As I mentioned in my last post, I've been following the Casey Anthony trial pretty darn closely. The reasons for this are twofold. It's a local case, happening about 10 miles from where I sit typing this post right now. Also, I've come to love law and the intricacies of our judicial system. And then there's the added bonus that this trial has turned out to be much juicier than anything we've seen yet this millennium. The only thing I can really compare it to was the Menedez brothers case back in the 90's. Even that isn't a fair comparison because that case was about two men killing their parents. This is about one (very pretty) young woman allegedly killing her own (adorable) toddler.
You could ask anyone in the Orlando area if they know about Casey Anthony, and the answer would be a resounding yes. Not only does everyone know about it, every has already made up their mind as to her guilt or innocence. My not at all scientific conclusion is that probably 98% of people believe she's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The beauty of (or fallacy of) the judicial system in America is that all the defense has to do is introduce reasonable doubt into the mind of (in Florida--other states have different rules for producing a verdict) one lone juror. If the prosecution can't prove beyond reasonable doubt for every single person in the jury box that Casey Anthony murdered her daughter Caylee, then Casey cannot be found guilty. First degree murder means that the act was premeditated with malice aforethought. In layman's terms, it was maliciously planned and carried out.
I consider myself in the lowly 2% of the population that are withholding judgment against Casey Anthony at this point. Yes, Caylee is no longer with us and that is an awful tragedy. I absolutely believe that Casey Anthony had something to do with her death. Did she intentionally plan out her own child's murder? I can't be sure of that. If I were on the jury, at this point in the trial, I would be the one lone juror who had a reasonable doubt.
I would have never, however, been selected for the jury, had I been called to serve. A part of me feels sorry for Casey Anthony, and I felt that way before the defense dropped the bomb in their opening statement that her father and brother allegedly sexually abused her. I think she's a girl who has some serious mental and emotional issues that predate any of the events surrounding Caylee's birth, life or death. That doesn't mean that I couldn't find her guilty if the state's evidence and testimony supported their case. It just means that I think Casey Anthony's whole existence has been somewhat tragic.
Getting a fair trial in the midst of the frenzy of media coverage this case has gotten will be extremely difficult. The American justice system was created and put into practice in a time when those in charge couldn't even dream of television, internet, cell phones, satellites and the like. The system was never perfect, and even less so in the present day. I still believe in Lady Justice, though. I believe in the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. I believe in the death penalty for those found guilty of heinous crimes by a jury of their peers. I believe in the prosecution's burden of proof. Because of, and in spite of, all this, I hope that Casey Anthony gets a fair trial, for the sake of Caylee's memory. The person who deserves justice more than anyone is that little girl who didn't get to experience the life she should have.
Observations and an action adventure guide to survival of... whatever it is I happen to do day to day. Usually involves cute shoes and a super dose of attitude.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, September 20, 2010
Enjoy Your Tea Party
Several of my very close friends would be considered right-wing Republicans. For the record, I'm about as far to the left as one can lean without falling over. I rarely state this fact or enter into political arguments, for the simple fact that what I believe is really nobody's business. I don't feel the need to defend myself against anyone because we're all equal. Our forefathers founded our nation on that notion anyway. I have a friend that I tease occasionally about clinging stubbornly to her guns and religion. She laughs and agrees with me, saying I'm too far out there. Another friend named her daughter after a Republican president, and when she found out she was pregnant for a second time, I teased that she should name the baby Clinton if it was a boy. She laughed and said her husband would kill her for even suggesting it. Most importantly, my best friend is a Republican. We've had differing opinions about politics for as long as I can remember us having any sort of awareness about the subject. Yet I think that's part of what makes our friendship so great. We think the other is a little crazy, but it's okay. That's what friendship is about.
