Social Studies Archives
O, J. Simpson Still Searching
O. J. Simpson has moved the search for the killer of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman from the golf courses of Florida to the Nevada state penitentiary. It has not been announced how long he will be searchng there.
Posted by Rick | October 3, 2008 11:49 PM | Social Studies
Deterioration Of Social Mores In America
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seems to be a fine candidate for vice-president.
However, the fact that she is going to parade her unwed, pregnant daughter, Bristol, and the kid who impregnated her before the Republican convention is really tacky. There is no shame in America anymore, and that is a shame.
It is fine to stick by your daughter if she makes a mistake but don't rub our noses in it. Bristol and her impregnator should stay home and read a book on birth control and/or parenting.
Posted by Rick | September 3, 2008 03:54 AM | Political Science ~ | Social Studies
Ocean Front Property In Arizona? Who You Gonna Believe?
If you are worried about the sea level rising as glaciers and the polar ice cap melt, read this interview.
Dr. Nils-Axel Mörner is the head of the Paleogeophysics and Geodynamics department at Stockholm University in Sweden. He is past president (1999-2003) of the INQUA Commission on Sea Level Changes and Coastal Evolution, and leader of the Maldives Sea Level Project. Dr. Mörner has been studying the sea level and its effects on coastal areas for some 35 years.
You can believe Dr. Nils-Axel Mörner or you can believe Al Gore. Personally, I'm not planning on investing in any ocean front property in Arizona.
Posted by Rick | October 21, 2007 02:48 AM | Political Science ~ | Social Studies
Prosecuting The Wrong Person
Yesterday, Warren Jeffs, 51, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), which has about 6,000 members in the towns of Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, with other members in Nevada, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota and British Columbia, was found guilty of 2 counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a 14 year old girl.
The FLDS believes that the prophet is told by God to arrange the marriages between members of this sect and that sex should occur only for procreation.
I should point out that I am not supporter of arranged marriages and do not believe that 14 year old girls should get married, but I don't believe that the authorities in Utah prosecuted the right person here.
The parents of the girl were her care givers and were the ones that allowed this to happen. It would have been certainly difficult for the 14 year old to leave her home to get away from this marriage, but the girl's parents did have the power to keep this from happening and should be the ones held accountable. To blindly follow someone like Warren Jeffs is unconscionable. The same God these people believe in gave people a mind to figure out right from wrong. No gun was held to their head that forced them to give control of their daughter to Jeffs. Unfortunately the parents did give their consent and the blame lies with them.
Posted by Rick | September 26, 2007 04:22 AM | Social Studies
Good 'Ol Boys At Work
Former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong will spend merely 1 day in jail after being found in criminal contempt of court for lying to a judge when pursuing rape charges against three falsely accused Duke University lacrosse players.
Nifong could have (and should have) been sentenced to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Unfortunately Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III didn't have the good judgment to throw the book at the disgraced Nifong, who, showing that he still did not get it, pled not guilty to the charges he lied to the court.
Posted by Rick | September 1, 2007 05:35 PM | Social Studies
Ward Churchill - Going, Going, Gone
Ward Churchill, the tenured University of Colorado professor who was accused of falsifying his ancestry in order to obtain his position as professor of American Indian Studies in the Center for Studies in Ethnicity and Race in America (CSERA) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was terminated by the University of Colorado's governing board on Tuesday by an 8-1 vote, finally ending the 2 year investigation and controversy.You can read the full Report of the Investigative Committee of the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct at the University of Colorado at Boulder concerning Allegations of Academic Misconduct against Professor Ward Churchill here.
Churchill claimed he was part American Indian although both of his parents are Caucasian. You can read all about Churchill's claims and the facts in a Rocky Mountains News article written by Kevin Flynn, June 9, 2005, here.
He was also accused of plagiarism and had been under fire for his comments likening some of the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann.
Below are two works of art. The first, by the late artist Thomas E. Mails, was published in a 1972 book called The Mystic Warriors of the Plains. The second, titled “Winter Attack,” was “drawn" and signed by the now terminated University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill.
There is a statement from Ward Churchill clarifying his "little Eichmans" remark here.
Churchill, who had vowed to sue if the Board of Regents took action against him, said immediately after the 8-1 vote was announced: "New game, new game."
I would like to know who the brilliant mind was behind the dissenting vote. Perhaps the University should look at his record next.
