One to Watch: U.S. House Seat for IL 2nd District

Posted by Janet Hinz

Today on Critical Thinking in the Real World, I interviewed Rev. Isaac Hayes, candidate for U.S. Congress from the 2nd District of Illinois. Hayes is hoping to unseat Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Illinois) and it looks as if he is a man who can win this tough fight.

The jury has yet to render a verdict in the Rod Blagojevich political corruption case, but Rep. Jackson has frequently been tied to the former Illinois governor and his alleged attempts to sell President Obama’s vacated Senate seat. Prosecutors argue, “Jackson became aware of the effort to buy his appointment on Oct. 28, 2008 at a meeting in Chicago’s 312 restaurant.” He denies this and has said, “I reject the pay to play politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing.” Jackson has never been charged with anything, but the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has listed Rep. Jackson as one of the 15 most corrupt members of Congress. Will Jackson’s ties with Blagojevich negatively impact him at election time?

This is a large anti-incumbent sentiment among frustrated Americans throughout the nation. Voters are tired of politics as usual and want true change. As ethics scandals plague politicians, will voters take a risk and vote for someone new or hope for reform from career politicians?

Rev. Isaac Hayes, in contrast to Jackson, has not had a privileged upbringing. Hayes grew up in the Woodlawn community on the South Side of Chicago. He put himself through college at Illinois State University. He has spent much of his life working and engaging in community service.

Rep. Jackson has held his office since 1995 and is the eldest son of famed Civil Rights activist and Rainbow PUSH Coalition President Rev. Jesse Jackson. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina and spent his early years in the Jackson Park Highlands District of the South Shore community area on the South Side of Chicago. Jackson went to the Le Mans Military Academy in Waterford, Wisconsin and then to the elite college prepatory St. Albans in Washington, DC for high school. He graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He earned his Master of Arts Degree in Theology from the Chicago Theological Seminary, and then his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Will the fact that Hayes is running as a republican help or handicap his chances? The National Republican Congressional Committee has invited Hayes to join its young guns program and that is significant for this virtually unknown candidate. Even with the Republican National Committee’s support, Hayes faces a tough challenge. Jackson won the last election with more than 80 percent of the vote and both of Jackson’s predecessors left the office surrounded by ethical scandals.

Are Illinois voters willing to cross party lines for change?

America Needs a Makeover

Posted by Janet Hinz

Our country needs a makeover. From our political system, to the economy to our very selves, we need an overhaul. We’ll talk about the upcoming elections, the Gulf Coast and personal physical improvements on tomorrow’s Critical Thinking in the Real World radio show.

Americans are unhappy with our elected officials and the job government is doing. According to the recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, public confidence in President Obama has hit a new low and approval of Congress is even worse. This has motivated Americans to act and political campaigns across the nation are fueled by a new enthusiasm and desire for considerable change. With the midterm elections less than four months away, now is the time to get involved. We’ll talk about some of the candidates running for office and the latest strategies they are using to engage voters.

President Obama and his family will vacation on the Gulf Coast in August. This trip will hopefully encourage tourism in a region hard hit by the BP Oil Spill and change perceptions that the beaches and resort areas have been devastated by this disaster. The Gulf Coast businesses are the ones facing imminent disaster. On their previous trips to the region, both the president and Mrs. Obama have made a point of encouraging people to visit Gulf Coast beaches that are open and oil-free to help boost an area economy battered by the sharp decline in tourism that followed the spill. If you’d like to help by traveling to the Gulf Coast, we’ll speak to Sandy at Bayside Travel who will tell us about all the deals to be had.

Have you ruled out cosmetic surgery because it’s too dangerous, invasive and expensive? Gaile Coleman at Estetika Skin & Laser Specialists will tell us all about affordable non-surgical options including the latest in skincare, Thermage, Latisse, cosmetic dermatology, and facial & body rejuvenation.

Listen to Critical Thinking in the Real World from 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT Wednesdays on http://www.toginet.com

Today on Critical Thinking in the Real World

Posted by Janet Hinz

We’ll talk about the dangers of rushing to judgment without critically thinking. From the BP Gulf Oil Spill to allegations of racism within the Tea Party and USDA, people rush to vilify without getting all the facts. We can’t legislate critical thinking, but we can require it of ourselves and those we elect.

Please join the discussion on the Facebook fan page, call 877-864-4869 and share your thoughts during the show, listen live from 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT at http://www.toginet.com or later via podcast .

