The Bill of Non-Rights

A favorite blogger of mine (Texas Fred of Ace in the Hole) has "borrowed" a great post and I in turn, have borrowed it from him! It was too wonderful not to post, so pass it along!

The Bill of Non-Rights

We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other anal retentive bed-wetters.

We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone–not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, click the mouse and LEAVE a particular Blog if you don't like it, etc.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing . Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don’t care where you are from, English IS our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (lastly….) NOW..

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country’s history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

A giant stetson hat tip to Texas Fred of Ace in the Hole who in turned, borrowed the above from Bushwack at American and Proud of It

Tags: parody, patriotism, Bill of Rights

I am an American First!

Was over at one of my favorite blogs THIRDWAVEDAVE, and he had this great quote by Teddy Roosevelt. It certainly gives some perspective to the choas with immigration these days!

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...

We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

We are Americans first and we need to remember that! Thanks for the quote, Dave!

tags: patriotism, America, immigration

ACLU History Lesson Part 1

A History Lesson On The ACLU

I researched the Congressional Record dated Wednesday, September 20, 1961. Very important information relating to the ACLU and it's Communist/Socialist ambitions.

Dr. Fredrick Schwartz, executive director of the International Christian Anticommunism Crusade, "Communist Legal Subversion," page 75, House Committee on Un-American Activities: "Any attempt to judge the influence of Communists by their numbers is like trying to determine the validity of the hull of a boat by relating the area of the holes to the area which is sound. One hole can sink a ship. Communism is the theory of the disciplined of few controlling and directing the rest. One person in a sensitive position can control and manipulate thousands of others."

FBI Director, J. Edger Hoover called Communists, "Masters of Deceit". He continues, "Fronts probably represent the party's (communist) most successful tactic in capturing non-Communist support. Like mass agitation and infiltration, fronts espouse the deceptive party line (hence the word "front"), while actually advancing the real party line. In this way the party is able to influence thousands of non-Communists, collecting large sums of money, and reach the minds, pens, and tongues of many high-ranking and distinguished individuals. Moreover, fronts are excellent fields for party recruitment." The FBI director, people!

And how does this tie into the ACLU? I'm getting to that. The two co-founders of the American Civil Liberties Union are Roger Baldwin and Crystal Eastwood, both confessed socialists. Roger Baldwin was on the record of over 100 Communist front affiliations. In an article that he wrote for "Soviet Russia Today"(September 1934), "When the power of the working class is once achieved, as it has been only in the Soviet Union, I am for maintaining it by any means whatsoever." He goes on to say, "The class struggle is the central conflict of the world, all others are coincidental." He also wrote in a book commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Harvard graduating class of 1905 (in 1935), "I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control of those who produce wealth: Communism is the goal."

Dr. Harry Ward, the first chairman of the ACLU, was linked to over 200 front affiliations of the Communist Party. And was the chairman of one of the largest front organizations in this country, "The American League for Peace and Democracy." Which was placed on a list of subversive organizations by the Attorney General of The United States on June 1, 1948. Dr. Ward authored two pro-Soviet books, "Soviet Democracy" and "Soviet Spirit", which garnered him an investigation by the California State Senate Fact Finding Committee on Un-American Activities. The Committee stated on page 246 of their report, "The Communist affiliation of Dr. Harry F. Ward is indicative of the Communist sympathies of the members and sponsors of the 'Friends of the Soviet Union.'"

Since this history is far reaching, I will continue this subject in tomorrow's main posting. I don't wish to overwhelm my readers with too much information. But should you wish to read up on this subject further, you can read the entire Congressional Record for September 20, 1961, by clicking on the title of this post. It is rather eye opening.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. (Written by Gibbit) If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 180 blogs already on-board

A Hero Named Smith

There are no words to convey the bravery and fortitude of this man, so I will let his story speak for itself.

Since his days growing up in Tampa, Fla., the lanky kid with the slightly mischievous smile had wanted to be a soldier. By this bright morning, April 4, 2003, Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith had more than fulfilled his dream. He had served 15 of his 33 years in the U.S. Army, including three tours of duty in harm's way--in the Persian Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Now all his training, all his experience, all the instincts that had made him a model soldier, were about to be put to the test. With 16 men from his First Platoon, B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, Sgt. Smith was under attack by about 100 troops of the Iraqi Republican Guard.

"We're in a world of hurt," he muttered.

That "world" was a dusty, triangular walled compound about half the size of a football field, near the Saddam Hussein International Airport, 11 miles from Baghdad. Sgt. Smith's engineers, or "sappers," had broken through the 10-foot-high concrete-block southern wall with a military bulldozer and begun turning the compound into a temporary "pen" for Iraqi prisoners as U.S. forces pressed their attack on the airport.

While they were working, guards posted at a small aluminum gate in the north corner of the triangle had spotted the large Iraqi force approaching the compound from the north and west. Sgt. Smith had just run up to join the guards when all hell broke loose. They came under furious fire from machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.

