Where is the respect that you teach your kids?

Lately I have been privy to articles or sayings that absolutely turn my stomach, from the most educated to the least educated. How can you miss the facts that are staring you in the face? If the media and others believe what they are hearing and decide to judge those who are obviously on the right path, give it up, you are loosing!

When people are confident, they do not need to pretend. Whatever is said is most irrelevant to the masses that have knowledge of the facts.

Do you believe everything you read or hear? If so, you are being influenced by the few who do not know the truth. Be yourself and stop this interpretation of the trash that is always being tossed about these days. Do your homework and stand on your own two feet. Clear your mind and strip yourself of your hanging participles.

Those of you who are parents should be teaching respect for others, not sending them the mixed messages of your disjointed ideas. When you talk about your beliefs, give those who care the knowledge that they can have a differing opinion and you still care, unconditionally. Imposing your ideas is far from allowing freedom of speech.

Family is where it all begins and I believe it means coming together for the common good. Judging people on their beliefs is no more than immature rhetoric and serves only to destroy the fabric of what our forefathers gave us. We do not give thanks or gratitude to those who worked so hard to establish the foundation of our country. Today, we are working to disrespect each other.

We dispute everything, disregard someone else's viewpoints and have revolting conversations that impact too many. Most of us did not learn this behavior from our parents, but we are too open and too free with our comments these days. Since when is this behavior accepted and where is your filter? Advertising your disjointed ideas through the media or Facebook or other sources and writing very disrespectful remarks just tells me you have very low self-esteem and lack respect for individuals in general.

We are all fighting for the same thing and let us not forget that our cultures are diversified. That gives us different ideas and thoughts. We do not believe in the same resolution to our problems, but if we gather together and recognize that we have the same goal there is hope for our future.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief. Ms. Reiske was recently awarded the 2015 Women of Achievement Award by DePaul Community Resources.

Fear is not my friend!

 

As the political year is coming to an end, what comes to mind is the infighting and its infiltration into every fiber of our being. What are we afraid of this day and why must we relegate ourselves to such scathing and derogatory remarks from every candidate running for office?

We are talking about another human being and if anyone spewed the trash we hear daily on the media and in the community, we would quickly divorce ourselves from their rantings. We are supposed to be role models, not angry, inept individuals.

Unfortunately, we are influenced by those who disrespect other individuals. We have difficulty walking the path to prosperity and we blame the wrong people for having the common decency to speak the truth with integrity.

Regardless of your voting record, choose the individual who will best lead this country into continuous and constant growth without the fanfare of the past. Those who believe that wars are the answer to our problems is forgetting the many males and females who are the result of human suffering and the families who will forever be affected.


When we make the wrong choice, we live with it for a long time. Are you willing to take a chance on going down that road? Your life is at stake here and many of you are willing to see our infrastructure get decimated by those who believe they have the answer to every problem and have resolutions that are far from logical or factual.

We have a voice but many of us make a decision regardless of the consequences and will rue that decision tomorrow when it is too late.

We have fractured our bi-partisan views and we are having great difficulty finding common ground. Return to your roots and you may find that you can agree to disagree and still have respect for each other. Get down off that pedestal before it takes you down.

We are a melting pot and the sooner we acknowledge that fact, which is obvious daily, we will constantly find reasons to protest everything. Being afraid of communicating and having a real conversation with those whose opinion differs from ours only prolongs the Cold War between decent people.

Are we ready for the likes of those who rave about what they can do to take more action but do not have the faintest idea how to accomplish that goal? We listen to all the rhetoric that we hear, but do we vote in order to make the changes that we think would be best for America?


Let us show the rest of the world that we are people standing by our convictions and a nation made up of strong, dedicated individuals who care for each person, in service of  our country. Let us find common ground and work with each other to make this a better world. Get up and do your part. This is not the time to constantly complain, but time to act and become a an activist, not a pacifist.

Woman of Achievement Awards - 2015

Carrying on the tradition of this event, which was originally held by the YWCA in 2003, DePaul Community Resources welcomed and recognized seven women for their dedicated contributions to the community.

Fortunately, as one of the award winners I accepted this award as a great honor. What a privilege to be counted among those who have devoted their lives to improve life in every corner of the community. Thank you Betty Etzler and Ann Minnix, two leaders in the field of social work, for nominating me. My support system included everyone from my oldest son to my daughter to my son-in- law and to a host of friends, colleagues and co-workers.

This honor is not only a once in a lifetime occurrence, but to be among the winners who demonstrate their commitment each day to fulfilling the mission of hope, courage and belonging is a truly a treasured gift.

The inspiration and encouragement of all these women will be inscribed in my mind forever. Together, we can achieve immeasurable acts of leadership and help others to accomplish what Alison Parker was determined to do in her short life. Her potential is a reminder that we can be the driving force that engages the community and inspires others to move forward.


Thank you to DePaul Community Resources, and it's far reaching and diverse organization. Your mission is always to open doors where many are closed. Thank you to your staff, and to all the outreach they generously provide that improves the lives of those in need.

My deepest gratitude to all of you.

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Gloria M. Reiske is an MSW, LCSW with more than thirty years experience in education, administration, social work, and coaching. She has authored many articles and is published in local media, having written a men and grief manual for training purposes throughout Virginia and an article for children and grief.

Have we gone from moral and ethical to let it all hang out?

Watching the news is parallel to the comics except more serious!

Have we been influenced by those who deliver messages of hate and desperation? Those who talk about their religious beliefs but do not walk the walk, is a total farce in my book. Every person has a right to religious freedom but there are those who preach one thing and do another. We once called religious freedom that which respects another's faith. Now we barge full steam ahead with derogatory remarks intended to totally decimate those who have a different opinion. Most of those inflammatory remarks are untrue but there are some who believe this trash.

Politics is far from competitive, it's downright cruel just to get votes and please the constituents. Wake up voters and chose the one who will truly and faithfully understand the future of America. Many of the candidates both Democrats and Republicans, are walking down the path to hell.

Politics and corporations make decisions by the seat of their pants. They do not consider the individual, only the revenue and getting re-elected. Persuasion can be both positive and negative. Persuasion that is positive has substance behind it and the facts are clear and concise. Persuasion that is negative are the mouths that roar but have no plan or do not have the facts to back up their oration.

When some are above the law, and recite a lot of rhetoric do we call this ethical or moral or just pontification in service of the individual? Think twice before you believe and stop sending messages that are disgustingly mud slinging when you do not have all the facts.

Put persons in high places who are respectable, and will not undo the entire strategy of this Administration. Upstarts may look prepared to get the job done, but are they ready to handle all the crisis that is inevitable? Even if you disagree, putting down the people who lead the domestic and foreign policy issues all over the world, is just plain ludicrous and makes Americans look like the biggest fools on the block.

Now is the time to re-think your own philosophy and adjust your half-cocked ideas. Ask yourself if you could be the one to suddenly wave your magic wand and make all the changes necessary to diplomatically bring about a clean slate and no problems.

How realistic is that?

We can build walls and take down those who endanger this country. Yet, how do we accomplish this task? I have not heard of a plan to dismantle this infrastructure. Words are cheap except when you have facts and an action plan. This babble is just that, and many of you fall right into the path to nowhere.