By Mary MacElveen
June 29, 2009
I never knew that Abercrombie & Fitch had a ‘look’ policy in reference to where they placed those employed within their stores. Such shallowness if you ask me. I have only been in their store once and swore never to go back. First, the prices and second the music blasted at one particular store was a bit too much for this boomer to take and it also aggravated my tinnitus.
After reading a column where, Riam Dean, 22 was demoted from a sales position to a stock position in their London flagship store, I was deeply appalled. The reason being is because she has a prosthetic arm. I would call that the third and more important strike as to why I will never cross their thresh-hold again.
The article states: “Dean, 22, was allegedly moved from a sales job to a stockroom post -- away from the eyes of shoppers -- after her managers discovered she had a prosthetic arm.”
If anything, whenever I see a disabled person working in any store, I give that store credit for believing in their desire to work. Some may work in performing mundane jobs, but they are working none-the-less. At my local Waldbaums who does not have a ‘look’ policy, a mentally disabled man works at collecting the shopping carts left in the parking field by customers. He puts himself out there to his credit and I credit Waldbaums for hiring him where he is in the public-eye.
My guess is that this over-the-top price-point store would not dare hire those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have lost limbs and now wear prosthetic limbs. I mean, after all, they would violate this store’s ‘look’ policy.
This store can be found in many malls which are considered ‘soft-targets’ when it comes to terrorist attacks. Presently our soldiers are trying to fight a battle so that a store like this is never attacked. So, if a soldier comes home wounded, needs a job: Will he or she be told, “Sorry, you cannot work in sales” If that were the case, the patriotic thing to do is not shop at this high-priced store.
Getting back to the blaring music played within that store, the article also states: “A former A&F employee once told me that the reason the stores keep the music so loud is that the company wants customers to feel slightly intimidated approaching the floor attendants,” As a shopper, I do not wish to feel intimidated when it comes to parting with my money. I want a relaxed atmosphere given these harsh economic times. Besides when one is faced with increased taxes on every front coming from the government, that is intimidation enough.
Dean’s case is not the only case of discrimination as one reads this U.S.A. Today article: Where A&F was forced to pay a $40 million dollar class action suit by minorities in a 2004 case who felt they were passed over. Included in that group were blacks. Would they even attempt doing so today knowing our President is African-American? It astounds me that a future president would in our recent history be passed over because he did not have the right look.
While we have heard for years of racial discrimination in the work place, it sickens me when a store would discriminate against the disabled. In both cases, all you have are people ready, willing and in Dean’s case able to do the job they were hired to do. There is great dignity in work and for any company to discriminate such as A&F has, a dignified public should send them a message we will not tolerate such behavior.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Michael Jackson: The print medium becomes our personal memento
As I logged onto the Internet this morning to read the relevant stories on my Yahoo.com page, there were several articles pertaining to the death of Michael Jackson. In my opinion, he died far too young leaving behind many to grieve especially his family which includes three children.
His death is being felt world-wide where people from all corners of this planet are coming out to grieve and say goodbye to the ‘King of Pop’. Many did not know him, yet felt connected to Jackson who grew up in front of millions and became an icon.
This out pouring of grief is truly a phenomenon as are other historic events that have taken place within our lifetimes. While we may not know the subject, often we want some thing to keep for generations to come. It helps us to say to future generations: “I know where I was when the death of Michael Jackson occurred” and be able to hold up a memento.
These mementos are newspapers and magazines. Over time, the Internet has pushed many newspapers out of business which I find truly sad. This intangible world cannot be saved to help future generations understand an important story or one of historical relevance such as the election of President Barack Obama; the first African-American president, unless one has a printer.
Still, a printer cannot compare to the print medium. This ethereal world known as the Internet while reporting on key stories; one may not be able to find them in the future. How many times have you gone back to read an article pertaining to an event only to read: “File not found” or where a web site is no longer in existence? I know personally since my former blog marymacelveen.com is no longer online.
But your newspapers and magazines are the premier force of information since they are tangible and where people can save the front covers of them. While yellowed over time, I still have a few Newsday covers as they reported on the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton. Somehow, I thought it important to save. It is history.
In looking over the photos attached to Jackson’s death, I noticed several where fans from India were holding up newspapers. India is not a rich country and one where poverty reigns. While a child in that country may not have access to a computer, they do have access to a newspapers. In purchasing that newspaper, they will forever have their own personal memento to remember Michael Jackson. Also, newspapers and magazines as I have reported in the past are far more democratic where they are available to everyone.
If you are poor, no matter which country you reside in, the Internet may not be accessible to you since the cost of computers, software, ISP subscriptions come with a hefty price. Also, one must remember it takes electricity to power one’s computer. Should one’s power be lost due to any circumstance, so goes one’s connection to the Internet. What happens if one’s server goes down or becomes overloaded as Twitter.com often does? Newspapers and magazines are a frugal way of obtaining information. It may not be up-to-the-minute or second news, but it is still news which costs a fraction of one’s connection to the Internet.
As we keep hearing of job-losses in this country, all I ask is that you help save the jobs of those who work for the print medium by purchasing a newspaper. If you were a fan of Michael Jackson, in your hands you have your own memento to save throughout the ages. Those who work for the print medium go to work day-after-day so you can have your own piece of history to show future generations.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Carbon Sequestration is No Solution
To My Readers,
It is not often if at all that I would post the words of a fellow writer and friend to those who read my columns. But, in this case I must. John Schwam is a dedicated journalist as well as activist who has investigated the coal industry in Appalachia. He has seen first hand the devastation the coal industry has brought upon those living in within it. Many online-citizen-journalists will not venture to the places they write of, but John does on his own dime. He runs a site called LiberalPatriot.org and I can vouch for his many years of dedication not only to the Appilation community, but to this country as well.
Sincerely,
Mary MacElveen
Carbon Sequestration is No Solution
By J.G. Schwam – June 23, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), was enacted in February of this year. It included hundreds of billions of dollars intended to stimulate the US economy. Through funds allocated by this act the Department of Energy (DOE) has announced three anticipated funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) since June 3, 2009 regarding geologic CO2 sequestration, the industrial CO2 capture and sequestration and beneficial use of CO2 and for Round 3 of the DOE’s Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) that increases the funding available for it by approximately $800 million.
While technology to reduce or abate the atmospheric release of CO2 from industrial processes or power generation is a valid goal, carbon sequestration is by many analyses little more than creating underground landfills for carbon. The evil carbon molecule broken from it's oxygen partner is buried, out of site out of mind like plastic shopping bags and used paper diapers, but not without impact nor cost. The only difference being a more complex technological bulldozer (metaphorically) is required.
Perhaps the DOE views this as a short term solution to deal with a long term problem. It has not said so. Do we really need to spend $800 million to develop a technology to dispose of the byproducts of an inefficient coal based power generation industry that relies on a 19th a century fuel to feed its profits?
Inherently coal is dirty. It is dirty to extract, it is dirty to process and it is at its dirtiest burned to boil water to make electricity. The idea of clean coal technology beyond its Madison Avenue birth is flawed. You can't make dirt less dirty. You can only move it somewhere else, like into clean water when you use Tide to remove dirt from your blue jeans. That only makes the jeans clean not the dirt or the water supply where it went.
