From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2004 18:57:43 EST This is a serious social problem. It can't be answered by someone who made the sacrifices to get an education or acquire skills and a work ethic saying that anybody can do it. For some, it's too late. I believe we have to focus on the emerging generation -- so the kids in families with adults in this group don't follow in their parents' footsteps. And this isn't easy, either, because it would be wrong to usurp parental rights, too, or to disgrace parents in the eyes of their children.
I've seen a *very* strong instinct for parents to raise their children the way they were raised. This is ameliorated by having two or more adults cooperate in raising a child; common sense and experience have a chance of over-riding one parent's instincts when another parent is there to say, "Why on earth would you do that!" The kid also is exposed to more role models, and so has a better chance to choose a path that will work well for him or her. So, maybe being an involved god-parent is one way to help. Not preaching and criticizing, but baby sitting, helping cook meals, buying birthday gifts, asking, "What happened today? How are you going to handle that? Can I help?" and just being there to bounce ideas off of, and to talk about your own experiences. It's hard to imagine a parent turning down that sort of help. I wish I could say that I do this. I'm a somewhat involved god-parent for two little kids, but they aren't in the "at risk" group we're talking about. This is just an idea that popped into my head when I read Al's post. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting adopted into a family in this sort of role. Rather than take the opportunity for what it is, maybe try to acquire skills "on the job," what I get is resentment that so-and-so (a skilled carpenter, plumber, painter, etc who gets to work on time every day) is making more money, or doesn't have to do the dirty jobs, or the like. I heard an interview with someone working to help "underclass" kids get jobs. He said that one common problem is that a young man would look around and see that he had to clean up and get lunch for everyone, and he'd refuse to be anyone's servant, and quit. The owner would be hurt and confused, and say, "But everyone here started off by cleaning up and running errands. I started off by cleaning up and running errands. I was trying to give him a chance." So, it's important to explain the career path, so the person knows what they can achieve and has some idea of what they need to do to achieve it. I don't mean to be insulting, but this is the Marie Antoinette syndrome -- when told that people were starving -- had no bread to eat -- she (supposedly) said something to the effect that there were so many elegant little bakeries in Paris and we should just "let them eat cake." http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifletmeatcake.shtml -------------------------------------------------------------------- The French is _Qu'ils mangent de la brioche_ (not _gateau_ as one might expect). And Queen Marie-Antoinette did *not* say this. (When famine struck Paris, she actually took an active role in relieving it.) Jean-Jacques Rousseau attributed the words to "a great princess" in book 6 of his _Confessions_. _Confessions_ was published posthumously, but book 6 was written 2 or 3 years before Marie-Antoinette arrived in France in 1770. John Wexler writes: "French law obliged bakers to sell certain standard varieties of loaf at fixed weights and prices. (It still does, which explains why the most expensive patisserie will sell you a baguette for the same price as a supermarket.) At the time when this quotation originated, the law also obliged the baker to sell a fancier loaf for the price of the cheap one when the cheap ones were all gone. This was to forestall the obvious trick of baking just a few standard loaves, so that one could make more profit by using the rest of the flour for price-unregulated loaves. So whoever it was who said _Qu'ils mangent de la brioche_, she (or he) was not being wholly flippant. The idea was that the bread shortage could be alleviated if the law was enforced against profiteering bakers. I have seen this explanation quoted in defence of Marie Antoinette. It seems a pity, after all that, if she didn't say it." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Yet another long post by --- Chip ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
