TexasMommaWithAHat
TexasMommaWithAHat's JournalWhy are we not shown "her" picture on CNN? Tashfeen Malek?
The female accomplice/terrorist/wife/assistant-to-workplace violence?
Surely, a passport photo is available, if nothing else?
A black shroud representing her accompanies his picture on CNN.
NO Saints Benjamin Watson On Confederate (Battle) Flag.
Mr. Watson explains the pain of seeing the Confederate Flag with such eloquence and love. I know you will all want to read this:
"It's hard to explain how I feel when I see the rebel flag. The emotional bucket overflows with anger, trepidation, sorrow, a perverted pride and apathy. As hard as I try not to make assumptions about whoever is flying the flag or driving around with it mounted on their truck, my mind can not hold back the painful images of the past generations.... and the current one. The nine racially motivated murders of last week, have written a new chapter in the annals of race violence in this country. And at the center of it all, proudly displayed in images of the killer, the rebel flag.
When I moved to South Carolina in 1996, albeit from the southern state of Virginia, I was somewhat taken aback by the frequency of which I saw the flag. It was on vehicles, displayed on homes, and worn on t-shirts. Like grits and sweet tea, the flag was just part of the culture, an enduring symbol of all things southern. This never changed how I felt about it, but it did teach me to give individuals a certain amount of grace and realize that not everyone who embraced the flag embraced prejudice and supremacy alike.
I can remember visiting a teammate's home for the first time my sophomore year. Frank, a white offensive guard on my high school football team, had quickly become my closest friend, welcoming me, the new guy, when others weren’t so quick to do so. As I walked into his room, I froze, staring uncomfortably at the large Rebel flag, hanging above his bed. I remember the lump in my throat as I briefly attempted to convey in the most non-condemning way, what the flag represented to me and many others like me. Because of the lingering heaviness of the moment, I can’t recall much after that but I do remember how valued I felt, when I returned to Frank’s home some time later and the flag was gone! He didn’t have to, but because he cared about our friendship, because he cared about me, he empathetically removed the offensive banner on my behalf and maybe for the first time heard how painful that symbol could be. That day was a turning point in our relationship and today; Frank continues to be one of my best friends.
It should not take the brutal, senseless killings of innocent black Americans in a church by a young white man, to ensure the removal of the confederate battle flag from the State House grounds where it has flown in proud defiance of the civil rights movement since the 1960’s. If the flag wasn’t problematic before this heinous crime it should not be problematic now, and to hastily remove it in response to this slaughter, although a sympathetic (and economic) gesture, does not address the heart of the matter. In my estimation it is indeed the HEART, that is the matter. Displaying the confederate flag is not inherently wrong. This is not NECESSARILY an issue on which we can take a moral stance. It is not a simple right or wrong dilemma. I understand that for some, the confederate battle flag does not evoke sentiments of racism or supremacy; it is simply a tribute to their heritage, ancestors, and homeland. For others, including the killer, it means much more and for others it is a hiding place for passive racism and group "identity." It is without a doubt, however, a litmus test, exposing our willingness to deny our liberty, our freedom, to fly the flag of our choice, for the sake of offending our countrymen whose SHARED HERITAGE is conversely stained with death, injustice, rape, terror and inferiority.
If we remove the Confederate flag from the State Capitol for any reason other than a change in the hearts of South Carolinians, we may as well leave it be. This is not the time for political statements and worrying about national perception. But if we, like my friend Frank, finally listen to the cries and concerns of those we say we care about, soften our hearts, and choose to lay our liberties aside to assuage the pain of our brothers, the only suitable option would be a unanimous decision to remove the flag from the public grounds at the Palmetto State Capitol. The past and it's people, as acclaimed or afflicted as they may be, should always be remembered. But it is difficult to completely "move forward" if painful, divisive icons continue to stand unchallenged.
Sometimes, tragedies have a way of jolting us, laying the truth about us individually and collectively, stark naked for all to see. The outpouring for Charleston has been nothing short of extraordinary and inspiring. Sometimes it takes one person, one neighborhood, one city, and one state to show the unifying love of Christ to the world. As a canyon is carved by the flow of a river long dried up, may the passion of this week cut deep, leaving a permanent change in hearts and souls long after the emotion has gone."
