Knowledge Day

 

Today (September 1st) is Knowledge Day (День знань) in Ukraine.

It is the first day of the new School Year. After almost 3 years of War here is how this Knowledge Day is different from others.

For Ukrainian Children Forced to Flee Ukraine: They have to go to a new School, meet new Friends, learn a new Language in a new Country.

For Ukrainian Children in Ukrainian-Held Ukraine: They have their classes in bombed-out schools. They have to run to the Air Raid Shelter when the Russians bomb them.

For Ukrainian Children in Russian-Occupied Ukraine: They have their classes in bombed-out schools. They have to run to the Air Raid Shelter when the bombs fall. They are forced to use the Russian Language and learn the Russian Nazi Curriculum. They are punished severely if they use the Ukrainian Language.

Millions of Ukrainian Children have been killed or wounded by the Russians and those that haven’t continue to be traumatized by Russian Bombs, Bullets and Soldiers on a daily basis.

School

 

Accept Everyone

Dolly Parton accepted everyone.

 

She accepted you if you were:

Gay

Straight

Southerner

Not Southerner

Black

Hispanic

Latino

Asian

White

Republican

Democrat

Independent

Religious

Not Religious

Rich

Poor

Homeless

Hungry

Illiterate

A Veteran

Female

Male

Disabled

Not Disabled

 

We need to ALL be more like how Dolly Parton was.

Like make September 25th  (9-25) Dolly Parton Day.

Dog School

 

Diane Mumpher Klutz

Diane Mumpher Klutz

Diane Mumpher was from a small Town in Pennsylvania.

In 1969 she completed Nursing School and joined the US Army as a Second Lieutenant.)

In November 1970 she was stationed at the 67th Evacuation Hospital in Qui Nhon, South Vietnam (Present Day: Qui Nhon, Vietnam.)

For 90 days straight she worked non-stop.

She worked to save the lives of US Soldiers who came to the Army Hospital by helicopter burned or torn-apart by explosions and gunfire.

She moved from one Soldier to the next for 90 straight days.

Those she couldn’t help save she stayed with them until they died.

When Diane returned to the United States in 1971 she met and married Stephen Klutz (who also served in Vietnam.)

She got her Ph. D in Nursing and taught at Universities as well as working as a Nurse Practitioner.

Today she is not only a Veteran, but a Wife, a Mother and a Grandmother.

I Swear

 

I just watched a British Movie on Netflix called “I Swear.”

It’s the true story of John Davidson who has Severe Tourette’s Syndrome.

John Davidson was born on June 1, 1971 in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland.

He started experiencing tics and other issues when he was 12 years old.

He regularly had issues in School including being whipped on his hand by a belt by the Headmaster for “acting out.”

John left School at 16 years old without any Qualifications.

Distraught and feeling abandoned by his School his Friends and his Family John tried to commit Suicide by walking into a river, but is saved.

He then worked as a Caretaker at Langlee Community Centre in Galashiels.

His Tourette’s causes him to have tics, Coprolalia, Echolalia, sudden and violent body movements, along with severe Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD.)

When he was 15 years old in 1989  a BBC Television Documentary was made about him, “John's Not Mad.”

The Documentary followed John around in his daily life and how his Family, his Friends, and Strangers interacted with him and his Tourette’s (which many had never experienced before.)

“John’s Not Here” was ranked one of the 50^th Best Documentaries in 2005.

After “Jonh’s Not Here” aired John became nationally known across the United Kingdom as “Ambassador for the condition - a Spokesman for this previously hidden Neurological Disorder, campaigning to educate people about it."

In 2002 another Documentary “The Boy Can't Help It” shows John at 30 years old.

In 2009, a third Documentary “Tourette’s: I Swear I Can't Help It” was made about the 27 year old John.

John has visited Schools, given talks and helped Police Officers and Others to learn how to support people with Tourette’s.

 In 2019, he was a Board Member of Tourette Scotland.

In the 2019 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to People with Tourette's Syndrome, in recognition of "his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country."

While being presented with the Award at Holyrood Palace, John unexpectedly swore at Queen Elizabeth II.

He said that the Queen, aware of his condition, responded with patience and understanding.

In 2025 the Movie “I Swear” came out about John’s life and his struggles with Tourette’s.

Dodge Ball

 

5: Fall

It has been Five Years since the Fall of Kabul (August 15, 2021.)

Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:

February 29, 2020  - President Trump negotatied and signed the United States–Taliban Deal which reduced America’s Influence in Afghanistan and allowed the Taliban to retake the country (when the US ended Economic Sancations against the Taliban.)

Aug. 15, 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.

Aug. 26, 2021 — Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.

March 23, 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.

May 7, 2022 — The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says Women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.

