Radio Irony

Today on my drive through the Flint Hills, I caught snippets of two radio stations.  On the upturn of the hills, I would hear the BBC, and going down in the dales I would catch St. Mary's radio station on the same 98.3, which plays songs from Broadway musicals and old tunes from Bing Crosby and such.  (I am not SO old as Bing Crosby, but I do like those old, funny songs.)

So here is an ironic mix that I listened to today, driving south on K-99 for quite a few miles:

There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too...
...humanitarian agencies say the Idaho-based Christian group New Life Children's Refuge is not the only organisation that has been spiriting children away without documentation, wanting to give them a better life elsewhere...

Regretfully they tell us
But firmly they compel us
To say goodbye . . .
. . . to you
The missionaries deny they were engaged in child trafficking, and insist they were trying to help vulnerable orphans.  On Monday, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive described them as "kidnappers" who had known "what they were doing was wrong".  He said some of the children had parents who were alive, and that the Haitian authorities were trying to reunite them. 

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight...
The missionaries have been detained since Friday, when they tried to enter the neighbouring Dominican Republic with the children, whose ages ranged from 2 months to 12 years, without the right documents.
The children were later taken to an orphanage, where those who were old enough and willing to talk said they had surviving parents.
"Up until now we have not encountered any who say they are an orphan," said Patricia Vargas of SOS Children's Village...

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu...
Experts have expressed concerns that child traffickers could take advantage of the earthquake on 12 January...
According to UN guidelines, two years should pass after a disaster before adoption can even be considered, giving time to exhaust all efforts to locate family members first.



I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye...