The Worst Offender

It is in my opinion that this woman made a mockery of our humanity and civic laws as she was sentenced to a possible maximum of four years and eight months and will probably serve half that time in prison.  Also, I consider this case a violation of natural, universal and man made law and should have received a harsher punishment for her actions against her own biological child.

Details of the Napa Valley, California case can be read at the following:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/mistie-atkinson-incest-pleads-no-contest-california_n_1533908.html

In lew of the presidential elections process, something keeps having me think of Rick Santorum.  I don't know why but I thought he produced a list of Republican sex offenders once but I cannot find any trace of it anymore.  I may have got the name wrong.  However, with the hard work of other WWWers I found two lists, one for Republicans and the other Democrats of offenders, particularly ones who have victimized children.

For the Republican list is long but from a credible source:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1709387

For the Democrats the list is old as found on The Political Graveyard site, adjacent to the Rumormillnews:
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi/noframes/read/151648

Regardless of who's political side your on, the innnocent should be defended.

Republican or Democrat or neither, would you allow it in home or on the street?

Children And Psychiatric Medications

It is a shame when animals start to eat their own and while the field of psychiatry is often revered as a healthy entity, the truth of the matter is that it a for profit industry capitalizing on the vulnerable and now the young.  Here is a video done by the Citizen Commission on Human Rights International.  It a non profit mental health watchdog group and activists who are informed and accurate with concerns of the mental health institutions.  If in doubt of psychiatric care, please look over their site.  Despite the fact that the organization was founded by Church of Scientology, who are most popularly known from Tom Cruise's attack on Brooke Shield's use of psych meds, the message is debatable.  However, the quick fix is not to shove medications into child to pacify their behaviors, mental abilities or comprehension.  Each child should be looked at independent of doctors opinions, each should have a choice and voice on what they want and while adults in their lives need to explore other methods of coping, understanding and readjusting to their young.   

This video concerns labels children acquire and how mental health is eager to consider them/program them for a life filled with medication.

• "If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves." ~ C.G. Jung Integration of the Personality 1939
• "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."  ~ Stacia Tauscher
• "A child is a curly dimpled lunatic."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."  ~ Frederick Douglass
• "Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare." ~ Ed Asner

Pentagon Employees Purchased Child Pornography

According to CNET, NSA contractors and other Pentagon officials have been recognized as purchasing and downloading child pornography over the internet.  A newspaper article from the Boston Globe have reported the alleged criminal behaviors of those with high-level security clearance working for government agencies such as National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  An undisclosed number of people who used their government computers to obtain the illegal material, according to Polisite.com.    


The investigation was conducted designated as Operation Flicker.  The story is currently being reported by CNN and Foxnews.  Ironically, ICE (Immigration and Customs) had been investigating who had paid money over the internet to access child pornograpy and the sweep collected information on 5,000 people in 60 sting operations and involving 18 child porn sites in the Foxnews.com article. Several dozen worked for the Pentagon intelligence services. 


Sadly, according to reports the ICE division had given their reports to officials in 2006.  While just a few days ago, reports of an ex-Pentagon official receiving the maximum sentence for child pornography.  Military.com reports that reserve officer, Scottie Lee Martinez, 38 was given 80 years by Judge Jerome B. Friedman.  Martinez had plead guilty to producing child pornography and abusive sexual misconduct with a minor.  

• Martinez admitted that in 2009 he produced sexually explicit images of two minors, ages 5 and 11. He also admitted that he molested a child, who was between 7 and 9, at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, between 2001 and 2004.
• Martinez's crimes came to light when an Air Force officer discovered child pornography on a computer network at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, and it was traced to Martinez's computer. Martinez had been stationed in Norfolk before leaving for Qatar.
• At the time of his arrest, Martinez was a Navy Reserve lieutenant commander serving as a senior intelligence officer with the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions.

