Adoption, Facebook, and Incest...

Not the usual cheery topic like the topics of late. However, I was doing my daily rounds of the news and came across this story. It was disturbing, it was sad, and it was plain scary. It is also one of those stories that I read and find myself shaking my head and saying to myself, "What were you thinking?" There was probably some expletives in there as adjectives to enhance my disbelief.

The story is one of a young pregnant mother. The mother gives birth to a healthy baby boy who she then gives up for adoption. Now, if the story ended there then there would not be anything particularly interesting about that. However, the story gets a little disturbing from here on in. Some 14 years later the mother, Aimee L Sword decides to track down her biological son. Her method of choice the internet and, in particular, Facebook. Sword makes contact with her biological son and then grooms him for sex. She then has sex with the boy.

Now, I need to get a hold of the facts of the case. However, I am going to take a stab in the dark here and guess that she did not tell the boy that she was in fact his biological mother. The boy testified that they had sex on a number of occasions when he was just 14 years old.

The Detroit Free Press has reported that Sword's lawyer, Mitchell Ribitwer, stated the following about his client "When she saw this boy, something just touched off in her — and it wasn't a mother-son relationship, it was a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship".He then went on to say, "Aimee's searching for a reason why this happened. She can't understand it. She's going to get some counseling."

Not only is she going to get some counselling, she has been given plenty of time to think her actions over with a sentence of at least 9 years to be served.

The other interesting point is that she used Facebook to track this boy down. Facebook is an incredible networking tool that can be used for good and evil. This highlights the negative power of social networking.

As I said, what was she thinking? I really cannot fathom what would have triggered such a desire to track down your own biological child and then groom them for sex. I am still shaking my head!

Malaysia, Caning, and Beer -- Part IV

It would seem that being sentenced to a good ol' caning, wanting to get caned, and actually being caned are very different things.

It is interesting that the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has entered the fray on this one. He has suggested that the Singaporean and Muslim model, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, not be quite as willing to accept her fate. According to Razak, although he does not want to interfere with the imposition of the sentence or the role of the Sharia Courts, he believes that not all avenues of appeal are yet closed.

The PM is of the opinion that the authorities are "sensitive" to her plight and the implications of the sentence. and therefore she should appeal. I guess there are a number of ways that can be interpreted, and the cynics among us might lean towards the PM interfering in the judicial / justice process. Then again, maybe the cynics would not see it this way.

Shukarno was granted a reprieve as the Sharia Courts and the authorities decided that the holy month of Ramadan was not the opportune time to be caning a young mother of two for drinking beer. Hey, seeing it is Ramadan and a month of forgiveness, how about just vacating the sentence and replace it with a warning that in essence is a slap on the wrist and some choice words about re-offending.

However, I am of the opinion that she wants to get caned. Whether she wants to get caned because it is publicity and any publicity is good publicity, I am not going to speculate. But, she is calling a good bluff on any front by challenging the authorities to get the deed done.

Most people would have appealed the sentence as a matter of course, Shukarno has not. Instead, she has argued that if it is to be done and the authorities are really doing it as a means of educating other Muslims of the ills of alcohol and drinking, then the caning must be done in public. This makes sense to me.

The waiting game continues.

Birthday Wishes

It was my Mum's birthday today...

Happy Birthday!

(the picture was taken in Phuket)