So pardon the fuck out of me if I offend your Tea-Bagging, Right-Wing sensibilities. I don't spout leftist propaganda (and even I'll admit there's a lot of that out there), nor do I subscribe to the notion that anyone who isn't a Democrat is stupid, or in some way a lesser human being. I see room for most viewpoints as long as they don't threaten or encroach on another group's freedoms and liberties. If you know me at all, you know I'm a joker and I'm going to tease about differences we may have. Apparently that's not allowed if you're a tea partier. I lost a friend of over 20 years today over a couple joking comments about politics. You'd have think I insulted this person's mother, for fuck's sake. Why is it that when you're the one doing the joking, you can push the line as far as possible, but when you're being teased back, you're touchy over the slightest little thing?
I personally don't have time for that nonsense. I'll go right on believing what I believe, and my true friends won't care. Those who find that they can't be friends with me because of my "leftist views" or the fact that I make jokes out of a place of affection... Well I guess they weren't really friends at all.
So pardon the fuck out of me if I offend your Tea-Bagging, Right-Wing sensibilities. I don't spout leftist propaganda (and even I'll admit there's a lot of that out there), nor do I subscribe to the notion that anyone who isn't a Democrat is stupid, or in some way a lesser human being. I see room for most viewpoints as long as they don't threaten or encroach on another group's freedoms and liberties. If you know me at all, you know I'm a joker and I'm going to tease about differences we may have. Apparently that's not allowed if you're a tea partier. I lost a friend of over 20 years today over a couple joking comments about politics. You'd have think I insulted this person's mother, for fuck's sake. Why is it that when you're the one doing the joking, you can push the line as far as possible, but when you're being teased back, you're touchy over the slightest little thing?
I personally don't have time for that nonsense. I'll go right on believing what I believe, and my true friends won't care. Those who find that they can't be friends with me because of my "leftist views" or the fact that I make jokes out of a place of affection... Well I guess they weren't really friends at all.
Friday, December 11, 2009
A Spoonful of Screwed
Unless you've been living under a rock since July, you're pretty well aware that here in the Americas (and elsewhere in the modern, WASP-y world) it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Well, not in Florida. Not meteorologically speaking, anyway. (And no, until now, meteorologically wasn't technically a word. Suck it, Oxfords.) As you may well know, I'm not much of a fan of these so-called 'holidays' falling between August 1 and February 15. Well, with two minor exceptions. I like my birthday okay if it falls on the same weekend as Labor Day (rare) and I also happen to love Thanksgiving. Everything else that falls within those dates can STFU.
Any one of the two or three of you who read this on a quasi regular basis or know me personally (or have read my previous blogs), know that I'm not exactly the picture of good health. I have acute migraine headaches, triggered by a pituitary adenoma (i.e. tumor in my skull, basically in my brain but not on my brain-Google it). I call the adenoma Mr. T, short for tumor. Anyway, Mr. T and I have lots of adventures in the medical world together. I get poked and prodded with needles, scanned with every machine known to man... I have hypothyroidism because of Mr. T. My migraines have gotten progressively worse since I was diagnosed with Mr. T a couple years ago, despite suppressive therapy. They are to the point now where they blur my vision. I'm not talking 'auras' like people get with migraines. I'm talking like I can't see shit that's right in front of my face. I can't walk to the bathroom without holding on to the wall. Drunk people have a better chance of driving a car safely than I would in that state. How fucking terrible is that?
So how does my hatred for the holidays and my blurred vision commingle into a spoonful of screwed? Since I started working at The Job, I've had to take quite a few days off, to my dismay, because of these stupid migraines. For most of them, I've had doctors notes. But it doesn't matter... On December 1, I became another statistic. One of the contributors to the rising unemployment percentages. I did everything I could to do the job to the best of my abilities, but the honest truth is that my abilities aren't what they should be. I have days where I'm not normal. It's scary.
As if that weren't enough to screw a girl over for the holidays, there's more! I have insurance with The Job until the end of the month, so I made an appointment today to go to my general practitioner to get 3 month refills on all my medications (and there are a LOT of them) so that I can do mail order refills for the next 90 days while they are still covered under insurance. The Job just got bought out by a new company and changed insurance carriers, so when the nurse verified my new insurance, I was told that none of my pre-existing conditions would be covered. NOTHING.
