Year: 2010

Are You Ethical?

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Before pointing a finger or judging politicians and celebrities for their ethical scandals, we should question our own actions to see if they meet the same ethical standards. Today’s news is filled with reports of ethical lapses and commentary. Politicians and celebrities are under tremendous scrutiny and it would be interesting to see how many average Americans, who would consider themselves ethical people, make unethical decisions every day.

When a person makes a promise with no intention to keep it, he or she is being unethical. Consider traditional marital vows and the promise to remain faithful. Yet, how many married people commit adultery? When a person becomes a licensed driver, he or she promises to abide by all the laws of the road. But, how many people knowingly exceed the speed limit? Stealing is unethical. Still, how many people take things from their company’s office supply closet and bring them home for personal use? Using force or fraud is unethical. Yet, how many people lie on their resumes to obtain a job?

Children see things clearly when it comes to ethical matters. Ask a child if stealing is wrong, and he will say it is without question. Ask another child if lying is wrong and she will say that of course it is. Adults, however, find a way of justifying and excusing unethical behavior.

On March 3, 2010 Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) temporarily gave up his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee after being admonished by an ethics panel for taking two corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean. The panel is also investigating Rangel’s campaign finances and possible unreported income from rental properties. There are additional inquiries into whether Rangel paid taxes on a property in Dominican Republic and an allegation that he used his office to raise money for an academic center named after him.

Republican Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford’s marriage infidelity and ethical lapses have also been widely reported. He is now facing 37 ethics charges. The charges include allegations that he broke state laws more than 36 times by violating rules on airplane travel and campaign money. Sanford continues to ignore members of his own party who urge him to step down because of his ethical lapses.

Best-selling author Charles Pellegrino is coming under fire for lying about his credentials and making up sources. His recent bestseller The Last Train to Hiroshima is an account of events leading up to the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. It received excellent reviews. But now it’s alleged that Pellegrino made up portions of his book as well as lied about completing his Ph.D.

Critical thinkers must question their own behavior before judging others. When we force ourselves to act more ethically, expectations will change and society will benefit.

Is the Only Way to Improve the Gridlock in Congress to Clean House?

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On February 15, Democrat Indiana Senator Evan Bayh announced he wasn’t seeking a third term. He cited strident partisanship and the constant gridlock in congress as reasons. It’s true, months do go by and nothing substantial gets accomplished. In an interview on The View he said, “It shouldn’t take a constitutional crisis or attack on the country to get Democrats and Republicans listening to one another and working together.” He added, “Politics has almost become tribal.”

This phrasing of tribalism has been used more frequently instead of partisanship. It means something much more severe. One definition of tribalism is, “the act of assigning assumptive qualities to anyone that one perceives to be not of one’s own group and the rationalizing of divine or benevolent motives behind abhorrent actions undertaken by one’s own group.”

More practical problem solving is necessary. Listening and compromising is necessary for action. There seems to be far too little dialog today. It’s difficult to name people in either the Democrat or Republican party who are willing to compromise. Without compromise, there can be no substantive action and this is hurting Americans.

Perhaps the route of the problem is the pervasive media eager to cover disputes or lobbyists or even special interest groups. What most agree upon is that there is a problem.

It seems Washington, DC changes even the most idealistic people after a few years. We need some enthusiastic new blood of both parties to facilitate real discussion compromise and action. I interviewed Sean Duffy on my radio show, Critical Thinking in the Real World, today. He is running against Rep. David Obey who has served in Congress since 1970. It will be a tough battle as Obey has a great deal of money, clout and connections. Yet, Duffy is willing to take on this fight because he believes Obey is out of touch with his constituents. He also is frustrated by his actions and said, “David Obey believes we can borrow, spend, and print our way out of this crisis. I think he and his friends in Washington are creating a greater crisis. The consequences of government spending for bailouts, budget increases, bloated entitlements and ‘stimulus’ spending will be staggering and unsustainable debt that will act as a dead weight around the neck of our economy.”

Career politicians are no good for the country. Term limits are a great idea. If Members didn’t have to worry about constant re-election cycles, they could spend more time on the people’s business rather than on securing their own jobs.

When I worked for Rep. Steve Gunderson from 1994 to 1996 as my first job out of college, I organized the group meetings called the Tuesday Lunch Bunch of moderates Republicans who then met with moderate Democrats. My responsibilities included delivering them pizza, soda, dessert as well as keeping track of attendance. That was one of Former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s best initiatives. Imagine having 30 to 40 Members of Congress talking together for an hour each week. As Senator Bayh said, that simply isn’t happening now. There was a lot of compromise then even with Democrat President Bill Clinton and a Republican majority in Congress. It is possible to have that today.

