Time for an update

I’ve been working away at a Market Plan which I need to include with the manuscript submittal to my prospective agent, and in gathering statistics for the market plan I learned about the huge number of Iraq war vets who have committed suicide – called a silent epidemic because our government wants to keep these facts under wraps. When the news networks began reporting the names of those killed in the war I cried for the poor parents. But to have your child survive the war and come home so badly damaged mentally that the only way to take away the pain is suicide, must be beyond devastating. Even though I’ve been there to some degree, I cannot imagine how painful this new epidemic must be.

Also the statistics show an alarming rise of suicides of children aged 10 to 15 – with a greater rise for girls. It’s bad enough that children join gangs and kill each other because of gang rivalries, but to turn to suicide at such young ages is a catastrophe. I just don’t know how to deal with these facts. I guess that’s a whole other book. And, the moral of the story is that it could always be worse. I just know how badly I feel for the parents.

Another thing that’s been bothering me a lot lately is the number of intelligent and talented women who have been ragging on Hillary Clinton. Hillary has taken on running for the president as a way to open the door for women once and for all, and all the pundits can think to do is find fault with her every move. Sure, she’s made mistakes. But who hasn’t when in the midst of a hotly contested campaign? We need to give her some slack. She’s never done this before. No woman has ever done this before. She didn’t have another woman as a mentor to show her the ropes. So, instead of ragging on her, the powers that be should be helping her. Shame on people like Arianna Huffington and Nora Ephron! They could be so much help. Instead all they do is ridicule, criticize, and complain. I’ve had it with both of them.