The Joy of Teaching

I am ashamed to admit that I almost cancelled class today. For at least 10 whole minutes, I seriously considered it. I was torn between my crying niece who wasn’t feeling well and my own thoughts of all that I had to do for the upcoming week. But then I remembered why God called me to teach this class and these women. For Lent, some people give up beer or food or some other “addiction.” There are very few earthly desires or things that I hold close enough to my heart to affect me enough, to give up for Lent…but there is one thing that I value very dear, and that is my time. I have very little of it and I hate wasting it and everything I do and everyone I see has to be worth my time. Well a few weeks ago, an opportunity arose when a local church needed an English teacher for a group of Montagnard refugees who are stay at home mothers. Of course, I said yes and so my role as a teacher began.

I was about 15 minutes late and when I walked in, a group of smiling faces patiently greeted me. Actually, they were ecstatic to see me. As I looked at my 5 eager students, 2 with babies strapped to their backs, I realized how selfish I would have been to cancel class. The classes last from 6 to about 7:30 pm and these mothers had probably rushed through dinner and given up time with their husbands and children to come learn from me. Who was I to think that what I had to do and my time was more important than theirs?! Today we learned numbers, the value of dollar bills and how to count change. I watched as one student struggled to give me $0.37 using pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters and how all the mothers cheered each other on and tried to help each other out when one didn’t understand. These women have never had any type of formal education in Vietnam and for most of them, this is the first time someone sat down with them and taught them letters and numbers and the value of each coin. Not only were they learning despite the  language barrier, they also had to relearn the value of US dollars which is completely different from the Vietnamese dong. It is a task that any well-educated American would struggle with…now imagine doing it in a language that is not your own and with money you are not familiar with and you are learning how to count for the first time.

These women don’t know where I went to school or what my profession is…and at the end of the day, none of that matters. They all just think that I am super smart and that I am an expert at whatever I am teaching. They kept apologizing and saying how they were not smart and how they never had any schooling and I was so glad that I could be the one to tell them, “No, don’t say that about yourself. This stuff is really hard and you are very smart. You are smarter than me.” I always tell the women that they are smarter than me, and they always laugh it off. I am so proud of them for not giving up and not getting to frustrated with me. Class is supposed to end at 7pm but it usually lasts until 7:30pm. Not once do they look at their watches or rush to leave. Their attention is always on me and what I am saying to them. There are very few times in my life where I am certain that I have the full attention of whoever I am talking to, but with them, there is no question that they value every word I say. In between numbers and counting, they tell me their stories about living in the village and how they arrived as refugees. I am still in awe of the struggles they have been through and the ones in the United States, that they have yet to overcome. At the end of class, every single student tells me “boni ko ih” (thank you) and gives me a hug and tells me how great class was. Today one student told me that she hopes her daughter grows up to be like me. Little does she know that comment made my night and it is moments like that, I am reminded why I love what I do. Their determination and passion for learning moves me in a way that is hard to describe. I may be their teacher, but they are the ones who inspire me.

The Sandy Hook Elementary Tragedy

Dear Readers,

Forgive me for being so busy that I have been neglecting this blog.  It’s been a while since I have blogged…for many reasons. One, because my real life responsibilities have taken up most of my time and two, because there hasn’t been a story that has touched my heart and inspired me to write in a while. Well I guess the Sandy Hook Tragedy broke down my writing block.

This story is so heart breaking, I haven’t even been able to put my thoughts into words, until now. I still cannot comprehend someone who is so disturbed that they can go to an elementary school and gun down 20 children and 6 teachers. But this post is not about the 20 year old shooter, Adam Lanza, or even about the topic of gun control or mental illness. This post is about the power of love and remembering the innocent lives that are now forever lost.

28 lives were lost this past Friday…the 26 names and faces shown above and also Adam Lanza and his mother. 27 families will not have a Christmas this year. Newtown, CT will never be the same, and neither will this nation. If this tragedy teaches us anything…let it be that every day is a gift and it is not guaranteed. Let the lesson be that we should tell the people we love how much they mean to us. Let it remind us what the true meaning behind Christmas is…not just of the birth of Jesus, but also spending time with family and friends and being thankful for all our blessings…and that material things will never make up for what intentions are in our hearts.

I saw this posted and I think it is a great idea!

Today, President Obama was present at the vigil and made a speech on behalf of the nation. If you have not heard it, this is a speech worth listening too. It was well said and I hope his words brought some comfort to the family and friends who are suffering now.

