Moral Right-of-Way Defined

Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I've posted here, what with all of my projects with Carrie Underwood, and stuff like that. But, I can't help but opine on a couple of "road rage" incidents which have occurred these past two days.

Yesterday, I was on my way home when I saw a car waiting patiently to turn left and enter my lane of traffic. They were waiting and waiting and waiting so I thought I'll just keep cruising along. Dopey me! They decided to pull in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes. I rarely honk my horn since there is really no point anymore. People seem to give a car horn about as much credence as a car alarm sounding ad nauseum. So I honked my horn anyway since I was giving in to my baser instincts to convey my disdain. The other driver immediately put on their brakes and came to a complete stop, causing me to now steer around them. I proceeded while muttering under my breath the word "stupid."
So I now continued on my "merry way." Then, two mile later, who drives up to the side of my car but this very same driver who had been following me the whole time. Hmmm, I was thinking I was now going to have to call the police. Is this person challenging me to a duel? I really don't have time for this type of aberant behavior. He seemed to be content just to make it known that he dislikes horns, with a passion.

Incident number 2 was this morning. I was now driving to work and the same situation arose, albeit with a different driver. Truck merges into my lane and, once again, I need to slam on my brakes. The difference is this morning, I did not sound my car horn. Fewer potential life threats I thought. So now I am right upon the tail end of this truck and, apparently in their mind, I did not offer them enough graciousness with space for their needs. They also slow down to approximately 5 mph, so I changed lanes to go around them. I see the light is yellow and I was thinking, darn it. Oh, well. Then I see them floor it and run the red light. Question to you all: Is it really that important for this person to try to impede my progress, and they have to run the red light, merely to make some misguided point?

Attention drivers: Here is the definition of "right-of-way" as defined by the city code of Elko, Nevada (per Google search): "Right of way" means the right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching under such circumstances of direction, speed and proximity as to give rise to danger of collision unless one grants precedence to the other.

The connection I am making, in this context, is what is it about certain people who feel their needs (their right-of-way) takes precedence over another's? Everyone cannot simultaneousl have the right of way anymore than everyone can have their own morality. This is what I have often referred to as moral relativism. Likewise, this could be seen as right-of-way relativism. It's something we should all think about, and maybe we can avoid some accidents while driving ourselves and our loved ones about town.

Samantha Runnion's killer sentenced to death

This news, although it will never undue the harm done to Samantha and her family, goes a long way towards making the perpetrator culpable for their evil deeds:

USA TODAY

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A judge on Friday formally sentenced to death the man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered 5-year-old Samantha Runnion in 2002 — a case that led to the expansion of child abduction alerts on electronic billboards along California's freeways.

		Alejandro Avila has been sentenced to death for the 2002 killing Samantha Runnion, 5.
		File photos

"I know she looked at you with those amazing brown eyes and you still wanted to kill her," Samantha's mother, Erin Runnion, tearily told Alejandro Avila in court before the sentencing. "And I don't understand it, and I never will. It's like you never learned to think. You have absolutely no concept of how heinous, how egregious your acts were. I can't help but wonder how it is you survived as long as you did, being so stupid." 

Avila, who did not speak during the hearing, appeared unmoved by Mrs. Runnion's comments and sat looking away from her. 

A jury convicted the 30-year-old former factory worker in April and voted for the death penalty in May. Superior Court Judge William Froeberg endorsed the jury's recommendation Friday. 

Avila was ordered to be sent to San Quentin state prison within 10 days. His sentence automatically will be appealed.

Outside court, Avila's lawyer said she would not be surprised if the issue of defense competence was raised on appeal.

"I can't help but think he would have gotten life if I had presented a better case," Assistant Public Defender Denise Gragg said.

Gragg declined to say whether Avila had indicated before the hearing whether he wanted to make any comments. She said she had advised him not to speak in court.

But Erin Runnion had a lot to say to Avila. At one point, she suggested she did not support the death penalty in his case.

"You don't deserve a place in my family's history and so I want you to live. I want you to disappear into the abyss of a lifetime in prison where no one will remember you, no one will pray for you, and no one will care when you die," she said.

But, she said: "I want you to feel remorse. ... You're a disgrace to the human race. Everything in me wants to hurt you in every possible way."

Avila snatched a kicking and screaming Runnion as she played outside her Stanton home. Her nude body was found the following day in the mountains about 50 miles away, left on the ground as if it had been posed. 

Authorities said she had been suffocated by pressing on her chest. 

More than 4,000 people attended her funeral and then-Gov. Gray Davis ordered a statewide increase in the number of electronic billboards that flash information about a suspected abduction soon after it's reported.

A friend of Samantha's gave police a description of her kidnapper that produced a police sketch resembling Avila. Prosecutors used cell phone and bank records to show that Avila had been near where Samantha was abducted.

They also said Avila's DNA was under her fingernails, and sneaker prints and tire tracks found near the girl's body came from him. Samantha's DNA also was found on the inside of the door of Avila's car, probably from tears or mucus, prosecutors said. 

The defense challenged the reliability of the DNA analysis and suggested that the material found inside Avila's car had been planted.

After the conviction, defense attorneys urged jurors to spare Avila's life, arguing that the abduction was an impulsive act prompted by a brutal childhood in which he was beaten by his father, raped by an uncle and neglected by his mother.