More on the full story:

http://corruptauthority.com/federal-government-pentagon-drops-the-ball-on-investigating-employees-downloading-child-porn-despite-security-risk/

Justice Prevails Against Perversion

In due respect to the person, Jackie Zudis who came forth to disclose the abuse of her captive, George Joseph England of California and Florida, the Federal government has intervened on a case that was unable of prosecution for the expiration of the statute of limitations in a child sexual abuse case stemming from the 1974.  A man bought a five year old Vietnamese girl from her mother, brought her to California, sexually abused her, impregnated her multiple times, abused her friends and performed acts of bestiality on them, stole the identity of a dead 11 month infant, fled to Florida and served 14 months in federal prison for passport fraud is now to be convicted to a sentence of possibly 30 years for transporting a child from Asia to California and Florida with intent for a minor to engage in sexual acts.  Here's a bullet list from the Examiner.com:

• 1972 England bought a Vietnamese five-year old girl, Jackie Zudis (Thi My Lan Nguyen), from her mother and subsequently brought her to California
• 1972-1986 England nearly daily sexually abused Zudis, her friends, and several other young girls
  • Sex acts included forced bestiality on Zudis, repeated rapings of the girls, spying on the girls through a hole drilled in the bathroom wall
  • Zudis was impregnated 8 or 9 times, the first by the time she was 13.  That baby was given up for adoption, but she was coerced to abort the rest.
• 1977  England was convicted in California of molesting three of Zudis' friends 
• 1977 England fled the state prior to sentencing and settled shortly after in West Palm Beach, Florida.
  • He stole the identity of Stephen Arthur Seagoe, a baby born the year after England who died at 11 months
  • He took Zudis with him and continued to rape and molest her for another 9 years
• 1981 Zudis was pregnant at age 13.  It was too late for an abortion, but a social worker investigated the case.  England lied that the girl had gotten pregnant at a party.
• 1986  Zudis, now 18, threatened suicide if the molestations didn't cease. She had already attempted to take her life several times. Three years later, she married, was later divorced, then remarried and divorced again.
• 1995  Zudis cut off all relations with England
• April 2005  Zudis went to the FBI with her story and England's alias.
  • The warrant on England was updated with the false name
• May 2005  England was arrested on two counts of passport fraud to which he pleaded guilty
  • He served 14 months in federal custody
• June 2006 England was taken to Orange County, CA to be sentenced for the child molestation counts
  • In addition to the three girls already identified as victims, prosecutors brought up the continuous abuse of Zudis for many years,victimizing and grooming more than a dozen other girls, including a 10 and 6-year old who were photographed nude and molested over 50 times each in three months.
  • Zudis had witnessed England performing oral penetration of a six month old whom he was babysitting
  • England possessed over 60 graphic child porn films on his computer at the time of his arrest.
• September 2006  England was sentenced to only 3 years in prison with early parole rights based on California's lenient law from 1977
  • Zudis was not able to charge him with the sexual molestation crimes against herself, since the statute of limitations on these offenses had run out
• September 2006  England appealed his case, stating that he was a deranged sex offender needing psychological counseling
• November 2007 The appellate court upheld the convictions and ordered England to complete his sentence
• December 2009  England came up for parole and was released in March 2010
• March 2010  The day before his parole, England was served with additional charges of transporting Zudis as a minor across state lines for sexual activity
• January 5, 2010 England was convicted in Florida of five federal counts of transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity

It took the federal jury an hour to find the defendant guilty of five federal counts, who will be sentenced in March, 2011 according to Palm Beach Post.

Here is the Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami press release on the case.

http://miami.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/mm010611a.htm

Federal Report Shows Drop In Child Abuse

In recent years, the decline of child sexual abuse has been dramatically down since the 1990's.  In the much publicized media of priest molestations and the ramifications of prosecution and civil suits, the obvious message is that it will not be tolerated by society.  The campaign against child abuse has been strong since emergence of horror stories of maltreatments.  In Netfamily.org, they attribute the statistics of 58% decline on child sexual abuse since 1992 to 2008.  Statistics are relatively the same for child neglect as the highest form of child abuse at 78% for the newest findings reported by the federal report.  The Washington Post reflects on David Finkelhor's suggestion that the decline might be attributed to cuts in spending for investigations.

