In Search of the Human Spirit

This is a wonderful, heartwarming video. A soldier returns home and his dog shows him just how much he missed him:

On the night of the gang rape in Richmond, California, many people crowded around. The laughed, they jeered, they took videos. Not one of them called for help. Not one of them tried to stop it.

Elizabeth Vargas was at home when heard about the gang rape going on at her school from her brother-in-law. She did not remain silent. She called 911 and reported attack.

This young woman stood up against community ambivalence. She knew the rape was wrong and she didn’t stand by and let it happen. Because of her, the police got to the high school and have six suspects under arrest.

Vargas is a brave woman. And, she makes us all very proud!

A short video of the historic day:

It’s hard to believe that 20 years have already passed since the Berlin Wall fell. I was a child of the ’60s who grew up with the cold war and the nuclear threat. It seemed the Berlin Wall would always stand as a physical and psychological barrier.

I remember this time very well. I had pen pals living in East Germany and West Germany at the time. I had one pen pal who lived in the East Germany side of Berlin. I remember how my friend would talk about taking trips to Poland but never to the other side of the city he lived in. How hard it must have been to live with a wall between family and friends.

And then a movement started. On November 9, 1999, the Berlin Wall was conquered by the people of Berlin. Millions of people were there to celebrate. They took sledgehammers to the wall and painted it with graffiti.

I imagine the emotions are pretty high in Berlin and in Germany today. They are once again a united country. Free of the boundaries forced upon them by the Cold War.

Berlin Wall Slideshow

A couple of weeks ago, the community of Richmond, CA, and much of the country was rocked by the horrifying details of a gang rape that took place on school property during a homecoming dance. Seven individuals have been arrested.

As the poor 15 year old girl was being raped, several people stood around treating it as entertainment. They laughed and joked. They even took pictures and video.

The community is trying to repair itself as it tries to deal with this terrible crime. They held a vigil on Tuesday, November 4th, to show the victim that she does not stand alone. They victim did not appear at the event. But, she shared these words through her church pastor, “”We realize people are angry about this. But let the anger cause change, change that is necessary to keep our children, our neighbors and our friends safe…violence is always the wrong choice”.

Her story has touched the very soul of this nation. Cards, letters, and donations have been pouring in from all the country as people show this young woman that she is not alone.