Monday, December 11, 2006
Firefighters: Holiday Shopping Continued During Mall Fire
... fire Battalion Chief Joe Busher said shoppers wanted to stay and buy even as smoke filled the store. He says firefighters had to block the door so customers didn't come in. ...
... fire Battalion Chief Joe Busher said shoppers wanted to stay and buy even as smoke filled the store. He says firefighters had to block the door so customers didn't come in. ...
Labels: attachment
In a Strange Land, Trailed by Cameras - N.Y. Times
[The new documentary] “God Grew Tired of Us,” follows the soulful Mr. Dau and two other refugees, the irrepressible Daniel Abol Pach and the down-to-earth Panther Bior, as they leave the camp to take up residence in different parts of the United States. The film bears witness as they confront a strange new world of escalators, indoor plumbing and doughnuts....
The one thing that all of the guys who came to the United States were really surprised by — they ended up in this isolation that I don’t think they were prepared for. John’s roommate called me up one day about a month after they arrived. He was sitting in the apartment by himself, and he said, “This is the very first time I’ve ever, ever been alone.” The most significant thing that I learned from Dinka culture is the importance, the real necessity, of family. Family not in the nuclear sense but family in this big sense, of you should always engage with your neighbors and make sure they’re O.K....
... if somebody got sick in his village, 12 or 18 guys would carry them to the hospital, 75 miles away. Half would lock arms and carry the person, then they would rotate, so they could always keep running. ...
In Tsunami’s Wake, Old Foes in War Now Wage Politics - N.Y. Times
When tsunami waves hit Aceh two years ago this month, Irwandi Yusuf saved himself by climbing onto the roof of the jail where he was being held as a political prisoner.
Now he is a candidate for governor of the province, and in the election being held here on Monday, one of his eight opponents is a former commander of the Indonesian forces he faced as a separatist rebel.
“He is so friendly to me,” Mr. Irwandi said of his former enemy. “We can cut off the line from the past to now. We just talk about funny things.”
The tsunami that killed 170,000 people and left half a million homeless here in Aceh Province seems to have taken the fire out of a 29-year conflict. A hard-won peace agreement that made the election possible appears to be holding. ...
When tsunami waves hit Aceh two years ago this month, Irwandi Yusuf saved himself by climbing onto the roof of the jail where he was being held as a political prisoner.
Now he is a candidate for governor of the province, and in the election being held here on Monday, one of his eight opponents is a former commander of the Indonesian forces he faced as a separatist rebel.
“He is so friendly to me,” Mr. Irwandi said of his former enemy. “We can cut off the line from the past to now. We just talk about funny things.”
The tsunami that killed 170,000 people and left half a million homeless here in Aceh Province seems to have taken the fire out of a 29-year conflict. A hard-won peace agreement that made the election possible appears to be holding. ...
Labels: karma
Friday, December 08, 2006
Ex-Iraq hostages forgive captors - BBC News
Three peace campaigners who were taken hostage say they "unconditionally" forgive their Iraqi captors.
...
In a joint statement at a press conference at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation in London they said they wanted "all possible leniency" for the accused men.
The men said: "We unconditionally forgive our captors for abducting and holding us. We have no desire to punish them. Punishment can never restore what was taken from us."
The death penalty is an irrevocable judgment...We oppose the death penalty
They said their captors caused "great suffering" to them and their families, but they held no malice towards them and had "no wish for retribution".
The "cycle of violence" in Iraq did not justify the kidnappers' actions, but should be considered in any potential judgment, they said.
The men added: "The death penalty is an irrevocable judgment. It erases all possibility that those who have harmed others, even seriously, can yet turn to good. We oppose the death penalty." ...
Three peace campaigners who were taken hostage say they "unconditionally" forgive their Iraqi captors.
...
In a joint statement at a press conference at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation in London they said they wanted "all possible leniency" for the accused men.
The men said: "We unconditionally forgive our captors for abducting and holding us. We have no desire to punish them. Punishment can never restore what was taken from us."
The death penalty is an irrevocable judgment...We oppose the death penalty
They said their captors caused "great suffering" to them and their families, but they held no malice towards them and had "no wish for retribution".
The "cycle of violence" in Iraq did not justify the kidnappers' actions, but should be considered in any potential judgment, they said.
The men added: "The death penalty is an irrevocable judgment. It erases all possibility that those who have harmed others, even seriously, can yet turn to good. We oppose the death penalty." ...
Labels: compassionate people, forgiveness
Thursday, December 07, 2006
It's bigotry that should be silenced - by Amy Goodman, syndicated columnist
A couple of months ago, Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi architect and blogger, was heading from JFK Airport in New York to Oakland, Calif. He was approached by two Transportation Security Administration workers and two JetBlue employees. They said he could not get on the flight wearing the T-shirt he had on. His shirt read, "We will not be silent."