Posted by Rick | July 25, 2007 12:12 AM | Social Studies
Coulter On Injustice In America
Ann Coulter chimes in on 'injustice in America' with an article you can read here.
Posted by Rick | June 26, 2007 11:36 AM | Political Science ~ | Social Studies
Injustice In America
The justice system in America is, in theory, probably the fairest system in the world. Unfortunately, we have some judges with partisan or personal agendas who are more and more often screwing things up.
This has been quite apparent in some recent cases:
Sandy Berger, President Clinton's National Security Advisor, received no time in jail for stealing and destroying documents from the National Archives. I believe his sentence should have been 10 years in federal prison.
Paris Hilton gets 45 days for breaking the terms of her probation twice after her no-contest DUI plea. I believe her sentence should have been the 45 days the judge sentenced her to.
Mary Winkler received a sentence of merely 210 days in prison and 3 years probation for shooting her husband in the back while he slept and letting him die. I believe her sentence should have been 20 years of hard labor on a chain gang.
I. 'Scooter' Libby, Vice-President Cheney's chief-of-staff, received a sentence of 2 1/2 years in federal prison and fined hime $250.000 for giving conflicting accounts of his recollections involving CIA agent Valerie Plame. I believe his sentence should have been 2 years of probation.
12,000,000 illegal aliens who don't pay taxes, get free on-demand medical care at any emergency room and free education for their children in the over-crowded public school system (because they are attending) are going to be given amnesty and citizenship if President Bush and half the Congress get their way in return for a $5,000.00 fine. I believe none of the illegal aliens should be given citizenship, and they should all be deported when apprehended by any law enforcement agency. If they come back a second time, they should be given the pleasure of spending 5 years on a chain gang in Maricopa County, AZ.
Note: For an interesting analysis of the disparity between the Berger and Libby sentences, check out this article at Cronwatch.
Posted by Rick | June 8, 2007 06:00 PM | Social Studies
Big, fat, lesbian, loud Rosie
"Big fat, lesbian, loud Rosie" (O'Donnell), as she described herself, used a contributor to her blog by the name of Shelly to quote herself from a recent exchange with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, one of her co-hosts on The View:
O’DONNELL: …… I just want to say something. 655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?
HASSELBECK: Who are the terrorists?
O’DONNELL: 655,000 Iraqis — I’m saying you have to look, we invaded –
HASSELBECK: Wait, who are you calling terrorists now? Americans?
O’DONNELL: I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?
HASSELBECK: Are we killing their citizens or are their people also killing their citizens?
O’DONNELL: We’re invading a sovereign nation, occupying a country against the U.N.
Shelly went on to complain that that famous liberal hater Chris Matthews, who as everyone knows has a right-wing show called Hardball on the fascist MSNBC cable channel, had a panel of journalists (all known homophobes and right-wing conspirators) that included Howard Feinman, Jill Zuckman, and Jonathan Capehart that had the audacity to unanimously agree "with Matthews that she (Rosie) did call our troops terrorists. That conforms with the majority of journalists who have reported on this comment."
Forgetting ten years of American soldiers protecting the Kurds in Northern Iraq and brave American pilots patrolling the no-fly zone after Iraq was expelled from Kuwait in 1991; forgetting seventeen, that's right 17, United Nations resolutions condemning Iraqi behavior in the years after Desert Storm, Shelly blamed everyone in the elite media like the Hardball panel "who aided and abetted the rush to war in Iraq and fostered the terrorist policy that has resulted in this catastrophe."
Rosie's comment to Shelly's post: "THANK GOD 4 SHELLY"
WOW! That is quite an amazing alternate reality that Shelly and Rosie live in.
Note: I believe the site that Ms. O'Donnell is using to back up her claim of 655,000 deaths in Iraq is here. There are at least four other groups with estimates no higher than approximately 23% of Ms. O'Donnell's claim. All five estimates can be found at a table provided by NPR here.
Posted by Rick | May 25, 2007 11:14 PM | Social Studies
Don Ho Will Be Missed
Donald Tai Loy Ho, Hawaiian musician and entertainer, died yesterday. He was 76 years young.
(Rumor has it that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were going to boycott Hawaii unless he changed his name, but he died before any boycott could be arranged.)