Black Resident Of Craig Ranch Will Discuss Pool Incident On His Radio Show
tonight.
https://www.facebook.com/benet.embry
His name is Benet Embry and you can read his comments on his Facebook page.
AP Reporting That Court Said They Did Not Commit the Crime - Better Than "Not Enough Evidence"
that is a strong exoneration
"In a rare decision, the supreme Court of Cassation overturned last year's convictions by a Florence appeals court and declined to order another trial. The judges declared that the two did not commit the crime, a stronger exoneration than merely finding that there wasn't enough evidence to convict."
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/018d6a0ba12845aba0dfa91adbef968e/lawyer-knoxs-ex-boyfriend-makes-final-court-appeal
The guilters must be going nuts!
Amanda Knox: Evidence Uncollected by Forensic Police
Watch this 4 minute video of the police handling forensic evidence in Amanda and Meredith's apartment. If this doesn't prove that the so-called physical evidence against Amanda and Rafael couldn't possibly be contaminated, then nothing would.
These cops make Barney Fife look competent! So freaking sloppy!
One of the biggest problems with the case is that the real killer was given a great plea deal in order to satisfy the prosecutor's quest to get "foxy knoxy." Rudy Guede's DNA was found in several places in Amanda Kercher's room, but Amanda's was not found. A small bit of Rafael's DNA was found on the bra clasp. (Yes, he had been in the apartment several times prior. WATCH THE VIDEO!)
Watch the video and ask yourself if you think this type of "evidence" would survive in an American court with such a damning video.
Amanda's DNA was found mixed with a small bit of Meredith's blood where we know that the real murderer, Rudy Guede had used the bathroom. Imagine that! Wouldn't it be strange if her DNA was not found in her own bathroom?
When Rudy Guede was convicted, that court in its conclusion decided that Rudy did not act alone, and that decision - a court decision where Knox and Sollecito had no legal representation - became virtually law in the Knox and Sollecito trial. In Italian law, this was a decided fact.
The case was all about slut shaming an American woman who did not behave according to what the prosecutor would consider normal behavior.
Amanda has been damned in the U.K., American, and Italian media by evidence that does not exist in any court record.
Like - purchasing clorox, mopping the house, buying sexy panties with Rafael right after the murder (yes, she bought undies - what most women would consider regular undies because she could not get back into her own apartment to get clean panties!) Then, there are the photos that everyone has seen which depict blood ALL OVER the bathroom, and we all wonder how Amanda could have ignored that? Well, those are photos taken AFTER luminol tests! You can see the actual before pictures at the Injustice In Perugia site.
What is copied below is from www.injusticeinperugia.org
Rudy Guede was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Meredith Kercher. His sentence was reduced to 16 years on appeal and later confirmed by Italy's Supreme Court.
Rudy Guede was a drug dealer that was well known by the police. He became a suspect in the Meredith Kercher murder after his bloody fingerprint was discovered at the crime scene. When police tried to contact Guede they discovered he had fled to Germany. He was stopped in Germany trying to board a train without a ticket and was immediately extradited back to Italy. Guede was confronted with overwhelming DNA evidence that put him at the crime scene at the time if the murder.
Guede lied repeatedly throughout the case, modifying his stories, based on news reports as it best suited his defense. Guede was recorded during a Skype conversation before his arrest telling a friend that the reports on the news were incorrect. He said Amanda Knox was not present the night the crime took place. After his arrest Guede realized he had no way out and repeatedly modified his story to help his own defense. His latest story suggests he was being intimate with Meredith in her room when he suddenly needed to use the bathroom. While he was in the bathroom Amanda and Raffaele came in and murdered Meredith. Of course, none of his stories were accepted as his conviction has been finalized by the Italian Supreme Court.
Guede's attorneys did an excellent job of securing the most lenient punishment possible for his crime by convincing the court that Guede was merely an accomplice. Guede received a reduced sentence of 16 years on appeal, of which he will only serve a fraction, leaving many years of freedom in his future. The sad truth is that Guede will be eligible for work release in 2014.