This part of the Recovery Act is no more than corporate pork, promised by the Obama administration as part of his campaign to the powerful coal extraction industry and the power generation industry it fuels. Carbon sequestration is no more than an attempt to couch the filthy byproduct of a 19th century industry into a more seemingly more palatable. Carbon sequestration is no more than a fancy technological buzzword for a landfill, underground or otherwise, but a landfill none the less.
The great minds of the United States Government and the people they serve and upon whom their futures depend should focus our vast resources on solutions that eliminate inefficient obsolete industries of the past like the coal industry. And instead develop industries that create new jobs in clean industries born of 21st century ideas. Not simply waste hundreds of millions to perpetuate and attempt to make more palatable politically powerful filthy industries of the past like the coal extraction and coal based power generation industries.
These funds instead could and should be used to apply existing scrubber and CO2 ablation technology to the hundreds of dirty coal fired power plants that next to motor vehicles are the largest source of CO2 emissions in North American. Improving this technology and expanding our manufacturing base of it would create jobs would create advanced industrial products that could be exported to the BRISC nations that themselves face the same challenges.
We expected President Obama to be different, forward thinking, a harbinger of change and the future when we voted for him. Now we must demand it. A few thousand new jobs and a few billion in new export dollars instead of gobs of millions of dollars for fanciful research wouldn't be bad either.
Should you wish to contact John Schwam, his email address is, vermontbear@yahoo.com
It is not often if at all that I would post the words of a fellow writer and friend to those who read my columns. But, in this case I must. John Schwam is a dedicated journalist as well as activist who has investigated the coal industry in Appalachia. He has seen first hand the devastation the coal industry has brought upon those living in within it. Many online-citizen-journalists will not venture to the places they write of, but John does on his own dime. He runs a site called LiberalPatriot.org and I can vouch for his many years of dedication not only to the Appilation community, but to this country as well.
Sincerely,
Mary MacElveen
Carbon Sequestration is No Solution
By J.G. Schwam – June 23, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), was enacted in February of this year. It included hundreds of billions of dollars intended to stimulate the US economy. Through funds allocated by this act the Department of Energy (DOE) has announced three anticipated funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) since June 3, 2009 regarding geologic CO2 sequestration, the industrial CO2 capture and sequestration and beneficial use of CO2 and for Round 3 of the DOE’s Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) that increases the funding available for it by approximately $800 million.
While technology to reduce or abate the atmospheric release of CO2 from industrial processes or power generation is a valid goal, carbon sequestration is by many analyses little more than creating underground landfills for carbon. The evil carbon molecule broken from it's oxygen partner is buried, out of site out of mind like plastic shopping bags and used paper diapers, but not without impact nor cost. The only difference being a more complex technological bulldozer (metaphorically) is required.
Perhaps the DOE views this as a short term solution to deal with a long term problem. It has not said so. Do we really need to spend $800 million to develop a technology to dispose of the byproducts of an inefficient coal based power generation industry that relies on a 19th a century fuel to feed its profits?
Inherently coal is dirty. It is dirty to extract, it is dirty to process and it is at its dirtiest burned to boil water to make electricity. The idea of clean coal technology beyond its Madison Avenue birth is flawed. You can't make dirt less dirty. You can only move it somewhere else, like into clean water when you use Tide to remove dirt from your blue jeans. That only makes the jeans clean not the dirt or the water supply where it went.
This part of the Recovery Act is no more than corporate pork, promised by the Obama administration as part of his campaign to the powerful coal extraction industry and the power generation industry it fuels. Carbon sequestration is no more than an attempt to couch the filthy byproduct of a 19th century industry into a more seemingly more palatable. Carbon sequestration is no more than a fancy technological buzzword for a landfill, underground or otherwise, but a landfill none the less.
The great minds of the United States Government and the people they serve and upon whom their futures depend should focus our vast resources on solutions that eliminate inefficient obsolete industries of the past like the coal industry. And instead develop industries that create new jobs in clean industries born of 21st century ideas. Not simply waste hundreds of millions to perpetuate and attempt to make more palatable politically powerful filthy industries of the past like the coal extraction and coal based power generation industries.
These funds instead could and should be used to apply existing scrubber and CO2 ablation technology to the hundreds of dirty coal fired power plants that next to motor vehicles are the largest source of CO2 emissions in North American. Improving this technology and expanding our manufacturing base of it would create jobs would create advanced industrial products that could be exported to the BRISC nations that themselves face the same challenges.
We expected President Obama to be different, forward thinking, a harbinger of change and the future when we voted for him. Now we must demand it. A few thousand new jobs and a few billion in new export dollars instead of gobs of millions of dollars for fanciful research wouldn't be bad either.
Should you wish to contact John Schwam, his email address is, vermontbear@yahoo.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Iranians are doing what Minnesotans are failing to do and that is protest
By Mary MacElveen
June 21, 2009
In a cross-entry on both my Twitter.com and Facebook.com pages, I just posted: "Hey, Minnesotans, take to the streets and protest that your senate election is being held up by Norm Coleman. Join with Iranian patriots."
While I abhor violence that has been shown on various news networks like CNN, MSNBC and yes, Fox concerning these protests, I commend the citizens of Iran for taking to the street when they feel their election may have been stolen. They are sure showing us up when NO one took the streets en-masse after the Bush V. Gore decision was handed down. We were told to accept that decision, and forgot that this government is of, by and for we the people.
In the Bush V. Gore decision five out of the nine Supreme Court justices became more powerful than ‘we the people’. Americans should have come to the aid of all Floridians whose votes were stolen in that election. Let us take care of our own affairs first when it comes to democracy before telling others how democracy works.
As much as some want the President to be more forceful when it comes to these violent protests: Are they itching to start another war? Isn’t three enough?! Are they forgetting that Iran has strong ties to both Russia and China and what will they say of any intervention in this Iranian affair by the United States of America? Please remember who holds the cards here as America is facing an economic firestorm where we continue to borrow huge sums of money from China. Can you see China cutting off the money supply? This is the tight-rope that the President has to be mindful of as some want and demand he interfere.
I would bring North Korea and the President does have a lot on his plate and wish to remind my readers that North Korea as well has strong ties with Russia and China. As our military is at the breaking point being deployed, redeployed over and over in the wars we are already engaged in, Russia and China’s are not.
Last week, the media brought into the mix Senator John McCain’s opinions of how the President should be more forceful. Exactly why are they giving him any podium when he jokingly sung that song: Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran? This is what I would say to McCain: Shut up!
I am tired of the right’s bloviating when it comes to this election process and its aftermath meaning these protests when former Senator Norm Coleman is holding up an election that was decided 8 months ago. Yet, we see no protests coming from Minnesotans. Are courts the only way in which challenged elections get decided in this country? Were is the will of a people when it comes to our own affairs?
