Sunday, July 18, 2010
An Open Letter to my Governmental Representatives
I rarely do this. I like posting about my family, my travels, and generally non-confrontational topics. However, I am strongly moved by this and have decided to use my voice in one of my rare protests. I truly believe that my family is now in increased danger that is not being effectively addressed.
With that introduction, here is a letter that I am forwarding to as many of my governmental representatives as possible.
Dear (Honorable Elected Representative):
I am rarely moved to action by events of the world, but I find myself so moved now. My life primarily remains focused on caring for my family and loved ones, working for my local community, and maintaining my career. I do take notice of larger events of the country and the world, but it’s rare that I take action on those events. I elect governmental representatives to handle the larger matters for me. However, the need to care for my family and community has led to this letter based on recent international actions. We are at an increased level of danger that is not being effectively addressed by our representatives.
You are one of my elected government representatives. With this letter, I am formally requesting you to represent my disgust and fear with the handling of the criminal pursuit of the US fugitive Roman Polanski.
Mr. Polanski is a self-admitted child rapist. However, it appears that his “talent” for making movies has exempted him from properly atoning for his crime. For a common person (such as myself), there would be sexual predator lists and prison terms to pay for the exact actions admitted by Mr. Polanski. However, for Mr. Polanski there is a free life outside of the United States and the extremely vocal support from much of the entertainment and media industries.
I am a father of two teenage daughters. I am appalled at the actions that Mr. Polanski took with a thirteen year old girl in 1977. I admit that I don't know all of the facts of the case, but I understand enough to know that Mr. Polanski should face a criminal trial for his actions related to events that he has admitted in a court of law.
My sense of justice in the world leaped on 26 September 2009 (coincidentally my birthday) when the Swiss government placed Mr. Polanski under arrest per a US-originated international arrest warrant. My faith in the US government (especially the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office) was heightened and the spirit of international cooperation was apparent with the decisive action of the government of Switzerland. Mr. Polanski finally tasted a small measure of justice.
The world felt safer for my daughters on 26 September 2009. A clear, strong message was sent to those who would prey on my teenage daughters. Your actions will not be tolerated. You will not be forgotten. You will have no special status based on who you know or what you do. You will be pursued, you will be captured, and you will face justice. You will be punished for your criminal actions. This was especially true in my home state of California where the crime occurred and the arms of justice were reaching out.
My sense of justice and safety was shattered on 12 July 2010. The world is a more dangerous place for teenage girls - especially in California. Predators similar to Mr. Polanski have received a strong message. Your actions can be excused. You will be forgiven. You have special status based on who you know or what you do. If you are captured, you will receive strong support, those seeking justice against you will be persecuted, and you will be released. Your actions are not your fault, so you will not be punished. This is especially true in my home state of California where many of the protests of Mr. Polanski's arrest originated and the arms of justice were slapped back.
I have been betrayed by the liberal "elite" of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general, the French government that harbors Mr. Polanski, and the Swiss government that released him to prey on the world again. I feel equally betrayed by the now-adult victim of this crime who now mysteriously supports her attacker despite never rescinding her accusations. I have not been supported as strongly as possible by the US government. Where are the howls of protest from my governmental representatives and the US media over this travesty of justice?
I realize that matters of law and international relations are complicated. That is one of the reasons that governmental representatives are needed. However, those complications do not trump the real danger resulting from the actions around this particular legal and international matter.
Your help in this matter will not appear to be popular. Those with the loudest voices will cry foul. However, the quieter majority, who can be slow to protest but will be decisive at the voting booth, demands justice. You have a chance to do the right thing and let the unjust protests fall on deaf ears.
As my elected representative, I implore you to help make the world safe again for my daughters and my community. Please send a LOUD AND FIRM message to the newly emboldened sexual predators of my teenage daughters in California that their actions are not welcome nor are they safe if they pursue their criminal urges. You represent us based on the people’s faith in your knowledge and ability to effectively guide governmental mandates that include legal justice and interactions with other governments. Please do all in your power to encourage the pursuit of Mr. Polanski, and all like him, to make the world safer for the innocent victims of these deviant predators. Please help restore our faith in justice and the institution of government as an enforcer of what is right and wrong. Please decrease our level of danger.
