Do you have to be Humane to Be Human?

I had a thought while watching the news the other day. Do you have to possess a degree of humanity in your soul to be human? The evil ones that walk among us, looking like normal humans.... You know the murderers, the pedophiles, the people who don't have any moral compass? Do we really need to show them the same degree of sympathy and humanity when they don't show it to the rest of us. Why do we let the evil walk among us. When we know they are likely to re offend we set them free, we give them another chance. We show outrage that they commit crimes again when we knew it was likely to happen. When will we start to realize that mental disease of all types is not a choice. Mental illness is a disease or defect of the brain. It can be caused by experience forming pathways that lead to bad behavior or organic problems that have developed in the brain. I have no issue with trying to "cure" people of evil intent, of lack of morality, of inhumanity....but please DO NOT let evil walk among us!

On that note, when looking for a house, PLEASE if you have children review the database online of registered sex offenders and use this information when making a choice of what home you buy. Being forewarned is forearmed! www.nsopr.gov the search is free. You can also contact your local sheriff or police department. It is their duty to provide this information to help keep us safe.

When Government Works for Us....

When we see tangible evidence of our government working for us it is an amazing thing. With all the chaos in Haiti, our Congressman was absolutely instrumental in bringing my nephew Isaac home. Not only did he have a staff person dedicated 24 hours a day to making Isaac's homecoming happen, he actually took the time to visit my sister's family and meet Isaac himself. This was not just a "photo" op, no media was present, just family and he sat and had cookies and lemonade and talked. It is nice in this era when we all have so little faith in those in public office to see someone caring to make a difference. Someone who takes the time to meet the needs of one family and one small boy a world away.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

I have finally made some big changes...I have moved from my old company to Connect Realty. I think this will be a great fit for me. More technology support, great people and more flexibility with my schedule. I have also moved my Diego horse to a new barn where I have more time to begin more intense training. I am still at www.newsongstables.com for training and LOVE it, but this puts Diego where I have less distractions. Dare I say this may be a great year for all things HORSE and HOUSE! On a very sad note, we had to say goodbye to two great ladies in our lives. The first (and far most important) was my dear husband's mother. She will be greatly missed. Ruth was the anchor of the family and there has been much sadness at her passing. The second was Zoe's pony Cynder-Ella. Cynder battled kidney disease for several months and seemed to go downhill pretty quickly. Zoe mourns her passing all the more intensely because it coincided with the passing of her dear Nanna. I still remember the passing of my own first pony "Flags". I hope I dealt with the situation with more grace than my own parents, but it is a very hard thing.

A Twist

In another bizarre twist, Bob and Issac got stuck at this lovely resort in the Bahamas....Hmmmm.....Funny how things work out! They are back in the air today and hopefully the tiny four seater plane they are on will encounter smooth air to Florida.

They are on The WAY HOME!

Bobby and Isaac are on the way home. A last minute approval came through for them to get on a missionary flight out of Cap Haitian. They should be arriving in Florida sometime this evening and on a flight home to the Northwest in the morning. The road to get them home has been paved with the sweat and tears of many. Kristen at Congressman Rick Larsen's office in Washington State deserves a big hug and kudos for all of her hard work. Rick Larsen himself took a personal interest in getting Isaac out of Haiti. I will post in a separate post my rants about who of our elected officials were NOT HELPFUL, but right now it is just a celebration that after 3 1/2 years this little boy will know what it is like to have a home!

A Plan? Plan A?

So, we will call this Plan A. It is a "by the seat of your pants" very Haitian style plan. As luck would have it, Bobby (who looks a bit like Jesus) sat next to some relief workers on the plane ride to Cap Haitian. They plan to hire some ARMED GUARDS to escort them across the length of Haiti to Port Au Prince (I am envisioning Rambo, but more likely they will look like this....)

Not that there is anything wrong with a guy with a machete. Especially when he is on your side! But I would be much happier if some really tough guys were in charge of my beloved brother in law and nephews safety....Like maybe these defenders of the free world (snicker, snicker, snicker). Well, the least our former president can do is help get the orphans safely out of Haiti. I mean, Isaac is no longer an ORPHAN. He has a family. AS DO MANY of the waiting children. Why should an American citizen have to risk his life to get his child out of a dangerous country. A country that we have been designated "in charge of security" in this devastating time. A much better plan (or a great alternate to PLAN A) is to let Bobby and Isaac fly out of Cap Haitian to Ft. Lauderdale where Isaac's paperwork and Visa could easily be processed by USCIS or the Department of Homeland security. Pray to your God, Call the USCIS or Department of Homeland security and let them know we want our children HOME NOW and home safely with a minimum of risk to human life.

Red Tape and No Answers

"It is once again my job to be the barrier of bad news. Another day come and gone and no change. Despite extensive Congressional support and all of your calls to your Members of Congress we have hit roadblock after roadblock. At this point we respectfully ask that you stop contacting your Members of Congress requesting their assistance with obtaining security, transportation, and water for the location. The Department of State has not and apparently will not provide the small assistance that we have requested.

Given the current circumstances, at this point we are recommending that someone from each orphanage escort the children who qualify for humanitarian parole or adoption visas to the U.S. Embassy in Port-A-Prince. We recommend that the orphanage staff arrive with the children and any adoption paperwork that has not been destroyed as early as possible in the morning in order to attempt to obtain visas or parole for the children. Please understand that this option may not be considered safe and that the U.S. Embassy did not allow some orphanages onto the premises today. Additionally, please note that it has been reported that there is no food, water or facilities for the children to use while at the Embassy. As noted during our conference call earlier today, these are our recommendations only and should not be used to replace your or your orphanage director's good judgement.

It is our understanding that any children processed by USCIS in Port-A-Prince are leaving on U.S. cargo jets to locations that are not often know until a hour or so before the flight leaves. At times children have left Haiti without the knowledge of their adoptive parents.

This is currently the worst case scenario for the children's well-being and safety but at the moment there are no other options.

As we receive more information we will continue to share it with you. While the situation at the moment is terrible I can only hope that our collective efforts produce some positive news. Despite the roadblocks Joint Council has not given up on the save haven and we continue to advocate for its creation and a more transparent and safe process in uniting these children with their adoptive families."

Why can't we put human life first????