Monthly Archives: January 2022

This I Believe

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     Who do you lean on when you are not strong? I know that almost all of you tuning into this podcast has heard of the song “Lean on Me” that echoes words similar to these. Bill Withers wanted his listeners to know that helping others in their time of need is a personal interest and a selfless charity. As a young girl, I endured a lot more than the “average” child would. No, this podcast is not meant to sound like a sob story and no, I am not trying to host a pity party, but my unfortunate childhood experiences have shaped this belief I will forever live by. I believe that nobody should go through life alone. We all know the line, “Lean on me when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on” I have always been the person that people come to whenever they undergo any form of emotional distress. I have always been the “therapist friend”. Not to sound arrogant, but without me, what would my friends do in times of trouble? I believe that being that person for someone can help relieve them of so many emotional and mental strains. I intend to relay the significant details of my narration to all of you listeners as well as the ideas that connect my story to this belief, so you can too believe that we all need somebody to lean on. 

     It was the summer of 2015 and I was overly ecstatic to reach middle school. I mean who wouldn’t be, I was going to pre-high school! I felt like nothing could stop me from being my best self during my time here, but I did not envision the potential problems that could come my way. My middle school experience essentially was a battlefield in which I had to play warrior. I endured the obstacle of bullying during 7th and 8th grade, for very foolish reasons looking back on it now. 

     I was a year younger than most of my peers since I was skipped in 1st grade, and many antagonized me physically and verbally for something I ultimately could not control. Throughout middle school, I began exploring my sexuality and particularly found myself interested in women. I was not afraid to show this, and not only my peers, but my family members, judged and criticized me for loving who I wanted to love. Again, the physical and verbal torment continued simply for me being me. I have always been passionate about my academics to the point where it was what I was known for, but children love to bully the “nerds”. I would be threatened if I did not do people’s assignments, again physically and verbally assaulted, and even talked about on social media. 

     These experiences broke me down completely, and I reached out to counselors, family members, and friends on numerous accounts for some type of support or help to ease these unwanted feelings as a result of my bullying. Sad to say though, no one was there for me when I needed them. As Bill Wither says, “For it won’t be long till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on”. All of my cries for help went unnoticed, and I endured a lot of personal destruction because of it. As I got older, I reflected on these experiences and used them as a way to define myself by the brightness I see of my future. I refused to be defined by the pain of my past and I planned to dedicate my life to being a light for others, since I did not have that. As stated earlier, I try to provide a shoulder to lean on when people need it and I believe that providing that “shoulder” aids in helping those who may deal with the daily struggles’ life throws at us. 

     I aspire to become a lawyer who defends the wrongfully accused or a sexual assault prosecutor for children. I believe these people are amongst some of the most vulnerable in society, and if they had a support system, things can get better for them. Pursuing these careers will allow me to provide that “shoulder” for my clients. Being able to defend their name successfully and give them the justice they deserve will make them feel like they have a trusted and dependable person in their lives. If I continuously advocate for the vulnerable, the unheard, the unnoticed, I will build trust, and showcase that no matter what you endure, nobody should go through life alone. This is what I believe.

CAS2: Origins of Mistrust

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This blog post will discuss where the origins of racism in the medical system stemmed from, which eventually led to the mistrust between blacks and the system. I will also include a small summary about a very important historical study that showcases one of the more prominent reasons why African Americans lack this trust.

Yes, research shows that several African Americans do not trust their healthcare providers/systems to act in their best interests and yes research shows that blacks are much less likely to report trust in their physicians and hospitals. I am sure that you believe that this is all due to the past mistreatment of black Americans, when in reality, the contemporary practices of health care exhibits significant reasons why as well. Things such as inequitable access to health insurance, a lack of health care facilities in black communities, and treatments to institutional practices all play a role in the continued mistrust of the medical system.

Dating back to earlier times, Darwinism (a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin) had a heavy influence on the structure of and unethical behaviors that occurred in the medical field. Darwin argued that primitive people could not be assimilated into white civilization. Scientists at the time noted that African Americans were prone to disease, vice and crime, and there was no way that education o0r philanthropy could help. Social Darwinists believed that the Negro race in America was in the throes of a degenerative evolutionary process. Physicians whom studied the emancipation on health concluded that freedom due to the abolishment of slavery had caused the mental, moral, and physical deterioration of the black population. Many physicians compared the anatomy of blacks and white and any differences noted were used t0 classify African Americans as the lowest species in Darwinian theory.

Doctors explained that Negros possessed an excessive sexual desire, which threatened the foundation of white society. Doctors also reported s lack of morality in black Americans. Physicians believed that lust, immorality, unstable families, and reversion to barbaric tendencies made black people especially prone to venereal diseases. Doctors at the time were set on the idea that better medical care for black people could not alter the “evolutionary scheme” they are a part of. As you can see, a lot of doctors, physicians, and scientist who made up the early beginning of the medical system embedded racial bias and personal views into their work. They tried to find loopholes and justifications for these unethical and immoral treatments such as anatomical structures and their “intensive sexual desires”.

