http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/209515
What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

Now ask yourself
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love) ]]> Thu, 24 May 2007 22:24:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/209515 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/209513
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.


]]> Thu, 24 May 2007 22:21:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/209513 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/208667
"If I could be anything... I would be a tear.. so I could be born in your eye.. run down your cheeks... and die on your lips"

~<3

"I wrote your name in the sky... but the wind blew it away... I wrote your name in the sand... but the waves washed it away... I wrote your name in my heart... and forever it will stay"

"Love is a portion of the soul itself, and it is of the same nature as the celestial breathing of the atmosphere of paradise" ~Victor Hugo~

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves" ~Victor Hugo~

"Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity"
~Henry Van Dyke~

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails" Bible
~I Corinthians 13:4-8~

"Love is friendship set to music" ~E. Joseph Crossmann~

"The sweetest joy the wildest woe is love" ~Pearl Bailey~

"Of all the earthly music that which reaches farthest into heaven is the beating of a truly loving heart" ~Henry Ward Beecher~

"There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer;
no disease that enough love will not heal;
no door that enough love will not open;
no gulf that enough love will not bridge;
no wall that enough love will not throw down;
no sin that enough love will not redeem...
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble;
how hopeless the outlook; how muddled the tangle; how great the mistake.
A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough you would be
the happiest and most powerful being in the world..."
~Emmet Fox~

"Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house you can never tell" ~Joan Crawford~ ]]> Tue, 22 May 2007 19:52:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/208667 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/194261

by Michael J. McManus

There are actually more slaves in the world today than were extracted from Africa during 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

When William Wilberforce persuaded the British Parliament to shut down the slave trade exactly 200 years ago, February 23, 1807, 40,000 to 50,000 slaves were carried on British ships to America each year. Perhaps 12 million slaves were forcibly captured and sold.

Currently, 700,000 to 1 million slaves are trafficked annually, and there are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today according to Kevin Bales, author of "Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy."

Modern slaves are not in chains. Slavery was officially abolished worldwide at the 1927 Slavery Convention. Yet it continues to thrive thanks to the complicity of some governments and the ignorance of much of the world.

About 80 percent of these slaves are women or young girls sold for sex or labor. Most are tricked into slavery. Girls in poor countries are asked if they'd like to be waitresses in the West. They sign a contract to repay the cost of their transportation, in what is called "bonded labor." Then they are sold to pimps who rape them, steal their passports, and put them in brothels where they earn so little they can never pay off their loan. If they try to escape, they are beaten or their families are threatened with violence.

Bales reports that one of the most shocking things about modern slavery is the ease with which slave holders get new slaves and dispose of old ones. The average working life of a female sex slave is only three to five years. After that, they become sick with sexually transmitted diseases or AIDS , or simply become exhausted.

Brothel owners kick them out and the woman or girl returns to her hometown, where she is shunned by her society because they know what she was doing all those years, even if it was against her will. She ends up dying alone outside her hometown, without anybody to help her. In some cases, as in Brazil, the brothel keepers kill the girls that become ill and dump their bodies in a river.

Other slaves are forced to work on plantations or as household servants. Many are taken from one country to another where a different language is spoken. Their passports are stolen, making it very difficult to escape and go home.

One man who has done something about this horror is Gary Haugen, who was recently given the "Wilberforce Award" for creating the International Justice Mission by Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship.

"It is difficult to imagine a recipient more suited to an award given in the name of William Wilberforce than Gary Haugen," said Colson. "On temporary assignment from the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994, attorney Haugen directed the United Nations genocide investigation in Rwanda. His job was to accumulate preliminary evidence against the perpetrators. There standing in the middle of several thousand corpses in a mass grave, Haugen stared into the swollen, machete-marred face of injustice."

When he returned to America, injustice had taken on a human face, one that God would not allow him to purge from his consciousness. As Haugen read through his Bible, the theme of justice leapt off page after page. For example, Isaiah wrote:"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed." (Is 1:17).

But what could a suburban American Christian do about injustice halfway around the world? A lot. He created the International Justice Mission in 1997 that now has 300 lawyers and criminal investigators who have fought for a rule of law against trafficking in many countries.

IJM joined others, such as the National Association of Evangelicals, persuading Congress to pass a law in 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. It requires the State Department to publish an annual report on what each nation is doing to combat modern day slavery.

Its 2007 report puts 39 countries on a "Special Watch List" because they showed little progress or had an increase in the number of victims. For example, it reports Egypt has had no criminal prosecutions.

By contrast, State reports that Malawi passed relevant labor and kidnaping laws and has convicted traffickers of children. The Ministry of Labor now inspects labor practices on tobacco and tea estates, to be sure children are not employed. And a new center now helps 50 victims of sexual trafficking.

Haugen is a modern Wilberforce - whose powerful story will be told in a film, "Amazing Grace," opening this weekend across the country. See it and become inspired on how you can fight injustice.

END TXT Copyright © 2007 Michael J. McManus

Michael J. McManus
syndicated columnist
"Ethics Religion"
President Co-Chair
Marriage Savers
9311 Harrington Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
www.marriagesavers.org
301 469-5873]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:34:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/194261 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/194243
FIDEL CASTRO~

Human rights record

Main article: Human rights in Cuba

"In 2001, Hallgeir Langeland , a left-wing member of the Norwegian parliament, nominated Fidel Castro for the Nobel Peace Prize for sending medical and engineering aid to developing countries.[6]
Thousands of political opponents to the Cuban government have been executed, primarily during the first decade of his leadership;[111] however, exact numbers are not known. Some Cubans labeled "counterrevolutionaries", "fascists," or "CIA operatives" have been imprisoned in extremely poor conditions without trial.[112] Military Units to Aid Production , or UMAPs, were labor camps established in 1965 which confined "social deviants" including homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses in order to purge "counter-revolutionary" influences from certain segments of the population.[113] These camps were closed in 1968 in response to international outcries.[114] Professor Marifeli Pérez Stable, a former Castro supporter now living in the United States, reflected on the cost of the Cuban revolution: "[There were] thousands of executions, forty, fifty thousand political prisoners. The treatment of political prisoners, with what we today know about human rights and the international norms governing human rights ... it is legitimate to raise questions about possible crimes against humanity in Cuba."[115] Supporters of Fidel Castro respond that, as is the case with Professor Perez Stable, critics' views are often tainted by a clear allegiance to bourgeois democracy and capitalism, and thus clearly biased in their evaluation of the socialist leader and system.[116] Castro acknowledges that Cuba holds political prisoners, but argues that Cuba is justified because these prisoners are not jailed because of their political beliefs, but have been convicted of "counter-revolutionary" crimes, including bombings.[117] Moreover, he claims opposition to the Cuban government to be illegitimate, and the result of an ongoing conspiracy fostered by Cuban exiles with ties to the United States or the CIA, and with abundant representation and access to the American media. Defenders also point out that one man's "terrorist" may be another "freedom fighter", as Winston Churchill himself noted, and that the use of negative political labels is always questionable, especially when those using them have clearly traceable political agendas that stand to benefit from such characterizations. Many Castro supporters also say that Castro's measures are justified to prevent the fall of his government, demonstrably under constant economic and military pressure from the US and allies for more than half a century, whereas his opposition says he uses the United States as an excuse to justify his continuing political control".]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:34:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/194243 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/191297
"In Australia, apart from the Australian Broadcasting Commission nearly all television channels, radio stations, newspapers and magazines are owned by three enormous business corporations" (Sargent, 1983, p:8). Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, The Fairfax Corporation and Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press are colossal business and what makes these wealthy companies more powerful are their strong political links to the Australian government, especially the Liberal party. Media ownership is concentrated within these organisations; Murdoch's News Corporation "easily dominating the total press circulation of the nation" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:86), Packer's Australian Consolidated Press leading the magazine market and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation "remaining the statutory authority" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:91) of television and radio. "It is these financially powerful groups who benefit most from the way society is run" (Sargent, 1983, p:8), they formulate popular culture and maintain a stronghold over Australian society by creating and perpetuating a demand that only they can sustain.

