Huntington Beach, Calif., Activists Want Maya Angelou's Book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" Pulled From School Libraries

Huntington Beach, Calif.,  activists are pushing to remove one of Maya Angelou's most famous books from school libraries. They say "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" includes material that's not appropriate for children. A scene from the book, that depicts the rape of an eight-year old girl, was read aloud Monday night during the Huntington Beach City Council meeting. One resident, Judy Ahrens, said "I'm not happy to read this, I'm not proud to read this." "It's very uncomfortable to read it, but for the sake of our kids we have to do things that aren't comfortable for the sake of our kids." I guess the Harry Potter books about sorcery are far better than real life situations cited in Ms. Angelou's book. These people are upset that the book can  be found in school libraries in four separate school districts.

Ocean View School Board Trustee John Briscoe said that the book contains child molestation scenes, lesbian scenes, teen sex scenes and teen pregnancy scenes. Never mind the fact that 115 girls out of 800 at a high school in Chicago are pregnant. It isn't as if we can sweep all the unpleasant and criminal things some children may be confronted with in life under a rug. Child molestation is a reality, not to mention teen sex and teen pregnancy. This book isn't for elementary school students, but high school students, some of who are already sexually active and some have also been pregnant or know another student who has been.

The mayor of Huntington Beach says he allowed the speakers to continue because he feels it's a matter of freedom of speech.  "Comments can be on whatever you want, and we don't try to dictate what people say, and we ask them to be courteous so it's not a personal attack, and we kind of say, 'Keep the personal attacks down,'" said Huntington Beach Mayor Keith Bohr.

John Briscoe says he's brought the issue to several school boards, but he says so far no one is doing anything about it. "And the first response in any bureaucracy is to wait and see and delay and defer and maybe the problem will go away," said Briscoe. "This problem isn't going away. I'll be on this like a hen on a wet worm. I'm not going to stand for this kind of literature." Source: ABC Local

Here's the irony in all this hoopla. The superintendent of Ocean View School District says as soon as the matter was brought to their attention, they submitted the book for review. He said that in his district there are only two copies, and it's been checked out five times in the past five years. Gee, so much for children making a mad dash to the library to check out "I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings." As a parent of elementary and middle school aged children, I do have a real concern with the subject matter of the books being presented to my children. I feel that some books of a more graphic nature are not meant for elementary school children. But there have been instances in which 12 year old girls have become pregnant and girls much younger have been raped, so this is certainly no secret to a middle school child.

Music Stars Demand Records On Bush Administration's Use Of Music For Torture at Guantanamo Bay

A group of prominent musicians are throwing their support behind a campaign to close Guantanamo Bay and are demanding the release of records about what music was used during the potential torture of detainees there and at other facilities. It is ironic that former vice president Dick Cheney is speaking up again and this time he is accusing President Obama of libel against the interrogators. Funny how he is mum on this latest movement. The following musicians are showing their support by joining the broader National Campaign to Close Guantanamo: Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, R.E.M, Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne, Rise Against, Rosanne Cash, Billy Bragg and the Roots. They are joining the effort which is being led by retired generals, progressive groups and a former member of Congress to shut GITMO down.

The more blaring objective of this movement is to cast further light on the potential illegalities that took place at the detention facility.  The group is working to obtain records about why and how music was used (under laws authorized by the Bush administration) to effectively torture suspected terrorists. The musicians have officially endorsed a Freedom of Information Act request for the declassification of all secret government records pertaining to music utilized during interrogations. At least two members of the coalition, Reznor and Morello, have had their music linked to interrogations. If that's the case, then shouldn't the government be paying royalties to these musicians? Gee, how could I forget. Guantanamo is Dick Cheney's idea of the real America, torture and all. The National Security Archives will be officially filing the FOIA request on behalf of the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo (NCCG).