To conclude, I want to give a small preview to a very important study conducted by the American medical system that was never meant to observe the health of black, but instead to undermine the African American race. On July 25, 1972, the public learned that, over the course of the previous 40 years, a medical experiment conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service in Tuskegee, Alabama had allowed hundreds of African American men with syphilis to go untreated so that scientists could “study the effects of the disease”. This experiment was never meant to observe and determine the natural course of untreated, latent syphilis in black men; it was used as a tool to undermine the African American race. Doctors, physicians, government officials, and more (both black and white) worked together to “accomplish what man cannot do”. This is a prominent example of why minorities, especially black people, unfortunately do not trust the medical system and I will be discussing this in further detail in my next blog post.

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2021/jan/medical-mistrust-among-black-americans

https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/347780-black-americans-dont-have-trust-in-our-healthcare-system?rl=1

https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/3372911

PAS2: The Santa Claus Shooter

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PAS2: The Santa Claus Shooter

Trigger Warning: Gun Violence, Death, Arson

On Christmas Eve of 2008 in Covina, California and the Ortega family was conducting their annual Christmas Eve get together at the home of Jose and Alice Ortega. Jose was a product of immigrant parents and he was the first generation of the Ortega’s to be born in America. He provided very well for his family and he retired  in 2008, living a happy life with his family. On Christmas Eve it was about 25 people in the Ortega home and majority of the adults were in the living room playing poker. The rest of the family is relaxing in different sections of the house while the children are scattered in and outside of the house playing with each other; again everyone is having a great time on Christmas Eve. Around 11:30pm, some family members decided that it was getting late and pack up to go home. While this is occurring, one of the children in the living room (Katrina) realized that there is someone standing outside of their window dressed as Santa Claus. This “Santa Claus” person had a huge box with him wrapped as a Christmas present and this excited the young girl. This causes her to run straight for the front door, opens the door, and yells “Santa’s here!” When she opened the door though, Santa Claus began to fire shots from his 9mm handgun at the entire Ortega family.

Katrina was the first to be shot, but luckily she survived since her injury was not fatal. Unfortunately though, everyone else dies from the firing bullets in the house. A few people did escape out the back, most of which were children. Once he realized that everyone in the house was dead, he unwrapped the big “present” he had which was a homemade flame-thrower and he sets the entire house on fire. The flames were about 50 foot and it took 80 firefighters many hours to get the fire put out entirely. Several neighbors called into police to report and they got a tip on what the escape car looked like, but police were not sure if Santa Claus would continue to kill that night.

Roughly 40 miles away, police were called to a small home where a man by the name of Bruce Pardo was found with a 9mm bullet hole through his head and it was a handgun in his lap and another on the floor. Police realized that there could be a connection due to the similar guns used, but Bruce’s house was not burned down. The house he was found in was his brother’s, and the way he died was very similar to that of the 9 Ortega victims that were found in the remains of the house, which was a single bullet in the body, mainly the head.

Police tried to connect Bruce to the Oretega family and they found out that his ex-wife, Sylvia was an Ortega. They had a good relationship at the beginning, but things went downhill after Sylvia found out about Bruce’s messy past with this previous wife and his son. For example, Bruce was claiming his son he did not take care of. Bruce went into a deep depression after he broke his knee and Sylvia did not like the man he   became, so she filed for divorce and Bruce was instructed to pay Sylvia $1,700/month in spousal support. Bruce was in a big strain because he had lost his job shortly after this court order and he was stealing money from his old job by claiming hours he did not work. To tie this all around, Sylvia was one amongst the several victims who were killed during this massacre. Sylvia and Bruce’s divorce was settled December 18th, 2008 and Bruce was ordered to pay $10,000 out of pocket as a part of their divorce agreement all while Sylvia got to keep her engagement ring.

All guns found at the scene of Bruce’s body were all his. Police got a match to the car description provided earlier by the neighbors of the Ortega’s and it was a rental Bruce had gotten. Police find the Santa suit in Bruce’s car, but when they lift it up the entire suit caught fire and the car blew up. Bruce had a plan to go to Mexico in a rental car and set up the police to think he was going to visit his friend Steve in Iowa. Coroners theorize that Bruce killed himself because as a result of him setting the house on fire, he caught on fire himself (he was severely burned when found at the scene) and his decided to take his life as a result of the pain. Bruce was suspected to kill more people due to the police finding a list of names written down besides his ex-wife, Sylvia.

CI1: Minorities Mistrusting the Medical System

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CI1: Minorities Mistrusting the Medical System

In my Civic Issues blog posts, I plan to engage you all in the topic of mistrust African American communities have towards the medical system and/or the health care providers who work for this system. To begin, I will be addressing the origins of this mistrust. Following, I will be placing my personal opinions and inviting fresh perspectives and ideas on specific situations that showcase why these individuals lack trust within this establishment. Lastly, I will provide ways on how to improve trust between these two groups. I am a firm believer that solving systemic issues, no matter how big or small, can lead to great, beneficiary outcomes for the United States, and I hope that I can push you to believe the same.