If you want to shed some more tears, you can read some of the obituaries of the victims here:

Newtown, CT Obituaries

To sign a petition, which addresses the issue of gun control, visit this link here:

Sign Petition on Gun Control

There is a reason for everything and as terrible as this tragedy was, maybe the purpose behind it is to finally change the way people look at guns. Maybe even the most die hard gun enthusiast will question whether or not the gun control laws could be a lot stricter.

We can question “why” so many times…but that does not change the fact that tragedy strikes even the most innocent of all people. For whatever reason, they are now in Heaven. Some died as heroes and others will forever be remembered as angels.

RIP…

Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hocksprung, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Russeau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison Wyatt.

My Mother, My Hero

She was the wind beneath my wings

Before I even knew how to fly.

She kept my feet on the ground

And my eyes toward the sky.

If I have touched your life in any way

I just want you to know,

You have my mother to thank,

For I am but her shadow.

She taught me how to love

And some say, I have her laugh.

Every step forward I took,

I took on her behalf.

Everything I do, I do it for her

Because she gave her life to me.

She gave up her country, her family, her friends

So that I could know, what it meant to be free.

The fear of persecution,

I will never have to know.

For bearing the burden for me,

She is the greatest of heroes.

I may grow up and change the world,

Degrees may decorate my walls,

I may witness beauty few have seen,

And travel to more places than I can recall.

But the joy of loving my mother

Will be the greatest of these things

Because without her sacrifice,

My life would not have wings.

Personal Note: Other mothers may be great, and wonderful, and loving…but my mother is one of a kind. She left her family, her friends, and her country at the tender age of 15 and joined a resistance movement against the Communist Party.  Against all odds and with the help of God’s grace she survived and escaped from starvation, a jungle terrain, enemy capture, and civil warfare to bring me into this world. On foot, she traveled from Vietnam to Thailand and from there, to the Philippines, where we were finally given refugee status by the United States. Thousands shared our journey, but we were part of the only 200 something, who made it.

Scientist used to say that it should have been impossible for a bee to fly and until recently, the bee’s success was a mystery. But the saying goes, that a bee never knew that it wasn’t supposed to fly, so it flew anyways.  Like the bee, I never knew the “impossible” because my mother showed me that the “impossible” does not exist. I came to the United States as a refugee, without even a birth certificate to my name. I didn’t even know a word of English when I started Elementary School. I grew up on the lower socio-economic side of town by parents who worked multiple jobs, knew very little English and did not have a high school education. Statistically speaking, I should not have made it very far in life, but my family never believed in statistics…so I graduated high school with honors, became the second Montagnard female to graduate from a four year university and went on to law school. I am currently working in the legal field and serve as an advocate for a non-profit organization that speaks out on human rights issues. Every success I have had, was because my mother believed in me.

May you also serve as the wind beneath someone’s wings, so that they in turn can become heroes and have the potential to some day change the world.

My Father’s Strength

No matter how many men I fall in love with, there is one man who still stands out among the rest. And after 27 years…he is still the best. My father is one of the strongest men out there. He left his family at the age of 19 years old, knowing that he may never see them again, to join a cause that he believed in…and that was to fight for his country. During that journey he met and fell in love with my mother, who was of a different tribe and spoke a different language…and won her over with his shy smile. And almost 29 years later…he is loving her still. He fathered 5 children…while working numerous jobs, learning English, and getting his degree.

My father is not the richest man…he is not the smartest man…he is not the strongest man…but he has taught me more about life, then the richest, smartest, or strongest man ever could.

He has taught me that you can start a new life with not a penny to your name. My father came to the United States with absolutely NO money and NO connections. He started working right away and made $5 a DAY!! He now owns his own home, car, put himself through community college, maintains a steady job, and still managed to put 3 children through higher education. If my father has achieved this much from so little…I know that money is not an obstacle unless you make it one.

He has taught me that knowledge is power and it’s the type of power that no one can take away from you. If you don’t have the knowledge, then you do what you need to do, to achieve that knowledge. My father may not have an architect’s degree, but he helped build his own home. He may not have a mechanic’s license, but my father knows how to fix everything from an oil filter change to spare parts. My father may not be an agricultural specialist, but his little garden grows everything that can be found at the grocery store. He may not have a linguistic degree, but he speaks 6 languages: Rade, Jarai, Vietnamese, French, English and Thai. And I could go on and on. I wonder how many people with PhD’s could compete with a man who holds knowledge as vast as my father’s.

