Sexist Social Services, and American Culture For That Matter

   I just want to take the time here to share a personal experience I had with Social Services here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To clarify the story, if the picture of my face didn't tell you, I am a white male of 22 years. At the time of this incident, I was 19 at the onset and then 20 at closure. This is my story of my journey becoming a SINGLE DAD with the PRIMARY PHYSICAL custody of my two children. Be advised, I am an "isolated incident" and in no way am I stating that all women abuse this system. Separation is unfortunate on all fronts of the family, I truly sympathize with victims of abuse, divorce, and troubled marriages. Please keep your mind open to my experience with this system.

   Let's begin. In September of 2009, I was awarded the primary physical custody status of my two children. This road was not treaded easily. At the onset, I was black-balled by my ex-wife under her plan (not speculation, this was supported by recorded evidence in court) to accuse me of attempting to harm my children. Her goal of this planned accusation was to be awarded custody to collect the "child-support" in order to help the financial situation of her parents.

   The lengthy story of my court battles aside, I was now a single father. I was stacked with financial burdens beyond the legal fees of five months of fighting criminal accusations and custody at the same time. I now had to replace my childrens wardrobe and living arrangements as all of there belongings were taken from our home by the family / co-conspirators of my ex-wife. So, in attempt to find financial assistance for the time being, I found myself going back to the very Social Services office that had tried there best to find me "at-fault" of the accusations made against me.

   I thought about this wonderful program offered in Virginia as well as the rest of the United States, called (WIC) Women, Infants, and Children. I wanted to apply but somehow, even though I had an infant and a child in my home, because I was not a woman (and please no offense ladies) I was not able to benefit from this wonderful program. Today though, I do qualify because of my household size, income, and because I remarried and my wife applied for the program....interesting right?
 
  I also had applied through the Social Services office to locate "scholarships" for the daycare that my children were enrolled to. After all, single parents have to work right? Unfortunately, my children and I were not receiving any form of child support from my former accusers. Yes, no support, even though they were so Hell-bent to have this financial "blessing" from me, I was not recieiving any form of monetary support to keep my children fed, clothed, educated, or secure during the day. Still, to this day, my children (it is Child Support after all) received no means of support from those who accused me earlier. So, with no additional financial support, I was fronting the cost of daycare and all the combined costs of living, on this one income. Boy, did I hope that I could get one of these scholarships.

   Upon reviewing the file, the social worker asked me, "How many are in your household?" When I had told her three (3) she asked me, "Where's their mama?" When I informed her that I was awaiting the final hearing for divorce she replied, "You mean you got custody of them kids?" At this point, I was beginning to see that as a single father, I would not privileged to receive such scholarships when I heard the word that, "Men in Virginia never get custody of their kids" from the social worker. As a white male making above the poverty line, however not by any means highly compensated as a serviceman, there were no additional support networks for me to turn to.

   Is this system, and culture for that matter, so directly based on sexism that it believes that the primary custodial parent should be the mother? As I have told you, from the start I had four (4) days to be ready for the first of the custody hearings that began after the accusations. Upon proving the malicious intent of the egg-donating ex-wife, I was granted custody. I have seen firsthand that our culture has this mentality that the woman, no matter what case, should be granted custody. Look at me, the only reason that I was ever accused in the first place was because society made my ex-wife believe she would be given custody and social services continues to provide assistance to just as corrupt people without closely following where the benefits go after they are in the hands of their clients. As I stated earlier, her goal of this accusation was to be awarded custody to collect child-support from me in order to help the financial situation of her parents.

   Please, again, I am in no way fighting Sexism with Sexism. I know that I am an "isolated incident." I know that every woman is not applying to ride the system. I sympathize with victims of abuse, divorce, and troubled marriages, I mean, I was a victim after all. Is stronger regulation needed? Is the system bent on only assisting one gender? Get both sides of the story, ask each gender, and then ask yourself, are we in need of Social Service reform? The answer is yes.

    

Suprisingly Legal Addictive Substances

     According to www.thegooddrugsguide.com, the six most addictive substances are: Marijuana, Caffeine, Alcohol, Cocaine, Herion, and Nicotene. Suprisingly enough, half of these substances (Nicotene, Alcohol, and Caffeine) are legal here in the United States. Of those legally sold, they have significant health consequences that are just as bad if not worse than their counterparts also ranked in this top six list of addictive substances. With this in mind, and using the information gathered by the referenced website, I would like to identify how these legal substances will provide more medical attention than the tabooed "illegal substances" that we wage this War on Drugs against. By the way, the war against drugs, is it not interesting how Health Management Organizations (HMOs) also began during this 1968-1971 period...I wonder why they chose the drugs they did to ban and keep legal?