Then again, protests that do take place in this country are clamped down upon where the will of a people is not listened to as evident with the anti-war protests. Remember it was a Republican controlled government back in 2003. Was a Republican led government acting like the Ayatollah is today when they refused to hear our voices? To borrow a phrase by Gov. Sarah Palin: “Oh you betcha!” In both cases you had a Republican led government and the Ayatollah clamping down on dissent and the will of the people. Let the Iranian people speak.
As my prayers go out to all Iranians for their safety during their troubling times, I am mindful of the fact that it is their election and country; not mine. They should be the ones who decide their own destiny without any interference from any other country; namely the United States of America. We should have no say in their electoral process when we have shown the world the faults of our own. The only thing I can do is to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people to decide their own destiny.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
June 21, 2009
In a cross-entry on both my Twitter.com and Facebook.com pages, I just posted: "Hey, Minnesotans, take to the streets and protest that your senate election is being held up by Norm Coleman. Join with Iranian patriots."
While I abhor violence that has been shown on various news networks like CNN, MSNBC and yes, Fox concerning these protests, I commend the citizens of Iran for taking to the street when they feel their election may have been stolen. They are sure showing us up when NO one took the streets en-masse after the Bush V. Gore decision was handed down. We were told to accept that decision, and forgot that this government is of, by and for we the people.
In the Bush V. Gore decision five out of the nine Supreme Court justices became more powerful than ‘we the people’. Americans should have come to the aid of all Floridians whose votes were stolen in that election. Let us take care of our own affairs first when it comes to democracy before telling others how democracy works.
As much as some want the President to be more forceful when it comes to these violent protests: Are they itching to start another war? Isn’t three enough?! Are they forgetting that Iran has strong ties to both Russia and China and what will they say of any intervention in this Iranian affair by the United States of America? Please remember who holds the cards here as America is facing an economic firestorm where we continue to borrow huge sums of money from China. Can you see China cutting off the money supply? This is the tight-rope that the President has to be mindful of as some want and demand he interfere.
I would bring North Korea and the President does have a lot on his plate and wish to remind my readers that North Korea as well has strong ties with Russia and China. As our military is at the breaking point being deployed, redeployed over and over in the wars we are already engaged in, Russia and China’s are not.
Last week, the media brought into the mix Senator John McCain’s opinions of how the President should be more forceful. Exactly why are they giving him any podium when he jokingly sung that song: Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran? This is what I would say to McCain: Shut up!
I am tired of the right’s bloviating when it comes to this election process and its aftermath meaning these protests when former Senator Norm Coleman is holding up an election that was decided 8 months ago. Yet, we see no protests coming from Minnesotans. Are courts the only way in which challenged elections get decided in this country? Were is the will of a people when it comes to our own affairs?
Then again, protests that do take place in this country are clamped down upon where the will of a people is not listened to as evident with the anti-war protests. Remember it was a Republican controlled government back in 2003. Was a Republican led government acting like the Ayatollah is today when they refused to hear our voices? To borrow a phrase by Gov. Sarah Palin: “Oh you betcha!” In both cases you had a Republican led government and the Ayatollah clamping down on dissent and the will of the people. Let the Iranian people speak.
As my prayers go out to all Iranians for their safety during their troubling times, I am mindful of the fact that it is their election and country; not mine. They should be the ones who decide their own destiny without any interference from any other country; namely the United States of America. We should have no say in their electoral process when we have shown the world the faults of our own. The only thing I can do is to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people to decide their own destiny.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Latest Amber Alerts
By Mary MacElveen
June 20, 2009
I want to clue my readers into the latest Amber Alerts so that these children can be brought home safely to their parent(s) and or loved ones. Help assist various law enforcement agencies by being their eyes and yes, ears.
Please read the Amber Alert for Emanuel Guzman:
Circumstances: UPDATE AMBER ALERT - Photos added The suspects are wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department for felony child abuse. They are facing charges relating to the abuse and burning of the infant son, Emanuel Guzman. Both parents failed to appear in court on 5/21/09 and custody of their son has been transferred to the Department of Human Services. Recent investigative information has determined that both suspects may be attempting to flee with the child to Mexico.
Missing Child
Name: Emanuel Guzman
Alias:
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: Hispanic Age: 1
Height: 2'0 Weight: 30 lbs.
Gender: Male
Latest Amber Alert for Haleigh Cummings
Missing From: Satsuma, FL
Missing Date: 02/10/2009 12:00 AM
Issued for: Florida: Statewide
Contact: If you have information, please contact Putnam County Sheriff's Office, 386-329-0808, 911
Circumstances: UPDATE: Clothing description updated Update: Added child's photo The 5 year-old child was last seen in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, FL.
Missing Child
Name: Haleigh Cummings
Alias:
Hair Color: Blnd Eye Color: Brn
Skin Color: Whi Age: 5
Height: 3' Weight: 39lbs
Gender: Female
Description: Unknown clothing
Latest Amber Alert for Daisja Weaver
Missing From: Dallas, TX
Missing Date:
Issued for: Texas: Anderson, Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Cherokee, Comanche, Coryell, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Freestone, Gillespie, Hamilton, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Houston, Johnson, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Llano, Madison, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Menard, Milam, Mills, Navarro, Robertson, San Saba, Somervell, Travis, Williamson
Contact: If you have information, please contact Dallas Police Department, 214-671-4268
Circumstances: Unknown male entered the child's apartment and took the child.
Missing Child
Name: Daisja Weaver
Alias:
Hair Color: Black Eye Color:
Skin Color: Black Age: 9MO
Height: 2FT4 Weight: 20LBS
Gender: Female
I am asking ALL of my readers to click on the hyperlinks of each name to view the photo of these missing children. Let us bring them home! Please pass this to everyone you know.
Author’s email address is xmjmac@optonline.net
June 20, 2009
I want to clue my readers into the latest Amber Alerts so that these children can be brought home safely to their parent(s) and or loved ones. Help assist various law enforcement agencies by being their eyes and yes, ears.
Please read the Amber Alert for Emanuel Guzman:
Circumstances: UPDATE AMBER ALERT - Photos added The suspects are wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department for felony child abuse. They are facing charges relating to the abuse and burning of the infant son, Emanuel Guzman. Both parents failed to appear in court on 5/21/09 and custody of their son has been transferred to the Department of Human Services. Recent investigative information has determined that both suspects may be attempting to flee with the child to Mexico.
Missing Child
Name: Emanuel Guzman
Alias:
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: Hispanic Age: 1
Height: 2'0 Weight: 30 lbs.
Gender: Male
Latest Amber Alert for Haleigh Cummings
Missing From: Satsuma, FL
Missing Date: 02/10/2009 12:00 AM
Issued for: Florida: Statewide
Contact: If you have information, please contact Putnam County Sheriff's Office, 386-329-0808, 911
Circumstances: UPDATE: Clothing description updated Update: Added child's photo The 5 year-old child was last seen in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, FL.
