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The Sociological Review
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Towards a Philosophical Sociology
By Daniel Chernilo
In this special series for The Sociological Review website, innovative sociologists reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing the discipline today. In the fourth essay, Daniel Chernilo, Reader in Social and Political Thought at Loughborough University, considers the tacit philosophical underpinnings of social life and calls for a Philosophical Sociology capable of reclaiming them.
The anxiety over the future of sociology is as old as the discipline itself. This does not mean that we take lightly the malaise that seems to be coming out every tradition within sociology. But it does suggest that we owe to put things in perspective. And maybe also be prepared to think outside box.
To a large extent, sociology's main task has hardly changed over the past 150 years: it remains that of offering sound empirical accounts of contemporary social life. Classically, this has involved the recourse to some (more or less) hidden mechanism that makes society work as an autonomous domain: from class conflict to systemic differentiation, from structure and agency to power/discourse. Strictly conceptual debates in sociology (i.e. what is usually known as 'sociological theory') commonly gravitate towards specifying the main properties of the social so that we can demarcate sociology's field of expertise. Less apparent, however, is the fact that sociology has neglected the ideas of the human that actually underpin these representations of the social.
One thing we have learnt from the history of science since the 17th century is that, in order to secure the autonomy of any intellectual field, an anthropocentric perspective needs to be abandoned. This is apparent not only in physics and biology but also in philosophy's preoccupation with 'being in general' (rather than with human beings in particular): sound knowledge-claims cannot start by presupposing the transcendental necessity of human beings nor can they remain subordinated to what appears useful for human beings. On the contrary, a similar shift is found in all cases so that cognitive propositions are allowed to follow their own immanent logic. Human beings remain the starting point but are no longer the ultimate standard of scientific knowledge: decentring humanity is a price we pay for intellectual sophistication.
From the standpoint of philosophical sociology, the key argument is that implicit conceptions of the human are central to our explicit understandings of social life. This is not a return to anthropocentrism, but a rather an invitation to reconsider the idea that social life itself is predicated on the fact that human beings are capable of such collective existence. Humans are beings who have a continuity of consciousness so that they see themselves as themselves throughout their life; are beings who, as they negotiate a multiplicity of sometimes contradictory identities, recognise each other as members of the same species, and they are also beings who can create and interpret cultural artefacts. Crucially, humans are beings who can deploy a sense of self-transcendence so that they are able to look at the world from somebody else's point of view and thus conceive new social institutions. The uncovering of the implicit anthropologies that make society possible is a first task of philosophical sociology.
This idea of philosophical sociology builds also on the Weberian insight that sociology can make a contribution to public debates by unpacking the various practical and indeed normative implications of different policy options. More concretely, it suggests that normative debates in society – from abortion to euthanasia via welfare reforms – are actually underpinned by ideas of the human that are never fully articulated out. By making use of its expert empirical knowledge, sociology can cast a critical eye on what is exactly being advocated in particular instances. Indeed, all societies possess normative ideas and most sociologists will accept that a good account of social life will have to be able to say something meaningful about how these ideas are articulated: even the crudest form of materialism have to acknowledge the normative ideas that motivate people to act and even radical constructionists have to account for role of their own beliefs as they decide to engage in self-deconstruction. Unpacking these ideas of the human is important because normative debates ultimately depend on what human beings themselves consider right or wrong, fair or unfair. Humans have turned themselves into the ultimate arbiters of normativity itself.
As it emerged in the early nineteenth century, the sociological imagination tried to come to terms with traditional normative justification that were being questioned. Religion does of course remain available, but cosmological convictions now co-exist with a wide pool of competing justifications so that they very (ir)rationality is hotly contested. Then it was the time of teleological ideas of (secular) progress and their belief in the normative power of history: justifications for the rights and wrongs of past and present were to be assessed against the promises of a better future. Finally, society itself was posited as a source of normative integration. But being also subject to dramatic historical and cultural changes, society was equally weak for the task of providing stable normative justifications. The ambivalent normative appeal of the nation in modern times, and the need to defend people against the nation's unsavoury wishes, illustrates this point well.
As religion, history and society are all in trouble when trying to uphold normative justifications, we can still ask whether the defining anthropological features of our species can do this job – and this is a path philosophical sociology seeks to explore. To be sure, ideas of humanity are socially constructed and have themselves changed over time. But it seems to me that their key strength lies in the idea that humans have a generic capacity to reflect on what makes them the kind of being that they actually are. Anthropological arguments remain the best option here because they allow us to consider, simultaneously, that normative arguments are only actualised in society, are to carry the free assent of individual themselves and yet their biding force remains attached to some stable features that all humans possess qua human beings. Indeed, this is precisely why we claim human rights ought to be respected under all circumstances and even against society's own will.
If what I have argued so far makes sense, it may already be clear that this is not a task that sociology can fulfil on its own. Given the historical, moral and indeed theological density of our conceptions of the human, in order to pursue this task sociology needs to reconnect to philosophy. Two centuries ago Kant claimed that the main 'scandal of reason' lie in the fact that we cannot answer the one question that troubles us above all others: what is a human being. Early in the twentieth century, philosophical anthropology developed as a particular branch of philosophy that sought to grapple directly with this fundamental question. In their view, we can begin to answer the question 'what is a human being' only if we are prepared to understand both the natural, embodied condition of our humanity and its ideal, cultural or normative dimension. A dual approach, both scientific and philosophical, is needed because this reflects best our human condition. Rather than reverting to untenable forms of anthropocentrism, this is actually an attempt to connect our sociological understandings of social life with philosophically informed ideas of the human, humanity and even human nature.
After a long history in which sociology tried to differentiate itself from philosophy in order to secure its scientific status, it is now again in need of philosophy. Without disciplinary arrogance or parochialism, this re-engagement needs to take the form of a mutual learning process between the different knowledge claims that underpin them both: the empirical vocation of sociology as it grapples with the complexities of contemporary society and the kind of unanswerable questions that we still associate with the philosophical tradition. At stake here is the fact that as long as sociology continues to raise the big questions about life in society – the powers of agency, the relationships between nature and culture or the dialectics between domination and emancipation – these are all questions that also transcend it: good sociological questions are always, in the last instance, also philosophical ones.
Daniel Chernilo is Reader in Social and Political Thought at Loughborough University. His forthcoming monograph Philosophical Sociology: Debating Humanity in Contemporary Social Theory will be published by Cambridge University Press. Email: D.Chernilo@lboro.ac.uk
Between Categories and Cosmopolitanism: On the Subtleties of Voters' Persuasions
Bev Skeggs Discusses the Contemporary Sociological Imagination with Les Back
Sociology's Dual Horizons
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Example files: Swiftlight files that you can download and look at for ideas, or use and adapt rather than creating files from scratch.
