Good morning!

“Just noticing…”

From the New Republic:

The Huge Obamacare Story You Aren’t Reading

Today it’s a few hundred thousand people. By next year, it will be at least a few million. Their health insurance status is changing dramatically: What they have in 2014 and beyond will look nothing like what they had in 2013 and before. For many of these people, the difference will be hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. In a few cases, it may be the difference between life and death.

You probably think I’m talking about the people getting cancellation notices about their private insurance policies. I’m not. I’m talking about the people getting Medicaid. Both stories are consequences of the Affordable Care Act. But one is getting way, way more attention than the other.

It’s no mystery why. Stories of people losing something are more compelling than stories of people gaining something. The policy cancellation story is also newsier, because fewer people expected it to happen. Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid was something the advocates of reform advertised. Reform’s effect on people with skimpy or medically underwritten insurance policies they liked was something that few advocates, including the president, even acknowledged. Had Obama pointed out, all along, that some people might lose existing plans or pay more for coverage in 2014, it would seem a lot less shocking.

But there is also a class element to the way this debate has evolved. By and large, the people receiving those cancellation notices and facing large premium increases are at least reasonably affluent. They’re not necessarily rich, particularly if they live in higher cost areas of the country. Many of them sweat monthly bills just like most of the country does. But, by definition, they don’t qualify for huge subsidies that would offset premium increases mostly or completely. By contrast, the people getting Medicaid are poor. They have to be, because it’s the only way to sign up for the program. And as political scientists have shown, the poor don’t command the same kind of attention from politicians that the middle class—and particularly the upper middle class—does.

And this fact, I suspect, is also magnifying the impact of those cancellation letters. The best estimates suggest that 12 to 15 million people currently buy coverage on their own—i.e, in what’s known as the non-group market. It appears that only a fraction of them will get to keep their current policies. The rest will end up having to get new coverage, or updated versions of their old coverage, that offers greater benefits and/or is available to everybody, regardless of pre-existing condition. That will drive up the price of insurance.

But when you take into account the subsidies, which for many people will knock the price of insurance right back down, and the number of people who would gladly pay more for insurance that offers real protection from financial shock, the number of people who truly end up feeling worse off ends up a lot smaller than 12 or 15 million. And even those people will end up with good health insurance, though they’ll be paying more for it and may not want it.

Meanwhile, the best available projections suggest that 13 million people will eventually sign up for Medicaid. That’s a much larger number of people, most of whom had no insurance—none—before. That doesn’t even include more than ten million presently uninsured people expected to get insurance through employers and the new marketplaces, assuming all of the websites start working better, or the millions of seniors getting extra help with their prescrpition drugs.

Of course, the story of the Medicaid expansion is also one of suffering. But that’s because Republicans governors and lawmakers are blocking expansion of Medicaid in their states. About 5 million people who would be eligible for Medicaid under Obamacare’s new guidelines won’t be getting it. Here’s a mental exercise. How many stories have cable news and the networks run about people with private insurance getting cancellation notices? And how many have they run about people who would be getting Medicaid if only their state lawmakers would stop blocking expansion?

You can find examples, usually from domestic policy writers in print. My colleague Alec MacGillis has waged a lonely crusade to remind people about this situation. The New York Times had a terrific front-page story on this in early October, and Politico‘s Jen Haberkorn wrote about it a few weeks later. In the Washington Post, Ruth Marcus on Friday wrote about Paul Tumulty, in Texas, who can’t get insurance because Governor Rick Perry has blocked that state’s Medicaid expansion. Tumulty, who is the brother of Post staff writer Karen, has kidney disease. Wiithout Medicaid he can’t get comprehensive coverage, because, as Karen put it, “he is, paradoxically, too poor for subsidies.”

But these articles are the exception more than the rule. Obama tried to draw attention to the issue last week, when he visited Texas. But the trip didn’t generate much in the way of new coverage of Medicaid.

Should the president have been more candid about the impact his plan would have on people buying their own coverage? Yes. Should we pay attention to those people, particularly when they must now pay more for equivalent coverage? Definitely. Should this put extra pressure on the administration and some states to fix their websites? You bet. But that’s not the only Obamacare news right now. The law is making life better for a great many people—and would help even more if only Republican lawmakers would relent. Those stories need attention, too.

