Strollerderby : arizona

"I wanted to go with my mommy": Kids left in car for an hour while mom detained for parking ticket

Miriam Axel-Lute — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

How many of you have ever had an unpaid parking ticket? Been pulled over for a minor traffic infraction? Have non Native American ancestors? Don't answer—I don't care. But keep your answer in mind as you think about this story:

Hispanic rights advocates filming routine traffic stops in Maricopa County, Arizona, in January, captured on tape officers in ski masks who detained a woman for an hour while her young kids (4 and 6) were left alone in the car, unable to go to her. (Eventually a relative came to get them.) The girl reported the sheriff told her to be quiet.

The mother had been pulled over for having her lights off and was arrested for an unpaid parking ticket. Oh, and she was undocumented and later deported.

Where to start, right? If she'd been wanted for murder, or come out brandishing a gun, or some such, then, well, this might have been necessary. But how twisted can you get to think serving justice on a parking ticket is worth traumatizing a couple of innocent children?

I know the question of undocumented immigrants is a tinderbox, but even if you think being one is a crime so heinous and the flight risk so large that it had to be handled right then, couldn't you have let the mother and kids be together until someone came to get them? Or, as it is easy to suspect, has the dehumanization of immigrants made such basic decency farfetched?

The commenters on various news stories who wax eloquent passionate about how it's all the mother's fault for being an evil lawbreaker make me ill. When there are people like Josef Fritzl in the world? And I love the one about how the ski masks were necessary because those awful people were filming. Since when do traffic cops have the right to anonymity in doing their job? Annoying to be documented in this fashion for sure, but pairing the right to use force with a right to anonymity is a recipe for disaster. Shown here quite well.

I'm sure that this hits me harder as a parent than it would have before (bad blogger confession: I've read numerous news reports on this, but couldn't make myself watch the video itself), but I would like to think I still would have recognized it as an seriously perverted set of priorities. If you agree, MomsRising is trying to gather people to protest the sheriff's tactics, of which this is apparently not unrepresentative.

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Eight-Year-Old Charged with Murdering His Father

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:59:00 GMT

An eight-year-old Arizona boy is facing two counts of premeditated murder for the deaths of his father and his father’s friend. Police are investigating whether abuse played a role in the murders, even as they continue with plans to prosecute the child.

Soon after 29-year-old Vincent Romero and 39-year-old Timothy Romans, who was renting a room at the Romero house (pictured), were fatally shot, the boy went to a neighbor’s house and said that he believed his father was dead. Police immediately arrived on the scene, and claim to have gotten a confession from the child. But the boy’s lawyer is charging that officers questioned him too severely without the benefit of a parent or representative at his side. (The boy’s father had full custody, with the mother visiting from out-of-state on the weekends.)

"They became very accusing early on in the interview," attorney Benjamin Brewer said. "Two officers with guns at their side, it's very scary for anybody, for sure an 8-year-old kid."

Although the boy’s home was unknown to Child Protective Services, police had responded to domestic violence calls there in the past. The judge has ordered a psychological evaluation.

Under Arizona law, children as young as eight can be charged with crimes. Even though the town’s police chief understands that an eight-year-old does not “just decide that he’s going to shoot his father and shoot his father’s friend for no reason,” police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult.

To me, the fact that the boy immediately alerted neighbors of the deaths indicates that he lacked the moral reasoning necessary to understand the emotional complexity and consequences of his acts. No one, no matter how young, should be excused for committing murder, but I will be heartbroken if this boy, well before his mental capacities are fully formed, faces murder charges as an adult.

As a defense attorney uninvolved in the case commented, “[S]ociety has to make a decision as to whether they want to start using the criminal justice system to deal with 8-year-olds. That doesn't mean you don't have a troubled kid."

