Obama Nominee, Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas Governor Signs Bill on Offering Ultrasounds Before Abortion

It's a good idea to require facilities providing abortions to allow women to see the ultrasound image of their fetus for the purposes of ensuring that an informed decision is being made.

On another note, the timing of the passing of this bill is interesting considering that Gov. Sebelius is nominated to lead the Health and Human Services Department.

From the article:

"The measure, which the governor signed on Friday, requires abortion providers who use ultrasound or monitor fetal heartbeats to give their patients access to the images or sound at least 30 minutes before an abortion. The amended law takes effect July 1." Source: New York Times

Jobless and Uninsured? Walgreens Offering Free Healthcare

It's great what Walgreens is doing to help those who are jobless in this economy. I didn't even know that Walgreens had clinics in their durgstores until I had a minor, yet urgent illness a few months ago. The clinic accepts walk-ins,and with my experience I was in and out. They even billed my insurance for the visit!

As we all know, there are so many people who are uninsured in this country, whether due to joblessness or unaffordability of ever-rising premiums. I imagine a trip to the local Walgreens will be much faster that going to a state-run free clinic, and healthier than forgoing treatment all together:

NEW YORK — Drugstore operator Walgreen will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year, providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments through its walk-in clinics, though patients will still pay for prescriptions.

Walgreen said patients who lose their job and health insurance after March 31 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. Typically those treatments cost $59 or more for patients with no insurance[...]

Patients must present proof they are unemployed, including a federal or state unemployment determination letter and an unemployment check stub. They will have to sign a form at the clinic saying they have lost their jobs and health benefits. If they find a new job or get new health insurance, they will no longer be eligible for free care.

Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don't have insurance of their own. Source: Huffington Post

For more information on these clinics at Walgreens, please visit their website:

Take Care Clinics

Have you been to a Walgreens clinic, and/or would you consider trying one?

Tell us about it!

Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas Indicted on Inmate Sex Charges, Lawyer Pulls Race Card, Cites "High-Tech Lynching"

The long arm of the law has caught up with another unscrupulous judge. Well, this one is of a different ilk. Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas was arrested Friday after a grand jury returned the indictments against him. He was released on $287,500 bond later the same day. According to media reports Judge Thomas was slapped with indictments totalling 57 counts and charges ranging from ethics violations to kidnapping, extortion, sex abuse and sodomy. If convicted of kidnapping, which is the most serious charge, he faces a prison sentence of 10 to 99 years in prison, Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr.

Wait, it gets better. His attorney, Robert Clark, used a phrase uttered by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas about the scandal involving Anita Hill -- the accusations against the former judge amount to "a high-tech lynching." He then pulled the race card -- "Did you ever think of the fact that this is the only black circuit judge we've ever had in Mobile County and that the right-wing Republicans have gotten rid of him?" "This is racism at its very finest." Let me get this straight. The former judge has been accused of some serious charges and the best his attorney could do was get in the mud and scream racism? Did anyone force this judge to allegedly do these things? The Alabama State Bar said its disciplinary commission suspended Thomas' law license Monday.

"The South hasn't changed all that much," Clark, described by the Mobile Press-Register as "a longtime and flamboyant fixture of the Mobile defense bar," told CNN on Monday. He said Thomas denies all the charges, and he questioned the credibility of the alleged victims. "Everybody that's listed in the indictment is either serving life for murder or some other horrible crime." Some have already recanted, Clark said, adding, "None of this is new stuff." He pledged he would "fight till the last dog falls."

The indictment returned Friday, offers few details of the alleged offenses but makes several references to Thomas forcing people to expose their buttocks "to paddling and/or whipping." The posted indictment had names of the alleged victims blacked out. But each of the nine alleged victims was in Mobile County Circuit Court on charges ranging from criminal mischief to murder, according to the Press-Register, which cited court records.

One of the inmates, according to the newspaper, went before Thomas on multiple occasions and faced several felony charges. He was sent to prison for a short time, but Thomas ordered him released early, according to the Press-Register. He was sentenced in federal court and later released and has since been accused of murder and attempted murder.

During Thomas' judgeship, he had a storage room furnished like an office near his eighth-floor chamber at Mobile's Government Plaza, the Press-Register said. Several criminal defendants have alleged, in affidavits and in court, that Thomas asked to paddle their buttocks in the room, and some said he suggested sexual encounters there, according to the newspaper. Source: CNN

He resigned from the bench in October 2007 before this drama hit the fan. He left just before being scheduled to stand trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary on ethics violations charges. The complaint was dismissed after Thomas' resignation and accused him of "extrajudiciary personal contact" with some defendants but does not refer to any sexual contact. The man is a pervert. No better than the scumbag running around among us with no good intentions. It is scary that this man could have been sitting on a bench and handing down sentences for any crime, when he has broken the law himself, and on such a grand scale.

Oprah Winfrey's Elite South African Boarding School Rocked by Sex Scandal for Second Time

Photo: Getty Images, Oprah's Girls' School in South Africa


Oprah Winfrey's elite South African boarding school for girls has been rocked by another sex scandal, less than two year after the first one hit. According to the "Afrikaans on Sunday" newspaper, seven students were suspended last week for sexually harassing their schoolmates. That's how these girls thank Oprah for taking them out of a depressing life that was seemingly devoid of a future as a professional.

One 15-year-old was accused of preying on another pupil and forcing other girls to lie to investigators about it, the paper reported.

"You have been found guilty of physical contact of a sexual nature with another pupil on campus, harassment, bullying other girls on campus and of being dishonest by not telling investigators the whole truth," a letter to her parents read. Other girls were caught fondling each other or trying to get other girls to join them in lesbian liaisons, the paper reported.

Oprah's spokesperson, Lisa Halliday, confirmed the girls had been suspended from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy School for Girls - but gave few details. "It is because they contravened the school's code of conduct," she said. "We regard the incident as confidential." Source: NY Daily News

I remember when the school was opened and the pride beaming from Oprah's eyes at her accomplishment. She said that it was the proudest moment of her life when she opened the $46 million school near Johannesburg in January 2007 to help high achieving but poor South African girls. Let me echo the words of Barack Obama from the campaign trail, in as far as it pertains to these suspended girls -- "you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig." Oprah tried to help these girls, but they were rotten to the core from the start. Sorry, really rotten to the core. There is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, but it's what also accompanied this -- bullying and trying to force the girls to lie to investigators -- that's the real slap to Oprah.

The school, which aims to house 450 girls in grades seven through 12 by 2011, offered free tuition, books and uniforms, as well as room and board. In return, the girls were required to follow the rules.

Ten months later, Winfrey sobbed uncontrollably after 15 girls reported they had been sexually abused by Virginia Tiny Makgobo, a matron who was supposed to be watching over them.

The talk show queen said the sex abuse charges hit her especially hard because she was raped and molested by a cousin, uncle and family friend when she was 9. "I am a mama bear when it comes to protecting my children," she said at the time. "These girls are like my children. That's not just rhetoric for me. I take their futures and the possibility for what their futures hold very seriously."