WHAT THE FUCK? Why am I paying for insurance? I've already had this rant so I won't have it again, but basically, the insurance will pay for my medication, but if I need to see the doctor or have any procedures or tests done in relation to ANY pre-existing conditions I have, I'm on my own. Fuck me and Merry Christmas. Under Federal Regulation, if you are without medical insurance for 63 or more consecutive days in an 18 month period, an insurance carrier can deny you coverage for a "pre-existing" condition, regardless of what it is. It could be your mother's breast cancer or your kid's asthma. It's bullshit. Thankfully I have a great doctor who is willing to work with me on the cost of the office visit so that I can afford to see her to get my prescriptions written before my insurance lapses yet again.
Anyone who thinks that health care in America is okay the way it is, is someone who has health care and has never had any problems with the system. Even with all the health problems I've had, I've never really understood how screwed people can be by the system until now. This is a disgrace, and NOT just because it's happening to me. What are we doing to each other? This is supposed to be the greatest country on Earth, right? Isn't that what all the politicians say to get us all hyped up to vote for them? So then let's see some results.
If you really think something needs to be done, go to Congress.org, type in your zip code and write your elected officials a letter. Let them know that we need change NOW.
Any one of the two or three of you who read this on a quasi regular basis or know me personally (or have read my previous blogs), know that I'm not exactly the picture of good health. I have acute migraine headaches, triggered by a pituitary adenoma (i.e. tumor in my skull, basically in my brain but not on my brain-Google it). I call the adenoma Mr. T, short for tumor. Anyway, Mr. T and I have lots of adventures in the medical world together. I get poked and prodded with needles, scanned with every machine known to man... I have hypothyroidism because of Mr. T. My migraines have gotten progressively worse since I was diagnosed with Mr. T a couple years ago, despite suppressive therapy. They are to the point now where they blur my vision. I'm not talking 'auras' like people get with migraines. I'm talking like I can't see shit that's right in front of my face. I can't walk to the bathroom without holding on to the wall. Drunk people have a better chance of driving a car safely than I would in that state. How fucking terrible is that?
So how does my hatred for the holidays and my blurred vision commingle into a spoonful of screwed? Since I started working at The Job, I've had to take quite a few days off, to my dismay, because of these stupid migraines. For most of them, I've had doctors notes. But it doesn't matter... On December 1, I became another statistic. One of the contributors to the rising unemployment percentages. I did everything I could to do the job to the best of my abilities, but the honest truth is that my abilities aren't what they should be. I have days where I'm not normal. It's scary.
As if that weren't enough to screw a girl over for the holidays, there's more! I have insurance with The Job until the end of the month, so I made an appointment today to go to my general practitioner to get 3 month refills on all my medications (and there are a LOT of them) so that I can do mail order refills for the next 90 days while they are still covered under insurance. The Job just got bought out by a new company and changed insurance carriers, so when the nurse verified my new insurance, I was told that none of my pre-existing conditions would be covered. NOTHING.
WHAT THE FUCK? Why am I paying for insurance? I've already had this rant so I won't have it again, but basically, the insurance will pay for my medication, but if I need to see the doctor or have any procedures or tests done in relation to ANY pre-existing conditions I have, I'm on my own. Fuck me and Merry Christmas. Under Federal Regulation, if you are without medical insurance for 63 or more consecutive days in an 18 month period, an insurance carrier can deny you coverage for a "pre-existing" condition, regardless of what it is. It could be your mother's breast cancer or your kid's asthma. It's bullshit. Thankfully I have a great doctor who is willing to work with me on the cost of the office visit so that I can afford to see her to get my prescriptions written before my insurance lapses yet again.
