Dear Readers,
I have always believed in miracles. When I saw the first television interview with Charles Ramsey about the 3 women missing in Cleveland, OH, I was amazed. How does a man find a woman trying to break out of a house and then kicks the door in?
Michele Knight was a teenager when she was abducted in 2002. She was 19 when she vanished. She is now 32-years-old. I was so upset regarding her the most. The media in my opinion, did not give her enough love. She was still a teenager and missing but because the pressure was not on to look for her, it appeared as though her case got less coverage.
On the other hand in Georgina “Gina” DeJesus, now 23 and Amanda Berry, now 27 received a lot of coverage and that may have a lot to do with the fact that their families never gave up looking for them. They had faith.
Who is lost for a decade and still lives to tell what happened? People who will need a lot of privacy and time to heal. The media needs to back off.
Ariel Castro is a monster and his Seymour Avenue home will always be a nightmare for the world. The story will always be there to tell if the women choose to.
In the beginning of the investigation, Castro’s two brothers were accused, they have since been released. They are currently in hiding. The crimes that Castro committed were truly senseless and manipulative. The women were helpless and he is a vicious predator. They were abducted and he held them captive in a basement and then upstairs. I could not even imagine been held hostage in a house for 10 years.
I thought about how and if that could possibly happen in my neighborhood and I would say yes. There are plenty of homes that I have no clue about what is going on inside. They park in the back and enter through the back door. No one else comes in or goes out the front. As a neighbor what do you do? Do you set up surveillance?
I have been noticing a lot more activity regarding sexual trafficking. It has been going on for years. It is called prostitution for the most part. I know that we gag and get offended when people start talking about the realities of sexual deviant behavior but since the discovery of the three women who were held captive, it has become a topic of conversation.
We are all fascinated regarding the details and how three adults and one child managed to survive for this long. However, againg the women need time to reconnect to life outside of that house of horror and be with their families. The media is constantly trying to get a story, if they do not have some will try and create one, which was evident with them digging Ramsey’s police record from years ago. The media still has a lot to learn about boundaries and ethics.
Sexual crimes are rampant, especially on college campuses.
I recently saw a flyer and was pleased that Michigan State University is doing outreach to the general population for volunteers. It is needed the most when you are away from your family. Vulnerabilites leave individuals open to all forms of crime.
The flyer reads “Concerned about sexual violence? Looking for internship or volunteer experience?”. Michigan State University Sexual Assault Program is looking for volunteers. The volunteer informational meeting is to learn how you can make a difference in the Greater Lansing Area community. For more information, contact Bianca at 517.353.1669 or biancas@cc.msu.edu.”
They also gave the phone number for the 24-hour sexual assault crisis line, which is 517.372.6666. Sexual assualt is wrong on all levels.
On another note, The New Citizens Press is having their 12th Anniversary Party. As a thank you to all that have supported us and helped us grow along the way, you are cordially invited to join us on Friday June 21, 2013 at Rumrunners in downtown Lansing at 601 E. Michigan.
Mention The New Citizens Press OR Rina Risper at the door for free entry and free food. The party starts at 6 p.m. with food being served from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Luau Buffet will include Caesar salad, dinner rolls, pulled pork sandwiches, meatballs and dessert. There will be a cash bar available and the Piano Bar Show begins at 7 p.m. upstairs.
There will NOT be a Lugnuts game on this day so plenty of parking will be available on the block of Rumrunners.
Please consider attending. We will also have #LovePeople teeshirts for sale.
Love People,
Rina Risper
P.S. You can find us on Linkedin, Twitter and facebook. Social media has been very interesting for us. I try to get to know each person and have now made it my business to meet a new facebook friend each month. I hope you have been feeling spectacular.
This was printed in the May 19, 2013 – June 1, 2013 Edition
