This week marks the capture of the last member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA, who had

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skipped out before she could stand trial in 1976.  Kathleen Soliah, who when arrested had changed her name to Sara Jane Olsen, was one of the women who played a role in not only kidnapping Patty Hearst, but who is also at least partly responsible for several murders and bank robberies.

After being showcased on America’s Most Wanted in 1999, several people who lived in the St. Paul, MN area called in tips that finally brought her out of hiding and back into the spotlight to stand trial.  After having gone from hostage to SLA member, Patty Hearst drove the getaway car during a bank robbery in California where one woman was killed during the heist.  She was the one who said Soliah was in the bank when the bank customer was killed.  A few months later, a bomb was placed under a police car but never detonated.  It didn’t take long to figure out the SLA was behind it as well.  During this time, Soliah patiently waited for the right time to make her escape.  Before she ever stood trial, she’d dropped off the radar.  When she was arrested in MN, she was the epitome of an American soccer mom and doctor’s wife.  She led several local charities and was a community advocate for many projects within the St. Paul area.  With her pleasant domesticated life and the fact she is an excellent mother and wife, it was difficult to reconcile this woman with the one in the 1970s who played such a big role in so much destruction and tragedy.

After she was brought back to California, her lawyer managed to work out an agreement with the district attorney that meant her only having to serve five years in prison.  The Board of Prison Terms decided it wasn’t an acceptable sentence and promptly upped it to fourteen years.  Naturally, a judge overturned it later and said the board abused its discretion.  But this first sentencing had nothing to do with the deal her lawyers would have to negotiate for her role in the bank robbery.  She ended up with an additional six years.  She’s still in prison, but should be set free within the next twelve months.

Today’s funeral of an eight-year-old California girl has brought forward questions regarding the psychological make-up of the woman accused of taking her life.  Sandra Cantu, who was playing within feet of her own home, was reported missing a few weeks ago.  Her body was found in a suitcase owned by a neighbor.  The neighbor, Melissa Huckaby, is also suspected of and has been charged with kidnap, murder and rape with a foreign object.

Aside from the murder of this little girl is the atrocious possibility that she was raped by the mother of one of her playmates.  This will certainly open a Pandora’s Box regarding women who rape.  There have been precious few in-depth studies, but one of the more recent studies, conducted by the University of Georgia in 2008, reveals that most female child molesters were victims of molestation as children themselves.  That’s not surprising, but what is eye-opening is how successful treatment can be for these women who seek out help before acting out and committing the crimes that will forever change the lives of their victims. The study was conducted by organizing two sub groups of women in prison.  One group was sixty female sex offenders, with the remaining seventy who were serving time for other charges.  The group of women convicted of sexual crimes were victims of continuous and on-going molestations throughout a large portion of their childhood and pre-teen years.

Another surprising revelation is the number of women in this country who were sexually abused as children who may never commit a crime.  The numbers vary, as many do when dealing with these sensitive issues, but some estimates show as many as 1/3 are molested as young girls.

Perhaps one of the most damaging aspects is the mindsets as these girls grow into women.  They struggle throughout their lives with relationships, and often, they seek out men who they feel are “more damaged”.  They feel like they don’t deserve the best life has to offer in terms of marriage and relationships.  This begins a cycle of each failed relationship only adding to their own poor self images.  In the worst cases, they become molesters themselves.  Although it’s rare, the number of women who molest as adults can lead to the tragic story such as what’s in the headlines in California.  This young girl who was buried today by a loving family and community paid the ultimate price.

The death penalty is certainly a possibility for the woman accused of taking Sandra Cantu’s life and her innocence.  With counseling, this might could have been avoided.

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Now that the newest president of the United States has been decided, we can once again watch national news channels without those frustrating three-tier tickers dancing across the bottoms of our screens and the familiar red and blue banners with up to the minute projections of the latest polls. Still, last night proved to be less than the brouhaha we might have expected. And that’s not a bad thing.

You might be interested to learn some of the propositions and decisions citizens made on state levels. I didn’t realize there were so many controversial initiatives and the combinations of what passed and what didn’t pass make for an image of what might be best described as “fickle”. Chalk it up to human nature.

Arkansas residents voted to ban single people from becoming foster parents, as well as shooting down any hope for singles to adopt. Not sure about this one. With the national foster care system desperate for safe environments to place foster children, it seems as though the losers in this decision will be the little ones who are desperate for some kind of normalcy and the undivided attention kids need.

Remember my post a couple weeks ago regarding the couple who disagreed on the fate of several embryos since their divorce? Well, in Michigan, voters decided to allow donated embryos that wouldn’t be implanted to be made available for stem cell research, provided the owners or donors (depending on how you define “embryo”) allowed the release. The initiative, better known as Proposal 2, doesn’t affect the illegality of human cloning.

