Good morning!

I miss Oprah. I miss her show. As I mentioned, the other day, I rarely watch daytime television, but when Oprah was on @ 4:00 PM and I had the opportunity to watch, I did. Her shows always uplifted me and made me think about things that I wouldn’t necessarily think about on a deeper level.

Anyway, I don’t know much about OWN;  some of what I saw I liked, some I wasn’t too thrilled about. But I still love Oprah, I always wish her the best, and acknowledge the wonderful things she does in this world for the women and girls of the world.

Recently, I found this write. I think in the past I have given Oprah the title of Wonderful Woman Of The World. But if I haven’t, she certainly deserves it, and I will recognize her wonderfulness today.

Exclusive: Interview With Oprah About Her School for Girls

Oprah Winfrey has celebrated many impressive milestones and accomplishments in her lifetime as a media icon as well as as a humanitarian and philanthropist. But one of the achievements that is clearly closest to her heart is founding the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

I talked to Oprah about her inspiration to found the school (put in motion by a spirited conversation in Nelson Mandela’s living room), what she has learned from the experience, her hopes for the girls and for expanding the school’s mission. This will also be the subject of an incredibly inspiring special airing onOWN this coming Sunday 10/14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, “The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls,” which chronicles the fulfillment of Oprah’s vision to provide underprivileged girls in South Africa with a world-class education.

The special offers an unprecedented look at life at Oprah’s Academy, and introduces viewers to the special young women who make up the school’s first graduating class, following their journey as they tackle the challenges of their senior year and apply for college. It also features intimate insights from “Mom Oprah” (as the girls affectionately call her), and shows the loving interactions and deep bonds she forms with her students. From their arrival at the school to their first visit to the United States to tour colleges, the special provides personal accounts from the students, who at age twelve or thirteen left their homes and families in poor urban communities to pursue an opportunity to follow their dreams. As Oprah talks about in this interview, she understand from firsthand experience how life-changing the gift of a quality education can be, as well as the world-changing potential of being encouraged and emboldened to, as Oprah puts it, “fulfill the meaning of their own creation” and “live out the highest expression of themselves”.

Marianne Schnall: What inspired you to found the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls?

Oprah Winfrey: Being in Nelson Mandela’s living room, literally sitting in his living room in 2002 when I had gone over to do something called Christmas Kindness that I just created because my house wasn’t ready and I couldn’t move in my house for Christmas and I thought what can do for somebody else? And I wanted to do for other kids what had been done for me as a kid the Christmas I discovered there was no Santa Claus – and that was two nuns showed up at the door and brought food and toys to my half-sister and brother and myself at midnight and I never forgot that. And I thought, gee, I want to have that same kind of effect, that you were remembered, that you were valued, you were important, on other kids.

That’s why I was sitting in Nelson’s Mandela’s living room – he invited me to stay at his house while we were going village to village bringing gifts to children. And we were having a conversation about what’s going to really make a difference in the world. And he said, changing poverty – you can’t change the world unless you change poverty, and I said, you can’t change poverty unless you educate people, and that’s the way through. And I said, ‘I would really love to build a school someday for South Africa.’ And I really was thinking, ah, someday, that will be the thing that I do when I retire or whatever. And he said, ‘you want to build a school!’ – he got up, literally jumped up, called the Minister of Education and set me up on the phone with the Minister of Education. And in a conversation with the Minister of Education, by the end of that evening, we were told to come over to the house. So that’s how it all started.

The other way it started – the reason why I wanted to do a school is because I had tried other things and failed. I had tried creating my own Big Sisters program when I first moved to Chicago. I tried moving families out of the projects to give them a new lease, a chance on life, and what I recognized with all of my failed projects is that unless you change the way people think, you don’t change them. You have to start at the core of how they think. So that’s why education is so important to me.

MS: What do you hope your students have learned from going to the school?

OW: What I hope is that they will be able to sit at the table where the future of the world is decided. That they are open to the greatest, grandest possibility that their life has to offer. That they fulfill the meaning of their own creation, that they get to live out the highest expression of themselves – all of that is the open door that our school provides. It’s the big wake-up call that there’s a whole big world out there waiting for you to offer whatever gifts that you can develop and skills that you can hone through the value of education.

