Death by ignorance

Dec. 1 marks the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day.

It will be a time when many people — in this country and beyond — will gather for ceremonies, memorials and educational events to bring attention to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS — the final stage of HIV infection.

It’s great there is a day to shed light on the AIDS epidemic, but what about the other 364 days of the year?

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Why all the fuss?

For the past several days, the nation has heard the story of the Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry interracial couple Terence McKay, who is African-American, and Beth Humphrey, who is white. Keith Bardwell, an elected judge in the eastern part of the state, said he “recused himself from performing the ceremony” because he feared for the couple’s future children.

This was and still is a really sad incident that only seems to fuel the racism that despite what some who wear blindfolds may say, is alive and well in the world today.

But to be honest, I am somewhat surprised that people are so shocked about Bardwell’s actions.

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Paving the way

This past weekend is definitely one I won’t soon forget.

Not because I did anything illegal and/or immoral. It was about an “older soul” who taught this old soul the true meaning of “passing the torch.”

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Yeah, he said it. Now what?

It was the praise heard around the world: “… but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!”

If you’re like most of the millions of viewers who watched the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video with the above comment, I’m sure your mouths opened about as wide as that of Beyonce — who sat watching in the audience. You also may have said what everyone was thinking.

Wow.

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Yeah ... we gotta watch ‘that one’

On Tuesday, millions of school children around the country sat at their desks and watched via Internet as their president gave a speech welcoming them back to school and offering them advice on making the most of their education.

By all accounts, this should have been a non-event. Unfortunately, an alarming number of conservative individuals and those who are just distrusting of our government threw their hands up in dismay and rallied the political correctness troops to the front line.

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It gives one hope

Last Thursday morning, Jaycee Lee Dugard, after entering the Concord Police Department, told the tale of more than 18 years of torture, abuse and neglect after being kidnapped in 1991 near her home in South Lake Tahoe.

Phillip and Nancy Garrido have been charged with 29 felony counts surrounding the kidnapping and holding of Dugard and her two daughters — which Garrido is said to have fathered — against their will in a backyard encampment near Antioch.

With each day, the story gets more interesting: from reports of the disturbed couple being involved in other crimes to a missed opportunity by authorities in 2006 that might have ended decades of imprisonment for Dugard a few years earlier.

It is sad and unfortunate that so many boys and girls across the country “disappear,” never to be heard of again. Fortunately, many would say, Dugard’s story has a happy ending.

Or does it?

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MFC: Back in the saddle again

Wow ... what a summer.

Good, bad and ugly all played a part, causing me to fall down a little on my game.

However, I'm on my way back - albeit a little slow - and again will be back in the swing of things soon.

To begin ... here's a summary of the columns I did write this summer. Enjoy!

A game of cat and mouse
Let freedom ring
He shouldn't be there
When all is said and done
State of California - 1 ... State's youth - 0
And we wonder why
Long live 'The Press!'