Partner perspective: overseeing multiple projects.
This PDF document is the main element of the toolkit, providing a brief introduction to Swiftlight's functionality and then going into detail on the seven uses of Swiftlight with examples, tips and more. It's a great resource and will give you a lot of ideas about where and when to use Swiftlight effectively.
These examples files are the ones used in the toolkit document and video. We hope that they will provide you with ideas and project / timeline templates to use as starting points and help you build more effective plans. To download these files, just click here.
(Note: see page 55 of the toolkit PDF document for information on which uses of Swiftlight these example files will best illustrate).


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Q: MSAccess Ole DataType does not support Bitmap image format When I try to add .bmp file in a database using (OLE Field -> Right Mouse Button -> Insert object -> Create from File -> .../image.bmp) I get Package instead of bitmap-image.
If I go to the menu (Create from new) I haven't options for .bmp file. no bmp options image.
I work in MS Access and I do not use SQL or VBA/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I am a Travel & Lifestyle Photographer with a photojournalistic style approach to my work. That is really just the shorter and fancy way to say I shoot landscape, street and candid, "behind the scenes" style photos of people and events. All of which are geared at telling a story.
Growing up, I was always interested in taking photos but never had more than disposable cameras at hand. That was until I got into a car accident… One morning while driving to work, somebody sideswiped my brand new car. The damage to the side of my car wasn't the cutest thing in the world but it didn't affect the car in any other way than cosmetically. When the sideswiper's insurance agent met me at work later that day, he cut me a check on the spot. Needless to say, the car kept its battle scar and I had my first camera. There, the love story began.
Over the last decade I have photographed almost everything under the sun. Products, newborns, landscapes, street, weddings, guys in their underwear throwing boomerangs at the beach…The list is pretty long. Truthfully, that may not have been the path I imagined taking with photography but it has worked out to be a huge advantage for me. I have learned so much and made so many amazing connections simply by doing what I am most passionate about. Because of my experience, I have also been able to naturally develop into an effective storyteller with my images.
Now bringing you all the way to present day.. I currently live in the East Bay Area with my wife and son. So, aside from the full time position of being a dad and husband… I am a marketing, sales and customer service professional by day and a freelance photographer by night and weekend. Having these additional skills definitely helps me provide a next level experience for my clients. Taking photographs is only half of the process. I pride myself in being able provide exceptional service and a laid back atmosphere as well as great photos. My goal is to make the transition to being a fulltime photographer by June of 2019. I definitely have my work cut out for me but I am actively taking on the challenge every day.
If you have made it this far.. Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to learn about me and what has gotten me to this point. If you have questions or would like to book a shoot, please don't hesitate to reach out.


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Sports Commentator Fired Over Past Remarks That Homosexuals Will 'Answer to the Lord for Actions'
By Heather Clark on September 13, 2013 4 Comments
DALLAS — After only a week on the job, a former NFL star and ESPN commentator was fired from his new position at FOX Sports Southwest this week after video footage surfaced of comments he made last year expressing that homosexuals will have to "answer to the Lord for their actions."
Craig James played for the New England Patriots in the 1980's and later became a sportscaster for ESPN. In 2011, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate, and participated in a number of debates, including the 2012 event that recently cost him his job.
During the debate, Craig was asked about his views on homosexuality and same-sex "marriage." As a Christian, he responded that he could not support unBiblical behavior, and neither should any other civil leader.
"I think that this country, our moral fiber is sliding down a slope that is going to be hard to stop if we don't stand up–the leaders who don't go ride in gay parades," he said. "I can assure you, I will never ride in a gay parade. Our kids out there…People need to see examples. I'm a guy who believes in [the union of] a man and a woman, [and] the greatest government is occurring in a home at night between a husband and wife, Adam and Eve, and what the Bible says."
Craig was then asked if he believes men and women choose to be homosexual.
"I think it's a choice; I do," he replied. "Same-sex marriage, if someone chooses to do that, that's them. And God's going to judge each one of us in this room for our actions. And in that case right there, they're going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions."
"We should not give benefits to those civil unions," James continued. "We have to stay strong on this. This is important, man. I'll tell you what, we have a fiscal issue in this country, [but] we also have a moral issue in this country, and as Christians, we've got to stand up."
His response then drew applause from the crowd, but not so much when FOX officials saw the footage.
"We just asked ourselves how Craig's statements would play in our human resources department," an unnamed FOX representative told reporters. "He couldn't say those things here."
"Craig James will not be making any further appearances on FOX Sports Southwest's football coverage this season," they advised.
Reaction to James' firing has largely been negative.
"How sad that these sports networks claiming they are about diversity and openness completely shun the conservative or Christian view. This is absolutely wrong and spits in the face of what you claim to be," one commenter wrote. "[FOX is] not open-minded or accepting of other's opinions or beliefs, which makes you the hypocrite. The sad thing is that many of Mr. James' fellow announcers feel as he and the majority of America does, but are not brave enough to stand for what's right for fear of retribution or losing their job as Craig did."
"Shame on you FOX Sports," they said. "God bless you, Mr. James. It's good to see someone stand for their beliefs."
Sports Commentator Fired Over Past Remarks That Homosexuals Will 'Answer to the Lord for Actions' added by Heather Clark on September 13, 2013
View all posts by Heather Clark →

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OPAC (18)
× Soggetto Genere: Album dal vivo
× Lingue Inglese
× Livello Monografie
× Paese Regno Unito
× Soggetto Genere: Rock
Trovati 18 documenti.
Anesthetize Porcupine Tree
Videoregistrazioni: BluRay
Porcupine Tree <gruppo musicale>
Anesthetize / Porcupine Tree
[London] : Kscope, 2015
Copie totali: 1
Anesthetize - Copie
Abstract: Anesthetize e' stato registrato durante 2 concerti allo 013 di Tilburg, Olanda, nell' Ottobre 2008, alla fine del tour di supporto all' album Fear Of A Blank Planet. Nei 130 minuti del concerto, il gruppo suona tutto l' album succitato e molti dei migliori brani del suo repertorio, con un light show stupendo e tre schermi con immagini.
