AND THAT’S MY TAKE… (GOODBYE 2010, FINALLY)
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
Another year bids us adieu. It seems the older we get, the faster the time evaporates. A look into the bathroom mirror reveals a new grey hair or two, and maybe it’s just me, but I think my skin has drooped a bit too. Perhaps it is just the lighting though. Yes, let’s stick with the light thingy tale.
A quick scan of the year’s news unveils nothing surprising. Still, we cling to the superficial goings on of the celebs du jour while our military men and women sacrifice their lives for the sake of corporate greed and well crafted propaganda. The poor are still poor, maybe poorer. The hungry still starve. And the rich? Well they had themselves a banner year and thank you very much.
But although I long ago pledged to never make a New Year’s resolution, I have nonetheless vowed, for the sake of this article if nothing else, to take a positive forward looking viewpoint on the world and all it encompasses.
Anyone familiar with my writing in this series can no doubt imagine the hours it took me to write this paragraph after the last.
If I were to have any hope, it would be that, given the countless elections held throughout the world in 2010, at all levels, we would witness some tangible positive change in the direction which our governments have pushed us. We have seen more than a few of the old guard ousted from their comfortable thrones and, while it is too early for any trophies to be awarded, my fingers are crossed that we begin seeing a demonstrable movement toward reasonableness and accountability.
May your heart find peace and contentment in this world as it struggles to right itself. May your health thrive so that you may contribute to spreading joy in your corner of the world. And, may you promote love and forgiveness in your circle and encourage others to do the same in theirs.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for welcoming 2011.
And that’s my take.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Not So Pretty
AND THAT’S MY TAKE… (NO SO PRETTY)
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
I had occasion recently to sit among the sickly and infirm in the waiting room of a medical clinic, the result of which is two stark observations I never thought I would contemplate. Firstly, that our once proud medical service has deteriorated to the point of utter laughing stock status where a four hour wait is considered normal, raising nary an eyebrow among the gaunt faces, wailing babies, and quiet moans of discomfort sitting in desperate anticipation waiting the announcement of their name. It’s a lottery of sorts.
And secondly, that, as a rule, we are not a pretty species.
I could belabor my first observation till the proverbial cows come home and still not begin to adequately flush out the complex series of issues that have spiraled us downward toward a third world medical establishment. Maybe another time.
One could possibly argue that my second observation is skewed by having a statistically small sampling, or that the group of unwitting participants were predisposed to not looking their best due to the nature of their presence in such an establishment, or even that my own attendance at the medical facility placed me in a less than forgiving mood. Admittedly, all these are true.
As a guy, it is possible I am hardwired to be acutely attuned to noticing physical beauty. I am not ashamed to concede that my head will swivel to permit my eyes the dubious opportunity of inhaling a fine female specimen. I am even secure enough in my manhood to suggest that a striking male sporting Adonis-like qualities has caused my jaw to drop in envious awe. Still, I do not get the whole Johnny Depp thing. Apparently he is gorgeous. I think not, but then again, I didn’t think Michael Jackson’s Thriller album would sell well when it was released. So, I have been known to be wrong. Very wrong.
Maybe we prize physical beauty so highly because it is so rare. We worship rarity in all things on this planet and in terms of our subject matter, cosmetic surgeons and Big Pharma are riding an unprecedented wave of desire to look a certain way, extending the fountain of youth well into the golden years and capitalizing all the way to the bank.
Being a physically stunning human being is certainly an exception, yet the appreciation of such is as common as the house fly. Few things are as superficial in our lives, yet represent an entire economy within society. Yes, there are people on this planet earning a healthy income just because they are good looking. They get paid handsomely (celebrate the pun folks) just to be themselves, while the rest of us have to learn a trade and slave for a master to earn a mere portion of what is freely doled out to the chosen few.
And that’s my take.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
I had occasion recently to sit among the sickly and infirm in the waiting room of a medical clinic, the result of which is two stark observations I never thought I would contemplate. Firstly, that our once proud medical service has deteriorated to the point of utter laughing stock status where a four hour wait is considered normal, raising nary an eyebrow among the gaunt faces, wailing babies, and quiet moans of discomfort sitting in desperate anticipation waiting the announcement of their name. It’s a lottery of sorts.
And secondly, that, as a rule, we are not a pretty species.
I could belabor my first observation till the proverbial cows come home and still not begin to adequately flush out the complex series of issues that have spiraled us downward toward a third world medical establishment. Maybe another time.
One could possibly argue that my second observation is skewed by having a statistically small sampling, or that the group of unwitting participants were predisposed to not looking their best due to the nature of their presence in such an establishment, or even that my own attendance at the medical facility placed me in a less than forgiving mood. Admittedly, all these are true.
