StooltimeCounseling's Blog

To be a victim of a crime is a painful experience, whether it be a crime against property or person. The purpose of this post is to help readers decrease their chances of becoming a victim. There are never any guarantees in life, so the information can only be used as guidelines to increase one's safety and security in a world where the criminal element (enemy) has the desire (to hurt, bully), opportunity (a car or purse to steal) and ability (overpower, intimidate, use of technology or weapons) to inflict harm on innocent, law-abiding citizens.

I want to thank the West Bloomfield police department for having two of their finest men present this information to Easter Seals staff at an inservice entitled, "Service Provider Safety And Security". Thank you, Sgt. Tom Keilman and Officer Rick Trabulsy. I appreciate getting your permission to write this blog post on the Fox 2 website.

What follows is what I learned about personal safety and security as well as some interesting links to self-defense laws, requirements to obtain a concealed pistol permit, pistol free areas and laws against carrying under the influence.

VICTIMIZATION OVERVIEW:

• The offender has a plan. It includes the desire, opportunity and ability to commit a crime.
• The desire is connected to the criminal's observations of potential victims. No matter where we go, criminals are observing their potential victims. It could be at the grocery store, where 90% of the shoppers are female, who carry purses. It could be the garbage man or mail man, who can sell our personal information to criminals.
• The opportunity is related to the criminal making contact with the victim. Approach tactics are used to get close to an intended victim.
• The stranger approach happens in a moment. The victim does not know the criminal in this scenario. Purse snatchings, muggings or car jackings are some examples. 
• The casual approach takes time to develop. This could be the "nice" man who meets an unsuspecting female victim on-line, develops her trust by wining and dining her and then robs her blind by stealing her credit cards or something similar.
• The family approach is related to situations concerning domestic violence. Abuse or neglect of any kind underscores the family approach of the criminal.
• The ability to commit a crime is connected to the actual confrontation with the victim. To stop the criminal from getting to this part of their plan, a potential victim needs to eliminate the criminal's opportunity. Whoever has the best plan, wins.

DEVELOPING A TACTICAL PRESENTATION:

• The best defense is a good offense.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Dress to win.
• Implement assertive body language by walking with a purpose and making eye contact with strangers. For example, when store employees greet and make eye contact with customers upon entering the store, retail fraud is decreased. 
• Think two or three steps ahead at all times so the criminal has less of an opportunity to use the element of surprise.
• Have an inventory of aggressive verbal responses if confronted by a criminal. Yell to draw attention. Use simple words like, "Stop", "Fire", "Get back", "No" or "911". Avoid using the word, "Rape", because bystanders could turn a deaf ear for fear of getting involved in something that doesn't concern them.
• Trust your intuition or 6th sense when out in public. A denial of potential danger is the greatest enemy of intuition. Be aware!
• Train to win or have a positive view of escaping potential danger. Have a plan and practice it. Visualize yourself winning against the criminal. Evaluate/adapt your plan as needed.
• Another key to safety is to take someone with you when going out in public like the shopping mall.

ENEMIES OF THE CRIMINAL:

• Extended time: A criminal wants to do a crime fast. Locking your doors (car, home) and having an alarm system extends the time needed to commit a crime. This doesn't mean the criminal stops being a criminal. Crime prevention is a fallacy. However, by extending the time needed to commit a crime, the crime is moved somewhere else because the criminal then looks for the opportunity to commit a crime elsewhere.
• Light: From dusk to dawn, have some kind of lighting turned on in your home. Avoid walking in dark areas on the street. 
• Noise: Alarms, horns, whistles and yelling all draw attention to the criminal. Drawing attention is something the criminal does not want during the commission of a crime.

DEFENSIVE TACTICS, STRATEGIES AND SKILLS:

• The goal of a potential victim is to ESCAPE a dangerous situation.
• It is a personal choice to use a counter attack to defend yourself or not defend yourself, based on the circumstances. You must have confidence in yourself and your abilities if you choose the former.
• To repeat, the goal is to get away, to escape. If you choose to defend yourself, your counter attack must be quick and vicious.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IF YOU ARE ASSAULTED:

• The assailant is probably stronger than you and may have a weapon.
• The assailant has the advantage of surprise.
• The assailant has picked the time and location of the attack.
• The attacker will intimidate with threats of injury or other consequences.
• Your fear may paralyze your thinking and response.
• If your attacker is armed with a weapon DO NOT resist, but if it is your life, do what is necessary.
• If you are confronted by multiple assailants, resist only if absolutely necessary.
• If an attacker is after property, give it up! Resisting may make the encounter escalate.
• Avoid being taken to a second crime scene/location.

