The Dallas Morning News is highly insulting to all legal immigrants who have come to the country lawfully when today they describe an illegal alien who murdered a Dallas police officer over the weekend as a “Mexican immigrant”. He is not – at least according to WFAA TV on Sunday who cited that he is here illegally. Can the DMN not see the distinction between immigrant and alien? Do words not have specific meaning?
Quit being so danged politically correct. This is similar to refusing to call the Paris rioters Muslim when that is exactly what most of them are. It is not racist. It is just the facts. When the IRA was in full battle mode in Northern Ireland, almost every story mentioned IRA and Catholicism in the same sentence. Why is the word Muslim so taboo?
It is not the job of the media to coddle certain groups of people. Give us the facts. I want to know if someone who commits a crime is here legally or not. It doesn’t have to be bold and centered, but just include it. We are told that illegal aliens don’t commit crimes for fear of deportation. Ok - if that is true, it shouldn’t be a problem identifying those “few” that do.
We are told that Islam is a religion of peace. Ok – it should not be a problem identifying those “few” examples of terror that are carried out in the name of Islam. No more sugar coating – it is driving me insane.
If race truly doesn’t matter then that’s ok. I can buy off on that. But make it the policy across the board to not identify anyone’s race or religion in a story. Unfortunately that is not the case. It is a selective process by which certain groups are not identified.
It won’t be long before I read a story like, “A person caused harm to another person in some neighborhood.” We can’t identify the attacker because they may be something other than a white male. We do not want to identify the victim for sound reasons that I cant argue. We can’t identify the neighborhood, because it might be some place other than the white suburbs and people would draw an inference on the neighborhood racial or religious makeup.
I want to know “who, what, when, where, and why”. I want the “who” to be descriptive and factual. I don’t want to read a story that is written under the assumption that I may suddenly become a racist if I read that someone other than a white male committed a crime. Give me the news in the news section. Give me your editorials in the editorial section. I do not want to have to decipher on my own whether I am reading a news piece or an opinion piece.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The great oil scare of 2005
Yesterday, several top oil executives were called to testify before Congress on high energy costs. Specifically, they were called to explain why they were making so much money of late. You can read the story here. What business is it of Congress how much money a legal company is making? Ok, I’ll grant you that Congress should be concerned about price fixing, gauging of the consumers. But that is not what is going on here, and it is clear to anyone who paid attention in high school economics.
There is an enormous worldwide demand for oil right now. We all know that supply is stickier than demand –it takes longer for supply to catch up (assuming in this case it can catch up) to rising demand. If the markets are not allowed to work freely, which is what several legislators are calling for with this silly idea of a “windfall profit tax”, we will see temporary price decreases, but we will also experience energy shortages. We all know how that worked back in the 70’s, right? If you are a producer of oil, and you are going to get taxed at x% over a certain profit – why would you continue to produce oil once you hit that profit mark? You wouldn’t – and that will lead to an even thinner oil supply. It makes no sense. What makes even less sense is that this tax would only affect the U.S producers (a small percent of world production). If you are an investor, why would you invest in a U.S oil firm that is getting taxed at a higher rate when you can just invest in an overseas firm – you wouldn’t? Are you starting to see what nonsense this “windfall profit tax” is?
But wait, there is more. Some of the same legislators who summoned the oil executives for show and tell - as of yesterday, decided not to open parts of ANWAR to oil drilling – and decided not to allow drilling off the east and west coasts. Specifially, the decided not to allow the States to decide on allowing drilling off thier coasts! So long Federalism. The Senate last month included ANWAR drilling in their budget bill, and the House removed it from theirs yesterday. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out in joint committee. But it strikes me as hypocritical to lambaste big oil for high oil/gas prices while at the same time refusing to allow the domestic expansion of oil/gas production at home. Not to mention that a new refinery has not been built in the U.S since the 1970’s!!
So, who is to blame? Of course, the usual Democratic suspects, but this time, a few Republicans have succumbed to the hysteria as well. I have been thoroughly disappointed in the Republican Party this year. Grow a spine for crying out loud! Republicans have a majority, and not by just one vote either. Quit trying to play nice. Democrats don’t know what nice is.
As I re-read this, I realize it isn’t super coherent. But writing it down was certainly therapeutic for me. I am just really sick of liberals crying about oil/gas prices as they drive the cars (that use gas) down the freeway (made with petroleum products) to their office (heated and cooled by petroleum products), while at the same time refusing to allow the U.S to tap a fraction of its natural resources that can be used to help alleviate the supply problem.
There is an enormous worldwide demand for oil right now. We all know that supply is stickier than demand –it takes longer for supply to catch up (assuming in this case it can catch up) to rising demand. If the markets are not allowed to work freely, which is what several legislators are calling for with this silly idea of a “windfall profit tax”, we will see temporary price decreases, but we will also experience energy shortages. We all know how that worked back in the 70’s, right? If you are a producer of oil, and you are going to get taxed at x% over a certain profit – why would you continue to produce oil once you hit that profit mark? You wouldn’t – and that will lead to an even thinner oil supply. It makes no sense. What makes even less sense is that this tax would only affect the U.S producers (a small percent of world production). If you are an investor, why would you invest in a U.S oil firm that is getting taxed at a higher rate when you can just invest in an overseas firm – you wouldn’t? Are you starting to see what nonsense this “windfall profit tax” is?
But wait, there is more. Some of the same legislators who summoned the oil executives for show and tell - as of yesterday, decided not to open parts of ANWAR to oil drilling – and decided not to allow drilling off the east and west coasts. Specifially, the decided not to allow the States to decide on allowing drilling off thier coasts! So long Federalism. The Senate last month included ANWAR drilling in their budget bill, and the House removed it from theirs yesterday. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out in joint committee. But it strikes me as hypocritical to lambaste big oil for high oil/gas prices while at the same time refusing to allow the domestic expansion of oil/gas production at home. Not to mention that a new refinery has not been built in the U.S since the 1970’s!!
So, who is to blame? Of course, the usual Democratic suspects, but this time, a few Republicans have succumbed to the hysteria as well. I have been thoroughly disappointed in the Republican Party this year. Grow a spine for crying out loud! Republicans have a majority, and not by just one vote either. Quit trying to play nice. Democrats don’t know what nice is.
As I re-read this, I realize it isn’t super coherent. But writing it down was certainly therapeutic for me. I am just really sick of liberals crying about oil/gas prices as they drive the cars (that use gas) down the freeway (made with petroleum products) to their office (heated and cooled by petroleum products), while at the same time refusing to allow the U.S to tap a fraction of its natural resources that can be used to help alleviate the supply problem.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
This needs more covereage
I have been too busy at work to post anything original lately. For the three of you that actually visit my board, please read Michelle Malkin’s piece today about the OU “suicide” bombing.
Hopefully things will slow down at work, or something will come along that sufficiently ticks me off enough to write something original.
Hopefully things will slow down at work, or something will come along that sufficiently ticks me off enough to write something original.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Major change in the Dallas radio scene
I have only been interested in politics for short period of time – the last 6 years or so. I’m not sure where it all started. I wasn’t particularly political in college. I never really concerned myself with liberal bias on campus or unfair speech codes and such. I sure as heck never participated in an affirmative action cookie sale (controversial genius). It was sometime around the end of the Clinton years that I really discovered my conservative roots.
For most people, being a political junkie means following the days topics in the paper or on line and cussing to yourself when you see something that jumps out as - well, cuss worthy. Few of us have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion with others who do not share our political viewpoint (political correctness put an end to that several years ago – hard to debate someone when you are always “offending” them). To some extent, the blogsphere has created such a forum for debate, but even then, most blog comments are in support of that blog’s overall theme and you are still left lacking for true give and take.
I, on the other hand, have had an amazing opportunity these past few years to not only engage in discussion and debate with others, but to broaden my horizons in a way I never thought possible. I’m talking about the P1 Wild Ass Circus on The Ticket (1310 AM in Dallas). Those reading this blog will be familiar with the show – no need to rehash the unique format that made the show a success. What started out as a couple of random “co-host” appearances on the show turned into one of the best experiences I have had.
Some of the highlights include: spending a day with Jose Canseco (after spending a day and a half on the road with Richard, Turley, Devin and Joe Michael), damn near getting Jose to cry after Turley planted a sweetheart of a question in my ear, interviewing noted liberal Al Franken (and getting into an argument with him over national employment numbers), interviewing Jose again after his book came out and discussing the steroid scandal, debating first amendment issue with Bruce the pornographer, interviewing Tommy Chong, winning the first ever WAC award for Best P1 Celebrity Interview (I would like to thank my parents, the academy….), and so many others, which I’m sure will come back to me over time.
So, what does this have to do with politics? Easy – this show gave me an opportunity to discuss politics with those who did not share my view - in some cases, with those who despised my view. And not just with those in studio, but also with people who would call in when we touched on a particularly hot topic (of which there were plenty leading up to the last Presidential election). I mention all this because, as of September 30, 2005, The Ticket has decided to cancel the P1 Wild Ass Circus. And for that, I am saddened.
