A TALE OF TWO BABIES

A TALE OF TWO BABIES...

On March 21, 2013 in Brunswick, Georgia, baby Antonio Santiago was shot in the face and killed in his stroller while on a walk near his home with his mother. Shock and outrage have resulted over this heartbreaking murder, along with public promises of justice for Baby Santiago. Two juveniles have been charged and arrested, as the investigation into this attempted armed robbery turned homicide continues.  This horrific event reminded me of another that happened right here in Virginia in 2006.

On the morning of February 23, 2006, Suffolk police received a shocking phone call. Tammy Skinner reported that she had been shot in the abdomen by a stranger and pushed from her car. As the investigation evolved, the ugly truth came out. Tammy had shot herself in order to kill her daughter who was due to be born that very day. When all the dust settled, Tammy was convicted only of filing a false police report and was fined $750 to cover the cost of the investigation.  Had she only told the truth about shooting her full term daughter herself, she would have been guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law.  Had she shot her daughter, referred to only as "Baby Skinner" twenty four hours later, she would have been just as guilty of murder as the killers of Baby Santiago. 

There is a lot of talk right now about "equal rights" and "civil rights" regarding the issue of gay marriage. There are other issues that deserve the same thoughtful debate.  Do we believe that our rights are endowed by our Creator, or that they come from the government? Inequality results when one group or class is recognized or enabled at the expense of another.  This is why slavery, although legal at the time, could not stand in a just society. No person can consider another person to be their property. Regardless of the law, did Tammy Skinner really have a "right" to shoot her daughter? Baby Girl Skinner and millions just like her now have no voice and no legal standing since Roe V. Wade. We have allowed our most basic human right, LIFE, to be denied to the most vulnerable members of society. The rights of the mother are deemed to trump the rights of the child, just like the rights of the plantation owner used to trump the rights of the slave.  We look back on the era of slavery with disgust.  I believe we will one day look back on the era of abortion with the same disdain.

 

Your RIGHT to eat Pork

Hypothetical...

"At a press conference Tuesday, President Obama announced that as a result of initiatives to improve nutrition for children and to combat childhood obesity, the Michigan Islamic Academy in Ann Arbor and all other Muslim Institutions would begin serving pork immediately. According to Obama, pork is very important to the health of children.  "This is a children's health issue" he said, "and we can no longer deny children access to pork."
Representatives from the Academy bristled at the mandate, stating that serving pork would violate their religious views prohibiting the eating of pork. "Besides," said Mohammed Ubatta, Principal at the Academy, "if these children want to eat pork, they can eat it at home or at restaurants whenever they want. We just can't serve it here in our cafeteria. Our menu is already healthy without pork."  Despite an immediate outcry from the public against the Academy for it's "anti-children's health policies", officials from the Academy held firm. A Congressional Forum on children's health issues was quickly organized. However, the forum was sharply criticized for failing to include any children on the panel.  "How can you possibly discuss children's health issues without including any children??? DUH!" said Nancy Pelosi.
Ongoing resistance from the Islamic community prompted President Obama to announce a compromise later in the week. "This compromise to the pork mandate will accommodate concerns about religious freedom without compromising pork access for our children, which is so vital to their health," Obama said Friday. "Instead of forcing the Muslim Institutions to purchase and serve pork products, the new compromise will force the food vendors to provide the pork at no charge to the schools or students." This brilliant compromise has apparently ruffled the feathers of some on the extreme right, who expressed concern that the compromise will still force institutions with religious opposition to pork to handle and serve it to their students. Also, some have tried to make the point that forcing food vendors to provide a product at no charge is also an unconstitional over-reach by the President.
 "We support the right of children in this country to have access to pork through their cafeterias, and anybody who stands in the way is going to have to deal with us and our friends," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., flanked by four colleagues. Boxer said she had spoken to Obama adviser David Axelrod, who assured her that the administration would not weaken its position.

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"Birth Control Mandate" opposition is not about birth control...it is about the MANDATE.

Moral Relativism and the Crisis Mentality

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of Religious Principle." ~George Washington

These days it seems that truth is more about "feelings" than facts. Whether or not someone is "likable" has a greater impact on the interpretation of what they say, than what they actually say. A course of action is often determined by what feels right for right now, rather than what is actually right or wrong. The measure used to determine right or wrong is lost in the fog of relativism.

The belief that right and wrong are relative, situational ethics, has caused us to let loose the anchor of truth. Now we are adrift in a boiling sea of indecision, hasty decisions and illogical choices. This is not only true in most people's personal lives, it is also most certainly true in our current political climate. We are bombarded with a new manufactured "Crisis" each week, demanding immediate action! We can not pretend to "fix" capitalism with a little bit of socialism. We can not have a free market that is owned by the government and labor unions. The doctor-patient relationship can not be brokered through a "Czar". We must not attempt to reduce our use of carbon based fuels by making them cost prohibitive. We can not "wish away" our Constitution because it slows down the change. Not all change is for the better. There is a difference between voting for change, and voting for socialism.

The new "thinkspeak" of the current administration attempts to make us swallow these bitter pills by giving them sugary names like "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act", or by marketing them as the only cure to our terminal condition. Our leaders behave like some demented Munchausen by proxy parent, putting on a show of attempting to cure an illness they themselves have caused. But, sometimes, an illness must be allowed to run it's course. "I'm from the government and I am here to help".  No thank you, the cure is worse than the disease.

