There is No Place for Hitler

We have all heard the comparison, and quite probably have been hearing it for years now. Since the 2000 elections, the vitriol in politics has risen to a new level. Our political leaders are repeatedly compared to those that have committed heinous crimes against humanity and our political landscape compared to that which allowed the attempted extermination of an entire group of people.

Since the year 2000, those on the left of the political spectrum, repeatedly referred to President Bush as "Hitler" and his political administration as being full of "nazis", anyone that supported his political perspective were brown shirts.

Not to be outdone....




Since losing power in the recent presidential election, those on the extreme right like Glenn Beck and others, have repeatedly made the same mistake referring to President Obama as "Hitler" and his political agenda as "socialist".

Both sides were right.... and wrong.

Let's review, we all know who Hitler was. We all know the atrocities that he committed and was responsible for. 6 million murders and possibly more were a direct result of his "leadership". Hitler was evil incarnate. Many, many Americans died to save the world and people everywhere from his depravity. Their bravery and sacrifice commands our gratitude and respect.

That said, what have we done in their memory to honor them? We have made Hitler relevant once again and brought him into the very fabric of our political discourse. This needs to stop immediately. Words have meaning and referring to any human being - no matter how vehemently one disagrees politically- as Hitler denigrates those atrocities that Hitler committed.

Those on the left charged that Bush was a Nazi. The term would more properly be Fascist. A Fascist is someone who supports a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Now did Bush promote a strong Nationalism. Yes, he did. So did Ronald Reagan, but I wouldn't have compared him to Hitler either. Bush did not regiment industry or commerce, although certain of his practices could have been heading in that direction. There was a concentrated effort during his presidency to suggest that if you didn't support the President then you were not a patriot and I find that to be fascist in the extreme. I can think of no greater political contribution that an American citizen can make than to raise their voice when they disagree with their government.

Now, as to the charge of socialism, socialists are people who support a system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. Let's look at this realistically, while Obama certainly wants to make the centralized government stronger and all encompassing, he doesn't want ALL the people to have control over it, only a select few who are in power. The word socialist doesn't seem to fit. But if we could combine socialism and fascism into say a socio-fascist then they may be on to something. However much I may disagree with President Obama though, I wouldn't suggest that he is the representative of the ultimate evil.
I wouldn't dishonor my father, my husband's grandfather and so many good men who fought to free us from Hitler - FOREVER - by bringing his ghost into my vernacular and making those comparisons.

Let's leave Hitler where he belongs - in hell - and return American politics back to the People in whose hands the power of this Government our Founders so rightly entrusted....

Relax People, It's Just a Joke

For 8 years, comedians all over the country from SNL to late night, have made a living making fun of former President George W. Bush. That's what comedians do with a President, when you are in the public eye like that - you're fair game.

The following is Will Ferrell making a living as George W. Bush. Even though I voted for Bush, I thought he (Ferrell) was pretty damn funny, and especially toward the end of Bush's presidency, even had some valid points. Check it out here - one of many examples.

Bill Maher made George Bush a nightly topic of conversation. He was a little more virulent than Ferrell in his opposition of Bush, but hey, he's entitled to his opinion. For some of his best thoughts on Bush - check it out here.

But now that liberals have their "annointed one" sitting in the Oval office, all bets are off. Comedians, like everyone else, should just put on their party overalls and tow the line, after all, their commentary on President Obama could be - GASP- damaging to the President. Give me a break people, it's only a joke, right? Here's what SNL had to say about Obama's time in the White House thus far, personally, like Ferrell, I thought it was pretty damn funny. (Or would be if it weren't so true and so sad.) Here is thier skit, check it out.

Liberals have been foaming at the mouth over the skit. Just a couple of days again, CNN went on a rampage about how this could be "damaging the President." " The honeymoon is over..." they say, and they are concerned. You know what? They should be....

If you look at most of the spoofs that Ferrell does on Bush, you will see that Bush was personally ridiculed. His policies about the war were ridiculed, but when you look at the spoof of Obama, you see something deeper. A discontent, even among those that are on his side, with what he has and has not accomplished while in office. They were talking about his policies, not his personality and that should be very disconcerting to the DNC for their hopes of re-electing this President. After all, isn't that what it's all about? Maintaining your party in power? Why do people actually think it's about accomplishing something and doing what's right for the country? Neither party actually does that....