I have no other radio experience to compare this to, but I can’t imagine any harder working duo than Richard and Turley. There is no doubt they will find another home for this show - if not this show, then something else. There is too much talent to waste by not having these guys work the radio waves. So, I’m not really sad for these two. I am sad for the metroplex. We are losing the one true format that helped revitalize the Great American Debate. You don’t get that kind of give and take with regular talk radio shows. You certainly don’t get the diversity of opinion you got from The Circus. And you wont find Al Franken or Rush Limbaugh giving near equal time to opposing opinions like Richard did (Note: that is NEAR equal. I still had lots more to say to Franken!!!).
I don’t know why the show was canceled – I assume it was a ratings issue, but I have my doubts on that. I just know that the metroplex is losing something special.
To all those who I have shared the mic with over the last couple of years, and to Richard “Big Dick” Hunter – Thank you! It was an awesome ride.
For most people, being a political junkie means following the days topics in the paper or on line and cussing to yourself when you see something that jumps out as - well, cuss worthy. Few of us have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion with others who do not share our political viewpoint (political correctness put an end to that several years ago – hard to debate someone when you are always “offending” them). To some extent, the blogsphere has created such a forum for debate, but even then, most blog comments are in support of that blog’s overall theme and you are still left lacking for true give and take.
I, on the other hand, have had an amazing opportunity these past few years to not only engage in discussion and debate with others, but to broaden my horizons in a way I never thought possible. I’m talking about the P1 Wild Ass Circus on The Ticket (1310 AM in Dallas). Those reading this blog will be familiar with the show – no need to rehash the unique format that made the show a success. What started out as a couple of random “co-host” appearances on the show turned into one of the best experiences I have had.
Some of the highlights include: spending a day with Jose Canseco (after spending a day and a half on the road with Richard, Turley, Devin and Joe Michael), damn near getting Jose to cry after Turley planted a sweetheart of a question in my ear, interviewing noted liberal Al Franken (and getting into an argument with him over national employment numbers), interviewing Jose again after his book came out and discussing the steroid scandal, debating first amendment issue with Bruce the pornographer, interviewing Tommy Chong, winning the first ever WAC award for Best P1 Celebrity Interview (I would like to thank my parents, the academy….), and so many others, which I’m sure will come back to me over time.
So, what does this have to do with politics? Easy – this show gave me an opportunity to discuss politics with those who did not share my view - in some cases, with those who despised my view. And not just with those in studio, but also with people who would call in when we touched on a particularly hot topic (of which there were plenty leading up to the last Presidential election). I mention all this because, as of September 30, 2005, The Ticket has decided to cancel the P1 Wild Ass Circus. And for that, I am saddened.
I have no other radio experience to compare this to, but I can’t imagine any harder working duo than Richard and Turley. There is no doubt they will find another home for this show - if not this show, then something else. There is too much talent to waste by not having these guys work the radio waves. So, I’m not really sad for these two. I am sad for the metroplex. We are losing the one true format that helped revitalize the Great American Debate. You don’t get that kind of give and take with regular talk radio shows. You certainly don’t get the diversity of opinion you got from The Circus. And you wont find Al Franken or Rush Limbaugh giving near equal time to opposing opinions like Richard did (Note: that is NEAR equal. I still had lots more to say to Franken!!!).
I don’t know why the show was canceled – I assume it was a ratings issue, but I have my doubts on that. I just know that the metroplex is losing something special.
To all those who I have shared the mic with over the last couple of years, and to Richard “Big Dick” Hunter – Thank you! It was an awesome ride.
Friday, September 30, 2005
More nonsense from me
I want to use today as a day to play catch up. It seems the anti-Bush faction has made some seriously flawed analysis over the last few weeks, and I just want to see how the scorecard reads.
Lets start with the Karl Rove story. Just two months ago I was on the air on the WAC (which can be heard weeknights from 8-10 on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket) getting an earful from the liberal contingent on how Rove should step down – how he was going to be exposed for the political hack that he is, how he lied, compromised an “undercover agent”, etc, etc. I can’t recall hearing a single story in the last two months on this. What happened?
What about the Katrina, Bush hates black people, story? Just 5 or 6 days after Katrina hit, every man women and child in the blue states was blaming the entire fiasco on President Bush. Blaming him for everything from causing the hurricane (you know – because he didn’t sign the Kyoto treaty. Never mind it was the full Congress that completely rejected the treaty), withholding guard troops because he doesn’t like black people, to staffing FEMA with unqualified political cronies (well…you maybe on to something on this one).
Now that the dust has cleared, or the water has settled, it turns out that the un-informed/ill-informed are getting a civics lesson in how our republican form of government works. You know, states rights and all. Having a President conduct operations in a state without being granted permission by that state is tantamount to King George taxing the colonies without representation. Our founders specifically did not allow this in the new form of government. There are very few instances where the President can control state actions regardless of whether he has an invite or not. And what about the cause of the hurricane? I mean, hurricanes these days are way stronger and more frequent than they use to be – right? Uh, wrong. In fact, here is the homework assignment for today. Provide me a list of all category 5 hurricanes since 1900 – and then, attempt to explain to me how global warming has caused the increase. If you can do that, I will donate $25 to the Red Cross in your name – no joke. Here is a hint though: you wont be able to win this bet. Category 5 hurricanes are DECLINING in frequency!
Anyways, I would love to hear from my liberal friends out there on their thoughts on today’s topics. I wonder if anyone is willing to admit their hatred for President Bush has slightly impeded their ability for sound reasoning. I didn’t really plan on writing this much. I haven’t even touched on Iraq yet. Seems that the Iraqi’s have 82 battalions of combat ready troops as of this morning (according the Gen Richard Meyers). I only tell you that as a public service – you won’t be reading about that in your local paper.
Have a great weekend. I hope to be getting my membership packet this weekend for the Secret Neo-Con Society. We are working on our next vast conspiracy. Details to come.
Lets start with the Karl Rove story. Just two months ago I was on the air on the WAC (which can be heard weeknights from 8-10 on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket) getting an earful from the liberal contingent on how Rove should step down – how he was going to be exposed for the political hack that he is, how he lied, compromised an “undercover agent”, etc, etc. I can’t recall hearing a single story in the last two months on this. What happened?
What about the Katrina, Bush hates black people, story? Just 5 or 6 days after Katrina hit, every man women and child in the blue states was blaming the entire fiasco on President Bush. Blaming him for everything from causing the hurricane (you know – because he didn’t sign the Kyoto treaty. Never mind it was the full Congress that completely rejected the treaty), withholding guard troops because he doesn’t like black people, to staffing FEMA with unqualified political cronies (well…you maybe on to something on this one).
Now that the dust has cleared, or the water has settled, it turns out that the un-informed/ill-informed are getting a civics lesson in how our republican form of government works. You know, states rights and all. Having a President conduct operations in a state without being granted permission by that state is tantamount to King George taxing the colonies without representation. Our founders specifically did not allow this in the new form of government. There are very few instances where the President can control state actions regardless of whether he has an invite or not. And what about the cause of the hurricane? I mean, hurricanes these days are way stronger and more frequent than they use to be – right? Uh, wrong. In fact, here is the homework assignment for today. Provide me a list of all category 5 hurricanes since 1900 – and then, attempt to explain to me how global warming has caused the increase. If you can do that, I will donate $25 to the Red Cross in your name – no joke. Here is a hint though: you wont be able to win this bet. Category 5 hurricanes are DECLINING in frequency!
Anyways, I would love to hear from my liberal friends out there on their thoughts on today’s topics. I wonder if anyone is willing to admit their hatred for President Bush has slightly impeded their ability for sound reasoning. I didn’t really plan on writing this much. I haven’t even touched on Iraq yet. Seems that the Iraqi’s have 82 battalions of combat ready troops as of this morning (according the Gen Richard Meyers). I only tell you that as a public service – you won’t be reading about that in your local paper.
Have a great weekend. I hope to be getting my membership packet this weekend for the Secret Neo-Con Society. We are working on our next vast conspiracy. Details to come.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Thoughts for the day
The ‘Great Storm of 05’ came through my area last night - serious rain, thunder and enough lightning to knock my power off for over an hour. The power going off was not a major deal for me at first. I actually enjoyed the darkness and semi-quiet for a bit. That is, until the kids got over their initial excitement and became bored. So, I did what any father would do, I loaded the Wiggles into my laptop’s DVD player for some instant entertainment.
Now, of all nights, this was the night my insurance agent was suppose to come over for me to sign new insurance documents. He shows up around 7:45 or so and my wife and I start signing by candlelight. I’m pretty sure we were authorizing new coverage for our house and car, but given the poor lighting, I may have sold my oldest son to a goat farmer in Iraq – not sure. I’m either saving $60 a month or receiving 60 goats in exchange. I guess only time will tell.
