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Breaking News Events
Fort Hood Shooting (Texas)
7 dead 20 injured 1 in custody after shooting (unsure of multiple shooters) Army Base that deals with the soldiers coming back from overseas duty |
Alledged 9/11 Plotter to be Tried in New York
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 5 others from Guantanamo Bay are going to be tried in a criminal court in New York City. How do you feel about this?
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Tallest Man Unveils Largest Gingerbread Cookie
The world's tallest living man has unveiled the world's largest gingerbread man at an Ikea outlet in Norway's capital, Oslo.Guinness Book of World Recordsspokeswoman Justine Bourdariat says 8-foot-1-inch Sultan Koesen of Turkey displayed the 1,435-pound biscuit.Read the story: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33889619 |
Ring Returned to Vietnam POW 44 Years After Imprisonment
NOVEMBER 12, 2009 John Ingle, 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs With the traditional "I do's" and exchange of wedding bands some 54 years ago on Oct. 1, 1955, James and Phyllis Hivner began their life's journey together which, like many young couples, began with not knowing what the future held.That journey was rocked 10 years later, almost to the day, when then-Capt. James Hivner and his co-pilot, 1st Lt. Thomas Barrett, were shot down Oct. 5, 1965, in their F-4C Phantom fighter-bomber over North Vietnam. About 10 minutes after ejecting from the wounded aircraft, the pair was captured by North Vietnamese militia and soon handed over to the country's regular army. By the end of the night, they were residents at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, a prisoner-of-war facility.But another voyage began that fateful day; one that gives hope for this thing called the "circle of life." It was an expedition that now-retired Col. James Hivner never expected. His original wedding ring was coming home.Just as the ring symbolizes the family the Hivners began in 1955, it also signifies the Air Force family the colonel joined in 1953. On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, people from Sheppard Air Force Base made the two-hour trip to Addison, Texas, make this a complete family event and witness the return of the ring to Colonel Hivner."This is an incredible opportunity for our young Airmen in training and our young student pilots to meet a fellow Airman warrior," said Brig. Gen. O.G. Mannon, 82nd Training Wing commander. "Colonel Hivner is a living example of executing the Code of Conduct, surviving a terrible situation and coming home. We are honored to be in his presence and be part of this very special ceremony."Back on Oct. 5, 1965, Colonel Hivner said he and Lieutenant Barrett were flying the third aircraft in a four-ship formation that was on a bombing run near the city of Kep in Southwest Cambodia. The mission was going smoothly until the aircrews made their way through a valley, setting up to offload their munitions.The first two aircraft in the formation seemed to fly through the area without resistance, the colonel said. But the lack of resistance didn't last long as flak started to appear around Colonel Hivner's aircraft."Wingman No. 4 called and said, 'Three, you're hit. You're on fire,'" the colonel recalled.He said he began to gradually climb at a smaller angle than usual to keep fuel from getting to the flames. Peering ahead at the lead aircraft, Colonel Hivner said he realized that they had missed the target, an ammunition depot. He said he adjusted his F-4C to get a correct heading on the target, and then dropped his munitions."Right as I pulled off the target, I felt another thump," Colonel Hivner said. "(Wingman 4) told us we were burning again."After the second hit, the colonel said warnings inside the aircraft started sounding and he was losing control of the Phantom. He instructed Lieutenant Barrett to get ready to eject. "By the time I said 'ready,' he was saying he was ready," he quipped.Ten minutes later, the two would be prisoners of the North Vietnamese."It turned out to be the first bad day of many bad days," Colonel Hivner said. There was one lesson the colonel learned soon after punching out of the F-4C Phantom: never bail out of an airplane right after you drop bombs on a target.Immediately after assessing their situation, Colonel Hivner said he and Lieutenant Barrett began doing what the Air Force had taught them: escape and evade. After hearing the enemy yelling, the downed pilots began moving in the opposite direction. The colonel said they came upon a hill and thought they would successfully evade the enemy. That was until they crested the hill and saw more enemy troops headed toward them.Armed with only their wits and a .38-caliber revolver each, the colonel said they were hoping to escape, but now it turned into just staying alive."We were hoping we'd be captured, not killed," he said. "The gunfire stopped. There was a lot of yelling and screaming."The Airmen were taken to a nearby village and stripped of everything: maps, boots, weapons and dog tags. The enemy even took the colonel's symbol of love for his wife, his wedding ring."I didn't think about my ring until much later," Colonel Hivner said, adding that POWs have plenty of time to think when locked up in solitary. "I was hoping, like many of us, that when we're released, they would give us (back our) things."The colonel admitted he wasn't then, and isn't now, a "jewelry guy." The ring was important to him because of what it symbolized, he said, but he didn't need it to feel or proclaim that he's married. In fact, he said, he didn't wear the ring for the most part because of the hazards of it getting caught on something while flying.But, it was a little piece of home, a reminder of sorts, that was stripped from him."The ring is just another thing they take away from you," Colonel Hivner said. "It's part of your life they take away from you."The colonel said he kept his ring and dog tag on a metal loop, tucked inside a pocket on his flight suit. Also on the loop was a "rat fink," a little rat-looking toy his daughter had gotten out of a gumball machine before he deployed to Southeast Asia. The colonel said his daughter, 6 years old at the time, gave it to him, he recalled. He said he had to break the news to her when he returned eight years later that he did not return with the gift she had given him.Unless someone has lived in captivity, it's difficult to understand the emotions that go along with it, the colonel said. Still, today, Colonel Hivner dreams about his years as a POW, some good and some, obviously, bad."Yes, I was tortured. Yes, I was beaten. Yes, it was Hell," the colonel said. "But, I like to focus on the brighter things."The former POW said that that philosophy is one way he was able to survive his ordeal. He said he always had a penchant for looking at the brighter