Sunday, December 16, 2012

Musings: It's All Murder

Just a few questioning thoughts on the Connecticut massacre.

How much worse is it going to get? Are we going to wait until some guy shoots up a preemie unit in a hospital before we start clamping down hard on high-power weapons, personal arsenals?

Can we finally start weaning ourselves off our steady diet of murder, mayhem and predation — consumed on TV, movies, video games, news, Internet —that glorifies violence, desensitizes people to violence, feeds our basest instincts?

Is it possible for all of us mourning those little kids, both the ones who died and those who survived, only to suffer lingering psychological trauma, to extend that empathy to the people of Pakistan, whose children and family members are being killed and traumatized by our drones? Death dealt from the sky by a foreign power is just as incomprehensible to the victims and their families as death dealt by a gunman in an elementary school.

It's all murder.

A photo has been shown of President Obama wiping away a tear upon hearing news of the school massacre. How is that he remains dry-eyed about the civilian deaths by drones in Pakistan, a country not even at war with America?

As CNN reported in late September:

Obama has already authorized 283 strikes in Pakistan, six times more than the number during President George W. Bush's eight years in office,

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an independent organization based at City University in London, reports that from June 2004 through mid-September 2012, available data indicate that drone strikes killed 2,562 - 3,325 people in Pakistan, of whom 474 - 881 were civilians, including 176 children. TBIJ reports that these strikes also injured an additional 1,228 - 1,362 individuals," according to the Stanford/NYU study.

Based on interviews with witnesses, victims and experts, the report accuses the CIA of "double-striking" a target, moments after the initial hit, thereby killing first responders.

It also highlights harm "beyond death and physical injury," publishing accounts of psychological trauma experienced by people living in Pakistan's tribal northwest region, who it says hear drones hover 24 hours a day.

We can't necessarily stop mentally ill people from waging murder, though we can make it harder for them to gain access to weapons of mass destruction. 

And we can, as a nation, stop drone murder as foreign policy, if the American people stand up and say, enough. Enough of this pain, this devastation, this senseless killing.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes Joan,I totally concur. Only American children are worthy of our empathy and compassion? It is a contradiction and hypocritical to weep over violence here at home while authorizing the slaughter of innocent women and children in the middle east. Will there be some actual gun control measures passed or will this all blow away once the dust settles?

Anonymous said...

The Kauai chief of police letter to the editor in TGI is hypocritical at best. We the citizens of Kauai has seen the rise of crime on the island. The number of crack heads being busted on Kauai with unregistered guns have gotten out of control. We found out that the lihue post office worker was a illegal arms dealer but who else is involved? There is no way one man could be the sole proprietor of this operation. We have seen so many murders go unsolved and covered up that people do not trust KPD as a law enforcent body. We have seen a almost tragic situation at one of our schools where a police officer that has many police brutality complaints against him and that has been sustained by the police commission and covered up by KPD IA attack a student and used excessive force. This cop has a history of abuse and has even abused his wife. This means in Hawaii state law he should not be able to carry a firearm so he should not be a peace officer. He is a danger to the community and a liability for the county and state of Hawaii as a KPD officer. What if that kind of shooting happen here on Kauai, where ice heads are protected by their police officer and political family members. We have already seen crime as in a drive by shooting at Kapaa mcDonalds, a shooting that lead to a murder for rx pills at Safeway. An illegal firearms dealers that no one really knows how many illegal unregistered guns did he sell and who he sold them to. Countless unsolved murders even the ones that have been ruled as unattended deaths and suicides are questionable. Insane home robberies that even our living musical legend Larry Rivera was a victim of. We have seen the lifeguards and teachers get screwed over so bad. Undercover KPD officer getting busted for stealing and reselling drugs. Militias and underground wanna be mafias running out of control on Kauai as muscle for a powerful group of families. Countless abuse by the former prosecutor and her trolls. Gas theft by our county employees and their families. There is so many things that needs to be fixed on Kauai. So STOP playing politics and do your JOB. If Kauai wanted a blogger or writer in TGi then we would have hired a former DPA blogger or nitpicker to do these jobs for free and saved kauai taxpayers some money. The last decade on Kauai has turned the island into a disturbing lawless 3rd world country. We need Change! and this starts from every departments top official period