I have to believe that both Republicans and Democrats today really do want to make a positive difference. That is at least when they are first elected and before they get over-taken by Washington, DC and all that corrupts. Their ideas might be different, but they have to somewhere in there believe in the common goal–to serve.

“Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid”

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I’ve frequently used the reference “don’t drink the Kool-Aid” to illustrate the dangers of group think and the benefits of critical thinking, but I didn’t fully understand the Jim Jones mass suicide until I watched an interview with Jim Jones Jr. on Oprah February 17, 2010 and researched the 1978 Jonestown massacre myself.

Jim Jones formed the Peoples Temple in 1956 in Indiana and said it stood for, “Divine principles. Total equality. A society where people own all things in common, where there is no rich or poor, where there are no races.” Jones was an engaging speaker with a charismatic personality and a desire to change the world. As the Peoples Temple grew, he moved to California. It’s important to remember that the movement started out as a good idea in response to the civil unrest at the time. His followers included people of different races, ages and both genders. Most were educated, functioning members of society who wanted to make a difference. But as Jones grew more powerful, a darker side of him began to rear its ugly head. He demanded followers turn over their pay checks to him and asked them to pledge their lives to him.

After facing criminal investigation in California, Jones formed a town in Guyana called Jonestown. Nearly 1,000 followers joined him there. In theory it sounded great. After all, It was touted as Uptopia—heaven on earth. This was a well organized and planned community. It had an agricultural team, schools and hospital. Jonestown flourished and Jones began to manipulate and brainwash his followers constantly broadcasting messages through speakers. Some believe his sickness and even insanity were a result of drug experimentation.

Congressman Leo Ryan of California went to Jonestown to investigate after several of his constituents claimed their family members were being held against their will. Reporters with cameras filmed first a very joyous celebration and then later several defectors asking to be taken home. Upon hearing of this, Jones ambushed Ryan and his team at the airstrip. Ryan and four other members of his team were shot and killed.

Jones called an emergency meeting. He then told followers “They are after us. Die with respect. Die with dignity.” Mothers were instructed to give the Kool-Aid-like substance with poison to their babies, children and then drink it themselves. As a result, 900 people died a painful death at Jonestown including 300 children.

Death by cyanide is not painless. Victims actually die a violent death. Officials say it took victims five minutes to die. Tim Carter, a survivor calls it, “a senseless death.” And it was both senseless and tragic. This was the biggest mass-murder suicide ever. The word murder is an important addition here. There is evidence that some did not drink the poison willingly as many syringes were found later. Many claim armed guards also surrounded the pavilion to ensure cooperation.

On November 18, 1978 Jim Jones, Jr. and his two brothers were 150 miles away at the time playing in a basketball tournament when he received the call from his father saying, “We are visiting Ms. Frazier.” This was code to commit suicide. While Jim Jones Jr. says this shocked him, he said there had been loyalty tests and suicide practices before. During these drills, people would pledge their lives to the cause.

Jim Jones Jr. was 18 at the time and refused to his father’s order to commit suicide. To understand why others didn’t do the same, it’s important to remember Jim Jones and the initial intent of the movement. The idea was to create a new world without bias—no racism, sexism or ageism. His followers wanted to make a difference. For much of his life, Jones lived as he preached. Jim Jones Jr. is an African American adopted at 10 weeks old. Many say he was the first African American child adopted by a Caucasian family. Jim Jones adopted Korean American children, and had a natural son as well. They called it a rainbow family.

The Peoples Temple followers really believed they were creating a new world. Why would 900 people agree to drink the Kool-Aid and knowingly commit suicide? Jones had told people they were about to be invaded and their children would be taken away from them. He said they needed to lay down their lives in protest. His strategy was to have parents give their babies and children the poison first. This was part of the manipulation because after seeing your child die, who would want to live? Absolute power, combined with mental illness and drug abuse resulted in self destruction and the mass murder suicide of 900 people.

Critical thinkers must question everything they are told, believe and even that which they consider to be common sense. When we study the 1978 Jonestown massacre, we learn how very important it is not to subscribe to group think and the dangers of unchecked power.

Critical Thinkers Must Even Question What They Consider To Be Common Sense

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The essence of critical thinking requires questioning.  A critical thinker must question everything he or she is told or believes and this includes even that which the person considers common sense.  This last part is often the most difficult act.  How can you question common sense?  Common sense seems absolutely right after all. 

