On Nov 1, 2007 I learned how low a church would stoop in order to force their beliefs on other people. Their practice of taunting dead soldiers at military funerals is one of the most despicable displays of human indecency ever visited upon another human.
After the family of the fallen soldier sued the church for invasion of privacy and intent to cause emotional distress a jury awarded the family a settlement and now constitutional lawyers have the audacity to proclaim that the church’s rights may have been violated.
This case is a matter of common decency over man-made laws involving ‘legal’ rights. The church has the ‘right’ to voice its opinions, as granted by the constitution, but civility and human decency dictates that families have the right to bury their members in peace and with dignity. Anyone, usurping this right should be deeply ashamed of themselves.
The funeral ceremony is one of the most sacred and solemn rites to be bestowed on a human and as such demands privacy and is therefore free from outside sources using it as a forum for their own agendas.
When that outside source is a church then they need to take a serious re-evaluation of what ‘service’ they are providing mankind.
Constitutional law ‘experts’ may determine this a violation of the church’s First Amendment rights of free speech, but when one right tramples on another then civility needs to win out. It is abhorrent that anyone would disrupt a funeral. Especially a church who is in the business of these matters. Any church that disrupts funeral proceedings is not a true representative of Gods will.
David Hudson of the First Amendment Center claims that "If people can be sued because people are offended by other people's speech, then we've really curtailed freedom of speech." You miss the point entirely Mr. Hudson. Civility dictates that a family has the right to bury family members without being accosted by anyone. This is the biggest problem with lawyers, they throw civility out the window when it comes to ‘protecting’ civil rights. To lawyers it is only a matter of the financial bottom-line as to what they ‘believe’ at the time.
They will struggle for victory no matter where the results take us, even at the cost of civility and human decency. There is a line that no one should be able to cross and that line is indelibly drawn around funerals.
You can quote all the lawmakers theories you want, Mr. Hudson, but anyone who intrudes on the sacred and solemn proceedings of a family burying their loved ones should rot in hell. When a so-called Christian group who masquerades under the banner of spreading Gods word is the driving force behind the intrusion, well, there should be a special place in hell for them.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
School of the Americas
Bill Quigley of TruthOut.org recently ran an article in AlterNet reporting how an annual gathering for peace and human rights was staged at Fort Benning, Georgia in an attempt to shutdown the School of the AmericasT.
The annual event drew more than 20,000 activists gathered at Fort Benning while simultaneous protests occurred in Santiago Chile, Tucson Arizona, Toronto Canada, and Berkeley California.
I direct the readers attention to this article for the purpose of illuminating how our government callously disregards human rights whenever someone protests what the government is doing.
The article, entitled ‘Twenty thousand protest at Fort Benning: Eleven face federal criminal trials” can be found here.
The annual event drew more than 20,000 activists gathered at Fort Benning while simultaneous protests occurred in Santiago Chile, Tucson Arizona, Toronto Canada, and Berkeley California.
I direct the readers attention to this article for the purpose of illuminating how our government callously disregards human rights whenever someone protests what the government is doing.
The article, entitled ‘Twenty thousand protest at Fort Benning: Eleven face federal criminal trials” can be found here.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Cost of Cheap Labor
I received this email and there is no author (it had been forwarded three times before it got to me) but it sounds very much in tune with reality.
Subject: Beware of Cheap Tomatoes
Tomatoes and Cheap Labor
Cheap Tomatoes; This should make everyone think, be you Democrat, Republican or Independent
From a California school teacher - - - "As you listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration, there are some things that you should be aware of:
I am in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at a large southern California high school which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socioeconomic and income levels.
Most of the schools you are hearing about, South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc., where these students are protesting, are also Title1 schools.
Title 1 schools are on the free breakfast and free lunch program. When I say free breakfast, I'm not talking a glass of milk and roll -- but a full breakfast and cereal bar with fruits and juices that would make a Marriott proud.
The waste of this food is monumental, with trays and trays of it being dumped in the trash uneaten. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I estimate that well over 50% of these students are obese or at least moderately overweight. About 75% or more DO have cell phones.
The school also provides day care centers for the unwed teenage pregnant girls (some as young as 13) so they can attend class without the inconvenience of having to arrange for babysitters or having family watch their kids. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I was ordered to spend $700,000 on my department or risk losing funding for the upcoming year even though there was little need for anything; my budget was already substantial. I ended up buying new computers for the computer learning center, half of which, one month later, have been carved with graffiti by the appreciative students who obviously feel humbled and grateful to have a free education in America. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I have had to intervene several times for young and substitute teachers whose classes consist of many illegal immigrant students here in the country less than 3 months who raised so much hell with the female teachers, calling them "Putas" (whores) and throwing things that the teachers were in tears.
Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc., etc., etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demand rights, privileges and entitlements?
To those who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes: spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs.
Higher insurance, medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc., etc, etc. For me, I'll pay more for tomatoes.
We need to wake up. The guest worker program will be a disaster because we won't have the guts to enforce it. Does anyone in their right mind really think they will voluntarily leave and return?
There are many hardworking Hispanic/American citizens that contribute to our country and many that I consider my true friends. We should encourage and accept those Hispanics who have done it the right and legal way.
It does, however, have everything to do with culture: A third-world culture that does not value education, that accepts children getting pregnant and dropping out of school by 15 and that refuses to assimilate, and an American culture that has become so weak and worried about "politically correct" that we don't have the will to do anything about it. If this makes your blood boil, as it did mine, forward this to everyone you know.
CHEAP LABOR? Isn't that what the whole immigration issue is about?
Business doesn't want to pay a decent wage.
Consumers don't want expensive produce.
Government will tell you Americans don't want the jobs.
But the bottom line is cheap labor. The phrase "cheap labor" is a myth, a farce, and a lie. There is no such thing as "cheap labor."
Take, for example, an illegal alien with a wife and five children. He takes a job for $5.00 or $6.00/ hour. At that wage, with six dependents, he pays no income tax, yet at the end of the year, if he files an Income Tax Return,he gets an "earned income credit" of up to $3,200 free.
He qualifies for Section 8 housing and subsidized rent.
He qualifies for food stamps.
He qualifies for free (no deductible, no co-pay) health care.
His children get free breakfasts and lunches at school.
He requires bilingual teachers and books.
He qualifies for relief from high energy bills.
If they are or become, aged, blind or disabled, they qualify for SSI. Once qualified for SSI they can qualify for Medicare. All of this is at (our) taxpayer's expense.
He doesn't worry about car insurance, life insurance, or homeowners insurance.
Taxpayers provide Spanish language signs, bulletins and printed material.
He and his family receive the equivalent of $20.00 to $30.00/hour in benefits.
Working Americans are lucky to have $5.00 or $6.00/ hour left after paying their bills and his.
The American taxpayers also pay for increased crime, graffiti and trash clean-up.
Cheap labor? YEAH RIGHT! Wake up people. THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR EITHER PARTY. AND WHEN THEY LIE TO US AND DON'T DO AS THEY SAY, WE SHOULD REPLACE THEM AT ONCE!'
THIS HAS GOT TO BE PASSED ALONG TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
Subject: Beware of Cheap Tomatoes
Tomatoes and Cheap Labor
Cheap Tomatoes; This should make everyone think, be you Democrat, Republican or Independent
From a California school teacher - - - "As you listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration, there are some things that you should be aware of:
I am in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at a large southern California high school which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socioeconomic and income levels.
Most of the schools you are hearing about, South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc., where these students are protesting, are also Title1 schools.
Title 1 schools are on the free breakfast and free lunch program. When I say free breakfast, I'm not talking a glass of milk and roll -- but a full breakfast and cereal bar with fruits and juices that would make a Marriott proud.
The waste of this food is monumental, with trays and trays of it being dumped in the trash uneaten. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I estimate that well over 50% of these students are obese or at least moderately overweight. About 75% or more DO have cell phones.
The school also provides day care centers for the unwed teenage pregnant girls (some as young as 13) so they can attend class without the inconvenience of having to arrange for babysitters or having family watch their kids. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I was ordered to spend $700,000 on my department or risk losing funding for the upcoming year even though there was little need for anything; my budget was already substantial. I ended up buying new computers for the computer learning center, half of which, one month later, have been carved with graffiti by the appreciative students who obviously feel humbled and grateful to have a free education in America. (OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK)
I have had to intervene several times for young and substitute teachers whose classes consist of many illegal immigrant students here in the country less than 3 months who raised so much hell with the female teachers, calling them "Putas" (whores) and throwing things that the teachers were in tears.
Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc., etc., etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demand rights, privileges and entitlements?
To those who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes: spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs.
Higher insurance, medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc., etc, etc. For me, I'll pay more for tomatoes.
We need to wake up. The guest worker program will be a disaster because we won't have the guts to enforce it. Does anyone in their right mind really think they will voluntarily leave and return?
There are many hardworking Hispanic/American citizens that contribute to our country and many that I consider my true friends. We should encourage and accept those Hispanics who have done it the right and legal way.
It does, however, have everything to do with culture: A third-world culture that does not value education, that accepts children getting pregnant and dropping out of school by 15 and that refuses to assimilate, and an American culture that has become so weak and worried about "politically correct" that we don't have the will to do anything about it. If this makes your blood boil, as it did mine, forward this to everyone you know.
CHEAP LABOR? Isn't that what the whole immigration issue is about?
Business doesn't want to pay a decent wage.
Consumers don't want expensive produce.
Government will tell you Americans don't want the jobs.
But the bottom line is cheap labor. The phrase "cheap labor" is a myth, a farce, and a lie. There is no such thing as "cheap labor."
Take, for example, an illegal alien with a wife and five children. He takes a job for $5.00 or $6.00/ hour. At that wage, with six dependents, he pays no income tax, yet at the end of the year, if he files an Income Tax Return,he gets an "earned income credit" of up to $3,200 free.
He qualifies for Section 8 housing and subsidized rent.
He qualifies for food stamps.
He qualifies for free (no deductible, no co-pay) health care.
His children get free breakfasts and lunches at school.
He requires bilingual teachers and books.
He qualifies for relief from high energy bills.
If they are or become, aged, blind or disabled, they qualify for SSI. Once qualified for SSI they can qualify for Medicare. All of this is at (our) taxpayer's expense.
He doesn't worry about car insurance, life insurance, or homeowners insurance.
Taxpayers provide Spanish language signs, bulletins and printed material.
He and his family receive the equivalent of $20.00 to $30.00/hour in benefits.
Working Americans are lucky to have $5.00 or $6.00/ hour left after paying their bills and his.
The American taxpayers also pay for increased crime, graffiti and trash clean-up.
Cheap labor? YEAH RIGHT! Wake up people. THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR EITHER PARTY. AND WHEN THEY LIE TO US AND DON'T DO AS THEY SAY, WE SHOULD REPLACE THEM AT ONCE!'
THIS HAS GOT TO BE PASSED ALONG TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Musharraf and Bush: puppets and war profiteers
Musharraf would go for the U.S. brand of democracy if he would only understand what it means for all politicians. Politicians could tax the hell out of the working force to pay for their rich lifestyle, their parties, their opportunities for ‘money under the table’ in backrooms where deals are made to pass bills and laws that help make themselves and their buddies richer. To pay for their own retirement benefits and their own health insurance while not having to share anything with the very people who put them in power. But Musharraf doesn't want to share with all politicians. He wants to ensure that only he and his buddies get to ride the gravy train and since he is in a position to prevent all opposition to his rule and is acting on that position to his benefit, this has made him George W. Bush’s hero.
This is why King George refuses to stop supporting the little dictator, they are brothers. Bush is simply spreading the wealth garnered from his illegal, propaganda-inflamed ‘war-against-terrorism’ scheme. If Bush allows Musharraf to be put out of office then all of Bush’s oil company buddies and his war machine cronies would take a direct hit in their fiscal bottom line. In Bush’s world of ‘steal from the poor and give to the rich’ such a mistake would be devastating. His ego would not be able to withstand such a let down to his club brothers.
Musharraf is dispensable if democracy is what Bush truly wants in Pakistan. In fact, it is necessary that Musharraf be relieved of power as soon as possible if democracy stands a chance of taking hold in Pakistan. Bush’s actions clearly show that democracy is not what Bush is after here. Bhutto wants democracy. Musharraf has clearly shown he only wants democracy if democracy wants him. Bush and Musharraf are too much alike to allow Musharraf to remain in power. He will destroy Pakistan just as Bush is destroying the U.S.
Wake up America, Musharraf still has ties with the Taliban. The Taliban propped him up as leader of Pakistan and he faked allegiance with America in order to slow America’s war against the Taliban. When Musharraf signed a peace deal with Islamic militants while claiming to fight alongside America to ferret out all militants proves he is just a scared puppy dog trying to hang on to power by promising to follow everybody’s direction. Now that he is faced with not being in power he arrests all lawmakers in an attempt to keep himself in power. This makes Musharraf a very untrustworthy and therefore very dangerous man.