Dominance over Australia's socialisation and political system resides in the hands of Murdoch, Fairfax and the late Packer, a group of Right-wing businessmen who have more control over society than our own government. The ability of the media to manipulate public opinion in terms of fashion, trends and image extends to their power to bring a government down or keep a party in office, it is this "present power structure that media owners seek to maintain" (Sargent, 1983, p:8) by suppressing and controlling information that may "disturb the status quo" (Sargent, 1983, p:8). Ultimately the media controls the ideology of the general public through advertising and programming, television particularly "shaping what we believe to be the truth about the world, maintaining and conditioning us to accept things as they are" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:154). Unfortunately most of the doctrine that the media preaches is socially harmful and far from consumer betterment is the reality that the average Australian is brain-washed to aspire to stereotypes that the media has created in order to have a successful sales target.

The authority the media maintains extends to the shaping of government and politics for its' own gain. For some time media owners have shared a symbiotic relationship with the Liberals, the government supporting media in return for positive press and primary coverage over the opposition. As Donald Horne - a former senior journalist disclosed "since 1975, both Rupert Murdoch and the Herald and Weekly Times have maintained vendetta journalism against the ALP" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:309). The one-sided political bias of Australia's press, utilised by the Liberals is hardly democratic, in fact in 1975 "Malcolm Frasers' conservative Liberal-Country Party defeated the Labor Party when newspapers waged a virulent campaign to hound Labor from office and were completely successful" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:307). While newspapers are a useful tool for "defining issues between elections, the medium that is now most influential in determining who will win government is television" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:307).

The government uses television to sway the swinging voter, a "prime target for emotional political appeals, impressionable imagery and political advertising" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:311) because of their ignorance and political disinterest. The media is extremely powerful and can "determine elections" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:311) by exploiting the oblivion of 15_f the population. "Television personalises politics" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:312), it gilds politicians and portrays them as pious leaders who want to give Australians a better life or it slings mud at the opposition and slanders them as tyrants. Television effectively shapes political debate by using anxiety as pressure and by exploiting the naivete of the swinging voter, "conveying persuasively" (Sargent, 1983, p:8) and at times misleadingly which party is preferable.

The supreme power of the media doesn't come to light until we consider how the media shapes Australian society. Kerry Packers' magazine trade in particular, a vulgar source of destruction against socialisation, the men's' magazines distributed to the mainstream promoting the "symbolic assurance" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:158) that pornography is socially acceptable. Men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse stress their "elite status" (Dines Humez, 1995, p:261) yet objectify women and consequent a society where females feel inferior, they "reduce women to commodities" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:257). "Surrogate sex" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:256) magazines being an "expression of attitudes that view women" (Mitchell, 1995, p:12) as nothing more than "sexually sub-servient" (Summers, 1977, p:242) 'pets'. It is a "sure sign of a culture in disarray when those in authority "want to make money and no longer care about the social consequences of how they do it" (Windschuttle, 1989, p:258).

Ultimately "in an era when image rules" (McDonald, 1997, p:37), the media shapes Australian society perversely for it's own gain. The power of the media is immense and dominates not only our culture but also our alleged democratic government, the Liberals and media-owners symbiotically maintaining each other's existence. The media is a disease against society and the Australian government can hardly call themselves representative of the betterment of the public, when they support, allow and maintain the downward spiral that is Australia's social disintegration.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dines, Gail Humez, Jean M., (1995) Gender, Race and Class in Media-A text-reader, Sage Publications, California.

McDonald, Kevin (1997) Pressing Questions-Explorations in Sociology, Addison Wesley Longman Australia, Australia.

Mitchell, K. A., (1995) 'Pornography... Censorship is not the Answer', Philosophia, QUT Student Guild, Queensland.

Sargent, Margaret (1983) Sociology for Australians, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne.

Summers, Anne (1977) Damned Whores and God's Police, Penguin Books, Australia.

Windschuttle, Keith (1989) The Media-A new analysis of the Press, Television, Radio and Advertising in Australia, 3rd edn., Penguin Books Australia, Victoria.

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:47:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/191297 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/191295
As the silent tear forms, it glistens in the pale light of the moon, hiding in the corner, afraid to come out. For the silent tear, is a feeling of pain, a tiny trickle of sorrow, a showing of weakness, an emotion penetrated...perhaps even a barrier broken. Silently falling from duty, gliding with ever gentleness upon its terminal journey, leaving behind, a stream of complete despair. Encased within the intricate sparkle, a mass of emotion...thoughts of the most deepest anguish. Gradually, escaping the depths of its soul, the tiny pearl descends in a glimmer of its own reflection, never looking back upon the face of desolation, it has left behind. ...crashing to a final resting place, splintering into a million droplets of shattered sorrow, the silent tear has gone unheard. For with no one around to hear its pain, the silent tear dissipates....unnoticed, so easily becoming one of the forgotten. ...its path to fate had all been in hopeless vain. Now remaining but a remnant ....of the many Silent Tears.]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:42:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/191295 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/185015

1

I sat with Love upon a woodside well,
Leaning across the water, I and he;
Nor ever did he speak nor looked at me,
But touched his lute wherein was audible
The certain secret thing he had to tell:
Only our mirrored eyes met silently
In the low wave; and that sound came to be
The passionate voice I knew; and my tears fell.

And at their fall, his eyes beneath grew hers;
And with his foot and with his wing-feathers
He swept the spring that watered my heart's drouth.
Then the dark ripples spread to waving hair,
And as I stooped, her own lips rising there
Bubbled with brimming kisses at my mouth.

2

And now Love sang: but his was such a song
So meshed with half-remembrance hard to free,
As souls disused in death's sterility
May sing when the new birthday tarries long.
And I was made aware of a dumb throng
That stood aloof, one form by every tree,
All mournful forms, for each was I or she,
The shades of those our days that had no tongue.

They looked on us, and knew us and were known;
While fast together, alive from the abyss,
Clung the soul-wrung implacable close kiss;
And pity of self through all made broken moan
Which said, "For once, for once, for once alone!"
And still Love sang, and what he sang was this: -

3

"O ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood,
That walk with hollow faces burning white;
What fathom-depth of soul-struck widowhood,
What long, what longer hours, one lifelong night,
Ere ye again, who so in vain have wooed
Your last hope lost, who so in vain invite
Your lips to that their unforgotten food,
Ere ye, ere ye again shall see the light!