Dorm matron Makgobo was charged with indecent assault, common assault, soliciting a minor to perform an indecent act and verbal abuse of girls at the school. She denies the charges and is due back in court on June 1. Source: NY Daily News

I know that Oprah will get a lot of flack for what has happened again. But she can only control what these young girls do to a point and no further. I recall when I first started attending Mt. Alvernia High School in Jamaica, the boarding school had been disbanded because some of the girls were trekking across the street to Cornwall Boys' School's boarding school for sexual liaisons. Well, some of the girls at Oprah's school are engaging in the same pattern of behavior. For what it is worth, Ms. Winfrey has been honorable in her goals for the school and deliberate in her convictions because of her life story. You can't blame her for trying, but these girls should be ashamed of themselves. She ought to send them back to the slums from whence they came.

Sleeping on the job lands an airline worker in another state!

This takes sleeping on the job to a completely new level. Apparently a JetBlue worker decided to sleep on the job take a nap during his break, and chose the cargo hold as his resting place.

The poor guy didn't wake up until the flight was already in the air:

BOSTON — A JetBlue employee says he took a free flight from New York to Boston — after falling asleep in a plane's cargo bin.

The man was discovered by baggage handlers at Logan International Airport after the plane landed there Saturday. He told police he'd been accidentally locked inside the pressurized luggage compartment while taking a nap.

The 21-year-old man says he called JetBlue Airways officials when he realized he was no longer on the ground.

A state police spokesman says the man wasn't charged with any crime and was returned to New York when it was determined he wasn't dangerous.

JetBlue Airways Corp. says it's investigating." Source: Associated Press via Newsvine - Airline worker flies NY to Boston in baggage hold

Hopefully this guy has learned his lesson, because he could have been killed during this act of negligence. And of course you know if this had happened, the first thing his family would want to do is sue.

I believe that JetBlue should fire this employee for both sleeping on the job, and for his negligence in where he chose to sleep. Of course I'm sure he's not the only one doing this, but if for no other reason than employee safety and potential liability, they need to get rid of this guy.

What do you think? Should this employee be fired?

Kerby Revelus, 23, Goes on Murderous Rampage, Kills Two Siblings, Samantha, 17, Beheads Bianca, 5, and Stabs Saraphina, 9

Samantha Revelus, along with her 5-year-old sister, Bianca, left. Third sister, Saraphina, 9, center, was hospitalized with stab wounds (Boston Globe)



What could possess Kerby Revelus to go on a murderous rampage, killing two of his sisters and slashing one, is reprehensible and inexplicable. Today, students and faculty of Milton High School are mourning the death of Samantha "Princesse," a very promising young lady. The school's principal, John Drottar said that the honor roll student was "a capable, bright, and gracious young woman," who had hoped to study graphic design after her graduation. She will be remembered "for all her positive attributes and her contributions to our school," he said.



Revelus, 17, was stabbed to death, along with her 5-year-old sister, Bianca, who was decapitated, on Saturday by her brother, Kerby, 23. He was then fatally shot by police. A third sister, Saraphina, 9, is hospitalized with stab wounds. The motive for the stabbings remains a mystery, but according to the Boston Herald, Kerby Revelus often seemed confused to neighbors and friends after he returned home several months ago from a stint in jail.

Drottar said Samantha Revelus was "an invested student of our school," who was a member of the Poetry Club and the Caribbean Cape Verdean Club, known as the 3 C's. "While seemingly shy and reserved, reciting at the Poetry Jam or walking the runway in the 3 C's fashion show showed her confidence and spirit," he said. "She held the regard of her peers and the faculty. Her investment in her academics and her school was exemplary. ... Her teachers know her as an engaged student -- one who participated, one who cared about her studies, and one who cared about her interactions with peers and teachers."



Another sibling, Jessica Revelus, 21, said her parents, Regine, 42, who works at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Vronze, 45, who is a bus driver for Local Motion, a private transport company, were at work when the attack occurred. No parent should have to deal with such a horrific tragedy and at the hands of their son. Jessica said Kerby and Bianca were her biological siblings. Their parents adopted Samantha and Saraphina and brought them from Haiti around 2004. Saraphina's father is the nephew of Samatha's father, who died in Haiti. Source: Boston Globe

I am just so saddened by the fate that has befallen this family and pray that they will find strength and courage to go on. This young man was cruel beyond words and I am, indeed, saddened that he will not be brought to justice for these heinous crimes. There is a broader issue here and that has to do with parolees finding gainful employment. A relative has been said that he had been depressed recently because his criminal record was preventing him from finding a job. Though that is clearly no excuse for what he has done, it is an important issue that confronts many people convicted of a crime. Everyone can't be an entrepreneur, so that is not a viable alternative either.



I know that times are challenging for us all, but if you can spare a few dollars, please send it to this family. Local Motion, the father's company, has set up a fund for the family. Donations can be made to the Revelus Family Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 540 Granite St., Braintree, MA 02184.

Great Balls of Fire, National Weather Service and Emergency Officials Flooded with Calls from Residents Who Said They Saw Bright Lights in the Sky

What did folks see in the skies around 9:45 pm last night? Well, according to media reports, a team of scientists is looking into what could have caused bright lights in the sky that prompted hundreds of calls to the National Weather Service and emergency officials. Callers from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina described brilliant, streaking lights followed by an explosion-like sound around 9:45 p.m. Sunday.

One 11 News viewer in Carroll County e-mailed to say she "spotted a large fireball in the western sky. It started out being about star brightness, then increasingly got brighter and greener. As it got green, it had an orange sparkling tail...We saw it go almost all the way to the ground before losing sight of it in the trees."

A WBALTV.com visitor who was in Durham, N.C., wrote the following: "I remember seeing something greenish and changing colors. It was leaving a trail (not sure of the color). I never saw it hit the ground either because it faded, got covered by trees, or burnt out."

Another wrote: "I was driving South on Interstate 83 between 9:30 and 10:00 (Sunday) night when my wife and I both saw a streaking green light fall from the sky. It looked like a shooting star, but it was definitely falling to the ground and not shooting across the sky."

Virginia residents from Hampton Roads to Richmond reported seeing "great balls of fire" lighting up the sky in shades of yellow, white orange and blue. Some described the explosion as sounding like thunder. Source: WBAL TV

Well, I hope that the truth about this comes out and we are not left to wonder what in the world or out of the world that was.

Britons Seek De-Baptism From Religion Following Atheist Trend

Some Britons are up in arms about religion and want to dissociate themselves from God. Right, until the next devastation hits and then they'll run back to Him. Apparently more than 100,000 Britons have recently downloaded "certificates of de-baptism" from the Internet in a bid to renounce their Christian faith. The initiative was launched by the National Secular Society (NSS) and has followed many atheist campaigns around Britain, including a London bus poster which proclaimed that "there is probably no God."

De-baptism organizers rationalize this latest initiative by saying that it is in response to what they see as increasing stridency from churches, with the lastest "dust-up" occurring last week when Pope Benedict XVI stirred global controversy on a trip to AIDS-ravaged Africa by saying condom use could further spread of the disease. So, is the Pope the end-all and be-all of Christianity? So, if he says something controversial that has rocked your faith in God? Totally ridiculous. I don't agree with most of the Pope's views, but he isn't my channel to God, so I don't let him dictate my religious conviction.

De-baptism movements have already sprung up in other countries. In Spain, the high court ruled in favor of a man from Valencia, Manuel Blat, saying that under data protection laws he could have the record of his baptism erased, according to a report in the International Herald Tribune.

