Ray’s Daily
August 12. 2020
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion”
Chinese Proverb
Ray’s Daily first published on August 12,2008
As some of you know I have a Global Affairs interest group where I send articles that I think are of interest, bear examination or include information not found elsewhere. The subscribers are mainly academics, foreign policy buffs, authors, newspaper people and interested others. The other day I sent an excerpt from a New York Times op ed piece to some of the members of the group. It was written by Judith Warner, author of “Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety”, a New York Times best-seller, that was published in February 2005. Here is part of what she wrote:
….Michael Savage, the hugely popular, widely syndicated host of the radio show, “The Savage Nation,” who last month went on a tear, essentially accusing autistic kids (and their doctors and parents) of seeking undue sympathy, victim status, and services for a malady that is in most cases nothing less than a “fraud” and a “racket.”
I don’t think I have ever gotten a stronger reaction from my readers especially the educators, medical professionals and even a child development expert. For example here is what the Dean of a Universities Nursing School had to say:
As to that awful man, Michael Savage, I’m simply stunned. As a nurse, I have cared for autistic children and my nephew had fairly severe ADHD. As a nurse who has worked with neurologically impaired people due to head trauma, I guess it is easier for me to detect the signs and symptoms of neurological pathology than others. I can tell you, anybody who has worked with Autistic children knows very well indeed the terrible challenges these children live with. Unfortunately, their brains don’t work normally, and the abnormality does NOT give them any advantages in society. Does Mr. Savage begrudge society’s wise investment in treatment so that these millions of children have a chance at living productive, independent lives? Would he prefer we provide no treatment, and then open hundreds of state hospitals to care for them once their parents are too old to care for them? Or would he prefer they end up as street people when they lose the care provided by their parents because no help was available to get them to a level of independent functioning necessary to live on their own? I think his listeners should ask themselves if listening to a person so filled with hate that he would attack handicapped children is a wise investment of their time.
I had similar reactions from others; parents, educators and the like. What I read made me wonder why so many of us let the extremely popular aggressive bullies from both the left and the right have so much influence. It seems to me that a huge proportion of the radio spectrum is filled with screamers who have become the pied pipers of those of us who don’t take the time, or in some cases don’t care enough, to invest the time to find out more about our world than what they get from sound bites. Unfortunately, there have always been demigods ready to fill our mental vacuums with their opinions and prejudices and far too often the results have been disastrous. It is way too easy for the mindless to turn their power over to the mindful since it is so easy to avoid planning a trip when you can just join a passing parade, unfortunately the result is that you often end up where you never wanted to go and it is too late to turn back.
~~~
“In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not lose your knowledge that man’s proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it’s yours.”
Ayn Rand
~~~
A little girl in first grade was doing very well especially in spelling. One day she came home with new words to study for an upcoming test and she asked her mother to help. They came to the word “knit” and her mother asked her to spell it.
She said, “n-i-t”.
Her mother said, “No, try again.”
She said, very slowly, “n-i-t”.
Her mother said, “Now, honey, I know you know how to spell this word, try again.”
Very aggravated and very slowly, as if her mother was just not getting the whole picture, she spelled, “N-I-T!”
Finally, her mother told her that the correct spelling was k-n-i-t. The little girl looked at her mother, put her hands on her hips and said, “THE ‘K’ IS SILENT!”
~~~
There must be more to life than having everything.
Maurice Sendak
~~~
A guest lecturer to the Medical college stopped by the bulletin board. Listed for the day was the topic, “Surprises in Obstetrics”.
Scrawled under it in pencil were the words, “Mary had a little lamb”.
~~~
“You can’t build a reputation on what you intend to do.”
Liz Smith
~~~
One Sunday a pastor told the congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.
After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate.
A very quiet, elderly and saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns.
Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three handsomest men in the building and said, “I’ll take him and him and him.”
~~~
BEEN THERE! — DONE THAT!
And I’d do it all over again if I could remember the way. But now that I’m older I’d probably forget what I was going back for and most likely wouldn’t be able to do it again anyway.
~~~
Volvo has unveiled an auto designed by women for women called the YCC, ‘Your Concept Car.’ Among its cutting-edge femi-features:
* Turn signals that are able to change their mind at the last minute.
* An OnStar satellite tracking system that can locate, on command, all retail outlets within 500 miles.
* Permanent press fenders.
* A dashboard voice console that’s programmed to ask strangers for directions.
* Side mirrors that make the driver appear slimmer than she actually is.
~~~
When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.
Mark Twain
~~~
At the airport check-in counter, I overheard a woman ask for window seats for her and her husband. The clerk pointed out that this would prevent them from sitting together.
“Sweetie,” the woman replied, “I just spent ten days of quality time in a compact rental car with this man. I know what I’m requesting.”
~~~
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
–Edmund Burke
~~~
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
Ray's Daily 
Leave a Reply