Lifes like that – Is there a difference between smoking and graffiti?

Smokers choose to smoke, non-smokers choose not to. Smokers should therefore pursue their habit in a way that shows respect for those who don’t. I am not against a smoker’s right to smoke. I am not against any legal act of freedom or expression of autonomy. Tattoos for example are an expression of ones thoughts as is body piercing.

Tattoos can look extremely artistic when applied by a professional tattoo artist. I wouldn’t get a tattoo myself because I don’t personally believe in the chemicals used in them. But I admire some of the images I see. It doesn’t effect anyone else in any way. They are an individuals free right to express their autonomy.

Besides Ear piercing, I think body piercing looks terrible. But it does not effect anyone but the individual. If those who do body piercing are comfortable with the look, good on them for expressing their individuality.

Graffiti is a major cause of vandalism around the world. The damage cause by graffiti artists costs taxpayers millions of dollars to eradicate. Graffiti on private properties can cost the properties owners thousands of dollars.

Like body piercing and Tattoos, Graffiti is an act of expression of an individuals autonomy, the problem now, however, is that an individual is expressing their autonomy on property that does not belong to them. These individuals are committing vandalism by damaging others property.

Anyone of legal age can purchase cigarettes. They are legal in most countries. Besides personal health issues there is no problems associated with cigarettes if they are used in an environment away from non-smokers.

If a non-smoker is forced to breath in cigarette smoke simply by waiting for a bus, walking into a shop or sitting having a coffee in an Alfresco setting they are forced to consume the smoke of smokers enjoying their autonomy in the same environment.

Is there a difference between smoking and graffiti? Spray paint is legal, Graffiti is illegal. Just because a product is legal and freely available does not automatically give us the right to spray it around. Is there a difference with smoking other than damage we see verses damage to our health?

The owner of a property has the right to expect their property will not be vandalized by graffiti. Non-smokers have the right to ensure their health is not vandalized by cigarette smoke.

With any hobby or lifestyle choice we make, we should do so in such a way that shows at least some respect for those who don’t do it. If that happens, by default, we won’t need laws to make sure it does.

June 5, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Society  No Comments

Life is not a precursor to death – The smoking debate continues

The smoking debate has taken another focus, this time centred on a TV commercial designed to portray what a child loses if their parent dies as a result of smoking. The commercial in question centres around a boy who loses his mum at a train station with the reflection focused on losing the boys mum for a few minutes compared to losing her for life. In the commercial the boy is realistically upset at losing his mum in a crowded train station.

The local newspaper has run several letters to the editor focusing on why the commercial is wrong. Its not fair to do that to a kid, even if it is only for a few minutes some people have said.

The commercial in question uses a real life mother and son acting team. The boy, around 4 years old, knows the commercial is make believe and that his mum has only disappeared around the corner. The commercial is realistic but I don’t see any long-term problems for the boy in making it.

One particular letter in the local newspaper focused on the fact we are all going to die one day and we should be left alone to enjoy the pleasures of life until such time as its our time to leave.

This particular letter put many thoughts in my head and spurred me to write this article today.

The question in my head is why so many people look at life only as a precursor to death? As a people, do we really have such a low opinion of our abilities and ourselves.

Yes, we are all going to die some day. There is not much we can do about that. We are, however, not born only so we can die. Death should be the result of a long lived, full life – not forced upon us by actions we know are going to kill us.

Our kids look upon their parents for guidance. If it is all right for Mummy and Daddy to do it, it must be ok for me. We can attempt to live a do as I say, not as I do education pattern with our kids, but in the end, our kids will copy what we do more than what we ask them to do.

We all have the potential to leave a legacy to our own families and our community. I don’t believe we should belittle life to the point that we look upon it as an unnecessary precursor to death.

I think Tony Robbins put it best when he said “…It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives…” not a packet of ciggies.

Eric J. Smith

May 28, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Society  No Comments

Freedom concepts – Being free to be free

The idea and concept of freedom has been expressed in many ways by many cultures. The democratic concept of freedom is probably the most talked about. The concept of being free and holding onto our freedom is right and powerful.

When looking at the concept of freedom, we have to do so with the point of view that the traditional idea of freedom requires that someone must be put out for another to achieve or receive their own personal freedom. That’s how the democratic system works. Smoking is a good example of this.