Helen: I can’t tell you how shocking it was for me to reach such comments when I first starting reading the comments on my blog years ago. So yes, not censoring works twofold. I don’t censor any comments no matter what. And, when readers can be anonymous here, they don’t need to censor themselves either. So we get to experience truly how people feel – and what they may not say to each other, but they can easily say here without having to fear being known or exposed.

Silvia: Really? Huh…If I remember correctly,  back in the day…it wasn’t me that said Doug was “hung like a porn star.” I don’t believe those would be words that would come from my mouth. I believe that it was Azza who had been “looking.”  I will speak for myself, and reveal things about myself, but it is not like me to divulge such personal info about my partner. But I could be wrong, and just hinted about it using different words. No biggie. However, if I did it was certainly “a moment,” and one that I won’t repeat here for obvious reasons. :)

But to answer your question, a lover can satisfy me in many ways. Yes, it is very important to me that I have an exciting and healthy sexual relationship. However, I am much more interested in the total package, and I am not just talking about the visuals. What I want from a man is far more than just dick size. So much more has to be revealed to me before he’ll even get a chance of getting a peek at seeing the juiciness between these thighs.

Trina: That’s a good question to ask when you’re applying. Let me know if you get and answer. I’m sure other girls would want to know too. :)

Eddy: Haha! Good for you for having a good attitude and working that asset!

Shelia: Now we’re talking. Good love comes in all sizes.

Brittany: I think you got played girlfriend. You thought you were showing her something. This girl was experienced. She knew way before you kissed her you were her bitch.

Evelyn: That is quite the family story. Yes, life is stranger than fiction. Happy to hear you and your sis made up and all is good. Too bad your parents are racist. They are missing out.

I miss Anna and Peter too. Where are you two? Howie? There are plenty of readers making comments  - how about coming back and saying hello?

I love that I have so many readers who visit this blog, but yes, without the longtime faithfuls spending time here, it would be pretty strange. No, ZL and Prism Princess hold their own all by themselves. I barely have enough time to be here everyday as moi. I certainly don’t have the time to be someone else, let alone two girls!

Speaking of…ZL: I’m so happy to hear you and your man are happy, and enjoying each other thoroughly. I could hear it in your voice on the phone. You can’t get any better when mind, body, and spirit are connected.

Troy: Thank God no one agrees with me all of the time, otherwise I wouldn’t get to experience another viewpoint to compare it too.  However, with all due respect, I am not sure our opinions differ as I haven’t really given a well-informed opinion yet, which is why I am asking what others think. Like I mentioned I like her, yet I know very little of her, spiritually and politically. What I said was mostly HOPEful thinking.

Dafne: I’m with you sister. My thoughts exactly.

Mike, TM: I am happy to see your comments here. I feel the same way about our president. And I always learn something from your posts. Be well and be safe.

Social Butterfly: Nice to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time to express your informed viewpoint. I agree with you about the need to rely on God – I can’t hang with that one. Although I am not sure that I got the same impression as you did from watching the video. Thanks for posting. With respect to Hillary Clinton, I am still a supporter, and …Elizabeth warren, like you, and Shellie, I think she’s amazing too, and would get my support.

Erica: Thanks for your opinion too. Nicely stated. That was eye opening and didn’t occur to me earlier. I do not trust anyone who uses God to assist in the arguments either, especially in politics. I would HOPE that she would leave the God message out of politics but the truth is…well I think we may already know the answer to that one.

Silva: You’re welcome!

Readers: I am on a deeper spiritual path currently and I am looking to break some limiting beliefs of mine, so my mind is quite focused on the spiritual aspects that she addresses. Not necessarily appropriate for politics. I may have been blinded by the “Light” so to speak. :) So, thank you. This was personally a juicy topic for me. So happy that it spurred some insights for me to think about.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

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!

“Just noticing…”

Oklahoma Drops National Guard Benefits For All Couples To Avoid Serving Same-Sex Couples [UPDATED]

FALLIN: Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples.The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people.

*****

Readers: Typical republican. What is the difference between what Fallin is doing as Governor of Oklahoma, and her repub cronies who are trying to make sure Obama fails as a president at the expense of the entire country?

Zen Lill: I would love to talk to you but I won’t be able to today.  I’ll check in with you later. I HOPE the showing of your home is going well!

Becca: Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing the entire documentary.

Stanz: That is horrible. I am glad you were there for your sister. The best thing to happen for this perp is not death, but more prison time. He should not be paroled in 2014, and if he is indeed a serial rapist – HOPEfully more women will come out to testify against him. If so, he deserves to be left in prison and live daily with what he has done to women, have done to him. Payback is a bitch.

Francine: Thanks for posting the additional write.

Rona, Herba, Ele: I had never heard of Alison Botha. And now after reading what I assume is a segment from her book, I will never forget her. I googled her after reading the post and what I read was even more horrific in detail. It is hard to imagine how one can survive such sick brutality. She is one brave girl.

Rona, so sorry you had to endure rape at the hands of your father. I HOPE you are working your way through that.

Sharia: And that is a fine example of women supporting women. NOT. (sigh) It infuriates me too.

Kelly: It is sickening. And more sickening when our society lets perps like these off easy. It tells the male species that what they are doing is not that bad…and hey if you get caught, your punishment won’t be that bad either. Or when society makes excuses for the perps…or worse blames the woman as we have seen so many times. Men do it enough to us –  do we need women, such as the comment made by Sharia above, to do the same thing to other women?

What is wrong with these women?

If women can’t put themselves in each others shoes, how can we expect men to? We can’t and I am not relying on the majority of men to do something. We would be waiting until the end of time.  If we are going to eliminate rape culture, women have to stick together and do something for each other. What is it going to take?

Marianne: In my opinion, a woman doing that to her own daughter is worse than the father raping her. Unfortunately, Men rape. Unfortunately there are more men who would rape their daughters if they legally could. I am not giving them an excuse simply because they are male. It is just a horrific fact. But a mother choosing to side with a rapist/husband and disowning her own daughter in order to be with the man regardless of whether he is her husband or not, is simply as low and sickening as you can go.

Peace & Love…sending it to all the women who have had to endure any type of abuse. And…HOPEing to encourage women to bring peace and love to each other through unwavering support. 

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!

Every once in awhile I bring up how important it is to be responsible writer – meaning be clear about what you write, and take responsibility for what you write. This is especially important if you are a professional writer who is most likely getting paid for the written word.

Although I am not a professional writer, I try my best to be a responsible writer, making sure that I am clear in what I am saying so that my words are not misconstrued. And most time I probably…no, I know, I take more time than I should to post the words that I chose to post, but it is important to me as a writer that I am writing clearly.

I have made very few mistakes, been accountable for them and apologized for them. Although, I don’t think anyone has held them against me, I certainly still remember exactly what I wrote and regretted,  and it is a strong reminder to keep my standards high and be mindful of how I express myself in the written word, especially when my emotions are charged over a particular subject.

However, when you are a professional writer it is your duty and responsibility as a writer to make sure that your written words say exactly what you mean to convey. Clear communication is key. Again, no one is perfect but you better darn well be close to it, if that is your job.

And then there are some professional writers who perhaps should think about another career. At least that is the feeling I get from reading this write from Think Progress.

“Just noticing…”

Even If Richard Cohen Isn’t Racist, He’s Incompetent

Richard Cohen’s “gag reflex” column is indefensible. So is his piece arguing that Trayvon Martin was “understandably suspected because he was black.” His claim that “[t]he first thing you should know about theso-called Steubenville Rape is that this was not a rape involving intercourse,” smacks of Todd Akin. And the fact that his employer described him as a “left-of-center presence” that liberals might consider “one of their own” raises serious questions about whether anyone at the Washington Post has actually met a liberal.

But even if none of these things were true. Even if he had never defended racism or suggested that rape is somehow Miley Cyrus’ fault, his work still falls far below what should be the standard at any major American newspaper. Cohen is a banal, milquetoast analyst who, by his own admission, cannot perform the most basic task his job requires.

Consider, for a moment, Cohen’s defense of his column claiming that “[p]eople with conventional views must repress a gag reflex when considering” the Mayor-elect of New York’s interracial family. Cohen claims that he did not intend these words to be racist — although they have widely been read as such — but he admits that his words did not accurately convey his meaning. “I could have picked a better word,” he told the Huffington Post, “but it didn’t ring any bells with anybody, it didn’t ring any bells with me.”

Richard Cohen is a professional writer. His job is to use words to convey meaning. That’s his only job. So even if we take Cohen at his word — that he did not intend to convey an offensive meaning and merely failed to understand that his words would be taken that way — his defense is actually a damning indictment of his own competence. If a recent college graduate submitted a writing sample to ThinkProgress that could reasonably be read to associate multiracial marriages with the gag reflex, we would not hire them for even an entry-level position.

