NRU, a little outrage is necessary

I continue to be shocked by what we allow to happen in our society -- and call it justice.  Rest in Peace, Mr. Wallace.

Sadly, when you want to be a little outraged, there is no shortage of stories to feed the need.  This one is egregious in many ways: 1) it is such a clear demonstration of the lack of respect people in Mexico have for the indigenous -- in that not to be outdone by other nations way; 2) it is funny that any one in this country could be so outraged given that it spends so much time and effort demonizing the indigenous people who come here from Mexico to do our dirty work (I know that they don't call them indigenous but their ignorance about the ethnicity of many workers from Mexico does not soften their words); and 3) once again, women and children get the short end of the stick. You see, so much outrage for one little story.

We were still raw from my sister's hospital experience when I had to take my mom to the emergency room almost two weeks ago.  We were lucky to be blessed with very professional and competent nurses and doctors. However, even in that atmosphere of competence, it was clear that they all had so many things to keep in mind.  Things could go awry -- patients could get the wrong medicine, food, treatment, unless everyone was on top of their games -- including the patient and patient family. I know it is a luxury of sorts, but, please don't leave your loved ones in the hospital alone.  This story demonstrates with fatal consequences that our loved ones need us with them in the hospital.  I have no doubt that the hospital staff is sorry and horrified, but the patient is dead.  There are jobs where there are no take backs, and medicine is one of them.  Only people who are willing to give 110% should be in the profession.

I am not the only one feeling like a little outrage is necessary ... though I am not sure I can muster outrage for the lost adulthood of America or the imposter service dogs, I see the point of these authors ... more importantly, I understand the need to vent a little.  Though these stories do remind me a little too much of Andie MacDowell's character in Sex, Lies, and Videotape malenting over the garbage mounds in the ocean.

[As a side note, I think I learned to hate and avoid Andie MacDowell on the basis of her annoying character in that movie ... I rooted for her skanky sister throughout, she was more appealing.  Tells you something about the sympathy level the characters evoked.  Good movie though.]

It's hard to know where to start with the outrage for this story about adoptive parents of international children putting kids up on a listserv when the parents find they can no longer handle those kids.  In essence, this report is talking about another way children are sold into slavery and the sex trade.  I know it was not those adoptive parents' objective, but it is an unforeseen byproduct.  Sadly, the folks in this interview are unwilling to go out on that limb.  I wonder, if these folks had birthed children that they couldn't handle as teenagers, would they have dropped them off with sexual predators in a trailer park?  The outrage need not end with the irresponsible adults adopting children and then attempting to give them back.  Adoption over age 4 is hard for anyone from anywhere.  With all the money that private, international adoption agencies collect from prospective parents, those who often are unwilling to go through the background searches that domestic adoptive parents do, you would think those companies could afford to train the parents or offer other after care support.  How about once you have allowed a child into the country, and presumably sanctioned the adoption in some legal way, how is it the government has no record of these children? And no responsibility?

On the silver lining side of outrage, this piece details how some states moved on gun control after the Newtown shootings.  It may not all work out, but if enough states in the country can maintain the outrage, perhaps we could finally convince our federal government to make some substantive changes.  Perhaps we could start to think about more trainings about spotting mental illness and come up with some helpful ways to intervene.  One can always hope.