Anyone who thinks that health care in America is okay the way it is, is someone who has health care and has never had any problems with the system. Even with all the health problems I've had, I've never really understood how screwed people can be by the system until now. This is a disgrace, and NOT just because it's happening to me. What are we doing to each other? This is supposed to be the greatest country on Earth, right? Isn't that what all the politicians say to get us all hyped up to vote for them? So then let's see some results.
If you really think something needs to be done, go to Congress.org, type in your zip code and write your elected officials a letter. Let them know that we need change NOW.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Why Republicans Like My Democrat Ass
Earlier this year, there was a terrible story out of my very own city of Tampa about a baby being thrown out a car window. Anthony McTear, Jr. threw his 17 year old girlfriend's 4 month old baby boy out of a car window while driving down I-275 at 70 mph after kidnapping the child from his mother. The baby was not McTear's child. Obviously Mr. McTear was a real contribution to society... Jasmine Bedwell, the baby's mother, had been set to testify at a hearing the day before her baby was taken by McTear, however she decided not to show up at the courthouse. The hearing was for a protective order against McTear. He had made threats against the infant's life and had beaten up Jasmine on more than one occasion, but McTear and her had "made up" before the hearing. Nice.
So on the morning McTear snatched the infant, they had a fight and McTear grabbed the baby, in his car seat, out of Jasmine's hands and threw him to the ground. Then he picked him up and got into a car and sped onto the interstate, where he rolled down the window and tossed the baby out the window. The baby didn't survive. McTear eluded authorities for nearly 6 hours before being captured. When confronted by a member of the media about why he would do such a horrible thing to an innocent child, McTear's only comment was, "it's a dirty game!" Classy.
Earlier today at work, Brian sent me a link to a news story stating that counsel for Jasmine Bedwell is planning to sue the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department for damages, as they believe that the department could have done more to protect her and her baby from McTear. After reading the email, it sparked an outburst that I fought hard to keep relegated to email. Here's the unabridged version below (with tags and signatures edited).
So on the morning McTear snatched the infant, they had a fight and McTear grabbed the baby, in his car seat, out of Jasmine's hands and threw him to the ground. Then he picked him up and got into a car and sped onto the interstate, where he rolled down the window and tossed the baby out the window. The baby didn't survive. McTear eluded authorities for nearly 6 hours before being captured. When confronted by a member of the media about why he would do such a horrible thing to an innocent child, McTear's only comment was, "it's a dirty game!" Classy.
Earlier today at work, Brian sent me a link to a news story stating that counsel for Jasmine Bedwell is planning to sue the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department for damages, as they believe that the department could have done more to protect her and her baby from McTear. After reading the email, it sparked an outburst that I fought hard to keep relegated to email. Here's the unabridged version below (with tags and signatures edited).
From: Noelle Sebastian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:45 PM
To: Brian
Subject: RE: WTF
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The day before he threw her baby out the window, Jasmine Bedwell failed to show up at a hearing for a restraining order against Anthony McTear, Jr. She’s one dumb bitch.
From: Brian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:48 PM
To: Noelle Sebastian
YEP
From: Noelle Sebastian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:53 PM
To: Brian
That makes me SO mad. She should be tried in that case as an accessory to murder. She was negligent. She KNEW that he was a threat to her and her son and yet she failed to take the measures needed to protect herself and her son. It’s not the Sheriffs Dept’s fault that there wasn’t the proper paperwork on file and they didn’t have notification that this guy was beating her and making threats against the baby.
Two things. One: People like her shouldn’t ever have been allowed to procreate. Two: Forget a trial, just take her and him both and throw them out of a fast moving car window… Repeatedly until the desired result is achieved.
From: Brian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:53 PM
To: Noelle Sebastian
Tell me how you really feel
From: Noelle Sebastian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:55 PM
To: Brian
Now she’s wasting my tax money with a frivolous lawsuit…
And you KNOW that bitch was on food stamps and WIC.
God, I sound like a Republican!
From: Brian
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:57 PM
To: Noelle Sebastian
Welcome to the dark side.
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