MS: It seemed to me that the curriculum at the school isn’t just about straight academics but about cultivating many other human qualities and values – how would you describe the educational philosophy?

OW: The idea that you are a whole citizen of the world and that this education is to help you gather the pieces to allow you to see the fullness of that. That you are a whole citizen bringing yourself the gifts you have to offer to the world. The idea is the spirit of Ubuntu – is that “I Am Because We Are”. The idea is that your life is more enhanced when you can take what you’ve been given and give to others. So the idea is servant leadership, the idea is the spirit of Ubuntu, “I Am Because We Are” – the idea is using the fullest, highest expression of yourself in such a way that it changes not just you but other people. Have you seen the documentary?

MS: Yes, they sent me the review screener and I teared up at many parts of it. I found it so inspiring and moving. Speaking of the special which airs on Sunday, what do you hope people will take away from watching it?

OW: That these girls are just like your daughters. These are our daughters. And that the hundred million girls around the world who don’t have an opportunity for secondary education are all our daughters. As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl, I think that that is one of my callings on the planet, to be able to use this school as a model to expand and to offer opportunities and to leverage what I have been able to do with this school to affect millions and millions and millions of girls around the world. You know who does the best job of this? The best absolute job of this, that is the model for the world, is The Girl Effect that Maria Eitel is doing. They are doing the most extraordinary work. And I in the future will be collaborating with them with their work so that I can expand the work that I do with my school. Because right now I have almost 400 girls who are continually graduating from school, and that is really a profound thing to do, to offer the country of South Africa a new vision for leadership, that’s how you are going to change the world. But to be able to take what I’ve learned in these past five years and to use that in such a way that it impacts a broader range of girls is also what I am looking to do.

MS: That’s really exciting.

OW: I know – I am so excited!

MS: I feel like there is a growing realization that these aren’t just “women’s issues” – that educating and empowering girls and women around the world is interconnected with many other issues that affect humanity. How do you view the significance of educating girls and harnessing the potential of girls’ voices?

OW: How do I view it? It is THE way – capital THE. It is THE way. Because it’s not just rhetoric – it is a fact – that when you change a girl’s life you effect her vision of herself and her immediate world and the world that she will have an impact on. That’s why all the work that Nike has done with The Girl Effect is just so profoundly outstanding because they have gone into multiple countries and found that if you give a girl a dollar or two dollars, up to 5 dollars a month to be educated, that it changes the entire community. And one of the things that they done is that they go into communities, they speak to the elders in these traditional communities where women have not been allowed to have voices and they go through the men to empower the women. They use the men and then pay the women, these young girls, and these young girls change the families in their community. Time and time again. Because what girls do is they give back. The first thing they want to do is they help their brothers and sisters – they help their mothers. Statistics have shown that when you empower a girl, you don’t just change that one girl’s life, you change the whole family.

MS: I remember a quote came up on the screen during the special, “She who learns, teaches”.

OW: Yes! Yes, yes, yes. I think we’re doing really good work at our school impacting these hundreds and hundreds of girls – my greatest moment, my greatest reward was – I mean, I do a lot – but on the day that we went shopping at Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond? I mean, I was like a crying fool that morning like oh, my god – this is really happening. Not for graduation, but because it means that all of the work – and believe me, it’s a lot of work starting a school from scratch more than 8,000 miles away – all of the problems, the crises, the midnight phone calls – literally there have been times when I’ve flown to South Africa twice in one week. Crazy. While still trying to do the business of my life and shows. And all of it came into absolute, explosive, joyous fruition on the day we went shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond, because it means – wow – these girls who were in villages, and in poor urban communities, in slums and ghettos, what they call townships – are now going to some of the best schools that the United States has to offer so it is really thrilling. Thrilling with a capital T!

MS: What accomplishments of the school and the students are you most proud of?

