When the old man down the road lost his wife and moved away to live with his nephew, he left behind all of his belongings in the house and garage. It wasn’t long before I saw a bright yellow Corvette occasionally parked in the driveway. I knew where the owner of that car lived and didn’t think too much about it at the time, although I thought the woman who owned it was mighty strange.
My husband and I took a lot of walks together then, and as we walked, we began to notice peculiar things going on at that old man’s house. Sometimes, the garage door was left open. Other times, the side door was left open. We began to call the sheriff’s office whenever things didn’t look right, and a deputy would come out, check the property, close the doors, and contact the old man’s nephew.
This went on for a while, and then I happened to mention that I had seen a yellow Corvette parked in the drive. Things came to a head, and the sheriff’s office finally figured out what was going on. The deputy told me that the woman in the yellow Corvette had been robbing the old man blind. She claimed to be a friend of the family who was keeping an eye on the property. She sure was! The nephew thanked me for contacting the sheriff’s office. Not long after, a U-Haul showed up to move the old man’s belongings.
I don’t know what happened to the woman. I never saw her or her bright yellow Corvette again. The old man died, and his house was sold. I just know one thing:
If you’re going to rob your neighbor blind, don’t do it in a bright yellow Corvette in a neighborhood where everybody knows where you live!
#dumbcriminals
[Please note: I will not be posting anything until sometime after Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy your holiday!]
Dawn Pisturino
May 26, 2023
Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I’m pleased to announce that two of my stories have been published today – my flash fiction story, “Coffee,” is live now on Gobblers & Masticadores. My short story, “A Big Job,” is live now on Masticadores India. I want to thank J. Re Crivello, Manuela Timofte, and Terveen Gill for their support.
Coffee
“Coffee, please — a large macchiato with a double shot of expresso.”
The owner of the coffee bar shuddered and made a face. “I detest the stuff, myself, but . . . shhh,” she said, holding her finger to her lips,” don’t tell anybody. After all, I make my living selling the stuff.”
The man in front of the counter looked at her in dismay. “Not like coffee! Who doesn’t like coffee?” He turned toward the other customers in the shop. Waving his hand at the barista he said, “Have you ever heard of such nonsense? She says she hates coffee!”
As Dmitri untied the rope around Dr. Morgan’s neck, his cellphone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out the annoying thing. It always interrupted him at the most inopportune time.
“Daddy, you promised to come to my play. Where are you?”
Shit, Dmitri thought. He had forgotten all about it. He smiled into the phone. “No worries, my precious girl. Daddy’s on his way.”
[NOTE: I’ve been sick with a sinus infection for the last couple of days so I’m behind on responding to comments and visiting people’s sites. Thank you for your patience.]
Dawn Pisturino
August 5, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Social services in Arizona are concentrated mainly in the Phoenix area. Outlying areas may or may not have sufficient services. In Mohave County, for example, domestic and sexual violence services are geared largely toward families and domestic violence. Few services exist specific to rape prevention. In fact, the nearest actual rape center is located in Flagstaff (Coconino County), which is two hours away. Arizona does have a comprehensive Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Program aimed at prevention of sexual and domestic violence, but most state-funded organizations are located in southern Arizona. National organizations like RAINN provide general guidelines and state-by-state information.
Rape Prevention in Arizona
The Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Program in Arizona originated at the state level, conforms to CDC guidelines, and depends on funding from the CDC and other sources.
In 2004, the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families formulated a state plan that would “increase capacity . . . to provide services, promote prevention, conduct trainings, and create public awareness activities statewide” in the area of sexual assault. The primary goal was to “increase victim access to comprehensive crisis services” (Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families, 2004).
A statewide eight year plan was implemented through the Arizona Department of Health Services in 2010 that would “stop first time perpetration” through standardized educational curriculum in the schools, colleges, and universities; faith-based organizations; widespread media campaigns; and businesses that serve alcohol. The mission was to achieve “the vision of a culture that supports healthy, respectful relationships through primary prevention efforts and zero tolerance of sexual violence in Arizona communities” (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2010).
Sexual assault is a public health threat that requires preventative education and counseling before an assault occurs; interventions immediately after an incident; and long-term follow-up care, if necessary, with therapy and empowerment tools (University of Arizona, 2012). Programs are now teaching bystander intervention skills to people who want to serve as role models and intervene when they witness a potential or actual sexual assault occurring. The University of Arizona routinely screens students for past and recent sexual assaults and abuse so they can receive the therapy they need. Male students learn how to evaluate their own attitudes and beliefs about male dominance and entitlement in order to gain new respect for their partners and develop more effective communication skills (University of Arizona, 2012).
The Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Program implemented in 2012 on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson is also available to other campuses, organizations, and businesses through their community outreach program. According to their research, alcohol is implicated in 50-70% of all sexual assaults. Drug and alcohol screenings are now done on campus to screen students for substance use problems. Students receive information about consent and the ability/inability to consent for sexual activity while intoxicated. Freshmen are required to take an online course in sexual assault (University of Arizona, 2012).
Research conducted at the University of Arizona supports new laws and public policies. Researchers have found that community-based programs are most effective. Their public awareness programs have been so effective, Governor Douglas Ducey proclaimed April 2016 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (Governor’s Office, 2016).
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2016), 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men experience rape or attempted rape. By the age of eighteen, 40% of women have suffered some sort of sexual abuse or assault. The long-term physical and psychological trauma can be devastating. Family Advocacy Centers have been established in some areas of Arizona to provide post-sexual assault services, including forensic evidence collection, expert witness testimony, and legal representation. Arizona state law allows victims to receive a forensic examination by a trained examiner within 120 hours (5 days), whether or not they plan to report the incident to police (Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families, 2004). Forensic biological evidence will be kept indefinitely in unsolved felony sexual offense cases (Arizona Revised Statute 13-4221). There are no statutes of limitations in felony sexual offense cases (Arizona Revised Statute 13-107). The definition of rape has been expanded in order to increase the number of convictions. Sexual assault is a class 2 felony, but if a date rape drug was used, the sentence will be increased by three years (Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1406). The minimum sentence for a first conviction under ARS 13-1406 is 5.25 years, but a life sentence may be imposed if intentional serious physical harm was inflicted.
Cultural competence remains an important issue when dealing with victims of sexual assault since the United States has such a diverse population “with differing ideas about domestic violence and sexual assault” (Warrier, 2005). Trained interpreters and bilingual educational materials must be available. Professionals must be able to understand victims’ experiences of violence within the context of their own culture. This is particularly crucial among the Native American population.
Kathryn Patricelli, MA (2005), educates women on what to do after an assault or rape. First off, they should not bathe or cleanse themselves. Secondly, they should call the police and report what happened. Third, women should go to the emergency room and ask to be examined. A forensic examination should be performed. If a date rape drug was used, they should have a urine toxicology screen done. Fourth, they should go stay in a safe place or have someone stay with them. Fifth, victims should get help from a counselor to ease the shock, pain, and guilt. If symptoms do not ease in a reasonable amount of time, the victim should get ongoing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Method
Process
Research was conducted online through EBSCO and Google Scholar using the keywords “rape prevention,” “rape prevention in Mohave County,” and “rape prevention in Arizona.” Other research was done in person and by telephone.
Results
The best online results were found in Arizona government websites and publications. Kingman Aid to Abused People/Sarah’s House did not answer their door or telephone. Their primary focus is on family abuse and domestic violence. Calling the Mohave Victim Witness Program phone number connected me to a pager. There was no local rape prevention literature available at the Mohave County Library in Kingman; their resource list was out-of-date; and the librarian could only find two young adult books in the system related to teen dating safety and sexual harassment.
Discussion
Local programs funded by the state of Arizona must provide “education on sexual harassment, definitions of rape, teen dating violence, assertive communication, and strategies to increase reporting and awareness of sexual violence” (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2016). Some organizations also explain consent and Arizona law.
Most programs and organizations in Mohave County provide post-incident crisis intervention, shelter, and hotlines for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Mohave Community College has policies dealing with campus safety and sexual harassment and assault. Mohave Mental Health and Southwest Behavioral provide long-term therapy services for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Local hospitals have trained forensic examiners, social workers, and counselors available for immediate care after a sexual assault. The Mohave County Health Department performs confidential testing for STDs/HIV.
Charles P. Nemeth (2012) defines rape as sexual intercourse with another person through the use of force, without consent, and with intent. His guidelines for dealing with an attack include trying to dissuade the attacker from completing the act; pretending to have an STD or AIDS; acting insane; yelling; struggling and fighting back; using self-defense skills; using pepper spray or mace; avoiding resistance in order to survive (Nemeth, 2012).
The Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families (2004) describes rape “as a crime of power and control . . . motivated by aggression and hatred, not sex.” The state of Arizona has implemented a statewide plan to address the problem through standardized educational programs, increased availability of services to victims, and expanded tools for prosecutors and police to increase the number of convictions for sexual assault. But most comprehensive services are concentrated in the Phoenix/Tucson metropolitan areas. More needs to be done for less populated counties like Mohave County.
References
Arizona Department of Health Services. (2016). Sexual violence prevention and education
Abstract Attachment disorders arise when children experience prolonged and persistent abuse and neglect. They are unable to form attachments and respond to the world with anger, defiance, and aggression. They resist authority figures and defy social rules. Without early intervention, these children are at high risk for delinquency, criminality, and the commission of violent crimes.
Attachment Disorder and Crime Criminologists recognize that antisocial behaviors, which are more common in males, can lead to an increase in criminality and violent crime (Siegel, 2012). Much of their research has been based on John Bowlby’s attachment theory. Psychoanalyst John Bowlby studied Lorenz’s research on imprinting. He concluded that “children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others, because this will help them to survive” (McLeod, 2007). Failure to make secure attachments can lead to “affectionless psychopathy” later in life (McLeod, 2007). “Attachment is an enduring affective bond characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain proximity to a specific person, particularly when under stress” (Levy, 2000). This bond is created between mother and child during the nine months of pregnancy and the first two years of life (Levy, 2000). The mother-child bond is unique and forms through social releasers — behaviors that ensure a reciprocal response between mother and child (McLeod, 2007). Smiling, eye contact, holding, rocking, touching, and feeding are cues which create a “mutual regulatory system” (Levy, 2000). When the mother-child bond fails to develop, infants can suffer from severe colic and feeding difficulties, fail to gain weight and reach important developmental milestones, remain detached and unresponsive, refuse to be comforted, and respond too readily to strangers (Attachment Disorders, 2014). Children need a “secure base” to learn trust and reciprocity, qualities which lay the foundation for all future relationships (Levy, 2000). They must be able to explore their environment without fear and anxiety so they can attain full cognitive and social development (Levy, 2000). A strong, secure attachment between mother (or other primary caregiver) and child helps the child to learn self-regulation (self-management of impulses and emotions) (Levy, 2000). The child has the opportunity to form a strong self-identity, competence, and self-worth and to create balance between dependence on the mother and his own autonomy (Levy, 2000). A secure base allows the child to learn empathy and compassion and to develop a conscience (Levy, 2000). A well-established core belief system helps the child to evaluate himself, his caregiver, and the world around him (Levy, 2000). He learns resourcefulness and the resilience to cope with stress and adverse events (Levy, 2000). Even adopted infants can “develop healthy attachment relationships” in the first year of life if raised in a safe and secure environment by a caregiver who is consistently responsive to their needs (Reebye, 2007). Children with Down Syndrome tend to develop attachments later, during the 12-24 month period (Reebye, 2007). Secure attachment allows children to develop positive patterns of cognition, behavior, and interaction which help them to survive successfully within the family and society at large (Levy, 2000). They internalize altruism, empathy, compassion, kindness, and morality, qualities which lead to proper social behavior and social cohesion. They learn to view themselves, the caregiver, life, and the world as essentially good, safe, and worthwhile. Children who do not develop secure attachments experience just the opposite. They learn to view themselves, the caregiver, life, and the world as hostile, dangerous, and worthless (Levy, 2000). By age four, these children exhibit symptoms of chronic aggression — “rage, bullying, defiance, and controlling interactions with others” (Levy, 2000). These are the children who overwhelm the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and carry diagnoses of conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Children with severe attachment disorder typically engage in cruelty to animals, bed-wetting, fire-setting, pathological lying, and self-gratification at the expense of others. They are predatory and vindictive, controlling and manipulative. They lack empathy, remorse, and a moral conscience. They are unable to form close relationships with others because they never experienced it themselves. Adults with these traits are often labeled psychopaths and may become serial killers and mass murderers (Levy, 2000). The motivations for their crimes are manipulation, dominance, and control. They feel powerless and inferior, committing horrific crimes against others as a way to release their frustrations and hostilities (Levy, 2000). But why do some children fail to develop a secure attachment to their mother or other primary caregiver? Researchers have determined several common factors — “abuse and neglect, single-parent homes, stressed caregivers, parents with criminal records” (Levy, 2000). Other factors include parental mental illness, substance abuse, and a history of maltreatment. Within the family, persistent conflict and violence lead to childhood anxiety, fear, and insecurity. Children learn that violence is an acceptable way of dealing with life (Levy, 2000). Poverty, living in an unstable community rife with violence, access to weapons, and graphic depictions of violence on TV and in the movies desensitizes children. They learn to “express feelings, solve problems, boost self-image, and attain power” through aggression and violence (Levy, 2000).