If you truly want to help your country and make a difference, change your party affilitation TODAY to independent. As long as the party thinks they have you in their pocket, nothing will change, and that just means that the joke is on us.

Liberals to McCrystal - "Shut Up and Salute"

Today in the Washington Post there was a horrific oped piece by Eugene Robinson about the ongoing public discussion between the "Commander and Chief" and his leading general in Afghanistan regarding the strategy the United States should employ in our 8 year war in that country. Mr. Robinson, and liberals in general, believe that General McChrystal should, and I quote, "shut up and salute." I wonder if that is the left's official stance on the military in general?

It is difficult to stomache the outrage over General McChrstyal simply answering a question regarding his opinion as to our strategy in the war. Personally, I thought his response to the question was brilliant and it finally gave me hope that we actually had some modicum of a chance to pull a victory out of this ongoing disaster, no small feat considering our commander in chief himself says that he is "uncomfortable with victory in Afghanistan".

During his stumping on his way to the White House then candidate Obama said, on many occassions, that America needed to refocus on the war in Afghanistan and that when he was elected President, he would do exactly that. For those of you who don't remember Candidate Obama's campaign positions on Afghanistan, here is one of *Many* examples that can be found. I couldn't have agreed with Candidate Obama more. Too bad that as President, he seems to lack the intestinal fortitude to do what is necessary - in his own words - in the face of an increasingly unpopular war.

A President, especially one as inexperienced as this one in military affairs, must place their trust in their generals to tell them what the real situation facing the troops on the ground is and allow these generals to assist them in formulating the policies that will best serve both our countries foreign policiy needs while at the same preserving our most precious treasure - the lifeblood of our heroes. General McChrystal, knowing the backlash that he would and has faced, did exactly that. He should be commended for his bravery, his love of country and his devotion to the men he serves with. Instead, he is told by the liberals in this country to "shut up and salute". Can 2012 possibly come soon enough? Not in this blogger's opinion; however, it may come to late for the brave men and women currently serving in harms way in Afghanistan.

My Peanut Has a First Name - It's J-I-M-M-Y

Oh my peanut has a second name it's C-A-R-T-E-R. Oh, I love to eat them everyday and if you ask me why I'll say - cause Jimmy Carter has a way of messing up the USA.

Ah - the fond, and in the case of Carter's Presidency, the not-so- fond, remebrances of my youth. The above was a song to the tune of Oscar Meyer weiners that myself and my fourth grade compatriots could often be found singing while the foreign policy of the Carter administration collapsed and our parents waited in gas lines that are now almost beyond remembering. The only contributions I think that Jimmy Carter has made to our country have not been positive - astronomical inflation and stagflation, a foreign policy that was an embarrassment as American hostages were held for well over a year by a terrorist nation, and a "deal" that earned Carter a nod at a Nobel Peace Prize while giving our country a nuclear North Korea. Brilliant.

Now Jimmy Carter wants to weigh in on the current dissent that our current President is being barraged with on a daily basis regarding his so-called health care plan. ( By this time, one would think that Carter would have learned to keep his mouth shut) In his infinite wisdom, Jimmy Carter wants to raise the specter of Jim Crowe and suggest that those Americans with serious concerns regarding health care and other of the Presidents current and proposed policies were, frankly, racist.

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News. Really? So, if one asserts serious concerns on policy or - *gasp* THE HORROR - a dissenting point of view - one is simply an ignorant racist, whose opinion should be ignored and whose voice should simply be silenced.

Using Carter's own logic then, wouldn't one also say that overwhelming criticisim of Israel is in fact anti-semetic? That can certainly be said of a man who proudly befriends Hamas and claims that their smears and targeting of Israel are "legitimate crticisms". Please. Said so-called peace loving peanut also was actively invovled in the pardoning of a former SS officer, known to have murdered thousands at the Mauthausen death camp in Austria. See here for more details.