Missing Child
Name: Haleigh Cummings
Alias:
Hair Color: Blnd Eye Color: Brn
Skin Color: Whi Age: 5
Height: 3' Weight: 39lbs
Gender: Female
Description: Unknown clothing
Latest Amber Alert for Daisja Weaver
Missing From: Dallas, TX
Missing Date:
Issued for: Texas: Anderson, Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Cherokee, Comanche, Coryell, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Freestone, Gillespie, Hamilton, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Houston, Johnson, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Llano, Madison, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Menard, Milam, Mills, Navarro, Robertson, San Saba, Somervell, Travis, Williamson
Contact: If you have information, please contact Dallas Police Department, 214-671-4268
Circumstances: Unknown male entered the child's apartment and took the child.
Missing Child
Name: Daisja Weaver
Alias:
Hair Color: Black Eye Color:
Skin Color: Black Age: 9MO
Height: 2FT4 Weight: 20LBS
Gender: Female
I am asking ALL of my readers to click on the hyperlinks of each name to view the photo of these missing children. Let us bring them home! Please pass this to everyone you know.
Author’s email address is xmjmac@optonline.net
Help find missing children: A lesson from a lost-boy abducted in 1955
By Mary MacElveen
June 19, 2009
As we all know the case of the long-lost boy from Long Island, NY is still a mystery when DNA evidence proved that John Barnes is not the child taken in front of a grocery store back in 1955. I cannot even imagine the pain the Damman family has been put through where they are still wondering what ever happened to their son, and sibling. What of the pain, Barnes put his own father through.
According to the AP report filed on this story: “Richard Barnes, immediately dismissed the speculation as "a bunch of foolishness," and said John Barnes was born in a Navy hospital in Pensacola, Fla., on Aug. 18, 1955.” Yet out of a feeling of not fitting in with the family, John Barnes used the resources of the FBI in this DNA testing.
As I cannot fathom the pain both families were put through, what I can fathom the media-hype this story has created in the past few days as Newsday ran multi-page articles concerning this lone case. Yet, a community still wonders what happened to that little boy named Stephen Damman. In light of the DNA testing which was still ongoing by the FBI at Quantico, perhaps the hype by the media should have been kept low-key until the test results came in.
Maybe the lesson we should all gain from this lone-story is that each year many children in our country go missing and their families not knowing if they are dead or alive. We see their faces on hand-outs, our local news as well as cable networks and on “America’s Most Wanted” hosted by John Walsh. All I ask is that you pay attention. Incidentally Fox tried to pull this show years ago due to low ratings, but a group of governors petitioned Fox to keep it on since they felt it invaluable to fighting crime. Kudos to those governors.
After Adam Walsh was snatched from Sears back in 1981, and according to Wikipedia: “Sixteen days after the abduction, his severed head was found in a drainage canal more than 120 miles away from home. His other remains were never recovered.” During the time of his disappearance his parents John and Revé’s mission was to find their little boy. I remember watching a movie based upon Adam’s abduction and what riled me was a statement made by Mr. Walsh and I will paraphrase him, it was far easier to find a missing car then a missing child and abducted child. At that time, both local and federal data-bases kept track of stolen vehicles, not children.
In hind-sight, perhaps if such a data-base been in place before Adam’s abduction and murder, the mystery of the Etan Patz case could have been solved. He was abducted in Manhattan on May 25, 1979. We shall never know.
Upon Adam being found, both John and Reve grieved as any parents would. After the mourning was over with, which still lasts to this day as one looks upon John Walsh’s face as he speaks of Adam, they went onto co-found the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. As many of us surf the Internet for information we must ask ourselves: Is this a site we often go to? Perhaps if we made it a habit to at least visit this site once a day or once a week we can help reunite these missing children with those who pine their return home safely; their family.
As cited on the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children: “If your child disappears in a store,
notify the store manager or security office. Then immediately call your local law-enforcement agency. Many stores have a Code Adam plan of action— if a child is missing in the store, employees immediately mobilize to look for the missing child.” When a store mobilizes for Code Adam, they will lock down all the exits and entrances. If the store you frequently visit does not have this system in place, approach the manager of the store and ask: Why not? I think that every parent of a child should do so. We must be our children’s advocate.
If you are a parent, carry with you at ALL times a current picture of your child and make sure their dental visits are up-to-date. This way, dentists have on record their dental x-rays should the worst case scenario happen or to prove a child found dead is not your child.
Other tips to help locate missing children are listed below:
When you call law enforcement, provide your child's name, date of birth, height, weight, and any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed that your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing.
Request that your child's name and identifying information be immediately entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File.
After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on our toll-free telephone number: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Or you can use our Live Hotline to talk to NCMEC through our web site.
While we may not be able to solve mysteries decades old of missing children, I do feel we can play an integral part in helping to prevent children from becoming the next missing child or worse; murdered. In any broadcast where a child has been found murdered and their remains found, I cannot help but to think of that child’s last moments here on Earth. It offends the senses when such violence is brought upon a child.
In reading this column, what I ask of all of you is to click on the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children and see if you do recognize a child that is missing. If you do, then please contact your local law enforcement agency as well the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. Let us not leave these children behind when their parents desperately want to be reunited with them. Imagine if it were your child: You would want this from every single American. Let us keep our eyes open and bring these children back home.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: In this case, please circulate this column to everyone you know and YES you have my permission to post it on every single blog or site you know of.
June 19, 2009
As we all know the case of the long-lost boy from Long Island, NY is still a mystery when DNA evidence proved that John Barnes is not the child taken in front of a grocery store back in 1955. I cannot even imagine the pain the Damman family has been put through where they are still wondering what ever happened to their son, and sibling. What of the pain, Barnes put his own father through.
According to the AP report filed on this story: “Richard Barnes, immediately dismissed the speculation as "a bunch of foolishness," and said John Barnes was born in a Navy hospital in Pensacola, Fla., on Aug. 18, 1955.” Yet out of a feeling of not fitting in with the family, John Barnes used the resources of the FBI in this DNA testing.
As I cannot fathom the pain both families were put through, what I can fathom the media-hype this story has created in the past few days as Newsday ran multi-page articles concerning this lone case. Yet, a community still wonders what happened to that little boy named Stephen Damman. In light of the DNA testing which was still ongoing by the FBI at Quantico, perhaps the hype by the media should have been kept low-key until the test results came in.
Maybe the lesson we should all gain from this lone-story is that each year many children in our country go missing and their families not knowing if they are dead or alive. We see their faces on hand-outs, our local news as well as cable networks and on “America’s Most Wanted” hosted by John Walsh. All I ask is that you pay attention. Incidentally Fox tried to pull this show years ago due to low ratings, but a group of governors petitioned Fox to keep it on since they felt it invaluable to fighting crime. Kudos to those governors.
After Adam Walsh was snatched from Sears back in 1981, and according to Wikipedia: “Sixteen days after the abduction, his severed head was found in a drainage canal more than 120 miles away from home. His other remains were never recovered.” During the time of his disappearance his parents John and Revé’s mission was to find their little boy. I remember watching a movie based upon Adam’s abduction and what riled me was a statement made by Mr. Walsh and I will paraphrase him, it was far easier to find a missing car then a missing child and abducted child. At that time, both local and federal data-bases kept track of stolen vehicles, not children.
In hind-sight, perhaps if such a data-base been in place before Adam’s abduction and murder, the mystery of the Etan Patz case could have been solved. He was abducted in Manhattan on May 25, 1979. We shall never know.
