Happy Birthday, Bobby

It's my brother's 40th birthday today. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we we're playing Gilligan's Island in the backyard, pretending that we lived on an island where no one could find us. Just yesterday that I was watching your high school football team fight it's way to the state semi-finals. And just yesterday that I watched you marry the love of your life.

I love you so much, Bobby. You were my protector and buddy and have become such a wonderful man, husband, and father. I hope this day brings you peace, joy, and happiness. I miss you and want you to know that I'm thinking of you today. Happy Birthday.

Old English is amazing. One coat and my bathroom cabinets look new. I should buy stock in this company.

Double rainbow over Rhome 09/01/2010 So intense.........

This is the first time I have ever seen a double rainbow (that I can remember). It was highly cool. I just happened to see this while picking up one of my daughters from volleyball practice - on the day I signed the contract on our new house. My divorce will be final soon, and the girls and I are buying our own house. I had never heard of, nor seen, the "Double Rainbow", YouTube, video, so my 13 year-old daughter played it for me when we saw this. I was not as expressive as the guy in the video, but I was very impressed and took it as a good sign. :) I also have to admit that I googled, "double rainbow meaning". I found some scientific explanations and also some theological ones. Each of us can interpret the double rainbow in his or her own way, but, no matter what the reason for this beautiful sight, it lifted my spirit. It's only 10 days until the one-year anniversary of my precious grandson, Jayden's, death. Thank you, Jesus, for the encouragement.

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/adband.htm

http://denimmusic777.xanga.com/731500502/where-the-double-rainbows-point-to/

Do you think these guys clocked out?

Random Thoughts

• I really love to fish - especially crappie fishing
• I caught a 16" black bass the other day; had a great time getting it into the boat and hated throwing it back in; I'd rather not make the game warden mad, though ;)
• Hooked some REALLY huge fish late that night that pulled the boat away from the dock; I tightened the drag a down too much and snapped the line (dang it); I think Lake Bridgeport has a Loch Ness Monster in it
• I finally bought a weed eater, since my other one disappeared; it has a spring-assisted start (highly cool); I actually used it and I bet my neighbors appreciate that; I had to because the backyard was starting to look like a jungle
• I recently bought three guinea pigs for the munchkins; we went to buy hamsters and came out with guinea pigs; I actually like the guinea pigs; they're cuddly; we had an emergency, though; Lenney, the 5 year-old's GP ran under my bed and got trapped by Luvs the "special" kitty; the child started screaming that the cat was going to eat the guinea pig; the bed bedframe is too short to crawl under, so I had to throw the mattress off and rescue the dang guinea pig; anyone know how heavy a Tempurpedic king-sized mattress is?
• Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on in Arizona?
• Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has "the evil eye"; she just looks mean; can someone tell her that the Mexican-American War is long over?
• I read a news story, "Afghanistan opium poppies hit by mysterious disease", that gave me a "hmmmmmmm" moment; very coincidental that the US is fighting in Afghanistan and the poppies get hit with disease................I think I like it, since I absolutely hate what heroin has done to the world; let's just make sure that ALL the poppies get sick ;), not just everyone else's
• I saw a pickup truck on the outskirts of the Decatur Walmart yesterday selling what I thought were puppies; as I drove by, though, I realized the lady was selling tasers; what the heck? is that even legal? I had the top down on my Miata and heard the "zap" as I drove by; WOW! Decatur sure has changed.......
• I sure do like the 1/2 price frappuccino special Starbucks has been running this week; I think I've become addicted to the dark cherry mocha frappuccino
• A rogue shopping cart recently smashed into the back of my Miata while I was inside a local home improvement store (all captured on parking lot video); did over $500 in damage to my '91 Miata project car; of course I only carry liability insurance on the car; the manager informed me that the sign in the parking lot (way out by the highway and impossible to read from where I was parked) clearly states that the store is not responsible for damage from carts; he went ahead and filed an insurance claim on their paperwork, refused to give me a copy, and sent me on my way; a week later, I got a phone call that I was on my own to fix the car; I've spent thousands of dollars in that particular store, in Decatur, on appliances, lumber, tools, etc; I will never spend another cent there again; I'm sure they won't even notice or care; Once again I say, Decatur sure has changed........; I will clarify this statement, though; there are still many, many businesses in my hometown that still treat the customer with complete and total respect; those businesses know that their livelihoods rely on customers being happy with purchases and returning to buy again; I love my hometown and home county and shop there whenever I can to support local business; just so you know..................

Wow! I'll listen to this kid over Lady Gaga any day

Greyson Michael Chance performing "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga at Edmond's Sixth Grade Festival. He has a YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/greyson97. This is true talent in my opinion.

Suspect in Texas Girl's Attack Commits Suicide

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - A suspect in the 1990 alleged abduction, rape and throat slashing of a Dickinson girl has been found hanged in his jail cell. Galveston County sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo says 40-year-old Dennis Earl Bradford was found hanged early Monday in an apparent suicide. Tuttoilmondo says there were no signs of foul play and Bradford made a noose from bedding. DNA evidence led to the October 2009 arrest of Bradford in North Little Rock, Ark. Jennifer Schuett, who was 8 years old when she was attacked, says she is "shocked and disappointed" that Bradford resorted to suicide and she had wanted to face him in court.
The Associated Press does not normally name alleged sex abuse victims, but Schuett and authorities used her name in publicly discussing the case and she maintains a website.
For more on Jennifer's story, and how she helps other crime victims, visit Justice for Jennifer.
Copyright Associated Press

http://www.click2houston.com/video/22380827/

Here's an interview with the sketch artist who worked with the child right after she was found. The facial similarities between the sketch and Dennis Earl Bradford are remarkable.

