Task Force for the Family

I sent this to the president, Donald J. Trump today...

Dear Mr. President,

President David O. McKay, president of the LDS Church (serving from 1951-1970) taught that our most precious possession is our family and that home is the chief school of human virtues. Of the home, he declared: No other success can compensate for failure in the home. (This quote was on our family wall when I was a child.)

Home, its responsibilities, joys, sorrows, smiles, tears, hopes, and solicitudes form the chief interest of human life. When one puts business or pleasure above his home, he that moment starts on the downgrade to soul-weakness. When the club becomes more attractive to any man than his home, it is time for him to confess in bitter shame that he has failed to measure up to the supreme opportunity of his life and flunked in the final test of true manhood. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of far greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles.

Our country is being torn apart from its very roots (the family unit) upward. We see it in increased crime, mass shootings, the opioid epidemic, disdain for human life, common decency and upheaval in our schools.

Please create a Task Force for the Family, which could be called The Parent Commission, to encourage mothers and fathers, grand parents and relatives to step up and raise our precious young children in American with values of kindness, generosity, and decency. This task force would be lead by clergy, major service organizations and academia to help American families to reinvigorate our youth with positive values in and from the home. This would be an investment in America, that will save the country billions of future dollars.  It would reduce crime, creating honest, healthy of mind, body and spirit the youngest of our citizens, which are our most impressionable today. 

I would be honored to lead this committee. Please contact me for my resume and references.

With deepest respect,

Gus Koerner

Notes To My Inmates

I think I am the only Correctional Officer who does this. If not, like to meet other officers who do, and that have a passion for re-entry.

Everyday when I come into the dorm at 0600, at my first opportunity I leave an inspirational thought for my inmate residents. I jot it down on a piece of scratch paper and tape one copy to one side of the dorm, and another copy to the other side. I also write one more copy of it in my journal. The thoughts come from where ever - literally. Sometimes they are a quote I heard the day before, or they may come from my devotional time that weigh heavy on my heart and mind. I've been doing this ever since I started and I plan on continuing. Even though I am a by-the-book policy and procedure guy, there is no policy on this and inspirational thoughts I'm sure would be approved. The embedded images are some of the notes I get back from my inmates.

Why do I do it? As of June 5, 2016, 63% (92 of 145) of my dormitory residents will be released from their prison sentence by the year 2020. Will they be ready?  Is there anything we can do, indeed something I can do to help them in their successful re-entry back into society to help them be employed, responsible, caring and law-abiding sons, fathers and husbands. That is why I do what I do.

My guideline for notes to inmates is that it must be applicable to all. If it is religious in nature, which my notes sometime are, they must be acceptable to all faiths. The faiths represented in my dorm right now include several Christian denominations, Jewish, Islam, Wicca and Buddhism (that I know of). 

This is what my last note said:

Faith and Family

Faith and family are two things we should hold dear and value the most. What can you do today to strengthen these? A letter? A prayer? A thought? A phone call?  Think about it.

Follows is another note back from one of my inmates...

Dads and Their Sons, a Snapshot from 1972

We go through life learning from our parents. In the best of circumstances they teach you how to become a whole human being. In the worst of circumstances, they can also teach you what not to do. - actor Bryan Cranston,

From the TLC show, Who Do You Think You Are, sponsored by Ancestry.com: aired Aug. 2015.

I remember when I was a young boy I had a mixed relationship with my father. (I am speaking of Karl L. Koerner 1918 to 2000.)  I highly respected my dad yet part of me was afraid of him. He most always seemed distant and out of reach, but there were times when he was very supportive and kind and fun to be around. As I look back, the overall memory I have of my dad is a good one.  He was a good example of a man to follow who kept family and professional life balanced and who supported my mother and tried to do the best for us kids. Me being the last of six kids, I think he mellowed somewhat, or he just ran out of energy. Either way I understand how that can be.

My dad had a temper and when he would get angry you did not want to be in the room, but he also had a sense of humor, and could tell a corny joke and laugh at one like the rest of us. That part of me remains from his DNA.

