I’ve kept out of the Obama debate because it’s just silly. What can I say? Well all I can say is that “We’re still not equal!” I’m bored of the head lines. Barak Omaba is a man period!! Yes he is black… and so what? For all of the multiculturalism in this world, the racism still sticks out like garlic in a stew. Why don’t people just get it?
BLACK PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE TOO!! Oh for sure we have been through some hell.. treated less than animals, encaptures, enslaved, raped, torn apart and really, really affected by the slave mentality we were left with after 400 years of slavery. But we are still people. Intelligent, creative, versatile, fun, expressive and a whole lot more. We are human beings, not subhuman.
Barak Obama should be judged on his ability to get the job done. Not the colour of his skin. You don’t hear press reports or read articles saying that John McCain may loose his votes at the poles because he’s white… that’s right… because it would never cross anyones mind just because he is white. It makes him no more or no less deserving that Barak Obama because he’s black.
What a world we live in, where people pretend to be something they are really not. Racism lives and the people who know it are those who suffer it. Which is why it is so easy for those who don’t to say that it doesn’t exist. To quote an old American Indian phrase (and let’s face it they had a rough time too!).. “I will not judge a man until I have walked a mile in his moccasins.”
We were all created equal, we have the same bodies, organs, functionality, emotions. We are all unique and yet so alike, when will we accept each other without looking at the colour first? When will we all be viewed as equal
Well it’s not is it…? I have been riveted to my screen during this years Olympics, I have cheered and watched with my mouth wide open, stayed up until almost 4:00am watching the women’s marathon and Paula Radcliff’s excruciating completion of a race she was unprepared for. Watched as UK athlete’s and sporting hopefuls worked there buts of to put Great Britain just over a week into the games at 3 position of the medals tables, unable to believe that we are still on the front page and climbing.
So what is it that is not good enough? Well my husband and I and many of our friends have all posed the question….. “Why is it that other countries are able to achieve phenomenal success in sporting championships and we (Great Briton) are always watching the success go by?
Well we did discuss that maybe the reason that Chinese do well is because their government hold their parents captive and the lives of their family and themselves is at risk if they don’t perform. Or that the Americans know that it is all milk and honey when they get back home and they are truly celebrated. Whilst we had a laugh we all unanimously agreed that one this and one thing only makes the biggest difference and this is…… investment!
I felt ashamed and angered and I listened to Kate Read who ran the 10,000m who said that she had “No support, no physiotherapy and no lottery funding”. Sounds about right!!! There must be better investment into the success of our sporting teams, better facilities (stop selling of the leisure centres and land), better training (use those that can… Linford Christie is a great example), link sports to education (they do it in America.. if you don’t have the grades you can’t compete). It’s time we sorted this out. Too often programmes to engage new talent are under funded, lasting 6 months or a year or so and then they fizzle out and the talent that they were nurturing fizzles out too.
If we really want to compete on an international level then we need to look at
what is working well or other countries and model what they do, investing in the infrastructure that is required to produce quality, consistent altheletes. Maybe…just maybe this might be one of the many answers to helping resolve the youth crime and youth disengagement that we see on our streets today.
I take nothing at all away from the outstanding performances of the athletes I have eagerly watched and cheered on our screens, and yes I was willing both of the athletes who went after gymnastic bronze medalist Louis Smith to fall and I did laugh and jump when they did, Hell I wanted the boy to win a medal and he did!! I feel excited about the prospects of 2012…. but somethings got to change and I think that it might be that the powers that be take British sporting seriously and stop short changing those who work tireless to bring home the medals for their country!
I’m bored!! Infact I’m tired, actually I’m bored and tired and furthermore frustrated, disappointed and deeply concerned. WHY??? I hear you ask… What has got Madeline McQueen going today. Well frankly it is the lack of education many of our young people seem to be receiving in schools and at home today.
David and I spend quite a bit of time in schools delivering motivational speaches, workshops on confidence building and presentation skills as well as coaching young people who seem to have lost their way. What we are finding on an almost daily basis is that the level of literacy within specially London’s schools is very, very poor. We tend to work with 14-19 year olds and often find that reading, writing and spelling is abismal.