June 22, 2022 — A powerful earthquake hits a remote region of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggle with rescue efforts, underscoring a lack of resources and a reliance on aid groups.

July 31, 2022 — The U.S. kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul. American officials accuse the Taliban of sheltering him.

Sept. 30, 2022 — A suicide bomber strikes an education center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people, including teenagers taking university entrance exams.

Nov. 10, 2022 — A nationwide ban on Women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.

Nov. 20, 2022 — The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.

Dec. 8, 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.

Dec. 21, 2022 — The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female education.

Dec. 24, 2022 — The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.

July 4, 2023 — The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.

Sept. 13, 2023 — The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.

Oct. 4, 2023 — Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. The Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups condemn the policy.

Oct. 7, 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.

Nov. 15, 2023 - FlyDubai becomes the first international carrier to resume flights to Kabul after a two-year hiatus. AirArabia and Turkish Airlines follow suit.

Jan. 4, 2024 — The Taliban arrest Women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.

Feb. 22, 2024 — The Taliban hold a double execution at a stadium in the country’s southeast while thousands of people watch.

March 2024 – The Taliban reinstate flogging and death by stoning for Women.

May 11, 2024 — Flash floods in Afghanistan’s north from unusually heavy seasonal rains kill more than 300 people.

May 17, 2024 — Shooters open fire in central Bamiyan province killing six people, including three Spanish holidaymakers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.

June 4, 2024 — The Taliban publicly flog at least 60 people, including more than a dozen women, accused of crimes such as sodomy, theft and immoral relations.

June 4, 2024 — The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official with a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.

June 30, 2024 — The Taliban attend a U.N.-sponsored meeting in Qatar. Although it’s the third such gathering, it’s the first time the Taliban are attending. There’s backlash after Afghan women and civil society representatives are excluded.

July 30, 2024 — The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.

August 2024 - New law barring women from raising voices in public

In December 2024 -  the Taliban's Health Ministry banned women from being trained in Nursing and Midwifery.

July 4, 2025 - Russia becomes the first Country to officially recognize the Taliban.

September 2025 - The Taliban bans books written by Women from Afghan universities.

May 2026 - The Taliban publishes Decree No.18, which writes into law rules that imply legal approval of child marriage, and in which a girl's silence is allowed to be interpreted as consent to marriage.

 

Five years on and life in Afghanistan remains horrible.

The Taliban continues to force Women out of Public Life.

Half of Afghan Women only leave the house once or twice a month due to the Taliban’s strict Laws on movement.

The Taliban forces Girls as young as 8 to marry Taliban Soldiers.

The Taliban kills Homosexuals.

The Taliban continues to hunt down and kill the thousands of Afghans who worked with the US, the UK and any other Western Country from 2001-2021.

The US and other Countries continues to little to nothing to help those Afghans who helped the Americans and other Westerners.

The Taliban hunts down non-Muslims (mostly Christians) and forces them to convert to Islam or be killed.

The Taliban hunts down Muslims of other Sects and forces them to convert to their Sect of Islam or be killed.

212,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 remain inside Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan still waiting for the United States to keep its promise to help them

They remain hidden under the threat of arrest and being murdered for working for us.

60,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 are in 90 different Countries still waiting for the United States to keept its promise to help them.

In November 2025 President Trump ended all Visa Processing and Admittance of Afghans into the US (including those that worked for the US Government) with no timeline to restart.

In 2025 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 402 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan.

So far in 2026 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 104 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan .

Back To School

 

Uniforms

 As Kids in the southern and western US go back to School now (the local schools up here go back on August 29th so they can get a week of snow days if needed) I have seen lots of people posting going Back-To-School Clothes Shopping. Some have to wear Strict Uniforms, some have to wear Generic Uniforms and most can wear anything.

From 1st through part of 5th Grade I had to wear a Strict Uniform. Boys and Girls had their separate requirements (Girls had to wear either Skirts or Skorts and Boys had to wear Pants and Ties) and there was a Winter Uniform (with a Sweater or Vest) and a Spring Uniform (with Short-Sleeved Shirts) and it was based on the Calendar and not the Actual Weather.

You couldn’t change your Uniform at all. If you were in the Spring Uniform Time of year you couldn’t wear a Sweater or Vest even if it snowed and if you were in the Winter Uniform Time of year you couldn’t wear Short-Sleeves even if it was very hot.

From part of 5th Grade to part of 9th Grade I had no Uniforms, but there was a Clothes Hierarchy. At the top (ie the Best) were the clothes bought in-person from the United States.

Then came the clothes bought by catalog and shipped from the US. In the middle were the clothes bought at the PX/BX. At the bottom were the clothes bought in German or other European Stores. Where you got your clothes also had an impact on your Parents’ Jobs and Promotion Chances (as was how you acted.)