side, being a jokester and being able to laugh. He used that skill to combat falling into a mental world that was almost as dark and dank as the cells in which he stayed.He shared one story about how the POWs communicated since they were usually in a small cell by themselves and very rarely, in the early going, allowed to knowingly communicate. The colonel said they communicated by tapping on the cell wall, similar to using Morse code or an old-style telegraph.It occurred at Camp Skid Row, Colonel Hivner said. All camps had names. Some had multiple names. Skid Row was a long building with very small cells. There was a small hole in each door, large enough to see a 10-foot wall just outside. The colonel said the view tended to get to the POWs after a while.One evening, he said he tapped out "G.N., G.B." -- good night, God bless -- to a fellow POW next to him. Although there was no verbal communication, the colonel said he could tell something wasn't right."I got to the point to where I could sense how someone was feeling by how they tapped," Colonel Hivner said. "So I asked, 'are you OK?' He replied, 'I'm feeling mighty low,' or something to that effect."The colonel said he tried to figure out a way to make this fellow servicemember feel better from his tiny cell, probably not measuring any bigger than 12-by-12 feet. After thinking about it for a while, the colonel tapped the first thing that came to mind: "Going out for a pizza. What do you want?""He replied, 'anything but anchovies,'" he recalled. "It was very special to me because I didn't know this guy."Several years later, Colonel Hivner said he met the unknown POW. He said his last name was Waggoner and that his new friend told him how that simple gesture saved his life at that point."That was great," the colonel said. "That really helped.Seven-and-a-half years. 2,687 days. Eight Christmases. Eight birthdays. Eight wedding anniversaries. These were all things stolen from Colonel Hivner while he lived as a prisoner of war, primarily at the Hanoi Hilton, but at other camps in North Vietnam, including Skid Row.The Vietnam War did end for many American Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. Many of them returned with their military units. Some returned on the infamous Freedom Bird, the aircraft that carried American POWs home. For years they thought of two things: survival and home.Colonel Hivner said he knows a lot of former POWs who made the trip back to Vietnam to see where they spent days, months and years wondering when, or if, they would ever go home. The colonel said he has never had the desire to revisit the place that stripped away missed memories of seeing his 6- and 8- year-old daughters grow into 14- and 16-year-old young women."I didn't leave anything there that I needed to go back for," he said.The colonel was glad to be home, glad to come back together as a family and glad to continue on the lifelong journey with his first love, Phyllis.Although the colonel came home, his wedding ring, dog tag and the rat fink from his daughter didn't make it. But, the Hivners purchased another wedding ring to replace the one lost in Vietnam. It now sits in a jewelry box, the colonel said. After all, he said, he's not a "jewelry man."It's rare that fate deals you a bad blow but then makes amends later in life. Colonel Hivner was shot down over a hostile area and was imprisoned for nearly eight years. He lost just about everything that he had and knew, including his wedding ring. The colonel got a new ring. He said it almost looks like his original one.A stranger from South Texas, though, was about to do something that was never expected. It was almost too impossible to expect.Rick Tolley, a retired U.S. Navy commander from San Antonio, came into possession of the colonel's original wedding ring and dog tag. The rat fink didn't make the voyage back. He started research on the whereabouts of Colonel Hivner and discovered he was still alive, living north of Dallas-Fort Worth.Because it was so farfetched, when he heard, Colonel Hivner said he wasn't sure if he should believe the story or not."I was skeptical at first," the colonel said once he was contacted by Commander Tolley. Commander Tolley provided some insight to the ring's mysterious journey from Southeast Asia to South Texas and ultimately to the colonel. He said his former son-in-law was working in Vietnam when he was approached by a retired Vietnamese army soldier. "He told John that he was cleaning out his desk and found these items," Commander Tolley said of the ring and dog tag. Also on the metal loop was a small cross. "(The soldier told him) if he would take on this mission of finding (the former POW) and return them in peace and respect, he would let him have them."The former son-in-law agreed to return the items and contacted Commander Tolley Oct. 15 on Facebook. The commander said he accepted the challenge of finding Colonel Hivner, and, soon after, located him through the Internet.Commander Tolley agreed that he initially thought finding Colonel Hivner was going to be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack ... if the needle even existed. But, that didn't stop him."There was that feeling," he said, "but because of what it was and because I know about the history of the war, I was bound and determined to find him or his family."Colonel Hivner said he had no doubt who the ring's owner was after seeing a picture of the inside of the ring. Engraved inside his ring is his wife's initials and the date they were married.The colonel said the missing ring didn't change their lives, and he didn't expect its re-emergence to change it now. That, however, doesn't mean he wasn't appreciative or surprised at the fact that his original wedding ring and dog tag made their journey home 44 years after the darkest chapter in his life began."The never ending line is a circle," the colonel explained, adding that his wedding ring symbolizes his never ending love for his wife. "It's very special to me. I'm anxious to actually see the ring ... to look inside there with my tired old eyes and see the inscription."Commander Tolley personally returned the ring and dog tag to Colonel Hivner during a meeting Nov. 11 at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum that was witnessed by family, friends and members of the Air Force family from Sheppard Air Force Base. |
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MsDemeanor,
I agree with your post. I think it will be next to impossible to get a jury of 12 people in NYC that are impartial to the attacks. Plus spending money for their safety/security. |
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Good reporting here!!! From one uni to another! |
It's not exactly "breaking", since the story is from last week, but three cheers to Will Phillips, a ten year old who refuses to stand and say the pledge of allegiance at his school while the country discriminates against gay people.
