20/20 Report on Poverty in America

"Waiting for the World to Change"--I do hope that this program was seen by many. What a sad commentary on these United States. When so many of us have more than we will ever want or need; when we waste so much; and all these children want is something to eat, a place to live, to be warm, to feel safe, to be able to go to school and learn. We have closets stacked with clothing, toys, books, stuffed animals, and these children have NOTHING. They sleep in rat-infested, bug-infested rooms, the heat from a gas stove, if they are lucky; no electricity. And when asked to name the three meals a day (breakfast/lunch/dinner), one little boy couldn't because he was lucky to get collard greens once a day. The poverty drives the younger ones to drugs, to take them, to sell them, and the few who rise above this are miracles. And one child's prayer: "Lord, thank you for this beautiful day. Bless you, and may tomorrow be better." God only knows, they didn't choose their parents or their circumstances.

Did you know that street corners in Camden, NJ are "rented" for $10,000/day to dealers? When a child has nothing and someone "recruits" him, can you see how vulnerable these lambs of God are? My God, I watched this and thought of the beautiful children in our family and thought, these children are someone's beautiful children, too, and they have no one to take care of them. Many of the parents try really hard. For all those who don't, there are many that do. And poverty knows no racial boundaries. As one woman said this week, when she, her husband, and two children fell on hard times and ended up in a homeless shelter for a couple of months: "many Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless." Jobs are lost; devastating illnesses occur; they can't meet their mortgage and utility payments; they are evicted or foreclosed and they can't get ahead because they keep falling behind.

So, when we all crawl into our warm beds tonight, I hope that we remember to thank an Almighty God for sparing us and our loved ones. As Mama used to say, "...there, but for the Grace of God, go I."

And I was struck by one child who, when asked if he could have one wish, what would it be? He thought, and thought, and said, "I don't know." Because there were so many needs and so many disappointments, he didn't even know what to ask for anymore. What a tragedy.

OUTRAGEOUS JUSTICE SYSTEM

BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS!

I was stunned when I read this morning that Gary Steven Krist, who buried Barbara Jane Mackle ALIVE for over three days in Georgia in 1969, not only was released after serving ten years of a supposed life sentence, but was PARDONED so that he could get a medical degree?!!!! What in the world is wrong with the justice system?

Other than the OJ Simpson fiasco, this is just the most horrendous miscarriage of justice I have ever seen. How any court or prison system let this man out after ten years--much less pardon him so that he could study medicine--is the craziest thing I have ever heard.

He practiced medicine in Indiana before his license was revoked in 2003 as a result of lying about disciplinary action received during his residency. Would you want to have as your physician someone who had kidnapped and buried a girl alive?

In March 2006 Krist and his stepson were arrested after Georgia police found an underground drug lab for manufacturing cocaine buried beneath a shed on his property, so, obviously, he is still into burying things! They were arrested on a sailboat off the Alabama coast with over 38 pounds of cocaine in their possession(about $1 million worth). On May 16, 2006 Krist pled guilty to drug smuggling, and on January 19, 2007 he was sentenced to more than five years in prison.

God help us all!

E-mails for drug sites, Viagra, etc.

I would appreciate it if responders would not use my e-mail address to swamp me with advertisements for their drugs, some of which are illegal. That is not the purpose of this blog and I would appreciate your honoring that. Thank you, "Anonymous."

Donald Trump - Rosie O'Donnell Feud

Is everyone as sick of this fiasco as I am? They both act like two petulant children and what is more disgusting than their tirades is the fact that the media wastes ink and airtime for these dumbbells. This is all for ratings. Doesn't anyone see this? Remember the second season of "The Apprentice"? Trump slashed his former "friend" Martha Stewart (as if he is in any position to be the moral authority of anybody!) I have always found him ridiculous and never bothered to waste my time watching his show, which is in the same category as "Survivor" and oh-so-many other trashy programs on TV.

So, enough already! There is more newsworthy events going on than the "TomCat," Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, Trump-O'Donnell stories.

Where are the stories of the role models for young people and children? Can't we focus on those?

More Troops

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we never had enough troops to do the job. Instead, we keep sending the same war-weary troops back more than once while some never go at all. Those families where both parents are in the Guard quite often get sent, leaving their children to be raised by family members, while others never have gone. None of this has ever made sense to me.

And the new troops will be garnered mostly from our Guard units. Lord knows, Alabama has supplied more than its share of troops, and Fort Stewart, too.

But all the troops in the world won't help if the Pentagon continues to send them their with "their hands tied behind their backs." Let them do the job, please, and get out of there. All the billions we have put into Iraq while our Gulf Coast is still in ruins is a thorn in this voter's side. And for every school we build, the morons tear it down.

At least the world is rid of Saddam but I would feel so much better if we knew where Osama is and could rid the world of that scourge. Maybe we could have had we stayed on course.

But our troops need our support. God love them, they answered the call to duty but we need them safe on American soil and the sooner, the better. Our prayer is that all of them will make it home safely--and soon.