On May 5th of this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics went to great lengths in a SIX PAGE Policy Statement, “Ritual Genital Cutting of Female Minors, to explain their need to allow pediatricians to perform a procedure called a “nick” to the clitoris of young girls in America whose parents requested the procedure.  This SIX PAGE document includes illustrations, extensive references, and uses the term FGC (Female Genital Cutting) rather than FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) to change the foundation of the debate.

Concluding, “it might be more effective if federal and state laws enabled pediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick as a possible compromise to avoid greater harm.” The AAP has since removed the policy statement from the website but I have a copy and am willing to forward it along.

In short, Female Genital Mutilation is a cultural, not religious based practice, in which a girl’s vagina is mutilated to insure that the girl remain virtuous.   Varying degrees of FGM include the barbaric:  complete amputation of the clitoris, sewing up of the vagina, to the less sever:  ritualistic clitoral “nick.”   Immigrants from countries that practice this ritual have continued to maintain cultural ties to their motherland by practicing FGM in the U.S. even though many states have specifically criminalized this practice, the Federal Government is working on national legislation ban the practice and close legislative loopholes and the practice is in decline worldwide due primarily to the spread of AIDS.

So, women’s groups protested . . . to some extent, lawmakers got involved . . . to some extent, the media picked up the story . . . to some extent, and on May 27th, the AAP rescinded its own policy issued just 22 days earlier:  “American Academy of Pediatrics Withdraws Policy Statement on Female Genital Cutting.”  http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/fgc-may27-2010.htm

Below is just a sampling of why the AAP Rescinded Policy was at best, misguided, at worst shockingly negligent.  The fearless leader of the AAP, Judith S. Palfrey, MD, FAAP, should be removed for incompetence.  It is my experience that the AAP is merely a party planning organization, a coordinator of on-going medical education, refusing, quite belligerently at times, to take a firm stand on issues that impact the safety and well-being of children.

On a state level, I have watched the AAP refuse to take a stand on child endangerment legislation, Anti-Female Genital legislation, legislation regarding the drug, Gardasil, and the list goes on.  It is shocking that the AAP would issue a pronouncement on FGM that effectively does away with years and years of hard fought advocacy work.  I am speechless, breathless and believe that Dr. Palfrey should resign because it was under her leadership that this miscarriage took place.

Here is the link to Equality Now’s Press Release.  Equality Now is the leader on FGM domestically and internationally:

Press Release Regarding AAP Policy Statement:

http://www.equalitynow.org/english/pressroom/press_releases/usaap_20100505_en.html

Thought provoking quote from Equality Now Director:

Taina Bien-Aimé adds, “Throughout the ages ‘cultural’ practices like foot binding in China have caused lifelong physical and psychological harm to women and girls. If foot binding were still being carried out, would the AAP encourage pediatricians to execute a milder version of this practice?”

My additional thoughts:

I would add to Equality Now’s Press Release in opposition of the AAP’s Policy Statement that Anti-FGM legislation has been helpful in decreasing the ritual practice of FGM because it adds a definitive consequence to performing FGM–deportation as conviction results in a felony as well as possible loss of parental rights.

Allowing for any type of “cutting” opens the door for interpretation of “cutting” and allows for more aggressive forms of mutilation to take place.  Parents who are entrenched in holding onto their country of origins rituals will see the AAP’s acquiescence as fuel for adopting the long standing tradition of more aggressive forms of mutilation.

Adoption of the AAP’s recent policy statement will result in a slippery slop effect in which girls from “more traditional,” “better families” will be victims of the more extreme forms of FGM.  It is ludicrous to assume that maintaining a hold onto any form of this oppressive ritual will in any way facilitate it’s eradication as the AAP suggests.

Troubling language found in AAP’s Policy Statement under the heading “Education of Patients and Families”

“Most forms of FGC (Female Genital Cutting) are decidedly harmful, and pediatricians should decline to perform them, even in the absence of any legal constraints.  However, the ritual nick suggested by some pediatricians is not physically harmful and is much less extensive than routine newborn male genital cutting.  There is reason  to believe that offering such a compromise may build trust between hospitals and immigrant communities, save some girls from undergoing disfiguring the life-theatrening producers in their native counties, and play a role in the eventual eradication of FGM.  It might be more effective if federal and state laws enabled pediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick as a possible compromise to avoid greater harm.”

In the end, who gives a hairy rats ass. Honestly, the kid is happy, seemingly well fed, held in high esteem and has been provided with his own mode of transportation (little red truck).  Still, to be fair, efforts to remedy the situation are underway with social workers and government officials engaged in vain attempts to bribe his father with an offer of a free car if he stops giving his kid smokes.