linkyloo :clap: |
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wonder twin powers, activate! |
The California State Senator officially came out of the closet today during a radio interview with a conservative woman talk show host in Kern County.
Senator Ashburn is the person that was arrested after leaving a gay nightclub, Faces, in Sacramento last week. Unfortunately or fortunately this is not the first time nor most likely the last time a queer identified person has worked against the human rights of LGBTQ people. ______________________________________________ Sacramento Bee The latest on California politics and government March 8, 2010 Sen. Roy Ashburn: 'I'm gay' Republican Sen. Roy Ashburn, who has been on leave from the Senate since his DUI arrest last week, confirmed today that he is gay. "I'm gay," Ashburn told KERN radio host Inga Barks in an interview this morning. "Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long." Ashburn's announcement follows reports that Ashburn was leaving a gay club before he was arrested for driving under the influence last week. The Bakersfield Republican, who has consistently voted against gay-rights measures, said his votes were a reflection of how the majority of voters in his conservative district would have wanted him to vote. Ashburn, who is divorced, has been on personal leave in the Senate since last week's arrest. He is expected to return today. |
Major Christian group: Sea World death result of ignoring Bible
Most whale experts have said the tragic death of Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau was the result of a killer whale kept too long in captivity that had killed before and should not have been allowed to continue performing shows in the first place.The American Family Association, an influential Christian group, has a somewhat different explanation. In a post to the group's Web site last week, one of the group's spokesman explained the incident as a failure of Americans to follow Biblical teaching. "Chalk another death up to animal rights insanity and to the ongoing failure of the West to take counsel on practical matters from the Scripture," wrote Bryan Fischer, the group's official blogger. Fischer quoted two passages from Exodus. The first, Exodus 21:28, states: “When an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner shall not be liable.” By the reasoning of Fischer, America should be governed by Biblical law. If it were, then Tilikum, the killer whale responsible for Brancheau's death, should have been stoned to death after the first time he killed someone. |
Okay, not exactly hard news. I just heard on CNN that Anderson Cooper will be interviewing Chaz Bono tonight and talking about his transition. Not sure if it has played on the East Coast yet. Most likely if you miss it, can find it on the CNN website or YouTube.
Will be on tonight at 10 pm eastern time, 7pm PST. |
My Sundays just got a little better. I know, not major news, but I do have a thing for Christiane.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_504697.html |
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ACTION ALERT: Sit-in in Pelosi's office NOW - help us GetENDA!