From part of 9th Grade to 12th Grade there were no Uniforms again, but an even stricter Clothes Hierarchy than before. At the top were all the expensive name-brand clothes stores (Old Navy, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.)

If you wore a shirt from Tommy Hilfiger and pants from the Gap you were looked more down on than someone who wore both a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Tommy Hilfiger pants. At the bottom were those that wore clothes from K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.

Having gone to Schools with different Clothing Requirements I personally like the places where you have to wear a Generic Uniform.

A Generic Uniform means the District decides the basic color of what the Students have to wear, but lets them decide on what they wear: Boys and Girls can wear shorts, pants, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, a sweater, etc. and can base their decision on the weather for that day. The only Requirement is wearing the right School Color.

60: Tower

60 years ago today (August 1, 1966) The University of Texas Tower Shooting occurred in Austin, Texas.

(Charles Whitman, his Mother Margaret and his Wife Kathy)

Charles Whitman, a 25 year old Eagle Scout and Former Marine from 1959-1964 who was stationed at the US Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba  and earned the Sharpshooter’s Badge, first killed his 43 year old Mother, Margaret, by stabbing her in the heart at 12 am on August 1^st.

He then went to his home and stabbed his 23 year old Wife, Kathy, five times until she died – around 3 am on August 1^st.

Whitman then wrote his Suicide Note and at 11:48 am went to the Main Building (known as the Tower) at the University of Texas (UT) in Austin.

He then started randomly shooting at the People down below.

Whitman murdered 15 People and wounded another 31 People in the 96 minutes before he was killed by the Austin Police.

(Charlotte Darehshori takes refuge behind a flagpole as an injured student, Devereaux Huffman, lies beside a hedge)

Here are those who were murdered by Whitman at UT:

Edna Elizabeth Townsley (51). Receptionist. Bludgeoned into unconsciousness with the butt of Whitman's rifle, then shot in the head. Townsley died of her injuries two hours after Whitman's death.

Mark Jerome Gabour (16). Tourist. Shot in the head by Whitman as he attempted to navigate the makeshift barricade Whitman had constructed to the 28th floor.

Marguerite M. Lamport (56). Tourist. Shot by Whitman as she ascended the stairwell to the 28th floor. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Brackenridge Hospital.

Baby Boy Wilson. Unborn child of 18-year-old Claire Wilson—the first person shot from the UT Tower.

Thomas Frederick Eckman (18). Freshman student and fiancé of Claire Wilson. Eckman was shot through the chest seconds after Wilson was hit. He died almost immediately.

Dr. Robert Hamilton Boyer (33). Mathematician. Boyer may have been the third person shot from the tower; he was struck in the lower back. He was days away from relocating to England, where he had secured a teaching post at the University of Liverpool.

Karen Joan Griffith (17). A Lanier High School student and one of Kathleen Whitman's biology class students. Griffith received a shot in the shoulder and chest which pierced her right lung; she died seven days later.

Thomas Ray Karr (24). Senior student. Karr was shot in the spine as he walked to his apartment following a Spanish exam, reportedly as he attempted to assist Griffith. He died in a hospital emergency room at 1:10 p.m.

David Hubert Gunby (23). Engineering student. Gunby was shot in the upper left arm, the bullet entering his abdomen and severing his small intestine at approximately 11:55 a.m. During surgery, it was discovered that Gunby had only one functioning kidney, which had now been severely damaged; he was in great pain for the rest of his life. In November 2001, he died at age 58 one week after discontinuing dialysis resulting from his health having deteriorated to the degree of his becoming largely bedridden via kidney disease. His death was officially ruled a homicide.

Thomas Aquinas Ashton (22). Student and Peace Corps Volunteer. Ashton was killed while walking to meet three fellow Peace Corps Volunteers at the Student Union. He was shot once in the chest.

Paul Bolton Sonntag (18). High school graduate. Sonntag and his girlfriend, Claudia Rutt, took refuge behind a construction barricade on Guadalupe Street upon hearing gunfire from the UT Tower. When Sonntag abruptly stood, Whitman shot him in the mouth, killing him instantly.

Claudia Marilyn Rutt (18). High School Graduate and ballet dancer. Rutt was shot in the chest seconds after seeing her boyfriend shot through the mouth and attempting to go to his aid; she died several hours later.

Harry Walchuk (38). Walchuk was a PhD Student and Father of six Children. He was shot once in the chest on Guadalupe Street while leaving a magazine store.

Officer Billy Paul Speed (23). Austin Police officer. Patrolman Speed was shot through a gap in the masonry between decorative balusters on the South Mall at 12:08 p.m. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Brackenridge Hospital.