One of the best examples I’ve found to explain why we need to question even that which we consider to be common sense is the famous case of U.S. Lieutenant Jeffrey N. Zaun. Shot down over the Persian Gulf War on January 18, 1991, Zaun became internationally known as a prisoner of war.  Images of the bruised, bloated and beaten soldier were on every station’s evening news, covers of magazines, front pages of newspapers and virtually every media outlet.  He was captured by Iraqi soldiers after being ejected from his plane. Zaun was then forced by the Iraqis to appear in a video making a statement against the war.  Zaun said, “I think our leaders and our people have wrongly attacked the peaceful people of Iraq.”  The words were delivered in a monotone voice and it was clear to all who viewed the footage, those were not Zaun’s. 

It was the image of the fallen soldier that really haunted us.  When you see a beaten up prisoner of war, common sense tells you that those wounds were inflicted by his captors.  Why would anyone question that?  After being released from his six weeks in captivity, Zaun explained some of those wounds we saw were self-inflicted in the hopes that “he would be too ugly” to be filmed again.  He even explained that that was part of his military training. 

Zaun is truly a hero.  He teaches us many things about honor, duty and service. Zaun also taught me to question images in a way I had never considered before. 

With today’s prevalence of media, we often assume what we are seeing, reading and hearing has to be true.  However, the face value of a situation can only be determined by critical thinking and analysis.

Choose Your Words Carefully

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We use language as a means to transmit ideas. A person has a thought and needs to figure out how to communicate that to others. If a person uses the wrong words, it doesn’t matter how great the ideas were because no one received them. When we use words that offend, it’s like we hit a wall because our message is blocked. There are words that cause some listeners to tune out and when that happens, we aren’t being heard.

Last month, President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used the word “retarded” in a private meeting. He’s received great criticism for his insensitivity and Sarah Palin even said he should be fired. Palin’s son has Downs Syndrome and is very passionate about the use of this word. She said, “Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the ‘N-word’ or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities — and the people who love them — is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking.”

Emanuel has apologized publicly and privately to Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver for using the word “retarded.” This is not the first time the White House has come under fire for offending this group. In March of 2009, Obama himself made a joke about his bowling skills by referring to them as worthy of the Special Olympics on The Tonight Show.

The word “retarded” is offensive. In the past, it was used frequently and is now often used in slang as a form of slur particularly among young people. That doesn’t excuse its use, however. As our society evolves, so does our language. A person who scores below about a 70 on IQ tests is now called a person with an intellectual disability.

While some object to political correctness, our words matter. We would not call a person who has the flu, “a flu,” so we should not call a person who has paralysis of the legs “paralyzed.” We put the person first rather than the condition. He or she is a person with paralysis. This change in phrasing makes a big difference. A medical condition does not define a person or sum up everything he or she is. This is the reason for the change.

Critical thinkers choose their words carefully because they know if they don’t, they won’t be heard.

True Exchange of Ideas Could Lead to Less Partisanship

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In  President Obama’s State of the Union address this week he acknowledged  the partisanship that has so frustrated Americans and prevented political action by calling it a “poisoned political era.”

Today he went to a meeting of Republicans.  Obama took questions and defended his positions for more than an hour at the House Republicans Annual Meeting in Baltimore.  It was televised live and that makes it unlike those that former President George W. Bush attended with Democrats during his administration and the one that Obama did last year.  Television provides a transparency that we so desperately need.  After all, seeing is believing and far too often we rely of what others say about an event, speech or document instead of watching, reading and deciding for ourselves. 

During today’s meeting, Republicans voiced anger that their ideas and proposals were ignored by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and said that this culture has pervaded his administration. Republicans handed Obama a book of all their proposals and alternative solutions to current legislative initiatives.  Obama acknowledged fault on both sides, but said he has read Republican suggestions and incorporates the good ones. 

Obama said not having more communication between the legislative leaders of the major parties was “a failure on my part” and that he would try to do more on that issue this year.

Republicans also confronted the president for breaking promises on transparency referring to the many commitments he made during his campaign about televising debates on healthcare.   He defended this by saying most congressional hearings on healthcare were televised on C-SPAN, but did admit it was a legitimate criticism and took responsibility. 

Obama said he was having fun towards the end of the meeting.  You know what?  An intellectual exchange of ideas is fun.  That’s what argument really is.  It’s not name calling and pointing fingers.  We can disagree in the country.  That’s what makes America so great.  In order to be critical thinkers, we must talk and listen to those with different ideas.  Partisanship has prevented this and perhaps today opened the door to a more productive era.