He has taught me that strength is not found in height, muscle, or weight….it is found in the heart. I believe that the heart is the strongest muscle in the human body. It is the only thing that can break over and over again…and not only endures, but grows stronger afterward.  He has seen his country fall, his comrades die, and lost his family and friends at a young age. But he has grown to love another country, made new friends, and been the father that he never had. I hope I inherited half the heart that my father has.

Rape as a Weapon of War

Rape is probably one of the most effective weapons in war. Why?? This weapon is cheap, easily accessible, there is little to no training involved, the results are widespread and devastating…and the perpetrator is hardly caught or punished as a result of these crimes. The problem has gotten so persistent that in 2008, the UN formally declared rape as a “weapon of war” and it’s a crime against humanity, second only to the war crime of  genocide.

So what is the difference b/t rape and systematic rape??

How is Rape Defined:

In the states, the Common Law Definition of Rape is: the unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman by a man without her consent and by means of fear or force. Recent Law’s  in some states have expanded the definition to include men as victims and to include the use of objects to perpetrate the rape, instead of just sexual penetration by the male’s penis.

When is Rape Considered a War Crime:

Rapes that amount to a crime against Humanity (source: ICC (International Criminal Court) Statutes) are when the:

1) perpetrator invaded the body of a person by conduct resulting in penetration, however slight, of any part of the victim or of the perpetrator with a sexual organ, or of the anal or genital opening of the victim with any object or any other part of the body

2) invasion was committed by force, or by threat of force or coercion, such as that caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power, against such person or another person, or by taking advantage of a coercive environment, or the invasion was committed against a person incapable of giving genuine consent (b/c of natural, induced, or age related incapacity).

3) conduct was committed as a part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population

4) perpetrator knew that the conduct was part of or intended the conduct to be part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population.

Statistics Around the World: (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_percap-crime-rapes-per-capita)

Mass rapes have been reported at stunning levels in recent conflicts.

–          UN report claims that 90% of girls over the age of 3 were sexually abused in Liberia during the civil war there, with more than 40,000 cases from 1989-2003

–          In Rwanda, b/t 100,000-250,000 women were raped during the 3 months of genocide in 1994

–          Up to 60,000 in the former Yugoslavia from 1992-1995

–          And at least 200,000 in the DRC during the past 12 years

South Africa: According to the report by the United Nations Office on Crimes and Drugs for the period 1998–2000, South Africa was ranked first for rapes per capita

–       A woman in South Africa is more likely to get raped than educated

–       A woman is raped every 26-36 seconds…that’s almost 2 women a minute!!

–       estimated that over 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime and that only 1 in 9 rapes are reported

Democratic Republic of the Congo: In October 2004, Amnesty International reported about 40,000 rape cases over a 6 year period. 

–       There have been sexual violence reports that have included public rapes, rapes in front of family members, rape between victims, using sticks and other objects, pouring melted rubber into the vaginal cavitity, and even shooting women in their vaginas.

–      Sometimes the use of sharp objects have even induced abortions.

Ramifications of Rape:

Why it is so effective as a weapon?? It is so effective because this one single weapon can cause psychological harm, medical harm, social harm, and in some instances, even change the make up of the next generation for the victimized community. Systematic rape spreads, STDs, HIV, causes unwanted pregnancy, and problems during child labor if the mother is young or has vaginal problems because of the rape. If the rape is accompanied by physical assault then broken limbs, burn marks and even death can occur. The psychological harm is the most effective means for destroying the enemy because  it creates fear, which is used to terrorize the population. It also causes depression in the women. The rape victims also become societal outcast by husbands and families. So this one act shames women, men, children, and entire societies. It also excludes women from participation in civic life, especially if they have HIV or other medical condition because of the rape. It can change the ethnic make up of the next generation because it is  sometimes used to deliberately infect women with HIV or render them incapable of bearing children and it is used as a form of genocide.

What’s worse than the ramifications of rape, is the fact that we can do little to truly prevent the use of this weapon. There have been ideas of an anti-rape device called, Rape-aXe. But as of now, it has still not been released to the public.