Roy Dell Schmidt (29). Electrician. Schmidt had taken cover with several other People behind his vehicle some 500 yards from the tower. Approximately 30 minutes after Whitman had begun shooting, Schmidt stood in the belief he was out of range and was almost immediately shot in the abdomen. He was the fatality farthest from the tower.

(The stone monument unveiled at the Tower Garden on the fiftieth Anniversary of the University of Texas tower shooting.)

At the time it was the deadliest Mass Shooting in the United States (a record it held until 1984.

Since Charles Whitman was a Veteran he was buried with Full Military Honors on August 5, 1966.

His body was exhumed a few days later for the Criminal Investigation.

His Brain was kept for further study by the M.D, Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

The Observation Deck of the Tower was closed until 1968 and then closed again from 1974-1999 after the Suicides of 4 Students.

The Shooting also helped lead to SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Teams being created across the Country.

Kathleen Rockwell

 Kathleen Rockwell

(Lieutenant Kathleen Rockwell, 23, of Alexandria, Virginia, an Army Nurse, leans on the shoulder of her Husband, Lieutenant Richard Rockwell, 23, of New York City. Kathleen managed to get herself transferred here to be with her Husband, arriving last week in time to get a Field Hospital set up, only to discover that Richard was being sent back to the Front Lines at Cam Ranh Bay – September 13, 1965 Qui Nhon, South Vietnam.)

Kathleen Rockwell (nee Barclay) was born on July 16, 1942 in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada.

Her Father was William Barclay and her Mother was Fleurette Barclay.

She had two Sisters: Marjorie and Diane.

Kathleen was the first in her Family to attend College.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University with a Nursing Degree.

While studying at Georgetown she joined the Army Nurse Corps.

Kathleen met Richard Rockweel during a 2½-month Officers’ Basic Orientation at Fort Sam Houston, Texas while in the Army Medical Service Corps.

On November 28,1964 they married in Arlington, Virginia.

They had four Children:  Carol, Richard Jr., Michael, and Christopher.

In June 1965 Richard was deployed to South Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division.

Immediately, after learning where he was being stationed Kathleen volunteered to serve in South Vietnam (not mentioning her Husband was also going to be sent there.)

Kathleen served at the 85th Field Evacuation Hospital in Qui Nhon, South Vietnam (Present Day: Qui Nhon, Vietnam) during the Vietnam War.

Two months after being separated Kathleen and Richard were reunited in South Vietnam.

After arriving in Qui Nhon Kathleen learned that Richard was transferred to Cam Ranh Bay  -150 miles away.

Every two weeks, Richard travels north from Cam Ranh Bay to Qui Nhon on Medical Supply Runs.

She also served in the Gulf War.

After 3 Decades of both Active Duty and Reserve Duty she retired with the Rank of Colonel.

She spent 30 years teaching Nursing at Del Mar College.

Kathleen Rockwell died on December 19, 2024.

She was 82 years old.

Richard Rockwell is still alive.

IRBM Attack

Russia fired 600 Strike Drones and 90 Air, Sea and Ground Missiles including the Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile at Kyiv, Ukraine today.

Oreshnik (or Hazel Shrub in English) is an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) characterized by its reported speed exceeding Mach 10 (7,610 mph.)

(A Russian Missile about to hit a Residential Building in Kyiv, Ukraine, then it hits the Building, the aftermath of the attack on the Building.)

The Russian Targets were Residential Areas, Cultural Sites, Museums, Emergency Services Buildings, Schools and Stores.

At least 4 People are dead and at least 100 People have been Wounded in the Attacks.

It seems Putin and Russia are beyond desperate in the 4 ½ years since they started this War in Ukraine.

1,355,920 Russian Soldiers have been killed or wounded in Ukraine.

Ukraine is now easily able to bomb Moscow as well as Russian Cities 1,500 miles from the Ukrainian-Russian Border using Drones.

Ukraine is also using Drones to force Russian Soldiers inside Ukraine to surrender or be killed (before Ukraine sends in Ukrainian Soldiers to capture them.)

Russia doesn’t have the Technically-Advanced Drones that Ukraine has and so needs to use its Soldiers as Cannon-Fodder (or in a Meat-Grinder) just to keep a few miles of Occupied Land - with 26,000 Russian Soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine every single day.

Putin and the Russians don’t care about Human Life whether it is Ukrainian or Russian.

Franco Spain

The White Terror in Spain was part of Francisco Franco’s Dictatorship and Repression (Spanish: Represión franquista) of the People of Spain from 1939-1975.

(My Great-Aunt  got this on one of her many Trips to Franco Spain from the 1950s to the 1970s -she continued to travel to Spain until 2006.

