Hate Radio

Weep for the Children

I was in tears by the time I finished reading this article. The short life of this infant was a horror show gone bad. Everyday I care for my 22-month old daughter. I feed her. I cherish every sound and every movement she makes. I'm full of wonder as I see her grow and learn. I see unconditional love in my daughter's eyes and I am blessed.

And I mourn for this other child who probably still would have loved her aunt if given the chance. Such is the bond and the beauty of children. Such sadness.

A 24-year-old Milwaukee woman was charged today with killing her infant nephew and abusing her two-year-old niece while the children were in her foster care since June.

Officials at the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare have vowed to review the case, which one homicide investigator likened to torture and called one of the worst infant abuse deaths he has seen.

"You have broken bones that aren't being medically tended to. You have burn marks that aren't being medically tended to," said Milwaukee police Lt. Alfonso Morales. "And I'm not talking for a day or two. I'm talking for weeks or months."

Crystal P. Keith is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm and is being held on $200,000 bail at the Milwaukee County Jail. Keith is married to the brother of the children's biological father. Her husband has not been charged in the case.

According to the complaint, Keith told police who responded to her home in the 3000 block of S. 12th St. on Monday that she repeatedly slapped Christopher L. Thomas in the face for not eating. She said she choked him, hung him upside down and pressed his head on the floor. At some point, the infant's eyes rolled back into his head and he began to vomit. He stopped breathing. She then stuck the handle of a hair brush down Christopher's throat, she said, in order to revive him.

The boy died the next day at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He suffered blunt force trauma to his head, had a broken right arm, bruises on his thighs, throat and neck, multiple scalp injuries and a lacerated tongue. Keith described to police a number of beatings she had given the child since he began crawling.

I took CPR. I don't recall that hand brush handles were part of any technique for reviving a victim.

"With the police department, medical examiner and other authorities, we are investigating this tragic incident," said Denise Revels Robinson, director of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare.

"When we learn all of the facts surrounding this situation, we will take all necessary and appropriate action," Robinson said.

I'm sure that's comforting to this little boy.

Porky Has a Friend

Ho ho ho. He's the gift that keeps on giving. That would be the newly elected clown prince of blogging, Fred Dooley of the hilariously named Real Deadbeat Debate Wisconsin blog.

Questioned as to his morals (again) because of his unwavering support for Peter DiGaudio, the threatmeister of SE Wisconsin, Dooley finds himslf, once again in a familiar role – defending his actions.

The funny thing is, no one asked him to offer a defense. But then, Fred's skin is so thin you could see his heart if he had one. For this, Fred is once again the recipient of the award named for him. Thanks Fred – don't stop being you, as though you could.

Indefensible

This is why Rick Esenberg, brilliant though he may be as a lawyer and writer, saddens me because he has become such an apologist for the indefensible – be it WMC, George Bush, Sarah Palin, the Iraq War or right-wing talk radio – namely Charlie Sykes and his caddy, Jeff Wagner. This paragraph written by Esenberg is a good example of his fall from grace.

I understand that Belling's schtick is outrage, but Sykes and Wagner are hardly breathing fire. We have embarrassments like G. Gordon Liddy and Michael Savage. The left has Randi Rhodes and Keith Olbermann.

Keith Olbermann?

I can understand that Esenberg doesn't like Olbermann. He doesn't back down from the fight. And he doesn't apologize. He also calls it as he sees it, regardless from the left or right. And, whereas most of the media personalities are too afraid to take on the GOP machine, Olbermann relishes the fight. I'll agree that his “Worst Person” series is not always the most mature, but it's hardly fire-breathing. Comparing him to Liddy and Savage? That's just nonsense.

The Brew City Brawler has already covered Sykes and his inane shenanigans. And Wagner is not worth the time. But neither is in Olbermann's league as far as providing serious commentary from the heart. This video by Olberman (below) says volumes about the man. He claims not to have had a vested interest in whether Proposition 8 passed or not. Yet, he defends those who want only what others already have, the right to marry.

I have a vested interest because I have a brother who is gay. He is the kindest person I know. His partner passed away about six months ago and while I don't ever remember hearing any talk about taking that next step in their relationship, I wonder if they would have if it had been legally available.



I've never heard Sykes or Wagner come close to this in eloquence. They're both second-tier squawkers who if they had hearts might actually have a heart. Esenberg defends their dreck, their lies. That's indefensible.

h/t Emily Mills at The Lost Albatross

Thoughts on Veteran's Day

I sent off an email to family members asking if they could make it Saturday for Abby's 8th birthday and was reminded that today was November 11th, Veteran's Day. It was cause for memories.

I remember staying with Nana at her home in Appleton shortly after Grandpa's death at the age of 82. It was September 1978 or so. Nana and I were foraging through some items when I found an old uniform. I asked Nana if this was Grandpa's. She said it was his WWI uniform and beckoned to me to try it on. It was a little tight, but it fit! I was 22 at the time and pretty skinny. It was cool to know that my Grandpa and I were about the same size back in our youth. (The picture on the left is of Grandpa in his uniform around 1930.)

I spent a lot of time at my grandparents as a child. My Dad was working hard to feed a growing family (it would become five eventually). We (usually Kelly and I) would often stay with Nana and Grandpa for a week or so at a time during the summer.