The defense challenged the reliability of the DNA analysis and suggested that the material found inside Avila's car had been planted.

Samantha's killing was one in a series of child abductions, including 7-year-old Danielle van Dam of San Diego and 15-year-old Elizabeth Smart in Utah.

Too Small a Target

I'm usually a great supporter of the police, however we've awakened to very disturbing news this morning. A father who was hyped up on drugs allegdly was using his baby as a shield. It didn't work. The police seem to have killed the baby, too. Now, admittedly I haven't yet heard the details regarding this incident, but I'm trying to justify in my head, why there could not have been a sniper used to take this man down without shooting his baby. I don't get it.

Aruba Bound

I'm a little bewildered why it has taken Dutch authorities almost 5 weeks to come to send assistance to help find Natalee Holloway. Being part of the Netherlands Antilles, and with the worldwide news coverage this case has engendered, it would have been nice to see a more aggressive effort from the "Mother Country."

The Digital Child

I have what I think is a humorous story. My son likes me to rent "intense" videos for me to watch by myself, when he's not with me. I told him about The Matrix (Revolutions) and he asked "what is it about?" I told him "Well, hmmm, it's about humans fighting computers. It's sort of a weird story." He replied "Google doesn't like that." Now, I know he is part of the digital era, for sure! For you social workers out there, no need to worry, we read a lot and stick to the basics also!

Amber Alerts

Some of you may have noticed the Amber Alert news feed at the top of this page. Obviously, news of the abduction of another child is not something that is easy to stomach, but it is vitally important that this information be disseminated to the widest audience possible. I hope you find this to be a helpful addition to my site.

On a Lighter Note

Has anyone seen American Idol and the grand finale last week? It was great! I never watched the show before this season and now I am hooked. Our new American Idol is Carrie Underwood. Personally, I find her down-to-earth, sweet personality to be a refreshing alternative to the many pre-packaged and synthetic recording artists out there. Watch for her to have great success in the future. You can check out my Carrie Underwood news blog called CarrieNEWS.com.

Infamous Little Blue Pills

Yesterday came news that government health agencies in New York and Florida have been (inadvertently?) supplying and paying for Viagra for hundreds of registered sex offenders. Many were rapists; some of the victims were young children (one was a child age 2!). Hopefully, news this outrageous will prompt concerned citizens everywhere to finally mobilize in order to urge their legislators to clamp down on this problem. But, then again, that may just be a dream of mine to see this level of concern publicly demonstrated for our children.

Would someone please explain to me how we, as Americans, can pride ourselves on being such an ethically and morally forthright country when we have placed such a low value on our most innocent citizens, namely our children? I know I'm generalizing, since most parents love and care for their children. But, as a whole, our society does not seem to have its priorities straight. I hope and pray this will change, and sooner rather than later.

High Praise Due

For those of us with limited time, having someone fighting for children's rights is a Godsend. I feel it is high time to offer praise to someone who is a marvelous champion of children's rights. John Walsh, who most of you may know from America's Most Wanted, has been fighting to help children since his own son Adam was murdered over 20 years ago. This past week he, with representatives of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, went to Capitol Hill to lobby for tougher child protection laws. They "marched through the halls of Congress" and brought "our message straight to the hearts of those who can fix the problem." If you would like to read about their progress and to find easy links to contact your legislators, please click here. Your children and grandchildren will be most appreciative!

Justice Done

Well, it looks like Alejandro Avila, the scumbag who molested and murdered little Samantha Runnion, has been sentenced to death. With the backlog of deathrow inmates in California now standing at over 600, and with the appeals processes, it is likely to be decades before he is actually executed. For Samantha's mom Erin, this is little comfort other than that this poor excuse for a human will not be able to perpetrate the same type of crime on others. Personally, I think that medieval-style torture techniques may be too kind a gesture for someone who could abduct a child who was playing with a friend and proceed to commit such heinous acts. I understand the defense was trying to portray him as a "good co-worker" and someone who "had a rough childhood." There are absolutely no excuses for this behavior and I am thrilled the jury was wise enough to not allow ridiculous notions of sympathy for this criminal to win out. He will now rot in jail for decades and be executed. While my feelings of anger towards this individual may or may not be "Christ-like" as in turning the other cheek, I feel good that society has ridded itself of at least one more beast. Please click here for a link to thejoyfulchild.org, a site founded by Samantha's mother to help make society aware of how to stop violence against children. I can't think of a much more worthy cause.

Noble Cause or Help for the Moronic?

I was listening to my car radio on my way to work today, as I usually do. Usually what I hear on the radio gives me a lot of things for which to be outraged and/or disgusted about, or simply things which need improvement in today's world. Today's news reports give me reason to be just that, disgusted. Would you like to know why? Too late, here's why. I heard about an organization called SafeKids.org which has helpful hints for the upcoming hot summer season. They suggested, rightfully so, that parents and caregivers not leave children alone in cars as the heat can become overwhelming and deadly, even with the windows open slightly.

In the news report (and here is the part that is outrageous), they indicated this organization suggests placing "a diaper or a toy in the front seat or a briefcase in the backseat to remind you that your kids are in the car with you." Is this for real? Someone please, (please!) tell me what parents are out there who are traveling anywhere and do not know who else is in the car with them, let alone their own children!

