/etext__/violence/violence1.txt /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ OK. Let's get right to it. Here's part three of Patrick's awesome scene report. I call it... well, never mind, peeps. This sucka speaks 4 itself. /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ To Beat The Devil: Parenting In Modern America By Patrick Moore Part 3 (ed note : 2 and 1 are in the last two ati's) "Parenting In The New Economy" You've seen the headlines: "Economy Strongest in 40 Years"... "Unemployment Lowest In Decades"...that sort of thing. From the way they read, you'd think we had money flowing out of our pockets. However, there have been more layoffs and plant closings in the past 10 years than in previous history. Yet we see optimistic stories and headlines. My question is, WHO IS BENEFITING MOST? Well, if you're in senior management, chances are you've done pretty well. And, if you're a CEO, if your company closed a plant in the US and moved the operations to Mexico or China, you've done outstanding. But what if you're in the Rank-And-File? Well, in all probability, you're worse off. Even if you're doing as well as you did 10 years ago, chances are you're having to work longer hours to keep up. Where does this leave time for family? It doesn't. "Well, if they weren't so obsessed with wealth they would have time for their families", some say. "What about stay-at-home moms? That women's lib thing really screwed up things" "What about....???" What about it? Here's the deal. It is a fact that most new jobs pay well below the poverty level. And it's a truism that two incomes are needed just for essential items. Even if a job pays decent, overtime is not an option. You either have to "work over" or face disciplinary action. If you tell your boss you have to take care of your kids, more than likely you'll hear "That's not our problem." It's no secret that so-called "pro-family" politicians have enabled corporations to abuse, if not ignore, worker rights. Who gives a hoot about families? Not your representative. Not your congressman. Not your boss. So, it's up to YOU. /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ How do you fight back? Well, for one, put your priorities in order. What do you want out of life? Which is more important, getting a big paycheck or raising a healthy child? Don't get me wrong, big paychecks are OK. They come in handy sometimes. But if you work over constantly, you may need to look at changing jobs. Too much overtime can be harmful to your family life. I worked at a job where overtime was an ordinary thing. The 8-hour workday was the exception rather than the rule. 12-hour days were common. In fact, there were employees who worked MONTHS (yes, you read right: MONTHS) without a day off. Some volunteered, to be sure, but most were forced to come in. 70-84 hour workweeks sometimes were standard. And, the company didn't think any better of you afterwards either. After a while of this, my health started giving way, and now I have permanent damage in my thoracic spine. I missed time with my wife and son to help the company, and my reward was permanent spinal damage. There is a trend called "downshifting" where people leave the high-pay, high stress job they were at and willingly take a pay cut and work jobs where the stress is lower. And, they forsake (or pay off) the high-priced "toys" that necessitated the extra income. People who downshift take a look at what is the absolute minimum to live on. And all too frequently there's a lot that you can do without. Don't misunderstand, if you have a black Acura Integra with 2 more years of payments, you would do well to pay it off first. Chances are, Acura won't understand if you voluntarily took a job with lower pay knowing you had a payment to make every month. And, ferkrissakes, STAY AWAY FROM PAYDAY LOAN, CHECK CASHING, OR TITLE LOAN PLACES. Those places will put you in far worse financial shape. Now, you might ask, "What about the children?" Good point. Kids today, more so than any other time in memory, are bombarded with advertising. Nike shoes, Pepsi, Nintendo...those companies pay a LOT of money to get their message to your child. Materialistic attitudes make for HUGE profits. A parent who works long hours just to finance unnecessary or trendy items is enabling a materialistic attitude. I grew up without Nike or Nintendo.. and I had a lot better time without them. So can you. So can your child. How? Take them to the library. Go on a road trip. Look at family albums. Play music together. Spend time together! Your child will appreciate it. Part 4: Media Literacy, Home Style /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ /^ [for parts 1,2 and 4 goto: http://www.etext.org/Zines and keyword search "patrick moore"]