Photo: AP

About Gay Marriage ... Our Kids Will Fix It

Madeline Holler — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:31:00 GMT

I sort of can't tell you how little my marriage means to me. My husband? Oh, he means the world to me. Our little committed family? Truly, the greatest thing I have. But the marriage? Enh. I'm just not one to count on paperwork and words and ceremonies and stuff like that to shape my personal life. But that's just me and not everyone is like me and I like that.

I've written here about how I felt when laws and policies intruded on my personal life and forced me into the exclusive and exclusionary club whose membership is made up of a selected group of committed couples in America -- the legally wed. I hated being forced down the aisle. It pissed me off. It made me feel like a child. It took away my control of my life and didn't value me, an individual with choices. It was unfair and wrong.

The same judgment and oppression wrapped in the silky bow of "tradition" that forced my husband and I to get legal has a darker, more painful and actually harmful side that people in Florida, Arizona, California and Arkansas are going to have to answer for someday. Voters in these states have banned same sex marriage (or in the case of Arkansas, banned foster parenting and adoptions to unmarried -- read: gay -- families).

Here in California (where I was extorted or blackmailed or whatever into tying the knot), the ban's campaign focused on "protecting" children. They claimed school kids would read prince-on-prince love stories during circle time, to the exclusion of "Knuffle Bunny" and the Eric Carle ouevre. What else? Maybe watch a little gay porn during health class. Who knows. Those commercials appear to have scared enough people shitless that the vote, while close, eventually passed the ban.

But really, here's what parents who fell for that rhetoric should know: you can ban gay marriage all you want, metaphorically duct tape teachers' mouths and take away their copies of "And Tango Makes Three," outlaw any mention of two dads or mama and mommy or refuse to attend Uncle Ted's commitment ceremony, but your kid is going to learn about -- and learn to love -- legal partnerships and weddings between all sorts of couples. How?

My daughter will teach them.

See, my daughter -- and many, many other kids (who can't vote -- yet!) -- says "who cares who you love?!" when I take too long to explain political signs around town. My daughter isn't an off-putting sledgehammer like her angry mother, rather a sweet, sensible kid who hates wasting time on all this talking and just expects people to be fair and nice and hug a lot.

And ohhhhhhh your kid likes my kid. Your kid likes what she has to say. She makes so much sense! She's talking about love! And happy families! Who doesn't love happy families?! And pretty soon, if not already, your kid will shut you up with "who cares who you love," too. You, supporter of the ban, can prattle off a bunch of "our family's values" and "our traditions" but your kid ain't buying it. Oh, she may nod her head. He may say, "that's right mom." But kids these days! Kids! They get it. It's the parents (and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) who don't.

So while it kills me that we have to wait even a day longer to see the laws of this country aligned with its mission of equality and justice for all -- especially if waiting means more gay teens thinking they're weird and/or committing suicide -- we're going to see it. My kid will fix it. Our kids will fix it. For everyone. No, really -- everyone!

Photo: AdamGoldbaumGoldGallery.com

Birth inspires lottery ticket purchase

Brett Singer — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

I'm a little superstitious. I prefer the number 7 to the number 13, for example. So if I had a child that was born on August 8, 2008 at 8:08am and weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces, I would probably do what the staff at Lake Region Hospital in Minnesota did. Buy lottery tickets. Lots and lots of lottery tickets.

Maybe that's not the way to celebrate the birth of your child, but hey, how often does this sort of thing happen?

Actually, there were TWO babies born at that time, with the same weight: Hailey Jo Hauer (Minnesota) and Xander Jace Riniker (Iowa). The parents should get those two crazy kids together for a playdate.

Katharine Joyce Rowley of Arizona was also born on 8/08 at 8:08am, but weighed in at 5 pounds and 14 ounces, so that didn't make the same amount of news.

None of the children was named "Ocho," but maybe they would have been if they were Swedish.

