~ The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other ~ Burton Hillis 12/15/2009
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Here I am, turning my thoughts, feelings in to words again… It took a while I know; with so much going on in my life, I can’t blame my self for the absence yet I feel sad that I couldn’t return sooner…
Well… I believe I chose timing properly to return; though it took a while any way… what other better time to reappear than December… the most wonderful time of the year.. May be it’s just a wishful thinking on my part, that I wish how wonderful it’ll be, if, many among us would hug the true meaning of Christmas this year for a change… perhaps I’m a dreamer or just asking too much…
Year 2009, which went on hypersonic speed… ending without one recurring dream come true for me. I dreamt of walking in a winter wonderland … Better luck next time?
Merry Christmas to all of those who appreciate my blogs and to the whole world; especially for children, the true owners of Christ s’ Love and Compassion…!!!
Sometimes it’s harder to attain inner silence than outer silence. The dog stopped barking and the kids have gone to bed, but your mind has a lot to talk about and it knows you can’t pretend you’re not at home. ~ Linda Solegato 07/15/2009
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My life …… it sucks ……. I’m in deep sh** …… oh why did I ever born to this world? ah world ……. It sucks big time too …….. why me, my family ……. my buddies ……
Depression? is this word …… ‘Why ‘ ……….in your vocabulary often than it should be? planning to go on therapy? already on anti depression pills? Or worse ……. ? is your mind full of delusional thoughts ?
Preamble
Thus have I heard, the “Bhagyavanth” was at one time residing at the market-town called “Kammasadhamma” in the “Kuru” country. There the Bhagyavanth addressed the bhikkhus, saying, “O, Bhikkhus”, and they replied to him, “Bhadante,” Then the Bhagyavanth said:
“Bhikkhus, this is the one and the only way for the purification (of the minds) of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the cessation of physical and mental pain , for attainment of the noble paths and for the realization of Nibbana that (only way) is the four Satipatthanas”.
What are these four?
Here (in this teaching), bhikkhus, a bhikkhu (i.e. a disciple) dwells …… perceiving again and again the body (kaya) as just the body (not mine, not I, not self, but just a phenomenon) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,
He dwells perceiving again and again feelings (vedana) as just feelings (not mine, not I, not self but just as phenomena) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,
He dwells perceiving again and again the mind (citta) as just the mind (not mine, not I, not self but just a phenomenon) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,
He dwells perceiving again and again dhammas as just dhammas (not mine, not I, not self but just as phenomena) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world.
Isn’t this a wonderful way to have a grip on one s’ self?
The usual practice of knowledge; is to learn about the out side world; what we can – see, hear, touch, feel, use, what’s -dangerous, useful, waste, invented etc etc …… but what about the knowledge on inner – me/you? How far are we aware of our selves; of what we think, how we feel what we do? Would it help to have a clear conscious as a way to straighten our selves?
One critical question ….. Who are these people called, “Me”/“You”/”We”? Am I really, who I think I am?? Is it – A mind +body? Or is it – A soul +body? Each of our definition would be different, I’m sure.
What ever or how ever way you define it, one must stop the race for a minute, because it’s important to understand the logic of it, at least once in a way one must try to get enlightened on the true position …… especially when you feel anxious, depressed and feel abandoned or let down by –him/her/them etc etc –
it will make us think …… “is it worth feeling that way” …… if we are taught that there’s no such thing called …..“Self”? Would any of these things matter?
Meditation – Contemplation on the Body (Kayanupassana)
v The section on Contemplation of Impurities (Patikulamanasika Pabba)
“And again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu examines and reflects closely upon this very body, from the soles of the feet up and from the tips of the head hair down, enclosed by the skin and full of various kinds of impurities, (thinking thus) …..
“There exists in this body: hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, membranes (including the pleura, the diaphragm and other forms of membrane in the body), spleen, lungs, intestines, mysentery, gorge, faeces, brain, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, solid fat, tears, liquid fat, saliva, mucus, synovic fluid (i.e. lubricating oil of the joints) and urine.” ……
“And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, one day dead, or two days dead, or three days dead, swollen, blue and festering, discarded in the charnel ground, he then compares it to his own body thus: “Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it.”
v The section on Contemplation on the Mind – (Cittanupassana)
“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell perceiving again and again the mind (citta) as just the mind (not mine, not I, not self but just a phenomenon)?”
“Here (in this teaching) when a mind with greed (raga)- Greed (raga) does not just mean strong passion but refers to the whole range of lust, craving, and attachment to sense pleasures from the weakest sensual desire to the strongest lust. It can produce only unwholesome actions -arises, a bhikkhu knows, “This is a mind with greed”;
“When a mind with anger (dosa) – Anger (dosa) always occurs together with mental pain (domanassa). Therefore, if mental pain is present the meditator should know that anger is also present. Aversion, ill-will, frustration, fear, and sadness are all included in this term. Anger can produce only unwholesome actions – arises, he knows, “This is a mind with anger”;
“When a mind with delusion (moha) – Delusion (moha) is the mental concomitant that clouds and blinds the mind making it unable to discern between right and wrong actions, unable to perceive the characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and soullessness, and unable to perceive the Four Noble Truths. It is common to all unwholesome types of consciousness but here it refers specifically to those types of consciousness associated with doubt, uncertainty, restlessness, distraction, and confusion- arises, he knows, “This is a mind with delusion”;
“Or when a lazy, slothful mind (samkhittacitta)- This is the shrunken mind that is lethargic, indolent, and lacks interest in anything – arises, he knows, “This is a lazy, slothful mind”;
“Or when a distracted mind (vikkhittacitta)- A diffused, restless state of mind that goes here and there is therefore not concentrated – arises, he knows, “This is a distracted mind”;
“Or when a developed mind (mahagattacitta) – When the mind free from defilements due to insight. There are ten defilements (kilesa), namely: greed, anger, delusion, conceit, wrong views, doubt, sloth, distraction, lack of moral shame, lack of moral dread (lobho, doso, moho, mano, ditthi, vicikiccha, thinam, uddhacam, ahirikam, anottapam) – arises, he knows, “This is a developed mind”;
So the teaching continues ….. This’s the true state of our so called “Self”……. So why would we ever get depressed, over some thing beyond our control, when we haven’t apprehended what we are supposed to?