OW: I’m most proud that the girls have been able to – first of all, that first class, every single girl not just graduated, but every single girl is now in college and making all the adjustments that college girls do: “Oh, my gosh – we thought we had a lot of homework when we are at OWLAG, Mom Oprah, the reading – it’s overwhelming!” [laughs] That’s what I hear. “We’re expected to read in one week what we did in a month at OWLAG!” Making all of the college adjustments. And for me it’s the great open door. I refer to that a lot because it’s not just – I say to them, college is a metaphor for preparation for your life, you know? It gives you four years of a break really before you have to step out in the real world. And what I’m most excited about is a future for them that’s so bright that it burns my eyes. I tell them that all the time.

MS: I love that it’s a “Leadership” academy – that this is about grooming leaders, all that means – their inner leader.

OW: We are constantly defining and redefining that for ourselves because in the beginning girls were intimidated by the very name on the school – leadership, because they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t know if I’m really a great leader.” Well, there are multiple levels of leadership. Your leadership in your own family, your community, how you lead your life, how you present yourself in the world as one who is willing to use what you have to give to others. That to me the defining meaning of what it takes to be a leader.

MS: Some of the most moving parts of the special were when you talked about your own childhood – for example being one of only two black children in a school of 2,000 kids, and having to straddle the line between those two worlds. How did your own personal experience as a child connect to your motivation for founding this school?

OW: One of the things that I encourage for anybody who is interested in their own charity or philanthropy is to start from where you are and what has mattered to you. So everything about the way I grew up, my exposure to education, how a light went on when I was exposed to the opportunity to go to a good school in Milwaukee. One of the things that I admire most about my girls is the ability to balance the transition that is being in wonderful, aesthetically pleasing surroundings at OWLAG, having their own bed, and then being able to go back home to their traditional, patriarchal environment, serve their brothers and fathers – some of them have to, still on their knees – and manage them both. To be able to be women who can handle both. And I did the same thing. I was on the bus with the maids in the morning traveling to the suburbs and the poorest kid in the class, and having to travel back into the inner city community at night and balance that in my neighborhood with all the friends saying, ‘Why do you talk like that? Why you trying to talk white? Why you acting like that?’

So I think these girls have done a magnificent job of balancing the two because we teach leadership, we teach speaking up for yourself, using your voice to stand for something that is meaningful for you in your life. And then you go home and you’re told that a woman’s role is to be silent and to be respectful to your elders, and speaking your own mind and speaking your own truth is not revered, in your family or community. The ability to balance that is extraordinary actually.

MS: You have been a pioneer and accomplished so much in your lifetime – in terms of your legacy, what does this mean to you, founding the school and celebrating this graduating class?

OW: It means I’m on the right track. The interesting thing about legacy – when I first opened the school I said to Maya Angelou, ‘Oh my goodness, this is going to be my legacy.’ And Maya said, ‘You have no idea what your legacy is going to be.’ The truth is your legacy is every life you have ever touched. And that is true for me, it is true for every person who is reading this, it’s true for you. The imprint, the heart print that you leave on every person’s life that you’re exposed to – that is your real legacy. It’s the most rewarding, fulfilling – and I would have to say now, fun. I have great relationships with all my girls, particularly the seven who are in school in the United States – it has actually enhanced and uplifted my life in ways that I never even imagined being quote “Mom Oprah”. I speak to them regularly, the girls at Spelman are going through midterms so I talked to all of them this morning – this is their first midterm. So the aspect of mothering it’s just turned out to be perfect for me, because I probably wouldn’t have been good with little kids, with the life that I was leading, and now they’re just at the perfect age so that we can share and experience and have real conversations about things that matter. And I can use my life experience, what I know, to help them become more of who they’re meant to be.

MS: What is the source of your energy? What is it that drives you?

OW: I am fueled by my own personal passion to do good in the world. Fueled by that.

“The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls” airs on Sunday, October 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The two-hour special profiling the first students to complete Oprah’s school in South Africa is preceded by the OWN premiere at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT of “Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy,” a one-hour special chronicling the creation and construction of the school.

See a Sneak Peek of “The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy”

Oprah: If you’re reading, I love what you do for all the women and girls of this world. You rock! Keep it going. Congratulations to your first graduating class, and the success of your school for girls!

