Our America

Our America Looks at Abuse through a Child’s Eyes

by paula on February 27, 2013

In last night’s Our America, Lisa Ling brought us stories of two different children – one young 10 year old boy dreaming of baseball in Florida and the other, a young 13 year old girl in California – on opposite sides of the country but both with the same story.  Their innocence was taken away from them.  As these now adults talked about the abuse and faced the memories with Lisa Ling once again, the pain was evident and the detour that their lives had taken was clear.   And as Lisa asked the questions and told their stories, she did so with understanding that while many years may have passed, the wounds are still healing and the aftereffects are written in the sadness in their eyes. 

As I watched the program, my first reaction was of how brave these two survivors were.  To tell their stories and share their impact will save others who may find themselves in similar situations.  Parents will be more aware and ask questions.  People around will pay attention and speak up.  Society will pay closer attention…because the days of minding your own business and turning away when something appears to be going wrong is changing and needs to change.  Everyone should be watching…and everyone should be extra  aware of what’s going on with our younger generation.  

As Lisa Ling continued on with the stories, my heart broke for Leeronnie and the other little boys who were abused in the Red Sox clubhouse for many years as others turned their heads or laughed and made jokes of what was going on.  It goes beyond my understanding how grown-ups could see and know that this was happening and not step up and see that this – these young men who so idolized being on the field and in that space – could be their children…or them.  Why didn’t anyone speak up for them?  Where were the voices of the bystanders? 

As the stories were carefully brought to light, the sadness of Kristen’s story of a female coach threatening her and her family was awakening.  From a quaint little Walnut Creek neighborhood – with nearby Berkley University where students standup and fight for the most basic rights, this young girl was simply fighting to survive a possessive, manipulative, and criminal couch, Julie – a middle school teacher who deserves to be exactly where she is – in prison.  Where were the signs?  How can we do better in the future?  This needs to stop…

From the beginning, my heart was so extremely proud of these two individuals, Leeronnie and Kristen, for sharing their stories and standing UP in their truth to shed light for so many others.  Let their strength and courage be the ripple that starts the wave and let this same strength and courage allow each and every one of us to stand UP and speak UP when we see something that we think is suspect or wrong.  Let’s use this courage to be the voice for those who have smaller voices or no voices at all.  This could be exactly why you are here – to save that life and to be that voice.

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Thank You to Our Veterans

by patricia on November 11, 2012

Each Veteran’s Day I find myself in deep reflection over the bravery and the physical and emotional aftermath that our soldiers deal with on a daily basis. I searched OWN’s line-up in hopes that Our America with Lisa Ling‘s special on PTSD would run again today. Sadly it wasn’t there but I was able to pour back over my recap article…reminding myself of the importance of being aware and supportive of our troops.

For me, Veteran’s Day is always filled with thoughts of my uncle who has been severely emotionally damaged from war. I then think of all of the families that have been torn apart from the trauma and even those who can’t simply pick up the phone. Not every soldier comes back emotionally or physically compromised, but those who do deserve our compassion and help.

Today, of all days, take the time to thank the Veterans and those who have supported them in your life.  Let them know you appreciate their sacrifice and that you care.  It will matter to them…more that you know.

Thank you to all the Veteran’s who stand tall for all of us.  We see you and you matter.

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Two Hour Season Finale of Our America Tonight on OWN

by paula on August 21, 2012

For those who are keeping track, Our America with Lisa Ling is wrapping up their third season on OWN with a double-header tonight! During the first season Lisa and team brought us the controversial topic of “Pray the Gay Away.” During that show, she and Gayle King sat together to watch and then, televised a live broadcast following the program that opened up the conversation to callers and social media comments.  It’s a conversation that will probably continue for many years across cultures to come.  Tonight, the promos give us a little bit of what’s in store.  Oprah.com mentions “Revisit the groundbreaking episode on this topic, along with an exclusive new  interview with the leader of Exodus International, Alan Chambers, who credits  this show with changing his mind.”

That alone should get you to make sure you tune in.  This should be interesting…But WAIT!  OWN is giving us a second hour of Our America to round out the final episode of the season.  Lisa is taking us into the world of swingers.  Now, that’s adventurous for sure.  OWN stats mention that an estimated 15 million Americans are active in this lifestyle.  How do couples survive this lifestyle?  What about jealousy?  Lisa Ling is sure to go there and take us with her.  So, make sure you tune into OWN tonight at 9/8c and settle in for some of the best programming there is on television.

