Over the New Year’s weekend, I kept my TV on Nickelodeon.
And there were two good reasons for that.
Here they are:

A child is dead because of the irresponsibility not just of caregivers, but of the mainstream media.
The heartbreaking – and sickening – story is below the fold.

After the execution of Saddam Hussein by hanging was shown over and over and over all weekend long and beyond on both CNN and Fox News, and presumably elsewhere, I reached another tipping point, and did this on the air.
What you are hearing here is the dry voice extracted from the voicetracker. I recorded it at home, but the quality is kind of sucky; should have taped it from the webstream rather than the air.
Anyway.
Today, HuffPo links to this piece from the AP:

HOUSTON – A 10-year-old boy was apparently mimicking Saddam Hussein’s execution when he hanged himself from a bunk bed, police and family members said.

Sergio Pelico was found dead Sunday in his apartment bedroom after watching a news report on the execution of the former Iraqi leader, said Webster Police Lt. Tom Claunch.

“Our gut reaction is that he was experimenting,” Claunch said after officials spoke with family members. An autopsy of the fifth-grader’s body was pending.

Some may be tempted to blame the caregivers first and solely. First, perhaps, but these were the circumstances:

Sergio’s mother, Sara Pelico DeLeon, was at work Sunday and her children were being watched by a relative when one of them found Sergio’s body, Gustavo said.
Family members held a memorial for the boy Wednesday in the apartment complex activity center. Gustavo said the family is trying to put together enough money to send Sergio’s body to Guatemala for burial.

I do not know how many children were in the household. I have a better idea, however, how many households this obscenity was repeatedly brought into. Nielsen stats are easily available for those who care to seek them out.
Some people get it. I get it. I have gone to LENGTHS to ensure that Julian and Tristan did not see that. They have not, and will not. (The audio of Julian speaking in the aircheck is him simply saying what I told him to say. He hasn’t the first clue what it means.)
I don’t much like country music, but…..I do like this song. My eyes tear up when I hear it, religious references notwithstanding:

RODNEY ATKINS LYRICS

“Watching You”

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn’t have the toy
Till his nuggets were gone
Green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my breaks and mumbled under my breath
As fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with “s” and I was concerned
So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that

[Chorus one]

He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son’s scooby doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to god like he was talking to a friend
And I said son where’d you learn to pray like that

[Chorus two]

He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you

[Bridge]

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug
Said my little bear is growing up
He said but when I’m big I’ll still know what to do

[Chorus three]

Cause I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
Then I’ll be as strong as you and superman
We’ll be just alike, hey won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do
Cause I’ve been watching you

I bet Rodney Atkins’ child didn’t see that either.
Anyone who could write a song like that (with a head start from a little song his son made up, Lady Kestrel tells me) understand that our children learn by imitating, and by the example we sat.
No more happy meals, Sergio. No more Scooby Doo night light, cowboy boots or camo pants. No more holding Mommy’s hand.
No growing up to be just like Dad.
To the MSM: I hope you’re happy. I hope you sleep well.
I charge you with the death of this child.
His blood is on your hands.
And yet, another casualty of George W. Bush’s illegal and unjust war based on lies.

(From today’s Blog posting at www.greenmountainpolitics1.blogspot.com I am hoping that sometime soon Odum is kind enough to link to me)

2006 was a great year for the Democrats. The Party, united in its hatred of all things Bush, rode the President and his handling of the Iraq War to a majority in both Chambers of Congress.

But, as good as the 06′ campaign talking points were for the Democrats – “A new direction in Iraq!” and “I will hold the President accountable!” – 06’s talking points are having a tough time carrying over to the 07′ majority.

Much to the dismay of voters who voted in the Anti-War Establishment freshman class of the 110th Congress.

Hey, it’s a lot tougher to govern than it is to throw bombs on the campaign trail.

And, what does a freshman majority do when it starts to get tough in the governing arena? They wait two full hours after being sworn in to start backing off their campaign promises.

