Plea for Justice (and other important items)

Anyone who has ever sent me a chain letter or meme or anything of the sort knows that I am the least likely person to do anything with it. I'll read it - usually - but then it goes into the circular file. There isn't any particularly earth-shattering reason why. I just don't generally do it.

This is going to be the exception that proves the rule. One of my DFA friends sent this email out the other day:


How many times have you said "It's not fair!" without thinking about what the words really mean?
Unfortunately, a young woman named Linda Loaiza knows the bitter taste of injustice far too well.
Four years ago when Venezuelan police rescued 18 year-old Linda from her kidnapper's apartment she was bruised and cut inside and out and severely malnourished. One nipple had been cut off, her earlobe destroyed, her lip cut off, her skull fractured, and her entire body covered with cigarette burns. Even after nine surgeries, Linda will never recover from these injuries. Scarred for life, with reduced hearing and movement, her eyes clouded by chataracts, Linda can never have children.
Click here now to demand Justice for Linda!
Despite the fact that Linda's attacker, Luis Carrera Almoina (the son of Gustavo Carrera Damas, a very influential man who was president of one of Venezuela's major universities at the time) had kept her prisoner for four months while he repeatedly raped and brutally tortured her, Linda's case was passed over by the Venezuelan judicial system 29 times and a total of 59 judges declined to prosecute on her behalf!
Demand Justice for Linda! Click below now to send an email to Venezuela's top judicial officials demanding a timely and fair trial!
Click here now to demand Justice for Linda!Nearly three years later, the courts had still not set a trial date and Linda's case was in danger of being dismissed. So she took matters into her own hands, holding a two-week hunger strike on the steps of the Supreme Court to raise awareness of her plight. The media coverage that followed forced the court to finally assign a judge and set a trial date.
After all that, the judge let the man who'd raped and tortured Linda off scot-free, citing a "lack of evidence." Worse yet, the judge had the gall to order an investigation into Linda on the alleged grounds that she had been part of a prostitution ring.
This April, Linda and her supporters finally succeeded in getting the courts to reopen her case and request a retrial with the hope of convicting Carrera Almoina. After several more months of terrible waiting, Linda is still waiting for a trial date to be set.
Click here now to ensure Justice for Linda by sending a free message to high-ranking members of the Venezuelan government and key members of the country's judicial system on Linda's behalf.
Click here now to demand Justice for Linda!
We need your help to let the Venezuelan government know the world is watching.
Pressure from supporters like you will help hold the court accountable to make sure a trial date is set and that justice is served this time.
Our goal is to get a trial date set by the end of August by sending at least 10,000 messages in the next two weeks demanding Justice for Linda.
After you send your message to the Venezuelan justice system, please help us spread the word about the Justice for Linda effort by forwarding this message to everyone in your address book with a personal request to join you in demanding justice in this horrifying case.
Linda's experience is deeply disturbing - both for the violence she suffered and for the corruption and the injustice she has faced in her quest to put her attacker behind bars where he can't hurt her or others. The incident occurred in Venezuela, but it is representative of the immense difficulty faced by women in many parts of the world when they seek justice in the face of violence and abuse.
Your support will mean a great deal to Linda and to women everywhere.
Thank you for all your help.

Perhaps I am too cynical, but I'm not sure the effort will do much good. However, I do know that doing nothing will do absolutely no good. So, weighing a thin chance against none, I signed the petition, and I'm asking the rest of you to do so, too.

God willing, Linda would do the same for me if the roles were reversed.

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Don't forget the Republi-vangelicals are still trying to rob Social Security! For an entertaining and informative look at the issue, click here.

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Also, next week will mark the 60th anniversary of mankind using their greatest discovery in pursuit of their most ancient desire - to kill their enemies. On August 6, 1945 Hiroshima, Japan ceased to exist. Three days later, Nagasaki would join it. I won't go into whether the decisions were right or wrong - I'll only say that this exhibit shows why North Korea must be disarmed and Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

God save us all.

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Although it may seem a small thing to many of us, we recognize a truly earth-shattering (in a good way) announcement from Reverend Mother.

Yes, indeed. God save us all.

XT