Dear friends,
Nancy Pelosi has the ability to end workplace discrimination of LGBTQ people, but she is refusing to act. It's time to let her know that we won't wait any longer. As you read this, GetEqual.org members are entering Pelosi's offices in DC and her district office in San Francisco. They won't leave until Speaker Pelosi commits to bring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the floor for a vote this month - or until they are arrested. GetENDA Screen Capture http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di...eSPt8Np5lYXR7j Check out this video from the group in San Francisco, and call Speaker Pelosi's office. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di...nzGt8Np5lYXR7j Speaker Pelosi needs to hear from our community today. Can you call Speaker Pelosi right now to demand that ENDA (HR 3017) move to the floor for a vote? (202) 225-4965 After you call, please click here to tell us about it, even if you get a busy signal or can't get through. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di...NSgYlTkrAN3eg3 A majority of Congress supports this bill to stop job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but promises to bring it to a vote last fall were broken several times. ENDA has been jammed up in committee for six months, awaiting a signal from Speaker Pelosi that hasn't come. We have visited, called and written Congress by the thousands, and have been ignored. The usual lobbying tactics do not appear to be having the needed effect. Now the midterm elections are coming, and Speaker Pelosi has promised Congress no more "controversial" votes. The "controversy" is whether LGBT Americans have the right to a job. This "tyrrany of the majority" must stop. Nonviolent direct action is relevant and needed and it's happening now. ENDA is important because studies show that LGBT workers endure high unemployment, underemployment and harassment. We have to lie and hide in order to get and keep a job. In 30 states across America, there is no law against firing someone based on his or her sexual orientation, and the same is true in 38 states for gender identity. Ask Police Officer Michael Carney of Springfield, Massachusetts, who testified before Congress about the harassment he had to endure in the station house before being fired. Ask Vandy Beth Glenn of Atlanta, Georgia, who told Congress about being fired from her job as a proofreader with the Georgia legislature because she is transgender. This has gone on long enough. If you want more information on Speaker Pelosi's position, and the demand that she move ENDA forward, you can find it here. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di...l8vt8Np5lYXR7j Will you join with us in demanding that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people be protected from job discrimination? Call Speaker Pelosi's office at (202) 225-4965 to ask that ENDA (HR 3017) move forward to a vote. Be polite, but firm. Take action now, and please let us know how it goes. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di...2NW98Np5lYXR7j As President Obama himself said, quoting Frederick Douglass: "Power concedes nothing without a demand." We know Speaker Pelosi is sympathetic to our cause, but is she ready to act on our civil rights? It is time for a demand. -Jillian Weiss and the GetEQUAL crew GetEQUAL logo https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o...icon-black.gif |
I am beginning to think "States Rights" is being used as a code word that translates into people currently in power, at the top of the food chain feeling very threatened. (I will not be explicit in saying what group is at the top of the heap.)
Since Obama became the President of the USA seems like many of my fellow Americans have become very concerned about "States Rights." However when it serves in the interest of their agenda, not a word about the Federal Government inserting its power in areas that are traditionally left to the discretion of State Government. Thinking about DOMA as a case in point. ______________________________________________ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...=nl_pmpolitics States launch lawsuits against healthcare plan Reuters Monday, March 22, 2010; 1:21 PM CHICAGO (Reuters) - Less than 24 hours after the House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping overhaul of healthcare, attorneys general from several states on Monday said they will sue to block the plan on constitutional grounds. Republican attorneys general in 11 states warned that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers and usurping states' sovereignty. States are concerned the burden of providing healthcare will fall on them without enough federal support. Ten of the attorneys general plan to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington. "To protect all Texans' constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional framework intended by our nation's founders, and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the State of Texas and other states will legally challenge the federal health care legislation," said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, in a statement. The Republican attorney generals say the reforms infringe on state powers under the Constitution's Bill of Rights. Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, said Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he added. "If a person decides not to buy health insurance, that person by definition is not engaging in commerce," Cuccinelli said in recorded comments. "If you are not engaging in commerce, how can the federal government regulate you?" In addition to the pending lawsuits, bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures seeking to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. So far, only two states, Idaho and Virginia, have enacted laws, while an Arizona constitutional amendment is seeking voter approval on the November ballot. But the actual enactment of the bill by President Barack Obama could spur more movement on the measures by state lawmakers. As is the case on the Congressional level, partisan politics is in play on the state level, where no anti-health care reform legislation has emerged in Democrat-dominated states like Illinois and New York, according to the NCSL. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Republican candidate running for governor, said the mandate would cost Florida at least $1.6 billion in Medicaid alone. All states would receive extra funding to cover Medicaid costs that are expected to rise under the reform, including 100 percent federal coverage for new enrollees under the plan through 2016. Medicaid is the healthcare program for the poor jointly administered by the states and federal government. (Reporting by Karen Pierog, additional reporting by Michael Connor in Miami, Jonathan Stempel in New York, Joan Gralla in New York, Lisa Lambert in Washington and Michael Peltier in Tallahassee; Editing by Andrew Hay) |
I think you may be right, Greyson!
The GOP is fixated on regaining power in the Congress and bringing Obama down. And it is all based in R-A-C-I-S-M!! His election has unleashed the true state of white privilege in the US. Wait until immigration reform is in the limelight, again. This country may have passed Civil rights legislation, but, not much has really changed. Quote:
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Our states AG is one of those racists who are filing that lawsuit. He doesn't come up for re election for another 3 years, in the mean time he is screwing our state out of badly needed health care. Too long to wait to remove the asshat. So going to write the bastard. Can one tell I'm fuming?
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Indeed. I thought I saw fumes bouncing off of my computer monitor. Maybe we should go watch the Womens Basketball Playoffs with Toughy? Looking for the Blood Pressure cuff, now! |
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I don't remember Deerfield Beach being this violent....*sigh*....
A 15-year-old Florida girl is in a medically-induced coma after being brutally beaten by a 13-year-old boy, an incident that allegedly stemmed from a text-message exchange.
