Friday, July 22, 2011

Talks with a Preschooler

So... we pick Olivia up from school the other day. I ask her how her day is and she is telling me all about it. I asked her some questions I normally ask such as ... what did you learn about today? Who did you play with? Read any good books? And then I asked..... what did you guys have for snack? This is when she informed me 'junk food'. Then she goes on to tell me that she asked her teacher why they always feed her junk food. And I said (stifling a laugh) so what did she say? She pipes up and said "she just looooooooooked at me... like this" (immitates a glare).
It cracked me up.

Kids really do say the darndest things. And I am sure her teacher thinks she got that from me. Ooooops!



Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Criminals, Media, and our fellow Americans - A Small Rant

This is something that I had no intention on blogging about. However, this is something that constantly resurfaces in my mind especially since the Casey Anthony trial exploded through the media.

I am experiencing frustration and disappointment, not just with the despicable crimes that are becoming even more common, not just with the common failures of our justice system, but also with my peers. We can expect our media to glamourize crimes, it happens all the time. It's news. The media is filled with speculation, assumptions, arrogance, opinions, and even entertainment. The justice system is imperfect. No one has the solution to common problems and everyone wants to make an example of someone to promote their own agendas. Lawyers do this, judges do this, and now... jury members do this. But sense when do Americans feel it necessary to play God and determine another person’s fate without proof?

Everyone seems to be on a modern day witch hunt with the Casey Anthony trial. Everyone is emotionally fueled and not thinking clearly which is why our justice systems motto is "innocent until proven guilty". There was no proof of anything substantial in the trial and yet everyone wants to see this woman get the death penalty. People scream that the justice system failed.... failed how? My letting a woman go that the government couldn't prove did a crime? Perhaps we should give people life in prison and the death penalty based on assumptions? Would they feel the same way if the person on trial was their mother, father, or child?

It is a terrible tragedy that a child was harmed and her life was cut short, this is undisputable. However, without any motive or proof for Casey Anthony it is now between her and whichever god she prays to. It is not our job to hold our peers accountable... it is the lords. Perhaps we should all practice love, forgiveness, and focus on our own lives instead of promoting a witch hunt fueled by vindication. Let us ask ourselves not what can we do to punish but what can we do to help keep our own loved ones safe?