Should she be forced to? … 052309

The Associated Press published a story of a 13 y/o boy who has been diagnosed with lymphoma a treatable form of cancer but his mom refuses to have him receive chemotherapy citing religious reasons.

The boy has had one treatment out of a series of six but did not go back for the rest as the mom chose to implement more natural means. According to the medical report on his recent visit, the tumor has continued to grow. The boy himself has said that he doesn’t want any treatment.

The state has stepped in and is taking custody of the boy so that he can be treated even against his or the mother’s will. The dad has agreed that the boy does need the treatment and is begging the mom to bring him for such. She is now on the run.

In light of this, where does one draw the line? Should the state have that right to treat this family namely the 13 y/o against his will? Does a family has a right to decide what they think is best for their children whether we agree with it or not?

This is a very tricky subject I think. If this boy as a minor, was being abused, then the state has a legal right to protect him, which may mean removal from the environment wherein this is being done.

Are there any similarities in this case? By the way, the boy does not read; he has been diagnosed with reading disability.

I wonder!

Should she (the mom) be forced to? Should her religious rights be over-ruled?

Would you? … 051909

According to the Associated Press, a father of a 12 y/o girl is pressing charges against her because of her taking his car without permission.  According to the dad, this is her second time doing this (as far as he knows).  This time she crashed into of all things, a police car.

Some would criticize the dad for what he is doing thinking that this will be too traumatic for his little 12 y/o girl.  Others would probably just not press charges because this is his daughter we are talking about; his flesh and blood.

Would you press charges?

This dad is looking at the big picture.  This is one of the most loving things he could do. He wants to nip-it-in-the-bud.  He would rather have to deal with this than to maybe one day be burying his daughter or having her doing something far more serious.

So many parents have been overlooked such behaviors in their children thinking it is only childish things that will go away, only to find out that the “childish thing” doesn’t go away.  It only got more sophisticated and bigger.

As painful as it is for him and her, it is pain that he would rather endure with the hopes of lessening the pain of the future.  This is tough love! What do you think?

Who is Ms. USA? … 043009

The news has been replete with stories on Ms California Carrie Prejean. As you know she took a stand for something she strongly believed in, which is marriage being between one man and one woman. She was set up by one of the judges who has proven that his antics and behavior right after the competition only highlighted why he should not have been a judge for such a pageant.  Such venom!  Such hatred!  Such anger that spewed from his mouth.  Why Perez?  Is that how you view people on the other side?

His behavior raises the question as to what qualifies one to be a judge for such a national pageant. Does one’s accomplishment as a blogger be sufficient especially one that has such a one-sided agenda as he does? I sure don’t think so.

I must say that Ms. California has taught all of America a very valuable lesson – stand up for what you believe in. It may cost you but in the long run you can live with yourself much easier as well as have a better night’s sleep. She stood by her conviction.

It’s very interesting that those who advocate a change in definition for marriage such as Perez Hilton, is so quick to brand those who doesn’t agree, as bigots and homophobics and out-of-step with America. I’m not sure which America he lives in.

One thing he has not done for his cause is attract much sympathy or empathy from those who may not agree with him or others like him. He has to some degree repelled some. The sad part is that I don’t think the majority of gay rights people are like Perez. I believe his radicalism puts him in the corner of the minority. That’s my guess. I could be wrong.

It is concerning to see that we are living in a time when it seems that as long as you remain politically correct and have no backbone or take no position that is opposite to or may be offensive to a few, you are okay.  However once you decide to stand in an arena as this, you are labeled a bigot, intolerant, phobic, etc.

Should a person be disqualified for the position of Ms America because they have such conviction as Carrie? If that is the case, then President Obama should be disqualified for being president because he too believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Doesn’t make sense.

I commend Ms California – Carrie Prejean for her stand. She is a role model for so many. I hope and pray that she keeps such high standards and not allow anyone to bully her into submission. That is exactly what Perez Hilton, which is not even his real name, tried to do. At least Carrie is using her real name. Conviction!

Who is Ms USA?

16 y/o teen’s baby aborted by grandma … 03.21.09

According to news report from the Sunsentinel.com, Tonuya Rainey mother of a 16 year old girl, is being held in jail for forcing an abortion upon her daughter whose name is being withheld because of her age.

The daughter said Rainey wanted her to have an abortion because she was too young to have a child, according to a police application for a search warrant. When she told her mother she was about 24 weeks pregnant, her mother gave her “round, white pills” to terminate the pregnancy, the police document said.

The mother acted in the position of a medical professional who has the legal authority to enact such procedure. She gave her daughter the RU-486 pills, which can be obtained via prescription. Was this a case of stupidity? Love? Guilt? Shame?  Was it being a grandma at 38 the issue; make her feel too old? Mom did go to a club the same night while her daughter was left at home to abort the baby.  Hmmh!   I wonder!

