Essays from the Edge

Capital Punishment: Retribution or Revenge?

2009-04-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Capital Punishment: Retribution or Revenge?

In order to distinguish between retribution and revenge the words must be defined. It is also pertinent to know what Capital Punishment is and how these two words factor. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines Capital Punishment as “the penalty of death for the commission of a crime.” The offenses which determine a capital case and the associated penalty are defined by each state. In California, “Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” (CA. Penal Code 187 a) “Every person guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life.” (CA. Penal Code 190 a) Although many uphold that life in prison is equal justice; Capital Punishment is the harshest that can be handed down by a court of law— the Death Penalty. In California the circumstances which can warrant a death sentence are: “multiple murder, felony murder, torture, lying in wait, or killing a peace officer.” (A Victim’s Guide to the Capital Case Process pg.4). We now know what Capital Punishment is and the crimes for which the ultimate penalty may be paid, but is the death penalty retribution or revenge?

Retribution is something that is given as repayment —a recompense, such as a life for a life. Revenge is forcing suffering on another person for a perceived wrong. The suffering may be equal to or greater than the “original sin”. In his essay “Why the Death penalty is Morally Permissible”, Louis P.Pojman clarifies the difference between retribution and revenge: “Retribution establishes an internal limit to the amount of punishment based on the severity of the crime, whereas revenge sets no logical limits to the amount of retaliation.” To define the a word is one thing, to define the purpose and action of the death penalty is a thin line that has garnered much controversy. On one side of the issue are those whose compassion for life, all life, even the life of the most evil compels them to consider the death penalty an outrage. These are the opposition, the people who protest at executions, speaking out that it is inhumane and painful, that the Bible forbids it, and that it does not deter crime. On the other side of the issue is justice which must be upheld to remain a civilized people. Society demands that there be punishment or consequences for those responsible for crimes. Proponents demand victim’s rights. Further complicating this issue are new science, such as DNA analysis, and the appeals process.

If God created all men equal, then we can conclude that one life is equally as important as another. So how do we as a civilized social system justify letting one who took a life retain his own? Do we leave punishment up to God? And if so, how do we punish or bring justice to those with no religious beliefs? Death penalty opponents protest that the Bible forbids murder, they quote the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not commit murder”. They liken the death penalty to murder. They want to convey that two wrongs do not make a right. However, it also states in the Bible: “5And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6Who so sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” (Holy Bible, Genesis 9:5-6) This is the counter argument of proponents of the death penalty. That justice for murder will be carried out by man, and specifically that murder shall be punishable by death. It further states in the Bible: “23If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Holy Bible, Exodus 21:23-25) The Law of Retaliation (lex talionis) which states: “that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer” , was intended to be a limitation on punishment according to Bible scholars, it was not intended as a means of revenge. While the religious toil with their interpretations from the Bible, their arguments are altogether moot, as religion is relative. It has no basis in a justice system for a society made up of people who have many different beliefs.

If we take religion out of the equation, we must then address that Capital Punishment is inhumane, cruel and unusual, and painful to the criminal who must be executed. Is it a violation of their human rights? The history of the death penalty has indeed shown that it was once quite inhumane. In fact, the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution forbids certain punishments entirely, namely: drawing and quartering, burning alive, and disembowelment. Today, however, science has provided a solution to the protest: lethal injection. Lethal injection is essentially euthanasia. Created by Jay Chapman, a medical examiner, it is not without its problems but by far is the most humane of the death penalty methods. “Lethal injection refers to the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of killing the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia, and suicide… The intravenous injection is usually a sequence of drugs given in a set sequence, designed to first induce unconsciousness followed by death through paralysis of respiratory muscles and/or by cardiac arrest through depolarization of cardiac muscle cells.”

As quoted in The New England Journal of Medicine, George J. Annas claims the cocktail of drugs administered can occasionally result in a phenomena known as anesthesia awareness, “Specifically, the petition alleged that even a slight error in dosage could leave prisoners conscious but paralyzed while dying, a witness to their own slow, painful, and lingering asphyxiation.”(1512-8) There is a persistent argument that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be responsible for certifying execution drugs much in the way they certify euthanasia drugs for veterinary purposes. To date the FDA has chosen not to which simply creates more controversy. (Annas) Does Lethal Injection violate the Eight Amendment of the Constitution prohibiting “cruel and unusual” punishment? “Supporters of the death penalty speculate that the designers of the lethal injection protocols intentionally used the same drugs as used in every day surgery to avoid controversy. The only modification is that a massive coma-inducing dose of barbiturates is given. In addition, similar protocols have been used in countries that support euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.”(Wikipedia)

The Eighth Amendment forbids punishments that are “excessive” when compared to the crime or the competence of the criminal. Groups such as Amnesty International have gotten involved in a number of human rights cases for just such purpose. “Excessive” being the key word, how can death by lethal injection be considered cruel and unusual in capital cases? Even so, is an easy painless death justified? Inhumane, Painful, Cruel and Unusual are words associated with the death penalty; a punishment for which the one who must suffer was sentenced to as a result of his own actions. Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgeway a.k.a “The Green River Killer”, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Dennis Rader a.k.a. “The BTK Killer” (which was an acronym for bind, torture, kill); the names are well known, so too their crimes. These are extreme cases where DNA evidence may or may not have played a role, the sentences were execution by electric chair, 48 life sentences plus 480 years, 15 life sentences, and 10 life sentences, respectively. Some sentences were handed down in states with no death penalty. Consecutive life sentences are a waste of time. A criminal has but one life to give regardless of the many he may have taken.

Now, what of these names: Amber Hagerman age 9, Jessica Lunsford age 9, Adam Walsh age 6, Sharon Tate age 26 and eight and a half months pregnant at the time of her murder. These are names of victims. Their deaths were Inhumane, Painful, Cruel and Unusual. Their deaths led to important legislation like the Amber Alert system, Jessica’s Law, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, and victim impact statements. As opponents argue for the human rights of the condemned, death penalty proponents argue for the rights of the victims and their families to receive justice for the inhumane, painful, cruel and unusual crimes committed against them. A civilized society needs to have a justice system that not only gives retribution to victims, but also deters similar crimes without violating human rights of the accused. But how do we do this?

Through conducting investigations and gathering evidence to make a solid case, through trial of the accused which provides a fair chance to prove their innocence and with an outcome determined by a jury of their peers. Science has come a long way in helping with the process on both sides. The advent of science has not only given us a method of death, but also a way to absolve the innocent and convict the guilty. DNA evidence is a process. Evidentiary biological samples can be collected from a crime scene. This reference sample is then analyzed to create a DNA profile for a suspect. The DNA profile is then compared against samples taken from suspects to determine whether there is a genetic match. (Wikipedia) Its use in recent years has led to the conviction of numerous criminals but it has also exonerated 120 people since 1973. These exonerations and the revelation that innocent men may have been executed create a firestorm in the opposition.