Let’s forget about saying – “Me, I, My, Mine” …
it’s all nothing but an illusion……
Now we can throw out anti depression pills – and “Be mindful”.
Safety isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life! 06/19/2009
Posted by songsofheart in Matters of heart.Tags: http://www.saferchild.org/prevent.htm
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I read about the kind of stories every now and then, lately it has increased; feeling tired of this and getting mad, but at whom?…….
I say …….why? Why am I so unlucky to hear this kind of incidents? One can blame on the society and another can blame on parents; but my question is; if the adults should know better ……. and if they are aware that the world that they are living in is vicious, why don’t they take extra precautions to protect the innocent? Why a parent can’t take care of their children, like the way they were protected by their own parents?? Will we be here if they didn’t do their job well? or are we so busy and casual or do we have more prioritized things in our daily life other than the children we bring in to this world?
The worst thing of all is, when the mother or the father of the child, or the step mother or the step father, even an uncle or aunt or just a well known neighbor involves in child kidnapping, raping and murder. How would one beat that kind of a thing? Who are the real culprits? Is it the psychological issues the modern society suffering from? or is it because we are careless about our values and human lives? or should we blame on the moment they acted on impulse? Or ……. is it our fault ……. shouldn’t we think that we should have taken extra care about every thing which matters to us, including ……. kids?? Even if it’s not our child, don’t you think in a way it matters to all of us, to the society, the safety around us?aren’t humans supposed to be smart and civilized??
One day the same thing might happen to us, to our families too, we will be grief stricken for the rest of our lives, any point on pointing our finger at another person (or time – or bad karma) being blind to those four fingers pointing at us? What’s the point?
Just one line one need to keep in mind always is that ……. “Safety doesn’t happen by accident”…….
Look at these innocent faces and tell me please……. Did it really have to happen to them …….. ? Isn’t it too late for most these kids? How far the materialistic things matter to us than the living things?? Compare human lives with gold or diamonds or what ever we treasure in life …….. How does it go? Can we compare? We can dig gold yet can we bring back a lost life?
Questions of mine …….. endless and will never have pleasant answers I know …… so let’s be aware ……
Tips for Parents
Note: These suggestions were adapted from various sources, including local law enforcement and protective agencies, the National Crime Prevention Council, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Gavin de Becker’s “Protecting the Gift”, and our own philosophy of protection. If you have ideas we’ve missed, please tell us!
We have listed many tips and suggestions below. However, an expert in the field of protection told us that parents are wise to keep it simple. If an adult approaches a child for any reason outside of a regular course of events, this expert says, the child should run first and ask questions later. We support that view.
Here are other tips for you, and important lessons that you can impart when appropriate:
Teach more than once: Don’t just teach your children once. Start young, teach them again and again — and practice dangerous situations, modifying and adjusting to fit their growing understanding. Teach them how to make an emergency call from a cell phone, a regular phone and a pay phone (they don’t need change to call 911 from a payphone). Identify safe people in malls, stores and on streets. Identify safe places to go and ask for help. Rehearse what to do if they get separated from you, if the doorbell sounds or the phone rings when you aren’t there, or if they get asked for help from an adult (adults do not typically ask for help from children). Don’t hound your children with scary lessons — instead, make the lessons casual and a natural part of conversation. They’ll be much better prepared in case of the real thing. A great way to teach is to pretend that you’re younger and they must teach the rules to you. Then they have to think, and the rules become more than just words.
Teach them to trust their instincts. Reassure them again and again that they’re allowed to trust their instincts and to say “no!” to adults who don’t seem quite right (see our page called Teach, Listen, Believe, Respond for more on trusting instincts). If they feel uncomfortable or scared, they don’t have to worry about being careful or polite.
“Ratting” on friends: Be wary of teaching your child to not be a tattletale or to not “rat” on a friend. “Ratting” may be the best thing your child can do for a friend. It might also someday save your child’s life. Sometimes “friends” are actually predators. Also teach your children that when they’re weighing whether to break a friend’s confidence, good questions to ask themselves are these: Will someone be killed, physically abused, sexually abused or otherwise injured if I don’t report this information? Does keeping this secret allow someone to engage in self-destructive or illegal behavior? Am I keeping a secret about behavior that seems to me to be wrong, hurtful, unethical or dangerous? Does it haunt me to keep this secret? If I keep this secret, will I wonder later if I could have prevented a tragedy? Am I keeping a secret about behavior that’s harmful to me? Answering “yes” to any of these questions is a signal to your children that breaking the confidence probably is the right thing to do.
No” means “No”: Teach your children — from the time they’re old enough to understand language — that “no” means “no.” If they don’t want to be tickled, hugged, stroked or patted, they’re allowed to make the activity stop. All they have to do is say “no” or “stop” and the activity has to stop immediately. The rule must be reciprocal. This means that they have to stop if someone tells them to stop (or even if their pet indicates a desire for them to stop) — and so do their parents. So do siblings, extended family members, friends, teachers, and respected members of the community. Teaching your children this very simple concept from an early age — and making sure that everyone follows it without fail — helps to give them the tools they need to recognize people who don’t accept the “no” or the “stop.” For more, see the signs of dangerous people
Give them the words they need: Don’t be afraid to call body parts what they are. Make sure your child knows they’re private — and not to be touched by anyone but the child in private — but that they’re not inherently bad (see our pages on Sexuality & Kids for more). That way, they’ll not be fooled by someone who wants to “play a game” with them or manipulate them into doing something mysterious. If you’re wondering what other adults will think about your child knowing the names of private parts, explain what you’re doing so the child doesn’t get a mixed message from a startled caregiver.
Dangerous people don’t have to look bad: Make sure your children know that dangerous people often seem nice and professional looking — and they’re not always adults, nor are they always men. They could be a friend, a baby-sitter, the neighbor who lets them pet her dog, or a child who’s been enlisted to help a predator. They are expert at seeming friendly, safe, helpful, kind, loving and generous. They might ask for help or seem sad or lonely. They might wear a uniform, preach from a lectern, or teach social studies. They might just be passing through, or they might have lived next to you for years. The thing that all dangerous people have in common is a desire to do things that harm your children. The goal is not to terrify your children — in fact, they will be less terrified by knowing that there are things they can do to keep themselves safe. Those things start with becoming aware of their surroundings, learning the signs of dangerous people, learning how to trust their instincts, and learning what to do in dangerous situations. A simple rule to teach your children is that if they are approached by an adult stranger for any sort of help or information, it’s wrong and they should run and tell an adult they trust.