POV

If neglect is the higher rate for child abuse, the systematic neglect of our nation's monetary state might increase these statistics as many parents are overburdened with the prospects of just putting food on their plates.  Many parents work two jobs, struggle at the grocery stores, have bills collecting and no relief in sight.  If a parent is ill equipped than the child generally suffers.  It may be an emerging trend and in my opinion many are not truthful about their own economic positions in life, perhaps living beyond their means but will the children suffer for this generations compulsions of reckless spending, from government to households.

An Era of Change

Elizabeth Smart's father, Ed had told Matt Lauer that she wants to be a voice for other victims and will pursue law school in hopes of being a prosecutor.  Shortly after the verdict was read in the trial against Brian David Mitchell, she said, "she was proof that there is life after a painful past."  With the support of her family, Elizabeth Smart has made the shift from victim to survivor.  The crime that occurred with the abduction of Elizabeth from her bedroom is rare in contrast to the numbers of children victimized by most child abusers.  As newer statistics show that about 90 % of child victims knew their perpetrators in some form or fashion.  Therefore, the other 10 percent is often the concept of random crimes and often confused with the regular violence against children.

Some child abductions have become parental custody issues, which complicates the legal proceedings for many victims of child sexual abuse as confusion in the system occurs.  Parents abusing their children with manipulation is often the undercurrent of those kids who are suffering from family sexual abuse.  National statistics have shown that CSA has declined over the years since the onset of awareness during the Eighties.  According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (ncjrs.gov), estimate a 40% decline since 1992 to 2000 in the article written by David Finkelhor and Lisa M. Jones.  Leaders on Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention have helped and made small strides to a now commonly known epidemic.  The researchers of the last few decades have become extremely knowledgeable and more or less have let child victims arise from the battle fields.

An article from Connectwithkids.com addresses stranger abductions.  For those who want to learn about instincts in criminal confrontations, The Gift of Fear by leading securities expert, Gavin de Becker is another great resource.  Statistical information and support can also be found at The National Center for Victims of Crime website.  The first and foremost, healing must come from family or families of choice in support, for harmful secrets must come to light.  Elizabeth Smart's tribulations have been an inspiration for many others to see that truth and justice can prevail.

Breaking News: Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper found guilty, faces life in prison - National missing persons | Examiner.com

A very brave young lady has found her truth and validation as the verdict came in on her perpetrator in court.  Elizabeth Smart's captor found guilty of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes in Federal Court.  

CBS News on Youtube on Guilty Verdict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi_uFFmtBAE

Article 12/10/2010

Breaking News: Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper found guilty, faces life in prison - National missing persons | Examiner.com

Murder By Numbers One, Two, Three

http://seattlest.com/2009/08/03/former_wamu_execs_want_their_golden.php

While we are living in monumental times with the increase in complexities, we combat the subconscious and conscious fears with knowledge and education.  As a simpleton, I have looked for varieties of answers to a life burdened by human dejection, crass cruelties, undermining thinking and oppressive natures. Social issues arise and reflect the society we have and have breathed life into.  Currently, we are in a crisis that has many people choking for air.  Many issues concern the future inheritances of tomorrow's children and while adults are spinning in confusion as to provide them with protection, I find that many answers are as simple as centuries past.  They are based in the ethical grounds of the days of many great thinkers and shakers.  One of the most fantastic attributes of the great artists, scientists, politicians, world leaders was that they never left that inner voice, childlike innocence behind in a world plagued by atrocities and aberrations.  We are only human beings looking for good, prosperity, growth and security.  Love can often only be shared in families and communities are each social exchange gives us hope and reasons for living. If a child sat to look at his or her math proportions as a social unit, things don't seem to add up in the universal language of mathematics.

With the concerns on the education system, I am still plagued with the State's lotteries willingness to hand over millions upon millions of dollars to one or two individuals with the concept that the system or game benefits the educational systems of each State.  Forget the fact the government takes more or less half of the winnings in taxes.  In the state of California, the Lotto was implemented in 1984.  The  initiative of Prop 37 extols 50 percent of the funds returned to the players in prizes.  Considering that's a huge reward for the supposed average Lotto player, who shells out an average of $83 dollars a year on tickets. Massachusetts returns 70 percent of their funds to their players.  However, in California the State Lottery Commission is comprised of 5 persons appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Senate.  The Commission (in 1984), oversees 640 employees of the state department who administers the lottery.  This department operates on 16 percent of ticket sales and the remaining 34 percent goes to public schools, community colleges, the University of California system and the California University State system.  Perhaps this helps to keep the cost of higher education considerable lower than others States but 34 percent is not a lot of money to be distributed to all the school systems.  So, someone is being sacrifice for the good of the other, in a sense. Current laws are constantly proposed to increase the Lottery system to benefit those buying tickets and less focus goes to the original purpose of providing funding to the educational systems of the States.  I would be more inclined to dip a dollar or two into a chance of winning a few thousands knowing the winner would be the young population of the State of California.  In addition to the Lottery capping the massive millions distributed by rollovers of the losing draws.  Same deal for multi state lottos, like California's mega Lotto. The highest amount ever paid out was on March 6, 2007 in the amount of $390 million with two winners from Georgia and New Jersey.  The best story was the payout of $365 million to the 8 meat factory coworkers in Nebraska on February 18, 2006.  


The amounts of $390 and $365 million were taken in lump payments of $116 and $177 million.  Now reading these tidbits, I realized that the $390 lump sum payout is less than the $365 one.  There's a site: http://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.asp that shows the breakdown of possible winnings in annuity and lump sum minus the 25% Federal tax and each state's tax percentages.  California and a few other states do not have state taxes on Lotto winnings.  If that's the case, federal taxes well exceeds the 25% mark as half of 390 is 195 not even 116.  So 390 minus 116 equals 274 (which is what the government seized) then the percentage the government took is 70% of the winnings, not the mandated 25% for a lump sum take.  If you choose to get yearly earnings and die next year, you can not transfer your winnings to anyone.  The gamble is larger than people think for the instantaneousness of relief for today and most likely yesterday's burdens.  Another blogger from the UK reinstates George Orwell's book 1984:


"Winston had nothing to do with the running of the Lottery, which was managed by the Ministry of Plenty, but he was aware (indeed everyone in the party was aware) that the prizes were largely imaginary. Only small sums were actually paid out, the winners of the big prizes being non-existent persons."


While the set up of the lotteries entices us to dream with slogans like:  "Imagine what a buck can do."  In a 2007 article from Senator Dean Florez's site, concerning when Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed leasing the Lotto to help fund health reform, the following was written:



The lottery currently provides a little more than $1 billion a year for schools, a small part of a $66.8 billion budget from all state, local and federal sources for more than 6 million students in kindergarten through high school.
In the early years of the lottery, its advertising slogan was “And the Schools Win, Too.” The teachers union persuaded the lottery to abandon the slogan, arguing that it helped mislead the public about school funding.


Debt collections advertises "pennies on the dollar you can settle your debt", while hounding the consumer with daily phone calls, outrageous lies and constant emotional jeopardy preying on guilt.  Government accountability for the sake of leadership should be equally hounded and researched on whether misappropriations are in effect. There are two online PDF's that give more insight to the accountability of the Lotto Commission, which are the California Budget Project and the Legislative Analyst's Office.


Culturally, society is reaching a dissension point and revolting from the slogans and mottos that has lead us down a dead end road or brick walls erected while we slept.  In every tragedy or anguish, there are small victories.  Concerning the lotto, an art group has taken old tickets and created something out of other people's trash similar to the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." which goes back in time further than any current precedent.  Same as "What is useless to one person might be valuable to another" goes hand in hand with "Waste not, want not."  It's proverb that dates back to 1772 and more or less know immediately as truth once it hits our subconsciousness.  The trouble is drawing it into conscious living.  In regards to recycling old, unwanted, unwarranted lotto tickets (scratchers and tickets) a few states have a recycle and win programs that educate on recycling and gives others to bring in discarded tickets found on the ground for a second chance at winning.  Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hamshire have taken lead on this one.  Two artists from the University of Rhode Island School of Design, Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom have taken thousands of dollars worth of used tickets and created a message through visual designs.  