An evening of Nostalgia with Annie Lennox
Lennox, Annie
[S.l.] : Blue Note Records, 2015
An evening of Nostalgia with Annie Lennox - Copie
Up all night One Direction
Videoregistrazioni: DVD
One Direction <gruppo musicale>
Up all night : the live tour / One Direction
[London] : Syco Music, 2012
Up all night - Copie
Abstract: The boy band One Direction shot to fame via their participation In the competitive reality program X Factor, while being mentored and groomed by music producer Simon Cowell. Following work on a debut album in tandem with Savan Kotecha, their first single was issued in late 2011 - to massive sales figures. This concert film finds the boys performing before a live audience, on such numbers as "Moments," "Gotta Be You," "More Than This" and "Up All Night." ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Live in Argentina, 1994 King Crimson
King Crimson <gruppo musicale>
Live in Argentina, 1994 / King Crimson
[Hardswick] : Panegyric, 2012
Live in Argentina, 1994 - Copie
Abstract: The celebrated 'double trio' line-up of Robert Fripp's experimental rockers captured live in two concerts, one a matinee performance, the other an evening one, from 1994. As well as performing brand new material, the band plays songs dating back as far as 1972, including pieces from the classic 'Larks' Tongues in Aspic' and 'Red' albums.
Bring me home Sade
Videoregistrazioni: altro
Bring me home : live 2011 / Sade
[S.l.] : Sony, RCA, 2012
Bring me home - Copie
Abstract: Bring Me Home – Live 2011 is a live video album by English soul band Sade, released on 22 May 2012 by RCA Records. It was filmed at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, on 4 September 2011 during the band's Once in a Lifetime World Tour. The DVD and Blu-ray contain twenty-one tracks, as well as rare glimpses of behind-the-stage scenes with a twenty-minute documentary, exclusive candid moments, a short technical documentary by Stuart Matthewman, and outtakes from the crew. The CD that accompanies the DVD release includes thirteen tracks. Bring Me Home – Live 2011 debuted at number one on the US Top Music Videos chart
Iron Maiden en vivo! [post produced & directed by Andy Matthews]
Iron Maiden <gruppo musicale>
Iron Maiden en vivo! : live at Estadio Nacional, Santiago / [post produced & directed by Andy Matthews]
[London] : EMI, 2012
Iron Maiden en vivo! - Copie
Abstract: Lo spettacolare show tenuto all'Estadio Nacional a Santiago del Cile di fronte a pi· di 50.000 fan! Filmato in digitale usando 22 telecamere HD ed un'octocam per suggestive riprese video aeree! Immagini in altissima definizione e una regia mozzafiato per testimoniare questa incredibile esibizione dal vivo della pi· grande band metal del pianeta!
Love is a losing game Amy Winehouse
Winehouse, Amy
Love is a losing game : live 2008 / Amy Winehouse
[S.l.] : Blueline, 2012
Love is a losing game - Copie
Abstract: Live In Lisbona Giugno 2008
Live at the Wembley stadium CSN&Y, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
Live at the Wembley stadium / CSN&Y, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
[S.l.] : Echoes, 2012
Live at the Wembley stadium - Copie
Draconian times Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost <gruppo musicale>
Draconian times / Paradise Lost
[S.l.] : Century Media, 2011
Draconian times - Copie
Live From The Artist´s Den Robert Plant & The Band of joy
Plant, Robert
Live From The Artist´s Den / Robert Plant & The Band of joy
[S.l.] : Universal, 2011
Live From The Artist´s Den - Copie
Abstract: Uno show epico filmato nel Febbraio del 2011 al War Memorial Auditorium di Nashville dove ROBERT PLANT guida la sua BAND OF JOY (con Buddy Miller e Patty Griffin) attraverso un repertorio che pesca canzoni dall'album pubblicato due anni orsono aggiungendo traditionals, classici dei Led Zeppelin e brani dalla sua carriera solistica ri-arrangiati in chiave folk-blues.
[S.l.] : RCA, 2011
Evil or Divine Dio
Evil or Divine : Living in New York City / Dio
[S.l.] : Eagle Vision, 2005
Evil or Divine - Copie
Live at Reading Nirvana
Nirvana <gruppo musicale>
Live at Reading / Nirvana
Live at Reading - Copie
Abstract: Live at Reading is a live CD/DVD by the American grunge band Nirvana released on November 2, 2009, chronicling its 1992 performance at the Reading Festival. Bootlegged for years following the performance, the new issues present the performance for the first time mastered and color corrected. The performance of the band's 1992 hit single "Lithium" was previously released on the home video Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! in 1994. The performance of "tourette's" was previously released on the live compilation From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah in 1996. Live at Reading marks the first time on a Nirvana release that Chet Powers receives songwriting credit for the use of his lyrics from the song "Get Together" as the intro for "Territorial Pissings". It features Cobain wheeled out on stage by music journalist Everett True. (Wikipedia)
Electric eye Judas priest
Judas Priest <gruppo musicale>
Electric eye / Judas priest
[S.l.] : Sony music entertainment, 2008
Electric eye - Copie
I told you I was trouble Amy Winehouse
I told you I was trouble : live in London / Amy Winehouse ; director Hamish Hamilton
[London] : Universal Island, c2007
I told you I was trouble - Copie
Abstract: I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London is a music DVD and Blu-ray disc of contemporary R&B singer Amy Winehouse, recorded at London's Shepherds Bush Empire in London, England. The DVD was released on 5 November 2007. It was filmed during the Back to Black Tour.
Pictures at an exhibition Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson Lake & Palmer <gruppo musicale>
Pictures at an exhibition / Emerson, Lake & Palmer ; director Nicholas Ferguson ; DVD director Robert Garofalo
[S.l.] : Classic, 2005
Pictures at an exhibition - Copie
Abstract: Pictures at an Exhibition è il terzo album del gruppo progressive rock britannico Emerson Lake & Palmer, registrato dal vivo nel 1971.