It says "Catalonia" - the Region of Spain - but it says it in Spanish: "Cataluña" and not in Catalan: "Catalunya" because she got it during Franco's Dictatorship (1936-1975) where the Catalan Language, Culture and Traditions were banned.)

During Franco’s White Terror the following were considered State Enemies: Loyalists to the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1939), Liberals, Socialists, Protestants, Intellectuals, Homosexuals, Freemasons, Roma and Sinti, Jews, Muslims, the Basque, the Catalans, the Andalusians and the Galicians.

The Roman Catholic Church in Spain actively supported Franco and his Fascists and his attacks on the different Groups of People (which was solidified with the 1953 Concordat (Spanish: Concordato de 1953) between Franco and the Roman Catholic Church in Spain.)

The Concordat made it Mandatory for all Catholics to have a Church Wedding (alongside the Civil Marriage Ceremony), the right to publish Books and Newspapers, gave Exemptions to the Clergy in the Spanish Military, gave the Catholic Church Tax Exemption, made Catholic Prayer Mandatory in all Public Schools and solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the one and only Official Religion in Spain.

The United States (which had been Neutral during the Spanish Civil War) changed to a more Pro-Franco Stance in 1947 due to the Cold War as Franco and his Fascists were Anti-Communists.

In 1955, the US even opened American Military Bases in Franco Spain.

That is despite that fact that Franco and Spain favored Hitler and Nazi Germany during World War 2 (both Countries being Fascist Dictatorships – even though Spain was Officially Neutral during the War.)

Franco also sent 45,000 Spaniards to fight with Hitler on the Eastern Front (known as the Blue Division – Spanish: División Azul.)

Franco even compiled the Jewish Archive (Spanish: Archivo Judaico) of all 6,000 Jews living in Spain so he could give it to Hitler if Spain ended its Neutrality in favor of the Nazis during World War 2.

From the moment of Victory in 1939 Franco carried out a Social Cleansing (Spanish: limpieza social) of all aspects of Public and Private life in Spain.

At least 400,000 Men, Women and Children spent time in Prisons (there were 12,042 Children in Franco’s Prisons in 1942 alone.)

300,000 Children were removed from their “State Enemy” Families and raised by Franco Officials.

They are called the Lost Children (Spanish: niños perdidos del franquismo.)

There were 300 Franco Concentration Camps (Spanish: Campos de concentración franquistas) from 1936-1947 that held 431,251 Men, Women and Children in them.

At least 5,000 Homosexuals were arrested, imprisoned and/or murdered under Franco.

The number is much higher, but many Homosexuals were imprisoned under different Laws than just the 1954 ("Vagrancy Act" (Spanish: "Ley de vagos y maleantes.)

An estimated 200,000 Men, Women and Children were murdered by Franco’s Dictatorship from 1939-1975.

The exact number is unknown (and most likely much higher) because the vast majority were shot and buried in unmarked graves through Spain.

Franco and his Fascists moved to eliminate the Catalans from both Public and Private Life (Spanish: Anticatalanismo, Catalan: Anticatalanisme.)

The Catalan Language and Culture was made Illegal and only Castilian Spanish was allowed in Education, Commerce, the Government, the Media, etc.

From 1939 until the 1960s Franco Officially encouraged Non-Catalan Spaniards to Rape Catalan Girls/Women so the Catalan Population would be diluted.

The 1944 Penal Code said Rape was a punishable offense when a Girl was between 12 and 23 if she was a Virgin, and between the ages of 17 and 23 if she was not, but even this Laws was Officially Overlooked when it came to the Rape of Catalan Girls/Women by Non-Catalan Men.

The Exact Number of Catalan Girls/Women that were Raped by Non-Catalan Men under Franco will never be known since there were never any Police Reports or Official Statements made.

In the 1960s and the 1970s Franco also supported Thousands of Non-Catalan Spaniards moving into Catalonia to reduce the growing influence of the Catalan Culture in the latter years of the Franco Dictatorship.

It has been calculated that, without Franco’s Forced Migration, the Population of Catalonia would have gone from 2 Million People in 1900 to 2.4 Million in 2001instead of the more than 6.1 Million registered on that date (an addition of 3.4 Million Non-Catalans into Catalonia.)

Spain has official laws that prevent the country from dealing with the crimes (including murder) committed during Franco’s Dictatorship:

In 1975 the Pact of Forgetting (Spanish: Pacto del Olvido) was the Political Agreement for all Spanish Political Parties to avoid confronting Franco’s Repression.

The 1977 Amnesty Law (Spanish: Ley de Amnistia de 1977) -still in force today - guaranteed impurity to those who committed crimes during Franco’s Dictatorship. It also made the Pact of Forgetting official.

