A Truthful Perspective from Outside

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When the world faces a disaster, I don’t depend on our media alone for information. I find they can be slow to get information, often outdated and biased. I am sure all media are like this — so I shop around for my news.

The Sydney Morning Herald in Sydney, Australia provides great news coverage to counter-balance our own. I highly recommend reading this polished newspaper. It’s a major newspaper for the Australian continent. You have to subscribe, but it is free and I have not received any spam mail for doing so.

In this article on the tsunami in their New Year’s Eve edition, I found this statement quite interesting:

After September 11 the President of the United States bullied the rest of the world to stand with him against terrorism. But this week George Bush had to be bullied by the US media and a sharp-tongued United Nations relief co-ordinator to stand with the people of the Indian Ocean nations in their time of grief.

The first US response was a cheque for $US15 million ($A19.2 million), which The New York Times noted was less than half what the Republicans will spend celebrating the Bush presidential inauguration later this month. By Wednesday, Washington was shamed into bumping its donation up to $US35 million but US Senator Patrick Leahy was still seething: “I just about went through the roof when I herd them bragging about $35 million – today we spent $35 million before breakfast in Iraq.

How sad is that?

As an American citizen, I didn’t hear the $15 million number once. I only heard about the $35 million. Why was it kept so hush? Is that why other nations complained about the U.S.? Did you hear about the $15 million?

I love America for many things, don’t get me wrong but I believe for us as a nation to be respected in a world community, we must deal with what others countries think about us — and work to make changes when we are seen to have problems and do have problems.

All nations have problems but those who are going to succeed in the global community will work to address them — and won’t turn their backs in denial.

What are we going to do?

The article goes on to say:

By the end of the week some tourists were back on the beaches of Thailand and our TV screens were filled with guilt-assuaging images of military transport aircraft and crisis management teams arriving from around the world. But it was sobering to think that the total world response this week – $US500 million, according to the UN– was no more than Australians spent on their new plasma TVs in the past 12 months.

Are WE truly giving enough money — being that we are the wealthy nation that we are?

You be the judge…

A Sad Day…to be Thankful

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Yesterday evening, after watching CNN to learn more about the world’s disaster, it started to sink in. The magnitude of the horror is beyond comprehension, beyond what words could ever describe. I realized that the injured zone could easily stretch across the entire width of the United States. It’s chilling.

The population of my town would have only been a drop in the bucket to the lives lost. I can’t help but feel parazlyed at these thoughts.

I keep thinking about Nate Berkus, a well-known interior designer showcased on previous Oprah shows, and try to envision his recount of what happened to him in Sri Lanka. After being washd out of his oceanside cottage, he and his friend clung to a light pole — only to be separated and washed apart. Nate has been unable to find his friend since and presumes he drowned. Now he must come home without him. Can you imagine that? I can’t.



I am stunned.

Horrified.

Speechless.

I am thankful…. for all I have today yet I feel unsure and uneasy.

Last night, I slept in fits…dreaming about the disaster. I can’t even remember the dreams, but I dreamt of rising water, panic and fear.

Nothing seems important today in comparison. Yet every simple thing seems so valuable. I feel blessed to have my family, my dogs, water, food, clothing and a place to sleep. Today I do not take my basic survival for granted.

I send my warm prayers to all those who had to endure nature’s fury. I am so sorry for all the pain, misery and loss…

Reggie White (Updated)

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If you turned on the TV in the past two days since Christmas, you’ve probably seen that Reggie White, a 43-year old NFL football star died, unexpectedly, of a massive heart attack on Christmas Day.

Naturally, you want to feel bad for him. It’s sad for someone to die so young. But it is also perplexing, isn’t it?

We know that NFL players are getting constant medical attention, nutritional counseling — every advantage they can so they can perform at their best. Then how could doctors miss a serious heart problem in the making for a such a young person?

I personally don’t believe doctors missed anything. I wonder if Reggie White, like many well known athletes, took steroids. I have no idea whether he did or he did not, but I have to wonder.

One of the biggest risks of steroid use is a heart attack.

As a society, our athletes are revered, honored and worshiped for their non-human qualities yet we don’t ever acknowledge why they are like this. It isn’t because god gave them thick necks and outrageous muscles…

UPDATE:

What is going on with the the Reggie White story? First, the media was clear he died of a heart attack. That is what they reported on Christmas Day. Then next thing you hear is talk of different medical conditions that Mr. White had such as sleep apnea. And now, the latest is they say the cause of his death is unknown!