The DNA in the case allegedly matched with this man. It would have been nice for both the victim and the accused to have the benefit of the use of the criminal justice system, but Mr. Bradford appears to have decided to take matters into his own hands. If he is the monster who hurt this woman when she was a child, and if he actually killed himself to escape justice, then he ranks at the top of the list of cowards in my book.

“Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” -Henry Miller

Nashville Flood 2010 - Where was all the help?

How is it that the United States government did not recognize this as the national disaster that it is/was and send the appropriate aid? I can think of no excuse for ignoring these people during this tragedy. I am so very proud, though, of the people of Nashville and the surrounding areas affected by the flooding, who acted with strength, dignity, and perseverance during the horrific flooding. The images I have seen of them working together to help one another has answered one of my burning questions.

Where is our humanity? I have seen it in the people living in the Volunteer State - Tennessee. May God bless each and every one of the families affected by the 2010 flooding of Nashville, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas.

Obama nominates Elena Kagan for Supreme Court

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_supreme_court

There are many moves that the Obama administration has made that have made me "nervous". This is another one of those moves. There are some key statements in this article that are worth noting. I understand that Elena Kagan is an extremely intelligent woman, but I question the Obama administration's motives behind her nomination for Supreme Court.

• [Obama] called her "my friend"


• Never a judge


• At 50 years old, Kagan would be the youngest justice on the court, which would give her the opportunity to extend Obama's legacy for a generation.


• Kagan would be the first justice without judicial experience in almost 40 years


• All of the three other finalists she beat out for the job are federal appeals court judges, and all nine of the current justices served on the federal bench before being elevated.


• Kagan's fate will be up to a Senate dominated by Democrats, who with 59 votes have more than enough to confirm her


• barring a surprise, Kagan is likely to emerge as a justice


• Supreme Court justices wield enormous power over the daily life of Americans. Any one of them can cast the deciding vote on matters of life and death, individual freedoms and government power. Presidents serve four-year terms; justices have tenure for life.


• Democrats went 15 years without a Supreme Court appointment until Obama chose federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor last year to succeed retiring Justice David Souter. Just 16 months in office, Obama has a second opportunity with Kagan, under different circumstances.


• she clerked for federal appeals court judge Abner Mikva, who later became an important political mentor to Obama in Chicago.


• Kagan and Obama both taught at the University of Chicago Law School in the early 1990s


• Rick Garnett, a professor of law and associate dean of University of Notre Dame Law School, voiced the concern of many conservatives. "Future elections might undo some of the president's policies, but his more liberal views about the Constitution, the powers of the national government, and the role of unelected federal judges, are now being locked in securely," Garnett said in a statement.


• She would be the third Jewish justice along with six Catholics. With Stevens' retirement, the court will have no Protestants, the most prevalent denomination in the United States.

BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer

Happy Mother's Day

A mother is the truest friend we have,
when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us;
when adversity takes the place of prosperity;
when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine,
desert us when troubles thicken around us,
still will she cling to us,
and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness,
and cause peace to return to our hearts.

-Washington Irving

I wish my mom a Happy Mother's Day. I hope she knows how much I love her. She was always the sunshine in my life during the darkest of times. She showed me love when I didn't know if there was such a thing. She is an amazing woman. Some day she and I will have those special times again. For now, I will cherish the loving memories of us together and look forward to happy times to come. I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

Never mess with a woman

Anyone remember the parking lot scene from the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes"? This video totally reminded me of that. Women can be so sneaky, and clever, sometimes. Never mess with a woman.

Once again I ask, where is our humanity?

NEW YORK – The homeless man lay face down, unmoving, on the sidewalk outside an apartment building, blood from knife wounds pooling underneath his body. One person passed by in the early morning. Then another, and another. Video footage from a surveillance camera shows at least seven people going by, some turning their heads to look, others stopping to gawk. One even lifted the homeless man's body, exposing what appeared to be blood on the sidewalk underneath him, before walking away.

It wasn't until after the 31-year-old Guatemalan immigrant had been lying there for nearly an hour that emergency workers arrived, and by then, it was too late. Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax — who police said was stabbed while intervening to help a woman being attacked — had died.
"I think it's horrific," said Marla Cohan, who teaches at P.S. 82, a school across the street from where Tale-Yax died. "I think people are just afraid to step in; they don't want to get involved; who knows what their reasons are?"

Tale-Yax was walking behind a man and a woman on 144th Street in the Jamaica section of Queens around 6 a.m. April 18 when the couple got into a fight that became physical, according to police, who pieced together what happened from surveillance footage and interviews with area residents. Tale-Yax was stabbed several times when he intervened to help the woman, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. She and the other man fled in different directions, and Tale-Yax pursued the man before collapsing. Authorities are searching for the man and woman.

A 911 call of a woman screaming came in around 6 a.m., but when officers responded to the address that was given, no one was there, police said. Another call came in around 7 a.m., saying a man was lying on the street, but gave the wrong address. Finally, around 7:20 a.m., someone called 911 to report a man had possibly been stabbed at 144th Street and 88th Road. Police and firefighters arrived a few minutes later to find Tale-Yax dead. Officials say they're not sure whether the man was still alive when passers-by opted not to help him.

Residents who regularly pass by the same stretch of sidewalk, in a working-class neighborhood of low-rise apartment buildings and fast food restaurants near a busy boulevard, were unnerved by the way Tale-Yax died. "Is anybody human anymore?" asked Raechelle Groce, visiting her grandmother at a nearby building on Monday. "What's wrong with humanity?"