To be fair, nearly every professional writer can cite a time when they made a word selection that they later regretted. Here’s a selection I made that I now regret. But Cohen’s offensive columns fit a pattern. If Cohen didn’t mean to suggest that racism against young black men is understandable, or that some rapes are less repugnant than others, then he lacks a basic fluency with the written language.

And even when Cohen’s columns are not odious, they are just as often trifle sweetened with obvious truths and outright inaccuracies.

If you excise the offensive passages from his most recent piece, the remainder of his argument is that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who is perceived as a relatively moderate Republican, will not fare well against more outspoken social conservatives in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. This is a claim that I happen to agree with, but that’s because it’s not a particular insightful observation. The last two Iowa GOP caucuses were won by Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, both of whom positioned themselves as insurgent, socially conservative alternatives to the candidates preferred by party elites. Republican Iowa caucus-goers like insurgent, socially conservative alternatives to the candidates preferred by party elites. Anyone who doesn’t know this probably shouldn’t be writing professionally about national politics.

Some of Cohen’s other columns offer such insights as Ted Cruz is good at getting media attention or Mitt Romney comes off as a patrician and not as a populist. These are, of course, true insights. But they aren’t exactly windows into the American soul.

Above all else, Cohen seems constitutionally incapable of probing deeply into a subject. Take his penultimate column in the lead-up to the 2012 election. Cohen starts with the uninteresting observation that President Obama’s reelection campaign offered a less ambitious policy agenda than his campaign in 2008, then he offers this indictment of the president:

[S]omewhere between the campaign and the White House itself, Obama got lost. It turned out he had no cause at all. Expanding health insurance was Hillary Clinton’s longtime goal, and even after Obama adopted it, he never argued for it with any fervor. In an unfairly mocked campaign speech, he promised to slow the rise of the oceans and begin to heal the planet. But when he took office, climate change was abandoned — too much trouble, too much opposition. His eloquence, it turned out, was reserved for campaigning.

Obama never espoused a cause bigger than his own political survival.

First of all, the idea that the President who pushed health reform for months after it was clear that he was paying a terrible political price for doing so “never espoused a cause bigger than his own political survival” is absurd on its face. There are many negative things that can and should be said about the White House’s tactics during the fight to enact Obamacare, but Barack Obama chose a difficult and politically dangerous fight and he saw it through to the end. Claiming otherwise is inaccurate.

And Cohen’s critique of Obama suffers from a much larger problem. No one can doubt that the President’s second campaign called for less sweeping reform than his first, but a better writer would have explored how this came to be so. In 2008, Barack Obama was a Washington newcomer, brimming with optimism and more than a little naive aboutjust how easily a political minority can obstruct his agenda, even if his party enjoyed commanding majorities in both houses of Congress. He spent the next four years living the irony that the most powerful man in the United States is often powerless in the face of a determined opposition. Obama didn’t pare down his ambitions because he believes in nothing. He did so because he now knows that if he’d promised sweeping change in 2012 then he’d be lying to the American people.

A better writer might have also criticized the constitutional underpinnings that render American majorities so powerless. Or they could have critiqued Obama for failing to turn swiftly to regulatory solutions after it became clear that his legislative agenda was stalling. Or they could have proposed an alternative agenda that Obama could have campaigned on without exaggerating the limited reach of the presidency. Richard Cohen, however, is not that writer. With a wealth of genuinely difficult questions he could have probed at the peak of his readership’s interest in politics and the presidency, he chose instead to write a column that boils down to ten uninteresting words: “President Obama wants a second term, but can he LEAD?”

I work with 33 very talented writers here at ThinkProgress. Literally every single one of them possesses more insight into American politics and policy than Richard Cohen. The same can be said about thousands of writers that would happily cut off their own foot if it meant the opportunity to have a regular column in the Washington Post.

If the Washington Post were Harvard, I would assume Cohen’s father donated a stadium to the university. How else can one explain his position at the top of a writing ecosystem that includes so many greater talents?

*****

Readers: Do you agree? Blog me.

ZL: Hey girl. What’s going on?

My comment to Liz, I found to be inappropriate so I deleted it.

Happy Sunday everyone!! Thanks for being here with 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"

Good morning!

Never a break.