The electricity came back on around 9 – thanks to those hard working Reliant, or is it TXU workers (I never really know where my electricity comes from). I immediately turned the thermostat down to 72 to make up for lost time. I suppose by doing this I am responsible for another child dying over in Iraq for President Bush’s oil – but hey, I’m a Republican. I’m supposed to be a heartless consumer of scarce natural resources. Shortly after the house cooled down, I went outside and shot a few spotted owls.
One final thought for they day. This doesn’t really go with the first story, but not significant enough to warrant its own space. Is it just me, or is it really rude to talk on the phone while you’re in a public restroom? Not standing at the urinal mind you, but sitting in the stall. This incident occurred this morning at work – and it just really struck me as odd.
Now, of all nights, this was the night my insurance agent was suppose to come over for me to sign new insurance documents. He shows up around 7:45 or so and my wife and I start signing by candlelight. I’m pretty sure we were authorizing new coverage for our house and car, but given the poor lighting, I may have sold my oldest son to a goat farmer in Iraq – not sure. I’m either saving $60 a month or receiving 60 goats in exchange. I guess only time will tell.
The electricity came back on around 9 – thanks to those hard working Reliant, or is it TXU workers (I never really know where my electricity comes from). I immediately turned the thermostat down to 72 to make up for lost time. I suppose by doing this I am responsible for another child dying over in Iraq for President Bush’s oil – but hey, I’m a Republican. I’m supposed to be a heartless consumer of scarce natural resources. Shortly after the house cooled down, I went outside and shot a few spotted owls.
One final thought for they day. This doesn’t really go with the first story, but not significant enough to warrant its own space. Is it just me, or is it really rude to talk on the phone while you’re in a public restroom? Not standing at the urinal mind you, but sitting in the stall. This incident occurred this morning at work – and it just really struck me as odd.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Old Hippies
Mike Adams is one of my favorite columnists. His satire and wit is only rivaled by my favorite flame-thrower, Anne Coulter – yet he is not as hateful as she. Mr. Adams is a professor at UNC-Wilmington (I think) and often writes about his real life experiences with liberal leanings in academia. Today’s topic is not academic related, but a fun read nonetheless.
You can find Mr Adams’ work on www.townhall.com
Sugar MountainMike S. Adams
September 20, 2005
When Neil Young wrote the song “Sugar Mountain” in the 1960s, he was just a teenager. The song wasn’t about a real place. It was about coming to terms with growing up and leaving one’s childhood behind. I was 18 the first time I heard him sing the line, “You can’t be twenty on Sugar Mountain.” Today it’s still one of my favorite songs.
Last winter I went to an actual place in North Carolina called Sugar Mountain. The occasion was a youth ski trip organized by a local church. I was a chaperone. One of the other chaperones was a former hippie from the 1960s. He’s not really a hippie anymore, although he’s still a liberal. Now he’s raising four kids.
I learned a lot about both the 60s and liberalism, just by spending four days in the mountains with that former hippie. I wrote this column to pass on what I learned. I would hate for my readers to have to experience such a trip firsthand in order to get the knowledge I obtained through so much frustration.
My fellow chaperone got to go skiing for free since he paid for one of his children to go on the ski trip. I was a little perplexed when he showed up with, not one, but three of his children, since two of them had not paid for the trip. He just thought that he would bring them along in case some of the kids who paid didn’t show up. That way, along with him, two of his kids could ski for free. Even though that wasn’t the case, he asked if they could bum a ride to the mountains to spend some time with their older sister (who also ended up joining us later). The youth director graciously complied with his request.
When we got on the bus, the former-hippie-turned-chaperone began to take charge. He approached the bus driver (who happened to be black) and offered to tell him how to get from Wilmington to the location just east of Asheville where the group was staying. For those who don’t know, it is a straight shot up I-40, just one road for six hours.
But the former-hippie-turned-navigator had another route in mind. It involved going to South Carolina to pick up I-26. He spoke real slowly to the bus driver, hoping that he could sell him his “short-cut.” When the driver refused, he warned us that “this guy is going to need a lot of guidance.” When we looked at him, we only saw a professional bus driver. When the former hippie looked at him, he apparently saw an unintelligent black man. I have found that you can usually identify a liberal by the way he talks to black people. This was certainly no exception.
By following the route of the bus driver, we made it to our destination in less than six hours. But the driver had never been to Sugar Mountain, so we needed someone to navigate the next morning. The former hippie volunteered. The youth director consented. I didn’t voice my concerns because I thought it would be funny to watch him get lost. I also planned to time him before I offered to get us home later that night, betting that I could do so in half the time.
No one on the bus realized anything was wrong until we saw the signs saying “Welcome to Tennessee.” A sixth grader asked why we would go from a place in eastern North Carolina to a more central place in North Carolina via Tennessee. I said “by dropping lots of acid in the 60s.” Fortunately, she didn’t get the joke.
As we were entering Tennessee, I thought about the former hippie’s daughter who was wearing black leather boots and a ton of mascara. She had a pin on her jacket that said “Bush is stupid.” I wanted to ask her whether she thought that Bush was stupid enough to wind up in Tennessee while traveling westward through North Carolina (on the way to western North Carolina). But I didn’t want to interrupt her. She was reading Chomsky.
We made it to Sugar Mountain in just less than three hours. Later that day I heard the former hippie telling several of the kids that our tardiness was the bus driver’s fault because he missed several turns. Later someone (I wonder who?) reported the driver to the bus company for bad driving. The driver got in trouble with his boss, but at least the former-hippie-turned-whistle-blower was spared the embarrassment of taking the blame for getting everyone lost. I guess you could call it a little white lie.
At the end of the day, the former hippie was delighted to learn the youth director was not going to ski all weekend due to an ailing foot. He was also glad to hear that I would not be skiing because of an old Achilles tendon injury. That meant extra passes for the rest of his family. Now he could rest easy while I navigated the trip home in just one hour and 21 minutes.
In the morning, when we met for a buffet breakfast, the former hippie sat down with an enormous plate of food. He had a bowl of fruit, eggs, biscuits, five cartons of milk, and (literally) a bunch of bananas. I thought there was no way he could eat all of “his” food. I was right. He stuffed most of it in his coat and offered it to his (now four) children on the bus. Apparently, none could afford breakfast, even though four of the five members of the family were now skiing for free.
I almost felt sorry for the family until I found out they were wealthy. The oldest daughter went to a private college and paid $40,000 tuition her freshman year. Her father went there, too. It seems they were old money liberals.
The youngest child of my former-hippie/fellow chaperone was nine. He refused to drink the free milk and eat the free fruit that daddy had stolen for the rest of his family. Instead, he ate a whole carton of chocolate fudge cookies for breakfast. By the end of his breakfast the hyperactive child was shaking so badly he couldn’t hold his gloves anymore.
But before the trip was over, the kid started bragging about how his family had twenty pairs of ski goggles, although they hadn’t paid for a single one. “When someone leaves them at a table in the ski lodge, we just take them, don’t we daddy?” My fellow chaperone quickly replied, “No, son! Shut up and stop being so annoying!” It was the only form of discipline to come from former-hippie-turned-daddy all weekend.
Later, when the youngest child of the hippie-turned-ski-goggle-looter asked me to watch “his” goggles, I considered it a “teachable moment.” I told him, “Don’t you know that private property is the root of all evil? From each according to his ability…” I was interrupted by a swift kick under the table from the youth director.
And that was pretty much how the whole weekend went. The adult chaperones spend most of their time looking after the hippie-turned-chaperone to make sure that he didn’t get anyone lost, fired, or thrown in jail for stealing food or ski equipment. I was so focused on controlling him that I just ignored his daughter when she started crushing hundreds of croutons with her fist at the Pizza Hut salad bar.
When we got back from the trip, I was unsurprised to learn that the liberal chaperone once decided to have picnic with his family underneath a tree in a neighbor’s front yard. Of course, he didn’t ask his neighbor first. He just laid out a blanket and started playing his guitar and munching granola with his wife and four children. We must always remember that friends don’t let friends drop acid - at least not every day for a whole decade. The effects tend to linger for years, sometimes even decades.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that every liberal hippie from the 60s is a full-blown sociopath like my fellow chaperone. But the symptoms are always the same, aren’t they? His condescension towards blacks, his unwavering arrogance in the wake of his own obvious stupidity, his looting and hoarding of limited resources, his lack of respect for the truth, his the lack of respect for the property of others, and, mostly, his refusal to grow up.
My weekend in the mountains reminded me that liberalism is not really a political philosophy. Instead, it is a state of arrested emotional development. It is a way of thinking, which leads to no place in the real world. It is a place existing only in the imagination.
Perhaps Neil Young said it best in the 1960s: “Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain, with the barkers and the colored balloons. You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain, though you're thinking that you're leaving there too soon…”
You can find Mr Adams’ work on www.townhall.com
Sugar MountainMike S. Adams
September 20, 2005
When Neil Young wrote the song “Sugar Mountain” in the 1960s, he was just a teenager. The song wasn’t about a real place. It was about coming to terms with growing up and leaving one’s childhood behind. I was 18 the first time I heard him sing the line, “You can’t be twenty on Sugar Mountain.” Today it’s still one of my favorite songs.
