A RECENT report on a compulsory Junior school swimming program stated that less than one-third of the students had been successful in a 50-meter swim and thus most were not awarded their certificate.
So, what does this mean in reality?
Being able to swim safely is one of those skills that don’t matter until it becomes a skill that you must have in order to get out of danger or save someone else. Everyone should be able to do it.
A second concern is why did this educational program fail and what could be done to improve the training?
Was this another thing that had to be done because parents weren’t doing it or was it actually important enough that it should be a part of every student’s educational experience?
This program needs to be successful or the consequences could be tragic.
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Shaking the symbolism
One of the interesting sights of the State of the Union presentation was President Trump not shaking hands with Nancy Pelosi.
Here in Australia we have the opposite problem with Prime Minister Morrison who shake hands with everybody, even those that refuse and won’t offer their hand so he just grabs them.
A handshake is a greeting and is meant to be done with a positive approach, not with malice. It could be said that people need to play nice but surely they should actually be nice.
Those that lead should set a good example for us all.
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Truth in jokes
A Bizarro cartoon in many papers showed a person being told that if they were ill yesterday then today that would be a pre-existing condition.
This leads to the assumption that it wouldn’t be covered by any medical insurance.
Although the Bizarro cartoons, as implied by their name, take an alternative look at life this may not be a joke to many people.
Many people have little or no insurance and what little they do have may only cover minimal costs for a short time. People should have access to free medical support and treatment but this is not a reality in many countries.
Another issue that is seen in recent times is the security of stored medical records and who can access them. If a perspective employer could see how many days a person had off at their last job and why then the chances of getting an interview may decrease irrelevant of ability and experience.
The enthusiasm for DNA testing for historical purposes may allow you to connect with distant relations although it could highlight possible genetic flaws and potential future illnesses. Many companies are starting to ask if you have had DNA testing and then require disclosure of potential outcomes which again may influence employment opportunities.
If we had free, adequate health coverage this cartoon would be just a joke rather than the medical system being the joke.
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A thousand words
The saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words although sometimes this is an underestimate, especially with war photos.
No one can forget the horror of the nine-year Vietnamese napalm girl, Kim Phuc. Nor can anyone forget the sadness of the drowned three-year-old Syrian refugee boy Alan Kurdi being carried by a soldier.
As to why these photos have a greater effect on us than other photos of injury or death it is probably the realization that they wouldn’t have occurred if there were no wars and thus they represent the worst of humanity.
There are thousands of war images and most show the sadness of what war does to humanity. A recent war photo, however, creates a perplexing image – a balloon seller in Kabul. A quick internet search will show many similar pictures.
The photo shows a man pushing a wheelbarrow full of equipment and holding a collection of a hundred or so balloons. If the picture was chopped to show just that then it could be set anywhere in the world.
When the rest of the picture is examined, there are bombed out buildings, farm animals, lots of people who look like they have lost so much and oddly no living plants. It is a sad sight and there seems to be little joy. So why the balloons?
Balloons are, to most, a source of joy and happiness but how can there be a market for joy in such a sad place?
Perhaps these balloons are a hope for a better time. The smiles that they bring may be the first time a child has smiled and from there people will look for solutions.
The joy of a child should be stronger than the sadness of the people but it’s a hard job to swing that balance.
Let’s hope the balloons do provide a lift to the spirit of these people. A photo of happy children would be a much better photo for all concerned. (dfitzger@melbpc.org.au)/PN