Florida Cop Kills Man By Running Him Over With His Car, Will Not Be Charged

New video released by the family of a man killed by police in DeLand, Fla., shows how an officer ran him over with his car as he ran through a vegetable garden. The family is calling for an independent investigation by state and federal agencies, after a grand jury decision last week not to file criminal charges against officer James Harris.

Marlon Brown, who was 38 when he died in May, was being pulled over for an alleged seatbelt violation when he got out of the car and started running. Officers were following him in a police car when Harris sped to the scene from behind. The released video shows Harris’ car speeding toward Brown — passing the other police car by. When Brown tripped and fell, and the police car kept going.

Watch it:

An internal police investigation found that Harris violated the Department’s chase policy, and he was fired. But the grand jury found there was not enough evidence to criminally prosecute Harris for vehicular homicide. Brown’s family points out that the jury had not seen video of the incident, and questions the testimony of the medical examiner, Shiping Bao, who was fired after his testimony in Trayvon Martin’s case. Bao said the car didn’t strike Brown and that Brown had no broken bones, but that he was pinned underneath the car and suffocated.

“This was an execution in a vegetable garden,” the Brown family attorney, Benjamin Crump, said upon release of the video. “The officer came at Marlon with such velocity that … he could not have stopped.” Crump was also the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family.

Prosecutors chose to bring the case before a grand jury, which decides in secret whether an individual should be charged. But that was not their only option. Prosecutors could have also made their own unilateral decision, or used a coroner’s inquest — a public hearing at which evidence is presented without the shroud of a grand jury proceeding.

A grand jury, like other juries, is comprised of community members, who could have been biased if they had known that Brown had a criminal history. (Brown is being described in some news coverage as a “known felon.”) Under the rules of evidence applicable to a trial, the prior convictions of a defendant or a victim are typically not admissible to prove a person’s character because of this potential for bias, although they may be admissible to prove other elements of the case. Grand juries, however, are subject to relaxed rules of evidence, and there is no mechanism for enforcing those rules, as no judge or defense attorney is present to object. George R. “Bob” Dekle, a former prosecutor who leads the University of Florida law school’s criminal prosecution clinic, told ThinkProgress he likely would not have considered Brown’s prior convictions relevant and would not have submitted them to a grand jury. He acknowledged, however, that grand jurors frequently ask the prosecutor about prior convictions. He would tell them it is not relevant but would offer to provide the information if they insist on knowing it, in order to “maintain a working relationship with the grand jury.”

Dekle also told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that a prosecution for vehicular homicide would be “iffy” and that the use of a grand jury would give a prosecutor an indication of how a jury was likely to decide. Others interviewed by the newspaper said prosecutors should have used a coroner’s inquest instead, to ensure public accountability.

The city has already paid Brown’s family $550,000 in exchange for their agreement not to further pursue civil litigation.

*****

Readers: What did you just notice in the video? 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:

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

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Good morning!

“Just noticing…”

Victim’s House Burned Down After She Accuses Football Star Of Rape

The Steubenville rape case attracted national attention last year because of how extraordinary — and terrible — that story was: A young girl was victimized first by her teenaged rapists, and then by the town itself, which engaged in the worst kind of victim-blaming and rushed to the defense of her attackers, who were athletes for the town’s pride and glory, the high school football team.

But in the months since that case first came to light, national attention has turned to more and more cases like Steubenville’s. Just this weekend, another, eerily similar story emerged — this time in the town of Maryville, Missouri.

The Kansas City Star published on Sunday their remarkable, seven-month investigation into an eerily similar story that unfolded last year in the small, northwestern Missouri town of Maryville. In this case, though, the rape victim never got to see her horror story go to trial — and the family’s terror hasn’t ended; they’ve even had their house burned down.

Fourteen-year-old Daisy and her 13-year-old friend were both high school freshman in January 2012, when they were invited to a house party by a senior star of the Maryville football team. Once there, the older girl was given a large glass filled with alcohol and urged by a room full of some of the school’s most popular athletes to drink it. She did, and they handed her a second glass.

The following morning, Daisy’s mother discovered her daughter, alone on her front lawn in sub-freezing temperatures, weeping. She helped Daisy into the bathtub after finding her outside, where she noticed reddish, irritated areas around her daughter’s genitalia and buttocks.

