Child Sex Abuse Awareness Working in Lancaster, Ohio
May 17, 2008
It is often said that one can rarely read a newspaper or watch the news today without being constantly bombared with all that is wrong in the world. I admit that I have been guilty of saying that. This post is to congratulate the Child Advocacy Center of Fairfield County located in Lancaster, Ohio. I read the article in the Columbus Dispatch that details the success of a new program provided by the Child Advocacy Center to students in Fairfield County.
According to the article, two days after a presentation at Cedar Heights Elementary School in Lancaster, a 9 year-old indicated that she had been sexually abused. After investigation, a sex offender (pedophile) neighbor confessed to having molested this poor child.
I know that it angers many of us that pedophiles are released into our communities after far too short jail sentences where they are able to prey on the most innocent among us, our children.
This story highlights the importance of open dialogue with children on issues such as abuse of any form to help protect them from these monsters.
The Child Advocacy Center of Fairfield County spreads their message:
The parts of your body covered by a bathing suit are private, and if someone tries to touch those parts, you should say no, then go and tell a trusted adult.
Now that is a message that all parents should be teaching their children and that should be prevelant in our school systems.
Relief For Myranmar
May 13, 2008
How long must the world sit and watch as tens of thousands of people starve to death after the deadly cyclone in Myranmar? We have all seen the video and pictures of the dead floating in water and scattered throughout the countryside.
In my opinion it is time to leave the military junta behind. Why can’t the countries of the world at the very least take supplies on boats and drop them off on their shores? It might be impractical but must a whole country suffer because of the whims of its tyrants?
Lock Them Up and Throw Away the Key
April 23, 2008
Pedophilia is probably the worst crime that I can think of. In Columbus, Judge John A. Connor seems to have toughened up a bit after a public outrage following a ruling in which he was very lenient to the pedophile. According to the Dispatch:
In December 2005, Connor sentenced Andrew S. Selva to five years of probation, including a year on house arrest, on the condition that he receive treatment. Selva was indicted on 20 counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition; he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery.
This time Connor has sentenced a pedophile to 87 months in prison. STILL NOT LONG ENOUGH! It’s time to get tough on this crime and forget about the rehabilitation. Some people do not deserve to be rehabilitated and placed back into the public. It reminds me of the Scarlet Letter…maybe not such a bad idea for these monsters.
Restart the Death Chambers
April 17, 2008
I realize the title of this post is a bit sensationalist, but it got you to read more, didn’t it? The Supreme Court of the United States just ruled that lethal injection is constitutional in the United States. There has been a moratorium on death by lethal injection, but that can now be lifted.
In the Dispatch, Governor Ted Strickland stated:
Gov. Ted Strickland said he had not read the decision but noted that because the Kentucky and Ohio lethal-injection methods are similar, “You would think … that the legal outcome would be similar, as well.” The Democrat supports the death penalty.
What do you think about the death penalty? It has traditionally been a hot button issue in our society. Do you think that it actually works as a deterrent as intended?
Strange Remark From Judge In Stalker Case
April 17, 2008
I just read a new Columbus Dispatch article, that really threw me for a loop. A man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after having been found guilty of stalking TWO separate women. According to Judge John P. Bessey, he won’t serve all of that time behind bars if he is a good boy in prison.
First of all, it is another glaring example of how we don’t value women enough in this society to actually protect them. I guy can stalk to different women and look forward to spending less than 1.5 years in jail? Do we just wait until a stalker rapes and kills until we actually really deal with the problem. Very frustrating.
Secondly in the article, the judge states that:
“When you come back into the community, you will be my responsibilty,” Bessey said. “There are five reasons for sentencing someone to prison. The two most relevant in this case are the protection of the victims and the rehabilitation of the defendant.”
So if this guy were to re offend, is the judge going to be held responsible for the man’s behavior when he publicly stated so on the record? Isn’t that odd?
When are we going to get serious and start trying to prevent crimes rather than deal with the situation after irreparable damage has been done?
Pessimistic About Retirement
April 15, 2008
According to an article in Reuters, Generation Xers are glum about their prospects of retiring anytime soon.
More than two-thirds of Americans aged 27 to 42 don’t think they will ever be able to stop working, according to a survey published jointly on Monday by Scottrade and BetterInvesting.