Hullabaloo Muse
Muse <gruppo musicale>
Hullabaloo : live at Le Zenith, Paris / Muse
[S.l.] : Warner Music, 2002
Hullabaloo - Copie
Abstract: Hullabaloo: Live at Le Zenith, Paris (also referred to as Hullabaloo) is a live video album by English alternative rock band Muse. The video documents the band's two performances at Le Zénith in Paris, France on 28 and 29 October 2001 and features an additional disc of backstage footage. A soundtrack album for the video was also produced, entitled Hullabaloo Soundtrack. (Wikipedia)
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Qualsiasi Baranzate (2) Cinisello - Il Pertini (8) Cormano (1) Lainate - l'Ariston (1) Paderno - Tilane (6) Senago (2) Sesto - Marx (1) Villa Cortese (1)
Porcupine Tree <gruppo musicale> (2) ×
Sade (2) ×
Winehouse, Amy (2) ×
Band of joy (1) ×
CROSBY, David (1) ×
DIO (1) ×
Emerson Lake & Palmer <gruppo musicale> (1) ×
Emerson, Keith (1) ×
Ferguson, Nicholas (1) ×
Garofalo, Roberto <1965- > (1) ×
Genere: Metal (4) ×
Genere: Rock progressivo (4) ×
Genere: Soul (4) ×
Genere: Blues (2) ×
Genere: Folk rock (2) ×
Genere: Indie rock e alternative rock (2) ×
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Ultima is the longest-running game series of all time, celebrating its 20th anniversary and 13th full game right about now. It all started back in the late 70's with Lord British's Akalabeth. From these humble beginnings has come game after game. Looking at the progression of these games through the years, we can also see the progression of computer and game technology as a whole. But these epic quests were more than just games, for they tried to shape our morals and make us "better people", teaching us the virtues of the Avatar and more or less forcing us to abide by them (for a few games anyways until they went back to hack-and-slash mode). The Ultima games are reknowned for their excellent storylines which almost always contained some sort of moral, character interaction, graphics, their intricate spell system, and attention to detail. NPCs often have daily schedules, objects obey the laws of physics (at least to some degree) and you can pick up, move and use almost everything that you see. The games are also known for their packaging, which usually came with a lovely cloth map and sometimes other trinkets, the Ultima 4 ankh often being a favorite. They have created perhaps the most realistic game world of all (and it's right there in their logo - "We Create Worlds"). My one quibble with the Ultimas is that the combat has always sucked, except in the Ultima Underworld games. But you hardly notice and these games were all a pleasure to play. My personal favorites were Ultima VII, which was simply the most beautiful game I had ever seen at the time, and Ultima II, which had some hillarious NPCs in it, and was very amusing overall. The Ultima Underworld games were designed and released way ahead of their time, allowing 360° rotation and free movement for the first time, before even Wolfenstein 3D was released (and Ultima looked a lot better). Anyways, there are numerous sites dedicated to the Ultima Games so let me leave it at that, and if you have a copy of Mt. Drash or Akalabeth you want to give me, let me know ;). We've also recently added the extremely rare Origin release of Ring Quest.


Curious about the snow forecast for Lech am Arlberg? View the current weather forecast for Lech am Arlberg. This forecast gives a reliable and detailed impression of the weather in Lech am Arlberg for today and over the next 4 days. This snow forecast includes snow depths on the mountains and in the valleys, the weather forecast, the freeze line and the number of hours of sunshine for Lech am Arlberg.
This data applies to the ski Ski Arlberg. During the winter season, this information is updated on a daily basis.


Champion's Parents Try just about Everything!
Anna Kaziska hits career highs on Floor & Bars at the 2017 Junior Olympic National Championships!
Lauren Bannister shines on Vault & Floor at the 2017 Junior Olympic National Championships!
KY State Championships Sweep Levels 4-10!


A modern and elegant luxury villa, Las Palmeras focuses on a lovely private pool and is well positioned within La Manga Club to enjoy its renowned variety of sport and leisure facilities.
Cool, calm and comfortable, Las Palmeras is furnished in classic contemporary style and fitted with WiFi, satellite TV and air conditioning throughout. The villa's ground floor is occupied by all four of its bedrooms, two twin rooms, a double, and the king-size master suite, each with its own bath or shower room; while social space is on the upper floor, where the sitting and dining rooms are served by a well-equipped kitchen. An exterior staircase descends from the roof to the courtyard garden, a sunny and spacious area with a barbecue and al fresco dining area, a shaded patio with cushioned seating, and a ten-metre hourglass pool, in a terrace sprinkled with loungers and gated for child safety.
Just 1.4km from the resort centre and 2.2km from the beach, the villa is well placed for the wealth of family-friendly facilities within La Manga Club, from its feast of bars and restaurants for casual lunches, fine dining and speciality cuisines, to its indoor and outdoor pools, golf courses, cricket, squash and tennis, Kids' Clubs, gym and indulgent spa.


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Q: Building StackPanel inside StackPanel with GridView component I need to build something like a StackPanel Horizontal inside a StackPanel Vertical that contains many buttons of variable width (but summarized width is fixed).
I did it on my own and it worked very well indeed... but when I try to reply the result with the GridView page generated by VS2012 GroupedView it sucks.
<GridView
    x:Name="itemGridView"
    AutomationProperties.AutomationId="ItemGridView"
    AutomationProperties.Name="Grouped Items"
    Grid.RowSpan="2"
    Padding="116,137,40,46"
    ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource groupedItemsViewSource}}"
    ItemTemplate="{StaticResource PalinsestoTemplate}"
    SelectionMode="None"
    IsSwipeEnabled="False"
    IsItemClickEnabled="True"
    ItemClick="ItemView_ItemClick">

    <GridView.ItemsPanel>
        <ItemsPanelTemplate>
            <VirtualizingStackPanel Orientation="Vertical" IsHitTestVisible="False"/>
        </ItemsPanelTemplate>
    </GridView.ItemsPanel>
    <GridView.GroupStyle>
        <GroupStyle>
            <GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <Grid Margin="10,5,0,0">
                        <Button
                            AutomationProperties.Name="Group Title"
                            Click="Header_Click"
                            Style="{StaticResource TextPrimaryButtonStyle}" >
                            <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                                <TextBlock Text="{Binding Nome}" Margin="3,-7,10,10" Style="{StaticResource GroupHeaderTextStyle}" />
                                <TextBlock Text="{StaticResource ChevronGlyph}" FontFamily="Segoe UI Symbol" Margin="0,-7,0,10" Style="{StaticResource GroupHeaderTextStyle}"/>
                            </StackPanel>
                        </Button>
                    </Grid>
                </DataTemplate>
            </GroupStyle.HeaderTemplate>
            <GroupStyle.Panel>
                <ItemsPanelTemplate>
                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,0,80,0" IsHitTestVisible="False" />
                </ItemsPanelTemplate>
            </GroupStyle.Panel>
        </GroupStyle>
    </GridView.GroupStyle>
</GridView>

Above is my code, but the problem is that the minimum hitTest area for each item inside will break the fixed summarized width. How can I resolve this?


Here we go again. History repeats itself once more. I have to deal with it, put it aside and go on.
Many years ago, a family history was researched for my husband's side of the family. After the search, many pages were printed and a booklet was given to each member of the family. How neat!
What a family treasure to have! NOT SO QUICK! Looking through the pages, we came to the part that gave my husband's name, my name, our children's names. Only two of our children were not listed. James Collins Fitts, Jr. and Reita Gale Fitts were not there. Just because they were buried out in Cedarwood Cemetary didn't make them less our children. My heart was broken to see that they didn't count in our family history on my husband's side. I asked out loud that James Collins and Reita Gale were left out. SILENCE. That is the way they had always been treated, with silence. Resentment began to grow. Once we got home, I threw away the history on paper because it was incorrect.
