A Personal Tale of Identity Theft

by Cathy ScottTwo days before Thanksgiving, I was the victim of a short-lived identity theft.I’d gone to the supermarket that evening and spent $75, including dinner-to-go from the salad bar. When I arrived at the grocery, I grabbed my wallet, not my purse, from my car and went inside to shop.When I walked out of the store after shopping, I had my wallet and keys in one hand and two paper shopping bags in the other. When I reached my car, I put the...

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My Right to Jury Service

by Katherine Scardino As I experience various things in my life, I usually sit down and tell all of you my feelings. This week, I experienced jury duty for the first time in many years. Although I did not get picked to actually sit on a jury, which I would have loved, the mere experience of showing up was something that got me to thinking about women and our right to even be in a jury room with a man. Did you know that it was not until 1920,...

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A Dysfunctional, Broken System: California Department of Corrections Parole Operation

by Robin SaxCo-authored by Caroline Aguirre, retired parole agent In late August 2009, the arrest of parolee Phillip Garrido exposed just how broken and dysfunctional the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) has become. Investigative findings, as published by California State Inspector General David Shaw and the State Attorney's General' office, concluded that a number of parole agents over a period of nine years had failed to do their jobs...

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'Twas the Day After Thanksgiving...

by Donna Pendergast'Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the landThe shoppers were wide awake, the agenda was plannedThe coffee was brewing, the tennis shoes were lacedThe stores would soon open, around the house they all raced.The stores were all decked out with flash holiday flairwith hope that the shoppers would soon buy their fareAnd Mom with her coupons and dad with his cashhad compiled a list for the mad morning dash.When all of...

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The Forever Storm, and a Thanksgiving Prayer

by Susan Murphy MilanoLast year at this time, Karen Kahler of Columbia, Kansas, was finishing her workday and making plans to head out the next day with her daughter, Emily 18, Lauren, 16, and son, Sean, 10, for Thanksgiving. Their plan was to visit Dorothy Wright, 89, Karen's grandmother, in Burlingame, Kansas, for the holiday weekend. Karen had filed for divorce earlier in the year from her violent and abusive husband, and this was to be the first...

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America's Dumbest Pedophile vs. The U.S. Constitution

by Stacy DittrichWe seem to be going backwards in our progress of protecting our children. Within the last two weeks we have seen a vile judge toss out parts of Jessica’s law, and a how-to-guide to victimizing and raping children appear on the internet. What is even more disturbing are the people who are defending this type of behavior, all for the sake of the good old United States Constitution.Pueblo, Colorado resident Phillip Greaves, 47, created...

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Thanksgiving and Dads

by Diane FanningIt's difficult to think about Thanksgiving without thinking about your dad. I can still see him standing at the end of the loaded dining room table, hovering over a golden turkey, a large knife and piercing fork poised in the air. He'd pause as he calculated just the right angle and the perfect place to sink the blade. He'd slice the breast in consistently thin pieces--I still don't know how he managed that. Then, he'd masterfully...

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Is TSA Setting A New Legal Precedent On What Defines A Sexual Assault?

by Vicki PolinOver the last several days, I've been paying close attention to our government's response to the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) newest measures of providing security in airports. Why? Because, for the last 26 years, I've been actively involved in educating the public on good touch/bad touch and helping individuals understand what defines a sexual assault. It appears that over the last few weeks, all that work has been...

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'Tis The Season To Be Anxious

by Gina Simmons, Ph.D.Anna, age 12, sat in my office twisting her friendship bracelet while listing her fears. "My grandma shops alone and robbers could attack her. My mom lights candles and I'm afraid they'll catch fire and burn us up. If we fly, terrorists might kill us." A gifted, sensitive, well-read child, Anna suffers from anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety include fatigue, irritability, insomnia, heart palpitations, gastro-intestinal disturbances...

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