I must be having a very ugly weekend bc I have had three comments this weekend that were quite the kick in the gut.
Saturday at target the lady in line behind me says: "did you get all the sun today?"
Me: "oh does it look that bad"
Lady: studdering "oh well it will probably be better tomorrow"
Me: "yep its bad, yes all today, and no I'll look like this tomorrow too"
Today volunteering at the football game for the kids band association I am checking my phone as we are cleaning up. The stand manager who is not associated with the organization I was with but with the stadium sees my background photo and says : "oh is that your boyfriend let me see the picture"
I show her the photo.
Stand manager: "oh look how cute you look I couldn't tell with the hat on"
Me: ...
Stand manager leaves
Me : "did that just happen?"
So then I get home and the kid asks "did you wear that all day?"
Can't a girl catch a break???
Hopefully next weekend is a better looking weekend for me.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
What is wrong with our Justice system
Lately the news has been full of clerical errors that have lead to people not serving the jail time they were supposed to. For every instance of a person turning their life around after the clerical error there are not good instances. For instance the Missouri man who never received his day to start serving his sentence for 13 years. In those 13 years he became a productive part of society and didn't repeat his criminal behavior. However there was a gentleman in Colorado who was released 4 years early killed the states corrections chief that showed up at his door.
The case that got me the most confused was that of Rene Lima-Martin who was convicted of armed robbery in Colorado and sentenced to 98 years in prison, clearly there were many charges more charges, however everything I have read about the case sounds like the gentleman committed 2 armed robberies and was caught. He was convicted on 8 charges and had to serve them back to back rather than simultaneously so he was essentially sentenced to life. However due to a clerical error he was released in 8 years and since then has become a productive member of society, completed parole, and did not repeat his criminal behavior. however when Colorado figured out their error they sent him back to jail. Now I understand he needs to complete his sentence what I do not understand is why his sentence was so long to begin with. I am starting to wonder what his socioeconomic standing is? Plainly stated is he poor? How did this man get such a harsh sentence. Maybe the news articles I have read don't give a full picture of his criminal history. I do not think the articles would omit if he has killed someone though. (Here is one article about him : http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/09/colorado-man-returns-to-prison-after-being-released-0-years-early-due-to/)
What has compelled this blog post you are wondering. It was the fact that after thinking about Rene and his blight this weekend I read an article about a 21 year old driver in MD who hit and killed a motorcyclist while texting and driving and her punishment is a $500 file. ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME??? (Here is that article, or really just a press release: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/woman-gets-500-fine-in-fatal-gambrills-crash/25932998). The article says that there are conflicting eyewitness accounts. However the bottom line is that this driver was texting while driving and killed someone. Texting while driving is illegal and they killed someone. Their only punishment is a fine???? What is wrong with this justice system?
The case that got me the most confused was that of Rene Lima-Martin who was convicted of armed robbery in Colorado and sentenced to 98 years in prison, clearly there were many charges more charges, however everything I have read about the case sounds like the gentleman committed 2 armed robberies and was caught. He was convicted on 8 charges and had to serve them back to back rather than simultaneously so he was essentially sentenced to life. However due to a clerical error he was released in 8 years and since then has become a productive member of society, completed parole, and did not repeat his criminal behavior. however when Colorado figured out their error they sent him back to jail. Now I understand he needs to complete his sentence what I do not understand is why his sentence was so long to begin with. I am starting to wonder what his socioeconomic standing is? Plainly stated is he poor? How did this man get such a harsh sentence. Maybe the news articles I have read don't give a full picture of his criminal history. I do not think the articles would omit if he has killed someone though. (Here is one article about him : http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/09/colorado-man-returns-to-prison-after-being-released-0-years-early-due-to/)
What has compelled this blog post you are wondering. It was the fact that after thinking about Rene and his blight this weekend I read an article about a 21 year old driver in MD who hit and killed a motorcyclist while texting and driving and her punishment is a $500 file. ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME??? (Here is that article, or really just a press release: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/woman-gets-500-fine-in-fatal-gambrills-crash/25932998). The article says that there are conflicting eyewitness accounts. However the bottom line is that this driver was texting while driving and killed someone. Texting while driving is illegal and they killed someone. Their only punishment is a fine???? What is wrong with this justice system?
