Thursday, March 31, 2005
The American Public School System is a Failure!
The American Public School System is a failure and should be trashed!
The Public Schools system of the US has crashed and burned! No longer are our children the best educated in the world. Now our scholars rank among the less well educated even among a few of the third world countries. This is a shame we have brought upon ourselves by inviting the Federal Government and the Unions into our schools.
One-room schoolhouses turned out scholars of unequaled accomplishment when compared to today’s graduates. A high school education, just 50 years ago, is the equivalent of a college degree today. Our Public School teachers are barely qualified to teach. But, they have a Union to see that they are paid well, whether the can teach or not! Oh, you thought teachers unions were for the welfare of the students??? Surely you jest!
Our local school boards have gorged themselves from the federal trough at the expense of local control of the curriculum and the rules and regulations.
Pupils are not challenged by the courses they study and fall short of goals set by the federal Government. So, the schools are now “teaching the tests”. Indoctrinate the students in the questions and answers on the test in hopes of attaining the sought after number of students passing the tests. A well-rounded education is lost to the efforts to make a good showing on the tests.
Students are forced to remain in school even though they have no interest in what is being taught and are a distraction to that handful of youngsters who really do want to learn.
Self-esteem is the number one course of study. Our students are dumb as fence posts but, by golly, they think highly of themselves! They can’t read their diplomas but they sure do feel good about it!
So what do we do about it?
Take back our schools for a start. Refuse federal money and all the strings that go with it. If we have to teach school, again, in one-room school buildings, then so be it.
Test the teachers. If they have no business in a classroom, see to it that they are removed.
Make school voluntary. If a student does not want to be there, then don’t make them. This will allow those students who do wish an education to get one without the continuous interruptions by the bored kids who’d rather be someplace else.
Discipline? Yes. Expulsion. Period. Expel troublemakers for a few days, a few weeks, and full school year, or forever, depending on the infraction. Make school a serious business again. We owe an environment, suitable for learning, to those students who are there for the purpose of learning and making a better life for themselves.
We can take our schools back. We have to want to do so and we have to be ready to make the sacrifices necessary to insure our children a good education, not the pitiful excuse for an education they are getting now.
One of parent’s primary obligations, as a parent, is to see that their children have a shot at the brass ring in life. The first, and most fundamental, step in that process is a solid education.
Government vouchers were killed by the teachers unions because they rightly understood that the public school system would crumble, and collapse, as parents pulled their children out of those useless institutions and placed them in private schools where they had some say, and some control, over the quality of education their kids were getting.
The public school system is near collapse right now. I don’t think it would be a bad thing, actually. When an institution is so badly damaged, and no longer serves it’s primary purpose, it should be trashed and a new institution begun in its place. Create an Institution to educate our kids.
Parents, we owe our kids that! We owe them a chance to make the best of their talents. We owe them a shot at a good, solid, education. Get them out of the public schools and into a private, or parochial, school where there are qualified teachers who still have an incentive to teach our kids, the will to teach our kids, and the desire to teach our kids.
The public school system is America is a failure. It should be put out of its misery.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Friday, March 25, 2005
Power in the US Senate! Use it... or Lose it!
Power in the Senate. Use it, or lose it!
There is some talk in the MSM that the Republicans in the Senate are not going to be able to pull off what the left has termed the "Nuclear Option" on Judicial Nominees. (Changing the Senate rules to allow for approval of the nominees by a simple majority rather than the 60 votes it takes to overturn a filibuster, which... the Democrats are threatening.)
If the reports are to be believed, the Republicans, themselves, will have caused the break in their ranks as the result of a serious attack of “spinelessness”. This is unforgivable. The only way Conservatives can break the Liberal’s hold on the government of the United States is for Conservatives to gain control of the Judicial System. As things stand now, all the meaningful legislation is coming from the Courts, not from the Congress. Take a look at Article Three, of the US Constitution, and you will see that the Congress has power over the courts. Somebody forgot to tell them that, I suppose. A review of the constitution is in order for our National Legislators.
Those of us who voted for the Conservatives, in order to gain control of both houses of the Congress and the Presidency, did so because we knew this was the only way to reshape the Judicial System into a conservative, “strict constructionist” Court. If those we elected to the Congress, especially in the Senate, allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers as a result of cowardice, then there will be a major drop in the confidence level we conservatives have in our elected officials. The end result will be losses in the mid-term elections, and ultimately, return of the National Legislature to the liberals.
There is simply no excuse for the Republicans in the Senate not to proceed with the “Constitutional Option” and take the necessary steps to get the judicial nominees approved and working in the system. No excuse, whatever!
Where is the leadership? When will we get a Majority Leader in the Senate who will not flinch at wielding power? Do they not understand that is why we sent them there?
Do they not also understand that we can bring them home again?
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
There is some talk in the MSM that the Republicans in the Senate are not going to be able to pull off what the left has termed the "Nuclear Option" on Judicial Nominees. (Changing the Senate rules to allow for approval of the nominees by a simple majority rather than the 60 votes it takes to overturn a filibuster, which... the Democrats are threatening.)
If the reports are to be believed, the Republicans, themselves, will have caused the break in their ranks as the result of a serious attack of “spinelessness”. This is unforgivable. The only way Conservatives can break the Liberal’s hold on the government of the United States is for Conservatives to gain control of the Judicial System. As things stand now, all the meaningful legislation is coming from the Courts, not from the Congress. Take a look at Article Three, of the US Constitution, and you will see that the Congress has power over the courts. Somebody forgot to tell them that, I suppose. A review of the constitution is in order for our National Legislators.
Those of us who voted for the Conservatives, in order to gain control of both houses of the Congress and the Presidency, did so because we knew this was the only way to reshape the Judicial System into a conservative, “strict constructionist” Court. If those we elected to the Congress, especially in the Senate, allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers as a result of cowardice, then there will be a major drop in the confidence level we conservatives have in our elected officials. The end result will be losses in the mid-term elections, and ultimately, return of the National Legislature to the liberals.
There is simply no excuse for the Republicans in the Senate not to proceed with the “Constitutional Option” and take the necessary steps to get the judicial nominees approved and working in the system. No excuse, whatever!
Where is the leadership? When will we get a Majority Leader in the Senate who will not flinch at wielding power? Do they not understand that is why we sent them there?
Do they not also understand that we can bring them home again?
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Thursday, March 24, 2005
A final Word on the Terri Schiavo Case.
A final word on The Terri Schiavo case.
Another day… and more hearings on the Schiavo case in Florida. All the while Ms. Schiavo is in the process of leaving this world for a better one.
My concern remains that the State and Federal Governments have over stepped their constitutional authority in the Schiavo case and it will have resounding effects upon society in the US for many years to come.
I feel for the family of Ms. Schiavo… both sides, her husband and her parents. The pain is near unbearable for them. Their lives will always bear the scars of this tragic event.
Those of us who have borne the pain of making that decision, and doing it in accordance with the terms of a previous directive, or “living will”, know it is a most painful thing we are compelled to do to abide by the wishes of our loved one. Even with the knowledge that we are complying with those wishes, it still hurts deeply, profoundly, and in our own minds we will question, to one degree or another, our actions, for the remainder of our lives. We learn to deal with it in our own respective ways and get on with our lives. But when a case, such as the Schiavo case, comes up, it all comes crashing back. All the pain, all the anguish, all the doubt, comes crashing back upon us. The memories are bitter, and indelibly etched into our minds forever.
Forgive me if I lean a little heavily on the governments of the State of Florida and the United States. I can only believe this case would have been handled with more dignity, more consideration for the emotions of the family had the Government stayed out of it and the press kept their “newshounds” on a shorter leash. The cable networks were saturated, ‘round the clock with stories of the parents, and stories of the husband and, of course, the ever present politician pontificating as to why THEY must save the life of this poor woman.
In my not so humble opinion, all the pontificating and all the blustering simply made the situation even worse than it was. For that reason, if for no other, they should have backed off. But they did not… and we are reaping a harvest of pain for all those intimately involved with Ms. Schiavo. It did not have to be this way.
One final thing: I’m am firmly fixed in the right wing of my political party and I do not support the efforts of the US Government nor the Florida State government in this matter. As a “right winger” my primary concern, from the "get go", was the unwarranted government intervention…especially by the Federal Government. Further, I will not forget their antics.
I would ask them, as well as the MSM to please back off now, and allow this family to share this lady’s last hours with the dignity and respect she, and they, so richly deserve.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Schiavo, and her family, in these trying hours.
May the open arms of God envelope her in his pain free embrace and spread his comforting wings over those near, and dear, to her on their journey down the path we will all ultimately take through that well known “Valley of the Shadow of Death”.
Respectfully,
“Longstreet”
Another day… and more hearings on the Schiavo case in Florida. All the while Ms. Schiavo is in the process of leaving this world for a better one.
My concern remains that the State and Federal Governments have over stepped their constitutional authority in the Schiavo case and it will have resounding effects upon society in the US for many years to come.
I feel for the family of Ms. Schiavo… both sides, her husband and her parents. The pain is near unbearable for them. Their lives will always bear the scars of this tragic event.
Those of us who have borne the pain of making that decision, and doing it in accordance with the terms of a previous directive, or “living will”, know it is a most painful thing we are compelled to do to abide by the wishes of our loved one. Even with the knowledge that we are complying with those wishes, it still hurts deeply, profoundly, and in our own minds we will question, to one degree or another, our actions, for the remainder of our lives. We learn to deal with it in our own respective ways and get on with our lives. But when a case, such as the Schiavo case, comes up, it all comes crashing back. All the pain, all the anguish, all the doubt, comes crashing back upon us. The memories are bitter, and indelibly etched into our minds forever.
Forgive me if I lean a little heavily on the governments of the State of Florida and the United States. I can only believe this case would have been handled with more dignity, more consideration for the emotions of the family had the Government stayed out of it and the press kept their “newshounds” on a shorter leash. The cable networks were saturated, ‘round the clock with stories of the parents, and stories of the husband and, of course, the ever present politician pontificating as to why THEY must save the life of this poor woman.
In my not so humble opinion, all the pontificating and all the blustering simply made the situation even worse than it was. For that reason, if for no other, they should have backed off. But they did not… and we are reaping a harvest of pain for all those intimately involved with Ms. Schiavo. It did not have to be this way.
One final thing: I’m am firmly fixed in the right wing of my political party and I do not support the efforts of the US Government nor the Florida State government in this matter. As a “right winger” my primary concern, from the "get go", was the unwarranted government intervention…especially by the Federal Government. Further, I will not forget their antics.
I would ask them, as well as the MSM to please back off now, and allow this family to share this lady’s last hours with the dignity and respect she, and they, so richly deserve.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Schiavo, and her family, in these trying hours.
May the open arms of God envelope her in his pain free embrace and spread his comforting wings over those near, and dear, to her on their journey down the path we will all ultimately take through that well known “Valley of the Shadow of Death”.
Respectfully,
“Longstreet”
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
The ChiComs and Russians... Together Again!
The ChiComs and the Russians…Together Again!
Word is… the Chinese Communists and the Russians are getting together again, soon, to rehearse the invasion of Taiwan. Surprised? Surely not! This has been coming for a long, long time…since 1949 to be exact. When the Nationalist Chinese fled the mainland of China, and set up camp on Formosa/Taiwan, the ChiComs vowed to take the Island nation back and vanquish all traces of democracy. They have very long memories and they are just as ready today, to invade Taiwan, as they were way back when it was known as Formosa. Even more so.
The Russians have been doing their usual scheming and skulking around in the back alleys of Asia and eastern Europe. Mr. Putin is dead set on re-creating the old Soviet Empire and he is ready to do whatever it takes to attain his goal. Putin shakes President Bush’s hand and smiles while, with the other hand, he slips the dagger into the back of the US. It’s right out of the Russian, KGB, playbook.
Russia knows we have a treaty with Taiwan to protect her against invasion. It is a longstanding treaty. It is also a treaty President Bush will certainly stand by. There will be the usual screams from the democrats (we’ve become used to that and have become somewhat tone deaf to their infantile tantrums… as most grownups, with children, do.) who are always ready to run at the slightest provocation, but we will have to do our duty towards Taiwan with, or without, the participation of the left wing of the US Government.
Now, as to Russia…. Russia needs to be read the riot act. They may well need to have a mirror held up before them to allow them to see themselves for what they are. They are only a shell of their former selves. They are no longer a super power. No longer are they capable of putting up a fight against the forces of the US. No longer are they the Bear prowling in the woods. They are a “has been”. Teaming up with China, to put on a military show, will not change that. Russia is worst than a paper tiger. Without their oil, she wouldn’t even be a player on the world stage.