How can we say with complete certainty that Rudy Guede murdered Meredith Kercher? Unlike Amanda and Raffaele, Guede was arrested after the evidence collected at the crime scene was analyzed and that evidence points right to him—no one else, just him. There was no rush to judgment when it came to arresting Rudy Guede. Investigators found Guede’s hand print on a pillow case found under the victim’s body. The fingerprints led police to their suspect.
The evidence of Guede’s guilt is irrefutable and should have been more than sufficient to secure a life sentence. Guede admitted he was in Meredith’s room at the time of the attack. His DNA, along with Meredith’s blood, was found on Meredith's purse. His shoeprints, set in Meredith’s blood, were found in the bedroom and in the hallway leading out the front door. As mentioned above, his handprint, in Meredith’s blood, was found on a pillowcase underneath her body. Most importantly, Guede’s DNA was found inside Meredith’s body.
Guede also had a history of break-ins similar to that seen at the cottage. One week prior to the murder, Guede was caught breaking into a nursery school by the school's owner, Maria Del Prato, when she arrived unexpectedly during off hours with two repairmen. Del Prato along with the repairmen kept Guede at the nursery and called the police.
When police searched Guede's backpack they found a laptop and cell phone that had recently been stolen from a Perugian law office. The break-in at the law office was very similar to the break-in at the cottage as Guede entered through an elevated window broken with a rock in both occasions. In the nursery school break-in, Guede was found in the possession of a large knife said to be stolen from the school’s kitchen. He was also in possession of a woman’s gold watch which tied him to another break-in occurring four days earlier. Guede’s break-in at the nursery no doubt made him a suspect in a previous burglary of the nursery in which cash had been stolen.
In the month prior to Meredith Kercher’s murder, Guede had gone on a crime spree. His activities were no secret to the police yet they never managed to properly investigate Guede and never took him into custody. Why? The sad reality is, if the police had done their job properly Meredith Kercher would still be alive today and Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito would have never been wrongfully convicted.
The evidence against Rudy Guede:
Guede admitted he was in the room.
Guede's DNA was found in and on Meredith's body.
Guede's DNA along with Meredith’s blood, was found on Meredith's purse.
Guede's excrement was found in the toilet.
Guede's shoe prints, set in Meredith’s blood, were found in the bedroom and hallway.
Guede's handprint, in Meredith’s blood, was found on a pillow case in Meredith's room.
Guede had a cut on his right hand that was still visible when he was arrested.
Guede fled the country.
All of the evidence at the crime scene pointed to Rudy Guede. Amanda and Raffaele left no evidence at the crime scene. Why? Because Amanda and Raffaele were not there.
Rudy Guede murdered Meredith Kercher and he acted alone.
Got This Email - A Response to Rodney Ellis Request For A DOJ Investigation
Sen. Rodney Ellis calls for DOJ investigation into Texas Truancy LawsState Sen. Ellis cites report citing racial disparities in enforcement
By Rebecca ElliottMarch 18, 2015 Updated: March 19, 2015 9:32am
A state senator urged Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday to open a Department of Justice investigation of Texas truancy laws, citing racial disparities in how they are applied, particularly in the Fort Bend Independent School District...
Read more at the Houston Chronicle
...For the record, Dr. Dupre is African American and, imo, has made some great changes in the district. It's a very culturally diverse school district, but our poorer students do consist of more African Americans and Latino students, where socioeconomic factors are at play. It really ticks me off that Dr. Dupre has worked so hard to improve relations with our African American community (read the statistics in the letter below) and Ellis is going to single out FBISD, now. That kind of pisses me off, actually. Give the man a chance! He's only been here a couple of years! - Texasmommawithahat
This is the letter
FBISD Parents and Guardians,
Recently, you may have read a couple of pieces in the Houston Chronicle regarding Fort Bend ISD and our efforts to enforce the state’s truancy laws, including the most recent article that was published in today’s edition.