He asked what the problem was. It was not the English words that bothered them, but the Arabic script above it.
Jarrar said it was simply the Arabic translation of the English. He said the officials countered that they didn't have a translator, so they couldn't be sure.
They handed him another T-shirt, and said if he wanted to fly he had to wear it over his own.
...
The phrase "We will not be silent" goes back to the White Rose collective of World War II. A brother and sister named Hans and Sophie Scholl, with other students and professors, decided the best way to resist the Nazis was to disseminate information, so that the Germans would never be able to say, "We did not know."
The collective distributed a series of pamphlets. On the bottom of one was printed the phrase "We will not be silent." The Nazis arrested Hans and Sophie as well as other collective members, tried them, found them guilty and beheaded them. ...
A couple of months ago, Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi architect and blogger, was heading from JFK Airport in New York to Oakland, Calif. He was approached by two Transportation Security Administration workers and two JetBlue employees. They said he could not get on the flight wearing the T-shirt he had on. His shirt read, "We will not be silent."
He asked what the problem was. It was not the English words that bothered them, but the Arabic script above it.
Jarrar said it was simply the Arabic translation of the English. He said the officials countered that they didn't have a translator, so they couldn't be sure.
They handed him another T-shirt, and said if he wanted to fly he had to wear it over his own.
...
The phrase "We will not be silent" goes back to the White Rose collective of World War II. A brother and sister named Hans and Sophie Scholl, with other students and professors, decided the best way to resist the Nazis was to disseminate information, so that the Germans would never be able to say, "We did not know."
The collective distributed a series of pamphlets. On the bottom of one was printed the phrase "We will not be silent." The Nazis arrested Hans and Sophie as well as other collective members, tried them, found them guilty and beheaded them. ...
Steve Cox: So much bigger than his badge - by Robert Jamieson, Seattle P-I columnist
Steve Cox, the deputy for the King County Sheriff's Office who was shot in the head while on duty by a violent ex-con who clearly wasn't rehabilitated by the criminal-justice system.
...
Cox cut across class and color lines to gain people's trust. He made it his business to know criminals on a first-name basis.
...
The following is an excerpt from a tribute that someone left for Deputy Steve Cox outside his White Center office:
"Steve, nobody can replace you and what you meant to this community. You respected us and in return we pay you the highest compliment we can, which is to tell you that you were (and are) a part of us.
You spoke to us as equals and never discounted our concerns. Nor did you pull any punches. You knew our community from the inside out and called both the good guys and bad guys by name. You were fearless and because of the fearlessness we are all safer ... Where there was fear, you gave us hope.
We feel as if we have lost a close friend and we know there are many others here who feel the same. You were (you are) a good man."
Steve Cox, the deputy for the King County Sheriff's Office who was shot in the head while on duty by a violent ex-con who clearly wasn't rehabilitated by the criminal-justice system.
...
Cox cut across class and color lines to gain people's trust. He made it his business to know criminals on a first-name basis.
...
The following is an excerpt from a tribute that someone left for Deputy Steve Cox outside his White Center office:
"Steve, nobody can replace you and what you meant to this community. You respected us and in return we pay you the highest compliment we can, which is to tell you that you were (and are) a part of us.
You spoke to us as equals and never discounted our concerns. Nor did you pull any punches. You knew our community from the inside out and called both the good guys and bad guys by name. You were fearless and because of the fearlessness we are all safer ... Where there was fear, you gave us hope.
We feel as if we have lost a close friend and we know there are many others here who feel the same. You were (you are) a good man."
'Superhuman' effort, tragic end - Seattle P-I
James Kim put himself through a desperate ordeal, trekking eight miles through icy, nearly impenetrable terrain in what one rescue leader called a "superhuman" effort to save his family. ...
A helicopter crew spotted Kim's body in the creek at a place where the terrain becomes impassable on both sides because two sheer cliffs line the water. ...
Had Kim known to go the other way down the logging road from the start, he would have soon come to a fishing and rafting resort known as Black Bar Lodge. It was vacant for the winter, but rescuers checked it several times, Winters said.
...
The Kims ran the engine of their station wagon to power its heater, and when the gas was gone, they burned the tires. They ate what little food they had, and Kati Kim breastfed her two daughters.
A private helicopter spotted her Monday afternoon. ...
James Kim put himself through a desperate ordeal, trekking eight miles through icy, nearly impenetrable terrain in what one rescue leader called a "superhuman" effort to save his family. ...
A helicopter crew spotted Kim's body in the creek at a place where the terrain becomes impassable on both sides because two sheer cliffs line the water. ...
