Montebello E-News  

August 30, 2007  

 Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. 
Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968,
deaf and blind American author, activist and lecturer  

(Is Keller saying that we cannot control everything in our lives, that
there are happenings unexpected and uncontrollable?
That we should accept that and get on with our lives?)

What a Beautiful Answer

I very much enjoyed the following riddle, which came to me by e-mail last week. Unfortunately, I was unable to think outside the box for the best answer. Try to come up with the best answer.

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

(1) an elderly lady who looks as if she were about to die,

(2) an old friend who once saved your life, and

(3) the perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral / ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the elderly lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

What do you think the answer is?

Hint: sometimes we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Let us learn to think outside of the box.

If you answer the multiple-choice questions below and e-mail to lessonanswers@mymontebello.com with “Lesson answers” in the subject field, you will be credited toward a “certificate of recognition in community affairs” to be awarded in 2007 by a local nonprofit organization.

1. What is the best answer?

(a) Give the elderly lady a ride.

(b) Be fair and pick up nobody.

(c) Give the car keys to the old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. Stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of your dreams.

2. What would keep us from thinking of 1(c)?

(a) Our egos, that is, everything must be decided and done by us.

(b) Our inability to picture ourselves and others in different roles.

 “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” is a Latin phrase
 variously translated as "Who will guard the guards?", "Who watches the watchmen?", "Who shall watch the watchers themselves?", or similar.
 Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis,
known in English as “Juvenal,” was a Roman poet
active in the late first and early second century CE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenal  

In part 1 we learned that a “gatekeeper” could be an adult adviser to a youth club and that the gatekeeper’s personal limitations, caused by her / himself or by others, could harm youth.  Such harm would come mostly through missed opportunities for education, skills demonstration or recognition.  

It is a fair defense for a gatekeeper to say that he or she is doing the best which she can for youth.  None of us is perfect and a gatekeeper should be lauded for taking the time, oftentimes without compensation, to work with youth.  Also, it is a fair defense for a gatekeeper to say that she or he must operate within the rules set by others.  These rules too often unintentionally handicap the youth because the rules do not permit the youth to practice real leadership or learn about pioneering trends.  The rules are meant to make managing the youth less difficult, instead of unleashing the positive potential of youth.  

However, it is indefensible for a gatekeeper to “lock the gate” and keep others from providing the opportunities for education, skills demonstration, and recognition.  Also, it is indefensible for the rule makers, whoever they be, to resist making changes in the rules for the benefit of youth.  

This talk is fine and good in the abstract, but what does it mean in the real world?  Here are examples:  

·        Youth are taught about charity, as when they volunteer for a Thanksgiving or Christmas event, but they are not taught about empowerment.  Has our community given thought, after many years of “Christmas at the Cannon”, about thanking attendees by giving them a dinner and show for the good the attendees have done for the community in the preceding year?  Or are we saying that the unfortunate must be the objects of our pity and can never become subjects of our praise?

·        There are companies and national youth organizations, as in this issue’s “Announcements”, which give youth the opportunity to reach for their potential, yet what encouragement is there from our gatekeepers or rule makers that the youth do so?

·        We have local scholarships for essays and education, but do we have scholarships for youth for extraordinary community service, that is, service of such quality that there would be a permanent, sustainable change for the better in the community?  Should a community organization not encourage youth into extraordinary community service, instead of encouraging youth to go away to college, which does little or nothing for the community?

FOR YOUTH, TEACHERS, PARENTS.   Grants from State Farm. State Farm “Good Neighbor” Service-Learning Grants.  With the generous support of the State Farm Companies Foundation, Youth Service America is offering the annual State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant for youth across the United States and Canada.  These grants of up to $1,000 support youth ages 5 through 25, teachers, or school-based service-learning coordinators in implementing service-learning projects for Global Youth Service Day 2008.  To learn more, download an application and grant guidelines at http://www.YSA.org/awards or email Goodneighbor@ysa.org.  The deadline to apply is October 16.  [Youth, teachers or parents wishing help with this may contact Van Ajemian at vanajemian@hotmail.com, subject “Grants from State Farm.”]  

FOR YOUTH, TEACHERS, PARENTS.  Call for nominations.  Youth Service America is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the prestigious 2008 Harris Wofford Awards, sponsored by State Farm Companies Foundation.  The Awards recognize extraordinary achievements in three categories:  (a) youth ages 12 through 25, (b) organizations, be they nonprofits, corporations or foundations, and (c) media, which may be  organizations or individuals.  Awards are for actively contributing toward making service and service-learning the common expectation and common experience of every young person.  Award winners will be honored and presented with an award of recognition at the National Service-Learning Conference in Minneapolis.  The recipient in the youth category will receive a $500 award for him / herself and a $500 award for the non-profit organization of his / her choice.  Travel arrangements, including airfare and accommodation, will be provided for each award recipient.  The deadline to apply is October 19.  To learn more, visit http://www.YSA.org/awards.  