Today’s Supreme Court Ruling is a Victory for Free Speech

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Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling will not drown out the voice of the individual.  It supports our First Amendment rights.  It is important to remember that this decision  leaves in place a ban which prohibits both corporations and unions from directly contributing to candidates. 

The Supreme Court overturned laws on the books for nearly a century that corporations can spend freely on political campaigns to buy ads.  TV viewers will likely be bombarded by more corporate ads during campaigns and that will most certainly be annoying.  Without this ruling however, Congress could ban corporations from posting their views on You Tube, Facebook or Twitter.  Today’s ruling is a win for the First Amendment.  We all should be able to express our political views.  Without today’s ruling other free speech in the form of movies, books and periodicals could be banned. 

I disagree with the Supreme Court’s four dissenters:  Stephen Breyer,  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, John Paul Stevens who predicted that corporate money will drown out the voice of the little guy.  I also think President Obama is making a mistake by directing his staff to make changes to the law to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision. 

Constructive public discussion only helps our country.  Critical thinking requires hearing all points of view regardless of who is footing the bill.

Hope That Senator-Elect Scott Brown Ushers a Change for Politics at Large and Republicans Specifically

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I hope Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts marks a new beginning for the Republican party and for politics at large.   Republicans and all candidates must stand for something, they simply can’t just tow the party line or oppose those in power. This no longer plays with American voters.  As Brown said this morning on the Today show, “I look at every single issue on its merits whether it’s a good Democrat idea or good Republican idea.”  He calls himself a different kind of Republican who wants to solve problems regardless of partisanship.  This is what we need. 

Voters  refuse to accept that things have always been done one way and therefore, that’s the way they should continue be done.  No seat is owned by any individual, family, corporation or party. As Brown repeatedly said, “This is the people’s seat.” In no way is he diminishing the Kennedy legacy, however. Senator Ted Kennedy was an amazing man who tirelessly worked for change and Republicans and Democrats cannot deny his legacy. 

Critical thinkers question everything they are told, everything thing they believe and even that which they consider to be common sense.  While a policy sounds great in theory, its implications and results must be examined before enacting a law. 

A change is needed and perhaps this forces all politicians to require more of themselves and be better representatives of their constituents. The ways things have always been done is no longer acceptable and simply won’t be tolerated.  Americans are indeed becoming more critical thinkers.  Rather than vote along party lines, research and consideration of the issues as well as possible legislative outcomes must be given thorough reflection before votes are cast. 

And make no mistake about it.  Voters are watching.  In today’s ever-increasing era of transparency when news is received immediately (through Twitter, Facebook, cell phone video footage, etc.) without gatekeepers, we learn about pork barrel spending, failure to live up to campaign promises and ethical infractions faster than ever before.

There is more to Martin Luther King Jr. than his “I Have a Dream” speech

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There is more to Martin Luther King, Jr. than his “I Have a Dream” speech. In honor of Martin Luther King Day tomorrow, consider taking a moment to read one of his lesser known works. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is arguably one of the most well crafted persuasive pieces ever written.

In 1963, King was arrested for participating in a march because no parade permit had been issued by city officials. While in jail, he responded to a letter published in a city newspaper from eight clergymen called “A Call for Unity.” King’s response is extremely well crafted especially considering it was written in the jail cell on scraps of paper smuggled in for him.

When this letter was written, King was not the wildly known and respected civil rights leader we know him to be today. In the views of many, he was just a black man in a jail cell up to no good. But King was extremely well educated. He graduated from Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University. His education, passion and control come through eloquently throughout his letter.

The best arguments use a combination of all three appeals—the emotional, logical and ethical to persuade. King uses all three appeals to persuade his readers. It is nearly impossible to determine how readers make their decisions, so strategic arguers use all three methods.

King uses the emotional appeal to attempt to get his readers to feel something and does so quite successfully especially when he draws upon examples any parent can relate to. He says, “when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people…”

King uses the logical appeal when he provides facts and evidence in his appeal. At times, he even appears to be educating his readers. He says, “in any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community.” The ethical appeal is also evident throughout his letter as he builds his creditability by using fair-minded language, citing experts and explaining his own expertise. King does this very convincingly when he tries to explain the difference between just and unjust laws. He says, “In no sense do I do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.” King continues, “ There is nothing new about this type of kind of civil disobedience.” He cites the early Christians, the Boston Tea Party and even the Hungarian freedom fighters confronting Adolph Hitler’s legal actions in Germany as examples.

King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is worth viewing, but it is by no means his greatest work and it does not adequately reflect the true measure of Martin Luther King Jr. and his vast intellect. If you read “Letter from Birmingham Jail” you will appreciate the holiday whether you are at workin on his federal holiday or not.