In theory, I think it’s a great invention. It also solves the problem of identifying who the attacker is and can prevent the spread of HIV, STDs and unwanted pregnancies. The main criticism is that the use of rape-aXe could cause more physical harm to the victim. This is even more of a problem if the attacker is not acting alone and/or if it is a gang rap, which would anger the attackers and endanger the victim even more. So thus, there is this dilemma. Because the argument is not, whether this is a human rights violation or whether it definitely needs to be prevented. The real dilemma is, how do you stop a man from using his body as a weapon of attack??

 

Organizations:

American Assistance for Cambodia, www.cambodiaschools.com, fought sex trafficking and now has a program to subsidize poor girls so that they can remain in schools.

Apne Aap, www.apneaap.org, battles sex slavery in India, including in remote areas in Bihar that get little attention. This organization welcomes American volunteers.

Fistula Foundation, www.fistulafoundation.org, supports the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia.

Heal Africa, www.healafrica.org, runs a hospital in Gomam Congo that repairs fistulas and tends to rape victims. They welcome volunteers.

Women’s Dignity Project, www.womensdignity.org, cofounded by an American woman, facilitates the repair of obstetric fistulas in Tanzania.

References:

Crime Rates (Rapes per Capita). http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_percap-crime-rapes-per-capita

Eradicating Rape in Wartime. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/07/rape-in-wartime-can-be-eradicated-u-n-peacekeeper-says.html

Half the sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide. Kristof, Nicholas and WuDunn, Sheryl.  © 2009

Rape aXe. http://www.antirape.co.za/

Sexual Violence: a Tool of War. http://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/about/bgsexualviolence.shtml

Torture: A Human Rights Perspective. Ed. By Kenneth Roth and Minky Worden. © 2004

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a1

U.N. Statistics – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CD8QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unodc.org%2Fdocuments%2Fdata-and-analysis%2FCrime-statistics%2FSexual_violence_sv_against_children_and_rape.xls&ei=rwVQUNKfEof88QSn04HoDg&usg=AFQjCNENCEM8OO3odFYzAEpvLYoA2skkqw

The Rise of Gun Violence

This is not a post on anti-gun laws, though that would be an interesting topic that has plagued me some. I still don’t really know where I stand on the subject matter yet, plus it’s been a long day and my brain is too tired to think…and it’s much easier to rant.

Why does it seem like every week there is another shooting?! Today there was another incident near Texas A&M University, where there were 3 killed and 4 injured.  It won’t be considered a “mass shooting” because 4 deaths are required before it will be categorized as such. Last week, on August 5th, there was the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, with 7 dead and 3 injured. And of course, there was that infamous shooting on the eve of the Batman movie premier on July 20th in Aurora, Colorado. There were 12 deaths and 58 wounded. The week before that, 3 people were killed and 2 were injured when a gunman opened fire during a soccer tournament in Dover, Delaware. And I could probably go on and on.

This is the United States, where in comparison to most other countries, we have plenty of food, plenty of clean water, shelter, a relatively peaceful government…yet we also have more violence than any other developed nation in the world. No where is safe. As history has shown us, high school is not safe, college is not safe, clubs/bars are not safe, and now we can add movie theaters and places of worship to that list. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has kept an ongoing tally of mass shootings since 2005, the Unites States averages around 20 mass shootings a year and  multiple-victim shootings occurs about every 5.9 days!!! About 87 people die from bullet wounds every day. So far, there have been about 175 noted casualties in Afghanistan this year…so more people die on American soil than there are American soldiers killed in action.

With statistics such as these, you would think that people would cry out for gun restrictions, but the opposite is true according to a Gallup Poll on Guns. People feel that gun laws should be less strict, yet this same poll showed that people felt less safe if officials were allowed to carry guns in the courthouse, schools, and other public places. The only place where people felt more safe, were if pilots were allowed to carry guns. Why am I not surprised…the American public is nothing but a mass of contradictions.

But gun lovers shouldn’t have much to fear. The right to own a firearm is supposedly protected by the Constitution…at least that is what the NRA and their supporters have brainwashed people into believing. As I’ve stated earlier…still on the fence about this subject. Yes, I think there should be stricter gun laws…but do away with guns completely, I’m not exactly for that either. And generally, guns don’t go off and kill people by themselves. Eliminating guns or having stricter gun laws really won’t matter if the person holding the gun is “crazy” and is intent on killing people. And if you shoot 1 person…you are usually regarded as a murderer. If you shoot multiple people at one time…you are usually regarded as a mentally unstable person and have a better chance of pleading insanity. Go figure…

I don’t know what the solution is. I don’t even really know if guns are the main problem. I still think the main problem is people and the emotional responses of hate and anger. All I know is I am sick and tired of hearing about a shooting every week. Ending my rant now.

