The Homicides of a Marine and his Wife

There are a host of issues that come into play in the recent homicides of Marine Sergeant Jan Pawel Pietrzak and his wife of only two months, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, an interracial couple. They were shot in their own home after Quiana was raped.

Speculation says race was a major contributor to the case as Jan Pawel was white, married to a beautiful black woman and all four men involved in their deaths were black. Though authorities say robbery was the motive, the facts suggest otherwise.

I was asked to write an article this week for Seven Magazine about the story so if you're interested in reading, you can find it here. Please feel free to start a discussion as it is an important issue.

Other than that and a lot of editing, I've been Christmas shopping, spending a bit of time with Dr. K and having a very annoying cold. On the plus side, I also bought an ultrasonic mouse repeller and, despite having about 15 other snap or glue traps lining my walls, I think it may finally have gotten rid of the evil rodent - *fingers crossed* anyway.

LaVena Johnson Article

Tons of amusing things have happened lately, but I think I will just post this for now. On Wednesday night, I was asked to write an article for Seven Magazine on LaVena Johnson. It went out in the mailout for the magazine Friday morning as the lead story. Thought I would share - not because it is my article, but because it is an important issue that everyone should be aware of...

It starts:

November 11 was Veterans Day in the United States, a day to honour and respect those who risked their lives for American freedom, and those who died for it. As in many other cemeteries where veterans are buried, endless rows of white gravestones line the grass of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Among them, with the simple black outline of a cross and an American flag waving at its side, there is one that reads: LaVena Lynn Johnson, PFC US Army.
.
LaVena, an honours student from Missouri, died on 27 July, 2005 - just ten weeks after she was deployed to Balad, Iraq, as a weapons supply manager for the 129 Corp Support Battalion. She was just 19-years-old when a shift supervisor from a nearby military cafeteria heard a bang and found her mutilated body inside a contractor’s tent. Though many remembered her bravery on Veterans Day, her death has not been given the respect and honour that this day commands.
.
A broken nose, loose teeth, acid burns on her genitals which were presumably to eliminate DNA evidence of rape, a dislocated shoulder, abrasions on her body, a long burn from her shoulder to thigh, torn vaginal area and a bullet wound through her head, LaVena was lying on the stony earth with gashes on the sides of her mouth, her hair tangled in the dirt, a bench turned upside down on top of her.

“Suicide,” the US Army Criminal Investigation Command claimed, despite nine months of investigation. Case closed.
.
To read the whole article and help LaVena's family, go to the Seven Magazine page.

Seven Magazine Launches New Site

Searching for a refreshing change, a magazine that wasn’t just about celebrities or high street clothes, I stumbled upon a glossy with a black front and intriguing cover stories. Seven Magazine came home with me and I fell in love with it because was exactly what I was looking to read – something with substance and heart.
.
True to its name, Seven looks at both serious issues and culture on every continent. It is described as a magazine for politically-conscious men and women with an interest in international arts. It is even forming its own charity called Seven Foundation.
.
This week, Seven launched their new website at www.sevenglobal.org. Some of the magazine articles from the print version have been posted and there are more to come. It is definitely worth a read. One of my favourite articles discovers the gangs of Cape Town, South Africa, but there is plenty more right here.