Prenatal drug and alcohol abuse, maternal stress, birth complications, prematurity, nutritional deprivation, and genetics can lead to inherited personality traits and brain damage that interfere with learning, attention spans, and impulse control. Compound this with a firmly-established attachment disorder, and a child is likely to be difficult to control, impulsive, hyperactive, defiant, aggressive, indifferent to learning, and angry (Levy, 2000). Children who are maltreated are often found in foster care, kinship care, adoptive care, and orphanages (Chaffin, 2006). This includes children adopted from other countries. They grow up in unstable environments, without the consistent affection and nurturing required to develop secure attachments (Chaffin, 2006). They may grow up with suppressed anger that causes them to “seek control, resist authority, engage in power struggles and antisocial behavior” (Chaffin, 2006). They become self-centered, resist close attachments, and eventually fall into delinquency and criminality (Chaffin, 2006). Teenagers still need a “secure base” as they wrestle with independence versus security (Mathew, 1995). If a teenager has developed a secure attachment to his mother or other primary caregiver, he will weather the storms of adolescence with more resilience and adaptive abilities to cope with stress and change. A strong, loving family environment teaches teenagers social competence and self-confidence. Adolescents who grow up in unstable, inconsistent homes torn apart by conflict and violence develop “psychopathology resulting from the inability to function competently in social situations” (Mathew, 1995). “Delinquency, addiction, and depression” grow out of “inadequate problem-solving” (Mathew, 1995). The teenager suffering from attachment disorder is incapable of interpreting and responding to social cues in appropriate ways (Mathew, 1995). They view the world as a hostile place, attribute hostile intentions to other people, and respond aggressively.
Decades of research have found clear links between early childhood abuse and neglect, attachment disorder, and delinquency and violence later in life. It is not surprising, then, that children under age twelve have committed some of the cruelest crimes or that adolescent males are three times more likely to commit violent crimes than their female counterparts (Levy, 2000). Method
Process Research was conducted online through EBSCO and Google Scholar using the keywords “attachment disorder,” “John Bowlby,” and “attachment disorder and crime.” Results Attachment theory has been around for a long time. It has been studied and expanded on by others. A lot of research is available concerning attachment theory, maternal deprivation hypothesis, reactive attachment disorder (RAD), disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED), secure base distortion, rage theory, disordered attachment, disorganized attachment, disoriented attachment, and insecure attachment. These are all variations on the same theme — early childhood abuse and neglect lead ultimately to emotional detachment, dysfunction, anger, defiance, and aggression. Discussion Traditional psychotherapeutic tools are ineffective on children suffering from attachment disorder because these children are unable to trust others and form the therapeutic bond necessary to engage in treatment (Levy, 2000). Without early intervention, however, these children are at high risk for risky behaviors, criminality, and incarceration.
Several treatment modalities have been developed to help children overcome their attachment difficulties. Most focus on learning how to trust and feel secure. One of the more controversial, Holding Nurturing Process (HNP), involves forcibly holding the child and maintaining eye contact, which is supposed to promote secure attachment and self-regulation (Chaffin, 2006). HNP has been associated with the death of several children, however, and criminal charges have been filed against some attachment therapists and parents (Chaffin, 2006). The most effective attachment therapies allow the child to gradually build up trust with a committed therapist who then works with the child to re-program patterns of negative thinking and behaving (Levy, 2000). Therapy is based on the individual needs of the child and involves family, school, and community. The child learns positive coping skills that help him to function successfully within the family and society. Parents and other primary caregivers can undergo Corrective Attachment Therapy in order to enhance their parenting skills and learn specific tools for dealing with a difficult child (Levy, 2000). Parent and child must go through therapy simultaneously so that they both learn mutual caring and respect; open up to feelings of affection; set up limits, rules, and boundaries; share empathy and compassion; and learn how to be in tune with one another (Levy, 2000). If high risk families can be identified early in the process, families can be enrolled in special programs and children can receive the treatment they need to overcome the damage already done.
References
Attachment disorders. (2014, January). American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry. Retrieved from
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_youth/Facts_ For_Families/FFF-Guide/Attachment-Disorders-085.aspx. Chaffin, M., Hanson, R., Saunders, B., Nichols, T., Barnett, D., Zeanah, C., Berliner, L., . . . Miller-Perrin, C. (2006). Report of the apsac task force on attachment therapy, reactive attachment disorder, and attachment problems. Child Maltreatment, 11(1), 76-89. doi: 10.1177/1077559505283699. Levy, Terry M. & Orlans, M. (2000). Attachment disorder as an antecedent to violence and antisocial patterns in children. In Levy, Terry M., Editor, Handbook of attachment inter- ventions (pp. 1-26). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Mathew, S., Rutemiller, L., Sheldon-Keller, A., Sheras, P., Canterbury, R. (1995). Attachment
and social problem solving in juvenile delinquents (Report No. 143). Washington, D.C.: Educational Resources Information Center. McLeod, S. (2007). Bowlby’s attachment theory. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html. Reebye, P. & Kope, T. (2007). Attachment disorders. BC Medical Journal, 49(4), 189-193. Siegel, Larry J. (2012). Criminology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
(The references did not all format correctly.)
