Know What You Are Talking About Before You Open Your Mouth

David K, again with his un-dying support of Ann Morgan Lilly has decided to pretend he knows what he’s talking about…again.

So he apparently has challenged the veracity of the documents I previously posted that state that Representative Lilly had to pay up in a judgement.

Well, here is the SIGNED document. I was right, he was wrong. I know that he probably won’t ever admit it, but you people are smart enough to read and can see what you have in front of you.

View this document on Scribd

DA Esparza Can Kiss Congress Good-Bye

District Attorney Jaime Esparza has long been rumored to be next in line for the congressional seat in El Paso. Well, that was then, and this is now.

After the year he’s had, he can forget about it.

Theresa Caballero has been wearing the vato down with a constant barrage about a rumored love child, without ever having proof by the way, and he’s suffered several defeats in court that will have long-lingering affects.

First he loses the Marmolejo case, which was a huge loss. That was a very high profile case that he had personal capital invested in. Its a case that had people in this town on the edge of their seat.

Then he was able to get a win on the second go around, but he had to have the case in San Antonio to do it.

Then along comes the Arditti case and his nemesis Theresa Caballero. Esparza should’ve sent in his varsity team to try the case. Arditti was found not guilty on all the charges and Esparza ended up with another high-profile loss.

The really bad thing for Esparza is that he lost to Caballero in a really high-profile case. You can bet money she will run against him in the next election, which by the way, isn’t so far off. The filing deadline will be over before the end of the year.

Esparza hasn’t shown any indication that he will run again. I seriously doubt that the will not run for re-election if Caballero throws her hat in the ring. I think the last thing Esparza wants is Caballero in charge of the District Attorney’s office. So unless another worthy candidate steps up, he will be forced to run again.

That means more of an onslaught of Caballero’s allegations. That has to be hard on the family life and everyone has their breaking point.

At this point Esparza’s job may be in jeopardy. There’s no way he wins a congressional race if he loses to Caballero.

Speaking of the Courthouse….

Several lawyers have told me something that I’m not to happy about.

Turns out there is a judge that apparently thinks so little of the bench, that the judge doesn’t even come in to the office for proceedings on certain days.

The attorneys tell me the judge will hold hearings / proceedings OVER THE TELEPHONE! I don’t know if there is anything legally wrong with that, but to speak frankly its bullshit. That kind of conduct should never be the practice of a judge in the state of Texas.

That judge owes the tax payers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. That is a basic concept.

All I know is that if I hear it happens again, I’m going to make sure people know about it.

The LionStar Blog has moved!!!

Dear Readers:

We have finally finished enough of the site to launch it. Our new blog can be found at www.TheLionStarBlog.com starting today.

The new site will allow for posting of source documents and audio clips in addition to video and pics. We are also pleased to announce that we will now also have a podcast on the new site and that will also soon be available.

We are still working on the site and making some layout changes, so bear with us. But head on over when you have a chance. There is one post up and we will be migrating the old content from this site over there so that you can catch up on some of the old stuff as well.

Thanks for reading and your continued support!!!

Boxing Weekend

One of the things I am most passionate about in life is the sport of boxing. I have an obsession with the Sweet Science that started the very first time I stepped into a boxing gym in Phoenix when I was about 8 or so. Like most fight fans, I have been disappointed with all the dirty parts of the fight business that seems to have clouded the sport over the years, but I just can’t help but to love the sport.

 

Like all the major sports, the amateur ranks represent the purest form of the game. Boxing is the humblest of all sports and is something that is usually dominated by kids that grew up on the wrong side of town, whether it was Hell’s Kitchen, Boston, South Philadelphia, East LA, Segundo Barrio, South Phoenix, Quezon City, Managua, Mexico City, or Culiacan. A true blue collar sport. At the amateur level there are no high-priced camps for the rich kids to go to, no edge in equipment, no personal trainers and sports psychologists. All you need to two hands, a set of gloves, a strong heart, and the ability to get back up when you get knocked down. A lot like life it self.

 

So this weekend was a pretty decent weekend for fight fans. Johnny Tapia was in town for a fight on Friday and Oscar De La Hoya was on HBO.

 

Johnny Tapia

 

This fight was to take place at the Barn, El Paso County Coliseum. But remember all the dirty parts of the fight business that disappoint fight fans; well I was talking about stuff like this. The fight was canceled at the last minute. There was a dispute over the contract; or rather if one in fact existed. 

 

 

Johnny Tapia said that he’d come to fight, but apparently he meant his lawyers. KVIA’s website has some video of the lawyers and promoter discussing what the issue was, so you can check it out here, http://www.kvia.com/Global/category.asp?C=28317&nav=menu193_4.

 

His career has been a train wreck at times, mostly due to his drug problem. But like the family of all addicts, we fight fans always want to believe that this is the last time, and that it’ll never happen again. And then it usually does happen again.

 

The attorney that does all of the talking in the video for Team Tapia is clearly in damage control mode, mostly because it appears that he may have been the one to drop the ball. Tapia participated in promotional events including public workouts and the weigh-in. Tapia, who’s wife has been his business manager for years, never should’ve let things get as far as fight night if there was in fact no contract as they allege.

 

Not saying that this had anything to do with his long struggle with drugs, but it is yet another disappointment for his fans and fans of the game. It was disastrous for him when you factor in the fact that it happened here in El Paso. This town is one of the great fight towns and fans here are extremely educated fight fans. Don’t think he’ll come off the canvas after this one.

 

 

 

Oscar De La Hoya

 

Oscar De La Hoya fought Steve Forbes, a former runner-up on The Contender. While most people think he looked good against a fighter who’s made a career out of being a sparring partner, I saw some things that concern me if he’s going to be able to finalize a deal and get in the ring with “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. for a scheduled September rematch. 

 

 

Oscar clearly won the fight, 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 on the judges score cards. I scored the fight 119-109 as well. For the casual observer, that means that he two of the judges thought De La Hoya won all but one round. The other judge thought he pitched a shut-out and won every round.

 

So let’s start with what Oscar did right. For the first time in a long time, Oscar did not give up his height advantage. Oscar is a tall fighter, especially for whenever he’s fighting at a weight below 156lbs. He notoriously gives this advantage away by bending at the waist during a fight. This is a big deal because when a shorter fighter has to fight a taller fighter, it makes things more difficult. You are punching upwards, so you lose a little zip and fatigue faster. Another reason this is important is because the taller fighter is usually the fighter with the greater reach advantage. What this means is that if both fighters through a punch at the same time, the fighter with the longer reach will land first and harder.

 

Oscar seemed much more committed to the jab, which is nice to see again. He spent a little more time up on his toes and that was also GREAT to see again. I’d still like to see him up on his toes a little more because he’d be more mobile, but hopefully its something they are going to work on in camp.