Upon Adam being found, both John and Reve grieved as any parents would. After the mourning was over with, which still lasts to this day as one looks upon John Walsh’s face as he speaks of Adam, they went onto co-found the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. As many of us surf the Internet for information we must ask ourselves: Is this a site we often go to? Perhaps if we made it a habit to at least visit this site once a day or once a week we can help reunite these missing children with those who pine their return home safely; their family.
As cited on the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children: “If your child disappears in a store,
notify the store manager or security office. Then immediately call your local law-enforcement agency. Many stores have a Code Adam plan of action— if a child is missing in the store, employees immediately mobilize to look for the missing child.” When a store mobilizes for Code Adam, they will lock down all the exits and entrances. If the store you frequently visit does not have this system in place, approach the manager of the store and ask: Why not? I think that every parent of a child should do so. We must be our children’s advocate.
If you are a parent, carry with you at ALL times a current picture of your child and make sure their dental visits are up-to-date. This way, dentists have on record their dental x-rays should the worst case scenario happen or to prove a child found dead is not your child.
Other tips to help locate missing children are listed below:
When you call law enforcement, provide your child's name, date of birth, height, weight, and any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed that your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing.
Request that your child's name and identifying information be immediately entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File.
After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on our toll-free telephone number: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Or you can use our Live Hotline to talk to NCMEC through our web site.
While we may not be able to solve mysteries decades old of missing children, I do feel we can play an integral part in helping to prevent children from becoming the next missing child or worse; murdered. In any broadcast where a child has been found murdered and their remains found, I cannot help but to think of that child’s last moments here on Earth. It offends the senses when such violence is brought upon a child.
In reading this column, what I ask of all of you is to click on the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children and see if you do recognize a child that is missing. If you do, then please contact your local law enforcement agency as well the Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. Let us not leave these children behind when their parents desperately want to be reunited with them. Imagine if it were your child: You would want this from every single American. Let us keep our eyes open and bring these children back home.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: In this case, please circulate this column to everyone you know and YES you have my permission to post it on every single blog or site you know of.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Imagine 47 million signs stating: “Where’s my health care?”
By Mary MacElveen
June 16, 2009
Like millions of Americans especially the 47 million who have no insurance and those underinsured, I have been paying close attention to the health care debate on various networks. Whom do I see discussing it? The hosts of various news shows, pundits from both sides and politicians also of both sides.
Most likely they all have health insurance and do not even know the terror of those who go without. Are they the best people we as Americans should be listening to? No, we should hear from those who presently have no health insurance. Their stories should be broadcasted on all major news networks 24/7 so that our esteemed politicians get it. Then again, do they really want to get it?
This July, I will be 51 years-old and I am coming to grips where someday I will no longer have health insurance and just that thought terrifies me since I am an epileptic who also suffers from a heart arrhythmia. I take five prescription drugs so I do not seize or where my heart condition does not get worse. Forget the primary care since I must keep these two conditions in check. Copayments have increased.
The reason why I will not be covered at some point is that my husband craves a divorce although he admitted he cannot afford it right now. Reason is, he has a girl friend. Some have said to me divorce him now, but that is akin to putting a gun to my head and pulling the trigger since it will leave me uninsured. After a divorce decree goes through all of my medical benefits go with it since these benefits come from his job. So, I just deal.
To the naysayers of any government-run-health-care system, call it anything you want to call it such as socialized medicine: But from my perspective, I would rather be seen by a doctor than go without. The difference for me is life and death and frankly, that is the terror millions of Americans are going through this very moment. As I come to grips with my future, I can certainly understand their present.
Forget Al Qaeda when the terror that faces millions of Americans is no health insurance. Osama bin Laden is so far out of people’s minds as the medical bills come to their homes. Their enemy is not sleeper cells, terrorist cells in a far off land, but their own government as well as insurance companies as well as drug companies.
Yet, here we have the hosts, pundits and politicians bloviate where at this very moment, an American citizen has just died because they could not afford to go see a doctor. No one is hearing of their death and this one issue must be front and center as Americans are dying from lack of health-care. How many who succumbed to ‘Swine Flu’ did not have health insurance as the media concentrated on that story?
Some in Washington, D.C., screech about the cost of any government-run system, yet fork over billions upon billions to fund endless wars now approaching $1 trillion dollars. They seem to come together to spend these billions ending lives, but separate or switch sides when it comes to saving lives. How truly pathetic.
They may mock countries such as Canada, Cuba and Venezuela: At least their governments value human life by funding health care systems where each citizen has access to a doctor. The doctors in Cuba may work for pittance, but they are acting as healers instead of bean counters. Is their system perfect? Maybe not, but at least their citizens do not live in terror of not seeing a doctor.
In his speech before the A.M.A. (American Medical Association) yesterday, President Barack Obama asked those doctors gathered if they entered this field to act as healers or bean counters.
We seem to puff out our chests with pride when it comes to our health-care system over other countries, but when you have millions not having access to it: Is it a perfect system? No, it is not. Just how great is a new MRI machine or CAT-scan machine or treatments for one disease after another when millions cannot pay for these tests and treatments? It is like dangling a treat before their eyes, but saying: You cannot have it as you snatch it away.
Just for your information, I have had MRIs and the cost of each test is $1,500.00. If you are an epileptic without health insurance: How can you afford such a test? You cannot! MRIs are important since the first one I had showed what was causing my epilepsy. I have a lesion on my brain caused from a bike accident I had when I was six.
Contained within many health insurance packets are drug benefits and just the other day I had to fill my Tegretol prescription and the copayment was $40 dollars. I tremble in fear knowing someday, I will have to pay the full amount and that is just one drug that I take. To any naysayer of a government-run-system: Look in your medicine cabinet and see how many prescriptions you are presently taking, and if you are presently without health insurance you must be seething at those who wish to protect the pharmaceutical companies as well as insurance companies. If you are not; I do not understand why. Oh wait, I do understand why. You have allowed a government run system to be demonized with words like socialism, Marxism and the like.
It just seems to me that in this country, we protect profits over people’s lives. Oh and speaking of these big pharmaceutical companies: Just how much does it cost to air those ads on television? Is the increase in price of prescription drugs directly related to ad-buys? One commercial that gets my attention lately, is a drug for the treatment of depression; Abilify. I just wonder if they have seen a spike in sales given the myriad of issues that face Americans today.
As the media has focused on the protests in Iran where people have taken to the streets concerning their presidential election, in this country I feel it important that the millions upon millions take to the street who presently do not have health insurance or who are underinsured. We have heard from news hosts, pundits and politicians: Left out of the health care debate are the voices of millions. In viewing the protests taking place in Iran we witnessed some carrying signs stating: “Where’s my vote”, in this country, our country, I would love to see 47 million of signs stating: “Where’s my health care?”
As a writer, I love playing with imagery: Imagine if you will those signs being carried by folks in wheel chairs, wearing oxygen tanks, wearing chemo-tanks or coffins being pushed symbolizing just how many have died because of lack of health insurance. Think of how that would play around the world being covered by foreign news services. It would say, we are not able to take care of our own as we try and tell others how to.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
June 16, 2009
Like millions of Americans especially the 47 million who have no insurance and those underinsured, I have been paying close attention to the health care debate on various networks. Whom do I see discussing it? The hosts of various news shows, pundits from both sides and politicians also of both sides.