For those of you who know me, you're familiar with my advocacy for involved parenting. Well, not knowing your kids are in the same car is as far from parental involvement as one can get, isn't it? I trust those of you who are reading this are caring and insightful individuals (after all, why else would you be reading such an interesting column!), but please, if any of you do not know that your child is traveling in the same car as you are, please drop them off at the nearest hospital or fire station and admit yourself into the nearest mental institution!   

Seriously, this information to not leave children unattended is obviously crucial information and should be disseminated to the widest audience possible. My criticism is not intended to be derisive of SafeKids. They have a valid point, and maybe they are simply more in tune with the need to "dumb down" their message for the masses. Personally, I can see how one could underestimate how hot a car can become, but it's simply important not to leave your child unattended, hot car or not hot car.

SafeKids is a very worthy organization and I support and endorse their efforts. I was merely dumbfounded by the realization that there are people, (parents!) who are out there who simply are beyond clueless. If there is such a thing as a negative I.Q., it would surely be applicable in these cases. These parents can be proud of their rotted brain cells and boast of an I.Q. of, say, -50?

The Ultimate Betrayal

Okay, are you ready to be thoroughly nauseated? Supposedly the vermin who murdered his daughter and her friend in Illinois was angry that his daughter supposedly stole some money from her mother. As the defendant's story goes, his daughter had been grounded, but the mother let her out to play for Mother's Day. He tracked her down and told her to go home, but she refused. He claims, at that point, he punched her and then her friend pulled out a potato knife to defend her. Then he repeatedly punched and stabbed both girls to death and dragged their bodies into the woods, leaving them together. Now, to put this "father's" behavior in perspective: should it really surprise anyone what he was capable of, when he had just been released from jail a month earlier for chasing his neighbors with a chain saw. They finally stopped him in his tracks by hitting him in the head with a shovel. Obviously, it was not hard enough for his daughter's sake. Sounds like a lovely neighborhood, doesn't it?

Okay, enough snide-ness on my part. Does anyone in their right mind not see that this behavior is the sign of someone who is sick beyond belief? To commit this kind of heinous act against anyone, especially one's own child, is a betrayal of the lowliest kind. His actions are so out of step with those of a sane individual, it is clear that the writing is on the wall. Whoever is assigned to represent this scoundrel (and yes, of course you and I, fellow taxpayer, will foot the bill) will be claiming that he is not guilty for reasons of insanity.

P.S.: Keep trying to email Senator Gil Cedillo to fight for the anti-molester legislation. It doesn't look like he's emptied out his email inbox lately, but the email may get through at some point.   

By the way

You may wish to postpone emailing Senator Cedillo as it appears his mailbox is full. Here's my plan b: email Senator Romero today and email Senator Cedillo tomorrow. Now that we have that cleared up...

Call to action

Looking back a couple of weeks ago, you may recall my posts regarding the California Senate Public Safety Committee not voting on Senator Denham's proposal for stricter monitoring of released child molesters. Hearing him interviewed this morning he says that 2 Senators from Southern California were among those who did not see the validity of this legislation. He suggested we contact them and urge them to change their minds on this important matter. If they are afraid the perpetrators' rights will not be protected, I think they should err on the side of the children. After all, these criminals have already been convicted of heinous acts against our most innocent. It seems like a no-brainer to me, but your opinions may help sway our legislators if they feel there is public consensus. Please email Senator Gilbert Cedillo at: Senator.Cedillo@sen.ca.gov and Senator Gloria Romero at: Senator.Romero@sen.ca.gov. I thank you and I'm sure your children will thank you.

Keep Up the Good Fight

Well, we didn't do too well in the defense of children legislation, here in California, yesterday. I told you about one; there was another bill which was struck down. That one would have given both parents a presumptive right to be involved in the lives of their children after a divorce. This would, of course, not be in effect if there was abuse involved in the relationship, and would help stop the need for extensive litigation just to prove each parent is worthy. But, the National Organization for Women may as well be called the National Organization Against Children because they stood in the way of this legislation. So you see, there are forces (very strong forces) at work which seek to undermine what is best for our children. This is why we need to fight these misguided and selfish people.

I attended a very interesting speaking engagement last night. The speaker was Jerry Tello and he was excellent! He spoke on the importance of fathers (and mothers) and it was a very insightful and heartwarming 90 minutes. And guess what? I wasn't the only father there! Go to one of his talks if you can; I think you'll really enjoy the way he presents valuable information in a theatrical manner.

The fight goes on

It looks like the California version of Jessica's law was not even voted on today. Some Democrats complained that the bill was amended after the deadline which, according to Senator Denham, is untrue. It would appear we need to continue this fight for another day. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who feel the perpetrators should have more rights protected. I pray there are at least as many people who feel strongly that children deserve these same civil rights protections. God help us.

Hope on the Horizon

Just yesterday, I was opining on the need for stricter sentences and tougher controls over those who decide to harm children. Well, lo and behold, we have what may be a miracle! I was cautiously ecstatic to learn that legislation patterned after the legislation which was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush of Florida has been set for a vote by the California Senate Public Safety Committee. California State Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) has proposed legislation which would require lifetime satellite tracking for sex offenders convicted of child molestation. As I write this, it is being discussed in Sacramento. We are hoping for as swift and as responsive a Senate as we saw in Florida these past few weeks.