Groups like the Innocence Project, Amnesty International, and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty work to free the wrongly convicted and strongly oppose the death penalty. Exonerations from death row are the fuel used by the opposition to demand the use of capital punishment be abolished and life sentences imposed in its place. It is quite possible that before DNA evidence was developed, innocent men may have been executed. Some groups want to use DNA to prove this:
“Posthumous DNA testing in death penalty cases, if allowed, could
provide highly relevant information in a national death penalty debate,
which is increasingly focused on the risk of executing the innocent. The
striking number of exonerations that have occurred prior to execution-absent
proof that an innocent person has been executed-have dramatically
transformed the death penalty debate.” (Moyes)
Death Penalty pundits are adamant that absolute proof of a wrongful execution would transform the death penalty debate. However, in the years before the use of DNA evidence, investigators relied on the testimony of eye witnesses and circumstantial evidence that could be gathered from crime scenes. They did the best they could with what they had at the time. Yet, these could be mishandled and coerced— manipulated. So the question lingers, have innocent men been executed? The honest answer must be: Yes, it is a possibility. But hindsight is 20/20. What can be done today to prevent further injustice? The answer is not to simply impose life sentences instead of death, but to give cases within there is reasonable doubt access to the appeals process that is in place to prevent miscarriages of justice. The 120 exonerations is proof positive that the appeals process works, but this too can be both a blessing and a curse.

In California all capital cases receive an “automatic”, non-waivable, direct appeal to the state’s Supreme Court. This is in essence a review of the entire case, evidence, testimony, and sentence. It is a sort of checks and balances system to ensure that justice was fairly executed. The appeals system can be a lifeline for a truly innocent person; however, it can be a tool of exploitation for the guilty. The appeals process essentially creates a system where the sentence of death is in fact a sentence of life as the convicted can and do use the appeals process to their advantage thereby dragging out the execution of their sentence by continually introducing new evidence or making unlimited habeas corpus appeals. This not only robs the victims of justice but also puts a drain on the system resources. Capital cases are more expensive than life sentences because the convicted can carry on appeals for many years. The state of California currently houses 675 inmates who are condemned to death and 23,274 who are serving life sentences. The average yearly cost of $35,587 per inmate, funded by taxpayers, pays all of the inmates' housing costs which significantly increase as prisoner’s age. The average time served on California’s death row is 17 years. Now consider that inmates are “entitled” to free room and board, free healthcare, and all the comforts of home such as television, radio, magazines and other privileges for good behavior. Is a sentence of life justice?

To date, 14 inmates have been executed in California, convicted of murdering 44 people in all. 16 of the murder victims were 18 years old and younger. Because the appeals process can be manipulated and drawn out most death row inmates die of natural causes, their executions never carried out. Death row inmates are able to delay their executions for years by filing repeated and frivolous habeas corpus petitions. “In cases where the defendant has been sentenced to death, a writ of habeas corpus often leads to life imprisonment. Between 1976 and 1991, approximately 47% of the habeas petitions filed by death row inmates were granted… Why is this process so byzantine? Perhaps because the writ of habeas corpus offers such fundamental protection: it is our legal remedy against unconstitutional and unlawful imprisonment. It is the most basic way the judiciary can protect our life and liberty against governmental tyranny.” But just as it can save the innocent it can save the guilty.

Obviously capital punishment will not deter crime if it is rarely enforced and allowed, by the system itself, to be manipulated into a “life sentence” by the guilty. Kent Cattani, the chief capital litigation counsel in the Arizona attorney general's office, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times: "If you are going to have the death penalty at all, it shouldn't take 20 to 25 years…Either get rid of it altogether, or try to have a good system in state courts and then accelerate it through the federal courts." . Deterrence is a matter of showing the public that there are consequences for heinous acts. “…harsh punishment publicly administered can function as an effective deterrent. The pain inflicted by cutting off one thief's hand is far outweighed by the pain avoided if a hundred potential thieves are deterred by the gory example.” (Kaveny) Even so, abolitionists would favor life over death for the convicted, even if deterrence could be proven, regardless of the victims rights. (van den Haag)

Capital Punishment is a penalty that is flawed only by the execution of justice. The only question that should be asked is does the person to be executed deserve the punishment? The enhancements of science have made not only a more humane method of execution but a method for discharging “reasonable doubt”. The appeals process has hampered the execution of justice creating a system that does not deter capital crimes. The criminals have learned that the system can be manipulated in their favor, raising the cost to taxpayers, delaying justice for victims and proving that there is no real punishment for their crimes. A death sentence is a sentence of life, and when there is no fear of death there is no deterrence. When courts will not enforce their own laws civilized society is in jeopardy.
“When society fails to punish criminals in a way thought to
Be proportionate to the gravity of the crime, the danger arises
That the public would take the law into its own hands, resulting
In vigilante justice, lynch mobs, and private acts of retribution.” (Pojman)
This has been seen numerous times throughout history a disgruntled society takes the law into their own hands extracting a harsher justice —revenge killing. Perhaps Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said it best when addressing the court case Calderon v. Thompson, “At some point the state must be allowed to exercise its sovereign power to punish offenders.” (Savage) Maybe the reinstatement of the Patriot Act will help solve the appeals problems. The government passed the new provisions giving the Attorney General power to speed up the process for certain cases.

Capital Punishment may be the harshest penalty, it is irreversible. Once the sentence has been carried out there is no going back. The finality of Capital Punishment is the reason it is so unnerving to some. However, it is the punishment that is called for by the Bible and the Law, when society’s worst criminals carry out acts so heinous they forfeit their rights. Their right to be free and their right to live. It is not revenge, which would be a far worse death. Capital Punishment is retribution, payment relative to the crime, a life for a life.

Cited Works:
Books
Cassel, Hugo Bedau and Paul G. Debating the Death Penalty: Should America have Capital Punishment? New York: Oxford University, 2004.

Johnson, Rudolph J. Gerber and John M. The Top Ten Death Penalty Myths. Westport: Praeger, 2007.

Journals
George J Annas. (2008). Toxic Tinkering -- Lethal-Injection Execution and the Constitution. The New England Journal of Medicine, 359(14), 1512-8. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from Research Library Core database. (Document ID: 1566884011).

Cathleen Kaveny. "Justice or Vengeance: IS THE DEATH PENALTY CRUEL & UNUSUAL?" Commonweal 135.3 (2008): 9. Humanities Module. ProQuest. MiraCosta Coll. Lib., Oceanside, CA. 22 Mar. 2009

Anne-Marie Moyes. . "Assessing the risk of executing the innocent: A case for allowing access to physical evidence for posthumous DNA testing.” Vanderbilt Law Review 55.3 (2002): 953-999. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. MiraCosta Coll. Lib., Oceanside, CA. 31 Mar. 2009

David G Savage. . "9th Circuit rebuked again.” ABA Journal 84.(1998): 40-41. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. MiraCosta Coll. Lib., Oceanside, CA. 31 Mar. 2009

Government:
Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice. "Resources: A Victim's Guide to the Capital Case Process." California Attorney General's Office Web site. 12 March 2009 .