 

He didn’t fade down the home stretch so it looks like he’s gotten a handle on that. The fading is not a matter of his conditioning. He’s always come into fights in great shape. His walking around weight is 160-165lbs, so he never has to struggle much to make weight. The fading down the end was always a matter for tactics, not his corner, his own internal thought process. He wasn’t tired; he just had a bad habit of taking his foot off the gas when he thought he was ahead in the fight.

 

I was pretty disappointed in a few things though. He fought a career sparring partner and the fight looked like sparring but De La Hoya was clearly marked up by the fourth round. He seemed to have a problem with Forbes’ hand speed. Oscar got hit by punches that he never got hit with before. That’s mostly because he’s on the down slope. Don’t get me wrong, his skills are still good enough to keep him in big fights, but they may not be enough to help him win fights. Don’t believe me? Check out his record, he’s 2-3 in his last five fights.

 

I also saw him back off Forbes when he had him in trouble without Forbes throwing a punch back or moving off the ropes. Oscar cannot afford to let people off the hook. The old Oscar would’ve gone in for the kill at the first sign of weakness. The sight of blood used to enrage the old De La Hoya and encourage him to go in for the knockout.

 

Boxing is about opportunities. Patience is key and it’s important to avoid head-hunting but when an opponent is in trouble, you have to execute and finish them off. We’ve all seen fights that the tide changed several times and if De La Hoya doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity to finish him off, he might be next.

 

Mayweather is a special fighter. His hands are as fast as his mouth. I can’t stand his attitude and wish someone would knock his head off, but I have to respect his ability. Oscar has a problem with hand speed and Mayweather has plenty of that.

 

Still rooting for De La Hoya, but it will be an uphill battle. I saw diminished hand speed, limited defensive skills against a fighter with ZERO power, and a little problem with execution. Hopefully the slightly diminished skills will make him a smarter fighter and better tactician in the ring.

 

Better tactics, plus the skills he still has, might be enough to make it a competitive fight with Mayweather. But De La Hoya better stay the hell away from Miguel Cotto. That guy will put him in a wheel chair if he gets in the ring with him.

 

Special Announcement!!!

The LionStar Blog is moving!!!

Click here (http://www.thelionstarblog.com/ls/register.cfm) if you’d like to register for an email notification of when the NEW LionStar Blog site is launched.

The new site will allow source documents, audio files, pics, and video files to be posted. In addition to the same great stuff we’ve been bringing you, we are beginning a weekly PODCAST that will be available on the new site! You can listen to it on the site or download it and listen to it at your leisure. Feel free to rip it off and share it with your friends!!!

Until then, we will still continue to post new blog entries here. The old content will continue to be available here once the new site is launched, but will also be available on the new site.

If you don’t want the email notification, keep an eye-out for a formal announcement on this site once the new one is launched.

Sorry for the delay, we initially announced the coming change a while back, but this virus thing was a real set back. Thanks for reading and all of your support!

Reverend Wright

Note to Readers: Still down with the virus, but I am at least somewhat functional at this point. Should be back up to full strenght with my laptop and my new blog website by Monday!!!

 

Somebody tell this guy to shut the hell up! Wright has been on a national tour over the last few days to try to salvage his reputation. Unfortunately, he’s doing so at the expense of Barack Obama.

 

Bill Moyers conducted an interview with Reverend Wright in which Wright stated he was a reverend and will do what he does and that Barack Obama was being a politician and doing what politicians do.

 

He repeated the same line a couple of days latter with the National Press Club. Reverend Wright’s comments are calculated and have a specific intent, to get back at Obama for distancing himself from the controversial preacher.

 

This clearly demonstrates to me that his statements are clearly premeditated, strategic, and are made to cause a desired effect. Reverend Wright is way too bright for his he’s-a-politician remarks to have been anything but calculated and intentional.

 

Think about it, here’s why he has an axe to grind. Before Obama, not many people outside of his Chicago parish knew of Reverend Wright. Then, all of a sudden, because he has the ear of potentially the next President of the United States, he’s now a national figure in the African-American community.

 

When the toxicity of Reverend Wright’s words came back to haunt him, there was no amount of ram’s blood that would be sufficient to make the public opinion’s Angel of Death pass over his persona.

 

So Obama, rightfully so, divorced himself from Wright. Actually, no so much from Wright himself, but from his words and sentiments.

 

Wright no longer had his ticket to widespread legitimacy in the Black community. Rather than stay quiet on the subject, Wright has gone on the offensive to protect his identity and legacy. There are two problems with that.

 

One is that the harder he tries to show that he’s not a nut or a caricature, the more he proves that he is. He speaks one way to Bill Moyers and a White audience and quite a different way to African American audiences. He’s tried to make Obama look disingenuous by saying “…he’s a politician…” but who’s the one being disingenuous when you speak a different message depending on the crowd? Maybe you are the politician Reverend Wright!

 

The other problem is that in his effort to protect his ego, he may be taking down the best chance the African-American community has ever had a putting a Black man in the Whitehouse. Barack Obama stated yesterday that he basically felt like it was now personal. He looked like it pained him to sever the relation with Reverend Wright, but it was a long time coming.

 

C’mon Reverend Wright, take loud shirts, find an island full of tourists wearing equally loud shirts, and go on an anonymous vacation until say, Thanksgiving?

 

When you come back, Obama will be President-elect and you can go back to your parish.

Note to Readers!!!!

Dear Readers:

I am out of commission for a few days. My computer was infected by a virus and so I have been banging my head trying to fix it myself. I have been unable to do so. I know when I am whooped, so I took it to a pro. I will be back up with lots more to say (some of it may be a day or two too stale) asap.

I am using a computer at the public library write now to let you all know the deal, but will not post anything from here, you know, Big Brother and all.

Thanks for reading and if you’d like me to shoot you an email and let you know when I am back in the jungle, feel free to email me at lionstar75@gmail.com.

Dia De Los Ninos

Sunday was a beautiful day and I went to the Carolina Center to check out the Dia De Los Ninos celebration put on by Entrevision.

As you can see from the pics, it was a great turnout for the event. There was a lot to do and see. There where quite a few vendors selling their wares and food.

They also had quite a few booths set up for social service, health care, and non-government agencies. Great information and great freebies!

Beautiful weather, great turnout. Fun times.

My only gripe is that I paid five bucks for an order of gorditas that were quite possibly the worst I’ve ever tasted. I think the lettuce was bad, yet another reason I don’t normally eat lettuce!

Discrimination at Graham’s Central Station

Graham’s is one of my favorite spots to hang out. Several clubs under one roof (one that plays some great 90′s music occasionally was well), karaoke (no, I do NOT sing, but it sure is great to watch the train wrecks!) and a drink special that can’t be beat.

But Saturday night may have been my last night there. I went to go relax and have a good time. I left early, before midnight and was on my way out to the parking lot when a transvestite asked if she could borrow my phone. She need to call for a ride because she and her partner were kicked out of the club.

She was kicked out of Grahams because of who she is. She wasn’t allowed to use the women’s restroom and there may have been some safety issues if she used the men’s room.