It was a fierce fight in which many Iraqi Republican guards were killed and many American soldiers were injured, but Sgt. Smith and his "sappers" didn't give up.

Under intense fire, Sgt. Smith's men heroically extracted all three wounded crewmen from the APC. Sgt. Smith then entered the vehicle, ordering Spc. Michael Seaman to join him as driver and "keep me loaded" with ammo belts. Sgt. Smith popped up out of the turret hatch and grabbed the grips of the .50-caliber machine gun mounted on top.

The Iraqis were practically on top of him. Coolly grasping the situation, Sgt. Smith ordered Spc. Seaman to back the APC south into the compound to a position half way down the eastern wall. There he could arc the big machine gun back and forth, from the gate entrance to the north, all along the western wall of the triangle, to the Iraqi occupied tower in the southwest corner to his left.

To fire the machine gun, Sgt. Smith had to stand in the APC's main hatch, his body exposed from the waist up to a withering fire coming at him from three directions. On the ground through the blur of combat, Sgt. Matthew Keller saw Sgt. Smith grimly firing measured bursts from atop the APC even as a hail of bullets hit around him.

Sgt. Keller yelled at him to get out. Sgt. Smith looked back at him and with a slight shake of his head, made a cutting motion across his throat with his right hand. Sgt. Keller would always remember the look in his eyes. "There was no fear in him whatsoever."

He kept firing, despite the danger and against the odds, so that the wounded could be pulled to safety. It also allowed a small fire team to get up into the tower to take out the Iraqis there. And then it was over...

"Sapper Seven," the wiry, hollow-cheeked guy who had been so hard on his men in training, so exacting, so insistent on "doing it right"; the guy who had led them into battle on the first day of the war with a rock-'n'-roll tape blaring from his Humvee; the guy who had personally got down on his knees in front of their convoy to patiently, carefully extract the deadly mines when they ran into a minefield near the Karbala Gap, was dead.

Exactly two years later his wife, Birgit whom Paul met and married while on tour in Europe in 1992, and their two children, David and Jessica, stood with President Bush in the White House as she was presented with Paul's Medal of Honor. It is his own words which honor his sacrifice and give some comfort to his loved ones:

"There are two ways to come home, stepping off the plane and being carried off the plane," Sgt. Smith had written in an unsent email to his parents. "It doesn't matter how I come home, because I am prepared to give all that I am to insure that all my boys make it home." He had been the only American killed in the courtyard fight. Opinion Journal

Tags: military, heros, Medal of Honor

I Thought Something Was a Little Off

A whopping 425 (a larger crowd than her protest last weekend) people showed up the Akron-Summit County Library yesterday to see the illustrious "Mother Sheehan" speak. Considering she had missed her speaking engagement in Cleveland on Saturday, you would have thought the state wide group of activists and Democratic leaders would have been larger. Apparently, though, it was the Progressive Democrats who are striving to make the Democratic party more liberal! (One shudders to think of it). Mimi Kennedy (of Dharma & Greg) also spoke as well as Congressmen Sherrod Brown and Dennis Kucinich. You can't get more far left than Kucinich...just think back to his run for President in '04 and his talking points. NPR

There was one thing which did surprise me, though...

Before her son's death on April 4, 2004, Sheehan said, she hadn't given much mind to politics. She described her 180-degree transition as "surreal."

"The only thing different about me now is I'm a mother of three, not a mother of four," she said.

At a press conference before Sunday's meeting, Sheehan said that her son Casey didn't want to go to war.

She recalled offering to take him to Canada or drive her car over his legs. But he told her he had to go to protect his buddies.

He did -- and returned five days later in a flag-draped coffin, she said.

"The grief is something that never leaves me," she said. "Every morning, I wake up and think, 'Oh my God, my son is dead.' Every day is like April 4 again. But I feel stronger every day.

"I know he's very, very proud of me. Not as much as I was of him."
Akron Beacon Journal

I had never heard that before. I had read that his friends said he gladly re-enlisted and that he volunteered for the mission on which he died. Hmmm, "Mother"'s selective memory or just a mental block? I used to feel sorry for her, but her actions and attitude have diminished that sorrow considerably. Now, I just feel sorry for her son and the misuse of his memory. And here it is, two years later, he still doesn't have a headstone on his grave!

But all seems to be right in my neck of the woods again, now that she's gone!

Tags: Democrats, Cindy Sheehan, military

Two Very Interesting Stories at Stop the ACLU

First, as many of you know, the ACLU does get government cash when they sue cities and schools, etc. and win. Their attorney and court fees are paid by that city or school. Thus, it is government funding, as much as they would like to deny it. But Stop the ACLU and the American Legion, among others, would like to help get this stopped.

Indiana's John Hostettler is trying for the fifth consecutive Congress to prevent the American Civil Liberties Union from receiving government funds when it succeeds at legal challenges to public expressions of religion.

This year, the Republican representative has more hope than before thanks to the American Legion. The country's largest veterans organization, with about three million members, has aggressively thrown its influence behind Hostettler's bill, and the persistent congressman is encouraged at his proposal's prospects.