As a guy, it is possible I am hardwired to be acutely attuned to noticing physical beauty. I am not ashamed to concede that my head will swivel to permit my eyes the dubious opportunity of inhaling a fine female specimen. I am even secure enough in my manhood to suggest that a striking male sporting Adonis-like qualities has caused my jaw to drop in envious awe. Still, I do not get the whole Johnny Depp thing. Apparently he is gorgeous. I think not, but then again, I didn’t think Michael Jackson’s Thriller album would sell well when it was released. So, I have been known to be wrong. Very wrong.
Maybe we prize physical beauty so highly because it is so rare. We worship rarity in all things on this planet and in terms of our subject matter, cosmetic surgeons and Big Pharma are riding an unprecedented wave of desire to look a certain way, extending the fountain of youth well into the golden years and capitalizing all the way to the bank.
Being a physically stunning human being is certainly an exception, yet the appreciation of such is as common as the house fly. Few things are as superficial in our lives, yet represent an entire economy within society. Yes, there are people on this planet earning a healthy income just because they are good looking. They get paid handsomely (celebrate the pun folks) just to be themselves, while the rest of us have to learn a trade and slave for a master to earn a mere portion of what is freely doled out to the chosen few.
And that’s my take.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Women On Death Row
EXPOSED – WOMEN ON DEATH ROW
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
It is not often anymore that state sponsored executions in the United States make national or international news. Texas is perhaps best known for implementing its death row sentences, and they do so with the speed and efficiency of the drive thru lane at a fast food restaurant. Of the 38 states (plus federal government) that still include capital punishment as part of their criminal justice system, Virginia just rocketed to the top of notoriety for executing a woman for the first time in almost a century.
As with all executions in America, controversy swirled around the lethal injection of Teresa Lewis in Virginia, who was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the 2002 murder-for-hire deaths of her husband and stepson. The ever present pro versus anti capital punishment delegations were in fine form, but a focal point for dissention is that the two gunmen who carried out the actual murders escaped the ultimate punishment, instead receiving more lenient sentences of life without parole. Additionally, Lewis’s mental capacity was in question, with tests showing a low IQ and therefore, it was argued, she could not have been any sort of ‘mastermind’ for any plot.
Before Theresa Lewis, the last time a woman was executed in the United States was Frances Newton in 2005. There have been around 575 women executed in America since 1632. That pales in comparison to the number of men executed, although nobody disputes that men are the more apt of the genders to be perpetrators of crimes ‘warranting’ death row.
As an interesting measure, although women commit approximately 10% of murders in the United States, they make up less than two percent of the death row population. And while violence committed by women has increased in the past quarter century, their rate of executions has dropped. Is that because women evoke a level of empathy or sympathy from judges and juries to which men can never aspire?
Overall, 56% of all defendants executed in the United States were white. Of the female death row inmates, 65% are white. Of the nearly 3500 men and women on death row awaiting their sentence to be carried out, 44% are white, which seems to indicate an overall decrease in white criminals receiving the death sentence. This stands in contrast to the statistic of a higher percentage of white females receiving the ultimate sentence for applicable crimes.
Society may be more tolerant of females who kill. Women are reared to be nurturers, while men are raised to be competitive. Statistically, women who kill make a more sympathetic defendant and are thus, more likely to be offered a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty.
Women on death row are more likely to have killed a family member, spouse or intimate. More than half claim to be the victim of physical and/or sexual abuse. On average, a female inmate waits on death row for 7 years and 11 months, twenty seven months less than men awaiting the final punishment. More than half of the women on death row acted in concert with at least one accomplice, but in most of these cases, their codefendant did not receive a death sentence.
Because of the limited numbers of women on death row, those serving such sentences usually do so in some form of solitary confinement, leading to allegations of sexual, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of correctional officers, concerns over the onset or exacerbation of mental illnesses, and legal challenges over the harsher living conditions as a result of isolation.
According to a report released in November 2004 by the American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU) titled The Forgotten Population: A Look At Death Row In The United States Through The Experiences Of Women, women’s experiences leading to incarceration on death row share a number of traits with that of their male counterparts, including inadequate defense counsel, official misconduct, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental retardation, and mental illness.
While there is no scientific research as proof, the impending execution of a female inmate seems to stimulate larger protests against the death penalty, and given the amount of media coverage of such a spectacle, one might wonder why the pro capital punishment movement hasn’t found a way to exploit such an event.
