Let me repeat that I am not political. I just see things as they are. I am also extremely interested in cultural issues. I am especially interested in France, since I married into a French family. Thus, I feel compelled to write a quick note on the situation in France.
Yesterday, Jacques Chirac decided to pull the law that would allow employers to fire people under the age of 26 for any reason within the first year of hiring. Why did he do so? He caved to the labor unions who have turned France into the economic joke of the E.C.
France needs to change. Unemployment is high. Taxes are enormous. Employers are leaving the country in droves because the situation there is impossible for them to succeed.
The current situation in the country gives workers at least 6 weeks vacation to start, a virtual job for life unless they do something like shoot their boss, and the employers are required to pay tons of money in taxes and other monies to the government to cover employees' health and welfare in abundance. In the meantime, employees abuse the system and go on strike at the drop of a hat. When will the people realize that they are going to have to give up some of these unreasonable perks in order to compete on an equal basis with the rest of the world? The problem is that no one wants to be first. But someone is going to have to. Until the labor unions sit down at the table with the government officials, economists, and employers to try to hash out a realistic way of changing things, France will continue to spiral downward and become irrelevant in the world.
It's sad. France used to be the darling of diplomacy and an unrivalled European state. Now, it's just a joke, and its people are seen to be rioting, stubborn, and lazy. What a shame, because such behavior could lead to the loss of a truly wonderful culture. I'm not sure which is worse; the American government's behavior of late or the French people's behavior. Maybe it's a tie. Two different winners (losers?) in two different categories.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
We've Been Saying This For Years
What a shock. Can you believe it? An article on MSNBC.com today states that content in movies, television, and music can affect our children! Next they're going to tell us that stopping breathing is dangerous.
Here's the link to the article on MSNBC's website:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12130036/
So, basically what the study says is that the increased sexual content in the media is causing young people to have more sex and more promiscuous sex at an earlier age. This flies in the face of all of those who say that "it's just music" or "it's just a movie". No, it isn't. When the brain takes in images and words, it processes them. It cannot be ignored. The brain is too powerful for that. Instead, the information goes in and stays in, whether in the conscious or subconscious.
Think back to television in the late 50s and early 60s. Lucy and Desi didn't even sleep in the same bed! They wouldn't say the word "pregnant". Yes, that was probably too extreme on the side of caution. It was also too extreme to say that Barbara Eden couldn't show her navel in "I Dream of Jeannie". But compare that to the blatant sex, language, violence, and immorality we see today! Is it any wonder that our children view these acts as normal and even preferable?
Allow me to point you to a couple of scriptures in the Bible. Use whatever translation you prefer. Read the MSNBC article. Then check out Ephesians 5: 3-5 and Colossians 3: 8, 9 for a start. Anyone who thinks that the Bible isn't a guide for our day isn't thinking clearly.
Folks, pay attention to what your children are watching and listening to in the media. Find out what music they hear and what movies and television shows they watch. Then exercise your authority as parents and eliminate the bad things. (This includes video games, by the way.) As the years go by, you will see just how valuable such guidance is, and how it helps our children to grow into well-balanced and decent adults. And don't we need more of those?
Here's the link to the article on MSNBC's website:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12130036/
So, basically what the study says is that the increased sexual content in the media is causing young people to have more sex and more promiscuous sex at an earlier age. This flies in the face of all of those who say that "it's just music" or "it's just a movie". No, it isn't. When the brain takes in images and words, it processes them. It cannot be ignored. The brain is too powerful for that. Instead, the information goes in and stays in, whether in the conscious or subconscious.
Think back to television in the late 50s and early 60s. Lucy and Desi didn't even sleep in the same bed! They wouldn't say the word "pregnant". Yes, that was probably too extreme on the side of caution. It was also too extreme to say that Barbara Eden couldn't show her navel in "I Dream of Jeannie". But compare that to the blatant sex, language, violence, and immorality we see today! Is it any wonder that our children view these acts as normal and even preferable?
Allow me to point you to a couple of scriptures in the Bible. Use whatever translation you prefer. Read the MSNBC article. Then check out Ephesians 5: 3-5 and Colossians 3: 8, 9 for a start. Anyone who thinks that the Bible isn't a guide for our day isn't thinking clearly.
Folks, pay attention to what your children are watching and listening to in the media. Find out what music they hear and what movies and television shows they watch. Then exercise your authority as parents and eliminate the bad things. (This includes video games, by the way.) As the years go by, you will see just how valuable such guidance is, and how it helps our children to grow into well-balanced and decent adults. And don't we need more of those?
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