So, that’s it, a smoking baby?  That’s what gets people’s hair on fire.  Really?  Well, what other stories failed to go viral this week and gain traction in the media or arena of public opinion?  Here’s a sampling:

• “Depressed” Italian Murderer and Mod Boss Free After Holding 13 Year Old Boy for 2 Years, Killing Him and Dissolving Him in Acid. [you heard right, freed because he is depressed]
• Dad Forced Naked Son, 9, Into Oven in New York Home [suffered extensive burns]
• Dozens Arrested in Online Porn Ring [that would be 50 arrests involving 16 children with more than 1,000 members trading millions of images]
• American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement Allowing Pediatricians to Perform Female Genital Mutilation

All this to say, Creating Wicked Good Karma involves getting your eyes, ears, hands and hearts dirty.  Creating Wicked Good Karma is about giving a hairy rats ass about the revolting, speaking about the UNSPEAKABLE and preventing harm.  Creating Wicked Good Karma is intense and your soul will thank you.

Can we petition for inclusion of words?  I would love to just make some s**t up, some dumb a@@ word that nobody has ever heard of and market the  . . . jimney crickets out of it to get it promoted to the top of the cussing list ~ just to say I had done it.  Just to say I had f%$ked with people to the extent that I had created a spankin’ new cuss word all my own.

Can we petition to get a word removed from the list?  A few months ago, I had the pleasure of working on V-Day’s “The Vagina Monologues” (vday.org) in my community, which thankfully was very well received, made a ton of money for a local domestic violence group and for women of the Congo.

Yet, the first venue we approached turned us down flat.  Not because of the V-Day’s noble mission statement, to end violence against women and girls, but because of one word:  vagina.  A mother protested the use of the space because she didn’t know how to address the anticipated poster that would be inevitably be hung at the venue:  “What do I tell my daughter when she sees the word . . . vagina?”

Note to self:  Find covert cussing police, petition for the removal of “vagina,” lobby for adoption of new cuss word.

Note to reader:  None of the above applies to religious references while cussing.  That, my friends, is a horse of a different color.

Jumping on the Karma Super Highway ain’t easy but it helps if you are living an authentic life.  Living who you are allows you to give of your time and talent in ways that not only help you but help others immensely.

Once your inner life (your soul-filled life) is in balance with your outer life (your day to day existence) everything just works better.   Doors open, networking is effortless, days seem brighter ~ just like walkin’ on sunshine.   You are at peace with yourself and the world.  Ahh . . .

If you don’t know yet, make discovering who you are a top priority.  It is a matter of intention, honesty, courage, and clarity.

Talk to folks who work in fields that interest you before you choose a major or begin your career.  You’d be surprised at how many folks are willing to talk openly about their careers.  Ask yourself:  will this path sustain me financially and soulfully?  Chances are your greatness will be found in what inspires you and money will follow you.

For those that have already entered the work force, started a family or have what appear to be a multitude of constraints, finding your authentic self may be a bit trickier but still more than do-able.  You never know until you take that first step.    Why not start today?

We all struggle from time to time, need help and “get by with a little help from [our] friends” (sorry, couldn’t help myself).  That’s a no brainer.  Helping friends does produce good karma but what we really want to know is how to create Crazy Good Karma ~ the kind that sparkles and sounds like fireworks on the 4th of July.   That kind of Crazy Good Karma is found in helping total strangers from which you have nothing, nada, rein (that would be French) to gain.

Even better if the situation involves you sticking your neck out and going the extra mile.  Trust me, giving up a parking space to a stranger while you sit in your toasty car listening to Beyonce is great but that’s not what we’re talking about either.

Here’s a for instance ~ a few weeks ago, I walked into my local drug store to buy some Cadbury Mini Eggs that are only available during Easter which is a good thing because they are my absolute favs and were they available year round I would be as big as a house with fingers too fat to type.

As I approached the counter, two big male clerks were very agitated about something they had just seen in the parking lot through the store window.   From what I understood, the clerks had seen a child in the trunk of a car. I asked them to call the police and they refused believing (probably accurately) that they would get fired for becoming involved in an incident outside the store.

Long story short, I went out to investigate myself and believed, without putting myself in extreme jeopardy, that something menacing was indeed taking place that needed the attention of law enforcement.  So, I called the police.

As some of you may know, calling the police for any reason sets off a operational flow-chart of events from discussions with 911 operators from multiple jurisdictions to police interviews, police reports, waiting, talking and waiting some more.  Reporting a child in the trunk of a car now speeding down the road to a major interstate expressway proved no different.

A quick trip for a quick fix turned into over an hour of high drama but I was willing to stick it out.  Not for someone I knew that could help me in the future but for someone I didn’t know, didn’t plan to know and would never benefit from, at least not in a literal sense, in the here and now.

Law enforcement from three jurisdictions became involved.  After interviewing the parents at their home (got the license plate-YES!), the parents admitted the little boy had been in the trunk of the car but they claim he moved into the passenger compartment before they drove off.  We’ll never know for sure.

What I do know for sure is I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had done nothing.  By calling 911, I allowed the police to check things out.  I allowed them to do their job because it isn’t my job to investigate possible criminal activity, it’s theirs.  The police signed up to help people and they really like doing things other than writing tickets.

Sadly, many, many folks, if not most, could have lived with themselves just fine and do every day when they step over dead homeless men in the street or fail to call 911 when they suspect a child is being abused.

Don’t be one of those people.  Take the hit and help a stranger.  Help by calling 911 when someone needs help. Let creating Crazy Good Karma be your fix.