Last winter I went to an actual place in North Carolina called Sugar Mountain. The occasion was a youth ski trip organized by a local church. I was a chaperone. One of the other chaperones was a former hippie from the 1960s. He’s not really a hippie anymore, although he’s still a liberal. Now he’s raising four kids.
I learned a lot about both the 60s and liberalism, just by spending four days in the mountains with that former hippie. I wrote this column to pass on what I learned. I would hate for my readers to have to experience such a trip firsthand in order to get the knowledge I obtained through so much frustration.
My fellow chaperone got to go skiing for free since he paid for one of his children to go on the ski trip. I was a little perplexed when he showed up with, not one, but three of his children, since two of them had not paid for the trip. He just thought that he would bring them along in case some of the kids who paid didn’t show up. That way, along with him, two of his kids could ski for free. Even though that wasn’t the case, he asked if they could bum a ride to the mountains to spend some time with their older sister (who also ended up joining us later). The youth director graciously complied with his request.
When we got on the bus, the former-hippie-turned-chaperone began to take charge. He approached the bus driver (who happened to be black) and offered to tell him how to get from Wilmington to the location just east of Asheville where the group was staying. For those who don’t know, it is a straight shot up I-40, just one road for six hours.
But the former-hippie-turned-navigator had another route in mind. It involved going to South Carolina to pick up I-26. He spoke real slowly to the bus driver, hoping that he could sell him his “short-cut.” When the driver refused, he warned us that “this guy is going to need a lot of guidance.” When we looked at him, we only saw a professional bus driver. When the former hippie looked at him, he apparently saw an unintelligent black man. I have found that you can usually identify a liberal by the way he talks to black people. This was certainly no exception.
By following the route of the bus driver, we made it to our destination in less than six hours. But the driver had never been to Sugar Mountain, so we needed someone to navigate the next morning. The former hippie volunteered. The youth director consented. I didn’t voice my concerns because I thought it would be funny to watch him get lost. I also planned to time him before I offered to get us home later that night, betting that I could do so in half the time.
No one on the bus realized anything was wrong until we saw the signs saying “Welcome to Tennessee.” A sixth grader asked why we would go from a place in eastern North Carolina to a more central place in North Carolina via Tennessee. I said “by dropping lots of acid in the 60s.” Fortunately, she didn’t get the joke.
As we were entering Tennessee, I thought about the former hippie’s daughter who was wearing black leather boots and a ton of mascara. She had a pin on her jacket that said “Bush is stupid.” I wanted to ask her whether she thought that Bush was stupid enough to wind up in Tennessee while traveling westward through North Carolina (on the way to western North Carolina). But I didn’t want to interrupt her. She was reading Chomsky.
We made it to Sugar Mountain in just less than three hours. Later that day I heard the former hippie telling several of the kids that our tardiness was the bus driver’s fault because he missed several turns. Later someone (I wonder who?) reported the driver to the bus company for bad driving. The driver got in trouble with his boss, but at least the former-hippie-turned-whistle-blower was spared the embarrassment of taking the blame for getting everyone lost. I guess you could call it a little white lie.
At the end of the day, the former hippie was delighted to learn the youth director was not going to ski all weekend due to an ailing foot. He was also glad to hear that I would not be skiing because of an old Achilles tendon injury. That meant extra passes for the rest of his family. Now he could rest easy while I navigated the trip home in just one hour and 21 minutes.
In the morning, when we met for a buffet breakfast, the former hippie sat down with an enormous plate of food. He had a bowl of fruit, eggs, biscuits, five cartons of milk, and (literally) a bunch of bananas. I thought there was no way he could eat all of “his” food. I was right. He stuffed most of it in his coat and offered it to his (now four) children on the bus. Apparently, none could afford breakfast, even though four of the five members of the family were now skiing for free.
I almost felt sorry for the family until I found out they were wealthy. The oldest daughter went to a private college and paid $40,000 tuition her freshman year. Her father went there, too. It seems they were old money liberals.
The youngest child of my former-hippie/fellow chaperone was nine. He refused to drink the free milk and eat the free fruit that daddy had stolen for the rest of his family. Instead, he ate a whole carton of chocolate fudge cookies for breakfast. By the end of his breakfast the hyperactive child was shaking so badly he couldn’t hold his gloves anymore.
But before the trip was over, the kid started bragging about how his family had twenty pairs of ski goggles, although they hadn’t paid for a single one. “When someone leaves them at a table in the ski lodge, we just take them, don’t we daddy?” My fellow chaperone quickly replied, “No, son! Shut up and stop being so annoying!” It was the only form of discipline to come from former-hippie-turned-daddy all weekend.
Later, when the youngest child of the hippie-turned-ski-goggle-looter asked me to watch “his” goggles, I considered it a “teachable moment.” I told him, “Don’t you know that private property is the root of all evil? From each according to his ability…” I was interrupted by a swift kick under the table from the youth director.
And that was pretty much how the whole weekend went. The adult chaperones spend most of their time looking after the hippie-turned-chaperone to make sure that he didn’t get anyone lost, fired, or thrown in jail for stealing food or ski equipment. I was so focused on controlling him that I just ignored his daughter when she started crushing hundreds of croutons with her fist at the Pizza Hut salad bar.
When we got back from the trip, I was unsurprised to learn that the liberal chaperone once decided to have picnic with his family underneath a tree in a neighbor’s front yard. Of course, he didn’t ask his neighbor first. He just laid out a blanket and started playing his guitar and munching granola with his wife and four children. We must always remember that friends don’t let friends drop acid - at least not every day for a whole decade. The effects tend to linger for years, sometimes even decades.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that every liberal hippie from the 60s is a full-blown sociopath like my fellow chaperone. But the symptoms are always the same, aren’t they? His condescension towards blacks, his unwavering arrogance in the wake of his own obvious stupidity, his looting and hoarding of limited resources, his lack of respect for the truth, his the lack of respect for the property of others, and, mostly, his refusal to grow up.
My weekend in the mountains reminded me that liberalism is not really a political philosophy. Instead, it is a state of arrested emotional development. It is a way of thinking, which leads to no place in the real world. It is a place existing only in the imagination.
Perhaps Neil Young said it best in the 1960s: “Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain, with the barkers and the colored balloons. You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain, though you're thinking that you're leaving there too soon…”
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Hiking Trip
“Somebody in Chaco Canyon Loves Me” is what the T-shirt says. Well, actually, it doesn’t. In fact, I don’t think the ranger station even sold T-shirts, but it should. I spent 8 hours this past weekend in an area of New Mexico that is regarded by many Native Americans as sacred, and is regarded by the Parks Department as a World Heritage site – Chaco Canyon. It is such a “worldly site” that our tour guide on one of the excursions was an exchange student from Italy.
Chaco Canyon is about 2 hours northwest of Albuquerque. An hour and half of which is on a paved highway – not a bad drive. Even the last 30 minutes of dirt road wasn’t bad either, until we came to the low water crossing. As our luck would have it, it rained the night before (being that this is the desert, rain is a rarity). The sign clearly said “Do not cross if water is flowing over the road”. Forget that! I didn’t fly 1.5 hours, and drive another two to turn back at that point. It took me about 15 seconds to convince my dad that our Mitsubishi Gallant could make it – and it did. The argument I presented went like this, “Dad. This is a rental car and the water aint that deep.” End of story - adventure #1 out of the way.
The Chacoan ruins are spread throughout the canyon on an 8 mile paved loop. It sure was nice of those ancient people to build close to the pavement. You can park you car and walk about 100-200 yards to the structures. The buildings range from being partially excavated to fully excavated to the point that you can walk through many of the rooms. One of the most impressive and the biggest, fully excavated was Pueblo Bonito. This thing was huge. It was at least 4 stories tall back around 900 – 1150 AD; currently the walls in some places are still 3 stories. Half of the pueblo is accessible – everything but the Kivas – which are round pits built into the ground for religious ceremonies and such.
Up until this point, the trip was very cool, in an ancient sort of way. But we came for some hiking and hiking is what we did. Just up the road from Pueblo Bonito is the Pueblo Alto trailhead. This is the beginning of a 2.5-mile direct hike to Pueblo Alto or a 6-mile loop hike. The elevation change was only 500 feet from the canyon floor to the top of the mesa, but it was a fairly vertical ascent up large boulders and through an impressive rock chimney that would cause many people’s claustrophobia to act up. Once on top of the mesa it was about a half mile hike back above Pueblo Bonito for an excellent photo opportunity – taking in the entire Pueblo form on top. Another mile up the terraced steps to the ultimate top of the mesa and you arrived at Pueblo Alto - not nearly as well excavated but still worth the trip. The view looking out one of the doors of that Pueblo out into the canyon below was awesome.
