As you know I went to Catholic grammar schools from kindergarten thru 8th grades. You also know that in (my - all?), catholic schools, memorization (rote), was king. Whether it was places in the world like Uruquay from Geography, "Who is God?" from Catechism, or 6x9 from Arithmetic class (Ans. 54), it was all good. By the end of sixth grade, taught by Sister Florence (Flossie), I knew my times tables easily. And that knowledge has served me in good stead.
In 9th grade I went to public school, Fisher Junior High in Ewing Twp. We lived just a mile or two down the road and sometimes I would walk it. Other times I'd get a ride in Jimmie Falzini's 1956 blue Ford. In that grade I loved Mr. Fenton's style and youthfulness. He was only 28 or so? He taught Algebra I with enthusiasm. After a short while I understood what A = B & C, or A = B x C, really meant. After a few months it all came easily. When I wasn't throwing hard boiled eggs at other kids in class, and acting the class clown, I was learning.
My joy of learning started decreasing by the end of 9th grade, and Geometry in 10th was hard for me (I got a C), and in 11th I got a D in Algebra II. I failed Chemistry in 12th and barely graduated Ewing High school in '68, having to repeat gym class. I was also absent 39 days that year from skipping classes. Junior College in Fullerton, California, lasted three months (not because I was stupid, but because I was Janetsick). Although, I earned 44 credits from Mercer County Community College (MCCC), by going nights over many years starting in the mid-eighties thru the 90s. My course work and experience was evaluated by Thomas Edison College in 2000, and I only need 39 more credits for a Bachelor's.
But after high school life started for real. A steady, adult job and renting an apartment. Pot, hash and uppers in between. I opened a bank account at the old (now gone), Trenton Trust bank started by Mary K. Roebling of the famous family. Now its Wells Fargo bank which has been okay. Anyway, I needed to know math. And I knew enough.
I have always been good at estimating also, something they teach today in elementary schools."About how many apples are there if a basket is full of 25, and a barrel has 92?" Estimating well is a valuable skill. (Ans. 120 is close enough.) I use my 10 times time table constantly as well, even for fractions. "If Alaska has 732,000 people, and Bahai's are 1 % of the population, how many Baha'is is this?" Well, 10% is 73,000, and 10% of that (i.e. 1% of the total), is 7,300. "About 7,300." "Right, Rod!" I can do stuff like that in seconds. It's like my spelling ability - in seconds. It pops into my head.
I do remember I liked Economics in 11th grade with Mr. Mervica. We followed the stock market. I had picked IBM, not knowing it would become a part of my career later. It was over $200 then (and the stock has split fifteen time or so since then). Wish I had bought some, or convinced my parents to. Learning about free enterprise and free markets, budgeting etc. was all good and stayed with me. Every student should take economics, now including world economies and markets for sure.
Basically, those skills in math have been enough to easily get me thru life, a career in information processing and technology (and energy), making buying decisions (before they had comparison labels like "price per pound" etc.), being a community treasurer for over thirty years (off and on), and maintaining a check book, cash journal and doing formal budgets and reports and much more. And for managing finances for my two businesses, RR Energy & IT Consulting, and ABLiA Media Co.
So I thank the Sisters of Mercy and my high school teachers for mostly doing a good job. I only remember one teacher I hated, Sister Mary Constance in third grade -- we never got along. One or two teachers were boring as hell, mainly in high school, but the rest were gems. And my college professors had outstanding qualities -- they were engaging, smart, personable, and direct. I don't remember any getting badly sidetracked (which I hate).
Today, of course, memorization of everything is out of the question. "Mere cramming of the memory with facts
about, arithmetic, grammar, geography, languages, etc., has
comparatively little effect in producing noble and useful lives." (Source: UHJ) Also because information changes minute by minute (look at the loss of Pluto). So "look it up" has become the teachers watchword, with computers in every classroom. (well, they better be!)
Everyone needs to memorize the basics, and these math basics were enough for me, altho now there is much, much more to learn.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
Like you, I've had many ups and downs, and quite a few sideways experiences. I firmly believe everyone should write theirs and share them, whether just for themselves or their kids. Here are some from my memoirs, observations and thoughts.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Joy of Writing
The hardest book I've read that I can remember, is A Celestial Burning: A selective study of the writings of Shoghi Effendi, written by J.A. McLean, an author of this, his third book, who lives in Ottawa, Canada. Saying this may be the hardest book I've read, is really saying something, since my job at one time entailed learning programming languages like COBOL and RPG, and all those esoteric data processing and information technology abbreviations and acronyms, like OS/MVT, TSO, IBM 360, DASD, Procs and a hundred others. At another it was all the technical in and outs of computing devices and software applications. And at another it was everything to know about energy - buying and selling it, solar, CHP, HVAC, motors, exchangers and much more. And I had to write about all of it in business reports, letters, memos and emails. And I had to have a basic understanding of them.