Setting aside any argument about the validity or morality of state sponsored executions, it is significant to acknowledge that women generally receive more compassion from the criminal justice system than men. However, once dealt a sentence of death for their crimes, women can expect a shorter wait in an ill prepared and acrimonious prison, as the swift hand of the executioner prepares to render his ultimate punishment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
It is not often anymore that state sponsored executions in the United States make national or international news. Texas is perhaps best known for implementing its death row sentences, and they do so with the speed and efficiency of the drive thru lane at a fast food restaurant. Of the 38 states (plus federal government) that still include capital punishment as part of their criminal justice system, Virginia just rocketed to the top of notoriety for executing a woman for the first time in almost a century.
As with all executions in America, controversy swirled around the lethal injection of Teresa Lewis in Virginia, who was found guilty of being the mastermind behind the 2002 murder-for-hire deaths of her husband and stepson. The ever present pro versus anti capital punishment delegations were in fine form, but a focal point for dissention is that the two gunmen who carried out the actual murders escaped the ultimate punishment, instead receiving more lenient sentences of life without parole. Additionally, Lewis’s mental capacity was in question, with tests showing a low IQ and therefore, it was argued, she could not have been any sort of ‘mastermind’ for any plot.
Before Theresa Lewis, the last time a woman was executed in the United States was Frances Newton in 2005. There have been around 575 women executed in America since 1632. That pales in comparison to the number of men executed, although nobody disputes that men are the more apt of the genders to be perpetrators of crimes ‘warranting’ death row.
As an interesting measure, although women commit approximately 10% of murders in the United States, they make up less than two percent of the death row population. And while violence committed by women has increased in the past quarter century, their rate of executions has dropped. Is that because women evoke a level of empathy or sympathy from judges and juries to which men can never aspire?
Overall, 56% of all defendants executed in the United States were white. Of the female death row inmates, 65% are white. Of the nearly 3500 men and women on death row awaiting their sentence to be carried out, 44% are white, which seems to indicate an overall decrease in white criminals receiving the death sentence. This stands in contrast to the statistic of a higher percentage of white females receiving the ultimate sentence for applicable crimes.
Society may be more tolerant of females who kill. Women are reared to be nurturers, while men are raised to be competitive. Statistically, women who kill make a more sympathetic defendant and are thus, more likely to be offered a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty.
Women on death row are more likely to have killed a family member, spouse or intimate. More than half claim to be the victim of physical and/or sexual abuse. On average, a female inmate waits on death row for 7 years and 11 months, twenty seven months less than men awaiting the final punishment. More than half of the women on death row acted in concert with at least one accomplice, but in most of these cases, their codefendant did not receive a death sentence.
Because of the limited numbers of women on death row, those serving such sentences usually do so in some form of solitary confinement, leading to allegations of sexual, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of correctional officers, concerns over the onset or exacerbation of mental illnesses, and legal challenges over the harsher living conditions as a result of isolation.
According to a report released in November 2004 by the American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU) titled The Forgotten Population: A Look At Death Row In The United States Through The Experiences Of Women, women’s experiences leading to incarceration on death row share a number of traits with that of their male counterparts, including inadequate defense counsel, official misconduct, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental retardation, and mental illness.
While there is no scientific research as proof, the impending execution of a female inmate seems to stimulate larger protests against the death penalty, and given the amount of media coverage of such a spectacle, one might wonder why the pro capital punishment movement hasn’t found a way to exploit such an event.
Setting aside any argument about the validity or morality of state sponsored executions, it is significant to acknowledge that women generally receive more compassion from the criminal justice system than men. However, once dealt a sentence of death for their crimes, women can expect a shorter wait in an ill prepared and acrimonious prison, as the swift hand of the executioner prepares to render his ultimate punishment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
Friday, September 24, 2010
Daytrips From Terrace - The Nisga'a Museum
DAYTRIPS FROM TERRACE – THE NISGA’A MUSEUM
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
On September 15, 2010, items of cultural significance were returned to the Nisga’a First Nations at an official ceremony at the yet to be opened to the public Nisga’a Museum in Laxgalts’ap (pronounced Lack-La-Zap and once known by the Anglo name of Greenville) in northwest British Columbia. It is a sign of the responsible times in the art and museum world where historic and culturally significant works are being repatriated to their rightful owners after being removed under dubious circumstances, outright plundered, or illegally sold.
The biggest newsmakers in this fairly new movement demonstrating regret, honor, and principal have been the museums worldwide that have begun to return valuable works of art pillaged by the Nazis during World War Two from Jewish victims. But in Canada this year, proudly, there have been some marked cultural works that have been returned to their proper homes. The totem that stood as a beacon for decades in the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park found its way back home to Haida Gwaii (pronounced Hi-Da-Gwi and once known by its Anglo name of Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia. And now, more than 300 pieces of Nisga’a items of cultural significance have been repatriated and will be showcased at the Nisga’a Museum in a vibrant new 10,000 square foot world class facility.
Getting to this remote part of British Columbia takes some effort, but your determination will be greatly rewarded as you can also experience the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park and the stunning scenery of northwest British Columbia. My travel series titled Daytrips From Terrace is published on this site, one of which includes the self drive tour of the park.
Follow the Nisga’a Highway (Highway 113) north from Terrace for approximately 140 kilometers to bring you to the village of Laxgalts’ap. Stay on the highway as you pass through the village, and on your right hand side just before exiting the community, a clearing will frame the Nisga’a Museum entrance.
I have driven this highway on several occasions with Asylum, the world’s worst guard dog and my ever present companion. It was such a joy to witness the emerging construction of such a structure that encompasses Nisga’a attributes. Early into its construction, I knew this showcase building would be different from anything I have experienced. The roofline of the Nisga’a Museum is shaped like a traditional canoe used for transport and trade by these ancient people. The interior emulates a feast bowl and the cross section is designed to represent a longhouse. It is a remarkable building that instantly evokes clichés such as unique, stunning, different, wow, and imaginative. It is indeed these, and more. I could not even imagine having to clean those vaulting panes of glass that spire 52 feet to the heavens. If you enjoy architecture as much as I do, I have every confidence you will appreciate the jaw dropping first impression the Nisga’a Museum provides.
The initial collection to be on display brings together items used during feasts, rituals, and daily life of the Nisga’a people in addition to iconic pieces. They come from the collections of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa as part of the Nisga’a Treaty signed on May 11, 2000.
The Nisga’a Museum is seen by her people to be a root of cultural celebration from which other avenues of discovery and understanding will swell. In the future, Laxgalts’ap will welcome visiting students and researchers to study, document, and magnify this proud aboriginal culture. Additional infrastructure will be required to support these endeavors and there could be archaeological crossover opportunities with the lava beds. Exhibit programming will certainly include visits from schools in the region, and relationships with museums throughout the world could lead to some exciting exchanges. Regardless of what the future holds, the Nisga’a people are committed to leading the way in opening up the vault of history and culture for the rest of us to explore.
The next steps for the Nisga’a Museum are to hire a Director/Curator, prepare for a soft opening over the winter months of 2010/2011 and plan for a grand opening to possibly coincide with the eleventh anniversary of the signing of the Nisga’a Treaty in May 2011.
Now that would be a ceremony worthy of your attendance!
LINK
Nisga’a Museum www.nisgaamuseum.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
On September 15, 2010, items of cultural significance were returned to the Nisga’a First Nations at an official ceremony at the yet to be opened to the public Nisga’a Museum in Laxgalts’ap (pronounced Lack-La-Zap and once known by the Anglo name of Greenville) in northwest British Columbia. It is a sign of the responsible times in the art and museum world where historic and culturally significant works are being repatriated to their rightful owners after being removed under dubious circumstances, outright plundered, or illegally sold.
The biggest newsmakers in this fairly new movement demonstrating regret, honor, and principal have been the museums worldwide that have begun to return valuable works of art pillaged by the Nazis during World War Two from Jewish victims. But in Canada this year, proudly, there have been some marked cultural works that have been returned to their proper homes. The totem that stood as a beacon for decades in the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park found its way back home to Haida Gwaii (pronounced Hi-Da-Gwi and once known by its Anglo name of Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia. And now, more than 300 pieces of Nisga’a items of cultural significance have been repatriated and will be showcased at the Nisga’a Museum in a vibrant new 10,000 square foot world class facility.
Getting to this remote part of British Columbia takes some effort, but your determination will be greatly rewarded as you can also experience the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park and the stunning scenery of northwest British Columbia. My travel series titled Daytrips From Terrace is published on this site, one of which includes the self drive tour of the park.
Follow the Nisga’a Highway (Highway 113) north from Terrace for approximately 140 kilometers to bring you to the village of Laxgalts’ap. Stay on the highway as you pass through the village, and on your right hand side just before exiting the community, a clearing will frame the Nisga’a Museum entrance.