According to the Huffington Post, the FOIA, which is officially being distributed on Thursday, will be sent to the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Joint Forces Command, U.S. Army Special Forces Command, DOA Criminal Investigative Task Force, Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Communications Commission, FBI, CIA, and the Department of Justice. It requests "all documents, including but not limited to intelligence reports, briefings, transcripts, talking points, meeting minutes, memoranda, cables, audio/visual recordings and emails produced by the Central Intelligence Agency concerning the use of loud music as a technique to interrogate detainees at U.S.-operated prison facilities at Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-the present."

The use of jarring music during the interrogation of suspected terrorists has been reported in many works documenting the authorization of torture during the Bush administration. At least 20 declassified documents currently exist that reference the use of "loud" music to "create futility" in uncooperative detainees. Among the artists whose music is believed to have been used include Metallica, Britney Spears, the Drowning Pool, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen and the Bee Gees.

The reality is that if the music was used without the permission of the musicians that's just illegal. We can't go on the Internet and download music without paying for it in some manner, then why should Dick Cheney and his cohorts be allowed to do the same, all in the name of torture, I might add.

Sacramento State University Student Quran Jones Beats Roommate, Scott Gregory Hawkins to Death with Baseball Bat

I am appalled at the level of violence that is occurring on many college and university campuses lately. Violence shocks the campus of Sacramento State University. Quran Jones allegedly beat his roommate, who has been identified as Scott Gregory Hawkins, 23, to death with a baseball bat Wednesday afternoon. He was later shot with a pepper ball gun when he charged the campus police officers with a knife. When that didn't work, he was shot with their guns and wounded. He is currently hospitalized.
The police said Jones will be arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of murder and attempted murder of a police officer when he's released from the hospital. The victim's identity is expected to be released this morning by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office, after his family has been notified. The authorities have not been able to ascertain what prompted such a violent outburst from Jones Wednesday. Students said the two men were roommates in a five-person suite and had no known prior conflict.

The disturbance began shortly after 2 p.m. when campus police responded to a disturbance on the first floor of the American River Courtyard residence hall. They found an injured man lying on the floor, said Dan Davis, chief of the CSUS police. This is a tragedy and one doesn't expect students to lose their lives on college and university campuses. The streets aren't safe and apparently some colleges aren't either.

Still developing. More to follow......

Child's Body Found In S.E. Georgia Landfill, Tentatively Identified as Missing Florida Girl Somer Thompson

BREAKING:  BODY FOUND IN S.E. GEORGIA LANDFILL TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED AS SOMER THOMPSON!!!!!

Clay County, Fla., authorities said the body of a small child was found in a landfill near Folkston, Ga., where Orange Park's garbage is dumped. Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said he fears it may be the body of seven year old Somer Thompson. The detectives said the body was found at about 3:30 p.m. at a the Chesser Island Landfill in Charlton County.

According to media reports, more than 100 law enforcement officers, twice that many U.S. Navy personnel, and a team of mounted search-and-rescue volunteers thoroughly searched northern Clay County Wednesday, looking for the girl who vanished without a trace Monday afternoon while walking home from school.

The child Somer is described as 3 feet 5 inches tall and 65 pounds with brown hair in a ponytail with a red bow. She was last seen wearing a cranberry-colored sweatsuit with pink stripes on the sleeve and pants. She also had a black, pink and white backpack with a skull and hearts. She may be wearing a white hat and scarf. Her mother described a large, irregular shaped birthmark on Somer's left shin as an additional distinguishing feature. Source: News 4 Jax

This is, indeed, a sad turn of events if this is the little girl's body. This is such an eerie reminder of the untimely death that Jessica Lunsford met at the hands of a sex predator.

John Breck, 55, Private Security Guard at Newark Airport, NJ, Arrested on Charges of Threatening President Obama

John Breck, 55, a private security guard at Newark Liberty International Airport  in New Jersey, has been arrested on charges of threatening President Barack Obama. The president is scheduled to land at the airport around 4:30 pm this afternoon to campaign for Governor Jon Corzine.

