Craig Ruvere

07Dec 2021 by CJ

It’s about what you’ve given back that matters during the holiday season

“At the end, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” - Denzel Washington My wife and I decided to forgo exchanging presents with each other this Christmas. Now I realize for some of you reading this, the notion of not having a gift to open on Christmas morning is a desecration of the holiday itself. But what if, instead of lavishing each other with gifts we may or may not want or need, we did as Mr. Washington states – it’s about what you’ve given back. In our home, a lesson learned from the pandemic has been the realization that we are incredibly fortunate and unquestionably blessed. We’ve come to…

01Dec 2021 by CJ

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…

28Nov 2021 by CJ

The highest sense of well-being comes from being yourself

Youth

A recent report by UNICEF, which analyzed data from 41 high-income countries, found that children in the Netherlands had the highest sense of well-being, followed by Denmark and Norway. At the bottom? Chile, Bulgaria, and yes, the United States. Anita Cleare, author of “The Working Parent’s Survival Guide,” told CNBC regarding the report, “I think that growing up in a culture where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated, and children feel like they can be who they want to be, and they’re not being judged, is likely to make friendships more positive, playground culture more positive, and is going to help children’s happiness levels.” But here in the United States, we don’t live in a society where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated or worry about our children’s highest sense of well-being. Instead, parents force…

18Nov 2021 by CJ

Gosar deserves the same fate ordinary Americas would face

Love & Relationships

I’m rarely at a loss for words, and often this blog provides me with an opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings in the hopes of inspiring positive change in others. But I have to tell you, after learning about the animated attack by Rep. Paul Gosar on both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden, I actually said out loud, I’m not sure I can write about this. Why? Because I’m in utter disbelief that an elected official – who I might add works for and is paid by the American people – thought it was appropriate and acceptable to post such a violent video in the first place. For those of you unaware of the story, Rep. Paul Gosar (Arizona) posted an anime video on social media showing him…

28Oct 2021 by CJ

Book banning in America is as antiquated as prejudice itself

Information & Education

The headline of a recent NPR.com article surprised me regarding book banning in America. A Texas lawmaker is targeting 850 books that he says could make students feel uneasy. Rep. Matt Krause – a Republican – stated that he explicitly targets books that "might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex." Apparently, Krause is running in a very crowded primary race in the state of Texas, and it's no great shock that he's trying to make a name for himself to stand out from the competition. His answer is the book banning letter he sent to school leaders of the state, which they must answer by November 12. What do school leaders in Texas think? "The inquiry is a disturbing and…