California Penal Code, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=11688623047+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve California Department of Corrections, http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/Adult_Operations/Facts_and_Figures.html

Web
Death Penalty Information Center. "Facts About the Death Penalty." 13 February 2009. Death Penalty Information Center. 7 March 2009 .

Haag, Ernest van den. "The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense." Harvard Law Review Association (1986).18 March 2009 < http://www.jstor.org/pss/1341082>

The Holy Bible. n.d. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, et.al. "Innocent and Executed." National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. 7 March 2009 .

Wikipedia.org, Multiple Authors. Lethal Injection. Last Modified 21 March 2009. 22 March 2009 .

Walpin, Ned. "The New Speed Up in Habeas Corpus Appeals" PBS.org 30 March 2009

Reference
"capital punishment." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 26 Mar. 2009. .

"lex talionis." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 26 Mar. 2009. .

Periodicals:
Schmitt, Richard B. “Rule could 'fast-track' executions - Atty. Gen. Gonzales would gain power to cut the time available for appeals in California and other states.” Los Angeles Times 14 August 2007< http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/14/nation/na-penalty14>

Associated Press. “Aging inmates clogging nation's prisons” USA Today 30 September 2007

The Thunderstorm (Just for fun)

2009-03-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

Whats that noise?
Softly in the distance it rumbles...
Or is someone rolling out a trashcan?
Once again there it is...
well the neighbors do have alot of trash...
no that definately sounds like...
Ahhhhh yes, there it is a bump in the air just over in the distance...
I think I hear it coming closer...
CRASH!
...A THUNDER CLAP
just like you hear rolling throught the valley in the hills of the place I love (Reno)
but not so much here...kinda unusual for this kind of thunder...
whats that tapping? is it getting stronger?
yes...the sky is opening up now...exploding, pouring down...
but where's my thunder? was that a flash?
God I love this! It's quite erotic...
I have butterflies in my tummy...
I am aching for more...
just another CRASH...
I want it, I need it, Give me what I yearn for...
That exhillaration.
no, no, no....
WAIT!
oohhh... man.
it's getting lighter
just drizzling now... just a few taps...
and the rolling... moving away from me now...
into the distance
my excitment now waning
Yes, it's very much like sex...
over way to soon
...a quicky!
how disappointing.

Annotation/Response : Amy Tan's "Two Kinds"

2009-03-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed Amy Tan’s story. As a mother, I can relate to how her mother felt and the hopes and dreams she had for her daughter’s future. I myself hope that my son will someday play the piano, mostly because I wish I could. So perhaps we’ll take lessons together. I think that certain lessons are for a child’s good, something they may not appreciate at the time but when they are older will see the value in it. This is what I think the author was trying to convey at the end of the story after her mother died, it seemed she finally appreciated the lesson.

I could also relate to being at the other end of disappointed parents. I think although she sabotaged her training, she began to think of herself, the day of the talent show, as quite accomplished. She was actually embarrassed and disappointed that she did so bad. She accomplished her goal of both disappointing her mother with her performance but she disappointed herself too. She learned a lesson in that moment of embarrassment.

I found it interesting how she opened the story with: “…you could be anything you wanted to be in America.” Which is something many Americans seem to take for granted. I am not a world traveler but I do know that Americans have a pretty swell life compared to many people around the world.

I liked how she described her rant to her mother: “As I said these things I got scared. It felt like worms and toads and slimy things crawling out of my chest, but it also felt good, as if this aweful side of me had surfaced, at last.” She comes from a background where obedience is very important and she finally couldn’t take it any more. This is her “rebellion” and when she takes the reins and unleashes herself she gets a little scared because not only is what she says hurtful to her mom, but it is her way of liberation and standing up for yourself (especially to a parent) is a little scary because once you go for it you have to just take whatever comes in the aftermath!

I thought the short paragraph where she was going through her mother’s things was a little sad. I remember when my dad died I had his jacket and wore it all the time because it smelled like him, then someone washed it and I was furious. The paragraph was just sentimental as she said for her and for me.

I didn’t quite understand what she meant at the end when she said the songs were two halves of the same song… did she mean that she was that pleading child (obviously) and now she was “perfectly contented”? I could see that if she was meaning she is content with her past and her childhood. I wasn’t satisfied with the end, I felt like I wanted more from them both especially after she said such a cruel thing to her mother and they continued to be at odds. I think I wanted them to have a weepy, heartfelt, mother-daughter meltdown… but I didn’t get it.

Annotations: Murakami

2009-02-09T01:37:00.000-08:00

A1/A2: “On Meeting the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” by Haruki Murakami Notes: The subject of fate, destiny, true love fascinates me.

B1/B5: “He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others.” Notes: The author seems to address anyone who has ever felt lonely, and average…yet he says like all the others, so as to say even if you feel that way you are not alone. His did apply to me…and everyone else!

B1/C5: “The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other’s 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met.” Note: While maybe it was a miracle that they had ever met, I disagree that they should not have tested it. I tend to believe that things are exactly as they were meant to be, and therefore, if they were truly 100% perfect for each other and “meant to be” they would find each other again and be together. Maybe they did not get back together the second time, not because they had been through so much and didn’t remember their love but because destiny, fate or the will of the universe conspired to keep them apart because they really weren’t 100% perfect for each other.

A2: “Yes, that’s it, that is what I should have said to her.” Notes: I think that everyone has had a moment where they think I should have said something to someone and maybe it would have changed the circumstances of the relationship or created a relationship where there was none.

A5: In my opinion, the story leaves the reader inspired to take chances. If He had only spoken to the girl maybe they’d be together.

Annotations: Mahfouz, Frost, Cullen

2009-02-02T01:35:00.000-08:00

A1: “Who is Zaabalawi?” Notes: I wonder if this person really exists. I should Google him! Nope, just a character in Mahfouz’s essay.

B3: languor, motes, galabeya, divan, bards, fealty, demesne, ken, rue. Notes: I had to look these words up.

C3: The story’s ending Notes: I would ask the author what happened, did he ever find Zaabalawi and if he was ever cured.

B5: “Birches” by Robert Frost Notes: I think the author was appealing to most adults. Rather than the bows being heavy laden with cold ice he wanted to think of a young boy felling the branches through play. I think he was longing to be a boy again and that appeals to everyone at some point. I definitely long for times when the word, responsibility, was not a part of my vocabulary.

B1: “I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Notes: This was not part of our reading but it is one of my favorite poems. I often think of it when I have choices to make in my own life. It makes me think about my choices carefully and encourages me to take chances in life.

A1: “Incident” by Countee Cullen Notes: I think this poem is sad reading it today but times were different back then. Desegregation and civil rights did not begin until the 60’s. He is a typical gleeful child in a new place and innocent. He should have had many memories from his visit but the one simple act of racism by another “innocent” ruined the rest of his trip!