From OWN: Preview of tonight’s Our America

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Our America with Lisa Ling Looks Past Labels and Into Life

by paula on August 10, 2012

In this episode of Our America with Lisa Ling, the team looks at society and sex offenders. Unlike last season’s episode, this week Lisa looks at the case of just one person, Travis – a 17-year-old who was sentenced to 15 to 20 years for touching a 10 year olds breast. Just released from prison after 16 years, Our America follows his homecoming but also, takes a look at his past and the journey he faces going forward and being labeled a sex offender forever.  Labeled for life.  Lisa asks, “Does the punishment fit the crime?”  and takes us along in the process to find the answers to that question.

As a survivor from the hands of a sex offender, I often look away from these shows.  Oprah would interview someone and I would turn away and delete the episode.  News would follow the Sandusky case…and I would do my best to read it quickly, take a deep breath and move forward.  Perhaps it affects me differently than others but stories on sex offenders often take me back to a dark space of powerlessness and innocence lost.  But this episode of Our America was different in many ways and opened my eyes to the possibility that perhaps one label doesn’t fit all but also reminds me that one moment has the power not just to put you in prison but also, to change many lives.  Our America gave us an opportunity to see if from Travis’s side and question that perhaps it’s not a clear-cut world with the justice system…and clearly, it is not a perfect world either.

With delayed maturity, mental health issues and compulsive behavior that mirrored turrets syndrome, Travis found his trouble at a house party where he was goofing off with other kids.   The next day, police showed up at his door and said he “touched a 10-year-old on top of her blouse for sexual pleasure.”  As a 17-year-old, Texas tried him as an adult.  Was it an example of his delayed behavior?  His mother says two other girls there said they didn’t see it happen.  But does that clear him? Awaiting his trial in jail, he was young and against the advice of his mom, he made a deal.  Taking a plea deal and pleading guilty, he was given 5 years’ probation with strict curfews and rules. His attorney told him that if he took the plea deal, he could go home.  After six months in jail, this looked like a lifeline so he took it and went home.  Within a month of getting out of jail, he was out with neighborhood friends and broke curfew.  For this, he ended up in prison for the full sentence of 20 years.

During the show, Lisa researches Travis’ case, the charges and his mental disabilities.  Lisa uncovers notes in his case of police predicting his future behavior without even knowing him. Interesting. But there is always another side to the story, so Lisa wants to hear that as well.  During the show Lisa tries to hear the story from the victim and talks to the victim’s mother. Protective as any mother might be, the victim’s mother tells Lisa that she still feels that Travis should be on the sex offender list.  As Lisa dives deeper into the case she looks for more witnesses to help fill in some of the pieces of the story.   Investigating an incident that happened 17 years ago, Lisa is finding out that many of the witnesses could not remember being questioned by the police and that two witnesses there said that it didn’t happen at all.  Buried in the case notes, Lisa and Our America are digging for information that should have been looked at years ago for Travis.  In one last push for information, Lisa reaches out to t0 the victim’s father who said that the victim was worried that she may have exaggerated what happened and even considered coming forward but was afraid she would go to jail or get in trouble.  Finally, Lisa did speak to the victim and she didn’t want to be part of the show but she said, “Travis did plead guilty.”  That’s the truth.  He did.

So while my heart always lands next to the victim in any sex offender story, I understand that the world is not perfect, our justice system is not perfect and the sex offender registry needs to be reformed.  Perhaps reform and reexamination will lead to a process that will help in cases such as the one highlighted by Our America but it’s hard to focus on reforming part of the fix in the Band-Aid when society is still bleeding from the original crime at the hands of so many others.  Lisa Ling, our eyes have been opened. Seeing is the first step.

 

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

The New Homeless – An Inside Look at Mary’s Place in Seattle with Our America (video)

by paula on August 6, 2012

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

The American Dream Has Become a Dream for Survival on “Our America with Lisa Ling”

by patricia on July 28, 2012

The spiraling economy has been a hot topic for several years. We all know that we are in the worst economic crisis since the “not-so” Great Depression. As politicians continue to bicker back and forth, families are sliding down a slippery cliff struggling to hold onto whatever they can. How did the American Dream instead become a desperate dream for survival?