**This year marks the 45th anniversary of the release of “Help” written by John Lennon with some collaboration with Paul McCartney.   Although the song was written for the Beatles film “Help,” John later reflected in an interview to Playboy magazine that the lyrics were deeply person because at the time he was struggling with their fame and “crying out for help.”

In most cases, any delay makes the case weaker not stronger, harder not easier to prove, as witnesses’ memories fade, evidence is lost or witnesses become more difficult to find altogether.

Got it.  But what I don’t get is how in the world it takes over a year to resolve two relatively simple cases when the accused, Joshua Wang, has indicated through re-arrest that he poses a risk to the community . . . our community.  And Mr. Wang remains out on bond.

In March of last year, Joshua Wang, was arrested on three counts of felony Risk of Injury to Child and three counts of misdemeanor Public Indecency, allegedly stemming from an incident at the Westport Weston Family Y in which Mr. Wang was working as a lifeguard.

In May of last year, just two months later, Mr. Wang was picked up again and charged with two counts of felony Risk of Injury to Child, two counts of misdemeanor Sexual Assault 4th Degree, and one count misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct.  As reported by the Norwalk News, Mr. Wang allegedly fondled two girls at a local grocery store.  Again, Mr. Wang was allowed to bond out of jail.

The State isn’t waiting on a crime lab report to come back.  No ballistics tests, no DNA analysis, no forensics testimony from the likes of Dr. Lee.  These cases aren’t death penalty cases.  These cases are simple:  did he or didn’t he?  And if he did, can the state prove it?

If the state proves it, then Mr. Wang should be justly sentenced and the community protected.  If the state can’t prove it, then charges should be dismissed against Mr. Wang and those involved in the case would then be able to move forward.   Reports, if any, in this type of case, are matters for sentencing.

Madame prosecutor, you are sworn to seek justice. You work for the People of the State of Connecticut ~ all the people.  Victims and witnesses in your cases may be interested in the outcome of a case but they are not “interested parties,” as you so eloquently   stated in court last week.  They are witnesses to the alleged acts that constitute an offense against the criminal code of Connecticut.  They are not your clients.

The Norwalk Superior Court Judge should call State vs. Joshua Wang for trial.  It is firm-set on the jury calendar and has appeared on the docket 19 times.  The state has had over a year to prepare for trial.  Mr. Wang has pled not guilty on all counts and is represented by the law firm of Gulash & Riccio.  Always innocent until proven guilty.  Maybe 19 times is a charm.  The next court date is Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

According to an article in the Norwalk News, Mr. Wang told the Westport Police Department his actions were the result of “an existing medical condition.”  Mr. Wang was released from jail on a $1,000.00 bond.

In May of last year, just two months later, Mr. Wang was picked up again and charged with two counts of felony Risk of Injury to Child, two counts of misdemeanor Sexual Assault 4th Degree, and one count misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct.  As reported by the Norwalk News, Mr. Wang allegedly fondled two girls at a local grocery store.  Again, Mr. Wang was allowed to bond out of jail.

It is now one year later and Mr. Wang’s cases have been on the court’s docket a revolting 15 and 18 times.  A hot mess of bad karma abounds for the judges and prosecutors who continue to fail the community and victims in bringing these cases to trial whatever the outcome.  Always innocent until proven guilty.  The case is set for trial again tomorrow, May 6th at the Norwalk Superior Court.

The only people I see more often than the Starbucks’ baristas are my children and their bedrooms are, strangely enough, right down the hall from my own.

The baristas do me a solid every time I walk in the door.  If I don’t know their name I simply ask:  “I would really like to know your name” or “What’s your name? I would really like to know it.”  How many names will you learn this week?  I smell crazy good karma brewing!!

Before Angelina’s humanitarian work on behalf of Goodwill and her eventual adoption of Maddox from Cambodia in 2002, adoption was more of a factor of color matching ~ a Sherwin-Williams of matchy, matchy hues and tones.    Adoption agencies bought into societies long held assumption that families should be monochromatic.  This misplaced mindset has been transformed, in my opinion, in large part, by an unlikely hero and her growing family.

Today, a virtual Pantone color wheel of opportunities await prospective adoptive parents.  This week, Sandra Bullock announced she has adopted a baby boy from New Orleans and the precious Louis Bardo Bullock (namesake Louis Armstrong) looks nothing like her.  Gasp!  Sure, celebrities and regular folks have gone before her but this weeks announcement wasn’t met with gasps but with oohs and ahhs.  Nicely done Angelina.  The gauntlet has been thrown.  What have you done to rock the world?

I’ve always been quite circumspect about killing bugs ~ unless, of course, they happened to disgust me as cockroaches are want to do.  Even so, I have spent what amounts to an enormous amount of time capturing insects, yes even cockroaches, and returning them to the wild (i.e. front yard).

The absence of central air and today’s rising temperatures brought the value of a life into focus.  The adorable bumble bee, all dress up in his halloween costume inspired outfit, buzz, buzz, buzzing about the window trying to his darndest to escape, was one of the lucky ones.  The mosquito, however, was not.  So does saving the bumble bee negate any bad karma I may suffer as a result of the “unfortunate mosquitos incident”?