it's the end of the work week. i came to office this morning with the late night news about the abused maid still playing in my mind. that news would end the string of depressing news for the week, so i thought. boy, was i wrong.

i got into office, powered up my notebook and checked my in-box. what i saw in the e-mail this morning made me tremble -- images of women being violated by soldiers, supposedly to be in one of the war-torn countries in the middle-east. reading news is one thing, but looking at images has a different impact.

violated, helpless, scared, painful, humiliated ... i can't find enough adjectives to describe the expressions i see in the faces of the women. this you can't get from the news.

rape has been used throughout history as a psychological propaganda during war time; but, never do i condone rape either at war or in peace. keep the war among the fighting men and leave women, children and infirms alone.

rape is a form of violence. this is one of the circumstances that doesn't allow me to flee from violence. putting myself in the shoes of the innocent victims' countrymen, i would surely retort to violence. yes, i'm angry. i'm emotional. who isn't? remember, "violence begets violence."

i'm an average joe on the street. if i feel this way, i believe a lot of other average joes feel the same. silent we may be, but deep inside us we harbor this sentiment.

enough of this. i'm checking out for the week. adios muchachos and senoritas.