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July 25, 2009 The View From My Window IV The news as I see it… O.J. Simpson will walk—albeit, temporarily. For the first time in 30 years the Nevada State Supreme Court decided to hear oral arguments regarding a bail hearing, as Simpson seeks to become a free man while he awaits his appeal. O.J. is both one of the luckiest and unluckiest men I’ve ever seen. He earns second chances, only to botch them by doing something stupid. Most pundits expect him to be granted bail, but lose his appeal. Simpson is currently serving 9 to 33 years for a Three Stooges type armed robbery. I suspect that he will not have his conviction overturned, but his sentence will be reduced considerably. I’m betting the 62-year-old Hall of Fame running back will be released before his 70th birthday. Results of the Michael Jackson autopsy are expected to be released next week. I believe they will reveal that the pop icon died from an accidental overdose. Whether or not the investigative teams—which includes country and state units—can produce enough evicence for a negligent homicide or murder rap is doubtful. Then again, stranger things have happened in Los Angeles County . Ask O.J., Robert Blake and Phil Spector. San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito has a 27-40 record since signing a $126 million contract 2-1/2 seasons ago. This salary is more than that of the top 1,000 earners at Microsoft, which proves that a pitcher is worth a thousand nerds. Okay, it’s a bad pun, but the$126 million figure is true, and many consider it the worst contract in all of sports. An Associated Press article (June 26) revealeds that one half of the deaths of Russians between ages 15 and 54 were alcohol related. This study was based in data gathered between 1990 and 2001 and involved an examination of 19,000 cases. It is frightening to learn that compared to the rest of the world, the Russian death rate from alcohol is 13 times higher. Russian oncologist David Zaridze called the rnumbers “Similar to that of a war.” The arrest of African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. may have been “by the book,” but the book obviously needs to be rewritten. If reports are accurate, there was no justification for arresting Gates, or any man, who is inside his residence and proves that it is indeed, his home. Nor is the arrest valid if Gates warranted if he was being “belligerent,” for what man wouldn’t feel such anger iof his home was violated. If however, the officer feels his safety was threatened, I understand the arrest. That however, doesn’t seem likely. Based on history, we all know what happens when white police officers feel “threatened” by black men, even unarmed ones. Michelle Singletary recently penned a most informative article on financial elder abuse, a “silent” (often unreported) crime. She says losses to elders are estimated to be at 2.6 billion. Some examples she cited are: Forging an older person’s signature; getting a senior to sign over a deed, will or power of attorney through deception coercion, or undue influence; using the older person’s property or possessions without permission, and making charges on the older person’s credit cards. Report such abuse to your local authorities, such as the social services department, police station or contact Adult Protective Services, if not locally, then at www.apsnetwork.org or the National Center On Elder Abuse at www.ncea.aoa.gov or calling (800) 677-1116. (Michelle Singletary, Financial Abuse Takes Toll On Seniors, Contra Costa Times, p. C2, July 19, 2009.) I don’t know if I presented this before, but it doesn’t hurt to do so again. According to U.S. News and World Report, in 1945, public schools cited this list as the top problems in public schools: 1. Talking 2. Chewing gum 3. Making noise 4. Running in the halls 5. Getting out of turn in line 6. Wearing improper clothing 7. Not putting paper into a wastebasket Forty years later, none of the above would make the top seven: 1. Rape 2. Robbery 3. Assault 4. Burglary 5. Arson 6. Bombings 7. Murder My how the lives of teenagers have changed. Sex is no longer something kept behind closed doors and whispered and speculated about. It is open, graphic and children are having sex at a much earlier age. Violence is so blatant, that it’s simply a matter of everyday living, especially in the cities. We have a new “Rat Pack” with emphasis on rat. A Mayor on the take is nothing new, but rabbis allegedly using charities to launder illegal cash? Sheesh…only in Joizey, eh mugs? The federolis put the pinch on several public officials, including an Assemblyman, the Mayors of Hoboken, Secaucus and the Jersey City Deputy Mayor and Council President. What’s nest—nuns doing drive-bys? A crack-dealing Presidential candidate? A day-care operator who sells babies whose parents are late picking them up? Funny how George W. Bush took 96 months to wreck the economy and now right-wingers are mad because Obama has failed to repair it in 8 months. Does anyone remember those supposedly in the know talking about at least 12-18 months for the economy to show signs of recovery? Those ostracizing Obama remind me of a high-strung boss ready to fire someone on their first day at work—within the first hour! Eloise June Honett passed away July 10 at the age of 88. I’m sure none of you know of whom I speak, but she was the Principal at Pacifica High School during the last two years I attended. She took the reins during a tumultuous time, when the school was noted for racial disturbances, including an all-out riot in 1976. The predominantly white school had a black student population of approximately 10%, but she managed to keep a volatile situation from boiling over into the streets. Unlike some of the other school administrators, I think most black parents believed Mrs. Honett was concerned about the student body as a whole. She was fair and was concerned not only with how we performed in school, but at home as well. On a personal level, she knew that IO was as pro-black as any teenager could be, and she and I got along quite well. I always thought she was fair and was willing to listen to any of my concerns. She encouraged me to become involved with the four-day Model United Nations program. As a representative of one of the smallest schools in Northern California, Pacifica participants—me, Gary Lewis, Diane Miller, Paul Trombley, Lisa Wargo, Sally Ramirez, Elisa Looney and a few others I might have missed—made our presence felt delivering the days keynote addresses. I delivered a four-minute address on political prisoners that received the lone standing ovation, and it was one of more than two minutes duration. I still have the congratulatory letter she wrote to my mother. She wrote, “I have heard many, many compliments on his work and have heard from several sources that our students…were noted for their exemplary presentations. I am sending this congratulatory note to you because parents are the foundation of a student’s success and you deserve recognition as your son does.” Eloise Honett was a tough woman for a tough job. May her soul rest in peace. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly is a poet, essayist, novelist and screenwriter from northern California. His novel, HUMAN TRIAL, is the first part of a sci-fi trilogy and is available from Amazon.com, allthingsthatmatterpress.com and in e-book format at mobipocket.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com 
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