Please join the discussion. We’ll talk about the dangers of rushing to judgment without critically thinking. From the BP Gulf Oil Spill to allegations of racism within the Tea Party and USDA, people rush to vilify without getting all the facts. We can’t legislate critical thinking, but we can require it of ourselves and those we elect.

It’s Back to School Time for Adults

Posted by Janet Hinz

The 4th of July has just passed, yet most stores are now promoting Back to School sections. It might seem too early, but now is actually a great time for adults to consider a return to the classroom. In today’s economy, it’s important to refresh your skills, beef up your resume and possibly finish that degree you began many years ago.

TV, radio and billboard advertisements bombard us with options of returning to school.

Can these programs really work and fit into an already busy life? Are there means available to help pay for them? Yes, not only do these programs work, they are much more beneficial to the working adult than the traditional student.

Online programs are one option available to the working adult. These programs appeal to many because students are only required to meet in a physical classroom minimally if at all. This is quite attractive for those who frequently travel or would like to learn during odd hours. Don’t be misled, however. Online programs can often be much more demanding than traditional classes. You are not guaranteed immediate or in some cases even timely feedback from instructors. This may be frustrating and detrimental. You will be free to learn from the privacy of your own home, office, car or even while traveling overseas.

Accelerated programs are a fantastic option for those who are highly motivated and want to complete their degree as quickly as possible. Students may only need to commit to going to class one night a week and could complete an entire course in just five to eight weeks. Accelerated programs like these often require group collaboration on projects and move at a very rapid pace.

Blended programs offer the best of both the traditional and online classes. Many universities are including this hybrid as a way to entice would be students.

So if you have considered going back to school, now is the time.

Critical Thinking in the Real World

Posted by Janet Hinz

Join us on Wednesday, July 7 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT as Janet Hinz speaks with two career facilitators. Natalie Lambert of Savoir Faire Media will discuss the importance of having a modern website and tell us how not to “leave leads at the door.” Joanne Williams of Cardinal Stritch University will tell us why now is the perfect time for working adults to return to college. Listen live or via podcast.

Happy 4th of July!

Posted by Janet Hinz

All across our nation, Americans are celebrating our country. We throw ourselves a party each year to honor our freedom, each other and our way of life. Many attended local parades with family and friends, followed by picnics and barbeques and are hoping to cap it all off with a fireworks display later tonight.

Today we focus on what we love most about this country as well as the things we want to improve. Both are great expressions of the spirit of America. Whether you consider yourself to be a Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all beneficiaries of this great nation. July 4^th is a wonderful day to recognize it.

According to Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, a new Pew Research survey finds that 83% of those surveyed say they are extremely proud to be Americans. “Interestingly, those who give President Obama the lowest job ratings — predominately Republicans and independents who lean Republican — also are more likely to say that they are extremely proud to be an American than are those who give the president more positive ratings.”

I asked Facebook fans to share what they love most about this country and received excellent responses. Here are a few:

Ange said, “Freedom to do and say what we like.”

Jan said, “Opportunities–and the chance to make the most of them!”

Tim said, “The inherited sworn duty- the obligation – to protect and respect the freedoms of those we disagree with.”

Matt said, “The of, the by and the for, and the notion that we the people are capable of doing all three.”

Jessica responded via Twitter saying, “Freedom, opportunity, capitalism and rock n’ roll.”

Whatever you like best about this country or whatever policies you disagree with, remember that one of the things that makes this country so appealing to past, present and future immigrants is our ability to freely discuss it all. On this 4^th of July, it’s important to reflect on that fact.

Today on Critical Thinking in the Real World

Posted by Janet Hinz

Join us from 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT as we discuss the Elena Kagan Supreme Court confirmation hearings, possible lift of the decades-old Cuba travel ban and the red-tape preventing cleanup of the marshes from the Gulf Oil Spill.

Then we’ll turn our attention to the war in Afghanistan. General Petraeus won’t commit to Obama’s July 2011 withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Is this a war we should fight and can win?

General McChrystal’s Criticism of the Obama Administration Results in a Change in Personnel

Posted by Janet Hinz

President Obama announced June 23 that he will accept General Stanley McChrystal’s resignation and is replacing him with General David Petraeus.

McChrystal’s “poor judgement” resulted in significant repercussions, but relieving a general of his duties during war is not without precedent because President Truman fired General MacArthur at the height of the Korean War. The general continued to support expanding the war while the president was working towards peace negotiations with North Korea and China. Truman was clear about his reason for firing MacArthur when he said, “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president.”