As to China… this military show is an old Chinese ploy. It is hoped it will intimidate China’s enemies into fear and trembling. It is a bluff, a ploy, a show. It won’t work.
Every body in the world is tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. … the inevitable war between Red China and the United States. I’m not going to do that. We have a war in the making. It may be another decade before the opening shots are fired… it may be tomorrow morning. Whatever the time frame… it is coming. A clash of Titans is in the offing.
Unlike the little Middle Eastern Conflicts this war will bring great sacrifice to the citizens of the US. Many combat deaths… and a sharp reduction in the inventories of the “big box super stores” in America.-
If the US has not already done, so, (and I expect we have), we need to begin pre-positioning troops in the Taiwan area.
This is a war in the making. Currently, there appears no way round it. The US had best be ready!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Word is… the Chinese Communists and the Russians are getting together again, soon, to rehearse the invasion of Taiwan. Surprised? Surely not! This has been coming for a long, long time…since 1949 to be exact. When the Nationalist Chinese fled the mainland of China, and set up camp on Formosa/Taiwan, the ChiComs vowed to take the Island nation back and vanquish all traces of democracy. They have very long memories and they are just as ready today, to invade Taiwan, as they were way back when it was known as Formosa. Even more so.
The Russians have been doing their usual scheming and skulking around in the back alleys of Asia and eastern Europe. Mr. Putin is dead set on re-creating the old Soviet Empire and he is ready to do whatever it takes to attain his goal. Putin shakes President Bush’s hand and smiles while, with the other hand, he slips the dagger into the back of the US. It’s right out of the Russian, KGB, playbook.
Russia knows we have a treaty with Taiwan to protect her against invasion. It is a longstanding treaty. It is also a treaty President Bush will certainly stand by. There will be the usual screams from the democrats (we’ve become used to that and have become somewhat tone deaf to their infantile tantrums… as most grownups, with children, do.) who are always ready to run at the slightest provocation, but we will have to do our duty towards Taiwan with, or without, the participation of the left wing of the US Government.
Now, as to Russia…. Russia needs to be read the riot act. They may well need to have a mirror held up before them to allow them to see themselves for what they are. They are only a shell of their former selves. They are no longer a super power. No longer are they capable of putting up a fight against the forces of the US. No longer are they the Bear prowling in the woods. They are a “has been”. Teaming up with China, to put on a military show, will not change that. Russia is worst than a paper tiger. Without their oil, she wouldn’t even be a player on the world stage.
As to China… this military show is an old Chinese ploy. It is hoped it will intimidate China’s enemies into fear and trembling. It is a bluff, a ploy, a show. It won’t work.
Every body in the world is tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. … the inevitable war between Red China and the United States. I’m not going to do that. We have a war in the making. It may be another decade before the opening shots are fired… it may be tomorrow morning. Whatever the time frame… it is coming. A clash of Titans is in the offing.
Unlike the little Middle Eastern Conflicts this war will bring great sacrifice to the citizens of the US. Many combat deaths… and a sharp reduction in the inventories of the “big box super stores” in America.-
If the US has not already done, so, (and I expect we have), we need to begin pre-positioning troops in the Taiwan area.
This is a war in the making. Currently, there appears no way round it. The US had best be ready!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
No Moratorium on Executions in North Carolina !
No Moratorium on Executions in North Carolina !
Here, in NC, some legislators in the state legislature (The General Assembly) are trying to pass a bill to put in place a two-year moratorium on the executions of those sentenced to death by the courts. So far, we have been able to hold it off. It has passed the Senate, but the House killed it.
These “Moratorium people” people hardly ever give up, so I fully expect the bill to be re-introduced in the State Legislature before this term is over.
Now, if you have read this far, you know I am not in favor of a moratorium on executions. Period. A moratorium is simply a way of giving jurors, and the courts in NC, the back of the hand.
I am in favor of the death penalty. But death penalties should be imposed by states… not the Federal Government. (I was astounded recently to see the cascade of federal offenses punishable by death.) The imposition of a death sentence is a very personal thing between the state and the offender.
Back to the proposed two-year moratorium in NC: Those of us against the moratorium understand that this is not really about a moratorium. We understand it is the “camel’s nose under the tent” scheme. It is the first step to ridding the state of the death penalty. After two years, and at least one DNA test proving that a person has been found guilty who, in fact is not guilty, and the moratorium crowd will have their high moral ground to proclaim that NC is “murdering” innocent people on death row and they’ll tear into the state legislature to get rid of the death penalty in NC. That’s the long and the short of it.
The problem for the “moratorium folks” is… the people of NC want the death penalty. We want those who commit heinous crimes to be killed and out of our lives… forever. We do not want to feed and cloth them for the remainder of their lives, at state taxpayer’s expense, with the always-present chance they might escape and kill again. We want the threat removed… forever. The death penalty does that.
I do believe the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. Put an offender to death and he will not commit a crime again!
Down through the ages innocent people have been tried, and found guilty, and hanged… or otherwise dispatched. It is a price we, as a society, pay to have a nation based on law. Occasionally there is collateral damage. But, without law, we would be a anarchic mess. When an innocent is put to death we share the burden of guilt…. equally. That, too, is a price we pay to keep our families safe.
No, we must not allow a moratorium on executions in North Carolina. The courts have spoken, the jurors have spoken, and to impose a moratorium would be to undermine our entire legal system.
We strongly urge the General Assembly, of North Carolina, to stand firmly against the Moratorium on Executions when it comes, again, to the legislature this term.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Here, in NC, some legislators in the state legislature (The General Assembly) are trying to pass a bill to put in place a two-year moratorium on the executions of those sentenced to death by the courts. So far, we have been able to hold it off. It has passed the Senate, but the House killed it.
These “Moratorium people” people hardly ever give up, so I fully expect the bill to be re-introduced in the State Legislature before this term is over.
Now, if you have read this far, you know I am not in favor of a moratorium on executions. Period. A moratorium is simply a way of giving jurors, and the courts in NC, the back of the hand.
I am in favor of the death penalty. But death penalties should be imposed by states… not the Federal Government. (I was astounded recently to see the cascade of federal offenses punishable by death.) The imposition of a death sentence is a very personal thing between the state and the offender.
Back to the proposed two-year moratorium in NC: Those of us against the moratorium understand that this is not really about a moratorium. We understand it is the “camel’s nose under the tent” scheme. It is the first step to ridding the state of the death penalty. After two years, and at least one DNA test proving that a person has been found guilty who, in fact is not guilty, and the moratorium crowd will have their high moral ground to proclaim that NC is “murdering” innocent people on death row and they’ll tear into the state legislature to get rid of the death penalty in NC. That’s the long and the short of it.
The problem for the “moratorium folks” is… the people of NC want the death penalty. We want those who commit heinous crimes to be killed and out of our lives… forever. We do not want to feed and cloth them for the remainder of their lives, at state taxpayer’s expense, with the always-present chance they might escape and kill again. We want the threat removed… forever. The death penalty does that.
I do believe the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. Put an offender to death and he will not commit a crime again!
Down through the ages innocent people have been tried, and found guilty, and hanged… or otherwise dispatched. It is a price we, as a society, pay to have a nation based on law. Occasionally there is collateral damage. But, without law, we would be a anarchic mess. When an innocent is put to death we share the burden of guilt…. equally. That, too, is a price we pay to keep our families safe.
No, we must not allow a moratorium on executions in North Carolina. The courts have spoken, the jurors have spoken, and to impose a moratorium would be to undermine our entire legal system.
We strongly urge the General Assembly, of North Carolina, to stand firmly against the Moratorium on Executions when it comes, again, to the legislature this term.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Monday, March 21, 2005
Americans WILL Fight !
There are reports in the MSM that terrorists are considering attacking the so-called “soft targets" in our society, such as schools, restaurants, shopping malls, churches, etc. This would be a very big mistake, most likely the worst mistake of their campaign against us, the “Great Satan”. The flood of anger, and desire for revenge, would be overwhelming and the American people would avenge the deaths of their loved ones in short order.
Those who perpetrate attacks against this country make the same mistake time and time again and they always wind up paying dearly for it. We are reluctant to go to war, but once our ire is raised there is hell to pay. The American fighting man is the best on the face of the earth, period. America has it’s own warrior class. It is a warrior class, which predates the country itself. Those who would initiate attacks against us should take note. We will have our revenge.
It appears we are at the brink of another war in the Middle East. Maybe it will just be an enlargement of the existing war. We have Syria, which must leave Lebanon. Not to mention the fact that we want boots on the ground in Syria to search for Saddam’s WMD’s and we want to clean out the Bakaa valley of Lebanon.
Then there is Iran, which will fall shortly. One way or the other the destruction of the “mad mullahs” is assured. They will be gone from the landscape of Iran soon.
North Korea is about to “bust a gut” trying to get our attention. They really do not wish the glare of the American eyes turned upon them, but if they continue to kick our shins we will eventually turn and kick them, as one would a small dog hanging onto your pants leg.
And then there is China. There has been a shooting war on the horizon with China for several decades. Taiwan may well be the ignition point. It will be a bloody war, but a fairly short one. Once nuclear weapons are brought into play, the war won’t last long simply because there will not be enough people, on either side, left to prosecute a war.
Now with all this on our plate at the same time, do the terrorists not think we are geared up for a fight and a smack down of terrorists is just an annoyance? It will only harden our determination to cleanse the earth of the wild-eyed psychopaths in turbans and beards with a death wish.
We will go about this campaign in yeoman like fashion and we will win. America has no concept of defeat. There are long campaigns, and short campaigns, but never defeat. It isn’t in us.
It took us 40 years to win the Cold War.
In the immortal words of the Father of the American Navy, Captain John Paul Jones: “We have not yet begun to fight”.
Those words echo down through the ages and instill steel in the backbone of the American people.
Or enemies should take note and remember: Americans will fight. No matter how vicious, no matter how long the fight, they will remain engaged until final victory.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Those who perpetrate attacks against this country make the same mistake time and time again and they always wind up paying dearly for it. We are reluctant to go to war, but once our ire is raised there is hell to pay. The American fighting man is the best on the face of the earth, period. America has it’s own warrior class. It is a warrior class, which predates the country itself. Those who would initiate attacks against us should take note. We will have our revenge.
It appears we are at the brink of another war in the Middle East. Maybe it will just be an enlargement of the existing war. We have Syria, which must leave Lebanon. Not to mention the fact that we want boots on the ground in Syria to search for Saddam’s WMD’s and we want to clean out the Bakaa valley of Lebanon.
Then there is Iran, which will fall shortly. One way or the other the destruction of the “mad mullahs” is assured. They will be gone from the landscape of Iran soon.
North Korea is about to “bust a gut” trying to get our attention. They really do not wish the glare of the American eyes turned upon them, but if they continue to kick our shins we will eventually turn and kick them, as one would a small dog hanging onto your pants leg.
And then there is China. There has been a shooting war on the horizon with China for several decades. Taiwan may well be the ignition point. It will be a bloody war, but a fairly short one. Once nuclear weapons are brought into play, the war won’t last long simply because there will not be enough people, on either side, left to prosecute a war.
Now with all this on our plate at the same time, do the terrorists not think we are geared up for a fight and a smack down of terrorists is just an annoyance? It will only harden our determination to cleanse the earth of the wild-eyed psychopaths in turbans and beards with a death wish.
We will go about this campaign in yeoman like fashion and we will win. America has no concept of defeat. There are long campaigns, and short campaigns, but never defeat. It isn’t in us.
It took us 40 years to win the Cold War.
In the immortal words of the Father of the American Navy, Captain John Paul Jones: “We have not yet begun to fight”.
Those words echo down through the ages and instill steel in the backbone of the American people.
Or enemies should take note and remember: Americans will fight. No matter how vicious, no matter how long the fight, they will remain engaged until final victory.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Congress! Stay the hell out of the Schiavo Family's Business!
Congress: Stay the hell out of the Schiavo family’s business!!!
Our "esteemed" Congressmen, and Senators, are making fools of themselves today!
Their attempts at making political hay off the life or death issues, surrounding the Schiavo family, are repugnant… in the extreme! I am embarrassed that my government would step into a family issue like this.
The "Post" below was posted yesterday. My normal routine is to run a post for one day. And then replace it with another, newer, post. I did that (in the wee hours) this morning. But, as the day has worn on, and the antics from Washington have deteriorated, I believe it needs to be posted again... and spread far and wide. Surely I am not the only American who finds these actions by the Federal Government despicable? Surely not!!!
Please take the time to read the post below… and then contact your Congressperson, and your Senators, and give them the dickens.
I believe in the sanctity of life. But… who decides what life is? I guess being a victim of a chronic disease, which could take me out at any time, and being reared, for 18 years, in a family where it was common knowledge the mother was dying ( When I left for school in the morning I did not know if my Mom would be there when I got home.) has given me a different perspective on life an death. The lesson, I have learned is: There ARE some things WORSE THAN DEATH!!!
