Carnation parents accused of mistreatment

SEATTLE —

“King County sheriff’s deputies have accused the parents of a 14-year-old Carnation girl of withholding food and water such that the 4-foot-7 girl weighed only 48 pounds”.I was shocked when I read this article. Some individuals do not realize that children are their responsibility until they are able to be independent. That means taking care of all their needs, starting from the basic ones. Clearly, if the basic needs were not met, I can only imagine how unmet the girl’s other needs were. Limiting water as a form of discipline is barbaric and inhuman to say the least. Parents who do such horrible things to children should face the worst sentences. Children cannot defend themselves and often think that what they go though is normal, it is the only way they know. So it’s incredibly unfair to take advantage of children this way, just because they cannot speak up or take care of themselves. In order to be able to abuse and neglect their own children to this extent, I believe these parents are mentally ill and should have sought help. There are resources out there for parents who cannot handle the responsibility of raising children. I am glad that a neighbor finally called Social services and that these children, although probably scarred for life, will be given another chance.

Indians told to stub it out in public

 

“Smoking kills 900,000 people in India every year, 2,500 people in a day and 102 people every hour. And 40% of all cancer cases in India are due to smoking,” says Dr Sajeela Maini, president of the Tobacco Control Foundation of India .

Dr Maini runs a cessation clinic at a private hospital in Delhi. She has worked with about 5,000 people in the past decade and runs special group sessions for public and private organizations. “I get patients from 12 years to 75 years, both men and women. My programme helps them quit in the first stage, and in the second it is to ensure that they remain quitted,” she says.

“The ban on smoking in public places is a good idea, but my biggest worry is that the smokers will now start smoking more at home.” The main intend of the ban is to protect the passive smokers. I am really glad that the Indian Government passed such a law. My brother was in India this summer and he told me it was unbelievable how many people were smoking. I understand the people’s concern that a law alone – a piece of paper – is not going to stop people from smoking, it is a first step. I agree that laws should always be accompanied by resources to make sure that a particular law is followed and implemented. If India can spare such resources, it should, as it would show the citizens they mean business. When smoking indoors was banned in Italy, I thought it would never work as Italian people are well known for not wanting to follow rules. It took longer than in the US, but when I visit now I do see a difference. Sure, it took lots for tickets and resources to make sure the non-smoking law was observed, but now people really turned around. And the fact that smokers feel like Pariahs is actually good thing, as it will maybe stimulate them to quit. I did notice that even here, in the United States, usually you see a lonely person outside of a restaurant smoking, while before it was considered a “bonding” experience. Now it is almost frowned upon, which will help eliminate the problem, or at least diminish it.

 

11 killed in Finnish campus shooting

“A chef student at a Finnish vocational school went on a shooting spree Tuesday, leaving 10 others dead before fatally wounding himself, officials said.
The 22-year-old student, identified as Matti Juhani Saari, shot himself in the head after opening fire with an automatic pistol inside the Kauhajoki school in western Finland”. He was transported to a hospital where he died of his injuries. When I read this article, of course I felt like re-living Columbine, Virginia High tech and the other shootings which took place over the years and which we read about in the news. The article says the Finnish police had questioned Matti Saari the day before the tragedy and that the school had a team of psychologists and social workers. I do believe they are not to blame because some people are really good at hiding their pain and their rage and if one doesn’t decide to let their feelings out, it is often difficult to anticipate what they will do. I think is good idea that schools and colleges should invest in resources so that those students who choose to get help, can. And for those who do not want help – or do not know they need help – we need people who are alert and do their best to notice unusual behavior. It’s really sad for me to think that young guys can do something so sad like that. I wish we could avoid tragedies as the one in Finland. Maybe one solution can be more love when they are children ??