Morning Metro: CDC Exec Arrested and Dave Blanchard Talks Beer
Decatur Metro | October 11, 2011 | 9:49 am- CDC exec arrested for child molestation [AJC]
- More beautiful Portland photos and reflections from a trip out West [running with tweezers]
- BSP’s Dave Blanchard talks the future of Atlanta’s beer scene [CL]
- Extreme Makeover takes over Madison, GA home [AthensOnline]
- Carrolton GA mayor shuts down Rocky Horror Show production [playbill]
Wow, do we ever have way too many criminal laws. The Oakhurst resident wasn’t arrested for assault — the nominal victim did not even want to press charges for that — but for second degree cruelty to children. The basis for the charge was not hitting the child, but merely swinging the 2×4 in the child’s presence. Something tells me most 8 year olds see more violent acts in your average episode of Tom & Jerry.
The traumatic experience of seeing real life violence in childhood has nothing to do with watching cartoons or fairy tales.
The point is that kids are not exactly walled off from violence, they see it all the time in several forms. So why should we send someone to jail for hitting objects with a stick because a child happened to see it? I’m not saying that what this woman allegedly did is good thing, just that a criminal prosecution is way overboard.
“criminal prosecution is way overboard.”
That’s the thing. The laws are put in place to shield the rest of us from dangerous people, but they can be misused. Like the prosecutor who charged the mom with homicide, whose child was killed by a driver while they were crossing the street. Absolutely idiotic.
Anyways, If the above woman is a threat to her neighbor, then she should be in jail. But it doesn’t sound like her neighbor feels like that, only that her child was shaken. Is startling someone now a criminal offense?
It’s funny because on that same page is a link to the pool pervert at Glenlake. That whole debate here was along the lines of, “you can’t arrest someone just for looking scary.” Guess you can now!
Not really sure how indvading a child’s home and swinging a 2 x 4 at her parent equals merely swinging a stick in their presence. Besides, it sounds like the victim of the attack is pursuing the lesser of 2 charges, which makes it hard to convince me that the attacker is being overly prosecuted.
We can’t assume she is guilty of the two offenses (criminal trespass and assault) with which she is not being charged. What’s left is that she swung a stick (a 2×4 is just a big stick) and did not hit anyone, and the only thing that makes it criminal in this instance is that a child happened to be there to see it. I think that’s a bad and unnecessary law. Why the adult victim does not want to press charges on criminal trespass and assault is a mystery, but it’s not like traditional criminal law does not reach the conduct alleged here.
You missed the point.
As a parent I am always working with my kids to get them to understand that if they are empowered make their own decisions, there are consequences for making bad ones.
The woman with the 2×4 made a bad decision, and the Mom chose the lesser of the charges to make sure that she suffered the consequences. Bravo.
What message would you send your child if someone entered your house and threatened violence, and you let them get away with this behavior?
I can play this game, too. Let’s talk about “what kind of message” it would send to anyone, including your child, for you to take the alleged, one-sided facts presented in the article as the truth without any independent inquiry, knowledge or cross-examination…
Still waiting for the facts myself. You say she made a bad decision, and all I can say is, “Perhaps.” But, she may have made a fantastic decision. Maybe she asked herself, “Do I take the gun or the stick?”
Valid point – I think we should all wait until we know the whole story. Unfortunately that may never make it to the news.
What I would teach my kids and what should be criminally proscribed are two completely different things, unless you think my 8 year old should go to jail for talking with her mouth fuill at dinner?
At the very least they should put her away if she does it in public.
“Anyone caught eatin’ with their mouth full spends a night in the box.”
and why would someone feel the need to air this obviously private situation on a public forun.It is information available to the general public,but seems like a particularly hurtful thing to do.
We surrender our right to privacy when we get ourselves arrested. On the other hand, IMO it is somewhat predatory to cruise the police blotter and write up this kind of incident as “news,” when very little information is available in the way of facts or context. It’s not like anyone involved represents a public menace, or that the incident is something likely to recur and the rest of us need to protect ourselves. It would surprise me if this person got that worked up all by herself — as my mother always said, it takes two to fight. The whole story probably has potential to embarrass all parties involved, and personally, I don’t need to know what it is. Plus, I’m pretty sure these people don’t even live in Oakhurst.