What the beans? Why such a run-around? Com’on folks, we want the truth!

They are also saying it will take WEEKS to find out the cause of Mr. White’s death. Really, now? It takes weeks to perform an autopsy?? Not last time I checked.

Are they hoping the public will forget about the cause of his death, or what?? Or does someone know something — and perhaps something going on hush-hush behind scenes?

Things aren’t adding up with this story. I smell something really fishy here.

Technology for Liars

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Last night on ABC’s 20/20, they identified a new tool for liars called alibi clubs. These clubs allow you to text message a huge group of strangers where people volunteer to lie on your behalf. If you ask them, they’ll even call your girlfriend and pretend to be your soccer coach, co-worker, etc. to allow you the excuse to get away for whatever your heart desires without any ramifications.

Yes, you read that right. Want to read more?

I found this unbelievable! What does it say about people in the world today? These networks operate in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

I think it says that as a society we’ve completely lost touch with ourselves because when we lie to others, we truly don’t know who we are anymore. We have no limits or boundaries and hence that means we lack self-respect.

How depressing…

Guilty, yes but death?

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Scott Peterson has been sentenced to death by the 6 woman, 6 man jury just hours ago.

While I am convinced that Scott Peterson did kill Laci and her unborn child as he lied frequently on multiple occasions and didn’t respond like an innocent man, we as a society must remember that we never did find any conclusive proof. Furthermore, on average 1 in 10 people who have been put to death in this country have later been proven to be innocent.

How is it that we as a society which calls itself “civilized” can support an “eye-for-an-eye” punishment? How can we find it acceptable to kill someone on a belief without any conclusive proof such as DNA? How can we accept a system flaw rate of 10%? How can we accept that it is okay to kill 100 innocent people out of every thousand where only 900 are actually guilty?

I believe that our capital punishment system is as barbaric as the days public lynching and stonings. What has changed since then outside of the fact we no longer do it in public?

Even worse to me is the fact that Scott Peterson didn’t even get a jury of his peers. In our court system today, if you do not believe in capital punishment — you are not allowed to serve in a capital punishment case. Can you believe this? It’s true and called Death Qualification (USA Today article). A true jury of your peers would have a system that truly reflects societies beliefs. We do not have that.

The U.S. is the only first-world country to continue to implement the death sentence. Why is this? Is it because we are protected from the horrors that occur in the actual killing process? Putting someone to death is very brutal physcial process. I won’t even begin to discuss the details because they are that horrific.

Furthermore, don’t we as a society have compassion for Scott’s family? My heart is so sad for his mom and dad. They are the ones who are getting the death sentence. How does killing Scott Peterson help Laci’s family?

While I understand that what Scott did was horrific and wrong, how can we justify sentencing him to the same “crime” he committed? I just don’t understand it.

I studied the death penalty in college when I was studying pre-law and political science. I had a great, fabulous teacher who made us each research the topic and present an oral report to the class. During the semester while we researched our papers and prepared for our oral report, our professor showed us video footage of actual people being executed in a varity of ways (no, I didn’t watch — I couldn’t stomach it). She showed us videos which made real cases personal to us. We got to know the murders, the families, the victims and we became involved in the situation. We saw real documentaries. We saw what families on both sides went through. Our professor showed us cases where innocent people were killed. She showed us video of the men who execute criminals. She showed us video tape of those who still do it — and those who had to quit.

When the class started out, more than a majority of people were for the death penalty. I stood on the lonely side of the classroom with perhaps two or three people out of 30 students strongly opposed to it.

On the final day of the class, after we each gave our reports, not one student continued to maintain a position of support for capital punishment. I have never seen such a huge sway in opinions before. Thirty plus students now were all against the death penalty. It was a true testament to the horror and brutality of what we do as a society. We all saw the horrors of that in the videos and no one could handle the brutality of it. We all saw how wrong it was. It was undenialbe. If only every citizen who served on a capital punishment case would have to watch what we did, would have to be educated to the details of the process, the realities of what we are really doing — to all involved.

Today, I am sad for the Laci’s family. I am sad for Scott’s family. I am sad for Laci and her unborn child. I am sad, too, for Scott Peterson. While he may be seriously ill, sick or even demented, I don’t believe in killing a man who killed. It just isn’t justice. It’s revenge that will only continue to hurt more people…