Had Kim known to go the other way down the logging road from the start, he would have soon come to a fishing and rafting resort known as Black Bar Lodge. It was vacant for the winter, but rescuers checked it several times, Winters said.
...
The Kims ran the engine of their station wagon to power its heater, and when the gas was gone, they burned the tires. They ate what little food they had, and Kati Kim breastfed her two daughters.
A private helicopter spotted her Monday afternoon. ...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Faith heals - by Jeff Scorer and his mother, Joan
... Then after another short remission a stomach tumour was diagnosed. Lots more painful treatment began and through out this Jeff's faith continued to grow and he would only accept the trial treatment as he knew that others would benefit from this. His teacher continued to visit him and although he was so ill he was very happy and peaceful. Then again he went into remission.
A few months later another type of brain tumour was found and all the usual treatment began again. Some times the untested treatment was so painful and caused many unknown side effects that due to Jeff's experience it was discontinued. He always said that he was glad that he had been the person to experience this pain as it saved others from having to do it.
...
Then the next tumour was a very aggressive type which was in his stomach again. This one grew very rapidly. No treatment could shrink this tumour and with the other ones he had been told by doctors at various times that he only had a few months to live but this time it was 2 weeks!
He was very ill and the tumour rapidly grew to the size of a melon and at Jeff's request all treatment was stopped. His kind teacher visited him frequently and gave him advice and meditations. At this time Jeff began to give away most of his belongs and soon did not have much left but he had no attachment to anything. Friends and family came to say Good bye.
Then one evening he became violently ill and called his McMillan Nurse in. She was amazed at what she found and took samples which were later found to be bits of tumour which had suddenly broken up. A few days later a scan showed that the stomach tumour had gone. ...
... Then after another short remission a stomach tumour was diagnosed. Lots more painful treatment began and through out this Jeff's faith continued to grow and he would only accept the trial treatment as he knew that others would benefit from this. His teacher continued to visit him and although he was so ill he was very happy and peaceful. Then again he went into remission.
A few months later another type of brain tumour was found and all the usual treatment began again. Some times the untested treatment was so painful and caused many unknown side effects that due to Jeff's experience it was discontinued. He always said that he was glad that he had been the person to experience this pain as it saved others from having to do it.
...
Then the next tumour was a very aggressive type which was in his stomach again. This one grew very rapidly. No treatment could shrink this tumour and with the other ones he had been told by doctors at various times that he only had a few months to live but this time it was 2 weeks!
He was very ill and the tumour rapidly grew to the size of a melon and at Jeff's request all treatment was stopped. His kind teacher visited him frequently and gave him advice and meditations. At this time Jeff began to give away most of his belongs and soon did not have much left but he had no attachment to anything. Friends and family came to say Good bye.
Then one evening he became violently ill and called his McMillan Nurse in. She was amazed at what she found and took samples which were later found to be bits of tumour which had suddenly broken up. A few days later a scan showed that the stomach tumour had gone. ...
Friday, December 01, 2006
Scourge of child sexual abuse takes toll on girls in sub-Saharan Africa - International Herald Tribune
One night in mid-2002, Kenia said, her uncle summoned her to his bed. "Because I refused, he came over to my bed," she said. Afterward, she said, he told her: "If you talk about what happened I will kill you."
Months later, Kenia, whose bowel had been severely damaged, told a neighbor. Nearly four years of medical procedures, including a colostomy, followed.
...
Betombo was arrested in 2003 after the girl, Kenia, said he had savagely assaulted her. The police obtained his confession, which he later recanted, and a doctor's certificate that Kenia had been sexually violated, rendering her incontinent and anorexic. Twice they sent the case file to the local prosecutor.
... The records are nowhere to be found. Betombo walked away a free man.
Among sub-Saharan Africa's children, this is a distressingly common story. Even as this region races to adopt many of the developed world's norms for children, from universal education to limits on child labor, child sexual abuse remains stubbornly difficult to eradicate.
...
One night in mid-2002, Kenia said, her uncle summoned her to his bed. "Because I refused, he came over to my bed," she said. Afterward, she said, he told her: "If you talk about what happened I will kill you."
Months later, Kenia, whose bowel had been severely damaged, told a neighbor. Nearly four years of medical procedures, including a colostomy, followed.
...
Betombo was arrested in 2003 after the girl, Kenia, said he had savagely assaulted her. The police obtained his confession, which he later recanted, and a doctor's certificate that Kenia had been sexually violated, rendering her incontinent and anorexic. Twice they sent the case file to the local prosecutor.
... The records are nowhere to be found. Betombo walked away a free man.
Among sub-Saharan Africa's children, this is a distressingly common story. Even as this region races to adopt many of the developed world's norms for children, from universal education to limits on child labor, child sexual abuse remains stubbornly difficult to eradicate.
...
Labels: suffering
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