Readers: What’s up with you on the beautiful Saturday morning? Blog me.

Peace & Love…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Well, I guess not too many people were into the article I posted, except Kerri - funny she has the same same name. Or maybe it was difficult to get in. I guess I won’t know until you tell me.

Anyway…this one is for you men out there…so listen up. This is something that I and other women on my blog have spoken about. We women need more support from the men in our lives. It’s good for us and it’s good for you too. Read on.

Getting Boys on Board

While the movement for gender equality has secured women participation at ballot boxes across the globe, their votes are still in short supply at the world’s decision making tables. An August study found that women hold a disappointing 16.1 percent of board of director seats in the U.S., 5.1 percent in Brazil, 8.5 percent in China, and less than one percent in Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The statistics should serve as a startling reminder of who holds the power around the globe — and galvanize the world’s powerbrokers to take a stand.

Instead of standing up, too many men kick back and take a seat, complacent in their majority at the expense of diversity and inclusion (and perhaps even profits — a recent study found that companies with female board members perform significantly better than companies with all-male boards). If gender equality is to be achieved, fair policies, inclusive systems, and ongoing advocacy must come from those who still head and inherit society’s halls of power. As women work to empower themselves and their communities, men have to do their part.

But it’s not just women who’d benefit from a level playing field. The success of the opposite sex is also in men’s best interests, as research shows that leaving girls and women in lower societal standing is a dismal prospect for both genders. A World Bank study recognized that increased job opportunities for women leads to less poverty and faster growth for everyone, including men and children. And limiting women’s participation in the workforce costs the Asia-Pacific region up to $42 billion per year, according to a UN report.

Opportunities for inclusion will present themselves in in the coming days, as New York City hosts leaders and luminaries from various sectors for numerous geo-political gatherings. The attendees, most of whom are men, will extend handshakes, exchange ideas, and adopt resolutions, hoping to find solutions for a more prosperous and sustainable planet. Ironically, many of these powerbrokers will rack their brains for ways to make the most out of limited capital, food, and energy, yet miss the return on investment that comes from putting women in the lead.

And then there’s the Clinton Global Initiative. While its Annual Meeting boasts the same high level of global thought leaders — heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, and leaders of philanthropy — as many of the other international gatherings, its strategic focus on the power of girls and women dramatically sets it apart. Here, the world’s most powerful men and women astutely acknowledge that the half of the population most impacted by poverty, disease, social inequality, and unsustainable systems of food and business often holds the most insight. And rather than settle for thoughtful discussions, they take solutions-oriented actions that place girls and women at the center.

The authors of this article formed a valuable friendship forged in our shared zeal for women’s rights last year, when CGI worked on gender-inclusive problem solving in Haiti. It’s a geo-political area one of us is particularly passionate about as the co-founder of We Advance, a nonprofit promoting gender equality for the population feeling the brunt of Haiti’s poverty and disasters.

To my excitement, CGI immediately got behind our project to empower women in the areas of health, hygiene, human rights, and gender-based violence in Wharf Jeremy, as did many Haitian men from the neighborhood. By the end of 2012, our program will have educated nearly 2,000 people in the infamous Port-au-Prince slum, a major success made possible by the active participation of men.

However, the story was far from over. Proving infectious, the women’s newfound empowerment didn’t stay contained in that neighborhood — the local success and support of CGI encouraged the Haitian women to lobby their federal government for equal participation. Their efforts gained the support of Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and President Michel Martelly, leading to a cabinet in which women make up 60 percent of new members and a $10 million fund for woman-owned businesses. Though traditionally controlled by men, the government in the end knew the work ethic of Haitian women and that any country’s best bet for revitalization lies in putting women’s voices at the forefront.

But the move toward gender inclusion doesn’t start or end with prime ministers, presidential cabinets, or, even as promising as it is, the upcoming CGI Annual Meeting. The curriculums in our schools and examples in our homes will powerfully shape the values of our students, sons, and leaders. Whether boys and men are engaged in gender-inclusive solutions today determines the quality of the world girls, women, and our communities will inherit tomorrow.