Intro Essay & What this Blog is all About

2009-01-29T00:37:00.000-08:00

This is a collection of essays, reviews, journals, annotations and articles I have written. So let's start with an intro:

The Secret Life of… Me!
(an introductory essay)
What could I say to impress you? Let me think on this for a bit. If I told you that I survived a deadly disease, would you search these lines for the details? Or perhaps my philosophy on life would give you a new thought or two. I wonder how interesting my dreams of the future would really be. Who among us doesn’t have grand accomplishments and miserable failures? Unique qualities or skills? Those seem like napping topics to me, so I’ll skip those. You want to know who I am? Delve into my words and follow my free spirited, sparkling personality…

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” wait, scratch that. It was significantly worse than the worst of times. I was 34 and about to become a mother for the first time. It should have been the best time of my life, something most cherish as uniquely woman. It should have been, but it wasn’t. I was robbed. In the place of my joy was excessive vomiting and anguish. Not your typical morning sickness, nope, I was one of the rare (approximately 2% of the population) that gets to experience the complete and utter misery that is known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, HG to you and me, a deadly pregnancy related disease. I was hospitalized numerous times and at one point told I would have to choose between my life and my unborn child’s. It was not a choice I was willing to make so I placed both our lives in God’s hands. This leads me to my philosophy of life…

Now I am not a very religious sort, but I am spiritual to no end. I believe in God, but do not want a go-between. If he is indeed the “father” of all creation, why couldn’t I just speak to him as such? Why do I need to confess my sins and be absolved by someone ordained and in a robe? I believe in having a personal relationship with God and try not to piss him off. I am a firm believer in karma. Basically, in the universe exists an equal and opposite reaction to all of your actions. Or something like that, I suppose Newton said it better. I do believe whatever energy you put into this world will eventually come back to you, so I try to make my ripples in the pool count for something good. I like to take chances and see what happens. I am of the predilection that if you don’t just go for it; it being that unattainable, wanton thing, you will never know what could have been. You might now be thinking… she likes to take chances, she must be adventurous, a little bit of a rebel. I wonder if she’s gone sky-diving? Heck no! Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is just crazy! I want to live to reach my goals…

I remember once I wanted to be a teacher. Did I accomplish that goal? No. My hopes and dreams are like butterflies avoiding the net of a curious child. They flutter here and there, and as I grow older, change in mid flight. I have been a nursery worker, massage therapist, animal care taker, thoroughbred horserace handicapper, a mentor to children, a casino pit boss, a master herbalist, and a wanna be writer. At 37, I suppose I have come full circle to where my goals were so many years ago. I have gone back to school. For one who believes you should never stop learning new things, my new thing is finally get that degree. I would enjoy being an English teacher. At least that is where my hopes and dreams are today. Who is to say where my path will lead me in the future. There is much to be said for curiosity and gumption.

So there you have it. Was it curiosity that got you through these paragraphs? When you are interested in something it keeps your attention, at least for a moment, which was my plan. I hope you did find something interesting here. Be it my life or death struggle, my philosophy, or my fanciful life path. These are what make life unique. This is the secret life of me.

Movie Review

2009-01-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(written as a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

“My name is Benjamin Button, and I was born under unusual circumstances…”

It’s no wonder that “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was nominated for five Golden Globes. The adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story follows the extraordinary life of Benjamin Button. Born in New Orleans just after World War I, Button is abandoned by his father and raised by “Queenie” a care taker of the elderly residents of a seniors home.

He is born with a rare affliction in which he ages in reverse. The interesting story superbly intertwines the lives of Button, Played by Brad Pitt, and Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett, from childhood to death. They are at opposite ends of the life spectrum but fall in love somewhere in the middle proving that “life isn’t measures in minutes, but in moments.”

The aging of the characters throughout the film, from young to old and vice versa, is amazing. Following the characters as they discover life, love, death, and what matters most is what I treasured most about this film. Full of great inspirational scripting I feel like I actually learned something from the movie. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is my new favorite.

Movie Review #2

2008-12-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

“The Role Models” Movie Review
(written as a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

From start to finish I was rolling. “The Role Models” features a comedic pairing of Seann William Scott who plays Wheeler and Paul Rudd who plays Danny. In an energy drink fueled binge mixed with relationship woes Rudd flips out and drives their company truck into a statue.

Their antics as energy drink spokesmen land them in court where they are given a choice between hard time or community service. They choose the community service route and are required to be “Role Models” for children. This is where the real fun begins. Jane Lynch is the director of the center that Wheeler and Danny are appointed to by the court. Her character has some very interesting issues of her own that only add to the hilarity.

Wheeler is paired with a kid who is obsessed with boobies and has a foul mouth, while Danny is paired with a young teen who lives in another world altogether. Their interaction with these kids is too funny to miss. I would definitely go see “The Role Models” again. I found myself spitting out my soda and choking on my popcorn. This movie is funny and definately worth the price of a movie ticket.

What would you do?

2008-11-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

What would you do?
By Raynie Andrewsen
(written as a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

I pass her every day. She sits there with everything she owns packed into two shopping carts. Somewhere along the way she found a stool, which she spends the day sitting on beneath a raggedy old tree planted in the sidewalk. Some days I smile as I pass her by, wondering how she came to her status. Other days I avert my eyes, ashamed that I have not said one word, or offered her any assistance. What is her name? What is her story? If I asked her, would she be happy that one person who passed her by acknowledged her presence?

There are a growing number of her kind, you know, the kind we don’t mention, the ones we don’t acknowledge, the ones we assume have a multitude of problems stemming from alcohol or drugs, but what is the reality? Tonight 700,000 to 2 million people in the United States will sleep on the streets, in their cars, in parks, abandoned buildings or in shelters. They are the homeless.

Research indicates that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless. Extreme poverty is the underlying cause of homeless families because their incomes fall under 50 percent of the poverty level. The number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the last 10 years with the housing crisis contributing to this fast growing homeless population. Affordable rental housing is also harder to find resulting in families who require much longer stays in the shelter system.

In 2004, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty reported that children under the age of 18 accounted for 39 percent of the homeless population and that 42 percent of these children were under the age of five!

Homeless youth and young adults are at risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, chemical or alcohol dependency, and death. Homelessness is a traumatic experience for children who will often experience anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and below-average school performance as a result.

Have you ever thought of what your home means to you?

Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine you are one of the millions living below poverty level. You hold down two jobs, but because wages are low and the cost of making ends meet is high you are in a constant battle just to put food on the table. What would it take to send you over the edge? How does it happen, homelessness I mean? All it takes is a single circumstance. A loss of your job, or a serious illness and you could be in the same boat as so many Americans. Could you even afford a tent to pitch in any number of “tent cities” springing up across the country?

Now ponder this situation, you are homeless perhaps with no family or close friends you can turn to in your time of need. It is hard to get a job if you have no residence and even harder to concentrate on anything but hunger. Poverty and homelessness is all consuming. In fact, the two trends largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the years, are a growing shortage of affordable rental housing coupled with the simultaneous increase in poverty.
"It's clear that poverty and homelessness have increased," according to Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition of the Homeless.