Anonymous said...

we need to view view gun crime as a public health issue, much the same as smoking or pesticides. While the 2nd amendment types are gonna inevitably respond with "now is not the time to discuss this," now is the time, before the next wacko with a gun goes postal. And good people need to start standing up to our well meaning gun toting friends who have been brainwashed to think that having a cadre of automatic weapons somehow protects us from the British.

Anonymous said...

Right on Joan!

We live in a society that promotes the extension of the phallus, the gun. "Happiness is a warm gun?"

We (many) watch people killed on TV and laugh. We are disconnected from reality. Children in developing and poor countries are dying at the hands of our military, our pharmaceutical corporations (faulty vaccines and drugs)and chemical companies (Dupont, Monstanto, SIN-genta)....and we dismiss it from our minds and consciousness.

"Collateral damage" is a great military term as is "intensive interrogation techniques" to assuage the horrors and deaths.

Our "founding fathers" might have condoned the Right to carry arms to protect their lands from Native Americans (trying to reclaim our lands or Hawaiians?), outlaws, and villains, but I do not think in these times one can justify the right to an assault rifle, unless we have the right to overthrow our government with violent uprisings. (which may come to fruition in the future)

"Violent and Angry people with guns" is how most of the world sees Americans.


People are "loosing it" spiritually, and as evidenced by the violence in our streets, families and on Black Friday with Holiday shoppers......buying stuff is more important than spreading Love and Aloha.

I do not mean religion. We are having religious wars currently that make money for people who make bombs, guns and bullets.....which not only kill "da bad guyz" but children and innocent women.

Ainokea in the military. The generals smoke cigars, drink whiskey and plan the next war.

Perhaps we can create some good out of this atrocity?

Merry Christmas!

Dr Shibai

Anonymous said...

If you saw a tear you were the only one. Obama is a fake and a poor actor.

Anonymous said...

Sure people can have the right to bear arms as long as it's a single shot muzzle-loading musket, like they had when the 2nd Amendment was written. That goes for the cops, too.

Dawson said...

> Is it possible for all of us mourning those little kids, both the ones who died and those who survived, only to suffer lingering psychological trauma, to extend that empathy to the people of Pakistan, whose children and family members are being killed and traumatized by our drones? Death dealt from the sky by a foreign power is just as incomprehensible to the victims and their families as death dealt by a gunman in an elementary school.

It's all murder. <


Well said.

Anonymous said...

Worth repeating:

"Is it possible for all of us mourning those little kids, both the ones who died and those who survived, only to suffer lingering psychological trauma, to extend that empathy to the people of Pakistan, whose children and family members are being killed and traumatized by our drones? Death dealt from the sky by a foreign power is just as incomprehensible to the victims and their families as death dealt by a gunman in an elementary school.

It's all murder."

Anonymous said...

Your blog post reminds me of Auden's poem, "The Shield of Achilles": http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=7064

Anonymous said...

There was a time when I was for an absolute gun ban. Then I wised up and seen the wisdom behind the constitution allowing for the bearing of arms. Going back to WW2 the Japanese scrapped plans for a mainland invasion because as Admiral Yamamoto put it, there would be "a gun behind every blade of grass." This wisdom incorporated into the constitution is for the express purpose of defending against a tyrannical government which we seem to have today. Whats clear is the insane effects of powerful pharmaceuticals which are animating every one of these 'lone' gunman. Unfortunately an armed populace is a necessary evil for the comparative evils that will result without an armed populace are truly unacceptable. Digging deeper you could make the argument that all of these supposedly 'lone' whack jobs that shoot up innocent people are in fact operating under the duress of coordinated government effort, a scary thought and further justifying the uncomfortable but necessary right to keep and bare arms. All in all an armed populace is the solvency allowing for self-determination within any group of peoples, a simple tenet and a progressive virtue.