As a black woman who has encountered numerous eye-changing experiences, I always felt as though my duty and purpose in life was to advocate for those who face similar struggles that I do. Being “woke” about these important civic issues is a major part of my identity and I love sharing the knowledge I obtain when researching these topics. These issues drive me to be an advocate for change and be the support system not many of my African American counterparts have. Black Americans lack a lot in the United States, and I feel as though bringing awareness to issues such as this is the first step to major change.

The medical system has been around since as early as 1735 and it is a system that is vital to the lives of all individuals no matter your age, race, gender, religion, creed, etc. This system has a long history of mistreatment amongst African American individuals, dating as early as slavery. Some recognizable historical moments that showcase this include the Tuskegee experiment and the forced sterilization of black women, which I will be covering in future blogs to come. You may believe that this lack of trust is typically identifiable between civilians and medical professional, yet some African American medical professionals do not trust the system they work for either.  It is important to educate ourselves on the history and current impacts of such systemic issues and their significance to our lives, our ancestors lives, and the lives of those to follow.

Though the word “mistrust” has a negative connotation, lack of trust can lead to positive and negative outcomes for African American people. For example, a person’s lack of trust can cause them to avoid health care which can lead to sickness, while on the other hand, some individuals may use this to advocate for health system reform. This issue is a complex one that I plan to uncover and bring deep awareness to by the end of this semester. I hope my blog posts will leave you with an open mind and a passion for advocacy in order to combat a severe systemic issue our country have been battling for years.

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2021/jan/medical-mistrust-among-black-americans

PAS1: The Gruesome Greyhound Story

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PAS1: The Gruesome Greyhound Story

For my passion blogs this semester, I plan to continue to discuss some of my favorite true crime cases and the details within these cases. True crime is a topic that deeply fascinates me and it is a part of the reason why I aspire to become a lawyer. The type of true crime cases that mainly fascinate me are cases about serial killers due to the complex nature of these situations, but all true crime catches my attention, and I hope it will catch yours while reading my blogs. When discussing true crime cases, I switch between the stories of the victim(s) and perpetrator(s) of these crimes, but it is dually noted as you progress with reading.

Trigger Warning: Violence, Death, Mental Illness, Cannibalism

My first passion blog of the semester will be discussing a very strange incident that occurred on a Greyhound bus in 2008. Tim McLean was born on October 3, 1985 and he was raised right outside of Winnipeg, Canada. Tim was described by family members and friends to be a very outgoing individual. At the age of 22, Tim was contacted during the summertime by a childhood friend asking what his plans were for the summer. He had none at the moment so this friend presented a job opportunity for him at a carnival so he needed to come down to where she was for about a week and he agreed. The duration of the job was extended for the whole summer, but Tim did not mind this because of his outgoing nature and love for traveling. Though Tim loved his job, he had a baby on the way with an on-and-off girlfriend of his. Due to this, he decided to not travel to the next city with the carnival and go back home to Winnipeg to make arrangements to move to British Columbia. Friends offered to purchase him a plane ticket to get home since a bus ride would be 24-hours, but Tim insisted on taking the Greyhound home. Shortly after midnight on July 30, 2008 bus 1170 began its 24-hour trip back to Winnipeg.

On the same Greyhound bus was a man by the name of Vince Li and he was born in China on April 30, 1968 and he moved to Canada for college in June of 2001. Vince was not perceived as an aggressive or angry man. In 2005, Vince was diagnosed with schizophrenia and it was left untreated. Fast forwarding to July 30, 2008, Vince got on this bus at a stop separate from Tim’s. Tim was seated in the back and when Vince first got on the bus he sat in the front. At a rest stop, Tim went to have a cigarette and Vince spotted him, so when Tim got back on Vince followed him to the empty seat next to him. At around 8:30pm, a loud scream is heard among other passengers coming from the back of the bus. Vince pulled a knife from his backpack and started repeatedly stabbing Tim in his neck and chest. The bus was pulled over and the bus was barricaded with Tim and Vince in it after Vince tried to stab the bus driver trying to de-escalate the situation. Another Greyhound driver on the same route decided that maybe he could help, so he goes onto the bus to try to reason with Vince and realizes that Vince is beheading and mutilating Tim. Around 9pm when authorities arrive, they find Vince eating Tim’s flesh and organs. Vince showcases Tim’s body parts to witnesses standing outside of the bus as well.

At 1:20am on July 31st, Vince broke the back window of the bus and tried to escape, but he was detained and arrested by police. Vince’s trial was March 3, 2009 and he pleaded with reason of insanity. He was charged with second-degree murder and was found not criminally responsible because of his untreated schizophrenia diagnosis. He was held in a mental facility and was fully discharged after a few years.Vince later changed his name to Will Baker in 2016.