Most likely they all have health insurance and do not even know the terror of those who go without. Are they the best people we as Americans should be listening to? No, we should hear from those who presently have no health insurance. Their stories should be broadcasted on all major news networks 24/7 so that our esteemed politicians get it. Then again, do they really want to get it?
This July, I will be 51 years-old and I am coming to grips where someday I will no longer have health insurance and just that thought terrifies me since I am an epileptic who also suffers from a heart arrhythmia. I take five prescription drugs so I do not seize or where my heart condition does not get worse. Forget the primary care since I must keep these two conditions in check. Copayments have increased.
The reason why I will not be covered at some point is that my husband craves a divorce although he admitted he cannot afford it right now. Reason is, he has a girl friend. Some have said to me divorce him now, but that is akin to putting a gun to my head and pulling the trigger since it will leave me uninsured. After a divorce decree goes through all of my medical benefits go with it since these benefits come from his job. So, I just deal.
To the naysayers of any government-run-health-care system, call it anything you want to call it such as socialized medicine: But from my perspective, I would rather be seen by a doctor than go without. The difference for me is life and death and frankly, that is the terror millions of Americans are going through this very moment. As I come to grips with my future, I can certainly understand their present.
Forget Al Qaeda when the terror that faces millions of Americans is no health insurance. Osama bin Laden is so far out of people’s minds as the medical bills come to their homes. Their enemy is not sleeper cells, terrorist cells in a far off land, but their own government as well as insurance companies as well as drug companies.
Yet, here we have the hosts, pundits and politicians bloviate where at this very moment, an American citizen has just died because they could not afford to go see a doctor. No one is hearing of their death and this one issue must be front and center as Americans are dying from lack of health-care. How many who succumbed to ‘Swine Flu’ did not have health insurance as the media concentrated on that story?
Some in Washington, D.C., screech about the cost of any government-run system, yet fork over billions upon billions to fund endless wars now approaching $1 trillion dollars. They seem to come together to spend these billions ending lives, but separate or switch sides when it comes to saving lives. How truly pathetic.
They may mock countries such as Canada, Cuba and Venezuela: At least their governments value human life by funding health care systems where each citizen has access to a doctor. The doctors in Cuba may work for pittance, but they are acting as healers instead of bean counters. Is their system perfect? Maybe not, but at least their citizens do not live in terror of not seeing a doctor.
In his speech before the A.M.A. (American Medical Association) yesterday, President Barack Obama asked those doctors gathered if they entered this field to act as healers or bean counters.
We seem to puff out our chests with pride when it comes to our health-care system over other countries, but when you have millions not having access to it: Is it a perfect system? No, it is not. Just how great is a new MRI machine or CAT-scan machine or treatments for one disease after another when millions cannot pay for these tests and treatments? It is like dangling a treat before their eyes, but saying: You cannot have it as you snatch it away.
Just for your information, I have had MRIs and the cost of each test is $1,500.00. If you are an epileptic without health insurance: How can you afford such a test? You cannot! MRIs are important since the first one I had showed what was causing my epilepsy. I have a lesion on my brain caused from a bike accident I had when I was six.
Contained within many health insurance packets are drug benefits and just the other day I had to fill my Tegretol prescription and the copayment was $40 dollars. I tremble in fear knowing someday, I will have to pay the full amount and that is just one drug that I take. To any naysayer of a government-run-system: Look in your medicine cabinet and see how many prescriptions you are presently taking, and if you are presently without health insurance you must be seething at those who wish to protect the pharmaceutical companies as well as insurance companies. If you are not; I do not understand why. Oh wait, I do understand why. You have allowed a government run system to be demonized with words like socialism, Marxism and the like.
It just seems to me that in this country, we protect profits over people’s lives. Oh and speaking of these big pharmaceutical companies: Just how much does it cost to air those ads on television? Is the increase in price of prescription drugs directly related to ad-buys? One commercial that gets my attention lately, is a drug for the treatment of depression; Abilify. I just wonder if they have seen a spike in sales given the myriad of issues that face Americans today.
As the media has focused on the protests in Iran where people have taken to the streets concerning their presidential election, in this country I feel it important that the millions upon millions take to the street who presently do not have health insurance or who are underinsured. We have heard from news hosts, pundits and politicians: Left out of the health care debate are the voices of millions. In viewing the protests taking place in Iran we witnessed some carrying signs stating: “Where’s my vote”, in this country, our country, I would love to see 47 million of signs stating: “Where’s my health care?”
As a writer, I love playing with imagery: Imagine if you will those signs being carried by folks in wheel chairs, wearing oxygen tanks, wearing chemo-tanks or coffins being pushed symbolizing just how many have died because of lack of health insurance. Think of how that would play around the world being covered by foreign news services. It would say, we are not able to take care of our own as we try and tell others how to.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Our clear and present danger is Sarah Palin, Fox News and Rush Limbaugh
By Mary MacElveen
June 14, 2009
In reading Frank Rich’s column: The Obama Haters’ Silent Enablers published in today’s New York Times, a tip of the hat goes to Mr. Rich as he blasts Fox News as well as Rush Limbaugh and Frank Gaffney. Yes, I am all for free speech, but not speech which can ignite someone to assassinate anyone, as Limbaugh stated: “any U.S. soldier” who found himself with only two bullets in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden would use both shots to assassinate Pelosi and then strangle Reid and bin Laden.”
Last I knew threatening speech is not covered by the First Amendment. Anyone can follow Limbaugh’s directives and actually take out the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader, Reid. Yet, there he sits and bloviates to millions. Then again, Ann Coulter has done so in the past where she stated someone should put rat-poison in Justice Steven’s crème Brule or that Timothy McVeigh should have bombed the New York Times building. Yet, both make millions coming from a froth-filled America.
While I cannot top what Mr. Rich opined of Fox News since he did a suburb job, I was struck when he mentioned the McCain/Palin ticket, since I feel it set the stage of this hate towards our President by lunatics. In fact I did write of it during the presidential campaign.
Before I get into what I wrote of the campaign, I wish to address Palin’s beef with David Letterman who joked of Palin’s daughter and Palin herself. He has somewhat apologized, but has Palin apologized to the nation for what she did during the presidential campaign? As we all know, she played tinder-box politics which could have done more harm to this country than any joke made by Letterman.
Back in October of 2008 I wrote this piece: Sarah Palin in engaging in tinder-box politics is a danger to our national security and you will see clear and concise evidence of how she was able to stoke the fires of hate and fear. Yet, the media reveres her and allowing her to opine of any issue facing the American people today. I am of the opinion it is akin to asking David Duke where he thinks this country needs to go.
In my past piece I wrote: “She has said of Ayers that he was a domestic terrorist, but in our recent history, we did in fact have a true domestic terrorist who was deluded and pushed to the breaking point in Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh’s anger at the government resulted in his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City where 168 innocent people lost their lives. Can Palin’s divisive speeches create yet another one just as dangerous as Tim McVeigh was?”
At one of her rallies, Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott while dressed in his uniform, invoked Barack Obama's middle name which is Hussein stoking the fires of hate towards Muslims. That is far more dangerous to our nation than what Letterman did to her.
In her past rallies which thousands came to; only to hear chants of “Kill him” or “terrorist”, it was her responsibility to tell them to stop. At one of her rallies a black cameraman was told to “sit down boy”
Rush Limbaugh has often cited that Sarah Palin is the true head of the Republican Party and that should scare every single American if so many would follow someone so hateful. Do not let her winks and “you betchas” disarm you.
If she is that concerned over her daughter, then why did she take her children to so many of these hate-filled rallies for them to hear such racist feedback coming from those who attended them? Why did she take them to a Philadelphia Flyers game only for beer bottles to be thrown in their direction? One of those beer bottles could have killed one Palin’s children as they stepped out onto the ice.
The hate she threw out to her rallies did indeed come back at her at the Flyer’s game.
The thing that absolutely terrifies me at this point is if Heaven forbid someone were to actually get close to President Obama and take a shot; is what it would do to our country as we face a myriad of problems from the economy, health care reform, millions of people out of work and the list is endless. We do not need to turn on our news at one point only to hear that our President has been assassinated.
Those I would place the blame on would be folks like Sarah Palin and those at Fox News who try to connect the recent killings of an abortion doctor and a security guard by two madmen to our President.
The clear and present danger to all of us is to listen to hate-filled speech coming from anyone at Fox News, Sarah Palin’s past comments, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of their ilk. We have much to solve as a nation and we surely do not need their voices stirring Satan’s cauldron of hate.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
June 14, 2009
In reading Frank Rich’s column: The Obama Haters’ Silent Enablers published in today’s New York Times, a tip of the hat goes to Mr. Rich as he blasts Fox News as well as Rush Limbaugh and Frank Gaffney. Yes, I am all for free speech, but not speech which can ignite someone to assassinate anyone, as Limbaugh stated: “any U.S. soldier” who found himself with only two bullets in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden would use both shots to assassinate Pelosi and then strangle Reid and bin Laden.”
Last I knew threatening speech is not covered by the First Amendment. Anyone can follow Limbaugh’s directives and actually take out the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader, Reid. Yet, there he sits and bloviates to millions. Then again, Ann Coulter has done so in the past where she stated someone should put rat-poison in Justice Steven’s crème Brule or that Timothy McVeigh should have bombed the New York Times building. Yet, both make millions coming from a froth-filled America.
While I cannot top what Mr. Rich opined of Fox News since he did a suburb job, I was struck when he mentioned the McCain/Palin ticket, since I feel it set the stage of this hate towards our President by lunatics. In fact I did write of it during the presidential campaign.
Before I get into what I wrote of the campaign, I wish to address Palin’s beef with David Letterman who joked of Palin’s daughter and Palin herself. He has somewhat apologized, but has Palin apologized to the nation for what she did during the presidential campaign? As we all know, she played tinder-box politics which could have done more harm to this country than any joke made by Letterman.
Back in October of 2008 I wrote this piece: Sarah Palin in engaging in tinder-box politics is a danger to our national security and you will see clear and concise evidence of how she was able to stoke the fires of hate and fear. Yet, the media reveres her and allowing her to opine of any issue facing the American people today. I am of the opinion it is akin to asking David Duke where he thinks this country needs to go.
In my past piece I wrote: “She has said of Ayers that he was a domestic terrorist, but in our recent history, we did in fact have a true domestic terrorist who was deluded and pushed to the breaking point in Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh’s anger at the government resulted in his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City where 168 innocent people lost their lives. Can Palin’s divisive speeches create yet another one just as dangerous as Tim McVeigh was?”
At one of her rallies, Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott while dressed in his uniform, invoked Barack Obama's middle name which is Hussein stoking the fires of hate towards Muslims. That is far more dangerous to our nation than what Letterman did to her.
In her past rallies which thousands came to; only to hear chants of “Kill him” or “terrorist”, it was her responsibility to tell them to stop. At one of her rallies a black cameraman was told to “sit down boy”
Rush Limbaugh has often cited that Sarah Palin is the true head of the Republican Party and that should scare every single American if so many would follow someone so hateful. Do not let her winks and “you betchas” disarm you.
If she is that concerned over her daughter, then why did she take her children to so many of these hate-filled rallies for them to hear such racist feedback coming from those who attended them? Why did she take them to a Philadelphia Flyers game only for beer bottles to be thrown in their direction? One of those beer bottles could have killed one Palin’s children as they stepped out onto the ice.
The hate she threw out to her rallies did indeed come back at her at the Flyer’s game.
The thing that absolutely terrifies me at this point is if Heaven forbid someone were to actually get close to President Obama and take a shot; is what it would do to our country as we face a myriad of problems from the economy, health care reform, millions of people out of work and the list is endless. We do not need to turn on our news at one point only to hear that our President has been assassinated.
Those I would place the blame on would be folks like Sarah Palin and those at Fox News who try to connect the recent killings of an abortion doctor and a security guard by two madmen to our President.
The clear and present danger to all of us is to listen to hate-filled speech coming from anyone at Fox News, Sarah Palin’s past comments, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of their ilk. We have much to solve as a nation and we surely do not need their voices stirring Satan’s cauldron of hate.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author for permission.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Looking for employment one can do from home
By Mary MacElveen
June 11, 2009
What may be my last post here on marymacelveen.com since I can’t afford to pay for it, I do have a free blog which is located at http://www.mary_macelveen.blogspot.com. I have never asked for donations as I have written my pieces over these past nine-years as a non-paid writer.
While I still enjoy writing, I have come to realize there is no money in doing so and quite frankly, I have to be somewhat selfish at this point and seek a job (preferably one I can do from home), since I am an epileptic and do not drive.
I am not a tech-savvy person, so intricate computer work is something I am not qualified to do. However, I am an energetic person who is willing to learn other jobs in order to make money.
I will be 51 years-old this coming July who wants to re-enter the job market after 19 years of raising two children who will soon be on their own. Getting one’s ducks in a row to plan one’s future is a must for me.
My strengths are sales since I once worked for Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and JC Penney. Other strengths are writing and great communication skills since I am a people-person. As a writer over these past nine-years, research is something I am great at when sourcing information for any column I have written. I do not know if there is money to be made in researching information, but I thought I would throw it out there. If you are a private investigator, perhaps you need someone to do research for you? That is a field that has always intrigued me. If you are in the news media and do need a person to research information from home, I am trainable.
At this juncture of my life, my goal is to make money and I am a driven individual.
You can contact me at xmjmac@optonline.net
June 11, 2009
What may be my last post here on marymacelveen.com since I can’t afford to pay for it, I do have a free blog which is located at http://www.mary_macelveen.blogspot.com. I have never asked for donations as I have written my pieces over these past nine-years as a non-paid writer.
While I still enjoy writing, I have come to realize there is no money in doing so and quite frankly, I have to be somewhat selfish at this point and seek a job (preferably one I can do from home), since I am an epileptic and do not drive.