Maria Bello is an American actress and activist and is the Goodwill Ambassador for Women in Haiti. Penny Abeywardena is the Head of Girls and Women and Associate Director of Commitments at the Clinton Global Initiative.

********

Mike, TM: I have to respond to your comment about genetically engineered cows. First of all, thanks for the info. It inspired me to do a search, and I found this write. I am assuming this is what you are talking about:

Genetically Engineered Cows Make ‘Hypoallergenic’ Milk

Happy Sunday Everyone! Blog this BABE.

xo

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

ALEC: The Scheme to Remake America, One State House at a Time

This week, we report on the most influential corporate-funded political force most Americans have never heard of — ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a “nonpartisan public-private partnership”. But behind that mantra lies a vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to increase corporate profits at public expense without public knowledge.

In state houses around the country, hundreds of pieces of boilerplate ALEC legislation are proposed or enacted that would, among other things, dilute collective bargaining rights, make it harder for some Americans to vote, and limit corporate liability for harm caused to consumers — each accomplished without the public ever knowing who’s behind it.

We explore ALEC’s self-serving machine at work, acting in a way one Wisconsin politician describes as “a corporate dating service for lonely legislators and corporate special interests.”

Here’s a preview:

By the way, join me for my first LIVE CHAT of 2012. You can set up a reminder for yourself and start submitting questions here. I look forward to it.

Readers: Plan on pretty much everything I discuss or post to this blog, until the day of the election, is going to be about Politics, with maybe a few things thrown in as a breather. But really with the most important election of our lives less than 40 days away, what else is there to discuss? If you’re not into politics, now is the time to turn into a political animal, and get active.

It’s Friday…Blog me. Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

This is a very tragic and sad story, and a story that needs to be told.

Cristian Fernandez, 13-Year-Old Florida Boy Charged With Brother’s Murder, Had Life ‘Punctuated ByViolence’ (VIDEO)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A decade before he was charged with murder, a 2-year-old Cristian Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him had holed up with cocaine in a messy motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.

His life had been punctuated with violence since he was conceived, an act that resulted in a sexual assault conviction against his father. Fernandez’ life got worse from there: He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who committed suicide before police investigating the beating arrived.

The boy learned to squelch his feelings, once telling a counselor: “You got to suck up feelings and get over it.”

Now 13, Fernandez is accused of two heinous crimes himself: first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half-brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half-brother. He’s been charged as an adult and is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Fernandez could face a life sentence – a possibility that has stirred strong emotions among those for and against such strict punishment. The case is one of the most complex and difficult in Florida’s courts, and it could change how first-degree murder charges involving juvenile defendants are handled statewide.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders to get mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of that, Fernandez’ defense attorneys said they can’t advise their client what kind of sentence he could face. Another complication involves whether Fernandez understood his rights during police interrogations.

Richard Kuritz, a former Jacksonville prosecutor who is now a defense attorney, said everyone agrees that Fernandez should face consequences if convicted – but what should they be?

“What would be a fair disposition? I don’t suspect this case is going to end anytime soon,” said Kuritz, who has been following the case closely.

Supporters of local State Attorney Angela Corey say she’s doing the right thing by trying Fernandez as an adult: holding a criminal accountable to the full extent of the law. But others, like Carol Torres, say Fernandez should be tried in juvenile court and needs help, not life in prison.

“He should be rehabilitated and have a second chance at life,” said Torres, 51. Her grandson attended school with Fernandez and she has created a Facebook page to support him.

In other states, children accused of violent crimes are often charged or convicted as juveniles. In 2011, a Colorado boy pleaded guilty to killing his two parents when he was 12; he was given a seven-year sentence in a juvenile facility and three years parole. A Pennsylvania boy accused of killing his father’s pregnant fiancée and her unborn child when he was 11 was sent this year to an undisclosed juvenile facility where he could remain in state custody until his 21st birthday.

The Justice Department said that 29 children under age 14 committed homicides around the country in 2010, the most recent year for which the statistics were available

Fernandez’ judge – and jury, if the case gets that far – will have to decide whether to consider the boy’s past when determining his future.