What did she hope to accomplish by this? Was she hoping that this would give her daughter a better chance of “making it in life”? Did she see this as our President had said about his own daughter that if she became pregnant he would want to give her the opportunity to opt for abortion and not punish her with having to becoming a mother at such an early age. Where did this idea come from? Punishment? Convenience?

We see how Ms. Rainey’s action has really helped her daughter. Was it worth it?

Life is precious. It may not come the way we hope it would. However two wrongs doesn’t make a right. An innocent child should not have to be punished for something they did not ask for. Her daughter made a mistake as we all do. She had other options one of which would be to place the child up for adoption. At least the child would be alive.

What will the future be like for this daughter? She will be traumatized as she replay seeing her baby as she states – alive and knowing it was a boy. That will be her lot for the rest of her life. Thanks mom. Now your daughter must deal with the murder of her son as well as not having you there for her. I think the latter might not be a bad thing.

I’m ticked but as ticked as I am, I will pray for this family. They sure need it now. Please join me in praying for them.

sex, teens, & tv … 03.08.09

According to a report from the BBC news, recent studies suggest that teens are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse the more exposed they are to TV programs that contain sexually suggestive scenes. Duh! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that  you become a product of your environment. It is very difficult to feed yourself a steady diet of these types of viewings and not have it affect you.

Does it need a study to determine this? They could have given the money to me used for the study and I would have told them that. I would have also been able to pull together a group of adults and teens who could attest to that. Hello

The article states that the researchers interviewed 2,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 three times between 2001 and 2004. It found that teens who watched larger amounts of sexually charged TV shows were twice as likely to experience a pregnancy in the subsequent three years, compared with those with lower levels of exposure.

Teenage girls who watch a lot of TV shows with a high sexual content are twice as likely to become pregnant, according to a study.

Those of us who have been making these claims for years were marginalized and seen as right wing fundamentalists wackos. What do we know. What evidence do we have for such claims? Granted, I do look at studies and do reference them. I embrace the scientific findings. However this I do with balance.

The wisest man that ever lived outside of Jesus, is Solomon. This is what he said hundreds of years ago – “Guard your heart for out of it flows the issues of life”

The eye-gate is one of the main ways by which ones heart becomes corrupt. Images that are captured on the video wall of our mind will inevitably play over and over again. When we take time to reflect upon these images that has now produced thoughts of one kind or another, we must do something with the thought. Imagine a teen whose hormones are raging. What do you think their thoughts might be? Given the right situation, place, time, and person, the chance is they are going to act on these impulses.

Why then should these findings surprise us? For me, it only confirms what I’ve held to for a long time. And I must add this goes for music as well.

When will they do a study on music and its impact on teens sexuality, violence, and rebellion?

be deaf to succeed … 03.05.09

Sometimes in life if you ever plan to succeed and make it to the top, whatever the top is for you, you need to become deaf to the voices of pessimism and negativism.

There are so many people who will tell you why you can’t achieve that which you have set your mind to. They will point out all the reasons why you can’t. By becoming “deaf” or practicing selective hearing during these times, is the antidote for success. Make up your mind today to not listen to the doubters or haters!

Learn a lesson from a frog.

click here

Rihanna, what will it take? … 03.04.09

Chris Brown, Rihanna. Chris Brown, Rihanna. Chris Brown, Rihanna. This seems to be the talk of so many people because of the high profile nature of this incident.

According to the many reports, it is alleged that Chris Brown was arrested for assault and battery upon his long time girl friend, Robyn Rihanna Fenty aka Rihanna. Unfortunately it takes a high profile case like this to highlight such abuses. This happens more frequently than we are made aware.

No person should have to go through this. There are no excuses for it. I cannot imagine what it must be like for her parents or any parent of an abused victim. The thoughts. The feelings. The restlessness. The nightmares. The anger! Even with all of this, it is reported that Rihanna and Chris Brown is getting or has gotton back together.

What will it take Rihanna? Do you think he has learned his lesson and won’t do it again? Are you excusing this as a one-time thing; a mistake? How much abuse are you planning to endure? When will it be enough?

Chris Brown as talented as he is, has some issues. He needs help. Blaming his past is not taking responsibility, which tells me that he is more than likely gonna do it again. The sad part is that victims of abuses like these tend to stay in such relationships. They tend to blame themselves for what happens and will make excuses for the abusers.

The most unfortunate part of this is that some of these relationships end in tragedy. I pray and hope this is not the case here. Rihanna, he is not worth it! Run while you have life and PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HIM!

If you are in a relationship such as this, LEAVE.  Don’t subject yourself to such!

Would you do it? … 02.21.09

According to an article by the Brietbart TV, a 15 y/o girl turned her mom in for drug possession and usage in the presence of a minor.  The article did not give much details or information on the incident other than to report the incident. I’m not sure what was her motivation for doing this.  There could have been many.  My first thought was that this is the right thing to do in wanting to help someone that you love.  Was she doing it because she wanted help for her mom?  Did she see the destructive path that this was leading to?  Was it out of anger for her mom?  Was this one way of getting back at her mom?