As I expressed last week, this is a critical issue that we will be discussing with the community in the near future. While it would be inappropriate for the District to comment on pending legislation while it is in the hands of the legislature, I think it is important that the community understand what Fort Bend ISD is doing to prevent truancy and abide by the state’s current compulsory attendance laws, as well as what we are doing to ensure that our disciplinary policies are being applied in a manner that is fair and consistent.
The following editorial is being shared with local publications today. You can also expect to hear more about our efforts to engage with our parents in the coming weeks, and I hope you will participate in these important discussions. I appreciate your active participation in your child’s education – and the community collaboration that makes Fort Bend ISD one of the best in the state.
Charles Dupre
Editorial
Fort Bend ISD’s rich cultural diversity is a source of pride and a model for other Districts in Texas. Every day, our teachers, administrators, and students work hard to inspire and equip our students with the tools to succeed in life. As superintendent, I am proud of our efforts to educate the leaders of tomorrow. I am also aware of the educational challenges facing our district and our state.
As an educator and African-American male with two sons, I share concerns about the number of African-American and Hispanic students who are subject to disciplinary actions in Fort Bend ISD and across the state. I am equally concerned about the number of these students who receive truancy complaints. Students cannot learn if they are not at school, if they are consistently late to school, or if they are removed from the classroom for disciplinary reasons.
Because equitable treatment is important to me, immediately after joining Fort Bend ISD nearly two years ago, I initiated a comprehensive review of the District’s disciplinary policies, procedures, and practices, including our response to truancy. I am proud to say that our administration has taken steps to ensure that all students are disciplined in a fair and consistent manner.
In the 2013-2014 school year, we established the Department of Student Affairs to make sure student-related policies are applied consistently across our District. We are already seeing positive results. Despite growing by almost 400 students at the high-school level, the incidents of disciplinary action removing students from the classroom for in-school or out-of-school suspensions decreased by 24% during the fall of 2014 as compared to the fall of 2013. Several of our secondary campuses have seen a significant decrease in the number of disciplinary actions removing African-American students from the classroom.
We are also training staff in a restorative discipline model designed to provide students with problem-solving skills that will enable them to self-regulate their own behavior. Restorative discipline includes collaboration between students, parents, and school staff to create a positive environment by focusing on students’ needs and causes of behavior, not just dispensing consequences for misbehavior.
It should be noted while some student disciplinary actions are subject to the discretion of campus and district administrators, other student disciplinary actions are mandatory, such as mandatory DAEP (District Alternative Education Program) for any offense that is punishable as a felony. Other offenses are subject to mandatory expulsion, such as a student bringing a firearm to school or committing crimes such as aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault.
Truancy enforcement is not discretionary. We are obligated to abide by our state’s compulsory school attendance laws. Our District’s truancy prevention efforts attempt to provide support and accountability for students and their families. Our systems are working. Since the implementation of an automated truancy system in 2007, truancy warning letters and valid truancy complaints dropped by 58 percent between 2008 and 2013.
Our teachers and students must have a safe and secure learning environment, and our students must be in the classroom. We will treat all of our students in a fair and transparent manner and provide them equal access to a great education, but we can’t do it alone. Encouraging student attendance and positive behavior at school includes the active engagement of parents and families, as well as the greater community.
It is important for us to discuss the data regarding the critical issues of student discipline and truancy, but we cannot forget that each data point represents a student with a name and a story. That is why we will be looking to implement restorative discipline and identifying new ways to more effectively engage parents and the FBISD community as we attempt to learn and respond to each story. Details about community meetings to discuss these important topics will be shared soon. Together, we will strive to deliver on our promise to every FBISD student: to inspire and equip them to pursue futures beyond their imagination.
Dr. Charles E. Dupre
Fort Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools
CNN Reporting that Police Woman Shot In Paris
by someone dressed just like the terrorists yesterday.
She has died.
Chris Cuomo Gives Great Memorial To His Father on CNN
It's worth watching if you can catch it. Great commentary from his son and interesting photos.
It'll probably be up at the website if you can catch it. I didn't see the beginning, but guess that it's about 5 minutes long.
Profile Information
Member since: Mon Sep 8, 2014, 11:44 AMNumber of posts: 3,212
