Sound Off: Your comments 5/8/09
Editor's Note: Many of you responded to the violence in Chicago segment and the death of Johanna Justin-Jinich by her stalker. Some of you had mixed theories on why the violence is so high in Chicago - from parenting to gun control. Viewers also explained that “The Shot” with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wasn’t him singing to show his lighter side, it was for Victory Day (May 9) which commemorates those who died in WWII and pays tribute to survivors and veterans. What do you think?
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I am watching your coverage on the violence in Chicago committed against children, and I want to scream at the top of my lungs to those "Second Amendment" fanatics who have taken that to new level. These things are disproportionately affecting minorities, and mostly poor neighborhoods. I hope the rest of the country takes a strong gun control approach. These are not like knives or other such weapons which cannot cause such wide spread damage in a very short time. I thank you for shedding light from a more analytical perspective rather than treating it just as a "law and order" problem, which it's most certainly not.
RE: the story about killings among young people in Chicago, from projects: Some of these violent children came downstate when their project closed. I had four students (in Sp.Ed.) who were hospitalized long term. These students either threatened me and/or hit myself and aide. This was only one teacher in one school. Other downstate towns had similar problems. Many children have no idea how to resolve conflict. It is good to be attention to this problem.
Anderson, about your Chicago children killings story tonight, there is one thing I didn't hear you mention: THE KIDS' PARENTS. Why are those kids on the streets, with guns? Why weren't they HOME with their parents, even if it is just one parent? Why aren't the fathers rounded up and MADE RESPONSIBLE? Why do we just yap and yap about this but never DO anything? Ah, well, I am wasting my time because you will never get this message from your handlers anyway
Thank you again for a great program tonight. We are appreciate the attention you are paying to the violence in Chicago. Tio Hardiman is doing good work with crime intervention/prevention in Chicago's neighborhoods, but he did not mention the chronic unemployment that plagues Chicago's black communities, and its strong correlation with social instability. Chicago's politicians need to account for the deplorable economic conditions in these neighborhoods that underlie much of the social instability. While your interest in this issue is welcome, please do not ignore the socio-economic context.
The real significance of the piece about Vladimir Putin humming a song was not that sometimes he shows a "softer side" but that he was singing a World War II song together with an old woman in a military uniform who is obviously a War veteran. May 9 is one of the most important dates in Russia – Victory Day. That was the occasion on which Putin met with veterans and together they sang a bittersweet song that is dear to the hearts of millions of Russians. It was extremely sad to see the event trivialized on Anderson Cooper 360.
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I agree with the comment about where are the parents? It seems that too many people are having children, but don't want the responsibility that comes with being a parent. Parenting is a 24/7 job, 365 days a year – starts the day a child is born and never really ends - A parent needs to be present in their child's life - no amount of "quality time" makes up for being gone a large portion of the time. Babies are aware of this from the very beginning and the love and support they are shown and feel in the early years makes a huge difference in their life.
Children deserve two parents in a loving relationship that are willing to put their child's needs before their own. (Sometimes – for various reasons – children end up in single parent homes and this makes it even harder on the single parent - hopefully there will be support network of family and friends to help.) Parents need to be know where their children are, who their friends are, etc. and children need to know that their parents are there for them, supporting them, caring for them and loving them.
When children are basically left to raise themselves and/or feel they are not loved and supported at home, they look for belonging elsewhere - often gangs are the ones that meet those needs.
Although children in the Chicago murders may not be gang members - I'm sure a large portion of the murders can be traced to gangs - children caught in the crossfire, murdered because the refused to join a gang, etc.
Parents need to stand up, be present in their children's lives and take responsibility for their children's actions - If they are not willing to do that, then their children should be taken from them. To bad one doesn't need to pass a test or be licensed to be a parent! Unfortunately, the children are the one's paying the price.
I have been watching advertising about CPR people claiming the awful health service in European countries and Canada. I wonder how accurate their claims are. They are urging the government people to object to the programs being proposed . By advertising the negative they are distorting the truth. Canada has an excellent medical service and some treatments do take longer to obtain but never if the problem is life threatening. If you are searching for the truth please compare all the systems used around the world with yours objectively and report it like it is with no bias.
Regards Jerry
Why has CNN not reported on the David Barstow articles in the N.Y., Times regarding some top generals who have been on the "take" with regard to the Iraq War and private industry contractors? It's certainly on the internet and lots of people are reading about it. Why the protection of McCaffrey by the media? This is not a man who should be a media analyst. He advised before Congress and gave his views on CNN as well as other news programs, regarding why we need to stay in the war, while he had both hands in the till. Pretty amazing! And even more amazing the public is hearing nothing on this. It seems the citizens need more of Democracy Now! because we certainly are not getting the straight stuff from our supposed "best in the business." I would really like a reply from someone at CNN.
Oh everything's trivialized here. Maybe things in Chicago would be better in the former gov. of Illinois had not been impeached for offenses that he had not even been indicted for at the time. He's presumed innocent of those charges until proven guilty. So he was in effect in no violation of the law. How can someone be impeached for that? On the one hand. On the other hand he was impeached for misues of executive discretion. At the very least these were arguable questions.
SERIOUS QUESTION:
Anderson,
Please do a story on the rumors/stories that Baxter Pharmaceuticals has mixed LIVE AVIAN FLU vaccine with swine flu vaccine, putting at risk billions of lives. Friends keep sending info on this and I want to hear mainstream media news regarding this. Is it true? Do you have anyone working on this story?
Thank you. And I appreciate your work.
Sharon Richard