An intriguing book to make you think:The Confession, by John Grisham. I admit that the death penalty has always made me queasy, and this book tells me why. It’s the story of a group of people trying to save an innocent man on Death Row in the final hours of his life. Among that groups is the admitted killer, who can take the authorities to where he buried the body, if they’ll let him. But Texas (and other states) are tough on crime, and they had their man. His confession, hand-fed to him by the detectives interrogating him over a prolonged period of time, proves his guilt. What’s a governor and DA with promising careers to do, give in to bleeding heart defense attorneys and biased family members? And what should a minister do when the admittedly guilty man shows up on his doorstep and confesses? Grisham puts his characters into difficult positions, making them choose between what’s right and what’s comfortable or even legal. They are forced to make moral and practical decisions. And we, the readers, are pulled into those decisions, agonizing with the characters. Whichever side of the capital punishment issue you’re on, this book is a worthwhile read.
Archive for August 13, 2012
We’re knee-deep in it
Earth-Friendly Tip #8
Actually, fellow Californians, I’ll just give you some figures and let you draw your own conclusions.
- There are 37 million of us Californians, and we dump 30 million tons of garbage a day.
- Each of us dumps 4.5 pounds per day.
- Plastic bags make up 123 tons a year.
- Milpitas has built a recycling center at Newby Island, and it is the largest recycling plant in the world.
[For more easy, Eco-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/ view/7000, choose a format, and download to your computer or e-book device.]
Attacked and Deaf: Taser Her!
Here’s a news story that I found bothersome. A Tacoma deaf woman was attacked in her apartment and called 911 for help. When the police arrived, they tasered her and tossed her into jail for 60 hours–with no interpreter. And two of the arresting officers were aware that she was deaf.
Yet, they hit her with a taser as she ran from her home to meet them. That made her fall, causing injuries, heavy bleeding, and swelling of her face. By this time she was in handcuffs and couldn’t understand why. She couldn’t hear the officer’s orders, of course, and no one understood sign language even if her hands were free to communicate.
Officers on the scene knew she was deaf, but they didn’t act on that knowledge either in the field or for those 60 hours in her cell.
The Tacoma Police Department made a huge mistake. They need to train their officers in recognizing people with disabilities and treating them appropriately. And they need to investigate why this incident happened. Plus, of course, an apology to this doubly victimized woman is very much in order.
Soul-Seeking
Thoughtful Thursday Quote #7
“I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three.” — unknown
And Poli-hooey to Both the Candidates!
WHO WILL MAKE THE BETTER PRESIDENT? If I had to vote based solely on speeches I’m hearing, I’d have to vote for “Anyone But.” Okay, so “ObamqaLogna” and “RomneyHood” are kind of cute, in a 3-year-old way. And campaign strategists, not the candidates, have to have coined the phrases. I’ll accept them as comic relief. What I really want relief from, though, is half-truths and verbal rock-throwing. I want to hear concrete plans about how we’re going to move our improving, yet fragile, economy into full-blown recovery, and I don’t want empty promises that it will happen overnight if we only vote for one or the other candidate. What I’m hearing now I call Poli-hooey.
Shouldn’t our President be a role model for all Americans, including Congress? Maybe if the candidates stopped acting like spoiled brats our lawmakers would follow suit, learning to compromise for the common good so that fair, equitable laws could be passed to give our economy a giant push in the right direction? Or maybe that’s just the Pollyanna in me. Hey! I could vote for her….
Dignity for Our Elders
THINK ABOUT THE OLDER PEOPLE YOU’VE CROSSED PATHS WITH. Many of them are experiencing a loss of self-worth. They no longer have the jobs that made them feel productive or even the energy that made them self-sufficient. People used to value their opinions but now just half listen to them. How can we help restore their human dignity? Stop for a chat with the man we often see sitting alone in his front yard as we walk to the grocery store. Call Aunt Rita every couple of weeks and exchange news of each other’s lives. When tackling a plumbing problem, actually listen to advice given by that neighbor who was a plumber for 40 years. Treat these people as you would a valued friend or colleague. Be open, and delight in the surprise gifts you receive in return.
Poor People Waste Money
They spend all their money at Walmart and Target. That’s what I heard from some tax consultants I talked to today when I mentioned what economists say, that the sales tax is regressive, hurting the poor the most. I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t reply. “Us in the middle class pay for the wasteful ways of those people,” one of them went on.
I realize that this is a common view among people who are not poor or who have no concept of poverty. They don’t recognize the fact that the working poor–the lucky ones–shop at Walmart and Target to try to stretch their meager paycheck so there’s at least some food on the table that month, and so the roof stays over their heads because the rent is paid. PG&E? Water? Doctor’s visit? Maybe this month, maybe next. The less lucky poor, without jobs or homes, are the ones seeking a handout outside of Walmart, because they don’t have enough money to cover a purchase inside. Yes, some of it goes to alcohol or cigarettes, which are the only comfort for a portion of those we see on the streets. But ALL the poor share a common problem with the middle class: as sales taxes rise, it becomes harder and harder to buy necessities, pushing more and more vulnerable people toward the edge of the abyss.
It frightens me that several governmental agencies, state and local, plan to seek an increase in sales tax this November. And it saddens me that individuals like those I talked to today are widening the division in our society by perpetuating false stereotypes and fostering a “we” vs. “them” attitude. Which of these two situations bothers me more? I don’t know.