Alas! the bitter banks in Willowwood,
With tear-spurge wan, with blood-wort burning red:
Alas! if ever such a pillow could
Steep deep the soul in sleep till she were dead, --
Better all life forget her than this thing,
That Willowwod should hold her wandering!"

4

So sang he: and as meeting rose and rose
Together cling through the wind's wellaway
Nor change at once, yet near the end of day
The leaves drop loosened where the heart-stain glows, --
So when the song died did the kiss unclose;
And her face fell back drowned, and was as grey
As its grey eyes; and if it ever may
Meet mine again I know not if Love knows.

Only I know that I leaned low and drank
A long draught from the water where she sank,
Her breath and all her tears and all her soul:
And as I leaned, I know I felt Love's face
Pressed on my neck with moan of pity and grace,
Till both our heads were in his aureole.
]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:17:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/185015 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184977
The concept of profiling may have been born in the minds of literary geniuses such as Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but over the decades it has become revered through its association with real and imagined murders. Melodramatic novels and films like Silence of the Lambs and Copycat, alongside contemporary public fascination with real crime and police procedure have inspired a vast array of entertaining yet illusory television programs like Body of Evidence. Consequently the usefulness of profiling has been blown out of proportion when there are few experts and even less credible literature on the subject. Nevertheless it is being heralded as profitable in historys biggest manhunt, for elusive terrorists. This review seeks to demystify profiling, the extent to which it can be applied to terrorists, problems with utility and proposals for obtaining global peace.

The world has changed since September 11 2001, Muslims and Christians are divided, racism is rife, mass paranoia is universal and violence has escalated extensively. "The strong are attacking the weak for their possessions. Nations are threatening pre-emptive and preventative strikes against other nations in order to disable them from striking first. A spiral of fear, violence and vengeance seems to have taken hold" (Faruqi 2003) and President George Bush Jnr. is self-appointed conductor of the chaos. "The rise in ... terrorist crimes and the ruthless ... unprincipled manner in which the war against terrorism is being conducted prompt several objections from the human rights, rule of law and democratic points of view" (Faruqi 2003). Outrageously the barbarism displayed by the Coalition of the Willing goes unpunished while the Muslim community endures a witchhunt, similar to that suffered by Communists previously.

There is hope in the battle against evil and solutions are relatively obvious, however the problem exists that measures will not be taken because terrorism cloaks the American governments stratagem toward world domination. Operation Enduring Freedom is really about oil, vengeance, and a feasible strategy to combat Third World liberationists and justification for a global military eclipse. Leading terrorist President Bush and his supporters are civilisations true nemesis, because they advance an "economic system that put profit ahead of human value" (Holmes 2001, 15). Presumptions that ethnic profiling may narrow the field of terror suspects are absurd because the worst offenders are the ones hunting them, furthermore terrorism is not racial but an ideology proposing fighting oppression with whatever means available. Usama bin Laden declared war upon America in 1996, in 2001 he explained "the US wants to occupy our countries, steal resources and impose agents to rule us... if we refuse it will say you are terrorists" (Bergen 2001, 22-23). The half a million Iraqi children who died because of US sanctions equally disgusted him, bin Laden is not alone.

" ... Some human beings have reached such depths of desperation that they are prepared to blow themselves up ... in order to express their anger, frustration and desperation" (Faruqi 2003). Profiling is intriguing and attractive to the public but it will not correct the current dilemma, it may sell films and better television ratings but as an investigatory tool it is not serviceable to tracking radicals. Profilers are not psychics but inquisitors of criminal behaviour, their skills are " ... based in experience and knowledge about previous crime scenes and offenders" (Ramsland 2001, 168). Petherick (2002) describes profiling as an "educated attempt to provide investigative agencies with specific information as to the type of individual who would have committed a certain crime". It additionally assists police in " ... refining their suspect list so they can direct their resources where they might do the most good" (Zeitung 2000). Mind-Hunting is not an exact science, "not everyone will interpret the clues in the same manner ... , in a series of murders attributed to the Boston Strangler in the mid-1960s, the psychiatric profiles were contradictory. That case, ... highlighted some of the problems with the system ... " (McCrary Ramsland 2003, 21).

"The FBI began its profiling program in the early 1970s when Special Agent Howard Teten used what he knew about crime analysis to teach a course called Applied Criminology at the FBI National Academy" (Ramsland 2001, 167). The Behavioral Science Unit was then cultivated by Special agents John Douglas, Richard Ault and Robert Ressler who developed a criminal data bank by interviewing select serial killers like Ed Kemper and cult leader Charles Manson. Profiling had been employed earlier in attempts to apprehend Jack the Ripper and Adolf Hitler, but its greatest success has been in identifying serial killers, paedophiles, stalkers and offenders with habitual elements to their modus operandi. Criminal logic is not advantageous to solving all types of crime however, "it took nearly two decades before Theodore John Kaczynski was identified as the man responsible for the Unabom ... His attacks followed an erratic pattern with unpredictable gaps in time, so it was difficult ... to pin him ... " (Ramsland 2001, 229).

Criminal Investigative Analysis is only a step in the process of inquiry and should be used carefully, updated regularly and preceded by a disclaimer:

... the attached analysis is not a substitute for a thorough and well-planned investigation and should not be considered all inclusive. The information provided is based upon reviewing, analyzing, and researching criminal cases similar to the case submitted by the requesting agency. The final analysis is based upon probabilities. Note ... that no two criminal acts or criminal personalities are exactly alike
and, therefore, the offender may not always fit the profile ... (Petherick 2002).

This information is extremely important but not always included with analysis, perhaps in a bid to boost its credibility. Misrepresentation of a profiles accuracy can lead to offenders walking free while innocent people are harassed, precious time and resources are wasted. In this time of global unrest, racial profiling will only exacerbate suspicions that a terrorist is lurking behind every beard or burka.

Empirical evidence denounces the use of criminal profiling in the apprehension of unlawful combatants, not least because of problems associated with defining the term terrorist. Ethical dilemmas regarding racism, discrimination and harassment must be considered and to encourage ethnicism will feed resentment and inspire injustice. Citizens of Arab appearance have come under fire but a specific terrorist typology does not exist, they vary in nationality, sex, age, conviction and attacks occur internationally. There is also the obstacle of characterising terrorist acts while protecting civil rights, genuine democracy is questionable when governments can classify protests and civil disobedience as terrorist attacks when they see fit. Like wars terrorist attacks are planned in advance and therefore predictable to some degree, the key is observing communications because extremists are clearly targeting nations involved in the war against terror. The Orients angst has gone unheard for decades, but Middle-Easterners have found a voice in terrorism that cant be ignored and they will continue to assault Western populations until America surrenders its grip.