Now, thirty some years later, it has happened again this very week. This time the history was done on my side of the family. The family history was sent to me. I saw where other infants were listed as, "died at birth." Scanning down to my immediate family, I was listed as well as James and two of our children. Once more, James Collins, Jr. and Reita Gale were left out. I was asked to send in everyone to be listed along with the correct spelling. Once more they were left out and silenced.
I assume the reason was ignorance.
Many people feel awkward mentioning those who have passed on, especially when it was a baby.
I am not trying to push my children on anyone, but we are talking about historical documents here.
These are facts, not feelings. James Collins, Jr is listed and certified in the county and state where he was born. I have a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth as well as a Certificate of Death. Cedarwood Cemetery has both children listed as being buried in their own plots under the family name of FITTS.
Am I being petty? I think not. Future generations might like to know about these stillbirths when planning their own families. My genes produce extra long umbilical cords. I sure would have liked to have known that in advance! I would have been monitored closer and a C-section scheduled!
I have grown through the years. I'm not going to be resentful this time. I'm just to move on with another one down the drain. I will blog about it though!
I haven't forgotten that today is your day to be remembered along with all the other babies being remembered by their mommies and daddies. Who would have thought 40 years ago that October 15th would be set aside for mommies to light candles all over the world to make a wave of light in honor of all babies gone too soon? It must be a beautiful sight from heaven!
I remember my first raw year after James Collins, Jr.'s stillbirth. The pain of just hurting all of the time with no relief was unbearable! The hurt was like no other.
One particular night when once again sleep was evading me due to the pain of loss, I grabbed my Bible and clutched it to my heart. I fell asleep with it still clutched tight just as a child would its teddy bear or blankie. My Bible became my "blankie." I clung to it day and night. Although most of the time I wasn't reading it, I drew strength from what I knew was in it. Psalms and verses I had read in previous times would come to my mind and I would cling to them. I knew Jesus loved me. I knew He was carrying me since I had no strength to carry myself. I knew that through Christ my son was safe in heaven even though I was here on earth hurting with pain beyond belief. I also knew that God did not cause my son to die. He was my son's refuge in death and my refuge in grief. I also knew that as bad as I wanted my baby with me right then it wasn't going to happen, but I could live for the day when God would come get me and reunite me with my son. Seven years later, I would learn to cling and hope for the same when I held my stillborn daughter, Reita Gale in my arms.
I was 24 years old when my firstborn son died and 32 when my daughter died. I will be 64 years old come this July 9th. I have missed my babies for a long long time. The grief still drifts in and out, just like the tide. I can tell you one thing for sure. Only my faith has gotten me through these years. It has given me hope and the knowledge that I will see and know my children again one day. I thank God for that. I thank Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for not only me and my children, but for all who believe in Him so that we can have victory over death.
I have had two other Bibles since the one I clung to many years ago. I still have that now yellowed and tattered paged one as a reminder of when my grief was so fresh. That Bible, God's Holy Word, saved my life at a time when nothing else could.
Fittsie's Angels: What Is It?
What is it about babyloss that whams you so hard it still has one down on the floor ( at least for me) 39 years later??? From what I hear I am not the only one it affects like this. Then again, I know some BLMS that keep it inside. I can't.
I am just coming out of my "loss season." James, Jr. was born still May 2, 1975 and buried May 3.
Sometimes I still wonder the , "why me?" Why didn't this happen to one of my 4 sisters? Why was I the only one out of the 5 of us girls? I don't even have a friend that this happened to! If it had to be the 1 in 4 this happens to, where are the other 3? Could I have known just one of them to have a companion around me who understands?
I am in a place now where I don't want to talk about it ever again to anyone who isn't a BLM. I got off my BLM FB page to get away from it beside the fact that my computer got hacked. Seemed like a sign to get away from it for awhile. I still think of each of you. You can find me on Twitter @Fittsie! I do see some of you there. I still need some part of the BLM world security blanket.
Well, guess if you didn't realize it after reading this, you were just part of my pity party! Thanks for letting me sound off.
I will leave with an up-dated photo taken a month ago. Yes, I do have a lot to be thankful for.
This picture melts my heart!
I have never forgotten where I came from. It never leaves you. At least that has been the case for me. Once you have put on those heavy shoes to walk with the death of a child, you never forget that weight of loss.
I know the depths of deep grief and hopelessness. I've cried so hard and long until there seemed to be no more tears left, but more came. I've been jealous of those who had babies so effortless while I was treated for infertility. I've played the wait game. I've played the disappointment game. Then I became one of the lucky ones who had a healthy normal baby. It was worth every trial I had to go through to get him. I can say without a doubt it was the happiest day of my life. I want that for you. I want you to feel the ultimate joy of holding your living baby all pink and wailing away. It burdens me that you don't have that yet. It burdens me that some of you might not get it.
I endured two more losses after my first stillbirth. I can honestly say that my next losses didn't drag me down to the bottom as the first did. I know that may offend some of you, but I have to be honest here. When I miscarried it hurt, so don't get me wrong. However, I had two sons running around the house to divert me. I wasn't so alone as I was when my first son was stillborn. When my daughter was stillborn, it was bad. After three sons, I gave birth to a daughter! But the twist in her cord took her from me. I didn't have another daughter running around the house, so this one took me back to the depths of grief much more. However, I did have my two joyful sons to divert me once more. I had live children to hold on to. There is a difference to leave the hospital with empty arms when children are waiting for you at home.
I am not saying that the children I loss after I had my two rainbows were loved and wanted any less than the loss of my firstborn son. I mourn them and miss them just as much as I do their brother. It was just easier on me to come home to a house with my sons running to greet me. Can you understand? Did I feel guilty that I didn't fall to the emptiness of despair as I did the first time? Yes I did! I didn't understand it at first. I thought something was wrong with me. By the third time, was I getting use to loss? No! Maybe I just expected it in the back of my mind. I just know that I wasn't as blindsided as I was the first time. My first day home without James Collins, Jr, I climbed into his empty crib when I was finally alone and no one was watching. I turned on the mobile and held on to a teddy bear and sobbed as I pretended the bear was my baby. Crazy? Not to me! My first night home without Reita, I had to wait until everyone else in the house had gone to bed before I went downstairs and closed myself off in the dining room to be alone. I crawled under the dining room table with my pillow to muffle my cries. I had to get it together by morning so not to scare my small sons waiting for me to fix them their breakfast. Life for me had to go on much quicker this time. I couldn't take my time in grieving when ever I felt it sweep over me. What I did have was the hugs and kisses of my sons to get me through it. Those of you with out your Rainbow don't get those hugs and my heart breaks for you.
