I made no comment yesterday in reference to 9/11. Each year on the anniversary, there has been some recognition. I don’t always write about it. Sometimes I feel like anything I could say would be feeble. How does one address such tragedy? The commemoration is always so painful, and I guess sometimes I try to avoid it. That is not something I’m proud of, by the way, especially when so many people died. After midnight, I caught the repeat of Discovery Channel’s special, Flight 93: The Flight That Fought Back. It was one of the most well-done documentaries I’ve seen, excellently narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. I don’t think that honoring the decision that people on Flight 93 made in any way detracts from what happened on the other flights — those other Americans had no idea what was happening. Flight 93 was armed with more information, which informed their decision. If you would like to donate toward creating a National Memorial to Flight 93, you can visit the National Park Foundation’s Flight 93 National Memorial information site.
Category: In the News
Katrina: A Call for Action
One of the teachers at our school, a rabbi, spoke to us as a school community about the importance of action after the horrible disaster in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He broke it down so beautifully and eloquently, that I don’t think one could help but take action after hearing him speak.
First of all, we are compelled to see it. We need to look at the pictures. We need to watch the news. As hard as it is, we have an obligation not to turn away.
Second, we need to feel it. We need to feel the compassion, the sadness, the devastation. We need to sympathize with our brothers and sisters who do not have what we do — homes, food, water, and in a great number of cases, shelter. Their jobs and schools are closed. Our loved ones are with us. Many of the survivors of this disaster lost family and friends. It is hard to let it sink in and feel such pain, but unless we do, we will not be compelled to act. And action is the only thing that will help.
Helen Keller once said, “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.” This tragedy seems big, and it is easy to tell yourself you’re too small to do something. If everyone gives some money, no matter the amount, it will be amazing, incredible — the things we can do. You can do something. As a fellow human being, you are obligated to do something. It is only through human action that life can be made better for those suffering.
My school is raising money to donate to the American Red Cross. We are donating clothing through a clothing drive. It will be taken to a shelter downtown, where some of the refugees are staying. If you would like to donate, there are a number of safe places who will take your donations and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
- The Salvation Army
- The Red Cross
- America’s Second Harvest
- Operation Blessing
- The Humane Society of the United States
- Disaster Psychiatry Outreach
- More groups collection donations or needing volunteers can be found at FEMA’s website
If you would like to join your donation with those of our school, you can contact me via e-mail (change the (AT) to @) and I will put you in touch with the coordinators of our efforts.
Helen Keller also said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” In order for our brothers and sisters in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama to overcome their suffering, they need our help, and it is our duty, our responsibility to our fellow man to help in whatever way we can.
Cindy Sheehan
Lately, I have developed this habit of blocking out the news. My mom will generally make sure I’m informed of the most grisly things that happen, particularly to infants and children — not sure why, but she does that. The news is constantly on in my house, because Steve is constantly researching for his writing. But I manage to put it out of my head, not to hear it, or not to let it sink into that part of my brain that forces me to think about it. So I have not been following the story of Cindy Sheehan very closely.
I got my People Magazine yesterday, and they did a story on Sheehan. I had heard of her, and I knew what she was doing. I felt bad for her, because I cannot imagine losing one of my children. What I didn’t know, what I learned from the article is that Sheehan has other children. In what basically amounts to her war protest, it would seem she has basically neglected her surviving family. Her husband divorced her. Other family members are speaking out. Her sister-in-law Cherie Quarterolo said Sheehan was “promoting her own personal agenda at the expense of Casey’s good name.” Her ex-husband, Patrick, said, “My kids and I feel like we’ve had two losses: Casey, and now our wife and mother. The kids are angry and lonely for her.” Her son Andy said, “I think she should come home.” Patrick adds, “I don’t think she’s done the best for the family.”
Yet in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Sheehan maintains her children are “supportive. They understand what I’m trying to do.” Frankly, no matter how you feel about the war or George W. or any of it, I think it is inexusable to abandon your family and your life. I hope Cindy Sheehan has carefully weighed the risk of losing what remains of her family in order to take a stand against the war. While I can’t imagine how I would feel if my own son died, I also can’t imagine I’d abandon my husband and other children in order to prove a point.
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London
I don’t know what to say to the victims and their families in London, except that we are thinking of you and praying. Somehow in the face of tragedy, this cliché, this trite cliché, seems to be the best we can do. However trite and clichéd it sounds, it is true.
80 Years
Perhaps you’ve heard this story already, as it seems to be making its way around the globe. Percy and Florence Arrowsmith, 105 and 100 years of age respectively, entered the record books yesterday after celebrating their 80th wedding anniversary. They have lived in the same home for most of their long marriage. They apparently enjoyed musicals, as they were founding members of their local Gilbert and Sullivan society. Mrs. Arrowsmith said the secret to a long marriage was “never to go to bed as enemies,” while Mr. Arrowsmith said it could be summarized in two words: “Yes dear.”