Racial profiling is controversial and sometimes lethal, as was illustrated recently when a case of mistaken identity led to "British police ... killing ... an innocent Brazilian whom they mistook for a would-be suicide bomber" (NineMSN News 2005). One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter and while America demonises other nations, they have tyrannised, slaughtered, tortured, pilfered, bullied for decades and continue to manufacture weapons of mass destruction. Not everyone intending "to further a political, religious or ideological cause through intimidation" (Golder Williams 2004) is an Islamic Arab, David Hicks and Jack Roche for example were white Australians. American John Walker was also a Caucasian fighting for the Taliban and two of the USAs worst domestic bombings were perpetrated by citizens on their own soil. The Okalahoma bomber wanted " ... to teach the government a lesson. He intended to strike back for Waco, ... Ruby Ridge, ... high taxes [and] ... gun laws ... " (Readers Digest 2004, 126) and the ex-Desert Storm trooper was not secretive about his views. Timothy McVeigh was arrested promptly and his T-shirt spelt out his intentions "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" (Readers Digest 2004, 127).

"The meaning attributed in law to terrorism is crucial to establishing (and limiting) the scope of serious criminal sanctions as well as the capacity of the State to infringe upon ... the right to privacy. Due to the legal, political, social, cultural and economic consequences of describing someone as a terrorist, or an action as terrorism, lawyers must seek to describe the concept with as much precision as possible" (Golder Williams 2004). The hypothesis is that there are definite flaws in the useability of behavioural analysis in pursuit of terrorists and the evidence can be found in The Psychology of Terrorism. Dr. John Horgan (2003) reports that racial profiling is " ... lacking in long-term scholarly investment, limited theoretical progress, [is] unsupported by empirical research, lack of solid conceptual base [and] the identification of terrorism". Dr. Horgan cautions that "terrorism [is] often rooted in legitimate grievances [and] State provocation can act as a catalyst for terrorism", he concludes that in his learned opinion "no homogenous profile exists".

Most experts agree that ethnic profiling is distasteful but executive director of the Domestic Preparedness Session at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government, Juliet Kaymen insists " ... its completely ineffective" (Ifill 2001). Conversely columnist Stuart Taylor believes that ethnic profiling is appropriate " ... depending how you define it, at airports, people getting on airplanes, or giving special scrutiny to people who look Arab, ... may be a justifiable exception to the general rule ... " (Ifill 2001). Law Professor Gail Heriot agrees that " ... searching the baggage of certain passengers ... , impose not very great costs upon those passengers, but on the other side of the balance, we have thousands and thousands of lives at stake" (Ifill 2001). Professor Frank Wu of Howard University Law School concedes " ... we have to fight back. But when we fight back we shouldnt lash out at ourselves, and thats what Arab Americans are ... they live here, theyre part of our way of life. And who ... better to help us in this war than individuals who understand the cultural background that were contending with....Racial profiling sweeps too broadly ... its simply wrong" (Ifill 2001).

Taylor and Heriot fail to realise that terrorists can easily use racial profiling to their advantage, recruiting members that do not match the definitive description and by adopting unexpected behaviour. Organised terrorists already know the importance of being a chameleon and increasingly employ less predictable and detectable methods of attack. This became apparent when a lengthy document confiscated from al-Qaeda in 2004 disclosed " ... a scenario for using limousines to deliver bombs equipped with cylinders of a flammable gas" (Morgenstern 2005). Sleepers patiently operate as productive community members for years and presently hold positions in intelligence, Counterterrorism and nuclear science, they do not fear death but invite it so what can be done other than wait for the unexpected? America and her allies should immediately release the Middle East, cancel foreign debt and stop furnishing fundamentalists when its useful. The American government is antagonistic, incites fear amongst civilians " ... in order to secure unlimited power" (Pollock 2004, 226) and justifies pre-emptive strikes by spreading false propaganda, this war is illegal and should not be tolerated.

Preferable to ostracising ethnics is understanding the causes of terrorism, such as " ... lack of democracy, civil liberties and rule of law, failed or weak states, rapid modernisation [and] extremist ideologies (secular or religious). Historical antecedents of political violence, civil wars, revolutions, dictatorships or occupation, inequality of power, illegitimate or corrupt governments, repression by foreign occupation, experience of social injustice [and a] presence of charismatic organiser/leader [are] triggering events ... " (Horgan 2003). Holy War Inc. (Bergen 2001) is fought in the name of Deities by desperate and greedy hypocrites, but in the end the winner will be the " ... peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Bergen, 2001, p.256).


BIBLIOGRAPHY


2004. Readers Digest Crime Files-Volume 2. Sydney: Readers Digest (Australia).

2005. Brazil Denies UK Cover-up Over Shooting. NineMSN News, August 24, 2005. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=54803 (accessed August 24, 2005).

Bergen, Peter L. 2001. Holy War, Inc.-Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden. Great Britain: Weidenfeld Nicholson.

Faruqi, Prof. Dr. Shad Saleem. 2003. Challenges on the International Front-Constitutional Issues in the War Against Terrorism. Malayan Law Journal.

Golder, Ben Williams, George. 2004. The Tricky Problem of Defining Terrorism in What is Terrorism? Problems of Legal Definition. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 27:270. (accessed August 15, 2005).

Holmes, Dave. 2001. Who is the Main Enemy of Civilisation? In Green Left Weekly, November 7-15.

Horgan, Dr. John. 2003. The Social and Psychological Characteristics of Terrorism and Terrorists in Root Causes of Terrorism. Cork: Department of Applied Psychology University College (accessed August 15, 2005).

Ifill, Gwen. 2001. Profile of a Terrorist in Online Special: Combatting Terrorism, September 26, 201 (accessed August 15, 2005).

McCrary, Gregg O. K. Ramsland, Ph.D. 2003. The Unknown Darkness-Profiling the Predators Among Us. New York: HarperCollins.

Morgenstern, Henry. 2005. Whats Happening in Iraq Cant Happen Here? in Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device-VBIED The Terrorist Weapon of Choice. The Journal of Counterterrorism Homeland Security International, 11:2. (accessed August 15, 2005, from http://www.iacsp.com/latest_article.html).

Petherick, Wayne. 2002. The Fallacy of Accuracy in Criminal Profiling. Journal of Behavioral Profiling, 3:1. (accessed August 15, 2005, from www.profiling.org/journal).

Pollock, Joycelyn M. 2004. Ethics in Crime and Justice-Dilemmas Decisions. 4th Edn. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Ramsland, Katherine. 2001. The Forensic Science of C.S.I. New York: Berkley Boulevard.

Zeitung, Berliner. 2000. Introduction to Criminal Profiling. Basel University Law Students Journal, 20:24. (accessed August 15, 2005, from http://www.interpol.int).
]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:09:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184977 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184975
This is my second year at University and I am absolutely thrilled to be here, I feel very fortunate for the opportunities that are presented to me and I am enthralled by the information I am taught. I have found the key to happiness and change through acquiring knowledge, and believe that through studying I will be better armed to fight injustice and forge world peace. I have realised the importance of responsible citizenship in the global community and think that I can make the world a better place if I face my fears, and actively address issues. I have decided to be a friendlier, less close-minded and more helpful person in society and toward the world at large, hence I feel like a part of the community which is nice but more importantly I feel empowered! As a Christian I follow Kant's Deontology and my ethics are based on God's law, however what drives my actions on a daily basis are the words of Gandhi "be the change you wish to see in the world". From my perspective we live in a time of war and uncertainty created by American imperialism versus global terrorism, large-scale violence is erupting everywhere while religion or racism divides nations. I find it hard to sit here and do nothing while the conflict, murder and misery escalates so I seek knowledge and do whatever I can to help until I can figure out how to do more. As illustrated within the Chaos theory, I believe that even the smallest contribution can emanate in great change:

The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in ��� the atmosphere���.So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does. (Stewart, 141)

If I alone can't end war I can create peace, by being the voice of reason and through uniting the world's people.

