Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
CASUALTY REPORTS
I am getting so tired of getting those fatality reports from the Department of Defense. Most if not all soldiers are dying from "road side bombs."
If only their vehicles were strong enough to survive the explosions? Pictures of families' receiving a casket with a U.S. flag draping on top continue to sadden me. Specially when the bodies inside are of young men and women, who were not U.S. citizens.
A few days ago, a casket of a woman crying while holding her son overwhelmed me with sadness for a few minutes. She was from Puerto Rico.
Tears from Salvadoran families poured yesterday as some of their youth parted to Iraq. Six Salvadorans have died in Iraq this year -- in a war that is not theirs.
This morning, a U.S. attack killed 32 people, because the U.S. military accused them of ploting attacks with Iran. I saw pictures from AP with Iraqi children crying and man and women disturbed by death.
When is this war going to end?
I am getting so tired of getting those fatality reports from the Department of Defense. Most if not all soldiers are dying from "road side bombs."
If only their vehicles were strong enough to survive the explosions? Pictures of families' receiving a casket with a U.S. flag draping on top continue to sadden me. Specially when the bodies inside are of young men and women, who were not U.S. citizens.
A few days ago, a casket of a woman crying while holding her son overwhelmed me with sadness for a few minutes. She was from Puerto Rico.
Tears from Salvadoran families poured yesterday as some of their youth parted to Iraq. Six Salvadorans have died in Iraq this year -- in a war that is not theirs.
This morning, a U.S. attack killed 32 people, because the U.S. military accused them of ploting attacks with Iran. I saw pictures from AP with Iraqi children crying and man and women disturbed by death.
When is this war going to end?
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
I don't know about you, but I have to vent
There is one lesson left from the Virginia Tech massacre, and that is that educational systems must be aware that a student's mental health is as important, as their physical health.
I know that a mental illness is a disability, and no one with a disability should be prevented from pursuing an education. But it is also true that a student with Leprosy should not be allowed in a class room.
Public records published by the Washington Post indicate a psychiatrist, who examined the Virginia Tech killer warned he suffered from a mental disorder, refused treatment, and was a danger both to himself and to others.
Faculty at the University should not have allowed him to return to school until he was well.
Removing him could not be considered discriminatory. It would have saved lives.
It is clear that the educational system must participate in the process of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, or at the very least set a system that would recognize potential suicidal maniacs.
Immunizations are required, then so should mental evaluations. Clearly, this week we have all learned that a mental illness may become highly dangerous when left untreated.
I am deeply saddened by the deaths and grieve for the families and friends who are in pain. The killer has inflicted a lot of pain, and fear. Yesterday, the thought that a copy cat could gun me down overwhelmed me for a few seconds.
I was looking at the pictures of the victims. (The New York Times put together an awesome package).
Tears flow naturally.
This violent act is so senseless. These were all special highly productive people, who were talented and were working hard to achieve goals. People who were making their families proud.
Then there is that teacher who had survived the holocaust and a dictatorship, and was now in America teaching at a University. Well, he taught until the end.
He taught me true valor and selflessness.
There is no question this killer has caused a lot of harm, but no one should demonize him. He is a human being. 33 people died on Monday -- not 32 and an evil demon.
If only this young boy, who may have been sexually abused, and was ashamed of his South Korean descent would have received help; if only the teen that felt out of place would have received support and counseling; if only the young and lonely distressed man hoping to overcome his disabilities and earn an education would have received efficient treatment for his mental illness -- none of this would have happened.
When you work in journalism you learn early on that evil does exist. This knowledge makes it hard not to demonize a character. No one can question that there was evil at Virginia Tech that day. And if you want to get into rationalizations about demonizing the killer: There is always that superstitious hypothesis layed out in metaphysics to explain mental illness, as a malady with a spiritual source, and the believe that in the "Astral plane" souls full of hatred with hunger for revenge disturb and use weak minds in pain.
I choose to believe that the Virginia Tech killer is not evil and that psychology and psychiatry are able to bring hope and light into the darkest minds.
I choose to believe that he was suffering from a manic state of delusion derived from an untreated mental illness, and these killings could have been prevented.
I know, I am just trying to make some sense out of the senseless. I do realize that there were students from all over the world, but there is a part of me that is a little annoyed about President Bush's fast response to this tragedy and his delayed attention to the Katrina victims in New Orleans. The numbers were far greater in New Orleans. The hope is this had nothing to do with the color of their skin or their affluent backgrounds.
Let's hope not.
On April 16th, I saw the pictures and the images on TV and felt pain. Feelings are unpredictable. I cried on the 17th. Talked about it on the 18th, and on the 19th wrote a little message on a heart that will be sent to Virginia Tech.
It's amazing how a mental disorder could hurt so many, and drive so many to their knees to pray.
April 16, 2007 -- What a sad day!
In case you are as curious as me -- these are his plays:
His manifesto:
There is one lesson left from the Virginia Tech massacre, and that is that educational systems must be aware that a student's mental health is as important, as their physical health.
I know that a mental illness is a disability, and no one with a disability should be prevented from pursuing an education. But it is also true that a student with Leprosy should not be allowed in a class room.
Public records published by the Washington Post indicate a psychiatrist, who examined the Virginia Tech killer warned he suffered from a mental disorder, refused treatment, and was a danger both to himself and to others.
Faculty at the University should not have allowed him to return to school until he was well.