Homelessness is a bigger issue than simply not having a place to live. It stems from poverty of which 36.4 million Americans are feeling the effects, 40 percent of those living in poverty are children. If the Fair Market Value for rent is more than double what a person makes working full time on minimum wage, how will we ever end homelessness?

In a recent study the cost of homelessness and associated services was anywhere between $35,000 to $150,000 a year per person, yet the cost of providing a person with a place to live and supportive services was between $13,000 to $25,000. Do the math.

“Community homelessness is a complex social problem, but it can be solved with the right approach. We should not gauge our success based on how many social service programs a community can produce, or how many beds can be created, but rather how those programs or beds are being used to actually solve the causative factors of homelessness,” according to Chris Megison, President and Executive Director for North County Solutions for Change.

In San Diego County where the median home was $470,000 the housing crisis has had very little impact on the affordability of housing for the average family. In a county by county analysis compiled by the California Budget Project, San Diego County residents would need to work 83 hours per week at the state’s current minimum wage of $8.00 per hour to afford the fair market value for rent of a studio apartment. If someone working two full time, minimum wage jobs cannot afford rent, how can a single mother on public assistance afford it?

I used to look at homeless people and wonder how did this happen?

Now I understand.

Estimates suggest that many Californians will face homelessness within the year. In fact California has the third highest rate of homelessness in the nation. Is it a coincidence then, that California also has the second highest rental housing costs in the nation?

The unemployment rate is rising. Major corporations are laying off thousands of workers. The number one reason cited in a survey of homeless people of why they are currently homeless was the loss of a job and subsequent eviction.

So, what does your home mean to you? Think about this as you gather with friends and family this holiday. If these people were not in your home enjoying some turkey, if there was no home to invite them to, what would you do?

The stigma of homelessness is our burden to bear. There are junkies and mental illness among the homeless, but there are far more veterans and families with no where to go. There are far too many children with no home, no stability. Homelessness is a problem that has a solution. As a community we need to stop being ignorant and selfish because the statistics show… it can happen to you!

Controversial: Prop 8

2008-10-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

If a man marries another man in a courthouse does it still affect the people who weren’t invited? Gay marriage may not be socially acceptable to many but it is exactly the kind of bigotry the Constitution prohibits. Same sex marriage is considered a civil liberty, although a very controversial one. Proponents for the proposition want to stop same sex marriage because they believe it is immoral, that their children will be exposed to same sex marriage without their permission, and they believe that only they are entitled to the pursuit of happiness through marriage. They want to “protect marriage” as solely between a man and a woman as tradition has always dictated, with domestic partnership being the only right afforded to gay people who want to make a commitment. There are many people who believe that this intolerance is a violation of the rights of homosexuals. These proponents against Proposition 8 want to retain the judgment handed down by the California Supreme Court which over turned the previous Proposition 22 that banned same sex marriage.

So, is gay marriage immoral? One would have to refer to their own doctrine of beliefs. The Bible, which is the doctrine used by many Christians, speaks of homosexuality in an immoral sense. It was part of the downfall and eventual destruction of the city of Sodom. That is what the Bible teaches, if you believe it. What happens if you are not Christian or any other religion for that matter? What if you also happen to be gay? Should you be denied your right to happiness that is afforded any other person in the United States because of the beliefs of a group of people you do not associate with? If the world was a different place where homosexuals were the majority and they outlawed marriage for all the straight people maybe then these people would understand. They are simply two people in love who want to make a life long legal commitment to each other.

Since when is teaching a child solely a teacher’s job? The people who want to pass a ban on same sex marriage want us to believe if we do not “protect marriage” that our children will learn about it in public schools. They want parents to worry that their children will be exposed to homosexuality as part of curriculum but that is not true. California has laws in place that protect parents rights concerning what is taught to their children, and the Department of Education’s policy with regards to the teaching of sex topics allows for the parents to withdraw their child from that portion of the curriculum. Furthermore, the code states “parents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children.”

This proposition violates the civil rights of a group of people based solely on the beliefs of another group. It is no different than the discrimination faced by so many over the years which was based on color, sex, religion and now sexual orientation. Proponents for Proposition 8 want to “protect marriage” but whom are they protecting it from? To restrict gays to domestic partnership rights as a couple is blatantly discriminatory, while it affords some rights it does not grant right of survivorship as a true marriage does. To create a constitutional amendment prohibiting same sex marriage is an open invitation for discrimination from other groups.

Any form of discrimination is wrong. The Constitution of this country guarantees that everyone is created equal and entitled to the same things that equate happiness in every group. To deny two people who obviously love each other the right to marriage based on one group’s beliefs is a direct violation of the laws we as a country hold dear.

Quick Write #8 : Prejudice

2008-10-19T00:57:00.000-07:00

Me Prejudice?
What is my one prejudice, bias, or assumption? That is a hard question. No one likes to admit to a flaw as large as prejudice, although we all have at least one. One of mine: Organized Religion. I am vehemently opinionated on this topic. I do not believe in, am quite perturbed by, and do not subscribe to any organized religion. That is not to say that I don’t believe in God. I do, I just believe that with something as important as your eternal soul, you should not blindly follow a shepherd or doctrine. You should be willing to “do the work”, have a personal relationship with God, and try to live a righteous life. This may seem prejudice, but I liken it to enlightenment and ascribe my perspective to a period in my life I call “The time I lost my faith”.

“The time I lost my faith” spanned a number of years and began with a religious battle waged in my own home. My husband, who I describe as a lost soul, became a devout Jehovah’s Witness despite my disapproval. I tried to keep an open mind and even accompanied him to one of their meetings. I felt as if I walked into the movie ‘The Stepford Wives’. The whole scene was quite bazaar and disturbing to me. I felt extremely uncomfortable and in the pit of my soul knew it was all wrong. I declined any further involvement but did not deny my husband of his need to belong to their organization. At least not until I was targeted as being “bad for his soul” by the church elders and told I would not be going to heaven because they are the one true religion and I did not subscribe to their propaganda. I declared war on the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and 12 years later I still desire to debate their beliefs whenever I see one. I am however not generally a vindictive woman so I bite my tongue and politely decline their little books design to “save my pathetic soul”. My war was for the soul that I was so bad for, my husband. Luckily I had help.

My cousin is a Missionary and she knew of a group that researches all religions and gives facts and unbiased research of the religion’s beliefs and history. I contacted them and they sent me information about the Jehovah’s Witness “religion”. The information it provided was startling to me, but I had also used other sources, including the Bible, which is what any good researcher would do. The doctrine they claimed as one of their main sources (the Bible) was one in which their teachings went against! They taught my husband that the Holy trinity consists of three separate gods! That’s polytheism to you and me! Yet, in the bible (Corinthians) it states “there is but one God…” One of my main arguments with my husband was “Why don’t you take a theology class, or do a little research on your own? Then you can make an informed decision. With something as important as your soul, don’t you think you should do a little research instead of being spoon fed by your brothers?” Just a little family reference all good cults use. His reasoning behind them having their own printing company and printing all the materials he needed to study from was to save him time and money. That’s convenient, but they can also feed you any line they want your to read and teach you exactly what serves their purposes. Another method of cults is to isolate and teach from their own doctrines deeming outside sources of information as false or misleading. This is also true of Christianity, which when I learned some important historical facts was a great eye opener for this free spirit.

