Vanessa: Unplugged!

Cuban Blogger Abducted and Assaulted

2009-11-08T09:23:26-05:00

Today’s posts from most bloggers throughout the United States will likely be about the passage of the health care reform bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. I’d planned to write about that also and then I opened an e-mail about the kidnapping and assault of a blogger, Yoani Sánchez, in Cuba.

Sanchez, a brilliant and well-educated woman, is a thorn in the side of the Cuban government. She received tremendous media coverage recently as she and a friend were abducted and assaulted. Of course, Sanchez took to the blogosphere after the horrendous encounter.

Yoani Sánchez is also incredibly courageous. Here, in the United States, many of us probably take for granted access to the many methods of communicating with others and also the right to free speech we so quickly choose to use when we are angry about an issue or situation.

Check out her blog, Generacion Y, and her network of fellow bloggers in Cuba. Those folks go through a whole lot of trouble just to have access to the internet and share their opinion with others.

Is Rep. Virginia Foxx serious? [VIDEO]

2009-11-03T07:14:00-05:00

It is more than a stretch to proclaim the Democrats’ health care bill a greater threat to Americans than terrorists. Has it gotten that bad for the GOP that injecting such fear is perceived as a viable means of persuading the public to support opposition to the Dems' bill? This is a new low in partisan politics.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Halloween 2009: Trick or?

2009-11-02T22:46:32-05:00

Saturday night was Halloween. In my neighborhood, Halloween has become much like any other night because kids don’t Trick or Treat door-to-door anymore. Schools have Halloween activities, there’s trick or treating at the malls and some churches have non-traditional celebrations.

I typically prepare for at least one child to stop by; I have bought treats every year --- except this year. For the last four or five years, not one kid has come by --- not one. It’s not as if children passed my home; they were nowhere to be seen. Not passing by...not even a kid in a costume in a car that drove by. Nothing. Nada.

So, tell me why a young boy, no more than nine years old, rang our doorbell at 10:38 at night. No one comes by that time of night unless they’re expected or it’s someone with bad news. So the first reaction was alarm.

After opening the door, I saw a young man with a Halloween bag. He was a nice looking young boy but I was not about to open the requisite metal security door that separated us. I told him that I was sorry but we didn’t have any candy this year because no one has stopped by in recent years. I then asked him if he was alone and why he was out so late.

He said he was alone but never answered the second question. I checked the surroundings as much as I could because I was not about to get bum-rushed in my own home. He said, “Don’t you remember me, I used to visit next door?” I didn’t remember him but he could have been telling the truth. I asked him if he was afraid to be out alone at this time of night and he said no that he walks this way to school.

I apologized again for not having any treats for him and told him to go straight home because it was too late for him to be in the streets, especially alone. He said yes ma’am and went on his way. I watched him walk down the street until he turned the corner out of my line of vision.

Then I wondered for the rest of the night who would allow their precious child to be out like that. I was so concerned about him that I looked for him after I got home from work today. I didn’t see him anywhere. Then my folks returned from a homeowners meeting and told me about a gang in the neighborhood.

Kids from another part of town, who live in a nearby group home, have started a gang that terrorizes neighbors, especially other young kids. They break into cars. They also send a young kid to scope out homes so they can go back later and burglarize the place.

Now you know, I am cautious but I refuse to live in fear. I also believe in having 9-1-1 on speed dial and defending my family and myself by any means necessary. I wonder if little man was a member of the gang and tried to get into our home to scope it out. I wonder if he was a kid whose parents were at work and didn’t know he was trolling the streets so late at night. I wonder.

Well, I’m still going to be on the lookout for little man as I ride through the neighborhood. If I see him, I’ll let him know that I am concerned about him and wanted to make sure he was safe. Then I’ll go on my merry way but don’t get it twisted; if little man turns out to be in the gang and tries anything, I got the right to go Bernie Mac on him and his friends. Believe that.

Protect Insurance Companies [VIDEO]

2009-09-23T22:28:23-04:00

Obama, why?