"IMAGINE.... a chain of people,
Linked arm in arm,
Wrapping around the world,
Protecting it from harm" (Eini, 2006).

WEEK 3 (13 March 2006)

After years of frustration I feel like I have finally arrived at a place where I can be party to the wheels of justice turning and I am so glad, because I cannot sit idly by while there is injustice and suffering in the world. In line with the categorical imperative in Kant's principles of ethical formalism, I too believe I have a moral responsibility toward my fellow humans and should model virtuous behaviour. I am very aware that my words and actions impact on others, hence I am very careful with what I say, the choices I make and how I treat people. I feel strongly about my role as an Australian Christian woman and Mother, believing it essential that I do my best every day to inspire, support, nurture and inform those around me, especially children because they are tomorrow's society.

I have scanned various forms of media over the last few weeks and the common theme that keeps recurring is lots of reporting and little action toward solutions to the world's dilemmas. News broadcasts like sports commentary so it is no surprise that most Australians are apathetic and inactive humanitarians, simply swept up in the latest drama until the next tragedy unfurls and then fades from our minds. The Black Eyed Peas aptly describe the state of the world in these so called civilised times and put forth a fair question in their song Where is the Love:
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity (Timberlake, 2005)

Perhaps imperialistic governments, ignorant war-mongers and terrorists should step up and heed these words before using bombs to enforce democracy or violence as a means of being heard, for it will never result in peace but simply widen the rifts and add to the global body count.

GOD HELP US ALL!

WEEK 4 (20 March 2006)

This week we studied the development of moral and ethical behaviour, it was really interesting because I am fascinated by human and criminal conduct. I thought the learning and developmental theories were particularly enlightening, I agree that human beings are shaped mainly by their environment, influences and life experiences. Due to my beliefs I treat children with respect and am very careful with how I raise my own, mainly because I feel that as our future society children must be treasured, protected and socialised responsibly. I am adamant that many serial and child killers such as Fred West, Edmund Kemper, Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Mary Bell and Eric Smith would never have taken the path or lives they did had they been brought up properly in the first place. Each of these killers were subjected to abuse or neglect as children, had it been prevented so perhaps may have been the suffering they caused others and which characterised their entire lives.

We also touched on the subject of declining morals, which is something I care very deeply about because the importance of morals, principles, tact and diplomacy have been impressed upon me since birth by my Father. It's been reported in the media lately that Australian children's manners are declining and they're not saying please or thank you as much as they used to, I think it's fair to say that parents can be held primarily responsible for this phenomenon. Society is suffering from moral decay but it all begins in the home and is perpetuated by institutions like schools, the government and the media who have no interest in promoting morality because it doesn't reap a profit. In juxtaposition schools put more effort into enforcing conformity than they do teaching good values to their students, religion is no longer an authority in society and many parents are relatively absent in their children's upbringing. Nowadays it is often the case in Australian families that both parents are working and the children spend the majority of their waking life raised in the synthetic environment of Day Care, where parental bond, nurturing, imperative socialisation and adequate moral guidance is lost. Teenagers do not have the boundaries they once did, have too much independence, many are handed life on a silver platter and virtually raise themselves with very little life experience, their ethics formed by the dogma of the media.

Protect the Future... Keep Kids Safe!

WEEK 5 (27 March 2006)

Studying social justice has impacted upon me personally and my life profoundly��� considering the lottery of my birth, the barriers I have had to overcome and how long it has taken me to get here I feel very proud of myself, strong and unstoppable. I feel inspired, driven by a sense of duty to make worthwhile changes in the world, my self-esteem is much greater and I am acting in a more professional manner. It is a bit of a struggle for me to think globally but act locally, because I tend to think big and want to tackle major global injustices such as fraudulent democracies, wars, genocide, human trafficking and child pornography. However social issues like inequality, domestic violence, child abuse and bullying to name just a few examples are all just as important to me��� I wish I could fix all problems and it frustrates me that I can't! There are so many dilemmas that need solutions, such a great deal of human suffering and multitudes of career options to choose from, but I believe I must be careful with the direction I take because like a utilitarian I want my efforts to result in the most overall good. So far I have achieved a lot in a short time by extending myself and have made friends in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, UAE, Morocco, America, Nepal, Haiti, Ghana, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Australia.

I have formed alliances with these people, learnt a lot and gained a much greater respect for the human race, not to mention humility and appreciation for how well I've got it in Australia in comparison to others in utter poverty and war zones. Getting to know people of other cultures has not only dispelled my preconceived notions but in conjunction with studying Australian sociology, it has started me thinking about the positive points about how other societies are run and the possibilities for better ways to live. It has occurred to me that perhaps Australian society would benefit if it was dictated by a different set of rules such as were enforced in earlier times, for example the " ��� Code of Hammurabi (c. 2000 B.C.), which mixed secular and religious proscriptions of behaviour" (Pollock 2004, 97). Aboriginal customary law also appeals to me and I think that if all Australians were closer knit, aspired to a moral code involving the ten commandments and made demands for a more advanced democracy, society would be a better place. The world like life is what you make it and action does make a difference, I have found this to be true because my small contributions have helped unite global citizens, prevented domestic violence, encouraged women and assisted in ridding the Internet of paedophiles and child pornography.

I have achieved publication in an Iranian peace magazine twice now and it is an honour to get the opportunity to educate others, I feel like a bigger person, more accomplished and with a broader world view which I am very thankful for. What has surprised me on my journey of ethical awareness and social justice, has been the general reaction from my family who I thought would be most proud of me. Some members have been really encouraging but others have accused me of thinking I'm better than they are, are paranoid about my dealings with the Middle-East, terrified I'll run off to Iraq or targeted by 'big brother', which incidentally turned out to be true to a degree.

In all due respect some of my family are ignorant, racist, hold you back and are perpetrators of tall poppy syndrome, it amazes me with my background that I have even gotten this far in life but thankfully I have fortitude and will let nothing stand in my way! I've noticed in my various discussions that if you knock Australia or take too much interest in other countries, people get very defensive and challenge your national loyalty��� they even tend to disassociate with you and think of you as a bit of a traitor. Most people think it's really 'cool' and respectable that I study social justice, however my age gets mentioned to me on the odd occasion which I find surprising because although I'm 39 I still feel young and I don't realise age as a barrier��� yet.

WEEK 6 (3 April 2006)

My definition of 'the good life' changes depending on whether I'm thinking about myself or others whose situations are worse than mine. It comes down to money and national security really, because if you have it your aspirations will be different than those that do not. I am blessed because I do not live in civil chaos or have bombs raining down on my home, but my family is one of the 5.5 million relative poor in Australia so our life is a daily struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table. Usually I try to be big about my situation and remember that I am more fortunate than those that are starving, are dying or being persecuted but today I am fed up��� I am human and everyone's got a limit! I think the thing that is really wearing down my tolerance for life and poverty is that I cannot afford a phone at the moment and my beloved Internet has been cut off! This drives me insane because it really affects my studies, international activities and I have lost all contact with a precious young friend in Iraq who I fear has been killed.

Because I am worried, miserable and negative right now I would have to say that my version of 'the good life' would be the ability to pay my bills and have the finances I need to do simple things like buy my Husband a birthday present on Sunday. Futuristically speaking my idea of an idyllic life would be one that was characterised by freedom, peace, security, equity, kindness, respect, happiness and purpose. One day I want to own a self-designed home at Mt. Glorious with a private art room and have my own office in a city skyscraper where I will hopefully sit at night with a Scotch, in my little black suit doing lots of good work helping people. A 'good life' doesn't require lots of money but it helps, I find my attitude to wealth changing because previously I didn't want it whereas now I think I could do a lot of good if I had the resources. For instance I would have the Internet on and my education wouldn't be hampered, I could give my family a wonderful life, open up refuges and pay for people's plane tickets out of violence stricken nations.

WEEK 7 (10 April 2006)

This week we looked at ethics in public life and considered the notion of a 'just society', which from my perspective would be one where people are treated equitably, fairly under the law and have equal access to valuable resources and opportunities. Furthermore parents would share child-rearing and domestic responsibilities equally and workers would receive pay pertaining to their job requirements not their gender, ethnic origin, race or age. For example professions that are high-risk, pre-empted by years of study or have long shifts should be paid higher than jobs that require little education, skill, dedication or effort. Obviously important positions such as those held by the police, armed forces, and security personnel, doctors and teachers deserve greater rewards and compensation than checkout assistants, aerobics instructors, pop stars and Australia's sporting heroes.

In the study guide's tutorial activities we were asked the question "are we born with a 'sense of justice' or is it taught to us?" I would have to say that if it were a natural inclination everybody would act righteously and there would be no crime or unfairness, however since there is and all people have varying ethical standards it must be taught or adopted behaviour. Children are generally taught the difference between right and wrong from an early age, but as they get older humans tend to form their own judgements, values and belief systems which in turn they pass on to their children. While a person's sense of justice may be based on parental indoctrination, moral foundations change as children become adults with independent thought and some instilled values may become rejected for a more personalised code of ethics.

WEEK 8 (24 April 2006)

In the discussion forum the students talked about the differing ethical approaches in relation to justice in society. Various theories of punishment were debated in regard to creating and maintaining a good society, however I tend to favour the utilitarian process of rehabilitation because although I don't consider it a punishment I do think it's progressive. As a Christian my view is that while humans do make mistakes they deserve forgiveness, therefore the element of clemency in rehabilitation appeals to me and is not only logical, but fair and justifiable except perhaps in the case of paedophiles. Interestingly at the start of the course I considered myself a deontologist, but I can now see that I am also quite the virtue ethicist and although originally I was opposed to the utilitarian way of thinking, I realise that sometimes it is necessary. Utilitarianism is an ethical approach that is particularly useful when dealing with dilemmas where there are large numbers of people involved, such as in wars and natural disasters.

A punishment philosophy I have always disagreed with because of my stance against vengeance was retribution, but in certain contexts it does have it's place and can be utilised to establish some form of "moral balance". The deontological standpoint of retributivism asserts that an eye for an eye is fair punishment, which until recently I thought was malicious and ineffectual, nonetheless a life sentence is apt penance for murder and in Saudi Arabia the threat of cutting off hands does stem thievery. The utilitarian method of deterrence can work but usually only in symbiosis with religious or spiritual authority, there has been little evidence to prove neither incapacitation alone nor even the death penalty effectively prevents crime. Imprisoning law-breakers may protect society in the short term but in the long run many criminals come out of jail more hardened and better criminals, for those that commit violent crime incapacitation does not address the issues that caused the act therefore how can it be prevented in the future.

In contrast the idea of restitution for criminal behaviour may be advantageous in making amends to the victim or by benefiting the community at large. Depending on the crime remuneration to the victim may serve as some form of atonement, but if not the agent of bad behaviour has the opportunity to turn their act around and do some good for society in terms of a service. Community service is an operative concept because it enables those citizens that choose to harm society to help society as their punishment, however it could be made more effective if an eye for an eye approach was adopted alongside rehabilitation. For example an alcoholic drink driver might have their license revoked, be forced to attend a psychiatrist, alcoholics anonymous meetings and work in a hospital ward of drink driving victims for a period as punishment but moreover enlightenment which may lead to less likelihood of re-offending. Conversely restorative forms of justice such as community conferencing have proven to be quite successful in dealing with youth crime and placating the victim and their families, by having the perpetrator face up to their victim the injured parties have the opportunity to understand, heal and possibly forgive.

Of the various ethical approaches to social justice, the one that would be most useful to addressing the current problem of whether it is a good idea to pull troops out of Iraq is interestingly the one that caused the damage in the first place, act utilitarianism. "The 2003 Iraq war was justified by the argument that it will save the lives of countless American citizens from some future terrorist acts and also protect Iraq citizens from a brutal dictator, but there is no question that in order to bring about this good end, innocent Iraq citizens died" (Pollock 2004, 34). It is obvious now that approximately 38 thousand civilians have died for nothing and the country is embroiled in a virtual civil war, from a utilitarian standpoint perhaps the best course of action would be to withdraw the 'coalition of the willing' who have only served to fuel the situation.

WEEK 9 (1 May 2006)

I was reading The Courier-Mail today and was really surprised to come across an article about forced removal of adornments from children's gravesites, what particularly struck me was the insensitivity of placing the deadline on Mother's Day. The council's argument supporting this action was that objects may get broken and harm maintenance workers and that " ��� some of these things are not in keeping with the solemn nature of the setting" (2006, 15). I found it unbelievable that the council would be more interested in aesthetics than concerned with alleviating grief or celebrating life, particularly for parents suffering the death of an infant.

Of the items considered offensive, brightly painted headstones were not dangerous and made people feel better so I can't see where the problem lays, shouldn't priority be put on paying respects and mourning a loss, not the decor. I found it saddening that parents left night lights for their babies so they wouldn't be afraid of the dark yet are being made to remove them, it's obvious that these people are still very protective of their children so it is cruel to force parents to abandon them. I can only imagine how distressing that must be and how angry they must feel at the State Parliament for this decision to clean up Caboolture Lawn Cemetery in such a heartless way.

WEEK 10 (8 May 2006)

As we near the end of the course I wonder if a just world is possible with all the obstacles in place, our leaders not really wanting it and God being the almighty dollar ruling decisions for humanity. I know we can tackle the small issues in hopes of bettering the future but I think it's going to take a long time before real justice prevails across the globe. Structural inequality in Australia obviously must be dismantled if we want a fair society without poverty, but will those that pull the strings allow it or are we fighting a battle that can never be won? I hope that I will never give up my mission to make the world a better place, but for the first time I am wondering if in the greater scheme of things I will eventually meet a brick wall and should not even bother. I don't want to submit to the seemingly endless barricades and it is not in my nature to be apathetic so all I can do is keep going, seek justice and do my best to gain the credentials I need to enforce it.