For those of us parents who are anxiously awaiting the day when child molesters will have justice meted out to the degree with which they deserve, there is indeed hope on the horizon. Check Senator Denham's website for information on how to support this most important legislation. Our children's health and safety are riding on this. Don't expect other parents to take action; support the Senator and take action now! Click here to access his website.

Take Action

The California Shared Parenting Alliance (CSPA) is campaigning to pass AB 1307. AB 1307 will clarify California law and create a clear presumption that parents equally share in the responsibility of joint custody of their children unless there is clear evidence that it would not be in the children's best interest.  

California children of divorce often see one of the two people they love most in the world pushed to the margins of their lives. AB 1307 protects children's relationship with both parents by making it clear that parents come before the family law court with equal rights to and responsibilities for their children.

Research clearly establishes that shared custody creates better outcomes for children emotionally, educationally, and financially. CSPA believes that in most cases children's interests are best served when their rights to have a relationship with both parents is protected.

AB 1307 will be voted on today. Whether you are a resident of California or not, I urge you to use the quick, easy-to-use form to send a letter to the members of the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee. Click here for the form.

Kudos to Governor Bush

   Governor Jeb Bush of Florida has, just this morning, signed the Jessica Lunsford Act. This law will provide a much needed crackdown on sexual predators and would require those who prey on children under 12 to be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison and, if they get out, to be tracked for life. I would like to commend Governor Bush of Florida on his responsiveness and swift action regarding the safeguarding of our children and yearn for the day when this type of legislation is in place in California, and ideally, in every state.

Today marks a bittersweet victory for Mark Lunsford, the father of Jessica, for whom the legislation was named. Our prayers are with him. While what happened to Jessica is nothing less than tragic, I am heartened to learn that there is indeed action being taken. This is wonderful news; however it saddens me that, given the high recidivism rate for child sex offenders, it appears most legislators and parents are lacking the motivation to organize to have this type of law put in place. May all loving parents be concerned enough to seek action to protect their children before tragedy strikes their neighborhood.

   I would also like to commend Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona for his kindness and strength in dealing with the Samantha Runnion Case. His heartfelt courage was very comforting at a bleak period of this crime, and he and his deputies did all they could. Alas, they found Samantha, and subsequently her abductor, after a relatively short manhunt. Back in July, 2002, 5-year-old Samantha was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. This, of course, is another needless tragedy. The perpetrator was found guilty just last week and I hope he gets just what he deserves during the sentencing phase this Wednesday. There is absolutely no room on our planet for anyone who would steal a child away from their playmate and drive away with them only to commit heinous acts upon them. I would urge anyone reading this to contact your legislators to enact tougher sentencing for these criminals. Megan's Law is fine for a first step effort, but if we value our children, we need to keep these despicable individuals in jail. By doing this, we won't need to worry if the ACLU worries about their freedoms being violated because they will still be in jail.

Pope Benedict XVI

The new Pope may very well be the wise and wonderful person we had hoped for, however I was dismayed (for obvious reasons) to hear rumors the other day that he may have been instrumental in coordinating the cover-up of the priest abuse scandals beginning in 2001. While these are only rumors at this point, it is disappointing that The Vatican does not implement a more strident approach towards ensuring its members that these offensive behaviors will cease, at once. Obviously, outrageous behavior can occur even in the secular world, but the perception by the public is that by maintaining virtual silence on the issue, the Church is condoning abusive behavior, which is not the case. But perceptions sometimes can be reality. Even though we agree these cases are relatively rare, the "sweeping under the carpet," or even the perception of such, makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. It angers me that this casts a dark cloud over the Church and is obviously very disturbing news. I, as I'm sure many of you do too, hope for and look forward to the day when this issue would be addressed in a manner befitting a civil and moral organization. Or, at least, have the public perceive this problem as being handled in a prosecutorial manner and not just a manner which is that of forgiving sins, as important as that is, too. I would urge Pope Benedict XVI to condemn any abuse of children, apologize for any past transgressions by the minority of offenders out there, and to issue a statement ensuring every parishioner around the world that any future cases will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I will remain hopeful that the new Pope will fulfill his mandate to have the Catholic Church held in high esteem and to maintain a strict following of moral and ethical behavior.

Habemus papam!

Pope Benedict XVI (the former Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany) appears to have just the sort of passion and sense of mission that will help carry members of the Catholic Church, and (do I dare say) others, towards a more moral view of the world. In his pre-election homily on Monday, (highlighted in a CNN.com article here) he warned against “relativism” and said having a strong faith, based on church teaching, is often labeled today as a “fundamentalism.”

“We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires,” he warned.

As you can see from some of my own posts (this is me speaking now), I have been outspoken on this very topic of moral relativism, so I couldn’t be more thrilled that there is someone in this position of influence to remain steadfastly determined and not be swayed by often errant public opinions. Sometimes “progressiveness” is not always progress. I would urge everyone to at least listen to this new Pope’s voice of traditionalism and reason. Much of what he says may very well make sense, even in today’s complex world.

A victory for the good guys!

There's a beautiful story out of Kansas City today about a little boy being rescued by a good Samaritan. You can read about it here.