ESCAPE CONSIDERATIONS AND TACTICS:

• Run to safety, not away from danger.
• Do not hesitate when it comes to escaping.
• Get objects (like a car) or noise (blow a whistle, yelling, car horn) between you and the assailant. Do whatever is necessary to draw attention to yourself.
• Hide only if your general location is unknown, there are numerous available options or help is not near.
• Keep thinking ahead. Re-evaluate your plan as needed.
• Your best weapons are your awareness and a good tactical presentation.

Self-Defense Law

Requirements To Obtain A Concealed Pistol Permit

Pistol Free Areas

Carrying Under The Influence

If you are able to learn self-defense skills (martial arts, contacting your local police department to inquire about local places that teach this training, other) by all means, get the training. Learning and practicing self-defense skills helps improve your confidence so you can develop a plan to help you escape from dangerous situations.

Be safe!

What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895... Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal. 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.

2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.

3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph

4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,''play,' and 'run.'

5. Define case; illustrate each case.

6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.

7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.

2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?

3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?

4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?

5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.

6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.

7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. Long at $20 per metre?

8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.

9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?

10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided

2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus

3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.

4. Show the territorial growth of the United States

5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas

6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.

7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?

8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) [Do we even know what this is??]

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology,

2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?

3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals

4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)

5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.

6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.

7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.

8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.

9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.

10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?

2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?

3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?

4. Describe the mountains of North America

5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .

6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.

7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.

8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?

9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.

10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying 'he only had an 8th grade education' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! -------------------------------------------------------
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Believe it or not!

Financial expert, Dave Ramsey, had an interesting, but jokingly sarcastic, take on the price for a gallon of gasoline vs. water vs. coffee.

Currently, a gallon of gasoline costs about $4.00 a gallon. Water goes for $1.00 a bottle. That translates to $16.00 a gallon for bottled water. Some would argue that we need both. Try driving a car without gasoline. Try living more than a few days without water.

A specialty cup of coffee at Starbucks goes for about $5.00. That translates to over $50.00 a gallon for coffee. It's safe to say the human body does not need coffee like it does water.

Maybe we should go after Big Water and Big Coffee after we go after Big Oil.

In the end, we all make choices. We have to ask ourselves if the choices we make cause us to panic?

Choose to conserve (gasoline) in ways that work and mean something to you. It just may lessen the panic factor. The choices we make as consumers drive the free market as well.

It's getting more and more expensive to buy food. The basics like bread, milk and eggs cost a lot more than last year. Places like Costco and Sams Club recently began to ration rice due to a global shortage. Those are some obvious differences from a year ago. What about the subtle changes going on?

The top two that come to mind for me are Breyer's ice cream and a Wendy's Junior Bacon cheeseburger.

Has anybody else noticed that the price for Breyer's ice cream has remained the same, but the quantity of ice cream in the carton has gone down? What was once in a 1.75 quart container is now in a 1.5 quart container. Same price, less volume.

When Wendy's restaurant introduced their 99 cent sandwiches, the junior bacon cheeseburger was one of them. It originally had one hamburger, a slice of cheese, two pieces of bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a bun. After some years of success, this sandwich increased in price to $1.29, but wasn't selling as well as when it cost 99 cents. Wendy's then decided to move it back to their new $1.00 menu, but took off one of the pieces of bacon. Recently, I've noticed the same sandwich is still priced at one dollar, but looks a lot smaller. I suppose Wendy's changed the definition of the word, "junior".

I might get some comments about my once-in-awhile diet, but my point is more about what some companies are doing to compensate for their economic losses during this very challenging time in our economy.

Any other examples?

A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the pearly gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him. He asked, "Why are all those clocks here"?

St. Peter answered, "Those are lie-clocks. Everyone on earth has a lie clock. Every time you lie, the hands on your clock move".

"Oh", replied the man, "Very interesting ... whose clock is that"?