After leaving Chaco, we made the 2-hour drive to Santa Fe National Forest. Just north of Santa Fe and close to Los Alamos. What a difference 2 hours makes in the change of scenery. Scouted out the trailhead #137 that we were looking for and then went back to find some place to camp for the night. I won’t bore you with the camping details. It was pretty uneventful - other than to say we made a serious mistake by getting a cheap 2-man tent. Note to self, cut the occupancy in half based on what the box says.
Started the morning hike at 7 am after eating a breakfast of nothing. Breakfast was one of the things we overlooked when preparing for this excursion. We did have plenty of trail mix and some apples, which I quickly devoured about 45 minutes in. There are two trails you can take from the starting point. The first is a casual quarter-mile stroll to a really scenic waterfall – very easy. We did that in about 10 minutes, and then made it back to the “real” trail. This one is about a 3-mile trip to the McCauley Hot Springs. The first mile is mostly downhill and not too difficult. About 30 minutes in, there is a split in the trail off to the left – unmarked. Taking this split would prove to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. About 50 yards down you come to a jagged rocky overlook that peeks out of the forest. The view from the top of these rocks is unbelievable. The entire forest valley spreading out below and wilderness as far as the eye can see.
The next mile or so was up and down and varied from easy to strenuous. The final mile or so was mostly uphill. After about 2 hours we arrived at the springs. And after removing my shoes and getting in, I realized they should rename it the “Warm Springs” instead of “Hot Springs”. We rested here for about 30 minutes and started back. It was much harder going back given the uphill nature and being out of hiking shape.
That’s it. I would recommend this hike to anyone – from beginners to intermediate hikers. Those serious trailblazers may not find this super challenging, but it was about as much as I could take. Enjoy the pictures below and give me a ring next time anyone wants to take off to nowhere.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Unemployment Rate
Good news on the economy. Unemployment rate fell to 4.9%. Just a shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing the fact that over 1 million people in New Orleans and surrounding areas may be without a job for a while, this number is going to climb.
Surprising Speach From the Left? Hardly.
Chrenkoff has a list of representative quotes from the left regarding Katrina. He calls them "exploitation quotes", I call them discraceful. Its a good sampling of hatred from political characters to the man on the street. Here is one of my favorites:
"10. Joseph Cannon at BradBlog was initially feeling just as compassionate, but then he changed his mind - somewhat:
So why was I thinking of starting a movement against giving aid to the stricken areas?Because these are red states. They voted for Bush. These ninnies obviously wanted these policies, and they deserve to live with the consequences of their votes.A large part of me still believes that many of these W-worshipping numbskulls deserve to suffer and to die. They brought it on themselves. Let them look to Jayzuss for aid: It's time they stopped leeching off the more productive blue staters...But then (to paraphrase the old song) I thought I'd better think it out again.Many of the victims, the ones who have suffered the most, are poor. The hardest hit were the blue state folk living among the red state maniacs. New Orleans, we should note, went heavily for Kerry.And that's why we must help. Although it was very tempting to say otherwise.
But let us make one thing clear: We WILL politicize this issue.The Republicans did not shirk from making political use of 9/11, and we should not shirk from reminding the country that Bush turned what should have been a mere problem into Ragnarok.Conservatives may accuse us of lacking taste if we use this sad occasion to point out sadder facts of political life. Cable news pundits will try to pretend that now is not the time for partisan politics.If they say that, screw 'em.If the Bush-voters want Californians and New Yorkers and other blue staters to fork over dough, then they damn well had better take our words as well. Republican policies caused this catastrophe. Force them to hear that message -- again and again. That message is the price of the charity they now demand. "
You gotta love the compashion that these people show. What a great American this guy is. Willing to help out only those who voted against Bush in the last election. You want to know why I have become more vocal the past couple of years in my political beliefs? It is to counter the assholes like Joseph Cannon who epitomize everything the left stands for. And to be fair to my few level headed left leaning brethren, I will throw in the word "majority" when I say the left. I realize there are a few liberals who will do thier part without considering whether the person they are helping is a rebublican or democract.
"10. Joseph Cannon at BradBlog was initially feeling just as compassionate, but then he changed his mind - somewhat:
So why was I thinking of starting a movement against giving aid to the stricken areas?Because these are red states. They voted for Bush. These ninnies obviously wanted these policies, and they deserve to live with the consequences of their votes.A large part of me still believes that many of these W-worshipping numbskulls deserve to suffer and to die. They brought it on themselves. Let them look to Jayzuss for aid: It's time they stopped leeching off the more productive blue staters...But then (to paraphrase the old song) I thought I'd better think it out again.Many of the victims, the ones who have suffered the most, are poor. The hardest hit were the blue state folk living among the red state maniacs. New Orleans, we should note, went heavily for Kerry.And that's why we must help. Although it was very tempting to say otherwise.
But let us make one thing clear: We WILL politicize this issue.The Republicans did not shirk from making political use of 9/11, and we should not shirk from reminding the country that Bush turned what should have been a mere problem into Ragnarok.Conservatives may accuse us of lacking taste if we use this sad occasion to point out sadder facts of political life. Cable news pundits will try to pretend that now is not the time for partisan politics.If they say that, screw 'em.If the Bush-voters want Californians and New Yorkers and other blue staters to fork over dough, then they damn well had better take our words as well. Republican policies caused this catastrophe. Force them to hear that message -- again and again. That message is the price of the charity they now demand. "
You gotta love the compashion that these people show. What a great American this guy is. Willing to help out only those who voted against Bush in the last election. You want to know why I have become more vocal the past couple of years in my political beliefs? It is to counter the assholes like Joseph Cannon who epitomize everything the left stands for. And to be fair to my few level headed left leaning brethren, I will throw in the word "majority" when I say the left. I realize there are a few liberals who will do thier part without considering whether the person they are helping is a rebublican or democract.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
America's Most Wanted - Looters
I have struggled with writing something regarding the devastation left behind from Katrina. I have pretty strong opinions when it comes to political topics (no - seriously. I do). The destruction and clean-up stories are being covered everywhere. And each one I read brings me closer to tears.
But there are two topics related to Katrina that make me sick. The first comes from the leftist’s communists, eco-terrorists, represented by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are blaming the hurricane on the Bush Administration’s rejection of the Kyoto agreement. I do not have the time or the will to discuss the ignorance of this argument right now. Judging by the majority of the comments on the leftwing Huffington Blog, most people (left and right) feel the same way I do. If anyone cares to argue the point we can do that later. It will undoubtedly be a very short argument.
The other issue that disturbs me is the looting and lawlessness that is taking place in New Orleans and surrounding devastated areas. This is disturbing, tragic, and sad and I am struggling to understand what type of American would do this. The same type of American who looted in New York in the 70’s, Los Angeles in the 90’s, and New Orleans today. At least, it appears to be the same demographics. Poor, mostly black men and women taking from those trusting individuals (of all races) who evacuated as told ahead of the storm. Individuals who trusted their fellow Americans to not take what was left behind.
I think it is important to separate looters into two types. The first group is people who have gone 48 hours or more without food and water and are breaking into stores to fulfill those basic life-sustaining needs. These people have my sympathy and I do not look down on them, as I would do exactly the same thing in that situation.
The second group, however, should be shot on site. Those breaking into stores and walking out with flat screen TV’s (hey idiots, you won’t have electricity for a month or so – good luck with that T.V.), jewelry, radios, etc. These people are so brazen in their looting that they are doing this in broad daylight within site of public officials who are frantically searching for survivors. Where is the Korean storekeeper who we saw in LA armed with his gun to keep away the looters? I’ll tell you – he is in Dallas, or Houston, or Shreveport – praying that he made the right decision to leave behind all he owned for the sake of saving his family’s life.
I pray these looters don’t make it into the evacuation buses headed for my city. This type of individual will have a field day in Dallas. We already have the worst crime rate in the country. I’m not sure this city is ready to handle the long-term effects of relocating hundreds of lawless individuals to a town already know for its lawlessness.
So the question is why? Why does one particular demographic have a proclivity, given certain situations, to take from others in the middle of such tragedy? Is it because they have “felt repressed by the man” for so long that they are fighting back? If so, then how do you explain the looting in LA by minorities in minority communities? Is this behavior prevalent in all races and we only see the manifestation of it in minorities because those just happen to be the sectors hit the hardest in the previously sited incidents? I don’t have the answers. And if you started reading this because you thought I did – I’m sorry. This is more of a “thinking out load” exercise for me. I’m trying to understand where all the good Americans went – the ones we saw in New York on 9/11. The ones we found out about on Flight 93. The ones we read about fighting in Iraq (well, at least those of us who read something other than The Times). I know they are there in New Orleans. I just wish they didn’t have to compete for airtime with the criminals.
But there are two topics related to Katrina that make me sick. The first comes from the leftist’s communists, eco-terrorists, represented by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are blaming the hurricane on the Bush Administration’s rejection of the Kyoto agreement. I do not have the time or the will to discuss the ignorance of this argument right now. Judging by the majority of the comments on the leftwing Huffington Blog, most people (left and right) feel the same way I do. If anyone cares to argue the point we can do that later. It will undoubtedly be a very short argument.