Aside from all of this though, wasn't President Obama going to end racism as we know it? Wasn't this going to prove to the world, once and for all, that the nightmare of slavery is behind us? We can all feel good about how far we have come - except of course that we haven't, and those perpetuating the racism charge are the very individuals who promised to rid us of it. Sickening.

As for me, I believe in a color blind society. I teach my children that God loves people of all colors and made us all in his image because He loves wonderful variety! I believe that all people are the same, regardless of the color of their skin and I truly do judge my friends based on the content of their character and nothing more.
I find it disgusting that, when faced with even the slightest opposition, that those supporting this President come trotting out with the "racist" slur. It's sick. I hope that President Obama immediatley seperates himself from this charge and further, calls Carter out for his scurrilous behavior and insists that any such charge on the part of anyone in the Democratic party immediately be halted. Otherwise any thinking person might wonder if this charge of "racism" is nothing more than an attempt to draw our attention away from the Health care debacle and the man behind the curtain.

The AP's Way of Honoring the Fallen

I am a military wife and a military daughter. My blood runs red, white and blue and it always has. I love our military and I believe that every man and woman in our armed forces is a hero. To say that I have a hard time dealing with the treatment our military is given by the media is quite possibly the understatement of the century.

The latest outrage? This story from the Associate Press complete with picture showing the last moments of a Marines life. As if that weren't odious enough, all of this was without the consent of the family and in fact, was contrary to their wishes.

The freedom of information act allows both the media and individuals to get the names of the fallen. For years, this has been a cause that is dear to my heart. My friend, Judy Vincent, bas been fighting for years to change the law and make it so that familial consent is required before the names or the likenesses of the fallen can be used. In her case, a "man", and I use the term here lightly, in Phoenix, AZ. was using the names of the fallen on a t-shirt that he sold for his own personal gain. His pockets were swollen as a result of this young marines sacrfice. Something here definitely isn't right.

I understand that the situation is somewhat different here, but certainly the AP is selling stories, papers and page views with this controversy. So while their intention of raising awareness of the price paid by those in the military due to an ongoing and ever unpopular war may have been honorable, their lack of respect shown to the surviving members of this marines family was anything but.

AP, you should be ashamed!

Wag the Dog

In 1997, the Hollywood think tank came out with a little movie called "Wag the Dog" staring Dustin Hoffman. It was about a President, facing personal scandal and lagging popularity who basically starts a war to distract the attention of the American people. So many times since that movie came out, I had the feeling of Deja vu.

In true Sal Alinsky form though, our current President has done one better. Instead of starting a war with another country, he has started a war on his own intelligence agency, the CIA. Let's review, earlier this year President Obama said that he "wasn't interested in looking in the past" and that he feared an investigation into the CIA and their interrogation procedures could weaken our national security. For once, I applauded his restraint, but oh, how short lived *that* was....

In the past weeks, his appointed attorney general Holder has, in fact, released documents pertaining to the techniques used by the CIA with the intention of prosecuting anyone who, "stepped over the line". Seems like a pretty generic and, more importantly, subjective, guideline to me.

This administration wants us to be appalled because heroes, busy protecting their country in the wake of the worst terror attack on our soil - ever -threatened the lives of a terrorists children. Khalid Sheik Mohammed was immediately responsible for the deaths of 3000 of my fellow Americans. I could really care less if an interrogator, in an attempt to get pertenant information, threatened his children. Give me a break.

All the while, President Obama seems to desperately want us to ignore the little man behind the curtain. This debacle with the CIA, Holder, etc... is all just a distraction - meant to enrage both those on the right and the left so that they are incapable of focusing on more important realities facing our country. As long as we get the blood of the other side - prove that Bush was a war criminal - *that's* what is important, right?

Not so my friends. Not so. Just yesterday, the Congressional budge office announced that the ballooning deficit is even worse than projected - and that our country will in fact face a deficit of over 9 TRILLION dollars in just 10 years. How can our country possibly recover from policies that put our country in the hole by almost a third of our entire economy? And this my friends, doesn't even include the cost of Obama care... oh no, this is just for the already disasterous policies enacted by this administration. In thier own words:

Christina Romer, economic adviser for President Barack Obama, said that the unemployment could begin a slow decline next year with a projected average of 9.8 percent in 2010.

