Facets of Our Lives

On November 6, 2012, the United States re-elected Barack Obama to a second term as President. While the rejoicing was not as euphoric as 2008, this came as a great relief to many across the country and the world. Despite living in a traditionally red state (Arizona) and working in a very blue state (California), I know many from the opposite party in both locations. It has given me a new respect for Republicans and conservatives in general, and encouraged me on the issues that are important to me. I am a civil rights voter. It's not that I don't care about energy, the environment, or the economy, but in my opinion, until we get beyond certain serious civil issues, things are not going to improve. One party has a decidedly better record in this area. And I think this is where the future lies, more than many might expect. As citizens, as human beings, we are stewards of our country and our world. We are only here temporarily, but we all leave a legacy. We can choose to le...

It seems that every day I go onto a news website -- even Facebook, for that matter -- there is a story about animal cruelty. And don't even get me started on those commercials with Wendy Malick and Sarah McLachlan. And the stories are nothing short of horrifying. I have read about puppies being burned alive, animals neglected and beaten, and even one story about decapitation. Sadly, the penalties in most US jurisdictions are virtually non-existent, yet experts agree that perpetrators likely have serious emotional or psychological problems. Beyond donating to the local and national charities that work on these issues, it is important that animal lovers of all stripes get involved by engaging their representatives. In 2010, public outcry in North Carolina led to " Susie's Law ", which increased the penalties for animal cruelty (defined as "malicious abuse, torture, or killing") to a maximum 10-month jail sentence. The law was named for a now 1-year-old pit...