations, most children end up in the state run foster care system, as orphanages are limited. In foreign situations, most children end up in state run orphanages. Arguments are constantly being made on which system is superior. Either biological family members or friends of the Birth Parents take in small minorities of children. For most adoptive children, they never see the Birth Parents again. A very small number do search for Birth Parents as adults.
Since the Birth Parents are unable or unwilling to raise the child, the role of parenting now is entrusted to the Adoptive Parents. Adoptive Parents feed the child. Adoptive Parents clothe the child. Adoptive Parents send the child to school. Adoptive Parents put the child in extracurricular activities. Adoptive Parents meet needs such as obtaining glasses, dental braces, and other health care for the child. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to dress. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to interact with others. Adoptive Parents teach the child how to drive. Adoptive Parents send the child to summer camps. Adoptive Parents send the child to college. Adoptive Parents love and nurture the child. Adoptive Parents pray for the child. Adoptive Parents take the child to church. Adoptive Parents even argue with the child. Adoptive Parents sacrifice for the child. Adoptive Parents will advocate for the child. Adoptive Parents become grandparents to the child’s children. Adoptive Parents fulfill all the functions of every parent currently raising their own biological children.
Unlike Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents have a lot to prove before a child is given into their custody to parent. Adoptive Parents must prove to the local social services that they are competent. Adoptive Parents must prove financial stability. Adoptive Parents must have a criminal background check complete with fingerprints. Adoptive Parents may need State and Federal approval to adopt. Adoptive Parents adopting from foreign countries must prove the same items to the child’s birth country and submit a lengthy dossier. Adoptive Parents must take counseling before they can adopt. Most Adoptive Parents wait over 12 months to receive their child. Adoptive Parents spend thousands of dollars for the adoption process and have to seek aid from many different sources. Adoptive Parents must appear in court and submit to medical examinations.
Now the question I have to ask is, “Are Adoptive Parents real parents?” I can assure you that Adoptive Parents are the child’s real parents. An expression I have often heard from persons working in the social services field is, “Just because you can breed doesn’t make you a parent.” It is a crude expression but a true one nonetheless. When you start to explore the world of adoption, whether domestically or foreign options, you will be shocked by the vast number of children that have been thrown away. If you grew up with your Birth Parents or are currently being raised by them, you have a forever family. More Adoptive Parents are needed all over the world to provide the parentless children with a forever family.
My wife and I are Adoptive Parents. We are real parents. We go through the same struggles raising our daughter as other real parents. Due to our adoption process being foreign, we have the privilege of having even some extra challenges in raising our daughter.
When you encounter a family that has adopted a child and you really want to know who the child’s real parents are, you can be sure they are standing right in front of you. Like other parents in this world, you can be sure that Adoptive Parents love their children just as much as you love yours, maybe more.
By Steven William Freiman
Copyright@2008 Steven William Freiman
Friday, December 5, 2008
A Modern Parable
I saw the cartoon and then someone sent me the email and I could not resist adding this to the blog. I am so amazed on how all these corporations need bailing out. I wish someone would bail me out. But oh well, people like me are the Peed On. Whoops, I mean the Peon's. Hee hee hee
A Modern Parable.
A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.
They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India.
Sadly, the End.
Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US , claiming they can't make money paying American wages.
TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US The last quarter's results:
TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.
Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses...
IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY
But don't worry we [the tax payer] we will bail them out so we can continue their medocricy....
A Modern Parable.
A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.
They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the competition' and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India.
Sadly, the End.
Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US , claiming they can't make money paying American wages.
TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US The last quarter's results:
TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.
Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses...
IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY
But don't worry we [the tax payer] we will bail them out so we can continue their medocricy....
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Got a Third One Published
Here is a third essay. This one may be a foundation for a full length book someday.
http://www.stationhill.com/religious/religious036.htm
http://www.stationhill.com/religious/religious036.htm
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