In the urban environment, it's not unusual to see people on the street, sleeping or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But even assuming the person they've just passed is drunk, instead of injured, is no reason not to notify authorities, said Seth Herman, another teacher at the school. He remembered calling an ambulance when seeing a man who appeared to be homeless on the street, with a beer bottle near by. He called 911, he said, because "I felt it wasn't my job to figure out if the person was drunk or actually hurt." Groce agreed. "I just think that's horrible, whether you're homeless or not," she said. "He's a human being; he needs help."
___
Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Lucky People

Operation Gatekeeper, 15 Years Later

Where is our humanity?

There has been so much in the news, recently, about illegal immigration into the United States. I understand some of the concerns, especially after 9/11, but the United States is a nation made up of immigrants. Most of the peoples of the US, today, are here solely because their ancestors immigrated to this country. Those ancestors came here to find a better life - leaving behind their homeland and everything they knew in the hope that they could gain something more substantial. This nation was built by hard-working people from countries from all over the world. What has made America strong, proud, and powerful has been its acceptance of those in need of shelter, food, and humanitarian aid. This country used to welcome the oppressed with open arms; now we build enormous fences and shoot to kill to keep out the unwanted immigrants.

I needed and wanted to know more about why my Mexican neighbors were coming into the U.S. illegally, rather than through the proper channels, so I did a little research. This is a summary of what I found.

Economic incentives
The continuing practice of hiring unauthorized workers has been referred to as “the magnet for illegal immigration.” As a significant percentage of employers are willing to hire illegal immigrants for higher pay than they would typically receive in their former country, illegal immigrants have prime motivation to cross borders.

In 2003, then-President of Mexico, Vicente Fox stated that remittances "are our biggest source of foreign income, bigger than oil, tourism or foreign investment" and that "the money transfers grew after Mexican consulates started giving identity cards to their citizens in the United States." He stated that money sent from Mexican workers in the United States to their families back home reached a record $12 billion. Two years later, in 2005, the World Bank stated that Mexico was receiving $18.1 billion in remittances and that it ranked third (behind only India and China) among the countries receiving the greatest amount of remittances.

Chain immigration
According to demographer Jeffery Passel of the Pew Hispanic Center, the flow of Mexicans to the U. S. has produced a "network effect" - furthering immigration as Mexicans moved to join relatives already in the U.S. The Pew Hispanic Center describes that the recent dramatic increase in the population of illegal immigrants has sparked more illegal immigrants to cross borders. Once the extended families of illegal immigrants cross national borders, they create a “network effect” by building large communities.

US government inefficiencies
Analysts believe that costs, delays, and inefficiencies in processing visa applications and work permits contribute to the number of immigrants who immigrate without authorization. As of 2007 there was a backlog of 1.1 million green card applications, and the typical waiting time was three years.

Trade agreements and government failures
The Rockridge Institute argues that globalization and trade agreement affected international migration, as laborers moved to where they could find jobs. Raising the standard of living around the world, a promise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank, would reduce the economic incentive for illegal immigration. However, governments have not followed through on all of these programs.
The Mexican government failed to make promised investments of billions of dollars in roads, schooling, sanitation, housing, and other infrastructure to accommodate the new maquiladoras (border factories) envisioned under NAFTA. As a result few were built, and China surpassed Mexico in goods produced for the United States market. Instead of the anticipated increase, the number of manufacturing jobs in Mexico dropped from 4.1 million in 2000 to 3.5 million in 2004. The 1994 economic crisis in Mexico, which occurred the year NAFTA went into effect, resulted in a devaluation of the Mexican peso, decreasing the wages of Mexican workers relative to those in the United States. Meanwhile, more efficient agricultural operations in the United States and the elimination of tariffs under NAFTA caused the price of corn to fall 70% in Mexico between 1994 and 2001, and the number of farm jobs to decrease from 8.1 million in 1993 to 6.8 million in 2002.

Corruption hurts the economy of Mexico, which in turn leads to migration to the United States. Mexico was perceived as the 72nd least corrupt state out of 179 according to Transparency International's 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index, a survey of international business (for comparison, the United States ranked as the 20th least corrupt). Global Integrity estimates that in 2006 corruption cost the Mexican economy $60 billion per year. A survey by the Mexican research firm, Centro de Estudios Económicos del Sector Privado, found that 79 percent of companies in Mexico believe that “illegal transactions” are a serious obstacle to business development.

It sounds to me like the people of Mexico are coming into the United States of America for the same reasons that my ancestors came to America - leaving poverty and hardship in search of a better life. Government inadequacies make it next to impossible to enter legally and the Mexican government encourages it. It seems that checking for immigration papers (as proposed in Arizona) and deporting illegal aliens would only cause a repeat in the cycle and put those deported at risk of injury of death in the very dangerous border towns. It seems to me that there is a problem at the level of paperwork processing that needs to be changed.

I found a U.S. government website with a little history on immigration in the United States.
Immigration and U.S. History
http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2008/February/20080307112004ebyessedo0.1716272.html

The U.S. government built a very large wall/border in the San Diego area 15 years ago that has caused <1%>5000 deaths.
Operation Gatekeeper, 15 Years Later
Border crossing deaths: human rights violations?
By GENE CUBBISON
Updated 7:11 PM PDT, Wed, Sep 30, 2009Source: Operation Gatekeeper, 15 Years Later NBC San Diego

The 15th anniversary of "Operation Gatekeeper" is being observed with outrage by humanitarian activists on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. They estimate that as many as 5,600 people have died while crossing the border through rugged mountain and desert areas of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas since the operation was launched Oct. 1, 1994.

"If there was any other policy that the federal government adopted that systematically killed more than 500 people every year ... those policies would be changed quickly," said filmmaker John Carlos Frey, whose documentary "The 800 Mile Wall" is being released in conjunction with the anniversary. Frey's remarks came at a Wednesday news conference held by the American Civil Liberties Union's San Diego & Imperial Counties chapter. "If there were 500 Canadians that lost their lives crossing the border," Frey said, "The policy would be changed. The fact that they are 'no name, no face' people, the deaths continue."

Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union released a study of Gatekeeper's effects -- the study was conducted by Mexico's National Commission Human Rights -- recommending that more Border Patrol resources be directed toward search-and-rescue operations and family assistance. The report also calls for "sensible and humane immigration and border policies ... to that end, reforms should provide legal and safe avenues for crossing the border ..." ACLU board member William Aceves explained that passage meant "facilitating the immigration process," not an open border. Added ACLU Executive Director Kevin Keenan: "We certainly are opposed to open borders, as such. We favor the national government's ability to control its borders and to control national security. "That said," Keenan continued, "what we oppose is the U.S., and to a lesser extent Mexico, violating international human rights with a death count that's now well over 5,000."

In response, Peter Nunez, a board member of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, called the assertion of human rights violations "ludicrous." "All of these people who try to come in -- and some who die -- have made a choice." said Nunez, a former U.S. Attorney. "They have made a voluntary decision that they are willing to undergo the risk and danger to get out of Mexico, or wherever they're from, and come to the U.S ... Should we feel guilty because Mexico and other parts of the world have failed their own people, causing them to leave? No. I don't think the American people should have any guilt about that."
Source: Operation Gatekeeper, 15 Years Later NBC San Diego

I understand the fears behind those who want to keep the immigrants out, but how can we let our neighbors live next door in poverty and not allow them a chance to have a better life? We like to go to Mexico on vacation and play on the beach, but we won't allow another human the opportunity work to buy food for his family? How can we justify keeping them out? How can we justify shooting them? How can we justify dumping them back into border towns at night, knowing the dangers posed in those towns? How can we sleep at night knowing that they are dying in the mountains and deserts trying to get into our country because they cannot survive in their own? These people are our neighbors. These people are human beings. Where is our humanity?


Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about
from I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath

FOXNews.com - Uncovered Portions of Blacked-Out Subpoena Suggest Obama Advised Blagojevich on Senate Replacement

I came across this today. It looks as though the President may be subpoenaed to testify in this case (when hell freezes over). I'm not sure that I like the involvement of the leader of our country in this mess, if it is true.

FOXNews.com - Uncovered Portions of Blacked-Out Subpoena Suggest Obama Advised Blagojevich on Senate Replacement

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How long?

Grief and sorrow come and go, like waves on the shore of my soul. The sky is grey and the sun never shines. I long for the beauty of Spring. Where is the sunlight, the sound of the birds, the joy, the laughter, and the happiness I was promised? Oh, to feel happy again; I have forgotten how to laugh. It has been 7 months since my precious Jayden went to be with Jesus while I slept. I still miss him so.

Ousted Lawman Pleads Guilty After Local 2 Investigates Report On Stalking By Stephen Dean

POSTED: Tuesday, October 14, 2008

UPDATED: 1:57 pm CDT October 14, 2008

HEMPSTEAD, Texas -- A lawman who was removed from his elected office amid stalking indictments has pleaded guilty some six years after Local 2 Investigates first reported on his case.

Raymond Cooke, 68, was constable in Waller County, about 50 miles northwest of Houston, when Local 2 Investigates first reported in 2002 that two women claimed he was using his badge to intimidate them after they turned away his advances.

A local professional rodeo racer produced dozens of e-mails that were traced back to Cooke, in which he threatened to have her arrested. She said the e-mails followed her refusal to become romantically involved with the lawman.

The woman was arrested and jailed for nearly one month on charges that she said were fabricated by the constable. The charge was later dismissed after Local 2 Investigates exposed the case.

A second woman, a local waitress, raised similar accusations and said she was ordered into his police car. She told investigators Cooke threatened her if she spoke to authorities about the case.

Cooke had been indicted on felony counts of retaliation, bribery and tampering with a witness, as well as a misdemeanor count of official oppression. Some of the charges centered around claims by a Waller County sheriff's deputy that the constable threatened him or tried to interfere with his testimony in the case.

The Waller County District Attorney at the time filed a lawsuit to remove Cooke from office. Cooke then resigned from office, handing over his badge.

As part of a plea bargain with the current district attorney of Waller County, all felony charges were dropped and Cooke pleaded guilty Monday to one misdemeanor count of harassment.

Cooke will serve 12 months of probation and pay a $1,200 fine. He was granted deferred adjudication, which means his record will be free of any final conviction if he completes his probation. The terms of his probation include attending anger management class, submitting to drug and alcohol testing and paying all court costs. He was also ordered to stay away from the waitress who came forward and caused the indictments after Local 2 Investigates first reported on the case.

The waitress gave an emotional victim impact statement in court as Cooke was being sentenced.

The professional rodeo racer was not in court, but she expressed anger at the plea bargain. She told Local 2 Investigates that her life was forever changed when she was locked up on bogus charges created by her stalker, so she remains bothered that he will serve probation and remain free with no final conviction on his record.

If you have a news tip or question for KPRC Local 2 Investigates, drop them an e-mail or call their tipline at (713) 223-TIPS (8477).

Copyright 2008 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/17712933/detail.html

This is one scary story; to think that an officer of the law could misuse his position and take advantage of women using his badge. It is a nightmare come to life. How many other times has this happened and never been reported? It takes such trust for a woman to pull over to the side of the road at night for a peace officer. To have an officer violate that trust is something that can never be forgiven. I have many friends who are peace officers and I have much faith in law enforcement, but the few who use the power of the badge for evil purposes need to be found and weeded out so that there are no more victims.

Always respect your elders.