Hostettler's measure, the Public _Expression of Religion Act (PERA), H.R. 2679, is designed to close what he considers a loophole in federal law that has allowed organizations such as the ACLU to collect attorneys' fees when they win lawsuits challenging religious symbols on public land or religious groups' use of government property.

Second is the bombshell that Moussaoui dropped in court today:

Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui testified Monday that he and would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid were supposed to hijack a fifth airplane on Sept. 11, 2001, and fly it into the White House.

Moussaoui's testimony on his own behalf stunned the courtroom as he disclosed details he had never revealed before. It was in stark contrast to Moussaoui's previous statements in which he said the White House attack was to come later if the United States refused to release a radical Egyptian sheik imprisoned on earlier terrorist convictions.

Moussaoui testified Monday he lied to investigators when arrested in August 2001 because he wanted to let the attacks of Sept. 11 go forward.

"Yes, you can say that," Moussaoui said when the prosecution asked if that was why he misled them. The statement was key to the government's case that the attacks might have been averted if Moussaoui had been more cooperative following his arrest.

He told the court he knew the attacks were coming some time after August 2001 and bought a radio so he could hear them unfold.

Specifically, he said he knew the World Trade Center was going to be attacked, but asserted he was not part of the plot and didn't know the details.

Taking the stand in his own defense in his death-penalty trial, Moussaoui said he declined to become a suicide pilot in some future attack when asked by a senior al-Qaida official in 1999.

You just never know what's going to come out of this guy's mouth!

Tags: ACLU, American Legion, Moussaoui, 9/11

In Our Best Interest

I don't believe this man has the U.S.'s best interest at heart when we speaks against our President while visiting with these dictators!

Carter pals around with Castro. BBC


Carter and his new friend, Hugo. BBC






Or how about Carter's views about the misunderstood Palestinians and Hamas.

"If there are prohibitions -- like, for instance, in the United States, against giving any money to a government that is controlled by Hamas -- then the United States could channel the same amount of money to the Palestinian people through the United Nations, through the refugee fund, through UNICEF, things of that kind," he added.

Carter expressed hope that "the people of Palestine -- who already suffer ... under Israeli occupation -- will not suffer because they are deprived of a right to pay their school teachers, policemen, welfare workers, health workers and provide food for people." CNN

tags: dictators, Carter, Castro, Chavez, Palestinians, Hamas

"MSM Doth Protest Too Much"

My blog friend, Wordsmith of Sparks from the Anvil has done an excellent job of assembling mutltiple examples of the latest media bruhaha over the lack of coverage of all aspects in Iraq.

From Laura Ingram's appearance on the Today show to Hugh Hewitt and Michael Yon on Anderson Cooper's 360, the MSM is claiming that we are "killing the messenger" because we don't appreciate their reporting. Well, when you only give part of the message, people are going to get ticked! For the MSM to think that people are "picking" on them because they are only reporting "the truth" is asinine. Give me a break. They are only showing part of the story and they are, in some instances, referring to those who do show the good stories (Michael Yon and Central Command) as being propagandists!

I'm sorry, but if you are an American, reporting on American troops, you should at least pretend to be on their side and not demand further pictures of Abu Graib or some perceived autrocity because it will boost their ratings or give more ammunition to those who hate Bush and our military. These same "reporters" will take a story like Abu Graib (which, yes, is horrendous) and blow it up and exaggerate as if this is how all our troops act. Which is a blatant lie!

I don't know about you, but I haven't seen stories about the building of schools, the hospitals being rebuilt. the water running and sewage working and you certainly don't see stories about the soldiers who, many at their own expense, are putting shoes on the feet of the children or making sure they have school supplies or clothes or medicine or toys.

Yes, bad things happen and bad people do things, but the fact that the good stories are going unreported tell me just where our MSM stands and just who they are rooting for.

tags: MSM, media bias, news

Quote of the Day

"With that sorry record, the leaders of the Democratic Party have decided to run on the theme of competence. If they're competent to fight this war, then I ought to be singing on American Idol,"

Vice President Dick Cheney
(during a speech in Florida 03/24/06)

tags: Cheney, Democrats

Silly Quizzes

For the time being (I have more work to do), here's a couple silly quizzes for you!

(this one is pretty accurate!)

You Are 32% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind. You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different... But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong. You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

Your Hidden Talent

You have the natural talent of rocking the boat, thwarting the system. And while this may not seem big, it can be. It's people like you who serve as the catalysts to major cultural changes. You're just a bit behind the scenes, so no one really notices.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Working from Home

Sometimes working from home isn't easier! I have a lot of work to do today, but I hope to get a new post up sometime this evening! Have fun without me for a while...oh, go take a silly quiz and tell me about it!

Quote of the Day

This is Laura Ingram's quote of the day and I liked it so much I had to "borrow" it!

"I don't know how you can cover a war and not cover "the war" itself. And not all this reconstruction -- that's not a news story, is it?"