The other issue that disturbs me is the looting and lawlessness that is taking place in New Orleans and surrounding devastated areas. This is disturbing, tragic, and sad and I am struggling to understand what type of American would do this. The same type of American who looted in New York in the 70’s, Los Angeles in the 90’s, and New Orleans today. At least, it appears to be the same demographics. Poor, mostly black men and women taking from those trusting individuals (of all races) who evacuated as told ahead of the storm. Individuals who trusted their fellow Americans to not take what was left behind.
I think it is important to separate looters into two types. The first group is people who have gone 48 hours or more without food and water and are breaking into stores to fulfill those basic life-sustaining needs. These people have my sympathy and I do not look down on them, as I would do exactly the same thing in that situation.
The second group, however, should be shot on site. Those breaking into stores and walking out with flat screen TV’s (hey idiots, you won’t have electricity for a month or so – good luck with that T.V.), jewelry, radios, etc. These people are so brazen in their looting that they are doing this in broad daylight within site of public officials who are frantically searching for survivors. Where is the Korean storekeeper who we saw in LA armed with his gun to keep away the looters? I’ll tell you – he is in Dallas, or Houston, or Shreveport – praying that he made the right decision to leave behind all he owned for the sake of saving his family’s life.
I pray these looters don’t make it into the evacuation buses headed for my city. This type of individual will have a field day in Dallas. We already have the worst crime rate in the country. I’m not sure this city is ready to handle the long-term effects of relocating hundreds of lawless individuals to a town already know for its lawlessness.
So the question is why? Why does one particular demographic have a proclivity, given certain situations, to take from others in the middle of such tragedy? Is it because they have “felt repressed by the man” for so long that they are fighting back? If so, then how do you explain the looting in LA by minorities in minority communities? Is this behavior prevalent in all races and we only see the manifestation of it in minorities because those just happen to be the sectors hit the hardest in the previously sited incidents? I don’t have the answers. And if you started reading this because you thought I did – I’m sorry. This is more of a “thinking out load” exercise for me. I’m trying to understand where all the good Americans went – the ones we saw in New York on 9/11. The ones we found out about on Flight 93. The ones we read about fighting in Iraq (well, at least those of us who read something other than The Times). I know they are there in New Orleans. I just wish they didn’t have to compete for airtime with the criminals.
Monday, August 29, 2005
We the sons of Mesopotamia...
Just when I thought there wasn’t anything worthwhile happening in that “second-Vietnam” we call Iraq – those anti-American, anti-democracy, ungrateful Iraqis go and write something like this (I pray the sarcasm wasn’t lost on that):
Please pay careful attention to Article One – for all those concerned that the new Iraq is worse than the old one governed by a single ruthless dictator who got his jollies off gassing Kurds and throwing newspaper publishers off buildings.
The Draft of the Iraq Constitution (thier first in case you are counting)
PREAMBLE
We the sons of Mesopotamia, land of the (messengers), prophets, resting place of the holy imams, the leaders of civilization and the creators of the alphabet, the cradle of arithmetic: on our land, the first law put in place by mankind was written; in our nation, the most noble era of justice in the politics of nations was laid down; on our soil, the followers of the prophet and the saints prayed, the philosophers and the scientists theorized and the writers and poets created.
Recognizing God's right upon us; obeying the call of our nation and our citizens; responding to the call of our religious and national leaders (and our national forces and politicians) and the insistence of our great religious authorities and our leaders and our reformers, we went by the millions for the first time in our history to the ballot box, men and women, young and old, on Jan. 30, 2005, remembering the pains of the despotic band's sectarian oppression; inspired by the suffering of Iraq's martyrs -- Sunni and Shiite, Arab, Kurd and Turkomen, and the remaining brethren in all communities -- inspired by the injustice against the holy cities (and the south) in the popular uprising and (burnt with the sorrows of the mass graves, the marches and Dujail and others); recalling the agonies of the national oppression in the massacres of Halabja, Barzan, Anfal and against the Faili Kurds; inspired by the tragedies of the Turkomen in Bashir, and as in other parts of Iraq, (the people of the western region have suffered from the liquidation of its leaders, symbols, tribal leaders and displacing its intellectuals, so we worked hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder) to create a new Iraq, Iraq of the future, without sectarianism, racial strife, regionalism, discrimination and (elimination).
Terrorism and "takfir" (Editors Note: takfir means to declare someone an infidel) did not divert us from moving forward to build a nation of law. Sectarianism and racism did not stop us from marching together to strengthen our national unity, set ways to peacefully transfer power, adopt a manner to fairly distribute wealth and give equal opportunity to all.
We the people of Iraq, newly arisen from our disasters and looking with confidence to the future through a democratic, federal, republican system, are determined -- men and women, old and young -- to respect the rule of law, reject the policy of aggression, pay attention to women and their rights, the elderly and their cares, the children and their affairs, spread the culture of diversity and defuse terrorism.
We are the people of Iraq, who in all our forms and groupings undertake to establish our union freely and by choice, to learn yesterday's lessons for tomorrow, and to write down this permanent constitution from the high values and ideals of the heavenly messages and the developments of science and human civilization, and to adhere to this constitution, which shall preserve for Iraq its free union of people, land and sovereignty.
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC PRINCIPLES
Article (1): The Republic of Iraq is an independent, sovereign nation, and the system of rule in it is a democratic, federal, representative (parliamentary) republic.
Please pay careful attention to Article One – for all those concerned that the new Iraq is worse than the old one governed by a single ruthless dictator who got his jollies off gassing Kurds and throwing newspaper publishers off buildings.
The Draft of the Iraq Constitution (thier first in case you are counting)
PREAMBLE
We the sons of Mesopotamia, land of the (messengers), prophets, resting place of the holy imams, the leaders of civilization and the creators of the alphabet, the cradle of arithmetic: on our land, the first law put in place by mankind was written; in our nation, the most noble era of justice in the politics of nations was laid down; on our soil, the followers of the prophet and the saints prayed, the philosophers and the scientists theorized and the writers and poets created.
Recognizing God's right upon us; obeying the call of our nation and our citizens; responding to the call of our religious and national leaders (and our national forces and politicians) and the insistence of our great religious authorities and our leaders and our reformers, we went by the millions for the first time in our history to the ballot box, men and women, young and old, on Jan. 30, 2005, remembering the pains of the despotic band's sectarian oppression; inspired by the suffering of Iraq's martyrs -- Sunni and Shiite, Arab, Kurd and Turkomen, and the remaining brethren in all communities -- inspired by the injustice against the holy cities (and the south) in the popular uprising and (burnt with the sorrows of the mass graves, the marches and Dujail and others); recalling the agonies of the national oppression in the massacres of Halabja, Barzan, Anfal and against the Faili Kurds; inspired by the tragedies of the Turkomen in Bashir, and as in other parts of Iraq, (the people of the western region have suffered from the liquidation of its leaders, symbols, tribal leaders and displacing its intellectuals, so we worked hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder) to create a new Iraq, Iraq of the future, without sectarianism, racial strife, regionalism, discrimination and (elimination).
Terrorism and "takfir" (Editors Note: takfir means to declare someone an infidel) did not divert us from moving forward to build a nation of law. Sectarianism and racism did not stop us from marching together to strengthen our national unity, set ways to peacefully transfer power, adopt a manner to fairly distribute wealth and give equal opportunity to all.
We the people of Iraq, newly arisen from our disasters and looking with confidence to the future through a democratic, federal, republican system, are determined -- men and women, old and young -- to respect the rule of law, reject the policy of aggression, pay attention to women and their rights, the elderly and their cares, the children and their affairs, spread the culture of diversity and defuse terrorism.
We are the people of Iraq, who in all our forms and groupings undertake to establish our union freely and by choice, to learn yesterday's lessons for tomorrow, and to write down this permanent constitution from the high values and ideals of the heavenly messages and the developments of science and human civilization, and to adhere to this constitution, which shall preserve for Iraq its free union of people, land and sovereignty.
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC PRINCIPLES
Article (1): The Republic of Iraq is an independent, sovereign nation, and the system of rule in it is a democratic, federal, representative (parliamentary) republic.
"Support our Troops"?
I have generally been in a pretty laid back mood lately. Things are going well at work. My boys are healthy (if not well-behaved…oh, the terrible two’s), and my wife is learning to cook! So, although there has been a lot to talk about in the current events section this past week or so, nothing has really risen to the level of blog-worthy for me. Until this…
There is something sickeningly hypocritical about claiming to “support the troops” while protesting the troops outside the hospital where they are recovering from their wounds. But yet, that is what each of these protestors say when interviewed, they do in fact “support the troops” - But they hold up sings that say “Maimed for lies” and “Die for Halliburton”. I would be interested in knowing what type of “support” the troops get from those posters.
