Societial Issues

Who Let These Things Happen?

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

What seems like many years ago I was a  Special Education teacher at a residential facility for children who were too dangerous to be at home or for kids whose family couldn’t care for them. These were students who needed more specialized care than could be offered at home or really were for families who could afford to ship their kids somewhere else so that they didn’t have to manage the care of their troubled child.  Most of the kids in my class had severe behavior disorders coupled with mild forms of neurological disorders–autism, tourettes, etc.  Many of these kids had caused serious harm at home or were exhibiting behaviors that caused families and others to fear for the safety of the family. 

That being said.  It was a dangerous job.  I was hit, had a desk thrown at me in a fit of rage, my face was spat on (which let me just say is the most disgusting thing  ever), my hair pulled, etc.  I spent hours at times holding/restraining a child who wanted in that moment to hurt me or anyone badly.  I am putting my bias out there as I understand what it is like day after day after day to deal with children who have issues–behavior and learning.  I don’t know if you have read about the recent events that have come to light in recent days with congressional hearings about abuse and deaths that have been attributed to teachers and assistants attempting to restrain troubled children.  I don’t know all the details and I certainly haven’t done all the research, but I do know that these incidents aren’t isolated and am shocked that teachers who were linked to the cause of death in a child are often still teaching and at the same school.  I have seen some atrocious behaviors by teachers towards students–who were not labeled in anyway and can only imagine behaviors that have been used against students who are labeled.  Anyway…

I think back to my time working for a public school district as a spec ed sub.  I was a TA in a self-contained room in an elementary school so there was no need really for any restraint training and I don’t know exactly how the system here in my city/state works.  But I don’t remember hearing about any training.  In Cali, where I taught–the school was funded through the county public schools we were just a private facility–I had to endure an entire week of traning on how to restrain a student who was posing a threat.  It was tough training.  We were each restrained by others in the same positions we might need to use to restrain our students.  It was rigorous and I certainly felt safe at the end of the week that if the case should arise I could restrain my students.  And I had to.  In the year I was there not one student was injured during an instance of restraining and it was used only as a last resort.  I just don’t understand why teachers attempt to restrain a student when they trained and really don’t know what they doing or the damage they could cause. 

Here’s a link to a story from back in December.  I’ll look for current stories more recently.

There Is Still Hope

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

I saw a great piece last night about someone working hard to help the homeless.  He created a portable home to give to those who live on the streets in Los Angeles.  For those of you who have never spent a lot of time in Los Angeles or Southern California for that matter, there are a great deal of homeless.  In LA county alone the number is quickly inching towards 100,000.  There are only approximately 21,000 beds in homeless shelters where folks are more likely to end up sleeping on the ground than in a bed.  This transcends the need to debate why they are homeless or how they got there and whose fault it is.  That debate certainly helps no one. 

There is a great organization EDAR.  They make these portable tents that double as a bed and a roof for all of their possessions.  This program means a lot to our family.  Hubby’s step brother lives on the streets of LA.  He is there by choice and has called skid row home for a long time and is perfectly happy with the life he has chosen.  I have never met his step brother, but I have the feeling that this isn’t a program he would much be interested in, but there are those who are not homeless by choice who deserve a bed and a roof over their head. 

Homelessness is a vicious cycle.  It’s hard to get a job when you are homeless but without a job you can’t get off the streets, etc.  I am hopeful that there are people who are working towards making life a little better for those who are down on their luck.  Would it be better if we could get them all jobs, etc.  Sure, but I think we as a society have to be pragmatic and understand the limits to what we can do. 

But because there are limits doesn’t mean we stop trying to make the world better.

Past, Present, Future

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

There is so much to say about today–inauguration day.  I have spent a great deal of time since before the election and then after thinking about how amazing this moment is for America and for my African American children.  What I have neglected to recognize for give much thought to are those of the last two generations whose sacrifices, suffering, and struggles have made it possible for Barak Obama to become the 44rd president of these united states.  It sees fitting that he is being sworn in on the bible of the man who is responsible for keeping us united.  I am not an Abe Lincoln fan–he was not the enlightened man history has made him out to be but a pragmatic man who saw he needed freed slaves to defeat the south. Okay, that is a entire different subject. 

I was watching GMA this morning and a few of the remaining Tuskegee Airmen were on.  These men broke down barriers that had long kept our society’s perception of African Americans low and somewhat degrading.  It wasn’t that long ago that blacks were not allowed to fight alongside whites, to be educated in the same school as whites, to eat at the same counter, to sit in the same section of the bus, etc.  Those who struggled through these times and fought to prove their humanity, intellect, and value have helped shape a world where we can sit here in our homes and watch a black man take the oath of the highest office in the land.  It moves me and hopes that this small step–because in the grand scheme of color equality it is small–helps to wash away some of the pain endured by those who made this path possible. 

I hope that we all celebrate this moment today and relish the emotion it will bring.  I want to soak up the momentous occasion and savor the history of it. 

I want us to remember that this historic moment is just that a moment and does not mark the end of racism and hate.  It is a signal that we are making progress but we just have to look at our Congress, Governor’s mansions, boardrooms, jails, colleges, and professional coaches–to name just a few instances–and see that there has been progress but it is not nearly enough.  We have to work harder as a country and do better.  We owe it to those who sacrifices, suffered and struggled for this moment and all of those that have yet to come.

Limits of The English Language

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

My husband and I have the debate constantly that the English language really messes with our ability to clearly communicate what we are really feeling/thinking and and with one another.  The perfect example of this is the term “Pro-Life.”  I dislike the use of this term to refer to those who are anti-abortion.  I know this is splitting hairs in a sense but the term is also propaganda as well.  To state one is Pro-Life implies that there are people out there who are anti-life.  I know many people whom are pro-choice (me included) and I am anything but anti-life.  “Pro-Life” implies this love of all life and an unconditional acceptance of all life.  This could not be farther from the truth in respect to “Pro-lifers” in our society.  The majority of those who are “Pro-Life” are those who resent our social welfare programs–the very same programs that help those who choose to have carry to there their unplanned pregnancy.  These are the same people who loudly oppose gay marriage–another “life” affirming right. 

To say one is “Pro-Life” should imply that they care about all of the living and that couldn’t be further from the truth.  People who claim to be “Pro-Life” are really “Pro-Birth” as they don’t necessarily care what happens after the fetus comes out and is a baby that now has needs that someone cannot or doesn’t care meet.  If they were really “Pro-Life” there would be less children in foster care as they would all be provided for by those who demanded their birth.  It frustrates me to no end this manipulation of our language to convey an idea that really isn’t the truth at all. 

I am both Pro Choice and Pro Life.  I have the greatest children in the world who just happened to be born to women who felt they could not provide for them.  If those who proudly wear the badge of honor that is “Pro-Life” shirts, posters and bumper stickers, took their time, energy, and money and put it towards helping those who are living the world would truly be a better place. too bad we really aren’t a “Pro-Life” society.

Let The Gays Have Their Forever Happiness Too

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 7 Comments

I live in a state that has already banned gay marriage and it make me sick that we have become about taking away freedoms.  There has been a lot of talk and discussion in this political climate about California’s Prop 8–an admendment to ban gay marriage. 

I just don’t understand this need by the conservative religious base in this country to demean the gays.  My brother is gay and he and his partner of 10 years haven’t really thought about marriage–at this point they feel as though they are married and at some point it’s just a piece of paper that our society gives us that allows us legal protection under the law. 

I think marriage is great, but I also think that this idea that marriage is some sort of sacred act that is a union between a couple and God is a little dramatic. If you are a religious person reading this–let’s just agree to disagree.  I am not religious by any means and I don’t think that marriage is necessarily a religious instititution.  It is a social institution that allows us to lay claim to another individual and to make them part of us on paper.  I think we all know that marriage in this country has long stopped being a religious institution–when the divorce rate is 50% at best and there are people who are married multiple times and for sometimes less time than it takes to drive cross country says that marriage doesn’t mean what it use to mean. 

I think a big part of the problem is that the religious conservative base is scared that if the gays start getting married in droves, than they are no longer superior and they must recognize that we are all equal under the law of the land and that God truly does love everyone regardless of whom you choose to marry. 

We must all admit–whether we are religious or not–that there is something so special about declaring your love for the man/woman you want to commit to spending the rest of your life with.  I don’t feel as though my marriage to my husband is any less of a marriage because we had a civil ceremony as opposed to a church wedding.  I love my husband and couldn’t be any more committed to him if we had been married by a steward of God.  I also don’t feel as though my marriage means less as more and more people get divorced and its sanctity is certainly not dimished because a women marry women and men marry men. 

So, if you live in California or one of the few other states that have measures on the ballot that will amend your state consitutition to deny the right of marriage to gays please consider voting against it.  Really, who does it hurt?