"This recession was simply worse than the information that we and other forecasters had back in last fall and early this winter," Romer said.

So let me get this right, you misread the economy, righ Ms. Romer? And we, the People, are supposed to trust this administration to get anything else right? Let's turn over the heathcare of every citizen to this brain trust because they have proven how all knowing and trustworthy they are.

We aren't on the slow boat to China my friends, we are on the Acela Exprpess to hell. I hope we are all prepared for the bumpy ride, because the next 1000 days can't possibly come to a quick enough end.

Wee Wee'd Up?

Today, the President tried to belittle the current cloud of dissent surrounding his health care proposals but suggesting that those who oppose his plan are simply "wee wee'd up." First I would like to know what the phrase even means and secondly, let me just say that I find it disturbing that the leader of the free world would even use this kind of language. Please, whoever is in charge of the teleprompter - make sure he has it, because frankly, he appears to be a blathering idiot without it, which is a terrible disappointment.

Yes, the American people are wee wee'd up. Frankly, many of us are spitting mad. I don't like it than in 8 short months my country is barely recognizable. Let's recap, in the last 8 months we have sold our children and grandchildren into servitude for a stimulus that even the administration admits isn't working, we have become the proud owners of several car companies, and now, in our infinite wisdom we are also going to allocate the health care of ALL of our people to the government in one form or another because, Lord knows, they do everything else so well.

Yes, that does make me one very angry American. I want my country back and I have resolved that I am not going to sit idly by and wait for others to fix it for me. I am going to be proactive in being a part of the discussion on the issues that are important to me and to all Americans. I am going to be part of the solution. I think that a proactie electorate - no matter how you vote - is FAR better than what I believe our country is mainly full of - apathetic citizens.

How can anyone sit by while Obama suggests to our senior citizens - many of whom have done more for this country than just about any previous generation of Americans - that they just forego a life prolonging surgery, take a pain pill and say goodnight? Is that what you want for YOUR parent? What about for your child? I don't know about you, but what I want are; more choices not less, lower costs not rationed care, less government interference and more freedom. It really is that simple Mr. President, so if those feelings make me all "wee wee'd up" then I guess that I am guilty as charged.

You know what though? I'm not starting or limiting myself to taking aim at national representatives, I am going to hold my local government officials accountable too. It is high time that they got off their dead asses and actually worked FOR the people. In the chaos of everything that has happened over these last several years, so many seem to have come to this misconception that the government is of the government, by the government, and for the government. It isn't. WE THE PEOPLE are still the ones who matter and it is time we all stand together and show ALL the politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle what real change is and exactly what we can do.

Admiral Yamamoto once said that on the day of Pearl Harbor, he feared his country had "awakened a sleeping giant." He was right, but that giant wasn't the military of the United States or our government - it was the WILL of the American People and now, our own government has made that very same mistake - they have underestimated us. So what say you? Will you go quietly into that good night like a sheep to the slaughter? Or will you STAND UP and make your voice heard?

How can you stand up? Get involved! Actually read the health care proposed bill for yourself and formulate your own opinion on the topic, then get involved. Attend local government meetings, hold your representatives accountable to the will of the people and when they forget who actually runs this government, remind them on election day of who really holds the power in this country. You voice, your choice. Your vote, our hope. Make it count.

June 6th, 1945

Today, our country is losing it's greatest national resource at an alarming pace. I bet you are wondering to what I am referring? The answer isn't what - it's who. Today, so few of them are left and every day we lose more and more - our country's Greatest Generation.

65 years ago today, they faced insurmountable odds and an unlikely outcome, and they faced it as young men and women - most probably in their 20's or younger. They faced this challenge the way they faced all the other hardships in their lives - head on- with hard work, dedication, devotion and bravery. Their victory in the fielf of battle made our country synonomous with Freedom on the one hand and overwhelming military might on the other. Their sacrifices liberated an entire continent of oppressed people and saved a people from total annihilation. They were liberators.

Winston Churchill once said ( of the Battle of Briton but can certainly be said of Normandy) "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " And yet, 65 years later, so mahy of us forget the contributions of the Greatest Generation.

