[Wondergirl]

In today's "Dear Abby" column a reader said that lack of communication between people, resulting in misunderstandings, anger, hatred, fear, loneliness, is society's greatest problem.

What do you think?

[jillianleab]

Lack of communication and lack of education are big woes for society. By education I don't even mean "book smart" but simply education about others and how life works in the real world. I think taking care of those two things would have profound effects on society.

[excon]

Hello Wonderfulgirl:

Fear. Fear of illegal's; fear of sex offenders; fear of drugs; fear of an attack, fear of the cut and runners; fear of the neo-cons; the Iranians, Al Qaeda, the N. Koreans, the terrorists, your religion, his religion or anybody's religion.

excon

[Wondergirl]

Lack of communication and lack of education are big woes for society. By education I don't even mean "book smart" but simply education about others and how life works in the real world. I think taking care of those two things would have profound effects on society.

And where does one start?? Americans are still struggling with the egocentric thing, from the "Me Generation" to worry about junior's self-esteem (throwing confetti at work because he showed up? ).

[Wondergirl]

Fear. Fear of illegal’s; fear of sex offenders; fear of drugs; fear of an attack, fear of the cut and runners; fear of the neo-cons; the Iranians, Al Qaeda, the N. Koreans, the terrorists, your religion, his religion or anybody's religion.

But if you look around at the people shopping at the malls and filling up their SUVs and sleeping in on Sunday morning (instead of sitting in that hard church pew praying for salvation from fear), it doesn't seem like anyone's too fearful. Is the fear you are talking about really real?

(Why did "illegal's" get the apostrophe, but none of the other plurals did in that string of fears? "Illegal's" is not possessive, by the way. Have you missed me and my punctuation book?? )

[excon]

(Why did "illegal's" get the apostrophe, but none of the other plurals did in that string of fears? "Illegal's" is not possessive, btw. Have you missed me and my punctuation book????????)

Hello again, Wonderchick:

Plurals'? - I don't need no stinkin plural's!

I put the postrfy there cause spell checker said I should. I didn't put it in the rest cause spellchecker didn't' say I' should.

Me afraid?? Nahhhh, but Bush and his crowd are whippin us up into a frenzy. And, its' working.

Ex'con

[jillianleab]

Wondergirl, you're right, we do struggle with the egocentric (and ethnocentric) thing. Americans embrace individualism, and as such, we have an individualistic society. We do things because WE want to, because they benefit OURSELVES not others (there are exceptions before anyone gets on my case about charity!). The "Me Generation" is a problem, which is where education and communication need to be concentrated. Instead of teaching our kids they are precious snowflakes and that the world revolves around them, perhaps we should teach them there are other people in the world who matter just as much, and in some cases more than they do. Lack of communication and education fosters all the things you mention in your original post - and every generation is guilty of it. I don't know where to start...

There's a company in India, Reality Tours and Travel, who offers a tour into Asia's biggest slum. At first I was outraged by the exploitation of the poor, but the more I read about the company, the tour and so on, the more it has made me want to take the tour. I think exposing ourselves to different cultures and societies is important, and can ground you; make you realize that if the biggest problem in your day is that you were too busy to take lunch, you're still doing a HELL of a lot better than a HELL of a lot of people out there. So maybe that's it - expose ourselves to other cultures and hopefully it will sink in that we're not the only ones on this planet...

Here's a link to the company I mentioned, if you want to check it out: Welcome to Reality Tours and Travel- Home Page

[Wondergirl]

Hello again, Wonderchick:

Plurals'?? - I don't need no stinkin plural's!

I put the postrfy there cause spell checker said I should. I didnt put it in the rest cause spellchecker didn't' say I' should.

Me afraid???? Nahhhh, but Bush and his crowd are whippin us up into a frenzy. And, its' workin.

ex'con

I see your droll sense of fun hasn't changed at all, excon.

Do you think the media like to stir up the pot when the Bushies throw in fear?

[excon]

I see your droll sense of fun hasn't changed at all.....Do you think the media like to stir up the pot when the Bushies throw in fear?

Hello again, Wondergirl:

I am NOT a droll!

The media cheered Bush on to Iraq. Now they're doing it for Iran. Lou Dobbs on CNN would have you hate all Mexicans. O'Reilly would have you hate all sex offenders. Shaun Hannity would have you hate everybody. Rush Limprod would rather do drugs.

Sure. He's got lot's (?) of help.

excon

[Wondergirl]

Wondergirl, you're right, we do struggle with the egocentric (and ethnocentric) thing. Americans embrace individualism, and as such, we have an individualistic society. We do things because WE want to, because they benefit OURSELVES not others.

Thanks for the link, jillian.

Yes, we need to walk in someone else's shoes somehow in order to fine-tune our sense of understanding of and empathy with those who are not exactly like we are.

I live in a Chicago suburb and work in another one, both multi-ethnic. The special joy of that is working in a public library, a place freely open to anyone of any ethnic group. Throughout the day we see many, many immigrants from various countries in Asia, from Europe, from Mexico, et al. All have or want library cards and know that the library is a safe place to visit. The wives of those on work or school visas can't work for money until they have been in this country for a certain period, so, amazingly, they come to the library to do volunteer work. I am the volunteer coordinator and trainer, and have been blessed as I've gotten to know people from all over the world. Yu-Chen couldn't believe it when I asked her to teach me a few phrases in Mandarin. Jibril and Anita and Amreen loved telling me about foods from their countries. And I'm the better for the conversations. (I now have a passion for samosas and can say "I love you" in Mandarin... )

[shygrneyzs]

I do not know if the lack of communication is the foundation from which all stems. I go back to the Golden Rule, which is over 2000 years old - do unto others as you would have done to you. But then Christ said that - and some non believers have field days denying Christ. The rule now seems to be do unto others before they do unto you. A lack of common respect - no matter which country or personal spiritual belief system.

[Wondergirl]

Hello again, Wondergirl:

I am NOT a droll!

The media cheered Bush on to Iraq. Now they're doing it for Iran. Lou Dobbs on CNN would have you hate all Mexicans. O'Reilly would have you hate all sex offenders. Shaun Hannity would have you hate everybody. Rush Limprod would rather do drugs.

Sure. He's got lot's (?) of help.

excon

Actually, you are my favorite droll, excon.

Why has the media sold out? Don't they owe us honesty? (This may be getting off-topic, yet it does seem to go along with your fear idea.)

(It should have been "lots". Add an apostrophe before an s if you want to show singular possession, and after the s for plural possession. Think apostrophe = possession. Hmmmm, think s + apostrophe or apostrophe + s = bad--since most of the time you write plurals, not possessives. We can do this.)

[firmbeliever]

At first I was outraged by the exploitation of the poor, but the more I read about the company, the tour and so on, the more it has made me want to take the tour. I think exposing ourselves to different cultures and societies is important, and can ground you; make you realize that if the biggest problem in your day is that you were too busy to take lunch, you're still doing a HELL of a lot better than a HELL of a lot of people out there. So maybe that's it - expose ourselves to other cultures and hopefully it will sink in that we're not the only ones on this planet...

Yes,
Going to visit one of the slums will enlighten you in ways you never could imagine.
It will really make all the woebegone complains we some up in life seem insignificant.

When I studied there, there were students who were sponsored by the school, we used to give them our previous years good text books for their use and I came back to my home country and it saddens me to see kids throwing away their previous years books just because they are finished with it.
Some of them cannot even imagine the pain the kids in India go through just to get to a good school.
They even have school in the slums,but most are just a room in a house.When it rains the kids have to huddle to get away from the rain coming through the open windows.

And I do not think you have to go away from home to see the slums, I have heard there are enough homeless in the West too.Maybe they are too well hidden for most to see,but I do think they exist in all communities.

[Wondergirl]

A lack of common respect - no matter which country or personal spiritual belief system.

Ah, shy, I think you might be nibbling at the heart of it.

[Wondergirl]

I do think they exist in all communities.

Yup! Visit your local public library and you will see some of the homeless.

[jillianleab]

firm the poor/homeless/impoverished certainly exist in the West, but it's a different sort of "poor", if you will. The conditions many of the poor in America live in is considered the high life to people in other countries. In America we don't have millions of people living in tin shacks with no access to plumbing or a toilet; the only water source being a polluted river, and living in constant fear of being victimized by others. I don't mean to trivialize the poor in America, because certainly they have their struggles, but given that this is the "land of opportunity" it is different. The numbers of people living below the poverty line is significant, as well as programs for the poor. The American govt has the resources and finances to not let our poor live in such conditions, whereas we turn a blind eye when it is in other countries. Certainly it isn't our "job" to feed and house the world, but many people don't understand WHY there are nations with such conditions, they don't understand the social and cultural and governmental forces behind the living conditions and ideals of a nation. Don't even get me started on Americans and voting! Hence why I stress education! :)

Wonder my mom also works in a library, and sees many immigrants coming to use the resources offered there. It's certainly a place filled with diversity!

[savedsinner7]

Selfishness. Independence. Greed. Pride. Anger. Unforgiveness. Rebellion.

These are societies ills. The results of the above are crime, addiciton, abandonment, etc...

[Wondergirl]

I disagree with "independence". There's nothing wrong with that.

[savedsinner7]

I don't mean independence as is taking care of your business. I mean independence as in "I don't need anybody, I have all the answers."

I disagree with "independence". There's nothing wrong with that.

[Wondergirl]

I don't mean independence as is taking care of your business. I mean independence as in "I don't need anybody, I have all the answers."

That's not independence. I'll tell you the word as soon as I think of it.