Carry a current photo: Always carry a current photo of your child (preferably with you in the picture) in your wallet (this is particularly helpful for fathers or male caregivers). Write down special birthmarks or identifying features.
Secure your home.
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No visible names: When out with your children, always know exactly what they’re wearing. Do not write your child’s name on the outside of their coat or shirt (this allows a stranger to use the child’s name as a way to get close). Speak to your child’s caregivers, and make sure they don’t do this on outings, either.
Don’t leave the store: Teach your child to not leave the area with anyone, even with the person chosen to help, and to never leave the store to try and find the car.
Your child should call for you, then ask for help from a woman: Teach your children to call for you first. You might be just around the corner. Teach them your full name (just calling “Mommy!” might not be helpful). If you don’t respond, they should (without leaving the immediate area) then seek help from a woman – preferably a woman shopping with a child or a female clerk.
Carry personal information: Have your older children get into the habit of carrying a card with their name, address, phone number, blood type, any allergies, your work number, and an emergency number — along with enough change for at least two phone calls. Remember: They don’t need change to call 911 from a payphone.
Don’t leave your child: Always go with your children to the restroom. Don’t wait outside the door or wander off to another area. Don’t leave your children alone at any public facility, such as toy departments, video arcades or playgrounds, as a convenient “baby-sitter” while you’re shopping — not even just to walk around the aisle. Abductors have been known to frequent these places to gain access to children, and they move very, very quickly once they have your child in their hands.
Don’t assume that teen-agers are safe. Teen-agers — girls and boys — are often targeted by sexual predators because they’re heading into puberty. Teens are sexually interesting to predators, but generally not yet strong enough to fight back.
Don’t expect your children to protect themselves: Children and teens have a notoriously short attention span. They also have an inherent trust of adults and an inherent desire to please. Just because they might appear to know the rules about leaving with strangers, you shouldn’t expect them to remember the rules, to apply them properly in slightly different scenarios — or to protect themselves if someone tries to grab them. And don’t expect young children (younger than baby-sitting age) to look out for each other. The “buddy system” can simply enable a dangerous person to grab two children instead of one. You are your child’s best protector.
Don’t delay: If you do get separated, stay calm and retrace your steps to where you were last with your child. If you don’t see the child, contact the first store person you see, and have them secure all exits. DON’T ALLOW THEM TO MAKE YOU WAIT! Abductors are very fast at getting out the door. Make sure all bathrooms get thoroughly checked – abductors sometimes head there first in order to change a child’s appearance. Have an announcement made over the public address system so that other adults are aware a child is missing. If the child isn’t found right away, call police.
Don’t give directions or help: Children should avoid people who ask them for assistance or directions (grown-ups and even older children do not typically ask young children for help).
Ask a woman: Lost children should ask for help from a woman, for several reasons. 1. The rule is easy to remember. 2. Children are better off choosing someone than having someone choose them. 3. Women are more likely to stick with children until they’re safe. 4. Women are statistically less likely to be predators. 5. Women are better choices than male security guards, who are frequently hired without proper background checks. Nevertheless, if the chosen woman makes the child feel uncomfortable, the child should have no compunction about immediately choosing someone else.
Have a code word: Have a family password or code word that must be given before older children are allowed to leave with someone. Make the password simple and easy to remember, but not something a stranger could easily guess. Abductors are shameless; they will say anything to get your child to leave with them. Make sure your child knows to never leave a store with an unknown (or just met) person unless the person knows the code word. (Dangerous people might, for example, pretend that a parent is sick and needs the child. They’ll pretend to have forgotten the password. That’s hard for children to resist — unless they’re prepared.)
It’s OK to say “No!” Children don’t have to explain it, and it’s OK to scream, fight, hit and run if they feel they’re in danger. Make sure your children know you will not be angry at them for behaving this way with any adult (even a relative!) who scares them. Teach them that their safety is your first concern — you can work out misunderstandings later.
It’s OK to yell: If a stranger starts leading a child away and tells him (or her) to be quiet, he (or she) should yell as loud as possible. Opinions differ on what to yell. We recommend this: “Help, police! He’s not my father!” (or “Help, police! She’s not my mother!”) (we believe — and an informal survey confirmed it — that these words give another stranger the needed permission to interfere).
Just so you know: We disagree with professional advice to yell “Fire” or “Fight” — because they aren’t words that would get US to respond in the desired way. We believe, and our survey confirmed it, that “Fire” might only encourage a chaotic stampede toward the exits (allowing an abductor help in escaping), and “Fight” would cause unhelpful confusion — while possibly not bringing people who would interfere. We also wonder if frightened children would remember to yell words that don’t fit the situation. Ultimately, we suggest that parents teach the phrase that would get them moving toward helping a child who was yelling it in public. For us, that phrase is “Help, police! He’s not my father!”
No gifts, no rides, no trips: Children should resist any gifts from strangers (no matter how tantalizing), never get in a vehicle with a stranger, and never go anywhere with a stranger, even for a moment. Talk to police about what your children should do if someone tries to get them into a car by threatening them with a gun, mace, or with a threat against the family. Experts say it’s better to run away from a gun (preferably turning quickly around a corner, behind a building, or into a store) than it is to get in the car. Once the child is in the car, it’s hard — if not impossible — for the child to escape.
It’s OK to tell: Children will lie through their teeth if they are convinced it will protect you. Teach your children to always tell a trusted adult (preferably you) about anything that is frightening, confusing, or uncomfortable. If something bad or uncomfortable happens, and they’re told to keep quiet about it, they MUST tell somebody. Make sure they know you will not blame them or think they’re lying or bad (no matter what’s happened). A lifetime of good communication between you and them will help a great deal with this.
It’s OK to come home: Abductors might tell children that their parents don’t want them back anymore, or that they’ve died or moved. Make sure your children are prepared for this, and that they absolutely believe that you would love them, accept them and want them back, no matter what happened to them — no matter what they were coerced or enticed into doing.