     Upon locating this information, I learned that some of the "harmful" effects of Marijuana include: increased appetite, feelings of relaxation, feeling like time has slowed, and low blood pressure. Also, the two remaining banned addictive substances of Cocaine and Heroin, shared the same effects (aside from confidence and pleasure that you feel "high") of aching muscles, back pain, vomitting and diarrhea. Now, lets look at how these compare to their legal counterparts.

     Caffeine, such as tea, sodas, and coffee is readily available, to all age groups, at every corner. This substance is linked to insomnia and high blood pressure. Nicotene (available to you once you have turned 18) supplies the user lung cancer, as well as putting non-smokers at risk by the secondhand smoke. Nicotene also is responsible for oral cancers, heart disease, strokes, and emphysema. Finally, on our list of six substances, Alcohol (available to you legally at the age of 21) will damage your liver, pancrease, and can provide heart disease.

     This information bothers me and it makes me think, why did we choose the drugs that we did to wage war on? So I looked into when the Drug Wars began and I found the website with an article titled, "Nixon's 'war on drugs' began 40 years ago, and the battle is still raging"  (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/24/war-on-drugs-40-years)
    
     So, now I know that it was acted upon by President Richard Nixon. I decided to get to know my former president a little better, besides "Watergate", so I looked into his accomplishments during his term. In 1973, President Nixon signed into law the ``Health Maintenance Organization and Resources Development Act,'' which created HMOs, and the deregulated the American health-care system. Are you starting to put the pieces together?

     In one term, this administration expertly banned substances with less or equal health side effects than the legally allowed addictive substances such as caffeine, nicotene, and alcohol. We truly thought as Americans that we had accomplished something. We had the false impression that we banned terrible, body damaging substances when in fact we had allowed some of the worst ones to stay legal. While they remained legal, they began taking there toll on our bodies just as they always had, silently and steadily, with our morning cup of coffee to our cigarette breaks. As we developed a biased mindset to which substances were "morally wrong" our HMO's were cashing in on the legal damage that we, to this day, still do to our bodies.

   What do we do now? Can we as a nation keep this closed mind on Marijuana and Cocaine like we have for the past 40 years? Should we regulate this substances like we currently do with Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotene, therefore collecting the revenue in taxes which could provide an increase in our ability to pull ourselves out of debt? Ultimately, the choice is ours to let our representatives know how we feel and what we want so these true issues can make it to Washington. I am here to just get the word out, because the taboo of this topic does not scare me away from enlightening you.

Lee University: Cashing in on Christ, Conforming to the World

From: Robert Binns (self)

      When will we as Americans finally take hold of the separation of church and state? Is it fair for an institution of higher learning to be able to cash in on the idea that they are a Christian organization, while at the same time, allowing anyone from any background to be accepted into the school and subject themselves to biblical tyranny?

     In 1918, Lee University (Bob Jones) was created and set aside as a private university. As a private establishment, they were able to create and adhere to their own guidelines on student and faculty behavior without reprimand. Lee, under the Bob Jones name, was a school of primarily white young men bound for futures in spreading Gods word. Today, Lee accepts young men and women of all backgrounds regardless of religious beliefs, regardless of their desire to carry out the works of God. Therefore, is it morally right for Lee to still operate and consider themselves a private Christian institute?

     This, ladies and gentlemen, is the new and improved Lee University. An institution that upholds double standards such as reaping the benefits of the Tennessee lottery funded “Hope Scholarship”. The University allows a pseudo-policy, “Ring by Spring”, created by the student body to be practiced while they cash in from the marriages that are conducted in Lee University’s recently constructed “prayer chapel,” that sadly is too small for the student body, so it serves as a Wedding Chapel. What good was it for the University to build a “prayer chapel” that cannot hold all of the students at one time? They neglect there own “convocation policy” that ensures that students will not be quizzed or tested during the two weeks of convocation service over the course of the school year.

     How can the student body, the citizens of Cleveland, Tennessee, and the alumni of this institution not share with the world what they experienced while attending Lee University? I wish to share these true accounts of Lee University students, alumni, and faculty, as a former resident of Cleveland, Tennessee. I wish to share what I have learned from students of Lee University, who once conformed to these ideas to protect themselves from removal of the school. To share from the faculty that have been removed because of the fear of “free thinking” introduced to the students. These are there stories, and I am there voice against the hypocrisy.