Similarly, the Italian Union of Rationalists and Agnostics (UAAR) won a legal battle over the right to file for de-baptism in 2002, according to media reports. The group's website carries a "de-baptism" form to facilitate matters. According to UAAR secretary Raffaele Carcano, more than 60,000 of these forms have been downloaded in the past four years and continue to be downloaded at a rate of about 2,000 per month. Another 1,000 were downloaded in one day when the group held its first national de-baptism day last October 25. Elsewhere, an Argentinian secularist movement is running a "Collective Apostasy" campaign, using the slogan "Not in my name" (No en mi nombre). Source: Breitbart

The fact that people are willing to pay for the parchments to apply for de-baptism is pretty damning. I know that church has not lived up to its ideals in many cases, most notably the Roman Catholic Church, but we are heading for trouble if this movement continues to gain traction. I am reminded of the Israelites and how God punished them in the desert for their disobedience. Another disaster of untold proportions will be a reminder that we are not as great as we think we are. It will be interesting to see if this movement takes traction here in the USA. There are already rumblings from atheists trying to get "In God We Trust" off our money and to get prayers out of schools.

Robert Stewart, 45, Faces Eight Counts of Murder, for Gun Rampage at North Carolina Nursing Home

Robert Stewart, 45, has done the unthinkable. He reportedly carried out a heinous attack on a nursing home, killing seven patients and a nurse at the Pine Lake Health and Rehab Center in Carthage, NC. It seems that these senseless rampages by armed thugs have been escalating in recent months. Thank God Stewart was shot by police and not killed. At least that what is being reported in the news. I pray this man will be able to stand trial for his actions.

Moore County District Attorney Maureen Krueger said that the slain patients ranged in age from 78 to 98. She said that Stewart, faces eight counts of murder and one count of felony assault on a police officer. I believe North Carolina is a death penalty state and he deserves that fate. Krueger said Stewart was not an employee of the nursing home nor did he appear to have been related to any of the patients.

Kreuger identified the residents who were killed as: Tessie Garner, 88; Lillian Dunn, 89; Jessie Musser, 88; Bessie Hendrick, 78; John Goldston, 78; Margaret Johnson, 89; and Louise Decker, 98. Jerry Avent, a nurse, also was killed. His age was not available. Krueger said Carthage police officer Justin Garner, 25, was injured, along with a visitor to the nursing home, 53-year-old Michael Cotton.

It has been reported that Stewart's wife works at the nursing home. His ex-wife, Ms. Griffin said Stewart had been recently reaching out to family members, telling them he had cancer and was preparing for a long trip and to "go away." Nonetheless, it was a barbaric crime and he deserves the death penalty for his actions. I hope this scumbag will face the music and succumb to his injuries, which would be the easy way out.

Archibishop Earl Paulk, Whose Leadership of One Time Atlanta-Megachurch Ended Due to Sex Scandal, Dies Early Sunday

Bishop Earl Paulk Jr., dies in disgrace after building a megachurch in Atlanta and mentoring pastors like Eddie L. Long & Clarence McClendon.

Archbishop Earl Paulk has died. You will recall that the evangelical pastor's leadership of one-time megachurch the Cathedral at Chapel Hill ended in a sex scandal when Mona Brewer filed a lawsuit alleging that the two had engage in an adulterous relationship spanning 14 years.

Atlanta Medical Center said Archbishop Earl Paulk, who was in his 80s, died early Sunday. The hospital could not release a cause of death, but he had been in bad health for the past couple of years after a battle with cancer.

Paulk co-founded the Cathedral at Chapel Hill in Decatur and helped grow it to a peak membership of about 10,000 in the early 1990s, until all the sex scandals started driving people away.

A lawsuit by Mona and Bobby Brewer (who are separated, maybe divorced by now), sparked a chain of events that ended in Paulk pleading guilty in January 2008 to lying under oath by denying affairs with other women. A paternity test revealed Paulk was the father of his nephew, Donnie Earl Paulk, who is now leader of the church. That was a whole lot of drama in and of itself. I hope Archbishop Paulk found peace in his final hours and confessed his sins. He misled way too many people for too long. Personally the man was a lecherous scumbag who betrayed even his own wife and cheated on her repeatedly. He was a good preacher, but he was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. I hope it is well with his soul.

UPDATE#1: Don Paulk, the brother of Earl Paulk, and the man's whose wife bore his brother a son, D.E. Paulk, has written a novel. Don Paulk's newly released novel "A Night in Gaza," focuses on the mind of a morally-conflicted pastor named Dan Hayden, who like most high-profile men succumbs to temptation and has an affair with a secretary. A tale as old as time, except that A Night in Gaza delivers a bone-chilling cautionary tale to men and reasons to avoid the same fate. I guess this he had an epiphany. 

For more on Bishop Earl Paulk Jr., read a more in-depth discussion of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill and the countless scandals that rocked its very foundation, CLICK HERE. 

UPDATE!!!: Ryan Moats police dash cam video inside

Most of us were outraged upon hearing how NFL player, Ryan Moats was detained and lectured by a Dallas Police officer, in front of the hospital where is mother-in-law lay dying. We first brought this story to you here:

The Hinterland Gazette

The Thomas Tribune (repost)

After viewing the entire 15 minute video, there is no doubt in my mind that the officer was being completely unreasonable. Even after hospital representatives vouched for Moats' story, the officer continued to detain and lecture Moats.

The video speaks for itself, and officer Robert Powell should be fired!

We've obtained the police car dash cam videos, and you can decide for yourself whether the officer behaved inappropriately.

Dashcam Video 1 of 2



Dashcam Video 2 of 2



If you would like to contact the Dallas Police department with a complaint regarding this incident, please see the contact information below:

Internal Affairs Division
1400 S. Lamar Street
Dallas, Texas 75215

Is the bad economy a good enough reason to reduce or suspend child support payments?

With more and more people being under and unemployed, courts are seeing a surge in requests to reduce or suspend child support payments. It's understandable that budget cutbacks need to be made under such circumstances, but it is fair for child support to be a focus?

Given that the custodial parent cannot reduce the amount of food and shelter the child needs just because of the economy, it is unfair for those paying child support to see a reduction in payments as a viable option.

From the article:

"It's really a teetering issue for child support offices," Ms. Marks said. "You have one party who is really desperate because they're not getting the full amount of support. And their expenses have increased, and their hours are probably decreasing."

On the flip side are the fathers, and "they don't have a job at all anymore," she said. "You try to maintain fairness."

The court will typically order fathers to pay a portion of their unemployment benefits in child support. But if their unemployment runs out, and they have no income, the court will temporarily resort to what is called "open support," Ms. Marks said. What that means, she explained, is "you don't have to pay any child support." Source: New York Times

Tell us what YOU think about this?

Ashley Biden, Daughter of Vice Prez Joe Biden, Mired in Scandal Over Video Showing Purported Cocaine Use

Veep Joe Biden and daughter Ashley Biden Dunand/Getty

President Barack Obama is dealing with another headache and if the allegations are true, it is, indeed, a shocking one. An explosive video has emerged allegedly showing Ashley Biden, the 27 year-old daughter of Vice President Joe Biden, snorting cocaine at a Delaware house party. The video is being peddled for $250,000 by the seller, a friend of Ashley's. Yes, a modern-day Judas Iscariot.

