Let's Face Reality America

Friday, December 14, 2012 is a date most Americans will forget, but the events of this day will never be forgotten.

For at least two dozen families this day will constantly be seared into every fiber of their collective beings, for this is the day another deranged American hunted and needlessly killed more than two dozen of his - unarmed - neighbors in a small community. And to make matters worse, he killed 20 little children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. Twenty little children sitting in their school classrooms. Twenty little children loved by their families. Twenty little children who were probably counting the days until Santa Claus arrived. Twenty little children who did nothing to this human hunter armed with an assault rifle and other guns. Twenty little children who were innocent, with their whole lives ahead. Twenty little children now laying in a morgue. Twenty families shattered.

And why did this happen in the greatest country on the face of this earth? We may never know the motive for this unspeakable event because this armed coward dressed in black killed himself, rather than face the consequences of his actions.

Obviously there was certainly something very wrong with this individual. Surely no one in his or her right mind would commit such a horrible act of mass murder. But if he was so ill, so deranged, so in need of help, why didn't somebody take note and do something?

In the United States we have had too many cases of mass murder. While mass murder doesn't happen often, it shouldn't happen at all. Maybe we should pledge - all Americans - that this will be the LAST mass murder in our country. Maybe it is time we take back out streets and protect one another. Maybe we should find a way to ban certain guns because the guns are the weapon of choice for mass murder and the mentally ill seem to be able to get their hands on those guns and use them to end lives, shatter families, and take away the peace we all deserve in this country.

I am all for providing mental health care for all Americans if it makes America a safer and better place in which to live.

And now I am in favor of gun control. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having guns for legitimate purposes, such as sport hunting or for protecting people faced by wild animals encroaching into residential areas or camp grounds. However, in my opinion, no one in this country needs to own assault guns which are made for hunting and killing people.

The second amendment to our Constitution was written in the 1700s when this country had to have local militias to protect in time of war. We are well past that point in our history. Today we have local police, state police, local sheriffs and deputies, FBI, Border Patrol, ATF, ICE, Homeland Security, many other local, state and national law enforcement agents, plus the National Guard. If the bad guys don't have guns, then the good people don't need guns to protect themselves and their property.

I've heard the argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people. If you want another troubling argument you can say guns don't kill people ... it is the bullets inside the guns that kill. Well how about this one ... what kills are the bullets inside the guns which are held by people who pull the trigger based upon what is going on in their sick heads. Take away the bullets then the guns are irrelevant, then people with issues can't hurt other people.

It's a matter of semantics and we can make every argument under the sun.

Bottom line, if there were no guns and ammo in that Connecticut home this morning, there would be 20 little children snug in their beds tonight dreaming of Santa's arrival and their parents would be planning wonderful Christmas events.

Instead, there are 20 families grieving, picking out tiny caskets, and deciding what clothes in which to bury their children ... BURY THEIR LITTLE CHILDREN the week before Christmas.

In my mind, it's time to quit standing behind the second amendment and decide what is important in this country. How many more have to die before we stand up and say enough is enough?

Come on America! Take a stand! Prove we are a civilized nation where we value life more than a 230 year old clause in the Constitution ... a clause that is proven to be abused in this 21st century America.

As Americans the best Christmas gift we can give to our nation, each other, our children, and our children's children is to take a stand, join together, make our voices heard in Washington and demand gun control that is in line with the way our country and our people exist in the 21st century.

I'm a news junkie, and that's what a news junkie thinks!

Now Is The Time

It's been three years since I have written anything on this blog, and it has been a very rough three years for me and so many other Americans.

Tonight - November 5, 2012 - America is at a turning point. Barack Obama has been re-elected President of these United States. That word, United, is so very important.

President Obama was reelected, but no one can call the outcome of this election a mandate. Tonight we might be a country united in terms of how we face the rest of the world; but we are far from united within our own borders.

Tonight we are a country divided by those who have jobs and those who do not have jobs. We are a country divided by those who have health insurance and those who can not afford insurance even though they work every day. This is a country divided by those who pay the bulk of income taxes and those they believe do not pay their fair share. Our homeland is divided by those who value a woman's right - by law - to control her reproductive desires and those who want to change the law. This nation is divided in our foreign policy where some believe our president is "weak" and apologizes for the causes of our country and its allies. We sit here tonight divided over immigrants illegally coming into this beautiful land searching for a better way of life. We have a divided nation when it comes to energy; the foreign oil we import, the oil we drill and don't drill, the profits made by oil companies, the prices we pay, and the dent this commodity puts on everybody's budget. We are a country divided over the union of marriage where some couples take for granted the opportunity to marry while others stand on the sidelines waiting and wanting their unions recognized. We are a nation divided over the color of human skin almost 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

We are a country divided is so many - too many - ways. Yet, we pull together and are united when we must unite. We were united when those airplanes plowed into those New York towers. We were united when another of those planes plunged into the Pentagon, and another plane filled with heros plummeted into a Pennsylvania field. As Americans we united together to see men and women go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We see Americans unite when our fellow citizens face national disasters. We stand together - united - to clean-up, feed, and hold the hands of those who suffer. We are Americans and we unite as volunteers for non-profit agencies and to raise money to fight disease. As parents and non-parents we unite to repair schools so that our kids are educated and will be able to contribute locally and compete globally.

