Justice For Trayvon Martin Should Have Been Served Hot

The unfortunate and tragic incident involving the shooting of a young black kid, Trayvon Martin, has got me doing some reading as I try to come to my own unbiased conclusions.  From what I have read so far, I see it as an isolated case of  an unprovoked confrontation gone wrong.  Nothing I read made me think it had anything to do with race.  Zimmerman, the guy who shot young Trayvon, acted over zealously and obviously has some underlying and unresolved personal issues.  No one knows what was driving him that night.  It would have been advisable to have him tested for drug use following the shooting but unfortunately this was not done.

This case has gotten more than its fair share of publicity due in part to the racial undertones that also makes it so volatile.  Should Zimmerman have been arrested and charged? Absolutely.  Manslaughter, or second degree murder charges should have been brought against him.  It was indeed a miscarriage of justice on the part of the system.  The definition of justice states: ‘The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law’.  Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but when there someone is killed in an altercation, the killer, if his guilt could be ascertained, should be arrested then and there.  Heck, I’ve known several cases right here in my city where a home owner was charged for defending his property.

In a world where fear and hate walk hand in hand, events like this unfold daily with the same consequences.  Maybe it was a hate crime, maybe it wasn’t.  Either way it should never had happened but it did and it does and I hate to say it but it will always happen.  What should we do?  We have to be ready to forgive and not seek revenge.  Ready to be open to the fact that even though they acted like monsters, they are still humans in need of help.  Zimmerman obviously had demons that night.  He was walking around armed and willing to use firepower on an unarmed youth that he outweighed by 40 pounds.  It doesn’t matter if the kid was white or yellow, justice must be served.

It is a pity that it took the voices of the masses to finally spur the system to right the wrong and seek to bring charges against Zimmerman.  I hope that he gets a fair trial and come to terms with what he did.  I also hope he seeks and gets the help he certainly needs.

And that’s my take.

NOTE:  Immediately after drafting this blog, the news broke that George Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second degree murder of the unarmed youth.  I added the last paragraph and changed the topic to reflect this.

Related articles

• George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Trayvon Martin Case [VIDEO] (hellobeautiful.com)
• George Zimmerman: Victim of Racist Hatred and Liberal Ignorance (thecollegeconservative.com)
• Zimmerman dodges first degree murder charge and launches website (lameducks.wordpress.com)
• George Zimmerman Could Be Charged With a Hate Crime [Trayvon Martin] (gawker.com)
• Open Season on Bunnies and Black Folk… (darkactsbible.wordpress.com)

Manitoba Child and Family Services

When my wife and I decided to be good Samaritans and intercept my cousin on his way to a group home, we naïvely thought that with the support from Manitoba CFS, we would be more than capable to offer the care and discipline he desperately needed.  We couldn’t have been more wrong.  In terms of receiving support that is.

Let me stress than monetary recompense was never a reason in our decision.  As a matter of fact, it is more of a financial burden than it is a windfall.  If you have a teen-aged boy you would know.

Our first few weeks of being Foster Parents went well.  We had regular sessions with our CFS case worker.  We were made to feel that they would be there if we ever ran into any problems.  We didn’t expect it to be a breeze, even with three kids of our own.

We soon found that our new son’s scholastic performance was at a  grade five level.  He was in grade nine.  Without hesitation, we contacted CFS to find out how we could get him into a program for upgrading, maybe also provide funding or at least help to defray the cost.  We were shocked to learn that not only did they not have any such programs but were also unwilling to assist in any way.  We ended up enrolling him in Saturday classes at a cost of almost $110 per session.  (When it was time to do our taxes, we found that we couldn’t even claim this cost).

According to CFS, money is an issue hence the lack of financial support for many programs.  I understand that but what I don’t get is the speed in which they were able to get our foster son a mentor to take him out once in a while for a couple of hours.  Coincidentally, the mentor cost more than his tutoring.  Heck, the mentor made more than the parent he even got more than we did for keeping him full-time.  (Not that I’m complaining, mind you but what is priority?)

Our foster son is also seeing a child psychologist who has some reservations about his mental acuity and has tried to schedule some tests for a few months now.  CFS has not been exactly eager to assist him in this regard either.  More dead ends.

A month ago, we had some issues with our foster son that drove us to the edge.  We were ready to call it quits and called our case worker for an intervention.  We left him a voice message stating how dire the situation was and that we were ready to throw in the towel.  He did not come with tires squealing in our driveway.  In fact he did not come at all nor did he return our call.  It’s a good thing it wasn’t THAT dire.

It brings to mind the case of  Phoenix Sinclair.  This five year old was in the care of CFS and was murdered by her parents.  She was not even missed for nine months after her death!  I am not saying they are to be blamed but I am saying they dropped the ball when it came to being there for her.

There are other instances where we have found CFS to be more of a hindrance than a help. (I hate to be so harsh but it’s the truth).  Maybe we expected too much from them?  Maybe others have more flattering stories? Maybe they are pushed thin by lack of Government funding thus handicapping their ability to provide proper services? I don’t know.  What I do know is that whatever it is, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Related articles

• The Basics About Becoming A Foster Parent (slideshare.net)
• So You Want to Be a Foster Parent (temporarymommy.wordpress.com)
• http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/265992 (read details of baby Phoenix here)

Don’t speak ill of the dead. Oh, and don’t lie either

Reading the newspaper this week, I came upon yet another murder in my normally peaceful and perfect city.  This time it was a 21 year old aspiring model.  A handsome looking dude from the pictures.  He was  found shot to death in the front yard of a house located in a not-so-nice part of the city.