Please read the post below and, if you feel as I do, get in touch with your Representative, and your Senators, and tell them to call it off.
Thanks, (See Below.)
Leave the Schiavo family alone!
The government has no business meddling in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. This lady has suffered enough.
When the government steps into a family affair, between a man and his wife, especially one in which such a painful decision must be made, then it has overstepped. The US Government and the Florida state legislature have over stepped…big time!
Look, as one who had to make the decision to refuse nutrition to a loved one and watch that loved one slip peacefully away, I can attest to the heart wrenching, introspection the person making that decision experiences. It is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I did it. It was indescribably painful. It is something we had discussed, and put in writing, so there would be no such fiasco as in the Schiavo case.
I have held my tongue as I watched the machinations of both sides in this painful dilemma and shared their pain. The anguish is plain for anyone to see. But, I can attest that this is a “quality of life” issue and at some point, in nearly everyone’s life, it will become a factor. You cannot walk away from it, nor turn your back on it. You must face it and deal with it. Many will disagree with whatever your decision. Your only consideration is the best interests of the patient, the loved one who will never return and is no longer a sentient being.
There comes a time to let go. It is never easy. It is always painful. It hurts like the dickens, but it must be done.
The US Government and the Florida State government, as well as the press, have only made the matter more hurtful and more complicated.
I am a conservative, both in politics and religion; yet, I cannot support the actions of the US House of Representatives in this case. It is near ridiculous, and it would be… if it were not so sad.
The family has suffered way more than most of us ever will. It is time to end the hurting, end the suffering; and finally end the circus, which has grown up around this family in deep distress.
Look, someone had to make the decision to remove that feeding tube and allow Mrs. Schiavo to slip away into the embrace of her God where she will be free of the pain and sorrow. Her family needs the time, and the space, to recuperate from the extended agony of day after day of mourning the loss, or near loss, of their loved one. Only then can their healing begin.
The government, the press, and the meddling of the legal system, have only compounded the family’s pain. It is time to stop, to back away, and leave this family in peace!
May God enfold Terri Schiavo in his loving arms and welcome her to her new home where there is no suffering and no pain… ever.
With Respect,
“Longstreet”
Our "esteemed" Congressmen, and Senators, are making fools of themselves today!
Their attempts at making political hay off the life or death issues, surrounding the Schiavo family, are repugnant… in the extreme! I am embarrassed that my government would step into a family issue like this.
The "Post" below was posted yesterday. My normal routine is to run a post for one day. And then replace it with another, newer, post. I did that (in the wee hours) this morning. But, as the day has worn on, and the antics from Washington have deteriorated, I believe it needs to be posted again... and spread far and wide. Surely I am not the only American who finds these actions by the Federal Government despicable? Surely not!!!
Please take the time to read the post below… and then contact your Congressperson, and your Senators, and give them the dickens.
I believe in the sanctity of life. But… who decides what life is? I guess being a victim of a chronic disease, which could take me out at any time, and being reared, for 18 years, in a family where it was common knowledge the mother was dying ( When I left for school in the morning I did not know if my Mom would be there when I got home.) has given me a different perspective on life an death. The lesson, I have learned is: There ARE some things WORSE THAN DEATH!!!
Please read the post below and, if you feel as I do, get in touch with your Representative, and your Senators, and tell them to call it off.
Thanks, (See Below.)
Leave the Schiavo family alone!
The government has no business meddling in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. This lady has suffered enough.
When the government steps into a family affair, between a man and his wife, especially one in which such a painful decision must be made, then it has overstepped. The US Government and the Florida state legislature have over stepped…big time!
Look, as one who had to make the decision to refuse nutrition to a loved one and watch that loved one slip peacefully away, I can attest to the heart wrenching, introspection the person making that decision experiences. It is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I did it. It was indescribably painful. It is something we had discussed, and put in writing, so there would be no such fiasco as in the Schiavo case.
I have held my tongue as I watched the machinations of both sides in this painful dilemma and shared their pain. The anguish is plain for anyone to see. But, I can attest that this is a “quality of life” issue and at some point, in nearly everyone’s life, it will become a factor. You cannot walk away from it, nor turn your back on it. You must face it and deal with it. Many will disagree with whatever your decision. Your only consideration is the best interests of the patient, the loved one who will never return and is no longer a sentient being.
There comes a time to let go. It is never easy. It is always painful. It hurts like the dickens, but it must be done.
The US Government and the Florida State government, as well as the press, have only made the matter more hurtful and more complicated.
I am a conservative, both in politics and religion; yet, I cannot support the actions of the US House of Representatives in this case. It is near ridiculous, and it would be… if it were not so sad.
The family has suffered way more than most of us ever will. It is time to end the hurting, end the suffering; and finally end the circus, which has grown up around this family in deep distress.
Look, someone had to make the decision to remove that feeding tube and allow Mrs. Schiavo to slip away into the embrace of her God where she will be free of the pain and sorrow. Her family needs the time, and the space, to recuperate from the extended agony of day after day of mourning the loss, or near loss, of their loved one. Only then can their healing begin.
The government, the press, and the meddling of the legal system, have only compounded the family’s pain. It is time to stop, to back away, and leave this family in peace!
May God enfold Terri Schiavo in his loving arms and welcome her to her new home where there is no suffering and no pain… ever.
With Respect,
“Longstreet”
Telephone terrorists
Telephone terrorists
Well, the telephone terrorists are at it again. Recently, I have been getting telemarketer calls … again. Every phone I have, including cell phones, are covered by the “Do Not Call List” at the FTC. The calls stopped for a while, but now they have begun again. I have heard complaints from others about this also.
It’s time to make the law tougher. There are too many loopholes. They must be closed.
Frankly, I don’t care if it is a charity calling. They are invading my privacy, unbidden, and that is wrong and I’m ticked off before I ever lift the receiver.
Is there anything more annoying than a sales pitch at dinnertime, or at bedtime, or heck, anytime for that matter, in your own home!
I’d like to see telemarketing completely outlawed by the US government.
Is there the possibility of having a phone filter similar to a Spam filter on the computer? The owner inputs numbers into an “approved list” and only incoming calls from those “approved” numbers will ever ring the owners phone, period.
Does such a device exist? If not, why not? (I seem to remember having heard of such a device.) It would sell, I should think, like hotcakes.
In the meantime I’m still going to continue to be surly to telemarketers. Plus, we need to put pressure on our respective states Attorneys General to clamp down on telemarketing laws in their own states. A number of states deferred to the federal Government for a law to control the telemarketers.
I am tired of being hounded, in my own home, by anyone seeking to sell me goods and services I have no inclination to buy. Had I, I would have gone to a local merchant and made the transaction.
If there are any two things I hate, telemarketing is both of them!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Leave the Schiavo Family Alone!
Leave the Schiavo family alone!
The government has no business meddling in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. This lady has suffered enough.
When the government steps into a family affair, between a man and his wife, especially one in which such a painful decision must be made, then it has overstepped. The US Government and the Florida state legislature have over stepped…big time!
Look, as one who had to make the decision to refuse nutrition to a loved one and watch that loved one slip peacefully away, I can attest to the heart wrenching, introspection the person making that decision experiences. It is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I did it. It was indescribably painful. It is something we had discussed, and put in writing, so there would be no such fiasco as in the Schiavo case.
I have held my tongue as I watched the machinations of both sides in this painful dilemma and shared their pain. The anguish is plain for anyone to see. But, I can attest that this is a “quality of life” issue and at some point, in nearly everyone’s life, it will become a factor. You cannot walk away from it, nor turn your back on it. You must face it and deal with it. Many will disagree with whatever your decision. Your only consideration is the best interests of the patient, the loved one who will never return and is no longer a sentient being.
There comes a time to let go. It is never easy. It is always painful. It hurts like the dickens, but it must be done.
The US Government and the Florida State government, as well as the press, have only made the matter more hurtful and more complicated.
I am a conservative, both in politics and religion; yet, I cannot support the actions of the US House of Representatives in this case. It is near ridiculous, and it would be… if it were not so sad.
The family has suffered way more than most of us ever will. It is time to end the hurting, end the suffering; and finally end the circus, which has grown up around this family in deep distress.
Look, someone had to make the decision to remove that feeding tube and allow Mrs. Schiavo to slip away into the embrace of her God where she will be free of the pain and sorrow. Her family needs the time, and the space, to recuperate from the extended agony of day after day of mourning the loss, or near loss, of their loved one. Only then can their healing begin.
The government, the press, and the meddling of the legal system, have only compounded the family’s pain. It is time to stop, to back away, and leave this family in peace!
May God enfold Terri Schiavo in his loving arms and welcome her to her new home where there is no suffering and no pain… ever.
With Respect,
“Longstreet”
The government has no business meddling in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. This lady has suffered enough.
When the government steps into a family affair, between a man and his wife, especially one in which such a painful decision must be made, then it has overstepped. The US Government and the Florida state legislature have over stepped…big time!
Look, as one who had to make the decision to refuse nutrition to a loved one and watch that loved one slip peacefully away, I can attest to the heart wrenching, introspection the person making that decision experiences. It is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I did it. It was indescribably painful. It is something we had discussed, and put in writing, so there would be no such fiasco as in the Schiavo case.
I have held my tongue as I watched the machinations of both sides in this painful dilemma and shared their pain. The anguish is plain for anyone to see. But, I can attest that this is a “quality of life” issue and at some point, in nearly everyone’s life, it will become a factor. You cannot walk away from it, nor turn your back on it. You must face it and deal with it. Many will disagree with whatever your decision. Your only consideration is the best interests of the patient, the loved one who will never return and is no longer a sentient being.
There comes a time to let go. It is never easy. It is always painful. It hurts like the dickens, but it must be done.
The US Government and the Florida State government, as well as the press, have only made the matter more hurtful and more complicated.
I am a conservative, both in politics and religion; yet, I cannot support the actions of the US House of Representatives in this case. It is near ridiculous, and it would be… if it were not so sad.
The family has suffered way more than most of us ever will. It is time to end the hurting, end the suffering; and finally end the circus, which has grown up around this family in deep distress.
Look, someone had to make the decision to remove that feeding tube and allow Mrs. Schiavo to slip away into the embrace of her God where she will be free of the pain and sorrow. Her family needs the time, and the space, to recuperate from the extended agony of day after day of mourning the loss, or near loss, of their loved one. Only then can their healing begin.
The government, the press, and the meddling of the legal system, have only compounded the family’s pain. It is time to stop, to back away, and leave this family in peace!
May God enfold Terri Schiavo in his loving arms and welcome her to her new home where there is no suffering and no pain… ever.
With Respect,
“Longstreet”
Friday, March 18, 2005
Taming the US Senate and Impeaching Supreme Court Justices.
Taming the US Senate and impeaching Supreme Court Justices.
It’s quickly coming down to “crunch time” in the US Senate. Word is the Republicans have the votes to impose the “Nuclear (Constitutional) Option” and approve the President’s Judicial nominees with a simple majority of votes rather that the 60 votes needed to get past the Democrats filibuster.
Good!
Our advice to Senator Bill Frist, Senate Majority leader, is….’Do it!”
The Democrats are threatening to shut down the Senate if the Republicans do this. Oh gee, do they want to stamp their feet, too?! Their “itsy bitsy, widdle”, temper tantrums are, well, ridiculous! They are supposed to be adults but their comportment is anything but.
Hey, look, I’m all for shutting down the Senate. Heck, shut down both Houses! The only time I feel safe is when one, or both sides of the national legislature, are closed down.
With a Supreme Court making rulings based upon foreign law and “public consensus” rather than the original intent of the Constitution, I have concluded we need to shut down that branch of government, too. … At least until we can get it repaired and functioning, again, as it should be. With justices continuing to seek foreign codes upon which to base their decisions, maybe it’s time we begin to seriously look at impeaching a couple of the Justices.
The conservative nominees to the Court, and to the federal bench, would do well to take notice. No more “making it up as you go!” If you don’t like the Constitution, amend it.
It is time to place term limits on Supreme Court Justices and all members of the federal judiciary.
Amend the Constitution to allow a “super majority vote” of both houses of Congress to overturn a Supreme Court ruling. The people of this country must once again gain control of our government. We cannot do it with the “run away Court” we have now.
The Supreme Court has become drunk on it’s own power. An impeachment, or two, might again draw their attention to the people they are supposed to serve. There appears no other way to rein them in.
Legislating from the bench must be ended. That is another power not granted to the Supreme Court by the Constitution, but assumed, anyway, by the court. It may take another act of Congress to show them the error of their ways. So be it.
All three branches of the US Federal Government belong to the people. Occasionally we have to remind them.