Recognizing Blessings

This is a quote from actress Mariette Hartley on dealing with the death of her father. The quote is taken from my dear friend Candace Lightner's book "Giving Sorrow Words". She writes "The grief never leaves. Instead of this raging storm which it is in the beginning, this hurricane that you battle against, the grief gradually becomes a gentle, warm, summer rain and you just become friends with it. Now you have something to pass on to other people. You become a teacher. You become a healer. You have been blessed in a horrible, horrible way."

This has meant so much to me this week. I know that all good and perfect gifts come from my Father. I accept the devastation of Hedaia's death is a gift from my loving Father. I do feel blessed in a horrible horrible way. I would never have chosen this blessing, but because I know His goodness, I can see the positive direction God is leading me, opportunities that would not have otherwise been possible. My daughter and granddaughter are resting in the arms of Jesus. I am still here. As long as I remain here, I will work. I will remember, and rejoice.

Spring Update

Well, it has been a while since I posted to my blog, and so many things have been going on! After surviving the Holidays, I have been so blessed to have had opportunities to meet several of my "donor family" friends. I have met Donnetta, Theresa, Richard, Binky, Gayle and their families. These folks, and the incredible staff at LifeNet have been unbelievably supportive. I have a wonderful, loving family, a tremendous church family, awesome co-workers, and my "donor" family! I feel so blessed to love and to be loved by so many. I have managed to finish my taxes, always a big job when you are self employed! I wanted to finish them as early as possible. I dread the approach of April 15th, tax day, because little Madelynn's due date was April 14th, and I miss her and grieve for her so much!

Also, it seems that the Real Estate Market is starting to pick up. Several times while showing property, I have run into other agents showing the homes at the same time. That is a very good sign of improved activity! I fear mortgage interest rates will be starting to creep up, and I hope people will take advantage of this serious buyer's market while it lasts. I have also been very busy continuing my education. I have had class almost every day this month (in my FREE time, of course!) and I am very excited about taking my fifteen years of experience and professional knowledge to the next level in my Real Estate Career.

I have always considered myself to be "informed" regarding politics. However, recent events in my life and in my Country have moved me to become more active in the political process. I will be stepping up to become the Chairman of the Surry Unit of the Republican Party of Virginia. I feel the best way I can personally contribute to the future of our Country, is to work toward identifying and promoting candidates for office that truly reflect the values and priorities of the people. A return to fiscal conservatism is the only thing I believe that can restore our economy. I hope in some small way to help bring about the reform and restoration of the Republican Party.

This month I had an opportunity to meet again with Candace Lightner, the founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). Candace and I had lunch in Arlington with Cindy Colasanto, mother of Ashley McIntosh, who was killed last February in Fairfax, Virginia buy an officer who ran a red light and hit her broadside. (Google Ashley McIntosh) We were joined by Melinda Lynam, who also lost her daughter in a car accident. So, there we sat, four mothers who had lost their daughters in car accidents of some sort. What a blessing to be able to network and "bond" with others who share your grief. It has been very healing for me personally, not only to connect with other grieving moms, but to actively work toward positive changes to our laws and communities. As I work toward those goals, I will keep posting the progress here as often as I can. God Bless you and God Bless America!

Changing theLaw

I have to share something really special to me. Today, (thank you Gayle Gonzales for all your unbelievable help) I got a call from Delegate Brenda Pogge. She is taking up the issue of the law regarding Hedaia's accident. She met for several hours this week with the Commonwealth Attorney from York County (Eileen Addison), and together they have crafted the bones of a bill that will be submitted next session of the General Assembly to close a loophole regarding drugged drivers. This week I have been in touch with several delegates (Brenda Pogge, Tommy Norment, Mark Cole) and our Attorney General Bob McDonnell, and cadidate for Attny General John Brownlee. I am overwhelmed with the compassion and concern expressed to me by these wonderful public servants. Once the situation was brought to their attention, they immediately began working on a resolution to the problem. I can only hope and pray that next year will bring a change in the law, so that anyone who causes a fatality while ANY amount of any illegal substance is in their system will be charged with DUI and manslaughter. As you all probably know, the man who killed my daughter and grandaughter only served 90 days for reckless driving for killing them, even though he had just smoked marijuana, it was in his blood and in his possession, and he drove north in the southbound lane hitting her head on. I hope this change in the law will honor my daughter's memory, and be one more positive thing that has resulted from this incredible tragedy.

Holiday Thoughts

Well, Christmas has come and gone, and the new year is just around the corner. This is traditionally the time of year when we look back and reflect on the year gone by, and spend some time contemplating the year to come. Holidays are a time for family gatherings, food and fun. A time for giving and receiving gifts, for reconnecting with folks we have lost touch with, and most of all for remembering the birth of Christ. Christ's birth is most meaningful when viewed through the knowledge of his death. The purpose of his life; to offer us redemption, to set the example, to show us God in flesh.

This has been such a difficult year for me and for my family. The loss of Hedaia and Madelynn has been devasting. It has also given us an opportunity to know the grace, mercy and love so generously poured out by our heavenly Father, and by our family. As we look back at this year of "firsts" (first birthday without her, first Thanksgiving without her, first Christmas without her) it is impossible to imagine living through a tragedy like this without our faith and family. We truly do mourn "not as those who have no hope". We have experienced the "peace that passes all understanding". As we continue to work through our grief, we look forward to the new year, and a new beginning. Our new normal, without Hedaia in our physical presence. We rejoice, as we know she rejoices in her heavenly home. We rejoice in the knowledge that we will be reunited.

As the new year dawns, rejoice in the opportunity for a fresh start. God Bless you!