Other Sources for More Reading:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179995/A-mass-shooting-happens-FIVE-days-America-Interactive-map-shows-gun-violence-epidemic-sweeping-nation.html

http://rt.com/usa/news/mass-year-people-massacre-710/

NC’s Amendment 1 – What You NEED to Know

North Carolina has received national attention because of Amendment 1. There has been soooo much coverage on this matter, that I thought it would be overkill to write a post on it…but since the latest poll data suggests that there are still more Amendment 1 supporters than there are opposers…I figured my 2 cents may actually make a difference. A poll done by Public Policy Polling, on May 1, shows that 55% of people polled still plan to vote in favor of the Amendment, while only 43% plan to vote against it. Another poll done by the Civitas Institute, conducted April 30 through May 2, supports the finding that there are more supporters of the Amendment. They asked register voters, “Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment that says: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State?” The responses are as follows:

DEMOCRATIC/UNAFILLIATED VOTERS IN DEM PRIMARY

48% Total Support

44% Total Oppose

41% Strongly Support

7% Somewhat Support

6% Somewhat Oppose

38% Strongly Oppose

7% Don’t Know/ No Opinion (DO NOT READ)

1% Refused (DO NOT READ)

REPUBLICAN/UNAFILLIATED VOTERS IN REP PRIMARY

78% Total Support

15% Total Oppose

72% Strongly Support

7% Somewhat Support

3% Somewhat Oppose

12% Strongly Oppose

6% Don’t Know/ No Opinion (DO NOT READ)

I truly believe one reason why there are so many supporters is because North Carolina citizens do not understand what supporting this Amendment really entails. On election day, this is how the Amendment will read on your ballot:

If this amendment passes then it will have the effect of amending Article 14 of the North Carolina Constitution, by adding Section 6. Marriage, which will read as follows: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the ONLY domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”

For those of you who didn’t catch it the first time…read it again. “Marriage” is the ONLY “domestic legal union” that shall be valid in the state of NC. So what does a “domestic legal union” really mean?? No one really knows because this is not a legal term and it has not yet been defined…or in other words, the term is vague and overbroad. Litigation over the meaning of this phrase could take YEARS to resolve because it has never been used in any prior NC statutory law or court holdings. In fact, this phrase has never been interpreted in any courts in any other states!! Because this phrase is so unclear, this amendment not only affects same-sex couples, this amendment could also affect any unmarried heterosexual couple as well.

For an amendment that is so unclear…it’s affects could be devastating to NC’s unmarried couples. It could have the effect of invalidating domestic partnership insurance benefits, making domestic violence even more harmful, harm the best interest of a child to unmarried parents, and limiting protections for unmarried couples. It may also have the effect of limiting economic growth to NC, which in turn could affect jobs. And I won’t even go into arguments of discrimination against a minority group or what this could do to the rise of hate crimes against homosexuals.

This amendment could invalidate domestic partnership insurance benefits. Four local governments, the Town of Tarrboro, Town of Chapel Hill, City of Durham, and County of Orange, offers insurance benefits to both same-sex and heterosexual domestic partners and the County of Durham, City of Greensboro and County of Mecklenburg offers insurance benefits to only same-sex couples. Due to the wording in this amendment, the domestic partners benefits could be invalidated and it could prevent future benefits from being given to domestic partners, homosexual or straight.

This amendment could have a huge impact on how the courts view domestic violence.

North Carolina Statute 50B-1, Domestic Violence, states:

(b) For purposes of this section, the term “personal relationship” means a relationship wherein the parties involved:

(1) Are current or former spouses;

(2) Are persons of opposite sex who live together or have lived together;

(3) Are related as parents and children, including others acting in loco parentis to a minor child, or as grandparents and grandchildren. For purposes of this subdivision, an aggrieved party may not obtain an order of protection against a child or grandchild under the age of 16;

(4) Have a child in common;

(5) Are current or former household members;

(6) Are persons of the opposite sex who are in a dating relationship or have been in a dating relationship. For purposes of this subdivision, a dating relationship is one wherein the parties are romantically involved over time and on a continuous basis during the course of the relationship. A casual acquaintance or ordinary fraternization between persons in a business or social context is not a dating relationship.