A reminder is due.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
It’s quickly coming down to “crunch time” in the US Senate. Word is the Republicans have the votes to impose the “Nuclear (Constitutional) Option” and approve the President’s Judicial nominees with a simple majority of votes rather that the 60 votes needed to get past the Democrats filibuster.
Good!
Our advice to Senator Bill Frist, Senate Majority leader, is….’Do it!”
The Democrats are threatening to shut down the Senate if the Republicans do this. Oh gee, do they want to stamp their feet, too?! Their “itsy bitsy, widdle”, temper tantrums are, well, ridiculous! They are supposed to be adults but their comportment is anything but.
Hey, look, I’m all for shutting down the Senate. Heck, shut down both Houses! The only time I feel safe is when one, or both sides of the national legislature, are closed down.
With a Supreme Court making rulings based upon foreign law and “public consensus” rather than the original intent of the Constitution, I have concluded we need to shut down that branch of government, too. … At least until we can get it repaired and functioning, again, as it should be. With justices continuing to seek foreign codes upon which to base their decisions, maybe it’s time we begin to seriously look at impeaching a couple of the Justices.
The conservative nominees to the Court, and to the federal bench, would do well to take notice. No more “making it up as you go!” If you don’t like the Constitution, amend it.
It is time to place term limits on Supreme Court Justices and all members of the federal judiciary.
Amend the Constitution to allow a “super majority vote” of both houses of Congress to overturn a Supreme Court ruling. The people of this country must once again gain control of our government. We cannot do it with the “run away Court” we have now.
The Supreme Court has become drunk on it’s own power. An impeachment, or two, might again draw their attention to the people they are supposed to serve. There appears no other way to rein them in.
Legislating from the bench must be ended. That is another power not granted to the Supreme Court by the Constitution, but assumed, anyway, by the court. It may take another act of Congress to show them the error of their ways. So be it.
All three branches of the US Federal Government belong to the people. Occasionally we have to remind them.
A reminder is due.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Robbing Peter to pay Paul gets Paul's Support !
It has been said that as soon as people, living in a democracy, realize they can vote themselves money, their democracy is doomed. It has been the end of nearly all democracies to precede ours.
Here we stand, at a pivotal point in our history as a democratic republic, and we are faced with saving or allowing an entitlement program to die of neglect. The country is torn over this problem, as well it should be. This is a dangerous program. I refer of course to Social Security. It is currently headed toward oblivion. If something isn’t done to secure it for the generations ahead, it will not survive. Removing the $90,000 cap on taxable income, for social security, will not do it and allow the republic to remain a vibrant, growing, economy. The folks whose incomes are being looted will resent it and move their money, their companies, and most likely, themselves, off shore. I do not blame them. In fact, I would recommend it.
One of the earlier Popes once said that if you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can rely upon the support of Paul! What he did not say though, was that Peter, who had the money in the first place, will come up with a way to deny you access to that money. As well he should.
The democrats, completely devoid of any NEW ideas, are pushing the “rob Peter to pay Paul” approach again, to no ones’ surprise. Their socialist tendency is to redistribute the wealth and have everyone suffer equally. They have set the upper and lower classes at each other’s throats to achieve their ends. Like puppet masters they pull the strings. This time the strings are being pulled back.
The President is making a stand and is talking up his proposal for private accounts all across the country. Other than the future welfare of my kids, I have no dog in this hunt. But, as an American who wants to see his country continue to thrive and his children be secure in their future, I will support the Presidents efforts.
The Democrats are screaming bloody murder and complaining, as usual, that this is a risky scheme. Of course it is! Living is a risky scheme! They haven’t had an original, idea in nearly 50 years, now. Their entire platform is built on obstruction.
I have no idea, at this point, if the President’s plan will succeed, or not. I wish him well… as I wish our country well. At least the guy from Texas had the intestinal fortitude to face a problem directly… and attack it. He may lose, but his demonstration of "just plain guts" is refreshing and uplifting. There are still a few “real men” left in American politics.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Here we stand, at a pivotal point in our history as a democratic republic, and we are faced with saving or allowing an entitlement program to die of neglect. The country is torn over this problem, as well it should be. This is a dangerous program. I refer of course to Social Security. It is currently headed toward oblivion. If something isn’t done to secure it for the generations ahead, it will not survive. Removing the $90,000 cap on taxable income, for social security, will not do it and allow the republic to remain a vibrant, growing, economy. The folks whose incomes are being looted will resent it and move their money, their companies, and most likely, themselves, off shore. I do not blame them. In fact, I would recommend it.
One of the earlier Popes once said that if you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can rely upon the support of Paul! What he did not say though, was that Peter, who had the money in the first place, will come up with a way to deny you access to that money. As well he should.
The democrats, completely devoid of any NEW ideas, are pushing the “rob Peter to pay Paul” approach again, to no ones’ surprise. Their socialist tendency is to redistribute the wealth and have everyone suffer equally. They have set the upper and lower classes at each other’s throats to achieve their ends. Like puppet masters they pull the strings. This time the strings are being pulled back.
The President is making a stand and is talking up his proposal for private accounts all across the country. Other than the future welfare of my kids, I have no dog in this hunt. But, as an American who wants to see his country continue to thrive and his children be secure in their future, I will support the Presidents efforts.
The Democrats are screaming bloody murder and complaining, as usual, that this is a risky scheme. Of course it is! Living is a risky scheme! They haven’t had an original, idea in nearly 50 years, now. Their entire platform is built on obstruction.
I have no idea, at this point, if the President’s plan will succeed, or not. I wish him well… as I wish our country well. At least the guy from Texas had the intestinal fortitude to face a problem directly… and attack it. He may lose, but his demonstration of "just plain guts" is refreshing and uplifting. There are still a few “real men” left in American politics.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Oil from ANWR
Oil from ANWR
Finally, we are going to get the oil from beneath the tundra of the Alaskan Natural Wildlife Refuge (or ANWR). We certainly need it and the area there needs the income from development.
We are producing, domestically, close to half of the oil we have historically produced. Not because it isn’t here. Because the environmentalist won’t allow us to get to it, or, they have raised the costs of doing business so high for the oil business, especially refining, that it is not profitable for the oil companies to go after, find, and refine it. So, we turn to OPEC for the bulk of our oil purchases and they soak us. It is past time to break the strangle hold the foreign oil producers have on our economy and us.
Now, we need to get past the imposition of rules and regulations against “off shore drilling” as well. The oil is there. It is within our territorial waters, and we need it. We should go get it.
At some point in the future we will have a gasoline alternative and some sort of fuel, which will replace the petroleum, based fuels. But not now. As painful as that may be to accept, for some of us, it is a fact of life and one we must live with and make the best of. So, until that time in the future, we will continue to need oil. Without it the economy of the US will crash overnight. The Depression of the 1930’s will look like a Sunday School picnic.
We have millions upon millions of barrels of oil available to us from our own domestic Shale deposits. It has been cost prohibitive to squeeze it out of that rock, but with the price of imported oil over $50.00 a barrel, oil from Shale is indeed an option now.
In the meantime, stay the heck out of the Strategic Oil Reserves.
A few days ago, a couple of Senators were pushing the President to open the reserves and pump some oil to reduce the prices. That is a ridiculous suggestion. First we are at war! Secondly, we are at war in, or near, our source of oil! Thirdly, if we tick off enough people over there they could easily turn the spigot off! Fourthly, we won’t stand for it, and will immediately broaden the war to simply take the oil. And finally, opening the oil reserves will not only lessen our oil security, if the supply is interrupted, but it will only make a tiny few cents per gallon difference anyway. It is not worth the gamble.
I reside on the outskirts of one of the largest swamps in the southeast. I am told, though I have personally never seen them, that there are capped off oil wells in that swamp, capped since the Second World War, as a part of the nations oil reserves. Frankly, I hope they are there. If they are not there, why not go prospecting for oil in those swamps?
Until we have an alternative fuel, which will produce the energy of oil, we are stuck with that black gold. No amount of wishing for an alternative, or imposing strict rules to force companies into researching for it, will work. Time and insufficient supply will solve the problem. That is in the future somewhere. It is closer than it has been but we are still a long way from that day.
In the meantime, we will fight wars, and continue to search for more domestic sources of the stuff, including knocking holes in the tundra and sucking the oil from beneath the surface of ANWR.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Finally, we are going to get the oil from beneath the tundra of the Alaskan Natural Wildlife Refuge (or ANWR). We certainly need it and the area there needs the income from development.
We are producing, domestically, close to half of the oil we have historically produced. Not because it isn’t here. Because the environmentalist won’t allow us to get to it, or, they have raised the costs of doing business so high for the oil business, especially refining, that it is not profitable for the oil companies to go after, find, and refine it. So, we turn to OPEC for the bulk of our oil purchases and they soak us. It is past time to break the strangle hold the foreign oil producers have on our economy and us.
Now, we need to get past the imposition of rules and regulations against “off shore drilling” as well. The oil is there. It is within our territorial waters, and we need it. We should go get it.
At some point in the future we will have a gasoline alternative and some sort of fuel, which will replace the petroleum, based fuels. But not now. As painful as that may be to accept, for some of us, it is a fact of life and one we must live with and make the best of. So, until that time in the future, we will continue to need oil. Without it the economy of the US will crash overnight. The Depression of the 1930’s will look like a Sunday School picnic.
We have millions upon millions of barrels of oil available to us from our own domestic Shale deposits. It has been cost prohibitive to squeeze it out of that rock, but with the price of imported oil over $50.00 a barrel, oil from Shale is indeed an option now.
In the meantime, stay the heck out of the Strategic Oil Reserves.
A few days ago, a couple of Senators were pushing the President to open the reserves and pump some oil to reduce the prices. That is a ridiculous suggestion. First we are at war! Secondly, we are at war in, or near, our source of oil! Thirdly, if we tick off enough people over there they could easily turn the spigot off! Fourthly, we won’t stand for it, and will immediately broaden the war to simply take the oil. And finally, opening the oil reserves will not only lessen our oil security, if the supply is interrupted, but it will only make a tiny few cents per gallon difference anyway. It is not worth the gamble.
I reside on the outskirts of one of the largest swamps in the southeast. I am told, though I have personally never seen them, that there are capped off oil wells in that swamp, capped since the Second World War, as a part of the nations oil reserves. Frankly, I hope they are there. If they are not there, why not go prospecting for oil in those swamps?
Until we have an alternative fuel, which will produce the energy of oil, we are stuck with that black gold. No amount of wishing for an alternative, or imposing strict rules to force companies into researching for it, will work. Time and insufficient supply will solve the problem. That is in the future somewhere. It is closer than it has been but we are still a long way from that day.
In the meantime, we will fight wars, and continue to search for more domestic sources of the stuff, including knocking holes in the tundra and sucking the oil from beneath the surface of ANWR.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Monday, March 14, 2005
Make or Break days in the US Senate !
Historic days in the US Senate
I want to be very clear with what I’m about to say. It is important. It is one of the most important events of the 21st century, so far as the US is concerned. It is simply… and up or down vote, in the US Senate, for the judicial nominees President Bush has sent, for a second time, to the Senate, for approval.
Now, Senator Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, the Senate Majority leader, has been threatening to use the “Nuclear Option” which is simply to use the rules to change the rules so that approval of nominees can be had for 41 votes instead of the 60 needed to overturn a filibuster. We know the Democrats have not changed their minds. They intend to be obstructionist to the bitter end.
Mr. Frist, and the Republicans, holds the hammer to drive this rules change home. We urge them to use it.
The time has come to fish or cut bait. The Republicans, here in the hinterlands, are extremely tired of the bait cutting. We sent all those Republicans to the Senate for just this reason… to get the President’s judicial appointments approved by the Senate. We understand that the only power still held by the Democrats is in the courts. They are still legislating, but not from the legislative branch of government, from the Judicial branch. It must be stopped.
If our Republican Senators don’t already know this, then, let this serve as a notice that we are watching every move they make. We are going to hold their feet to the fire. We do not want, nor do we expect, to have them wimp out at the last minute and come up with some kind of compromise with the Democrats. We will accept nothing less than total victory on these judicial nominees.
Let’s face it, this is the warm up for the “big show”… the approval of, most likely, two Supreme Court Justices within this President’s second term. We want the ground rules set now. We want them set in our favor!
If Senator Frist ever hopes to have a shot at the office of President, this will make, or break, him. If he pulls this off, he will most likely be handed the Nomination. If he does not pull this off, well, he can go back home to Tennessee.
Out here in “fly-over country” we are watching and waiting. The next few weeks, and months, in the US Senate, will be historic, no matter how it goes. The fate of a nation will turn on the decisions Mr. Frist and the Republicans in the US Senate make.
We wish them God Speed!
Your Obedient Servant,
”Longstreet”
I want to be very clear with what I’m about to say. It is important. It is one of the most important events of the 21st century, so far as the US is concerned. It is simply… and up or down vote, in the US Senate, for the judicial nominees President Bush has sent, for a second time, to the Senate, for approval.
Now, Senator Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, the Senate Majority leader, has been threatening to use the “Nuclear Option” which is simply to use the rules to change the rules so that approval of nominees can be had for 41 votes instead of the 60 needed to overturn a filibuster. We know the Democrats have not changed their minds. They intend to be obstructionist to the bitter end.
Mr. Frist, and the Republicans, holds the hammer to drive this rules change home. We urge them to use it.
The time has come to fish or cut bait. The Republicans, here in the hinterlands, are extremely tired of the bait cutting. We sent all those Republicans to the Senate for just this reason… to get the President’s judicial appointments approved by the Senate. We understand that the only power still held by the Democrats is in the courts. They are still legislating, but not from the legislative branch of government, from the Judicial branch. It must be stopped.
If our Republican Senators don’t already know this, then, let this serve as a notice that we are watching every move they make. We are going to hold their feet to the fire. We do not want, nor do we expect, to have them wimp out at the last minute and come up with some kind of compromise with the Democrats. We will accept nothing less than total victory on these judicial nominees.
Let’s face it, this is the warm up for the “big show”… the approval of, most likely, two Supreme Court Justices within this President’s second term. We want the ground rules set now. We want them set in our favor!
If Senator Frist ever hopes to have a shot at the office of President, this will make, or break, him. If he pulls this off, he will most likely be handed the Nomination. If he does not pull this off, well, he can go back home to Tennessee.
Out here in “fly-over country” we are watching and waiting. The next few weeks, and months, in the US Senate, will be historic, no matter how it goes. The fate of a nation will turn on the decisions Mr. Frist and the Republicans in the US Senate make.
We wish them God Speed!
Your Obedient Servant,
”Longstreet”
Sunday, March 13, 2005
PBS, a Political Dinosaur
PBS, a political dinasaur.
PBS the broadcast voice of America’s political left should be defunded, period.
For many years the Public Broadcasting System has broadcast the left’s message of diversity, multiculturalism, and political correctness to our children. It is time they do it on their own dime, and not the taxpayer’s money.
As a taxpayer, and a retired broadcaster from the private “for profit” media, I cannot tell you how difficult it has been to see the broadcasts on the PBS and know that my hard earned money was going to subsidized that…. “Stuff”.
I don’t mind if PBS stays on the air. Just not with taxpayer funds. I have no problem with them selling advertising like those of us from the capitalist media have to do to survive. I have no problem with the continuance of their “Beg-a-Thons” every year. But, I really want the Congress to stop giving them my money to run programs in direct competition to my own industry and in direct opposition to my own political philosophy.
It has become apparent from the recent attempts by the left to create their own liberal broadcast networks that they simply cannot make it without government assistance. There are too few Americans willing to squander money on the bankrupt ideas of the left.
So, removing the government funding from PBS would be tantamount to putting them off the air. That’s fine by me.
The argument has been made that the existing cable channels such as the History Channel, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, all cover the same territory as PBS, but… they do it better. The cable channels would immediately snap up the children’s programs, touted so highly by the supporters of PBS.
PBS is a dinosaur, which should be put out of its misery.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
PBS the broadcast voice of America’s political left should be defunded, period.
For many years the Public Broadcasting System has broadcast the left’s message of diversity, multiculturalism, and political correctness to our children. It is time they do it on their own dime, and not the taxpayer’s money.
As a taxpayer, and a retired broadcaster from the private “for profit” media, I cannot tell you how difficult it has been to see the broadcasts on the PBS and know that my hard earned money was going to subsidized that…. “Stuff”.
I don’t mind if PBS stays on the air. Just not with taxpayer funds. I have no problem with them selling advertising like those of us from the capitalist media have to do to survive. I have no problem with the continuance of their “Beg-a-Thons” every year. But, I really want the Congress to stop giving them my money to run programs in direct competition to my own industry and in direct opposition to my own political philosophy.
It has become apparent from the recent attempts by the left to create their own liberal broadcast networks that they simply cannot make it without government assistance. There are too few Americans willing to squander money on the bankrupt ideas of the left.
So, removing the government funding from PBS would be tantamount to putting them off the air. That’s fine by me.
The argument has been made that the existing cable channels such as the History Channel, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, all cover the same territory as PBS, but… they do it better. The cable channels would immediately snap up the children’s programs, touted so highly by the supporters of PBS.
PBS is a dinosaur, which should be put out of its misery.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Saturday, March 12, 2005
John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN.
So, John Bolton is to be the new US Ambassador to the UN! This ought to be fun! Watching the Senate hearings will be a hoot as we watch the left go thru their agonizing hair splitting, and blustering, and “speechifying” about the necessity for the US to “kiss up” to the rest of the world. How much fun it will be to see them choke on their own bile as Mr. Bolton sits, unbowed, before them.
The “out of power bunch” in the US Senate had convinced themselves that the President’s visit to Europe, a few days ago, was to “mend fences” and “patch up strained relationships”, etc., etc. We warned, on this site, that was not the case.
Mr. Bush is doing as he said he would. He is using the political capital he gained from his re-election, to get some things done. One of those things is to get reform underway at the UN. John Bolton, in my opinion, is his means of cutting thru the layer upon layer of pure garbage, at the UN, and get to the nuts and bolts of the problems of that useless institution and see if it can be repaired, or not.
Mr. Bolton has a reputation as a no nonsense straight shooter. Boy, will that ever be an eyebrow raiser at the UN. I can already hear the gasps and groans from the little clique of puffed-up, self important, socialist Europeans. At last, the UGLY American is BACK!!!
Watch the press, from the continent, foam at the mouth as they describe our Ambassador’s latest faux paux on a near daily basis. The liberal press, in this country, will be apoplectic. What joy!
Yes, Dear Reader, the next few weeks, and months, will be a three-ring circus and we have a front row seat!
The funny thing is, the left has yet to understand the joke is on them!
So far as the UN is concerned, it is hopeless. The institution is fatally flawed. Beyond repair. Frankly, we should do the world a favor and put it out of its misery by withdrawing our membership and participation. Without our money, and our military, it won’t last long, anyway.
The UN is beyond irrelevant. It is now a joke. A bad joke.
We wish Mr. Bolton good luck as the UN Ambassador. We hope he has as much fun as we will as the “gray-maned” Senators of the left draw their long knives… and wound only themselves at his hearing.
The President has hit another one out of the park!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
The “out of power bunch” in the US Senate had convinced themselves that the President’s visit to Europe, a few days ago, was to “mend fences” and “patch up strained relationships”, etc., etc. We warned, on this site, that was not the case.
Mr. Bush is doing as he said he would. He is using the political capital he gained from his re-election, to get some things done. One of those things is to get reform underway at the UN. John Bolton, in my opinion, is his means of cutting thru the layer upon layer of pure garbage, at the UN, and get to the nuts and bolts of the problems of that useless institution and see if it can be repaired, or not.
Mr. Bolton has a reputation as a no nonsense straight shooter. Boy, will that ever be an eyebrow raiser at the UN. I can already hear the gasps and groans from the little clique of puffed-up, self important, socialist Europeans. At last, the UGLY American is BACK!!!
Watch the press, from the continent, foam at the mouth as they describe our Ambassador’s latest faux paux on a near daily basis. The liberal press, in this country, will be apoplectic. What joy!
Yes, Dear Reader, the next few weeks, and months, will be a three-ring circus and we have a front row seat!
The funny thing is, the left has yet to understand the joke is on them!
So far as the UN is concerned, it is hopeless. The institution is fatally flawed. Beyond repair. Frankly, we should do the world a favor and put it out of its misery by withdrawing our membership and participation. Without our money, and our military, it won’t last long, anyway.
The UN is beyond irrelevant. It is now a joke. A bad joke.
We wish Mr. Bolton good luck as the UN Ambassador. We hope he has as much fun as we will as the “gray-maned” Senators of the left draw their long knives… and wound only themselves at his hearing.
The President has hit another one out of the park!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Friday, March 11, 2005
Your Social Security Card as a National ID Card
Your Social Security Card as a National ID Card;
All the talk of a National ID card is so much drivel.
We already have one.
It is probably in your wallet, or purse, even as you read this. It is your Social Security Card with that big number emblazoned across it. That allows anyone with access to that number to learn anything they wish to know about you.
I still oppose allowing anyone to have my number until it becomes an embarrassment for my family. Some of us old mossbacks can remember when there was a notice at the bottom of our Social Security cards which said it was illegal to use the card for identification. Yep, for you young, wet behind the ears, chaps, it was there. Right up until 1971. Then it was removed. Seems that someone forgot to create any legislation to back up what turned out to be a “suggestion, only”.
So, these days, your bank has your card number, your doctor, your hospital, your insurance company, heck ,darn near every time you do any business of any consequence, you are asked for your Social Security number. When you hand the person requesting that card your number, you are placing your entire life in that person's hands.
I would like to see national legislation to make it illegal to use the Social Security Card as a National ID card. I know, I’m dreaming. It’s not going to happen. You see, the Congress really wants us to have a National ID Card. But, they know they cannot get that law through the Congress. So, they fall back to plan “B”… use the existing National ID Card, the Social Security Card.
Look, our privacy is gone. The days of “Big Brother” Government has taken over our lives. How many times a day is your photograph taken without your permission, without your knowledge? At the ATM machine, at the Super store, at the drugstore at the highway intersection, all for, as the signs say ”Your Protection”. Well, please stop protecting me! I’ll do that myself!
I counted 22 cameras trained on a parking lot, recently, of a giant retail store I was visiting. Inside, every square foot of that building is caught on camera and recorded.
The cradle to the grave “Nanny Government” is a reality in America today.
Do you have a cell phone? Everywhere you go that cell phone is emitting a radio signal, which can easily locate your position at any given time. Your car, or truck, may very well have a black box under the seat recording the last 30 minutes of your activities as you drive your vehicle. Information from those black boxes has already been used, in court, to convict drivers of traffic violations.
Many pet owners are now having computer chips placed under their pets skin to identify them. I’m not going there, but you know where natural progression takes that step.
The Southern States of the US fought a war just be “left alone” and lost. I think we are just beginning to realize how badly we lost!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
All the talk of a National ID card is so much drivel.
We already have one.
It is probably in your wallet, or purse, even as you read this. It is your Social Security Card with that big number emblazoned across it. That allows anyone with access to that number to learn anything they wish to know about you.
I still oppose allowing anyone to have my number until it becomes an embarrassment for my family. Some of us old mossbacks can remember when there was a notice at the bottom of our Social Security cards which said it was illegal to use the card for identification. Yep, for you young, wet behind the ears, chaps, it was there. Right up until 1971. Then it was removed. Seems that someone forgot to create any legislation to back up what turned out to be a “suggestion, only”.
So, these days, your bank has your card number, your doctor, your hospital, your insurance company, heck ,darn near every time you do any business of any consequence, you are asked for your Social Security number. When you hand the person requesting that card your number, you are placing your entire life in that person's hands.
I would like to see national legislation to make it illegal to use the Social Security Card as a National ID card. I know, I’m dreaming. It’s not going to happen. You see, the Congress really wants us to have a National ID Card. But, they know they cannot get that law through the Congress. So, they fall back to plan “B”… use the existing National ID Card, the Social Security Card.
Look, our privacy is gone. The days of “Big Brother” Government has taken over our lives. How many times a day is your photograph taken without your permission, without your knowledge? At the ATM machine, at the Super store, at the drugstore at the highway intersection, all for, as the signs say ”Your Protection”. Well, please stop protecting me! I’ll do that myself!
I counted 22 cameras trained on a parking lot, recently, of a giant retail store I was visiting. Inside, every square foot of that building is caught on camera and recorded.
The cradle to the grave “Nanny Government” is a reality in America today.
Do you have a cell phone? Everywhere you go that cell phone is emitting a radio signal, which can easily locate your position at any given time. Your car, or truck, may very well have a black box under the seat recording the last 30 minutes of your activities as you drive your vehicle. Information from those black boxes has already been used, in court, to convict drivers of traffic violations.
Many pet owners are now having computer chips placed under their pets skin to identify them. I’m not going there, but you know where natural progression takes that step.
The Southern States of the US fought a war just be “left alone” and lost. I think we are just beginning to realize how badly we lost!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Thursday, March 10, 2005
A win for the SCV but, another loss for Southern Heritage
The Confederate Battle Flag, at the Elmwood Cemetery, in Charlotte, has been removed.