In China, the number eight has a whole other set of meanings. According to Wikipedia, "the word for 'eight' in Mandarin sounds similar to the word which means 'prosper' or 'wealth'." And of course, that spectacular Olympic opening ceremony, which started at 8:08pm on 8/8/08. So if there were a kid born in China with those stats, he/she would probably be emperor by now. (Unless of course he/she wasn't cute enough, but that's a different story.)

Here's a photo of one of the two little ones with the numerology-friendly weight:

And video of the less-reported upon, but still cute, Arizona baby:

Source: MSNBC

Images: hotelchatter, MSNBC, AZCentral

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Stay out of my room or I'll pee on your tree

Brett Singer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I've tried to write a summary of this story but I haven't been able to come up with a better intro than this one (from the New York Times):

When the men of the Phoenix Country Club saw their feeding ways in peril, they did not tarry. Some sent nasty e-mail messages, hectored players on the fairway and, for good measure, urinated on a fellow club member’s pecan tree.

As you can probably guess, it was that last one – the whole "urinating on a tree" thing – that grabbed my attention. What caused otherwise civilized men to make pee-pee on the pecan tree? Why, it was the women! They want to eat in the same dining room as the men! Well, if some chick wants to do that, I'm going to take a leak on her tree! That'll show those nosy broads.

The specifics are as follows: the Phoenix Country Club in Arizona does not allow women to eat in the men's grill room. According to the New York Times, this grill room is where high-level business deals are conducted, not to mention more pedestrian activities such as lunch. Well can't these persnickety hens go somewhere else? Actually, no. The "ladies' grill" has "a hot plate, some card tables and no bar." That's right. A hot plate.

Now, Arizona, Arizona… who's from Arizona? Oh! John McCain! Well, he's not a member. His son Andrew is, and so is Alice Cooper. (Kids, Alice Cooper is this rock star-type guy who used to really upset people because his act featured images of death and stuff. Yeah, we were pretty silly back then. Check out his Muppet Show episode, it's a lot of fun. And for those of you who remember Alice Cooper, yes. He's now a member of a country club that doesn't let women eat with men.)

This issue came to a head when Barbara Van Sittert and her husband Logan "appealed to the board of the club" to change the rules so they could have breakfast together. When they were told to stuff it, they went to the Attorney General's office, which recently issued an "advisory legal opinion that the club needed to comply with the state's antidiscrimination laws." That doesn't mean anything yet; the club has 30 days to try and settle the matter before the AG gets all legal on them.

So remember guys. If women want to do something you don't want them to do, whip it out and pee on their lawn. That'll show 'em.

image: progressivemajoritywisconsin.org

Dick Cheney whispering hush: Goodnight Bush

Political Nanny: White Talk, Blackface ... Barf

McCain Finds Humor in Domestic Violence

52-Year-Old Delivers Twins for Her Daughter

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:23:00 GMT

Here’s a surefire way to beat empty nest syndrome: move from your home in Michigan to be near your daughter in Arizona—and act as the surrogate mother of her twin babies.

That’s what Crystal Sirignano did after her 30-year-old daughter, Kendra, was unable to conceive after several infertility surgeries and treatments. Sick of watching her daughter suffer, Crystal offered to become pregnant again at 52 years of age.

A vegetarian and the owner of a gym, Super Mom Crystal gave up working out and succumbed to her pregnancy cravings for meat. She recently made herself into a proud grandmother by delivering healthy twin babies for her daughter and son-in-law.

If there is ever an EXXTREME Motherhood Olympic competition, my money’s on Crystal getting the gold. As for Kendra and her husband, the new parents have already achieved some modest fame of the EXXTREME variety by competing in NBC's American Gladiators. I can't wait to find out what happens once the twins are old enough to eat spinach.

Image: ABC

I'll Take Strange Human Behavior for $500, Alex.

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT

The answer: Tupperware, "marital aids," pizza cutters and tasers.

The question: What are things you can buy at home parties?

An enterprising Arizona woman, Dana Shafman, has started her own in-home Taser party business and plans to extend her line of lady-friendly (read: pink) tasers into all 43 states where the devices are legal. Suburban Tupperware parties hosted by tired moms suddenly seem so banal.