Because the statute affords protections to unmarried couples, you would hope that this will not change if Amendment 1 passes, but if Ohio (which passed a similar amendment) is any indication, then Amendment 1 could limit protections only to victims who had been married to their abusers. It took THREE years before the Ohio Supreme Court decided that their domestic violence protections did not violate their constitutional amendment and before this decision was made, there were about 27 dismissals and reversals of convictions ordered by the lower courts, because the state felt they could not extend domestic violence protections to unmarried victims.

This amendment could harm the best interest of a child conceived by unmarried parents. The Catholic Voice of NC (supporters of Amendment 1), states that the government should be involved in marriage to protect children. In fact, the opposite could happen. If this amendment passes, then a judge may view a same-sex or unmarried couple as having a negative impact on a child and because of this, limit custody, visitation rights and prevent adoptions. And as stated earlier…if unmarried couples lose insurance through their job because of their unmarried status, then this will also mean more children will lose their health insurance benefits.

This amendment limits protections for unmarried couples. Currently, unmarried couples can provide protections for their partner, such as with a power of attorney and a living will. But if Amendment 1 gets passed, then courts could decide that these documents recognize a “domestic legal union” between unmarried couples, which would be considered unconstitutional.  This in turn, can invalidate wills, trusts, hospital visitation, and medical decision-making between unmarried couples, as well as same-sex ones.

This amendment could limit economic growth in NC. President Obama, former President Clinton, and Senator Kay Hagan have all urged North Carolinians to vote AGAINST this amendment because it could turn away potential businesses and prevent NC from keeping good business and entrepreneurs in this state. On September 12, 2011, more than 75 CEOs signed a letter asking state officials to not approve this amendment. If this amendment passes, there will be at least 75 unhappy CEOs of companies, who are operating in the state of NC. If they decide to leave NC, the job loss will be devastating.

And I changed my mind…I am going to take up some more of your time and argue that Amendment 1 will also further discriminate against a minority group and justify hate crimes. Because the truth is, some people are going to hate gays the same way they hate blacks or foreigners, etc. but the last thing you want to do is give them a law that is going to support their prejudicial ways. Case in point: NC pastor Sean Harris, who advocates using violence to prevent children from becoming gay…seriously?!

I’m sure this post may not make any difference to some people. But if it informed one person, then it was worth spending 2 hours writing on a Saturday night (#nerdforlife). Don’t forget to vote Tuesday, May 8th!!!!

 

Please visit these sites for more information (in the order they appear in this post):

Public Policy Polling. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/05/marriage-amendment-still-leads-by-14.html

Civitas Institute. http://www.wwaytv3.com/2012/05/03/poll-nc-marriage-amendment-has-strong-lead-final-week

Ballot Pedia. NC Carolina Same-Sex Marriage (May 2012). http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/North_Carolina_Same-Sex_Marriage,_Amendment_1_(May_2012)

The News & Record, Marriage amendment redundant and vague (April 30, 2012). http://www.news-record.com/content/2012/04/27/article/marriage_amendment_redundant_and_vague

Potential Legal Impact of the Proposed Domestic Legal Union Amendment to the North Carolina Constitution (Nov. 8, 2011). http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/faculty/marriageamendment/dlureportnov8.pdf

Protect all NC families, the harmful truth about Amendment 1. http://www.protectallncfamilies.org/the-truth

The Catholic Voice of NC. http://catholicvoicenc.org/ncmarriagefaq-finalon12-1-11.pdf

Indy Weekly, Bill Clinton makes two presidents against Amendment 1 (May 5, 2012). http://www.indyweek.com/citizen/archives/2012/05/05/bill-clinton-makes-two-presidents-against-amendment-1

Wikipedia, Recognition of same-sex unions in North Carolina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_North_Carolina#cite_note-amendment_one-2

The Huffington Post, North Carolina Pastor Sean Harris: Parents should “punch” their gay acting children , (May 2, 2012). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/north-carolina-pastor-sea_n_1468618.html

James’ Story: A Reflection on KONY 2010 and the LRA

The night was hot as usual, but thankfully there was a slight breeze and the mosquitoes were merciful. James was sleeping soundly in his bed…dreaming about what 8 year olds normally dream about. In the distance, there is a rustling of what sounds like a medium-sized animal creeping towards the village. Suddenly, a scream of alarm breaks the silence, followed by a chorus of other screams…but these screams are no longer of surprise, but rather of terror and cries of anguish. The once peaceful night is no more.