I have driven this highway on several occasions with Asylum, the world’s worst guard dog and my ever present companion. It was such a joy to witness the emerging construction of such a structure that encompasses Nisga’a attributes. Early into its construction, I knew this showcase building would be different from anything I have experienced. The roofline of the Nisga’a Museum is shaped like a traditional canoe used for transport and trade by these ancient people. The interior emulates a feast bowl and the cross section is designed to represent a longhouse. It is a remarkable building that instantly evokes clichés such as unique, stunning, different, wow, and imaginative. It is indeed these, and more. I could not even imagine having to clean those vaulting panes of glass that spire 52 feet to the heavens. If you enjoy architecture as much as I do, I have every confidence you will appreciate the jaw dropping first impression the Nisga’a Museum provides.
The initial collection to be on display brings together items used during feasts, rituals, and daily life of the Nisga’a people in addition to iconic pieces. They come from the collections of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa as part of the Nisga’a Treaty signed on May 11, 2000.
The Nisga’a Museum is seen by her people to be a root of cultural celebration from which other avenues of discovery and understanding will swell. In the future, Laxgalts’ap will welcome visiting students and researchers to study, document, and magnify this proud aboriginal culture. Additional infrastructure will be required to support these endeavors and there could be archaeological crossover opportunities with the lava beds. Exhibit programming will certainly include visits from schools in the region, and relationships with museums throughout the world could lead to some exciting exchanges. Regardless of what the future holds, the Nisga’a people are committed to leading the way in opening up the vault of history and culture for the rest of us to explore.
The next steps for the Nisga’a Museum are to hire a Director/Curator, prepare for a soft opening over the winter months of 2010/2011 and plan for a grand opening to possibly coincide with the eleventh anniversary of the signing of the Nisga’a Treaty in May 2011.
Now that would be a ceremony worthy of your attendance!
LINK
Nisga’a Museum www.nisgaamuseum.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Autumn And The Harvest Moon
AUTUMN AND THE HARVEST MOON
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
The Harvest Moon arrives for its annual visit, its suitcase packed with paintbrushes of vibrant colors for the falling leaves, stubbornly illuminating the blackened sky for farmers to reap their bounty, it brings a night chill that stiffens bones, lays a thin blanket of ice atop ponds, and forces squawks from geese as they eagerly retreat to warmer southern climes.
Where has spring and summer gone? Seems like only yesterday when the emergence of that glowing sun struggled to melt the winter’s snowfall and breathe new life into all creatures and plants. Tilling the soil for a garden seemed to take forever and the weather never cooperated. It’s a wonder anything sprouted, let alone thrived. And now it’s time to unpack the sweaters, heavy coats, and warm boots. Don’t forget the shovel, mitts, and toques. Ugh!
Packing away the t-shirts, shorts and suntan lotion, a reminiscent smile broadens across the face, remembering the crackling bonfire roasting marshmallows during that long weekend camping trip; recalling sitting on the patio of that café wearing dark sunglasses, sipping on a cold beverage while people watching and forming quiet opinions on their interactions with each other; and questioning the purchase of that flimsy trinket during the window shopping spree while on vacation. Good times!
Maybe there was warmer weather this year after all. It sure was a short season though.
Autumn serves as a transition period. It is a time for reflection and it is a time for preparation. Perhaps that is why Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall. It allocates the opportunity to be thankful for the important things in life such as family, friends, and health. And it compels the necessity to insulate against the coming harshness and to stockpile against the dwindling availability of provisions.
Splashing acrylics of hue on dancing leaves, gently tugging them from their waving limbs and easing them earthward on a thick layer of ice fog and heady air, the autumn daylight unveils a hidden masterpiece created by a nocturnal Harvest Moon. Quickly covering pathways that recently guided followers, the mounting piles of psychedelic petals provide nature’s canvas for a lunar muse. Stepping through its carpeted cushion, occasionally kicking up its fibers ranks high as one of life’s greatest memorable experiences. Rolling in them amid maniacal laughter runs a close second.
That big, bright Harvest Moon runs a fool’s errand as it attempts to lengthen the rapidly shortening days, yet it is impossible not to appreciate its enterprising endeavor. Darkness outside brings darkness inside.
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
The Harvest Moon arrives for its annual visit, its suitcase packed with paintbrushes of vibrant colors for the falling leaves, stubbornly illuminating the blackened sky for farmers to reap their bounty, it brings a night chill that stiffens bones, lays a thin blanket of ice atop ponds, and forces squawks from geese as they eagerly retreat to warmer southern climes.
Where has spring and summer gone? Seems like only yesterday when the emergence of that glowing sun struggled to melt the winter’s snowfall and breathe new life into all creatures and plants. Tilling the soil for a garden seemed to take forever and the weather never cooperated. It’s a wonder anything sprouted, let alone thrived. And now it’s time to unpack the sweaters, heavy coats, and warm boots. Don’t forget the shovel, mitts, and toques. Ugh!