Teach them to never give up on trying to get away, and to never give up hope that you will find them. (This is one reason, by the way, why we are opposed to disciplining children by threatening to leave them behind in a store. Your children should never think for one second that you would actually give up on them or leave them behind.)
Give Your Older Child An Easy Way to Say NO — Many times, children want to say no, but don’t know how. Make a deal with your child: If your child is out with friends and is feeling pressured to do something, he can ask you if he “absolutely has to come home.” Those words will be a signal to you that he needs you to be the bad guy and demand that he comes home right now. But if he’s just having fun and wants to stay out, he can ask you if he “can stay out longer.” Those words will alert you that everything’s OK.
Our little contribution ……. goes a long way ……. please also refer:
http://www.saferchild.org/listen.htm
http://www.saferchild.org/prevent1.htm
The Purpose of Life ……. contd 06/13/2009
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Mohammed Rafi (Hindi: मोहम्मद रफ़ी, Urdu: محمد رفیع; December 24, 1924 – July 31, 1980), often addressed as Rafi Saahab, was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. A versatile singer, Rafi sang in many Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada and Telugu. He also recorded English and Persian songs. He is primarily remembered, however, for his Hindi-Urdu songs, which still remain very popular in the Indian subcontinent and also among the Indian diaspora. Along with Mukesh and Kishore Kumar, he was one of the leading male Bollywood playback singers from the 1940s to the mid 1980s. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1965.
Rafi was born the youngest of six sons of Hajji Ali Mohammad at Kotla Sultan Singh (or Kotla Sultanpur), a town near Amritsar in Punjab (British India). Rafi, whose nickname was Pheeko, started singing by imitating chants of a fakir in his village. In 1935-36, Rafi’s father shifted to Lahore, and the rest of the family followed later. Rafi’s family managed a men’s salon in Lahore’s Noor Mohalla. It was his brother-in-law Mohammed Hameed who spotted the talent in Rafi and encouraged him. Rafi learnt Hindustani classical music from maestros Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwanlal Matto and Firoze Nizami.
Rafi’s first public performance came at the age of 13, when he was allowed to sing at a concert featuring the legendary K. L. Saigal. In 1942, Rafi, under Shyam Sunder, made his debut as a playback singer in the duet “Soniye nee, Heeriye nee” with Zeenat Begum in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch (the film was released in 1944). Soon after, Rafi was invited by the Lahore radio station to sing for them.
Rafi’s association with Naushad helped the former establish himself as one of the most prominent playback singers in Bollywood. Songs from Baiju Bawra (1952) like “O duniya ke rakhwale” and “Man tarpat Hari darshan ko aaj” furthered Rafi’s credentials. Naushad, who had been using Talat Mahmood for his songs, began favoring Rafi as the male voice in almost every song composed by him. Rafi would sing a total of 149 songs (81 of them solo) for Naushad.
On Thursday, July 31, 1980, Rafi died at 10:50 p.m., following a massive heart attack. His last song was “Shaam phir kyun udaas hai dost” (Aas Paas), which he had recorded with Laxmikant-Pyarelal several days before his death. He was survived by four sons (Saeed Rafi, Khalid Rafi, Hamid Rafi, Shahid Rafi), 3 daughters (Parveen, Nasreen, Yasmin) and 18 grandchildren.
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed “The Boss”, is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey.
Springsteen’s recordings have tended to alternate between commercially accessible rock albums and somber folk-oriented works. Much of his status stems from the concerts and marathon shows in which he and the E Street Band perform intense ballads, rousing anthems, and party rock and roll songs, amongst which he intersperses whimsical or deeply emotional stories.
His most famous albums, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A., epitomize his penchant for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily life in America. He has gradually become identified with liberal politics. He is also noted for his support of various relief and rebuilding efforts in New Jersey and elsewhere, and for his response to the September 11th attacks, on which his album The Rising reflects. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including nineteen Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award, and continues to have a strong global fan base. He has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and 120 million worldwide.
Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and spent his childhood and high school years in Freehold Boro. He lived off South Street in Freehold Boro and attended Freehold Regional High School (today known as Freehold Borough High School). His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, was, amongst other vocations, a bus driver of Dutch and Irish ancestry, his (Dutch) surname means stepping stone. His mother, Adele Ann Zerilli, was a legal secretary of Italian ancestry. He has an older sister, Virginia – who took photos for the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums – and a younger sister, Pamela. Pamela Springsteen had a brief film career, but left acting to pursue still photography full time. Raised a Roman Catholic,[ Springsteen attended the St. Rose of Lima parochial school in Freehold Borough, where he was at odds with both the nuns and other students, even though much of his later music reflected a deep Catholic ethos and included many rock-influenced, traditional Irish-Catholic hymns.
In 1965, he went to the house of Tex and Marion Vinyard, who sponsored young bands in town. They helped him become lead guitarist and subsequently the lead singer of The Castiles. The Castiles recorded two original songs at a public recording studio in Brick Township, New Jersey and played a variety of venues, including in Greenwich Village. Springsteen acquired the nickname “The Boss” during this period as when he played club gigs with a band he took on the task of collecting the band’s nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates. Springsteen, however, has never liked this nickname, due to his dislike of bosses. Previously he had the nickname “Doctor”. Even after Springsteen gained international acclaim, his New Jersey roots showed through in his music, and he often praised “the great state of New Jersey” in his live shows.
U2 With Boss
Mr. Mister was an American pop rock band of the 1980s. The band’s name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report record called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as “Mister This” or “Mister That”, and eventually selected “Mr. Mister.” Mr. Mister may be considered as representative of the melodic sound of 1980s pop rock. The band consisted of Richard Page on vocals and bass guitar, Steve George on keyboards, Pat Mastelotto on acoustic and electronic drums and Steve Farris on guitars.
I can go on and on …… about those who have stirred my enthusiasm … I guess, I can be thankful to all of them, these legends, for inspiring me and most of all, teaching me to enjoy good music.
Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. ~George Bernard Shaw 05/18/2009
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My soul, my body, my heart, my love belongs to you ~ my dear country! Brave soldiers … I salute you …
To be immortal and live long,
To die like a warrior and be strong.
To live among normal people as a strange being,
Die like everyone else and be remembered as a King!
