That said, let's begin with the beautiful Carrie Prejean, Miss California 2009. I want to set aside the controversy with Perez Hilton and address her contention during a press conference that she was a "strong woman". Carrie, Carrie, Carrie. Please. You participate in beauty pageants, for Christ's sake, and you had just let a world renowned womanizer, the Donald, give you permission to keep your crown as Miss California. You also let him fend off any "unfair" questions for you during the event. In reality, you dilute the meaning of "strong woman". Think about it.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, we have witnessed the emerging of Darth Cheney, heavy breathing and all, from some unknown location. Obviously he saw his shadow and liked it. Can someone give me an example of another unpopular public figure given so much air time to spout coldblooded analysis of why it is okay to torture and kill other human beings? Dick, take your blood money and STFU. What's next? Weekly wisdom from Charles Manson on Meet the Press?
One wonders why the President doesn't give the green light to go after Cheney and Co.. In the back of my mind is the niggling thought that the illegal wiretapping may have caught up more than terrorists. Obama's abandonment of the justice system in order to "move forward" just doesn't smell right. In fact, it smacks of "cover up". Isn't part of the President's job to enforce the laws of the land and isn't torture illegal? Just wondering there, Barack, old buddie. Also starting to reek is the president's avoidance of the "don't ask, don't tell" question. His surrogates are dancing around the issue and, in some instances, actually backing away from it. Are the Democrats going to use DADT like the Republicans use DOMA? As bait? Talk a lot, gin up emotions (
and votes) and then put it on the back burner until the next campaign.Time will tell.
The picture to the left is Jaheem Herrera. He killed himself to escape the bullying of his classmates. He was 11. Jaheem's suicide comes two weeks after the suicide of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy who also suffered taunts that he was gay, feminine and "talked funny.".
I have a few words for those who like to bully their classmates into such a state of despair that the victim feels his/her only way out is suicide. The relentless teasing and physical abuse needs to stop. Fifty years ago, I was a victim of such bullies, fueled by rumors, who made hateful remarks, pushed, shoved and hit me and would not even let me stand on line for my junior high graduation ceremony. That's five decades past; this is the 21st century and this barbarism is still happening? If any of those who participate in or acquiesce to such terrorism on a classmate have any conscience, then you owe it to future generations to ensure such mind fucking does not happen to any children in your sphere of influence. Otherwise, you will answer to a higher authority who, right now, is holding tightly onto those two little boys.
I guess I was fortunate when the jackals chose to come after me, because if I had been eleven like Jaheem and Carl, I might not be here today to write these words. Being older (15) at the time, I was lucky to have a small reservoir of esteem which carried me through that following summer. Two new classmates, Shelia Baustian and Wade Walker helped save my life and they never knew it, until now. God bless them both. The trauma has affected my life in ways I still discover fifty years out. Can we stop this? Now?
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