Fernandez was born in Miami in 1999 to Biannela Susana, who was 12. The 25-year-old father received 10 years’ probation for sexually assaulting her.

Two years later, both mother and son went to foster care after authorities in South Florida found the toddler, filthy and naked, walking in the street at 4 a.m. near the motel where his grandmother did drugs.

In 2007, when Fernandez was 8, the Department of Children and Families investigated a report that he was sexually molested by an older cousin. Officials said other troubling incidents were reported, including claims that he he killed a kitten, simulated sex with classmates and masturbated at school.

In October 2010, Fernandez and his mother were living in Hialeah, a Miami suburb, with his mother’s new husband. Fernandez suffered an eye injury so bad that school officials sent him to the hospital where he was examined for retinal damage. Fernandez told officers that his stepfather had punched him. When officers went to the family’s apartment, they found the stepfather dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Soon, the family moved north to Jacksonville and Fernandez enrolled in middle school, getting straight A’s. They settled in a bland, beige public housing complex.

A few months later on March 14, 2011, deputies were called to the apartment: Fernandez’ baby brother, 2-year-old David, had died at a local hospital. The medical examiner determined that the toddler had a fractured skull, bruising to his left eye and a bleeding brain.

Susana, then 25, admitted to investigators that she had left Fernandez, David and her other children home alone. When she returned, she said she found David unconscious. She waited eight-and-a-half hours before taking him to the hospital and searched “unconsciousness” online and texted friends during that time.

Susana also revealed that two weeks before David’s death, Fernandez had broken the toddler’s leg while wrestling.

Susana was charged with aggravated manslaughter; the medical examiner said David might have survived if she had taken him to the hospital sooner for the head injury. She pleaded guilty in March and could get 30 years.

Fernandez, who had first been questioned as a witness, was soon charged with first-degree murder. The other felony charge was filed after his 5-year-old half-brother told a psychiatrist that Fernandez had sexually assaulted him.

The boy has talked openly to investigators and therapists about his life; the gritty details are captured in various court documents.

“Christian denied any plans or intent to kill his brother,” one doctor wrote. “He seemed rather defensive about discussing what triggered his anger. He talked about having a `flashback’ of the abuse by his stepfather as the motive for this offense … Christian was rather detached emotionally while discussing the incident.”

Based on psychological evaluations, prosecutors say that Fernandez poses a significant risk of violence. That’s why he is being detained pre-trial and why they charged him with two first-degree felonies.

Yet difficult questions remain for Judge Mallory Cooper: Should a child so young spend his life in prison? Does Fernandez understand his crimes, and can he comprehend the complex legal issues surrounding his case?

In August, Cooper ruled that police interrogations of Fernandez in the murder and sexual assault cases are not admissible, because the boy couldn’t knowledgeably waive his rights to remain silent and consult an attorney. Prosecutors are appealing.

The defense wants the charges dismissed, saying the U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning sentences of life without parole for juveniles makes it impossible for them to advise Fernandez since the Florida Legislature has not changed state law. Prosecutors say they never said they would seek a mandatory life sentence – they say the old Florida law that called for a 25-year-to-life sentence could apply.

Mitch Stone, a Jacksonville defense attorney who is familiar with the case, said Corey and her prosecutors are in a tough position.

“I know they’re good people and good lawyers,” he said. “But if a resolution short of trial doesn’t occur, this case is on a collision course to sending Cristian Fernandez to life in prison. That’s why this is one of those very difficult cases. It’s hard to understand what the appropriate measure is.”

*******

Readers: I have had a busy morning so this note is all you are going to get from me personally today. I have perused the comments and am tempted to post even later than I already am so that I can respond to some of the comments, but it is late enough – I will refrain and reserve my comments for tomorrow.

Have a beautiful Saturday!! Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

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“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Good morning!