I must admit A Celestial Burning threw me to the dictionary with words like hermeneutics (interpretation) and exegesis (critial interpretation), and dozens more like them. Shoghi Effendi's writings do that also, so it was a good fit.
The reason I mention this at all, is to say I agree with Stephen King (On Writing), and every other author or blogger, that reading to become a good writer is mandatory and essential. Even if you read poorly written books (and there are more and more - especially now with self-publishing), you'll learn what NOT to write. Our Baha'i leader 'Abdu'l-Baha once said "You can always serve as a bad example." (Pilgriim's Note)
I'm not an author yet (hopefully around June when I self-publish Episodes of A Blessed Life in America), but after four years of sitting at our computer every day, I do consider myself a writer. Readers will be the judge of what kind, even if just family are the judges. My boring, one-dimensional 500 page autobiography has been done for six months. Since I started to learn how to write in 2011 with membership in the Lawrence Library Memoir Writing Class, its been a fun, challenging, exciting journey since, with no end in sight. At one point I attended at least four, sometimes five, memoir critique groups every week. Every week! Tony, a writer friend, sometimes attended twelve! (We're both retired.) And slowly I've been improving. Now I teach and facilitate two memoir writing classes per week, free, at local public libraries.
The best writers show the action and just don't describe it. It's a basic rule of writing which is SHOW DON'T TELL. Showing motion and emotion, smells, and sights, thoughts and dialogue. But I don't believe that's enough anymore. In memoir I'm the protagonist, the narrator. And I firmly believe its SHOW AND TELL with emphasis on showing. I try to do both. Things like the year, my age at the time and that of others, what you, and they, look like, backstory etc., all need to be woven in as well. Describing settings is important, even tho the scene takes precedence. But the number one rule in writing? As the Writer's Digest masthead states "There are no rules."
So I've written tons of memoir scenes and pieces, and sometimes weave them together like I did for this upcoming book. Memoir is the easiest genre for me to write for me, although I do like writing poetry on occasion. And so much fun! Especially the reaction of others to a well-scripted piece. You know you want to improve and write more when you get good reactions. And every one of us has a story, in fact hundreds of stories within our synapses, in our hearts, and felt by our bodies. Let alone the spiritual goodwill or stirrings the vast majority of people (I think), have felt.
And it is so riveting, and touching, and evocative, to hear others personal stories. I've heard stories of murder, marriage, embarrassment and shame, mental illness (mine), and the Pennsylvania coal mines. Graphic stories all, from the heart, told truthfully. Perhaps with nostalgia or melancholy, great joy, deep sadness and personal loss, surprise of attempted death, the armed services and their cruelty, and the joy of reunion.
And that's what writing is to me. The joy of reunion between my soul (truth), my heart (emotion), my body (physicality), and my rational soul - my brain. Writing is a path to discovery, for the writer, and, when its written well, for the reader also. I encourage you to write down, or type, your story. Start now and don't wait. You'll be pleasantly surprised and amazed at what you're capable of.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
I must admit A Celestial Burning threw me to the dictionary with words like hermeneutics (interpretation) and exegesis (critial interpretation), and dozens more like them. Shoghi Effendi's writings do that also, so it was a good fit.
The reason I mention this at all, is to say I agree with Stephen King (On Writing), and every other author or blogger, that reading to become a good writer is mandatory and essential. Even if you read poorly written books (and there are more and more - especially now with self-publishing), you'll learn what NOT to write. Our Baha'i leader 'Abdu'l-Baha once said "You can always serve as a bad example." (Pilgriim's Note)
I'm not an author yet (hopefully around June when I self-publish Episodes of A Blessed Life in America), but after four years of sitting at our computer every day, I do consider myself a writer. Readers will be the judge of what kind, even if just family are the judges. My boring, one-dimensional 500 page autobiography has been done for six months. Since I started to learn how to write in 2011 with membership in the Lawrence Library Memoir Writing Class, its been a fun, challenging, exciting journey since, with no end in sight. At one point I attended at least four, sometimes five, memoir critique groups every week. Every week! Tony, a writer friend, sometimes attended twelve! (We're both retired.) And slowly I've been improving. Now I teach and facilitate two memoir writing classes per week, free, at local public libraries.