"That's Mother Teresa's clock", answered St. Peter. "The hands have never moved, indicating that she has never told a lie".

"Incredible"! exclaimed the man. "And whose clock is that one"?

St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved only twice, telling us that Abe has told only two lies in his entire life".

"Where's Kwame Kilpatrick's clock"? asked the man.

"Kwame's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan", answered St. Peter.

I decided to write this post under the NEWS heading, but it very well could've fit under the POLITICAL or SPORTS headings, too.

What's the similarity between Kwame and a hockey player, who gets a penalty called against him during a game?

In both instances, an objective observer sees and hears Kwame and the hockey player deny the infraction and say with shrugged shoulders, arms extended out and palms facing upward, "Who, me? I didn't do anything. What are you talking about"?

What's the difference between the two?

The hockey player immediately goes to the sin-bin for at least 2 minutes to pay for the infraction, whereas, Kwame is innocent until proven guilty and is able to carry out the business for the city of Detroit.

What a country! 

It's difficult to understand a problem when there are so many causes. Cancer is one such problem, but then so is crime. This doesn't mean we as a society should give up or quit trying to understand crime and criminal behavior. Understanding a problem is one of the steps in doing something about it. I am not a forensic expert, nor am I versed in the study of criminal justice. What I want to offer in this post is my opinion as an ordinary citizen, who worries about the perception that more and more of the world is becoming lawless and violent.

I read about violent crime in the paper, hear horrific stories on the radio news and see disgusting examples of predatory human behavior gone awry on the TV every day. It is pathetic how some people treat others. Murders, rapes, school shootings, domestic violence and the list goes on. If it bleeds, it leads. Sometimes I just scratch my head and ask myself, "Is the nature of man basically evil or is it something else"? I don't pretend to have the answers, but I do have some insights, based on what I've heard other people say and write. What are some of the causes of crime?

• The absence of God in school. If this were true, it could imply that non-believers are automatically lawless people. That would be ridiculous.
• Mental illness. I believe that there are more mentally ill people who are victims of crime than there are mentally ill people who commit crimes. This is not a fair example of a scapegoat to explain the crime rate.
• Cities asking for federal funding. Does the reported crime rate go up when a city needs more money to pay for police protection? How does this happen?
• The Great Society and War On Poverty. This one doesn't explain white collar crime or corruption in the political arena. Criminal behavior shows no preference to socio-economic status. 
• The media's role. Has the crime rate in society always been the same, but because we live in the age of information, we know about it more than we did 100 years ago?
• Social Engineers. How important is it to instill fear in our youth so that they can learn to tell the difference between right and wrong? Social Engineers say it is abusive to use corporal punishment in school and at home, that it teaches kids to be violent. Other people say sparing the rod spoils the child.
• Parents role. Some people blame the parents for having out-of-control kids. I will say that parenting is a skill that does not require a license. How many kids join gangs because there is no positive validation and acknowledgement at home?
• Personality Disorders. This group of people can be very anti-social. Anti-social types have no empathy for their fellow man. Some report an inability to feel any emotions. When asked, "Why did you commit that crime"?, a typical response might be, "Because I can". Medication does not help improve the prognosis.
• Illicit Drugs. Some people call drug use a "victimless" crime, and that if society legalized illicit drugs, the jails would have room to house truly violent criminals. They might be the same people who've never gone face-to-face with a crack head, who would do anything to get another rock.
• Prescribed Medication. The mainstream medical community needs to be acutely aware of this one. Risks and benefits of all medications need to be explained to people before they are prescribed and dispensed. It is the responsibility of the doctor to monitor the effectiveness or lack thereof of any prescribed medication. It the responsibility of the person receiving the medication to report any side effects to their doctor.
• Access to guns or other weapons. Having access to guns is protected by the constitution and is legal if the person has a permit to carry one and has no history of a mental illness or a felony. Even though guns scare the BLEEP out of me, I would feel safer in a room with someone who is law abiding and packing heat than with someone who isn't a law abiding citizen.
• The Economy. Some people think that a lack of jobs can cause even honest people to act dishonestly. Whose responsibility is it to have marketable skills in order to compete in the job market?
• Other. Now it's your turn to post what you believe to be a cause of an apparent rising crime rate in society.

