We are at war.

No, I’m not talking about Iraq or Afghanistan. I’m talking about a world war against women and children. Those human beings who walk this earth constantly reminded that they are not free. They are possessions, accessories, appointments, appurtenances, assets, baggage, belongings, chattels, effects, equipment, estate, fixtures, furnishings, furniture, goods, impedimenta, paraphernalia, province, real estate, settlement, tangibles, territory, things, trappings, tricks, wealth.

John Couey passed away on September 30, 2009 due to complications from cancer. He had already been sentenced to death in 2007 for the rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunford in early 2005. Couey’s extensive criminal record includes one prior sex offense against a child in 1991. He was sentenced to five years in prison and served less than two. Completing his sentence would not have prevented him from murdering Jessica but I would argue that the early release of an adult convicted of indecent assault against a child under the age of 16 really illustrates the true value that our society places on the lives of children.

Jessica’s Law was passed in Florida in 2005 with the intention of reducing the ability of sex offenders to reoffend. The Jessica Lunsford Act was also introduced in 2005 at the federal level but was never enacted. Key provisions of Jessica’s Law in Florida include mandatory minimum sentences of 25 years in prison and lifetime electronic monitoring of adults convicted of “lewd or lascivious acts” against a child under 12 years old. Rape and sexual battery of a child under 12 carries life imprisonment with no chance of parole. Jessica’s Law has been enacted across the nation with just a few states holding out.

More proof that our education system has been failing us since at least the 1960s.

Rush Limbaugh graduated from Cape Central High School in 1969. He followed that with an unsuccessful attempt at Southeast Missouri State University.

From AWOP contributor: Sidhe The Wandering Elf

How many times have you been somewhere “nice,” just enjoying the beautiful serenity of nature only to find one of those nasty plastic shopping bags floating by?

I’ve struggled with meat for years. So much so that I was a vegetarian eater for several years and even a vegan for a short period of time. Initially, it was due to my concern over the standard of living of food animals as well as environmental factors. When I got married, I discovered that it was difficult to cook separate meals and I greatly relaxed my meatless dining habits only to be told in the early 2000s that I could no longer give blood due to potential exposure to variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) (aka Mad Cow Disease). Guidelines state that you may not give blood if:

You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames

* From 1980 through 1990 – Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany