Thoughts (Part One)

Since I tend to write every now and again about things that are going on in the news, I figured I should probably start keeping track and organizing them.  So today, I will write my thoughts on Gloria Strauss, Chornice Y. Kabbelliyaa (Lewis), and President Ahmadinejad of Iran.

Gloria Strauss was an 11-year-old girl.  She lived in the Seattle area.  She lost her battle with neuroblastoma on Friday.  The Seattle Times has been featuring a series on her and her family.  They are devout catholics and prayed fervently for her to be healed.  The series featuring Gloria has spread nation wide as people prayed for Gloria and her family.  She was inspiration to other children who were fighting illnesses.  Some people would argue that this is proof against God.  I disagree.  God has His own plan for people.  People will not, and cannot, understand this plan.  I also believe that in her death, Gloria received the healing she and her family had been praying for.  She is no longer suffering.  She is no longer in pain.  She is no longer struggling to breathe.  She is in Heaven, in peace.  The knowledge of this is one of the comforting thoughts her family is holding on to.  It is not going to be easy coping with the death of their loved one, but I believe their faith is strong enough to comfort them and pull them through.

Another story featured today in The Seattle Times is about Chornice Y. Kabbelliyaa, who also goes by the last name Lewis.  She plead guilty today to one count of first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree assault.  She burned her foster daughter's (who also happens to be her niece) tongue with a heated fork, beat the girl's feet with dumbbells, and stuck a needle repeatedly in the girl's eye.  What kind of person would do this to someone they are supposed to love, nurture, protect, and mentor? This girl relied on her to provide her with care.  Instead this woman terrorized her.  I sometimes think people that treat those they are supposed to be caring for like this ought to be shot, or at least they should have to endure what they did to those they were supposed to protect.  I cannot imagine how traumatized this girl is.  I wonder how much trouble she will have in life.  Will she act out in anger for what happened to her? Will she be afraid of getting close to anyone? I can only hope she gets the help she needs.

And finally, I will talk about my views on President Ahmadinejad.  I do not like him.  I do not like his views on Israel or the Halocaust.  I do not really care about his nuclear ambitions, whatever they may be, so long as he is not intending to use them for the purpose of making weapons, which he has said repeatedly he is not.  I honestly wonder whether or not his people are smuggling weapons and fighters into Iraq.  There has not been any real proof linking him to this, so I cannot say that I think he supports the fighting there.  People act on their own accord.  I also think the United States and Iran have been having a tit-for-tat session over the past few months.  Iranians are being detained in Iraq, people with American ties are being detained in Iran, and the two countries or steaming at each other.  President Ahmadinejad is in the United States now.  There has been quite a bit of protest and controversy since his arrival.  But I cannot believe how he was treated at Columbia University.  Why, if he was invited to speak there, would the school's president say he acts like a "petty and cruel dictator"? The man is a president of a country, and should be treated with respect, even if people do not like or trust him.  I almost admire President Ahmadinejad for staying calm.  I think he made a good point when talking about the Halocaust and the 9/11 attacks, though others most likely found it very insulting.  I wonder what would happen if the United States and Iran actually sat down and talked things out.  Would they gain understanding of each other? I think it would be good if they did.  Iran has some powerful influence in that region.  Iran is not going away.  I do not like the idea of the United States charging after Iran.  The American public is tired of war, but it would seem their pleas are falling on deaf ears.  We need to have some sort of understanding with Iran.  I do not expect it to be perfect.  There are too many differences between the two countries.  But it is needed.