Please rise for the National Anthem!
WAR ended … the brutal Killer is DEAD … what goes around comes around!
It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism. ~J. Horace McFarland 05/14/2009
Posted by songsofheart in Matters of heart.add a comment
I hold no political views but trying to do some good for my people; all Sri Lankans. As you know there s an on going war in SL (Sri Lanka) and so much damage being done by an evil man called Prabhakaran who claims to fight for justice of his own and claims for a piece of land from this almost invisible island. He has to be stopped immediately.
Every country holds its own unique history and mine holds an extraordinary one (if you’d do some research you’d be interested by the minute to know more about our culture). This s the only place we can claim as our own, meaning, the only place a race called Sinhalese happen to live. And we happened to live sharing our country with other races without an issue for a long time as I learnt from my history. Examples are many that Sinhalese fought along with others to save this land from foreign invasion years ago. And then, some thing happened, I was too young to remember all the political gung ho but I do remember being frightened by seeing what was happening around us. No one was safe after that. Wives, mothers, grandparents, our families, they had to wait, wait with fright when their loved ones are out of the house (for either vocation or education), worried like hell for their safety and for their lives, do you know why? Suicide bombers (guess it was them who introduced human bombs) and the planted parceled bombs (by LTTE) in public transportation, such as busses and trains (public transporting systems of the commoners) were killing people almost every week. Those who lived in rural areas earning their means by farming, were brutally attacked, sliced in to pieces, by LTTE carders.
All we heard on news was “Breaking news on a bomb attack, how many died” and this was not cattle, dogs or sheep, these were humans too. People were dying for 26 years; my own people. But no one spoke. Representatives of international communities just sent messages condemning those attacks s and they were silent on the terrorists. It took several more years, it was a long wait, and then they announced them “a banned terrorists group” (yet allow their supporters to protest, collect funds around the world), you know, still, my country leaders delayed to announce the same, they didn’t do it, thought these terrorists had some morals, thought they would keep their weapons down and will come to a political solution. It was a big mistake. The best part is, every time our military held the fights, they got stronger by acquiring more weapons to kill the innocent, they deceived the country s’ rulers, showed the world our niceness as a weakness.
Funny thing is, now, those who were silent then (i.e. David Miliband/ Hillary Clinton), want our government to stop trying to catch these criminals and bring justice to who suffered. I, as citizen of SL, am deeply hurt by the double standards. Why would they offer them support, a terrorist group who are ready to kill? I may don’t understand how the international politics work and I certainly don’t have any thing against my fellow Tamils, all I know is that the international leaders should act fair. It’s not the fault of SL armed forces if the Tamil civilians die in North, the LTTE hold them as human shields. Those who ask the SL government to abide by the international war rules have conveniently forgotten that. Where were they when LTTE were massacring innocent civilians? We as a nation don’t appreciate their interference anyway.
We need support from every one around the world please, to voice our concerns too. It’s we who are suffering but this cruel group of monsters were given a huge support even by the peace loving leaders too. Would you like it, if a man one day, plot and decides to raise an army (with one group of minority citizens) to break up US/UK in to two?? I rest my case there, I’m sure you have an opinion of your own too, think fair. Let’s hope you’d support us….
Hope you have seen enough …. ….
We can’t accommodate terrorism. When someone uses the slaughter of innocent people to advance a so-called political cause, at that point the political cause becomes immoral and unjust and they should be eliminated from any serious discussion, any serious debate. 04/29/2009
Posted by songsofheart in Matters of heart.Tags: http://www.defence.lk/english.asp
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A reply to the Secretary of State from USA Citizens
To: The Secretary of State, Hon. Hillary Clinton
Date: April 23, 2009
Madam Secretary, we address this response to you as registered Democratic Citizen voters of the United States and the Free World of Sri Lankan Origin. We value democracy and freedom for all people in Sri Lanka.
Your comment concerning the end of the war in Sri Lanka to quote your words, “I think that the Sri Lankan government knows that the entire world is very disappointed that in its efforts to end what it sees as 25 years of conflict, it is causing such untold suffering” is the most undemocratic statement we have ever heard from you having followed your political career with admiration. The entire nation of Sri Lanka’s peace loving democratic voters of all ethnicities has suffered through that long 25 year period. We have all lost relatives and friends and fellow citizens over 25 years. The International community didn’t come to help us and voice disappointment in the path taken by the LTTE when suicide bombers ran amok in the country and ethnically cleansed parts of it committing Genocide against Sinhalese and Muslims.
Madam Secretary, what you see now is the disruption of life in the Northern part of the country where civilians are being saved from the jaws of the most brutal Terrorist organization that has ever walked this earth in the history of mankind. We know that finally the people of Sri Lanka have a Government that has taken the situation in hand to end the suffering of all people. It is not a pretty picture but it is the creation of the LTTE that many fail to see. For the people of Sri Lanka the failure by successive governments that trusted the LTTE and thought they can be won over was a greater disappointment. Right now, the people of Sri Lanka are living in hope and that should not be a disappointment to anyone who is far removed from the suffering of the people there.
The civilians fleeing are being saved by the very forces referred to in the International Media as the Sinhala Buddhist Army of a Sinhala Buddhist Government. This is a misnomer. In Sri Lanka, there is far more diversity in all walks of life including the military than most countries in the world. That is how the people lived in Sri Lanka having fought for Independence from the British united as one nation of “Ceylonese” of diverse races. The Tamil leaders at that time didn’t see a need to divide and the country as they were the privileged class. The Sinhalese majority was the deprived class. The current situation that leads to the final push against the LTTE is the result of the LTTE’s drive toward hatred against all those who stood in their way. Death was inevitable to those who spoke out.
You are aware of the number of moderate Tamils murdered by the LTTE. You are also aware of the number of heads of state that were murdered by the LTTE under the orders of Prabakaran. You may not be aware that even in the evacuation there were three suicide cadres that exploded themselves and killed the fleeing civilians. The International Media fight shy to mention their atrocities within the NFZ and lay blame on the Government only for fighting back. The Special Forces took the risk of breaking the enforcement around civilians at 2 a.m. watched on camera by the entire Diplomatic Corps in the Capital Colombo. This is not something that should appear as a disappointment when for the first time video footage provided images of the fleeing civilians being received by the security forces. The footage clearly showed the LTTE cadres pointing their guns at the civilians and shooting some who tried to leave but never made it out alive. That is a great disappointment to be voiced in the International Media.
