Manns Medium

  If we are completely honest with ourselves, even the blind can see the connection between mental issues and criminal activities.   You can gather all the proof your need through live interviews with those who are currently incarcerated or those who have a criminal record including misdemeanors.   Since there are not one human being free of trauma in their lives which spawns a mental issue, the alarm should ring quite loudly when you hear them say that they are fine, normal, sane, or free of sin.   The very fact that a living, breathing human being thinks that they are immune from mental issues should, itself, be very alarming. We all begin contact with mental issues at birth.   Abandonment is the first mental trauma we face as we are forced out of the only safe and secure environment that we know.   We then spend most of our time trying to make sense of this new world that we are now a part of.   To get an idea of how we are supposed to...

  I remember the times when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, many called him the “Anti-Christ” and proclaimed that he would lead many down a very destructive path.   A destructive path that will cause major damage to humanity and this very nation but last check, Barack Obama preached calm and even demanded protest to remain peaceful and non-violent.   Can we, honestly, say the same thing about Donald Trump, by which, none of those claiming Obama as the anti-Christ even whispered this titled be attached to Trump.   Let’s be honest, for it is written “Romans 16:17-18 says I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve”.   Which explains why, I was not too surprised to find this headline in th...

When we are first born, we shed the protection of the womb and entire into an existence that is extremely frightening, we cry not so much about the doctor spanking us on the butt but simply because we know of no other recourse to express this fear. This is the first time we encounter a mentally traumatic event, we call abandonment. Our only true solace is to placed in the arms of the person whom we had come to know as our safe haven strictly by heartbeat and possibly smell because only after hearing that familiar heartbeat and later the sound of that safe haven’s voice, do we calm down enough to stop crying. If that sensation is missing, we will continue to be unsettled and affect by this for the rest of our lives. If this sensation is present, we tend to settle in and when something happens which creates a fear in us, we run to that safe place for comfort also for now and the rest of our lives. As we grow, several other mentally traumatic events happens, each leaves it’s o...

When directed to this article, I had no clear thought of why someone wanted me to read it but after doing so, a thought of why it was written appeared in my mind.  Now I am not a mind reader nor do I pretend to be but I think that there may be some truth to an article being written not to inform but to force conformity.  In other words, an article not written to educate the public but provide those who refuse to do their jobs an excuse. The article is titled “ It took 2 years for charges in  Greer's  death. That could be the easy part ” and appears to have been written by Justin Jouvenal.  In it he reports “ It took two years, the involvement of county and federal prosecutors and a special grand jury before a former Fairfax County police officer was indicted Monday on a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting of an unarmed Springfield, Va., man in 2013.  But for prosecutors, the hard work may just be beginning.  Legal experts and former pro...

Many news agencies are applauding the new stance that NFL (National Football League) Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken on domestic abuse by members of this organization and while I can clearly see why, there are still two other sides of this coin that seems to be lost in the conversation. In his article titled “N.F.L. Domestic Violence Policy Toughened in Wake of Ray Rice Case”, Ken Belson wrote “In a rare mea culpa, N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday that he had mishandled the Ray Rice case, in which the Baltimore Ravens running back was suspended for two games after being accused of assaulting his fiancée.”  “My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell said in a letter to team owners. “I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values. I  didn't  g...

I was awakened by a thought this morning.  A thought about what the real purpose of conversation is all about.  A conversation not unlike this one that we are having right now, I through writing and you through reading.  A thought of how easily the subject of a conversation can be switched and turn what began as a quiet and civil discourse into a more distinct and possibly enraging exchange. The thought began with a story from guy one, we will call him Larry.  Larry began by telling Sam, David and Ron about a young lady who decided to legally open a business in her town.  She decided to open a home of prostitution because earlier her sister had her children taken from her and placed with this new business owner for working as a prostitute.  Her issue was not that her sister did not stop immediately and find another job but that her sister refused to give her a portion of the money she was making to help her feed, clothed and care for her kids. Afte...

As a former law enforcement official, I have become dismayed and dishearten by the recent events where my fellow badge totters have exercise a severe lack of proper judgment when it comes to responding to incidents.  One the one hand, I feel quite connected to them and truly want to see that they do no harm while on the other, I am quite aware that there is a small percentage of all workers in any industry that tends to put personal pride before professionalism and cause all those associated with that industry a “black eye”.  These are those who have been recently caught on tape performing in a way that is far contrary to the education received before graduation.  I have searched for a possible motive and I think I may have found it. Take for example, this article titled “LA Cop Punches Special Needs Girl in the Face, Tries to Confiscate Video of Incident” brought to us by The Free Thought Project.com.  While most of it is becoming part of the norm, one part of ...

If you are like me, you probably haven’t though much about the current rage of budget cuts.   You typically may not even care or be aware unless you fall into the category of being effected by them.   For many of us, we are so far “behind the eight ball” that anything else bad that happens in our lives is just chalked up to the old adage “oh well”.   Not this time. James Fuller, a reporter for the Daily Herald in Kane County, wrote an article titled “More than 1,000 Kane County DUIs not reported to state” and Brenda Schory, a reporter for the Kane County Chronicle wrote one titled “Thousands of DUI records from Kane County under review”.   Both these article covered how the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office failed to perform its job by transmitting these records to the State so that its records would reflect if requirements to maintain or lose your license had been met.   Needless to mention that hundreds of those who completed every action required to keep th...