http://www.yatzer.com/feed_2284_ghost_of_a_dream_and_the_art_of__discarded_lottery_tickets

Regardless, it's understood that public institutions and systems require immense funding to keep programs alive and over the years priorities were assessed as the 80's saw a significantly huge increase in funding for Child Welfare and Abuse Prevention, particularly after the McMartin Preschool accusations.  Consequently, the infamous California case is considered the longest and most expensive case in American history.  It lasted 7 years and cost $15 million dollars and never yielded a conviction.  The other recognized legal case in Federal courts is The United States v. Anthony Accetturo et al which was from 1986 to 1988.  The disparity rests in numbers as the psychological bewilderment leaves the mind perplexed and evn in lew of the facts, we are still held hostage to the inevitability of inert thinking and doing.  Then rolls in apathy to replace sympathy due to lack of dexterity of the mind and soul.  So often in the worst criminal behaviors of society, like child abuse regardless if its child imprisonment, prostitution, abandonment, neglect, physical violent depravity, or sexual warfare our abilities to state the obvious remain in conversation and thoughts but actions are confined as no one seems to know how to address the issues.  


Education and perpetual learning about others: victims, survivors, those who provide and assist in protection, prevention and proscription of the maltreatment of children is key in eliminating a social disease.  For those who beg to differ that child abuse is not linked to the undertows of society are sadly mistaken.  The root of evil is not money but as Mother Teresa stated, "One of the greatest diseases is to be a nobody to anyone" and "being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."  


How does a parent prepare a child for a life like this?  It's impossible to teach a child social responsibility without understanding how our own government works or what they do when they do work.  It's like the parent who goes out "saying" he/she has a job but doesn't and then spends their time hiding that fact, living in shame, hatred, anger, frustration and despair.  If that person cares enough to try to keep those secrets from their children or wife, the inevitable overflow of a life unworthy will filter back to the home.  Children are not as easily fooled, either parents can tell them everything is okay but they will feel the sentiment in the air.  They learn to read the unspoken signs and learn from the little known language of emotional intelligence.  Our own government professionals use these same skills for weeding out liars in the mist in understanding what's not said.  It was only within the last 50 years, Bob Dylan said, "People seldom do what they believe in.  They do what is convenient, then repent."  As horror stories of terrible loss has come about from lottery winners of the past, it begs to ask questions about what is the meaning behind a government "game."  Where do we go from here?  


How did I get started on this rant?
My Facebook Post:  Somewhere on post I've seen we are in 17 trillions in debt (17 & 12 zeros). U.s. population is 310,735,300 (in millions). If each of us were to pay off the debt we'd be giving $54,709 per person. 

Now, there are more or less 356 billionaires living in the U.s. (15 reside overseas) if each of these people only had one billion to contribute to eliminating a 17 trillion debt, they would EACH pay $48 to wipe out the entire debt.

Corruption is child's play and in it's complications we kill the youth - we dish out death more than taxes. WTF on extending a TAX break for the rich???? You get what you give, right? Zero, was my hero till someone twisted it around.

"Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8G8BKE83&show_article=1


LOTTO INFORMATION:

http://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.asp

http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2009/090823.aspx

http://www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0703_sff_lottery.pdf

LOTTO REDEEMERS
http://weburbanist.com/2010/08/14/building-a-dream-recycled-art-from-old-lottery-tickets/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/artists-recycle-lottery-tickets-into-stuff-they-would-buy.php
http://www.greenecoservices.com/reuse-lottery-tickets-make-art/

200 CSA Men On Oprah

Finally, adults speaking about sexual abuse during childhood.  Nothing more to be said, just listen.

Full Episode:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Full-Episode-200-Adult-Men-Who-Were-Molested-Come-Forward-Video

Additional resources:

http://www.1in6.org/

http://www.jimhopper.com/

http://www.malesurvivor.org/

http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/sexualabuse.htm

http://www.shatterboy.com/

My ☺ Random ♥ Video ♫

Music by Jah Cure Unconditional Love and Damian Marley & Nas ft. Lil Wayne & Joss Stone My Generation.  