Musharraf and Bush have both made it clear that democracy can take a back seat so they can stay in power and continue to profit from this illegal, immoral war at the expense of innocent lives.
This is why King George refuses to stop supporting the little dictator, they are brothers. Bush is simply spreading the wealth garnered from his illegal, propaganda-inflamed ‘war-against-terrorism’ scheme. If Bush allows Musharraf to be put out of office then all of Bush’s oil company buddies and his war machine cronies would take a direct hit in their fiscal bottom line. In Bush’s world of ‘steal from the poor and give to the rich’ such a mistake would be devastating. His ego would not be able to withstand such a let down to his club brothers.
Musharraf is dispensable if democracy is what Bush truly wants in Pakistan. In fact, it is necessary that Musharraf be relieved of power as soon as possible if democracy stands a chance of taking hold in Pakistan. Bush’s actions clearly show that democracy is not what Bush is after here. Bhutto wants democracy. Musharraf has clearly shown he only wants democracy if democracy wants him. Bush and Musharraf are too much alike to allow Musharraf to remain in power. He will destroy Pakistan just as Bush is destroying the U.S.
Wake up America, Musharraf still has ties with the Taliban. The Taliban propped him up as leader of Pakistan and he faked allegiance with America in order to slow America’s war against the Taliban. When Musharraf signed a peace deal with Islamic militants while claiming to fight alongside America to ferret out all militants proves he is just a scared puppy dog trying to hang on to power by promising to follow everybody’s direction. Now that he is faced with not being in power he arrests all lawmakers in an attempt to keep himself in power. This makes Musharraf a very untrustworthy and therefore very dangerous man.
Musharraf and Bush have both made it clear that democracy can take a back seat so they can stay in power and continue to profit from this illegal, immoral war at the expense of innocent lives.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Drivers failed test
Driving on our roadways is a responsibility that involves every driver and pedestrian in your vicinity. You have their safety in your hands while behind the wheel of that automobile. Driving laws are in place so that everyone around you has a chance of arriving at their destination safely. This ‘privilege’ is being taken for granted and far too many people don’t take it seriously enough.
GMAC insurance conducted an informal driving test and found that nearly 36 million of us failed the simple driving test. The two areas with the biggest deficiency are tailgating and traffic lights.
When approaching a yellow traffic signal slow down and stop, don’t speed up to get through it. How much time do you think you are saving getting through that light? Truly, you do not save more than a few seconds. And where are you going that a few seconds makes a difference? Take a relaxed attitude when driving, don’t be aggressive.
Tailgating. This action is just plain foolish. Traveling too close to the vehicle in front of you creates a situation in which you are likely to cause an accident. You are taking the drivers attention off of the road in front of them and forcing them to look back at you for the fool you are. If the car in front of them has to stop quickly making them stop quickly which in turn makes you stop quickly then you are about to be involved in their accident. Why put yourself in that situation? I have never understood the mentality of tailgating another vehicle. Do you really think you're going to make them go faster? Do you think it is wise to piss someone off who could slam on their brakes to get you to back off? If someone wants to drive the speed limit you have no place trying to get them to do otherwise. Again, don’t be aggressive on the road.
A third problem, that I personally see a lot of, is improper use of turn signals. How much effort does it take to inform other people of your intentions? Why do you insist on keeping it a secret?
Using your turn signal, be it to turn or to change lanes, is to inform others of your intention. Use of a turn signal actually helps you the driver making the turn by telling others to back off because you are going to slow down. Signaling does not, by any means, tell everyone around you to stop what they are doing just so you can do what you want. Turn signals should be used before you apply your brakes and before you actually change lanes. Putting on a turn signal after you are already in the turn lane or have already changed lanes is a bit late to do any good. Give people around you plenty of warning. Also, using turn signals tells others that they should go around you so they can continue on their way without having to slow down and then speed up again which wastes fuel.
The biggest dangers in driving, both of which is under our control, is that people become mindless behind the wheel or they get impatient and become aggressive. They either follow along too closely convinced nothing is will ever happen to them, or they think they have to pass everything on the road as if they are out to win some prize for getting somewhere first.
I blame the socially accepted norm of driving fast on car commercials, along with several other factors. If you watch car commercials with a critical eye to how they present their automobiles you will notice they are selling them to go faster than anyone around them. Car advertisers want potential buyers to think they are the flashiest thing on the road and car advertisers think they have to show the car going fast in order to pull this off. Why is this?