Wayne Treacy was reportedly trying to reach his ex-girlfriend -- 13-year-old Kayla Manson, who didn't have a text-message-enabled phone -- through her friend, Josie Lou Ratley. Treacy allegedly became enraged after Ratley reportedly told him that she didn't approve of the relationship and made disparaging remarks about Treacy's brother, who'd committed suicide last year, the Today show reports. According to CBS4, Treacy rode his bike to Deerfield Beach Middle School to confront Ratley. Since he'd never met her face-to-face before, he reportedly asked Manson to point her out. When he found Ratley, the boy, wearing steel-toed boots, began kicking and stomping her, Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti tells CBS 4. According to an affidavit, "Upon knocking her to the ground the defendant stood over her and began to strike her head on the ground, face down five or six times. While the victim lay defenseless and motionless, the defendant stood over her and kicked her in the head five to seven times with steel-toed boots," CBS 4 reports Treacy and Manson, who is being charged as an accessory in the attempted murder of Ratley, are being held in a juvenile detention center. Treacy has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, CBS4 reports. "She is in an induced coma. Part of her skull has been removed to allow the swelling in her brain to go down, and she's black and blue from head to toe," says Rick Freedman, the Ratley family's attorney. This is the second time in recent months that tragedy has struck Deerfield Beach Middle School. Michael Brewer, 15, was set on fire by classmates last October. |
I am stunned. What kind of society have we participated in fostering? When is enough enough? Some how we, yes we, all of us have created, let happen, did nothing to change it.
Somewhere this 13 year old boy got the idea that it is acceptable to beat the life out of another human being. It does not escape my attention that he assaulted a girl. Also, the other girl stood by passively and identified the other young girl to her "boyfriend." I believe all of us as a part of a society have some amount of responsibility to advance the well being of civilization in some way. We can no longer just lament how terrible things are and do nothing. How do I conduct myself? Am I part of the solution? Do I offer any of my time, money or other resources to the betterment of others? Do I work on my own personal fears, resentments and prejudices or do I just point the finger of judgement at others and go about my life with no thought of the state of the rest of the world? Quote:
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Pentagon changes rules for discharging gays
By ANNE FLAHERTY and PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer Thursday, March 25, 2010 (03-25) 07:47 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates Thursday approved new rules that will make it harder to discharge gays from the military, calling the changes a matter of "common sense and common decency." Gates announced new guidelines for how the Pentagon carries out the 1993 law banning gays from serving openly in the military — rules which essentially put higher-ranking officers in charge of discharge proceedings and impose tougher requirements for evidence used against gays. The new guidelines go into effect immediately and will apply to cases already open. They are considered a stopgap measure until Congress decides whether to go along with President Barak Obama's call for a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" law. "I believe these changes represent an important improvement in the way the current law is put into practice, above all by providing a greater measure of common sense and common decency for handling what are complex and difficult issues for all involved," Gates told a Pentagon news conference. The changes raise the level of officer authorized to initiate a fact-finding inquiry into a case, the level of officer who can conduct an inquiry and of the one that can authorize a dismissal. To discourage the use of overheard statements or hearsay, from now on any evidence given in third-party outings must be given under oath, Gates said. Cases of third-party outings also have included instances in which male troops have turned in women who rejected their romantic advances or jilted partners in relationship have turned in a former lover. Some kinds of confidential information also will no longer be allowed, including statements gays make to their lawyers, clergy, psychotherapists or medical professionals in the pursuit of health care. The individual service branches will have 30 days to change their regulations to conform to the new rules. Military officials, Republicans and even some conservative Democrats have been reluctant to embrace a change in the existing law. They say they support Gates' review of the policy but that no changes should be made if they might undermine military cohesion and effectiveness. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and other Democrats say the time has come to repeal the ban and have called for an immediate moratorium on dismissals. Nathaniel Frank, a senior research fellow with the Palm Center, which supports a repeal of the ban, said it is unclear how much of an impact the new guidelines would have because regulations already restrict third-party allegations. "Anything that continues to allow the discharge of service members for something that research shows has no bearing on military effectiveness will not go far enough," Frank said. An estimated 13,000 have been discharged under the law. The Pentagon didn't officially begin tallying discharges until a few years after the law was implemented, and official figures show roughly 11,000 discharged since 1997 with the peak in 2001 before the military became strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ___ AP Broadcast Correspondent Sagar Meghani contributed to this report. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/23/national/w113110D52.DTL |
Good its about time that the military woke up and smelled the coffee, its not like gays havent always been i nthe military anyway and at this point they need everyone they can get including us
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Gemme, What happened to the young boy who was set on fire from the same school? Is he doing ok? I just worry about my great nephews going to school nowadays. The hate and discrimination is so high lately. You try to raise kids right, but once out in the public, you just don't know anymore. Heck, I don't know myself. |
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This is the latest article I could find and it's months old...
