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April 2008
Time to do more to catch child predators
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
William Carter Gorman of Lawrenceville, a pharmacist, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for collecting child pornography.
US District Judge Timothy Batten ordered him to be supervised the rest of his life after he is released from prison, and to have no more contact with persons younger than 18. He also must register as a sex offender. Additionally, he faces child molestation charges in Gwinnett County.
Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service was running a sting operation that advertised the sale of videotapes showing child pornography, and Gorman was one of many who answered the ad and purchased some videotapes.
Have you seen the TV show, “To Catch a Predator,” on Dateline NBC? Chris Hansen, the reporter, sets up stings in which people on the Internet think they are chatting with an underage girl. They arranged to meet, and Hanson is there, with cameras, to capture the whole humiliating incident, including their eventual arrest.
When I first saw the show, my first thought was, “Man, these people are stupid.” Then my thoughts quickly rolled into how sick these people are, and how easy it was for them to act upon the predatory instincts. Of the people that got caught, how many didn’t? How many got away?
Children are exploited in Third World countries, often sold into slavery — pornographic or otherwise — oftentimes because their sale means more money to their parents, money that they would not otherwise have access to.
It wasn’t so long ago here in the US — 100 years — when our children are put out in the street at ages 6, 7, 8. Their parents couldn’t take care of them, so it was time for them to earn their keep. They moved out into the street, worked in factories, sold newspapers, lacking education, lacking parental support.
This period in our history is one reason why public education was started. To get kids off the street and to help them develop opportunities previously unavailable to them.
How sad it is, then, to see how the level of predation has gone from manual labor to sexual gratification. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. And it’s unnerving, to me, to see how easy it can be to exploit our children.
Friends and neighbors, keep an eye on what your children do on the Internet. It’s not because we don’t trust them.
It is because we know how exposed and vulnerable they can be to someone who lacks the morals and scruples requisite to caring for our most precious resource. Involve yourself in their lives, and their schools, in their libraries, and in the public venues that we all share and enjoy. We may not be able to eradicate this problem.
But we can sure as hell reduce the number of victims available to these predators.
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Dealing with depression
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I suffer from depression.
It’s an after-effect of my stroke. My brain got discombobulated, and the production levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and whatever chemicals help it run efficiently got all messed up.
About two months after my stroke, I finished taking a shower one morning, and I started crying uncontrollably. Sure, I had been through a pretty traumatic experience, and getting back on my feet was tough going. I had good days and bad days, like everyone else. This was different.
There is a phenomenon called “phantom pain.” Someone who’s lost a limb feels a pain that makes the brain think it’s still there. That’s how I felt inside, like someone had put a plug in the bottle of my soul and I had no access to it.
Depression prevents a person from functioning normally, and often co-exists with other serious medical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/aids, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) says that such illnesses may precede depression, cause it, and/or be a consequence of it. Or, the brain may simply not be functioning the way it should. People with depression can feel lousy and despondent just because they think that is how life is supposed to be. They have no other experiences against which to compare.
Alcohol and other substance abuse or dependence may also co-occur with depression. In fact, research has indicated that the co-existence of mood disorders and substance abuse is pervasive among the U.S. population.
There is no single known cause of depression. It’s often a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. MRIs have shown that the brains of people who have depression look different than those of people without depression. The parts of the brain responsible for regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior appear to function abnormally. In addition, important neurotransmitters-chemicals that brain cells use to communicate-appear to be out of balance. But these images do not reveal why the depression has occurred.
Friends and neighbors, I’m not telling you this to generate a pity party. I’m telling you this because depression is a very real and treatable disorder. It’s not a weakness or a failing. You don’t get brownie points for being stronger than everyone else. If someone tells you to “suck it up,” it’s the worst piece of advice - and the most unnecessary - that someone can offer to another person. Get them out of your life. You’d go see a doctor if you had the flu, or chicken pox. The same goes for depression. The earlier that treatment can begin, the more effective it is and the greater the likelihood that recurrence can be prevented.
I talked to my doctor. The hospital warned me, when I was there, that this might happen. It happens to about 45 percent of stroke survivors. My doctor said that I had generalized anxiety disorder that accompanied the depression. He prescribed medication, and after about six weeks, I noticed a significant change. I’ve had to have my medication tweaked over time, but I feel better now than I have in a very long time. Even after a stroke and the clunker of a body that remained in its wake.
I think to myself, “My God. I never knew this was how life could be.” And then I think about how many people suffer from this illness and don’t know it . They never achieve their potential because they are unaware of the psychological barriers that hold them back. They never fight back because they think they deserve the misery that has befallen them. They take their own lives as a result of this illness.
To help a friend or relative, NIMH suggests the following:
• Offer emotional support, understanding, patience and encouragement. • Engage your friend or relative in conversation, and listen carefully. • Never disparage feelings your friend or relative expresses, but point out realities and offer hope. • Never ignore comments about suicide, and report them to your friend’s or relative’s therapist or doctor. • Invite your friend or relative out for walks, outings and other activities. Keep trying if he or she declines, but don’t push him or her to take on too much too soon. Although diversions and company are needed, too many demands may increase feelings of failure. • Remind your friend or relative that with time and treatment, the depression will lift.
Thanks for listening. We now return you to your regularly scheduled ranting.
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Students, do your own homework
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was listening to radio talk show host Neal Boortz the other day. He shared a story that was right up his alley.
A teenage listener is a student at Peachtree Ridge High School. Her language arts class was assigned to write a persuasive paper on a controversial subject. She chose the Fair Tax.
Boortz and U.S. Rep. John Linder (R-Duluth) have written two books on the subject, and Congressman Linder has legislation on the House floor Ñ HB 25 Ñ to enact the Fair Tax. The student wanted to use the two books as references.
However, the student said her teacher wouldn’t permit it. The teacher reportedly said that Boortz was not a credible source, and instead gave the student an article that Joel Slemrod, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan, wrote for the New York Times. The article said that no reputable economist would ever endorse the Fair Tax.
I have not read anything about the Fair Tax, so my intent here is neither to support nor discredit the legislation. Nor is it my intent to remark on the teacher’s criteria concerning references. I will say that, as an English major, I think that because both books are well researched, they meet the criteria as credible sources. My issue is with the student.
If I’m the student, it should not be relevant to me what my teacher’s politics are, or what my politics are. My goal should be to master the tools required to write well in my adult life. To do that, I don’t need Neal’s books to argue about the Fair Tax, just as I don’t need “Mein Kampf” to support or defend Nazi-ism. I need my brain to make my own points. References, in this case, are not the point of the exercise. They are a crutch, not a wheelchair. The student’s mastery of her writing skills is the point.
This is what really bothers me: if you disagree with your teacher, fight your own fight. Discuss it with her. If you feel wronged, tell your parents, and then they will discuss it with the teacher Ñ and the principal if need be. It’s their job to protect your interests. When you turn 18, you can fight your battles any way you see fit.
But the student should not have invaded her teacher’s privacy by fighting her battle in a public forum. It’s childish and immature, and unfair to the teacher. The point of the assignment was not to have Neal Boortz lambaste a teacher with whom the student disagreed. The point was to have the student write her own paper expressing her own opinions.
Respect your elders. Maybe she wasn’t taught that, but I was.
I don’t blame Boortz for jumping all over this. If I was a talk show host with a national audience, and this tidbit came across my desk, I’d do the same thing. I’d kill two birds with one stone by stumping for the Fair Tax while expressing my disdain for government education.
But it seems to me, the student was lazy, immature and probably not up to the task at hand.
Am I wrong about this?
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