I'm not sure whether to honor American entrepreneurship or to wonder why Arizona needs in-home taser demos. Are folks too scared to go to the Taser store?

From the Reuters story: "It was easy to operate ... and it was actually kind of fun to use," [one of the customers] said.

Here's to hoping that all family pets are secured before the hands-on portion of the evening begins.

Photo credit: CBC news

Political Nanny: Cindy McCain Says Husband Doesn't Have a Temper

Madeline Holler — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:09:00 GMT

Posted by Political Nanny

Cindy McCain played co-host on ABC's The View this morning where she told the ladies -- including a silent and reverend Elisabeth Hasselbeck -- that John McCain doesn't have a temper. And he's never unleashed that non-temper temper on her (so the c-word was a term of endearment ... now we get it.)

Oh, Cindy, come now. Political Nanny has watched your Johnny enough to know that his nickname "McNasty" isn't irony.

She also says the biggest misconception about her is that she doesn't like her role as campaigning spouse. She loves it. Then goes on to say, kind of aw-shucks-y, who could imagine a girl from Phoenix ... growing up ... being in her position.

Lady, you're a beer distributor magnate's daughter. You're rich. On behalf of all able-minded people, Political Nanny would like to say WE could have imagined it. It's actually very imagineable.

Still, it's fun to hear her talk. She hasn't been terribly vocal, like the other spouses. So it's nice to put a voice/speaking style with the face.

Political Nanny will search for the video and post it, and also try to uncover what Whoopi was so anxious to ask. Go here to watch the video.

Uh Oh: "My Kid Needs to Pee" is NOT a Valid Excuse for Speeding

Karen Murphy — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:27:00 GMT

Don't tell me I'm the only one who has driven a wee bit faster when there's been a kid in the back of the car who suddenly discovers that he forgot to go to the bathroom after all before you left home 20 minutes ago, even though he told you at the time that he did. Hasn't this happened to you? Or maybe it's potty training month (or year, whatever) and your kid has to make a small deposit in every public bathroom within a 20-mile radius of anywhere.

Really. I can't be the only one, can I? Because how else did this Arizona women think to tell police, when she was pulled over for going 90 in a 55-mph zone, that her friend's kids, who were in the car at the time, ALL needed to pee which was supposed to explain her excessive and unsafe rate of speed? Oh, but oops, turns out they didn't actually need to pee after all, and bigger oops, the mom consumed a beer or two and maybe some schnapps (ew) while behind the wheel. Maybe it was the mom who needed to pee?

There's nothing funny of course about drinking and driving, and I'll bet this woman's friend won't be letting her kids ride with her much any more. Though one look at her photo would certainly give me pause.

Parents Hide Meth on Baby

Patti — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:26:00 GMT

When Joseph Bejarano and Julie Ann Rodriguez were pulled over on a routine traffic stop, their attempt to hide eight grams of methamphetamine on their baby was a dumb move in a series of moves so dumb, it makes my brain hurt.

The baby was sitting on Julie's lap when the police pulled them over. They had no license or registration in the vehicle. They attempted to hide the drugs in full view of the officer . Julie told the officer it was a tampon (!?!?). Joseph had just been released from prison a few days ago. And then after a physical struggle with the officers, Joseph copped to an intent to sell the drugs.

Where do you even start with this story? I had to read it three times before I could even get past the fact that the baby was sitting on Julie's lap, when there was a car seat in the back. Like, maybe you can't control that you have a drug dealing, just-got-sprung-from-the-pokey boyfriend who makes you lie to a cop about his drugs, but at least you can control whether or not your baby is in the proper child restraint as dictated by your state's laws.

The baby, whose age, gender, and name were not divulged, went home (in the car seat) with Grandma. Let's hope Grandma's got enough sense to come up with something better than "It's a tampon".