Moral relativism in flux

Earlier today, I was speaking with a co-worker about an interview I saw recently with Michael Schiavo, the callous and insensitive individual who did not even have the decency to permit the parents of his dearly departed (now) ex-wife to be present at a proper funeral. Death by starvation and dehydration one day, the next day an autopsy, the following day a cremation, hands wiped clean of the situation, thank you very much. But, I digress.

We're going back a few weeks now, but some of you may recall the discussion on CNN's Larry King Live in which Mr. King was debating the pros and cons of Mr. Schiavo's termination of hydration/nutrition for his then wife. I found this interview to be extremely disturbing, but not for only the obvious reasons. Michael Schiavo was telling Larry King about his reasons for his decisions in the case. Mr. King responded by asking him (I may be paraphrasing somewhat, but you get the gist) "what if your morals are different from my morals?" Now I have a question for Larry King which I believe someone should challenge him on. Is it really possible for each and every one of us (all 6 billion people in the world) to have a different opinion on what moral codes, if any, are significant and worthy of adherence? Who is really to say that my morals are right and yours are wrong if it is dependent upon all of us to decide amongst ourselves what is really right or wrong? Stand to Reason has a wonderful essay on this topic here. Picture this: you walk into a new restaurant; we'll name it The Cafeteria of Morals. You may select those morals that you like, that fit into your current lifestyle, and you may even decline to acknowledge the sheer existence of those morals which you find to be distasteful or merely inconvenient. Let's just call it your moral buffet, as it were, in which you can select a la carte those societal rules you wish to follow. What would be your criterion for selecting certain moral ideals? For that matter, why even bother to select any moral code to follow? Let's just stop and think how utterly preposterous is the notion of moral relativism implied by Larry King's question. If we can all pick and choose our own morals that are contrived by men and women, why bother having any morals? Shouldn't morals be something that stands for something greater? Something that may have been initiated by (do I dare say) God? I would urge anyone reading this to be thoughtful in their musings regarding whether or not our society's morally relativistic leanings are truly the road down which we desire for us, our sons, and our daughters to travel. Moral relativism is a sickness permeating the very foundations of our society. If left unabated, the prognosis for our very existence may be in doubt. After all, how are we as a people to have any foundation for steering young people in the correct direction if there are no guidelines or consensus for what constitutes right and wrong or good and evil?

Saint John Paul II The Great

Pope John Paul II died yesterday after a long battle with severe health problems. I would like to offer my small tribute which I have culled from various news sources today. The magnificent story of John Paul II began unceremoniously, as he came from humble beginnings in Poland. As a child, born Karol Jozef Wojtyla, he often played with non-Catholic neighborhood children which, at that time, was not customary. His personal life was burdensome as he lost many family members early on. He went on to help shelter Jews being persecuted during the Nazi invasions. In fact, he himself had been oppressed by the Nazis as he would later find it necessary to conduct his theological studies "underground." It would have been very easy for him to succumb to the pressures of the time, yet he is known to have never displayed any signs of anti-Semitism. A trained actor, his theatrical skills were most-assuredly an asset later in his papacy as he believed actions spoke louder than words and became a master communicator worldwide. He was instrumental in developing a church in his native Krakow, which had been intentionally forbidden from offering places of worship by its Soviet occupiers. Later as Bishop and Cardinal of Krakow he further deepened his faith and in 1978, was elected Pope. His moral advocacy was an instrumental factor in the downfall of communism in Eastern Europe. Even an assassin’s bullet could not stop his righteous and idealistic leadership as he later met and forgave this very same individual who most would call an evil-doer. His papacy had been criticized at times as not being progressive enough or of not being in touch with the world of today. He was conservative on many issues, yet liberal on others, as highlighted in this insightful article. But, there is one fact that is not in doubt; his faith was unwavering and, even though his ideas may not have always been viewed as popular or politically-correct, he stood his ground to maintain traditional church doctrine. He refused to cower to majority rule and insisted on professing the truth as something worthy of protecting. In our society which is sometimes morally relativistic, his teachings were meaningful, sometimes beyond the comprehension of us mere mortals. God-willing, the next Pope will be similarly inclined to help steer us down the correct moral, ethical, and values-based path, instead of the dysfunctional path down which our society appears to be headed. To be perfectly honest, I was not aware of his unbelievable level of greatness until I viewed the countless hours of media coverage this weekend following his passing. Although I was, of course, aware of his goodness, I can now only envy those who were fortunate enough to have met this most marvelous, inspirational person. He was truly respected and beloved by individuals of many faiths. Some have speculated that his legacy will be reflected by him eventually being named Saint John Paul II The Great. This was indeed a man who was a bright light, a shining beacon, to the world and his life is something that we can now all celebrate. As many have intimated, his was truly a remarkable and wonderful life. Amen.     

PBS’ Frontline has a very enlightening account of the life of Pope John Paul II which you can access by clicking here.

Another thorough historical account of The Pope’s life is accessible here.

CNN.com presents an article here.

Let us Pray

As we have just gotten through the emotional ordeal of Terri Schiavo, we are faced with the prospects that yet another beloved individual is apparently terminally ill. Pope John Paul II appears to be in a condition which seems, by all accounts, to be quite hopeless. Regardless of one's faith, or even if you are not a person of faith, I would like to kindly request us all to pray for him. He is a man of inestimable value, especially when viewed from the standpoint that there are many confusing aspects in the world today. We should all revere those among us who are forces for right instead of wrong, positive instead of negative, and yes, good over evil. Sure, some of his views may be considered controversial, yet his overall message has been that of someone who has been a tremendous positive force in the world. Whether one is Catholic or not, we can all agree that his life has been a source of uplift for the human condition. For this reason, let us pray for him.

A Tribute to Terri Schiavo

For those of us who prayed for a miracle for Terri, it is hard to believe that Terri has died. While it is not shocking that anyone would die after 13 days with no food or water, it is nevertheless the final note for her battle for her life here on Earth. Mr. Felos, Michael's attorney, was quite offensive in his claims that Terri had been "beautiful" as she lay dying these past 2 weeks. He then said there was music playing for her (yet they claim she was not able to hear) and were giving her morphine (yet they also claim she could not feel). Would this have been her final wish? We may never know the whole truth. What we do know is that Michael won a malpractice lawsuit and vowed to take care of her for the rest of her life. He then attained a nursing degree and this would further help care for her. Then, 8 years later, he had a revelation that Terri would not have wanted to be kept alive in what became her deteriorated mental state. Furthermore, Mr. Schiavo refused to divorce her and permit her parents to provide her ongoing care. In fact, he continued to fight endlessly to fulfill her purported wishes to die while he maintained what some may view as an adulterous relationship and now has two small children from this union. It seems Terri simply did not conveniently fit into his newfound lifestyle. According to news reports, Michael would not even permit Terri's parents from being at her bedside earlier today so that they could be with their dying daughter. I cannot think of any other rationale for this behavior on his part except that he is self-centered and evil. But, I digress. The bottom line now is this: It is a very sad day for Terri's parents and siblings. Only God knows if Michael feels the same level of anguish over this situation which he so fervently claims. God willing, none of us will need to face these issues in the future, but if we do, I would hope we continue to strive for legislation which will help further the cause of valuing life. This, when viewed in the context of the "bigger picture" is what this story is all about: Life, itself.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center has an excellent article written by Eric Cohen which you can read here.

A great article

For those of you who are inclined to learn more about the Terri Schiavo case, I would urge you to read the following article published in The Village Voice:

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0513,hentoff,62489,6.html

Let us keep praying for Terri.

Soul-less Michael

Let's play devil's advocate and say that Michael Schiavo is telling the truth when he claims Terri would not want to continue living as she is. In the past few days, news has come out claiming that Terri has recently made attempts to indicate "I want to live." If Michael is the loving husband he claims to be and his sole motivation for each and every one of his actions is to fulfill Terri's wishes, would it not behoove him to have her feeding tube reinserted, pending further investigation of her condition? Alot of pressure has been placed on Governor Bush, President Bush, Congress, the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the infamous Judge Greer who was the arbiter of the final directive to disconnect her in the first place. Legally the burden may, indeed, rest with them. But, what about morally? Is it moral that Michael prohibited Terri, a Catholic, from receiving Communion this holy day of Easter? And what about the possibility that there may be a level of consciousness inside Terri of which current medical scholars are not aware? Sure, it may be a long-shot, but wouldn't you want your relatives to explore this long-shot if you were in Terri's position? Is it moral that Michael would not exercise every possible avenue to explore any means possible to revitalize or rehabilitate the wife he claims to love? Sure, public opinion polls indicate they are on the side of Michael, but do these polls really matter? It would appear that Michael's philosophy is "kill her at any cost." With a relative like this, who needs enemies. Sadly, time is running out for Terri. It would appear that Michael's desires to dispose of Terri and have her cremated are likely to come to fruition sometime this week. The responsibility for her premature demise are not on Governor Bush, et al. The responsibility for her death lies squarely on Michael's shoulders and we may never know the true story. He has stolen Terri from her parents, preventing them from the loving interaction which may have helped her in the first place. I hope he has a nice life with his new wife. Chalk one up for the bad guys.

Sick

And now the news comes out that the thug who killed the Lunsford girl was actually hired by a local elementary school, as a handy-man, after his previous sex-crimes convictions. How sick is that?

The Evil Next Door

Ok, people. Don’t you think it’s time we stop coddling sex offenders who prey on children? We have the 9-year-old girl in Florida to which that cretin confessed to her assault and murder. My heart goes out to her poor father. What rationale can we offer him for having this “person,” who already had 21 convictions, 3 of which were sex crimes, out on the street? Then we have the “person” called “Avila” who is pleading innocent to the Samantha Runyon assault and murder. She was the 5-year-old girl in Orange County who was simply playing outside her condo with her friend. These “men” are nothing less than beasts! May I offer my suggestion? If someone is convicted of a sex crime involving a child, they should be banished to live in an area with no children for the rest of their lives. If they have a second offense, they should have their testicles cut-off with a rusty and semi-serrated, yet dull, butter knife.

(Truth be told, these crimes should be "1-strike-and-you're-out." But, in deference to those who may feel that someone may be wrongly convicted, a second conviction should ensure adequate punishment is meted out.)