Your heartbreak of not having your Rainbow baby is personal to me. I've been with you over a year now. I've watched you suffer. I see you as you still suffer as some of you have lost your Rainbow or haven't achieved pregnancy. I will continue to walk with you. I will wait with you. One day I will rejoice with you.


About halfway through a busy shift, you glance up from your computer to see an elderly gentleman with a history of cirrhosis rolling in. He is complaining of worsening shortness of breath and reports he "had this before… and the last time they had to take a bunch of fluid out of my chest." On auscultation, you hear drastically reduced breath sounds on the right side. The portable chest X-ray is completed and you see the image seen to the right.
What caused this, and what needs to be done about it?
What kind of information do you need to help guide your decision-making?
Should this patient be getting antibiotics?
Or should they be getting a slug of lasix?
According to the National Cancer Institute, there are 100,000 pleural effusions diagnosed every year, so get ready to see this in your shop!
X-ray is the simplest and most available method for evaluating a pleural effusion, and should be performed in all patients.
Image borrowed from Reference 4, depicting a right sided empyema.
Typically, CT scans are only needed in order to obtain more diagnostic information or for planning more complex procedures, such as pleural biopsies.  CT scans also have their inherent downsides, such as a lack of portability and increased radiation exposure. As such, these can typically be deferred to an inpatient or outpatient setting, and don't necessarily need to be done in the ED.
Image borrowed from Reference 4, depicting a pleural effusion on ultrasound.
More is better, right? Wouldn't draining more from your patient's pleural effusion make them less symptomatic? Spare them from a repeat procedure? Get them home sooner? Classically, we are taught to take off no more than 1 liter of fluid, as this can lead to the dreaded phenomenon of re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE). RPE is a rare complication occurring in less than 1% of thoracenteses but the mortality can reach up to 20%. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but a main hypothesis is that after lung re-expansion an acute inflammatory response occurs and subsequently damages the alveolar-capillary membrane.
There are many, many different causes of pleural effusion, with the most common being congestive heart failure. A diagnostic thoracentesis in conjunction with the application of Light's criteria can help narrow the diagnosis.
An X-ray is simple and a mainstay in diagnosis of any patient with suspected pleural effusion. Ultrasound is rising as a more sensitive means of diagnosing effusion, and is also helpful in aiding drainage of effusion. CT has value in determining more complex underlying characteristics of an effusion, but is typically not essential to perform in the ED.
If a patient comes in unstable and an X-ray showing a large pleural effusion causing mediastinal shift, drain it immediately! Any patient with a new effusion and an unclear etiology based on history should undergo a diagnostic thoracentesis at some point during their stay. There are no contraindications to performing a thoracentesis, and there is no fluid removal limit (just watch your patient's pain level and symptomatology).
Stop your thoracentesis if your patient complains of chest discomfort (that is not pleuritic) as this is a sign of lower pleural pressures and you are unlikely to drain much more fluid.
Some pathologies don't fit neatly into transudate or exudate. Examples include PE, malignancy, sarcoid, amyloid.
Much like considering contraindications to paracentesis, if you use an ultrasound to locate your effusion, you are very unlikely to cause bleeding even in the setting of anticoagulation, thrombocytopenia or uremia.
Kosowsky, J. M., & Kimberly, H. H. (2014). Pleural Disease. In J. A. Marx, R. S. Hockberger, & R. M. Walls (Eds.), Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders.
Bhatnagar, R., & Maskell, N. (2015). The modern diagnosis and management of pleural effusions. BMJ.
Adler, E. H., & Blok, B. K. (2014). Thoracentesis. In J. R. Roberts, C. B. Custalow, T. W. Thomsen, & J. R. Hedges (Eds.), Roberts and Hedges' Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders.
Akulian, J., & Feller-Kopman, D. (2015). The past, current and future of diagnosis and management of pleural disease. Journal of Thoracic Disease, 7(S4), S329-S338.
Irwin, Z., & Cook, J. O. (2016). Advances in Point-of-Care Thoracic Ultrasound. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 34(1), 151-157.
Shiber, J.R. (2006). Complications and benefits from drainage of massive pleural effusion. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 49(4), 544-545.
Feller-Kopman D, Walkey A. The relationship of pleural pressure to symptom development during therapeutic thoracentesis. Chest 2006 Jun;129(6):1556-60.
Dewitz A. (2008). Additional Ultrasound-Guided Procedures In O.J. Ma (Ed.), Emergency Ultrasound (pp. 546-550). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.


Identifying place value, 2-digit numbers.
Identifying place value of digits, 2-digit numbers. Worksheets with answers.
"Identifying place value of digits."
Page 2. The worksheet with answer.
Fill in the correct numbers of tens and ones.


A movie I saw last night really got me thinking about God. Laura and I got out on a date last night and decided to go see Disney's adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey.
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If you're a fan of the classic tale, like I am, then you will find aspects of this movie to be enjoyable and others to be frustrating. My favorite version of this story is the 1970 musical Scrooge, with the song my sister and I sing every Christmas. So as I approached this adaptation I had Albert Finney in mind as Ebenezer Scrooge. This was not a musical, so it played very differently.
The positives first: I really liked the animation; it was incredibly lifelike in parts. I thought that Jim Carrey played a fantastic Scrooge and his "humbug" was spot on. The representation of the ghost of Christmas past was imaginative and interesting and the other characters were well played. I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it for teens and up.
The negatives: leave the kids at home. Bob Jacob Marley (I keep wanting to call him Bob Marley…the Rastafarian ghost partner or something. "Hey, mon! Quit de money hoarding mon!") is quite frightening in the movie and there are several other places where the fright builds. I know that my kids would have had a hard time watching this movie, so beware. I would not recommend it for children. The reminder here is that just because it is animated does NOT mean it's for kids.
First the negative: From a theological perspective the movie does advance the argument that our works determine whether we spend eternity in torment or happiness. Scrooge is told that if he changes his stinginess he will avoid the fate of Marley; since he does, even though he never considers Christ the implication is that he will not have eternity in torment like Marley does.
One other nitpicky gripe I have is with the return of Marley to warn Scrooge. Marley comes to Scrooge to warn him to change his ways, but from a biblical perspective we read in Luke 16:19-31 that no opportunities like this are given to us. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham tells the rich man that if they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets they will not listen to someone who rises from the dead.