I didn't mind. I loved visiting. I enjoyed puttering in the backyard with Nana, picking raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, dodging the bees, etc. The gathered fruits would later become the filling for pies; the aroma of these just-baked pies filling the house and wafting out the backdoor to the yard where I could be found building miniature cities with hand-smoothed expressways in the gravel driveway.

I remember evenings sitting on the floor in front of Grandpa's lap. He'd peel apples. It was a wondrous experience for the grandkids, watching Grandpa maintain one - long - continuous - peel. Then he'd present slices to each of us kids from the flat side of the paring blade.

I especially liked going with Grandpa to the driving range to practice hitting golfballs. He was an excellent golfer. He had seven hole-in-ones (I've had one, using an old iron of his) and he shot a 79 at Reid Municipal Park in Appleton at the age of 79. Pretty remarkable.

I'd also go out with Grandpa on the course. I was his caddy until my teen years. I had a blast with Grandpa's old buddies and on occasion was even allowed to hit a golfball.

Even when I was finally allowed to golf, Grandpa insisted I never keep score. Nonetheless, in my adult years it's been a goal of mine to break 80. I've hit 80 six times, but have never made it past. I once needed only to bogey the last hole do break 80. It's been a source of frustration. Grandpa must have known something.

Grandpa's service for our nation consisted of being drafted in September 1918. He trained in Alabama and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1918. He never made it to Europe to actually fight in the war-to-end-all-wars and was discharged in in early 1919.

His only child, my Dad, enlisted in the Marines in January 1945 at the age of 17. He trained in the Carolinas and then transferred to California. In October 1945 he sailed from Washington; visiting Japan and the Philippines. He was discharged in 1947.

He later decided to joined the priesthood. Fortunately he changed his mind before his final vows; I'm thankful for obvious reasons.

Over the years I've tried in my own way to fill my Dad's shoes, though I've insisted I wasn't. We've clashed as Son and Dad often do. I'm sad to say that our relationship has not always been the best.

Recently, I sent an email to him asking he stop sending me any more of those thoroughly debunked anti-Obama emails that were cruising the Internet. After explaining how this latest email was false, I asked whether he had any sense and would he please stop or I would have to block his emails. I wish I had not done that.

Earlier this summer while tossing a ball around with my Son, I noticed how difficult it was to throw with any sort of pace. The distance I could throw a ball had also diminished. But I kept at it even though I knew I would be sore the next day. I thought of my Dad then. He used to set up as catcher and let me throw fastball after fastball. They were not very fast. I tried out for Little League and the first pitch I threw was hit over the centerfield fence. But Dad kept catching and encouraging.

So I keep catching and running after my Son's errant throws. I help him with his homework and I try not to take it personally when he argues with me or gets sullen, as teenagers are wont to do regardless of the generation.

I've been a fortunate person. I had the chance to know my Grandpa and had a Dad who worked and stuck around to care for his family. There are too many children missing that. Because of their efforts, I've turned out fairly all right. I have three kids now. In addition to my teenage boy, I have two beautiful daughters, a wonderful wife, a home -- a great family.

I wonder if my Dad has an old uniform lying around? Despite our differences, I bet we were about the same size once, too, in our youth.

Proudly Banned

Linked over to Real Debate Wisconsin from Brew City Brawler to see what Fred had drooled on the sick day issue. Saw this immediately:

Banned by webmaster. Your comments will not be added.

Ha ha. The coward. As I wrote previously, my posting one comment every three months at that racist site won't be missed by me.

One thing, though. Fred often paints himself as the victim and that everyone is bashing him for absolutely no reason. Because, you know, he's a reasonable guy. Yet, the very first sentence in his latest opus says this:

Those of us in Racine would like to thank the voters in Milwaukee County for being stupid enough to raise their sales taxes by 1%.

Italics mine. Fred likes to refer to people as idiots, stupid, ridiculous, etc. every chance he gets. Apparently he believes this to be a part of real "debate." In reality, it's a sign of insecurity.

We will continue to expose Fred's inanity on a regular basis.

Is This a Threat?

In the comments section at Boots and Sabers, Peter DiGaudio of Texas Hold 'em Fame, is more than a little upset by the outcome of the elction.

You can go to hell as far as I am concerned. He is not my president. And you can take this country and shove it where the sun don’t shine. Screw you. You are not my fellow countryman as far as I am concerned. I want nothing to do with your damn country.

I don’t hope for his success. In fact, I seriously hope this country gets attacked by terrorists over and over again and every possible bad thing that can happen does happen ... to people like you.

If I had the money, I’d put a bounty on his melon. Seriously.

I guess, sadly, we've come to expect this sort of lunatic behavior from Peter. And, this is the third comment I've seen from a conservative threatening the life of President-Elect Barack Obama. Seriously, should we contact the Secret Service.

And while I don't advocate deletion of comments, I would have expected Owen Robinson to at least have said something about Peter's outburst. Owen's wife did!

UPDATE: Owen added a comment replying to Peter's outburst, after I had written this post. I apologize, Owen. You did the right thing.

I hope that your statements are the product of emotion on a tough night and that you will retract them. Regardless, they are completely inappropriate. I agree that America chose the wrong guy, but he is our duly elected president (almost) and the office and our nation deserve respect. We can vigorously oppose his policies while not wishing the man or the office ill will.