Its not that I am the final arbiter of what is appropriate anti-war speech and what isn’t. But it seems to me that there are ample ways to get across you anti-war sentiment without disparaging the President or more importantly the troops. I don’t see anything wrong with “Bring our Troops Home” or “Give Peace a Chance”. After all, who doesn’t want the troops home in a time of peace?
It was good to see some counter-protests this weekend. I hope we get more of these around the country as the closet conservatives/closet patriots come out from their hiding and make their voices of support heard. We complain about the media’s constant coverage of the wacky left’s protests, all the while we sit at home and keep quiet. Lets not keep quiet anymore and at least see where that road leads us.
There is something sickeningly hypocritical about claiming to “support the troops” while protesting the troops outside the hospital where they are recovering from their wounds. But yet, that is what each of these protestors say when interviewed, they do in fact “support the troops” - But they hold up sings that say “Maimed for lies” and “Die for Halliburton”. I would be interested in knowing what type of “support” the troops get from those posters.
Its not that I am the final arbiter of what is appropriate anti-war speech and what isn’t. But it seems to me that there are ample ways to get across you anti-war sentiment without disparaging the President or more importantly the troops. I don’t see anything wrong with “Bring our Troops Home” or “Give Peace a Chance”. After all, who doesn’t want the troops home in a time of peace?
It was good to see some counter-protests this weekend. I hope we get more of these around the country as the closet conservatives/closet patriots come out from their hiding and make their voices of support heard. We complain about the media’s constant coverage of the wacky left’s protests, all the while we sit at home and keep quiet. Lets not keep quiet anymore and at least see where that road leads us.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Great American Debate Ground Rules
Ground Rules for the Great American Debate:
1. Please come to the debate with an opinion (any opinion)
2. Fence sitting is frowned upon. Remember, this is a friendly debate, not a love-in
3. You cannot summarily dismiss information provided by an opponent based simply on the author or source of that information. Example: A conservative shouldn’t refuse to believe Al Franken when he says that President Bush lost more jobs than Hoover – until said conservative is able to pull the actual government data showing how big of a liar Al Franken really is.
4. Name-calling is frowned upon and profanity is not allowed. Names like “idiot” and “moron” should not be used until your opponent has clearly earned this label. You can’t earn a label like “moron” just because your opinion is different. Your opinion has to be based on a verifiable lie or misstatement, or your opinion is completely void of higher thinking – beyond say a 7th grade level.
5. If at the end of the debate, you can’t go have a beverage with your opponent and talk about something other than the debate topic, you have failed at the Great American Debate and lose your debating privileges for a month.
6. You do not have to have served in the military to have an opinion on military topics. Just like I am not on welfare, but I can have an opinion on welfare policies in this country. If previous life experiences were a determining factor for entry into the debate, the debate would be waged by only a small group of people depending on the topic. I didn’t serve in the military, but I am an educated person who is as current as any civilian can be on our foreign policy, I think I should have my opinion heard. Just like you may have never worked a day in your life, but you still get to tell us how our tax money should be spent. I wouldn’t tell you to “go get a job first”, and then come tell me about how the city/state/federal govt. should spend tax money. You don’t call me a “chicken-hawk” when I try to express an opinion on the war. Besides, whenever you use a word that was created by an extreme group or individual, you show the world that you are only good are reciting copy points (chicken-hawk vs femi-nazi).
These are not hard rules to follow. Yet, too many people think they already know it all and look down with contempt on those with different opinions. If you believe in something, but don’t have any facts, just say so. Some things can be a matter of faith or a gut feeling. Murder trials can be won without a body. Just don’t act like you have all the answers when your opponent questions your stance.
1. Please come to the debate with an opinion (any opinion)
2. Fence sitting is frowned upon. Remember, this is a friendly debate, not a love-in
3. You cannot summarily dismiss information provided by an opponent based simply on the author or source of that information. Example: A conservative shouldn’t refuse to believe Al Franken when he says that President Bush lost more jobs than Hoover – until said conservative is able to pull the actual government data showing how big of a liar Al Franken really is.
4. Name-calling is frowned upon and profanity is not allowed. Names like “idiot” and “moron” should not be used until your opponent has clearly earned this label. You can’t earn a label like “moron” just because your opinion is different. Your opinion has to be based on a verifiable lie or misstatement, or your opinion is completely void of higher thinking – beyond say a 7th grade level.
5. If at the end of the debate, you can’t go have a beverage with your opponent and talk about something other than the debate topic, you have failed at the Great American Debate and lose your debating privileges for a month.
6. You do not have to have served in the military to have an opinion on military topics. Just like I am not on welfare, but I can have an opinion on welfare policies in this country. If previous life experiences were a determining factor for entry into the debate, the debate would be waged by only a small group of people depending on the topic. I didn’t serve in the military, but I am an educated person who is as current as any civilian can be on our foreign policy, I think I should have my opinion heard. Just like you may have never worked a day in your life, but you still get to tell us how our tax money should be spent. I wouldn’t tell you to “go get a job first”, and then come tell me about how the city/state/federal govt. should spend tax money. You don’t call me a “chicken-hawk” when I try to express an opinion on the war. Besides, whenever you use a word that was created by an extreme group or individual, you show the world that you are only good are reciting copy points (chicken-hawk vs femi-nazi).
These are not hard rules to follow. Yet, too many people think they already know it all and look down with contempt on those with different opinions. If you believe in something, but don’t have any facts, just say so. Some things can be a matter of faith or a gut feeling. Murder trials can be won without a body. Just don’t act like you have all the answers when your opponent questions your stance.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Local story
This morning I had a surprise edition to my morning reading material on my lawn. Evidentially, the Allen American Statesman decided to throw some free copies in our neighborhood. I didn’t have time to read much of it this morning, but one story featured something that I found amusing. The story was about a string of robberies where the thief was making off with lots of guns, among other things. The police offer/chief (not sure) said something along the lines of “that is why people need to lock their guns in safes…” Then the very next line talked about how the robber made off with guns, jewelry and SAFES!
So I suppose, you can lock you gun in your safe, in which case if someone breaks in at night, you wont have time to get to and if someone breaks in during the day, they will likely cart off your entire safe…either way, you cant win.
I think I will continue to keep mine within reach. That’s not to say those of us with little kids around shouldn’t take EVERY precaution against them getting their hands on it. Parents should always err on the side of their children’s safety versus their desire to be armed against the unlikely event of a home invasion.
So I suppose, you can lock you gun in your safe, in which case if someone breaks in at night, you wont have time to get to and if someone breaks in during the day, they will likely cart off your entire safe…either way, you cant win.
I think I will continue to keep mine within reach. That’s not to say those of us with little kids around shouldn’t take EVERY precaution against them getting their hands on it. Parents should always err on the side of their children’s safety versus their desire to be armed against the unlikely event of a home invasion.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Air America goes to court
The whole Air American turn Enron scandle is very intersting. I just wish I could read about it in the Dallas Morning News on my way in to work.....
Anyways, there are a couple of people doing some real investigative work on this issue - so there is nothing original that I can add to this. Check out the work of Michelle Malkin and Radio Equalizer via Powerlineblog.
Anyways, there are a couple of people doing some real investigative work on this issue - so there is nothing original that I can add to this. Check out the work of Michelle Malkin and Radio Equalizer via Powerlineblog.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Able Danger, Unable Commission
Folks, this should make your blood boil. Some of you newspaper junkies and current events junkies may have come across the recent story about the elite super secret, 8 member, military spy unit - Able Danger. You would have to be a newspaper junkie, because thus far, this has been buried deep, deep within the pages of the major news outlets.
It turns out that military intelligence knew about Mohammed Atta and three other highjackers a year before 9/11. Unfortunately ("Uunfortunate" is an understatement given the severity of what was to follow), the military was not allowed to share their knowledge with law enforcement. And why is that?
In 1995 top deputy to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, Jamie Gorelick, issued an order creating a "wall" that prevented intelligence on terrorists from being shared with law enforcement (Note: liberals should be familiar with "wall" terminology although in this case, this wall costs people their life, as opposed the supposed religion "wall" that strips people of their right to freely practice their religion). So strict was this "wall" that the branch of the FBI that deals with terrorism could not share their information with the branch of the FBI that deals with domestic issues - as an example.
The frustrating part of the story is that the 9/11Commission staffers (including the afore mentioned Gorelick) first denied knowing about the military spy unit Able Danger, but later admitted that they were indeed briefed on it, twice. How convenient that they commission failed to mention this in their 1,000 page report (certainly not for lack of space).
And as Deborah Orin of the NY Post points out here, Gorelick was warned about this order way back in 1995 by another Clinton appointee, US Attorney Mary Jo White, who headed up terror probes such as the prosecution of the first WTC bombing. White warned that this "wall" could lead to a loss of life, but Reno and Gorelick refused to budge. I'm guessing on the grounds that if the military spies told the domestic spies that someone was planning on flying planes into the WTC, that this would have somehow violated their civil rights. Can't have the military getting involved in civilian affairs and such.