Daisy’s mom also found the 13-year-old friend was upstairs in Daisy’s room, also “confused.” Both girls were taken to a hospital. On Daisy’s body, a doctor found small vaginal tears emblematic of someone who has just had sex. The 13-year-old, who remembered the night’s events, told investigators she was forced to have sex, despite saying “no” over and over again.

Eyewitnesses who spoke with the Star, including Daisy’s 13-year-old friend, recall seeing Daisy being carried — crying — by some of the older boys out of the house into a car.

It didn’t take long for police to round up Barnett and other partiers for questioning. Barnett, a 17-year-old defensive end for the Maryville High School football team, admitted to having sex with Daisy but said it was consensual. Jordan Zech, a teammate and standout wrestler for Maryville, admitted to recording some of the encounter on another friend’s iPhone.

Within days, both were arrested in the case. Barnett was facing a felony sexual assault charge and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Zech was also charged, for sexual exploitation of a minor.

But like Steubenville before it, the town of Maryville revolted against the facts in the case.

Days after the incident became public knowledge, students at the high school began attacking Daisy and her family. On social media, fellow Maryville students began threatening Daisy, tweeting that she would “get whats comin.” Daisy’s older brother Charlie, who was himself an athlete for Maryville, was booed by his own classmates during a wrestling meet. Her mother, a veterinarian, was fired from her job two weeks after the incident without so much as an explanation, only later learning that her boss feared that her presence “was putting stress” on her other employees.

Meanwhile, members of the community rallied behind Barnett and the other perpetrators. In March, just over two months after the alleged rape took place, the most serious charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor were dropped without an explanation.

Daisy’s family moved away to avoid the threats and harassment they faced since her story first came to light. But the trouble didn’t end. Six months ago, their old house burned down mysteriously.

If the story sounds at all familiar, it’s because it almost mirrors the case in Steubenville, Ohio. Like Steubenville, the perpetrators were members of the high school’s immensely successful football team. Like Steubenville, the town of Maryville rallied behind the alleged rapists and ostracized the victim. And like Steubenville, the events in Maryville are quickly becoming a national story.

In some ways, though, the Maryville case is actually worse. Barnett, aside from being a celebrated athlete, also happens to be the grandson of a prominent Missouri state senator. Less than a week before the charges against Barnett and Zech were dropped, Daisy’s mother got a phone call from a friend who warned that ” favors were being called in and that the charges would be dropped.”

The Nodaway County prosecutor Robert Rice, who was responsible for the case against Barnett and Zech, also has political ties to Rex Barnett, the grandfather of Matt Barnett. When the mother of the victim sought an explanation from Rice as to why he dropped the charges against both boys, he ignored her phone calls. The Star finally tracked down Rice months later and asked the same question, and — in his office, where a picture of Rex Barnett hangs — he told the paper simply that it was due to a lack of evidence. He went on to dismiss the events of that night as the act of “incorrigible teenagers.”

The video that Zech admitted to filming on an iPhone has never surfaced, not even to police. And Missouri state law dictates that in cases where the charges are dropped, all of the records pertaining to the case — interviews with eyewitnesses, tests done on bedsheets, the results of rape kits — are sealed.

Even if Maryville didn’t learn anything from the Steubenville case, the media has an opportunity to show that they have. As rape cases have emerged in the national spotlight, news outlets from ABC News to Yahoo have been quick to portray the accused rapists as the real victims, denied of promising futures, or an opportunity to play in a few high school football games.

Readers: As if a girl doesn’t have to go through enough already when she is raped. Then she is threatened and harassed by her community in the worst kind of victim-blaming…and then her house gets burned down. And the perpetrators who were from a successful high school football team once again got the support of the community, and the charges were dropped. How sickening is this?

Once again, young girls are victims of horrific actions and nothing is being done. The boys go away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist and the REAL victim, the young girl, has to live with these memories for the rest of her life, dealing with feelings and emotions, and who knows what else, that will affect how she is going to be and act in this world. The girl has been scarred for life.

And the media who victimizes the perps are just as sickening. Who cares if the boy is denied a promising future. He shouldn’t have done what he did! But when nothing happens, more boys will keep pulling out their little dicks, rape young girls and get away with it…and all will be said is “incorrigible teenagers.” Just sickening. Something really has to be done. And much of it has to come from the parents.

I’ve got more to say here but I will end there and open it up to all of you – your turn. Thoughts? Blog me.

Howie: :) Please thank Carr for 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 

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