Paul Kusuda’s column
October is an interesting month
October is an interesting month
A personally
interesting month
My sister Helen and I were born in October, different years since we’re not twins. Atsuko and I have a son Jim
who was born in October. We also have a grandson, Tyson, who was born in October on the same day as my
birthday. October’s horoscope depends on when in October a person was born: Libra if born from Sept. 23
through Oct. 22; and Scorpio, Oct. 23 through Nov. 21. Interesting but not relevant to anything I can think about.
A friend of mine, George Nichols (now deceased) and his wife Vesta (also now deceased and probably the one
who remembered) used to exchange birthday cards with me because we were born on the same day in October.
Atsuko, like Vesta, also remembered, and that led to the card exchange. The first time, and a couple of times
later, George liked to remind me that we shared the same date of birth with Dwight D. Eisenhower, maybe our
opportunity to bask in the shadow of a famous person, maybe not. But, we had our laughs.
Vesta was the supervising statistical clerk when I was hired less than a year after receiving a graduate
degree in social service administration with a major in social statistics/research and administration. She
mentored and trained me, and introduced me to, and simultaneously protected me from, all of the clerical and
professional staff in the agency. Until I was hired as research analyst for the Illinois Division of Child Welfare, she
ran tha statistics unit. She graciously accepted me, green horn, as supervisor of the unit she had been running so
effectively. She was organized, efficient, well-liked, and deservedly respected by the entire staff. As one might
expect, her help and support opened all kinds of doors for me.
Less than six months after I became research analyst, Atsuko and I were married. Vesta and George
continued to be kind and helpful to us. They invited us to their home for dinners, and we met their daugther
Victoria who grew up to become a board-certified M.D. and professor. They were our first friends in Springfield,
Ill. Other first friends were Fred and Velma DelliQuadri. Fred was director of the Division of Child Welfare. Both
were also very caring and occasionally invited the Nichols and us to Sunday lunches. Fred liked to cook and
serve spaghetti. We also met their three daughters. So, the Nichols and DelliQuadris helped make our stay in
Springfield memorable. The most interesting fact is that Springfield, Illinois in the 1950s was definitely South.
Theaters were not desegregated then. The Nichols are Africans Americans and the Kusudas are Japanese
Americans. Springfiled, the land of Lincoln, still had vestiges of social separation.
October is election-rhetoric month
October recollections for me are not only instructive but also good. October is the month during election
years when rhetoric from those running for political offices become heavy. Lots of money-raising go on,
increasingly so in recent years. It’s unfortunate that money plays such a big role in the important process of
election. Funds are raised through many different ways, some not so admirable. Now, except for only a few cases,
contested political slots require the raising and spending of much money to gain media attention. At one time,
most of the capital for local elections was contibuted by individuals moved to support one candidate over the
other/s. That was then; now, it’s not.
Because of the need to get voter attention, media costs go up each election. Voters succumb to the
influence of media bites; it’s so much easier to have a radio or TV announcer or a print-news reporter or
columnist do the thinking for us. Also, it’s so much easier to watch a TV advertisement for a political candidate.
Repetition of statements, whether correct or not, eventually become acceptable. They even appear to have
come from our own evaluations of candidate positions. In the 1930s, Hitler’s big lies paid big dividends — and
millions of people died. But, we don’t learn. We don’t realize that brainwashing can occur through repetitions
even though methods used may appear to be bland or innocuous.
Some of us go to candidate forums to listen to presentations made by hopefuls. Most of us don’t. Even when
we do, we find it difficult to assess whether a candidate truly recognizes the fact that in politics, no one person
(except perhaps a dictator or royalty with true power) can completely control plans, programs, or funds to right
some of society’s wrongs or ills. Candidates promise action, change, tax cuts, honest government, universal
health care, etc. They seldom point out the many obstacles that will block their efforts — corporations, special
interests, past practices, greed, self-interest, prejudice, etc.
Some of us may be naive enough to believe a candidate will have single-handed authority to achieve a
high-minded objective. What part of a candidate’s promise will turn out to be fluff and what part abandoned
during compromise sessions to achieve even part of a sub-objective or a beginning phase to reach an objective?
Fortunately, in our democratic form of government, somehow, even though our elected officials and government
agencies fumble and stumble, wrongs are most-often righted. Unfortunately, that takes a heck of a long time.
And, for many of us, the wait is too long — longer than even a lifetime.
Will most of us really think about who will be the best candidate to fill a specific political seat? Will most of
us monitor what elected persons really do after election? Will most of us keep in touch with them after election?