The Tamil Diaspora who financed the carnage of their own people has not come forward to launch a relief operation and assist the government to provide humanitarian aid. They provided plenty of funds to the tune of US$ 300 Million a year for the destruction of Sri Lanka. Where are they now if they are fighting a Tamil cause and worrying about the Tamil civilians? Actions speak louder than words and banners for political gain. The Tamil civilians are a mere pawn to seek a ceasefire for the escape of the Terror leader. They are poor, powerless and of low caste considered dispensable as collateral damage for saving the LTTE leader. When two of the LTTE’s high ranking officers surrender and provided hospital care, there is plenty of evidence to believe that the Government is right in their action.
The LTTE moved their heavy artillery to the NFZ during the 2 day truce for the New Year celebrated by their own Hindu people. The World cried foul when the Government didn’t bow their heads to a permanent Ceasefire. The Government knew from previous experience that it will only benefit the Terrorist Leader and the most brutal crew. They would have escaped in a shoot out when all the civilians would have been massacred by them just as they are shooting and killing the civilians trying to leave.
As the head of the Foreign Relations arm of the US, when President Obama and you are trying to mend the image of the US, Sri Lanka’s image is being measured in different terms. A Democratic Government trying to save lives about to be destroyed by the LTTE, their own people is viewed harshly while the LTTE atrocities within the NFZ are also being attributed to the forces.
None of the International Agencies have thought about going to the grass roots of the problem to interview the civilians who have sacrificed children, husbands and their freedom under the terror of the LTTE. It is their voice that must be heard to learn if this exercise of eradicating the LTTE is a disappointment or not. The Tamil civilians have the real story that must be accurately made known to the world. Instead of expressing disappointment at the Government that has done what they had to do, please take a different view.
The LTTE promised to reward the Diaspora with a bigger and grandiose separation and eventual take over of an entire nation to ethnically cleanse all non-Tamils as they did in the North and East of Sri Lanka not long ago. Consider the region, the 2 million Tamil people in Sri Lanka have support from Tamil Nadu with about 70 million people. However, Tamil is not the official language in Tamil Nadu while in Sri Lanka; Tamil
Language is the official language for business purposes for Tamil speaking people. Any Tamil Citizen can study in the Tamil language from kindergarten to university.
I am Americanized enough to quote to you a common phrase we use in America, “You got to do what you got to do” and that is exactly what Sri Lanka is doing right now. This is not a fight to discriminate against Tamils. This is a fight to free the Tamils from their own oppressor.
I wish to remind you of the countless number of suicide bombings instigated by the LTTE chief against innocent civilians in public places of worship, markets, trains, office building, buses, oil installations, airports, army headquarters, and congested streets in traffic jams the list goes on and on. Don’t the citizens of Sri Lanka have a right to live in peace? What you call a disappointment is an effort at liberating the hostages. They may be undergoing hardship but their lives were spared. Many of our kith and kin didn’t have anyone to spare them when LTTE suicide bombs killed people on the streets in peace time and in areas well outside of their claim of a homeland.
Even today, people worry about leaving home for a work day or sending children to school. Young children kiss their parents and leave homes not knowing whether they will return alive because bombs are planted in buses and trains that carry school children.
The innocent Tamils who have come out in this rescue now speak about the brainwashing they went through to be told of hatred against them. It is that same hatred that has been fed to International Media and International politicians who have been bankrolled as referred to in the recent issue of the Economist. It is a US Citizen Bruce Fein who is in the enormous pay of the LTTE that has visited all the legislators to gain support for brazen lies with donors posing as supporters when the funds came from the LTTE. Brazen lies because over 50% of the Tamil people lived freely in Sri Lanka enjoying the best of homes, cars, jobs, education and privileges in areas outside the LTTE dominated region.
The very blood, sweat and tears of the Tamil people went into the coffers of the LTTE in the form of their earnings, their children, their freedom and their lives. The Diaspora fed the coffers living in Western nations chosen for economically favorable refugee and asylum privileges. I ask how so many are spending so many days on the streets of London, Toronto, Ottawa, Washington, New York among many other cities, when those of us who work in countries like the US cannot miss a day of work without hindering the productivity of our employers.
These are now citizens of foreign countries, living out of the benefits provided to them and their productivity is expressed in time spent supporting a terror organization that has violated every human right in the book to be banned in 32 countries. While the fund raising and protests go on, they raise the violent symbols on their flag ignoring flag etiquette that must be followed in venerating national flags of nations.
The US is the leader of the world. Although terrorism from the LTTE Tigers did not come to our doorstep, do not disregard their invisible hand in the suicide bombs invented and now used against our American and NATO forces. Isn’t that enough to stir feelings among the American people? The US is democratizing countries to liberate them from tyranny. Why is there less support for the Sri Lanka Government which has preserved Democracy that the silent majority relishes when they are being liberated from the tyranny of an internationally proscribed terrorist group? Just as your support is extended to Pakistan to eradicate terrorism, Sri Lanka’s scenes of carnage look the same but are not acknowledged as terrorists causing the same damage as we see on the news media.
Madam Secretary, as a Democrat who believes that your party and President Obama care about immigrants like me, we the people who support Peace, Unity and Harmony in Sri Lanka where our families wish to co-exist with all ethnicities and religions believe the Sri Lanka Government is doing the rights thing.
It is we who are disappointed in your statement of disappointment in seeing suffering when that suffering for the people of Sri Lanka is coming to an end after nearly 30 years. More than the majority community, we are happy to see the innocent voiceless people of Tamil origin who will utter the words of Rev. Martin Luther King and tell the world that they are “Free At Last” and if there is life, we can rebuild a united nation in an era of Peace.
A United Sri Lanka is nothing new. We had it and lost it when the LTTE took some of the Tamil people on the wrong road preaching hatred and lies while a majority of them enjoyed the fruits of freedom in the south. The Diaspora who laid the foundation for their prosperity using the privileges provided by Sri Lanka denied admitting that they had equal opportunity for education and employment and used that education to go overseas and finance the use of terror against their own people. The road to violence leads to nowhere. The future of the people of Sri Lanka has to lead somewhere as a reward for their endurance and we call upon your good offices to help that island to rebuild and move on.