I agree.
The families don’t live in Oakhurst.
I know the woman arrested. I find it sickening that a photo of her and this info was published like this. It’s as gross as the Blotter in Creative Loafing. I once found the murder of a friend in the Blotter, written up in a very snarky way. This sort of “journalism” is repulsive. Parents at her childrens’ school are emailing this garbage around.
I agree,nothing more than hurtful gossip,the person who wrote the blog does not have all the details.decatur is a small town and unfortunately people will discuss and judge based on this blog. [edited: no personal attacks]
This subject came up a while ago on the Oakhurst message board. Not her story, but something similar, and people overwhelmingly replied that they did not feel the information was appropriate there. It serves no purpose or value to the community at large to have this type of information posted in a community forum. The information about incidents are out there if people want to access it, but it doesn’t belong on neighborhood boards in my opinion.
I just wish someone had been a bit more explicit about this earlier. I’ll pull the link now, for any good that will do.
For future reference, please remember that I unfortunately don’t know everything about everything, but usually fall on the side of discretion when it comes to truly personal issues. If you take issue, speak up and be a bit more specific.
I generally error on the side of caution. And I’ll try to be even more cautious about these sorts of issues. Thanks.
Nothing to beat yourself up over and it has the potential to be a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. Sit on anything and have it turn into something later, and the same people would be yelling, “Why didn’t anyone say anything when we had the chance.” The two real issues with this case were an incomplete original story followed by a bunch of supposition based on incomplete facts. It’s usually best for all of us to keep our righteous indignation in check until we’re sure we have something to be truly and righteously indignant about.
We all know you know everything, DM. Because we all know DM really stands for Dungeon Master.
LOL with Parker Cross.
The first time I saw Decatur Metro, I couldn’t help but think DM = Dungeon Master.
i.e. – “Um, DM, what might happen if I failed my pick-pocket roll on that half-orc in full plate at the bar ?”
Thank you for removing the gossip link!!
Maybe I’m missing something. It appears she reported facts, the arrest, the charges, quotes from the police report, use of the word “alleged” etc. What part of the story is gossip?
Agree with Mises. The report was that someone was arrested and it described the charge. What’s the problem with that?
Having the ability to reexamine thoughts/positions when questioned says a lot about you, and you do a fine job around here.
I have to say though, Diane seems to give off the impression that she’s above the rest of us and our comments merely because she uses her real name. And I have to wonder how her writing something like that, fits in with her ideas about journalistic ethics and integrity. But whatevs…
+1, on both counts, so really +2, or maybe it’s (+1x) + (+1y)…
Diane, you have proven once again that disclosure of one’s name or identity does not automatically lead to trustworthiness. Regurgitating a police report without further investigation is not reporting, nor is it responsible behavior under any ethical code to which one might subscribe.
In this instance, I think it’s safe to say that a 5 year-old could surmise that there’s more to the story than you “reported”. [edited]
I’m sorry you feel that way. I do not think I am above the rest of you, and I am sorry if I have given you that impression
.
I won’t speak for Diane, but I’m not sure these types of stories are all her doing. Most Patch sites have similar stories, so I’m guessing that looking for these stories is a directive from above. (There are many directives from AOL management to Patch, in case you’re unfamiliar with how the sites generally operate.) She may have been asked to write the story by someone else.
She’s ruffled my feathers too about the anonymity thing, but we have come to a relative truce on that off-line, and we don’t need to rehash that here again. Anonymity is an active conversation among hyperlocal folks with no definitive answer. As for the differences between Patch and DM, there are a few – for better and worse. But one thing that’s always been obvious to me is that DM strives to be a community site and not a news site first. This is good for some things and bad for others. As KeithF pointed out previously, you can applaud me for taking this down here, but what if something else happens and I don’t report it because I deem it “a personal issue” and then something happens? Lord, I hope that never happens. But that’s just to point out that this issue is never cut and dry as we would like it to be.