Before he can fully comprehend what is going on, James is roughly pulled out of his slumber. His night of dreaming has suddenly turned into a nightmare. Men with guns are pushing him on his feet and away from his parents. His parents try to go after him, but their efforts are useless. James is helpless as he watches his parents get executed in front of him…first his mother, and then his father.

So…what happens next? The police arrive, right? These men are arrested and sentenced to pay for their horrible murders, right? The answers to both of these questions are “no”…because unfortunately for James, and thousands of other children like him, this did not happen in the United States. This happened in central Africa, where the villages are remote, there is no 911 emergency number, and where there will not be any retribution for the senseless attacks on his village or for the murders of either of his parents.

This is not a post about Joseph Kony, the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), or the Sudanese government…it is about James and the thousands of children like him. The thousands of children who were forced to take arms, to kill their parents, to kill other civilians, and watched as people were mutilated. They lost their homes, their siblings, and their childhoods. These children will no longer dream the same dreams.

I know some of you are thinking…this is “old” news by now but the sad thing is, there are still so many people in this world who have never heard of Joseph Kony or the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army).  I was going to let this topic pass me by, but with the recent arrest of George Clooney on March the 16th, during a protest against the Sudanese government (this arrest was unrelated to Kony or the LRA) and after watching the movie, Machine Gun Preacher (2011), starring Gerard Butler, this week…I just could not stop thinking about the atrocities happening half a world away.

Before you shake your head, I already know the criticism that comes with this situation. I know the main argument is, what can the United States do? This is not our battle to fight and the U.S. does not have any interests in Sub-Saharan Africa, except for concerns regarding oil. I agree with that concern, but isn’t the value of human life more important than the value of oil. Are we just supposed to sit back and let the mass killings of innocent civilians go unpunished…especially after we are aware of it.

Another argument is that, the crimes against children have been exaggerated. Invisible Children claims there have been about 30,000 children abducted while Machine Gun Preacher claims there are about 40,000 children abducted. My argument is, isn’t even 1,000 children, just one too many. I’ve heard how Kony is in hiding and how the LRA have dwindled to an army of only a few hundred soldiers, but regardless these men are still responsible, it doesn’t matter if there are only three of them left. And should we now teach war criminals that if they hide long enough, the world will forget about them and no longer pursue them?

The NGOs have also been scrutinized for the way they have been dispersing funds. As an advocate myself, who does work for a non-profit organization, I can tell you first hand, that it is not cheap to travel to D.C. and that funds do have to be allocated for travel and meal expenses. But you don’t have to donate to these organizations to make a difference. Spreading news by word of mouth is free. You can make your own posters and t-shirts. Calling and writing your district representatives and senators costs little in time and money. Yes, the U.S. government is made up of the few, the rich, the elite…but they are always aware of public opinion polls and key word computer searches are always tracked. I do believe there is power in numbers and when the general public act as one voice, there is a better chance that voice will be heard.

I honestly do not think that Kony will be captured in 2012 nor do I think that the U.S. will do more than they already have, which consist of deploying 100 combat-equipped U.S. troops to Central Africa in November of 2011. With this being an election year, I also do not think President Obama or the Republican nominee will want to introduce the thought of another foreign war funded by American money and American troops.

But still…I truly do believe in the power of emotions. I believe that stories like James’, Jacobs’ (from the Kony 2010 video), and so many others like them should be heard and acknowledged. While I don’t have the solutions, I know that most people feel that anyone who commits a crime against humanity should be punished and because the heart usually wins over the mind, despite all the concerns I voiced above, I think that with public pressure and awareness, Kony and others like him, will one day answer for all they have done.

If you are unfamiliar with Joseph Kony or the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) please take the time to watch these videos. They provide basic background information.

I don’t claim to know all the facts and I realize that there are so many more complex issues surrounding the crisis of North Uganda and South Sudan. These are just my thoughts on the situation. I love feedback. Please feel free to share your comments on this post below.

DISCLAIMER: I am not promoting nor am I affiliated with the Invisible Children, Machine Gun Preacher, or Amnesty International.

For more information visit:

James’ Story http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/kids-stories/

Machine Gun Preacher http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/

Invisible Children http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

LRA Crisis Tracker http://www.lracrisistracker.com/

The Ugandan Civil War and the LRA http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/lra.htm

Amnesty International http://www.amnestyusa.org/

All Africa http://allafrica.com/