Society's ChildS


Family

Britain's first pregnant man says he has received death threats

Britains first pregnant receives death threats
© Liz Gregg / www.globallookpress.com
The UK's first pregnant man told British television that he has received death threats from people who don't understand his situation. Born a woman, Hayden Cross was undergoing hormone treatment when he took a break from transitioning to have a child.

Speaking on ITV in his first televised interview, 20-year-old Cross, who is now legally male, said "I've had some good reactions but I've had some bad reactions. I've had death threats, people threatening to beat me up." He also said the anger directed towards him is the product of people not understanding his situation.

Cross became pregnant after finding an anonymous donor on Facebook. He claims that he took the drastic measure after the NHS refused to freeze his eggs.

Comment: The degeneration of western society is evident in all areas of life from the family model to the political sphere, all show signs of a regression to selfishness, confusion, and a decay of morality.


Candle

Rep. Elijah Cummings staffer loses 6 children in Baltimore, MD house fire

House fire
© WBALRep. Elijah Cummings gave a tearful statement Thursday after Katie Malone, a special assistant at his Catonsville office, lost six of her nine children in a Baltimore house fire.
Rep. Elijah Cummings gave a tearful statement Thursday after one of his staffer's six children were killed in a Baltimore house fire.

Katie Malone, a special assistant at the Democrat's Catonsville office, lost six of her nine children in a fire that broke out just after 12:30 a.m. at their northeast Baltimore home on Springwood Avenue, a local NBC News affiliate reported.

Two of her surviving children, boys ages 4 and 5, are listed in critical condition, the report said. Her 8-year-old daughter, whom fire officials said helped get her two brothers and mother out of the house, was listed in good condition.

Mrs. Malone was also hospitalized but is expected to survive. Her husband was at work at the time of the fire, NBC reported.

Comment: So heartbreaking. Our sincere condolences to Mrs. Malone and her family.


2 + 2 = 4

Jordan Peterson: He says freedom, they say hate - the pronoun fight is back

Jordan Peterson at his Toronto home. The U of T professor has received international attention since releasing controversial YouTube videos in fall.
© Carlos OsorioJordan Peterson at his Toronto home. The U of T professor has received international attention since releasing controversial YouTube videos in the fall.
Prof. Jordan Peterson paces in front of 200 students in a packed lecture hall, back in his psychology class at the University of Toronto this past week.

A month ago, Peterson wasn't so sure he'd be here.

The 54-year-old has been at the centre of a debate about gender and free speech ever since he posted videos to YouTube last fall in which he said he would not use the preferred, gender-neutral pronouns of some students and faculty.

The videos drew fire from trans activists, faculty and student and labour unions. Critics accused Peterson of helping to foster a climate for hate to thrive. Protests, sometimes violent, broke out on campus, and the controversy attracted international media coverage.

Arrow Up

Florida cop who paralyzed man has entire personal possessions seized to help pay for medical and living expenses

Dontrell Stephens
© PINAC News
In what could be one of the most effective solutions for excessive force by police, federal marshals seized the personal possessions — from the sofa and lamps to clothing and an iron — of a South Florida deputy who shot a man holding a cell phone, paralyzing him.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputy Adams Lin spotted 19-year-old Dontrell Stephens in a "high-crime area" — the man's own low-income neighborhood — on September 13, 2013, riding a bicycle in a manner the deputy found suspicious.

Lin stopped the youth, who dismounted the bike with a cell phone in his hand and slowly approached the officer. Just outside the range of dash cam video, the officer shot Stephens four times — claiming he was in fear for his life — but footage and evidence clearly showed the claim to be baseless.

Three of the bullets remain lodged in Stephens' body, according to the Sun Sentinel — two in his arm and one in his spine, which left him paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility.

In a lawsuit against Lin and the sheriff's office, a jury awarded Stephens over $23.1 million — an amount later slightly lowered to $22.4 million — which, as standard practice, would come straight from the pockets of taxpayers.

Monkey Wrench

California university forced to cancel event featuring conservative commentator Yiannopulos and pharma exec Shkreli after heated protests erupt

protests shkreli event UC Davis
The UC Davis College Republicans canceled an event featuring conservative commentator Milo Yiannopulos and pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli Friday after protests erupted on campus.

Protesters and people interested in the event were so heated they didn't even believe that the event was canceled when it was announced. People for and against the event rallied for hours.

Protesters blocked doors. Police tossed them out. Nobody got inside, not even the Davis College Republicans' headliner, conservative commentator Milo Yiannopulos.

"We came here to have an event that would promote free speech," said Executive Director of the College Republicans at Davis Andrew Mendoza. "And we didn't get to have any speech."

The 400 free tickets went quick, and not just to students. Brandon Toney-James drove in from Sacramento. "Milo is a rising young conservative star, and I wanted to see him pretty much close and in person," he said.