If Gorelick would have been made to testify during the 9/11 Commission as some senators wanted, this would have all come out back then. Instead, the Commission went forward with their report, putting the majority of the blame for 9/11 on the Bush administration, while all along they knew that the Clinton administration, by way of the Attorney General's office "wall" memo - played a significant role in the failure of the "intelligence community" to stop the attacks.
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) sums it up nicely, "The commission's refusal to investigate Able Danger after being notified of its existence, and its recent efforts to feign ignorance of the project while blaming others for supposedly withholding information on it, brings shame on the commissions."
You can bet that there will be more to come on this.
It turns out that military intelligence knew about Mohammed Atta and three other highjackers a year before 9/11. Unfortunately ("Uunfortunate" is an understatement given the severity of what was to follow), the military was not allowed to share their knowledge with law enforcement. And why is that?
In 1995 top deputy to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, Jamie Gorelick, issued an order creating a "wall" that prevented intelligence on terrorists from being shared with law enforcement (Note: liberals should be familiar with "wall" terminology although in this case, this wall costs people their life, as opposed the supposed religion "wall" that strips people of their right to freely practice their religion). So strict was this "wall" that the branch of the FBI that deals with terrorism could not share their information with the branch of the FBI that deals with domestic issues - as an example.
The frustrating part of the story is that the 9/11Commission staffers (including the afore mentioned Gorelick) first denied knowing about the military spy unit Able Danger, but later admitted that they were indeed briefed on it, twice. How convenient that they commission failed to mention this in their 1,000 page report (certainly not for lack of space).
And as Deborah Orin of the NY Post points out here, Gorelick was warned about this order way back in 1995 by another Clinton appointee, US Attorney Mary Jo White, who headed up terror probes such as the prosecution of the first WTC bombing. White warned that this "wall" could lead to a loss of life, but Reno and Gorelick refused to budge. I'm guessing on the grounds that if the military spies told the domestic spies that someone was planning on flying planes into the WTC, that this would have somehow violated their civil rights. Can't have the military getting involved in civilian affairs and such.
If Gorelick would have been made to testify during the 9/11 Commission as some senators wanted, this would have all come out back then. Instead, the Commission went forward with their report, putting the majority of the blame for 9/11 on the Bush administration, while all along they knew that the Clinton administration, by way of the Attorney General's office "wall" memo - played a significant role in the failure of the "intelligence community" to stop the attacks.
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) sums it up nicely, "The commission's refusal to investigate Able Danger after being notified of its existence, and its recent efforts to feign ignorance of the project while blaming others for supposedly withholding information on it, brings shame on the commissions."
You can bet that there will be more to come on this.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Lancaster Tigers Football
My high school alma matter is in the news this week. And it should come as no surprise that it is negative news. In fact, the only positive news comes in the spring when the boys and girls track team is winning state for the hundredth time in a row or when the boys basketball team is making another run at the elusive state tournament (even less likely now that the greatness of Joe Rushing is gone).
Instead, this news is about that Constitutional Right to play football. While I haven’t heard anyone frame it this way, in a roundabout way that is the case being made.
In order to understand the issues here lets agree on some facts: (1) Mr. Jackson had admitted to police in writing that he was involved in the armed robbery, and that he fired a shot at the fleeing defender (fortunately his aim is not as good as his receiving ability). (2) He has already contacted the family of the victim and said he was sorry. So all those claiming that the police are twisting his original statement around (you know, the statement where he confessed), Mr. Jackson is out there further proving his guilt by apologizing – I’m sure his attorney wasn’t too thrilled about that.
So, with those two pieces being known, it is beyond me how any school board would allow this type of individual to remain in school (as opposed to an alternative school), much less participate in football. His supporters say that he has a "right" to play until he has been found guilty. Uh, no. You have a right to keep and bear arms, or a right to not be locked away without a conviction. But you dont have a right to participate in extracurricular sports when you rob someone at gunpoint, and then shoot at them while they flee.
As bad as Kenny Rogers acted, at least he didnt go around saying he has a "right" to play baseball because he was not "convicted of assault" - yet. If Mr. Jackson had a "right" to play football, why didnt they bring suit against his former high school when they told him to get lost? I'll tell you why - they found a school district who was willing to put their reputation on the line (what little positive reputation is left) for the chance to win a few more ball games this year.
Chew on this, Lancaster was also in the news last week for suspending hundreds of students who didn’t complete their reading assignment over the summer (I'm not completely against this idea - but then they bowed to pressure and are giving the students more time to complete). Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy in suspending students for not completing a summer reading assignment, but letting an admitted armed robber play football?
Note to Lancaster administration: The old saying that all publicity is good publicity doesnt really apply. Do something positive for a change, and maybe we will forget about your "lack of judgment" in this case.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Sidewalk rage
Do you ever get road rage when you’re walking? It happens to me all the time. Partly because I tend to be a fast walker, but mostly because some people are completely oblivious to what is around them. Today, for example, I was walking through the tunnel (Dallas has an underground tunnel system linking the lobbies of several office buildings together – lots of restaurants) after grabbing a sandwich to take back upstairs. This is during the noon hour when there are lots of people in the tunnel – usually not a problem as everyone is walking at a pace that lets you know they are headed somewhere particular and need to arrive at that place relatively soon.
But then, I came up to a group of 3 women, in the middle of the tunnel walking like they were on hour one of their 3-hour lunch break. They were in the middle of the “lane” and left me no room to pass along the right, and I couldn’t pass along the left, as that was the oncoming traffic. So I “tailgate” for a few seconds thinking they would get the picture – you know, speed up or compress into single file, or move over! No such luck. Finally, a break appeared in the oncoming traffic, so I downshifted for better acceleration and began to pass. Then, and just like on the highway, as soon as I barely cleared them I cut them off by moving back in my lane about a step in front of them! That will teach ‘em! Of course, just like on the highway, I ran the chance that one of them would have shot me the finger or pulled a gun out on me, but that didn’t happen. Plus, at this point, we were just outside of the Starbucks, and there is ALWAYS a police officer at Starbucks – waiting to catch the real criminals (those that use all of the half & half without having someone fill it back up).
My only regret is that I didn’t tap on the breaks just after reclaiming my rightful spot in front of the slowpokes.
But then, I came up to a group of 3 women, in the middle of the tunnel walking like they were on hour one of their 3-hour lunch break. They were in the middle of the “lane” and left me no room to pass along the right, and I couldn’t pass along the left, as that was the oncoming traffic. So I “tailgate” for a few seconds thinking they would get the picture – you know, speed up or compress into single file, or move over! No such luck. Finally, a break appeared in the oncoming traffic, so I downshifted for better acceleration and began to pass. Then, and just like on the highway, as soon as I barely cleared them I cut them off by moving back in my lane about a step in front of them! That will teach ‘em! Of course, just like on the highway, I ran the chance that one of them would have shot me the finger or pulled a gun out on me, but that didn’t happen. Plus, at this point, we were just outside of the Starbucks, and there is ALWAYS a police officer at Starbucks – waiting to catch the real criminals (those that use all of the half & half without having someone fill it back up).
My only regret is that I didn’t tap on the breaks just after reclaiming my rightful spot in front of the slowpokes.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Dispatches from Mosul
Michael Yon is required reading for me every time he issues a new “report”. Yon is the author of Danger Close and former Green Beret. I have not read his book yet, but I understand it is a first hand account of his hardships growing up and his time in the military. But, what I really like about Mike is his reporting out of Iraq. Mike is stationed with the 1-24th Infantry Regiment (Deuce Four) of the 25th Infantry Division near Mosul. He provides extremely detailed accounts of what is going on in that region. According to his website, “Michael Yon is an independent, informed observer chronicling the monumentally important events in the efforts to stabilize Iraq. His dispatches have the benefit of his life experiences without drawbacks based on deadlines or demands of marketplace. The cost of these dispatches is borne solely by Michael.”
I mention all of this to bring attention to his recent dispatches titled “Battle of Mosul”. It is a multi-part dispatch and is a long read, but well worth it. It is not a sugarcoated account of life in this area. There is very little politics involved – just the truth about what our soldiers go through and the progress that they are making to secure that region. The progress part is what you will not find in the MSM. In between feelings of hatred toward the enemy after reading about their efforts to use hospitals and schools for attacks, and sadness for the SEAL heroes who recently died, you come away with a deep patriotic feeling, knowing that are men and women in the military are second to none – at least I do. I hope you take the time to read some of Michael Yon’s work, I think you will like it.
I mention all of this to bring attention to his recent dispatches titled “Battle of Mosul”. It is a multi-part dispatch and is a long read, but well worth it. It is not a sugarcoated account of life in this area. There is very little politics involved – just the truth about what our soldiers go through and the progress that they are making to secure that region. The progress part is what you will not find in the MSM. In between feelings of hatred toward the enemy after reading about their efforts to use hospitals and schools for attacks, and sadness for the SEAL heroes who recently died, you come away with a deep patriotic feeling, knowing that are men and women in the military are second to none – at least I do. I hope you take the time to read some of Michael Yon’s work, I think you will like it.
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