Category Archives: Justice

November 26, 2023 · 1:00 am

Reckless Disregard

File:The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths 18.jpg

“The Children of Odin” from The Book of Northern Myths (1917), Author Padraic Colum, Illustrator Willy Pogany (PD)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

  • In New York, a 1 y.o. boy, two 2 y.o. boys, and a 7 month old girl are believed to have consumed or been exposed to fentanyl at a daycare center [1].   The youngest boy, Nicholas Dominici, died as a result.  The others had to be hospitalized.  A trap door and hidden drugs were subsequently discovered [2].  The daycare provider Grei Mendez, 36 y.o., her husband Felix Herrera Garcia, 34 y.o., and his cousin Carlisto Brito, 41 y.o., have been indicted for second degree murder and manslaughter.
  • In South Carolina, daycare workers, Serena Caldwell, 56 y.o., and Ericka Jones, 27 y.o, have been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for urging the 3 y.o. and 4 y.o. youngsters in their care to fight one another [1].  Some fourteen children were involved.  Thankfully, none sustained serious injury.  The two women were terminated after security footage was reviewed.

This is depravity of the highest order, and reckless disregard for human life.  There is no other way to describe it.  Even wolves do not treat their young like this.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jer. 17: 9).

—

[1]  Fox News, “New York City daycare children possibly consume fentanyl, 1 dead,  3 hospitalized:  Report” by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, 9/16/23, https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-city-daycare-children-possibly-consumer-fentanyl-1-dead-3-hospitalized-report.

[2]  CNN, “Bronx day care provider and two others indicted on murder charges in 1 year old’s death.  The boy’s father gives a gut wrenching statement” by Rob Frehse, Jason Hanna, and Holly Yan, 10/6/23, https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/05/us/bronx-day-care-fentanyl-state-charges/index.html.

[3]  Fox News, “‘Rogue’ daycare workers busted for allegedly running child fight ring” by Christina Coulter, 10/11/23, https://www.foxnews.com/us/rogue-daycare-workers-busted-allegedly-running-child-fight-ring.

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October 29, 2023 · 1:00 am

Kinsey, de Beauvoir, Sartre, and Pedophilia

File:Alfred Kinsey 1955.jpg
Alfred Kinsey, Author Mondadori Publishers (specific photographer unknown) (PD in Italy)

WARNING: Graphic Images

“More than half a century after the publication of his landmark study, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Alfred C. Kinsey remains [controversial]…Though some hail him for liberating the nation from sexual puritanism, others revile him as a fraud whose ‘junk science’ legitimized degeneracy…One independent scholar has even accused him of sexual crimes… [1A]”

The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University has encoded the 7,985 sex histories Alfred Kinsey collected, along with another 10,000 his team collected [1B][2].

This source material and Kinsey’s methodology have never been made public [1C][3A].  Consequently, they have not been subject to critical peer review.  That has not diminished their influence.

Kinsey is infamous for having met in June 1944 with Rex King — a deviant whose sexual encounters with men, women, boys, girls, animals and family members took 17 hours to record [1D].

Both before and after meeting with King, Kinsey encouraged him to share the details of his perversion.  Kinsey wrote, “I rejoice at everything you send, for I am then assured that that much more of your material is saved for scientific publication [1E].” Continue reading →

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October 15, 2023 · 1:00 am

Murdered Children and the Indian Child Welfare Act

File:Carlisle pupils.jpg

Pupils at Carlisle Native Industrial School, Pennsylvania (PD)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

From 1869 to the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their parents and placed at boarding schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs [1][2].

There the children were forbidden to use their tribal names, speak their tribal languages, wear their tribal clothing, or practice their tribal religions.  Discipline was generally harsh.  Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse were not unknown.

Though perhaps well intentioned, this cultural genocide (now termed ethnocide) was inexcusable [3][4A].  The trauma to these children was incalculable [4B].

Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was created as a reaction to such forced assimilation [5][6A][9A].  The purpose of the ICWA was to protect the cultural identity and heritage of Indian tribes [9B].

The ICWA mandates that the state pursue the best interests of the tribe, rather than that of the individual child, in cases of abuse.  Officials must place an abused or neglected child with race-matched foster and adoptive families [6B].

Published guidelines by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in fact, indicate that child welfare officials should not consider the best interests of the child in placement – irrespective of poverty, substance abuse, or other “non-conforming social behavior” such as crime in the home [9C].

For any child living on a reservation, the tribe has exclusive jurisdiction of child welfare cases [9D]. Continue reading →

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October 8, 2023 · 1:00 am

Greatness

Dorothy Height (2008), Author Adrian Hood (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.”

-Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height was an African American social worker, journalist, politician, and civil rights advocate [1].  She served as Chairperson of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and was a founding member of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

At the National Council of Negro Women, Ms. Height worked to end lynching in the South, restructure the criminal justice system, and increase voter registration.  Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson frequently sought her advice. Continue reading →

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September 3, 2023 · 1:00 am

A Dumpster and the Value of Life

File:Olivia-Rae balloon release debris - 2018-08-28 - Andy Mabbett - 04.jpgBalloon release, Author Andy Mabbett (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

The body of a 12 y.o. boy was found this week in a dumpster in West Philadelphia — a destitute and poverty stricken corner of the City of Brotherly Love [1A].

The boy, Hezekiah “Hezzy” Bernard, had been shot in the head.  His body was wrapped in plastic before being discarded with the trash, at a public housing complex.  The death has been formally ruled a homicide.

“He lit up a room. He was always dancing…He was teachable, he wanted to be mentored and he was joining our new job training program.”

–Pastor Aaron Campbell of LevelUp, a Christian non-profit which serves Philadelphia’s disadvantaged youth [1B][2]

Hundreds in the community gathered for a balloon release to honor the young boy.  But he was never reported missing by family or friends, and the challenge for police will be to identify his killer.

Witness cooperation with law enforcement investigations is notoriously difficult to obtain in Philadelphia.   This stems from a combination of misplaced loyalty, police distrust, and the constant fear of retribution.

Was this boy, himself, the witness to a crime?  Was he shot to punish some family member?  Was he a victim of mistaken identity?   Was his death pay-back for some imagined slight to a stranger?  Was he simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time — collateral damage in yet another unreported shooting?

Life is cheap in what these days is politely called the “inner city”.  Children are murdered and left in dumpsters.

But this is not how God sees it.

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov. 21: 21).

God is the source of all life.  Through Him we can have life, now and in eternity.  That is our comfort in affliction (Ps. 119: 50).

—

[1A and 1B]  Philadelphia Inquirer, “The body of a 12-year-old boy was found in a dumpster in West Philadelphia, police say” by Ellie Rushing and Chris Palmer, 8/31/23, https://www.inquirer.com/crime/hezekiah-bernard-body-found-dumpster-west-philadelphia-20230831.html.

[2]  LevelUp, https://levelupphilly.org/.

A second 12 y.o. boy, Jaylen Richards, was shot Saturday night in Baltimore, MD.   Whether he was the intended target is unknown.  He died in Shock Trauma, after unsuccessful attempts to save him.

See, https://www.wbaltv.com/article/maisel-court-shooting-baltimore/43609191#.

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August 13, 2023 · 1:00 am

International Child Abuse Network

File:Micrurus tener.jpg

Poisonous micrurus tener a/k/a Texas coral snake,
Photographer/Author LA Dawson
(CC BY-SA 2.5 Generic)

Ninety eight individuals connected with a child abuse network spanning the globe have been arrested, since FBI agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were murdered in 2021 [1].  The perpetrators range in age from 32 to 81.

Members of this network shared child abuse material on the dark web.  Perpetrators used encryption software to access websites within the network, share files anonymously, and chat on message boards.

Both Alfin and Schwarzenberger specialized in investigating crimes against children.  Their deaths prompted the probe (“Operation Bakis”) which resulted in these arrests.  Clearly, those deaths were not in vain.

Thirteen children were, also, rescued as a result of the probe.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15: 13).

—

[1]  CBS News, “Nearly 100 arrested in global child sex abuse operation launched after murder of FBI agents” by Emily Czachor, 8/8/23, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/operation-bakis-98-arrests-global-child-sex-abuse-australia-us-murder-fbi-agents/.

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August 6, 2023 · 1:00 am

Japanese Reforms

File:Flower demo Tokyo 2020-11-11.jpg

Appeal board made by participants in Flower Demo, Tokyo, Japan (2020), Author Breaklily (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

Sexual violence against women has historically been associated with shame and stigma in Japan.  The laws were drawn in such a way as to excuse the behavior of male defendants, while simultaneously disregarding women’s rights.

At last, however, the country has raised the age of consent from 13 to 16 years, and redefined rape to include non-consensual intercourse [1].  Proof of force is no longer a prerequisite to conviction.  Photo voyeurism (including upskirting) has, also, been criminalized.

These long overdue reforms were prompted by Flower Demo, a Japanese movement protesting sexual violence against women [2][3].  Those taking part carried flowers to reflect their empathy for victims.

Several scandalous rape cases brought attention to the issue, drawing public outrage.  One involved a highly intoxicated woman.  Another involved a 15 y.o. her assailant had held pinned to a wall.  Still another involved incest ongoing for a period of years.

Sin Nature

Violence against women is a byproduct of the sin nature of mankind.  It is perpetuated by an attitude that women are mere sex objects, by the use of disparaging sexist language, and by the glorification of sexual assault.

Rape, in this context, is not just a notch on the assailant’s belt.  It is an act of machismo, proof of masculinity (albeit toxic).

Any shame associated with the act is displaced to the victim.

This is not what God intended.  When He created men and women, He created them as equals.

—

[1]  BBC, “Japan redefines rape and raises age of consent in landmark move” by Kelly Ng, 6/16/23, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65887198.

[2]  Wikipedia, “Flower Demo”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Demo.

[3]  Zenbird, “Flower Demo, the protests battling Japan’s sexual violence against women” by Kirsty Kawano, 11/25/20, https://zenbird.media/flower-demo-the-protests-battling-japans-sexual-violence-against-women/.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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July 30, 2023 · 1:00 am

Gilgo Beach

File:SCPD Gilgo Death Investigation.jpg

Map indicating location of bodies discovered at Gilgo Beach, Author Atiru
(CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

Gilgo Beach is a quiet stretch of sandy coastline on Long Island, NY, made infamous by the serial killings which have been uncovered there [1].

Shockingly, the remains of up to 18 victims, murdered between 1996 and 2011, have been found in the general area.  For the most part, these victims — the majority of them women — are believed to have been sex workers.

Serial Predator

Rex Heuermann — a 59 y.o. married architect and father of two — has been charged in the murders of three such victims (Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman) [2].  He is the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth (Maureen Brainard-Barnes).  There is speculation that he may be responsible for many more.

Investigative Delay

The identification of victims was necessarily a lengthy and complex process.

However, the FBI did not become officially involved in this investigation until 5 years after the first remains were located by Suffolk County Police [3].  For reasons of his own, former Police Chief James Burke is said actually to have blocked that involvement [4].

There is, also, widespread suspicion among family members of the victims that Suffolk Police did not prioritize the investigation because these women were prostitutes, rather than “upstanding” members of the community.

Child Abuse and Prostitution
A. Sexual Abuse

What is particularly tragic about this story is that there is every likelihood the women had already been the victims of childhood sexual abuse. Continue reading →

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May 28, 2023 · 1:00 am

Continuing FLDS Tragedy

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Ira_Eldredge_and_his_three_wives_circa_1864_%28restored%29.png

Retouched portrait of Mormon Bishop Ira Eldredge with his three wives (Nancy, Hannah, and Helvig), (c. 1864)

Public Domain as published before January 1, 1928

An offshoot of the infamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) is carrying on the heinous practices of Warren Jeffs, though Jeffs has now been incarcerated for over a decade [1].

Samuel Bateman, 47 y.o., the leader of this polygamous Mormon sect, claims to be Warren’s legitimate successor and a “prophet” in his own right [2A].

Bateman is alleged to have taken 20 or more wives, some as young as 8 or 9 y.o.  He is said to have traveled through Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska in order to have sex with underage girls.  As a result, Bateman is facing state and federal charges which include kidnapping and child abuse.

A total of eleven members of Bateman’s splinter group have now been charged with transporting children across state lines for purposes of sexual activity, recording that activity, destroying evidence, and witness tampering.

Mormon Polygamy Historically

Though it is today prohibited by the mainstream LDS, polygamy was among the original teachings of Mormonism, and practiced till 1890 [2B][3].  Doctrinally, polygamy was actually viewed by Mormons as being essential to Salvation, and more significant than baptism.

Downsides of Polygamy for Women

Polygamy — most recently pitched to the public under the seductive guise of polyamory — necessarily creates tensions and inequities, whether practiced by Mormons, Muslims, or others [4].  Women in such an arrangement do not have equal rights with their male partner.

Some “wives” will be favored over or replaced by others, causing harmful friction not only among these women, but their children.  Emotional abuse, depression, severe financial restrictions (even outright destitution), and ultimate abandonment are not uncommon [5A].

Polygamous relationships are, also, prone to domestic violence and/or sexual abuse, not to mention the negative impact they have on children [5B].

Continue reading →

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February 26, 2023 · 1:00 am

Recognizing Satan

File:Alexandre Cabanel - Fallen Angel.jpg

“Fallen Angel” by Alexandre Cabanel (1847), Musee Fabre, Montpellier, France (Accession No. 889.2.1), (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)

The Daily Beast recently published a lengthy article exploring whether fundamentalist preacher Kent Hovind enabled convicted pedophile Chris Jones and alleged pedophile Brady Byron, ostensibly in the belief they had “reformed” [1][2].

Since The Daily Beast is a proudly left-leaning paper, much is made of the fact Hovind operated a creationist theme park.  Presumably, this is intended as a swipe against Christians.  The article, however, remains deeply troubling.  At a minimum, the details reflect badly both on Hovind’s credibility and judgment.

Failure to Pay Income Tax

For those who may be unaware, Hovind was convicted in 2006 of failure to pay income tax, and ordered to pay $600,000 in restitution.

He was charged in 2015 with mail fraud [2].  Those charges were eventually withdrawn or dismissed.  Hovind was though found guilty of contempt of court.

Domestic Abuse

Even more significant, Hovind was found guilty in 2021 of domestic violence for “body slamming” his estranged wife.  Both Hovind’s ex-wives, Cindi Lincoln and Mary Tocco speak extensively on YouTube about their disturbing experiences with him [3]. Continue reading →

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