What does this contrast of division and union tell us? It tells us we come together to beat our enemies, protect our families and loved one, and insure the future of our great republic.

Tomorrow morning - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - with President Obama in the White House, democrats leading the U.S. Senate and republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives, Americans MUST UNITE and demand our elected officials work together. As citizens who pay the salaries of the president and the congress we MUST ENCOURAGE AND DEMAND the bickering end, party politics are set aside and the stalemates are brought to a screeching halt.

Americans spoke at the election polls today and Americans must speak tomorrow and every day to have our elected officials understand NOW IS THE TIME, this downward spiral of the United States and its citizens is over.

It is the responsibility of each citizens to tell - and yell if necessary - our leaders that we care about the present and future of this great country and that they - elected officials - had better take notice and care about the things about which we care.

Today is a turning point. Our president is getting a second chance to impact this great country. He can be a lame duck president who bickers with the Congress, or he can be a presidential leader who leaves a true legacy where he brings a divided nation together ... together as the GREAT United States of America.

.. I'm a news junkie - that's what I think!

Skewed View of Reality

Sometime today the parents of “Balloon Boy” are due in court to plead guilty to their October hoax which mesmerized the world as a home-made silver balloon raced across the sky.

Richard and Mayumi Heene were so obsessed with becoming reality television stars, they forgot how to be good parents. The Heene’s exploited their six-year-old son Falcon and their two other sons. Richard Heene has admitted he intentionally launched his UFO-shaped balloon last month.

The parents almost got away with their hoax of claiming the balloon took to the sky with peewee pilot Falcon inside. After the balloon landed 50-miles away, the little guy miraculously appeared with the parents -- at home -- saying he had hidden in the attic. That was the story until the alleged aviator vomited up all he had held inside ... uttering the words “You guys said we did this for the show.”

Oops! Nine words uttered by a little boy set into motion an investigation which will culminate with guilty please, fines, and probably probation for the parents. It turns out Mayumi Heene, who is a Japanese citizen, could have been deported for her role in the hoax. Instead, she was hit with a lesser charge while her husband took the fall on a felony charge rather then have her risk deportation. Child welfare workers were involved in the investigation.

What did the Heene's teach Falcon and his brothers during their escapade? How about that grown-up can lie to get what they want, or maybe that it's okay to send the cops on a wild goose chase, or maybe that it's good to get on television anyway possible?

Is this the new view of "reality?" Is this what has become of television? No one is suggesting television go back to the days of black and white screens where married couples had to sleep in separate twin beds and kids were like Wally and The Beaver. But maybe the medium needs to again be respected for the capacity and capability it possesses.

In the end the Heene’s got their moment of reality TV ... making the news for both their hoax, and for their punishment.

... or so this news junkie thinks!

Thank You to United States Veterans

This Veterans Day has a slightly different feel than past Veterans Day.

Maybe it is because there seems to be an abundance of television Public Service Announcements honoring the men and women who have, and are, serving this country. Maybe because there are all sorts of Veterans Day observances across the web. Maybe it is because the United States is presently fighting two wars on foreign soil. Maybe it’s because this nation just suffered a horrible slaughter on one of its largest domestic military installations.

Whatever the reason, this Veterans Day brings out feelings which probably should have been shown and felt everyday throughout the year. Not since the end of World War II have veterans and military personnel been given the ovation they deserve. Maybe it is because the US military has been brought into unpopular wars ... Korea, Vietnam, Iraq.

However, it’s not the war which is to be supported. Instead, it is the men and women in uniform. They are the ones who have volunteered to serve. They are the ones who have left their family and friends at home to stand on foreign soil. They are the ones who have agreed to risk their lives in order to keep freedom alive in the United States and to keep democracy working. From officers to enlisted personnel, from Gen. George Washington to Gen. George W. Casey Jr, the goal is the same ... “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

On this day in November the United States recognizes the men and women who have worn the uniform of its military. And on the other 364 days of the year, each and every citizen should thank the members of the military for their service in protecting the American way of life.

... or so this news junkie thinks!

Special thanks to Marshall Ramsey for allowing me to use his editorial cartoon. Marshall is a two-time Pulitzer finalist and nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist. He is also my Facebook friend.

