Friday, November 04, 2011

It is excessive, unnecessary and removes the daughter's dignity.





I have raised two sons to manhood without beating them.  In my opinion the judge beat his daughter to prevent his own shame should she have been discovred with shared music files.  Parenting requires more than a leather belt. 

She seems like a wonderful person and for the life of me I can't understand how a grown man could raise a hand to her, yet alone beat her with his belt.  One of the joys of parenting is to admire the child you have raised and respect them for the love they have shown you in respecting you as a parent.  Beating a child is unnecessary.  How would I have handled the alarm of it all?  Easy.  Get to the bottom of the problem.


In the case of this wonderful young woman she admired and longed for music from Japan.  The music wasn't sold in the USA.  If she had a productive relationship with her parents she would have verbalized her frustration with the reality of it all and stated the extremes she would face in obtaining it.  With that her parents and she could find an entire voyage of understanding the frustration, exploring the possibilities of a music store willing to help and how civilized people go about handling a challenge they weren't prepared for.  But that isn't what occurred.

I have gone on such voyages with my sons.  It is a fascinating place to be as a parent.  Here you are with a dilemma as a parent never have had to face before.  My, my, how human and real and adult does it get?  It is a voyage of reality in that the children you parented now know their Mom isn't all knowing and does not have every answer under the sun.  Wow.  That is hardly threatening. 

The challenge of entering into an understanding of a parent with a child or young adult in coming to terms with growing up and accepting life as it is presented is one of the best lessons one can teach.  Then to bond over a 'difference in generational' reality is a magnificent expression of love.  "File sharing," like what is that?  Illegal?  You mean this is illegal?  The dilemma becomes a challenge and one that has to be resolved if a young person is to believe what they long for and have affection for is worthwhile in the pursuit.  What a wonderful reality to have a young person, a parent has poured love, time, effort and financial sacrifice into turning to one or both of their parents with such 'silly stuff' as a Japanese song album.  Who ever considers that to be important in life?

The journey is far more important than the MATERIAL object.  The trust is worth the journey.  And the lifetime of experience and problem solving is worth every ounce of sacrificed pride and affectionate hugs from the child.

This beating was completely unnecssary, cruel to a sixteen year old woman, obviously scarred her even to today and it robbed her of dignity rather than her father swallowing his pride.  I think it is horrible.  I think he is horrible and has absolutely no parenting skills to realize the beauty of the moment and the need for sincere caring and guidance this 'young lady' needed. 

The judge is not able to parent, he is only able to discipline.  I think the judge needs a 'time out chair' for longer than he realizes.  He should not be involved with young hearts and minds.

Mr. Cain is sarcastic, angry and he is not to be quesitoned. He has a lot of old baggage.



Before I get into my indictment of his character. let me say the press needs to move past the KNOWN charges of sexual harassment and appreicate why the Republicans like this guy.  Besides being a sincere politician, he also wants to rub the noses of everyone in the laws of the EEOC and decisions such as the University of Michigan.  Bush could not destroy the EEOC and make the nation march to a new tune on equal rights, etc.  Republicans hope Cain can do exactly that either as President or otherwise.  No one is really addressing the 'agenda' Republicans hold for this man.  He is not a racially neutral candidate and he drank the Republican Kool-Aid a long time ago.

Herman Cain seeks to place people off balance with sarcasm.  It is a strategy and part of his personality as far as I am concerned.  The response by Mr. Cain of the former Alaskan Governor as the flavor of the month has clear racial and sexual undertones.  No can deny that.  Do I have to explain the analogy between walnuts and balls.  I would anticipate any adult to be able to carry the analogy forward.  "Wrinkled scrotum."

He has a problem.  He demonstrated how angry he could be when he stated to journalists, "Excuse me.  Excuse me."  He was not to be questioned.  He set the rules and if you didn't follow them he had no use for you.  He attacks through mechanisms of speech that are controlling and seeks to be intimidating in an aggressive use of 'word images' that are to cause pause and retreat.  His answer to the former governor was sexist and racial and intended to set a 'tone.'  He is a very angry man.

Is Assad another Gaddafi? The Arab League has diligently sought a peace accord in Syria.

On the day Syria signed (click title to entry - thank you) on to the Arab League peace deal that seeks to end the country’s deadly revolt, security forces reportedly shot dead at least 11 villagers at a roadblock near Homs.

The day after Syrian tanks fired on Homs itself, killing at least four people.

If this is the way the accord will start, a dialogue between the government and the protesters, one of the agreement’s key conditions, will be rejected outright by the demonstrators. The protesters doubt President Bashar Assad’s intentions and want to wait and see how he will implement the peace accord on the ground. By the looks of things, this bloody beginning of what was supposed to be a new chapter, and may be the end of the conflict, is not the end, and demonstrators will not have to wait long to make what is surely a similar assessment.

This is extremely unfortunate because the Arab League appeared to have finally persuaded Assad that his violent seven-month crackdown on the opposition will not bring stability to the country. According to the agreement, Syria agreed to withdraw all tanks and armored vehicles from the streets, stop violence against protesters, release all political prisoners and begin a dialogue with the opposition within two weeks. Damascus also agreed to allow journalists, rights groups and Arab League representatives to monitor the situation in the country. In a nation in which at least 3,000 people have been killed since April, this is a comprehensive plan which comes none too soon and which apparently suits all concerned....

The "Voice of America" is reporting tank shelling.

November 04, 2011

Syrian Forces Renew Shelling in Homs (click here)

Activists say Syrian forces renewed tank fire in the central city Homs on Friday, as opposition leaders called for mass demonstrations to test the government's commitment to a new peace plan.

The Reuters news agency quotes activists who say government shelling killed at least three people in Homs on Friday.  On Thursday, they blamed Syrian forces for at least 12 deaths in the city.

The opposition Local Coordination Committees urged opponents of President Bashar al-Assad to take to the streets after Friday prayers with new calls for his departure.

On Wednesday, the Arab League brokered a plan to halt violence and convene talks between the government and the opposition. However, Thursday's  deaths and military action cast doubt on a quick implementation of the plan.

In Cairo Thursday, members of the opposition Syrian National Council met with the Arab League chief to discuss the way forward....

Mina – the city of white tents (click title to entry - thank you)

Millions are (click here) at the tent city of Mina where they will spend time before heading to the Arafat plain on Saturday. About one hundred thousand volunteers and officials deployed at different points in the holy sites provided necessary care and support to the guests of God. There were moving scenes of the elderly and sick being taken care of by their relatives and friends. (Photo by Ahmed Hashad)

11 dead including children at play, to date, in Oman from storm. (click title to entry - thank you)

...Two brothers, aged six and 10, drowned while playing football near a pond in Jalan Bani Bu Ali in the eastern region....

 

Residents view the damge caused by the storm in Muscat yesterday.  Several vehicles were damaged in rain that lashed for three hours.