Displaying 91 To 120 Of 3,333 Comments CL, thank you for sharing some of your personal story too. I admire anyone with the courage to do so. You talked of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy and that you couldn’t understand why your mother hated you. I doubt seriously that she did. It was an illness that you had to endure, not your illness but hers. In my nursing career, I saw one case of MSP. The insatiable need for attention by the mother is the culprit, rather than a hatred of the child, an illness that is difficult to diagnose and treat. It hides itself very well behind a facade of caring and devotion to the child. I’m sure that you are aware of the clinical and psychological reasons for it. Why it manifests in such extreme behaviors is a mystery. Knowing the reasons doesn’t always give us the answers that we may seek. I would, if I could, give you comfort and closure as I would to all who suffer from deep wounds inflicted by those who should only love and protect. I don’t know how to do that except to tell you how valued and wonderful you are! And I mean this most sincerely! Thank you so much for sharing with us…and for your friendship! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 17, 2011 @ 4:24 am Sally, it takes so much courage to share a story like this about someone that you truly love. I want you to know how much I admire you for the courage, both to share the painful story, and to stick by your husband during his darkest hours. That you had a break-through is remarkable! I can only believe that it’s due to your wonderful sunny personality and gritty determination to hold on to him that made it possible. You just keep on holdin’ on, gal! A great story, well told! And an amazing accomplishment for you and your hubby! I have the feeling that you will have many, many more happy times and happy stories of your own to share! Love is the answer to so many problems..you’ve shown that! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 16, 2011 @ 4:30 pm The End of #Occupy? Or a Restart of New Economic Justice Movement? Thanks, Bito! I hope it’s only a “bump”! I did hear about their voluntary plans to ring the bell and close up. I think the Mayor jumped the gun big time. He should have given them the chance to do so. I just saw a rather disturbing clip on MSNBC a few minutes ago showing live shots of protesters being arrested. Police are surrounding the park and not letting them in, at least until this court hearing is done. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 10:44 am Hi agrippa! Your point about making policy is well put and well taken. Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am personally too impatient to see action on the pressing problems facing the unemployed, the homeowners losing their homes, and all the other inequities that caused the protests to begin with. Atdnext suggests Occupy the voting booth. That’s a great idea! We have just a little less than one year, not very long in electoral politics with the repub primaries in only six weeks. The election will be here before we know it! Several have compared OWS with the civil rights movement movement and the fact that it took ten years to actually get legislation passed. I believe that ten years is way too long for OWS. I believe that we simply don’t have that kind of time to make some serious changes in the way our government runs. How many millions more will be thrown into poverty in ten years? How many more jobs will be lost to corporations’ outsourcing? How many more students will be forced to drop out because of staggering debt for college? How many more foreclosures? All these issues are so pressing, and time is of the essence for millions of people. So, if not now, when? Momentum is very hard to re-gain when it has been lost. There is something to the old adage about striking while the iron is hot. I’m just sayin’…. 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 10:12 am Khirad, I’m asking the same questions. 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 3:42 am Hi Atdnext! Thanks for this. I have many of the same questions that you have asked here, mainly where to go from here? When Murph wrote asking us for ideas for OWS, many of us here chipped in our ideas for what we thought might enhance the movement to give them the opportunity to leverage all that power for change. I really did give this a lot of thought and wrote what I believed would help the movement survive the hard winter and keep it alive. My points, in general, were that protests were just fine and dandy…marches, drums, signs and chants were most effective in getting MSM coverage, but in the long run, some kind of agenda would be necessary. IMO, this agenda would need to be “in the face” of Washington where, if there is to be any change, it can only happen. It really matters not to me whether the OWS decides to concentrate on voting, as you suggest, or on direct lobbying of Congress for any other issues. I think a combination of both would be a good thing. But I maintain that without a clear collective statement of goals/demands, no politician will take a firm stand with the movement nor will any of them voluntarily sponsor legislation to “fix” the problems that the country faces. They will simply ignore the movement until it fades from view, something that we can already see happening. National MSM coverage of OWS has been exclusively on “problems” with it, violent clashes with police, drugs and health issues in the camps, and complaints from business owners in proximity