Before my great-grandfather died, my great-grandparents had been married for 74 years. My ex-husband’s grandparents had also been married longer than 70 years when they died.
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Deep Throat Revealed
The Washington Post confirmed that former number-two official at the FBI, W. Mark Felt, was “Deep Throat,” the secret source who helped Woodward and Bernstein topple a president.
I had always known, of course, that “Deep Throat” would be revealed sooner rather than later — all the major players in the Nixon administration period are rapidly aging. Still, this is exciting. I’ve wondered for a long time — ever since seeing All the President’s Men — who this man could have been.
Now that speculation is at and end, I will reveal that my pet theory was that it was Henry Kissinger. Now wouldn’t that have been something?
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FLDS in the News
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a fundamentalist Mormon sect, is in the news often lately, and it makes me uneasy. I keep thinking about another splinter group of a… well, shall we say not exactly mainline Protestant denomination and their destruction in Waco about 12 years ago.
I understand that we have freedom of religion in this country, but when religious practice involves possible statutory rape and incest, what do we do? Waco proved we have to tread carefully, but what I’ve read of FDLS has me convinced that terrible things are happening to women and children in that sect.
Dr. Phil recently covered the sect on his show and plans a follow-up for Tuesday, May 24. A Current Affair also presented a somewhat sensationalized story on the FDLS.
Read more about FDLS in the news:
Jennifer Wilbanks
Jennifer Wilbanks has some ‘splaining to do. I find it utterly reprehensible that she led police on a wild goose chase, worried her fiancé and family like that, and initially blamed her abduction on a fictional Hispanic couple. Because, you know, making it seem like it was a “dangerous minority” makes it believable. Shades of Susan Smith’s mysterious black man, anyone? I understand cold feet. I know people would have been upset if she called off the wedding, but for crying out loud, how much more upset must they be that she is capable of such heartless deceit? I never could put my finger on it, but I thought there was something odd about this from the start. Everyone was starting to think her poor fiancé had done something — all this business about the lie-detector test — and it turns out she just ran away.
Weddings do tend to take on a life of their own, don’t they? But there was, I think, a much better solution. I don’t know that any criminal charges that might be filed could possibly make her feel worse, assuming she is capable of feeling remorse, but I think they should be filed nonetheless. They won’t be. Those good old boy cops in Gwinnett County might love doling out tickets to harried moms of three trying to get to work on time and going a bit too fast on Ronald Reagan Parkway, but they won’t make poor little Jennifer pay for the hours they spent looking for her. I have a feeling she’ll pay in some way.
Is Benedict XVI the “Glory of the Olive”?
I remember when John Paul II was elected Pope, which is odd, because in that same year, Pope Paul VI died, and Pope John Paul I was elected and died. I don’t remember any of that. I just remember Pope John Paul II. I am not Catholic, but at the same time, I was saddened when John Paul II died. He had been Pope as long as I remembered. He had been the only Pope I had known. I had this feeling that the rug had been pulled out from under me in some way. A constant in my lifetime had changed. I knew he wouldn’t live forever, and I knew he was ailing and later, near death, but my reaction to his death was odd.
A couple of weeks ago, while looking for information about the papal candidates (papabili), because I knew nothing about any prominent cardinals who might replace John Paul II. In the course of my research, I came across this article. At first glance, it might seem to you that it was written after the fact, but I assure you, I read it weeks ago. It was then that I became aware of the prophecies of St. Malachy. I’m not saying I did research that verifies any of this, but there is enough information available with a simple Google search that satisfies me in regards to the last few Popes, anyway. In fact, it’s pretty creepy. So when the new Pope was elected and one of the students on a computer in the library announced it, I said something like “What name did he choose? Or do you know?”
The student said, “Benedict.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Why?”
“Nothing. Just some Catholic prophecy.”
Yeah. Some Catholic prophecy, all right.
So if St. Malachy is right, that means that Pope Benedict XVI is the Gloria olivae, the “Glory of the Olive,” then I find his first speech interesting:
Dear brothers and sisters, after the Great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the Lord’s vineyard. I am comforted by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and act even with insufficient instruments. And above all, I entrust myself to your prayers. With the joy of the risen Lord and confidence in His constant help, we will go forward. The Lord will help us and Mary, His most holy mother, will be alongside us. Thank you.
The olive branch symbolizes peace. Because of Romans 11, many Christians also associate olives, more precisely, olive trees with Jews, thinking of themselves (Christians) as the branches grafted onto the olive tree, or made welcome as people of God, becoming part of the Chosen People. Is he the Glory of this particular Olive Tree? Is he in some way symbolic? Or will he simply be a man of peace? Or both? Or what?
I don’t know what to think, but I can’t deny I find it all intriguing.
BTK Arrested
Now that the BTK murderer of Wichita, KS. has been arrested, what is my husband going to do with his free time?