As part of my job at the prison, I have the opportunity to counsel inmates.  Twice this past week, I spoke with incarcerated dads, trying to rekindle relationships with their sons.  After the conversation I thought about my relationship with my dad and sons. I ask myself what did I do right? What could I have done better with?  How can I improve?

Recently I found a notebook in the garage with my Dad's notes from our trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in July of 1972. In this particular slide (left), my dad is commenting on me and Chuck hanging our camp food between trees for the night to keep the bears from getting it.

Some quotes from his notes: July 5, 1972 - Gus and Chuck (Jaecks) putting up a Bear Pack something like this. I imagine if the Bears saw them do these things they would die laughing. I'm sure if they were hungry or they would get it down.

Notes like these from our parents are precious to family history.  I urge all my readers to keep them safe.

So how is this going to make me a better father?  I'm going to keep loving my kids, just how they are and supporting them in the paths their on.  If they want my advice I'll give it to them, otherwise I'll continue to urge them to do their best, stay close to God and honor their spouses and children.  I hope my kids can take my good qualities and emulate them, and my less desirable traits and be careful not to follow them.  Either way, in that way a dad can have a positive influence on his children.

- gus

Knots for Malaria No More

Yesterday on Twitter @guskoerner, I announced that I would be selling all my paracord wares with 70% going to Malaria No More, but I didn't have room or time to explain the details.

A CHILD DIES EVERY MINUTE FROM MALARIA - Malaria claims the lives of 483,000 children per year—90% of those in Africa. That’s 1,300 kids who lose their lives to a mosquito bite every day.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a corporation, Bill Gates type or big NGO.  I'm just a normal guy, trying to make a difference.  Please be a bit patient with the outlay of this, as it will improve daily.

Point 1, Malaria - Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma or death.These symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten. In those who have not been appropriately treated disease may recur months later. In those who have recently survived an infection, re-infection typically causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if there is no ongoing exposure to malaria.  See the whole Wiki article on Malaria.

Point 2, I'm a knot tyer, which is an art I am perfecting.  I use the finest US made products, do each piece of jewelry by hand and my best to satisfy my customers.

Point 3, I am donating all my labor and just charging for the basic materials and shipping, with the balance going to Malaria No More.  That's it.

Complications that may concern you.

• My prices may change slightly. - Response,  I've never done this before, and I have to set a price point that's not too low or too high, and deal with shipping near and far.
• Lag time.  I am only one guy right now making these items, expect 2 to 4 weeks for delivery.
• Web presence - I'm not a web master, just a guy who operates a blog.  I'll do my best.
• Sales.  All sales will be through PayPal, Square, Cash or Money Order.  1 bad check could wipe out needed money for Malaria from bank fees.
• My guarantee.  You'll be satisfied with the product.  It will be at a competitive price. The money will go where I say it will.  At the end of the project I'll publish a summary of expenses and donations.
• My cut.  I have to pay for things that cost me, so if you do the math and take the total price of an item like a key ring for example, $4 plus $2 shipping, know the item cost me about a $1 to build.  That actually works out to 75%.  Discounts will be given in shipping for multiple items to the same location.

That's all I can say for today.  Keep checking this site for more pictures and information, and God bless you for caring enough to check it out.

Questions?  Leave a comment below.

-gus

What good will come of all this?

Today has been a very depressing day for me. I won't say how much, but I was really down this afternoon. I guess force of habit causes me to try to find a silver lining to this cloud of what could be considered gloom.  So I ask myself, what good might come from all of this? Does God have plans for a higher good to come of this?

• I now have a knowledge of the disease I didn't have before.
• Perhaps DOC might actually train their staff and/or write policy dealing with airborne pathogens, treating them with the same precautions as liquid contaminants.
• Perhaps I'll have an opportunity to be a trainer for DOC in this area.
• Perhaps I'll get some sort of pay raise or financial compensation because of it all, as this will affect the rest of my life and career.
• Perhaps this could open up a new ministry for me.
• Perhaps somewhere in the world someone could use this new insight I've gained, and I can be of some good elsewhere.

Am I being overly dramatic?