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POMPANO BEACH - Touched by the plight of the Deerfield Beach teenager who was recently surrounded by schoolmates and set on fire, donors continue to come forward to support Michael Brewer and his family. In one night this week, patrons and staff at Galuppi's in Pompano Beach raised more than $10,000 for the fund set up by Neighbors 4 Neighbors. Organizers of that event said it would seem minor compared to what they're planning for Nov. 21, when the restaurant will host a benefit featuring Miami Dolphins players and cheerleaders, along with silent auctions and raffles for sports memorabilia, Florida Panthers hockey skybox tickets, and, the grand prize, a Norwegian Cruise Lines cruise for two. Joe Kessling, a Broward Sheriff's detective acting independently to organize the fundraiser, said he's lost sleep ever since hearing about what happened to Michael, a seventh-grader at Deerfield Beach Middle School. The last time he set his mind to fundraising, he helped raise $30,000 to send a dying firefighter on a trip to China. Michael's great-aunt, Patti Gendron, said the 15-year-old's mother, Valerie Brewer, told her that she intends to send a thank-you note to everyone who has sent a donation to the family. "You're going to have to buy about 20,000 thank-you cards," Gendron quipped. Valerie Brewer also is putting a scrapbook together to show her son how concern for his recovery easily expanded beyond the boundaries of South Florida. Michael remains in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Burn Center in Miami. The five teenagers accused of accosting him at an apartment complex on Oct. 12, dousing him with rubbing alcohol and lighting him on fire are due in court Monday. Prosecutors are expected to request an extension to file formal charges Nov. 11. Keeping track of the donations hasn't been easy. Shortly after the incident, a family friend set up a "Michael Brewer Foundation" account at Bank of America, which quickly collected several thousand dollars. That money, according to the family, can only go toward medical bills. The family soon redirected donations to Neighbors 4 Neighbors, a charity operated by CBS-4. The fund, said Neighbors 4 Neighbors Executive Director Lynne Cameron, permits more flexibility in how the money is spent, overseen by an established charity. "These donations are going toward the kinds of things that don't get paid for" with insurance money, Cameron said. Examples include transportation, occupational and speech therapy, and other long-term needs Michael will face. "His real battle will begin when he's released from the hospital," Cameron said. Donations for Michael are also coming into the Jackson Memorial Foundation. The Brewer family is aware of the Nov. 21 fundraiser and is supporting the effort. Other upcoming benefits include: Firehouse Subs is collecting money at its 13 South Florida locations through Sunday, Nov. 1. CJ's Draft House at 1825 W. Hillsboro Blvd. is hosting a family-themed fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 7, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The American Veterans Post 1939 at 1448 N. State Road 7 in Margate will host a fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 7, starting at 1 p.m. The Road Warriors First Inaugural Poker Run is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15 at 10:15 a.m. starting in Doral. (For information, call 754-245-1516) The link below will take to the page where I found this article and also give pictures of Michael before and after and of the 5 accused of doing this to him. They're rotten; absolutely rotten inside. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/bro...,1398220.story |
UPDATE - One week after middle school beating, mother of comatose girl hopes for a miracle
Thursday March 25 2010, 4:21pm FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (MCT) - Hilda Goaty Ratley is hoping for a miracle. Any sign of improvement in the condition of her daughter, Josie Lou Ratley, will do. So far, nothing. Josie Ratley, 15, remains in a medically induced coma at Broward General Medical Center, more than a week after prosecutors say an enraged teenager she barely knew confronted her at a Deerfield Beach Middle School bus stop and repeatedly stomped on her head while wearing steel-toed boots. “I want my child to come home,” Hilda Ratley said Wednesday at the hospital. “This whole experience has been a nightmare.” Ratley said she was able to find some encouragement on Tuesday during a hospital visit from Michael Brewer, 15, a one-time classmate of her daughter’s who recently survived a life-threatening assault. Brewer suffered burns over two-thirds of his body when he was set on fire at an apartment complex about a mile from the school last October. Surprising doctors, Brewer staged an impressive recovery and was out of the hospital before Christmas. Doctors recently told him he won’t need to check in with them for six months, though he still undergoes physical therapy. Brewer and Josie Ratley once shared a science class at Deerfield Middle. “She’s my friend,” Brewer said, according to family spokeswoman Terri Lynn. The visit was a private meeting between families, Lynn said. “Their message was, ‘We’re here for you. We know what you’re going through.’ “ Hilda Ratley said she was grateful to Brewer’s parents and grandmother for offering tips to help them through her daughter’s hospitalization, including recording familiar voices to play at Josie Ratley’s bedside. “They’re wonderful people,” Hilda Ratley said of the Brewers. “They’ve given us a little bit of hope.” Josie Ratley was waiting for a school bus on campus March 17 when, prosecutors say, Wayne Treacy, 15, attacked her without warning. Treacy is facing a first-degree attempted murder charge and is being held in a juvenile detention center. Also being held as an accomplice is a 13-year-old friend who prosecutors say knew Treacy intended to harm Ratley and led him to the victim. The girl’s lawyer, Jonathon Marne, has said she did not take Treacy’s threat to harm Ratley seriously and did not witness the attack. Other friends of Treacy said Wednesday they knew he sometimes struggled to control his anger, but they never would have expected him to follow through on a threat of violence. The Broward Sheriff’s Office said Treacy was incensed by text messages Ratley sent that made “disparaging” references to his brother, who committed suicide last October. |
Gemme and Superfemme, Thank you both for posting the updates on these kids. I shake my head at how people behave today. I just don't get it. These kids know right from wrong. And they still go after their peers. Horrible. :censor: |
From what I understand the boy who attacked this girl has a disturbing home life. I hear that his ONE person he could count on was his brother, who killed himself last year. Where are this boys parents?