My husband's grandfather, Addison Hogue Thomson, was one such a man. He was the kindest, gentlest man that it has ever been my privilege to know. He was slow to anger and quick to forgive. He loved his country - very much. When she called, Addison answered. He bravely served his country as a medic for the duration of the war. He would only talk occassionally about his experiences. He never thought of himself as a hero, and yet, believe me when I tell you that he was one.

Addison Thomson was one of six brothers, five of whom fought for their country as members of the Greatest Generation. His brother David was simply too young to serve. He was at D-day plus one. I can remember him telling me of his experiences there. The first thing he learned when he hit the beach with the 101st was to cover the Red Cross on his helmet with mud as the Germans used it for crosshairs so that the wounded could not be tended. He had horrible memories of the war and hated Patton with an intensity that it was difficult to believe considering his otherwise peaceful demeanor.

Addison Thomson epitomises the greatest generation. They were ordinary men and women who rose up to the challenges presented and accomplished extraordinary things, then quietly went back to lead their lives, never wanting or needing gratitude or accolades. Yet today, of all days, those men deserve both the accolades they are given and the undying gratitude of free men and women everywhere. I hope we never forget their contributions and their sacrifices. I hope that a new generation will look to those that have come before and aspire to be something more, to do something more, not just for ourselves, but for the betterment of the world.

Honoring Memorial Day

Ignorance is bliss, sometimes that really is the truth. I was reading the New York Times online today, ( I know, I can already hear your heads collectively shaking...) and I came across a piece in the OpEd section on how the readers of the Times define America. Here, on the cusp of one of our most important American holidays, I was saddened by what I saw. I would like to say that I was shocked, but in actuality I wasn't.

The Times commentary was full of those who quite frankly hate their own country. They defined it as the land of the brainless and home of the obese. They talked about our collective delusion that we are the worlds lone Super Power. Some discussed how, in their opinion, our country enforces our morality at the end of a gun. It makes me so sorrowful to think that this is the way the majority views their country. Fortunately, I then remembered that I was reading the Times and that, in and of itself, was sure to tip the results in one direction, predominantly supporting one point of view.

Thankfully though, in the United States of America, there are many points of view. This is mine.

Let's start with Memorial Day before I address the definition of the United States of America. What does Memorial Day mean to you? Why do we honor this day and what exactly are we remembering? In what manner do we choose to celebrate?
For me, Memorial Day is a day of reflection and gratitude. It is a day to pause from our daily lives and reflect on those things that most of us take for granted every day. I have been fortunate in my life to know real heroes – the men and women of the United States military. Some of these men and women have laid down their lives – paid the ultimate price of freedom – because they love their country and all the ideals she represents. I know that Freedom isn't free. These individuals and their families have paid the price – and continue to pay the price. Today I have a friend – actually many – who is missing her husband as he defends this country. Today I have a friend that is being sent into harms way in spite of promises by our politicians to end this war. Today, I have a friend who every day mourns the loss of her only son. He gave his life so that all of us could live happy and free. Scott Vincent, and the hundreds of thousands just like him, are eternally my heroes. To them I owe the deepest debt of gratitude – one that can never be repaid. The very least that I can do for them is to take this day and remember, and to teach my children to do the same.

It is my honor to be a citizen of the greatest country this world has ever known. I was lucky to be born an American, and I will never be anything but proud of my country, I will never feel anything but the deepest love for her and all she represents. Does that mean that I do homage to the land of the brain dead and home of the obese? No. This is how I see my country:

In my normal day as an American citizen I have more freedom than most of the world will ever know. That isn't wishful thinking – it's the truth. I can go where I want to go.I can use any mode of travel that I see fit with minimal interference in my life relative to the rest of the world. I can express my opinions in almost any manner that I see fit. I can wear what I want without fear of reprisals – or worse. I don't need a male relative to escort me out of the house. I have no fear of dying in a soccer stadium because of my sex. I can go to any religious establishment and worship as I chose. Or not. Simply put, I am an American and because of that fact, I do what most of the world can only dream about. I have a voice and I have a choice.