Packing away the t-shirts, shorts and suntan lotion, a reminiscent smile broadens across the face, remembering the crackling bonfire roasting marshmallows during that long weekend camping trip; recalling sitting on the patio of that café wearing dark sunglasses, sipping on a cold beverage while people watching and forming quiet opinions on their interactions with each other; and questioning the purchase of that flimsy trinket during the window shopping spree while on vacation. Good times!
Maybe there was warmer weather this year after all. It sure was a short season though.
Autumn serves as a transition period. It is a time for reflection and it is a time for preparation. Perhaps that is why Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall. It allocates the opportunity to be thankful for the important things in life such as family, friends, and health. And it compels the necessity to insulate against the coming harshness and to stockpile against the dwindling availability of provisions.
Splashing acrylics of hue on dancing leaves, gently tugging them from their waving limbs and easing them earthward on a thick layer of ice fog and heady air, the autumn daylight unveils a hidden masterpiece created by a nocturnal Harvest Moon. Quickly covering pathways that recently guided followers, the mounting piles of psychedelic petals provide nature’s canvas for a lunar muse. Stepping through its carpeted cushion, occasionally kicking up its fibers ranks high as one of life’s greatest memorable experiences. Rolling in them amid maniacal laughter runs a close second.
That big, bright Harvest Moon runs a fool’s errand as it attempts to lengthen the rapidly shortening days, yet it is impossible not to appreciate its enterprising endeavor. Darkness outside brings darkness inside.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Rape On Campus
EXPOSED – RAPE ON CAMPUS
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
For many parents, watching their spawn begin post-secondary education brings back memories of being all choked up over the tike’s first day of kindergarten and elementary school. It’s a time when parents realize how the years have flown past and with heavy hearts reminisce of the reliance the children once had on them. They grow up so fast.
Campus life is many things. It brings together students from the full spectrum of religious and spiritual beliefs, socio-economic backgrounds, and political slants. They attend their chosen studies to achieve the education needed in their future occupations, adhering to an impossible timetable of study, work, and play. This mixture of personalities and purposes results in a vibrant elixir that sharpens imaginations, stimulates the senses, and propels minds to achieve. And after a few years of indoctrination, graduates are dressed in an unflattering gown, capped with a funny matching hat, and urged to take on the world.
Campus life is other things too. Those very same students with all their prides and prejudices become citizens of a city within a city where not everyone plays by the rules. In the United States, a recently released report by The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) claims that one in five female students will be the victim of rape or attempted rape by the time they graduate. The US Department of Justice says that figure is closer to one in four.
As with sexual assaults in the general population, pinning down an accurate figure is difficult due to the high degree of under reporting. The CPI research goes on to say that prosecutors are reluctant to prefer charges against alleged campus perpetrators largely because the cases boil down to a He Said, She Said situation where various levels of intoxication are involved by both assailant and victim.
With the victim lacking any feeling of justice, she follows the only other path available; that of seeking sanctions against the offender through the university’s Code of Conduct process. The harshest penalty available for the ill-trained resolution panel under this loose amalgamation of vague passages is the expulsion of the offending student, but it is a rarity that this measure is undertaken. Statistics show that in better than 85% of cases adjudicated under these processes, absolutely no sanctions were meted out to the offender, even if he has confessed to his complicity.
The overall stance from institutes of higher learning appears to be that they are educators, not judiciary, and cases brought forward under resolution panels are a thoughtful way to hold the offender accountable and should focus on lessons to be learned by the offending behavior, rather than punishing anyone.
Campuses in the United States, eager to attract tuitions and grant money, are subject to the Clery Act and to what is known as Title IX. The Clery Act and Title IX are federal laws that mandate colleges and universities to report crimes on campus and provide key rights to victims. It is full of loopholes that campuses exploit to paint a picture of a safe learning environment for prospective and current students.
One of the more glaring findings contained in the CPI’s report is that campus rapists tend to be serial offenders who have, on average, six victims. Clearly the perpetrators are aware that their felonious activities are given little importance by campus administration and are likely to be covered up to avoid embarrassment to the school. There is no research to show if campus offenders continue their plunder in the general population once they graduate. Even if you don’t buy lottery tickets, you would still have to bet that offenders do not cease their criminal acts once they receive their parchment.
In Canada, there is no equivalent of the Clery Act or of Title IX. No recent research has been conducted a la The Center for Public Integrity. But none of this should suggest that the crisis of rape on campus is any different in Canada than it is in the United States.
As with the United States loopholes, crime on campus statistics in Canada is full of inconsistencies. While there is no legislation for post secondary institutions in Canada to publish their crime data, most do so as part of their disclosure to parents and students. However, some publish only the previous month’s crimes and there is no standard for equity in reporting. Others, such as the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon openly post all their crime statistics online, and according to Bob Ferguson, Director of Campus Safety, were the first in Canada to do so.
Victims of sexual assault on campus face peculiar hurdles not faced by victims in the general population. Because of the intermingling of offender, victim, and witnesses in close confines such as dorms, fraternities, and sororities, when a victim makes an allegation of sexual assault, it often causes dissention among the various close-knit demographics, splitting opinions, friendships, and interpretations of the assault. This is further aggravated by these groups of people attending classes together and the institution wanting to protect its reputation and exposure to litigation. These factors contribute heavily to complaints being recanted by the victims, or the victim dropping from or transferring out of the university.
There is considerable reluctance on the part of educational institutions to discuss sexual assaults on campus in Canada. Few of the universities, all household names in primary cities of Canada, contacted for comment and input for this article responded. There could be any number of reasons why they did not wish to contribute to this article, but it should not go unnoticed that the faculty and staff presumably have children who currently, or will soon, attend a post secondary facility.
Given the odds indicated by The Center for Public Integrity or the US Department of Justice that 20-25% of young women who attend a college or university will be the victim of a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their years of study, one would have to question why this subject is not on top of every campus agenda to protect potential victims, advocate for victims who come forward, and contribute greatly to the punishment of offenders.
LINK
The Center for Public Integrity www.publicintegrity.org
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
For many parents, watching their spawn begin post-secondary education brings back memories of being all choked up over the tike’s first day of kindergarten and elementary school. It’s a time when parents realize how the years have flown past and with heavy hearts reminisce of the reliance the children once had on them. They grow up so fast.
Campus life is many things. It brings together students from the full spectrum of religious and spiritual beliefs, socio-economic backgrounds, and political slants. They attend their chosen studies to achieve the education needed in their future occupations, adhering to an impossible timetable of study, work, and play. This mixture of personalities and purposes results in a vibrant elixir that sharpens imaginations, stimulates the senses, and propels minds to achieve. And after a few years of indoctrination, graduates are dressed in an unflattering gown, capped with a funny matching hat, and urged to take on the world.
Campus life is other things too. Those very same students with all their prides and prejudices become citizens of a city within a city where not everyone plays by the rules. In the United States, a recently released report by The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) claims that one in five female students will be the victim of rape or attempted rape by the time they graduate. The US Department of Justice says that figure is closer to one in four.
As with sexual assaults in the general population, pinning down an accurate figure is difficult due to the high degree of under reporting. The CPI research goes on to say that prosecutors are reluctant to prefer charges against alleged campus perpetrators largely because the cases boil down to a He Said, She Said situation where various levels of intoxication are involved by both assailant and victim.
With the victim lacking any feeling of justice, she follows the only other path available; that of seeking sanctions against the offender through the university’s Code of Conduct process. The harshest penalty available for the ill-trained resolution panel under this loose amalgamation of vague passages is the expulsion of the offending student, but it is a rarity that this measure is undertaken. Statistics show that in better than 85% of cases adjudicated under these processes, absolutely no sanctions were meted out to the offender, even if he has confessed to his complicity.
The overall stance from institutes of higher learning appears to be that they are educators, not judiciary, and cases brought forward under resolution panels are a thoughtful way to hold the offender accountable and should focus on lessons to be learned by the offending behavior, rather than punishing anyone.
Campuses in the United States, eager to attract tuitions and grant money, are subject to the Clery Act and to what is known as Title IX. The Clery Act and Title IX are federal laws that mandate colleges and universities to report crimes on campus and provide key rights to victims. It is full of loopholes that campuses exploit to paint a picture of a safe learning environment for prospective and current students.
One of the more glaring findings contained in the CPI’s report is that campus rapists tend to be serial offenders who have, on average, six victims. Clearly the perpetrators are aware that their felonious activities are given little importance by campus administration and are likely to be covered up to avoid embarrassment to the school. There is no research to show if campus offenders continue their plunder in the general population once they graduate. Even if you don’t buy lottery tickets, you would still have to bet that offenders do not cease their criminal acts once they receive their parchment.
In Canada, there is no equivalent of the Clery Act or of Title IX. No recent research has been conducted a la The Center for Public Integrity. But none of this should suggest that the crisis of rape on campus is any different in Canada than it is in the United States.