While the Sons of Confederate Veterans has been busy, fighting among themselves, they allowed their attention to be re-directed away from important heritage issues like the Flag battle in Charlotte and, once again, Southern Heritage suffered a loss.
I have been a proud member of the SCV. But, this is the kind of “stuff” that must be stopped. The infighting must be stopped. Else the investment of my time is not worth the continued losses we suffer when we fail to pay attention to our number one task. Our sole reason for existing as a Southern Heritage Organization is to preserve the good name of the Confederate Soldier and preserve Southern Heritage for the generations to come.
We’re not doing that when we spend our time in courtrooms fighting with each other.
There is a simple solution to the infighting. One faction, or the other, must go. The SCV has no reason to exist if we cannot take seriously our oath and General Dill’s Charge to the SCV.
As an active member of the SCV, I’m ready to hear some suggestions. Maybe a new organization dedicated to the preservation of all things Southern including the true history of the Confederacy, the Confederate Soldier, and our precious Southern Heritage. I mean, it should have an agenda. It should be active politically… when it is found to be necessary.
Something has to be done to stop the slide into oblivion our opponents have planned for us. We can go down fighting the opponents of Southern Heritage, or we can bow our heads and do dishonor to our ancestors who put everything they had, including their lives, on the line for you, and for me, and for the precious Southland.
Decisions have to be made. They have to be made quickly. Our opponents are taking advantage of our inability to focus. I was not surprised the Flag at Elmwood came down when it did. It was an opportune time because the SCV was looking elsewhere.
Let us quickly get these problems out of the way and be about our business. We have to reassess our organization. What changes must be made to allow us to fight more effectively? What steps must be taken to see that the infighting is done, is over with, and will nor recur. Do we need to become, or create, a Political Action Committee?
I don’t know the answers. I think I know SOME of them. The fact is we cannot continue to exist as two factions within one organization.
I call upon Commander in Chief Denne Sweeney to immediately call a Convention and let us begin the work rebuilding the SCV as a fighting organization ready to man the barricades in the heritage war. We owe it to our Confederate Ancestors and we owe it to ourselves.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
The ChiComs are at it again!
The ChiComs are at it again!
The ChiComs are at it again. China is warning the US, and Japan, to stay out of what they (China) see as an internal problem between itself and Taiwan. Taiwan doesn’t see it that way. The US view is a bit more muddled. Depending on who is making pronouncements, from the US, in reference to the Two China Policy (or lack there-of. See what I mean?).
The US has a serious problem in the dispute between China and Taiwan. You see, the US has a treaty with Taiwan to come to their aid should China attack them. China continues to bluster and test fire missiles, dangerously close to Taiwan, to get their “attention”. What they have managed to do is get the attention of Japan. They are ancient enemies.
What is not generally known, is that Japan has one of the largest, best trained, and best equipped military forces in the world. True, it is a self-defense force, but some quick legislation could change that.
If the Taiwan/China situation flares into open warfare, the US will respond on the side of Taiwan. If it happens during the George W. Bush Administration the US will respond militarily. We will go head to head with the Chinese to protect Taiwan. If Japan comes in with us, China may have more on it’s plate than it is truly equipped to handled. There are few militaries in the world better equipped than Japan’s forces.
If the Democrats win the 2008 election, expect to see an all out invasion of Taiwan by the ChiComs. The invasion will come quickly, into the new administration, and will be swift and merciless. China knows a Democrat in the office of the President of the US will be a “push over” and will not hesitate to push right past him, or her.
China also knows the Republicans will fight. The Chinese were not slow at figuring this out. They remember it was a Republican General, Douglas McArthur, who pushed them back to the 38th Parallel in Korea. They also remember it was a Democrat President who fired McArthur…Truman. They don’t miss, seemingly small, historical points as Americans do. No, they have long memories and they are prepared to wait until the opportune moment to strike. And strike they will.
China is torn somewhat at the moment. Although they realize we are otherwise occupied (With Iraq and the War on Terror, including a coming dust-up with Syria, and a probable land war in Iran.) they still do not know the precise strength of the US military, nor are they yet able to read the response from the remainder of the world. They can handle the UN (anybody can). But… can they handle the US, Japan, and Great Britain?
The Taiwan/China situation is a powder keg with a lit fuse. Sooner or later it will go off. When it does, the US will be committed for the long haul and the Chinese soldiers don’t run away. It will be a classic “slugfest” on land, in the air, on the oceans (and under them as well.) The submarine warfare will be quick, and decisive, for the US. US forces will retake the Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific, "gates" of the Panama Canal in hours. The air war will be fairly quick also. The sea "Surface war” will be another slugfest unpararelled since the Second World War. The land war will be long, and costly, for both sides. It will probably end with the signing of a cease-fire some months into the campaign. How that document reads will depend on the current leadership in the office of the President of the US at that time.
Pray that it is a Republican.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
The ChiComs are at it again. China is warning the US, and Japan, to stay out of what they (China) see as an internal problem between itself and Taiwan. Taiwan doesn’t see it that way. The US view is a bit more muddled. Depending on who is making pronouncements, from the US, in reference to the Two China Policy (or lack there-of. See what I mean?).
The US has a serious problem in the dispute between China and Taiwan. You see, the US has a treaty with Taiwan to come to their aid should China attack them. China continues to bluster and test fire missiles, dangerously close to Taiwan, to get their “attention”. What they have managed to do is get the attention of Japan. They are ancient enemies.
What is not generally known, is that Japan has one of the largest, best trained, and best equipped military forces in the world. True, it is a self-defense force, but some quick legislation could change that.
If the Taiwan/China situation flares into open warfare, the US will respond on the side of Taiwan. If it happens during the George W. Bush Administration the US will respond militarily. We will go head to head with the Chinese to protect Taiwan. If Japan comes in with us, China may have more on it’s plate than it is truly equipped to handled. There are few militaries in the world better equipped than Japan’s forces.
If the Democrats win the 2008 election, expect to see an all out invasion of Taiwan by the ChiComs. The invasion will come quickly, into the new administration, and will be swift and merciless. China knows a Democrat in the office of the President of the US will be a “push over” and will not hesitate to push right past him, or her.
China also knows the Republicans will fight. The Chinese were not slow at figuring this out. They remember it was a Republican General, Douglas McArthur, who pushed them back to the 38th Parallel in Korea. They also remember it was a Democrat President who fired McArthur…Truman. They don’t miss, seemingly small, historical points as Americans do. No, they have long memories and they are prepared to wait until the opportune moment to strike. And strike they will.
China is torn somewhat at the moment. Although they realize we are otherwise occupied (With Iraq and the War on Terror, including a coming dust-up with Syria, and a probable land war in Iran.) they still do not know the precise strength of the US military, nor are they yet able to read the response from the remainder of the world. They can handle the UN (anybody can). But… can they handle the US, Japan, and Great Britain?
The Taiwan/China situation is a powder keg with a lit fuse. Sooner or later it will go off. When it does, the US will be committed for the long haul and the Chinese soldiers don’t run away. It will be a classic “slugfest” on land, in the air, on the oceans (and under them as well.) The submarine warfare will be quick, and decisive, for the US. US forces will retake the Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific, "gates" of the Panama Canal in hours. The air war will be fairly quick also. The sea "Surface war” will be another slugfest unpararelled since the Second World War. The land war will be long, and costly, for both sides. It will probably end with the signing of a cease-fire some months into the campaign. How that document reads will depend on the current leadership in the office of the President of the US at that time.
Pray that it is a Republican.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Tuesday, March 8, 2005
The Up-Turned Nose of Canada !
The up-turned nose of Canada !
Well, our "persnickety" neighbors to the north are at it again. They are now insisting that in the event an enemy missile, aimed at the US, makes it’s way across Canada; the US has to call Canada and ask for permission to shoot it down.
I know. It is funny. It is hilarious! They have officially refused the cover of our Missile Defense System, which, by the way, President Bush is going ahead and deploying. Canada has refused our offer to protect them with the shield. How smart is that??
What is wrong with those people? They have lived for so long under the protection of the US Military they are takeing us for granted. They remind one of a small child who has been given everything his heart desires but still makes demands upon his parents. They had better wake up to the real world and get a grip.
I have come to believe the Canadians really do believe they are better than we are. They have bought into their own P.R.! In reality, they are a small, weak, country completely vulnerable to any attack, or invasion, from an enemy. They have no military to speak of. Why should they? They have the US. We are their unpaid bodyguards. They can live their lives, above the fray, and feed their egos with their liberal pabulum their whole lives and feel superior. But wait ‘til crunch time.
Canada has yet to understand they remain an independent country as long as they pose no threat to the US. The minute that happens, “Welcome to Statehood!”
Look, there are nuts out there in the real world, the one the Canadians disdain, who have nuclear missiles. A lot of them are trying like mad to get their hands on them or build them… and when they do, they WILL use them. It behooves us to be ready. It behooves the Canadians to either start spending their money to create a REAL military, and defend themselves, because if we get busy, it could well turn out to be every man (country) for himself/itself. As it stands now, Canada would be helpless before a determined enemy. Heck, the SC National Guard could take Canada in a couple of weeks. But hey, they don’t want to lose the Canadian revenue at Myrtle Beach!
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has postponed a meeting with Canadian officials. Methinks that alone is a signal for Canada to get with the program. I mean, after all, there are only so many chances.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Well, our "persnickety" neighbors to the north are at it again. They are now insisting that in the event an enemy missile, aimed at the US, makes it’s way across Canada; the US has to call Canada and ask for permission to shoot it down.
I know. It is funny. It is hilarious! They have officially refused the cover of our Missile Defense System, which, by the way, President Bush is going ahead and deploying. Canada has refused our offer to protect them with the shield. How smart is that??
What is wrong with those people? They have lived for so long under the protection of the US Military they are takeing us for granted. They remind one of a small child who has been given everything his heart desires but still makes demands upon his parents. They had better wake up to the real world and get a grip.
I have come to believe the Canadians really do believe they are better than we are. They have bought into their own P.R.! In reality, they are a small, weak, country completely vulnerable to any attack, or invasion, from an enemy. They have no military to speak of. Why should they? They have the US. We are their unpaid bodyguards. They can live their lives, above the fray, and feed their egos with their liberal pabulum their whole lives and feel superior. But wait ‘til crunch time.
Canada has yet to understand they remain an independent country as long as they pose no threat to the US. The minute that happens, “Welcome to Statehood!”
Look, there are nuts out there in the real world, the one the Canadians disdain, who have nuclear missiles. A lot of them are trying like mad to get their hands on them or build them… and when they do, they WILL use them. It behooves us to be ready. It behooves the Canadians to either start spending their money to create a REAL military, and defend themselves, because if we get busy, it could well turn out to be every man (country) for himself/itself. As it stands now, Canada would be helpless before a determined enemy. Heck, the SC National Guard could take Canada in a couple of weeks. But hey, they don’t want to lose the Canadian revenue at Myrtle Beach!
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has postponed a meeting with Canadian officials. Methinks that alone is a signal for Canada to get with the program. I mean, after all, there are only so many chances.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Monday, March 7, 2005
Freedom in Peril !!!
Freedom in Peril!
Please take another look at the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Read it carefully. (Especially the part about free speech.)
Good, you have read it. Now, how the heck are the courts and the government putting journalists in jail for not revealing their sources? And how the heck are the courts, the FCC, the Congress, and the Federal Elections Commission, going to legally silence Bloggers? Oh, I forgot. These days, the law is what the Courts and the various “Commissions” of the government, who have the authority to make rulings which have the force of law, say it is.
A couple of days ago, when I first read the FCC and other government agencies are sharpening their long knives to go after Bloggers, my blood boiled. Bloggers have a constitutional right to do this, to blog. It is speech and it is PROTECTED FREE SPEECH! (No, I won’t apologize for the giant letters!)
Bloggers have put the fire to the feet of the establishment and now they are striking back. Never mind that their actions are unconstitutional. They expect the Courts to uphold their actions and I believe they are correct to expect that.
Here is how the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines journalism; especially : a writer or editor for a news medium
b : a writer who aims at a mass audience
2 : a person who keeps a journal
How is it possible to define Bloggers as anything other than journalists? How?
These actions against Bloggers, and threats against Bloggers, are a manifestation of the fear of the "establishment". Bloggers are putting the truth out there, for anybody to see and read, and, become more knowledgeable. Knowledge is power, and power, in the hands of the masses, must be controlled because it threatens those who hold, tenuously, the reins of power.
We have become a threat to them so they must silence us. You can burn a flag, in America, and that is protected free speech, but you’d better damn well keep your opinions to yourself!! Brings to mind and old phrase from the 1930’s: “You have, perhaps, family in Berlin?”
What have we allowed our country to become? We did this. I mean…my generation did this. All for security! Security... my Aunt Fanny!