Be Better

The other day I was in the check-out line of a national discount store. I overheard a conversation between the associate running the cash register and a co-worker. He was making reference to television shows from her “old generation.” Unfortunately, I figured out I was in that same “old generation.”

I asked him if he thought there was something wrong with being a member of that “old generation.” He replied that nothing was wrong, adding he wished he had been a part of that generation. Needless to say, that sparked my brain into “journalist mode” where I continued our conversation by asking questions.

Me: “What do you think was so good about that time?”

Him: “You people had it easy.”

Me: “Easy ... what was so easy? Most families didn’t have two cars, we didn’t have cable television, CD’s, computers, video games, cell phones, iPods, DVDs, microwave ovens, digital cameras, drive-thru windows, or shopping malls”

Him: “It was easy then. It was easy because most of you came home after school and your mamma was at home fixing you a snack.”

Me: “Okay, I’ll give you that one ... most of our mom’s were at home waiting for us.”

Him: “And your whole family ate breakfast together and ate supper together, and watched TV together.”

Me: “Again I'll agree with you.”

Him: “And most of you had two parents at home because girls almost always waited until they were married to have kids, and parents stayed together even if they didn’t want to.”

Me: “You’re right, those things did happen.”

Him: “You guys also didn’t have the pressure we have. Most of you didn’t have to work and go to school. Most of you didn’t have to worry if your family had enough money to pay the rent, or buy food, or buy clothes, or go to the doctor. And you didn’t have to worry about whether your mamma or daddy was gonna leave if things got too bad.”

Me: “Well, I never thought of things that way.”

Him: “And you didn’t have to worry if you were gonna get shot and killed because somebody wanted your money, or your bike, or your iPod, or because somebody is pissed off, or you’re standing on the wrong corner, or wearing the wrong color clothes, or because some dude wants to know what it’s like to kill somebody.”

Me: “You win! We were pretty lucky to live back then. Maybe we were even pampered. It was a very special time. I wish you could say the same about the time in which you live.”

By now he had finished ringing up my merchandise and was asking for my money. Needless to say, I was somewhat stunned by the remarks from this young man. I hadn’t stopped to consider the life of a kid today as compared to the life we had in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He made some rather good points. Considering his point of view on what was wrong I decided I would change the direction of the conversation with a new line of questions.

Me: “So, you’re good at telling me the problems of your generation. Now tell me what can be done to fix and change the situation.”

Him: “It your fault. It’s the fault of your generation. You people don’t know how to be parents and grown-ups. You guys had it easy and thought it was going to be easy being parents. But you were wrong.”

Me: “Whoa ... slow down and explain yourself.”

Him: “All of you take things for granted. If you don’t like something, you don’t do it again. Your parents disciplined you, you didn’t like it, and you didn’t discipline us. You didn’t want us to get disciplined or spanked at school. You guys didn’t teach us to respect our teachers or each other. You didn’t take us to church like your parents took you to church. You people didn’t teach us how to solve problems the right way, so now some of us solve our problems with guns.”

Me: “So you’re telling me that we screwed up and we caused this?”

Him: “Maybe not you. I don’t know if your kids feel this same way. But yeah, your generation screwed it up.”

Me: “What do we do now? If you’re right in you assumption, how do we fix it? What do you want us to do?

Him: “Set good examples. Talk to us. Let us know you care. Teach us how to be good people, to make good decisions, and to solve problems. Make us believe in ourselves and show us we have a future. Teach us how to build good families. Give us the foundation your parents gave you. Be better.”

Me: “Be better? It’s that easy?”

Him: “If it was that easy it wouldn’t be so hard, or that important.”

As this young man handed me my receipt I reached out to shake his hand. He had made an impression. I thought to myself that somebody had done something right with this high school senior ... somebody had taught this guy some of the important qualities about being a decent human being. Maybe this young man was the example we needed to be following ... maybe.

... or so this news junkie thinks!

Break Out The Dictionary .. Please

Has somebody rewritten the meaning of the words “Customer Service?”

I own an iPhone. I love my iPhone. I brag about having an iPhone. And this iPhone is now causing me more grief than I could ever have imagined.

My iPhone is a 3G ... the second generation telephone. Apple being Apple, (and I have been a loyal Apple computer owner since 1992) it has come out with software upgrades for the phone. I did the first upgrade and everything was fine. I did the second upgrade and the problems began ... battery drain and app crashes. I have read on the web many stories explaining the problem which is identical to that which is occuring to my iPhone.

I called Customer Service and a nice young man offered to “replace” the phone. He said somebody would contact me within 24-hours.

The 24-hours passed and no call came from Apple. I called back and that nice young man (Rep #1) was gone for the day. I spoke with Rep #2 who was also not helpful and was a smart-mouth when I asked to speak with his supervisor.