I don’t know. In my work, when I put my name on something, I’d better be prepared to stand behind it and defend it. I’d expect that to be even more important for a journalist. It was Diane’s name on the article and that’s why I called her out by name when that was pointed out. Being assigned this type of story is one thing but failing to do it properly is another. We can disagree on whether the event in question is newsworthy. However, if you are going to report on it, it wouldn’t seem to be so hard to get both sides of the story to put it into a more proper context.
Allegations in a police report are not “facts”. Heck, a police report is not even admissible in court. It may very well be that Ms. Holland was stark raving mad and assaulted her neighbors without being provoked. Or not. I can’t tell from the article and it doesn’t appear that the author of the article did anything except to regurgitate from the police report. I guess I was just hoping that Diane would like to explain why she would report such embarrassing and damaging allegations about a neighbor without digging just a little but into it so that she could present a clearer picture of the dispute over the facts of the case.
Anyway, that’s just my $0.02…
@ J_T : What does she have to defend? I don’t see any partiality, opinions or accusations in her story. How is her story any different from the child molestation and bestiality story. Where is the outcry over that? If you were the counsel for either party, would you recommend they reveal all to a reporter?
Mises, several of us did comment about the child molestation story as well, in the vein of thinking hard before accepting such allegations at face value. The item about the Decatur resident hit closer to home, literally. Yes, it simply reported publicly available information. But I question the news value — it’s not like the rest of us need to protect ourselves from a randomly agitated, 2×4 wielding neighbor, it was obviously a private feud that got out of hand. The absence of any facts or context, or alternative account, rendered the whole thing little more than fodder for gossip. This is a small town and something like that takes on a life of its own and takes a very long time to live down. Seems unfair to make her kids endure that for no good reason, just a sensational headline.
I understand reporters are at the mercy of their editors, and that Patch is a corporate enterprise with little or no investment in our particular community and the individuals who comprise it. On the other hand, Diane has touted her journalistic credentials and integrity more than once on this forum, so getting called out on something like this should not come as a surprise. DM made a judgment call when he included the item in the morning roundup. Maybe he’d do it again, maybe not. He rolled with the punches because presumably he understands it goes with the territory.
What I don’t understand is why you don’t understand what disturbed some of us.
I think Cuba said it well below about the child molestation case. I think the media should be much more careful in any case with these kinds of allegations that have the potential to ruin someone’s life. So let’s not confuse the two issues.
The case reported in Patch is not something that is inherently newsworthy. It was someone’s editorial discretion that made it so. Of course, if I was her lawyer, I would not allow her to make a statement or talk to a reporter. I WOULD expect anyone reporting on it, however, to at least ask to speak with her or with me. If she was given the opportunity to respond but declined, that should be reported as well, not just ignored.
Clearly some of you just have a different idea of the presumption of innocence and the right to privacy. I’m obviously not going to change your mind so I’ll just let my comments to this point speak for themselves…
Mises
JT I don’t think Diane reported anything as fact, other than the arrest and police report.
I guess i should add that if you’ve read my posts above I clearly think she should be presumed innocent and don’t think what she has been charged with should even be a crime.
I think you’re missing my point DEM. My question is, why is this published in the first place? I don’t think it should have been published. You (and the Patch folks) may disagree with that premise and I give you that it’s public record. HOWEVER, if you decide to publish the fact of the arrest, I wish there had been some effort to report more facts than might be included in a one-sided police report.
Too many people are going to view the police report as God-given fact, when it’s really just the officer’s report of the alleged victim’s testimony. Maybe she’s a violent, dangerous person and the community should be concerned. Or maybe there are mitigating circumstances that help explain the situation. Or maybe the alleged victim has an axe to grind and the publicity is just giving her what she is looking for. The point is that I have no idea which of those scenarios is closest to the truth.
Again, some of us immediately saw a problem with the way this story was reported. Others have no idea why we were concerned. I don’t think either side is ever going to understand the other…
“but what if something else happens and I don’t report it because I deem it “a personal issue” and then something happens?”
You gotta do, what you gotta do. But most personal disputes like this, don’t impact the community in any way. There is no purpose or greater good served by posting these things about friends and neighbors, who are clearly facing some sort of painful upheaval in their personal lives. I don’t think any of us are better off in any way by knowing this information about her (or the follow-up attempt at an explanation, from a post that seems to have been to deleted.)