Obama said, “This is a change in personnel but it is not a change in policy.” He continued, “I believe that it is the right decision for our national security. The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general.”

Obama acknowledged that it is hard to lose the general, but the “war is bigger than any one man or woman” and that while he welcomes debate among his team, he won’t tolerate division.

The relationship between McChrystal has been a rocky one with a great deal of public attention. Obama put him in charge of the war in Afghanistan and then last fall, Obama was very angry with McChrystal’s call for more troops in a report that was leaked to the press. According to a June 22 article on FoxNews.com, “Obama agreed to dispatch an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan only after months of study that many in the military found frustrating. The White House’s troop commitment was coupled with a pledge to begin bringing troops home in July 2011, in what counterinsurgency strategists advising McChrystal regarded as an arbitrary deadline.”

With that deadline a little over a year away, it seems unlikely we’ll be able to meet it given that the Afghanistan government is far from stable. Afghan President Hamid Karzai continues make controversial and troublesome comments. A June 7 New York times article, “Karzai’s Isolation Worries Afghans and the West” asserts that Karzai is insecure and acts erratically. It says that this insecurity “has left Mr. Karzai alternately lashing out in anger and searching for new allies, turning to Iran and elements within the Taliban. Both are antagonistic to American interests.”

The Rolling Stone article reports, “In June, the death toll for U.S. troops passed 1,000, and the number of IEDs has doubled. Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the fifth-poorest country on earth has failed to win over the civilian population, whose attitude toward U.S. troops ranges from intensely wary to openly hostile. The biggest military operation of the year – a ferocious offensive that began in February to retake the southern town of Marja – continues to drag on, prompting McChrystal himself to refer to it as a bleeding ulcer.”

This month Afghanistan officially outpaced Vietnam as the longest war in American history. Like Vietnam, the constant onslaught of bad news over time has many Americans losing faith in our ability to win this war.

Critical thinkers must ask, can we win this war without our own military leaders’ support of their Commander in Chief and President of the United States?

McChrystal and his team criticized Obama administration officials and Obama personally in an upcoming article for Rolling Stone magazine called, “The Runaway General.” This upcoming article, which appears in the July 8-22 edition, has already launched debate over President Obama’s command of the war in Afghanistan.

President Obama is the Commander in Chief and we are at war. In fact, violence continues to increase as counterinsurgency efforts appear to be stalled. Is this the time for criticism or the time for support? Why would McChrystal consent to an interview with Rolling Stone and how does he have time to critique the administration especially when two of the United State’s biggest allies, the Dutch and the Canadian’s, have recently announced plans to pull their combat troops out of Afghanistan?

McChrystal’s remarks are also confusing because they consist more of personal attacks rather than ones on strategy. Some argue that his remarks indicate the frustrations of a general who knows he can’t win this war. Did he then make these comments with the hopes of getting a way out?

If Obama can’t rely upon our allies and military leaders for their support, what is left? Will the change in personnel help Obama maintain control?

McChrystal issued a statement in Kabul on Tuesday that said, “I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.” He continued, “I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.”

It’s interesting that he hasn’t retracted what he said, however.

Why Do We Still Focus on Gender Rather Than on Qualifications in Politics?

Posted by Janet Hinz

After the recent Tuesday primaries across the nation, it appears that a record number of women are poised to emerge as political victors. Wins by many women are cause for celebration, aren’t they? Some are angry that qualified candidates are still distinguished by their gender. If this is such a remarkable fact, isn’t it a sign that feminism has far to go?

The truth is that women are poorly represented in American politics. The 111^th Congress included a record number of women. Ninety-five were women, but only 21 of those representatives were Republicans.

While some argue that the Republican Party has historically neglected to support and elect women, it seems that the Tea Party has really attracted many conservative women.

Let’s not forget that Hillary Clinton was a strong candidate for President in 2008 and Sarah Palin had an energizing effect on the McCain campaign when he asked her to run with him as Vice President. Both women are feminists, yet they are from different political parties.

Sarah Palin has been frequently using the word feminism in recent speeches and it’s drawn some controversy because she doesn’t share the traditional feminist’s views on abortion rights. Many argue that pro-life feminism is the future.

Conservative feminism is not an oxymoron. Feminism is not a political party distinction.Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s feminism became synonymous with man-hating, bra burning and abortion rights. That is why many modern women have been so reluctant to embrace the term. Feminism has evolved.

Women’s roles in the workplace have greatly changed over the past 40 years. Particularly in today’s economy, many women are now the primary bread-winners in homes across America.

