HEADLINES

The headlines in the world today cause more adrenaline flowing through me than I can hardly stand. These are some recent headlines, mostly from my local region and within a matter of a few weeks:

Provo Police Looking for Auto Part Thieves

Car Stolen From Man as he Collects LDS Fast Offerings

Statue Stolen from Utah Center for Autistic Kids

FedEx Employee Charged for Bomb Joke on Army Base

Activists Allege Execution-Style Killings in Syria

Whining Wall Streeters Complain About Smaller Bonuses, $500,000 Salaries

Gasoline Prices Rise for 24th Straight Day

Tornado Recovery Begins in Tough, Tiny Ill. City

Obama warns both Iran and Israel, "I don't bluff"

Lesbian, Gay, Transgender Community Stages "Dignity Rally"

Bill Calls for Parent Meetings on Bullying, Suicide, Drug Abuse

Case Dismissed Against Men Accused of Kidnapping, Robbing Woman

Orem Child Pornographer Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Utah Professor in Porn-on-Plane Case Resigns Job

Woman Raped on Provo River Trail

Former BYU Student Charged with Sexually Abusing Roommates

Trial Delayed for Man Accused of Enticing Teen Girl

Man Facing Child Porn Charges Hit with 9 Sex Abuse Charges

Police: Woman Leaves Disabled Children Alone to go on Crime Spree

Police: Utah Mom Made Son Run Alongside Moving Car

Juvenile Suspect in Utah School Bomb Plot Charged

SWAT Team Storms Home, Arrests Two Suspected Drug Dealers

Woman Charged After Death of Utah Baby Sitter

Springville Man Shoots and Kills Suspected Home Invader

Jury Convicts Provo Man in Assault on his Brother

$500k Meth Seized in Utah Bust Tied to Cartels

The headlines are actual, but the stories behind them seem unreal. Except that I know that they are real. I am currently completing the redaction of two record requests. The first is a father who wants the records proving his ex-wife abused their four children. He specifically wants a piece of evidence which will be denied to him because he doesn't understand the idea that he cannot receive information regarding the allegations of his ex-wife. It is 2012 and this dispute has been non-stop since 2004.

The type of abuse the children suffered brought back memories of my sister being thrown across the room and onto her bed for something she did not do. It is funny now, but my other sister and I both want to take the blame, although at the time we kept our mouths tightly shut in fear of what would happen if mom knew the whole story. I was also reminded of a time when my mother was so angry at my sister and me that she picked up a twirling baton and hit me across the leg. My sister laughed when she saw the damage to the baton, until she saw the result on my leg. And we knew we would get spanked with dad's belt if we were caught near the canal that flowed near our street. Dad was also likely to whip his belt off if our play became too noisy when he was trying to get sleep for his next shift. My sister and I can both identify the very last time that happened because it was the very last time he hit either of us. And why was that? Because Mom interfered and Dad got a tongue lashing he would never forget.

I struggled with an explosive temper also when  my children were young. I remember seeking advice from my Mom, who just felt it was a normal phase to go through. I asked her specifically if she remembered having any trouble, or increased emotional reactions after giving birth to each of us. She flat out denied it. But I have it from a good source that this was not completely true. During my mom's first pregnancy, her parents as well as her in-laws passed away within months of each other, and within weeks of the baby's due date. My Mom drove herself to the hospital while my Dad attempted to drive as fast as possible to arrive from the oil field on time, but she was alone. My source reports that people came into the home to help mom for quite a long period of time. It appears she too struggled through the nightmare of depression during those early years of parenting. Why can't depression just be for a week or two instead of following you for years, and years?

Perhaps the divorced father's attempt to 'get the goods' on his ex-wife touched too closely for me. Although his ex-wife was supported on the physical abuse allegations, he does not have the right to know anything that was said about her. I took a break from his case as I found myself so irritated at him that I was looking for every law possible to cite in order to prevent him from getting what he wanted.

Unfortunately, my next record request involved the wife of an elected official. A very believable disclosure by their young granddaughter brought about a supported finding of sexual abuse perpetrated by the Grandmother. It did not do diddly squat to relieve me of my anger nor of my anxiety that my world is filled with danger. Such reality exists in  my life, I do not even have to read the news paper, the media only picks up a few of the situations that frequently occur in our society.

Perhaps I will return to a different area of my job where I look only for specific actions within a child welfare case. That did not work either. Teen son of an illegal family disclosed that he was bi-sexual. The family was upset, as one could expect. But to prove how wrong the teen was, the father raped him. Raped his own son! Dad is now in prison and the teen is doing well in state custody, but has a lot of therapy ahead of him.

Our society is ill. Deathly ill. The world is so perverted and gross. It pushes me to adolescent fiction for escape. There is a lot to be said about vampires who respect life and ancient treaties. Who fight with all their might to avoid immorality--because of the trauma it will bring to their partner. There is a lot to be said about werewolves also honoring an ancient treaty not to encroach on Vampire area. A mutual treaty that was respected and ultimately led to two entities fighting for a single cause. And friendships that remain, even after hearts are broken. Others may make fun of it. But I find it refreshing. In fact I find more integrity within the Twilight Saga than I do within my community.

'Course I also recently discovered I may be familiar with the headlined auto part thieves. How is that for a headline? The photo for this post includes three ducks enjoying the freefall of a water slide, enjoying the excitement without any fear. The world is sliding down hill--and I am screaming in fear all the way.

Needless to say--the Nemesis has returned.