The best writers show the action and just don't describe it. It's a basic rule of writing which is SHOW DON'T TELL. Showing motion and emotion, smells, and sights, thoughts and dialogue. But I don't believe that's enough anymore. In memoir I'm the protagonist, the narrator. And I firmly believe its SHOW AND TELL with emphasis on showing. I try to do both. Things like the year, my age at the time and that of others, what you, and they, look like, backstory etc., all need to be woven in as well. Describing settings is important, even tho the scene takes precedence. But the number one rule in writing? As the Writer's Digest masthead states "There are no rules."
So I've written tons of memoir scenes and pieces, and sometimes weave them together like I did for this upcoming book. Memoir is the easiest genre for me to write for me, although I do like writing poetry on occasion. And so much fun! Especially the reaction of others to a well-scripted piece. You know you want to improve and write more when you get good reactions. And every one of us has a story, in fact hundreds of stories within our synapses, in our hearts, and felt by our bodies. Let alone the spiritual goodwill or stirrings the vast majority of people (I think), have felt.
And it is so riveting, and touching, and evocative, to hear others personal stories. I've heard stories of murder, marriage, embarrassment and shame, mental illness (mine), and the Pennsylvania coal mines. Graphic stories all, from the heart, told truthfully. Perhaps with nostalgia or melancholy, great joy, deep sadness and personal loss, surprise of attempted death, the armed services and their cruelty, and the joy of reunion.
And that's what writing is to me. The joy of reunion between my soul (truth), my heart (emotion), my body (physicality), and my rational soul - my brain. Writing is a path to discovery, for the writer, and, when its written well, for the reader also. I encourage you to write down, or type, your story. Start now and don't wait. You'll be pleasantly surprised and amazed at what you're capable of.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Joy of Reading
Reading is easy for me, generally. I had a good education, particularly in Catholic grammar school in the 50s and 60s (1954-1964).The Sisters of Mercy (not all were), were hard on reading, writing and arithmetic (and catechism). And I'm so fortunate they were. Perhaps that's why I still remember and still rattle off 40 prepositions that I memorized in third or fourth grade (there's 70 now - things change). Also in those early grades, the nuns taught English using two main methods: the Latin roots of words, and phonetics.
Latin roots. Easy to learn 'cause I knew no different. Prefixes and suffixes became very easy to recognize and separate from their roots, for example, in-doctrin(e)-ation. In later years, I learned Christ's prayer, the Our Father, in Latin (and can spout half of it now), and recited it in 1964 at the baptism ceremony of my converted Boy Scout troop leader. He had chosen me as his Godfather. We quickly lost touch.
Then there's phonetics, a boon to my learning and reading abilities. It was discarded by the 70s, but to me, it was a fantastic way to learn, especially how to read aloud and guess right most of the time. I firmly believe phonetics should still be taught, especially in those early grades. My wife Janet has taught English as a Foreign Language to immigrants attending Mercer County College and elsewhere, and swears by roots of words and phonetics in those environments. Between grasping both of them myself, and not being stymied by big words, my vocabulary isn't half-bad (hah!).
Maybe that's why Janet and I like the movies like Spellbound and Akeelah and the Bee. However, I am not nearly as good as those young students, nor am I a motivational speaker either. I do help Janet often with her spelling needs tho. And being in Sacred Heart Catholic School, memorizing words and their spellings became second nature. I was in our school spelling bee, in front of an audience, on stage, and was defeated by my misspelling "mischievous," which would be a perfect description of me in my youth.
Altho Mom has told me I didn't speak much until age six, I've always liked to read. Circa 1963 (or earlier?), Mom bought a complete set of Encyclopedia Brittanica's (now online only I think). The main set consisted of thirty or so 4-inch tomes, mostly composed of topical essays. I certainly looked thru them. But I was attracted to the Brittanica Juniors, fourteen red-covered smaller books, only two inches wide each. Over a period of a few months I read every word of all fourteen books when I wasn't in school or playing outside or getting into trouble. That, shooting pool, and building model cars were my pastimes during that period, TV-watching not so much. I don't remember any specifics I read, but somehow reading them helped my comprehension and language skills (and probably intelligence too). They still sit in Mom's den, barely touched and horribly outdated (but not all by any means).