I've heard both sides of the fence: 1) Kwame can do no wrong, and 2) He cheated, he lied, he cost the taxpayers $9 million, he needs to resign and go to jail for 15 years.

People from the first camp put Kwame on a pedestal. He's their man, no matter what he says or does.  Sometimes professionals act less than professional. We can forgive him for those times when "less" was more.

People from the second camp are like witch hunters. While it is true that we are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, many believe it doesn't apply to politicians.

I say, let this thing play out in court. In the meantime, if I were Kwame, it would suck to be me.

• 750.29 Adultery; definition. Sec. 29.

  Definition - Adultery is the sexual intercourse of 2 persons, either of whom is married to a third person.

• 750.30 Adultery; punishment. Sec. 30.

  Punishment - Any person who shall commit adultery shall be guilty of a felony; and when the crime is committed between a married woman and a man who is unmarried, the man shall be guilty of adultery, and liable to the same punishment.

• 750.31 Adultery; complaint and time of prosecution. Sec. 31.

  Complainant and time prosecution to be commenced - No prosecution for adultery, under the preceding section, shall be commenced, but on the complaint of the husband or wife; and no such prosecution shall be commenced after 1 year from the time of committing the offense.

• 750.32 Adultery; cohabitation of divorced parties. Sec. 32.

  Cohabitation by divorced parties - If any persons after being divorced from the bonds of matrimony for any cause whatever, shall cohabit together, they shall be liable to all the penalties provided by law against adultery.

The above information is NOT legal advice and does not constitute a legal opinion.

Here's my opinion:

The stigma of adultery in 2008 is a lot like the stigma of drunk driving before the inception of MADD mothers.  There is very little stigma attached to it.

Before MADD advocated for stronger penalties for drunk driving, circa 1970's, people who got caught either got a slap on the wrist or the police did not even bother to arrest you.

Before the early 1980's, it was common for police to pull you over if you showed signs of drunk driving; however, what followed back then is very different from what happens today. Back then, it was common for the police to pour out your alcohol (if you were stupid enough to actually be drinking it while driving) and send you home. Even if you did go to court, your lawyer would probably advise a jury trial. The jury trial was a recommendation back then because, chances are, 10/12 jury members drink and drive, too. There would be sympathy and empathy for you. At least that's what your lawyer would tell you. 

Fast forward to the year 2008: No more breaks if you're busted for drunk driving. There is more of a stigma attached to it. Even though the stigma hasn't stopped everybody from doing it, if caught, you will be prosecuted.

The parallel between the drunk driving stigma and adultery stigma goes like this: I believe the adultery stigma in 2008 is similar to the drunk driving stigma before MADD mothers started doing their thing a few decades ago.

The law against adultery, referenced at the outset of this post, is not enforced probably because the act is so common. At least that's what I'm gathering when I listen to talk radio. Even if adultery is common, does that make it any less serious? I think not.

Some people call adultery a sin. It is certainly a betrayal of trust. Psychologically, the underlying motivation to commit adultery is to seek a thrill. Seeking a thrill can get a person in trouble if the behavior is illegal or immoral. That's why it's a thrill. The person doesn't intend to get caught. I submit there are legal and moral ways to seek a thrill.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the act of adultery to become more of a stigma by society. It took MADD mothers, and eventually the courts, to stigmatize drunk driving. Besides the church, who will step-up on this one?

The word at the office is that the price of the Chevy Malibu is going up.

Word is that if a consumer wants to buy a Chevy Malibu right now, the consumer has to settle for what dealerships have on their lots, but the price is fairly reasonable. Right now, a consumer does not have the option to special order one because GM wants to clear out their current inventory before building some new ones. What you see on the lots is what you get for right now.

Fast forward to the day when GM's present inventory of the Malibu is gone and consumers can begin special ordering them because production will be re-started. BAM! The price of the Malibu goes up.

The Chevy Malibu is a sweet car! Consumers and GM both know it. What I also know is that if the price goes up too much, I'll (FORD) Focus my money elsewhere later this year. Word.    

Share Your Time
--Author Unknown  

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated,
to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy,
may I ask you a question?" "Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied
the man.  

 "Daddy, how much money do you make an hour? "That's none
of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man
said angrily.   "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make
an hour?" pleaded the little boy.

 "If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"  

The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then
you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.   The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare him ask such questions
only to get some money.  