Dawn Pisturino, RN
Mohave Community College
Criminology 225 November 29, 2016
Copyright 2016-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Both the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York City and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 were major disasters. One was a manmade disaster and the other a natural disaster. In New York City, the damage was contained in Manhattan. But in New Orleans, the damage was widespread and uncontrolled.
On the night of September 11, 2001, Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a press conference to inform citizens of New York City and the entire nation of what happened, the response to the event, and future recovery. He talked about his own experiences during the event and how he and the people with him survived.
Mayor Giuliani presented himself as calm, rational, and confident. He maintained his composure and self-control. He made it clear to the public that everything was under control. He reassured them that everything was okay, and they were safe.
His message was positive and hopeful. He honored the victims and praised the people who had evacuated in a peaceful and civilized manner and helped each other along the way. He emphasized how proud he was of the people and first responders of New York City.
Giuliani became emotional when talking about the first responders and fire and police personnel who died. He asked everyone to pray for the victims and to be grateful that they were alive.
Towards the end of the news conference, he stressed that members of the Muslim community would be protected. He condemned all acts of vigilante violence and retaliation. He asked people who worked in Manhattan to stay home from work.
The mayor projected a feeling of hope, security, and confidence that the U.S. government would deal with the perpetrators and New York City would rebuild and be stronger than before.
Three days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin made an impassioned plea on WWL Radio for help. He described the horrific conditions in New Orleans and the lack of response by FEMA and the federal government. His anger and frustration were real. He was clearly traumatized by events.
When I was listening to him, I kept thinking that here is a man who feels powerless. There was apparently no clear chain of command or designated people in authority. Mayor Nagin was there, on the ground, asking for the authority to do something from people who seemed indifferent to the situation. He reminded everyone that FEMA knew about the problems with the pumping stations and did nothing. He wanted to know when the help promised by the federal government was coming. He deplored the fact that valuable resources were being wasted on looters and lawlessness instead of rescuing and helping victims.
At the end of the broadcast, he called on the public to be active in contacting authorities and demanding help for New Orleans. He contrasted the immediate response and aftermath of 9/11 to the lack of response to New Orleans. He was outraged.
Mayor Nagin had every right to be outraged by the slow response to Hurricane Katrina. And maybe his angry message was what it took to get things done.
Authentic History. (Presenter). (2011, January 11). 9/11 news coverage: 10:00 pm: Mayor rudy
giuliani press conference [Video file]. Retrieved from
Flight 93 National Memorial Wall of Names in Pennsylvania
I’m crying as I write this.
It’s hard to remember and write about the events that happened on 9/11 without weeping, gnashing my teeth in anger, and praising the innocent brave souls who lost their lives. As our country moves farther away from decency, patriotism, and traditional American values, it’s important to remember the heroes who willingly gave their lives trying to divert another terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. It’s imperative that we defeat and crush the enemies of the United States, both inside and outside of America – no matter who they are and what position they might hold.
We now have members of Congress who actively work against decent citizens of the United States. These worthless dogs dress themselves up in fine clothes, healthy bank accounts, and politically correct (for the Left) rhetoric and prey on the weak-minded and uneducated. (Having a college degree doesn’t make a person educated.)
We now have a President and Vice-President who deliberately sell themselves to Communist China and terrorists, while undermining the interests of America and the American people. These “leaders” – and I use the word loosely – come off as treasonous traitors to the United States. In my opinion, they should be court-martialed and face a military firing squad for their crimes against America and the American people. The same should be true of all politicians and corporate leaders who line their pockets at the people’s expense and betray our great country.
The sacrifice of the passengers and crew of Flight 93 calls out to us, urging us to save our country from the obscene, degraded, and depraved maniacs who hate their own country, pervert science, normalize insanity and criminality, glorify death and destruction, and revel in dirt and excrement.
Timeline of Events
At 09:23 am, the Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) began issuing warnings about hijackers boarding planes and using them as weapons of mass destruction. United Airlines Flight 93 was notified at 09:27:25 am.
At 09:28:05 am, members of the radical Islamic terrorist group, Al Qaeda, hijacked the plane, taking over the cockpit and subduing the passengers. They were later identified as Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed al-Numi, Ahmed al-Haznawi, and Saeed al-Ghamdi. Their leader, Jarrah, had trained in Afghanistan for three months, met Osama bin Laden in January of 2000, and arrived in Florida in June of 2000 to take flight lessons and to study martial arts.