-- MSNBC's Chris Matthews
(defending the mainstream media's Iraq coverage)

Remember

Seems we keep forgetting why we fight this war on terror. Here are a few reminders along with my own recent post Scars:

America Attacked

Tears

And this is who is keeping us free:

Armed Forces Tribute

Marines

Thanks for the inspiration Dave! THIRDWAVEDAVE
Trackback to Argghhh!'s open post.
tags: heros, 9/11, Never Forget,

Blue Star Blogs

I do not have a loved one in the service, though I have two adopted soldiers still deployed and one who is coming home very soon! My deepest respect and admiration goes out to the families whose loved ones are fighting this battle for freedom. My deepest gratitude goes out to those serving and my most sincere prayers go out to those whose loved ones have paid the ultimate price. It is with this in mind that I have decided to join the Blue Star Blogroll.

For those who are unaware of the significance of the Blue Star, here is a brief history:

"The Blue Star Service Banner was designed and patented in 1917 by World War I Army Capt. Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front line. It quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child in the service.

On Sept. 24, 1917, an Ohio congressman read the following into the Congressional Record: “…The mayor of Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce and the governor of Ohio have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother - their children.”

As my regular readers know, I often write about our armed forces and how much their service means to me, I felt that having this blogroll on my blog would bring more recognition to our military heros. It's a bit of pride that the Blue Star came into existence here in my home state.

A tremendous thanks to Beth at Blue Star Chronicles for all her work putting this together and for her inspiration.

tags: heros, military, Blue Star families

The Conservative Small Blog Digest

My blog friend, Dave at The Paladin Blog has created a gathering place for small conservative blogs. Everybody knows the big blogs and it's not often that the little guys are mentioned there or even have a hope of being mentioned there, but here is a place where "the little guy" can get featured front and center.

The Conservative Small Blog Digest was created to showcase some of the best posts found at these lesser known blogs. The goal is to help these bloggers succeed by getting their work promoted by our site.

The advantage to you, the blog readers, is that you can enjoy a wide variety of reading in one place! We will strive to scour the web, and bring you the best of the best of the small blogs.

Each week we will pick a worthy victim to be featured as the "Blog O' The Week", as well as creating an in depth blogroll for your surfing pleasure.

So sit back and enjoy the "best of the littlest".

So, go check it out and read the latest from your Conservative blog peers!

tags: blogs, Conservative Blogs

Economics 101

Thomas Sowell's latest article succinctly shows why the riots are happening in France yet again (jobs) and why the students have shut down the universities (idiocy).

Student riots in Paris remind us that education at elite academic institutions is not enough to teach either higher morals or basic economics. Not on their side of the Atlantic or on ours.

Why are students at the Sorbonne and other distinguished institutions out trashing the streets and attacking the police? Because they want privileges in the name of rights, and are too ignorant of economics to realize that those privileges cost them jobs.

For the complainers out there who constantly carp about the terrible economy in the U.S. and that there aren't any jobs, please take note of what happens when you go the socialist route! It doesn't work and causes more problems than solutions, as these riots show.

Like some other European Union countries, France has laws making it hard to fire anybody. The political left has long believed that such laws are a way of reducing unemployment.

More important, they have long remained oblivious to the fact that countries with such laws, such as France and Germany, usually have higher unemployment rates than countries without such laws, such as the United States.

Belatedly, some French officials have begun to see that job security laws make it more risky and costly for an employer to hire inexperienced workers with no track record, whom they would have a hard time getting rid of if they don't work out. The unemployment rate in France is 23 percent for workers who are 25 years old and younger.

To try to deal with this high unemployment rate among young workers, the job security laws have recently been modified to make it easier for employers to fire those workers who are on their first job.

That is what has French students outraged and rampaging through the streets of Paris. They don't want employers to be able to fire them after they graduate and go to work.

The employment rate here is less than 5 percent. Why? Well, we don't pass idiotic laws which stop bosses/managers from firing inept or lazy workers. Yes, we do have some issues and problems and it has to do with unions and the what has become the "union mentality". This doesn't happen in all unions, but it has caused problems with inept teachers being kept because of tenure or a worker is advanced not because of ability but because of seniority. This law-induced attitude is another factor in the high unemployment in France.

Students and their political supporters, including labor unions, depict them as victims. Among the slogans chanted by the rioters is "We're not young flesh for the boss." The fact that many bosses don't seem to want to hire their young flesh seems to be lost on them.

A leftist deputy has declared: "To create discrimination based on age transgresses fundamental rights!"

In other words, people have a right for other people to have to continue employing them, whether those other people want to or not. The "fundamental right" to a job over-rides the rights of other people when they are called "bosses."

The fact that many students can think only in terms of "rights," but not in terms of consequences, shows a major deficiency in their education. The right to a job is obviously not the same thing as a job. Otherwise there would not be a 23 percent unemployment rate among young French workers.

The law can create equal rights for inexperienced young workers and for older workers with a proven track record but the law cannot make them equally productive on the job or equally risky to hire. Nor is rioting likely to make employers any more likely to want young workers working for them.