I am not a tech-savvy person, so intricate computer work is something I am not qualified to do. However, I am an energetic person who is willing to learn other jobs in order to make money.
I will be 51 years-old this coming July who wants to re-enter the job market after 19 years of raising two children who will soon be on their own. Getting one’s ducks in a row to plan one’s future is a must for me.
My strengths are sales since I once worked for Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and JC Penney. Other strengths are writing and great communication skills since I am a people-person. As a writer over these past nine-years, research is something I am great at when sourcing information for any column I have written. I do not know if there is money to be made in researching information, but I thought I would throw it out there. If you are a private investigator, perhaps you need someone to do research for you? That is a field that has always intrigued me. If you are in the news media and do need a person to research information from home, I am trainable.
At this juncture of my life, my goal is to make money and I am a driven individual.
You can contact me at xmjmac@optonline.net
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Roloff Family: The giants of social activism
The Roloff Family: The giants of social activism
By Mary MacElveen
December 17, 2006
In writing of any form of social activism some times writers focus on the negative instead of the positive. I have been guilty of writing in the negative which has often left me feeling empty and I suppose it makes those who read my pieces feeling the same way. In writing positive pieces or observing positive social activism, instead of leaving one feeling empty, it fills a person. One must admit by observing the positive or reading a positive social activism, it leaves one feeling inspired. What also transpires is the eruption of tears, not filled with sorrow, but ones filled with joy. It also leaves one smiling ear-to-ear.
If I were to ask you who you think are the most powerful forces of social activism, what would your answer be? What cause would they be serving and who would be the recipients of their kind deeds? More importantly are you hearing of them every day? While I will not answer those questions for you, I will choose to place the spot light on a family who I believe moves mountains for the smallest of citizens.
For quite sometime, I have been a huge fan of The Learning Channel’s show “Little People, Big World” which in this writer’s opinion is the best reality show on television. It also spotlights the Roloff family who reside near Portland, Oregon on a 34 acre farm. Matt Roloff along with his wife Amy are dwarfs. They have four children whose names are Jeremy, Zach, Molly and Jacob. Both Jeremy and Zach are twins, but you would not know it since Jeremy is of average height and his twin Zach is a little person. Both Molly and Jacob are of average height.
You would think that being dwarfs would be an arduous life for Matt Roloff, but it is not. In fact one of his favorite words is resilient. For a little person, he is a giant when it comes to social activism and his activism is to help those who are short in stature live lives to their fullest potential. This is not often a condition one thinks of when it comes to helping out their fellow man, but Matt saw a nitch, grabbed it by the horns and ran with it. As one watches him the term boundless energy comes to mind. He never stops and the community of little people are his benefactors.
Often when little people go to hotels, they meet many obstacles such as not being able to reach the sink or hang their clothes in the closet. In 2003, Matt started a company called Access Solutions which sells benches that little people can climb up on to reach what was inaccessible to them in the past. They sell them to many major hotel chains, so if a little person checks in a hotel, they can make use of their facilities. Matt founded this company with his partner, Mike Detjen. Those of us who have checked into hotels think nothing of grabbing for an extra pillow or blanket on the shelf of a closet, but for little people this is an obstacle. To meet that need they also sell a reach grabber.
Amy does not let her size stop her from coaching a soccer team. In one episode that I watched she became the coach. Parents of those playing on this team did not know what to make of her, but to her credit, she proved she could make a goal. Her son Zach since he cannot play for teams that are mainly geared towards average size people, has assisted his mother in coaching this team.
For those of you who are not fully aware of this condition, I invite all of you to read up on Dwarfism. As you will read there are many forms of dwarfism such as achondroplasia, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, diastrophic dysplasia and many other forms of this condition. These are the people that the Roloffs have been helping. While there is no known cure for dwarfism, there are treatments such as growth hormone treatment and those who have this condition have had to go through numerous surgeries especially on leg bones, hip bones and the spine.
Often those who are little people are discriminated when trying to gain employment and as one watches this show, ‘Little, People, Big World’, it helps to break down the barriers. Hopefully those who once discriminated against little people can see that they are just as able. Matt often speaks to school age children to explain what this condition is so that when they grow up, they will not be the ones that do make fun of little people.
Every year there is a Little People Conference held in various cities. It is a place where little people can come and just be themselves. Often the place in which they reside year round does not have a social support system or a huge population in which these teenagers can socialize. This is something that we average size people take for granted as we raise our average size teenagers. Each year, the Roloff family attends in order to help their son Zach to be with those his own age and more importantly size. It is also a conference in which little people can network. Leaving these conferences is hard since many will not see each other till the next one. Although, Zach has flown to meet two friends who are identical dwarfs. Like Zach, those twins also have boundless energy.
In one episode they met with an orthopedic doctor who examined Zach to see what further surgeries he will need since as I stated above dwarfs often have to go through numerous surgeries. But, as I have watched this show, it does not stop this teenager from fully enjoying life. At these LP conferences, he has made life long friends.
Amy Roloff has been actively involved in Little People of America for some time now and as one sees her network at these conferences as she speaks to teens that are also of small stature. In Amy, they do have a role model in order to learn from. We often see average sized teen girls having a hard time connecting, just think how a teenager who is a little person must feel. That is where women like Amy Roloff do play a huge part in making them understand that the sky is the limit.
In the episode “Matt’s on a Mission” the first mission undertaken by Matt's new organization, the Coalition for Dwarf Advocacy, was to help get a 5-year-old dwarf child adopted by an average-height couple. This little boy’s name is Chance. He was given up at birth since his birth parents were not able to care for him and for the first five years of his life, he spent it in a hospital. Thanks to Matt’s help, he is now adopted out and this organization helped with the cost of this adoption.
While the adoptions of average size children are expensive, the adoptions of these children exceed that since their medical care is something we often do not think of. Chance has been tethered to an air tube for most of his short life, but hopefully soon it will no longer be necessary. He cannot speak at this point, but as I watched this episode, he was able to communicate with his eye brows and hand motions. His new average size parents had been trying for a long time to have a child, without success, but when they saw Chance, they knew they had to adopt him. I must say when seeing this little boy, I did not see him as being physically disabled, but a beautiful little boy with an expressive face.
Everyone has heard the term ‘Must see TV’ and I would have to say that this reality show, “Little People, Big World” is as real as it gets. They are not creating drama, but just showing how a family lives, works and helps their fellow little people. While I have not really spoken of Jeremy, Molly and Jacob who are of average size, Matt and Amy treat all of their children the same. They all work as a family unit and as one watches this show, one does not see the differences only how alike they are. In fact, I no longer see their disabilities, but their abilities to live life to its fullest.
Author's note: Ever since writing this article, I have noticed for quite sometime that this one article has remained in the top ten and even the top five articles read on my blog. I marvel at this and would like to hear feedback as to why you are choosing to read it and how you came about reading it. I am both humbled and honored that Matt Roloff and his mom, Peggy Roloff did email me to thank me for writing this column.
Author's address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
Copyrighted material: Should you wish to use any portion of this column, please email the author.
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