As an aside, I've had two IQ tests: the first c. 1983 and the latter c. 1994. Both given by my bosses. The first when I begged Charlie Burrows at the Bureau of Data Processing to see if I was computer programmer material. After all, my title was DP Programmer II, even tho I didn't write one line of COBOL for work. I took that first test and achieved 132. In 1994, our Treasury Admin Director, Chuck Chianese, had all his managers take one (very similar test I might add). I achieved 131. But when seeing results, I questioned the grading on a couple, and so one answer was deemed correct, giving me 132 again. Who knows what it would be now. Janet and I almost match exactly.
So I've never shied away from reading. Its criminal that girls and women (and boys too, but less so, often 'cause they (and girls), must work at a young age), are denied education under some misguided regimes or philosophies. Criminal. Education - reading, writing etc. is to important to human development and potential to be neglected, let alone banned. "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”
— Bahá’u’lláh
And I do like to read and study Baha'i, religious and spiritual writings almost every day, at least a little something. I've "read" the highlights of the Old and New Testaments all my life, and the Quran twice, but have much further study ahead of me. I am a third done another book I'm writing called Islam for Westerners, because I feel so strongly that the western mind and heart has paid little attention to the tenets of Islam (except for a bad TV show set in L.A., and a half-decent one made in Canada), and the life and teachings of the Apostle and Prophet Muhammad, whom Baha'is also believe is a divine Manifestation and Messenger of God. Can 1.3 Billion Muslims all be wrong? Get serious! How many believers does it take to convince you there's truth there? And to set the record straight, true Islam has always been, and is today, a Faith that has only defended itself. And like all faiths, it has that right. Today it must be in words and discourse, not force and violence.
Sorry, back to reading. I got on my high horse for a minute. I've stated elsewhere I rarely read newspapers for news. NPR and News 4 every night are my basic sources. But I had to read (and write), every day during my last 35 year's with the State, mostly technical and business reading and writing. On the literary side, ever since being a kid and reading Asimov's I, Robot, Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, and similar sci-fi stories, its been my primary reading interest (and watching movies). (Oh, and no book burning, especially not the Word of God as in the Quran.) I also read eight books of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time until I just couldn't take the protagonist Rand al'Thor's ineptness. Science fiction, and sci-fi fantasy whether Le Guin, Ellison, Heinlein and many others, especially now with George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels (I'm reading Clash of Kings now), I've also liked. Terry Goodkind was my favorite for his epic series. And since 1960 or so, since I saw a rerun of the original 1951 The Day the Earth Stood, sci fi movies don't go unwatched.
Movies also teach language, and that's the only reason I mention these other interests as well. (Of course, Sesame Street's a good example also.) But reading and education has to be our biggest priority as a nation (along with providing universal healthcare -- but not free, per se; ending poverty, corruption etc.).
I earn a lot of cheap books from our Hamilton Twp. Free Public Library where I work Mondays, the most recent being Plato in 90 Minutes, a fun read. I also love reading magazines. I skim the ads, pictures and titles, but like to peruse Time, AARP Magazine, Parade Magazine, Consumer Reports, and especially The Week. My son Jesse bought me a subscription years ago for my birthday, and we've been enjoying its dual viewpoints (in some cases), since. And online reading? I can't list all my digital magazine and report subscriptions, over 100, centered on energy, information technology and writing/publishing.
In fact, my next "Joy of" blog will be on writing, then math, and finally this mini-series will be capped by one on Education.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
Latin roots. Easy to learn 'cause I knew no different. Prefixes and suffixes became very easy to recognize and separate from their roots, for example, in-doctrin(e)-ation. In later years, I learned Christ's prayer, the Our Father, in Latin (and can spout half of it now), and recited it in 1964 at the baptism ceremony of my converted Boy Scout troop leader. He had chosen me as his Godfather. We quickly lost touch.
Then there's phonetics, a boon to my learning and reading abilities. It was discarded by the 70s, but to me, it was a fantastic way to learn, especially how to read aloud and guess right most of the time. I firmly believe phonetics should still be taught, especially in those early grades. My wife Janet has taught English as a Foreign Language to immigrants attending Mercer County College and elsewhere, and swears by roots of words and phonetics in those environments. Between grasping both of them myself, and not being stymied by big words, my vocabulary isn't half-bad (hah!).
Maybe that's why Janet and I like the movies like Spellbound and Akeelah and the Bee. However, I am not nearly as good as those young students, nor am I a motivational speaker either. I do help Janet often with her spelling needs tho. And being in Sacred Heart Catholic School, memorizing words and their spellings became second nature. I was in our school spelling bee, in front of an audience, on stage, and was defeated by my misspelling "mischievous," which would be a perfect description of me in my youth.