I was raised with a strict work ethic. No matter what the job, you do it to the best of your ability and as quickly and efficently as possible. If you mess up, you fess up and take responsibility. Unfortunately, while working at Kohl's with college aged students, I realized that my generation of parents have not taught their children these work ethics. They want the paychecks without doing the work or by doing as little work as possible. This same age group is the one in France causing so much mayhem.

Estimates of the damage done by the rioters -- called "protesters" or "demonstrators" in the mealy-mouthed media -- range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to over a million dollars, thus far. They have also shut down dozens of universities, including the Sorbonne, denying an education to other students.

I just don't understand what happened to the notion of actually working for a paycheck and earning a position on your own merits and abilities. There is a lot of satisfaction is a job well done, not to mention knowing that you earned that paycheck. What happened to pride? When did it all change to the "gimme" mentality? This idea that you are guaranteed a job because it is your "right" is ridiculous. A paycheck is an earned right. It's called work for a reason!

The heady notion of "rights" -- and especially the notion that your rights over-ride other people's rights, when those other people belong to some suspect class called "bosses" -- is an all too familiar feature of modern welfare state notions.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who supports the new labor law, has seen his approval rating drop to 36 percent. That is what happens when you try to talk sense to people who prefer to believe nonsense.

It is elementary economics that adding to the costs, including risks, of hiring workers tends to reduce the number of workers hired. It should not be news to anyone, whether or not they have gone to a university, that raising costs usually results in fewer transactions.

The fact that such profound ignorance of basic economics and such self-indulgent emotionalism should be prevalent at elite institutions of higher education is one of the many deep-seated failures of universities on both sides of the Atlantic.

We must, as parents, teach our children a better work ethic. Help them to understand that there are vast opportunities out there and that hard work really does pay off. When you start out in the working world, it shouldn't matter if the job is bagging groceries or flipping burgers, take pride in the job, take pride in yourself, do your best and earn your pay. It certainly would make us, as a nation more productive and would have our children striving harder to succeed on their own merits and not sit back and think they should be given something for nothing. Without a hard work ethic, we will end up like France with people rioting because they believe they are owed a job by the government.

Capitalism Magazine
tags: jobs, unemployment, rights, work ethic
Crossposted at Warm & Fuzzy Conserva-Puppies.

A Hero Amid Chaos

Lawrence E. Woods walked into a Denny's in Pismo Beach, California and decided to shoot some people. By all accounts, he was muttering to himself and seemed mentally ill. He took an automatic weapon, shot and killed 64 year-old Frank Velasquez, wounded a married couple and then, 73 year-old Harold Hatley purposely walked into the line of fire in order to give precious seconds to others to make their escape. For his act of heroism, he lost his life. Woods ended the seige by turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.

Police are still investigating, but it appears that Woods was homeless, had a narcotics conviction and had untreated mental illness. The police are very interested in how Woods got his hands on the automatic weapon he used on his rampage. The investigation is still ongoing.

The Conservative Voice.

Tags: heros

Arabic Anyone?

Do you read Arabic? Do you know anyone who does? Because the government has posted some pages from the 48,000 boxes of papers they have taken from Iraq that were found in Saddam Hussein's offices and palaces.

If you're interested in looking them over you can find them here. It should make for some interesting reading. I thought this one was especially interesting what with it referencing Al Qaeda in Iraq as well as pictures of al Zarkawi.

tags: Iraq, documents

Yet Another Reason to Despise the ACLU

(Ed. Note: I did not want to put a photo of this group up because they are so despicable, but I realized that some people have not seen nor heard of Phelps and his group and I felt it was important for people to see just how hateful this group is. Notice these are kids! They have brainwashed their children into this hate!)

There is a horrid man name Fred Phelps who is the self-proclaimed leader of the Westboro Baptist Church who enjoys protesting at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. He and his "followers" have also made appearances at some of the funerals of the miners who died in Sago and they made national headlines for the first time when they protested at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, the gay man who was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in Laramie, WY. This person and his people carry signs that have such sayings as "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God For Dead Soldiers" and cause such disruption at these funerals that oftentimes the police become involved. Fred likes getting arrested and harrassed because that's what he's after. He wants to take anyone who assaults him to court and he often wins, thus he funds his exploits across the country. The reason he wins is that it's a free-speech issue for him. For the families of the fallen, it's a case of common, moral decency.

Because of Phelps, many states are passing laws that provides a buffer zone around funerals to limit his access to these families who are mourning. Now, that seems like a pretty smart thing to do. He can still spout his hate and the families don't have to be confronted by him. Well, the ACLU doesn't see it that way. They believe that Phelps should have access to the funerals because of the First Amendment. Well, we know they have never been the epitome of decency, so this is not surprising. Unfortunately, with the backing of the ACLU, Phelps (a disbarred lawyer himself) will have even more funds to spread his hate.

