September 1 - 15, 2017
OPINION
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
Rey Fortaleza - Publisher
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Rosette Correa - Senior Editor
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Writers - Crisanta Sampang ; Columnists - Geoff Meggs, Ben Berto, Editha Corrales, Mon
Datol, Fr. Jerry Orbos SVD, DeeDee Sytangco, Alan Samuel, Erie Maestro, Sandee M.
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Breaking
Point
If Children Live with...
By Rosette Correa
There was a time when
a mother and father would
bring their child to school on
her first day, afraid that she
wouldn’t let go of their hand
and be scared of the unknown
- unknown four walls,
unknown people, unknown
surroundings. With a quick
grip of their hands, the child
reluctantly lets go of Mom
and Dad, and heads off to
the classroom, with a teacher
assuring her that everything
will be fine. During the day,
the child learns to interact,
draw, write, do Math, learn
her manners and give respect
to the teachers and staff, and
at the end of the day, eagerly
waits for Mom and Dad and
tell her how great her day
was, and how excited she is
to go back the next day; thus,
the cycle of the school year
begins.
Today, it’s much more
complicated.
Today, a child must learn
more than her 3Rs- reading,
writing and arithmetic. Now,
there is a need to learn how
to avoid drugs because it is
now readily available and the
government actually even
gives it to her at a safe injection
site; how to have “safe sex”
and not get pregnant, or if
she does, she has the option
to eliminate the “unwanted”
child, because it is her “right”
and it is “her
body”. A child has to deal
with the issue of gender
dysphoria and same sex
parenting even if it is not a
reality for her at a very young
age, when they can’t even
decide whether to have a
peanut butter sandwich or
ham for lunch. She has to
deal with child pronography,
inaapropriate
websites,
Instagram, Facebook, Snap
Chat, and other social media
sources that take up her time
away from studying.
During a time when all a
child needed to learn was her
3Rs, it was a simpler time for
parents. Discipline and work
ethic was an added bonus,
as teachers took on the role
in loco parentis, in place of
parents, for that day, and
they had the sound judgment
to reward a good deed,
and correct a wrong one.
Today, when a child brings
home a bad report card, the
parents blame the teacher.
They call her names such
as incompetent, as well as
uncaring and inconsiderate.
Children today are rarely given
the responsibility by their
parents to work hard, and to
earn their rewards with dignity
and perseverance. Coach Rich
Goulet from Pitt Meadows
Secondary, resigned after a
few parents “complained”
Bulong
Pulungan
By Deedee Siytangco
about his coaching style - one
that runs over 40 years, with
Steve Nash being counted
as one of his biggest fans.
“This is a sign of the times.
Somebody’s upset, we’ve got
to take care of that one upset
person before anything else,”
he says.
This is how society works
now. One complains, and we
have to take care of that one
complaint, even if it hurts
the rest of the world. That
complaint must be addressed,
even if it means turning the
world, even natural science
and ethics, 180 degrees.
What we need our kids to
relearn is basic respect and
dignity for oneself, as well
as love and compassion. We
need them to distinguish and
to discern right from wrong.
We need them to learn that
whatever family values were
established in them by their
own families is set in stone,
that it is as Max Erhman put
it, “a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.”
They need to know that Mom
and Dad still know what is best
for them, and that a young
person cannot make sound
decisions for themselves
until the age of 25, when the
frontal cortex has yet to fully
develop; and that despite this,
their parents are still there to
help them make a decision
on matters that are important
to them.
We need them to learn
that not everything that
politics and society tells us is
the truth, and is acceptable.
Children need to realize that
despite what is being fed to
them on the internet, television
and social media, there is a
deeper meaning to life, and
the pursuit of happiness in
what is the absolute truth
- one that can only come
from God. We need to let
them know that just because
something is popular, that
it is the truth, as we need to
tell them about the wolves in
sheep’s clothes.
My favourite poem as
a mother and a teacher is
“Children Learn What They
Live” by Dorothy Nolte. In it,
she sums up what all Moms
and Dads need to remember
about their role as the primary
educators of their children.
She ends her poem with
my favourite three lines, the
third to the last which says,
“If children live with kindness
and consideration, they learn
respect.” For a child to learn
what the word respect means,
we first need to respect the
child and to treat them as they
are - innocent and precious
children of God needing our
guidance, not our assumption
and condescension.
S.E.L.F Community marks Silver Milestone
Reprinted from Manila Bulletin
Angel Thoughts
“How many times must a
man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many ears must one
man have
Before he can hear people
cry?
How many deaths will it take
till he knows
That too many people have
died?
The answer, my friend, is
blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the
wind”
Bob Dylan
How many more innocent
minors
will
be
raped,
tortured, and gunned down
before the police killers
can “call it a day”?
What if the next one is
your son, or grandson, or
nephew even? Will you and
I finally find the courage to
stand up to the evildoers
before they drag one of our
own away to some dark alley,
pump bullets in their bodies
or stab them like they were
animals and plant sachets of
shabu on them?
We hope the answer, my
friends, is not “blowin’ in the
wind!”
Now the good news
this month of Mama Mary’s
birthday !
The Confraternity of Mary
Mediatrix of All Grace, Lipa
Chapter, will have a special
celebration on the 12th of this
month in honor of the feast of
the Holy Name of the Mother
of God, the Virgin Mary. This
we learned from our dear
friend, Dr. Robert Magsino,
one of the pillars of our group
of Marian devotees who meet
for holy mass in the Carmel
chapel in Lipa, Batangas
every first Saturday and now
in charge of the Marian Center
there.
Magsino, the chapter
president, also told us that
the celebration will also mark
the 44th Anibersaryo of the
dedication of the Monastery
of the Lady of Carmel in
Lipa. We were gathered for
our regular First Saturday
breakfast fellowship after
attending the 6 a.m. mass in
the Carmel chapel. Dr. Bobby
was celebrating his birthday
with us that day and his wife,
Dr. Weng, was our gracious
hostess. She is feeling good
after her chemo sessions, she
told us, and yes, she looked
happy and well! One member
of the “classmates” group
who was absent is our beloved
“sister” Nelly Lopez, 96, who
is still recuperating.
There will be a procession
in the patio of the Carmel
c onvent at 1:30 p.m. on
the 12th, after which Marian
priests and bishops will give
their sharing to be led by Fr.
Melvin Castro. The Chaplet
of the Divine Mercy will be
recited before the mass,
which will be celebrated by
Bishop Guillermo Afable of
Digos and Bishop Jose Colin
Bagaforo of Kidapawan at 3
p.m. Everyone is welcome
to join the activities. The
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