From: Concerned Voting Citizens of the USA and the Free World
http://www.defence.lk/news/rss20.xml
Hillary this’s My Land – you can keep your comments to your self!
Be Free – Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 02/04/2009
Posted by songsofheart in Matters of heart.add a comment
25,332 sq mi
This small piece of land they want to devide?
The root of modern conflict goes back to British colonial rule when the country was known as Ceylon. Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s declaration of the ““Sinhala Only Act” language policy was the spark that led to conflict it is said….so that s it???
Sri Lanka boasts of a proud history and heritage. It is written…..
“Ancient Sri Lanka was also the first in the world to have established a dedicated hospital in Mihintale in the 4th century BCE. Ancient Sri Lanka was also the world’s leading exporter of cinnamon, which was exported to Egypt as early as 1400 BCE. Sri Lanka was also the first Asian nation to have a female ruler in Queen Anula (47–42 BC)”.
Abuse of natives by colonial authorities (of the British rule), gave rise to a struggle for independence in the 1930s which ended gaining Independence and it was won by a joint effort of every race who share the country as their own it is said … but … you wouldn’t see a majority of people who belong to a race called “Sinhalese” any where in the world, apart from Sri Lanka. This country has been their only home for centuries. They used to share and live peacefully with other races, decent from those who invaded the country time to time.
If you belong to a community who never complained or never hesitated to share the only land, only home they have and know and yet being labeled as barbarians who kill ruthlessly and in the mean time being killed like animals, what would you do?
Cornered, abandoned, their rights being abused,( because of certain decisions, which was made by some of the past rulers), Sinhalese common people, they still lend a hand to every one when in distress and tolerate injustice, in the name of the unique philosophy they have adopted as their religion – Buddhism. They have such a culture one would be amazed if known.
When you finish reading the following, take a moment and think, think that “every story has two sides”. Get an idea what has been happening: and this s soon to end, hopefully.
In July 1983, the LTTE launched a deadly attack on the military in the North of the country, killing 13 soldiers. Using the nationalistic sentiments to their advantage, the Sinhalese now organized massacres and pogroms in Colombo, the capital, and elsewhere (see Black July). Between 400 and 3,000 Tamils were estimated to have been killed, and many more fled Sinhalese-majority areas. This is usually considered the beginning of the civil war.
Apart from the LTTE, there initially was a plethora of militant groups. The LTTE’s position, adopted from that of the PLO, was that there should be only one. Initially the LTTE gained prominence due to devastating attacks such as the massacre of civilians at the Kent and Dollar Farms in 1984 and the Anuradhapura massacre of 146 civilians in 1985. The Anuradhapura massacre was apparently retaliated for by government forces with the Kumudini boat massacre in which over 23 Tamil civilians died. Over time the LTTE merged with or largely exterminated almost all the other militant Tamil groups. As a result, many Tamil splinter groups ended up working with the Sri Lankan government as paramilitaries or denounced violence and joined mainstream politics, and some legitimate Tamil-oriented political parties remain, all opposed to LTTE’s vision of an independent state.
Peace talks between the LTTE and the government began in Thimphu in 1985, but they soon failed, and the war continued. In 1986 many civilians were massacred as part of this conflict. In 1987, government troops pushed the LTTE fighters to the northern city of Jaffna. In April 1987, the conflict exploded with ferocity, as both the government forces and the LTTE fighters engaged each other in a series of bloody operations.
In July 1987, the LTTE carried out their first suicide attack: “Captain Miller” of the Black Tigers drove a small truck with explosives through the wall of a fortified Sri Lankan army camp, reportedly killing forty soldiers. Since then they have carried out over 170 suicide attacks, more than any other organization in the world, and the suicide attack has become a trademark of the LTTE, and a characteristic of the civil war.
Other assassinations by the LTTE include the murder of Dr. Rajini Thiranagama on September 21, 1989 by the LTTE, after criticizing them for their atrocities. She was the head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Jaffna, a Tamil , and feminist”.human rights activist
Human Rights
Human rights are international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal, and social abuses. Examples of human rights are the right to freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial when charged with a crime, the right not to be tortured, and the right to engage in political activity. These rights exist in morality and in law at the national and international levels. They are addressed primarily to governments, requiring compliance and enforcement. The main sources of the contemporary conception of human rights are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948b) and the many human rights documents and treaties that followed in international organizations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States, and the African Union.
The philosophy of human rights addresses questions about the existence, content, nature, universality, justification, and legal status of human rights. The strong claims made on behalf of human rights (for example, that they are universal, or that they exist independently of legal enactment as justified moral norms) frequently provoke skeptical doubts and countering philosophical defences. Reflection on these doubts and the responses that can be made to them has become a sub-field of political and legal philosophy with a substantial literature.
This entry includes a lengthy final section, International Human Rights Law and Organizations that offers a comprehensive survey of the international system for the promotion and protection of human rights
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Who s protecting the rights of Sinhalese, when no one s bothered to listen to their stories? And what about the Muslims and the Burghers who live in Sri Lanka , other minorities?
How come they don’t complain about their human rights being violated or does it mean that they don’t mind living peacefully with the majority of Sinhalese people and they accept the fact that Sinhalese are generous people who live and let live?
Candles – in the Wind ~ Innocence is always unsuspicious 01/27/2009
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Was it a co incident that we got to read about two toddlers’ deaths on media, two high profile cases recently? Apart from the children s age, there was one more thing which I noticed similar in these two stories …
Riley Sawyers: (March 11, 2005 – July 24, 2007), known in the press as Baby Grace, was a girl from Mentor, Ohio who was beaten to death and whose body was subsequently discovered in Galveston Bay, at which point police began a nationwide effort to identify her. Searchers called the unidentified victim “Baby Grace” until Riley’s grandmother, Sheryl Sawyers, called police after seeing a composite sketch. The remains were positively identified through DNA testing on November 30, 2007.
“Riley’s mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, a tenth grade student at Mentor High School, became pregnant with Riley at age 16”
Caylee Marie Anthony: (born August 9, 2005, in Orlando, Florida, died 2008) attracted international attention regarding the circumstances of her disappearance in June 2008 and subsequently determined death. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was indicted on October 14, 2008, for the first-degree murder of Caylee. Police found Casey Anthony’s account of Caylee’s disappearance suspicious after learning that Casey had not reported her daughter missing for more than a month. The last time Casey Anthony claimed to have seen Caylee was on June 9, 2008, but the child’s disappearance was not reported to police until July 15, 2008.
On December 11, 2008, skeletal remains of what appeared to be a young child were found by a meter reader. The Orange County confirmed on December 19, 2008, that the human remains found 15 houses away from the Anthony home were those of Caylee Anthony.
“Casey was 19 when she got pregnant with Caylee”
Two teenage mothers, they were incapable of providing love for two innocent babies, never considered protecting them, those kids were never a part of their lives. Mother – Child bond, it was unheard for them both.
Was it the teenage pregnancy, which played as one of the reasons for the lack of motherly love they had and the attention these two kids deserved but didn’t receive? If so, what should a responsible society do, to prevent teenagers getting pregnant? Is it entirely the fault of the teenagers’ parents? Is abortion a solution? How could we support a young girl who got pregnant as a result of being sexually assaulted (if it’s the case)?
“The US is said to have one of the worst annual rates of teenage pregnancies in the developed world. According to a report by Population Action International, published at the end of last year (2007), there were 44 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in the US for 2000-2005. This compares with figures in the UK – itself said to be the country with the worst teenage pregnancy rate in Europe – of 27 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19. Put differently, America is estimated to have some 750,000 teenage pregnancies a year. According to Americas’ leading health agency: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): “About one-third of girls in the United States get pregnant before age 20.”
- Courtesy BBC
My questions will remain for as long as I live, as to how we prevent tragedies happen to children … but what ever it is I repeatedly say, please, have a heart, protect the innocent, one little girl died, simply because she couldn’t learn to say “ please and yes sir “ even though she was just two years. The other baby dies because the mother needed more “space” for her own self.
Heart breaking …
Shadowed Minds ~ “The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” 01/24/2009
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Choosing appropriate child care for your infant or young child can seem as overwhelming as helping your teenager selects a college or university. As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child is safe and happy in a child care environment that is fun, educational, and nurturing.
The news article appeared on Fox raise alarms of safety even though this type of an incident probably may never occur again. It gives every one the notion,” any thing s possible” … My heart goes out to those who lost their beloved child … Be ware parents, we live among dozens psychopaths!
Do you know who a psychopath really is?
“The psychopath is one of the most distressing problems of human experience. For the most part, a psychopath never remains attached to anyone or anything. They live a “predatory” lifestyle. They feel little or no regret, and little or no remorse – except when they are caught. They need relationships, but see people as obstacles to overcome and be eliminated. If not, they see people in terms of how they can be used. They use people for stimulation, to build their self-esteem and they invariably value people in terms of their material value (money, property, etc)
A psychopath can have high verbal intelligence, but they typically lack “emotional intelligence”. They can be expert in manipulating others by playing to their emotions. There is a shallow quality to the emotional aspect of their stories (i.e., how they felt, why they felt that way, or how others may have felt and why). The lack of emotional intelligence is the first good sign you may be dealing with a psychopath. A history of criminal behavior in which they do not seem to learn from their experience, but merely think about ways to not get caught is the second best sign.” – http://www.hare.org/
DENDERMONDE, Belgium — A young man with a gruesomely painted black-and-white face went on a rampage at a Belgian day care center Friday, stabbing two babies and a female worker to death and seriously wounding 12 others.
Sobbing parents rushed to the scene and to nearby hospitals. Shocked rescue workers spoke of finding crying, bleeding toddlers scattered inside the center. Medical workers at six hospitals sprang into action, performing emergency operations to save the 10 children and two adults badly wounded in the attack.
“This was a particularly violent attack. All the kids had multiple stab wounds on their legs, arms, and all over their bodies,” Dr. Ignace Demeyer, head of emergency services at Our Lady Hospital in nearby Aalst, told reporters.
The shocking assault caused panic and outrage in the town 20 miles northwest of Brussels, where the day care center sits on a residential street.
“An act of great brutality has happened here against our weakest citizens,” said Mayor Buyse Piet. “The whole city is united in support for the parents who are in deep grief.”
Prosecutor Christian Du Four said the 20-year-old attacker rode his bike up to the Fabeltjesland day care center about 10 a.m., found it unlocked and went in.
“After he entered he started slashing at everyone he ran into … the day care workers, the children,” Du Four told a news conference.
He said the man wielded one, nearly 8-inch knife and had painted his face white with black patches around the eyes.
One worker tried but failed to disarm the intruder and another was stabbed to death, Du Four said. In the mayhem that ensued, the attacker simply walked out and got back on his bicycle before being arrested in a nearby supermarket shortly afterward.
Theo Janssens, a Dendermonde city councilor, arrived with first aid workers. “The situation was horrible. There were bloodstained babies and staff workers everywhere,” he said on the VRT television network.
Police had to show distraught parents digital photographs of those taken to the hospital, asking them to identify their children.
Demeyer said all the wounded needed surgery but by Friday night, all were in stable condition.
Nine of the 21 children at the center during the attack were unharmed, Demeyer said.
Du Four did not name the suspect but said he had no criminal record and was uncooperative under questioning. The man was to appear before a magistrate later Friday or on Saturday to be indicted.
Residents told The Associated Press the suspect was a local man with a history of mental illness.
Officials opened up a nearby community center to provide psychological counseling to family members and witnesses, and police cordoned off the area. Later Friday, Crown Prince Philippe and his wife Princess Mathilde met with relatives of the victims as well as traumatized first aid workers.
“People are totally in shock,” said Leene Du Bois, a spokeswoman for the regional government of Flanders. “Nobody would have imagined anyone could do so much harm. There is much grief.”
She said the perpetrator had no connection to the day care center.
Veerle Heeren, social welfare minister for the regional Flemish government, said she would be investigating security measures at the center.
Residents were flabbergasted, thinking at first that all the police sirens meant a repeat of the 2007 prison break at a nearby jail.
“(It’s) something you hear about from America, not here,” said bake shop owner Bie Hoornaert.
songsofheart