Countless studies have shown that most attempts at rehabilitation for these vermin are futile, at best. Yet, this behavior is simply despicable and should not be tolerated in a civil society, end of story. They say that you can tell the degree to which a society is civilized by how they treat their most defenseless members. When we permit the rights for gainful employment and rehabilitation of these monstrous humanoids to trump the rights of our innocent children, who is more barbaric, us or them?

Schindler versus Schiavo

We can contemplate all we want about whether Congress becoming involved in the Terri Schiavo case is an intrusion into family affairs. The bottom line is that she will be kept alive for the foreseable future and thus we, as civilized beings, will have erred on the side of the sanctity of life. Sure, the estranged husband may be telling the truth when he claims Terri would not have wanted to be kept alive by heroic means, but should he not also need to demonstrate some effort towards her rehabilitation before "pulling the plug." By outward appearances, he has moved on with his life with a fiance and 2 children with his common-law wife. There is an appearance of conflict of interest given his new life and his spending most of the $1 million malpractice settlement, not on Terri's therapy, but on attorney's fees in an attempt to permit her to die. Let's just say something just doesn't smack of a deep level of sincerity. Even if Terri's desires had been to be permitted to die, I believe her husband should have made every conceivable effort to help her recover. Then, and only then, should anything related to "physician-assisted suicide" be debated. I don't think this would have been against Terri's wishes. I also feel the Schindler family would feel better if Terri's husband had made greater efforts toward her rehabilitation. As we stand now, The Senate and The House have approved a bill and the President has signed it. Terri continues to waste away as she goes on 60 hours with no nutrition and no water. We await the Federal courts in Florida as they decide whether the feeding tube should be reinserted. The timer is running. The moral is that we should all decide now how we wish to be treated, in the unlikely and unfortunate event that our family members need to make these decisions in the future. We should all write a Living Will. It's hard to think about uncomfortable issues, but obviously these can be even harder not to think about. By doing this, we can eliminate any undue burden for our children, our spouses, or our parents.

Very sad indeed

It looks like we have yet another tragedy. A registered sex offender has confessed to abducting and killing Jessica Lunsford, a missing 9-year-old Florida girl, according to police there. Supposedly this cretin snatched her from her own bedroom, reminiscent of what happened to Polly Klaas in California, several years ago. Why as a civilized society do we tolerate despicable individuals living in our neighborhoods? When will we learn that the rights of innocent children far outweigh any potential or perceived loss of liberty or rights of convicted sex offenders? More to the point, why do we tolerate such pleasant treatment of sex offenders, especially those convicted of offenses against our children? Countless studies have shown that perpetrators of this ilk have virtually no chance of rehabilitation and any attempts at such ill-conceived notions are simply giving these predators one more chance to commit these heinous acts. As parents we need to defend those who are least able to defend themselves, namely our children. Is there anyone in their right mind who believes a convicted child sex offender should be coddled and welcomed into our communities with open arms? As far as I am concerned, anyone who has been convicted once should be banished from any civil contact for the rest of their lives. They should not be entitled to education, employment, recreation, or anything near children, period! In other words, one strike and you're out.

Say Whaaaat?

Well, it looks like Scott Peterson has been sentenced to death, but Robert Blake hasbeen found not guilty. How could this be? After all, there doesn't seem to have beenany witnesses or any concrete (no pun intended) evidence for either of them.

If anything, Blake's purported discussions regarding "hitmen"seems to be more damning than anything Peterson did, although Petersoncertainly had coincidental and suspicious behavior. Or maybe it was the O.J.mentality in which a "star" (used in the loosest sense, although Iwas a big Baretta fan) cannot be convicted.

I think the only logical explanation is that Scott Peterson seemed like a cad and ascoundrel and Laci and Connor were the obvious,innocent victims.

Conversely, while Robert Blake also came off as somewhat of a scoundrel (although abumbling buffoon of a scoundrel), Bonnie Lee was the epitome of an individualundeserving of sympathy. Not that her unsavory behavior warranted her murder,but what can you do?

The bottom line is, would it not have been easier for both of these"gentlemen" (or should I say, Scott, since he is the one convicted)to have sought out the services of their favorite attorney competent in divorceand family law, than to go this twisted and demented route? It makes you wonderwhat is in the minds of some people, doesn't it.

Good vs. Evil

Is it just me, or is there a decided lack of courtesy rampant in today's society?

Here are some examples:

Example 1:

My son and I were at a local library waiting very patiently as one librarian made a cursory (and guttural) gesture asking "are you returning books?" Another librarian was obviously too busy on the telephone and did not offer any contact, whatsoever. When I approached the "more conversant" librarian to request her search for our desired selection, the other librarian leapt into action to help someone on her own computer screen and did not hesitate to tell me "you need to move over there." I'm thinking there may be a more polite way to convey this message. Anyway, I wasn't ready to play their "stand here, speak there" compliance game so I told the less-grumpy librarian that the grumpy one seemed to be going out of her way not to help me. She offered no response except for a knowing silence....

Example 2:

At a recent performance of a children's theatrical performance, we were seated in the top row. Unfortunately, this was directly in front of the ushers rest area. Now, we all know it is common practice to refrain from speaking loudly at any performance, whether cinematic or a stage presentation. These ushers seemed to have not received this societal memo as they spoke very loudly and treated us to a security conference which would have put the Department of Homeland Security to shame. They continued to point out every time one of them spotted an errant flashlight or other incidental infraction in the audience and debated, quite publicly, how their mobility impairments meant they could not round-up these scofflaws.