The 2007 Historical Memory Law (Spanish: Ley de Memoria Histórica) recognizes the victims on both sides of the Spanish Civil War, gives rights to the Victims and the Descendants of Victims of the Civil War and the subsequent Dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, and formally condemns repressions of the Franco Regime.

It doesn’t negate the 1977 Amnesty Law so no one can be punished for their crimes.

The Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (Spanish: Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica) formed in 2000 is a Spanish Organization that collects the oral and written testimonies about the White Terror of Francisco Franco and excavates and identifies their bodies that were often dumped in mass graves.

Franco wasn’t removed from the Valley of the Fallen (Spanish: Valle de los Caídos) until 2019 which was 44 years after his death (for reference Joseph Stalin was removed from Lenin’s Mausoleum by the Soviets in 1961 which was 8 years after he died.)

The last Statue of Francisco Franco in Spain was only removed in Melilla in February 2021.

During the Spanish Transition to Democracy (Spanish: Transición española ) from 1975-1982 where Spain switched from the Franco Dictatorship that had ruled Spain for the past 36 years to a Constitutional Monarchy the Roman Catholic Church lost most of the Privileges that Franco had given them in support for his Murderous Regime.

In 1978 the Roman Catholic Church was removed as the Official State Religion and allowed for the Free Practice of every Religion across Spain.

Note: None of these Numbers or Victims include what happened during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939.

27: Patrick Ireland

 

27 years ago today (April 20, 1999) The Columbine Massacre happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

13 Students and 1 Teacher were murdered.

23 Students were wounded.

One of those who was wounded was Patrick Ireland.

Patrick was 17 years old in 1999.

He was in the Library when the Shooting took place.

He had gone there to finish his Homework.

He sat down at a table where Corey DePooter and Austin Eubanks were already seated. They were soon joined by Daniel Steepleton and Makai Hall.

Shortly after a Teacher ran in shouting that 2 Students had guns and were shooting.

Patrick, Makai and Dan got under the table to hide (Corey and Austin hid somewhere else.)

Then the Shooters entered the Library and started shooting at People.

Patrick looked over at Makai and saw blood flowing from the his right knee and more on Dan's foot.

Patrick moved between the two with the idea to provide first aid to Makai.

 He reached out to put his hand on Makai's wound to apply pressure and blacked out.

Patrick had been shot twice in the head and again in the foot, though he had no memory of being shot.

Patrick passed in and out of consciousness for two hours on the floor of the Library.

The fire alarm finally woke him.

He tried to stand up but couldn’t.

He could only use his left arm and his left leg and crawled to a window 50 feet away that had been broken when the Shooters were shooting at the Police outside – passing the bodies of dead Students.

Patrick eventually got to the window, leaned up and jumped out into the SWAT Team waiting outside.

It is believed that if Patrick had waited inside the Library to be rescued he would have died.

He was treated for two gunshot wounds to the head and one to the right foot as well as a laceration to his right inner elbow.

He was later moved to Craig Hospital for Spinal and Cerebral Rehabilitation.

He had to relearn how to walk, talk and read.

He returned to Columbine High School that Fall using a cane to help him walk.

In September 2000 he was elected Homecoming King.

He graduated from Columbine High School in May 2000 as Co-Valedictorian.

He went on to study Business Finance at Colorado State University,

Patrick is married to his Wife, Kacie, and they have 3 Children.

Łapanka

Łapanka

(Victims of a Łapanka in the Zoloborz District of Warsaw, Poland in 1941.)

Łapanka (or Round-Up) is the Polish name of the German Capture/Round-Up of Civilians in Poland to be used as Forced Labor inside Germany, sent to a Work Camp (German: Arbeitslager), sent to a Concertation Camp (German: Konzentrationslager) or executed as Hostages from 1939-1945.

Łapanka takes its name from the Polish Word łapać ("to catch") and in Pre-War Poland the word Łapanka was used for the Children’s Game “Tag.”

The Germans (the SS, the Gestapo and the Wehrmacht- Military) would regularly go into Towns and Cities across Poland and block whole Streets on all sides trapping Men, Women and Children.

It didn’t matter if you had the correct Identity Documents (German: Ausweis) or were an important Person.

Everyone caught in the Łapanka was taken into custody.

Polish Women and Girls as young as 14 years old were regularly selected by the Germans to be Forced Sex Slaves either for the German Military at Military Brothels (German: Militärbordelle) or in Concentration Camps for the Non-Jewish Prisoners.

There were over 500 German Military Brothels across German-Occupied Europe and every single German Concentration Camp had a Brothel (all 15,000 of them.)