Will most of us spend the time? I think not. There are so many other things to do — like watch TV, mow the lawn,
or shovel snow.
interesting month
My sister Helen and I were born in October, different years since we’re not twins. Atsuko and I have a son Jim
who was born in October. We also have a grandson, Tyson, who was born in October on the same day as my
birthday. October’s horoscope depends on when in October a person was born: Libra if born from Sept. 23
through Oct. 22; and Scorpio, Oct. 23 through Nov. 21. Interesting but not relevant to anything I can think about.
A friend of mine, George Nichols (now deceased) and his wife Vesta (also now deceased and probably the one
who remembered) used to exchange birthday cards with me because we were born on the same day in October.
Atsuko, like Vesta, also remembered, and that led to the card exchange. The first time, and a couple of times
later, George liked to remind me that we shared the same date of birth with Dwight D. Eisenhower, maybe our
opportunity to bask in the shadow of a famous person, maybe not. But, we had our laughs.
Vesta was the supervising statistical clerk when I was hired less than a year after receiving a graduate
degree in social service administration with a major in social statistics/research and administration. She
mentored and trained me, and introduced me to, and simultaneously protected me from, all of the clerical and
professional staff in the agency. Until I was hired as research analyst for the Illinois Division of Child Welfare, she
ran tha statistics unit. She graciously accepted me, green horn, as supervisor of the unit she had been running so
effectively. She was organized, efficient, well-liked, and deservedly respected by the entire staff. As one might
expect, her help and support opened all kinds of doors for me.
Less than six months after I became research analyst, Atsuko and I were married. Vesta and George
continued to be kind and helpful to us. They invited us to their home for dinners, and we met their daugther
Victoria who grew up to become a board-certified M.D. and professor. They were our first friends in Springfield,
Ill. Other first friends were Fred and Velma DelliQuadri. Fred was director of the Division of Child Welfare. Both
were also very caring and occasionally invited the Nichols and us to Sunday lunches. Fred liked to cook and
serve spaghetti. We also met their three daughters. So, the Nichols and DelliQuadris helped make our stay in
Springfield memorable. The most interesting fact is that Springfield, Illinois in the 1950s was definitely South.
Theaters were not desegregated then. The Nichols are Africans Americans and the Kusudas are Japanese
Americans. Springfiled, the land of Lincoln, still had vestiges of social separation.
October is election-rhetoric month
October recollections for me are not only instructive but also good. October is the month during election
years when rhetoric from those running for political offices become heavy. Lots of money-raising go on,
increasingly so in recent years. It’s unfortunate that money plays such a big role in the important process of
election. Funds are raised through many different ways, some not so admirable. Now, except for only a few cases,
contested political slots require the raising and spending of much money to gain media attention. At one time,
most of the capital for local elections was contibuted by individuals moved to support one candidate over the
other/s. That was then; now, it’s not.
Because of the need to get voter attention, media costs go up each election. Voters succumb to the
influence of media bites; it’s so much easier to have a radio or TV announcer or a print-news reporter or
columnist do the thinking for us. Also, it’s so much easier to watch a TV advertisement for a political candidate.
Repetition of statements, whether correct or not, eventually become acceptable. They even appear to have
come from our own evaluations of candidate positions. In the 1930s, Hitler’s big lies paid big dividends — and
millions of people died. But, we don’t learn. We don’t realize that brainwashing can occur through repetitions
even though methods used may appear to be bland or innocuous.
Some of us go to candidate forums to listen to presentations made by hopefuls. Most of us don’t. Even when
we do, we find it difficult to assess whether a candidate truly recognizes the fact that in politics, no one person
(except perhaps a dictator or royalty with true power) can completely control plans, programs, or funds to right
some of society’s wrongs or ills. Candidates promise action, change, tax cuts, honest government, universal
health care, etc. They seldom point out the many obstacles that will block their efforts — corporations, special
interests, past practices, greed, self-interest, prejudice, etc.
Some of us may be naive enough to believe a candidate will have single-handed authority to achieve a
high-minded objective. What part of a candidate’s promise will turn out to be fluff and what part abandoned
during compromise sessions to achieve even part of a sub-objective or a beginning phase to reach an objective?
Fortunately, in our democratic form of government, somehow, even though our elected officials and government
agencies fumble and stumble, wrongs are most-often righted. Unfortunately, that takes a heck of a long time.
And, for many of us, the wait is too long — longer than even a lifetime.
Will most of us really think about who will be the best candidate to fill a specific political seat? Will most of
us monitor what elected persons really do after election? Will most of us keep in touch with them after election?
Will most of us spend the time? I think not. There are so many other things to do — like watch TV, mow the lawn,
or shovel snow.