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Breast feeding
So I have a much older child, a teenager, but I still harbor feelings of inadequacy bc I was unable to breast feed him as a baby. Everyone had an opinion from DR's to family to strangers, EVERYONE. The nurse who wanted to know at his 6 week check up if I wanted the pills to restart breast milk that had finally stopped bc formula was not the way to go, the family member who told me it was my fault bc I didn't have patience, or the family member that told me I needed to try harder. None of these women were with me in the room while my child was crying bc he was hungry and didn't want to latch on. None of these women were the lactation consultant who was in my room and helped me make the decision. I couldn't let him cry when there was something I could do so I chose to switch him to formula to make sure he was provided for. I remember thinking that I was somehow broken and destined to fail as a mother bc I couldn't get him to breast feed.
Still to this day people insist that the only way to raise a healthy child is to breast feed so I still wonder if I did him a disservice. As many of my friends are getting to that baby having phase and social media is so popular many of them take the time to post articles backing up their opinions. Out of respect and not wanting to get into an online argument I am choosing to post this article here. This article made me feel like maybe I am not such a bad mom for not being able to breast feed, now don't get me wrong I have plenty of other things to question, as most parents do, but I feel better about my decision 13 years ago to give him food rather than let him cry until he did it the "right" way.
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/breastfeeding-just-might-be-overrated--study-finds-184819287.html
Still to this day people insist that the only way to raise a healthy child is to breast feed so I still wonder if I did him a disservice. As many of my friends are getting to that baby having phase and social media is so popular many of them take the time to post articles backing up their opinions. Out of respect and not wanting to get into an online argument I am choosing to post this article here. This article made me feel like maybe I am not such a bad mom for not being able to breast feed, now don't get me wrong I have plenty of other things to question, as most parents do, but I feel better about my decision 13 years ago to give him food rather than let him cry until he did it the "right" way.
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/breastfeeding-just-might-be-overrated--study-finds-184819287.html
Monday, February 17, 2014
Parole or not to Parole
I read an article tonight about two convicted killers of police officers in NY. The killings occurred in 1971 and three men were convicted in 1975. One gentlemen passed in jail the other two are up for parole again in a few months. Both of the two living men have been model prisoners who have earned degree's and one of the dead mans children is supporting parole. However the men have considered themselves political prisoners all of this time bc they were part of the Black Liberation Army.
This got me to thinking about parole for violent offenders. While these men say they are changed men with a low likelihood of repeating and going back to jail, do they deserve to be allowed to live their lives when they took the lives of two men? From what the article says the police officers were ambushed when responding to a call. From the article I cannot discern any motive behind the killings. I understand that they have reformed their lives but is that enough to allow them a second chance when they took two men's lives? My initial reaction is no, they do not deserve that second chance. They may have changed and grown up in jail but so what? They still need to pay for the crimes of their younger selves.
Then I started thinking about all the money it costs to house prisoners especially as they are aging. Maybe they should be paroled so they start to pay for their own way in lives. Maybe they would be able to continue to do the work they started in prison with young people and the less fortunate. Maybe they would be able to talk to schools about their experience and try to reach kids before they go down the wrong path.
Then I wonder are they really sorry or just trying to work the system to get out of jail? I know I am cynic and I am not going to be able to decide my position on this hot button issue tonight as I am very sleepy but I thought it was worth putting out here.
This got me to thinking about parole for violent offenders. While these men say they are changed men with a low likelihood of repeating and going back to jail, do they deserve to be allowed to live their lives when they took the lives of two men? From what the article says the police officers were ambushed when responding to a call. From the article I cannot discern any motive behind the killings. I understand that they have reformed their lives but is that enough to allow them a second chance when they took two men's lives? My initial reaction is no, they do not deserve that second chance. They may have changed and grown up in jail but so what? They still need to pay for the crimes of their younger selves.
Then I started thinking about all the money it costs to house prisoners especially as they are aging. Maybe they should be paroled so they start to pay for their own way in lives. Maybe they would be able to continue to do the work they started in prison with young people and the less fortunate. Maybe they would be able to talk to schools about their experience and try to reach kids before they go down the wrong path.
Then I wonder are they really sorry or just trying to work the system to get out of jail? I know I am cynic and I am not going to be able to decide my position on this hot button issue tonight as I am very sleepy but I thought it was worth putting out here.
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