As with the United States loopholes, crime on campus statistics in Canada is full of inconsistencies. While there is no legislation for post secondary institutions in Canada to publish their crime data, most do so as part of their disclosure to parents and students. However, some publish only the previous month’s crimes and there is no standard for equity in reporting. Others, such as the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon openly post all their crime statistics online, and according to Bob Ferguson, Director of Campus Safety, were the first in Canada to do so.
Victims of sexual assault on campus face peculiar hurdles not faced by victims in the general population. Because of the intermingling of offender, victim, and witnesses in close confines such as dorms, fraternities, and sororities, when a victim makes an allegation of sexual assault, it often causes dissention among the various close-knit demographics, splitting opinions, friendships, and interpretations of the assault. This is further aggravated by these groups of people attending classes together and the institution wanting to protect its reputation and exposure to litigation. These factors contribute heavily to complaints being recanted by the victims, or the victim dropping from or transferring out of the university.
There is considerable reluctance on the part of educational institutions to discuss sexual assaults on campus in Canada. Few of the universities, all household names in primary cities of Canada, contacted for comment and input for this article responded. There could be any number of reasons why they did not wish to contribute to this article, but it should not go unnoticed that the faculty and staff presumably have children who currently, or will soon, attend a post secondary facility.
Given the odds indicated by The Center for Public Integrity or the US Department of Justice that 20-25% of young women who attend a college or university will be the victim of a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their years of study, one would have to question why this subject is not on top of every campus agenda to protect potential victims, advocate for victims who come forward, and contribute greatly to the punishment of offenders.
LINK
The Center for Public Integrity www.publicintegrity.org
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Pennsylvania Homeland Security Exposed
AND THAT’S MY TAKE… (PENNSYLVANIA HOMELAND SECURITY EXPOSED)
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
Startling revelations made in the cradle of democracy lend considerable credence to what protest groups and anti-establishment individuals have been preaching all along; that the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Department has spied on law abiding citizens with ties to animal rights groups, gay rights groups, environmental groups, and others.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, to his credit, has publically ordered his minions to cease spying on its citizens who are engaged in lawful activities.
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America penned its Constitution, the document that is supposed to outline the rights and obligations of all its citizens, in Pennsylvania, so it is ironic indeed that such a government department would violate so many of the tenets of the revered document.
In these days of distrust of politicians and government puppet masters, it is refreshing to learn that perhaps there are a few in office who may still believe in the oath they took in accepting the trust of the people.
If you had the opportunity to watch the documentary Gas Land, you will recall that the film took a very dim view of natural gas exploration around the United States, but took an even more dismal view of such exploration in Pennsylvania, the filmmaker’s home state. He too, along with participants in the film were subject to a secret investigation by the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Department. Kind of reminds you of witch hunts of the McCarthy era, doesn’t it?
It would be wise to approach the exposure of Pennsylvania’s activities with a grain of salt for now. We should all remember that J. Edgar Hoover, while running the FBI, thumbed his nose at all the Presidents under which he served. For the most part, he was immune to the threats from the Oval Office, and only his death permitted the disclosure of all the underhanded and illegal activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Maybe there are some parallels with Pennsylvania’s Homeland Security Department.
And that’s my take.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.
Startling revelations made in the cradle of democracy lend considerable credence to what protest groups and anti-establishment individuals have been preaching all along; that the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Department has spied on law abiding citizens with ties to animal rights groups, gay rights groups, environmental groups, and others.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, to his credit, has publically ordered his minions to cease spying on its citizens who are engaged in lawful activities.
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America penned its Constitution, the document that is supposed to outline the rights and obligations of all its citizens, in Pennsylvania, so it is ironic indeed that such a government department would violate so many of the tenets of the revered document.
In these days of distrust of politicians and government puppet masters, it is refreshing to learn that perhaps there are a few in office who may still believe in the oath they took in accepting the trust of the people.
If you had the opportunity to watch the documentary Gas Land, you will recall that the film took a very dim view of natural gas exploration around the United States, but took an even more dismal view of such exploration in Pennsylvania, the filmmaker’s home state. He too, along with participants in the film were subject to a secret investigation by the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Department. Kind of reminds you of witch hunts of the McCarthy era, doesn’t it?
It would be wise to approach the exposure of Pennsylvania’s activities with a grain of salt for now. We should all remember that J. Edgar Hoover, while running the FBI, thumbed his nose at all the Presidents under which he served. For the most part, he was immune to the threats from the Oval Office, and only his death permitted the disclosure of all the underhanded and illegal activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Maybe there are some parallels with Pennsylvania’s Homeland Security Department.
And that’s my take.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.
Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com
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