Anonymous said...

"Winning......?"
The human race has to evolve beyond the need for destructive weapons that kill in our space.
We either believe that "things will get worse" and we need assault weapons to protect our home, TV, and pickup truck from thieves....are having guns and nukes bringing peace to the world? Duh?!
or....we need to elevate, regenerate, and integrate Love into the equation.

Dr Shibai

Joan Conrow said...

A sobering blog post from the perspective of a mother who has a violent, mentally ill son. As with most issues, stopping mass shootings is not so simple as gun control....

http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html

Anonymous said...

I feel for the familys involved in the shooting, but more knee jerk reations to law abiding citizens owning firearms does nothing.
Criminals and those that are mentally ill do not care about laws.
A more effective route would be too make mandatory the use of a gun safe, and make those whos firearms are used in crimes liable and responsible.

jonathan jay said...

nice post joan
jonathan

Anonymous said...

The difference is......
the US military kill with a purpose in mind. The End justifies the Means.....children killed in battle are just ......."collateral damage" and casualties of war.

we have to acknowledge, for a country without civil war, we are very hostile, angry and violent.....solve problems with a bullet.

Perhaps the "wild west" shoot em up and kill the Indians in deep in some of our genes.....if not hanging from a belt from our jeans.

Dr Shibai

Anonymous said...

As much as people would like to believe our country was founded on principles of peace and love, we must admit that throughout history civilization and then peace, has only been accomplished after much bloodshed. and only a fool would believe that the US govt & Military dont care about civilian deaths.
And please can people become educated about the 2nd ammendment.
It was not intended to offer protection against Indians, Villians, or even the British.
It was to give us a defence and recourse against a tyranical govt at home.

Anonymous said...

America have gone insane and believe the collective psychosis that has diseased the nation is normal.

Absolute lunacy.

Anonymous said...

Triad of the American disease: high powered assault weapons, children exposed to violence in the media/video games and mental health issues.

The killing in Anahola was not over rx drugs. Mr. Moore was killed because he was to testify about the Safeway robbery. A quadrant: local entitlement, exposure to violence in media/games, mental health issues and firearms.

Anonymous said...

The murder of Mr. Moore has deeper roots than a lot of people actually know about. The similarities and connections to other unsolved murders are suspicious.

Do you really believe KPD officer Machado died from a freak skateboarding accident? Lauren Kagawa died because she overdosed? Alves niece wasnt murdered for retaliation? Kauai's rapist serial killer wasn't identified?

The patterns for how these people had set up their retaliatory prey is so identical to their other trappings. It's ike watching a rerun of Anatomy of Murder over and over again. Once you start to understand who the characters are and what are their roles then you will be able to place the pieces of the puzzle together and see the whole entire picture. It's like collecting McDonalds monopoly pieces where some are a given and the money pieces are hidden and waiting to be discovered.

Unknown said...

Chief Perry was right in his letter. Lets face it there is no one on this island who can do a better job, even in light of the betrayal by Begley and Barriga, and the Mayor trying to fire. This guy is tough, don't under estimate him. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to discuss. In today's GI's story on the Mayor's Holly Jolly party on December 14 it shows Joann Yukimura and the rest of the Mayor's Administration having a great time, laughing and carrying on. Did you know that was the same day and about the same time as the Newtown Murders? Did you know that the Mayor knew about it but decided to continue on with the festivities? Did you know that while they were doing their stupid skits on company time, President Obama was sending his condolences to the families of the murdered victims? This Mayor has his head up you know where. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Oh, and where was Chief Perry? I didn't see him there but I saw everybody else. He was probably working protecting your sorry okole.

Anonymous said...