I’m the first to agree with you…as I hope I demonstrated when dealing with reporting the DeToma story. On first – admittedly rushed – reading of this recent story, it wasn’t clear enough for my “personal dispute” alarm to go off. I’m not sure if the story has been updated since then, but going back and reading it now, it probably should have.
As for the follow-up “explanation”, yeah, we’re not doing that here unless parties in the incident want to talk about it.
Some of the comments here seem aimed at taking Diane down a peg or two, and it truly bothers me. How is that Diane’s a horrible reporter for recapping this incident blotter-style, yet DM’s so easily off the hook when he also thought it was attention grabbing enough to mention? And how is that the upset 2X4 swingin’ woman shouldn’t be tainted by the police account, but Diane apparently deserves to be publicly humiliated for pointing it out? I’m baffled…
(Diane- I like Patch and will continue reading your articles. Hang in there, Girl!)
(DM- Maybe Beyond DM still has a useful purpose after all! Props on rethinking this one- I’d have probably linked the story too.)
STG nailed it and I don’t know how she could have been more clear.
“The absence of any facts or context, or alternative account, rendered the whole thing little more than fodder for gossip. This is a small town and something like that takes on a life of its own and takes a very long time to live down. Seems unfair to make her kids endure that for no good reason, just a sensational headline.
I understand reporters are at the mercy of their editors, and that Patch is a corporate enterprise with little or no investment in our particular community and the individuals who comprise it. On the other hand, Diane has touted her journalistic credentials and integrity more than once on this forum, so getting called out on something like this should not come as a surprise… What I don’t understand is why you don’t understand what disturbed some of us.”
Deanne-
Maybe she meant what she said, but she has defended her position about anonymity so fiercely in the past, that I have a hard time believing she has changed her position. And it wasn’t that she defended her position fiercely, but that she did it at our expense. So maybe I do still have a grudge, I’m only human. http://www.decaturmetro.com/2011/07/18/getting-my-goats/
I didn’t feel the need to quote my own post, since I had just said it, but my main objection to these stories are:
“There is no purpose or greater good served by posting these things about friends and neighbors, who are clearly facing some sort of painful upheaval in their personal lives.”
Whether you believe it or not, that is my absolute main complaint here. These are people we know, not bratty starlets in tabloids who may or may not deserve whatever they get. And to me, this is just a neighborhood tabloid type of story. I don’t expect WSB would pass on something salacious whether it hurt anyone or not, but I would hope our neighbors are above this.
I have a friend who works for a hospital here, and you would be astounded by the number of your friends and their families suffering from drug abuse, mental illness, depression, alcoholism, suicide attempts, the list goes on and on, all behind closed doors. So by the time law enforcement actually gets involved at some level, they have spiraled as low as you could go and everyone in the family is struggling to deal with whatever they are all going through, and the shame that goes along with all that. And I just don’t see the need to feed on people’s sorrows and personal trauma when they are at their most vulnerable, all for a couple of hits on a website. Take my inventory all you like, seems you have already gotten started. We just don’t see eye-to-eye on the matter and won’t.
Rebeccab-
We share the same concerns for the feelings of others. You’re right that many folks are up against obstacles that those around them don’t know anything about. Please don’t think that I’m not sympathetic to the many things that can go awry. When I see something’s wrong, I do my best to reach out as best I can. One thing you left off your list that is within our ability to control is ostracism. It’s capable of causing as much pain as the rest. Seems like a huge leap, but when Diane can’t even post an article elsewhere without being snarked on here, it makes me think it’s time to try to intervene. I’m not about taking your inventory, but I will say something when it’s needed. I’d do it on your behalf, and I’m doing it for Diane now.
(Apologies to everybody for causing the cattywonkers comments stacking. This one’s intended in response to R’s 10/11 1:33 comment.)
Deanne- I feel like I should say something because you did take the time to reply, but I’m just not sure what to say here. I have found you to be fair in the past despite the fact we have had diverging opinions, and I can’t remember a spat like this. Hopefully it’s not a trend, it won’t be from my end anyhow.