I don't think I fit in very well with my fellow students in the discussion forum because my ideas conflict with theirs quite often and I get the impression that I come across as anti-Australian and cynical, I was even accused of living a sheltered life! I admit I do take issue with the Australian way of life but over the months that I have been getting to know other cultures I have come to appreciate my country more and take some pride in it. Even though my ancestors are Irish I am honoured to be related to the original caretakers of this land through my Husband and two of my children, and I see now through the eyes of Middle-Easterners that Australia is a wonderland to be cherished. I feel blessed but at the same time saddened however in my search for social justice, my studies have inspired me to reach out to war torn nations but I am frustrated as to how I can help and make a real difference. I have gained illumination, seen humanity at it's best and suffering at it's worst, faced shocking lessons and found a road to peace and love, but how can I reciprocate to the extent that I want to and meet the needs of desperate brave admirable people? We study social ethics and the justice system but how can make people like George Bush Junior and John Howard act sanely, humanely and truly democratically when we are merely citizens, how can we stop wars, terrorism and genocide��� that's what I want to know!

WEEK 11 (15 May 2006)

For the community service component of my ethical journal I really wanted to help Iraqi and Afghan refugees settle in Australia, specifically because I care about their plight and also I hoped it might alleviate the helplessness I feel for my friends in the Middle-East. Unfortunately my agoraphobia prevailed and so I am going to discuss my on-line volunteering activities instead which consequently I realise are quite significant, am extremely passionate about and can only hope to do more of as time goes by. For approximately a year I have been very active on the Internet trying to bring the world together on a crusade for social justice, endeavouring to learn and teach as much as I can and inevitably this has completely changed my life and seemingly touched others in a positive way. Consequently it has also destroyed my marriage but I feel that it has been worth it because international misperceptions have been quashed, cultural gaps bridged, I have been able to help the truly desperate and met the type of people I need in my life. My worldview has expanded incredibly, as has my vocabulary of international salutations; I have become enriched with the lore of other cultures and long held ideologies, particularly in regard to the situation for women in the Orient have been reshaped. It has been a worthwhile mission getting to know the world's people, fashioning collaborations and inspiriting others has resulted in the formation of tight bonds, an honoured position as international coordinator for Women's Empowerment Australia and my writings have been published on the Internet!

However my efforts on the Internet have also opened my eyes to the reality of paranoia, censorship and repression when you try to inform the masses about injustice or mix with people deemed suspicious, especially Middle-Easterners at this time. I have had sensitive information disappear for no apparent reason off my web site, my groups have been shut down as if they never existed and my web-log is occasionally monitored by US officials, which is concerning but since my intentions are ethical I refuse to be quietened. I believe people should know what is going on in the world, the wrongs that are being committed and the suffering that exists so that we can enact change upon these things, not turn a blind eye to our fellows because it is inhumane and irresponsible. I also feel very strongly about paedophilia and child pornography on the Internet, when I first discovered it I was extremely upset because I have endured sexual abuse myself, however I harnessed my distress and now use it to drive me forward to stop this kind of cruel exploitation. I refer most of my complaints to the Australian Communications and Media Authority and in turn they pass it on to relevant law enforcement officials, so far I have managed to help shut down the web-sites of people who exploit baby rape and disrupted the activities of child pornography traders. As frustrating as it is to not be able to fix all the world's problems in a day, solutions can be found through empathy, education and action, mores there is a possible road to peace through understanding, tolerance and collaboration yet we must try for deeds speaks louder than words!

WEEK 12 (22 May 2006)****NEWS FLASH**** MY HUSBAND DUMPED ME DIRECTLY AFTER THIS INTERVIEW... Wowwwww... I thought... wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Interview with Fady Hadid (Student, age 22) - Situated in Baghdad, Iraq. Date: 25 May 2006. Time: 11:20PM via MSN Messenger.

Ethical dilemma: Due to the present situation of a civil war either existing or erupting, do you think that it would be beneficial or detrimental to the Iraqi people to pull the troops out of Iraq?