The one bright point in all this...people have come together. A group called Patriot Guard Riders have made it their calling to attend the funerals of our fallen soldiers out of respect and to help combat the Phelps group in a peaceful and legal way. They bring 3' x 5' flags which they carry and then hold in a line so that there is a physical barrier between the family and the hatemongers. If you have a chance, check out their website. These are the good guys and should be supported so that the families of our fallen heros can be respected and supported and protected.

h/t: Stop the ACLU

Tags: Stop the ACLU, hatemongers, soldiers, heros

Soulful Quiz

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

h/t: Chris at Spottedhorse2

tags: quiz, soul

Hibernation and Time A-Flying

You know you spend too much time indoors when on the first really warm day in months, you find out your 30-something neighbors across the street have adopted a baby boy! He's a little sweetheart from South Korea and he's going to he a heartbreaker when he gets older! He already has his mom and dad wrapped around his little finger, not to mention the family dog looking out for him! What a wonderful gift they have received!

I also realized that the "little kids" next door aren't so little anymore. Okay, I must be getting old because time is whizzing by so quickly!

My own kids, both teenagers will both be in high school next year, they are both dating and we are looking at colleges for our oldest. Seems like only yesterday they were in elementary school! Where does the time go??


tags: time, adoption

Something to Keep You Busy!

A hat-tip to Dave of THIRDWAVEDAVE for this little brain bender! 19/33 is considered genius, well I tried to do this test when I had had no sleep and could only come up with 16/33, but took it again after a really good night's sleep and I was able to get 21/33! So, go try your hand at this Intelligence Test.

Believe it or not, this type of test can be a good estimate of intelligence (if you excuse the cultural bias). People who did well on this type of test are likely those who are gifted with verbal ability and linguistic pattern recognition. This sort of assessment would discriminate against those with non-linguistic pattern recognition (like solving jigsaw puzzles) and spatial intelligence (like the ability to use a map or see hidden figures in a drawing).

tags: intelligence

More Good News

Many of you know that I have adopted soldiers through Soldiers' Angels and Adopt-a-Platoon. Well I just received an email from Soldiers' Angels and one of my guys is coming home! Now, I've never heard from my soldiers, which is understandable as they are not on vacation, so I don't know where home is for him. I am also assuming that he is alive and well and looking forward to going home. I am just so happy that he gets to come home finally!

tags: military, Soldiers' Angels, Adopt-a-Platoon

Scars

It was a nightmare, a horror we never believed could happen here. So many gone. They were our brothers and our sisters, our neighbors and our friends. They lived just around the corner or thousands of miles away. Their names are carved in our hearts, but their faces are fading from our memories. We never knew them, but we mourned along with their families. There are pictures, there are memorials, but we are forgetting.

War was declared on America on September 11, 2001 and it is a war that is not over. Why do people keep forgetting that? Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Taliban, they all want America destroyed. For a while we were united. We were truly one nation under God. Our sorrow as a nationa pulled us together, determination moved us forward, patriotism kept us strong...for a while. Now, it's all but gone.

There are some who still feel it. Some who keep us safe and some who save our lives, everyday. And some of them leave their families for months at a time to keep us free. They start each day with the knowledge that it could very well be their last, but they go anyway. Some go back because they believe. And some don't see home again.

What keeps them going? It is love and faith and belief. It is love of family and country. It is faith in themselves, in their abilities and training. It is the belief, the knowledge, that what they do, day in and day out, is necessary. Why do they do it? It started with a dream as a child, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a friend who inspired them. It is just what they do. It what they now. And for some, it is a calling.

These are our heros. They are police, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and soldiers. If you ask them why they do it, most will say that it's their job, it's what they do, because they can, because they are needed. None would call themselves heros, but they are because they do the jobs that the rest of us are unable, unwilling or too afraid to do. Despite what some would say, they are keeping us safe and free.

I am in awe of them, I admire them and their families and I will do what I can to be a help, not a hindrance because I bear the scars, too. My heart broke that day in September and I will fight in the ways that I can. I will send cards and letters and care packages. I will thank them for keeping my family and I safe, for being there, for fighting and dying for our freedom. I will cry with their families and I will mourn their loss because they are my brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors and I will not forget!

tags: military, heros, 9/11.

He's Home

Many times I have written about or linked to Capt. B. of One Marine's View, well some wonderful news...he's home! Safe and sound and in the arms of his family! Take a moment and read his homecoming here.

He's a good guy and I am so happy that he is home safe (and seems to be adjusting well to civilian life, too, YEAH!)!!

Honor a Hero

Show your support for our military heros both serving and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Save the Soldiers is a website that allows you to leave emails for the families of fallen heros and this link takes you to a story with a request for emails to create a memorial scrapbook for a particular family.

Of course one of my favorites is Soldiers' Angels. Donate to help purchase voice activated laptops for our wounded soldiers, adopt a soldier, join a letter writing group. There are so many ways to help our fighting heros through Soldiers' Angels.

There is also Adopt-a-Platoon. Don't worry, you don't have to adopt a whole platoon, unless you have a church group or class that would like to do so.

America Supports You allows you to send messages to the troops and they also have several projects going on that you can help with.

And don't forget the soldiers who have come home and need our assistance. Our returning vets need our help, too and Wounded Warrior Project has programs you can help with as well as ways to donate money as well as time.