Posted by Rick | April 15, 2007 06:03 AM | Social Studies
Santa's Got A Brand New Bag
Jimmy Kimmel says that, in light of the Don Imus fuss, Santa Claus is considering changing his laugh to "Ha! Ha! Ha!" and I heard from a reliable source that Al Sharpton wants to take away his reindeer if he refuses.
Posted by Rick | April 13, 2007 03:18 AM | Social Studies
How To Become A Millionaire
Not everyone will become a millionaire, but virtually everyone can become a millionaire...even a multi-millionaire. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine published a "How to.." article on February 27, 2007. The main points are posted below. You can read the entire article here.
12 Steps To Become A Millionaire You don't have to own the company or be a CEO. Here's how to build a rich nest egg one paycheck at a time.
...working for the Man doesn't mean you have to be a wage slave or resort to buying lottery tickets to strike it rich. The trick is to maximize your income on the job (and know when to move on), make the most of your employee benefits and tax breaks and use that extra money to start investing.
1. Keep your eyes peeled for better ways to do your job.
2. Don't be afraid to negotiate.
3. Get your ducks in a row and your numbers on paper.
4. Plot your strategy when it's time to move on.Milk your benefits
5. Contribute as much as you can to your 401(k) and other tax-deferred retirement plans.
6. Flex your tax-saving muscle.
7. Review your tax withholding.
8. Stash savings in a Roth IRA if you're eligible.Invest like crazy
9. Don't delay.
10. Invest automatically, either through your employer's retirement plan or by setting up a regular deposit to a mutual fund or broker.
11. Watch for fund fees.
12. Keep it simple.
The bottom line is if you are spending your entire paycheck on car payments, clothes, and vacations, you won't become a millionaire. You've got to pay yourself first every paycheck.
So if you don't want to live on social security when you retire, start now and SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!
Posted by Rick | March 2, 2007 03:00 AM | Social Studies
Harley-Davidson Still On Strike
Winchester has long been a proud name in the firearms business. As a boy growing up, I wanted a Winchester shotgun so I could go hunting with my father, who used a Winchester when he went hunting for pheasants, ducks and geese.
Last year Winchester closed its manufacturing facility in the United States. They did not go out of business. Unfortunately for the American workers who made Winchesters, they are now manufacturing and assembling their rifles and shotguns in other countries. Are you listening Harley-Davidson workers?
From the Winchester web site:
There have been many questions over the past several weeks about the future and status of Winchester brand rifles and shotguns. We hope that the questions and answers below will help clear up any misconceptions and assure you that we are aggressively moving forward in providing a line of rifles and shotguns with the quality, durability and good design you expect from the greatest firearms brand of all time. Q. I heard that your company is closing down the Winchester firearms factory in Connecticut. Is this true? A. Yes, this is true. On January 17 of 2006 it was announced that U.S. Repeating Arms Company (the company that makes Winchester brand Model 94s, Model 70s and the Model 1300 Speed Pump Shotgun) would be shutting down one of the factories which makes Winchester guns. The factory is located in New Haven, Connecticut. Q. Why is the plant being closed? A. Over the years, many efforts were made to improve profitability at the manufacturing facility in New Haven, and the decision to shut this factory was made after exhausting all available options. Q. Are there other factories making Winchester products? A. Yes. Our other factories will continue production uninterrupted. Products made at these factories include the Super X line of shotguns including the new Super X3 autoloader and the new Super X Rifle (SXR) centerfire autoloader. Both are made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. In addition, we will continue with our line of quality Select over and unders: the only production Belgium-made over and unders in the world. Our special historic guns -- 1885s, 95s, as well as other limited series rifles -- continue to be made at our factory in Japan. These factories are unaffected by the New Haven closure and we continue forward with our production and future plans.
You can read Winchester's official press release here.
Posted by Rick | February 21, 2007 02:45 PM | Social Studies
Harley Davidson - Hecho En Mexico
The 2,800 union workers at Harley-Davidson's largest manufacturing plant have walked off the job. It is just another case of arrogant American workers, unwilling to make any concessions, forcing manufacturing jobs out of the United States. In an article in the times-leader.com written February 3, 2007, by Martha Raffaele of the Associated Press:
The assembly line at Harley-Davidson’s largest manufacturing plant remained idle Friday as nearly 2,800 union workers walked off the job, saying they would strike for as long as it took to win a better contract.