Only a few minutes into Our America with Lisa Ling, I sent out a silent prayer hoping that politicians would flip the dial and stumble upon this true economic reality show as it played out on OWN. Throughout the night Lisa Ling introduced us to different individuals who are hanging onto their own economic cliff. She began with 56 year-old Bob who had recently lost his job. Following a promotion, his company paid for his family to relocate to a wealthy suburb neighborhood where many of the 1% lived. Making a comfortable 6-figure income, Bob thought life was on an upturn. unfortunately, the layoffs came and Bob’s position was eliminated. Four years later he is still looking for full-time work. Taking what he can and working as a custodian for a church, he and his family are falling apart. With up to 400 applications for some jobs, Bob realized how difficult it would be to find any job…but he was trying despite the odds. To make it worse, his wife has battled breast cancer for 5 years. All of the stress is overwhelming and his in-laws (who are helping to support them) are upset. After unemployment benefits ran out, the only other help they received was through food stamps. “Like Bob, one-in-six people in America don’t always know where their next meal is coming from,” Lisa shared. It can be hard to get one’s own pride. No one wants to rely on the kindness of others. So much has changed in only a few short years. Listening to his children speak, you can tell how hard this has been on them. As Bob’s 12-year-old son softly cried over being evicted from their home as movers threw their belongings onto the front lawn. Talking about the stress of seeing a bill that was due, it was hard to fight back tears for his lost childhood.

The cameras then introduced Teresa, a 47-year-old woman who was let go after a paper factory closed in her town. Like many of us, she didn’t have a huge savings and instead took the vacations and bought the cars. After watching what little she did have disappear, she wished she would have been smarter with her money. However, that wasn’t her reality. Now living in the basement of a home and sharing a room with her son who is a senior in highschool, everything was different. Although she was getting a little help from unemployment, just as Bob had, it only lasts so long and then nothing the check stops coming. Sadly her story was not unique. Companies have been closing their factories and sending our money to other countries who barely pay their employees. It makes sense for them. They make a lot more money. But at what cost? Even America’s Olympic uniforms were created in a communist country. Some people seemed outraged, but shouldn’t we be outraged every day? Instead of American companies helping to put food on the tables of their neighbors, they are choosing to strengthen the most powerful places that threaten our own democracy. In fact, this would be a great topic for Our America. [read more…]

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 1 comment }

OWN’s Don’t Miss List for Sunday!

by patricia on July 7, 2012

This Sunday OWN has some shows worthy of making sure you tune in and tweet about! Start with a live stream with Rainn Wilson discussing why SoulPancake is so important to him.   Then an afternoon marathon of Our America with Lisa Ling which begins with one of our favorite episodes, Invisible Wounds of War, which covers post traumatic stress disorders with our troops.   Oprah then picks up where she left off LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for part 2 of their interview.  However, the best is saved for last as Oprah premieres Oprah Builds a Network where we get a glance into the inner workings of creating a network.  Set your DVRs and sign in to your twitter feeds. It’s going to be a great Sunday!

  • Be inspired with SoulPancake’s Rainn Wilson on Super Soul Sunday. 11am/10c
  • Catch a marathon of Our America with Lisa Ling. 2-7pm
  • It’s time for the second part of the Miami Heat superstars on Oprah’s Next Chapter. 8pm/7c
  • Go behind the scenes with Oprah Builds a Network. 9pm/8c
Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

Our America with Lisa Ling – FULL Episode: “Sparkle Babies”

by patricia on June 28, 2012

Lisa Ling’s provocative series returned this season to OWN with a show highlighting the controversial practice of child pageantry. The topics continued to be informative and diverse as the series progressed with nuns in America, as well as, teen pregnancy. In the next episode airing July 10th, “Life on the Rez” will bring an in-depth look into the Native American culture and explore the problems surrounding teen suicide, poverty and alcoholism. Real life…real issues…really LOVE Lisa Ling and OWN for opening our hearts and eyes through this series! You can catch “Our America with Lisa Ling” Tuesday nights at 10/9C on OWN.

However, if you don’t have OWN here is your chance to get a taste of what all of us indulge in each week. OWN now has the FULL season premiere of “Sparkles Babies” online. So sit back and enjoy!

 

Be Inspired! Share this with the world!

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries