28Feb 2022 by CJ
Our Engagement on Social Media has Come to Define Us

Our Engagement on Social Media has Come to Define Us

Information & Education, Youth
Years ago, face-to-face conversations allowed individuals to connect and determine what kind of person they were interacting with. Their personality, authenticity, compassion, political views, empathy, beliefs, even pastimes. But today, our engagement on social media has come to define us with the swipe of a finger or scroll of a mouse. Let me give you an example. I recently saw a post from a former co-worker on LinkedIn, which inappropriately mocked President Biden while praising other politicians' racist and undisciplined remarks from the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert.  While I didn't spend a great deal of time with this former co-worker, he was usually known to be very quiet, humble, and hard-working, revealing very little about himself or his beliefs, so this post was somewhat surprising to…
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22Feb 2022 by CJ
Checking Your Work Says a Lot About Who You Are

Checking Your Work Says a Lot About Who You Are

Information & Education
In fourth grade, my English teacher Mrs. Dempsey was a stickler for proper grammar. Not a surprise given the fact that by the time she was my teacher, she had already welcomed 30 years of students into her classroom. While yes, she taught me a great deal about grammar and punctuation, her greatest lesson was always checking your work before turning it in. I’m sure I wasn’t the only student who was taught this invaluable lesson by one of the many outstanding teachers throughout the United States (and globally, for that matter). But lately, I’m beginning to wonder if the practice and benefits of checking your work are now unimportant to today’s youth and, sadly, today’s workers. Time and time again, I continue to see adults with high-paying salaries and…
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10Jan 2022 by CJ
A Lack of Sacrifice, Compassion, is How We Got to Where We Are

A Lack of Sacrifice, Compassion, is How We Got to Where We Are

Information & Education
In Mitch Albom's book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, he writes, "Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to." A lack of sacrifice can undoubtedly be attributed to the increasing divide in our country when it comes to the pandemic, especially vaccines. Throughout history, our government has imposed rules and mandates in an attempt to make our lives safer, better, longer. A few that come to mind are wearing seatbelts while driving on public roadways, having to endure security checkpoints at airports, banning smoking in public places (even outdoors), and I'm sure you can think of many, many others. At times, all these rules and mandates were met with great public resistance – viewed as inconveniences infringing…
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02Jan 2022 by CJ
The Happiest Man on Earth Teaches Us About Political Hatred

The Happiest Man on Earth Teaches Us About Political Hatred

Generosity & Kindness, Information & Education
I recently read a memoir by an author whose name is probably unfamiliar to you, as it was to me. The memoir's title is The Happiest Man on Earth, written by Eddie Jaku and published when he turned 100 years old. However, you won't conclude from the title of this book that Eddie Jaku was a survivor of the Holocaust. Before turning to the very first page, I found myself questioning the incredible contrast between the title and the realities so many of us have read about the Holocaust. How could Eddie have spent seven years experiencing unimaginable terrors and incredible loss and then recanting those tales in a book entitled The Happiest Man on Earth? The book is heartbreaking at times, painting a clear picture of the torture and suffering Eddie…
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01Dec 2021 by CJ
Lauren Boebert should be fired for her racist remarks as a representative of America

Lauren Boebert should be fired for her racist remarks as a representative of America

Information & Education
On November 18, I wrote a blog post regarding Rep. Paul Gosnar and his cartoon attack on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. The post asked that Gosnar face the same fate as any hard-working American would had they done the same thing at their place of employment. Now, 12 days later, I'm asking the same thing for one of his party members. Lauren Boebert should be fired. James Madison, the 4th president of the United States from 1809 to 1817, once remarked that "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty."  Where is the advancement of knowledge where Lauren Boebert is concerned? A woman in an esteemed position who sees nothing wrong with her extreme racism of Rep. Ilhan Omar (and many others I'm sure she's yet to share…
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