I really do feel very sorry for the young people who have gone through the entire eduational system and who aged 14/15 are struggling to read basic instructions. What hope do they achieve at exam time or in the world of work? I fail to understand how this has not been picked up by their educators and worse still how parents are unable to prioritise spending time children to understand their educational needs. I know that today I am sounding exceptionally judgemental, but I feel exceptionally frustated!!
Reading is the key to learning, it helps with writing and vocabulary it enables students to understand concepts and read questions, especially since many mathematical questions in school these days tend to use scenario’s to present a question. I feel very, very saddened much vocabulary is lost on many of our youth today.
Whilst I applaud teachers for the job that they do, especially since governmental changes has broaden their remit too far beyond learning. Government has placed far too much responsibility on their shoulders with far too little discipline options, with funding relating to bums on seats exceptionally unruly children can take too long to be dealt with. There are some absolutely fabulous, passionate and amazing teachers who are changing lives and feeding our children outstanding knowlege on a daily basis who love the work that they do regardless of the pressures placed on them. However, I have come across too many teachers who are in the wrong profession, who are not at all passionate about teaching and far too willing to wield their power over those they are meant to educate and inspire.
How can we expect our young people to behave better and to do better if we have not given them some of the basic tools to success. I listen as many young people do not have the vocabulary to express themself effectively, where they answer a question are unable to present an arguement to support their answer. I listen as young people often have very little knowlegde of their forefathers, inventors, or change makers in world. They just don’t know!
Between the play station, Big Brother, the mobile phone and too much time on the streets their education is very limited and worse still the education that they are recieving is likely to reduce their chances of success and in the current climate their chances of a long and prosperous life. Why is it that our young people are on the streets until and after 2.00am in the morning aged away from 13/14 upwards? Where are their parents?No wonder they turn up at school completely out of it and unable to interact effectively or learn. Why are many of our 16 year olds living on their own attempting to survive on benefits with little or no education? Why are there so many young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training)? Why does our education system allow young people to take exams which offer them a qualification that employers think useless? Who wants to spend years working towards a foundation GCSE which will only ever give them absolute top grade of a C (if they are lucky) the range being between a C-G grade? You can just here the thought pattern of many a youngster…”If the best I can do is get a C and to be honest I’m only predicted an E what’s the point of going to school?”
Sadly, some research shows that the best teachers in school are reserved for the higher A-C tier of GSCE classes and the less able banished to the lower tier. According to the Institute for Public Policy Research “Poor Secondary Teacher can mean the difference between a pass and a fail” At to this the false assumption that we hear regulary that many young people feel that their success will be based on the chance of being a celebrity thanks to reality TV. Then throw in the 24 hour entertainment culture that has grown rapidly in the last ten year, the bombardment of sex and instant gratification and parents who have no idea how to be parents. Alcholism, obesity/unhealth diet (Why is there either a fried chicken/kebab takeaway or McDonalds close to most schools)and drugs we have a receipe for failure on a collosal scale.
Where will it end? Parents, Teachers, Goverment and pupils all need to step up and do something about this.
I’m bored, tired, frustated, disappointed and downright concerned. Something has to change.
Too many young, talented, beautiful young people are loosing their lives over nothing. I’m not really into hip hop but this touched me deeply
Gun and knife crime is escalating out of control and the victims are so young. Our society has much to answer for with its lack of boundaries, lack of parenting, education system that skill focuses on academia, erosion of moral values and more. How many more need to die before we really take this seriously.
On Wednesday night I had the privilegde of speaking for Head 4 Business on the Art of Selling. Well after being so sick this week an unfortuneate series of events meant that I got there late (which I HATE!!!) However, all being said the talk (although a little longer than originally planned went well)
What really impressed me was the impact that Head 4 Business had made on the lives of those who they have worked with. I listened with intent as a number of people who had embarked on starting their own business had found Head 4 Business at The Albany on Douglas Road in Deptford and how the organisation had given them the training and support they needed to turn the their ideas in to a reality and their reality into a success.
Head 4 Business are a business support organisation which focuses it’s efforts in the business start up and development support for creative entrepreneurs. It prides itself on being customer first focused and offers a range of services to those seeking to establish themselves in running their own business, especially as a Community Interest Company.
There are many unsung hero’s in the business support world, we often hear of Business Link or Start-Up but many smaller organisations or making a massive impact on enterprise and in enterprise. Head 4 Business is one of them.