The article went on to say:
The union voted Wednesday to authorize a strike after rejecting the company’s contract offer, which would have reduced pay rates for new hires, required employees to pay part of their health insurance premiums and forced pension concessions. In anticipation of the walkout, the company shut down production at the plant on Thursday.
If the union members at Harley-Davidson want their jobs back they better brush up on their Spanish, because it is likely they are going to have to move south of the Rio Grande. Perhaps the union will provide Spanish lessons for the workers who lose their jobs. Can you say, "Yo hablo Espanol?"
Posted by Rick | February 7, 2007 07:49 PM | Social Studies
Colts Win In First Afirmative Action Bowl
29-17
Lovey Smith and Tony Dungy
Posted by Rick | February 5, 2007 07:51 PM | Social Studies
Shame, Shame, Shame
It took almost ten years, but someone in Washington, D.C., namely Representative Mark Foley (R-FL), became a bigger scumbag than Bill Clinton.
Foley, who resigned Friday, was sending sexually explicit emails to a 16 year old boy who worked as a Congressional page. God only knows what else he was doing with the boy.
Foley should be tarred and feathered. Shame on him.
Posted by Rick | September 30, 2006 04:31 AM | Social Studies
Our Enemies Are Extremists! - Really? No Kidding!?
Today in a joint news conference, both U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff referred to the United Kingdom terrorists plotting to blow up planes departing from the United Kingdom en route to the United States as extremists.
Where did we find these politically correct Einsteins? Heaven forbid Gonzales and Chertoff offend, rather, they continue to be politically correct in the face of potentially thousands of deaths of innocent travelers.
There are a lot of extremists around, including the ACLU, MoveOn.org, the DNC, the KKK, the NAACP, and the New Black Panther Party. Fortunately, most extremists are not actively trying to kill us. While it is true the terrorists we are concerned about are extremists, they are also all Muslims and they are, at the very least, trying to destroy our way of life, and would ultimately like to kill us for being infidels/non-believers. Therefore, they should be described as Muslim extremists, or Islamofascists. I am also not prepared to believe that they are a small percentage of the Muslim community. I believe the reality is that these terrorists are an extremely large percentage of Muslims who live among us, worship at the local mosque, shop at the local grocery, send their kids to the local school, walk the local streets, and they want to kill their neighbors, and you, and me, and Bobby McGee.
Posted by Rick | August 10, 2006 05:17 AM | Social Studies
World War III - The New Crusades!
If you thought I was kidding after you read my last three posts, you must know that, in light of the arrest of 21 al Qaeda terrorists in London who were plotting to blow up 20 planes en route to the United States, I was not. This is a worldwide war against civilization as we know it by the Muslim world, and life is going to become much more complicated for us all in the coming days, months, and years.
The Muslim religion is infected with a virus - the virus of hate. Government and religious leaders who would have you believe that we need only worry about a few radical Muslims are delusional. We must not be diluted into believing that this is only a small radical fringe of the followers of Muhammad who are conspiring to undermine our way of life.
Mark my words...Take it to the bank...Write it in stone...Ultimately, this war will be waged by a majority of the Muslim world against us and our way of life and, unfortunately, they will keep coming after us until we eliminate them all by whatever means necessary.
Posted by Rick | August 10, 2006 02:54 AM | Political Science ~ | Social Studies
Peace, Baby, Peace
These pictures, which haven't appeared in the American MSM, are of Muslims marching through the streets of London during their recent "Religion of Peace Demonstration." There are nine pictures, however, the first picture really says it all.
Whether you think we are at war with the Muslim world, the Muslim world obviously thinks it is at war with the us. Civilization hangs in the balance.
Tip of the hat to G. Welty.
Posted by Rick | August 9, 2006 01:41 AM | Social Studies
Outlaw Islam
Just as Nazism, the ideology held by the National Socialist German Workers Party, has been outlawed in Germany for many years, and Shinto was completely separated from Japanese politics after World War II, the time has come to outlaw Islam.
Although Nazism is a social and political ideology, and not a religion as Islam purports to be, the basic tenants of both extol the supremacy of a certain group of people while attempting to speed the demise/extinction of other groups by whatever means necessary. The only real difference between Nazism and Islam is that, while Nazism spread its message in the beer gardens of Berlin, the Islamic religion spreads its message of hatred, death and destruction in its mosques hiding behind a twisted god.