Altho Mom has told me I didn't speak much until age six, I've always liked to read. Circa 1963 (or earlier?), Mom bought a complete set of Encyclopedia Brittanica's (now online only I think). The main set consisted of thirty or so 4-inch tomes, mostly composed of topical essays. I certainly looked thru them. But I was attracted to the Brittanica Juniors, fourteen red-covered smaller books, only two inches wide each. Over a period of a few months I read every word of all fourteen books when I wasn't in school or playing outside or getting into trouble. That, shooting pool, and building model cars were my pastimes during that period, TV-watching not so much. I don't remember any specifics I read, but somehow reading them helped my comprehension and language skills (and probably intelligence too). They still sit in Mom's den, barely touched and horribly outdated (but not all by any means).
As an aside, I've had two IQ tests: the first c. 1983 and the latter c. 1994. Both given by my bosses. The first when I begged Charlie Burrows at the Bureau of Data Processing to see if I was computer programmer material. After all, my title was DP Programmer II, even tho I didn't write one line of COBOL for work. I took that first test and achieved 132. In 1994, our Treasury Admin Director, Chuck Chianese, had all his managers take one (very similar test I might add). I achieved 131. But when seeing results, I questioned the grading on a couple, and so one answer was deemed correct, giving me 132 again. Who knows what it would be now. Janet and I almost match exactly.
So I've never shied away from reading. Its criminal that girls and women (and boys too, but less so, often 'cause they (and girls), must work at a young age), are denied education under some misguided regimes or philosophies. Criminal. Education - reading, writing etc. is to important to human development and potential to be neglected, let alone banned. "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”
— Bahá’u’lláh
And I do like to read and study Baha'i, religious and spiritual writings almost every day, at least a little something. I've "read" the highlights of the Old and New Testaments all my life, and the Quran twice, but have much further study ahead of me. I am a third done another book I'm writing called Islam for Westerners, because I feel so strongly that the western mind and heart has paid little attention to the tenets of Islam (except for a bad TV show set in L.A., and a half-decent one made in Canada), and the life and teachings of the Apostle and Prophet Muhammad, whom Baha'is also believe is a divine Manifestation and Messenger of God. Can 1.3 Billion Muslims all be wrong? Get serious! How many believers does it take to convince you there's truth there? And to set the record straight, true Islam has always been, and is today, a Faith that has only defended itself. And like all faiths, it has that right. Today it must be in words and discourse, not force and violence.
Sorry, back to reading. I got on my high horse for a minute. I've stated elsewhere I rarely read newspapers for news. NPR and News 4 every night are my basic sources. But I had to read (and write), every day during my last 35 year's with the State, mostly technical and business reading and writing. On the literary side, ever since being a kid and reading Asimov's I, Robot, Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, and similar sci-fi stories, its been my primary reading interest (and watching movies). (Oh, and no book burning, especially not the Word of God as in the Quran.) I also read eight books of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time until I just couldn't take the protagonist Rand al'Thor's ineptness. Science fiction, and sci-fi fantasy whether Le Guin, Ellison, Heinlein and many others, especially now with George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels (I'm reading Clash of Kings now), I've also liked. Terry Goodkind was my favorite for his epic series. And since 1960 or so, since I saw a rerun of the original 1951 The Day the Earth Stood, sci fi movies don't go unwatched.
Movies also teach language, and that's the only reason I mention these other interests as well. (Of course, Sesame Street's a good example also.) But reading and education has to be our biggest priority as a nation (along with providing universal healthcare -- but not free, per se; ending poverty, corruption etc.).
I earn a lot of cheap books from our Hamilton Twp. Free Public Library where I work Mondays, the most recent being Plato in 90 Minutes, a fun read. I also love reading magazines. I skim the ads, pictures and titles, but like to peruse Time, AARP Magazine, Parade Magazine, Consumer Reports, and especially The Week. My son Jesse bought me a subscription years ago for my birthday, and we've been enjoying its dual viewpoints (in some cases), since. And online reading? I can't list all my digital magazine and report subscriptions, over 100, centered on energy, information technology and writing/publishing.
In fact, my next "Joy of" blog will be on writing, then math, and finally this mini-series will be capped by one on Education.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Joy of a Future World without Politics
I ruminated about how to start this blog series -- so many possible topics that interest me, and which I hope will interest you. So I debated with myself about this first subject. It's not a topic I would normally choose, the future, I mean. But why not just put some of my thoughts, feelings and beliefs, out there? Nothing stopping me but common sense and the threat of libel, so I'll be gentle this go-round.
Where to start. Here's my interpretation of what might be...
One. In the future they'll be no need of political parties. They'll be obsolete, thrown away for a better method closer to true democracy. And what do I think is true democracy? Essentially the freedom of thought and the ability to express oneself thru considered words and actions, not just words alone, unlike all the political ads, advertising copy, magazines and TV, mobile and news outlets, do everywhere. Granted, all the media outlets (and more), will still be there, but no political ads. The media focus will be on expressing the truth and not "spin," half-truths or outright propaganda. The media will be judged heavily according to the "pants on fire" barometers of Politifact and many others in the world of the future. Disinformation and misinformation will be exposed for what they are, and who's behind them, unlike now with faceless PACs hiding behind their concocted rhetoric.
Why no political parties? Is it even possible or practical? Well indeed its both if you change the ground rules slightly. We'll never change one person, one vote, although the legal age may become less than eighteen, worldwide. That right is sacrosanct. We'll still have polling places (bad word), I mean voting places, to accommodate secrecy and a degree of anonymity. (Polling will be obsolete as well, for this.) Also sacrosanct. The rest of the details will be worked out by worldwide experts, by locality, region, state, nation and world, but the system will be similar with a number of notable exceptions and guiding principles. Someday maybe I or someone else will write a book explaining well the best systems of human governance and Divine Economics.
A. No "running for office." No election campaigns, slush funds and anonymous donors. None. Hence, no political advertising of any kind. No signs on lawns, back-to-back commercials, bumper stickers -- none of it. Wouldn't that be nice.
B. Every citizen in good standing will be eligible for election at all levels of government (businesses will follow later), much like it is today, with, perhaps, elections extending to Cabinet officers, department heads, or even division heads. Most certainly to governing bodies like boards, authorities, colleges etc., and to judges and their administrators. In other words to all the governing institutions of humankind. How? Based on individuals demonstrated (not just spoken), public, and private, words and actions (and writings), education, knowledge, competence and above all -- honesty and trustworthiness.
Wouldn't that be novel -- voting for the best woman or man for the job (with equal opportunity of course, including race which goes without saying). Based solely on their capacity, reputation and qualities. Their "character" as Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr. stated. And term limits will apply, except for universal acclaim like we had for FDR, and even then, "Emeritus" would do. Whether three or four years, with one reelection only? That will have to be worked out. But gerrymandering will be absolutely forbidden. Independent boards with watchdog organizations will draw up districts based solely on population, civil boundaries, and community unity.
C. Here's the toughest part, but a part I know exists and works well nonetheless. Here I'm talking about the absolute prohibition against nominating and electioneering. Simply not allowed, with social and civil penalties when discovered. How in the world can this system work you ask?
Well, I'm bias, and I admit that and declare it. But this system exists right now in the Baha'i worldwide community of over five million members. I've participated in the system I've just described above at the local, national and international (indirectly), levels since 1975, just after we had our first Hamilton Twp. local Baha'i community election. These are conducted on an annual basis every April. Local elections are followed by election of a delegate(s) for the larger region. In October we vote in annual national election of our continental U.S. Baha'i council (governing over the 150,000+ American Baha'is), then those national members vote for the international council once every five years. Everything I've just described has been in place and functioning for Baha'is since the Faith's earliest days in the late-1800's, and on an international basis since 1963. Voting for council members in the first place is accomplished thru simple plurality.
Oh, and one more "slight change." Those elected vote their own conscience. They do not represent those who elect them in the same sense that we elect politicians today. In other words, they're not politicians. Our goal as elected members is the general welfare of the community, the whole, not its sometimes discordant parts or individual's plans and schemes, especially not big business. Yes, as elected we listen to suggestions, recommendations, even criticisms intently, but then make up our own minds. And there are ample opportunities and ways to make recommendations, including the 19-day Feast when all community members gather for spiritual and physical refreshment, and to conduct community consultation and business.
Their are no lobbyists of vendors who can necessarily sway those elected, especially not more than community members themselves. But our bodies of nine adults consult before every decision, gathering the facts and circumstances first. On our local Assembly (council), rarely do we have to vote on a decision when our personal goal is purity of motive and not self-aggrandizement. 98% of our decisions are made by consensus, and if voting at all, a simple majority rules.
All I'm trying to say is that this unique system of human governance can work when done with pure intentions and a pure heart. I'm still working on those for me, but our history has proven over and over again, year after year, that somehow the right individuals are naturally elected, and the entity itself, our little local community for example, is the better off for it. And it is healthy and functions well, without debt or overspending. And there is no dearth of qualified, capable, stable and upright individuals to choose from.