The 13 year old girl had her "Legal Guardian" and her Grandma appear on her behalf on the Today Show this morning. Again, where is her Momma? Her Father? With millions of people in the US in prison, we continue to see the fallout of broken families in the form of the children left behind IMO. (Not that I know any of the parents were ever in jail, but I'd be willing to bet). In this economy funds for programs are being cut or completely discontinued. We are leaving our children (by OUR I mean...it takes a village) without good role models, people that CARE where they are or whom they are dating. It is a travesty for all the young people involved, and I hope to God somebody finds out what in the hell is really going on at DeerField Middle School. For instance, is there a student resource center? Boys & Girls Club, YMCA or anything? How is bullying dealt with there? I want some answers. For real. |
Pope, Wisconsin Deaf Abuse Victims: Vatican Slams Report
The news has been relentlessly bad for the Pope. Two weeks ago, Germany was scandalized by revelations that a pedophile priest was allowed to work again with children after being transferred in 1980 to the Archdiocese of Munich, which was then headed by the future Pontiff. Over the weekend, an apology the Pope issued for sexual abuse by Irish priests was deemed insufficient by many of the victims. Now the New York Times has run an article accusing Pope Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, of not responding to requests in 1996 from the Archbishop of Milwaukee to have a priest stripped of his clerical status for alleged sexual abuse of some 200 deaf boys decades before.
As the Times posted its story on the accused priest, Father Lawrence Murphy, who died in 1998, the Holy See responded on the Web. In a statement linked on the Vatican's brand new Twitter account, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Papal spokesman, declared, "By sexually abusing children who were hearing-impaired, Father Murphy violated the law and, more importantly, the sacred trust that his victims had placed in him." But Lombardi defended the decision not to remove Murphy from the "clerical state," saying the priest was "elderly and in very poor health" and that he was "living in seclusion, and no allegations of abuse had been reported in over 20 years." Lombardi explained that the doctrinal office thought it wiser that church authorities in Wisconsin simply restrict Murphy's ministry and require him to take responsibility for his actions. Lombardi pointed out that earlier charges brought against Murphy by civil authorities were eventually dropped and insisted that, despite the Times allegation that the Vatican fought to keep the Murphy details confidential, the Holy See's rules did not require that such cases be kept secret. The Times obtained the relevant documents from attorneys representing five victims of Murphy's in a civil suit against the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Former Archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland, who resigned in 2002 after revelations of an earlier relationship with another man, told the Times he brought the Murphy case to Rome in 1996 to try to bring healing to the victims. But Ratzinger's then deputy in the doctrinal office, Tarcisio Bertone, who is now Benedict's No. 2 man in the Vatican, agreed with a letter the ailing Murphy wrote asking to be allowed to live out his life "in the dignity of my priesthood," noting his ill health and the years that had passed since the accusations. After about two years of back-and-forth arguments, according to the Times, Bertone told the Milwaukee Archdiocese to take "pastoral" rather than disciplinary action regarding Murphy. The priest died soon after, at the age of 72, and was buried in his clerical vestments. Officials in the church staunchly continue to defend the Pope. They say Benedict has pushed for far greater transparency and penitence than his predecessor, and certainly more than many of the local bishops who should have been the ones managing the individual cases. And so far, each new revelation from Ratzinger's past seems to show more administrative detachment than bad judgment from the future Pope — though that is still a surprising hands-off management style for the man who would earn a reputation as a micromanager as he rose to become the éminence grise in John Paul II's Vatican. Vatican officials feel more and more convinced that there is a concerted campaign to damage the Catholic Church and its supreme leader. A senior official reacted with disgust after reading the latest article, saying, "It's obvious the New York Times has its mind made up. You have to ask why they didn't print a story earlier this month on the conviction of a Jewish rabbi in Brooklyn on eight counts of sex abuse." The official also referred to a libel case against Oprah Winfrey that involved sex-abuse allegations that was settled quietly on Wednesday. "But then why the front page for this story? They are targeting the Pope. There's a bloodlust for attacking the Catholic Church. We have to look at these cases one by one. There is plenty of embarrassment to go around: district attorneys, school teachers — take your pick." Still, the Pope is the Pope, a global leader with very few equals in terms of pomp, history and circumstance. His links, however indirect, to specific cases of sexual abuse will necessarily catch the attention of both Catholics and non-Catholics. Another priest acknowledged that Benedict being specifically named in the Milwaukee and German cases just makes the news all the more troubling. "It's so volatile right now," he says. "Many of the faithful who were losing confidence in their bishops, now, it's in the Church Universal. What you read in paper: it's a real crucifixion for everybody." Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...#ixzz0jEPn5Sfb :rant: |
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The pope wears a dress. :fishswim:
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Would partners of gay troops get benefits, too?