I love this video because it so puts the country’s current state of affairs in proper perspective. Okay, so it’s satire but it’s true. When we stop electing folks who sell out the rest of us we don’t have most of the problems we’re dealing with now.

President Obama Makes the Rounds

2009-09-22T06:51:08-04:00

It has been great seeing President Barack Obama in campaign mode while pushing his health care agenda; it's something he should have put in motion weeks ago. In spite of the attacks by the GOP and ludicrous accusations by right-wing extremists, when President Obama connects with the masses, the exaggerated outrage of the American public is put in its proper perspective.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

President Obama's Message for America's Students [VIDEO]

2009-09-13T12:38:18-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZZ6GrzWkw0

Defending the Indefensible: Prejudging President Obama’s Back-to-School Speech [VIDEO]

2009-09-08T00:11:07-04:00

The propaganda of President Obama’s speech is deafening. You can read it in its entirety by going to the White House website but I’d like to share some of the egregious statements made by this nation’s leader.

“Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. “

How dare the President discuss personal responsibility to our little darlings. Hmmm…shame on him.

Here’s more:

“Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.”

And there he goes actually praising our children, letting them know that each of them is special. How dare he?! The President’s speech goes on and on which such mind-controlling rhetoric.

The political leaders and parents who have taken to the airwaves with vicious attacks against the President and his message will likely find a way to continue trash him although his message his positive and uplifting.

Here’s my favorite excerpt from the President’s speech:

“But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.”

In a nation where the high school dropout rate is abysmal at best, the uproar over President Obama’s speech is a tremendous waste of time and energy. The most vocal opponents of the President’s speech are likely people who just oppose the President. Period. End of story. Insert any issue President Obama proposes and the story will be the same.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Jaycee Lee Dugard Free [VIDEO]

2009-08-30T05:03:00-04:00

It is a miracle that Jaycee Lee Dugard is still alive after being abducted nearly 20 years ago. I can only imagine how her mother and stepfather feel learning that she is not dead. Her stepfather, a perennial suspect until her re-emergtence, her stepfather was the last one to see her --- except for her abductor--- until now.

What that young woman and her children have endured these years remains to be revealed. What we already know is almost unbearable. What I don't understand is why Robert Garrido and his wife Nancy are entitled to a trial.

I pray that Jaycee will get the help she needs to overcome the abuse she has endured over the years; one can only imagine the horrors. Jaycee's ordeal also serves as a reminder of the reality of miracles and the power of prayer.

Remembering Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy

2009-08-29T09:38:49-04:00

The transition of Senator Edward Kennedy was expected after his health challenges became more difficult to overcome. Young people may not know the Kennedy legacy but my generation of Americans knows the Kennedy family as this country’s royalty.

Each tragedy that family endured was shared with the American public and we felt their pain. The assassinations of JFK and Bobby, John Jr. ‘s salute at his dad’s funeral and his tragic death left us in awe of the resilience of that family. Now that Ted, the last of the famous Kennedy brothers, has passed on the family power, influence and mystique is in the limelight again.

As we say good-bye to Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, let us remember the legacy of one of this country’s famous families.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

FL Gov. Crist Picks LeMieux to Fill Senate Seat

2009-08-29T07:29:03-04:00

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist selected his former Chief of Staff and friend George LeMieux to fill the remaining months of the term of U.S. Senator Mel Martinez who retired early from the seat.

The names of several high profile individuals had been floated for weeks. Crist, a candidate for the seat in 2010, chose his friend and was quickly bashed for his selection by opponents, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and Former FL Speaker of the House Marco Rubio.

LeMieux is likely the next best choice for Gov. Crist rather than actually appointing himself to the seat. The LeMieux selection essentially dissed the nine applicants including several seasoned legislators. It also leaves the U.S. Senate without a HIspanic member.

No doubt, Crist's advisers don't fear a significant backlash of Hispanic voters because of his rejection of Hispanic candidates. Rubio will, no doubt, use this selection against Crist throughout the rest of the campaign. The actual impact of Crist's decision remains to be seen.