To me, my country is about hope, choice, dreams, accomplishment and above all Freedom. The greatest compliment someone can give me is to say that I am an Idealist. It is then that I KNOW I am an American because, in the words of Woodrow Wilson, “America is the only idealistic nation in the world.” She seeks to do the right and criticizes herself for anything less than perfection. Yes, I Love my country and today, I celebrate and honor all those who paid the price for me to live in the greatest country in the world.

Don't We Have More Important Things to Worry About?

I hate telemarketers, don't you? Even worse, I dislike those who would impose their point of view and morality on others. Yesterday it was my misfortune to be on the recieving end of both of these.

I got a call, and I forget the name of the organization, but basically they wanted to know how angry I am about the fact that abortion is legal. Really? You really want to know? Here it is in a nutshell, but I can promise you that people who ask that sort of qustion aren't going to like my answer.

I am a mother. I am personally pro-life. That said, I realize that others may have a different moral belief than mine. Some do not believe that life begins at conception but rather that conception is just a possibility for life. My husband is one such a person. Many people have miscarriages and intervening events that stop the process of conception from resulting in the birth of a live child. So the idea of conception being a "possibility for life" is something that many agree with.
Whatever my own personal beliefs are, it isn't for me to tell my husband or anyone else that their differing beliefs are wrong. Isn't that part of what makes our country great - the tolerance for a multitude of differing beliefs? Since when did we become a society of morality police?

There are things about the abortion argument that I am passionate about - partial birth abortion is one example. Even so though, there are much more important issues facing our country. Our economic system is hanging on by a thread, the dollar is being devalued as we print more and more money for this bailout and the tax burden that will be passed on to my children and grandchildren because of it is almost unbelievable. We are currently facing a potential health pandemic and all some people care about it abortion.

Some people just don't get it.

"Contractually Obligated"??

I have stopped watching the news and now I am relegated to getting my news soley from the Internet. The reason for this change in behavior is that everytime I watch the news, I only find myself getting angrier and angrier. Sadly this is also the case when I read the news, but one can not put one's head in the sand.
Today, I came across this headline: "Insurance Giant AIG to Pay $165 Million in Bonuses". Does this make anyone else see red??? I mean, here AIG is, raking in $170 BILLION in tax payer dollars and they are using one tenth of OUR money to pay the executives who made the disasterous decisions leading their company to the brink of disaster BONUSES???
AIG says that they are "contractually obligated" to pay these bonuses. Failing to do so would have resulted in lawsuits, which is probably true. However, had the government allowed AIG to go into chapter 11 prior to the bailout, all bets would have been off. AIG would have had the flexibility to renegotiate their contractual obligations based on the reality of their finanacial situation. Instead, hundreds of employees who made poor choices are getting the benefit of our hard earned dollars.
Am I the only one who is angry here?

Casey Anthony is Indicative of Everything that is Wrong with our Society

If you have been anywhere near a cable news channel in the past year, you have heard the sad case of Caylee Marie Anthony. She was a little girl who lived in Central Florida with her sad excuse for a mother, Casey Anthony.
How can it be that two grandparents, who live at least part time with their grandchild, don't see said grandchild for over a month and wait that long to raise the red flag? Hello? Doesn't anyone else have a problem with this? Then you have the missing gas cans from their garage, the smell of "something dead" in the car, and you still have the incredibel audacity to believe your daughter who has lied to you about everything else. Some people are truly brain dead.
The minute I saw Casey Anthony pictured partying it up while her daughter was supposedly missing, I knew that she killed her child. THere is not a mother on the planet who would simply accept her child being missing and behave in this manner. Not unless she already knew where her child was.
Casey Anthoney gives young mothers everywhere a bad name. The fact is, she just couldn't handle the responsibility of being a mother. She wanted to be young and have fun, so she simply removed the problem - her beautiful almost three year old daughter - from her life. How truly sick.
A mother is the person who is supposed to love you more than anyone else on the planet. Now I know that many fall below this measurement but few sink to the depths of Casey Anthony's depravity.
They found the remains of Caylee Marie with duct tape around her little mouth. Her mother premeditated the act and killed her own child in cold blood. Who does that? Then, there are the pictures of the wild partying....
In our country, the fact that Casey Anthony is good looking will be to her favor. People want to believe that those who are pretty on the outside are also pretty on the iside. In reality though, often beauty hides a heinous beast underneath. That could not be more true in this particular case.
In papers across the country it is being suggested that a finger print on the duct tape will seal Casey Anthony's fate. All I can say to that is I hope so because, in my opinion, the death penalty is just too good for her.

