Parents Killing Children

A woman who said she strangled her 18-year-old daughter because she "pushed my last button" pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree manslaughter.

Her husband, who discovered the body, wept during the court session.

You can read the rest here.

Are our children really so defiant as to deserve death? That is the question that I first thought of when I read this article. I then quickly concluded that our children are only as defiant as we allow them to be. I would be curious to know how this girl was raised. Was she allowed to backtalk? Was she allowed to disobey without consequence? Did she only have to obey when the parents where so frustrated that they disciplined her in anger? Of course, I don't know the answers to those questions and it would benefit her not on this side of the situation. However, it should cause us to think about how we raise our children and the laxity of our current society's emphasis on discipline and the lack of weight given to any one set of morals and values. If you choose to teach your child that something is of value that isn't materialistic, you run the risk of being labeled extremist or intolerant. If you choose not to instill within your children any set of values or morals you run the risk of destroying your family either by the situation that played out in this article or some lesser form thereof, or by abdication and apathy corrupting the family bonds, but I digress...

My condolences to the father who now must endure the loss of a child and a wife.

Here are some questions:
-Is the state of our youth in the hands of their parents?
-Should the state enact legislation to help stressed mothers cope with undisciplined youths as a state funded service (similar to how Memphis responded to this situation)?
-How do we, as parents and citizens, remedy this epidemic of unruly teens or is it too late?

Social Networking Game Play Leads To Rise In Infant Mortality

Alexandra V. Tobias, 22, was arrested after the January death of 3-month-old Dylan Lee Edmondson. She told investigators she became angry because the baby was crying while she was playing a computer game called FarmVille on the Facebook social-networking website.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Is the mother alone to blame?
-Why do insignificant things such as game playing, social networking, etc. override the sense of duty and responsibility?
-Do you see this type of thing happening more and more?
-How did we come to such a place that values entertainment over responsibility?

Mushroom Induced High Led To Removal Of Beating Heart

A U.S. cage fighter ripped out the heart of his training partner while he was still alive after becoming convinced he was possessed by the devil, it was alleged today.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-What are your thoughts about legalizing drugs?
-If drugs were legal do you think more incidents such as this would increase or decrease in occurrence?
-Do you think that Jarrod Wyatt deserves the death sentence for his actions or should he be given a lighter sentence given the fact he was under the influence of drugs?
-How can crimes such as this be prevented?

Memorial Day Tribute To A Fallen Marine

Billy Spencer was shot and killed while trying to drag his commanding officer, who was shot by a sniper, to safety. A truly heroic act of sacrifice.

May we not forget the sacrifices made by those who have come before us.

I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did. ~Benjamin Harrison

US Senator Boxer On Abortion & The Health Care Bill

"Why are women being singled out here? It's so unfair," Boxer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "We don't tell men that if they want to ... buy insurance coverage through their pharmaceutical plan for Viagra that they can't do it."
Boxer was weighing in against an amendment offered by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., that would greatly restrict abortion services for women buying individual insurance through a new health care insurance exchange. Although the amendment was rejected in a 54-45 vote, it was not the last word on the issue.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Is this a legitimate argument?
-Is abortion really a woman's right?

-Does the child/embroyo/fetus have rights? If so, who is to defend them?
-How do you define abortion?
-Is this an abortion, or is this? ***GRAPHIC WARNING***

-Why do you think she changed her position after years on the other side?

Pro Choice Turned Pro Life

The director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas quit her job and is supporting a pro-life organization after watching an ultrasound of an abortion.

Abby Johnson, 29, worked at the abortion clinic for eight years and told FoxNews.com she had been "extremely pro-choice" during that time. That all changed in September when she watched an ultrasound of an unborn baby being vacuumed out of a woman's uterus. She quit in early October.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-What would it take to change your stance on abortion (either way)?
-If you are pro choice, how is abortion justifiable in your mind?
-Do you think protesting outside abortion clinics is an effective means to stop abortions?

Punishment Fitting For The Crime?