These are just a few of many possible ways to support our troops both deployed and returning vets. Please take a few minutes to check these sites out and consider supporting our troops with more than just words.

Tags: military, heros

New Videos

I posted new videos today. I was feeling the love for our military and decided to post these videos that actually show our military being entertained by Toby Keith and Chely Wright. I think you'll enjoy them! (Also, I haven't had time to answer e-mails much less actually post on my blog today...alright, so this is the easy way out, but you'll like the videos! :)

Tags: military, patriotism, entertainment

Universities Learn Something

The Supreme court unanimously voted to uphold the ruling that states that if universities receive federal funding, they must allow military recruiters on campus. A group of law school professors, aka FAIR, brought suit against Donald Rumsfeld along with many other administration officials, that stated they should not have to allow military recruiters on college/university campuses because of the militaries "don't ask, don't tell" policy which they feel is wrong.

Well, FAIR learned that regardless of their feelings, if they're going to get money from the government, they're going to have to allow the government organizations on campus...including the military!

Roberts, writing his third decision since joining the court, said there are other less drastic options to protest the policy.

"A military recruiter's mere presence on campus does not violate a law school's right to associate, regardless of how repugnant the law school considers the recruiter's message," he wrote.

The federal law, known as the Solomon Amendment after its first congressional sponsor, mandates that universities give the military the same access as other recruiters or forfeit federal money.
...
"The Solomon Amendment neither limits what law schools may say nor requires them to say anything," Roberts wrote.

The case is Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, 04-1152.

So, if the universities and colleges across the country want to continue to receive their $35 billion a year from the federal government, they are going to have to deal with recruiters no matter what their personal preferences.

Fox News
Stop the ACLU

Tags: military, higher education, Supreme Court.

How Could They?

UPDATE: DoD News is has a link for the group called Operation Honor a Hero, who is collecting messages and letters to honor our soldiers.
Also, Lauren (MyWay716@aol.com) has received over 350 emails for the family of Sgt. Rickey Jones! This is awesome.
Please show our military men and women and their families just how important they are to us. Also, consider "adopting" a soldier, they love getting cards and letters!


CJ at A Soldier's Perspective has an article about a family who not only lost their son in service to our country, but they have had their home vandalized, horrible anonymous calls and threats of having their son's funeral invaded by protesters.

Associated Press
KOKOMO, Ind. — Police posted an around-the-clock security watch at the home of an Indiana soldier killed last week in Iraq after it was vandalized and his family received disturbing phone calls.

The home of Sgt. Rickey Jones was egged Saturday, three days after Jones’ family learned the 21-year-old and three other soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. His family also received phone calls in which the caller said: “I’m glad your son is dead.”

The actions drew the attention of their congressman, Rep. Steve Buyer, a Republican who also chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“It is outrageous, appalling and indecent for an American citizen to commit crimes and perversions against a family grieving at the loss of their son,” Buyer said.

On Thursday, he spoke on the House floor asking his fellow lawmakers to stand and observe a moment of silence “to condemn these despicable acts.”

“A great virtue of the American character is our compassion. It is how we care for each other in good times and in difficult times,” he said. “It is our compassion and human decency that represents the very best of our nation.”

Jones’ relatives and police are bracing for the possibility that a Topeka, Kan.-based group will protest at his funeral Monday.

I don't care if you hate George Bush. Don't care if you hate the war. I don't care if you can't stand the military. You do not do this to other human beings out of just sheer common decency. CJ is trying to find out where cards and letters of support can be sent to show this family that they are appreciated and cared for and respected and that we grieve with them in the loss of their son. Here is CJ's request:

"I am trying to help organize a letter writing campaign to the family of SGT Rickey Jones. As you may have read earlier, their home was vandalized by idiots who wouldn’t understand patriotism if it flew a plane through their bedroom window.

If you own a blog, please post this effort on your respective blogs and ask your readers to post it on their blogs. If you are as disgusted as I am and would like to write a letter to have delivered to this family, please email Lauren (MyWay716@aol.com) for more information. The good people over at Operation Military Pride are helping facilitate the delivery of these letters.

This family recently lost a son and shouldn’t have to deal with people like Fred Phelps and the people responsible for the egging of their home and irreverent phone calls. If you feel the same way I do, please email her and write this family a letter of support and love. Let them know that we appreciate their son’s service and mourn their loss. Let’s show them what America is really made of. This isn’t about whether or not you support the war. This is about common decency for a family that has suffered the ultimate sacrifice…having to bury a child. Thank you in advance. When this is over, I want the post office to have to hire new postmen just to handle the volume. Yes, it’s a challenge, as LinkedinUSAF would say."

So, please, send a note of encouragement, even if you don't like Bush or the war, it's the right thing to do!

h/t: Wordsmith at Sparks from the Anvil

Tags: military, family, Iraq

Seven Songs Tag

Wordsmith at Sparks from the Anvil tagged me with a list of seven songs I have listened to lately. I had told him they would all be country tunes, but I realized that I was just listening to something classic, so here goes!