Look, it’s not my lifestyle but prejudice and discrimination are wrong no matter what the situation is. She has a right to be who she is, even if what she is may be against the social norms.

Graham’s is pretty dead on Saturday nights, so there aren’t a lot of people around. I’ve been noticing more homosexuals at Grahams on Saturday nights and they don’t bother anyone. Saturday is an older crowd and mostly couples, so it is usually more tolerant. People have a sitter and just want to go out and have a good time.

I saw the even as it happened. I was standing at the bar near the restrooms. I saw security, who does a great job keeping the peace there, escorting a young lady out of the ladies room, out the door, and into the parking lot. This is the usual tactic when there is a fight or something, overwhelmingly force of security and quickly whisk the offenders out of the building.

So I noticed the scene because it was dead and I was suprised to see so many around a small lady. I immediately wondered what she had done and came to the conclusion that she must’ve been using drugs or something. It’s the only plausible reason I could come up with for so much security to take a woman out of a restroom.

As it turns out, it was the transvestite.

I understand the fact that Grahams has a right to refuse service to anyone. I understand that if they feel like they don’t want a particular type of person in their establishment, that is their right.

But discrimination is just wrong. Where was she supposed to use the restroom? She PAID to get in, so Graham’s had no problem accepting her money, but they have a problem accepting who she is. Sending her, dressed as a woman, into the men’s room would’ve been a potential safety issue. God only knows what would’ve happened if a person who looked very much like a woman, was sent into a crowded men’s room full of drunk vato’s. Especially if they thought it was a woman and found out it was a man.

So I’m going to see what management does about this situation and that will determine whether I go back to that place or not. This kind of stuff cannot be tolerated by those of us who consider ourselves tolerant people.

So there you have it, Graham’s Central Station, where America plays at night. As long as it’s okay with them.

Fix the Toilets at Ascarate Park Today!

It almost sounds like a punchline to a joke. I can imagine Jay Leno using it in his monologue if he ever did a live show from El Paso.

Jay Leno: Boy the restrooms at Ascarate Park are really bad!

Audience: How bad are they?

Jay Leno: They are so bad that the county is bringing in port-a-potties as an improvement!!!

Okay, maybe it would’ve been a bad joke. But the point is that you just can’t make this stuff up. The restrooms are so bad that port-a-potties are seen as the cleaner alternative!

The restrooms didn’t get in the shape they are over night! This is something that has been allowed to happen for a long time. Ascarate is one of the great treasures of El Paso and the conditions of the restrooms there is a disgrace to us all. We should never have let it get that way and we should act faster to fix the problem.

No running water, toilets don’t function, and no doors on the stalls. So the band aid solution is to put in port-o-potties. If you saw the news footage of the ones being put in, you’ll notice they weren’t even new port-o-potties. They were older ones, probably well-tagged by now. I’ll look into it further, but there are nicer models available that are ADA compliant that could be used at the park.

A long-term solution needs to be developed and implemented immediately. Remember that it’s getting hotter by the day and use of a port-o-pottie and it’s contents baking in the hot west Texas sun will quickly make the port-o-potties a waste of money because they will not get the use the county paid for.

Lets make this right.

Earth Day

In the spirit of clebrating our planet, I think it’s time we get it together people! We only have one planet and we have to take care of it.

Pat Roberts and Al Sharpton, two men of the cloth, and tow loyalists to their parties, have teamed up for the environment. If those two polarizing firgures can make nice for Mother Earth, then so can we.

I know what you’re thinking, I’m not one of those Burkenstock sandle people either, but I care about where I live and what kind of world I’ll leave behind for my kids.

Just remember you don’t have to be a fanatic about it, but you can start with a few small acts. Sito Negron, editor of NewsPaperTree drives 55mph on the freeway (something a lot of people have said they are now going to do as well) and I’ve changed my lightbulbs in my home.

Small acts, but if enough of us pitch in we can have a big impact. And there is another reason to do it.

Not only can we save the Earth, you can save some money too!

Here are some tips on little things you can do to make a difference! www.wecansolveit.org

Clinton “Wins” Pennsylvania

Hillary Clinton earned a trip to the next round of the presidential tournament, I mean election. Clinton managed to hold on to a victory in a highly-contested race despite being outspent 2-1.

The win keeps her in the race, but the fact remains that each day that passes makes it less likely that Clinton will pull out an out-right victory. Clinton now has to win each of the remaining contests by even larger margins. It doesn’t appear to me that she can reach 70% of the vote in the remaining states. Even in her strongest states, Clinton has not been able to able to reach that threshold.

Though Pennsylvania was certainly a win, let’s not lose sight of a few key points. There was little change in the actual delegate count. Clinton had only very minimal gains in delegates, which means that time is running out and she has to win the remaining states by HUGE margins.

It’s also interesting to note that many pundits have charachterized her win as “surviving” to the next state. It doesn’t mean much, but it is a very interesting charachterization.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, the Clinton victory was a much-needed victory to be sure, but there is an important point to remember. She’s SUPPOSED to win Pennsylvania. She had a huge double digit lead and Obama was able to cut that lead in half. The reason that is so important is because Pennsylvania is an area that Hillary Clinton should be able to win. It’s her area of strength. They are the old-school traditional blue collar Democrats. Even though that is here traditional strength, she still escaped with only a modest victory. She attracted the “traditional” Democrats and Obama has attracted new Democrats and independents.

That makes Obama the more electable. The traditional Democrats can and will support the nominee. What the party needs is someone who can win not only the traditional Democrats, but someone who can win the independents and bring in new blood to the party.

I am a little bothered by the chatter among the pundits about how this win means that Hillary now has an “argument” she can make to the super delegates. Seems to me that Hillary needs to do more than bank on an “argument” to win the nomination and should be focusing on qualifications, campaign performance, and what the hell happened to her experience argument.

No matter how you slice it, the only way she wins is by a backroom deal in which the candidate with the most votes and most delegates gets screwed over. 

It’s time for people, locally here in El Paso and nationally, to stop trying to divide, distract, and distort the important issues of the campaign! 

A Few More Thoughts on Blogging…

I have a high regard for journalism and the courageous individuals who engage in such an important endeavor to our country.

 

I could not be a professional journalist because it is beyond my capacity. I do however enjoy the opportunity to pass along information, analysis, thoughts, ideas, and editorial views.

 

Over the last few days, there has been quite a bit of discussion over blogging and some people have continued to express negative opinions of the blogging phenomenon. I truly understand that it is not everyone’s cup of internet tea.

 

But perhaps the best way to illuminate the value, and yes, importance of blogging is to listen to the words of a giant in the journalism community, Edward R. Murrow.

 

When discussing Senator Joseph McCarthy during his crusade against communists, Murrow said, “…if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.”

 

That seems like a particularly relevant quote to bear in mind when considering the benefits of the blogging phenomenon.