The most ironic part of all of this was that by their loud conversations, they were causing a greater level of distraction than the one they feared would be caused by the flashlights. Isn’t it sad when the children in the audience were acting in a sensitive and conscientious manner yet I would need to ask one of the ushers to "please have your friends keep their voices down; it’s very distracting." Oops! Footnote: no one but the ushers seemed to care about the flashlights.

Example 3:

My son and I were waiting very patiently for the aforementioned show to begin. People of all ages would stroll by our seats towards their own. It didn't seem to make a difference if the person was 5 or 50, black or white or Hispanic, male or female, one parent or two or even a grandparent, the common denominator was that fewer than 10% said "excuse me" as they made their way to their seats. Then, finally, one man was walking alone and exclaimed the much hoped for phrase: "excuse me" and, as someone who was raised with proper manners, it was like music to my ears. This was a perfect "teachable moment" as I imparted to my son that it would be nice if everyone acted like that considerate gentleman. My son wholeheartedly agreed.

Example 4:

We went to a fast-food chicken restaurant known for their flame-broiled chicken. I had this brilliant idea that if we pick-up some chicken, Daddy wouldn't have to cook tonight. Well... things didn't go as well as planned. After waiting for 5 minutes to place our order, things were looking up as we were now in the queue to receive our much-anticipated chicken order and be on our way. Another 5 minutes passed and we were over the ten-minute mark. My son suggested that we simply ram the car ahead of us out of the way so we can get to the chicken faster (another teachable moment, as I suggested police may become involved). My son usually has some marvelous suggestions, especially within the context of his being rather youngish. Unfortunately, I had to decline that particular suggestion, but he did have another suggestion which was a bit more reasonable, which was that we should just go home and call the police and ask them to get our chicken. Police aren't that busy on Sunday afternoons, are they? Anyway, after 13 long minutes, we finally got our chicken order. The drive-through window representative did not even offer a "Thank you." In fact, this gem of an employee seems to have not passed his Customer Service 101 class as he just walked away and I wasn't even sure if the transaction was complete.

This was a very disappointing fast-food experience, but I happened to notice on the bottom of the receipt, an invitation to call and offer one's opinion on their service. Well, since they asked...

This seemed like a great opportunity to show my son some customer advocacy in action. I called the local number directly back to this store and the manager answered. I told them the problem of waiting 13 minutes only to be offered not even a "Thank you." The manager was obviously another recent dropout of Customer Service U as the only help they could provide was to simply say: "Thank you." She seemingly wore her badge of apathy like any proud yet mediocre employee would. In a valiant, yet presumably futile attempt to drive the point home, I mentioned to them that we can go to one of their other restaurants next time. I then hung-up and my son eagerly asked me: "What did they say?" I told him all they said was "Thank you." He asked most quizzically "Thank you?" Obviously the response was as unsatisfactory to him as it was for me. I had to explain to him that "unfortunately, some people just don't seem to care." I asked him what he would have liked them to say. His insights were superb, yet the desired response had also eluded me up to this point. He said they could have just said "I'm sorry!" So simple, yet so utterly brilliant. Pearls of wisdom from my son who demonstrated more business acumen than the manager and the window clerk put together.

This leads me back to my original thesis, that of the coarsening of our society. Are any of you parents out there as incensed as I am at the degradation of proper manners and overall etiquette in our world today? I think there are a lot of people who feel they are simply too busy to say "please" or "thank you?" Maybe they feel it is a sign of weakness to be kind to someone else. Maybe they feel if they are nice to another person and the other person ignores them, it will be like a rejection. Whatever the reasons, is it really that hard to treat others in a manner conducive to civilized interaction? I really don't think it is. The callous behavior some of us are modeling for our children will be the callous interaction that will be all too commonplace with their friends, relatives, and neighbors, when they grow up. However, it is not too late. Take the time to do the right thing. Take the time to live by the Golden Rule. You may have forgotten how it goes since you probably saw it last in your early years at school. It is a simple motto encouraging a conscious effort to treat people in the same way you would like to be treated:

"Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you."

Nothing more, nothing less. Again, simple, yet brilliant. Just make sure to set aside enough time the next time you go for take-out chicken.

Until next time, this is Rich Gordon reminding you that when it comes to kids, involvement counts!

And awaaaay we go...

Well, where do I begin. First, a little about me. I'm a divorced father and feel very passionate about making the world a better place for our children. I've been told, on more than one occasion that my writing is, at the very least, entertaining. So, I couldn't resist finding a forum to espouse my viewpoints. Anyone who knows me knows I am rarely lacking an opinion especially when it comes to ideas, commentary, and analysis on issues affecting our nation's (or the world's) children.

Check back often for my unique insight into how to improve our society. Some of it may simply be common sense; some of it may be innovative and creative. My goal is to be thought-provoking and hopefully to inspire other parents (and the community at-large) to advocate and take positive action for the betterment of society and for children, in particular. After all, our children are nothing less than our future! If you've read this far, you're obviously intrigued to some extent. Hopefully, the intrigue will continue. Welcome!