I called a different Customer Service telephone number where I got Rep #3. This one was even worse with the smart-mouth. When I asked to speak to his supervisor, he said he didn’t have one. I said I was going to call Apple, Inc. in California and he said “the chances of you getting a different answer is zero.”

I called California and was told by the operator I was being transferred to “Corporate Customer Service which is above any of the 800-numbers we have.”

That’s when I got Rep #4 who claimed he wanted to help me. He said  “I feel your frustration,” “I understand your anger,” and “let’s say you and I trust each other.” BULL! I finally demanded speaking with his supervisor. Then he informed me he was NOT in Corporate Customer Service. He claimed he was actually BELOW Rep #2, and on the SAME LEVEL as Rep #3.

That’s when I asked for his supervisor. He claimed to transfer me to a “manager.” That became Rep #5 who recited the same lines of all the other guys. I told him I would get to the top of the Apple tree and get this issues resolved.

That’s when I hung up and sent an e-mail to Tim Cook ... the Chief Operating Officer at Apple. As soon as I hit the “send” button, Rep #4 called back saying “let me see if I can get you to see our side.” My answer is that his side doesn’t matter ... I AM THE CUSTOMER WHO HAS PAID FOR THE PHONE.

Here’s the rub ... the telephone is defective with the new software update. Rep #4 said I “should be content to not upgrade and have a working telephone.” Rep #5 says he “personally authorized” my getting a new iPhone instead of a refurbished model to replace my 5-month old phone. LIE!!! It was Rep #1 who got permission for a new replacement instead of a refurbished model.

The "bag of bad apples," Reps #1- #5, want me to charge $500 to a credit card to send me a new iPhone and the charge will be reversed within 30-days. Well, that’s 30-days of paying interest on a charge on a telephone I have already paid money to purchase PLUS reserving funds against the credit limit. In other words, UNACCEPTABLE.

The other option is for me to drive to either New Orleans or Jackson to exchange the defective iPhone at an Apple Store ... that’s nearly four hours of driving with gasoline at $2.29 per gallon. In other words, UNACCEPTABLE.

The next option is for me to send my iPhone to Apple and when they receive the phone, they will send me a new iPhone. Well, that leaves me without a telephone for roughly five days, plus I have no guarantee the phone will get to Apple for replacement. I can only get a receipt for delivery, not what takes place at Apple headquarters. In other words, UNACCEPTABLE.

I offered two solutions: 1) send a telephone to the AT&T store from which I purchased the original iPhone and AT&T will secure the defective phone, or 2) send a new iPhone to me and have the delivery company immediately take the defective product while scanning the packaged item into its computer system.

For some reason, Reps #3, #4, and #5 each laughed at me. Now I go back to my original question: “Has somebody rewritten the meaning of the words “Customer Service?”

Actually, I don’t think the meanings of those words have changed ... only that the concept of “Customer Service” has never been taught to the people who deal with the customers who purchase their products.

... or so this news junkie thinks!

I'm Back ...

Yes, I'm back .. at least for now. I've been working on a book which deals with the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, but that is a topic for another day.

Today my focus is on Caroline Kennedy -- Mrs. Edward Schlossberg -- and her desire to serve in the United States Senate. My question is not "why should New York Governor David Paterson appoint her to fill the seat now held by soon-to-be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," but rather, why shouldn't he appoint her?

The first question many ask is what experience does she have. There is no specification as to experience when serving in the U.S. Senate. We have had several professional athletes elected or appointed to represent constitutes. We have also had widows appointed to finish the unexpired terms of their husbands ... and then win their own elections. There have been actors and actresses who have been elected, along with doctors, lawyers, school teachers, and people with the names Bush and Kennedy.

Caroline Kennedy is more than a member of a political family, and more than the daughter of a slain president. Let's look at her on her own merit.

She is a Harvard educated woman, and Columbia Law School graduate ... both of which are impressive credentials suitable to represent the people of New York. She is also a constitutional expert, which is another credential suitable for the U.S. Senate.

Additionally, she has written and edited several books, which may or may not seem important to everybody. But those attributes do prove her level of intelligence. She is one of the founders of the Profiles in Courage Award which puts her judging the deeds of other people qualified to serve. Caroline Kennedy has also worked in the public interest to raise money for the public schools in New York City.

One has to wonder why she would trade her privacy for a job which will make her fair game for anyone looking to point out her errors ... and with the last name "Kennedy," many will be ready to pounce on any mistake.

On the realistic side, she has the money to run a state-wide senate campaign in 2010 and immediately turn around and fund another campaign in 2012.

Caroline Kennedy  doesn't need the notoriety which comes with being a U.S. Senator ... she is more well known than most of the 100 members. She doesn't need the $169,300 salary. She doesn't need this job at all.

Indeed, the most compelling qualification Caroline Kennedy has, is that she wants to serve the people of New York and the United States.

" ... or so this news junkie thinks!"