The tape, viewed by several news agencies, allegedly shows a man cutting up five lines of what appear to be cocaine. Moments later, a woman - identified by the person selling the tape as Ashley Biden - jokes that the lines aren't large enough, RadarOnline.com reported.

The unidentified man then hands over a rolled-up dollar bill, and the young woman with brown hair strolls to the table where the white powder was cut, pulls back her hair, reaches down and snorts a line, according to reports. After she snorts the first line, the woman lifts her head and wipes her nose, then snorts a second and third line of powder.

The video, which may have been shot without the woman's knowledge, was recorded at a raucous house party in Wilmington, according to the gossip Web site, and the man in the video is said to be Ashley Biden's boyfriend. Source: NY Daily News

I won't trash Ms. Biden because these are just allegations and people will do anything to smear members of prominent families. We have to wait to see if the tape is authentic and not doctored. All I know is, trust is out in Washington D.C. People will do anything for money, even if it means blackmailing a friend. I'll reserve judgment until the validity of the tape is established. Ashley Biden is the youngest of the veep's three children. She is the only one born to the vice president and his second wife, Jill. For the record, Joe and Jill Biden can't be held responsible for their adult children's actions. Wait, didn't President George W. Bush have a few embarrassing moments courtesy of his twins and what about Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy? Come on folks, let sleeping dogs lie. President Obama's approval ratings are still high. This won't impact him one bit. The lawyer shopping this video has backed out. Hmmmm. I wonder why?

Up and coming African American lawyer, Chiquita Tate stabbed 38 times; husband held

This is such a tragic story, and it seems as if there are quite a few details that have yet to be discovered in determining exactly who murdered 34 year-old,up and coming attorney, Chiquita Tate. Even though her husband is in custody, something just doesn't smell right about this story:

"Family members and friends in Chicago; Atlanta, Georgia, and Tate's adopted home -- tiny Baker, Louisiana -- are reeling from the grisly details of Tate's slaying, and police say it was at the hands of her husband, Greg Harris. They had been married about 14½ months.

Harris, 37, is in custody, accused of stabbing Tate to death. He is charged with second-degree murder and the illegal use of a dangerous weapon.[...]

Tate was representing a defendant in a high-profile murder trial when, police say, she became a homicide victim herself. Her body was found inside her law office on February 20. Tate was stabbed 38 times, according to a police warrant for Harris' arrest obtained by CNN.

While questioning Harris about Tate's death, police discovered an outstanding warrant for him in connection with a battery-domestic violence case. It stemmed from a December 22, 2007, incident at the couple's home.

Harris was accused of using "force and violence" against Tate, according to Baker City Court records. The court said Harris entered a not guilty plea on March 6, 2008, but did not appear for a May 8 pretrial conference. A warrant was issued for his arrest for contempt of court." Source: CNN

There are just so many open questions.

Why was she living with a man with a warrant for his arrest in conjunction with domestic violence against her?

Is it possible that her murder is connected to the high profile murder case she was working on?

Here's what our contributor, Kellea Tibbs, had to say about the story:

"I am so disturbed by this. You work hard to reach your goals and dreams and then this. Wow! Prayers go out to her family and all women in situations that they feel like they can't get out of everywhere." Source: Ivywriter on Newsvine

As this tragic story develops, we will be sure to keep you updated...

Is it okay to collect DNA from criminal suspects on the sly?

I'm not sure that it's a violation of one's privacy to have a DNA sample collected on the sly. How is this any different that collecting anything else that a person might leave behind?

They collect fingerprints, clothing fibers, and everything else during a criminal investigation, so why not DNA if it gets left behind?

Apparently this practice has caused controversy in the courtroom. From the article:

"The practice, known among law enforcement officials as "surreptitious sampling," is growing in popularity even as defense lawyers and civil liberties advocates argue that it violates a constitutional right to privacy.

[...]Critics argue that by covertly collecting DNA contained in the minute amounts of saliva, sweat and skin that everyone sheds in the course of daily life, police officers are exploiting an unforeseen loophole in the requirement to show "probable cause" that a suspect has committed a crime before conducting a search." Source: New York Times

So what do you think?

Dozens March in Protest Organized by Uhuru Movement to Honor Lovelle Mixon who Shot and Killed Four Police Officers in Oakland

It is unconscionable to me that people could march and rally to honor cop killer Lovelle Mixon, who was shot by Oakland police after he fatally shot four officers last Saturday. What is the message that the organizer, the Uhuru Movement, is sending? That they are condoning the horrific actions of a career criminal. Sorry, but had that been a white man who shot and killed four black cops, they would be throwing the kitchen sink and everything else that they could find. Heck, they might have even ended up in Washington D.C. at the Capitol in protest. How do you honor someone who has deliberately killed four police officers or anyone, for that matter? This sets a terrible precedent in Oakland and around the country. The shootings were by far the deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001, and the deadliest in California in nearly four decades, according to media reports.

"OPD you can't hide - we charge you with genocide," chanted the demonstrators as they marched along MacArthur Boulevard, near the intersection with 74th Avenue where Mixon, 26, a fugitive parolee, gunned down two motorcycle officers who had pulled him over in a traffic stop. He killed two more officers who tried to capture him where he was hiding in his sister's apartment nearby.

The protest was organized by the Oakland branch of the Uhuru Movement, whose flyers for the march declared, "Stop Police Terror." Many marchers wore T-shirts featuring Mixon's photo, including a woman identified by march organizers as Mixon's mother. The woman declined to comment and gave her name only as Athena. Lolo Darnell, one of Mixon's cousins at the demonstration, said, "He needs sympathy too. If he's a criminal, everybody's a criminal." Asked about police allegations that Mixon was suspected in several rapes, including that of a 12-year-old girl, marcher Mandingo Hayes said, "He wasn't a rapist. I don't believe that."

Bystanders had mixed reactions. Nicole Brown said that she can't condone murder but that police don't respect residents of the area. Daria Belt said she had no sympathy for the protesters but sympathized for Mixon's family. Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The organizers have managed to confuse two issues -- police brutality and criminal behavior on the part of Mr. Mixon. Genocide is a very strong word to use, especially when they chant Lovelle Mixon's name in the same sentence. He is a cold-blooded murderer and there is absolutely no justification for what he did. His family deserves some sympathy for being thrust in the spotlight, but it seems that by dint of their actions in the aftermath of these horrific murders, they may have been enablers of this man. Also equally devastating is the fact that Mixon's DNA has been linked to the rape of a 12-year old girl. He was a suspect in several other rapes.

Sorry Uhuru Movement, you are clearly acting contrary to the meaning of your name. You see "uhuru" means freedom, independence, not stupid and racist in your actions. The organization has sent a terrible message that they coddle and embrace criminal behavior for the sake of race. This is the same group that came to national attention during the presidential campaign when several members interrupted President Obama's town hall meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida, shouting slogans at him and held up a banner which read, "What about the black community, Obama?"

Simply shameful and let me end by saying, Lovelle Mixon is a disgrace to the African American community. Yes, there may have been issues with the Oakland Police Department, but Lovelle Mixon killed four officers trying to do their jobs. Nobody told him to pull the trigger and kill these men. Founder Omali Yeshitela (born Joseph Waller) and Uhuru Movement do you honestly think anyone in their right mind will take your organization serious?

