Neda

There is an interview with Neda's family on CNN right now. Here are just a few interesting parts:

The night before she was killed on the streets of Tehran, the woman the world would come to know simply as Neda had a dream. "There was a war going on," she told her mom the next morning, "and I was in the front."

More than four months after Neda's death, her mother, Hajar Rostami, described the pain her family has endured and how grateful they are to millions across the world who have hailed Neda as a martyr -- a symbol of freedom for Iran. She spoke with CNN by phone in her native Farsi from her home in Tehran a few days ago.

"As a message to everyone, I really want to thank the whole world," she said. "And I don't really know how to thank them, so I ask of you: Please find the right words for me.

"I can't tell you how much it has warmed our hearts, how much it's helped us."

Recalling that day, her mother paused in the hourlong interview. The family, she said, has gone back to the scene and retraced Neda's movements.

"She was only 26 steps from her car."

Those were 26 steps Neda never had a chance to take -- the difference between returning home to her family and becoming a symbol of a greater struggle inside Iran.

"But when I returned home, I did see the video," she said. "It was enormously painful. So painful that I've never been able to watch it again all the way through to the end.

"It was the moment of seeing her give her life, the life leaving her body. That was very painful. The look in her eyes at that moment. I wake up with that look in her eyes every morning; I go to bed with the image of that look in her eyes every evening."

It is tradition in Iran to give away personal belongings of a loved one after they die. But Neda's bed, her makeup stand, her photographs -- everything that was hers -- remains untouched.

The reason: Neda appeared in her sister's dream and told her not to part with anything.

"I am alive," Neda said.

Happy Anniversary

Good morning world. Today has been, several times throughout history, a time for change... and discrimination. It's always amazing to me to see all of the good and bad things that have happened over the years, especially when we see similar events occurring.

2009:

• Maine repeals same-sex marriage, becoming the 31st state to do so
• Maine also votes to expand the medical marijuana law
• Washington is expected to pass Referendum 71, allowing many of the benefits of opposite-sex marriage to same-sex couples
• Iranian people take to the streets in remembrance of the hostage crises of 1979, chanting "Obama" in an effort to call for help and attention to the voting issues that began over the summer

2008:

• President Barack Obama is elected the first African-American president of the United States of America
• Michael Crichton dies at age 66
• Proposition 8 is approved by California voters, overturning a previous ruling that same-sex couples would be able to marry

1999:

• Aaron McKinney, who took part in slaying Matthew Shepard because he was homosexual, is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and promises not to appeal his conviction

1995:

• Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated by a Jewish extremist in Tel Aviv.

1991:

• Ronald Regan opens his library in Simi Valley

1980:

• Regan wins the presidential race over incumbent Jimmy Carter

1979:

• The Iranian hostage crises begins as as militant storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran

1956:

• Soviet troops move into Hungary in order to crush a revolt

1955:

• Cy Young dies at 88

1952:

• Dwight Eisenhower is elected president

1939:

• The "Cash and Carry" position is taken by the U.S. in World War II, allowing support for France and Britain

1924:

• Wyoming elects the first female governor, Nellie T. Ross 1922 - King Tut's tomb is discovered

1884:

• Grover Cleveland is elected president

1842:

• Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd are married in Springfield, Illinois

Punishment

Now, I'm generally against the death penalty... but fucking assholes like this definitely get a vote from me to head to the electric chamber... especially if he ends up having an STD of some sort.

During the sentencing for 26-year-old Jeremy M. Lund, the Wood County victim-witness coordinator read a letter written by the toddler's mother and father. The parents wanted the letter read out loud in court so Lund would have to hear the damage he's caused.

"Make sure that he will never be in a place to harm another child," they wrote.

Wood County Circuit Court Judge Greg Potter sentenced Lund to 40 years in prison with credit for 287 days already served. Lund will serve an additional 20 years on extended supervision.

The sentencing was difficult for the victim's family, who filled the courtroom. Crying could be heard throughout the hearing and at one point, several family members left the courtroom, finding it too difficult to be in Lund's presence and listen to the proceedings.

In their letter, the parents wrote that their 17-month-old daughter had to go through surgery to evaluate the damage done to her.

"We love our daughter, and it rips us apart what happened to her," they wrote.

He ordered Lund to be on GPS monitoring for life, maintain absolute sobriety, maintain full and verifiable employment, undergo alcohol assessment, give a DNA sample and be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

(h/t WI Rapids Tribune)

Prediction Time

The 1960s ended up being the era of love. The early 1990s was the grunge era. What will the early 2000s be known as?

The era of irresponsible parents.

Think about it. We have seen arguments against the Jon & Kate show, only to see the family fold under the pressure of stardom and ruin their children's' lives even more (by the way Kate answered questions the other night for anyone interested).

We have also experienced murderous moms, incestual fathers, and more.

Oh, and let's not forget the balloon family.

Missing Girl

A girl from Virginia Tech has gone missing after being separated from her friends shortly before a Metallica concert. Both the band and her mother are asking anyone with information or video/photos from that night to step forward and aid in her safe return.

Tyler Perry

In the past, Tyler Perry has spoken about the fact that he was abused as a child, but never in detail. However, today he took part in something so therapeutic for those of us who have been abused - he spoke out about it.

He posted quite a bit about his abuse stories on the message section of his website. They aren't for the faint of heart, especially if you have experienced similar events in your life. CNN gives a less detailed summary of the different issues a young Tyler Perry faced, which may be a little easier to read for some.

I find a lot of what Tyler Perry has done with films and other media to be slightly annoying. However, reading about his past has made me respect him as a person and understand better some of the reasonings behind his actions. Anyone who has survived such hard things in their lives deserve a lot more respect than they ever really get, especially those who have been able to talk about their abuse.

Tyler Perry didn't just wake up today thinking about telling his story to the world. It generally does not - cannot - happen like that. Oprah and Perry have backed a new film - Precious - which will be in theaters. The film is about a teenage girl from Harlem who lives in a very abusive situation. Her father has gotten her pregnant for the second time and she has to deal with an abusive and ignorant mother. On top of all this, she is a freshman in high school at sixteen who has no clue how to read or write. She faces being kicked out of school and instead opts for alternative schooling, which helps to get Precious out of her home situation.

I'd like to share with you a quote from Perry's message earlier today:

If you're having a hard time getting over something in your life, maybe you can try forgiveness too. It's not easy, but it does bring forth healing. I know that there are a lot of people out there with stories far worse than mine but you, too, can make it. To those of you who have, welcome to life. I celebrate you.

He's right. It was one of the most frightening moments when I realized that the little girl who abused me must have been abused herself and was probably acting out based upon the same sorts of things I was feeling. It was so freeing to begin forgiving her for what I went through. That isn't to say that I'm not still mad at her. Forgiveness is something you have to do slowly and work really hard at. In the end though, I think - I hope - it'll be worth it.

Iran Update

Two separate people who were protesting Iran's past have come out and started to talk about their experiences in captivity. This man and woman were both raped while being held. It is important to beware of the possibility of triggers when reading this article, but please do so.