Most Bizarre

Barack Obama is a Muslim, says Libya's Qadhafi..lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZiqexz7aqQ

I was wasting time on YouTube, looking at random videos, and ran across this bizarre clip from Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar). This has got to be one of the strangest videos I've seen lately. Thrown right in the middle is a comment about the assassination of JFK. I've always known that Qadhafi is nuts, but this is an oscar-worthy performance.

Thought for the day

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wake up call. For all the cat people. | Funniest Video of the Day

Wake up call. For all the cat people. Funniest Video of the Day

This is funny and should crack up even the cat haters. :)

Thought for the day

The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.

Frederick Buechner

My new friend, Buffalo Belle

I went crappie fishing the other day and caught the biggest fish I've ever caught. Now all of you serious fishermen can make fun of my bottom-feeder, but Buffalo Belle and I became great friends; we even posed for this picture together. The crappie were biting okay, but the sandbass were going nuts after sunset. Belle decided she wanted in on the minnow action, too, and that's how we met. Buffalo Belle's the one on the left. ;)

Christ has Risen!

Easter is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal. It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown. ~Author unknown, as quoted in the Lewiston Tribune

I can only do what I can do

There is so much wrong in the world today that one person alone cannot fix it. But if each person were to choose to do something to make the world better place every day, it could exponentially decrease the problems facing humankind. I believe that just one benevolent act - one good choice - committed by 308,911,000 people (the most recent population of the United States, March 21, 2010), every 24-hours, could cause a ripple that would positively affect our nation and the rest of the world. Making one conscious decision to choose goodness over evil, kindness over cruelty, giving over receiving, planting over destroying, and compassion over hatred is not a very difficult task. It just takes a little thought - a slight effort. The payback we could receive from each person taking a minuscule portion of each day to choose to do something to make the world a better place is unimaginable. There are so many things wrong with our world today that it is overwhelming; I can only do what I can do.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope and pray that everyone finds peace and joy this year. 2009 was a very hard year for most of us, so 2010 has got to be better. My wish for this year is that everyone accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. I would also like peace and happiness for my family. May the sunshine of this morning be a sign of things to come..................

Happy New Year.

Thank you, God, for the sunshine! I know now that you are the only one who can bring the light. And it is good.

Number 14 and the Red-Tailed Hawk

I remember reading something about the number 14 when I read about the red-tailed hawk totem. I don't really remember much about it, except that the number 14 was supposed to be significant, in some way, when combined with the red-tailed hawk (or some crap like that). I think it was supposed to be good, significance-wise, I mean.

It's really weird, though, because I remember thinking that my husband and I were just about to have our 14th wedding anniversary (12/01/2009), and I'd been seeing all those damned red-tailed hawks. On our last anniversary, I jokingly questioned whether we should go out and celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary, or stay in the house and pray we make it through the year. We ended up going out with our children and celebrating our 13 years of marriage, but I sometimes think that maybe we should have stayed in the house and prayed we'd make it through the next year.

This past year has been so hard. I have had tremendous loss and sorrow; so has my husband; so have my children. The fact that my family, much less my marriage, remains intact, is only by the grace of God.

On December 1st, Scott and I went out to dinner to celebrate the END of our 14th year of marriage. This weekend we went our to celebrate our 14th (back to the number 14 and the red-tail hawk; there was a point to this story) WEDDING ANNIVERSARY and the BEGINNING of our 15th year of marriage. Hopefully, It was a good sign that my seat at the George Jones concert (at the casino) this weekend was number 14. ;)

Since our actual 14th Wedding Anniversary, I've been offered a very good job that I really wanted; Rolla found Mackie's brand new cell phone she lost back in March; God's provided money for bills and Christmas, good friends, and lot of love. Best of all, God, Jesus, Jayden, and I have started working on our stuff.

Maybe the number 14, in concert with the red-tailed hawk, brings you hope.................

Why am I telling this now?

I'm sure a lot of people have wondered why I started this blog and why I have decided to share this secret now in such a public way. A lot of it has to do with the fact that my 19 month-old grandson drowned in our swimming pool this past September. I have been estranged from my biological family since they indirectly sabotaged my attempts to prosecute my father for continuously sexually abusing me as a child. My father has kept me silent all these years through threats of death and by actually chasing me, on foot in front of a large group of skydivers, with a loaded pistol. He was stopped by my husband. Anyway, I have tried several times to have my father prosecuted for the sexual abuse and find that law enforcement and lawyers in Wise County are afraid of the Bishop family.What some people don't know is that the Bishop family is also afraid of Tom Bishop. Our lives have been spent with a man who uses his gun to get us to do what he wants. Yes, Tom has a kind and generous side to him. But that cannot outweigh the side of him that has hurt his children and scared his wife into protecting him and defending him every time he has done something wrong. Not only has Tom Bishop committed terrible sexual acts against his own daughter, but he has also attempted to rape another member of the family. That member is terrified that he will try to kill her. When will it stop?In September, my sweet grandson drowned and my husband and our family were devastated. I wanted and needed my mom, brothers, and their families, but I was afraid my father would show up. I could not risk it and would not put my own children at risk, so I told my siblings and mother not to come.I am sick of playing games. My father, Tom Bishop, is a child molester and a rapist. He should not be a police officer and should be in prison. He has chased me with a gun and put a gun in my husband's face. He put a gun to my older brother's head when he was 7 years old to keep my mother from taking us and leaving my father. He has also put a gun to my baby brother's head when he was 10 years old to keep my mother from leaving him.I know that many of you will not have any sympathy for my mother and I understand. But she has been with him since she was 17. She does not know anything else. He took her away from her parents in Alabama and has always threatened to hunt her down and kill her and her children if she left.I am afraid that he will kill her when he finds out that I have posted this. I wish someone would do something. I have told the Texas Ranger, but he cannot do anything until the District Attorney requests his assistance (because Tom is an elected official). My mom is ashamed of what my father has done, but she is a good person. She has helped many people in the years that she has been an attorney in Wise County. I hope and pray that my actions bring her no harm.I just don't want him to be able to hurt anyone else. I don't think he will stop.I will take a lie detector test for anyone, given by any certified person, and I will testify in court, under oath, if he doesn't kill me first. Sincerely,Laura Bishop Moore

Over the past 6-9 months I have seen several red-tailed hawks flying nearby - at least once a day. I don't remember seeing hawks that much before now. I decided to research the red-tailed hawk and found this interesting site.

Red-Tailed Hawk Totem

I've started my own list of "Life Lessons" so that maybe I can start incorporating them into my life. If this spiritual bird is trying to get a message to me, I guess it wouldn't hurt to mix a little Native American religion into my path to healing. I'm sure this list will get much longer.

Life Lessons to Consciously Incorporate

· Humans make mistakes.
· There is evil in the world.
· People who love you can hurt you.
· You can hurt the ones you love.
· You can survive anything that your physical body survives.
· You have to choose to accept offered love.
· Not everyone is bad.
· Children are gifts from God.
· God is ever present.
· You must feel pain to feel joy.
· You must feel sadness to feel happiness.
· You must feel.

A friend asked me to write about my pain – from the beginning – because, he said, I know about pain. But how do you write about something that you’ve tried so hard not to feel and to hide all your life?

I never wanted pity. Actually, I was almost scared to be pitied. I wanted life to be right and good, but it wasn’t. There was pain. And I pushed it down, every day. I pretended it wasn’t there. I pushed harder. I stayed numb. I was nice to everyone, but kept them at a distance. If they got too close, they would see the pain in my eyes or the hurt in my soul. No one ever really knew me. They couldn’t know the pain inside.

God put people in my life, when the pain was unbearable, so that I could stand it. Those people showed me love and kindness and kept me grounded. But the pain was still there and I could not let it out. I knew that I had to keep it in or I would die.

As I grew older the pain became a constant, dull ache. It was easier to push away, though, because I had started a life of my own. I thought I was free. I had become a wife and mother and loved the family I had created. Oh, the joy of having children and watching them discover the world. I still get such a rush of joy from my children and know that they are gifts from God. But, with the gift of my children, also came a great fear and the return of the pain.

Fear, of the pain that I had endured being inflicted on my own children (by the same person who caused my pain), drove me to stop pushing some of my old pain down and let it out; tell the secret. That seemed to relieve some of the fear of the danger for my own children, but caused others pain. I felt more pain. I was rejected, denied, called a liar, threatened. More pain. The ache was back and the fear was lessened. Life could go on…………everyone was safe.

Then, someone I love was hurt. It’s my fault. I should have told. I didn’t because I was scared and wanted to be loved. I am such a terrible person. How could I have let him hurt her? What can I do now? I wish I had done something before; I don’t know what to do now. It’s too late.

Now the pain is about guilt and fear and shame and rejection………………..and love.

Constables looking to get reserve officers

The Wise County constables are requesting reserve officers now. I'm sure this will eventually be approved if voters don't voice their opinions.

Wouldn't it be great if all criminals did this?

Woman calls 911 to report herself as drunk driver

http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11415190

Woo Hooooooo!!!!!

Another public follower!!!!!!!!

The cruelest lies are often told in silence. A man may have sat in a room for hours and not opened his mouth, and yet come out of that room a disloyal friend or a vile calumniator.

Stevenson, Robert Louis

random thoughts

I've struggled with my past for so many years. I've wanted to right the wrongs. Now I know that can’t be done. What’s done is done. There is no one to change the past. In my naivety, I expected an apology so that I could offer forgiveness. I also expected support that never came.

This has been a very hard growing experience for me. I am a different kind of parent and a different kind of sibling. I would fight to the death for my children. I would also stand up and fight (even now) for each and every one of my brothers, for whatever reason.

My brothers have turned out to be great men and wonderful fathers. They married strong women who keep them grounded. I miss my brothers. I wish them well.

I have told only the truth in everything I have written and my family knows that.

Forgiveness

It's really hard to forgive someone who has wronged you when they deny it, call you crazy, and say you're a liar, when you're telling the absolute truth.

Forgiveness: something I'm working on............

Excellent sermon transcript (a must read) http://www.ucg.org/sermons/transcripts/200703forgiven.htm

Sick, but definitely funny

Never leave alcohol around where pumpkins can find it.

Random thoughts

I wish Tom Bishop would stop following my blog. It bothers me.

I wonder what the Wise County Commissioners think about what I've been posting on my blog. All I've heard is silence and that's hard to interpret.

How many people do you think Wise County Constable 1 pulled over today? Is the county at risk, liability-wise, if something actually DOES happen and they never acted on the information? Am I the only person who has considered this? Not to mention that it would be horrible if something DID happen. So is it just sit and wait? I don't know.

The number of people, bound by law to act on the information, that I have told about my father's abuse would surprise most people. The fact that those same people told me not to report because they believed that I could be harmed is astounding. The fact that I'm now to a point when courage overcomes fear, the law says it's too late. That just plain sucks.

Thinking about my mom tonight

Just wondering if she really thinks about what I've told her and trying to understand her perspective. I can't quite come to grips with it. It just seems wrong. No way about it. How can you profess love and, yet, not show it? Or is she showing love through her choices? Hmmmm.......

Thank you, God

I just saw this video and had to publicly thank my Father for what He has given me. He is and has been my Savior.

My Sunday afternoon "Pick Me Up".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpdELSzXoME

Wow!

I can't believe that I actually have a PUBLIC follower. All I can say is, "Wow!", or "It's about dang time." The latter is probably the most appropriate, but I totally appreciate the person who is not afraid to "be seen" (or heard) on this blog.