Fishing at Ascarate

One of the true diamonds in the rough of El Paso is Ascarate Park. The Ascarate Fishing Club sponsored an event this weekend to encourage people to go fishing and enjoy a day outdoors at the park. I’m not affiliated with the club, so I don’t know all the sponsors (who deserve a HUGE plug for all they did), but I know Price’s stepped in to provide drinks.

 

There was a huge turnout for the event (as you can see in these pictures) that started at 8:00am on Saturday. I decided to take my son out and do some fishing. I’m a city kid, so I’ve only been fishing two times in my life, so it was a blast.

 

There were contests for the kids and everything was 100% free, which was cool with me because I don’t own a fishing pole. There was even a pool-type area for the real little ones to fish. As you can see, we were a shoe-in for catching the smallest fish.

 

My favorite part of the event was that there were so many dads and tatas involved. I think many of the society’s problems could be solved with the presence of a strong male figure in the family and it’s nice to see an event were so many turned out and spent quality time with their kids and grandkids.

 

 

The event organizers could’ve made their own Visa commercial that day.

 

Fishing Pole…free.

Hot Dogs & Corn Bait…free.

Spending Quality Time…priceless.

God, Guns, & Gays

Change is a message we’ve been hearing throughout this election. I want you my Dear Readers, to pay very close attention to the change you will see in the campaign messages as we get closer to the general election.

 

 

 

You will see the talk change from major issues that affect our country, to the divisive wedge issues like God, Guns, and Gays. This is a tried and true Republican tactic to get us distracted from what really matters and focus only on the issues that will divide this country along religious and social lines.

 

What bothers me most is that two of the three wedge issues have already been exploited in this campaign. The God issue was pushed regarding Obama, first with the chisme that Obama was some sort of closet Muslim, and then the issue of his minister.

 

Now the gun issue has come to light. Obama is now being assaulted for his comments regarding Pennsylvanians that cling to their faith and guns in tough times.

 

Surprisingly, to me anyway, is that these wedge issues aren’t being raised by Karl Rove and the rest of the poll-pushing Republicans. This is coming from the Hillary Clinton campaign! A line from Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar comes to mind, “Et tu Brutei?”

 

I doubt she will do anything to alienate the gay community, bus she seems to be doing the Devil’s (Republicans) dirty work.

 

Personally I’m sick of seeing both candidates tripping over each other to be the average, blue collar worker, because neither of them are! They are both lawyers.

 

Hillary and Bill have earned over $110 million over the last few years and we are supposed to believe that she’s “one of us” because she’s drinking beer and taking shots! Just an observation, but if that was Bill Clinton in a bar drinking beer and taking shots, I think the conversation about that video clip would be a lot different and involve a girl in a Budweiser bikini.

 

This is America. We love being the elite. We love a winner and find a way to make everything a contest, just look at our game shows. Hell, even if you aren’t good enough to play professional baseball or football, you can still join a fantasy league and get involved in the competition!

 

So calling someone an elitist is a bit of a compliment. We want the best of everything in this country, including presidential candidates. We have that on the Democratic side of the ticket.

 

Now if we can just get them to stop bowling and taking shots…

 

 

5 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices are Catholic…

 

And yet they still ruled 7-2 that lethal injection is neither cruel nor unusual.

 

Immediately following the decision, several states started to end the moratoria on the death penalty. The Commonwealth of Virginia has an inmate scheduled to be executed in May and will be the first death penalty execution after the Courts decision.

 

John Paul Stevens voted with the majority but has also recently come out against the death penalty saying that he no longer believes it’s constitution. Stevens was new to the Court the last time the death penalty measure was before the court.

 

Last election cycle, the priest at my church talked about voting our conscience and voting our faith. He specifically mentioned that as Catholics we cannot support candidates that are not pro-life.

 

He said you can’t be Catholic and pro-choice, going on to say that we had a duty to protect all life. That got me thinking again.

 

If we can’t be both Catholic and pro-choice and we have a duty to protect all life, then we can’t be Catholic and pro-death penalty. The Vatican is VERY clear on it’s stance on the death penalty.

More “Pro-Life” Contradictions

Another point of contention for me with the so-called pro-life movement is the philosophical inconsistency of the pro-life movement.

 

The pro-life movement says that life begins at conception and that all life should be protected. This is why they believe that abortion or the harvesting of embryonic stem cells is murder and against God’s will.

 

This is where I have a problem with the pro-lifers. For some reason, they are okay with some “exceptions” in which abortions are okay. Specifically to save the life of a mother, or in cases or rape or incest. So all life is precious except the lives of babies that are the product of rape or incest? It’s okay to kill them?

 

To me, that is clearly a philosophical inconsistency.

 

If all life is precious, and Christian dogma dictates reconciliation and salvation, then support of the death penalty would be yet another philosophical inconsistency.

 

Along the same vein, I have a hard time understanding something else conservatives and the religious right seem to crusade against…euthanasia.

 

Like abortion, I am also against euthanasia. But what surprises me is how many people are against euthanasia for people who are suffering in pain with incurable disease and conditions, but are willing to put a pet down a beloved pet down because it doesn’t get adopted.

 

Or even more hypocritically, put down a pet because of a large bill or the pet is suffering, all the while calling it the “humane” thing to do!

The LionStar Visits with Sito Negron on KHRO 1650am

I had a chance to be a guest on Music & Politics with Sito Negron on 1650am Wednesday morning. A big thanks to Sito for having me on and recognizing the importance of discussing blogs, their influence, and their place on the internet.

 

With the departure of Barbara Perez there has been a lot of chatter on the internet and on the other talk shows as to the reason why she left. During the chatter and discussion, the subject of blogs arose. Being a fairly prolific blogger myself, I thought I’d spend some time with Sito (editor of NewsPaper Tree found at www.NewsPaperTree.com) talking about the phenomenon of blogging.

 

Just to give you some background, blogging started in the mid to late 1990’s. The term web log was coined in 1997 by a guy named Jorn Barger. Another guy, Peter Merholz, shortened the term to blog, shortly thereafter. Originally it was a log of visitors to a website or a list of websites visited, depending on the usage and was primarily unique to the geek community.

 

But the concept of what we now call a “blog” has developed simultaneously throughout the digital world from people that used the concept of a weblog to create an online diary or journal. Being the voyeuristic culture that we are, more and more people started to read the online journals and eventually wanted to participate themselves.

 

This led to what is now the most explosive amount of information since the creation of the internet. Everyone wants to put their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and ideas on the internet, including yours truly.

 

But one of the greatest assets of a blog is also its greatest weakness…blogs are raw and unfiltered. Its like any conversation. Discussion is great and important, but sometimes raw and unfiltered discussion can be controversial, hurt feelings, or create dissention. Sometimes they can inform, motivate, entertain, and inspire.

 

But like any discussion, it is a two way street. Both parties have a certain level of responsibility. If the reader doesn’t like what’s being written, they can send a message to the author by not visiting the site any longer. Bloggers or Bloggists (“Blogger” is the name of an actual blogging platform so people are migrating away from that term) have a responsibility to maintain a certain level of responsibility and credibility with their readers. If they don’t, they lose their readers.

 

It’s a lot like talk radio. People notice the crazies or controversial at first, but it’s the people that have credibility with their audience, and the biggest audience, that end up sticking around. And like talk-radio, it is NOT meant to be a news source. Both talk shows and blogs contain information and are good sources for information but are largely editorial in nature. You will get strong opinions in both places. In fact, sometimes stuff breaks on talk radio and blogs. But you should know what you are getting into when you go to a blog.

 

There are a lot of legitimate criticisms about the blogging phenomenon and with specific blogs, including my own. My blog is not, nor do I assert it to be, perfect. But what I can’t stand is to hear people paint all blogs with a broad brush. I hate statements like blogs are trash, or they aren’t worth reading. That’s elitist talk, similar to saying that someone’s opinion is trash or not worth hearing.

 

If you have a bad experience with a restaurant you will do one of three things, a) nothing, b) complain, c) never go back to that restaurant. But most people won’t stop going to restaurants entirely. Most people won’t say all restaurants are trash or not worth visiting. Their criticism, valid or otherwise, will be directed at a specific restaurant. Some people will like the food, some people will hate it. The restaurant’s survival depends on whether they can have enough regular business to sustain the effort.

 

That’s a lot like blogging. The crazies and controversial get noticed, but the ones that stick around are the ones that build credibility with their audience. They entertain and inform, just like talk radio. They satisfy a hunger and craving just like a restaurant.

 

Blogging & Message Boards – There is a Difference

 

A blog is usually a single, or very few authors, and is based on posts. A post is usually an article-style or article-length piece written on any subject.

 

A message board is a little different. A message board is a place where there is more discussion involving several users simultaneously. The discussion is usually more wide open because there are more people in the room as it were, and the conversation is usually based on a “thread”. You can go into one thread, read what’s going on, join the conversation, and then go check out another thread. A great example is the forum hosted by local talk radio giant, Paul Strelzin (www.TheStrelz.com). There are a couple of crazies there, but for the most part, it is a great exchange of some of the most in-the-know people in El Paso. I know for a fact that there are a lot of elected officials, media personalities, and powers that be, that check it out. They don’t always post something, but trust me when I tell you, they are watching.

 

A little creepy now that I think about it…

 

Picture it this way, a blog is like a conversation between two or three people. Like a radio talk show that has a host, maybe a guest or two and one caller at a time. A message board is like a mixer. Several people all talking at the same time, in different groups, about a range of issues.

 

They are different and it’s important that people understand that crucial point.

 

Anonymity in Blogging, Message Boards, & Letters

 

One of the biggest criticisms of blogging and message boards is anonymity. Some people say that it is cowardly that posts can be written using a fictitious identity or screen name.

 

I think that to some degree, that is a valid criticism, but I must say that most posters on forums like the Strelz post responsibly. It’s pretty well self-policed by the users. Trust me, we have no problem challenging one another!

 

It’s also easier to be more candid about things when you don’t have to fear reprisal. That’s not being a coward. Reality, especially in a small town like El Paso with several political cliques, you almost have to sometimes.

 

But that kind of practice isn’t something new in this country. Many of our founding fathers were world-class ghost writers and spent a lot of time writing under a pseudonym. Ben Franklin wrote as Mrs. Silence Dogood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_Dogood) Google it or check out any middle school history book and you’ll be amazed. These guys, some of whom are now on our currency, often hated each other’s guts and wrote some really personal shots. Most of the time, they saved their best stuff for good ole’ King George.

 

Although the El Paso Times doesn’t publish anonymous letters to the Editor, I know that it’s a pretty easy thing to do if you want to have a letter published under a different name. Whenever I’ve had a letter published, all I had to do was fill out a form online, enter my name, email address, and phone number and that’s it. Seems like it’d be pretty easy task to make up a fake name, creating a new email account takes about five minutes, and you’d only have to remember the name you used when the Times calls to verify. So if someone wanted to hide their identity when writing a letter to the Editor, it’s not like its rocket science or something.

 

Owning Your Words

 

If you author a blog, you have to be responsible for your words. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to say what you think or feel. It just means you have to be prepared for the consequences, and I am okay with that. If you talk about someone in your blog and they don’t like it, expect a nasty phone call, email, or cold shoulder. You probably won’t be on their Christmas card list anymore either.

 

The thing about my blog is that it can get pretty rough here, I know. But I don’t write ANYTHING that I wouldn’t say to someone’s FACE. I might be many things, but a chicken shit isn’t one of them. Anyone who knows me if well aware of the fact that I have no problem telling an elected official, candidate, off-spring of a candidate, political operative, board member, radio show host, department head, lobbyist, party hack or even my parish priest (sorry Father Leo) exactly what I think.

 

It’s cost me my job and affected my career, but you have to brave enough to speak truth to power.

 

Rant About Courage (Not really related to the rest of this post)

 

Maybe I took it a little too personal on the radio on Wednesday, but I have a problem with people calling in and insinuating that someone is a coward because they “hide” behind a screen name. I proudly served my country for seven years and did two combat tours before I was old enough to buy a beer. I’m not saying I am some kind of superhero, just that I did my part for God and Country. I was scared out of my ass in combat. I did my job and probably even cried afterward if I remember right. So having survived that, I am not in the least bit scared of writing my blog, hurting someone’s little feelings, or getting a political payback (okay, maybe payback worries me a little).

 

Getting Back to Restaurants & Talk Radio

 

Visiting a restaurant is voluntary, no one forces you and your life doesn’t depend on it. Neither is going to a blog.

 

But just like selecting your favorite restaurant or talk radio show, it’s all about trial and error. You like some right away, you hate some right away, others grow on you after a while.

 

At any rate, El Paso has some of the best restaurants, talk radio shows, and blogs around. Sample as many as you can.

 

Buen Provecho.

Confessing a Secret I was “Desperate” to Keep

Ok, I will admit it. It has taken me a really long time to realize it, and even longer to admit that I have a problem. But I clearly do.

 

Sometimes it’s just easier for me to admit something here, to all of you, than it is to open up to those close to me. But in order to start the healing, I have to start somewhere.

 

I love it. I have to have it. I will do almost anything to get it. I had to go without it for a little while and I thought I’d never make it. I found myself looking all over the place to get me a fix. I tried video stores and the internet. But it was just never enough.

 

The addiction started a couple of years ago. I didn’t even want to try it at first, but peer pressure is tough. I was told, come on, try it just once. You will love it. It’ll make you feel sooo good!

 

So I tried it. I thought trying it just once wouldn’t hurt. I mean, you can get addicted the first time can you? I thought it would make me cool. It was an easy way to hang out with some hot chicks.

 

I tried to hide my secret for so long, not letting anyone know about my addiction. I enjoyed it alone and never told anyone about my weekly habit. My family just thought I was in my room, watching sports or something, but they never knew the real truth. My dirty little secret.