Others had no desire to see the commentator.

Comment: On college campuses now it seems it's only possible to have open discussions as long as they are absolutely aligned with what the majority already believe in.


Handcuffs

Man accused of brutally killing 2 women, burning house down after 'hearing voices'

Matthew Leupold
Matthew Leupold
A Washington state man is accused of brutally killing two women, decapitating them and then trying to set a house on fire to hide the evidence.

Pierce County prosecutors said 32-year-old Matthew Leupold attacked the women during a drug binge at a house in Tacoma's Lincoln District, according to KCPQ-TV.

Leupold was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of first-degree arson after he allegedly told police that he "heard voices" telling him to kill Theresa Greenhalgh, 31, and Mary Buras, 22, in the middle of the night Jan. 4.

Lindsey Leupold, Matthew's sister, was charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance in the case.

Bullseye

Cheating wife stages home invasion to frame husband

Mehwish Memon and Syed Hassan
© Cook County sheriff's officeFrom left: Mehwish Memon and Syed Hassan
A woman and her ex-boyfriend have been charged with multiple felonies after they allegedly staged a home invasion last year in northwest suburban Maine Township and planted marijuana and a dead dog in her husband's vehicle.

Mehwish Memon, 30, of the 9400 block of Bay Colony Drive in unincorporated Des Plaines; and Syed Hassan, 38, of the 2800 block of South King Drive in Chicago, were each charged Tuesday with home invasion, aggravated unlawful restraint and filing a false police report, police said.

About 11:20 p.m. Dec. 30, 2016, sheriff's police responded to Memon's home for a report of a home invasion, according to a statement from the Cook County sheriff's office. Investigators were told a man in a black ski mask who was armed with a gun forced his way into the home. The gunman punched Memon in the face and tied up her 32-year-old husband with packaging tape before beating him with a stick.

Investigators eventually determined Hassan was the masked intruder and Memon planned the home invasion with him, police said.

Video

Actor Zoe Saldana speaks out: Hollywood bullied Trump

trump star hollywood
© @deadlineDominic/Twitter/Associated PressOn October 26, 2016, man armed with a sledgehammer and a pick-ax destroyed Donald Trump’s oft-vandalized Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
It isn't an opinion heard frequently in the famously liberal Hollywood, but sci-fi queen Zoe Saldana has spoken out against the acting community for bullying abrasive Donald Trump.

The Star Trek, Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy star -- who is not a supporter of the Republican president-elect -- believes insults flung at him during the race for the White House turned off much of middle America.

"We got cocky and became arrogant and we also became bullies," the 38-year-old actress said of Trump, who has been frequently berated himself for bullying tactics, including seemingly mocking a reporter with disabilities.

"We were trying to single out a man for all these things he was doing wrong... and that created empathy in a big group of people in America that felt bad for him and that are believing in his promises."

Saldana's analysis echoes comments made by Hawaiian-born Australian actress Nicole Kidman, who told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show this week it was time Americans got behind Trump, who takes office on January 20.

"I just say he's now elected and we as a country need to support whoever's the president because that's what the country's based on. However that happened, he's there, and let's go," Kidman said.

Comment: She is absolutely right. It's refreshing to see a non-Trump supporter express some common sense.


Pistol

Bizarre cluster of deaths strike soldiers assigned to Fort Hood Army base; 12 dead in 2 months

Fort Hood
© Getty ImagesFort Hood
The United States Army launched an investigation on Friday into the mysterious death of a soldier who was found unresponsive at his post on the Fort Hood base - the latest in a string of nearly a dozen deaths of soldiers serving in the massive Texas encampment.

Sgt. Alex Mathew Dean Taylor, 23, a soldier assigned to the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion, was found dead while on duty, according to Stars and Stripes.

Taylor had enlisted as an aviation operations specialist.

The army released no information about the circumstances of Taylor's death.

'At this point in the investigative process we do not suspect foul play, but have not completely ruled it out while we conduct a complete and thorough death investigation,' a spokesperson for the Army Criminal Investigations Command said.

Taylor was a decorated soldier, having earned numerous commendations during his service, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Aviation Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

Family

Who's Your Daddy? Man ordered to pay child support despite not being father

paternity test
© http://грандстайл.рф
A man in Oklahoma is hoping to change the law after he has to continue to pay child support for a baby that is not his, according to our affiliate KOTV.

When Thomas' high school girlfriend got pregnant, he married her. Five months later she had a little boy and he believed he had a son, but their marriage fell apart.

Thomas decided to take a paternity test when the boy was three years old.

"It comes back zero percent. I was in my office and I saw that. I should've expected it but I didn't and it hit me. I'm telling my co-worker how shocked I am that someone could do this to someone," he said.

Comment: See also: Man who was proven not to be father still faces jail time over unpaid child support