I am astounded by the beauty of character and infants, babies and children have unyielded character. If it is given a safe environment to expand on that very natural state of mind and nature's composition of smiles, serenity and sweetness shall carry us all further in the universal thing called love.

We ♥ Youtube

In today's technological era, the learning skills are abundant and rapidly paced for the youngest of our species.  It is critical that adults learn in a similar manners that children of today utilize.  One major 21st century learning tool is Youtube.  Countless of four or five minute video bits of everything under the sun, from random acts of insanity to home video footage, self made montages, to public service announcements to clips of anything on the regular tube, to pubic and publicity topics, Youtube redefined our generation as well as the next.  It's all about what entertains or teaches us in the grand-scale planetary visions that crosses our screens and eyesights.

I admire, laugh, shock and frustrate over some of the things viewed via Youtube but would never wish to see the sight close due to confined or uptight business regulations.  Yet, I'm sure someone is looking to close this loop hole and so for now, enjoy what we have in the information highway of worldwide broadcasts.  For a five year old company, Youtube has probably exceeded a trillion video uploads and still counting.

Youtube Statistics:

• #4 Largest Site on the Internet
• #1 Largest video site on the web
• 300MM Worldwide Visitors a Month
• 100 Million Visitors per Month
• 5 Billion Video Streams Every month – 40% of all videos online
• (Do the Math – 5 Billion / 300 million worldwide visitors = 17 streams a month per person)
• 15 Hours of video uploaded every minute

Historical Facts and Figures Layout (click on link)

I am a big fan of the Did You Know series and sharing this one: 

Parens Patriae - Waiting for Superman

Parens Patriae - Waiting for Superman
The movie, Waiting for Superman by director, Davis Guggenheim won an Oscar for his film, An Inconvenient Truth. In exploring the deplorables of the public school system, Waiting for Superman follows five school children and their families, who are trying to get their child into Charter schools through lotteries.  Four of the kids are from inner cities and one from the suburbs.  The subject matter tackles the very fundamentals on our approach in education, funding and leadership.  The concept of the documentary falls under the precept that the United States laws of parens patriae concerning the public school system.  

If anything, the focus on children and their futures puts the issues of parenting, government responsibilities and social activism to the forefront of American minds.  The ideas of parens patriae, which is latin for "parent of the nation," requires citizens to accept personal responsibilities for the welfare of our own children and the public school system so therefore, knowledge is power. The Founding Fathers implemented the concepts of equality, freedom and justice but modern society has set those values aside in comparison to time, equity and comprehension. U.S. history is testimonial to this with the equality of rights finally obtained for a minority group within the last 60 years but hey, they aren't victims of the system nor been victimized for hundreds of years. Public denial is the general rule of thumb.


I have yet to see the film but I wonder if the subject of the various States' lotteries are discussed. I find more people interested in the possible return of the State's lotteries than the educational system of this country. The mindset being living on a pipe dreams with an instantaneous solution to what ails us - which is lack of empowerment. The money dividends within lottery winnings is more freedom, security and the ability for unyielding generosity or perhaps power. In the public school system, often teachers cite lack of funding as a main source of restriction for their teaching skills.  Sadly, the funds of a multi-state lottery can reach excesses to over half a billion dollars. 

Many of us send our children to school with the hopes of making a better future than the ones of their parents but so many of us are still learning about our world. We are aware of new findings of what was previously considered important as less important. One completely free documentary is the Yann Arthus-Bertrand film, Home dealing with the education of our environment. Children and adults are reaching new heights in priorities, learning tools and skills and beginning to put things into correct perspective.  One major outcome of it all is in the voices of children.


In recent research, the questioning of our children's abilities to compete with the global world has led to more serious consideration for today's youths.  Globalization gives people evidence of the disparities of the world.  In many statistics, children in the U.S. fall far behind those in China and India in I.Q.'s and China will become the number one English speaking country with the highest population in the world.  The video Did You Know: Shift Happens gives statistics on the U.S. and where in the world we stand.  While one Youtube user said, "Finally, a G-rated video I can use to scare my grandma!" is a true assessment of today's times.  