 

What would my family and loved ones say? The shame of my parents finding out seemed unbearable. I found myself willing to do anything to keep my secret. You might say I was “Desperate” to keep it. 

 

Luckily, this past Sunday, they came back to me. All of them, Bree, Susan, Lynette, Gabrielle, and Edie. I missed them dearly!

 

But now I am reading to confess it to you all, my Dear Readers. Maybe I can start on the path to recovery if you all will support me in this battle. I am now read to say it loud and say it proud…

 

I LOVE DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES!!!

 

The writer’s strike is over and these women have returned to my Sunday nights. All is right with the world again!

 

 

 

Ssshhhhhh! This is our little secret right? You won’t tell anyone will you?

Pope Benedict XVI Meets with Victims of Clergy Abuse

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI went off the script and met privately with a group of victims of sexual abuse by priests during his first visit to the United States.

 

The meeting marked a crucial first step in beginning the healing process for Catholics who’ve been abused, and those of us who haven’t been abused but are tired of the Church trying to cover-up the scandal.

 

As a Roman Catholic and former Alter Boy, I was raised to respect the cloth. But like many people, I learned along the way that clergy are people and therefore capable of making mistakes and sometimes horrible deeds. Is it all of them that are guilty of abuse? No, of course not. Its only a very small minority, but the Church has made a monumental mistake in how they chose to deal with the situation.

 

The Church should’ve engaged the issue immediately and made an example of the offending priests to show that it would not be tolerated. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because a Sheppard has a duty to protect his flock!

 

Bishop Ochoa should be a proactive leader of his flock and deal with the issue head-on. El Paso has thousands of faithful and devout Catholics. Dealing with the issue won’t turn away the faithful, it will galvanize us. It will let us know that our faith in the Church and it’s hierarchy is not misplaced.

 

Here are the numbers on sexual abuse (according to NBC Nightly News):

 

11,000 allegations of abuse by 4,400 priests over a 50 year span. So far, the Church has paid billions in monetary damages.

Speaking of Religion…

Am I the only one that is a little bothered by the government going in to Eldorado, Texas and snatching up all those kids so clumsily?

This is America people! Didn’t the Pilgrims come here to ESCAPE religious persecution? And where the hell is the religious right on this one? They don’t seem to want to touch this with a ten-foot Bible.

 

Here’s my take on it. Sexual abuse should not be tolerated…ever. Forcing someone to marry when they should be worrying about finishing the 7^th grade, who’s going to be voted off American Idol, bugging about a new cell phone, or bootlegging music off the internet behind their parents’ back, is completely wrong! Let them be kids. Prosecute the scum bags to the fullest!

 

BUT, if there are consenting adults that CHOOSE to enter a polygamist marriage in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I think they should be allowed to.

 

It’s their funeral. Personally I can’t understand why a guy would want more than one wife. That’s too many people telling me what to do. Can you imaging that guys “Honey-Do” list? Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Birthdays alone would be enough to drive a man insane.

 

But there should be a couple of requirements. First, all parties have to consent to the marriage in writing. Second, if they CHOOSE to be in a polygamist marriage, then they should not be able to receive public assistance. If you can’t afford the lifestyle, we shouldn’t have to foot the bill.

 

Just my two cents.

Danny Anchondo Playing Both Sides of the Fence?

I received a letter from the local President of the El Pasoans for Hillary Club. There was one interesting section that I thought I’d share with you all.

Judge Williams and Mr. Anchondo recently appeared (can you say appeared when talking about a radio show?) on the El Paso on the Move Weekend Edition with Hector Montes (http://www.khro1650.com/). During the show, Mr. Williams remarked, on more than one occasion, that Mr. Anchondo discussed how to award the at-large delegates. Mr. Williams characterized the conversation as Mr. Anchondo AGREEING with him that the proper way to award the remaining delegats would be to award them in a way that would balance out the delegation to roughly a 75-25 split.

Mr. Anchondo did not disagree with, dispute, or challenge that characterization by Mr. Williams.

Interestingly, in the letter sent from the President of El Pasoans for Hillary to the Hillary Delegates, the author states:

As you might already know, Obama’s supporters are challenging our status as delegates to the state convention. Many of you have contacted me recently to get clarity on this issue and to organize. Mr. Anchondo, the County Democratic Chair, will be mailing all delegates very soon an explanation of the status of our delegation.

The most interesting part to me is this:

What he has indicated is that Mr. Williams misinterpreted his comments at the convention to be supporting Mr. Williams argument, and that the challenge is just that, a challenge.

So this leaves me wondering. Is Mr. Anchondo playing both sides of the fence on this one? If Mr. Williams did infact misinterpret his comments, why didn’t Anchondo say anything during the show and why hasn’t he said anything since? He was on the radio again yesterday on Fernie the Attorney Show and had another chance to set the record straight but he remained silent on the issue.

I’d really like to know what the real story is.

Changes in the Wind at KHRO 1650am?

Overheard a tidbit today about 1650am (http://www.khro1650.com/) and the Lolis Show. Apparently they may be moving in a different direction and this week could be the last week she’s heard on “The Ladies Room”.

Wonder if there are any other changes in store?

KenG spots Zaragoza/Zaragosa spelling glitch!

KenG posted a thread on the strelz forum (http://strelzbacktalk.proboards19.com/index.c.cgi?action=display&board=EP&thread=1208037839&page=1) about the fact that on El Paso’s eastside, the street name Zaragoza is spelled two different ways depending on the streat sign.

So, since I live in the neighborhood (or drive through it daily) I thought I’d snap a couple of pics for you all (and maybe someone in charge of street signs) to see.

This is on the corner of Saul Kleinfeld and Zaragoza/Zaragosa. Right near Senator Shapleigh’s office.

One sign spells it like this:

The other side of the street, at the same intersection, spells it like this:

Weren’t we on one of those crazy lists like “Top Illiterate Cities in America” or something? I can’t make up my mind on whether I think this is sad or funny.

Maybe I should send this into Headlines on the Jay Leno Show?

 

Light Rail in El Paso? Let’s Do it!!!

El Paso Mayor John Cook and City Representative Susie Byrd would like to see light rail systems come to El Paso for mass transit. I think a light rail system in town would be a great addition to El Paso’s public transit system.

I’ve actually used public transit fairly regularly throughout my time here in the Sun City. I know a lot of people complain about it, but I’ve seen much worse. Buses break down in the heat all the time in Phoenix. The Valley of the Sun is now moving to light rail (something they’ve talked about for YEARS!) and many of the rail stops are already being built and some are completed.

The difference is this is one of the first times, in a long time, that El Paso is moving ahead. Phoenix is a giant metropolis with a well-developed business community, attractions, resorts, stadiums, malls, and a massive freeway system. Phoenix’s Achille’s Heal has always been its mass transit system. Only now is the light rail system becoming reality there.