It is a sorry breed of people who had rather suffer slavery, and be secure, than be a free people. Freedom is just too damn much trouble!
You know the idiots in Washington couldn’t find their collective behinds with both hands and a bird dog! They don’t have a clue that they cannot regulate the Internet! It’s like a balloon. You squeeze it here and it just pops out somewhere else. That’s what will happen to the blogging community. All this does is throw fuel on the fire.
The government does not understand us, and as I said before, they fear us. And, you know what people do when they fear something… they destroy it.
The debates, on the blogs, are about as healthy a thing as could ever happen for democracy. But the more people participate in blogging, the more knowledgeable they become. Knowledge is power and that must be stamped out, at all costs, before it becomes a problem for the government. Too late! Bloggers are a problem for government! Now... we have to dodge the government’s mailed fist!
Do they not understand that Bloggers will go underground, and by going after Bloggers they will imbue them with way more power than they ever had before?
It’s just plain dumb!
I close with this quote from Voltaire:
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Please take another look at the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Read it carefully. (Especially the part about free speech.)
Good, you have read it. Now, how the heck are the courts and the government putting journalists in jail for not revealing their sources? And how the heck are the courts, the FCC, the Congress, and the Federal Elections Commission, going to legally silence Bloggers? Oh, I forgot. These days, the law is what the Courts and the various “Commissions” of the government, who have the authority to make rulings which have the force of law, say it is.
A couple of days ago, when I first read the FCC and other government agencies are sharpening their long knives to go after Bloggers, my blood boiled. Bloggers have a constitutional right to do this, to blog. It is speech and it is PROTECTED FREE SPEECH! (No, I won’t apologize for the giant letters!)
Bloggers have put the fire to the feet of the establishment and now they are striking back. Never mind that their actions are unconstitutional. They expect the Courts to uphold their actions and I believe they are correct to expect that.
Here is how the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines journalism; especially : a writer or editor for a news medium
b : a writer who aims at a mass audience
2 : a person who keeps a journal
How is it possible to define Bloggers as anything other than journalists? How?
These actions against Bloggers, and threats against Bloggers, are a manifestation of the fear of the "establishment". Bloggers are putting the truth out there, for anybody to see and read, and, become more knowledgeable. Knowledge is power, and power, in the hands of the masses, must be controlled because it threatens those who hold, tenuously, the reins of power.
We have become a threat to them so they must silence us. You can burn a flag, in America, and that is protected free speech, but you’d better damn well keep your opinions to yourself!! Brings to mind and old phrase from the 1930’s: “You have, perhaps, family in Berlin?”
What have we allowed our country to become? We did this. I mean…my generation did this. All for security! Security... my Aunt Fanny!
It is a sorry breed of people who had rather suffer slavery, and be secure, than be a free people. Freedom is just too damn much trouble!
You know the idiots in Washington couldn’t find their collective behinds with both hands and a bird dog! They don’t have a clue that they cannot regulate the Internet! It’s like a balloon. You squeeze it here and it just pops out somewhere else. That’s what will happen to the blogging community. All this does is throw fuel on the fire.
The government does not understand us, and as I said before, they fear us. And, you know what people do when they fear something… they destroy it.
The debates, on the blogs, are about as healthy a thing as could ever happen for democracy. But the more people participate in blogging, the more knowledgeable they become. Knowledge is power and that must be stamped out, at all costs, before it becomes a problem for the government. Too late! Bloggers are a problem for government! Now... we have to dodge the government’s mailed fist!
Do they not understand that Bloggers will go underground, and by going after Bloggers they will imbue them with way more power than they ever had before?
It’s just plain dumb!
I close with this quote from Voltaire:
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Sunday, March 6, 2005
Congress shall make no laws.........
Bill of Rights Amendment I:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Look closely at the above amendment. Do you see anything regarding separation of church and state? No? That’s because it isn’t there.
Now, before I dive headlong into to this post, allow me, please, to say that after years of wrestling with this, I have concluded that if the “separation clause” was, indeed, in the Constitution, I could probably support it. As it is, I haven’t that choice… because it simply isn’t there.
The Supreme Court is deciding an issue, I happen to believe, they have no authority to even consider. I refer, of course, to the case of the Ten Commandments displayed on public property, namely courthouse lawns and such. Elsewhere in the Constitution, it is plainly stated that if it is not in the Constitution, then the matter is left up to the states. Anything.
This issue should be a state matter… decided by each separate state’s legislatures and, when necessary, their state courts.
What we have here is another case of the Supreme Court assuming powers it doesn’t have…again. When will the Congress grow the cajones to rein in that runaway court?
Maybe the time has come (if not, it is surely approaching) when we have to convene a Constitutional Convention and clear up a few things. One would be to amend the Constitution to allow term limits for ALL Federal Judges including the Supreme Court Justices. The insulation of "lifetime appointments" has the effect of cutting them off from any contact with the real world, outside their tiny little world, and results in a disconnect with the American people. The same thing has happened to Congress. The answer to the Congressional disconnect? Term limits. Well, guess what, the Courts ruled Term Limits are unconstitutional. I wonder why.
We are faced again with the oligarchy thing. Our freedoms are being eroded away and we have no recourse. To continue along this course is bound to end in a very unpleasant mess. I would advise the government to review the events of
the 1850’s with even closer attention to the events of 1861 through 1865. The underlying cause of that unpleasant period was overbearing government. The Congress and the Federal Judiciary would do well to consider that period in our history because, as we all know, history has a way of repeating itself. The US government didn’t believe it could happen then, either.
The people must have recourse. We are well past being tired of the legislation coming out of the Federal Courts, including the Supreme Court.
The great unwashed, out here in the hinterlands, have begun the inevitable rumbling and the momentum will only build. Congress would do well to be attentive to these dissatisfied constituents and put the brakes on the Federal Courts. Congress has the power. The question is, are they men, and women, enough to do it?
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Look closely at the above amendment. Do you see anything regarding separation of church and state? No? That’s because it isn’t there.
Now, before I dive headlong into to this post, allow me, please, to say that after years of wrestling with this, I have concluded that if the “separation clause” was, indeed, in the Constitution, I could probably support it. As it is, I haven’t that choice… because it simply isn’t there.
The Supreme Court is deciding an issue, I happen to believe, they have no authority to even consider. I refer, of course, to the case of the Ten Commandments displayed on public property, namely courthouse lawns and such. Elsewhere in the Constitution, it is plainly stated that if it is not in the Constitution, then the matter is left up to the states. Anything.
This issue should be a state matter… decided by each separate state’s legislatures and, when necessary, their state courts.
What we have here is another case of the Supreme Court assuming powers it doesn’t have…again. When will the Congress grow the cajones to rein in that runaway court?
Maybe the time has come (if not, it is surely approaching) when we have to convene a Constitutional Convention and clear up a few things. One would be to amend the Constitution to allow term limits for ALL Federal Judges including the Supreme Court Justices. The insulation of "lifetime appointments" has the effect of cutting them off from any contact with the real world, outside their tiny little world, and results in a disconnect with the American people. The same thing has happened to Congress. The answer to the Congressional disconnect? Term limits. Well, guess what, the Courts ruled Term Limits are unconstitutional. I wonder why.
We are faced again with the oligarchy thing. Our freedoms are being eroded away and we have no recourse. To continue along this course is bound to end in a very unpleasant mess. I would advise the government to review the events of
the 1850’s with even closer attention to the events of 1861 through 1865. The underlying cause of that unpleasant period was overbearing government. The Congress and the Federal Judiciary would do well to consider that period in our history because, as we all know, history has a way of repeating itself. The US government didn’t believe it could happen then, either.
The people must have recourse. We are well past being tired of the legislation coming out of the Federal Courts, including the Supreme Court.
The great unwashed, out here in the hinterlands, have begun the inevitable rumbling and the momentum will only build. Congress would do well to be attentive to these dissatisfied constituents and put the brakes on the Federal Courts. Congress has the power. The question is, are they men, and women, enough to do it?
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Saturday, March 5, 2005
The Court Must Be Reined In!
I’m revisiting the topic of the US Supreme Court.
The Court is out of control. You may counter by saying they were meant to be out of control. I will agree... to the extent that they remain within their constitutional bounds. They are no longer doing that and haven’t done that for a very long time. Therefore we call upon the Congress to rein them in.
How can Congress do that? Some suggestions: term limits on the Justices of the Court. No lifetime appointments to the Court. Candidates for the Court should have to stand for election by the national electorate. Congress should immediately introduce, and pass, legislation curtailing the Court’s power to legislate from the bench and limit them to deciding cases based on whether the constitution covers the grounds of the case… or not. If it does not, then the lower courts will have jurisdiction.
Congress should introduce and pass legislation, including a constitutional amendment if necessary, to give Congress the power to over turn decisions, made by the Supreme Court, by a super majority vote of both houses. Congress should instruct the court, through law if necessary, that their decisions must be based on US law, and the US Constitution, with no consideration of other codes of law, or interpretations of law from any other source, period.
The Court has brought the wrath of the people down on its head because they have assumed powers they do not legally have, such as interpreting the Constitution. It is a power they assumed. The Congress should pass legislation, and a constitutional amendment if necessary, to ensure the Court cannot interpret the Constitution, but make decisions based upon it… as written. In other words, a strict “Constructionist” approach to the Constitution by the Court.
The Court has, by abusing their power, created an oligarchy in the US. (The rule of the few over the many.) This must be brought to an end.
This problem with the Court has reached “critical mass”. But don’t expect changes anytime soon. The Congress will not act until there is a hue, and cry, from the electorate, and so far, the electorate is not making much noise…except for those of us on the right of the political spectrum. Wait until they hand down a ruling, which goes against the Left’s core principles, like… overturning Roe v Wade! Then you will hear “weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth”! Then… maybe… maybe… we can get a coalition of the electorate together long enough to change some things about the Supreme Court. That will be a tenuous coalition to say the least. Frankly, I’m not sure even that will work.
The Court has assumed “god like” powers unto itself. That, alone, is enough to frighten a free man, or woman, half to death. This court must be reined in!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
The Court is out of control. You may counter by saying they were meant to be out of control. I will agree... to the extent that they remain within their constitutional bounds. They are no longer doing that and haven’t done that for a very long time. Therefore we call upon the Congress to rein them in.
How can Congress do that? Some suggestions: term limits on the Justices of the Court. No lifetime appointments to the Court. Candidates for the Court should have to stand for election by the national electorate. Congress should immediately introduce, and pass, legislation curtailing the Court’s power to legislate from the bench and limit them to deciding cases based on whether the constitution covers the grounds of the case… or not. If it does not, then the lower courts will have jurisdiction.
Congress should introduce and pass legislation, including a constitutional amendment if necessary, to give Congress the power to over turn decisions, made by the Supreme Court, by a super majority vote of both houses. Congress should instruct the court, through law if necessary, that their decisions must be based on US law, and the US Constitution, with no consideration of other codes of law, or interpretations of law from any other source, period.
The Court has brought the wrath of the people down on its head because they have assumed powers they do not legally have, such as interpreting the Constitution. It is a power they assumed. The Congress should pass legislation, and a constitutional amendment if necessary, to ensure the Court cannot interpret the Constitution, but make decisions based upon it… as written. In other words, a strict “Constructionist” approach to the Constitution by the Court.
The Court has, by abusing their power, created an oligarchy in the US. (The rule of the few over the many.) This must be brought to an end.
This problem with the Court has reached “critical mass”. But don’t expect changes anytime soon. The Congress will not act until there is a hue, and cry, from the electorate, and so far, the electorate is not making much noise…except for those of us on the right of the political spectrum. Wait until they hand down a ruling, which goes against the Left’s core principles, like… overturning Roe v Wade! Then you will hear “weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth”! Then… maybe… maybe… we can get a coalition of the electorate together long enough to change some things about the Supreme Court. That will be a tenuous coalition to say the least. Frankly, I’m not sure even that will work.
The Court has assumed “god like” powers unto itself. That, alone, is enough to frighten a free man, or woman, half to death. This court must be reined in!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Friday, March 4, 2005
Sons of Confederate Veterans, a thought.
My great Grand daddy carried a rifle and trudged all over the south with the South Carolina Confederate Forces during the war of Northern Aggression. I know of five or six others, of my family, who did the same. The conditions they lived in were appalling. Yet, the security of their family, their farms and their country was at stake. Men will fight when everything they love and cherish is on the line as it was during the period of April 1861 thru April of 1865.
My great Grand daddy had no slaves. None of my relatives who donned the gray uniform of the Confederate soldier had slaves. I doubt they knew anyone, except in passing, who did.
