Things Pervasive...

The word pervade came to mind several times this morning as I looked through the news items in the newspaper and on the television screen.  Things pervasive are, to my mind, often lurking just beneath the surface of our consciousness; we know they're out there but we don't focus on them individually or for any length of time.  Things pervasive, due to their subtlety, can be dangerous in that they are upon us in forms that are not easily done away with, and, therefore, tend to make long-term changes in our environment, in our world, without much hue and cry having ever been witnessed.

Among things pervasive on my mind today are these:

Sex Education:  Mike Nichols writes today about Assembly Bill 458 that was passed by the Democrat majority.  This bill states that if a school district provides sex education (for grade, middle and high school students usually), it shall "use instructional methods and materials that do not promote bias against pupils of any race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic or cultural background or against sexually active students.  Students who are sexually active must be spoken to just as students who aren't sexually active.

So we are being hamstrung to the degree that sexually active students, such as those who come to school pregnant for example, cannot be counseled differently than students who are not pregnant.  That makes no sense at all, and speaks to the pervasiveness of the cultural background that exists.  In 2007, according to Mike Nichols' article, 46 girls age 14 years or younger gave birth in the city of Milwaukee.  Thirty-two girls 14 or younger gave birth in the entire rest of the state of Wisconsin.  In 50 of the 72 counties in Wisconsin, no such births occurred.

Doesn't it seem that the cultural issues in Milwaukee should receive different educational approaches?  Rep. Tamara Grigsby, Democrat from Milwaukee who authored the bill apparently doesn't agree.

Terrorism Venue Change:  The change of venue from a military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay to a civil court in New York City speaks volumes about the approach our country is going to be taking so far as terrorism is concerned.  Recall, if you will, that we thought of terrorism as a criminal act prior to 9/11; following the attacks on 9/11, we began to think of terrorism as requiring a military action since we felt we were at war for the safety of our very homeland.

The pervasiveness of this decision signals that we are back to thinking of terrorism as a criminal action to be dealt with in civil courts under the rules of evidence found in our civil court system.  That got us into trouble before and it will get us into trouble again.  That, coupled with the change in simple terminology to be used when we talk about such activities, tells us all we need to know about how this is viewed by the Obama Administration.

Immigrants Vs. Illegal Immigrants:  We have gradually witnessed an erosion of the enforcement actions against what I will continue to refer to as "illegal" immigrants, since they are here against the laws we have established as a country.  The Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, has caused law enforcement efforts at the Federal level to be targeted at only those illegal immigrants who commit some serious crime above and beyond that of simply being in our country illegally.  This, obviously, is also a new policy brought with the Obama Administration victory in the presidential elections last year.

The health care reform efforts so far have been careful to include illegal immigrants as qualifying for health care, and there is a dedicated effort ongoing to be sure those people are permitted to buy health insurance coverage through the government-run "exchanges".

All these things are pervasive.  They have been and/or are being put into place surreptitiously, pervasively, if you will.  This is happening because those who desire these outcomes recognize that they probably wouldn't pass muster in the light of day. Once in place, they will be nearly impossible to be rooted out or materially changed.

I am not lobbying for immigrants not to receive health care; I am lobbying for that not to be done surreptitiously as is happening today.  I am lobbying for the protection of our borders including the stopping of the flow of illegals into our country.  That is wrong according to our laws, and unless or until the laws are changed, it will continue to be wrong.

I am lobbying for changes that will begin the process of curbing the welfare state that has brought with it the idea among young inner city girls that the establishment of a family responsibility at early ages is a right of passage.  The welfare payment system continues to reward such behavior; we get what we incent and we'll continue to get that so long as it remains incented.

I am lobbying for our government to not lose sight of its responsibility to us citizens to protect and defend us from enemies both foreign and domestic.  It seems that this has already been eroded and I fear that it will subtly continue to be eroded while the current Administration rules with the Senate and House decidedly Democrat.

Things pervasive are a concern of mine, and ought to be a concern of all citizens of our community, our state and our country.