At 09:28:17 am, the Cleveland controller heard screaming over the radio transmission and LeRoy Homer, Jr. crying, “Mayday! Mayday! Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here!”
At 09:31:57 am, the cockpit voice recorder kicked in and recorded the last 30 minutes of the flight. Jarrah was heard talking to the passengers and saying, “We have a bomb on board.” The message was accidentally sent to the Cleveland Air Traffic controller.
At 09:39 am, Jarrah was heard announcing, “We are going back to the airport, and we have our demands.” In reality, the flight was turned eastward towards Washington, D.C. Although some have speculated that the White House was the target, the 9/11 Commission believed, based on evidence, that it was the U.S. Capitol Building that was the real target.
At this point, Captain Jason Dahl may have disabled the autopilot. It was later discovered that passengers and crew had made 35 airphone calls and two cell phone calls, warning family and friends of what was happening. The passengers came up with a plan to take back the plane and revolted at 09:57 am. They allegedly used the food cart to try and break into the cockpit. One of the hijackers guarding the door may have been killed.
At 10:03:09 am, a male voice speaking English cried, “Pull it up!” The plane was deliberately crashed by the hijackers at 10:03:11 am.
In the meantime, Vice-President Dick Cheney, safe inside the Presidential Emergency Operation Center under the White House, ordered Flight 93 to be shot down. After the plane crashed, he called the passengers and crew “heroes.”
A permanent memorial to the passengers and crew of Flight 93 was dedicated on September 10, 2011.
Crew members
Captain Jason Dahl
First Officer LeRoy Homer, Jr.
Lorraine Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Wanda Green
CeeCee Lyles
Deborah Welsh
The 33 passengers included several foreignnationals.
The American passengers were innocent victims and died for their country. They sacrificed their own lives by standing up to the terrorists, who were forced to then crash the plane into an empty field in Pennsylvania. The foreign passengers who died as innocent victims were in the wrong country at the wrong time. Please pray for all of them and their families.
Let this be a lesson to all of us that life can change on the turn of a dime. The enemies of America never sleep. And we must be equally watchful and alert to the danger they pose.
Dawn Pisturino
September 8, 2021
Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 smashed into the South Tower. At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 nose-dived into the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia. All three airlines had been hijacked by members of the radical Islamic terrorist organization, Al Qaeda (Haddow, 2017; 911 Memorial, 2018).
Communication breakdowns were widespread during the emergency response to the attacks on the World Trade Center. 911 operators did not know what was actually happening. Evacuation orders were confused and misleading. Telephone lines were jammed with callers, and cell towers were down. Signals to firefighter radios failed. Public address and intercom systems inside the World Trade Center went out (CBS News, 2004; Sharp, 2011).
Confusion and lack of situational awareness led to higher casualties, especially among first responders. People in the South Tower were told not to evacuate and to wait for instructions and aid from emergency personnel. Others evacuated up, toward the roof, not knowing that they needed a key to get outside to the roof (CBS News, 2004).
Fire and police personnel were using different radio channels and could not communicate with one another (CBS News, 2004; Sharp, 2011). A repeater system installed in the World Trade Center after the 1993 bombing was not completely functional (Sharp, 2011).
By the time the Boston Marathon bombings occurred on April 15, 2013, emergency managers had learned the importance of communications during disaster events. For the first time, social media played a critical role in communicating information about the bombings and capturing the culprits (Haddow, 2017).
The Boston Police Department was a leader in using social media to communicate with the public. Photos, videos, and information were shared through Twitter, Facebook, and websites. Inaccurate information was quickly corrected. When the Tsarnaev brothers were finally caught, Boston Police Department tweeted a resounding “CAPTURED!!!” (Haddow, p. 185, 2017).
“Information sharing is the basis of effective disaster communications” (Haddow, p. 191, 2017). The public needs to know what is happening and where to get help. TV, radio, and newspapers have been the traditional media used for information. But the use of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter has changed all that.
“Social media is imperative to emergency management because the public uses these communication tools regularly” (Haddow, p. 171, 2017). Not only can members of the public receive accurate and timely information from reliable sources, but they can help response efforts by submitting videos, photos, digital maps, and other information.
The use of social media allows friends and family to communicate with one another. They can view press conferences by local and national leaders. Information about shelters and registering for aid is readily available. People can contribute donations through websites (Haddow, 2017).
On the downside, social media has been responsible for spreading hysteria and misinformation across the Internet. “Misleading, faulty, or malicious information or pictures” (Haddow, p. 161, 2017) can hamper response and relief efforts. Dishonest people have been known to solicit donations for relief aid that never reached the intended source. When terrorism is involved, calls for retaliation are often posted.
