Poverty Is Not An Excuse To Humiliate Someone Especially If Its An Innocent Child

After quite sometime hearing about this rumoured video of a 6 year old boy dancing like a macho dancer on a local tv show back home in The Philippines circulating on-line in social networking sites and actually seeing it, it refreshed my disgust towards Willie Revillame again.

Im a father of two boys and i just cant imagine it happening to my own child while being laughed at, taunted and humiliated on national tv. But who am i to overreact about it when im just an average joe? so i came up with his letter to the boy who is named: Jan-Jan

As much as i want to write this in Tagalog for him to have a better understanding of my letter, i choose to write it in English so that everyone who reads this will comprehend and see what have some of us had become and what kind of a f**ked up guy Willie Rwevillame is..

Dearest Jan-jan,

After watching your video on YouTube, my heart broke as I watched you cry on television. You should never have been there in the first place. There are many people to blame for the humiliation that you went through. What took place should have never happened if people had been doing their jobs, if people had only known better.

First of all, I cannot understand how your tita (aunt) would teach you to dance that way!! You are only six years old and what do you know about the world? I’m sure you are a very bright, sensitive, and talented little boy, that much I could see. That’s another reason why it was so painful for me to watch you suffer. You were, in fact, the only one in that studio who knew that what was happening was so very wrong. You rely on your parents and your guardians to take care of you. They need to ensure that you grow up to become healthy in mind, body and spirit. But by allowing you to suffer that way, they miserably failed you.

It's not all about the money, Jan-jan. The dignity of every child must be upheld. By allowing you to perform that way, they trampled on you and made you feel so small. I could see the fear and embarrassment in your eyes. It was undeniable. If there was only some way to rescue you from that moment, I'm sure every parent worth their salt would have done so.

Poverty must never be an excuse to humiliate people. A child must be allowed to be a child. This terrible experience has probably left a mark on your soul and my prayer is that you will not be damaged by it forever. And this is why this insanity has to stop.

I have no explanation for the way that the crowd treated you that evening. I feel very sad at what we have become as a people. That these adults would actually find it entertaining to see a young boy like you shamed that way. That these so-called adults did not see beyond the lewd gyrations to see the little boy with warm tears running down his face. It pains me that we have become so de-sensitized as a people, that we would allow a child to suffer that way.


But for me, the biggest fault that evening falls on Willie Revillame’s shoulders. I have no explanation for what possessed him to egg on the crowd, to say those words to you, to compare you to a burlesk dancer. Willie had the power in that moment to stop, no, to prevent you from even performing your dance number. Had he done so, he may have even redeemed himself in a way. But what did he do? He gave you the money that you perhaps came for so that you could give it to your parents who for the life of me perhaps did not know any better than to send you there. And he egged you on…

Willie, a parent many times over, and a grandfather – did he not see the faces of his children or of his grandson when he was egging you on to dance a second or a third time? That he found enjoyment in watching you, and poking fun at you as you cried and looked so miserable was to my mind inexcusable. You are a child, and you are supposed to be loved and protected. Your right to protection is provided for under the law. I am so sorry that we failed to do this for you.

The image of your face has been running through my head over and over. What happened to you that day must not go to waste. If we can save even one other child from having to go through what you had to endure then all these efforts we are now doing will not be in vain.

We can no longer turn back the hands of time and take away your pain, Jan-jan, but we can always give a deeper meaning to the humiliation you went through it by working together, hand in hand, to ensure that no other child, or minor, for that matter will ever have to suffer the way you did on national television.

I hope someday when you recall this moment, it will no longer bring you shame. Your tears will not go to waste. In doing what you did, before millions of people in and out of the studio, you woke us all up and in the process, perhaps saved so many other children from ever having to go through what you did. You are a brave little boy Jan-jan, always remember that.


link for the said video(the lewd charade and humiliation starts at 04:08) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YRCxh9q64w

**please highlight and right click to go to the video**

now Willie, do you find this entertaining? shame on you!

In Praise Of My C&PDW (Cary and Personal Defense Weapon) The Sig Sauer P228 Caliber 9x19mm Parabellum

After I've been "had" recently for getting myself a not-so-lousy Chinese clone handgun, i finally got a hold of the real thing. And i think its my responsibility to blog about this great piece of steel that i acquired and been shooting recently. I'm talking about my Sig Sauer P228

The trend is sweeping large and small law enforcement agencies throughout the United States - the .40 caliber is totally in, while the 9mm is out. I read somewhere on-line that Local and State agencies in Washington-Baltimore area either have switched or are switching to .40 caliber in droves. Even the FBI, which took a long wait-and-see, extensive test-and-evaluate approach, are now issuing 40-caliber GLOCK 22/23s to their new classes of special agents. US intelligence agencies and Service Investigative Units, however, have not made the switch to the .40. Neither has the Secret Service, BATF, nor the US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The SIG P228 9mm remains the quintessential "Fed" gun with these and other agencies to include the Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) and Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). This pistol remains my choice for domestic and overseas use. Here's why:

Ammo Availability

For most field operations, the 9mm makes the greatest sense. When assigned to support military operations, there's a ready supply of NATO-spec 9mm issued for the Beretta M9. Yes, I know that it's a comparatively poor stopper versus .45 ball, but ammo must be available and very plentiful for both training and operational purposes. In Spec Ops circles, hollowpoint ammo is available for counter-terrorism missions, which greatly enhances the 9mm effectiveness. The primary weapon for the DSS, BATF and often FBI agents is the SIG P228. When assigned to support diplomatic or investigative missions abroad, I know that my pistol, magazines and ammunition are interchangeable with theirs. This is significant should the need arise to use someone else's gear, or they use mine.