Still, there is a vast discrepancy between the amount women and men earn. According to an April 20, 2010 article, Why Do Women Still Earn Less Than Men? in Time magazine by Laura Fitzpatrick, “U.S. women still earned 77 cents on the male dollar in 2008, according to the latest census statistics. That number drops by 68% for African Americans women and 58% for Latinas.” This impacts most American families and it is not something that can be necessarily legislated.

Today’s women have many choices. Some work full time outside of the home, many opt to be stay at home parents and still others do a combination of both. The fact that we have these choices is a reality due to the women’s liberation movement. The fact that there is still such an inequality of pay between men and women is the reason that feminism is necessary.

Rather than marginalize the free-thinking woman who disagree that abortion is fundamental to feminism, modern feminists embrace the ideal of promoting respect for women, equal opportunities and equal pay. It does not preclude a person from being a feminist.

There is a rising pro-life sentiment among American women and it cannot be ignored. Feminism is not a party distinction.

Public opinion polls are often taken to measure the pulse of Americans and this new sentiment has become evident in polls. According to Colleen Carroll Campbell’s Washington post article, “Pro-life feminism is the future” from last month, “A 2007 study from Overbrook Research tracked the abortion views of women in Missouri, considered to be a bellwether state on such issues. Researchers found that the share of Missouri women identifying themselves as ‘strongly pro-life’ rose from 28 percent in 1992 to 37 percent in 2006, with the ranks of the ‘strongly pro-choice’ shrinking from about a third to a quarter of Missouri women. This pro-life shift was even more pronounced among young women.”

Campbell’s article also sites a more recent study. A May 2009 Gallup Poll, “proved that, for the first time since Gallup began asking the question in 1995, a majority of Americans now identify themselves as ‘pro-life’ rather than ‘pro-choice.’ Gallup found a significant rise in the percentage of young adults who believe that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, from about one in seven in the early 1990s to one in four today. Eighteen-to-29-year-olds are now tied with seniors as the group most likely to favor the outlawing of abortion.”

Feminism no longer has the negative connotation it once did. Today’s feminists don’t hate men, they love them and want to co-govern, co-work and co-parent with them.

Women have made great strides in the home, workplace and public eye. Yet, politics remains clouded by a male bias which critical thinkers should be able to see past.

A Different Kind of Summer

Posted by Janet Hinz

It’s tempting to try and fill up the summer with activities for the kids. I received my first summer stressor way back in December during Winter Break. The mother of one of my children’s friends sent out an email detailing the summer’s week by week schedule for her two children ages 4 and 8. She had them occupied from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm all but 2 weeks and was searching for suggestions to fill that time. All the activities looked very fun. I focused on that for a moment and was tempted. Then my mind quickly turned to the cost of each activity, the driving back and forth and the logistics of taking the kids to different events each day. This would be extremely expensive and exhausting.

The first few days of summer may prove to be a difficult transition for you and your children. If you are able to forgo 9 hours of care/activities for your children, consider taking things a bit slower this summer. Consider a different kind of summer filled with time to engage, enjoy and explore with your children.

While it may be necessary to have a daily activity to anchor your day, resist the urge to over-schedule your children and over-burden yourself in turn. Select a couple activities or short week-long classes for your children, so you and your children will gain the most from this summer break.

Here are a few inexpensive or free activities to try this summer:

Run through the lawn sprinkler in your own yard. Go on a walk through the neighborhood and run under sprinklers that spray the sidewalks as well.
Visit your local library. Most libraries have great summer programs. Plus, you can encourage your children to read and pick up a DVD for an especially long day.
Make a collage of photos, homemade artwork or pictures from magazines.
Decorate your sidewalk and driveway with chalk art.
Make edible necklaces with Fruit Loops, Lifesavers, Cheerios, Apple Jacks, etc.
Take a magnifying glass out and explore the world outside and indoors.
Blindfold your children and then do a smell and taste guessing game.
Make monthly donations to Goodwill or other charities.
Paint and then build with old cardboard boxes.
Go to a different local park each week.
Plant something and help it grow.
Enlist the help of your children around the house. A child as young as 18 months can help put toys way and their dirty clothes in a basket. Older children can sweep, fold and put away laundry, load and unload the dishwasher, do some lawn work, etc.
Plan an ice-cream for dinner night. It’ll be one meal when you don’t focus on nutrition—just fun.
Cook. Allow your children to help plan and prepare meals.
Dress up in costumes of your children’s own creation and those from Halloween’s past.
Let the children have a lemonade stand.