My faith in humanity is still standing strong. :) Thank you, DC.

PTSD is not a mental illness

I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to severe childhood abuse when I was 22 years old. Six months earlier, I had told the very first person about my childhood abuse. I have attended counseling off and on since that time. Counseling has been very beneficial and I even had the opportunity, last Spring, to attend an exceptional, 2-week long, trauma recovery program in Dallas, at the Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma. My diagnosis, from Dr. Colin A. Ross, himself, is PTSD due to severe childhood abuse. Dr. Ross is an internationally renowned clinician, researcher, author and lecturer in the field of dissociation and trauma-related disorders.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is not a mental illness. It is dealing with the aftereffects of trauma. My father posted a comment on a blog recently, that said

Tom Bishop said...
It has always amazed me how people will believe statements from someone they have never met. None of the things about sex or violence on Laura's blog ever happened. I still love my daughter as much as any of my children and forgive her for the things she has said and written. Our family has tried for the past several years and will continue to try and get Laura help, as much as she will let us. But as much as it hurts me to say this, she is mentally ill and has been for several years. As I'm sure some of you know, mental illness is a terrible time in anyone's life.
This will be my only comment on a family matter.
Tom Bishop

October 21, 2009 2:54 AM
(copied at pasted directly off of the blog posting)


http://bostonlegalsass.blogspot.com/search?q=shit+has+hit+the+fan


This statement was merely used as an attempt to discredit me as a valid witness/victim and was also as a threat to shut my mouth. My father recently told me on the phone that, if I didn't stop "all this nonsense", that I would destroy my family and lose my nurse practitioner license, in the process. If I continued to post the truth, he will convince everyone that I am crazy and a liar. He would twist the very damage he caused with yet another set of lies and abuses. I do have PTSD due to severe childhood abuse, but I am not mentally ill or a "nut job" (quoting another posting by my father). I am telling the truth. My intent is not to harm, but to prevent harm.

Is my neighbor's thinking changed?..........

Have the courage to speak.

There have been LOTS of visits to my blog, recently, but very few comments. I wonder what people think about when they read my blog. Please comment and let me know what you have been thinking. It's hard to proceed without a little positive/negative feedback. How has your thinking changed since you started reading this blog? Does anyone have the courage to say what they think? I have complete and utter faith.

Witness Intimidation

http://works.bepress.com/context/sarah_buel/article/1000/type/native/viewcontent

The possibility of a "window" for past victims

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20090611.html

Texas Law

Sec. 22.011. SEXUAL ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) intentionally or knowingly:
(A) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person's consent;
(B) causes the penetration of the mouth of another person by the sexual organ of the actor, without that person's consent; or
(C) causes the sexual organ of another person, without that person's consent, to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; or
(2) intentionally or knowingly:
(A) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of a child by any means;
(B) causes the penetration of the mouth of a child by the sexual organ of the actor;
(C) causes the sexual organ of a child to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor;
(D) causes the anus of a child to contact the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; or
(E) causes the mouth of a child to contact the anus or sexual organ of another person, including the actor.
(b) A sexual assault under Subsection (a)(1) is without the consent of the other person if:
(1) the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by the use of physical force or violence;
(2) the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against the other person, and the other person believes that the actor has the present ability to execute the threat;
(3) the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unconscious or physically unable to resist;
(4) the actor knows that as a result of mental disease or defect the other person is at the time of the sexual assault incapable either of appraising the nature of the act or of resisting it;
(5) the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unaware that the sexual assault is occurring;
(6) the actor has intentionally impaired the other person's power to appraise or control the other person's conduct by administering any substance without the other person's knowledge;
(7) the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against any person, and the other person believes that the actor has the ability to execute the threat;
(8) the actor is a public servant who coerces the other person to submit or participate;
(9) the actor is a mental health services provider or a health care services provider who causes the other person, who is a patient or former patient of the actor, to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the actor;
(10) the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman's professional character as spiritual adviser; or
(11) the actor is an employee of a facility where the other person is a resident, unless the employee and resident are formally or informally married to each other under Chapter 2, Family Code.
(c) In this section:
(1) "Child" means a person younger than 17 years of age who is not the spouse of the actor.
(2) "Spouse" means a person who is legally married to another.
(3) "Health care services provider" means:
(A) a physician licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code;
(B) a chiropractor licensed under Chapter 201, Occupations Code;
(C) a physical therapist licensed under Chapter 453, Occupations Code;
(D) a physician assistant licensed under Chapter 204, Occupations Code; or
(E) a registered nurse, a vocational nurse, or an advanced practice nurse licensed under Chapter 301, Occupations Code.
(4) "Mental health services provider" means an individual, licensed or unlicensed, who performs or purports to perform mental health services, including a:
(A) licensed social worker as defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
(B) chemical dependency counselor as defined by Section 504.001, Occupations Code;
(C) licensed professional counselor as defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
(D) licensed marriage and family therapist as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code;
(E) member of the clergy;
(F) psychologist offering psychological services as defined by Section 501.003, Occupations Code; or
(G) special officer for mental health assignment certified under Section 1701.404, Occupations Code.
(5) "Employee of a facility" means a person who is an employee of a facility defined by Section 250.001, Health and Safety Code, or any other person who provides services for a facility for compensation, including a contract laborer.
(d) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(2) that the conduct consisted of medical care for the child and did not include any contact between the anus or sexual organ of the child and the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of the actor or a third party.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(2) that:
(1) the actor was not more than three years older than the victim and at the time of the offense:
(A) was not required under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, to register for life as a sex offender; or
(B) was not a person who under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, had a reportable conviction or adjudication for an offense under this section; and
(2) the victim:
(A) was a child of 14 years of age or older; and
(B) was not a person whom the actor was prohibited from marrying or purporting to marry or with whom the actor was prohibited from living under the appearance of being married under Section 25.01.
(f) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that an offense under this section is a felony of the first degree if the victim was a person whom the actor was prohibited from marrying or purporting to marry or with whom the actor was prohibited from living under the appearance of being married under Section 25.01.
Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 5312, ch. 977, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983. Amended by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 557, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 1029, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 662, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 273, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 318, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1031, Sec. 1, 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1286, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1102, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1415, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.829, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 155, Sec. 1, 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 528, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 553, Sec. 2.017, eff. Feb. 1, 2004.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268, Sec. 4.02, eff. September 1, 2005.

