Letters to the Editor

Pop culture undermines parental authority
The title of Joe Navarro’s Sept 11 letter in The Pinnacle hit
the nail on the head:
”
Parental involvement is important for students
”
. Robert Samuelson in Newsweek of Sept 13 had more to say:
”
Why school reform fails
– Student motivation is the problem.
”
He documented the meager results of over 30 years of effort to
improve student achievement and noted that any improvement in
student learning in the lower grades evaporates in high school.
Why? Students as a group just do not like school and do not work
hard (learning is hard work). And this results in poor attention
and inadequate learning.
I sympathize with the teachers who are mostly conscientious and
work hard. But, too few have the ability to interest, much less
inspire their students, and I doubt if teacher training places much
emphasis on personality and developing an enthusiasm for
learning.
Certainly parents have a big part to play in motivating their
children, and they bear considerable responsibility for the failure
to learn. But a parent’s job is terribly difficult today, and
particularly so when dealing with their teenage kids. Today’s pop
culture undermines parental authority and the effectiveness of our
schools.
Two big culprits are the entertainment and advertising
industries. They subvert the authority of parents and schools by
bombarding young people with the wrong messages: pleasure and fads
are all important, and you must be beautiful and popular to
succeed. Hard work is just for dullards and
”
nerds.
”
Teenagers are like sheep – they want to run with the crowd. The
publicity and worship we focus on rock stars and other celebrities,
harmless though it may seem, does a great deal to undermine our
schools.
What to do? First, recognize the problem! Then endeavor to make
learning attractive. The advertising people know how to direct
desires, and the entertainment industry can shape their messages
toward more wholesome values. We should enlist their talents.
Once responsible authorities really face the hard fact that poor
student motivation underlies most of our school’s inadequate
performance, much can be done. But they have to focus their efforts
on the right problem.
John Blake
Hollister
Pop culture undermines parental authority

The title of Joe Navarro’s Sept 11 letter in The Pinnacle hit the nail on the head: “Parental involvement is important for students”. Robert Samuelson in Newsweek of Sept 13 had more to say: “Why school reform fails – Student motivation is the problem.”

He documented the meager results of over 30 years of effort to improve student achievement and noted that any improvement in student learning in the lower grades evaporates in high school. Why? Students as a group just do not like school and do not work hard (learning is hard work). And this results in poor attention and inadequate learning.

I sympathize with the teachers who are mostly conscientious and work hard. But, too few have the ability to interest, much less inspire their students, and I doubt if teacher training places much emphasis on personality and developing an enthusiasm for learning.

Certainly parents have a big part to play in motivating their children, and they bear considerable responsibility for the failure to learn. But a parent’s job is terribly difficult today, and particularly so when dealing with their teenage kids. Today’s pop culture undermines parental authority and the effectiveness of our schools.

Two big culprits are the entertainment and advertising industries. They subvert the authority of parents and schools by bombarding young people with the wrong messages: pleasure and fads are all important, and you must be beautiful and popular to succeed. Hard work is just for dullards and “nerds.”

Teenagers are like sheep – they want to run with the crowd. The publicity and worship we focus on rock stars and other celebrities, harmless though it may seem, does a great deal to undermine our schools.

What to do? First, recognize the problem! Then endeavor to make learning attractive. The advertising people know how to direct desires, and the entertainment industry can shape their messages toward more wholesome values. We should enlist their talents.

Once responsible authorities really face the hard fact that poor student motivation underlies most of our school’s inadequate performance, much can be done. But they have to focus their efforts on the right problem.

John Blake

Hollister

God only knows what the future holds

This is a different letter for a change. I am going to write this letter about the world that I believe at one time was pretty large. The people that once lived on it sure didn’t have an idea of how far it goes. This world started with wars.

If I understand, the first family with 24, one brother Cain killed Abel. There have always been wars, mostly from jealousy. With wars between men if there was a fight, a rock or stick would be the ammunition – whatever came in handy. Then the people started to spread when they invented the wheels and the wagons. They got crazy to find the end of the world.

They started to make settlements here and there. A leader or a king had dominant power. When they found the ocean, they had to stop thinking that the world was flat and came to an end. This gave them much to think about. They started with the canoe, then the sailbots until they had great sail ships made out of wood. They went to discover the worlds: Africa, South America and North America. Sometimes when they met in the middle of the ocean there would be a big fight.

They would try to steal from one another. There were pirates. By this time, the world was pretty well divided, each with their own flag. It was safe for women and children until World War I. By World War II, money got killed by modern weapons. God gave us the power to know right from wrong.

It seems we all failed. There is nothing we can do with the past. How about the future? I have a pretty good idea from the past 70 years. I wonder what else is there that they can invent? What else can they discover? We can’t take them serious. As I mentioned, before the world was so big that it would take months to hear what was happening on the other side. Today the world has shrunk so much that sitting in your living room you know in minutes what has happened on the other side.

I am not educated to prove what I just wrote. It’s not for science to prove. This is only for people of my category. I feel by 2080 the population will be double. It’s for us all to guess to figure out what life will be like 80 years from now. God knows and God bless.

Amadeu Lima

Hollister

Thanks to nursing staff

My mother in-law has been at the William & Inez Skilled Nursing Facility, affectionately known as Mabie Southside for almost two years. I can’t begin to tell you what a blessing the organization and the people who work there have been to my family. The nurses, their aids, kitchen staff and the janitors are always pleasant and smiling. After a massive stroke my mother in-law who is right handed lost all use of her right side and her ability to speak making communication difficult and sometimes impossible.

The staff works patiently to understand her needs and often helps to interpret what mom is trying to tell me. It is impossible to fake the genuine concern that they have for their patients. Staff members like Cesar, one of mom’s favorite’s lights up the room with his smile and never fails to bring one to mom’s face.

The staff treats the patients with dignity and patience and because of them I sleep well at night knowing that mom is in good hands. God bless you wonderful people. 

Charisse Tyson,

Hollister