The men of my family were yeoman farmers. Oft times the slaves’s welfare was better than that of their own families. They had hardscrabble farms. They made ends meet as best they could with what they had. They did what they had to do to provide for their families. Family lore has it that, on occasion, they would make, and sell, some of the famous Southern corn liquor, later to be known as “white lightening”. They were a hard, no compromising, steadfast, people who loved their families and their home.
Then the blue-coated Yankees came.
My ancestors did not fight, nor would they have fought, to keep other men in bondage. They did, however, fight to protect their families and their farms.
I became a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a number of reasons…. to pay honor to my Confederate ancestors…to see that what they did was not forgotten… to see that the real story of those days is preserved against the innumerable attempts to bury it and to change it to suit the “politically correct” history our children are being taught in school today.
I am not interested in compromise, at all. What those men did is legendary. It is the stuff of classic stories. It is unbelievably true. It is worthy of being told, as it happened, time and time again. It is a part of who we as Southerners are. It is our heritage. It is in our blood, in our DNA. It is our family!
The true history of the War Between the States deserves to be told and told exactly. If you find a part of it troubling, hey, that’s life.
Historians used to be bound by honor to tell it as it happened, not to add to it, nor take away from it, but to present the facts, as they happened. Sadly, those days are far behind us. The vast majority of Americans have no idea of the truth behind the cause of that war. If you are relying on your public school education for the facts on that period in our history, you are sorely lacking.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is sworn to uphold the good name of the Confederate soldier and to safeguard his history and the Southern Heritage. But today the Sons of Confederate Veterans is in peril. Factions in the organization are tearing it apart. The “in-fighting” has drawn our attention away from the very things we are supposed to be doing. It must stop. We have an immeasurably important job to do and we must be about it.
I close with this thought from Gen. Robert Edward Lee, late of the Confederate Army:
"Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret." .... Robert E. Lee
I remain,
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
My great Grand daddy had no slaves. None of my relatives who donned the gray uniform of the Confederate soldier had slaves. I doubt they knew anyone, except in passing, who did.
The men of my family were yeoman farmers. Oft times the slaves’s welfare was better than that of their own families. They had hardscrabble farms. They made ends meet as best they could with what they had. They did what they had to do to provide for their families. Family lore has it that, on occasion, they would make, and sell, some of the famous Southern corn liquor, later to be known as “white lightening”. They were a hard, no compromising, steadfast, people who loved their families and their home.
Then the blue-coated Yankees came.
My ancestors did not fight, nor would they have fought, to keep other men in bondage. They did, however, fight to protect their families and their farms.
I became a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a number of reasons…. to pay honor to my Confederate ancestors…to see that what they did was not forgotten… to see that the real story of those days is preserved against the innumerable attempts to bury it and to change it to suit the “politically correct” history our children are being taught in school today.
I am not interested in compromise, at all. What those men did is legendary. It is the stuff of classic stories. It is unbelievably true. It is worthy of being told, as it happened, time and time again. It is a part of who we as Southerners are. It is our heritage. It is in our blood, in our DNA. It is our family!
The true history of the War Between the States deserves to be told and told exactly. If you find a part of it troubling, hey, that’s life.
Historians used to be bound by honor to tell it as it happened, not to add to it, nor take away from it, but to present the facts, as they happened. Sadly, those days are far behind us. The vast majority of Americans have no idea of the truth behind the cause of that war. If you are relying on your public school education for the facts on that period in our history, you are sorely lacking.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is sworn to uphold the good name of the Confederate soldier and to safeguard his history and the Southern Heritage. But today the Sons of Confederate Veterans is in peril. Factions in the organization are tearing it apart. The “in-fighting” has drawn our attention away from the very things we are supposed to be doing. It must stop. We have an immeasurably important job to do and we must be about it.
I close with this thought from Gen. Robert Edward Lee, late of the Confederate Army:
"Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret." .... Robert E. Lee
I remain,
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Thursday, March 3, 2005
What to do about North Korea?
What to do about North Korea? The bottom line is we may be forced to invade and remove that nitwit from his office and free those people. While we’re there, we’ll destroy his nukes…if, indeed, they have any. I’m not sure they exist… except in his mind.
Korea has a long history of taking advantage when the US is directing its attention to some other trouble spot in the world. We can count on North Korea kicking up its heels and throwing a tantrum every time. They act very much like the spoiled brat ruling them.
In the meantime, a naval blockade should be imposed on North Korea and every ship leaving a North Korean port should be stopped, boarded, and inspected for contraband…namely nuclear materials. If we find any, it should be immediately confiscated and destroyed. At least we could keep their nuclear genie in its bottle.
All the talking with North Korea is allowing them a stage, a platform, from which to spew their hate and threats. They have a history of this sort of behavior. They have not changed, nor will they, until forced to.
So, forget the empty talks. They are going nowhere…fast, because North Korea does not want them to go anywhere. North Korea needs the spotlight, the world’s attention, just as a child throwing a tantrum to be heard. Their insecurity is monumental. Their inferiority complex is staggering. They are a pathetic shell of a country lost in the Stalinist world of a long past yesterday.
We can forget about an internal coup to rid that country of their dictator. They are a beaten down people. Starved, demoralized, and afraid. They haven’t the will to overthrow their despotic government. So, it must be done from outside.
It s undeniable that North Korea must change or, be changed. All the bluster and threats coming from their capitol only hastens the day when the world will have it’s fill and remove the offending government.
That day comes closer every single day.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Korea has a long history of taking advantage when the US is directing its attention to some other trouble spot in the world. We can count on North Korea kicking up its heels and throwing a tantrum every time. They act very much like the spoiled brat ruling them.
In the meantime, a naval blockade should be imposed on North Korea and every ship leaving a North Korean port should be stopped, boarded, and inspected for contraband…namely nuclear materials. If we find any, it should be immediately confiscated and destroyed. At least we could keep their nuclear genie in its bottle.
All the talking with North Korea is allowing them a stage, a platform, from which to spew their hate and threats. They have a history of this sort of behavior. They have not changed, nor will they, until forced to.
So, forget the empty talks. They are going nowhere…fast, because North Korea does not want them to go anywhere. North Korea needs the spotlight, the world’s attention, just as a child throwing a tantrum to be heard. Their insecurity is monumental. Their inferiority complex is staggering. They are a pathetic shell of a country lost in the Stalinist world of a long past yesterday.
We can forget about an internal coup to rid that country of their dictator. They are a beaten down people. Starved, demoralized, and afraid. They haven’t the will to overthrow their despotic government. So, it must be done from outside.
It s undeniable that North Korea must change or, be changed. All the bluster and threats coming from their capitol only hastens the day when the world will have it’s fill and remove the offending government.
That day comes closer every single day.
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
"Shining City on a Hill"
Now let’s see: Afghanistan, Iraq, The Palestinians, Libya, Egypt, and Lebanon. All these nations have become democracies or, are on the way to becoming democratic. It has all happened in just a few short months.
So “war solves nothing”, huh? Care to rethink you position on that? I thought not. When one entrenches oneself into self doubt as deeply as the peaceniks have, it is nigh impossible to extract them. So, we will simply overlook them, as we have always done. They line the fringes of our society, anyway.
No one likes war. But, contrary to what the peaceniks tell us, war does bring change for the better. Ask the Brits, the French, the Germans the Belgium’s, the Jews…. and the list goes on. (The French may still be too arrogant to admit it, but, regardless of what they tell themselves, the remainder of the world knows they exist as a nation only because of the efforts of US servicemen in two world wars.)
War changes things. The Middle East, for better or for worse, is changed forever. The US has a beachhead in the Middle East and we will be there forever. We are not going to leave. As the democracies begin to shape up, and form up, and freedom begins to spread, those who hold the dictator’s reins now will find themselves out of a job. Those who would hold the Middle East back in the 14th century will find they alone are left in the past. The people are going to move on to liberty and freedom. Once a people have tasted freedom. It is not possible to strip them of it again.
If liberty blossoms, and blooms, in the Middle East, one man will be responsible. George W. Bush. He took a stand when the rest of the world would not. He alone had a vision of a free people who would seek after democracy . Old Europe, now irrelevant, stood on the sidelines as history passed them by. There they will remain. What they do, or say is of no consequence to anyone but themselves. It is sad to see a continent commit suicide.
In the meantime, America marches on. Ronald Reagan’s dream of America as a great “shining city on a hill” still perseveres, the last hope of a world, which lost its way.
Your Obedient Servant.
“Longstreet”
So “war solves nothing”, huh? Care to rethink you position on that? I thought not. When one entrenches oneself into self doubt as deeply as the peaceniks have, it is nigh impossible to extract them. So, we will simply overlook them, as we have always done. They line the fringes of our society, anyway.
No one likes war. But, contrary to what the peaceniks tell us, war does bring change for the better. Ask the Brits, the French, the Germans the Belgium’s, the Jews…. and the list goes on. (The French may still be too arrogant to admit it, but, regardless of what they tell themselves, the remainder of the world knows they exist as a nation only because of the efforts of US servicemen in two world wars.)
War changes things. The Middle East, for better or for worse, is changed forever. The US has a beachhead in the Middle East and we will be there forever. We are not going to leave. As the democracies begin to shape up, and form up, and freedom begins to spread, those who hold the dictator’s reins now will find themselves out of a job. Those who would hold the Middle East back in the 14th century will find they alone are left in the past. The people are going to move on to liberty and freedom. Once a people have tasted freedom. It is not possible to strip them of it again.
If liberty blossoms, and blooms, in the Middle East, one man will be responsible. George W. Bush. He took a stand when the rest of the world would not. He alone had a vision of a free people who would seek after democracy . Old Europe, now irrelevant, stood on the sidelines as history passed them by. There they will remain. What they do, or say is of no consequence to anyone but themselves. It is sad to see a continent commit suicide.
In the meantime, America marches on. Ronald Reagan’s dream of America as a great “shining city on a hill” still perseveres, the last hope of a world, which lost its way.
Your Obedient Servant.
“Longstreet”
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Support the Troops!
“I support the troops, but I don’t support the war.” Have you heard that statement? Surely you have. I wonder just how stupid those who utter that statement think we are, anyway!
You cannot support the troops and not support the war. The troops are the war! They volunteered for this duty. They are defending their country wherever the brass, in the Pentagon, sends them… or the White House. They represent us.
To say you support the troops, but not the war, is a “limp-wristed” way of expressing your disgust for the war and all who participate in it. It is the “less than brave” way of expressing your opinion about the war. Just drop the pretense and state your position.
But to do that, you must be ready to fend off criticism. For you surely will be criticized. But, then, if you believe in your position… you should defend it. I may not agree with you, but I will admire you for having the “courage of your convictions”.
Please do not shield yourself by using our troops. They have enough on their plates as it is. Those brave men and women are doing yeoman’s work, in your name, all over the world, not just in the Middle East. They deserve your respect for their efforts. The war is their effort. You cannot separate one from the other. So…please don’t try.
Here, at Rebel Yell, we support the troops and the war! It was, and is, a war that needed fighting. It was, and is, a war that we were/are either going to, or it was coming to, us. It may yet make it to our shores. If it does, prepare to see troops stationed at public places much as they were in the early days after 9/11. We may become more acquainted with those troops than we ever planned to. They will be standing between the enemy and us.
Next time you see a man or woman in uniform, thank them. Just walk up, introduce yourself, extend your hand in friendship, and tell them “Thank you for a job well done”. A simple: “Thank you for serving” will make their day. They deserve a good day!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
You cannot support the troops and not support the war. The troops are the war! They volunteered for this duty. They are defending their country wherever the brass, in the Pentagon, sends them… or the White House. They represent us.
To say you support the troops, but not the war, is a “limp-wristed” way of expressing your disgust for the war and all who participate in it. It is the “less than brave” way of expressing your opinion about the war. Just drop the pretense and state your position.
But to do that, you must be ready to fend off criticism. For you surely will be criticized. But, then, if you believe in your position… you should defend it. I may not agree with you, but I will admire you for having the “courage of your convictions”.
Please do not shield yourself by using our troops. They have enough on their plates as it is. Those brave men and women are doing yeoman’s work, in your name, all over the world, not just in the Middle East. They deserve your respect for their efforts. The war is their effort. You cannot separate one from the other. So…please don’t try.
Here, at Rebel Yell, we support the troops and the war! It was, and is, a war that needed fighting. It was, and is, a war that we were/are either going to, or it was coming to, us. It may yet make it to our shores. If it does, prepare to see troops stationed at public places much as they were in the early days after 9/11. We may become more acquainted with those troops than we ever planned to. They will be standing between the enemy and us.
Next time you see a man or woman in uniform, thank them. Just walk up, introduce yourself, extend your hand in friendship, and tell them “Thank you for a job well done”. A simple: “Thank you for serving” will make their day. They deserve a good day!
Your Obedient Servant,
“Longstreet”
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