Emergency managers have found that interacting with the public through two-way communication is an effective tool during disaster events. When emergency managers and local leaders commit themselves to providing timely and accurate information to the public, the whole community benefits. Communication specialists are now an important part of every Office of Emergency Management. They work with the local media to get disaster and relief information out quickly and effectively. Understanding what is actually going on helps members of the public to make well-informed decisions about evacuation, relief aid, and recovery (Haddow, 2017).
“The mission of an effective disaster communications strategy is to provide timely and accurate information to the public in all four phases of emergency management” (Haddow, p.162, 2017). Social media can provide information about disaster preparedness and limiting damages resulting from disasters. Local emergency responders can provide warnings of an impending event, information about evacuation routes, and up-to-date details about an ongoing event. After the event, social media and websites can help people register for and receive disaster aid. The FEMA website offers complete information about its mission and what services are available to disaster victims (Haddow, 2017).
Decades of experience have taught emergency managers the value of effective communication. Improved communication technology and social media contribute enormously to that goal.
Dawn Pisturino
Thomas Edison State University
October 10, 2019
Copyright 2019-2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
References
911 Memorial. (2018). 9/11 Memorial Timeline. Retrieved from
I laughed my head off when I saw the sign in Golden Valley, Arizona that reads, “Sedition is not Patriotism,” erected by the Mohave County Democratic Central Committee.
For the last five years, the Democratic Party in Washington, D.C. and around the country has engaged in sedition, subversive activities, and domestic terrorism, from spying on the Trump campaign, to paying the Russians to create a fake dossier, to the whole Russia Hoax propagated by the Democrats and perpetuated by the liberal media, to the fraudulent impeachments, to the continued harassment and persecution of President Trump and his family, to the condoned violence by Antifa and BLM. The Democratic Party elites routinely lie, cheat, undermine and abuse the U.S. Constitution, spread hatred and racial division across the country, undermine the strength and prosperity of America, subvert our children’s success in school, and corrupt and destroy everything they touch.
From my perspective, the Democratic Party is the biggest threat to America and American democracy.
Dawn Pisturino
(Registered Independent)
July 31, 2021
Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
(Mailed to the Democratic Party, the GOP, and various newspapers.)
Published in The Kingman Daily Miner (The Miner) on August 5, 2021 and August 22, 2021.
Photo by By Staff Sergeant Preston Chasteen – Defense Imagery
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing is considered “the deadliest and most destructive act of domestic terrorism” in American history. Using a fertilizer bomb which cost around $5,000, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols partially collapsed the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and “destroyed or damaged 324 buildings in a 16 block radius.” The glass shattered in another 258 buildings in a radius of 55 miles. Damages were estimated at $650 million. Deaths totaled 168 people, including 19 children in the building’s daycare center, and injured around 700 people.
The event did not affect Oklahoma City alone. The small town of Kingman, Arizona, the Mohave County seat, was suddenly catapulted into the national news when it came out that Timothy McVeigh had been living in Kingman just months before the bombing. His Army friend, Michael Fortier, helped him to plan the bombing. When the FBI raided his mobile home, they found over 100 detonators.
How do I know this? I live outside Kingman, Arizona. And Timothy McVeigh had lived in the Kingman area on and off for several years. He was an occupant at a particular motel in Kingman. He worked at a local True Value hardware store. At one time, he worked at a well-known casino in Laughlin, Nevada. My husband, who was a Pit Boss at the time, knew him as a fellow employee. McVeigh drove an old yellow Buick which I saw drive by our house on more than one occasion.
Timothy McVeigh had become friendly with well-known pro-gun, anti-government activists in the area. A few months before the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma bombings, strange things were happening around Kingman, Arizona.
A large fertilizer explosive device was exploded out in the remote desert near the living ghost town of Oatman, which has never been explained or solved. At least 2 bomb threats were called in to Black Mountain Elementary School in Golden Valley. The perpetrators were never caught.
After the Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995 (the two year anniversary of the end of the Waco, Texas stand-off), the FBI descended onto Kingman to investigate the Kingman connection. Residents responded to this invasion by selling T-shirts which read, “I Survived the FBI.” In spite of their presence and the investigation, I have always believed that some of the conspirators got away. They simply disappeared underground.
Could the Oklahoma City bombing have been prevented? Probably not. There was no way to predict that the strange happenings around Kingman would lead to such a major man-made disaster. They appeared to be random events. But hindsight suggests that they could have been exercises conducted by the conspirators, leading up to the BIG EVENT.
One thing is certain: “the Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995 . . . raised the issue of America’s preparedness for terrorism events.” Since emergency management as a discipline deals with risks, the avoidance of risks, and the consequences of risks, it made sense to include terrorism under the big umbrella.