Reliability

The SIG P228 is supremely reliable out of the box. Its reliability can only be matched by the P226 and arguably bested by the Beretta 92. These points are critical for several reasons. Weapons are often issued at overseas departure or destination points. This means that it may not be my personal P228 on which I'm relying. As my primary weapon, it must be totally reliable in all extreme conditions. Any maintained P228 is this in spades.

Accuracy

The best duty pistol is also extremely accurate. Stress under physical exhaustion or combat duress plays havoc with your shooting ability. I want the most accurate pistol possible to maximize hit potential under these extreme conditions. This is especially important when operating in an environment that contains hostile and non-hostile targets. A surgical shot may be needed to take out single or multiple threats, without hitting fellow operatives or innocent bystanders. It is also critical when facing a battle rifle-equipped hostile. I can say my SIG P228 is accurate enough to reach out and touch a target to 100 yards with confidence. This can't be said for many other popular pistols. The only popular service pistol that beats the P228 for accuracy out of the box is the SIG P226. Table One provides accuracy figures for my own stock P228 with a wide assortment of ball and hollowpoint ammo. Note the total average hand held five-shot group size at 25 yards: it's 2.80 inches. Conventional hollowpoint ammo, which included everything from +P+ 115 to 147-grain subsonic, averaged an excellent 2.60 inches! (thanks to Wikipedia for this Info)

Capacity

Capacity counts when a pistol is the only weapon between you and a large group of machete-wielding third-worlders. The P228 holds twice the ammo of the venerable 1911. Add two spare magazines and you've got 39/40 rounds on tap. I'll usually add a 20-round mag if things are looking especially dicey. I certainly don't spray and pray, but find the high capacity pistol a better choice for these type encounters.

Ergonomics

The SIG P228 also features some of the best ergonomics of any pistol ever produced. The double column grip is comfortable for my medium-size hand, and I find the pistol points naturally and immediately to target. The double action trigger is the best in the business and if, as some female associates with smaller hands find, too long to reach comfortably, a SIG factory short trigger is available. The single action is outstanding - clean and moderately weighted (mine is 5.5 lbs.). My only complaint is a light trigger-return spring, which when not fully acclimated to the weapon, can cause the shooter to slap at the trigger while trying to perform fast follow-up shots.

Some details that need attention are the soft metal used in the grip screws, and the tendency for these screws to come loose if not extremely well-tightened. Fixes to these shortcomings are: use an exact-fit screwdriver when loosening or tightening the screws, replace the grip screws with hexhead grip bolts or use a Hogue or Pachmayer slip-on grip to secure the grip panels. The SIG standard matte/parkerized finish is not very wear or corrosion resistant. The SIG factory K Kote or aftermarket Teflon finish such as Birdsong Black-T will serve in harsh conditions.

The pistol possesses few sharp edges, the only ones being at the tips of the front of the slide. These aren't a problem for shooting, but the sharp points can tear at the inside of finely boned holsters such as Alessi, Mitch Rosen's or Andy Arratoonian's Horseshoe products and can sometimes cause a rough reholster with these excellent rigs. The gun conceals very well in a quality external or IWB holster. Factory sights are among the best in the business; extremely durable, low profile, posessing a fairly wide rear notch mated to a highly visable front sight.

How It Shoots

Im not a professional handgunner nor a competitive one, but i have my fair share of firing in decent ranges, so don't think im being "Mr.Know-How" or ballsy here :D Recoil is near-negligible with the P228. The 9mm is a much more easily controlled round compared to either the .40 cal or .45. I don't do much proficiency shooting, but I can fire fourteen rounds in under five seconds and hit a man-sized target at fifty feet with ease. These are just my words, so up to you to take my word for it. These facts are the results of a recent outdoor range session with the P228 (thanks to Eric Tablante, of Clark Eagle Firing Range We did some basic drills which combines "drawing and firing speed with the need to engage both near and long range targets." Results were good; the credit going to the superlative design of the pistol. Blame my somewhat slow times on a new, tightly fitted, Horseshoe SOB holster which my good friend Mr.Tablante lended me (excellent rig; worn toward hip side) and my unfamiliarity with the different angle of draw.

Bottom line - if you are a federal agent, intelligence operative, law enforcement officer or civilian possessing a SIG P228, don't feel shortchanged or undergunned. You're carrying one of the best pistols made. World-class reliable, accurate, ergonomic and easily controllable, you can't get much better. Stick with it, practice often and with realism, and know that this gun will hold up its end of the bargain when you need it to.


P228 Specifications
Operation : Semiautomatic, mechanically
locked, recoil operated
Trigger Double-action/single-action
or double-action only
Safety Patented automatic firing-pin lock
Caliber : 9mm Luger
Length, overall:7.1"
Height, overall:5.4"
Width, overall :1.5"
Barrel length : 3.9"
Rifling twist : 1 in 10"
Rifling grooves:6
Sight radius: 5.7"
Weight, w/o magazine : 26.1 oz.
Weight, empty magazine: 3.0 oz.
Trigger pull : DA 12 lbs., SA 4.5 lbs.
Magazine capacity : 13 rounds
(Specs barrowed and used with permission from Sig Sauer Website)

Note:
this entry is about Sig Sauer P228 and should not be compared to any likes or caliber. Opinions and review stated here are of my own personal view and understanding of the subject.