At the German Military Brothels the Women were often raped by up to 32 Men per day; the visiting German Soldiers were allocated 15 minutes each at a nominal cost of 3 Reichsmarks (or $0.72 American Cents) per "session" between the hours of 2 p.m. and 8.30 p.m.

In the German Concentration Camps the Germans gave the Non-Jewish Prisoners passes to the Camp Brothel for good work or beating their Quota.

If a Women became pregnant the Germans would kill the baby within hours of its birth (usually by smashing its body against a wall) and oftentimes shot the Mother too.

At least 34,140 Non-German Women were forced to be Sex Slaves by the Germans during World War 2.

Most of the Polish Children under 14 years old arrested during a Łapanka were killed by the Germans.

200,000 Polish Children who were arrested during a Łapanka and looked “Aryan” with Blond Hair and Blue Eyes were sent to Special Schools called “Children Education Camps" (German: Kindererziehungslager), in Nazi Germany or in Nazi-Occupied Poland (like the German: Polen-Jugendverwahrlager der Sicherheitspolizei in Litzmannstadt, Polish: Prewencyjny Obóz Policji Bezpieczeństwa dla Młodzieży Polskiej w Łodzi, English: "Child Concentration Camp Łodź") where they were first studied to make sure they were “Aryan” and then given a German Name, forced to learn the German Language, German History, German Race Hierocracy etc. before they were adopted by German Parents.

Any Polish Child who didn’t meet the Secondary “Aryan” Checks or who spoke Polish instead of German was murdered.

Only 10% of the 200,000 Polish Children kidnapped by the Germans made it back home after the War.

Most were left in German Orphanages or in Adopted German Families after the War since the Germans worked hard to destroy their Original Names and Places of Birth.

Any Jews arrested during a Łapanka were immediately shot on the Street since it was forbidden to be outside the Ghetto.

There were Round-Ups of Jewish Men, Women and Children across every Ghetto (all 1,000 of them) in German-Occupied Poland.

They weren’t called Łapanka, but were called “Actions” (German: Aktion or Polish: Akcja.)

Aktions were different from Łapankas in that the Jewish Men, Women and Children were marked for death whereas the Non-Jewish Polish Men, Women and Children were marked for Forced Labor.

In Warsaw from 1942-1944 the German used the Łapanka to arrest 400 People every single day.

That is 292,000 Men, Women and Children arrested and deported or murdered from Warsaw in those 2 years alone.

On September 19, 1940 Polish Home Guard Member, Witold Pilecki, willingly allowed himself to be arrested during a Łapanka in Warsaw so that he could enter the Auschwitz Death Camp and make a report of what happened there for the Polish Underground.

Pilecki stayed in Auschwitz until April 1943 when he escaped and gave his Report of the Death Camp to the Polish Underground who sent it to the British and the Americans.

In total 2.8 Million Polish Men, Women and Children were arrested by the Germans during Łapankas across the General-Government (the term used by the Germans for the part of Poland they occupied which included Warsaw, Lodz and Krakow.)

700,000 Polish Men, Women and Children were arrested by the Germans during Łapankas in the Polish Territory that the Germans annexed into Nazi Germany including Posen, East Prussia, Danzig and Silesia.

That number doesn’t include the 780,000 Poles or the 110,000 Jews that were forcibly expelled from these Regions when they were first annexed to Nazi Germany in 1939.

Poles arrested and taken for Forced Labor inside Germany were called Zivilarbeiter (Civilian Worker) and had to wear a “P” for Polen (Poland) on their Clothes at all times.

Failure to wear the “P” meant immediate death.

The Forced Laborers worked in Agriculture, Forestry, Gardening, Fishing, Transport and Industry.

 Some were employed as Housekeepers.

The Forced Laborers also had strict Curfews.

They could not have Sexual Relations with a German (it was called Rassenschande or Race Defilement) but in reality Polish Men, Women and Children were regularly raped by the German Men and Women they were forced to work for.

If the Polish Woman or Girls became Pregnant after being raped by the German Man the Woman or Girl were shot and in a German Woman became pregnant by a Polish Man or Boy they had raped the Man or Boy was killed.

They also received Near-Starvation Rations in order to show them their place as “Sub-Human.”

When World War 2 ended in May 1945 the Millions of Polish Men, Women and Children working in Nazi Germany had to decide whether to return to Poland (which was now under Soviet Communist Occupation) or stay in western Europe.

The Communist Poles and the Communist Soviets viewed the Polish Men, Women and Children who were Forced Laborers inside Nazi Germany as threats until Communism fell in Poland in 1990 and in the Soviet Union in 1991.

They had “allowed” themselves to be taken by the Germans and helped with the German War Effort against the Communists.

Many of the Polish Men, Women and Children who spent years doing Forced Labor for the Germans during the War were sent to Communist Re-Education Camps in Poland (at Former German Concentration Camps) or to Soviet Gulags after the War.