If I can assist you in any way in this endeavor, I am at your disposal. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Robert George
With that introduction, here is a letter that I am forwarding to as many of my governmental representatives as possible.
Dear (Honorable Elected Representative):
I am rarely moved to action by events of the world, but I find myself so moved now. My life primarily remains focused on caring for my family and loved ones, working for my local community, and maintaining my career. I do take notice of larger events of the country and the world, but it’s rare that I take action on those events. I elect governmental representatives to handle the larger matters for me. However, the need to care for my family and community has led to this letter based on recent international actions. We are at an increased level of danger that is not being effectively addressed by our representatives.
You are one of my elected government representatives. With this letter, I am formally requesting you to represent my disgust and fear with the handling of the criminal pursuit of the US fugitive Roman Polanski.
Mr. Polanski is a self-admitted child rapist. However, it appears that his “talent” for making movies has exempted him from properly atoning for his crime. For a common person (such as myself), there would be sexual predator lists and prison terms to pay for the exact actions admitted by Mr. Polanski. However, for Mr. Polanski there is a free life outside of the United States and the extremely vocal support from much of the entertainment and media industries.
I am a father of two teenage daughters. I am appalled at the actions that Mr. Polanski took with a thirteen year old girl in 1977. I admit that I don't know all of the facts of the case, but I understand enough to know that Mr. Polanski should face a criminal trial for his actions related to events that he has admitted in a court of law.
My sense of justice in the world leaped on 26 September 2009 (coincidentally my birthday) when the Swiss government placed Mr. Polanski under arrest per a US-originated international arrest warrant. My faith in the US government (especially the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office) was heightened and the spirit of international cooperation was apparent with the decisive action of the government of Switzerland. Mr. Polanski finally tasted a small measure of justice.
The world felt safer for my daughters on 26 September 2009. A clear, strong message was sent to those who would prey on my teenage daughters. Your actions will not be tolerated. You will not be forgotten. You will have no special status based on who you know or what you do. You will be pursued, you will be captured, and you will face justice. You will be punished for your criminal actions. This was especially true in my home state of California where the crime occurred and the arms of justice were reaching out.
My sense of justice and safety was shattered on 12 July 2010. The world is a more dangerous place for teenage girls - especially in California. Predators similar to Mr. Polanski have received a strong message. Your actions can be excused. You will be forgiven. You have special status based on who you know or what you do. If you are captured, you will receive strong support, those seeking justice against you will be persecuted, and you will be released. Your actions are not your fault, so you will not be punished. This is especially true in my home state of California where many of the protests of Mr. Polanski's arrest originated and the arms of justice were slapped back.
I have been betrayed by the liberal "elite" of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general, the French government that harbors Mr. Polanski, and the Swiss government that released him to prey on the world again. I feel equally betrayed by the now-adult victim of this crime who now mysteriously supports her attacker despite never rescinding her accusations. I have not been supported as strongly as possible by the US government. Where are the howls of protest from my governmental representatives and the US media over this travesty of justice?
I realize that matters of law and international relations are complicated. That is one of the reasons that governmental representatives are needed. However, those complications do not trump the real danger resulting from the actions around this particular legal and international matter.
Your help in this matter will not appear to be popular. Those with the loudest voices will cry foul. However, the quieter majority, who can be slow to protest but will be decisive at the voting booth, demands justice. You have a chance to do the right thing and let the unjust protests fall on deaf ears.
As my elected representative, I implore you to help make the world safe again for my daughters and my community. Please send a LOUD AND FIRM message to the newly emboldened sexual predators of my teenage daughters in California that their actions are not welcome nor are they safe if they pursue their criminal urges. You represent us based on the people’s faith in your knowledge and ability to effectively guide governmental mandates that include legal justice and interactions with other governments. Please do all in your power to encourage the pursuit of Mr. Polanski, and all like him, to make the world safer for the innocent victims of these deviant predators. Please help restore our faith in justice and the institution of government as an enforcer of what is right and wrong. Please decrease our level of danger.