Rebeccab- I’d just as soon we don’t ever disagree again, but when we do (because we surely will!), please keep in mind that I think the world of you.
Back at ya Deanne. Glad we were able to virtually “hug it out.”
Rebeccab- smalltowngal’s assessment, though probably still a bitter pill for Diane, doesn’t come off as hitting below the belt like a couple of the comments that you and J_T made. (I guess you already kinda know that since you didn’t quote from your own remarks.) Diane humbly apologized for leaving you with wrong impressions of her, yet you don’t even seem to regard her as deserving an acknowledgment. It’s fine to strongly disagree with someone’s position or how something was handled. Not so cool is when it ventures into judging someone or maintaining a grudge. Just sayin’.
(Some DM readers probably have less than kind opinions on the two of us for our outspokenness and quirks. I’d prefer that they just shake their head about me, and keep on going. Would you want someone to stop and take your inventory?)
I will have to respectfully disagree. Diane did not address the article or the way the story was handled at all. Honestly, the only thing I would define as “hitting below the belt” is the decision to air someone’s dirty laundry in public without at least providing better context and more complete information. I don’t know how to say it any other way. As STG said, I really don’t understand why some others on here don’t understand what disturbed us about the handling of the story. Perhaps it’s just different if you know the people involved…
J_T- I adore you, and I still disagree. Rebeccab’s remark about Diane was snide and you co-signed, then went on to pretty much read Diane re her trustworthiness and “reporting.” (I’d hire you to be my tough talkin’ lawyer, but I’d rather you not sling every barb you have to lay folks out on here!) Diane’s apology was in response to being accused of seeming to think she’s above everyone because she uses her name on comments. What’d that have to do with the article? Diane hadn’t even commented on the DM thread! Diane’s apology in reply to Rebeccab’s ax grinding seemed humbly sincere to me. It’s true that Diane’s not replied to your comments re her abilities as a journalist. Uh.. she’d be a fool to offer herself up for further chastising. (Again, I love ya, but you’ve filled 4 comment boxes so far! A fine lawyer like you ain’t gonna stop if you get fresh material handed to you!)
I don’t disagree with y’all for finding blotter-style news features distasteful. Unfortunately, it’s a common format in our newspapers, on local news, and online. Gotta grab viewers and readers with the juiciest items. Doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t speak up to try to change it. To me, though, the outrage surrounding this story is coming off more as a ripe opportunity to take Diane to task, rather than an outcry for raising community news coverage standards. (If how Patch opts tp cover police reports truly bothers folks, wouldn’t it make a whole lot more sense to contact Patch’s editor on it? Directly? Preferably offline?)
I can agree to disagree. Like I said, it may just be different when you know the folks involved. I doubt I would have gotten worked up if it was a story about strangers (unless, of course, they were paying me for my time 😉 )
You know what’s worse? I said originally that I knew one of the two woman arrested in the news stories above. Turns out I was so focused on the Lumber Lady story that I didn’t even realize the Alleged Ped/Pet-ophile was a fellow grad student at Emory in a related program during my time there. Thank god I do not have any independent knowledge or insight into that case…
You are so wrong… but you crack me up… I am doomed to hell…
True dat. I’ll see you there!
I recall the Oakhurst message board incident too. Someone got a DUI. A well known business owner in the community. The arrest was first reported in the AJC. Then someone reported the incident and posted the link on the Oakhurst listserve. It generated a lot of comments similar to those here regarding the 2×4 incident.
My memory is a little different from yours, though, Rebecca. You’re right, there were lots of people who thought that spreading the story was gossip and who hated to see their friend’s name drug through the mud. There were some others, however, who thought that this was a legitimate news story and were grateful to learn about it because of the impact that DUI has on everyone’s safety.
Are allegations that a person swung a 2×4 at or near a neighbor the same as allegations of drunk driving? No.
But it seemed to me (on the Oakhurst board and here as well) that most of the people who were upset at the spread of the information were people who knew the people who are the subject of the reports personally. I could be wrong. But that is the way it sounded (and sounds) to me.
It is understandable. You have a friend in your neighborhood. Their name appears in the news and then is circulated through the blogs or community listserves. You feel that your friend is being treated unfairly. You want to come to their defense and remind everyone that there are two sides to every story and that we are innocent until proven guilty. All important things.
Does that make the story less newsworthy? I am not sure.
Of course, we want to be better than a bunch of scandalmongers who whisper about the misfortune that befalls our brethren. But crime affects us all. I realize that these are just allegations that a crime has occurred. But that is the beginning of the legal process. And so, I can’t agree that information like this provides no value to the community.
I think the two examples — the drunk driving incident some months ago and the assault that occurred this week — represent an apple and an orange. (BTW, I don’t personally know any of the people involved in either incident.) Drunk driving represents a patttern of behavior that’s unspeakably dangerous to the general public, and I don’t think a good dose of public humiliation is out of order. In contrast, a feud between neighbors that gets out of control does not indicate a danger to the rest of us. It more likely means one or both families are experiencing some serious and painful problems, and we let our better angels take over if we resist the impulse to turn it into “news.”
(DM and Diane, this is in no way aimed at you, you’ve both taken your lumps already, deserved or not. My intention is to argue the broader case.)
That’s actually not what I was referring to. A couple of years ago, maybe 3 even, someone posted a roundup of those who had had been booked in the neighborhood zipcode. And the objection was that not only were they neighbors but that they hadn’t been convicted of anything.It’s been a while but that’s how I recall it.
Actually, I think I was the one who jumped all over that, Rebecca, on the listserv….
I remember that. It was (and is) disturbing to me when people haunt the crime blotters and call out neighbors on the basis of accusations and/or incomplete information. (Or on the basis of anything, really. Why is it so important to run around looking for scandal, and actually manufacturing it in the process?)
Just to be clear- Definitely a different Rebecca…
Over the fear of pissing off anyone else, clarifying I wasn’t trying to be rude when I threw in the “definitely” part, and I have nothing against her if that’s how that read, just poor word choice. Was just trying to differentiate that we’re 2 different women. I have actually counted 4 of us here so far. Perhaps one of us is due for a name change.
There’s so many levels to this thread now that, without some kind of ruler on the screen, I’m not sure I’m posting at the right level of comments. Anyway, my two cents:
1) Appropriateness of posting arrest of ?neighbor/friend? given unclear circumstances:
Whatever the DM community decides is appropriate, should be consistent. It shouldn’t be that we pick and choose when we decide to be discreet or announce arrests based on whether we or not we like the individuals. Most suspects and victims have family, friends, and colleagues.
2) Harshness of comments
The convention for this blog is that it does not permit personal attacks. The problem is in defining a personal attack; the same comment feels a lot different when one is the recipient than when one is the giver. Given that DM periodically gets comments that folks do not want to post because of the harsh response they may get, I think we should err on the side of civility. The goal should be to criticize ideas, events, statements, decisions, not offend people. Of course, much easier said than done…..
“Given that DM periodically gets comments that folks do not want to post because of the harsh response they may get…”
I have no numbers to back this up, but my subjective impression is that most people who register that complaint are new or occasional posters who have just had their comment challenged and/or disagreed with. Just because they choose to take a challenge to their viewpoint personally, doesn’t mean the challenge represented a personal attack. DM is diligent about moderating gratuitous snark and malice, and IMO the regulars on this forum provide effective backup through self-policing. I use “gratuitous snark” advisedly because I think snark and sarcasm have places here, along with the humor both lame and clever, the generosity and imagination and erudition that are displayed on a regular basis and which give the ongoing conversation its corners and edges. If we decide it should be otherwise, the dialogue will become bland and pointless.
Snarky and sarcastic without malice seems like a good guideline.
Especially when such violence threatens a parent, family member, or other loved one.
Wow, I’m batting .500 today. I know one of the two arrestees above…
I think one used to be a Westchester parent, but am not sure.
what the f- is wrong with people?????
Hard to tell, especially since the article mentions nothing as to why this woman decided busting up her neighbor’s house was a good idea. There’s more to this story.
+1
rocky horror was shut down? As much as I love it, I’m surprised Carrolton even allowed it to start, but that’s just my ITP judgementalness coming out
With that top story, Decatur Metro is inching closer to News of the World territory.
Which reminds me of my all-time favorite News of the World headline: “Pastor explodes during fiery sermon” – an apparent case of spontaneous combustion…
If she is so out of control that she would enter a neighbor’s house and break things, she should be forced to take anger management classes before she really DOES hurt somebody. This is not normal.
Scenario #1 – There’s just something very strange about this one. Can’t put my finger on it, but something is setting off my BS detector. (Anyone remember the McMartin preschool case?)
Scenario #2 – Hmmm. Neighbor/Victim Lady doesn’t want to press charges, & Lumber Lady’s husband was pretty circumspect in his comments about there being no doubt that the child wasn’t the target. Curiouser and curiouser. Just what could’ve made Lumber Lady let loose? I mean, you come into MY house swinging a 2 x 4 at me in the presence of an 8-yr-old & breaking my sh!t, the very LEAST that will happen to you is I’d be pressing charges/doing my best to have you committed, regardless of whether you’ve got mental issues. Something smells about this one, too.
The Carrollton/Rocky Horror Show story was on the news last week (or maybe even before that)– I, too, remember thinking that it was a miracle they’d even progressed to rehearsals, especially after seeing Hizzoner talking about why he had to shut it down.
With only a vague recollection of the McMartin case, I just looked it up. Man, what a witch hunt that was, one that ruined many lives for no good reason. Anybody that has forgotten the essentials of that case, or is too young to have known about it, I encourage you to look it up. It’ll make you stop and take a deep breath before accepting accusations like this at face value.
Nobody want to talk about the CDC official (a woman no less) arrested for molesting a 6 year old?
Me neither. It’s one of those head-scratchers that has me wondering if I know anything about anyone, or ever did.
I commented on it. It’s the very “head-scratching”, over-the-top nature of these horrific allegations that gives me pause, makes me wonder whether they’re actually legitimate. I’m not saying that there aren’t people who do terrible things to their children, because I know better. But there’s something that is just off about this story, and after what happened to Tonya Craft & Virginia McMartin (and dozens of others that don’t get publicized, because the media are loathe to admit any rush to judgment), I no longer immediately make the leap to believe everything I read about stories like this. Allegations like these can, in and of themselves, destroy someone’s life, even if they’re later found not to be guilt. It’s for this reason that I think both the media and the public should be very circumspect about them until the actual facts are known.
Agreed, the CDC story is disturbing. How ’bout Extreme Home Makeover? It’s always struck me as materialism run amok. Something bad happen to you? Well, nothing an uber-luxurious 5,000 sq ft house (brought to you by unending product placements) can’t fix!
I get it, they’re trying to do something nice for good people. But a large house is often the last thing these families need. At least in the past, the owners’ joy has worn off quite quickly once they realize that maintenance and taxes on a massive house are (who’d have thunk it?) on the expensive side. I read not too long ago that many of these houses have ended up with big tax leins or in foreclosure after the owners took out massive home equity lines they couldn’t afford.
I’ve heard and read the same thing about Extreme Home Makeover (including reliable sources in a position to know what they were talking about). The whole thing has always reminded me of Jerry Springer and those other shows that manipulate and exploit people, except EHM is worse in a way because it pretends to be doing good.
Damn it, Janet!
There’s a fire in my heart and you fan it!
Carrolton is a Time Warp. Now jump to the left.
And then a step to the right . . .
(Not my opinion, those are the actual lyrics)
Regarding the Mayor of Carrollton’s censorship move, I can only comment that this is really funny. What a small minded city. At least some residents of that town do not agree. But then again, Carrollton is in east Alabama.
Calling a city small minded and dissing Alabama? Might want to reconsider how open-minded you believe yourself to be.
This clearly calls for Lyrics Only guy and a bit of Sweet Home Alabama.
Turn it up.
He’s over in FFAF talkin’ about retiring!
H-E-L-P!!!
Southern Man don’t need him around anyhow….
Hey now! Neil ain’t talkin’ ’bout Lyrics Only Guy!
Alabama, you got
the weight on your shoulders
That’s breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track