Basically, what I'm saying is that unity of thought and action with good intentions and right outcomes is not only possible but inevitable, with just a little faith in the nobility of man.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
Where to start. Here's my interpretation of what might be...
One. In the future they'll be no need of political parties. They'll be obsolete, thrown away for a better method closer to true democracy. And what do I think is true democracy? Essentially the freedom of thought and the ability to express oneself thru considered words and actions, not just words alone, unlike all the political ads, advertising copy, magazines and TV, mobile and news outlets, do everywhere. Granted, all the media outlets (and more), will still be there, but no political ads. The media focus will be on expressing the truth and not "spin," half-truths or outright propaganda. The media will be judged heavily according to the "pants on fire" barometers of Politifact and many others in the world of the future. Disinformation and misinformation will be exposed for what they are, and who's behind them, unlike now with faceless PACs hiding behind their concocted rhetoric.
Why no political parties? Is it even possible or practical? Well indeed its both if you change the ground rules slightly. We'll never change one person, one vote, although the legal age may become less than eighteen, worldwide. That right is sacrosanct. We'll still have polling places (bad word), I mean voting places, to accommodate secrecy and a degree of anonymity. (Polling will be obsolete as well, for this.) Also sacrosanct. The rest of the details will be worked out by worldwide experts, by locality, region, state, nation and world, but the system will be similar with a number of notable exceptions and guiding principles. Someday maybe I or someone else will write a book explaining well the best systems of human governance and Divine Economics.
A. No "running for office." No election campaigns, slush funds and anonymous donors. None. Hence, no political advertising of any kind. No signs on lawns, back-to-back commercials, bumper stickers -- none of it. Wouldn't that be nice.
B. Every citizen in good standing will be eligible for election at all levels of government (businesses will follow later), much like it is today, with, perhaps, elections extending to Cabinet officers, department heads, or even division heads. Most certainly to governing bodies like boards, authorities, colleges etc., and to judges and their administrators. In other words to all the governing institutions of humankind. How? Based on individuals demonstrated (not just spoken), public, and private, words and actions (and writings), education, knowledge, competence and above all -- honesty and trustworthiness.
Wouldn't that be novel -- voting for the best woman or man for the job (with equal opportunity of course, including race which goes without saying). Based solely on their capacity, reputation and qualities. Their "character" as Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr. stated. And term limits will apply, except for universal acclaim like we had for FDR, and even then, "Emeritus" would do. Whether three or four years, with one reelection only? That will have to be worked out. But gerrymandering will be absolutely forbidden. Independent boards with watchdog organizations will draw up districts based solely on population, civil boundaries, and community unity.
C. Here's the toughest part, but a part I know exists and works well nonetheless. Here I'm talking about the absolute prohibition against nominating and electioneering. Simply not allowed, with social and civil penalties when discovered. How in the world can this system work you ask?
Well, I'm bias, and I admit that and declare it. But this system exists right now in the Baha'i worldwide community of over five million members. I've participated in the system I've just described above at the local, national and international (indirectly), levels since 1975, just after we had our first Hamilton Twp. local Baha'i community election. These are conducted on an annual basis every April. Local elections are followed by election of a delegate(s) for the larger region. In October we vote in annual national election of our continental U.S. Baha'i council (governing over the 150,000+ American Baha'is), then those national members vote for the international council once every five years. Everything I've just described has been in place and functioning for Baha'is since the Faith's earliest days in the late-1800's, and on an international basis since 1963. Voting for council members in the first place is accomplished thru simple plurality.
Oh, and one more "slight change." Those elected vote their own conscience. They do not represent those who elect them in the same sense that we elect politicians today. In other words, they're not politicians. Our goal as elected members is the general welfare of the community, the whole, not its sometimes discordant parts or individual's plans and schemes, especially not big business. Yes, as elected we listen to suggestions, recommendations, even criticisms intently, but then make up our own minds. And there are ample opportunities and ways to make recommendations, including the 19-day Feast when all community members gather for spiritual and physical refreshment, and to conduct community consultation and business.
Their are no lobbyists of vendors who can necessarily sway those elected, especially not more than community members themselves. But our bodies of nine adults consult before every decision, gathering the facts and circumstances first. On our local Assembly (council), rarely do we have to vote on a decision when our personal goal is purity of motive and not self-aggrandizement. 98% of our decisions are made by consensus, and if voting at all, a simple majority rules.
All I'm trying to say is that this unique system of human governance can work when done with pure intentions and a pure heart. I'm still working on those for me, but our history has proven over and over again, year after year, that somehow the right individuals are naturally elected, and the entity itself, our little local community for example, is the better off for it. And it is healthy and functions well, without debt or overspending. And there is no dearth of qualified, capable, stable and upright individuals to choose from.
Basically, what I'm saying is that unity of thought and action with good intentions and right outcomes is not only possible but inevitable, with just a little faith in the nobility of man.
By Rodney Richards, NJ
The Joy of.... A New Series of Blogs
While driving my jet to the Broad Street Diner for breakfast yesterday, a really exciting idea struck me for writing my blog posts. Why not write a series of blogs on things that make me happy? So I started with a few, like The Joy of Yardwork, or Owning a Home, or Dating and Marriage, or Having Kids etc. etc. You get the idea.
I've been blessed in so many ways I can't count them. And my disposition has always been to take things as they come, and as they are. I never felt, and still don't, that the world owes me anything, and I learned long ago from my mentor Bill Foster, it's not important how the world treats me, but how I react to it. Not coincidentally, Janet shares this same philosophy. She'd say, "It's past, get over it." And that went for any of our outstanding accomplishments, as well as the glaring mistakes -- mostly mine.
Perhaps that's why I'm a little cold or reserved about most things now. Yet, I can remember a time, from my childhood until just after my first bipolar episode in 1979, where I could get excited, and rowdy, and involved, in just about anything. I started Mercer County Community Community College that year with a class in Philosophy, which I had to withdraw from when i ended up in hospital for a month after the episode. Those days and earlier I could get high from drugs or good news, and had many more fancies and interests, like our new son Jesse.
But then I started my pill regimen: anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, Lithium and sleeping pills. All geared toward slowing me down, calming me down, and preventing nasty highs and depressing lows. And over 30+ years of them, they've taken thier toll on my spirit. But I'm certainly not complaining, and explain it all in my forthcoming book Episodes of A Blessed Life in America. Yet I must be truthful and say, that because of my mild bipolar mental illness, I've never had those debilitating clinical depressions so often read and heard about in others. Again, I've been fortunate.
So I'm going to give this blog series a try, and hope you'll feel free to comment and add your joys. In fact, better yet, you should start your own blog! It's free, and very easy to do, especially when you get into the routine of writing and sharing. I use Google's Blogger and am very happy with it. You need to have a GMail account, but I'm biased, and really like GMail for any number of reasons, particularly for its excellent spam filters. Blogger only requires a little intuition, because, like 99% of the apps on the Internet (and mobile phones), there's no instructions or good labeling. Well, either way, Blogger's not to bad. There's other free blog platforms as well.
So, hope to read your comments or read your stories soon...
Best,
Rodney Richards, NJ
I've been blessed in so many ways I can't count them. And my disposition has always been to take things as they come, and as they are. I never felt, and still don't, that the world owes me anything, and I learned long ago from my mentor Bill Foster, it's not important how the world treats me, but how I react to it. Not coincidentally, Janet shares this same philosophy. She'd say, "It's past, get over it." And that went for any of our outstanding accomplishments, as well as the glaring mistakes -- mostly mine.
Perhaps that's why I'm a little cold or reserved about most things now. Yet, I can remember a time, from my childhood until just after my first bipolar episode in 1979, where I could get excited, and rowdy, and involved, in just about anything. I started Mercer County Community Community College that year with a class in Philosophy, which I had to withdraw from when i ended up in hospital for a month after the episode. Those days and earlier I could get high from drugs or good news, and had many more fancies and interests, like our new son Jesse.
But then I started my pill regimen: anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, Lithium and sleeping pills. All geared toward slowing me down, calming me down, and preventing nasty highs and depressing lows. And over 30+ years of them, they've taken thier toll on my spirit. But I'm certainly not complaining, and explain it all in my forthcoming book Episodes of A Blessed Life in America. Yet I must be truthful and say, that because of my mild bipolar mental illness, I've never had those debilitating clinical depressions so often read and heard about in others. Again, I've been fortunate.
So I'm going to give this blog series a try, and hope you'll feel free to comment and add your joys. In fact, better yet, you should start your own blog! It's free, and very easy to do, especially when you get into the routine of writing and sharing. I use Google's Blogger and am very happy with it. You need to have a GMail account, but I'm biased, and really like GMail for any number of reasons, particularly for its excellent spam filters. Blogger only requires a little intuition, because, like 99% of the apps on the Internet (and mobile phones), there's no instructions or good labeling. Well, either way, Blogger's not to bad. There's other free blog platforms as well.
So, hope to read your comments or read your stories soon...
Best,
Rodney Richards, NJ
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