In contrast, 64 percent of respondents aged 55 to 64 said they could retire and not worry, even though this group is much closer to retirement age.
“The Gen X group is the most anxious about their finances,” said Chris Moloney, chief marketing officer at Scottrade.
Of the 1,000 respondents 18 and older polled in early January, 40 percent said they had saved less than $25,000 for retirement. For perspective, someone who envisions 20 years of retirement on about $50,000 a year would need to have $1 million stashed away.
I think that this shows that Gen Xers realize that the social security system will be nonexistent when it is our time to retire. The irritating part is that we are still paying into a system that will not serve us.
How do you feel about your finances for retirement? Are you saving?
Poligomy Is Not a Religion
April 14, 2008
I’ve been following this Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (FLDS) story over the last several days. We have a tradition in this country of being very tolerant of other religions and of not questioning them.
To claim that these compounds are apart of a religious community is ludicrous. This is not Mormonism.
I ask this question…when do we as a nation put our collective foot down and tell these cults that they are not considered a religion and they will not be permitted to live in such secrecy?
To answer this question…in my opinion we have waited far too long. We have sit back and allowed children to be abused, molested, and raped for far too long. This is not a religion, it is a cult that brainwashes its members.
If you’d like to read an interview with former FLDS members, click here.
Aahhh…the Free Market
April 1, 2008
Check out this story about Cuba’s new consumerism.
Ohio’s Crazy Gun Laws
March 30, 2008
I was reading an article in today’s Columbus Dispatch today about gun laws in Ohio and although I already knew this to be the case, it never ceases to shock me. Citizens of our great state have the right to openly carry their registered hand guns.
As long as you haven’t been convicted of a felony, if you want to wear a pistol on your belt or walk around town carrying a shotgun, Ohio has no law against it.
It’s like the old wild west, isn’t it? Personally I don’t see the reason for people to have their own guns, and I do not believe that having a gun in your home makes you more safe, but even if you own your own gun, WHY would you need to carry it around town with you so that everyone can see it?
Child Donates Allowance For Pet Rescue
March 24, 2008
Doesn’t the title of this post say it all? According to the This Week newspaper of Westerville:
A child’s monthly allowance can go a long way toward keeping him stocked up on candy and baseball cards.
But for seven-year-old Alex Knipfer, that extra pocket change is already earmarked for the Westerville Division of Fire.
With the help of his parents and little sister, Alex recently turned his earnings into extra equipment to be placed on the division’s medic units. The devices function as animal oxygen masks, and are used to resuscitate family pets that have been overwhelmed by smoke.
The McVay Elementary School student said that he and his family got the idea from reading Scholastic News at school.
“At school we talk about fire safety,” Alex said. “I do chores and save for charity. It made me feel really good, because I like doing stuff for other people.”
Alex’s mother, Laura Knipfer, said that Alex and his sister, Julia, have both been excited to make donations to charity each year on their birthdays.
“The first year, Alex donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and they sent him back a very nice thank-you letter. He was really excited,” she said. “So this year we did some research online and found a company called SurgiVet that makes these masks for fire departments.”
Each of the two kits contains multiple masks to be placed over dog and cat muzzles when they are in need of oxygen, according to John Ross, deputy chief at the Division of Fire.
“Basically in the past if we had an animal that was pulled out (of a fire) we’d blow oxygen through an adult mask or just a regular breathing tube,” Ross said. “Luckily we don’t have very many fires in Westerville, but it’s not uncommon for us to pull pets out when we do, and these masks are built to make a tighter seal around an animal’s mouth, and also helps prevent the animal from biting.”
Alex’s father, John Knipfer, said that he and his wife started Alex and Julia in donating as a way to teach them about helping others and being responsible with their money.
“We thought it would be something good to do by building responsibility early on, and decided that if they’re going to do chores for their allowances, you can also give back,” he said. “Right now it might only be in a small way, but it’s a big thing to (Alex and Julia).”
Ross said that both kits have been placed on the city’s ladder trucks and are ready to be used. According to SurgiVet’s Web site, the oxygen masks are useable for at least two years, and can be operated for as long as three years.
“This was a good opportunity for public service,” Ross said. “(The Knipfers) raised their kids to do these nice deeds, and that’s amazing that they take a piece of what they earn and do something charitable with it.”
Does it get any better than that? As a big animal lover, this story was very inspiring to me.
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