I’m glad to see a progressive move like that being done here in El Paso. A rail system, if it’s done right, will go a long way to easing traffic, encouraging mass transit as a viable option, and help out our air quality.

But be prepared for the headaches. It’s not going to please everyone. The traffic will get worse before the benefit is seen. Be patient folks and give it a chance to work.

Mayor Cook summed up the requirements of a good rapid transit system by saying it had to be three things, fast, clean, and comfortable. I would add two other adjectives to his list. Reliable & tech-friendly.

If you want more people to use the system, you have to give them a reason. Internet connectivity will encourage working people and young people to hop on the rail and get out of their one-occupant pick-up truck.

Barbara Perez Leaves KHRO 1650am

Barbara Perez, sometimes controversial host of Me Against the World had her last show yesterday. She said she was leaving of her own will because she wanted to do some other things in her life. Perez also pointed to contentious relationships with old friends due to the Obama-Clinton battle and a negative campaign season for local officials.

Perez was a person that you either loved or hated. She was a fervent Hillary supporter and was the only radio personality to land an interview with Hillary on Election Day.

Perez also gained notarity for raising some controversial issues during the election season including the sexuality of sheriff candidate Richard Wiles and Barack Obama’s race.

It was a tearful good-bye as Perez broke down a couple of times when her supporters and even some of her detracktors (including yours truly) called to say that she would be missed.

On a personal level, I rarely (if ever) agreed with her. I’ve had some fun with her on my blog about some of her stances on issues or statements she’s made. I don’t back down from them, but I will genuinely miss her on the radio.

I used to be an amateur boxer when I was in the Army. When you are in the ring, you fight. The point is to hurt your opponent and win. Alot like politics. Perez was never afraid to mix it up with the best of them.

But just like politics, at the end of a great fight, your opponent would often earn your respect. The best compliment I can pay her is to say that..

She was always a worthy adversary. She’ll be missed.

Open Casting Call for Ankle-Biters & Hell Raisers!

I want to write a piece on local political activists and hell raisers. I think they play and important role in our system and admire their personal courage to say what others are afraid to, question authority, and to speak truth to power. If you know of someone that should be featured, or are someone that should be featured, please send me their name and contact info to my email address at lionstar75@gmail.com or if you have just their name, feel free to post it here.

The plan is to do a short interview with them, outline their hot-button issues, and maybe do some video depending on the person and situation.

Thanks everyone!

The LionStar Answers FAQ’s

My blog is only a couple of months old (started it in February) and has received quite a bit of attention thanks to you, my valued and loyal readers. I receive a lot of feedback through emails, phone calls, and conversations on the street. Surprisingly most of it is good and very little is negative. They way I write, I counted on a lot more blow back, not that I am complaining!

One thing that surprised me the most was how many readers had similar questions about me or the blog, so I thought I’d answer as many of them that I can. Here they are in the order most-asked.

1.       Are you running for office or planning on it? No! Not now, not ever. No one writes the way I write expecting a future as an elected official. Plus I feel more empowered as a private citizen and community activist. I can say what ever I want without worrying about a political payback in the future that will jeopardize a candidacy. I can talk about or advocate for any issue I please, whether it’s local, state, or federal without having to be concerned if it’s in my scope of responsibility. Now that I think about it, I probably still have to worry about payback though…

 

2.       Do you work for an elected official or powerful figure? Nope, I work for myself. Like I said before, I don’t kiss anyone’s ring or bow to any party boss. I am my own man.

 

3.       Don’t you have anything better to do than blog all day / What do you do for a living that you have some much time to write? This is the same question, just asked a different way depending if the person asking me is pissed at me or not. No, I don’t have anything better to do, lol. I try to keep the content new and fresh because I value you as a reader and want you to have something new to read when you visit my site. I make the time to collect content and write.

 

4.       What are you going to write about after the elections are over? I have no idea! Just kidding, I have plenty of things in mind. Plus, if you know me well, you know I never run out of things to talk about.

 

5.       Why don’t you reveal your real name? Mostly because it’s now common knowledge. Someone accidentally outed me a while back. At first, I tried to keep my real name a bit of a secret because I wanted to feel free to write the way I think, with no filter. But like I said, my cover was blown and it really hasn’t changed anything much…yet.

So there you have it, the five most commonly-asked questions I get from people. If you were ever wondering the same things you see listed, you now have your answer. If you have any other queries, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer, unless it’s too personal, lol.

“Because that’s what family does” – A Family’s Struggle with Crystal Meth

(Note to reader: This is the most personal piece I have ever done on this blog and I debated with myself on whether or not to write it. There is some strong language in this piece so please be forewarned. My intent is not to offend anyone, but I hope the telling of this story is some how helpful to anyone else who’s experienced the ravages of drugs in their lives.)

 

KVIA and the CW aired a program about the dangers of using crystal meth last night. Sadly I know first hand about how crystal meth can destroy a life and cause havoc in a family.

 

I want to share a story with you. It’s a story that is unfortunately becoming more and more common; the story of wasted talent and lost potential. It’s a story about my best friend when we were growing up.

 

His dad was involved in politics and community activism, but his passion was baseball. He played Triple A baseball in the Giants organization before a tragic accident that broke his pelvis and ended his dreams of playing professionally. He had eight sons and never lost his passion for America’s past time.

 

Almost at birth, my friend’s dad made his sons play baseball. It was a lot of pressure being the son of a talented ball player, but my friend seemed to revel in it. While his brothers hated the endless drills and practice, my friend loved it. At night, he’d be outside tossing a racquetball against the wall so that he could practice fielding grounders. He liked using the racquetball because it bounced more than a real baseball and was harder to catch. He said if you can field a racquetball, a baseball seems easy. Even at age ten in Little League, he was serious about baseball.

 

Ten years old was also the age that my friend first tried marijuana with his other friend Jonas. At first it was only every once in a while. He kept it a secret from everyone, even me. But eventually he started smoking weed more and more until it was no longer an unspoken secret.

 

Even his dad just started to look the other way, as he had with his grades, because my friend was a good athlete.

 

We grew apart after high school. I joined the Army and only talked with him every once in a while and tried to catch up with him when I’d come home on leave. But it was never like it was when we were kids. He’d grown closer to his friend Jonas who was pretty much a loser in every sense of the word.

 

My friend developed into a great athlete and star baseball player. He was never as good as his dad (how many of us ever are) but he had a chance to try out with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.

 

He did well at the try-outs. I went, along with his family, to support him and cheer him on. The scouts said that he did a great job, but he was just too small. At 5’4, a future in the Big Leagues just wasn’t in his future. He was devastated.

 

His life began to spiral out of control. The marijuana use evolved into harder drugs. His wife left him. He could rarely hold a job and when he did manage to hold on to one it was fast food and lasted only a couple of months.

 

Eventually my friend started hanging out with characters that were right out of cholo movies like American Me or Blood In / Blood Out. We’d grown up in a rough area, but these guys were bad even for that neighborhood.

