Polanski, Phillips, Kelly and Other Would-Be Predators

Well this is interesting. Director Roman Polanski has been detained by the Swiss gov't after he flew there to attend a film festival. The United States will possibly seek his extradition after he fled the country during his rape trial in the 1970's. This is one case that has always "baffled" me. I always felt as if a) Polanski got away with the alleged sexual assault of a 13 year-old b) if so then her mother should have been prosecuted right along beside him for allowing the situation to unfold the way it did c) male privilege, specifically white male privilege trumped everything d) how serious was the US gov't in prosecuting the case knowing he lived in France the entire time.

In light of the most recent allegations from Mackenzie Phillips about her own father having sex with her doesn't it make you wonder if the majority of men are depraved and how they are usually protected because they have "talent" or are inherently male? On the other hand you have this seeming explosion of (usually) white female teachers targeting their male students as well. Sometimes I don't think their crimes are being taken as seriously as they ought to either.

Is there anybody left who has normal relations?

Phillips Incest Allegations Continued Discussion with Chynna Phillips

I'm glad I decided to watch yesterday's Oprah Live episode because she had a follow-up interview with Mackenzie Phillips. They discussed the reaction from family and friends. Mac's sister Chynna sat on Oprah's stage to publicly declare she believed the allegations as they had been revealed years earlier. What else can I say?

Dad Takes Kid On A Fieldtrip to Robbery

Nope this isn't an April Fool's joke. I know people are desperate but this is ridiculous. Just watch the video. I really have no words and I already gave out the Lame Award of Shame...

Bristol & Levi Were Doomed From the Beginning And It's Our Fault

So in what can't be a surprise to anyone, the Juno of Alaska will now remain a single mom. See this is what happens when parents are embroiled in their own problems or are singularly focused on their career ambitions and fail their children. Mama Palin was trying to win America's Next President contest against John McCain for the soul of the Republican Party, pulling her best stint from All About Eve. I won't put all of the blame on her, for the First Gentleman of Alaska or whatever he's called didn't seem to be running the show. So we see what happens when some people focus on controlling a woman's womb and worship the idea of motherhood but don't do anything about supporting mothers and their children or making sure there's an active male participating from the beginning either.  

For all of the religious talk about how evil premarital sex is, there's an insistence by some adults (and institutions) at keeping kids dumb in an effort to limit their choices. So they make the "right" choice and abstain from sex. As you know kids having sex will lead to the fall of the Empire. Not sexual abuse, drug use, lack of resources or a poor education. Since when does knowing facts about reproduction and diseases as well as an understanding of female/male interactions give the green light for wanton behavior? It only breeds ignorance where people don't think critically about their choices but repeat ideas they've heard as "proof" of following the right(eous) path. 

How about instilling in kids a sense of purpose and arming them with tools to negotiate their way through their childhood and society at large? I mean isn't that what we all need? Values and religious dogma are not the same thing. Then girls wouldn't be so easily swayed by sweet talk from boys - and increasingly older men. Kids might be able to explore their growing sexuality without shame and could make more informed choices. Sometimes first love is fleeting but you don't want to be left with anything other than memories. 

Now despite an unplanned pregnancy Bristol Palin is still in a much better position than most other young women her age. We're to assume it was a consensual relationship and at least her parents aren't broke and she has her entire life in front of her. It's just that maybe she might have chosen differently had she been more mature and not had religious dogma foisted on her. When people operate in absolutes the results are often extreme. 

Having parenthood foisted upon people doesn't always result in a moment of clarity. It can be disastrous for the child being unplanned for and growing up around those unprepared or unwilling to provide for her/him emotionally and financially. Bristol's pregnancy was an almost entirely preventable situation had she not been used by her parents for Republican talking points and votes. There was no guarantee of course. But the odds of getting into that situation is greatly increased when people essentially roll the dice, hoping for the best. Or grab a national spotlight based on false pretenses. It eventually gets exposed as a sham. Lust and newness fade away and people who were never really committed to each other to begin with won't necessarily stay together because they've created life. Ending a romantic relationship isn't a pleasant experience under the most ideal circumstances. It's far worse under the glare of national media attention.  

Let's hope we won't be seeing the continued circus side show antics of this child along with the Suleman 8 due to the parent's desire for attention. Then we can stop gawking at the kids and judging the parents for their imperfect choices.

What Kind of Idiots Are Running Child Protective Services?

Alternate title: How a Girl Scout mom with a Myspace page is a child abuser in disguise. How can CPS lose track of a now 17-year old who's already been removed from his original home only to wind up being held prisoner and tortured in the home of complete strangers? Don't they share information between cities? Three people have been arrested (one is supposed to be a distant relative) and are being questioned. If the teen had not escaped and gotten help from people at a local gym he would've still been in danger. The added tragedy is that he'll be kicked out of the system soon and could wind up in even worse shape.  

Excerpted from the Examiner:

"He said, 'Don't let them get me, don't let them get me,'" Ellis said. "He was totally terrified."

The boy said he had been held captive for nearly a year, said Ellis, adding that he looked as if he were only 10 to 12 years old.

Police arrested Kelly Layne Lau, 30, and Michael Schumacher, 34, late Monday after questioning the couple. A subsequent search of their nearby home found further evidence implicating them, Tracy police spokesman Matt Robinson said.

They were booked on charges of torture, kidnapping and child abuse, and were set to appear in court Thursday, according to online jail records. The couple were being held at San Joaquin County jail on bail of nearly $1.2 million each; county prosecutors did not know if the couple had hired attorneys.

Lau and Schumacher's four young children, two of whom were home when police arrived, have been placed with Child Protective Services, authorities said. 

(Seeing how well they've done so far this ought to be interesting)

Lau started serving as a local Girl Scout leader sometime in September, after a background check turned up nothing to cause concern, said Pam Saltenberger, chief executive of Girl Scouts Heart of Central California.

According to neighbors, the couple seemed to lead lives that revolved around their kids.

"The victim says he was held against his will," Robinson said. "When you have a 17-year-old boy showing up with a bloody ankle from having a chain wrapped around it, it's one of those things for officers to put one and one together."

On her MySpace Web page, Lau describes herself as a stay-at-home mom and says her husband worked as a contractor. She posted many photos of her family, friends and pets.