Right on Dee Klaboo. All over the nation mayor's spoke to their community about the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

H*ll, it took pushing Carvalho to even acknowledge the tragic murder of Mr. Moore, much less express condolences. Then his timing was all off, much too late, and he well may have compromised the murder case in his choice of words. The mayor refused to allow the Chief of Police to speak to the community. That any chief of police makes public comment and update is the procedure. And, right Dee Klaboo, don't underestimate the Chief. Don't confuse being collected and still with emptiness...while the Mayor does what? A tap dance. Happy and safe holidays.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, December 16, 11:19 am. Some interesting views. Kapa'a McDonald shooting, the auntie over a probation unit had the PO who did the pre-sentencing investigation recommend probation for her nephew--the guy almost killed innocent people, and continued to try and place the blame on his buddy. The guy had no remorse whatsoever. I was in the courtroom at this time. The gunman's attorney stated his client came within inches of almost shooting two innocent people.

December 23, 9:25

"The patterns for how these people had set up their retaliatory prey..." Correct about this. Alves may not have been "contracted" but she knew an opportunity when she saw one. These thugs will fall right in line with what the lawmaker thugs are doing. Probation supervisor goes so far as to try and get probation for a family member who was involved in a drive-by shooting. Why wouldn't the street thugs come out of the woodwork in numbers? Just look what happened to the probation officer who spoke up against the pimp. Some dirty lawmakers, the pimp, and his prostitute, who had already almost killed one woman, went after her. Underestimated the PO. About KPD Officer Machado, he did die from a skate board accident. This is true. Know the family. But, who can blame any reasonable person for questioning?

Anonymous said...

This is the pOHAKU program before they called it the pohaku program. Now they have a get out of jail for free card. These people knew that they needed to create this criminal families protection program because certain people was on to them.

Anonymous said...

What they did to the probation officer is a reason why the GOBAG must be brought to justice. No person is safe on Kauai because a tyrannical group of people terrorizes Kauai. These people are in trusted positions. First you are a victim of GOBAG then they use everyone around you to victimize you over and over again. They try to set you up to get killed then when they know others are watching, they plan with others to set you up to get arrested and face phony charges. The cops, attorneys, judges and PO's are all in the GOBAG so you are screwed. If you go to jail then you are good as dead because they have militia people and prison guards that are apart of their muscle. A commission against corruption on Kauai is greatly needed to shine a light on the darkness that is killing Kauai.

Anonymous said...

In Mr. Moore's murder I wondered why the PA hired a outside private investigator to locate Mr Moore and serve him papers when the OPA had two capable investigators working for her at the time. Soon after he is located and served, Mr Moore walks into a calculated plot that got him killed.

This is right before the armed robbery trial against his armed robbers. The armed robbers turned out to be his killers that Moore was to testify against. The family has strong relations with the former PA and she has strong ties with this PI. The relations and evident usage of assets are not only suspicious but foretelling. How is a armed robber with a unregistered gun walking in the streets of Kauai right before his trial. What was his bail? Who approved it? It all points back to a certain PA. Soon after a program called POHAKU is created and used to help her other friends and family members.

The same goes for Ms Kagawa's murder. She was to testify against someone who she had applied a TRO against. This person has strong ties to dangerous people who serve in top positions. If you don't know the story by now then all you have to do is go on Kauai insolved murders or search her name and the facts of what was going on during the time if her murder. Her death is closely related to how the powers do business.

It seems that there is a shadow government of evil here on Kauai. The people who has sworn to serve and protect the people are the ones committing these acts.There are a lot of people involved and the Kauai national guard has many members of Kauai's killing machine. All IG has to do is bring in the gang unit and do their investigations.

Anonymous said...

The former PA hired an outside investigator to locate and serve Mr. Moore when there were investigators who were on with the Prosecutor's Office to serve papers?

Who did the former PA hire to serve Mr. Moore?

Anonymous, December 24, 6:39 PM, I think you've got a great deal figured out.