1) Love Reign O'er Me The Who's Quadrophenia is an excellent album and a pretty darn good concert, too! Husband has been a Who fan for decades and got me listening to them as well.

2) Holes in the Floor of Heaven Steve Wariner. Never fails to choke me up!

3) Love Train Big & Rich. Rockin' country will get your toes tapping and head bopping. (A little reminiscent of Love Shack by the B52's.)

4) Big Time Big & Rich. What can I say, the CD's in my car!

5) When I Get Where I'm Going Brad Paisley with Dolly Parton. I really like this one, as you can probably tell...it's on my blog!

6) Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K 488 - Adagio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I love classical music, but Mozart is my favorite because there is so much passion in his work.

7) Boondocks Little Big Town. Has a great beat, you could dance to it, I'll give a 9!

I'll be nice and not tag anyone...but if you want to play, trackback or link to me, so I can see what songs you enjoy!

Illegal Spying

Out of curiosity, I went to the ACLU website and found this article. It is listed with all their articles about NSA spying and how it's all illegal. What I don't understand is how this woman believes that she is a target of illegal spying. What do you think?

Statement - Caitlin Childs, Target of Illegal Spying

Many people express shock upon learning that I have been the subject of surveillance by Homeland Security. What could I have possibly done that would make government officials see me as a threat to national security, they ask. The answer? I joined a peaceful protest on public property outside the Honey Baked Ham store on Buford Highway in DeKalb County, Georgia. I was arrested after that protest for taking down the license plate number of the car belonging to the homeland security agent who had been photographing us all day.

I wish I could say being spied on and arrested by homeland security came as a shock to me, but unfortunately it did not. As an activist and an organizer for animal rights for the past eight years, being spied on, harassed and falsely arrested is something that I have come to expect.

I don't think that the public really understands what happens to innocent people who exercise their right to protest. No government ever likes dissent, but the Bush administration has escalated domestic spying and further limited free speech rights - all under the guise of "national security." For evidence, one has to look no further than the advent of "free-speech zones" and protest pens that keep the face of dissent far away from the main event, or the mass arrests in New York during the Republic National Convention. This crackdown on protest has a serious chilling effect on dissent. You can bet some people are going to think twice before going out to protest if they fear they'll end up in jail.

This is not democracy.

I refuse to live in fear of what could happen for speaking out and fighting for the things in which I believe. We learn as young children that freedom of speech is a fundamental right guaranteed in America. The government officials currently in power seem to have forgotten that important lesson.

In many ways, it is a compliment to me that homeland security would be interested in my activities -- if they are paying attention I must be doing something right! I will continue to be an activist, to speak out for animals, for social justice and against government repression. It is vital that we refuse to be bullied or scared into submission and inaction. We must hold our government accountable for its abuse of power and disregard for the Constitution.

As far as I can tell from her account there was possibly a Homeland Security agent observing a protest outside a Honey Baked Ham store, but she gives no proof that this person was 1) spying on her, in particular or 2) that they were actually an agent of Homeland Security or 3) that she was arrested because she took down a license plate number (which is not illegal nor would she be arrested for it). What she also fails to mention is that if it was a Homeland Security Agent, they were more than likely at the state level, but I highly doubt that the state or Federal Office of Homeland Security would care one way or the other about a protest against people eating ham! Chances are, if there was someone taking note of the people protesting, it was the local cops. They are supposed to keep an eye on any situation that could get out of hand and where people could possibly be injured, you know "protect and serve". (Local police will often attend protests no matter how small or insignificant because they do not want any problems.) My opinion is that she was like many of these Peta, environmental, anti-war protestors...nasty, obnoxious and very mouthy. More than likely she was arrested for verbal abuse or for blocking a public pathway. Maybe I'm naive, but I didn't see proof here or in other of their stories that I read, claiming they were spied on. Here's an assertion by a lawyer, Nancy Hollander:

The oldest privilege within the common law tradition on which this country was founded is the attorney-client privilege. A client has every right to believe that what he or she tells a lawyer in confidence will be secure. But now there is every indication that the government has listened to conversations I have had with my clients both here and abroad. My practice requires that I speak with lawyers living abroad, with witnesses and experts around the world. I no longer use the telephone, fax or email to communicate with clients, lawyers, witnesses, experts in any of my cases that involve terrorist related charges. I must travel the world to represent my clients as they have the right to be represented–zealously within the bounds of the law and with their confidences and my work-product protected.

Every indication? That doesn't sound like proof. That doesn't even sound like she knows for sure. It sounds more like she is paranoid. I have no doubt that there was a lot of spying and photo-taking in the '60s and '70s because of Viet Nam and Nixon, but do these people really think that they are that important? The way the articles are written says more that they are self-aggrandizing for attention and chanting the anti-Bush, anti-government mantras of the ACLU-loving left. I will admit that I didn't read all of the articles because after the fifth one with only speculation and paranoia and without actual proof, I gave up.

Tags: ACLU, NSA, spying, protests

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