Hat tip to contributor Cheri Thomas for informing me about the rally.

Yet another religious zealot: Why the LGBT community still has a long way to go to combat bigotry

I came across this article on a website earlier today, which describes how a young boy painted a penis on his parents' roof. The article asserts that the child's rebellion was as a result of his being gay, and presumably his parents' attitude about that.

Never mind what I think about the child's actions. That's irrelevant compared to the author, Tyson Bowers III's, display of religious zealotry. Bowers actually suggests that the child should be stoned, among other things. And this man calls himself a Christian, professing to be a "soldier of God, who walks in His light, and does His bidding."

So I ask, exactly what god does Tyson Bowers III serve? Christ would never have said the things he said about the boy.

I don't know about you, but I am so tired of people claiming godliness, yet being exactly the opposite. It shouldn't matter what you think about the child's lifestyle choice. Remember, we are still talking about a child here.

This man is one of the types who will wake up in hell one day and wonder how he got there. Seriously, things would be so much better if people could just live and let live. See for yourself what Mr. Bowers had to say:

Here is a prime example of home homosexuals have no respect for anything that isn’t sugar plummed with anal sin.

A young boy decided to paint a penis on his families home to show his support and love for other men. I want to know why this young man felt the need to violate his parent’s property with such sin and vulgarity. Did he feel like if he embarrassed his family that they would except his choice to be a twiddle rompus worshiper?

I wish stoning was still legal, because I would love it if his parents tied his anus loving mouth to a stake and throw stones at his sin filled body until he stopped breathing. Then he could join Satan in hell!

To all that find this photo funny, I tell you this. One day it’s large twinkies drawn on top of a families house and then the next it will be photos of gay men raping young children on billboards if you keep accepting this form of propaganda. Source: Christwire.org

Rapper Clifford Harris Jr., Known as T. I. Sentenced to One Year, One Day on Gun Violation Charges

Rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pannell to one year and one day under a negotiated plea. The deal qualifies T.I. for credits likely to cut the sentence to about 298 day.

The 27-year-old rapper, wearing a dark suit and black shirt and tie, thanked the judge and prosecutors for giving him the chance to cut his prison time by speaking to youths about the pitfalls of crime, drugs and gangs. He has delivered that message to thousands in recent months.

“It means just as much to me to make you guys proud for what you have done as it does for me to make myself and my family proud,” he said at the sentencing hearing in downtown Atlanta.

“I’m a man of integrity. I’m a man of morals, of standards, of principle,” the entertainer said. He acknowledged that, to many, that may be difficult to believe, considering his criminal record. Pannell said he would not have approved the deal — which includes far less prison time than federal guidelines call for on the weapons charges involved — if U.S. Attorney David Nahmias had not recommeded it. “I think it’s been a good experiment,” Pannell said. “I’ve come to resist the lockup mentality that we often find ourselves in.” Panell also told T.I. directly: “I congratulate you on the year of work you have done so far.” The sentence includes a $100,000 fine. Source: AJC

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, T.I. has requested assignment to a federal facility near Atlanta, and he will not have to report before May 19. Upon release, he must be in home confinement for 60 days, he will have to perform another 470 hours of community service and he will serve three years on probation. Before Pannell approved the deal, Former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young spoke to the judge on T.I.’s behalf, as well as Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Baptist megachurch.

Under U.S. Bureau of Prison rules, inmates can earn such credit only if they are sentenced to longer than a year in prison. T.I. should serve an estimated 298 days — or a little less than 10 months. He is expected to get credit for the two weeks he sat in jail after his arrest and before posting a $3 million bond. Source: AJC

I believe in giving people a second chance to prove themselves and T.I. has received that chance. The ball is in his court to live up to the expectations of the court and his supporters once the ordeal is behind him. I wish him all the best and pray that he will make God the focal point of his life. I also hope that he has changed his circle of friends. He doesn't need enablers, he needs the right people in his corner who are looking out for his best interests.

Lingerie boycott: Saudi women won't buy lingerie until shops employ female clerks

Kudos to the Saudi women for standing up and demanding female salespeople for their intimate apparel purchases. The irony of a female in Saudi Arabia being forced to expose herself by discussing her bras and panties with a man (other than her husband) is too strong to ignore.

Here are the details:

"Now a group of Saudi women — sick of having to deal with male sales staff when buying bras or panties, not to mention frilly negligees or thongs — have launched a campaign this week to boycott lingerie stores until they employ women.

Brazil's President Lula da Silva Blames "White People with Blue Eyes" for Global Economic Crisis

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva blamed the global economic crisis on “white people with blue eyes” and said it was wrong that black and indigenous people should pay for white people’s mistakes. Of course, this was a slap in the face of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was also in attendance at the press conference.

Mr Lula da Silva told reporters at a joint press conference in Brasilia: “This crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing.” He added: “I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimized more than any other should pay for the crisis.” Source: Financial Times

Prime Minister Brown was visiting Brazil as part of a five-day tour of Europe, the US and South America in preparation for the G20 summit to take place in London next Thursday. He made a joint appeal with Mr Lula da Silva for the world’s biggest economies to provide $100 billion to boost global trade. We know that the G20 summit will have some drama of its own because I am pretty sure that there will be many protesters milling about since President Obama will be in attendance. I won't dignify President Lula da Silva's comments casting aspersions on white bankers, but he is right about one thing, there are just a few black and Latino bankers that I have seen as well.

Suzanne Ellis Wants Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III Jailed for Failure to Repay $90K for Items She Bought

Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III is back in the news again. Suzanne Ellis, a former employee of Global Destiny Church, has asked a Gwinnett judge to put him in jail for contempt of court because he failed to repay a debt to her.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the contempt petition said that Weeks, and his church empire Global Destiny Inc. and TWIII Ministries Inc., never reimbursed Ellis for about $90,000 worth of items she was asked to buy as an employee. Stop right there..... Shouldn't a red flag have gone up immediately to this woman when they started asking her to purchase things with her own money totalling $90,000? Weeks and his former wife, Prophetess Juanita Bynum, were clearly living way beyond their means. Granted, these are the same people who have consistently failed to practice what they preached.

After Ellis filed a lawsuit seeking repayment and reimbursement for attorney fees in 2007, Weeks’ attorneys reached an agreement to reconcile the debt last year. But Weeks did not make the payments as set forth in the agreement, the petition says. Yeah, she's right. They ought to throw him in prison for this. The petition has asked that Bishop Weeks be jailed for contempt of court for a time not to exceed 20 days and be forced to honor the earlier agreement. The judge will first have to hear evidence to determine whether Weeks is in contempt. A hearing date has yet to be scheduled.

Isn't this a shame that a pastor could be mired in such financial mess, possibly through greed and living beyond his means? The Bible talks about our relationship with money in such detail and it is unconscionable that this man literally fleeced his congregation and caused the church to be evicted because of nonpayment of rent. He does not need to grace another pulpit as pastor of any church, anywhere and anytime.

Republicans are like an arsonist who complains that the fire department is wasting water!

I am beginning to view the Republican Party as little more that obstructionists to progress. Not only do their leaders shirk their responsibility for the many crises that this country finds itself in, but they spend an excessive amount of time engaging in anti-Obama rhetoric.

The old adage that "if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem" seems fitting. And I'm not the only one who feels this way.

CNN contributor, Paul Begala's recent commentary is a scathing review of GOP actions as of late:

Obama is trying to handle an immediate crisis while also laying the foundation for long-term growth. The Republicans are doing neither. They have no plan to stop the loss of jobs or to get capital markets functioning properly -- and they certainly have no plans for health care, education or energy, which are the keys to both long-term economic growth and long-term deficit reduction.

All the energy -- indeed all debate -- is on the progressive side of the aisle. The Obama administration's only intellectual challengers are on the left, where economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and others are offering a vigorous critique and proposing alternative solutions. But where are the Republicans? Doing nothing but complaining. Unless and until they do offer an alternative, they really have no right to whine about the president. For now at least, GOP stands for "Got 0 Plans." Source: CNN

Please tell me you don't expect me to feel sorry for AIG execs receiving death threats

I recently made a comment on an article that highlighted that AIG executives have experienced a surge in death threats since the whole bonus scandal recently blew up. Here's what I had to say about it:

"While I certainly don't advocate violence against anyone, I will remind folks that when you lay down with dogs, you often wake up with fleas. If the AIG executives thought that their decision to accept huge bonuses in the wake of the bailout, they are now being forced to rethink this logic..."

Source: The Thomas Tribune on Newsvine.com

Today I came across an article by David Rees in which he recounts his experience with death threats he received as a result of his post-9/11 political cartoons. His position is that the AIG executives (and those hoping to garner sympathy for them) are little more than crybabies who need to suck it up:

"Pay me $700,000 a year, or however much the AIG guy whining in today's New York Times made, and you can threaten me with death all goddamn day. Because do you have any idea how much money that is??? Hell, I'll let you throw rocks at me. I'll let you poison my soup. You can slash my tires and spray-paint my driveway. AND ONCE I GET ALL THAT MONEY, I'M TOTALLY PAYING OFF SOME STUDENT LOANS AND FIXING THE GARAGE ROOF AND BUYING SOME NEW PANTS. Because that's an insane amount of money."

Source: Huffington Post

I couldn't agree more with Rees! These fat cats need to suck it up and deal with the consequences of their actions one way or another.

Please tell me you don't expect me to feel sorry for AIG execs receiving death threats

I recently made a comment on an article that highlighted that AIG executives have experienced a surge in death threats since the whole bonus scandal recently blew up. Here's what I had to say about it:

"While I certainly don't advocate violence against anyone, I will remind folks that when you lay down with dogs, you often wake up with fleas. If the AIG executives thought that their decision to accept huge bonuses in the wake of the bailout, they are now being forced to rethink this logic..."

Source: The Thomas Tribune on Newsvine.com

Today I came across an article by David Rees in which he recounts his experience with death threats he received as a result of his post-9/11 political cartoons. His position is that the AIG executives (and those hoping to garner sympathy for them) are little more than crybabies who need to suck it up:

"Pay me $700,000 a year, or however much the AIG guy whining in today's New York Times made, and you can threaten me with death all goddamn day. Because do you have any idea how much money that is??? Hell, I'll let you throw rocks at me. I'll let you poison my soup. You can slash my tires and spray-paint my driveway. AND ONCE I GET ALL THAT MONEY, I'M TOTALLY PAYING OFF SOME STUDENT LOANS AND FIXING THE GARAGE ROOF AND BUYING SOME NEW PANTS. Because that's an insane amount of money."

Source: Huffington Post

I couldn't agree more with Rees! These fat cats need to suck it up and deal with the consequences of their actions one way or another.

Gotta love it ! Bob Cesca at HuffPo takes on Obama critics head on

I've gotta give it up to Bob Cesca, who basically picked apart the frivolous anti-Obama accusations being made by the Right. Here's just a little of what he said in his article:

The far-right's staggering disregard for the significant flaws of the former Republican president confounds logic when measured against their ridiculous attacks on the current president.

ATTACK: President Obama took a vacation to Hawaii.
REALITY: President Bush set a record for presidential vacations during two wars and a major hurricane.

ATTACK: President Obama's budget could double the national debt.
REALITY: President Bush's spending actually did.

ATTACK: President Obama is "shredding the Constitution."
REALITY: You mean there's a Constitution left to be shredded?

ATTACK: President Obama chuckled while talking about bailing out the auto industry.
REALITY: President Bush routinely smirked and grinned while talking about the significantly more serious issues of war and military casualties.

ATTACK: President Obama is incompetent.
REALITY: Do I even need to do the list?

ATTACK: President Obama is presiding over a one-party fascist government.
REALITY: This is not a joke.

Source: Huffington Post

Bob goes on to shoot down the latest anti-Obama accusation that has gone viral; that Obama's use of a teleprompter is a crutch.

When will the Right stop the baseless accusations and get on with the business of moving the country forward? Like most critics they never suggest any viable solutions.

I want to know what you think about all of this...

Gotta love it ! Bob Cesca at HuffPo takes on Obama critics head on

I've gotta give it up to Bob Cesca, who basically picked apart the frivolous anti-Obama accusations being made by the Right. Here's just a little of what he said in his article:

The far-right's staggering disregard for the significant flaws of the former Republican president confounds logic when measured against their ridiculous attacks on the current president.

ATTACK: President Obama took a vacation to Hawaii.
REALITY: President Bush set a record for presidential vacations during two wars and a major hurricane.

ATTACK: President Obama's budget could double the national debt.
REALITY: President Bush's spending actually did.

ATTACK: President Obama is "shredding the Constitution."
REALITY: You mean there's a Constitution left to be shredded?

ATTACK: President Obama chuckled while talking about bailing out the auto industry.
REALITY: President Bush routinely smirked and grinned while talking about the significantly more serious issues of war and military casualties.

ATTACK: President Obama is incompetent.
REALITY: Do I even need to do the list?

ATTACK: President Obama is presiding over a one-party fascist government.
REALITY: This is not a joke.

Source: Huffington Post

Bob goes on to shoot down the latest anti-Obama accusation that has gone viral; that Obama's use of a teleprompter is a crutch.

When will the Right stop the baseless accusations and get on with the business of moving the country forward? Like most critics they never suggest any viable solutions.

I want to know what you think about all of this...

Officer Robert Powell Delayed Texans Runningback Ryan Moats, Wife as Mother-in-law Jonetta Collinsworth Died in Hospital

UPDATE

Officer Powell has issued an apology, which I consider very suspect, since he initially said he did nothing wrong. Here's the apology in its entirety:

Dallas police Officer Robert Powell released an apology Friday through his attorneys:

"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions on March 18, 2009. After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions. With great remorse I accept my responsibility for adding to their grief in an already difficult time.

"I have attempted to reach Mr. Moats to express my personal condolences directly to his family and my regret about my actions. While these efforts have been unsuccessful so far, I hope we can talk soon.

"Again, I am very sorry for what I did and ask for the forgiveness of all those touched by these unfortunate events."

As far as I am concerned, he should be fired. They ought to stop hiding behind the fact that he is a rookie and stop telling us that he is a family man. If he were a true family man he would understand the situation Mr. Moats and his family faced.

This is a case of racial profiling and nothing else. A Dallas police officer who delayed Houston Texans' running back Ryan Moats from visiting his mother-in-law before she died in a Plano hospital has been reassigned to dispatch pending an investigation. He should be suspended pending an investigation. According to media reports, Moats, his wife, Tamishia Moats, and other family members were en route to Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano in the early hours of March 18th after being notified that his mother-in-law, Jonetta Collinsworth was dying. The vehicle reportedly rolled through a red light and was stopped by Officer Robert Powell in the hospital's parking lot. Okay, so since he stopped them in the hospital parking lot, a light should have come on after they apprised him of the situation. You see, Ms. Collinsworth wasn't on Officer Powell's schedule, she was on God's.

Powell kept Moats and another family member for 13 minutes, threatening Moats with arrest and lecturing him. By the time Moats was released and entered the hospital, Ms. Collinsworth had died. Dallas police have dropped the ticket. How noble of them. Of course, I am being sarcastic. I have to wonder if the Moats weren't black that the outcome would have been very different and the treatment at the hands of Officer Powell, who is white, would have been more cordial and less accusatory.

Thankfully, Dallas-Fort Worth television station WFAA-TV also obtained dashboard video from inside Powell's cruiser, detailing the exchange in which Powell threatened Moats with arrest. You see, the whole incident would have been shrugged off as the Moats being in the wrong and the officer correct in his actions.

When the car was pulled over, Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, and her great aunt got out of the car to get into the hospital. "Get in there!" Powell said, according to the Dallas Morning News' account of the footage. "Let me see your hands!"

"My mom is dying," Tamishia Moats replied. She and her great aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital, while Ryan Moats and another family member stayed behind, according to the report.

"I waited until no traffic was coming," Moats told Powell, explaining why he had rolled through the red light. "I got seconds before she's gone, man," he said, the newspaper reported. Powell demanded his license, which Moats produced, and proof of insurance, which Moats could not find. "Just give me a ticket or whatever," Moats said, his frustration beginning to show, according to the report."Shut your mouth," Powell told him, the newspaper reported. "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

Hospital security guards then arrived and told Powell that the Moatses' relative really was upstairs dying, the newspaper reported. But Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, checking Moats for outstanding warrants. He found none. Another hospital staff member emerged from the hospital and spoke with a Plano police officer who had arrived on the scene. "Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer told Powell, according to the Morning News. "She said that the mom's dying right now, and she's wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies." "All right," Powell replied, according to the report. "I'm almost done." Source: ESPN

This is a low-down dirty shame that this officer deliberately blocked the Moats from seeing this woman before she died. Officer Powell had a right to stop this guy, but he had no right to treat him that way, especially after it come corroborated that they were rushing to see Ms. Collinsworth before she died. Since when do you go to jail for running a red light? This officer was callously and deliberately stalled the couple.

Watch Video here...

Officer Robert Powell Delayed Texans Runningback Ryan Moats, Wife as Mother-in-law Jonetta Collinsworth Died in Hospital

UPDATE

Officer Powell has issued an apology, which I consider very suspect, since he initially said he did nothing wrong. Here's the apology in its entirety:

Dallas police Officer Robert Powell released an apology Friday through his attorneys:

"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions on March 18, 2009. After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions. With great remorse I accept my responsibility for adding to their grief in an already difficult time.

"I have attempted to reach Mr. Moats to express my personal condolences directly to his family and my regret about my actions. While these efforts have been unsuccessful so far, I hope we can talk soon.

"Again, I am very sorry for what I did and ask for the forgiveness of all those touched by these unfortunate events."

As far as I am concerned, he should be fired. They ought to stop hiding behind the fact that he is a rookie and stop telling us that he is a family man. If he were a true family man he would understand the situation Mr. Moats and his family faced.

This is a case of racial profiling and nothing else. A Dallas police officer who delayed Houston Texans' running back Ryan Moats from visiting his mother-in-law before she died in a Plano hospital has been reassigned to dispatch pending an investigation. He should be suspended pending an investigation. According to media reports, Moats, his wife, Tamishia Moats, and other family members were en route to Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano in the early hours of March 18th after being notified that his mother-in-law, Jonetta Collinsworth was dying. The vehicle reportedly rolled through a red light and was stopped by Officer Robert Powell in the hospital's parking lot. Okay, so since he stopped them in the hospital parking lot, a light should have come on after they apprised him of the situation. You see, Ms. Collinsworth wasn't on Officer Powell's schedule, she was on God's.

Powell kept Moats and another family member for 13 minutes, threatening Moats with arrest and lecturing him. By the time Moats was released and entered the hospital, Ms. Collinsworth had died. Dallas police have dropped the ticket. How noble of them. Of course, I am being sarcastic. I have to wonder if the Moats weren't black that the outcome would have been very different and the treatment at the hands of Officer Powell, who is white, would have been more cordial and less accusatory.

Thankfully, Dallas-Fort Worth television station WFAA-TV also obtained dashboard video from inside Powell's cruiser, detailing the exchange in which Powell threatened Moats with arrest. You see, the whole incident would have been shrugged off as the Moats being in the wrong and the officer correct in his actions.

When the car was pulled over, Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, and her great aunt got out of the car to get into the hospital. "Get in there!" Powell said, according to the Dallas Morning News' account of the footage. "Let me see your hands!"

"My mom is dying," Tamishia Moats replied. She and her great aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital, while Ryan Moats and another family member stayed behind, according to the report.

"I waited until no traffic was coming," Moats told Powell, explaining why he had rolled through the red light. "I got seconds before she's gone, man," he said, the newspaper reported. Powell demanded his license, which Moats produced, and proof of insurance, which Moats could not find. "Just give me a ticket or whatever," Moats said, his frustration beginning to show, according to the report."Shut your mouth," Powell told him, the newspaper reported. "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

Hospital security guards then arrived and told Powell that the Moatses' relative really was upstairs dying, the newspaper reported. But Powell spent several minutes inside his squad car, checking Moats for outstanding warrants. He found none. Another hospital staff member emerged from the hospital and spoke with a Plano police officer who had arrived on the scene. "Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer told Powell, according to the Morning News. "She said that the mom's dying right now, and she's wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies." "All right," Powell replied, according to the report. "I'm almost done." Source: ESPN

This is a low-down dirty shame that this officer deliberately blocked the Moats from seeing this woman before she died. Officer Powell had a right to stop this guy, but he had no right to treat him that way, especially after it come corroborated that they were rushing to see Ms. Collinsworth before she died. Since when do you go to jail for running a red light? This officer was callously and deliberately stalled the couple.

Watch Video here...

LaHeather Wilson's Baby Son, Christian Wilson, Left in Car Overnight in Texas Found Dead, Mother Picked Up Three Sons from Daycare, Forgot One in Car

Laheather Wilson, 35, has done the unthinkable. She left her seven-month old baby son, Christian Wilson, overnight inside the family car, still in his car seat. Okay, so here's what I have gathered so far. The woman picked up her three kids from daycare, according to MyFoxDFW.com.

She reportedly told told police that she went outside before 6 a.m. Wednesday and found her son unresponsive. She was charged with injury to a child and was being held at the Dallas County Jail Wednesday night. The overnight low recorded at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was 50 degrees.

Wilson's two other sons are now in the care of Child Protective Services. Could someone please tell me how this woman picked up three kids and didn't realize that there were only two, ages three and six, in the home with her? Prison, a lengthy prison sentence is what she needs for this gross negligence. Unless she was in a stupor from prescribed medications, there is no way she should escape the long arm of the law. She faces a second-degree felony for her actions.

LaHeather Wilson's Baby Son, Christian Wilson, Left in Car Overnight in Texas Found Dead, Mother Picked Up Three Sons from Daycare, Forgot One in Car

Laheather Wilson, 35, has done the unthinkable. She left her seven-month old baby son, Christian Wilson, overnight inside the family car, still in his car seat. Okay, so here's what I have gathered so far. The woman picked up her three kids from daycare, according to MyFoxDFW.com.

She reportedly told told police that she went outside before 6 a.m. Wednesday and found her son unresponsive. She was charged with injury to a child and was being held at the Dallas County Jail Wednesday night. The overnight low recorded at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was 50 degrees.

Wilson's two other sons are now in the care of Child Protective Services. Could someone please tell me how this woman picked up three kids and didn't realize that there were only two, ages three and six, in the home with her? Prison, a lengthy prison sentence is what she needs for this gross negligence. Unless she was in a stupor from prescribed medications, there is no way she should escape the long arm of the law. She faces a second-degree felony for her actions.

Joseph Showell, Grand Prairie High School Principal Takes Heat for Singling out Black Students to Improve their TAKS Scores

Principal Joseph Showell told the students

that their performance on TAKS affects

the school's rating. COURTNEY PERRY/DMN

So, a principal takes the time to show his students that he cares about their test scores enough to talk to them as a group and suddenly he's doing something wrong. I guess Grand Prairie High School principal Joseph Showell took a calculated risk, but sometimes that's what is needed to help our students realize their fullest potentials. He called 60 black students into a meeting and challenged them to do better on their TAKS tests. Let me also interject that Principal Showell is also black. So, the race card couldn't be pulled in this case. He felt that he could motivate them to do better, but wait, where are the parents' role in helping their children? Some of the kids appreciated what he did, but of course, there are always dissenters who see the glass half-empty and not half-full.

Principal Joseph Showell told the students that their performance on TAKS affects the school's rating. All of them were on the bubble. They had either narrowly failed or barely passed the exam last year.

Showell theorized that he could motivate the students to do better this year by explaining that their performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is important to the school's overall academic rating and reputation.

Such is the high-pressure world of TAKS testing, which plays out in March and April. Bad scores in a single subject by just one student subgroup – blacks, Hispanics, whites and the economically disadvantaged – can torpedo a school's academic ranking or sink a principal's career.

Some students appreciated his candor. Others were offended and felt singled out for criticism because they are black. "I said [to the principal], 'How can you call us stupid and not expect us to get mad," said Ashanti Rose, one of the black students called to the meeting last month.

At Grand Prairie High School, the black student subgroup had dragged the school's rating down in 2006 and 2007. Showell, who is black, decided in 2008 that it was time for a straight talk with the black students. He says he never called them stupid or demeaned them. Source: Dallas Morning News

This is the first time, from what I have read, that someone took the time to explain the situation to these kids and I applaud Mr. Showell for doing so. In 2008, black student scores improved and the school moved from academically unacceptable to acceptable. We need more principals like Joseph Showell to help our kids and more parents need to take the time to help their kids.

Joseph Showell, Grand Prairie High School Principal Takes Heat for Singling out Black Students to Improve their TAKS Scores

Principal Joseph Showell told the students

that their performance on TAKS affects

the school's rating. COURTNEY PERRY/DMN

So, a principal takes the time to show his students that he cares about their test scores enough to talk to them as a group and suddenly he's doing something wrong. I guess Grand Prairie High School principal Joseph Showell took a calculated risk, but sometimes that's what is needed to help our students realize their fullest potentials. He called 60 black students into a meeting and challenged them to do better on their TAKS tests. Let me also interject that Principal Showell is also black. So, the race card couldn't be pulled in this case. He felt that he could motivate them to do better, but wait, where are the parents' role in helping their children? Some of the kids appreciated what he did, but of course, there are always dissenters who see the glass half-empty and not half-full.

Principal Joseph Showell told the students that their performance on TAKS affects the school's rating. All of them were on the bubble. They had either narrowly failed or barely passed the exam last year.

Showell theorized that he could motivate the students to do better this year by explaining that their performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is important to the school's overall academic rating and reputation.

Such is the high-pressure world of TAKS testing, which plays out in March and April. Bad scores in a single subject by just one student subgroup – blacks, Hispanics, whites and the economically disadvantaged – can torpedo a school's academic ranking or sink a principal's career.

Some students appreciated his candor. Others were offended and felt singled out for criticism because they are black. "I said [to the principal], 'How can you call us stupid and not expect us to get mad," said Ashanti Rose, one of the black students called to the meeting last month.

At Grand Prairie High School, the black student subgroup had dragged the school's rating down in 2006 and 2007. Showell, who is black, decided in 2008 that it was time for a straight talk with the black students. He says he never called them stupid or demeaned them. Source: Dallas Morning News

This is the first time, from what I have read, that someone took the time to explain the situation to these kids and I applaud Mr. Showell for doing so. In 2008, black student scores improved and the school moved from academically unacceptable to acceptable. We need more principals like Joseph Showell to help our kids and more parents need to take the time to help their kids.

Iran: "Death to bloggers who write stuff we don't like"

It seems that Iran is considering putting bloggers to death for posting "offensive" material. Yes, I said put to death:

"A new Al Jazeera English video reports that Iran is considering a law that would make "offensive" blogging punishable by death. The video notes an Amnesty International report claiming that 90 percent of all state-sanctioned execution in 2008 occurred in Iran, China or Saudi Arabia." Source: The Hufington Post

Somehow I just cannot get over the idea that WORDS on a screen (be they offensive or not) warrants the death penalty. Just think about it, individuals and groups get offended over the smallest things. To think that someone's life will hang in the balance over something as subjective as an act being interpreted as offensive is ridiculous!

Even though this case is about a nation, I want to address the notion of being "offended" on both an individual scale and as a collective group.

First it is important to understand that being "offended" is the problem of the person or group who finds the offense, not the accused offender.

Second, one should also note that a natural byproduct of "being offended" is to make an attempt to control that which you find offensive; either by eliminating it all together, or at a minimum stopping the offensive behavior.

It seems to me that when groups (or countries) maintain a position that they are offended, it is about maintaining a certain level of control over the minds of the members of that group. In the end, we know that groups are made up of individuals. Therefore, it seems unlikely to me that everyone in that group was offended by a particular action upon its occurrence. On the contrary, there are typically a few who claim to represent the group who find the offense. And these few among the group incite others to feel the same way.

When people are individually offended they need to recognize that allowing themselves to be offended is essentially allowing themselves to be controlled by the actions of others. Ironically, this reactionary behavior is what causes people to feel that they lack control. As a result, they attempt to force others into adhere to their code of conduct to regain control of the situation.

Nine times out of ten the "offense" occurs when someone does not believe or think as one does. The notion of the possibility of offending someone has led to more self-censoring under the guise of political correctness than anything else.

If people spent just half the time focusing on the quality of their own lives, instead of looking over their neighbor's shoulder, they might actually find some enjoyment out of life.

And back to Iran, if they choose to move forward with executions of "offensive" bloggers, there is no doubt that they will incite their base to support this wickedness. There are lots of reasons I'm glad not to live in Iran, and another just got added to the list...

So what do you think?