Whatever the reason for doing this, I believe it is the right one.  Do you agree?  At least mom will hopefully receive the help that she needs and will probably be able to give her daughter the kind of life she needs to have – a drug free mom.  That’s my prayer for this family.

Oh to be in school again … 02.20.09

A decision was recently made by the Broward County School Board in Florida, to set limits on the amount of homework that students will receive beginning in the 09-10 school year. I’m sure most if not all students in Broward County will be shouting hallelujahs from the housetop. Some might be doing somersaults. This might be true for parents or any other adult who finds themself in the position of almost doing hours of homework with their student child. It’s amazing how as a parent you feel like you are the teacher at times.

I remember when my children were at the age where I would help them with their homework, I wondered what teachers were being paid for if I almost had to reteach the lesson. Obviously, when a student is not grasping a concept, something is not right. Its either the student has a learning disability, hates school, is oppositional, or the teacher is not teaching. If after careful exploration you find that the student is not exhibiting any of these or other symptoms, then I begin to question the teachers ability. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Some teachers also think that their class is the only class the student is in. They do not  seem to care that the student has other classes as well. One of the things I like about this new policy is that there would be collaboration among teachers to decipher the amount of workload of their students. This is simply called communication, which should be happening in the first place.

Now having said all that I would love to be in school when this policy is implemented. As it is now, some students doesn’t seem to get enough homework. Sometimes it seems like they are getting none. You ask some students do you have homework on any given day, and the answer is no. It makes you wonder.

It’s amazing how students find time for watching hours of television, surfing the internet for eternity, talking and texting on their phone for hours on end, even though they supposedly have homework. They will find time to do what they want to do.

I am wondering if these are just board members who don’t want to be bothered with the hands-on assistance of their children’s education, who decided to bring this debate to the table and now won? Also I am wondering if this won’t give students more time on their hand to be involved in things they ought not to be involved in? Just some thoughts!

Alfie, the 13 y/o dad … 02.14.09

It happened the first time!  So said Alfie who has just turned 13 y/o. It happened at 12. What happened? Glad you asked. I was here waiting for you to do so.

According to the Sun news article, Alfie became a father at 13 y/o. The article stated that he had sex with 15 y/o Chantelle for the first time when he was 12, and she became pregnant. When they found out, they didn’t know what to do. They knew they needed to tell their parents but did not know how to go about doing it. Fear of what they might say or do kept them with this secret. With all that these two at this age had to be dealing with – Alfie, issues surrounding puberty and Chantelle thoughts of turning the magical age of 16, they now had to add the burden of unplanned pregnancy to the list. If you are at this age or if you can remember what it was like at this age, you can probably related.

I must hasten to commend the decision that was made, which is to take the baby full-term and not abort it. We are living in an age that abortion has become the means to end “the inconvenience”. I used the word inconvenience because there are many people who thinks this way. Hope you are not one of them. I know there are other words that are used as well, but lets not get distracted. This baby’s life was spared. I wish this was true for the other millions who are killed each year.

Note: Baby’s Mom – Chantelle, looks like she could be baby’s dad – Alfie’s, mom

There are several interesting things about this article. One of them is Alfie’s dad making the statement that he realizes the need to talk to his son – Alfie, about the “birds and the bees” again. Could this be one of the problems? I’m not suggesting that if he spelled it out to Alfie as best as he could, it would have made a difference. It may have. The issue here is maybe he needs to talk to his son not about the birds and the bees but about penis, vagina, and sexual intercourse. Call it what it is.

Maybe you are reading this article as a parent and you are one who have a difficult time talking to your kids about a topic of this nature, let me hasten to say this: if you don’t someone else will and maybe the someone that will, is not the person you want talking to your child about this issue.

Here it is that this child has now become a father. He doesn’t even know the cost of a diaper. Obviously this child will be raised by the grandparents. I don’t think you would want these children raising this baby. Do they sound like they could? Chantelle – “We didn’t think we would need help from our parents.” Alfie – “I didn’t think about how we could afford it. I don’t really get pocket money …” Are these the words of children or what! Should they be having a baby? Should the baby be placed for adoption? These are tough questions.

If I was to point the finger at anyone, I would point it at Chantelle. She need to get someone who is at least her own age if she wants to have sex. I would almost go as far as to say that she raped him. She took advantage of a little child. She knew better. Someone may ask, “what about the parents?” I’m not sure what they could have done. If they never had clear talks with these kids about sex and developmental issues, then yes, I would also point the finger at them for that part.

If it is as Alfie states that this happened the first time of having sex, it only underscores the fact that staying clear of sexual intercourse is the only sure way to not become mom and dad. In addition, it is the sure way to remain free of STD’s.

Does environment plays a part in all of this? Hmmh! I wonder.