Spending Into Oblivion - Isn't Anyone Paying Attention?

Some months ago I was sitting in front of the television late one night when the foundations of my entire world were shaken beneath my feet. I watched as the President of the United States told all of us that our economy - the economy that drives the world - was on the verge of collapse. Since then I have heard story after story about the Great Depression part two. That should be enough to wake us up, shouldn't it America?
Honestly though, since then, what have we done? Have we tightened up our belts looking for ways to really improve our country or our economy? No. We have relied on politicians - some of the very people who got us in this damn mess in the first place - to discern a way out of this economic imbroglio. Am I the only one that has a problem with this course of action??
Instead of pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, what do we do? Well, we borrow ourselves into oblivion on the belief that more money in the economy is going to save us - it won't. It will just make digging ourselves out of this hole all that much harder. We are borrowing our tomorrows to pay for today and so many as just marching on in quiet oblivion. How is this possible in my country?
So we just passed a 750+BILLION bailout. Great. Where is that money coming from? We are going to save the housing industry, the car makers, the airlines, and anyone else asking for a handout. Even the porn industry is trying to get in on the action.
If all of that weren't bad enough, we are now looking at ANOTHER $410 Billion in spending. That's an 8% increase over last year people. Just do the simple math - you are making less, your economy is on the verge of collapse but the admission of it's own leaders, and we are spending 8% more than last year??? The comment from one of my favorite movies comes to mind: " Go sell crazy somewhere else. We're full up here!" Part of said $410 BIllion bill is a program for a measly $500,000 for what is described as a Senate "pilot program" that will defray the cost of mass mail postcards to households notifying them of a nearby town meeting to be attended by any senator. Hello? Has anyone ever heard of a newspaper? How about the interent, it's free?
We are all in big trouble here people..... Buckle up, because it's going to be a very bumpy ride.

Animal Cruelty Laws Among the Faster Growing in the United States

Finally! There is some good news to be had when I read the paper this morning. After all, isn't it time that we FINALLY become a compassionate society? Why is it ok to torture animals because we deem them somehow less than ourselves? The answer is that it isn't, and anyone who would excuse such, does it merely for their own benefit.

Look at the sad case of Michael Vick. Not long ago, when the Vick debacle happened, Whoopi Goldberg had the incredible audacity to defend Michael Vick, the NFL football player arrested for abusing and murdering dozens of dogs. Whoopi said, " from where he comes from" in the South, dogfighting isn't that unusual".

"It's like cockfighting in Puerto Rico," she said. "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country." No matter how you slice it, this statement goes BEYOND ignorant!!!

This is what a bit bull puppy looks like. They are adorable, intelligent and fiercely loyal. They have a bad reputation because some ignorant people - like Michael Vick - train some dogs to be mean. Unlike a human being, it is not in a dog's nature to be cruel. What was Michael Vick's goal? I mean, did he really need more money??? Wasn't the MILLIONS that he was already making enough for him??

This is what one of Michael Vick's pit bulls looked like after a dog fight :



From Vick's indictment for these heinous crimes: "The 27-year-old Vick, whose nickname is listed as "Ookie" in the indictment, allegedly established the Bad Newz Kennels in early-2001 in Smithfield, Virginia. It was this property, for which Vick paid $34,000, that the star athlete and his codefendants used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture and hosting dog fights." According to prosecutors, Vick and his cohorts began purchasing pit bull puppies in late-2001 and would eventually "sponsor" individual dog fights with purses as high as $26,000. In the indictment's most harrowing parts, federal investigators describe what happened to some Bad Newz Kennels dogs that either lost matches or did not perform well in test fights. After a March 2003 loss by a female pit bull, codefendant Purnell Peace, "after consulting with Vick," electrocuted the animal. In April, prosecutors allege, Vick, Peace, and Quanis Phillips, "executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions." These animals, the indictment claims, were killed "by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

So Whoopi, I don't care what part of the "South" you are from - inhumanity and cruelty still look the same as they do in other parts of the country. Dog fighting is illegal and there is NO EXCUSE whatsoever - not your geographical origins as Ms. Goldberg suggests - not "Culture" as actor Jamie Foxx has suggested. There is NO excuse - PERIOD. Cruelty to animals is WRONG and those that engage in it - barely register as human beings as far as I am concerned.