to the encampments. There has been virtually NO coverage of the purposes of OWS for quite some time. This is not the fault of OWS but of the MSM and their incessant need to broadcast drama, but nevertheless, there is very little about income inequality and the other issues that first brought the protesters into the streets. In my humble opinion, OWS is wasting the most incredible opportunity to bring actual change to this country. They have immense power in their hands, but I don’t believe that they know how to use it. A concentrated and concerted effort by ALL the OWS groups together will be necessary to make Washington sit up and take notice. This is my opinion and I stand by it. A few hundred protesters in separate locations scattered around the country will not have enough leverage to force the changes from our lawmakers. There have been several rather heated and lengthy discussions about these views here in the past few days. Some of us feel that the movement is doing just fine without any agenda…some of us do not. I happen to subscribe to that latter group. Without legislative change, NOTHING is going to happen. Whether that change ultimately comes from voting or comes from facing down Congress with a huge march on Washington and a presentation of demands, I believe that it is time for OWS to start making plans. I hope with all my heart that OWS will use its power. These young people are our best hope to make those changes that we so badly need. I applaud them for their courage and determination but I believe that the process of maintaining encampments in the face of police crackdowns has now taken precedence over the reasons for the movement in the first place. Breaking news this morning…Zuccotti Park has been cleared! I’m really sorry to hear this, but I believe we could have predicted it. NYC will only tolerate the problems with the camp for just so long. It remains to be seen whether protesters will again be allowed to camp there. Thanks for continuing your diary. I’ve enjoyed reading it! I do hope you will write more to keep us informed! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 3:38 am Child sexual abuse – a moral failure KQ, I’m sorry that I have not replied to your comment before now. You are absolutely spot on! Today, clips of the phone interview with Bob Hosta last night have been played where Sandusky begins to spin his story. It has to be one of the most creepy things I’ve ever heard. They have also reported an email from McQueary to his friends saying that the entire story is not out yet, that he did stop the attack that he walked in on. I’m sure we will hear a lot more of it, but I think most people will respond to it like I do…I just get angrier that they did nothing when they found out they had a predator in their midst! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 11:39 am Thanks agrippa. You are right. This is such a disgusting and disturbing subject that no one really wants to look at it. We can’t sweep it under the rug anymore though. It has to be addressed! As the President said, time for some soul searching. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 15, 2011 @ 11:28 am Sally, what a beautiful comment! Kudos to you for your insight and calm determination to make love the issue in this person’s life! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 14, 2011 @ 1:21 pm Sally, I apologize to you for the tone of my comment. I guess I did take it too personally. Sometimes I get so frustrated and want so badly to do something to stop this inevitable rush off the edge of the cliff. No, I did not mean to say that you were not just as involved as the rest of us! I was not necessarily going after you at all. I guess I was just expressing my frustration in general and it all came out wrong! Please forgive me! 🙁 I consider you a friend whose opinion I value! I would never make a direct attack but would only argue vigorously as we all do from time to time with the strong opinions that we hold. Maybe I need to take a long, stiff drink BEFORE I post something! Again, please accept my sincere apology for my tone. In fact, delete that comment from your mind! Please don’t ever hesitate to call my dumb ass out on a stupid comment!! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 14, 2011 @ 5:25 am Cher, it’s all my fault! I know!! 🙂 I absolutely adore the Planet and the opportunity I have here to stir up sh*t! It’s the high spot of my day! Seriously, thank you so much for your kind words and for your most astute observations. You make me think…and I love it! Have a good night’s rest and we’ll take up our task tomorrow! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 11:04 pm Cher, 🙂 I wish I could drink and post…I might make a little more sense! Sleep well, dear friend! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 10:59 pm Well damn, Sally! That shore was nice of you to say! I thought I was on the Sh*t list for wanting to be involved in the OWS thing! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 10:58 pm Sally, I re-read your comment here and just wanted to add something. Personally, I have NOT retired, not too early and definitely not lately! I personally have not ever embraced “the establishment”. I don’t see myself as a part of it at all, not now…not ever. I believe that there are a lot of us that think the same way. You mentioned the Tea Party taking to the streets with no response from the left. I would just remind you that those TP rallies were bought and paid for by Americans for Prosperity who rented huge buses to bring them in. They literally spent millions to bring hordes of ignorant bible-thumpers to Washington. I traveled to Washington at the same time to protest in support of the Health Care bill. At the last minute, OUR permit was pulled…things that make you go hmmmm! Somebody in a very high place did not want to see us in the streets! We were not allowed! Once again, it was big money at the heart of it all. We “old guys” have been fighting a big uphill battle with few resources. I just simply refuse to give up now! I believe that the future for my grandchildren hangs in the balance and I will go to the ends of the earth for them, whatever it takes. This is the main reason that I am so passionate about the cause of OWS. I AM THE 99%! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 10:44 pm Food, I’m sorry that I haven’t had a chance to respond to your most excellent comment before now. I’ve been involved in a “three-way” with Cher and Kes tonight that has digressed somewhat but is still relevant to the subject. This situation at Penn State is probably one of the most painful issues that Americans must face. We can no longer remain walled off in our insensitive little cocoons and pretend that this scourge does not exist in our own “Happy Valley”. This scandal has ripped off the scab that has formed since the abuses of the Catholic Church first came to light. Ready or not, we must look, and probe, and ask, and answer. What kind of society do we live in? What kind of society do we WANT to live in? The discussion tonight evolved into a somewhat political vein, as most discussions seem to do here at the Planet. I do believe that politics is at the root of it. In the case at Penn State, it was the politics of the protection of a sacred cow and the revenue stream it produced. It is, in the end, all about the money. The OWS has also ripped the scab off so many issues that we must face. We see the almighty dollar ruling and ruining our lives. We see our leaders bought and sold by the rich to protect their wealth at the expense of the rest of us. We, the middle class, have been raped too. We’ve lost our homes, our jobs, our retirement, our security, all so that the power of the monied class can prevail and so the game can go on. I could probably produce analogies all night. We will have to face these issues…do we want a country where the poor face intolerance and ridicule for their poverty? Do we want a country where women are abused in the work place without recourse? Do we want a society that allows the cover-up of the crimes of a few at the expense of the many? It seems to me that every aspect of our society is now under fire. That mirror is going to show us things we might not want to see. Suffice it to say, your comments were spot on, and I appreciate your perspective. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 10:06 pm Sally, BINGO! You said it, gal! 🙂 » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 9:13 pm Cher, Kes is an absolute jewel! She is incredibly smart!! I hope you see her comment about the schizophrenia of the boomers above and my reply to her! It’s pretty amazing that she sees things so clearly. She gives me perspective that I need sometimes. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 9:12 pm Kes, that comment is astounding! I could recognize myself in every analogy you made! I actually DID drive a Mustang, loved the Rolling Stones, protested in DC and got tear gassed, had very long straight hair and wore bell-bottom pants, married a long-haired hippie and never looked back! My god, you are so intuitive! Now, take your bloated head to bed…and sleep very well, dearest friend! You deserve only the best!!:-) » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 9:07 pm Cher, I think we are both sitting here tonight typing madly at the same time, with very much the same thoughts! 🙂 I do see how he feels. I just think that his anger is too generalized and somewhat misplaced. You and I are bouncing around this thread but both on the same page! I wrote you another comment below about Vietnam. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 9:02 pm Cher, I just wrote you another reply above about the way I read the article. Our generation was dragged, kicking and screaming all the way, into Vietnam. We fought like demons against it, but the war machine won the battle. I don’t blame my parents’ generation for it, but instead the politics of greed that have prevailed for a very long time in this country. The excuse given to the American people for Vietnam was supposedly to stop the spread of communism, an excuse just as much of a ruse as the Village Idiot’s “spreading democracy”. The Vietnam war put hundreds of billions of dollars into the pockets of a few, while over 58,000 of my generation died to do it. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 8:53 pm Cher, I read the entire article and the young man brings up some points that are painful to think about. However, I believe he is confusing an entire generation with the Republican Party and the uber-rich that they coddle. He begins his critique with GWB after 9/11, telling the country to “go shopping”, a remark from the Village Idiot that many of us were appalled to hear. This is not the fault of a generation, but one of pure politics that has at its core the intent to line the pockets of the already well-heeled. He goes on with the mention of the disastrous tax cuts…again Republican Party politics, not something to be blamed on an entire generation. Were I to have the chance, I would remind the author that Bush was NOT elected but was “enthroned” by five ultra-conservative Republicans who sit on the bench, again not the fault of an entire generation whose majority actually voted for the other guy. Bush’s war was conceived by the hawks for the benefit of Big Oil and to line the pockets of the boys in the military-industrial complex. Virtually every complaint he makes points to the disastrous politics of the right-wing from a young man’s POV that he seems to have only just now discovered. Mr. Day’s remarks show his anger and his acute disappointment with those he trusted. I can understand…this is a part of the grief process when one loses something. But he is angry at the wrong people, an entire generation of hard-working Americans who have paid their dues and been hurt badly by these same politicians and their wealthy benefactors who rule the roost. Thanks for posting this article. It is an exceptional piece. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 8:38 pm KT, I think they only did that because he was getting threats. I really doubt it was because they think he had such a terrible lapse in judgement! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 5:23 pm Khirad, amen to that! I agree with you about the assistant coach who walked in on them. Where was all that testosterone then?? I cannot understand why he didn’t take a baseball bat to the pervert on the spot! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 4:10 pm Sally, thank you! This is such a sad, sad story. I don’t think we’ve come close to hearing everything about it either. I have to wonder how many kids will eventually come forward. It is unusual to hear of a woman committing crimes like this. I am so sorry for your friend. This is so unfair to those children who are involved. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 4:06 pm Sue, very good point! Our obsession with celebrity is ridiculous IMO. The Lindsay Lohan situation comes to mind. Every time I turn around, the little twit is back in court for some bad behavior. She never really has to spend time in jail. They always let her out to continue her partying. The TV audience seems to thrive on this trivial crap. I agree with you about the salaries too. Especially baseball. It’s completely out of line. But in this country, Big Business rules supreme! Apparently, it ruled at Penn State! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 3:56 pm KT, I have not heard anything about charges against the assistant coach who walked in on Sandusky and a boy in the shower. Did he break a law by not calling police? I’m not sure. He did tell Paterno who did nothing. I’m not clear about mandatory reporting laws in PA. » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 3:49 pm Cher, thanks so much! I’m glad you brought up the subject of the connection that some have made between homosexuality and pedophilia. That infuriates me too! Another right-wing meme that they so casually put out there to discredit gays and lesbians. I’ve long been of the opinion that castration should be an option. It has been proposed a few times but always rejected as “cruel and inhuman punishment”. The recidivism rate for pedophiles is very high as I understand it although I am not sure of the numbers. At the very least, I believe chemical castration should be used for serial offenders if they are going to be allowed out of prison and on the streets again. IMO, this man should never see the light of day. The rest of his life behind bars is not good enough in my opinion! After all, he has sentenced his victims to a lifetime of deep emotional pain and guilt. He should pay with the same! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 3:35 pm E’cat, thanks for the kind words! I was completely sickened by this story. I don’t think the perpetrator is going to fare very well in prison. The word has it that child molesters are treated very badly by the prison population. Considering the allegations against this man, it is likely that he will spend the rest of his life in prison, worried about his own physical safety. The students’ reaction to the firing of the head coach was really disgusting. Talking about your knee-jerk reaction! They have redeemed themselves somewhat with their behavior since then, organizing a prayer service for the victims and generally behaving themselves over the weekend. Your point about “mainstream Americana” is an important one. This problem not only rears its ugly head in the back alleys, but in our “respectable” neighborhoods. Everyone needs to be especially vigilant to protect the children everywhere! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 3:20 pm Thank you KT! I began to write this as a comment on the Morning Blog but soon realized that it should stand alone. I deliberately did not get into the psychological problems with child sex offenders. There are numerous books written on the subject and my experience is not adequate to address the issue. I simply wanted to point out the moral failings of this institution and the men that run it. They protected the offender and left the children to fend for themselves. Cowards one and all! We do need to take a long look in the mirror. We need to examine the causes of these problems. One consolation…the perp who did these crimes will be behind bars for a very, very long time! » Posted By Emerald1943 On November 13, 2011 @ 3:03 pm Weekend Music Thread – Animal Attraction By the Animals..for the animals!
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