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin Trial, many are now beginning to take a good hard look at themselves.   Whether it is those of the Black Community, the White Community, Hispanic Community, Asian Community, Gay and Lesbian Community, Religious Right and Left Community or any other community which seeks to survive and thrive in these United States of America.   We look at ourselves in order to discovery if we have done as much as we can to erase all bias and prejudice.   Some have little work to do but the majority of us have a whole lot of work ahead of us. When we speak of racism, bias or prejudice, we need to know that it is not particular to one race or another and surprisingly it is directed at not only those outside of our own race but within just as well.   If we are to eradicate hate, it has got to happen not only toward those who are of a different skin color but those whose pigmentation resembles our own. Take for example, two prominent gentlemen ...

Ask this question because with each passing day not only are those being charged with horrendous crimes getting younger and younger but so are the victims of these satanic acts conducted by our children on our streets.   When will enough be enough for parents to not only take responsibility for their lack of parenting but accountability for the example that they set. Case in point; if you children grow up in a home full of violence, violence is going to be the only answer that they learn for every problem.   Instead of trying to understand another’s point of view, their solution will only be point and shoot.   Yell louder than the person that you are talking to and if that doesn’t work, strike first, fast and hard.   If this is the society that we want, if this is the society that we wish our children raised in and if this is the society that we think we are powerless to control, we are wrong on all accounts. Our first task is to lead by example at home. ...

Normally I do not consider myself a conspiracy theorist but the actions of the Colorado Movie Theater shooter, Mr. James Holmes does gives me pause.  No one has to try hard to imagine the cowardice it took to attack unarmed citizens as they embarked on a night of entertainment but try, if you can, to follow my thoughts on why he took those actions and why he may have acted as he did after being captured. Now remember, he was not caught as reported, he surrendered and that alone makes me wonder.  Many who feel justified in their actions and are resolved to give their lives to whatever cause, will not surrender unless they know that they will be released or they have other scenarios that they want to see play out.  Mr. Holmes surrendered peacefully and quietly even offering to warn law enforcement about the booby traps left in his apartment.  Either he is extremely weak or there is something else he wanted to see the results of. Given what we know about his backgro...

This article is strictly speculation even though it is taken from numerous news accounts, the 911 tapes and reported eyewitness testimony.   It is my account of the final hours in the life of Trayvon Martin.   A young black male takes a few minutes away from watching television and decides to make a quick trip to the local convenience store to pick up his favorite candy and his favorite drink.   He leaves the store and as he made his way back home to his gated community, he makes a phone call to his girlfriend.   As he enters the community he slows his gait to give him more time to speak to the lady in his life.   While walking he looks up and notices an unknown vehicle parked on the street with a man sitting behind the wheel.   He then dons his hood which is attached to his shirt and continues his journey.   As his vision of the driver becomes clearer, he does not recognize the person and decides to change his direction to avoid him. ...

When it comes to any type of substance abuse whether its alcohol, drugs or just plain over-the-counter medication, many experts say that to truly understand the reason for abuse, we must first understand the reason that caused the abuse.   Not being an expert, I have come up with another way to deal with this issue. Through observation and the seldom used talent of listening, it occurs to me that the primary reason to take begin substance abuse is nothing short of a desire to see how it feels.   The primary reason to continue is nothing short of fear and embarrassment.   Fear that any short comings or long hidden desires which may have crept out during your time of abuse will never be erased.   Embarrassed because you were so very sure that no drug or substance would ever be able to control you only to find that you were so very wrong and is now being literally led by the nose by your need to have it. The fear is soon masked by your rationalization to blame ot...

For those of us who wish that we could all come together one day and unite to finally solve all of the issue plaguing this nation, there will always be a few willing to sabotage any efforts to do so.   We sometimes ask ourselves just what is he advantage to seeing this country go off a cliff and now I think I have the answer. The extremist, on both sides, of any issue do not really fear this country going back to the dark ages of man mainly because they know for a fact that the majority will never let that happen.   Thye can rant and rave about extreme views and attempt to plug in their operatives in key position to push this agenda but inside of their hearts of hearts, they know that before they do too much damage to this country, they will be stopped. They also know that the majority will always do what is best for this nation as a whole and being a part of this nation, they will also benefit from these choices.   On one will be able to take away their citizenship or ...

Rockford, IL- I was struck by an article written by Mark Stevens of WTVO TV titled   Jail Population Has Winnebago County Leaders Looking at Courts which stated that “the Winnebago County Jail is slowly filling up... jeopardizing safety and costing taxpayers more money.   The problem... fewer cases are getting through the court system.   Law changes have made more crimes serious... but budget cuts have hurt their efficiency.   Their answer… bringing back Saturday court or maybe work a little extra overtime. If the goal is to reduce the crowding and save money then the answers can not be those above because it is doing the same things over and over again, the exact same way but expecting a different result.   That is nothing more than a sign of insanity, especially since they just blow hundreds of dollars building a brand new facility.   What they need to do is make many of the crimes that people are sitting in jail awaiting their time in court for, a c...