Backroads

Just today elsewhere I saw someone propose that the rise of the LGBTQ lifestyle was nature's way of culling the species. I largely think most of it's a cultural trend myself, but it was an interesting idea. But how much, then, does nature want to cull? "Children of Men"'s civilization lost childbirth for around 20 years and it was a social/political disaster. Fictional, sure, but it can be considered. Unless we can achieve a working cloning situation in a timely manner to satisfy this Prideful population you speak of, I don't see these Primal Instincts being easily dismissed.

Y'know, you're right, and I have heard a shift toward what people really want over the past couple of decades and, largely, I've thought it was good. When I was a teenager/young adult, I noticed many people avoiding the concept that it was a baby. Fetus, clump of cells, etc, were incredibly popular terms. I rarely see anyone denying that there is a baby or at least the potential for a baby any more. I heard one person admit to changing it when someone got mad at them for denying their tragedy over infant loss and they admitted it affected their perception on it. That person was still for abortion rights, but stopped trying to deny what was happening. I like the honesty. It helps us all get to the real points.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50428930/supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-states-can-ban-abortion And it's done. I think it's a good thing and I'm happy about it. I'll give my somewhat controversial opinion: I'm not entirely against the legalization of abortion. I do think there should be a legal pathway in situations, but I also don't see any states full-on banning abortion no matter what (at least from what I'm aware). If people are going to complain (and they will) all that changes is they write their more local representatives about the matter. That's all this means.

How far do you go in gaging the behavior of the kids your own kids associate with? Do you have stricter or looser standards for their behavior? At what point would you flat out say your kid cannot hang out with so-n-so? Now, in my situation, this is for kids still of elementary age. There's a few kids my husband is becoming concerned with, including a relative. I admit it's causing some contention in our marriage. Most of the kids who are the "bad dangerous influences" have various combinations of autism, ADHD, and childhood trauma. I tend to be a little more sympathetic to these while my husband is concerned at the lowering levels of okay behavior, even if there are issues at play. Where do you draw the line?

I don't know if I can get behind any of these other than a greater mental health service in schools (I'll tell you right now, too many parents aren't handling it). The rest are all that proverbial camel.

I dunno... I have made my share of snap judgments. I have a few students this year who I am quite sure are in Mormon Weirdo groups.

I teach for a virtual charter which many consider to be homeschool-esque (don't get to pick the curriculum and I mentioned an upcoming potential issue elsewhere but you get to keep your kids home and you get to work with little old me.). I've always been a supporter of public schools and I would love to continue to be so, but it's becoming harder. If you ask me what to do about all those kids who don't have a good home life or real alternative options, I don't know what to tell you. It's a tragedy that I wish someone would figure out how to solve. I have a number of kids in my school who really shouldn't be schooled at home, the parents are so out to lunch or just plain abusive. But I can't think of many more options. We're at a point where a decision must be made. If you can't trust your local school, you have to pick something else and we may just have to stop worrying about the more unfortunate kids for the time being if we can't directly help them ourselves. The way I see it, there's a lot more education options that ever before, or at least made more accessible. We have the internet. You can look up anything on the internet, and a lot of it is free. Many states are becoming more reasonable in their expectations for homeschooling. Social media has made it easy to find homeschooling co-ops and mentors near you. Heck, with the right amount of being neighborly and haggling, you can even find a co-op or even another house you can drop your kid off at if you work/totally suck at teaching. Private schools are getting comfortable in offering possibilities for middle-class families. Some states have voucher options.

I adore my assistant principle. She's a lovely woman and a good leader. She's also a transplant from out of the Mormon Corridor, very progressive-liberal and "woke", and as far as I'm aware has never been a member of the church (as in she now and then asks "dumb questions" about our students' beliefs). Anyway, today in the group chat to inspire us through the last day of school she shared a Jeffery R. Holland quote. It's fun to see good stuff being recognized all over.

I still haven't figured out who you are. I wonder if I'm supposed to know? Am I out of the Utah loop? Anywho, I am seeing so much little things creeping up in church culture. A desire to please the world. A lot of it's earnest: how can we love and welcome all our brothers and sisters in this modern dispensation? Yet it seems a path of pins and needles and a big bad wolf if we're not watching our steps.

I teach for a charter, which many families hope to avoid the indoctrination of the state. However, Utah keeps a very tight reign on its charters and they have little wiggle room. Anywho, I was previewing next year's curriculum, and I'm already seeing the creep. I'm picturing some unhappy families next year. The good part that my job of previewing was to state my thoughts and I have a secondary role of "representing the families of Utah" to our parent organization.

10% more, but not as painful.

I recently saw some data on the increasing numbers of people identifying as transgender or whatever other space of the LGTBQ+ world these days and today I think I had an epiphany. By and large, the people really don't bother me. In my view, it's largely cultural. While I scratch my head and roll my eyes over the need to be declared another gender, I have had little issue with a little blurring of gender roles. Of course we don't need to hang tight to gender roles and ideals of whatever decade you want. Of course men can do "girly" things and women can do "manly" things. A good friend from high school is the most boyish girl I've ever met: boyish hair cut, can count on one hand the times she's worn a dress, usually just shops men's clothes, is in the Coast Guard and works as a mechanic. Also married to a man and is a wonderful mother who is obsessed with babies. Whatever. I don't even mind the clothes that much, though I would point out the general cuts of clothes tend to suit masculine/feminine body types rather than being gender neutral. Sure, do whatever you want, who cares if it's traditionally masculine or feminine? Back to my epiphany: I'm beginning to think that, yes, there may be something in fact wrong with too much free-for-all when it comes to gender roles. At what point does such confusion of such things completely negate the purpose of male and female all together? If we are given divinely appointed genders and duties (which I'm sure are of a higher order than who does the cooking and the yard work), is it not important to recognize differences? Perhaps I should be a little more wary of the mess of it's all the same for genders?

Paid less than that 8 years ago for my little house. Currently it's valued at over 400 grand. Apparently I like in an overvalued market. I have had a few friends and relatives over the years migrate back to the southeast. Friend bought a gazillion acres for under 200 grand last year. A literal gazillion.

And you're right. Many places are short on teachers. Now we say we only want teachers who are experts in firearms who will be guaranteed to stop a shooter on top of teaching algebra? You're not going to find enough. I support the right of teachers to carry, but arming teachers to solve a problem is a pipe dream.

That's what my husband said.