Educator, Charles Sykes also deals with the issue of public schools and American children in his books, Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write or Add.  His previous book, A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character explores a culture of victims that's filtered down to the essence of society from minorities to the middle class, to the working class and to the academias.  The main message is apathy and not so much sympathy for the political entities that placed society into its unwritten roles.  Sykes addresses the issue of helplessness and grandiosity that seem to go hand in hand and is being passed down to our children.  In order for children to rise above, they must attend higher education.



Although, much of higher ed specializes on specific learning, the basic core classes are often the same subjects taught in high school but elaborated on in college.  Why do something twice when it can be done right in the first place?  The statistics for Waiting for Superman states that 1.2 million U.S. students drop out of high school each year and American teenagers rank toward the bottom in math and science among 30 developed nations.  While statistics are staggering for the high school dropout, their fates are not set in stone and the negative media often perpetuates a myth in learning aptitudes of the average student.  The education of other global countries were quick to jump on the band wagon for industrialization of their countries and knew what to teach their students which is the reason for their rapid rise in education.  In addition strong study skills without American cultural influences, like television, computers, cell phones, video games, etc., is essentially about time management and dependent on age, supervision.  These things are within a parent's control not a child's.  The adult culture of the U.S. is a bi-product of technological numbing through consumerism. Which eventually led to these chains of events.


Bill Gates is a strong advocate of the film, Waiting for Superman but it must be asked then why are we waiting?  As it is according to Learningpartnership.org, the three richest people in the world own assets that exceed the combined gross national product of all least developed countries and its 600 million people, one of these people being Bill Gates.  Though, his increase in world affairs and knowledge of today's times has also made Gates a major proponent of social change, increasing awareness and development of organizations aimed to filter equality across the board.  His efforts should be applauded.  Each of us can learn to earn to work for change to build a better future, if not for ourselves but for the younger generations, it's now rather a matter of choice.



In the most successful kids of today, they are pulling in double overtime as a child contrasting the childhoods of their parents generation.  These kids who have multiple extracurricular activities and honor students are pushing that bar even higher for the "average" student.  Parents often are making it full time work just to keep up with their children's lifestyles.  The type of child I refer to is the one who goes to afterschool sports, participates during the off season in a community sports groups and attends some other artistic hobbies, like band, drama or dance.  They are children whose grades are rarely in question and often pushing to be in advance placement or taking college courses while still in high school.  Some might question and label them as over-achievers. However, they are often harried and it begs to question their future in the massive rush to get ahead but often parent's give their children these choices. The parents are also trying to keep up with the times.  Children must be superheroes not waiting on Superman.   

16 Years Since Violence Against Women Act

Vice President Biden addresses and commemorates the 16th year since the Violence Against Women Act was enacted.  Biden help draft the 1994 bill when he was the senator for Delaware.

The Violence Against Women Act was passed as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and has been reauthorized in 2000 and 2005.


Biden said: "I said I want many things, but one of them is I want control of the Violence Against Women Act," "God ain't made a new brand of men and women in the last few millennia, so that's why we have to keep working to change the culture."

Youth Promise Act

Citizen coalitions for children are one way for the voices to rise up.  In the youthpromiseaction.org the following is stated:

The Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1064/S 435) is bipartisan legislation that will give our communities the support and funding they need to effectively address youth violence issues.  By specifically focusing on violence prevention and intervention strategies, this bill ensures we are funding programs that save lives and give every young person the opportunity to meet his or her potential.

This is the time that all information on child abuse has been explored and disseminated and it is individual citizen actions that can push Congress to move forward.  The research has been set in motion, it is time to take action.  

Congressman Bobby Scott, representing the 3rd District of Virginia explores the Youth PROMISE (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) as principles for implementing funding to the appropriate divisions of government, social services and other organizations aimed against violence with prevention for the youths of today and the adults of tomorrow.  

In essence, violence is curtailed by reaching out to those who confront conditions that provoke anger, frustration, fear and brutality.  If you reach to them for insight and understanding that perhaps the return investment will be strength, prosperity and diligence for the rights to live in the country that holds truth, freedom and dignity as a priority for the future.  

Signing the petition is a step for awareness and getting involved.