There's a reason Mr. Moore's killer felt confident to ambush and kill Mr. Moore in broad daylight. Why isn't the killer nervous about being found guilty of Murder First Degree, and so little so that he arranges to have weed smuggled into KCC? The killer is busted, again, but word is it doesn't matter because his family is connected and the Courts will cover the killer. Why is the killer so arrogant to the courts--demanding that he doesn't want to be in the courtroom, that this was the agreement? The killer complains to Judge Valenciano that he doesn't want to be in any hearings until the murder trial?

Try and get your head around this one. The accused insisting on being brought before Judge Valenciano and speak to the judge without his attorney present. What kind of 25 year old man, with a Murder First Degree charge hanging over his head, would ever feel so bold to do this? Maybe a 25 year old entitled killer who knows he will get away with murder.

Will the jury be corrupted? Judge Valenciano insisted on a small jury pool in spite of the Prosecutor's Office requesting a larger pool to attempt to prevent bias. Seems everyone, and his brother, has been called to jury duty but people like the probation officer who was retaliated for refusing to be silenced. She saw a lot of hard days in court against those who are to protect, with false accusers including one untouchable pimp and a dangerous street walker/drug runner with a string of felon convictions who is spending a lot of money to infiltrate the courts by way of attempted employment. Who would ever dare think this could be done in any venue that upholds laws of the land? A felon whose kid's father's family is connected to the same set as Mr. Moore's killer.

Anonymous said...

This is why I wondered why was the pimp so protected and able to run the Kapaa free store. This is where he was up to his old shenanigans of recruiting and enticing females to be his prostitutes.
The judicial system knew what he was up to because the females complained but he was able to continue his operation without repercussions as person on parole. I wondered if he supplied these sex slaves to the powers and if he did then we know why he was protected.


Did he have something to do with setting Alves niece's murder? Was he in collusion with the powers to retaliate against someone who won a huge amount of money and tarnished an already untrustworthy police force? Look at the people who are involved in the Alves case and Moore's murder, it's not that hard to put a RICO case against them.

The judicial system on Kauai is as evil and corrupt as a organized criminal enterprise. It's a big as when Al Capone terrorizes the streets of Chicago. The pockets of any and everyone was filled with bribe money. All who opposed were silenced or killed. They copy the Cosa Nostra and how to maximize their power, wealth, and control on Kauai. You have to identify the families then you will start to see them in every position needed to rule with a black hand.

Anonymous said...

Kauai's Top Syndicates are Kauai's Top Cops.They are hand picked and given rapid promotions because of not what they do but of what they really do. They are sent to the best training classes to learn and train their people on what the FEDS are doing. They believe that they are apart of a secret society but they are slaves and pawns to greedy evil families. Their people will kill their own people to protect the not so secret society. It's a hot mess on Kauai!

Anonymous said...

Why does Judge Valenciano bow down to this cold bloodied killer? Anyone who has been in Valenciano court room knows that he has a pompous napoleonic complex like a certain council member. This would never fly with him on anyone else. Is the murderer that powerful that he can manipulate a Judge? Now is the time to put recording devices in their chambers and tap the phone lines and computers of all the attorneys, judges, cops, and judicial employees that has ties, relations, and acts suspiciously and out of the norm.

So we are seeing what is really going to be played out in the circus court. It shows that they all have something on each other to have them obey orders from the Cosa Nostra.

When they get away with another murder then their power will grow. This group of families must be taken down before they totally destroy Kaua. These people are a serious threat to national security. This terrorist organization on Kauai is deliberate and precise in their missions. These dirty rotten scum bags needs to be incarcerated in Guantanamo bay for their terrorist acts.

Anonymous said...

Like if you didn't know what Begley and Barriga is connected to. If you don't know then you better axe somebody.

Anonymous said...