DAVIES-FAHY When America bombed Baghdad in 2003 did the Iraqi people feel that they were being liberated or attacked?
Mr Hadid Most Iraqis were happy to be saved from Saddam's regime, and actually you can see that on their faces when they were welcoming the American troops while they were entering Baghdad and toppling the statues
DAVIES-FAHY How did you feel and how did you cope with the bombing?
Mr Hadid Also, the troops were so friendly with the Iraqi civilians
Mr Hadid Personally, I still remember how I felt the first night of the bombing... actually, I was prepared psychologically for it... it was just another war
DAVIES-FAHY God...
DAVIES-FAHY Shortly after however, did you feel safe that the American forces were occupying Iraq?
Mr Hadid No, but we weren't threatened by anything then... you know, that's what started to make the Iraqi people mad... "Occupation" is a tough term in our society. And in any society
DAVIES-FAHY Fair comment
Mr Hadid I still remember that we used to invite the American soldiers to drink tea with us and have a chat... some people even prepared meals for them...
DAVIES-FAHY Did the troops continue to respect and protect the Iraqi civilians?
Mr Hadid Yes, they were so professional, and most of them behaved with good manners
DAVIES-FAHY I ask because I heard stories of Iraqi women being raped by British soldiers and there was the Abu Ghraib abuse
Mr Hadid You know, most of them truly believe that they are here to help us and they worked and behaved according to that belief, which is good
DAVIES-FAHY Yes... that is very good but over 38 000 civilians have been killed over weapons of mass destruction that never existed!
Mr Hadid That's right.... Well about raping Iraqi women... I've never heard of that... I know that the British soldiers are even more professional and strict than the American ones but what happened in Abu Ghraib was outrageous! But let me remind you that the Iraqi prisoners face more terrible things with the hands of the Iraqi security forces
DAVIES-FAHY Really, even now?
Mr Hadid Yes
Mr Hadid Then the American troops changed their strategy towards the Iraqi people, since they started to get attacked unexpectedly... and they started to be more hostile just to protect themselves
DAVIES-FAHY Why do you think the Iraqi people (or insurgents) turned hostile?
Mr Hadid ���So now, I can't even be near an American soldier, or I'll be killed, 100m is the minimum distance between the two of us... while we used to drink tea together
DAVIES-FAHY On a rating of 1-10 what would you say is the proportion that the American invasion has secured peace and safety for the Iraqi people or on the same scale how much are things worse than they were before?
Mr Hadid They just can't trust us any more��� 1 for securing peace and safety
DAVIES-FAHY Do you think looking back to before the invasion, that life for Iraqi civilians was better or worse?
Mr Hadid Well, it's very hard to tell... it was worse in some aspects and it was better in other aspects. Like, if we were still under Saddam's regime I wouldn't be talking to you right now. If we consider the current situation as a temporary phase, it's better now
DAVIES-FAHY Why were Iraqis not allowed to use messengers, I understand that communications and news were suppressed from the people, is that correct? Why do you think this was so?
Mr Hadid Yes, it was a part of that suppression... to filter and control information... to be in power...
DAVIES-FAHY I remember reading somewhere that one of the first things the Iraqis wanted to know upon the American arrival was news about the outside world, is this true... did they really have no idea what was going on outside of their nation?
Mr Hadid No that's not accurate... but for instance, we could only watch Iraqi TV... so just after the fall of the regime, all people ran to the markets to buy satellite receivers to get the world's TV channels.
DAVIES-FAHY If you had been caught using a messenger under Saddam's rule, what might have happened to you?
Mr Hadid Well, it wasn't possible for me to install the messenger and run it, because they had this firewall that prevented it... but even if I could, the secret police may have come, captured and interrogated me
DAVIES-FAHY Is it true that Saddam minced people who didn't do things his way?
Mr Hadid Absolutely
DAVIES-FAHY Unbelievable! How did you deal with such a life?
Mr Hadid Well, personally... I didn't have any problems with the authorities... like we say here "walking next to the wall"...
DAVIES-FAHY But didn't you find it hard to accept that such authorities exist, other than in horror stories?
Mr Hadid Yes, it was difficult... people were horrified here... living in constant horror... but what to do... when some rise to try to make a change, they get repressed and killed or imprisoned
DAVIES-FAHY Yes... true. Since then the Iraqis have had to deal with suicide bombings, hostage taking and civilians being murdered randomly, you must feel like you're living on a knife edge constantly
Mr Hadid But we have to live with that; we have to continue living our daily lives in spite of the terror that we face in the streets everyday
DAVIES-FAHY You're an inspiration! There is debate in regard to the current situation in Iraq, from what I can tell there is civil chaos but Western governments are hesitant to accept or proclaim there is a civil war going on. As an Iraqi civilian in Baghdad what is your view?
Mr Hadid That depends on the definition of a civil war... what is happening here is some militias are terrorising civilians according to their identity and religion... we haven't reached the point where civilians carry weapons and fight each other as in Lebanon's civil war, but I'm afraid it might reach that point
Mr Hadid Since most of the Iraqi Shiites and Sunnis are following their clerics now, and the latter are not leading the people to the road of tolerance, peace and understanding
DAVIES-FAHY At what rate is the situation escalating, for the average Iraqi civilian it seems that it is not even safe to exist any more.
Mr Hadid It's not, it's hard and complicated, for example, I have a college-mate who lives in Dyala (or Diala), which is a provenance that lies north-east of Baghdad, he comes from a Shiite-Sunni family, but last week they found a hand-made bomb just in front of their house, but his father was quick enough to defuse it by cutting the wires... then they had a death threat because they're Shiites so they had to leave the city and now they're homeless, living in a friends house
DAVIES-FAHY As a non-religious citizen you must find it incredibly frustrating!
Mr Hadid Life is unbearable here, but we have to live it
DAVIES-FAHY Do you think at this point that it would be a good idea for the troops to withdraw from Iraq or a bad one?
Mr Hadid It's a bad idea, because the Iraqi security forces are not ready yet to take control of the security situation here.
DAVIES-FAHY Yes, I hear that the Australian army are trying to train them and apparently they're hopeless and treating their training like a joke... surely they must understand the severity of the situation they and their people face?
Mr Hadid Well the Iraqi forces are also corrupt and I'm talking here about individuals, like, they only joined the forces just to earn money and accept bribes, and they're not serious about getting a proper training or fighting for Iraq's security and since they are all like that, the American (or other nationalities) trainers started to feel the same too... not being serious about the training and just doing it for the money
Mr Hadid So, you can see that most of the Iraqi forces are young, untrained, unexperienced, don't know how to deal with various situations and on top of all, corrupt
DAVIES-FAHY Do you feel that there is any hope for Iraq and if so... what could be done to help her long-suffering people? What could other nations do to assist in alleviating some of the problems?
Mr Hadid There's always hope but it will take time and unfortunately, a long time, because it's in the nature of the Iraqi society to be stubborn, so they didn't accept to benefit from other nations' experiences of how to deal with such situations, so they will learn that in time...
Mr Hadid They will realise sooner or later (unfortunately later) that they're supporting the wrong people for running the government and to be representatives in the parliament. So the solution will take a long time, and it should come from the Iraqi people themselves
DAVIES-FAHY In the meantime Fady, what hopes do you have for the future?
Mr Hadid I hope that Iraqis would understand and realise that Iraq is big enough for all of us, it's our home and we should take care of it. I hope we can live in peace and tolerance with each other and with other societies and cultures around us, and I hope that violence gets demolished from the Iraqi streets and minds
Mr Hadid Iraqis have big potential and they can do much, but the blindfold should be torn off so they can see what's ahead of them and start rebuilding our country
DAVIES-FAHY In closing Mr Hadid, do you have any final remarks or words of wisdom that you would like to share with the world at large?
Mr Hadid I hope people from the other side of the world understand that what we are facing here is just a temporary phase and what you see on the news about violence and all does not represent the typical Iraqis. Just give us the needed time to heal our wounds and start building our new civilisation.


BIBLIOGRAPHY


Anysonglyrics.com. 2006. Where Is The Love
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/b/blackeyedpeas/whereisthelove.htm (accessed May 24, 2006).

Eini, Karen. Friends and Flags Coordinator, Israel.

Gandhi, Mahatma.

Hadid, Fady 2006. Baghdad, Iraq.

Ian Stewart, Does God Play Dice? 2005. Chaos Theory: A Brief Introduction.
http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html (accessed March 9, 2005).

Morley, P. 2006. Cemetery clean-up enrages mourners. The Courier-Mail, April 26, 15.

Pollock, Joycelyn M. 2004. Ethics in Crime and Justice-Dilemmas Decisions. 4th Edn.
Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth.


]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:58:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184975 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184959

A LITTLE light, heat, motion, breath;
Then silence, darkness, and decay;
This is the change from life to death
In him the weareth clay.
But Times one drop twixt that and this,
Ah! What a gulf of doom it is. The cheek is fair, the eye is bold,
The ripe lip like a berry red;
Then the shroud clothes them; thus behold
The living and the dead!
And how times last cold drop serence
Swells to eternity between. Yet not for horror, nor to weep;
But through the solemn dark to see
That life, though swift, is wonder-deep,
And death the only key
That lets to that mysterious height
Where earth and heaven in God unite.

]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:51:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184959 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667 http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184957

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;
Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore,.
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore,
Nameless here forevermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me---filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
" 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door,
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door.
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you." Here I opened wide the door;---
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
Lenore?, This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
"Lenore!" Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
"Surely," said I, "surely, that is something at my window lattice.
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore.
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.
" 'Tis the wind, and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven, of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door.
Perched upon a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door,
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly, grim, and ancient raven, wandering from the nightly shore.
Tell me what the lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore."
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door,
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered;
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before;
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster, till his songs one burden bore,---
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never---nevermore."

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore --
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee -- by these angels he hath
Sent thee respite---respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--
On this home by horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore:
Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore---
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted---nevermore!
]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:33:00 EDT http://glitterspree.tigblog.org/post/184957 -27.5 153.0166667-27.5153.0166667