 

He was first a mule and went on to become a small time dealer. I know for a fact that he’d seen Scarface, but apparently he didn’t remember the scene where the rules of the game are laid out, like don’t get high off of your own supply.

 

He was busted in Oklahoma for transporting two pounds of marijuana. His dad called in as many favors from his political friends as he could and my friend got off with a couple of years of probation since it was his first offense.

 

He was clean for a while, but went back to his old ways once he no longer had to provide his probation officer with urine samples.

 

I was hanging out with my old friend and his brothers at a bar in west Phoenix a few years ago, just shooting some pool and having some beers. A woman came in and sent the bartender over to me with a pitcher of beer. The bartender told me it was from the woman sitting at the bar. I went over to thank her, but I was not the least bit interested in her.

 

She was a tramp. There’s no nice way to put it. She was the type of woman that my parents spent a life-time telling me to avoid. I could see her lower-back tramp stamp tattoo just above her thong that was showing above her jeans. A real classy lady.

 

She wore clothing that was two sizes too small for her. She had on too much make-up with stereotypical chola-blue eye shadow, thick eye liner, and even thicker and darker lip liner that drew attention to her bad teeth. Her face was slightly pock-marked, like she used to have bad acne. Her eyes where blood-shot and wide open.

 

I thanked her and made pointless conversation out of bar room etiquette, but the first chance I had, I pawned her off on my friend. They seemed to hit it off well and he took her home that night. I went back to my game of pool.

 

At first, I was relieved my friend was stuck with her, as long as it wasn’t me. After all, is that what a wing man is for? I figured it was just a one-night stand with a skanky bar fly. But as it turns out, he ended up staying with that bar fly. They ended up with a son before he could get out of the relationship. The tramp’s mother was raising her other four kids.

 

She’s the one who introduced my friend to crystal meth. He went from a pot head to a strung-out junkie seemingly overnight. They would go on binges for weeks at a time. My friend’s poor mother was worried sick about her son and his father was ashamed of what his son had become.

 

Like all drug users, he became a user of people, bumming money from everyone he knew, and burning all of his loved ones. Tramp ended up pregnant again. By this time my friend’s parents were basically raising the first child. Tramp was using meth throughout her pregnancy and even did a “puddle” the day she went into labor.

 

Tramp gave birth to a baby girl. The baby was born addicted to meth. The state of Arizona immediately started the process to take the child away from her parents.

 

When people would tell my friend’s parents to stop giving him money or a place to stay, his parents’ anguish turned into anger. Their pain was deep and raw. Like a festering, infected wound.

 

The Inevitable

 

The inevitable happened about a year and a half ago. I received a call from one of his younger brothers telling me that he’d overdosed and was in a detox center. Apparently my friend and Tramp were at some drug house. God only knows what she did for money, but they were at the end of another binge.

 

My friend had over-dosed at the drug house and Tramp just left him there while he was convulsing and drifting in and out of consciousness. Someone there at least cared enough to drive him to a hospital and push him out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk in front of the emergency room. As soon as he was medically stable, he was sent to a detox facility.

 

I left work right away and came home to pick-up my daughter. We drove to Phoenix right away to pick up my friend from detox. If you’re wondering why I took my daughter it was for two reasons. First, I wanted her to see first-hand what drugs could do to a person. She was eleven and at the age where she could be exposed to drugs (live gives us plenty of teaching moments). The other reason I took her was more personal. You see, my “friend” is also my little brother and my daughter’s padrino.

 

My brother and I as kids (with my mom)

 

Along the way I explained to her what was going on and tried to prepare her for what she might expect to see. The truth was that I didn’t know what to expect myself. When we arrived in Phoenix a few hours later, my brother was ready to be released from the facility. He was a complete zombie. He recognized me but it took him a couple of minutes to remember that I wasn’t in the Army anymore and now lived in Texas.

 

I told him that his hijada was in the car and to shape his ass up and get his shit together. It was like talking to a wall, only the wall would probably comprehend more.

 

He was trembling and twitching. He kept fidgeting and picking at his skin. I had a family-size bag of chips that he devoured before we got to one of my other brother’s house. There was no way we were going to allow my parents to see him like that, but they insisted and came over. We couldn’t get him into a rehab facility until the following Monday, so that meant we had to keep him around for a couple of days.

 

We didn’t know how long we’d be able to keep him around, so I decided to watch over him in a hotel room near my brother’s house. I didn’t want to mess up my brother’s house or expose any of the younger nieces and nephews to an addict detoxing. Plus, we boys wanted to be alone with him when he was finally coherent. The plan was to have him to stay with us until the rehab facility opened on Monday. Plan “B” was to kick his ass if he refused and force him to go to rehab on Monday. Either way, he was going to rehab.

 

It was a long weekend and that first night was the worst. I took the first shift baby sitting him and at first all he did was sleep. But then he’d shiver, moan, and eventually scream. He’d wake up every couple of hours freaking out. For some reason he wanted to take a leak in the closet of the hotel room. Problem was, there was no closet!

 

Things got physical a couple of times, but we managed to keep him at the hotel. We had the tough-love talk with him, along with out parents and it was a painful day for our family. He went outside to talk with our mother and he suddenly took off running. He managed to get away and it was several months before anyone heard from him again.

 

I never found out how or why, but he cleaned up eventually. He now has a job in a warehouse and is in a steady relationship.

 

The Baby

 

There was no way we could allow the baby my brother and Tramp had to end up in the state system, so my sister stepped up and started the process of gaining custody of the baby. She’d already taken in their son and was quickly officially named the foster mother of the newborn.

 

My sister had three kids of her own along with two step kids. It’s funny, but when we were kids, we were so mean to her. One of my brothers pushed her out of a tree once and broke her arm. Another brother busted her on the head with a brick giving her a few stitches, and I tried to light her Cabbage Patch doll on fire because she lost some of my GI Joes. Yet though all of that, and with a gang of kids of her own, she stepped up to the plate.

 

The rest of us boys along with our other sister, help her out with money and stuff for the kids. My sister gave my brother and Tramp a chance to be parents if they cleaned up and got their lives together but it didn’t work out. Tramp was only around a short time after the baby was born and she eventually was on the run. She got into some more trouble and the last I heard, she was locked up.

 

My brother’s ex-wife (she’s still close to our family) asked my mother why we even bothered to take the baby in and my mother answered, “Because that’s what family does”.

 

In March of this year, the adoption was finalized and the children official belong to my sister. Both are doing well and are healthy. The pediatrician says there doesn’t appear to be any major damage to the baby because of the meth, but they will have to monitor her for many years to come.

 

(My sister & kids the day adoption was final)

 

The Moral of the Story

 

Drugs don’t discriminate and it can happen to the best of us. My brother and I were raised by the same parents and came out totally different. He has no one to blame but his own poor judgment.

 

You can’t completely shelter your children from everything life throws at them, but there is some truth to the old Mexican saying my mother used to say, “Dime con quien andas, y te dire quien eres”.