(from the 2009 Texas Penal Code)



Sec. 21.02. CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG CHILD OR CHILDREN.
(a) In this section, "child" has the meaning assigned by Section 22.011(c).

(b) A person commits an offense if:
(1) during a period that is 30 or more days in duration, the person commits two or more acts of sexual abuse, regardless of whether the acts of sexual abuse are committed against one or more victims; and
(2) at the time of the commission of each of the acts of sexual abuse, the actor is 17 years of age or older and the victim is a child younger than 14 years of age.

(c) For purposes of this section, "act of sexual abuse" means any act that is a violation of one or more of the following penal laws:
(1) aggravated kidnapping under Section 20.04(a)(4), if the actor committed the offense with the intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually;
(2) indecency with a child under Section 21.11(a)(1), if the actor committed the offense in a manner other than by touching, including touching through clothing, the breast of a child;
(3) sexual assault under Section 22.011;
(4) aggravated sexual assault under Section 22.021;
(5) burglary under Section 30.02, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (d) of that section and the actor committed the offense with the intent to commit an offense listed in Subdivisions (1)-(4); and
(6) sexual performance by a child under Section 43.25.

(d) If a jury is the trier of fact, members of the jury are not required to agree unanimously on which specific acts of sexual abuse were committed by the defendant or the exact date when those acts were committed. The jury must agree unanimously that the defendant, during a period that is 30 or more days in duration, committed two or more acts of sexual abuse.

(e) A defendant may not be convicted in the same criminal action of an offense listed under Subsection (c) the victim of which is the same victim as a victim of the offense alleged under Subsection (b) unless the offense listed in Subsection (c):
(1) is charged in the alternative;
(2) occurred outside the period in which the offense alleged under Subsection (b) was committed; or
(3) is considered by the trier of fact to be a lesser included offense of the offense alleged under Subsection (b).

(f) A defendant may not be charged with more than one count under Subsection (b) if all of the specific acts of sexual abuse that are alleged to have been committed are alleged to have been committed against a single victim.

(g) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the actor:
(1) was not more than five years older than:
(A) the victim of the offense, if the offense is alleged to have been committed against only one victim; or
(B) the youngest victim of the offense, if the offense is alleged to have been committed against more than one victim;
(2) did not use duress, force, or a threat against a victim at the time of the commission of any of the acts of sexual abuse alleged as an element of the offense; and
(3) at the time of the commission of any of the acts of sexual abuse alleged as an element of the offense:
(A) was not required under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, to register for life as a sex offender; or
(B) was not a person who under Chapter 62 had a reportable conviction or adjudication for an offense under this section or an act of sexual abuse as described by Subsection (c).

(h) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life, or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 25 years.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 593, Sec. 1.17, eff. September 1, 2007.

(from the 2009 Texas Penal Code)



Art. 12.01. FELONIES. Except as provided in Article 12.03, felony indictments may be presented within these limits, and not afterward:
(1) no limitation:
(A) murder and manslaughter;
(B) sexual assault under Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code, or aggravated sexual assault under Section 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code;
(C) sexual assault, if during the investigation of the offense biological matter is collected and subjected to forensic DNA testing and the testing results show that the matter does not match the victim or any other person whose identity is readily ascertained;
(D) continuous sexual abuse of young child or children under Section 21.02, Penal Code;
(E) indecency with a child under Section 21.11, Penal Code; or
(F) an offense involving leaving the scene of an accident under Section 550.021, Transportation Code, if the accident resulted in the death of a person;

(from the 2009 Texas Code of Criminal Procedure)



Texas removed the statute of limitations for "Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child" in 2007, but victims whose criminal limitation had already run could not be "grandfathered in". Perpetrators who acted prior to 2007, and whose crimes limitations had expired, were left unprosecuted for their crimes against children.

Something is not right.

Excellent paper on sexual abuse statutes of limitations

http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/lawreview/docs/ViensNote.pdf

The ones left behind

Some people are able to escape the prison of their past; others choose to stay. There is no way of telling of the things that go on inside of the prison until you are out, and then it's too late. You can try to get the rest of them out, but your efforts are useless if the others don't want to leave. You can choose to re-enter the prison to be with the others or stand outside the walls and try to show them the way out. Sometimes, though, you must give up and leave the others behind. They don't want to leave; they know nothing else. Change brings fear. At least, in the prison, they know what to fear.

I am walking away from the prison. There are others left behind, but they have chosen to stay. I am sad for them and for what they have chosen, but I can no longer try to coax them out. They must choose to leave or accept the life they have forever.

Life is a path full of roads diverging, with choices to be made. Each choice leads to more paths that get you to your final destination. I know where I am going and I choose to follow the paths that will lead me there.

I will miss the others but not the prison I left.

Too Late

Sometimes you wait too long to tell your story; the law just doesn't allow for time to gain the strength and courage to face your fears. The statute of limitations has passed and nothing can be done now. Was it worth it to risk humiliation and possible violence to let the secret out? Yes. Will anything change now? I doubt it.