If I can assist you in any way in this endeavor, I am at your disposal. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Robert George
Labels: Rant
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Joy of a 3am Telemarketing Call
I am in Finland again this week. Finland is 10 hours ahead of home.
A phone from work is with me for various calls that I need to make. The number is a 949 area code number (Orange County, California).
At 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time yesterday, a recorded "second warning that my car warranty is about to expire" call was made to the the phone I have with me. Naturally I didn't turn my phone off before I went to sleep, so I awoke to this wonderful offer at 3:00am Eastern European Time. I was too tired to stay on the line long enough to yell at someone. If it happens again, I may bring out my toolbox of "special words" to use on someone.
A phone from work is with me for various calls that I need to make. The number is a 949 area code number (Orange County, California).
At 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time yesterday, a recorded "second warning that my car warranty is about to expire" call was made to the the phone I have with me. Naturally I didn't turn my phone off before I went to sleep, so I awoke to this wonderful offer at 3:00am Eastern European Time. I was too tired to stay on the line long enough to yell at someone. If it happens again, I may bring out my toolbox of "special words" to use on someone.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Camping
We went camping last weekend. We took the tents and sleeping bags and such and headed out to a campground that I remember going to a lot as a kid. The place is called Vail Lake Resort (it was called Butterfield Country when I was a kid) and it is a few miles east of Temecula. We went a few years ago over a long February weekend and it was great. The site was still being re-built after years of neglect, but they had done a good job on what was done. Based on that, we decided to head out there again with some friends of ours.
The kids had fun this past weekend, although it was less so for us parents. There were a lot of cool things going on including live music on Friday and Saturday night, a BBQ and fireworks on Saturday, lots of places to ride bikes, and we added 3 new geocaches to our finds.
However, on the negative side it was hot, dusty, and loud. Hot was annoying, dusty was manageable, but the loud part was very unacceptable. It was like the campsites around us were having a stereo volume war and everyone lost. On top of that, we were dealing with kids screaming until well past midnight.
Wow, I feel old complaining like this -- but on the other hand I have rarely experienced such an utter lack of courtesy by so many different people in what should have been a relaxing atmosphere. The campsite had rules, they just didn't enforce them. I asked the nearest group to turn it down around 11pm, but I just didn't have the time or energy to deal with all of the others. Unfortunately, we don't plan to return anytime soon (and definitely not in the summertime).
The kids had fun this past weekend, although it was less so for us parents. There were a lot of cool things going on including live music on Friday and Saturday night, a BBQ and fireworks on Saturday, lots of places to ride bikes, and we added 3 new geocaches to our finds.
However, on the negative side it was hot, dusty, and loud. Hot was annoying, dusty was manageable, but the loud part was very unacceptable. It was like the campsites around us were having a stereo volume war and everyone lost. On top of that, we were dealing with kids screaming until well past midnight.
Wow, I feel old complaining like this -- but on the other hand I have rarely experienced such an utter lack of courtesy by so many different people in what should have been a relaxing atmosphere. The campsite had rules, they just didn't enforce them. I asked the nearest group to turn it down around 11pm, but I just didn't have the time or energy to deal with all of the others. Unfortunately, we don't plan to return anytime soon (and definitely not in the summertime).
Labels: Camping, Geocaching, GPS, Rant
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Haircuts and Dental Work
Boy do I feel ripped off when I get a haircut. As seen in the pictures below, I have less to cut every year. However, I still have the pay the same price as Andrew, with his full head of hair, when we go together.
I feel vindicated though when I get my teeth cleaned. I seem to be one of those rare people with all 32 teeth (wisdom teeth and all). My price for a teeth cleaning is the same as someone that has less than the full 32.
I guess flat rate pricing can work for you and against you!
I feel vindicated though when I get my teeth cleaned. I seem to be one of those rare people with all 32 teeth (wisdom teeth and all). My price for a teeth cleaning is the same as someone that has less than the full 32.
I guess flat rate pricing can work for you and against you!