Now the positive: First and simply, the movie paints a positive image of Christianity. The church is positively portrayed, and Christmas carols are Christ-focused ("Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is one of my favorites!).
Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood.
Scrooge asks a very important question here. Is the future set in stone? Are the things being shown what will be, or only what could be? (the question he didn't ask but should have is "what will be if, but that is perhaps asking too much of the movie) In other words, is there any opportunity for him to change or has God decided what is to come without a doubt?
What happens in the movie is well known: in Scrooge's time with the ghost of Christmas future he sees Tiny Tim die and cause Bob Cratchit and his family great pain. He sees his own death and the joy it brings others, as well as his own torment after death. However, when he awakes he changes his outlook and actions, Tiny Tim lives, Ebenezer patches things up with his nephew and everyone lives happily ever after.
From a biblical perspective this is what is known as middle knowledge. In this theological perspective God knows not only what actually will happen, but what could happen. He knows all of the possible outcomes for all history of all the choices of His creatures. He knows how the world would be in infinite detail if one creature had made one decision differently and all of the effects of that choice throughout all of history.
Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech afled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has 1delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars." So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to aAbiathar the priest, "bBring the ephod here." Then David said, "O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. "Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "aThey will surrender you." Then David and his men, aabout six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went bwherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he 1gave up the pursuit.
When David asks God whether Saul will come and whether the men of Keilah will deliver him into Saul's hand, God answers in the affirmative. However, what happens in reality is that David leaves Keilah, Saul does not come down, and therefore the men of Keilah don't hand David over to Saul. God knew what they would do if David were there, but since he wasn't there they didn't do it! God knows the counterfactuals as well as the actuals of the future.
These two concepts are at odds with one another, but middle knowledge is at least an attempt to untie the Gordian knot between them. In middle knowledge God could have created any world He wanted to, and chose to create the world in which our truly free choices carry out His truly sovereign will. So by choosing to create the world He did, God chose those who will be saved personally and did so without violating their free faith in Him. Both God's sovereign control and our responsibility to trust Christ are maintained.
So Scrooge got to see what the Scriptures seem to indicate about the intersection of God's sovereign will and our human responsibility. Who would have ever thought that Jim Carrey was such a deep theologian?
If there is one refrain I hear a lot it is that I am a busy guy. I hear it from friends, from coworkers, from my parents and from a few members of my church who love me enough to poke me when I need it. They are all correct; between pastoring a young and busy church, teaching on the side at a local college and a bit at seminary, kenpo (both taking class and helping teach) and training for a half marathon my schedule is a wee bit tight!
I don't vacation much. Being a pastor is a busy life full of hospital visits, phone calls, prayer, sermon prep, Bible study prep, teaching, leading, counseling, conflict resolution, and on and on. My congregation expects and deserves a biblical and applicable message every Sunday in the pulpit, and it takes dedication to the task to get it done! That takes time and effort during the week, which makes vacationing difficult.
This week, though, I have had a very relaxing week. I took Tuesday off and went fishing with a couple of friends that I don't get out much with. We went up to Bartlett Lake with a fishing boat, minnows and worms, and a need to chill out! It was great to turn the BlackBerry off for the day and just enjoy the scenery, the weather, and the camaraderie. We had a great day on the lake; we caught a bunch of fish (mostly catfish for me), shot the breeze, and joked around. We didn't keep what we caught because we were there for the sport and for the relaxation.
When we got home I was totally wiped out. I got up at 4 to make sure we were ready to leave on time. We left the house at 5AM and drove 2 hours or so to get where we were hunting. We hunted all day and didn't get home until after 8PM, so when we pulled into the driveway I was super tired.
In years past I would feel guilty about taking these days off. Not getting any work done would feel to me like "wasting" time. Now, though, I recognize the wisdom of Christ's way of doing things. In Luke 5:15-16 I see Jesus taking time off to rest and spend time alone with God, even with more work to do than time to do it.
But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Rest and recovery are part of God's plan for our lives. Sure He wants us to work hard (in Genesis 3:17-19 we are told that we will work hard to feed our family), but He wants us to rest as well. He wants us to spend time with Him while we serve Him. I got a great reminder of that this week while I kicked my feet up with a pole in the water, and again while I looked out over a beautiful meadow at lunch time. And you know what? Because I knew I would be out a bunch I worked hard while I was in the office to make sure my sermon prep was still done and done well. I had to be more productive and focused, but God graciously still allowed me to get it all done.
Take the time amidst your busy schedule to spend some down time. Rest, recuperate, recover, and refocus. Get some time to refuel and enjoy life a little. That's Jesus' model of ministry and should be ours too.
The seminary where I teach part time is in a part of town that is a bit sketchy. It's not in the 'hood, but you can hit a pretty dicey neighborhood with a rock from the parking lot. Suffice it to say that I am glad for my martial arts skills when I head to my car at night!
For everyone's safety, though, the building is secured by a professional guard. This guard is there from sundown until at least after 10PM (when I leave); he keeps an eye on the parking garage, makes sure that the building isn't infiltrated by hooligans, and walks people from the building to their car at night if they would like I suppose.
That sounds great, doesn't it? Wouldn't you feel safer knowing that your valuables have been watched and that you had a professional guard walking you to your car? Of course you would!
Tonight, though, I was really struck by the difference between feeling safer and actually being safer. The guard that the building employs is, I am sure, a good person. (I don't know for sure because he won't converse with me, despite repeated attempts) He is mildly pleasant but not outgoing. He is probably in his mid 50's and perhaps 50 pounds overweight. He carries no weapons of any kind and limps a little.
So I started wondering this evening if I were really any safer with him there. What would he do if a deranged meth addict wanted to mug me as I was approaching my car? He might have a cell phone to call 911, but so do I. I can run faster than he can (gimpy hammy and all), and have a couple of years of martial arts training to defend myself. Every time I have seen him he is either sitting at his podium in the hallway or standing out front staring at traffic.
There is obviously a difference between feeling safer and actually being safer. While many people might feel safer with the idea of a guard being on duty, looking at the evidence makes me think that it is likely that the students and faculty are in fact not significantly safer than they would be without him.* The same could be said of many areas. For instance, my job is not safe because I feel like it is safe. I know several people whose job evaporated without notice.
As I thought through this truth, a conversation I had earlier today came to mind. A friend asked me if I believed in eternal security, which I do. She then said that I must believe she never had a true relationship with God because she has walked away from Christ. (pray for her…'nuff said) She certainly didn't feel secure in her relationship with God and felt like there was no way He could love her.