FEMA was an independent agency then which had grown in status and importance under President Bill Clinton. As a result, the agency was able to respond to the bombing within 45 minutes of notification of the event. Section 501(b) of the Stafford Act gives FEMA primary authority to respond to a domestic disaster, and this authority was exercised for the first time with the Oklahoma City bombing. FEMA coordinated with the FBI to preserve and control the crime site. This experience helped to clarify responsibilities and authority in future disasters.
Oklahoma was well-prepared for the disaster. The immediate response was to publicly request the assistance of all medical personnel in the area. Volunteers and volunteer organizations, such as the American Red Cross, arrived to help. Hospitals set up triage stations. Local law enforcement and EMS personnel utilized their excellent training. The state of Oklahoma had already worked hard to perfect coordination between the Public Works Department, the National Weather Service, and the National Guard. The Department of Public Safety had already developed a strong disaster plan. The entire state was involved in responding to the disaster. This has been dubbed the Oklahoma Standard.
In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, FEMA created Project Impact: Building Disaster-Resistant Communities which asked communities “to identify risks and establish a plan to reduce those risks.” This kind of community-based action is exactly what is needed to mitigate (prevent) events from happening and to keep communities prepared to respond effectively after the event has happened.
Laughlin is a small township in Clark County, Nevada which lies along the Colorado River, across from Bullhead City, Arizona. It takes about 25 minutes to drive from Laughlin to Needles, California. Laughlin boasts a constable and a handful of police officers. For intensive law enforcement needs, it relies on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department – located 90 miles away in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Laughlin is known for its nine casinos and annual Laughlin River Run, a motorcycle gathering which began in 1983. On April 27, 2002, Laughlin made the national news when a deadly brawl broke out between two rival outlaw motorcycle gangs: the Hells Angels and the Mongols.
The Flamingo Hotel (now called the Aquarius) was host to the Hells Angels, while Harrah’s was filled with Mongols. Around 2:15 am on Saturday, April 27th, approximately 35 Hells Angels entered Harrah’s and verbally engaged with about 40 Mongols hanging out in Rosa’s Cantina bar. The brawl began when Hells Angels member Raymond Foakes attacked a member of the Mongols. Two Hells Angels died by shooting, and one Mongols member died by stabbing. Dozens of people were injured, including sixteen who were transported by EMS to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City, Arizona and University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Police confiscated 50 knives and numerous guns.
There were about 140 police officers on patrol in Laughlin for the event. Police immediately shut down the town, closing off all exit routes. Hundreds of law enforcement officers and SWAT members arrived from Kingman and Bullhead City, Arizona; Needles, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada. The casinos shut down, stranding people wherever they were.
My husband was the Pit Boss on graveyard at the Golden Nugget, where tensions between the Hells Angels and the Mongols first flared. According to him, customers who were stranded there were given pillows and blankets and allowed to sleep around the pool.
Police interviewed more than 500 people, and surveillance tapes clearly showed what happened. They arrested several people. Harrah’s made counselors available to guests and employees and opened an information hotline. Then they re-opened the casino on Saturday afternoon. In fear of retaliation, the town was kept on tight security and police watch. Bikers who were free to leave left en masse on Sunday morning.
Harrah’s later lost a lawsuit which claimed that the casino knew about tensions between the two outlaw motorcycle gangs and did not do enough to beef up security. Harrah’s denied all responsibility.
The motives for the brawl were based on years of gang rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Mongols. A vendor selling Hells Angels gear was harassed by Mongols members at the event. A Hells Angels biker was found dead by police along Interstate 40 near Ludlow, CA. He was on his way home from Laughlin to San Diego. Police determined that he was killed about an hour before the riot.
The River Run Riot, as it is now called, spurred the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to increase police presence, information sharing, and surveillance for future Laughlin River Runs. Officers from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms manned checkpoints with special firearm-sniffing dogs to disclose hidden firearms. The curfew for juveniles from 6 pm to 5 am was continued, and glass and metal drink containers were prohibited.
The Laughlin casinos, which chip in to pay for security and law enforcement presence, increased their hotel prices and made the River Run much less friendly to outlaw biker clubs. The River Run began to draw fewer crowds, and some anti-Laughlin biker gatherings emerged. The costs became greater than the benefits, and the last Laughlin River Run was held in April, 2019.
The remarkable response by law enforcement to the incident minimized the deaths and injuries that could have occurred. The multi-jurisdictional cooperation between Arizona, Nevada, and California brought a number of people to justice and helped make towns and highways safer, during and after the event.
Dawn Pisturino
September 9, 2019
Copyright 2019-2020 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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