There is also this idea that the number one lane on the freeway, the far left lane, is considered the fast lane. People, there is no fast lane, all lanes are governed by the same speed limit. I see people riding in this number one lane at the speed limit when some joker will come up on them driving over the limit and expect everyone to get out of their way. The joker begins terrorizing the law-abiding driver by riding on their bumper because the joker thinks he/she has the right to force the law-abiding driver over out of ‘their’ lane. At freeway speeds this is just nuts. At any speed it is aggressive driving. This is noting more than a power trip and we need to fight that urge because some innocent is going to get hurt.
We need to realize that everyone around us wants to get to where they are going without feeling pressured by some joker harassing us by tailgating (which amounts to terrorizing).
It is easy to get lazy and forget about defensive driving and driver courtesy as safety mechanisms for everyone around us and this informal test proves it. Please, take the time to take the test for yourself and make a conscious effort to become a safer driver for everyone’s benefit. Think about how insurance rates would go down if there were no traffic accidents. It is the responsibility of each of us to make that happen.
GMAC insurance conducted an informal driving test and found that nearly 36 million of us failed the simple driving test. The two areas with the biggest deficiency are tailgating and traffic lights.
When approaching a yellow traffic signal slow down and stop, don’t speed up to get through it. How much time do you think you are saving getting through that light? Truly, you do not save more than a few seconds. And where are you going that a few seconds makes a difference? Take a relaxed attitude when driving, don’t be aggressive.
Tailgating. This action is just plain foolish. Traveling too close to the vehicle in front of you creates a situation in which you are likely to cause an accident. You are taking the drivers attention off of the road in front of them and forcing them to look back at you for the fool you are. If the car in front of them has to stop quickly making them stop quickly which in turn makes you stop quickly then you are about to be involved in their accident. Why put yourself in that situation? I have never understood the mentality of tailgating another vehicle. Do you really think you're going to make them go faster? Do you think it is wise to piss someone off who could slam on their brakes to get you to back off? If someone wants to drive the speed limit you have no place trying to get them to do otherwise. Again, don’t be aggressive on the road.
A third problem, that I personally see a lot of, is improper use of turn signals. How much effort does it take to inform other people of your intentions? Why do you insist on keeping it a secret?
Using your turn signal, be it to turn or to change lanes, is to inform others of your intention. Use of a turn signal actually helps you the driver making the turn by telling others to back off because you are going to slow down. Signaling does not, by any means, tell everyone around you to stop what they are doing just so you can do what you want. Turn signals should be used before you apply your brakes and before you actually change lanes. Putting on a turn signal after you are already in the turn lane or have already changed lanes is a bit late to do any good. Give people around you plenty of warning. Also, using turn signals tells others that they should go around you so they can continue on their way without having to slow down and then speed up again which wastes fuel.
The biggest dangers in driving, both of which is under our control, is that people become mindless behind the wheel or they get impatient and become aggressive. They either follow along too closely convinced nothing is will ever happen to them, or they think they have to pass everything on the road as if they are out to win some prize for getting somewhere first.
I blame the socially accepted norm of driving fast on car commercials, along with several other factors. If you watch car commercials with a critical eye to how they present their automobiles you will notice they are selling them to go faster than anyone around them. Car advertisers want potential buyers to think they are the flashiest thing on the road and car advertisers think they have to show the car going fast in order to pull this off. Why is this?
There is also this idea that the number one lane on the freeway, the far left lane, is considered the fast lane. People, there is no fast lane, all lanes are governed by the same speed limit. I see people riding in this number one lane at the speed limit when some joker will come up on them driving over the limit and expect everyone to get out of their way. The joker begins terrorizing the law-abiding driver by riding on their bumper because the joker thinks he/she has the right to force the law-abiding driver over out of ‘their’ lane. At freeway speeds this is just nuts. At any speed it is aggressive driving. This is noting more than a power trip and we need to fight that urge because some innocent is going to get hurt.
We need to realize that everyone around us wants to get to where they are going without feeling pressured by some joker harassing us by tailgating (which amounts to terrorizing).
It is easy to get lazy and forget about defensive driving and driver courtesy as safety mechanisms for everyone around us and this informal test proves it. Please, take the time to take the test for yourself and make a conscious effort to become a safer driver for everyone’s benefit. Think about how insurance rates would go down if there were no traffic accidents. It is the responsibility of each of us to make that happen.
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