These guys have some good works! They prophecy IN JESUS' NAME! They cast out demons and work miracles! They certainly felt secure, (note their indignation at being told to go to hell) but in the final judgment they were not secure in God's grace. Why? In verse 23 Jesus says what brings true security: knowing Him. Within Reformed (i.e. Calvinist) theology it is God who guarantees our perseverance in holiness to bring about our security, but from the above verses it sure seems to me that our works and obedience are a horrible basis for our security and can lie to us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can cause Him to abandon us, not even our own faithlessness! We, being "created things," are even excluded from ability to separate ourselves from Him. So whether we feel secure or not, whether we like what we see or think that it is appropriate activity or behavior from a child of God has no bearing on our actual security.
Our actual security comes from trusting Christ, not from looking at our works. We may feel secure or insecure at any given time, but feeling secure and being secure are not at all the same thing. When we feel insecure is not the time to start hustling for God, but rather is the time to turn again to the true source of security: Christ!
To bring it back around to the original illustration, our works are akin to the security guard at the seminary. They may make us feel safe, but in reality they are ineffective. True security can't come from our works, but only from the works of the faithful One, Jesus.
So the next time you are feeling a little insecure in your relationship with God, don't try harder to be good, to do good, or to make God happy. Turn instead to the true source of security. Talk to Christ and listen to Him through His word and the Spirit. That sense of security can last, whereas the security of our works is fleeting at best.
*I am in no way disparaging this particular guard. He is who he is, and has been since he was hired. The company employing him knows who he is, and the powers that be at the seminary see him every night and could probably request a replacement if they felt it necessary. He is evidently performing his assigned duties competently.
What Does It *Really* Mean To Be A Disciple Of Jesus?
Are You Standing Still or Moving Forward?


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26 June 2014|In Africa, Politics, World News, Headlines|8 Minutes
Rwanda: Land Soiled with Blood
As 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, there must continue to be an extensive look as to why the international community turned a blind eye to the systematic wholesale murder of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in the space of 100 traumatic days. Twenty years on, the ghost of such ethnic cleansing continues to be relevant due to the fact that the genocide has contributed to the further destabilisation of the Great Lakes region in central Africa.
Rwanda historically has been wracked by instability between the two main ethnic groups, the majority Hutus and the minority Tutsi population, an instability exacerbated by the Belgian colonial presence. The Belgians had favoured the wealthy Tutsi minority who also comprised of the monarchy to rule the majority Hutu population which set the scene for a climate of hostility between the two ethnicities that would manifest in the attempted extermination of the Tutsis in 1994. After Rwanda gained its independence in 1962, the Hutus assumed political power and responded through nationwide reprisal massacres and discriminatory policies such as ID cards and political exclusion towards the Tutsi population who they regarded as Belgian collaborators and responsible for Hutu misfortunes in Rwandan society.
Such discrimination led to a dispersal of the Tutsi diaspora across the Great Lakes region with many choosing to settle in neighbouring DR Congo and Uganda. These exiles mobilised to form the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel army who from their jungle bases in Uganda conducted a guerrilla war in the 1990s from the north which resulted in a bloody stalemate and repulsion primarily due to the Hutu government's military support from France who repulsed the Tutsi advance to the capital Kigali.
Consequently, President Juvénal Habyarimana's decision to sign the Arusha Accords with the RPF which would allow a power sharing deal with the Tutsis and political recognition for the RPF was heavily opposed by Hutu conservative hardliners in power such as Théoneste Bagosora who fiercely repelled the prospect of bringing Tutsi into the Rwandan political picture. During this period, the gradual stockpiling of arms such as machetes, the formation of Hutu youth paramilitary groups such as Interhamwe under the auspices of the Hutu military authorities, and the provision of racial hatred and propaganda by radio stations such as RTLM (Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines) created an atmosphere that a cycle of violence was about to strike the small Central African nation.
On the 6 April 1994, under mysterious circumstances, President Habyarimana was assassinated when his plane carrying him and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down in the capital Kigali. Despite the potential assailants being either Hutu political hardliners or the Tutsi RPF, the events set in motion 100 days of wholesale murder where the Hutus sealed the country's borders, established roadblocks and began the extermination of the Tutsi 'cockroaches'. The elite Presidential Guard, Hutu military and the Interhamwe all collaborated in locating all Tutsis as well as moderate Hutus who did not favour the massacre and slaughtering them in the most despicable of circumstances.
Nationwide stories of the Tutsi population sheltering in churches and public buildings in anticipation of machete-wielding thugs became the norm as such public places became the site of mass killings all under the eye of the UN whose policy of non-engagement effectively gave the Hutu extremists a free hand in carrying out 'their work'. The international community after the murder and mutilation of 10 Belgian UN peacekeepers responded by drastically limiting the UN president with Europeans evacuating all foreign nationals from the country as Rwanda spilled into an orgy of bloodlust, the gruesome result of years of ethnic tension between the two tribes.
The utilisation of rape as a weapon of war and genocide was also rampant with an estimated 500,000 Rwandan women raped in an effort to destabilise the Tutsi community as children born from the aftermath of rape is estimated to be in the thousands. By the time the genocide ended on July 15, 1994 with the RPF capture of the capital Kigali, the death toll was estimated to be close to a million.
The ramifications of this genocide have rippled across Central Africa which has led to the region being in perpetual proxy war. The genocide led to a mass exodus of biblical proportions as the Hutu population fearful of reprisals from the victorious RPF fled into the Democratic Republic of Congo, many of whom were the architects of the genocide who under the watchful eye of the French armed forces in Operation Turquoise secured the south-east of the country to facilitate their exodus – a key reason why the Rwandan government under President Paul Kagame shares a sour relationship with France, the previous backers of the Hutu regime.
Rwanda has utilised the presence of the Hutus in Eastern Congo to invade its vast neighbour, to track down and wipe out the Hutu extremists on the grounds of national security and to prevent incursions on the country. However, reports of human rights abuses and suppression of freedoms of speech and political expression under the Kagame regime remain a pressing issue to be addressed in a land slowly picking up the pieces from a genocide the world turned away from just 50 years following the discovery of the Holocaust.
The issue of Congo's vast mineral wealth has formed the backdrop for two fierce proxy wars between Congo and Rwanda who have militarised the Tutsi minority in the region to hunt down the Hutu extremists operating under the FDLR, (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) as well as plunder the mineral reserves of the eastern half of the country to fuel Rwanda's economic boom. The continuing instability in an otherwise beautiful, picturesque region of Africa shows that the phantom of 100 days of gruesome human barbarism continues to reverberate across a crucial geo-political area of the African continent.
BY: Jonas Adrian