This happened last Saturday and has been in the news for the last few days since then.  One thing that stood out for me was the fact that his friends and family were very adamant in insisting that this young man had no ties to gangs or drugs, thus lending credence to the  ’That’s what they all say” mantra.

The newspaper’s front page this morning stated that the police were investigating possible gang link in the killing.  The deceased was apparently wearing a Hell’s Angels’ support T-shirt when he was found.   Wearing a T-shirt or any other item of clothing does not necessarily qualify as being a gangster but the fact that he was in the company of gang members in a car stopped by cops back in February and his older brother is a known gang member, does nothing to allay suspicions.  Too many coincidences.

So, when someone dies, do we tell their life like it was or do we try to paint a more acceptable picture of them?  If so, why?  Why isn’t it koshered to say ‘Ole Sam was one ornery man.  He never had anything nice to say and was cruel to humans and animals alike.  Yep, that’s Sam.  He sure wasn’t a good man.”  That would not only be the truth but reflects exactly what everyone knows about the deceased.   Why say he was a good man with good intentions when everyone knows or suspect that he was far from that?   It’s up to the deceased to sell his ‘good man’ story to God.  We can’t help him in that regard.

The question now is, since we are told not to speak ill of the dead, do we lie about the dead? But we were also told not to lie, so which one takes precedence?  Does the saying, ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’ apply to the dead?

Oh my!  There must be some really quiet funeral services out there!

Just my take.

 

Graduated licensing proposed for seniors

Last week Friday a friend and I pulled into a restaurant’s parking lot.  The car in the spot in front of us was parked haphazardly.  It was straddling the lines at the side and at the back.  Seemingly,  the driver had some problems navigating the space.

While we were getting out, the driver exited the car.  It was an elderly woman.  she was almost doubled over in half and my friend and I exchanged glances.  We both were having the same thoughts.  ”She should not be driving!”  It wasn’t her age or her physical setbacks.  We made a call based on what we saw.

On our lunch, we both conversed on the reasons why there should be a Graduated Licensing System.  There are elderly men and women who are great drivers but on the flipside, there are many who are suffering from age-related deterioration in their abilities to operate a vehicle.  Their pride makes them cling to this last vestige of their independence.   An elderly woman that my mom once worked with admitted that her ability to drive was so diminished that she would usually follow the car ahead of her.  Thankfully, she gave up her license before something terrible took place.

With Graduated Licensing, seniors who pose a threat to other motorists and themselves would be weeded out from those who are still able to drive and recognize traffic rules.   This would also remove this unenviable task from the family.  Have you Tried  taking a senior’s Driver’s License?

So I greeted news of the proposal of such a system in Canada with eager anticipation.  Read story here.  Any system that could reduce injuries and lost of lives is ok with me.

Related articles

• New rules for licensing young drivers aim to reduce number of road deaths (calgaryherald.com)
• CMAJ editorial calls for graduated licences for seniors (cbc.ca)
• In Defense of Older Drivers (businessweek.com)

FRESHLY PRESSED BUT NOT THE BEST

I like to browse the ‘Freshly Pressed’ blogs.  Sometimes I would find one that is thought provoking or a few that are just great reads and put a smile on my face.   On occasions, I have clicked on more than a few that possessed none of those qualities, at least in my humble opinion.   (Nothing wrong with that, mind you.  I have re-read some of my own blogs and found them to be lacking in substance too.  Blogging is serious work).  The thing about those Freshly Pressed non-substance blogs though is that it seems that everyone feels compelled to click the ‘like’ button,make a comment and follow the blogger.   Thankfully, I don’t feel such a compulsion.  If I click ‘like’, make a comment or follow your blog, rest assured that I genuinely felt the blog. Not because it’s Freshly Pressed.

Like I said before, there is nothing wrong with a blog that does not hold everyone’s interest.  Maybe what I find flat and boring is actually a  good read to others.  That’s why sometimes I have given a few blogs the benefit of the doubt by  re-reading.  Just to see if I missed anything. ”Well this one has 250 likes and pages and pages of comments so it really can’t be that bad.  Maybe I am too dumb to get it.   Boring blogs don’t have 300 plus followers, or do they?”

To the WordPress people, if I am ever considered for Freshly Pressed, can you please break protocol and give me prior warning?  Just so I could squeeze out something readable.  And you, if you ever come across a blog of mine that is Freshly Pressed, click ‘like’ ONLY if you think it’s likeable.   (Maybe that’s what you have been doing all along and that’s why I don’t have that many likes…that would explain a few things).

Just another take.

Related articles

• 8 reasons why I shouldn’t be Freshly Pressed (anerdslife.wordpress.com)
• Will I ever be Freshly Pressed? (debsanswers.wordpress.com)
• Me So Wanna Be Freshly Pressed “Make it Big in the USA Just because you are French” (frenchalacarteblog.wordpress.com)
• Born To Blog (caramieandtheboyz.wordpress.com)
• What The Hell Are They Thinking at FRESHLY PRESSED? # (evelyngarone.wordpress.com)
• Letting go of Freshly Pressed (bluegrassnotes.wordpress.com)
• Awards for the rest of us (year-struck.com)