Port Authority spokesman John Kelly said Mr. Breck allowed police to search his Linden home. The officers found 43 firearms.  The U.S. Secret Service said Breck denied making any threats. Of course, did they honestly expect him to admit guilt? Why would anyone need to have 43 guns? We'll see how this case plays out in court and if the charges will stick.

Megan Williams, Who Claimed She was Gang-Raped and Forced to Eat Her Feces by Group of White Men, to Recant Her Story, Deja Vu for Rev. Al Sharpton

It seems like deja vu all over again for Rev. Al Sharpton. He revealed today that he gave a $1,000 Christmas gift card to Megan Williams, the African American girl from West Virginia who claimed she was gang-raped by a group of white men. She is now recanting her story and plans to call a press conference to apologize. After she apologizes, the cops should arrest her for filing a false report. Rev. Al wants cops to investigate whether the woman "fabricated her story" and the convicted men released right away "if they are being held under false information and she misled authorities."

You will recall that Williams, 22, told cops in 2007 she escaped from a ramshackle trailer near Charleston, W.V., where she was held captive for a week - and where she was raped, tortured, and forced to eat her own feces. Seven suspects pleaded guilty, and all but one are now serving long jail terms. Why would anyone plead guilty to a crime they did not commit?

Sharpton said he visited Williams after her horrific story broke and gave her some of his "personal money" after her supporters told him "she had no resources for Christmas."

Sharpton said that when Williams' lawyer notified him that she was changing her story, he immediately wrote to West Virginia prosecutors, asking them to "vindicate any wrongfully convicted individuals."

Brian Abraham, the former Logan County prosecutor who oversaw the Williams rape case, told the Associated Press he was mystified by her change of story. Abraham said the attackers - all of whom had lengthy rap sheets - were convicted on physical evidence and their own statements. Source: NY Daily News

This revelation couldn't come at a worst time for Sharpton, who is engaged in a war of words with conservative nutjob Rush Limbaugh. Sharpton was a vocal supporter of Brawley, a black teenager who made what turned out to be lies, more than two decades ago, of being kidnapped and raped by a group of white men. A grand jury ruling declared Brawley's explosive allegations were nothing more than a hoax. Sorry, for any one who deliberately misleads a court of law and the police, the punishment when the truth is revealed should be severe. If she will recant her statements, she should be locked up for a long time. The only people who should be present at this press conference are police officers and her attorney. She should be locked up immediately for what she did.

When her allegations went public in 2007, Sharpton rallied to her side and pressed authorities to indict the accused attackers for hate crimes, even as local NAACP leaders urged restraint, that's according to the NY Post. "Our involvement surrounded a call for hate-crime investigations and we did not know the truths or nontruths of the investigation," Sharpton said in a statement yesterday. The woman said her adopted mother forced her to make those allegations of rape and battery, among other things. They also managed to collect $70,000 in donations from people who really cared about this woman's plight and wanted to help her in any way they could.
Photo credit: Megan Williams, AP/Hung

Louis Farrakhan Reportedly Says "H1N1 Flu Vaccine Developed to Kill People"

Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam leader, is making some preposterous statements again. According to UPI, he reportedly said that the H1N1 flu vaccine was developed to kill people. These ridiculous comments were made  during an event to observe the group's Holy Day of Atonement, and also marked the 14th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington.

"The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. We just can't feed that many. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can," Farrakhan reportedly said during an event in Memphis, Tenn. "We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease."

According to UPI, he also said that many wise people won't take the vaccine. My husband and I decided not to let our children take the shot, but our decision was not based on the premise that the vaccine was meant to kill people. This is one of the reasons why many people choose to tune Farrakhan out when he speaks because some of his remarks are inflammatory and just crazy. In other words, if these allegations are true, he's saying that the President Obama approves of such a vaccine.