     Let me begin with the wonderful opportunity provided by the Tennessee Lottery that was introduced at the turn of the century. At Lee University, they allow the student body to reap the benefits that this program offers. However, upon registering for the school, students are required to sign a “community covenant” that affirms that the student(s) will abstain from gambling (participation in the Tennessee Lottery) along with other non-Christian behaviors such as drinking, smoking, cheating on papers and the like. If you are seen purchasing such lottery tickets and it can be proven, go ahead and pack your bags and be ready for removal from this school. I don’t believe that Jesus would have gambled, but I do believe that he would not have held double-standards as well.

     One double-standard that Christ would most definitely take a stand against would be “cashing-in” on marriage. The student body has created a pseudo-policy cleverly titled “Ring by Spring.” What exactly does this catchy phrase mean? “Ring by Spring” sexually stereotypes and allows peer pressure to be placed on the female student. If a female is not wearing a ring by the first spring semester at Lee, she is perceived as living in sin, a homosexual, or a virtual spinster deemed unlovable by the male populace.

     Once this seed of insecurity is planted in their minds, human nature compels them to remedy this problem. One quick and effective solution to this problem readily available here on Lee’s campus is the recently built prayer chapel that, sadly, can not completely fit the student body under it’s roof. However, you can find that at this moment in time, the chapel is already booked for the rest of this year to serve as a “wedding chapel” for Lee University students.

     Unique isn’t it? They are cashing in on wedding services off of the student body as well, not just the rising costs of tuition. In a modern America where over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, can you as a parent, student, or Christian for that matter, stand by and watch a Christian school degrade the sanctity of Marriage like this? From the moment your son or daughter begins enrollment, they hear Lee’s administrator gimmicks that are not limited to “maybe you will meet your soul mate in the registration line.”

     Perhaps you were unaware that this behavior is accepted and practiced by the students and staff at Lee? After all, with evidence like this we can formulate that the purpose of the chapel was to serve as another way to make money off of Christian ideals. As more and more students have spoke with me about there Alma-Matter, I am beginning to think that Lee University has derailed from a private institute observing the word of God, to cashing in on Christian beliefs while allowing your children to graduate with a Masters Degree in Worldly Living. After all, they have a great cover, spawning out of Bob Jones University. Unfortunately, I am not finished yet with these revelations. Speaking of Revelations, lets talk about the “mark of the beast” that Lee University has.

     Revelations chapter 13 verse 16-17, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand of on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.”

     At Lee University, there is a week of convocation each semester. During convocation week, Lee students, regardless of religious background, will be forced to attend this week long “revival” and be REQUIRED to scan the barcode on their identification card. This is in order to mark their attendance, as convocation attendance is mandatory so that the student will not be dismissed from Lee University. Are you making the connection yet? Are we going to allow this institution to practice another double standard of placing their “mark” on the students via a barcode on their identification card, so that the student may reap the benefits of the education opportunities at Lee University? Apparently, as long as the “Beast of the Land” is out of the equation and this is for a Godly purpose, it is acceptable? With Lee’s educational opportunities open to all religious views, and to those students who are not desiring to use their education in the services of the Lord, they know that they must force attendance to look good in the eyes of the Christian public. Either Lee University needs to get back to its fundamentals, or become a member of the Public University system, there is no middle ground.

     Not only is this a double standard on the “Mark of the Beast” but the school itself holds itself in another double standard violating its own convocation policy, which states that during the weeks of convocation, there will be no quizzes or tests administered for a recordable grading. After all, during this week students are released from chapel usually around 10 p.m. It would make sense to give the students a break from graded work because they are denying ample studying opportunities to the students so they can attend services. Yet, somehow, papers are still due and examinations are still given during these weeks. How is it that students remain focused and keep completing their assignments? What you will find is that along with degrading the sanctity of Marriage as aforementioned, Lee University inadvertently degrades church service. What the student body is forced to do is bring assignments with them to complete during convocation services.

     What about life after Lee University? I personally know a graduate from Lee that has had the most unsuccessful struggle to acquire her graduation video. Her father placed an order for two copies of the graduation ceremony and was delivered the wrong ceremony twice! Lee University can not correctly identify this students graduation date and has yet to send the correct video. This students father has paid for two DVD’s on two separate occasions for her graduation on December 2010 and has yet to receive the correct graduation video, or an apology letter. As recent as February 2012, this student has physically visited the campus and reminded them of the shortcoming. Lee University still has the students money, and even took back the incorrect graduation videos, but the students family has not received the correct videos, a cash refund, or an apology to this date.

     Are the students of Lee truly benefiting from their choice in higher education? Take a moment and ask an alumni, maybe even a current student, if they are satisfied with their choice in Lee University. Their answer may concern you. Lee University, like every other secular university, has now become the campus where cash is king!