Every morning it gets more and more difficult to decide what to talk about…what to write about, because there is so much going on in the world. News is immediate and things change by the minute. Decisions…decisions…decisions…

Here’s my pick:

Senate Republicans Shaft the Vets

The young men and women who serve in our military return from fighting in the longest wars in American history to the worst jobs market in generations. They suffer higher unemployment rates than the general population: over one in ten is officially counted as unemployed — and that does not include those who have stopped looking for work or are forced to work part-time.

So yesterday, in one final vile act before adjournment for the elections, Senate Republicans used a point of order to block passage of the Veterans Jobs Corps proposal that would have provided a modest $1 billion to hire veterans to tend federal lands or gain priority in hiring at police and fire departments. The bill was crafted with bipartisan support. 58 Senators supported the bill, but Republicans put together the 40 votes needed to block its passage.

Why shaft the very veterans whose service politicians sanctimoniously celebrate at every occasion?

Is it because unemployed veterans are part of Mitt Romney’s scorned 47 percent?

Unemployed, they pay no taxes. They may feel they are “entitled” to the health care benefits they are guaranteed. Many take advantage of training and education benefits. Perhaps Republican senators simply didn’t want to help these “victims” feel entitled to a job in addition. (Of course, contrary to Mitt’s idiotic election strategery, like seniors, these “victims” tend to vote more Republican than Democratic)

Or is it because Senate Republicans remain committed to block any action that will produce jobs in their monomaniacal effort to make Barack Obama a one-term president. In the midst of the worst recession in generations, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell famously announced at the beginning of the term that “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

Republicans then launched a scorched earth policy of obstruction, using the filibuster to block everything they could. They worked overtime to weaken the president’s initial recovery act, cutting its size and larding it with ineffective tax cuts. Once Republicans took the House, they joined in blocking additional jobs measures, including most recently the president’s American Jobs Act, while forcing cuts in spending that cost jobs. And then, of course, they denounce the president for failing to fix the economy.

Or perhaps Senate Republicans are simply fools, not knaves. Conservative Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma explained his vote against putting unemployed veterans to work by arguing that making progress on the nation’s debt was the best way to help them in the long-term. “We ought to do nothing now that makes the problem worse for our kids and grandkids,” he said. “In the run,” as John Maynard Keynes once said, “we are all dead” — a comment that gains grim meaning as the Defense Department reports that a veteran are killing themselves at the rate of one every 80 minutes

These are the same Republicans who squandered over three trillion dollars on the unfunded “war of choice” in Iraq. And now spending a billion on the veterans who risked their lives in that folly imposes too big a burden on our grandchildren. This is disgraceful politics. Naturally, the two Republican senators in close re-election races — Scott Brown in Massachusetts and Dean Heller of Nevada — were given permission to vote for the bill. The rest either are in safe seats or assume that Americans will forget by the time they come up for re-election. They’ll salute the troops, march in the parades, celebrate the returning heroes, and call for larding more billions into the Pentagon. But a small jobs programs for veterans in need of work? Not this year, not before the election.

********

Readers: Before the protests in Pakistan became the headliner for the Huff Po, I was reading about a vet, John Hoskins who although is not proud of his dependence on government. He scrapes by on a $900 monthly check from the Veterans Administration and $16 in food stamps.

He also states that he rejects Romney’s contention that he will vote for President Barack Obama “no matter what” to keep his benefits flowing. He is sour on politicians of both parties.

“I’m not in the bag for anyone,” he said. “I’m not voting for either of those guys.”

Wha’at? Are you kidding? After what you heard Romney say, that basically he could care less about you, you still put Romney and Obama on the same same level?  Really? How stupid and ignorant is that. Or is he just racist? I’m not saying he is but really, you have to just shake your head when someone who has benefited from government help, and when you are told point blank that you don’t matter by a presidential candidate, you still say, “I’m not voting for either of those guys”?  Don’t you know a “no” vote is a vote for the republicans?

I HOPE Hoskins, and others like him, read the above article and come to their senses – the republicans are not their friends. If Hoskins is currently struggling to make it on his monthy check from the Veterans Admin., he is going to be a lot worse off if Romney is president. The above article is just the beginning to how bad it could get for vets.

What will it take for people to get this?

What’s your take on this? Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"