In most countries smokers have the right to engage in their “hobby” knowing they have the freedom to do so. Those of us who do not smoke have to put up with the ghastly smell of smoke while a smoker expresses their freedom to light up.

The major down side to the freedom concept is in the lack on personal responsibility.

A Lack of Personal Responsibility and accountability for individual actions is where freedom takes a fall. Our society teaches us to avoid taking responsibility for our actions. For example, these days we can keep our No Claim Bonus even if the accident was our fault.

Individuals have the freedom, whether legally or not, to drop coins into slot machines, open their veins to drugs and consume excessive amounts of alcohol. When addiction sets in society must pay for the avoidance of individual personal responsibility.

As a society we should be given the freedom to do what’s right, in fact we shouldn’t be given the right to something we already possess. If our actions cause no inaction to others we should be able to express our autonomy within the bounds of governing law.

We do however need to be given less freedom to do what’s morally and ethically wrong. If our individual actions cause the loss of freedom to another individual, then we need to reconsider those selfish actions from the point of view of the person being put out.

We should have the freedom to be right and just. That doesn’t mean we should be free to be unjust.

The democratic system was set up to give individuals the right to express their individual freedom. There was no major emphasis put on doing what’s right by others. We have therefore grown into a society who grasps onto personal freedom but forget that our actions may be putting others out.

Zig Ziegler was quoted as saying… “We can have anything we want in life, simply by helping others get what they want…”

I think that sums up what this article is about.

Eric J. Smith

May 19, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Society  No Comments

Sifting through Education – 3 areas needing change

It has been said “…Parents have the right to require that their children be taught in an atmosphere that reflects their values…”. Unfortunately, in deliverance this is wrong. Ask your school principal to change your child’s Education to reflect your family values and you will be quickly told why your values are wrong.

Parents are invited to express their opinion only so the Education system can say they have given the family options. The Education system is designed to run in a particular order delivering a particular curriculum to a particular type of student. The school system acts like a sieve to sift out the lumps to ensure it runs smoothly.

Having spent many hours in the Principals office (as a parent, not a student) I can say without doubt School principals and senior staff DO listen to parents. From experience I can say however, this is NOT to enable the implementation of our values as parents, but rather to explain to us why our values are wrong.

Prior to the 2007 Election in Australia the John Howard Coalition Government implemented change in the Industrial relations act giving more freedom to employees and employers. These changes enabled Individual work place agreements to be negotiated between employer and employee. It gave more freedom to both the worker and the boss. The Rudd Labor government overturned the system after the election in 2007.

This “WorkChoices” system failed because it did not accommodate for Greed. This was perhaps the only problem with the structure. Giving Freedom to Individuals rather than a collective body IS a good thing, when implemented with protection for both employer and employee.

The Education system is run in a similar way to the current Union based Industrial Relations system. Everything is done based on a collective criteria and curriculum. The only students who are eligible to receive an Individual Education Program (IEP) are those with higher support needs. Even then, the IEP’s have to reflect Implementation through a collective system.

The Individual as such has no rights under any collective system. The development of which is done based on an assumed majority.

Parental Autonomy does not exist within the Education System as it currently exists.

It’s obvious the system needs drastic change to accommodate the individual more so than the collective.

3 areas needing change are:

  1. All students should receive Individual Education Programs.
  2. Students from 8 years of age should be encouraged with support, to set their own curriculum based on pre-determined testing criteria to ensure a streamlined Testing program.
  3. Parents should be included in the Design, Implementation and Updating of the Students individual education program.

Eric J. Smith

May 17, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Education System  No Comments

Change in Government – 5 Positive reasons for change

I heard a story once about a dog that would sit on the same step of his owner’s porch for years. Day in day out he would sit on the same step. Over the years the step wore out and nails and splinters started showing through the boards. The dog however would continue to sit on the same step, even though on occasion he would moan and yelp as a splinter dug into him or a nail scratched him.

The pain of sitting there was less painful than the idea of having to Change his ways and perhaps move to a less painful part of the step.

We are a lot like that dog. We know the current government system is wearing out. It needs upgrading to a newer model. But the thought of changing to an unknown or untested governing system is more painful than just going with the flow of the current system.

There is no doubt that change is needed because if we keep going in the same direction we are likely to end up where we are headed. The step is only getting thinner. At same point it is going to break and the dog will be forced to consider something new.

It would be a good idea to give the system a much-needed service now, before it breaks down altogether.