Two hours.

Two hours after Steny Hoyer officially took over as House Majority Leader he sat down with NPR’s Rober Siegal to chat about the War in Iraq (among a few other things).

The audio of the interview can be found here: http://www.npr.org/t…

Warning: The Following Contains Language That May Be Unsuitable For Anyone Who Thought That This Congress Will Be Any Different Than The Last When It Comes To Dealing With The Iraq War

Siegel: What message about Iraq does the new Congress take from the election?

Hoyer (dodging): The complexity of Iraq and the fact that the President is the Commander-In-Chief and in charge of the administration of the armed forces and could veto any legislation are all significant factors in dealing with the Iraq issue.

Clacker: Whoa, Whoa, Whoa Steny! “Complexity”? “Significant factors”? But you promised us a new way forward. It all sounded so simple two months ago!

Next question:

Siegel: Should we expect the House to use its power of the purse over the War in Iraq?

Hoyer (really dodging): Clearly you are going to see the House, in the near term, exercise its oversight. Murtha and Skelton are going to hold hearings. The Iraq War is the worst execution of foreign policy in my lifetime.

Clacker: No shit? In your lifetime? Tell us something we don’t know Steny.

And these hearings the House Democrats keep talking about? We already had them. They were called the Iraq Study Group – a well-funded, bi-partisan group of foreign policy Wise Men who did there level best to show the American public that there are no good options in Iraq.

The only thing that Skelton and Murtha are going to dig up is that Bush is a moron and that lots of people are guilty of war profiteering.

Again, no shit.

Steny, you’re in the majority now. Embarrass the President. Prove that Haliburton is disgusting. Fine. But the war is still raging and you made promises to the American public.

The truth is if you are against putting more troops in and you are against cutting off funding for the entire war effort than you are in favor of staying the course.

It’s the truth even if you are in the majority party.

Steny better get some new talking points.

I just checked the Auditor’s website and Randy Brock is still the incumbent.  Has the there been a delay because of the recount?  When does Tom Salmon take over?

Although Randy was my friend and Frat brother at Middlebury, I could not bring myself to vote for a Republican.  I actually was glad when Tom Salmon won.  I was also glad that the recount demonstrated just how honest our elections are in Vermont in comparison with states that end with a vowel.

(vtimpeach.com is now live, if still a work in progress… – promoted by odum)

Vermonters’ efforts to get impeachment and “troops home now” resolutions on town meeting warnings, as well as working for impeachment legislation in the Vermont legislature has captured the attention of several national figures calling for impeachment.

John Nichols and Cindy Sheehan have offered to come to Vermont the first weekend in March, to help us rally folks to get out to town meeting votes, and to bring these resolutions up as “other business to come before the town” in towns that didn’t get them warned.
Cynthia McKinney has also expressed interest in joining them.

David Lindorff, co-author of “The Legal case for Impeachment” will be making appearances for us in Brattleboro and Manchester on Feb. 3.

Elizabeth Holtzman, who served on the House Judiciary Committee that impeached Richard Nixon, and author of “the Impeachment of George W. Bush”, has offered to come and address legislators about their rights and duties regarding impeachment.

That is because Vermont, with some help from Maine, NH and MA, is serving as a catalyst to the nation.
We are showing them what a citizenry can do when it stands up and says “enough”.

We should declare this an insurrection of reclamation.

The executive branch has subverted our constitution and illegaly seized power from the legislative branch. With illegal signing statements, Bush declares the right to open the mail of Americans, to sieze and hold without explanation American citizens, to wiretap without warrant our conversations and emails.

We will not rest until this foul genie of a unitary executive branch is put back in the bottle and its perpetrators held accountable.

We will force a return to the principles upon which we were founded.

As Congressional investigations unearth damning facts and are met with stonewalling and resistance by the Bush administration, it will be the outrage of the American people, not our politicians who will force them to face their constitutional duty and vote articles of impeachment.

Join us. Take back the Republic.
visit VTImpeach.com