Removing him could not be considered discriminatory. It would have saved lives.
It is clear that the educational system must participate in the process of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, or at the very least set a system that would recognize potential suicidal maniacs.
Immunizations are required, then so should mental evaluations. Clearly, this week we have all learned that a mental illness may become highly dangerous when left untreated.
I am deeply saddened by the deaths and grieve for the families and friends who are in pain. The killer has inflicted a lot of pain, and fear. Yesterday, the thought that a copy cat could gun me down overwhelmed me for a few seconds.
I was looking at the pictures of the victims. (The New York Times put together an awesome package).
Tears flow naturally.
This violent act is so senseless. These were all special highly productive people, who were talented and were working hard to achieve goals. People who were making their families proud.
Then there is that teacher who had survived the holocaust and a dictatorship, and was now in America teaching at a University. Well, he taught until the end.
He taught me true valor and selflessness.
There is no question this killer has caused a lot of harm, but no one should demonize him. He is a human being. 33 people died on Monday -- not 32 and an evil demon.
If only this young boy, who may have been sexually abused, and was ashamed of his South Korean descent would have received help; if only the teen that felt out of place would have received support and counseling; if only the young and lonely distressed man hoping to overcome his disabilities and earn an education would have received efficient treatment for his mental illness -- none of this would have happened.
When you work in journalism you learn early on that evil does exist. This knowledge makes it hard not to demonize a character. No one can question that there was evil at Virginia Tech that day. And if you want to get into rationalizations about demonizing the killer: There is always that superstitious hypothesis layed out in metaphysics to explain mental illness, as a malady with a spiritual source, and the believe that in the "Astral plane" souls full of hatred with hunger for revenge disturb and use weak minds in pain.
I choose to believe that the Virginia Tech killer is not evil and that psychology and psychiatry are able to bring hope and light into the darkest minds.
I choose to believe that he was suffering from a manic state of delusion derived from an untreated mental illness, and these killings could have been prevented.
I know, I am just trying to make some sense out of the senseless. I do realize that there were students from all over the world, but there is a part of me that is a little annoyed about President Bush's fast response to this tragedy and his delayed attention to the Katrina victims in New Orleans. The numbers were far greater in New Orleans. The hope is this had nothing to do with the color of their skin or their affluent backgrounds.
Let's hope not.
On April 16th, I saw the pictures and the images on TV and felt pain. Feelings are unpredictable. I cried on the 17th. Talked about it on the 18th, and on the 19th wrote a little message on a heart that will be sent to Virginia Tech.
It's amazing how a mental disorder could hurt so many, and drive so many to their knees to pray.
April 16, 2007 -- What a sad day!
In case you are as curious as me -- these are his plays:
His manifesto:
Monday, April 09, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Watch and laugh, but don't let him fool you
Karl Rove managed to turn CSPAN into Comedy Central. Instead of a Chief of Staff, now you have a buffoon, or should I say MCROVE. He is actually busting rhymes in the middle of this video:
Dude, he made Comedy Central feel like CSPAN. What does he want to distract you from now?
Well this is what's going on. First the senate OKs war bill with Iraq timeline. The new bill redefines "the War against terror in Iraq" to "the civil war in Iraq," and requires President Bush to start withdrawing troops by March 31, 2008. This is no laughing matter. This defines world history and the lives of millions of people, who are making bloody sacrifices, both in Iraq and the U.S.
This should come to you as no surprise. The man, who has been called George W. Bush's brain does not have a college degree. He attended the University of Utah, the University of Maryland, George Mason University , and the University of Texas , yet did not manage to graduate. In July 1999, the Washington Post quoted Rove as saying "I lack at this point one math class, which I can take by exam, and my foreign language requirement."
Well, one can argue -- do you need a degree to practice political trickery? May be not, but trickery does catch up to you. Rove is stuck in the middle of two VERY SERIOUS controversies: (1) The outing of a CIA agent opposing the war in Iraq; (2) The firing of eight U.S. Attorneys because of the pace of investigations into local Democrats
Don't allow MCROVE to make a fool out of you.
Karl Rove managed to turn CSPAN into Comedy Central. Instead of a Chief of Staff, now you have a buffoon, or should I say MCROVE. He is actually busting rhymes in the middle of this video:
Dude, he made Comedy Central feel like CSPAN. What does he want to distract you from now?
Well this is what's going on. First the senate OKs war bill with Iraq timeline. The new bill redefines "the War against terror in Iraq" to "the civil war in Iraq," and requires President Bush to start withdrawing troops by March 31, 2008. This is no laughing matter. This defines world history and the lives of millions of people, who are making bloody sacrifices, both in Iraq and the U.S.
This should come to you as no surprise. The man, who has been called George W. Bush's brain does not have a college degree. He attended the University of Utah, the University of Maryland, George Mason University , and the University of Texas , yet did not manage to graduate. In July 1999, the Washington Post quoted Rove as saying "I lack at this point one math class, which I can take by exam, and my foreign language requirement."
Well, one can argue -- do you need a degree to practice political trickery? May be not, but trickery does catch up to you. Rove is stuck in the middle of two VERY SERIOUS controversies: (1) The outing of a CIA agent opposing the war in Iraq; (2) The firing of eight U.S. Attorneys because of the pace of investigations into local Democrats
Don't allow MCROVE to make a fool out of you.
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