One of my favorite books is "The Singer" by Calvin Miller. In it he recounts life in the Garden of Eden. God walks Adam through the Garden and introduces him to the animals. " And God called down the Sparrow from the Tree and said to Adam, 'Behold your Sister ~ a life not so great as yours but precious just the same."

All life is precious - human life - canine life - it makes NO difference no matter what part of the country you live in. Whoopi should be ashamed for defending this atrocity! To find out more about how you can help animals abused in this horrible way, please visit: the Animal Charities List . Don't sit idly by and let someone like Whoopi Goldberg continue to spew ignorance. Cruelty is never OK.

Now, thanks to laws changing all across the country, people like Michael Vick are no longer going to simply get away with murder because their victim is "just an animal". Thanks to conscientious and compassionate people everywhere, real change is happening. How can we suppose to live in a society that is cruelty free if that ideal does not extend outside of our own species?

The WORST Husband in America? Stephen Fowler this is for YOU....

I don't usually watch reality tv but this caught my eye on youtube. It's difficult to believe that one human being could so successfully malign our country, our mlitary and so many other human beings all at one time. I find just about EVERYTHING about this man offensive!

The worst part of watching this wife swap preview was watching the so-called perfect family. The "mother" actually talks about how spending too much time with her children makes her unhappy. How selfish and self invovled can one couple possibly be?? It was heart-wrenching to see how unhappy their children are.

Stephen Fowler claims that his IQ is 159 or something like that. I find that highly unlikely, after all hitting it out of the ball park when it comes to being a pompous ass doesn't exactly make him Einstein.

As an American, I find this couples' behavior to be absolutely repugnant. "We are training our children to be citizens of the world..." Can you feel my eyes rolling?? This family wouldn't even acquiesce to reciting the Pledge of Allegience. In the opinion of this American, for being such "smart" people, they certainly are not very commendable people. The man especially was an embarrassment to his children, his spouse, his country and his gender. It's hard to imagine a man more grossly odious than Stephen Fowler.

Worst of all was his obvious disdain for the military. It makes me absolutely nauseous to think of the good men and women in our armed forces who put their lives on the line everyday for this piece of human excrement to have his right to make an ass out of himself. I can't believe that Uncle Sam would even allow someone so imperialistic in their thinking to become a citizen. I say we throw him back over the pond and let the British proudly claim their native son.

In addition to the horrid affront this man continually made to the United States military, claiming we needed those with lesser IQ's to "feed it" etc... he was the worst example of masoginistic thinking that I have witnessed in a long time. I'm surprised that he even allowed his wife to leave the kitchen and his expectations of his children were clearly to be seen little and heard not at all. These two so-called Americans are not WORTHY of the name and should be ashamed of themselves, I certainly am embarrassed to have to call them my countrymen.

Why?

Here we are, finding ourselves on the very cusp of History. In just a few days, Barrack Obama will be sworn in as the first black president of the United States of America. It's mentioned over and over again, and believe me, part of me gets it and feels the import of the moment. Still, in a truly color blind society, which is what our country aspires to be, is the constant reminder truly important?

I think the message and the hope of Barrack Obama are so much more important than his skin color. I think emphasizing too much on the obvious doesn't bring out the best in all of us, but rather accentuates the worst.

Let's just run with the historic moment though, shall we? Since the news media everywhere wants to focus on Barrack Obama's color, lets go there. On this momentous occassion, why would our new President choose to use the Bible of another President for his swearing in? Why would he even consider being the first President in US history to use the bible of President Lincoln? I understand the connection of the first black President using the bible of the President who signed the Emancipation Proclaimation, I really do. I just think this moment is worthy of it's own momentos, not clinging on to those of the past, no matter how reverred.