FIRST we were told that fatty foods accelerated cholesterol levels. Chinese takeout, red meat, buttered popcorn -- they were all deemed bad, bad, bad for the body. Then last week, in the epitome of ironies, two of the nation's most popular diet drugs were pulled off the market after being linked to serious heart damage. Another thing that’s
hazardous to healthJust when you thought it was safe to lose weight, something went awry. And you know what that means.
There it is now. Hear that incessant ringing? It's the money bell going off in attorneys' offices all over the nation.
Angst-filled patients who have taken Redux and Pondimin are flocking to file lawsuits against the manufacturers of these dastardly medications or against the federal government for allowing them to be dispensed.
How dare they endanger our well-being! Somebody's gonna pay for this!
Yeah, yeah, join the club.
Aren't we sick and tired of living in a world where somebody else is always to blame for misfortune? Is there any place on this planet not seriously lacking in true common sense?
Yes, there is. It's Hawaii -- right here, right now -- and here's absolute proof from last week's crime blotter.
Last Tuesday, Jose Bueno, 27, went to his girlfriend's house in Kalihi in violation of a court order to stay away. An argument ensued between Bueno and his girlfriend's father, Warlito Ragasa, 53. And when Bueno reached for his fanny pack, the protective father fatally shot the younger man.
Why? Because his daughter had seen a gun in that fanny pack earlier in the year. Because Bueno had made numerous threats to Ragasa and his family since the couple broke up. But mostly because Bueno didn't have a good reputation for exemplary behavior.
He had violated the stay-away order on June 17, twice on June 29, again on July 12 and 26, and three times on Aug. 24, records say.
In addition, Bueno had a lengthy criminal history -- 27 arrests and several convictions -- including being found guilty of threatening to kill his brother with a knife, threatening his girlfriend and illegal possession of a firearm.
All of which is why, late last week, Ragasa was released from police custody. Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle has decided not to indict him because it would have been difficult to prove that Ragasa wasn't acting in self-defense when he shot Bueno.
AT first, I was surprised at my elation over the announcement. A gun lover I am not. In fact, guns are dangerous in the vast majority of homes because they can so easily be misused in accidental shootings, suicides and in the heat of anger.
Maybe I was just fed up -- about news that every delicious dish or miraculous diet aid is a no-no, how every mishap inevitably leads to lawsuits, and because women continue to be afraid of their abusers, even after they run away.
These women complain that police and the courts aren't tough enough on those who defy temporary restraining orders. These stalkers and harassers continue to torment their victims, while officers shrug and say, "Hey, I can't find him," or judges scold, "Look, just stay away from each other."
Warlito Ragasa felt compelled to take matters into his own hands. And Jose Bueno learned that violating TROs can be hazardous to your health.