His mind is like concrete, all mixed up and permanently set. That may well be the quote we have to contend with when considering any change in Government.

Life is full of many changes that happen naturally but when faced with reason to make a drastic change that could be considered “life altering” we ask ourselves if its absolutely necessary and 9 times out of 10 we end up doing what we always done.

5 Key reasons for change:

  1. The world is changing and Governments are not The system needs to catch up with the wants and needs of the Country.
  2. Governments are at a point where they are governing people and not services such as Health and Education.
  3. Governments today are focusing more on their own power and less on the services they are governing for the people.
  4. There are currently too many levels of government.
  5. Governments DO need to exist to provide a systemised deliverance to services such as Health and Education as well as support for businesses. Governments are also required to provide domestic services like waste removal and water supply.

We have to be willing to accept change.

Eric J. Smith

May 15, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Politics  No Comments

5 Good Reasons to enrol Special Needs Children in Mainstream School

Teachers in Special Schools work very hard with Children with Special Needs Disabilities. They work to ensure a sound understanding is achieved with situations many take for granted.

While children in mainstream schools are learning the ABC’s, kids in Special needs facilities are learning to dress themselves, learn to communicate through alternative channels, basic life skills, toileting and the like.

Although Special needs children receive the specialised support they require there are several powerful reasons these Special Needs services to be provided in a mainstream setting.

5 Reasons to Enrol Special Needs Children in Mainstream Schools with full time support:

1. Mainstream Students learn to accept the Child behind the disability. While ever kids are made to feel different or “removed” from society there will always be issues relating to acceptance. Students with disabilities need to learn, fail and succeed like any other mainstream student.

2. Disabled Children develop a sense of acceptance. Removing Special Needs Kids from a mainstream setting for permanent education in purpose built facilities does, by default, give them a sense of not only being different but forced to feel unaccepted by society. Kids from All walks of life are different. Some are Short, Some are black, some have red hair and freckles some are obese. All of these differences does not cause these kids to be treated differently. It also does not force them to attend Specialised Education.

3. Social Interaction becomes a permanent part of the Child’s Education and not a “Special Event” or excursion. Removing a child from society to teach them social skills makes about as much sense as taking the paper OUT of the printer to print a document.

4. Not only do Special needs kids learn about the real world, Mainstream Students also learn about the world of a special needs child. Mainstream kids should be given the opportunity to learn a non-spoken language such as Makaton. It not only allows communication with those who can not speak it is also a powerful communication language for people in noisy work environments.

5. Specialised services become more readily available to other students in Mainstream schools. There will always be students with difficulties in all levels of school. Some students with mild Autism, Cerebral Palsy or ADHD. When students with more severe disabilities are educated at mainstream schools, the services for the less severe disabilities are available on hand rather than by appointment.

Society needs to move through generations of change and acceptance before Special Needs Kids and adults will be given some form of belonging to the real world.

Eric J. Smith

May 10, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Education System  No Comments

Tiers in Government – No Need to Cry About it!

A recent forum conversation planted a seed and sparked an Internal debate within me about Governments, Change and Politics. 

Governments in most parts of the world follow a 3 Tier system. Federal, State and Local Government divisions are generally found around the world. 

In Australia, as in other parts of the world many have highlighted the need for less governance and a more streamlined approach to deliverance of services. 

I am all for the reduction in the size of Government but I can’t help but feel the implementation factor is the biggest problem in reducing the size of Government at ANY level. 

To highlight the services offered at the 3 tiers of government in Australia: 

At a Federal level, the Government supports:  

  • Trade, Commerce, Employment, Corporations, Industrial relations & Taxation;
  • Postal and Telecommunication services, Banking, Currency, Bankruptcy, Census & Statistics
  • Defence Forces, Quarantine, International Treaties, Foreign Affairs, Immigration
  • Navigation, Airports, Air Safety, Copyright and Patents;
  • Social Security and Pensions

At a State Level the Government Supports:  

  • Education
  • Public Health and Hospitals
  • Railways, Public Transport and Roads
  • Police, Fire Brigades, Ambulance Services; Law Courts
  • Forestry, Conservation, Water Control, Wildlife Protection and Tourism
  • Local Government, Mining and Agriculture

At a Local Level, the Governing Council Supports:  

  • Town Planning and Urban Use Planing; Land Subdivision and Building Standards
  • Local Roads, Footpaths and Drains and Traffic Control
  • Garbage and Sewage Disposal, Health Inspection;
  • Childcare Centres, Public Libraries,
  • Local Tourism Promotion and Sporting Grounds

When implemented at Individual Levels it could easily be said that Inefficiencies, Duplication of Time and Talent and a Waste of same is obvious. 

As with most things in life when fronted with the possibility of change people will usually choose to stay the same. 

At all government levels things DO get done. Promises ARE broken, People WILL be disappointed others SHOULD feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Its called Democracy. Change fails to take shape not from lack of want but more so from a case of “Better the Devil you Know” whether we are happy with the situation or not. 

Politicians in Government and Opposition won’t take on the change process realistically because it will hit them hard at the ballot box 

The system does need cleaning up. This is obvious. The question on most people’s lips is not if or when but How? 

Perhaps, rather than individual governments regulating a varied range of interests, perhaps we need a Federal governing body with sub councils implementing and running a smooth Implementation of Services currently delivered. 

For example, At a state Level councils could be established for – Education, Roads and Transport, Health and Hospitals etc, with Implementation arms at a Local Level. 

At least with that structure we could travel anywhere within Australia and expect the same level of deliverance across states. 

It works for McDonalds around the world, Why not For a Country ?

May 7, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics  No Comments

Educating Special Needs Children in Mainstream Schools

These days finding a special needs child in a mainstream school would be like finding an “Enter” key on a keyboard.

The concept of institutionalised care and education is almost a thing of the past. Though some circles still feel special needs kids and adults do not have a place in mainstream society, thankfully these groups are diminishing as the decades roll on.

The placement of Special needs kids in mainstream school has many benefits to the special needs child but also the school community as a whole. Mainstream school kids get to know the disabled child for the person inside the body, not the outward disability. This goes a long way to improving social acceptance of the special needs kids both now as a child in school and later as an adult in the community.

As a parent of a disabled child I often liken the use of Special School facilities to taking a bath without any water or taking a flight in a plane without wings.

Just like we need water to take a bath we also need a “normal” social setting to educate special needs kids about society and interacting in it. The use of Special Education facilities is like taking a mainstream school student to the desert to teach them to swim.

I should pause to explain that this article is written out of frustration due to a long run battle for our child to be accepted at a mainstream school on a permanent basis. The closest we have ever been able to get was 4 days at a mainstream school and 1 day at special education – with this likely to expand each year until she was a permanent pupil at the special education school.

As parents we are in no way against the Specialised Education our daughter requires. We do however, feel this Extra support could and should be made available to her at a mainstream school. She should have the ability to have lunch with her siblings, participate in Lunchtime activities with mainstream kids, Attend sporting events – whether participating or cheering – and generally socialise with her age group peers.

The concept of splitting Education between 2 facilities due to a disability is like splitting a child’s world in half. Its saying “Its ok to be called ‘normal’ a couple of days a week and ‘disabled’ for the rest of the week”.

The teachers call it “getting the best of both worlds”. Unfortunately we don’t live in 2 worlds. We live in one world and we should all be accepted as equal within it regardless of race, colour, ability, disability or orientation.

May 4, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Education System  No Comments

Do as I say, Not as I do – say the AEU

During the Rudd governments term in office the number of logical policies could easily be counted on one hand – Not including the thumb or little finger. Of those that are logical, such as the publishing of NAPLAN results fear of failure prevents the policy being implemented.

Teachers tell students to learn from their mistakes, ask for assistance when needed and don’t be concerned about getting something wrong.  “We Learn from our mistakes” is a common Educational theme.

According to the AEU in reference to publishing NAPLAN results – “…league tables are simplistic and misleading…”

In Australia the AFL is followed more religiously than God, unfortunately. 16 teams play each week for a position in the 16 rung ladder. Kids are encouraged to participate in Sport and logically students find themselves supporting a footy team positioned somewhere on that ladder.  Whether it’s a coach training a footy team or a teacher educating a class, what’s the difference?

The AEU, in a letter sent home with students states – “…League tables will force schools to compete and focus more on lifting the schools average score and less on individual learning…”

From what I understand, Students are not taught Individually as it is, they are taught collectively and graded individually.

In Australia the only students who recieve an Individual Education Program (IEP) are those on the high needs disability registar.

Individual students in a mainstream school are unfairly branded if they fail to understand a “collective curriculum”. Now the AEU fears schools will be unfairly branded as failing – where should the priority be?

I’m sure the Education Union in the majority of cases do put students in the priority position but in this instance I feel the AEU is protecting teachers from feeling failure.

Kids today are not given enough opportunity to “Learn to fail“. In fact kids are protected from failure.

Failure is a good thing. Its a sounding board for increased learning.

Winston Churchill was quoted as saying – However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

He also said – Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

Maybe thats why he also said…. Never Give up, Never Give up, Never, Ever, Ever Give up!

April 30, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Education System  No Comments

How and Why I became an Organic & Chemical Free Advocate

As a kid I always had an interest in Gardening. My Dad tells me I had my first veggie patch when I was 2 yeas old. I would always be out in the Garden while my older sister was playing with other kids in our neighbourhood.

It seemed a natural progression that I would move into a Garden type of profession when I left school. I studied Horticulture for 12 months before starting my own Gardening Business.

Though I had never used it before, I was recommended a couple of chemicals that would knock out weeds and get rid of flat weed in lawns super fast. Apart from learning about them during my Horticulture course, it was then I was formally introduced to Glyphosate (Roundup) and 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA).

These chemicals became my new best friends. I could quickly get out to a job, Mow the lawn and spray the weeds and get on to the next job. It was very financially convenient for me and the customer. I was going great for a good few years but due to family reasons we sold up at our North West Tasmanian home and moved to Brisbane.

As luck, fate or a combination of Both would have it, within days of moving to Brisbane I met Narelle, Who I married 4 months later. By this time I had stopped using the chemicals I was using in my garden business for about 4 or 5 months. Narelle and I were married in the January and our daughter Bethany was born in the same year.

As Bethany grew she was NOT reaching Milestones most Babies and Toddlers do. She couldn’t sit up on her own, she didn’t make an attempt to walk or talk other than baby goo’s.

We kept going to Paediatricians in Brisbane each saying she is a little delayed and may need therapy as she gets older. As parents we knew it was more serous than that and after much debate decided to move to Melbourne to see new therapists.

The second Paediatrician we saw in Melbourne clinically diagnosed Bethany with Angelman Syndrome and after several tests confirmed she did have this rare syndrome.

Angelman Syndrome is caused by a deletion of part of the 15th chromosome which affects speech, movement, balance and cognitive abilities. Epilepsy is also common and Bethany had her first seizure when she was nearly 4.

In the time between Bethany’s Birth and her diagnosis William (Billy) was born. Billy was reaching Milestones at a normally expected time frame and passed Bethany by the time he was 18 months. Billy is your typical 8 year old who today enjoys Soccer, Tennis, drawing and LOTS of talking.

At the time Billy was conceived I was away from the chemicals mentioned above for about 2 years.

After 6 years trying to have another baby I was diagnosed with what may be a Prolactinoma (Pituitary Tumour). My prolactin levels were off the chart. I was given a medication to reduce my prolactin levels which saw them come down to normal levels, however, by this time we realised it was too late to consider having more children.

When Bethany was first diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome our research found that Chemicals found in the environment can cause not only reproductive difficulties but also deletions and mutations in unborn children and animals.

Chemicals such as the ones I was using in my Gardening Business, even though they are considered “safer’’ than alternatives, have been shown to act as Endocrine Disruptors. Endocrine Disruptors cause problems with the Hormonal system.

With Angelman Syndrome The Maternal chromosome 15 is affected. This means that at conception something caused the deleted part of the chromosome from the mothers side not to form. To put it in simple terms… There is some logic to the thought that if the section of the chromosome that is missing found a raised level of a particular hormone it may have registered that this portion of the chromosome had already formed when in fact it hadn’t.

So, although the missing code is from the Mothers side, it would not be impossible to assume it was a hormonal problem with the father that caused it.

My research into this area is ongoing. I do not pretend to have all the answers. The logical assumption is that since Pesticides and Herbicides are designed to attack the Hormonal function of a plant. It is highly likely this can also occur in humans and animals, even at low rates of consumption.

Knowing this or more importantly, believing this, I can not bring myself to ‘’devalue weeds’’ more than I value the health of my family.

We have since eliminated many other chemicals from our personal environment. We also Represent MiEssence. A Company built on Organic and Chemical Free Principals.

November 4, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Chemicals, Toxins & The Environment  No Comments