FOR YOUTH, TEACHERS, PARENTS.  Grants from Youth Service America and Youth Venture.  Hey, YOUth!  Have an idea that could help your community?  Want to be connected to other young change makers?  Need the funding and resources to get your idea started?  YSA-Youth Venture can help!  The YSA-Youth Venture Program is a partnership between Youth Service America and Youth Venture which is helping build the movement of young social entrepreneurs by investing in and encouraging the ideas of young people. The YSA-Youth Venture Program provides funding and support to young people ages 12 through 20 who want to create new, sustainable, civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses, called “Ventures.”  By helping youth engage in community service, YSA- Youth Venture is making every day Global Youth Service Day (GYSD).  Ventures MUST be youth-led and designed to be a lasting asset to the community.  YSA-Youth Venture teams are required to plan a GYSD project every year that their Venture is operational.  The YSA-Youth Venture Program provides a variety of resources, including a national network of like-minded young people, media opportunities, technical support, helpful toolkits and workshops as well as seed funding of up to $1,000 for start-up expenses.  For application tools and more information about the YSA-Youth Venture Partnership Program, please visit our web page at http://www.genv.net/en-us/region/ysa.  To apply, download and complete the Action Plan and email ysayvprogram@youthventure.org to submit.  Applicants are required to read the submission guidelines; any application not formatted according to these guidelines will not be considered.  Don't forget to create a team profile on the web site in order to access all Youth Venture's resources and tools!  Application submission deadline is October 1st, 2007, 5:00p.m. Eastern time.  [Youth, teachers or parents wanting help with this may contact Van Ajemian at vanajemian@hotmail.com, subject “Grants from Youth Venture.”]  

Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. 

http://www.fun-facts.com/item/71561?order=views  

Most elephants weigh less than the tongue of the blue whale. 

http://www.fun-facts.com/item/71559?order=views   

[This one seemed incredible until I read something similar:

http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2000/mammalsinternet/tsld002.htm .] 

In the essay “The Eleventh Commandment”, the suggestion was made that we gather in small groups to evaluate information and make decisions.  One subject which needs our attention—the sooner, the better—is health care.  While not passing judgment on the integrity of the following report, I, a layman, found it very interesting and suggest that you and your group include the report in your discussions about health care.

“Technical Assessment of Health Care ReformProposals”, by The Lewin Group, August 20, 2007, prepared for the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform

The Lewin Group was engaged by the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Reform to assist in developing and analyzing alternative proposals to expand health insurance coverage and reform the Colorado health care system.

BETTER HEALTH CARE FOR COLORADO

Better Health Care for Colorado provides a path to universal healthcare through a public program expansion and access to private insurance coverage with low-income subsidies through a Health Insurance Exchange. Individuals eligible for public programs would receive benefits under those programs, and individuals who purchase private coverage would have access to a limited core set of benefits, with premiums copays.

467,200 - number remaining uninsured
$595 million - increase in health spending

SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY COLORADO

Solutions for a Healthy Colorado provides coverage to all Colorado 
residents under a Core Limited Benefit Plan in the private sector and expands coverage under Medicaid and Child Health Plus
(CHP+).  People who are low income but who would not
be eligible for the government programs would receive
a premium subsidy.

133,400 - number remaining uninsured
$271 million - increase in health spending

A PLAN FOR COVERING COLORADO

A Plan for Covering Coloradans provides coverage to Coloradans
through a public program expansion and a mandatory private pool for all residents not eligible for the public program. It provides a minimum benefits package in a private pool and premium assistance based on income for those who cannot afford insurance. All plans would provide a comprehensive minimum benefits
package, and differ mainly on cost-sharing amounts.

106,500 - number remaining uninsured
$1.3 billion - increase in health spending

COLORADO HEALTH SERVICES SINGLE PAYER PROGRAM

The Colorado Health Services (CHS) Program is a single payer plan that would provide coverage to all residents of the state, including state and local workers, and residents currently covered under Medicare, Tricare, Veteran’s Health, Indian Health Services and Federal Health Benefits programs. The program would provide all people with comprehensive health care benefits that cover the same list of services now covered by the Colorado Medicaid benefits package.  Consumers would have their choice of providers and hospitals within the state.

0 - number remaining uninsured [my emphasis]
$1.4 billion - decline in health spending [my
emphasis]

Lewin's 230-page report can be accessed at
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=
Page&childpagename=BlueRibbon%2FRIBBLayout&cid=
1178305890619&p=1178305890619&pagename=RIBBWrapper

To learn about this newsletter, Montebello E-News, and the accompanying, growing Web site, “My Montebello”, visit www.mymontebello.com.  Also, you will find instructions and contact information for submitting announcements for publication in this newsletter.