If gay service members are allowed to serve openly, the military will face another tough question: Should gay partners be entitled to military benefits?
Momentum appears to be building for ending the ban on gays in the military. New rules ordered Thursday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates make it harder to discharge men and women under the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell." His decision is intended as a stopgap measure as Congress weighs whether to go along with President Barack Obama's request to repeal the law. Since the draft ended in 1973, spousal benefits have increasingly been used as an incentive to recruit and retain an effective force. Today, more than half of all troops sport a wedding ring. Benefits for married service members include college tuition for a spouse and the right of a spouse to be at a wounded service member's bedside. Spouses also have access to military health care and commissaries worldwide, and married service members receive better housing and even extra pay when they go to war. The ticket to qualifying for those benefits is a marriage certificate. Heterosexual couples have a choice whether to marry, but same-sex marriages are legal in only five states and Washington, D.C. Whether same-sex partnerships would be recognized by the military and what benefits might be afforded gay couples would become issues if the ban were lifted. "It will be a whole complex row of dominoes that will fall as a result of this," said Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow for policy studies at the conservative Family Research Council. Already, Gates has included the issue of benefits in a review of how to lift the repeal, which is due Dec. 1. Repealing the ban without offering same-sex partner benefits would be like telling gay service members they are equal but not giving them all the advantages of service, said Tiffany Belle, 33, of Long Beach, Calif., a lesbian and former sailor. "You're basically letting us be free being ourselves in the military, but then you're not letting us reap the benefits." The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. Nathaniel Frank, a senior research fellow at the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said it's unrealistic to think the military would be out front of the rest of the government in offering benefits to unmarried partners. "They don't do it for straight people, and they're very unlikely to do it for gay people," Frank said. But, in addition to repealing "don't ask, don't tell," Obama has called for getting rid of the Defense of Marriage Act and has moved to extend some federal benefits to same-sex partners. Obama has approved small changes in benefits available to same-sex couples who work for the federal government, such as visitation and dependent-care rights. The State Department extended benefits to gay diplomats, such as the right for their domestic partners to hold diplomatic passports and for paid travel to and from foreign posts. Larry Korb, a senior fellow at the Democratic-led Center for American Progress, who served as an assistant secretary of defense in the early 1980s, said what the military would have to work through is similar to what the State Department and some federal agencies have done. "My own personal view is that if they want to make it happen, they can," Korb said. U.S. military officials are concerned that recruitment might suffer if they open the door to gay service members and their families. They worry that the Southern, Christian base from which the military relies heavily to fill its ranks will resist the change. But if they don't adequately address the benefits issue, it could lead to gay service members leaving the military because there's no provision for caring for their families, said Ryan Gallucci, a spokesman for the veterans group AMVETS. "They won't be on equal footing as their heterosexual counterparts," Gallucci said. Some repeal proponents say that lifting the ban should be the focus, not the what ifs related to benefits. They say discussions about whether the Pentagon would recognize gay troops' partners aren't relevant now. "Let's get rid of the ban first and then look at those issues," said Kevin Nix, a spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which seeks to repeal the law. Frank, who has written a book about the policy, said opponents of repeal use a "thorny questions" strategy to make the process of lifting the ban seem far more complicated than it is by bringing up issues like benefits. One former service member who is watching the debate is Melanie Costa, 34, of Franklin, Mass. The Iraq veteran said she left the military after four years in the Marines and six in the Army Reserves so she could marry a woman in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal. She said if the repeal is dropped she'll re-enlist — if her wife gets benefits. "If I got deployed, and she wasn't able to get all the benefits as another married couple, there's not really a point," Costa said. |
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working on getting the groovy hat and red pradas bequeathed to me :praying: |
:blueheels:
Jess, Those red shoes would look fabulous on you! What do you think about me? I have Fred Flintstone feet. Wide at the toes and narrow at the heel. Too much with the red? We both can pull off the hat. We are two ol' queer guys. I think any hat would look stunning on us! |
Plans thwarted...
to attack the police by luring them to a police funeral by the Hutaree christian militia (Michigan). Just when one thinks a human can only go so low holes are once again shot in that theory. I have been in the business for quite a while of helping prosecute some of the perpetrators of hate crimes but, I will be damned, this beats it all. In the name of christianity? ...I do believe these folks have gone off the proverbial cliff of insanity and my guess is there will be many more of these followers to be uncovered. I promise you...this is just the start of these kinds of things becoming known to the public. These groups have been orchestrating a number of attacks and they are right out our backdoor. I have no intent to feed paranoia... but what I want to do is ask that you be aware. There are a number of sites that track hate crimes/gang activity/militia movements and so on...becoming familiar with something of this nature just makes good sense.
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http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...ee_arrests.php |
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An open letter to conservatives. clicky >>>Here<<< to read.
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