Speaking of previous posts, read here for a recent post on assisted suicide. In Washington state, voters have decided to become one of only two states that allow terminally ill people to seek physician assisted suicides with no legal repercussions. Those wishing to end their lives must be declared competent with the probability of only six months or less before they would succumb to their diseases.

California’s initiative on gay marriage was not approved, along with Arizona and Florida’s own initiatives not passing either. It’s been suggested any same sex marriages that were performed in the window of a few months that the Supreme Court made it legal in California will not be deemed unlawful.

Another California proposal that was rejected was one regarding prostitution. Those in San Francisco who wanted it legalized insisted it would have saved tax dollars that are now used to arrest prostitutes and their clients and the other costs associated with these arrests.

And yet another California bill was regarding abortions. Voters decided to not require a minor’s parents be notified prior to performing an abortion. This rejection also applies to a two day waiting period for minors.

In Colorado, voters decided human life didn’t begin at conception; thereby ensuring abortions will remain legal. Not only that, but there were concerns that if this bill passed, it might lead the way for solid arguments against certain birth control methods. Again, another post can be read here.

Whether we agree or vehemently disagree with those chosen to run the country the next four years or any state-level decisions made during yesterday’s elections, one thing is clear - the 2008 election is finally behind us. And now we look forward to holidays that, if your family is like mine, will include way too much food and way too little time spent with family. By the time the Thanksgiving turkey is carved, the past few days will be a distant memory as we anticipate the results of our choices.

It was announced today that Brad Pitt will be contributing $100,000 in his efforts to prevent voters from overturning the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows gay marriages in California. Strange bedfellows, for sure. Apparently, he’s pretty adamant in his belief that there’s no room for discrimination in his America. I agree, but it’s interesting to me that he chose this sub-heading under the “Discrimination” outline. The quote I found regarding his contribution:

“Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn’t harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8,” Pitt said Wednesday. (Courtesy of New York Daily News)

Gay marriages in America are a tough issue to tackle on any level. Whether one’s arguing the Biblical aspects or if the legalities are being debated, you can be sure there are some strong opinions on what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable. There’s no win-win for a naïve person who wishes to make a point, only to be clobbered by those who vehemently disagree. So, I decided a long time ago I’d stick to the plain vanilla politics. Oh, don’t misunderstand me - I’m not afraid of a little debate here and there, it’s just that it’s rare, if ever, one changes his mind about such an issue and it’s so exhausting trying to talk over some folks. This is one of those rare “no middle of the road” stands we take from time to time.

And yes, there have been times I’ve wondered if my refusal to argue which side of the fence I’m on is a sign of weakness. Maybe. I haven’t figured that one out yet. I’m adamant in my beliefs, but just as adamant in not having to defend or apologize for those beliefs.

Supporters of gay marriages, which, by the way are legal in Massachusetts and California, insist that gay partners should be afforded the same financial and social protections that those who are in more traditional marriages are guaranteed, including being added to employer-provided health insurance policies. That, to me, makes perfect sense. We, as a country, are concerned about the

Courtesy of NY Daily News

increasing numbers of the uninsured. And yes, I realize allowing gays the rights to a legal marriage will not solve this; however, you have to admit, it does smack of double standards. And then there are those who believe adoptions between same sex partners will result in a generation of morally bankrupt children. Honestly, I’m more concerned about the kids who are growing up in homes with their biological parents and who are breathing in the toxins from the meth being cooked in the next room. That’s my idea of a real problem. This, as well as a million more “arguments within the battle” will continue probably until the end of time.

Aside from the economic and legal aspects, the most vocal opposers are often the ones who want to ensure everyone’s safe transport into Heaven. I get it. But I also get that I’m not on this earth to ensure anyone’s happiness or choices are on solid foundations. Again, this goes back to my having a full plate with my own justifications regarding my own life. I have no idea what it’s like to be gay in America, or a convicted felon or a drug addict. In fact, I have a pretty easy life, but I’m also not one to be bothered with other people’s thoughts about me.

If Brad Pitt, or anyone else for that matter, feels as though financial contributions will help get a point across, so be it. Personally, I would’ve sunk a hundred grand into something else, but not because I have a problem with what he chose. His money, his contribution, right? I think I’d have probably been a bit selfish if I had money that wasn’t earmarked for such whimsical and luxurious indulgences like the power bill or the Visa statement.

There’s no easy answer and my guess is the elections in November are going to be interesting not only because of the colorful Presidential candidates, but because of issues such as gay marriages on the California ballots. We all know Brad Pitt rules the movie screen, we’re about to find out if he rules or even has an affect on the ballot boxes.