I wonder how many Christians would believe that they celebrate a pagan holiday every year. Probably not many because after all we have been told the story of the nativity and that Jesus is the “reason for the season”. Ahhh yes and we all believe it because the church tells us to. It was during my “time that I lost my faith” that I learned the truth. In an effort to convert pagans in the early days Christian leaders “adopted” certain pagan celebrations and created a story that would make this acceptable to their followers and serve their purposes. Yes, it is true; Christmas is the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. In fact, how can December 25th be Christ’s birthday when Theologians have not been able to pinpoint his exact date of birth? And what of the bible? The bible that is the holy doctrine to so many is referred to by theologians as the canon. The canon refers to books that religious leaders discussed in depth to decide what was or was not divinely inspired or directly related to the life and work of God and Christ. They decided which books would be included in the Bible. The bible of today is the “approved” version that the leadership chose to allow. Censorship at its most diabolical, the fate of one’s soul left in the hands of church leaders. I believe in the Bible, as an incomplete reference to my faith. Do devout Christians know these facts and still choose to listen to the sermon? I guess maybe ignorance is bliss. Why worry about the sins you commit all week when you can go to church for an hour on Sunday and be totally forgiven? Hell yes, hand me my clean slate and I will put some dollars in your plate!

It was all quite disturbing to me and in the end I lost my battle. I let my husband go. God was not done however, that same year my father was taken from me by Leukemia of all things! Yes I cursed God and all the people who bent and twisted the faith to serve their purposes. I stopped praying, I never talked to God again. At least not until my faith in him was restored. How you may be wondering? My father restored my faith in God… after his death. It is a simple story really and could even be disregarded by the faithless. I sat on the beach in Hawaii, 3 am. My last night there and I wanted to say goodbye. We spread my father’s ashes a few days before. I was talking to him the way I had in life and I wanted him to hear me. I thought if there was a God and a heaven and life after death surely he would hear my words. I am unfortunately someone who demands proof of such things. In my attempt at not only reaching out to the soul of the man who I loved so dearly, but also to restore my faith in something spiritual I demanded proof that my father had heard me. I wanted a shooting star. Surely God has the entire universe at his command, is a little shooting star too much to ask? Give it to me… I need it. I need to know there is something greater out there. I waited somewhat impatiently and was about to give up, but then it happened. The biggest shooting star I had ever seen! Many would dismiss it as coincidence but regardless, it restored my faith. It also enlightened me to the fact that God can hear me when I talk directly to him, as I did to my father. I don’t need a go between after all! He can hear every word I say and to my dismay I have cursed him out many times, my bad. I am guessing he is cool with me though because he hasn’t struck me with lightning or anything. I think he accepts me with all my faults, thank you Lord.

So you see my flaw, my prejudice, is not merely an ignorant assumption of another person or group of people. I feel that I have justified my opinion with some basic research, and personal spiritual insight. I would never use my prejudice as an excuse to deny another’s freedoms. After all, free will is a God given gift. I will not however, stand for the hypocrisy in my own life. I do not want someone to spoon feed me like some dumb sheep. I want to learn from many sources and develop my own system of beliefs. The bible says, “A man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James) I try to not only have faith but also help others. I am far from saintly, and do not pretend to be Mother Theresa, but I have handed out food to the less fortunate, volunteered my time and surely there is more I could do. I will not however, blindly follow a shepherd in the hopes he will lead me to heaven for many have been led astray. This is my eternal soul and I want to keep it out of that hot netherworld. I’m not a fan of hot weather. My life, my soul, is a work in progress.

Salvia Divinorum: Medicinal Herb or Legal High?

2008-10-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Salvia Divinorum: Medicinal Herb or Legal High?
By RAYNIE ANDREWSEN
(I wrote this while a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

Sage of the Seers
Salvia divinorum, an herb used by the indigenous Mazatec tribe of the Oaxaca region of Mexico, is a member of the mint family commonly referred to as Diviner’s Sage. The Mazatec have long cultivated the herb for medicinal and ritual use. Although the herb has been an effective treatment for arthritis, headache and eliminatory complaints, it is also used to induce visions during spiritual healing. The Mazatec Shaman call it ska Maria Pastora in reference to the Virgin Mary, and the name Salvia divinorum literally means sage of the seers.

The mind altering herb has been widely available since the mid ‘90s. Its leaves are often chewed, smoked, or made into a potent tincture effects of which include experiences of uncontrolled laughter to more profound altered states of consciousness. These effects last only a few minutes, much shorter than that of other well known psychedelics. In 2006, The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 1.8 million of the population aged 12 or older had used Salvia divinorum. Its widespread availability both online and in head shops across the country have made Salvia divinorum a popular legal high.

Are we having fun yet?

On the street it’s called Sally D or Magic Mint fetching a price of $50 to $100 per ounce producing effects that are intense but short lived. A hefty price for a 15 minute high, yet over 5,000 You Tube videos attest not only to its popularity but also to the psychoactive properties of the herb. Although Salvia divinorum is not known to be physically addicting or to cause psychological dependence, the experience can be extended or amplified by smoking more. The effects can range from subtle to a full-blown psychedelic experience.

The experience depends largely on the person. Powerful open and closed eye visuals, increases in sensuality, hallucinations, the sensation of entering other dimensions, alternate realities and altered perceptions, creative dreamlike states and experiences, delusional episodes, even contact with aliens and God have all been reported. Many people, however, find Salvia divinorum to be unpleasantly overwhelming; effects being more scary than fun due to overly intense experiences that often cause fear, terror and panic.

Coast to coast collegiate use
A recent study at the University of California-San Diego asked a random sampling of students to participate in an online survey of drug use that included Salvia divinorum. The sample of 1,516 college students showed a pattern of use indicating that Salvia divinorum is becoming a significant drug of choice. Studies at college campuses coast to coast have seen estimates as high as 7 percent, especially among males 18 to 25 where salvia use has become twice as prevalent as LSD and as popular as Ecstasy.

MiraCosta College student Justin said, “The first time I tried it I smoked it like a joint, it was mild, but the second time I took a bong hit and after a minute or so I was trippin’ hardcore. It was a little scary, but completely something else and over pretty quick…I haven’t used any since that night.” Salvia divinorum is easily obtained right here in Oceanside, sold in shops like Outer Limits Smoke Shop and Inner World’s infamous back room. However, Daniel J. Siebert, Pharmacognosist and prominent Salvia divinorum researcher warns, “Salvia is not like beer. It is a very intense mind altering drug that should not be sold in a casual way.”

Promising research in Jeopardy

The negative publicity generated by the misuse of the herb threatens to thwart the research being conducted on the herb’s medicinal value. Salvia divinorum’s primary active constituent is salvinorin A which has potential for the development of a wide variety of valuable medications. Considered non-toxic and non-addictive, the herb can provide safe, effective pain medications that are not habit forming and do not produce dependence.

The research is promising, opening up new areas for drug development. The new medications this herb can yield include safe non-addictive analgesics, short-acting anesthetics that do not depress respiration, antidepressants and drugs to treat disorders characterized by alterations in perception mainly schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder. Research suggests that Salvia divinorum often produces long-lasting clinical improvement in patients treated for depression, as opposed to conventional antidepressants which offer only symptomatic relief.

Big Brother is watching you

Headlines comparing Salvia divinorum to LSD and a single case of a Delaware student’s suicide in 2006 have fueled the ban of the herb in a number of states. Currently 25 states have legislation, or pending legislation prohibiting or regulating the herb including California. Effective Jan. 1, 2009, assembly bill no. 259 makes the sale of Salvia divinorum or salvinorin A to anyone under the age of 18 a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of up to 6 months or a $1,000 fine.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has listed the herb as a drug of concern and is considering classifying it as a Schedule I drug in a class with LSD and Marijuana. Any good that can be achieved from the research and development of this medicinal herb will vanish if the DEA convinces the federal government to criminalize the sale or possession of Salvia divinorum.

In his address to Congress, Siebert said “There is no reasonable justification for making Salvia divinorum a controlled substance. Placing it in schedule I would deprive people of a safe and useful medicinal herb, and it would seriously hamper promising medical research…It is important that its source plant, Salvia divinorum, remain available so that researchers can continue to study this important compound.”

Book Review #2

2008-10-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

Pillars of the Earth
(Reviewed as a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

Ken Follett’s epic novel “Pillars of the Earth” contains all the ingredients of a great read: mystery, ambition, sex, love, betrayal, religious strife, suspense, and corruption woven in a tapestry of fact and fiction.

Weary stonemason Tom Builder is fired by a sadistic lord and is destitute. It is his journey to find work that leads him to his dream. Set in 12th century England, “Pillars of the Earth” introduces us to a tumultuous intertwining of characters whose lives are centered in the town of Kingsbridge and the building of a grand cathedral for the priory.

Follett’s use of historical events engages readers as his characters traverse an era of civil war, a time in English history referred to as The Anarchy. Follett burst on to the scene in 1978 with “Eye of the Needle”, a thriller, which was made into a movie a few years later. With 17 best selling thrillers under his belt, Follett deviated from his usual genre and created a masterpiece.

I was captured by “Pillars of the Earth.” It was hard to put down. I felt like a voyeur peering into the lives of the people of Kingsbridge. I have read it twice and both times was sad when it came to an end. The long awaited sequel was recently released. I can’t wait to return to Kingsbridge and take a peek.

Pharmacology vs. Herbal Medicine

2008-10-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

Where Does Our Medicine Come From?
How is Pharmacology similar to Herbal Medicine? When we get sick we go to the doctor. The doctor writes out a prescription and says “Take this, you’ll feel better.” We go to our friendly neighborhood pharmacist who puts some pills in a bottle, instructs us on how to use the medicine, including any warnings or possible side effects, and then sends us on our way. We get home, pop a pill and violá! all better. But where did that pill come from? What is it made of? I bet you’d be surprised to learn that many of the medicines found in our modern day pharmacopeia are derived from plants. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants. Herbal Medicine, on the other hand, is centuries old. Cultures all over the world have used plants as medicine. A wealth of healthful knowledge was once dispensed by shaman and herbalists. The pharmacy was in nature and prescribed by the medicine man. Today’s pharmaceuticals are just adulterated Herbal Medicine, one of the oldest forms of health care.

Plants are the basis of both Pharmacology and Herbal Medicine. One of the most potent pain relievers in the medical world, morphine, comes from the opium poppy. An important heart medication, digoxin, is derived from the foxglove plant. According to the World Health Organization, of the 119 plant derived pharmaceuticals; roughly 74% are used in ways that correlate to their traditional uses. For example, aspirin, an over the counter pharmaceutical, is used as a pain reliever. The active ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid which is a compound from the bark of white willow trees. White willow bark is still used for the same purpose in Herbal Medicine, yet, is used in its whole form complete with all its synergistic qualities. Science picks and chooses which properties it wants to take from the plant creating a kind of Frankenstein medicine not realizing as Aristotle did, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Plants are very complex and when you use a whole herb as medicine you reap all the benefits including vitamins and minerals. Never the less, the derivative of both is a plant base.

The history of Herbal Medicine is biblical and far reaching compared to the relatively young Pharmacology. “Medicinal herbs were found in the personal effects of an Ice man, whose body was frozen in the Swiss Alps for more than 5,300 years, which appear to have been used to treat the parasites found in his intestines.” (Wikipedia) In fact, Herbal Medicine has been documented as far back as 2735 B.C. when the Shennong Jing was authored by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, who is known as the father of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was a book of herbal monographs that described many plants and their medicinal uses. Similarly, the first U.S. Pharmacopeia was published in 1820 and had listed numerous herbal medicines. It was considered the standard until the 19th century when science took over having found a way to extract and synthetically produce the active ingredients found in medicinal herbs. Our modern day pharmacopeia used for pharmaceutical information by both doctors and pharmacists is The Physician’s Desk Reference or PDR. The increased interest in herbs and the recognition of their relative importance have prompted the PDR to create, just in the last 10 years, a version for Herbal Medicine.

Thanks to the whole alternative health movement, Herbal Medicine has seen resurgence but with it comes many problems that are similar to pharmaceuticals. The number one problem with new herbs and new pharmaceuticals is lack of research and poor manufacturing practices. There are always new drugs on the market and new herbs both are regulated by the FDA. Herbs, however, are classified as dietary supplements rather than drugs. The US Pharmacopeia has set standards for purity, labeling, strength, and quality. Herbal “supplements” often follow these voluntary practices and will label the product with a UPS logo thereby ensuring consumers of the good manufacturing practices. Still, lack of due diligence in the research and manufacture of both herbs and pharmaceuticals often lead to recalls and lawsuits. Both herbal medicines and pharmaceuticals require consultation with a professional before using and both can have side effects, cause overdose and even death.

Although there are many finer elements to each, Pharmacology and Herbal Medicine are very similar. While science has bended and shaped herbs in to a synthetic, easy to take consumer friendly pharmaceutical product; Herbal Medicine has remained largely unchanged. Although they are both regulated, Herbal Medicine is regulated loosely and categorized as a supplement. A great number of pharmaceuticals are labeled drugs and are dispensed by prescription. Yet despite these differences, the truth remains. Pharmaceuticals are the post scientific bastardization of Herbal Medicine.

Book Review #1

2008-10-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

The Shack
(Reviewed as a Staff Writer for my college newspaper)

“Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” That is the question that haunts Mackenzie Allen Phillips when his worst nightmare comes true in “The Shack”, William P. Young’s compelling new book.

I almost put this book down after reading the first few chapters, my own beliefs shutting the door to my once open mind. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go on but I did and found a poignant storyline that could be applied to anyone.

After his youngest child, Missy, goes missing during a camping trip Mackenzie is thrust into a deep abyss. In the backdrop of the Oregon wilderness he is lured to “the shack”, but what has brought him back there to the home of his “Great Sadness”?

Forget what you thought you knew of God. “The Shack” will have you questioning those thoughts and finding something more palpable to put in its place. What Mackenzie learns transforms his life. The premise “If anything matters, then everything matters” is what Mackenzie struggles with as past, present, and future collide in a story so eloquent as to inspire a modern day crusade.

The author paints a vivid picture as he narrates for Mackenzie in the end telling how his own life has been changed by Mackenzie’s experience. His words bring this work to life leaving many readers wondering if this is a true story or a work of fiction.

Young’s intention was to write a story as a gift to his children. His work inspired those around him and he was encouraged to publish it. To date the book has sold over two million copies and has launched a movement, The Missy Project.

Reading Journal #2 : Maya Angelou & Dick Gregory

2008-09-14T01:03:00.000-07:00

Once again I was torn between two stories that I connected with. While I read Maya Angelou’s interpretation of what went on behind closed doors between her mother and the dentist in Momma, the Dentist, and Me; I could see her shaking that ignorant man and putting him in his place. As a mother, I could identify with her and at the same time with Ms. Angelou’s view of her. I could also envision the injustice prevalent in those days. Equally I could feel the pain in Dick Gregory’s Shame. This is the story I will be doing my journal on this week because although the first story was humorous to me, I felt the pangs of Mr. Gregory’s Shame.

“I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.” This is a powerful statement and I believe it to be Mr. Gregory’s thesis. He sets the stage for his reasoning while telling the story of young love which just adds to his humiliation. Once again the injustice of the era is like a character in itself. He is deeply ashamed not only of his family dynamics, but also of the stigma placed upon him because of his race and the fact that he is on relief; financial aid perhaps the predecessor to todays welfare system.

The ideas in this writing, to me, were to highlight the ignorance of society at the time. When he is speaking of the teacher and her belief that he is simply stupid, he compares his situation to being pregnant. He uses this paragraph to drive home the way it feels to be hungry and poor. The teacher believes he is a trouble maker when in all reality he is just a product of his situation. “Teachers were never interested in finding out that you couldn’t concentrate because you were so hungry…” is a poignant line. It’s easy to dismiss someone based on the image that society projects on to them.

He learned a cold, hard lesson by living this moment in time. This writing could have a number of purposes. It is informative in that it gives a powerful example of how discrimination is damaging to people using his own very personal experience. It is reflective in that he learned powerful lessons in his youth that he turned into fuel for his activism as an adult. I also feel that this writing could serve a purpose in allowing people to experience through his words what the other side is like. To feel what poor is, what minority is, what disenfranchised is. His gives the reader the experience which could persuade the one to reflect on their own beliefs and actions.
The line that affected me the most was “we know you don’t have a Daddy.” The supporting lines that followed to drive home the heartache this young man felt were: “…I couldn’t see her too well because I was crying, too.” And “…the whole world heard the teacher that day, we all know you don’t have a Daddy.” I did not enjoy these lines. They struck a nerve in me and I felt my heart ache. My son’s father is not in his life and I dread the thought that someone may say something similar to him one day.

I thought the author conveyed the pain of a young man dealing with discrimination on many levels, in a way that the reader can experience it through his writing. He successfully demonstrated the way people simply dismissed the downtrodden or those who were of a different race, rather than look deeper to see the roots of the issue. It’s a story that makes you think twice about your own behavior.

Some new vocabulary : mackinaw: a short double-breasted wool coat.

Narrative : An Experience that Changed My Life

2008-09-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

A Light in My Darkest Hour
I lay on the table with giant machinery hanging over my body. My panicked breathing giving away my fear. In the cold, sanitized room I felt as if this huge metal contraption might crush me, but it was all just my nerves. “This might pinch a little…” the technician said as a catheter was carefully placed in my arm slowly threading its way to a major blood vessel. I let out a small sigh, it didn’t hurt after all. It was called a PICC Line. This tiny tube was my life line. My battle was against Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a rare pregnancy related disease, which almost took my life and my unborn child’s.

For the next few months I would be fed through the PICC Line. They called it Total Parental Nutrition, TPN; it is a complex mix of nutrition and vitamins specific to my body. It looks like milk in an IV bag, and actually smells like sour milk. I was relieved to finally get some nutrition after months of nausea and vomiting to a debilitating extreme. The doctors explained that this was not a cure, just a band aid. I was going to be slowly weaned from the TPN over a period of time in hopes that I would be able to eat by then.

One morning I awoke and my neck was swollen. I tried ice which seemed to help the swelling but once I removed it the swelling returned and was spreading. I knew something was wrong. My home nurse was called to evaluate my condition. She promptly called an ambulance. The PICC Line had to be removed. I was disheartened as I watched them pull my only means of nutrition from my already burdened veins. It had not yet been a week and I was back to square one. I wondered if my child was going to make it, and I wondered if I would.

An ultrasound of my veins revealed numerous clots in the area of the PICC line which extended from my neck to half way to my elbow. The treatment was going to be hospitalization and blood thinners. The only blood thinner they could prescribe to me that would not pass to the baby was Lovenox. The Lovenox had to be injected into my stomach everyday for the next three to six months.

I dreaded when the time would roll around for my morning shot. I struggled daily with the needle. It was very painful. I never got it on the first try. I would pinch a fold of skin on my tender belly, hold my breath, and cry over and over in my mind “just do it Raynie”. The first tiny prick and I would chicken out. The second attempt and the cold, sharp needle would slice into my skin pushing into what lay beneath. A slight tug on the plunger, no blood. I could send that liquid into my body where some medical miracle would be performed. My stomach was littered with bruises in all stages of healing. I was running out of places to stick myself.

My trips to the emergency room were far from over. I was rushed by ambulance once again to the emergency room. I had begun having fainting spells. The doctor told me that my symptoms could be indicative of the clot breaking off and traveling to my lungs, a life threatening, pulmonary embolism. I felt as if in a dream state, or maybe just disbelief. Out of my cloud I heard him say the treatment would be by medication or surgery depending on the size of the clot, but… it could cause my death.

The doctor told me I would have to make a choice, because the test he would have to do to be sure would harm my baby. I felt a pain in my heart like a dagger had been thrust deep into me by his words. How can I choose? How could any mother choose? I said “I don’t want the test.” I was going to take a chance. I began to pray. My son was far enough along that if I died he would have a chance to survive. There was hope.

After extensively discussing my condition and my choice with my doctor and his colleagues I said “I want this baby, this baby was meant to be.” One of the doctors said “then we will do everything we can to help you bring this child into the world.”

I lived.

My prayer was answered. I got better slowly, just enough to keep me going, to get me to the end. There was a light at the end of that tunnel after all. His name is Zane, and he is worth everything I had to go through, everything we had to go through. He wanted to live, and I wanted to be his Mother. I am so thankful for this gift.