Mason the wonder dog...

Hey guys,                                                                                

 

The devastating tornados that have ripped through the Midwest and Southern areas of the country have left hundreds dead and still many more missing.  However, yesterday, a story coming out of Alabama has provided a little positive energy from this disaster.

Mason, a scruffy mutt of a dog, was whisked away by the strong twisters last month causing his owners to believe that he had been lost along with most of their possessions.  The family returned to their home in order to go through the rubble to see if they could salvage anything.  

What they found was Mason, who had apparently crawled for days with two broken legs back to what was left of his porch.

Mason underwent surgery and is expecting a full recovery.

The loyalty of dogs never seizes to amaze me…

What do you think?

  

No trial...

Hey guys,                                                                          

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ruled that Jared Loughner, the man who opened fire into a crowd in January killing six, including a federal judge and a nine year old girl, and shooting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head, was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Judge Burns’ ruling comes after Loughner’s legal team described him as “gravely mentally ill.”  The ruling essentially means that Loughner is incapable of understanding the charges against him and is incapable of assisting in his own defense.

Loughner, who has a history of mental instability and schizophrenia, had to be dragged from the court room yesterday as he screamed, “thanks for the freak show, she died in front of me!”  It is unclear who he was talking about.

Family members of Loughner’s victims say they support the ruling, and that it is clear he is not mentally stable. 

So what does this mean?  It means Loughner can be held indefinitely by the state in a prison controlled hospital for the mentally ill. 

Some have expressed disappointment that Loughner may never officially by found guilty for the crimes…

What do you think?

Men Behaving Badly...

Hey guys,

Recently a number of high profile politicians have been in the news for their less than honorable behavior. 

Dominique Strauss Kahn, French presidential hopeful and current head of the International Monetary Fund, has been accused of trying to rape a New York City hotel maid, and was arrested shortly before leaving for France.  This is hardly the first time Kahn has made headlines for his behavior towards women.

On the same day Kahn was arrested, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that his wife Maria Shriver, niece of President John F. Kennedy (who himself was known as a bit of a lady’s man both before and during his time in the White House), left him because he had fathered a child with a member of his staff more than ten years ago.

In the cover story of the May 30, 2011 issue of TIME Nancy Gibbs discusses why people in power, usually men, feel that the rules of morality and sometimes law do not apply to them.  She cites research from Psychological Science claiming that when people attain ultimate power in their profession they simply are willing to take more risks believing they are untouchable.

Why do these people continue to make such poor moral and legal choices?  Well frankly, why would they stop?  We live in a society that promotes people despite their moral shortcomings, and men of power are not likely to change their ways until society refuses to accept such behavior.

What do you think?

Historical Examples of “Men Behaving Badly”

1.      Thomas Jefferson fathered children by one of his slaves.  (Who may also have been his wife’s half sister.)

2.    John F. Kennedy had numerous affairs including Marilyn Monroe and the girlfriend of a Chicago mob boss.

3.    Newt Gingrich (former House Speaker) led the impeachment against President Clinton for lying about an affair, while he himself lied about an affair.

4.    Italian President Silvio Berlusconi  has been charged with paying a 17 year old for sexual favors.  (He is 71)

5.    Elito Spitzer (Former New York Governor) patronized prostitutes while prosecuting other prostitutes.

6.     Rod Blagojevich (Former Illinois Governor) is being tried for attempting to sell President Obama’s Senate seat which was left vacant when he won the Presidency.

7.    Clarence Thomas was still appointed to the Supreme Court after allegations came out that he sexually harassed his former employee Anita Hill.

8.    Ted Haggard, the Evangelical pastor vocally opposed same-sex marriage while visiting gay escorts.

9.    Research published in the last ten years cites examples of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s infidelity while he fought for civil rights.

10.  Tiger Woods… well, let’s just leave that one alone…

And unfortunately there are MANY MANY more examples…

Prisoner Release...

Hey guys,

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court ordered the state of California to reduce its inmate population by approximately 46,000. 

The decision comes in response to evidence of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and high percentages of mental health issues.  According to reports, California’s 33 prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 people, yet currently have more than 145,000. 

Prison populations began to grow in the mid 1990’s after the state adopted much harsher penalties for all types of offenders.  Now with the overcrowding of its prison system, California needs a plan.

The solution mandated by the Supreme Court has many in California concerned about the safety of the people in the state once thousands of convicted offenders are released.

With no money to hire more staff, repair existing facilities, or build new prisons, California has some difficult choices to make.

The question still remains, what type of offender will be released?

What do you think? 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110523/us_nm/us_california_prisons_court

Tattoo...

Hey guys,

If you drove past Walgreen’s in Hoxie last Saturday, you would have noticed a small, but vocal group of people picketing in front of the store.  The reason for the demonstration… tattoos.

Nathan Hardisty claims that he was fired because a customer objected to his tattoos.  Walgreen’s instructed Hardisty to cover his ink with either clothing or makeup, Hardisty declined to do either, and was then fired.

Does Hardisty have a right to have tattoos and display them whenever he wants?  Sure he does.  Does a business have to employ a person who refuses to adhere to store policy?  No.

Hardisty is attempting to sue Walgreen’s on the grounds that he was hired with his tattoos showing, received great performance reviews, and thus Walgreen’s had no right to terminate him.  Does he have a case?  The ACLU thinks he may…

What were the offensive tattoos?  Some reports claim that the tattoos display a swastika, a “SS” and other Nazi era symbols.  Though there are some conflicting reports of what the tattoos actually are…

What do you think?

Guest Speakers...

Hey guys,

For those of you who attended yesterday’s guest speaker discussion, I’m curious as to your impressions and opinions.

I want to thank all the speakers for volunteering their time to come and speak with us. 

A very special thanks to,

Imam Ansari

Cantor Perlmann

Father Najim

Pastor Kohl

A few of you asked some questions but unfortunately we ran out time.  What were some other questions you may have had, but didn’t have time to ask?

an eye for an eye...

Hey guys,

This weekend, a court in Iran postponed carrying out a sentence for a 2004 conviction.  30 year old Majid Mohavediwas was convicted of assaulting Ameneh Bahrami, a 26 year old woman who repeatedly refused his many offers of marriage.

Mohavedi apparently blinded Bahrami by throwing acid into her face.  Under Iran’s strict Islamic law imposed after the 1979 Revolution, Bahrami has the right of retribution, meaning she can seek the ancient right of “an eye for an eye”... in this case literally.

The court granted Bahrami’s request that her attacker be blinded in the same way she was... the court even granted that Bahrami herself would pour the acid into the eyes of Bahrami in a hospital.

Iran has postponed carrying out the sentence after receiving protests from many western countries, including the United States.

What do you think about this type of punishment?  Is “an eye for an eye” justified in the modern world?