Witold Pilecki, who went to the Auschwitz Death Camp to send back Reports was murdered by the Soviet Communists in Soviet-Occupied Warsaw, Poland in 1948.

Ryan White

36 years ago today (April 8, 1990) Ryan White died.

He was 18 years old.

Ryan was born on December 8, 1971 in Kokomo, Indiana.

When he was 3 days old Ryan’s Doctors diagnosed him with severe Hemophilia A, a Hereditary Blood Coagulation Disorder associated with the X Chromosome, which causes even minor injuries to result in severe bleeding.

For treatment, he received weekly infusions of Factor VIII, a blood product created from pooled Plasma of Non-Hemophiliacs, an increasingly common treatment for Hemophiliacs at the time.

On December 17, 1984, when he was 13 years old, Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS.

Ryan had received a contaminated treatment of Factor VIII that was infected with HIV, as did thousands of other Americans with Hemophilia and Hemophiliacs around the world.

At that time, because the AIDS Virus had only recently been identified and there was no screening of blood products, much of the pooled Factor VIII concentrate was tainted.

Doctors predicted Ryan only had 6 months to live.

Despite Doctors telling Ryan and his School Board that Ryan poised no risk to other Students he was denied returning due to Angry Parents, Students and Teachers who didn’t understand that AIDS wasn’t Air-Borne.

In the School of 360 total Students, 117 Parents and 50 Teachers signed a Petition encouraging School Leaders to ban Ryan from School.

A lengthy Administrative Appeal Process ensued, and news of the conflict turned Ryan into a popular Celebrity and Advocate for AIDS Research and Public Education.

When Ryan was permitted to return to School for one day in February 1986, 151 of 360 Students stayed home.

He also worked as a Paperboy, and many of the People on his route canceled their subscriptions, believing that HIV could be transmitted through newsprint.

Ryan attended Western Middle School for 8th  Grade during the 1985–1986 School Year.

He was deeply unhappy and had few Friends.

The School required him to eat with disposable utensils, use separate bathrooms, and waived his requirement to enroll in a Gym Class.

Threats continued. When a bullet was fired through the Whites' Living Room window (no one was home at the time), the Family decided to leave Kokomo.

After finishing the School Year, his Family moved to Cicero, Indiana, where he began 9th Grade at Hamilton Heights High School, in Arcadia, Indiana.

On August 31, 1986, a "very nervous" Ryan was greeted by School Principal Tony Cook, School System Superintendent Bob G. Carnal, and a handful of Students who had been educated about AIDS and were unafraid to shake Ryan’s hand.

While isolated in Middle School, Ryan appeared frequently on National Television and in Newspapers to discuss his tribulations with the disease.

Eventually, he became known as a Poster Child for the AIDS Crisis, appearing in Fundraising and Educational Campaigns for the Syndrome.

Singers John Mellencamp, Elton John and Michael Jackson, actor Matt Frewer, Diver Greg Louganis, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, Indiana University Basketball Coach Bob Knight and Basketball Player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all befriended Ryan.

His Celebrity Crush, Alyssa Milano of the then-popular TV show “Who's the Boss?”, met Ryan and gave him a friendship bracelet and a kiss.

In 1989, ABC aired the Television Movie “The Ryan White Story”, starring Lukas Haas as Ryan, Judith Light as Jeanne and Nikki Cox as his Sister Andrea.

 Ryan White had a small cameo appearance as "Chad" in the film, playing a Boy who also has HIV and later befriends Haas.

Nielsen estimated that the movie was seen by 15 Million Viewers.

Ryan died on April 8, 1990 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Over 1,500 People attended Ryan's Funeral on April 11th, a standing-room only event held at the Second Presbyterian Church on Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

Ryan’s Pallbearers included Elton John, Football Star Howie Long and Phil Donahue.

 Elton John performed "Skyline Pigeon" at the Funeral.

The Funeral was also attended by Singer Michael Jackson, and then-First Lady Barbara Bush.

On the day of the Funeral, Ronald Reagan wrote a tribute to White that appeared in The Washington Post. Reagan's statement about AIDS and Ryan’s Funeral were seen as indicators of how greatly Ryan had helped change perceptions of AIDS.

The U.S. Congress passed a major piece of AIDS Legislation, the Ryan White CARE Act, shortly after White's death, which was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in August 1990 and reauthorized twice.

Through the "Ryan White Programs" it funds, the Act has become the largest provider of services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States.

In 2024, over half of the People diagnosed with HIV in the United States (more than 550,000) were provided care and treatment from the funded programs, and 57,000 Health Care Professionals treating People with HIV received education and training.