Manns Medium

So much has been made about the rioting and looting seen in Baltimore, Maryland Monday, April 27, 2015 and many had decent questions and concerns but to a person those questions and concerns still remain because nothing was done to address them because so much energy was spent trying to make sure that yesterday was not a repeat of Monday.  All those meetings and not one to address the true concerns of those living in that community.  All those resources and not any of it was lent toward fixing the problems those citizens endure each and every day.  All that news coverage and nothing solid to help those who live and love that community feel better about their community.  All that money and none of it to be used to locate more jobs in that area or secure local financing to where those from that community to borrow and grow these jobs with a services that they know is greatly needed in that area.  So much time, effort and money wasted on reacting to an issue inste...

I have been searching to a better way to write this but noting comes to mind so instead of racking my brain trying to come up with a much more digestible way to word this, I am going to just say it. Some wishes you to believe that the economy of America is not coming back and they cite so many reasons as to why.  Some wishes you to believe that the economy of America is coming back and they also cite so many reasons why but to every single unemployed person in America and for those struggling to make ends meet, both sides seem to be talking out of the sides of their necks.  Many wish to pinpoint the problem so that it may be addressed and others wish to blame the lack of jobs as a reason for the riots in Baltimore and the over-all feeling of disenfranchisement felt by the majority of those.  I think the culprit is simply three and as long as the power to decide are left in the control of them, this economy whether coming back or not will never each the apex of what i...

All across the television we saw peaceful protests being combined with rioting and looting, many of us thinking that all that violence was a part of it.  We watched as those facing the cameras had all types of descriptions to justify the actions taken and excuses of why it happened.  We heard from people who say that they were angry about the violence being perpetrated upon their community and how they lack closure because nothing seems to ever be done about it.  They say that if only we would have accountability and hold those responsible clearly responsible then this type of violence would not befall a city.  They say that it is because the schools fail to provide all children with a way out and a way up, that what is learned in school is not sufficient to give a child the dream of being all that they can be.  They say all this, yet as we watch the video of the rioting and looting, none of this appears true and it is time for the truth. Who ever said that...

My wife stumbled upon this article titled “Few vets getting care through $10 billion VA program” written by David Caruso for the Associated Press and shared it with me.  After reading it, I became abundantly aware of how misguided some programs can become especially when they appear to be administered by people who have no earthly idea to whom they are attempting to service.  They seem to lack the understanding of the particular kind of citizen to who they are contacting and quickly lose focus behind the initial reasoning for the program in the first place. As reported “a new program that was supposed to get patients off waiting lists at Veterans Affairs medical centers by letting them switch to private-sector doctors is proving to be an even bigger disappointment than initially thought.  The Veteran's Choice program launched on Nov. 5 with $10 billion in funding and the expectation that it would instantly relieve backlogs at VA hospitals and clinics. But after a hur...

Leave it up to the skeptics and those who may have never spent one day behind America’s bars designed and built to correct our societal behaviors by locking us away and throwing away the key so that the decent folks in society are protected from us unruly, uncontrollable and criminals who seek to destroy our otherwise peaceful society with violence.  Leave it to them to speculate that the reason many who go to prison is often times quoted as finding God as the reason why they have been rehabilitated and has turned over that new leaf, is simply to receive more privileges in prison or get their sentence reduced.  Now we are not that cynical to think that there are some who think along that line but let’s assume that the few who actually believe that they found God in prison and that they do turn over that new leaf do.  What is the teachable moment here and how can we maybe help so many others reach this calm within out jailing everyone we see? The primary force, I beli...

Consider the possibilities that the world’s number one retail store would suddenly have to close stores and those who can see nothing more than a conspiracy saying it is because of the livable wage debate currently raging all over the place?  Could they be right?  According to an article titled “ Wal-Mart suddenly closed 5 stores and laid off thousands of workers and no one knows why ” written for Reuters by Hayley Peterson that may be the ultimate question. The article states that “Wal-Mart suddenly closed five stores in four states on Monday for alleged plumbing problems.  The closures could last up to six months and affect roughly 2,200 workers in Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Florida, CNN Money reports.  Wal-Mart employees say they were completely blindsided by the news, having been notified only a couple hours before the stores closed at 7 p.m. Monday.  All workers will receive paid leave for two months. After that, full-time workers could become el...

Nothing bothers me more than the desire some feel that inflicting pain on another is ever justified for any reason.  I am especially bothered by those calling them role models or parents failing to set the proper example and then wonder why our jails and prisons are so filled. The article that conjures up this distaste in my mouth is one titled “ Attack by mom and juvenile niece knocks NY teacher out cold ” as reported by the Huffington Post.  The article details that “an attack on a New York teacher by Annika McKenzie – a double team attack and beat down by a mother and her juvenile, 14-year-old niece – left a teacher unconscious on a school hallway floor. The teacher, identified as Catherine Engelhardt, was beat to the point of unconsciousness on Wednesday after McKenzie stormed into the school and placed the math teacher in a headlock while her niece pummeled her in the face.  Writes the HuffPost: “Annika McKenzie, 34, is charged with second-degree assault and str...