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often.  

The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.  

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."   The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills.  

The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.  

"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.  

"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"   

* Our time is the most precious gift we can give one another.

A lot of people, especially women, I hear, smoke cigarettes because it's one way to keep the weight off.  What if I blow some smoke at that method of weight loss?

For the smokers who do not look fat, many say that smoking is their way to keep off the pounds. 

What if the smoking causes smokers to lose muscle mass, but accumulate fat around their internal organs? We know that muscle weighs more than fat. 

Who is healthier: Someone with more muscle or someone with more internal fat? We already know who might look skinnier and weigh less.

Check with your doctor.

Media people are familiar with the phrase, "If It Bleeds, It Leads!" The phrase speaks volumes to professional journalists, who are always looking for ways to improve their viewership, readership or listenership. Better ratings mean more money for the networks, newspapers and radio stations, who inform us of the news.

Most of us know what to expect when we turn on the TV to watch the news, read the newspaper or listen to the news on the radio. We can expect to watch, read or hear about the primitive side of human nature: PREDATORY HUMAN BEHAVIOR GONE AWRY! Stories about murders, rapes, robberies and the like get top billing. The bloodier the story, the more likely it is to be mentioned first. One thing for sure about the news: MOST OF IT IS NEGATIVE!

What is the emotional pay-off for us to buy into the concept of sensational journalism? What motivates us to routinely watch, read or hear about depressing, "profit-ganda"-like stories? It's all about SUBLIMATION. In other words, the emotional appeal of the news has us saying to ourselves, "I'm glad that horrific story isn't about me!" On some ego level, it is soothing to know that we are alive and well even at the expense of the misfortunes of others. It's like reading the Obituaries to make sure our name isn't listed.

Yes, the human ego can be "self-centered" because one of its jobs is to protect us from harm. Sublimation is the same defense mechanism that has most drivers slowing down to gawk at the scene of a car accident because we can again find time to say to ourselves, "I'm glad that isn't me!" How can we keep informed of current events, but not live in fear, nor secretly acknowledge that our problems are less intense than other peoples problems?

Even though news reports inform us of negative local and world events, there is something positive about them. The news tells us about "out-of-the-ordinary" experiences. This means that most of what happens to people in the world is good rather than bad, which is very soothing to know. Good news is infrequently reported because it is so common! If it were the other way around, the reality of the news would be a lot different. News people have an obligation to report human conflict, drama and controversy. Their high ratings are contingent on them doing their jobs while the rest of us choose to watch, read or listen.

How are professional journalists taught to deal with the emotional aspect of their job? It is probably very difficult to interview a family member of someone who has been murdered. How do the rest of us process our emotions after having watched, read or listened to a depressing story? Is it better to avoid paying attention or better to keep informed of real life human pain and suffering? It all depends on a lot of things ... on a number of different levels.

I recall hearing actor, Charles Bronson, being interviewed by TV talk show host, Mike Douglas, circa 1970's, about his string of "Death Wish" vigilante movies. I am paraphrasing, but I believe Bronson was asked if his movies were contributing to the welfare of our society. Bronson's reply was that his movies pushed as many, if not more, "good buttons" as they did "bad" ones. I am suggesting that watching, reading or listening to the news achieves the same results.

For example, psychiatrists may suggest to some clients to stop watching the news on TV because it is too distressing to vicariously view real life human pain and suffering. On the other hand, others find no problem watching the news on TV. In fact, some people are prompted to act in positive ways after viewing the misfortunes and hardships of others.

I remember how America became united after the 9/11 tragedy, when most of what we saw on TV was about the needless loss of human life. Even though the news tends to perpetuate the myth that life is getting bad, other sources of information assert that life is better now than it was 100 years ago. For example, medical care and improved sanitation systems have meant an increased life expectancy. We're living 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago!

It is true that the news sheds light on our social problems. However, it is comforting to know that there is more "good" than "bad" going on in the world. Ironically, the bloody news reports are evidence of it because they are based on "out-of-the-ordinary" experiences.

Take it from there and maybe as a result, more "good" buttons than "bad" ones can get pushed.

(Above post used with permission from Mark Rogers, LPC. It is taken from the website, Stooltime Counseling).

http://stooltimecounseling.blogspot.com