A Saudi court of cassation upheld a ruling to behead and crucify a 22-year-old man convicted of raping five children and leaving one of them to die in the desert, newspapers reported on Tuesday.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Do you think this punishment is fitting for the crimes committed?
-Do you think such punishment deters others from such crimes?
-Statistically, does harsher punishment produce a desired end goal?

Montauk Monster Killed By Kids

A slimy, glob-like creature dubbed Gollum has terrified children after it slithered out of a lake and clambered over the rocks towards them.

The young teenagers were playing by the waterfront in a Panama lake near Cerro Azul when the bald beast emerged from a cave behind a waterfall. They started screaming as it shuffled out "as if to attack them".


You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Do you think this is real?
-Do you think this thing was a mutation of a sloth?
-Do you think there are more?

Health Officials Ready Themselves For H1N1 Vaccine Concerns

One million heart attacks, 700,000 strokes and 900,000 miscarriages -- U.S. public health officials want Americans to know these will happen every single year with or without a swine flu vaccine campaign.

Yet this year, they know a significant number will be blamed on the H1N1 vaccine, which will roll out within weeks, and they are struggling to be ready.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Will you be getting the vaccine?
-Is H1N1 any more of a threat than the "common" flu?

Right To Life Denied Under State Run Health Care

She said: 'When he was born, he put out his arms and legs and pushed himself over.
A midwife said he was breathing and had a strong heartbeat, and described him as a "little fighter".
I kept asking for the doctors but the midwife said, "They won't come and help, sweetie. Make the best of the time you have with him".'
She cuddled her child and took precious photos of him, but he died in her arms less than two hours after his birth.
Miss Capewell, who has a five-year-old daughter Jodie, went into labour in October last year at 21 weeks and four days after suffering problems during her pregnancy.
She said she was told that because she had not reached 22 weeks, she was not allowed injections to try to stop the labour, or a steroid injection to help to strengthen her baby's lungs.
Instead, doctors told her to treat the labour as a miscarriage, not a birth, and to expect her baby to be born with serious deformities or even to be still-born.
She told how she begged one paediatrician, 'You have got to help', only for the man to respond: 'No we don't.'
As her contractions continued, a chaplain arrived at her bedside to discuss bereavement and planning a funeral, she claims.
She said: 'I was sitting there, reading this leaflet about planning a funeral and thinking, this is my baby, he isn't even born yet, let alone dead.'
After his death she even had to argue with hospital officials for her right to receive birth and death certificates, which meant she could give her son a proper funeral.

You can read more here.

You can read Jayden's story here.

Some questions:
-Should an arbitrary date be the determiner of who is treated and who is not?
-Do you agree with the decision made here?
-How should one determine who should get treatment and who should not? Or should the default be that everyone get treatment?
-Thoughts?

Choosing Thomas

Even if you don't have a child, I still think you can appreciate and sympathize with this family. This is a very moving story that brought me to tears thinking about my son.

It seems this is making the rounds, but it is worth watching so I will post it as well.



You can see more here.

HT: Tim

Wisconsin Man Convicted For Praying

A US jury has found a man guilty of killing his sick 11-year-old daughter by praying for her recovery rather than seeking medical care.
The man, Dale Neumann, told a court in the state of Wisconsin he believed God could heal his daughter.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Do you think he and his wife were rightly convicted?
-If using modern medicines caused you to violate your conscience (i.e. sin) would you sin to potentially save your child's life?
-If you are a Christian, how do you answer this dilemma to those who are not believers?
-Did he deserve a conviction for this?

Quote From A Michael Jackson Fan

"I'm trying to hold in my emotions," said Hernandez, wearing a wristband to allow her admittance to the service and holding a framed photograph of Jackson. "I know right now he's teaching the angels to dance."

You can read the whole article here.

I really don't know what to say about this. The sad thing is that she really believes this. It is amazing what "coping" opens one up to believe.

Billy Mays Dead At 50

Mays, 50, the emphatic and well-known hawker of the OxiClean stain remover, the Zorbeez super chamois, a sticky substance called Mighty Putty and many other items offered for an amazing low price, was found unresponsive in his Tampa, Fla., home Sunday morning. He was declared dead by a fire rescue crew at 7:45 a.m., according to Sgt. Christopher Ugles, a spokesman for the Tampa Police Department.

The cause of his death was unknown, but Mays had told his wife, Deborah, that he didn't feel well after a U.S. Airways flight he was on made a bumpy landing Saturday afternoon. In an interview with a local TV station, Mays said he was struck on the head by a falling object during the landing.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Will infomercials ever be the same?
-Three celebrities in a week... is there anything to learn/take away from this?

Michael Jackson Most Wanted Love

"I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame, and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That's all. That's the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it."

-Michael Jackson

One cannot read these words without feeling a tremendous sadness for a soul that was so surrounded with hero-worship but remained so utterly alone.

-Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

-I John 4.9-10

Michael Jackson penned a song called Morphine. It is very telling of his final years. You can read the lyrics here and watch/hear the video (as long as it stays up) here.

You can read the entire article by the Rabbi here.

Some questions:

-How does this impact you?

-Do you think the lure of money and fame would have caused you to be an enabler to MJ?

-Does this make death a little more of a reality for you?

-Does how we live and what we believe in life really matter?

-If you had 15 minutes with MJ, what would you have told him?

Continental Pilot Dies Mid-Flight

A pilot at the controls of Continental Airlines Flight 61 has died during the flight.

Port Authority officials say the plane was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport from Brussels, Belgium.

Currently the co-pilot and a passenger who is a pilot is continuing the flight.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-What do you do with the pilot's body?
-Why does the news outlet go for shock value: "Passenger helping to fly plane" sub headline?

Martyrdom

As a consequence of professing their faith, early Christians were persecuted mostly during the Roman Empire and were often tortured to death for maintaining his or her religious belief. Many deaths were inspirational for other people and increased the fame of the Catholic religion, although several of these stories are unhistorical and are purely legendary. Meet ten of the most excruciating martyrdoms of early christianity...

1. Saint Hippolytus: torn apart by horses

2. Saint Ignatius Of Antioch: sentenced to be eaten by lions at the Coliseum

3. Saint Lawrence: grilled and toasted alive

4. Saint Agatha of Sicily: had her breasts cut off

You can read the stories and the rest here.

Some questions:
-Would you really, I mean really die for what you say you believe as it relates to your world view?
-If you are not a Christian, how do historical Christian martyrs effect your understanding on Christianity?
-If you are a Christian, how do things such as this effect your faith? Does it strengthen it or cause you to shrink back?
-Why do you think suffering plays an integral part in the Christian faith?
-Is persecution still alive and well today?

PETA (People for Euthanizing Their Animals)

According to public records from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, PETA killed 2,124 pets last year and placed only seven in adoptive homes. Since 1998, a total of 21,339 dogs and cats have died at the hands of PETA workers.

Despite having a $32 million budget, PETA does not operate an adoption shelter. PETA employees make no discernible effort to find homes for the thousands of pets they kill every year. Last year, the Center for Consumer Freedom petitioned Virginia’s State Veterinarian to reclassify PETA as a slaughterhouse.

The truth hurts sometimes.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-Does this change your view of PETA?
-How does this fit into their mission statement?
-Does this even matter?

The Death Of The Sunday Paper

Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

Very well done video chronicling the last days of The Rocky Mountain News. I highly recommend you watch it.

Some questions:
-Is paper dead?
-Will the next generation be completely digital?
-Will the Kindle's of tomorrow be the books of our children?
-Looking past nostalgia, would this be a good move for humanity?

The End Of A Democracy: The Collapse Of The U.S.A.

Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces -- with Alaska reverting to Russian control.

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says. "One could rejoice in that process," he adds, poker-faced. "But if we're talking reasonably, it's not the best scenario -- for Russia." Though Russia would become more powerful on the global stage, he says, its economy would suffer because it currently depends heavily on the dollar and on trade with the U.S.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Do you think this is more plausible than we would like to admit or is it simply Russian propaganda?
-Does this give you reason to be fearful?
-Should Christians have a reason to not fear such predictions?
-If we were to speculate, what would you see as being a post American world? Better? Worse? The same but with different labels?