Mel Rapozo was the private investigator contracted to find Moore. The same former KPD sgt that was involved in the Alves incident. The same council member that was in collusion with the former PA to retaliate against Tim Bynum. They have close ties to a powerful man who was unseated as a council member. The same guy that has made ES 177 as famous as the destroyed records in WTC bldg 7. This is why Shay plead the 5th on The pohaku program. It has too much info on what Mel was saying on ES 177. Guess what former powerful council member was a co conspirator to destroy and seal ES 177.

All the Feds have to do is flip him, Ritchie, and a few more people then they will reach the head of the snakes. On Kauai they have no loyalty like Gambino and Capone families. They will snitch on each other faster then they can steal county gas. Water board these want to be gangsters.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous December 26, 3:25

Yes, I was informed that it was Mel who served papers on Mr. Moore. I heard that Mr. Moore told Mel Vinnie would kill him if he testified against Vinnie.

Then, Mr. Moore was killed before he could testify, again, as Mr. Moore predicted. Intimidating and death threats are common with Mr. Moore's killer.

Because this is such an important event in the murder of this witness, we can all assume Mel will be called as a witness--right?

If this event is true that Mr. Moore hid from Mel and told Mel that he would be killed if he testified, and Mel is not called to testify as a witness, something is rotten.

As for the Ritchie pimp, there was a stack of performance contracts taken off him when he, along with Monica Alves and other prostitutes, were busted in HPD sting operation in 1995.

The stack of performance contracts were submitted as evidence in Ritchie's trial. Try and get a copy of this court record at the courthouse or the Prosecutor's Office. Doesn't exists, cannot be found in any court record whatsoever. Conveniently disappeared. So, who is being protected?

And, what became of KPD Chief Lum after the initiation of the sting operation he organized? He got pulled-up and his equipment/computer removed.

Chief Lum's fate was sealed in a wrongful dismissal. The driving force? A client list.

The driving force behind the vicious threats and attacks on the probation officer? A client list.

The driving force behind the street walker to threaten a probation officer, have the unmitigated guts to falsely accuse a probation officer, file a false police report against a PO, perjure on court documents, and lie about the PO to the Courts? A client list.

What felon in her right mind would dare attempt to falsely accuse a PO or ever get past first base, much less have her day in court against a PO.

Any felon would get slapped with perjury in any court. False police report? The felon would be charged with filing a FALSE POLICE REPORT.

And, who granted a filing on behalf of the street walker against a probation officer? The Judge, Judge Trudy Senda.

Next, any John's busted in these performance contracts? No, not one. Why was this? Can anyone explain why when HPD got its hands on the "golden egg" (client list), KPD and The Prosecutor did move to bust clients? Common knowledge what happened around misconduct on the parts of Sgt. Mel Rapozo and Officer Mochada.

So, why wouldn't a street walker/drug running with a dangerous felonous criminal history, who just happens to know all the prostitutes who worked for Ritchie, and his former wife and kids (7 year protective order on family), not just know she one day will be an attorney on Kauai. She knows who is on that client list.

I'm with you Anonymous, Dec. 26, 3:25 pm, if the Feds could flip Ritchie, or the street walker, it would lead to the head of the snakes.

Anonymous said...

Where have we read this before?

Anonymous said...

Looks like one of the predatory retaliators reared its ugly head right on this blog.

Someone on the client list? Someone who served the clients? Or, someone who raped or killed?

Anonymous said...

It's always so amusing reading the memoirs from Diary of a Madwoman.

Anonymous said...

You can flip the people that was on the pohaku program as well.

Anonymous said...

Is it true that in Arizona discussions have been opened up to possibly arm principals?

Someone needs to be flipped and dig up the corrupt roots. What is interesting is those who are in the thick of involvement continue to say that things will never change.

Yes, Pohaku Program--preferential criminal treatment. What is key to understand the "flow chart" of corruption?

What are Shay and Jake up to these days? I dread the day Shay makes a public announcement as to how she, and her friend Jake, will be making a living for themselves. SOH, County of Kaua'i employment??

Anonymous said...

Post a comment and reply to your own comment. And the same thing over and over.