From Wikipedia:
Nazism, or more correctly National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus, often abbreviated NS) is a political ideology promoting Germanic racial supremacy and a strong and centrally governed state.Nazism has been outlawed in modern Germany, although remnants and revivalists, known as Neo-Nazis, continue to operate in Germany and abroad. The term is derived from the word Nazi, which is used to label the supporters of the National Socialism.
And just as Nazism has been outlawed in Germany, Shinto was outlawed in Japan as the state religion after World War II. From Encarta:
In 1946, during the American occupation of Japan following World War II, the cult was completely separated from the state by order of General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander for the Allied powers. Government financial support of State Shinto was eliminated, the former practice of teaching cult doctrines in the schools was abolished, and the use of Shinto symbols for nationalistic purposes was forbidden.
Lebanese Islamo-fascists, aka Hezbollah, with a stockpile of over 10,000 rockets, have fired over 2,000 rockets into Israel in the past two weeks. Unable to really aim their rockets, the Hezbollah point them in the general direction of a town hoping to kill or maim somebody; anybody. Elsewhere in the world, Islamo-fascists are blowing up buses, trains, planes, ships, hotels, embassies and office buildings, indiscriminately killing innocent men, women and children in the name of Allah.
Left-wing ideologues would have us believe that there is some root cause of the violence. The notion that we have overtly done something to deserve the death and destruction by the Muslims is peddled by bleeding hearts, but the truth is that no matter what the civilized world does for the Islamic world, it would never be enough. The left would have us believe that we can negotiate with these animals. The bleeding hearts are delusional. The Islamo-fascists will not be satisfied until all secular laws are replaced with Islamic law and all non-believers are dead.
The civilized world is involved in a war against Islam. It's time to turn away all Muslim's who would emigrate to America. It's time to close the mosques in America and jail or expel the fascist clerics. It's time to jail anyone who outwardly displays any alliance with, or allegiance to, Islam. Just as Nazism has been outlawed in Germany and Shintoism was outlawed in Japan, the time has come to outlaw Islam worldwide.
If you do not believe this is World War III, you soon will. The bloodthirsty Islamo-fascists are willing to die for their religious beliefs, and the time has come to accommodate them. The sooner we start to kill them the better, because there will be no peace until they kill us or we kill them.
Go Israel!
Posted by Rick | August 1, 2006 02:47 AM | Social Studies
International Red Cross On The Job?
I'm sure that the International Red Cross is demanding that it be allowed to make sure the Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas and Hezbollah are being treated according to the Geneva Conventions.
You can email the International Red Cross at webmaster.gva@icrc.org and request that they protect the Israeli soldiers just as they do the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay who are not entitled to the protection of the Geneva Conventions.
Go here if you are interested in learning more about Hamas.
Go here if you are interested in learning more about Hezbollah.
Posted by Rick | July 14, 2006 10:20 PM | Social Studies
Fox News Cashin' In Challenge
I have been playing along with the Fox News Cashin' In Challenge since the 1st of the year. I am pleased to report that as of May 31, 2006, the stocks I have chosen have had a net year-to-date increase of 20.48%!
The closest expert on the show is Jonathan Hoenig, of Capitalistpig Asset Management LLC, who has had a respectible year-to-date increase of 8.60. Wayne Rogers, former televison star of Mash fame, is second with a year-to-date 7.95% increase.
I don't know how many people are ahead of me since they don't publish other competitors' results, but I know that I am at least in the top 20%.
If you want to play along, you can sign up anytime before the end of June. You can read more about the contest and sign up here.
Good luck!
Posted by Rick | June 1, 2006 06:08 AM | Social Studies
No Roundup Needed
President Bush gave a speech today and said it wasn't practical to round-up all the illegal aliens and deport them. I agree. But the argument is really disingenuous and I really expect more from a Republican president.
We have millions of people who break the laws of the United States every day. There are drug dealers, tax cheats, prostitutes, and the list goes on. It is impossible to incarcerate them all, or even to find them all. We deal with them one at a time. We try to make it harder to obtain drugs; harder to evade the IRS; harder to prostitute oneself. We make examples of the criminals we catch. We can make it much harder to be an illegal alien and we should make examples of the ones we catch.
We must make it illegal to hire illegal aliens. We must make it impossible to get an education, free health care, and welfare for all illegals. If we make it really tough to be an illegal, they will not come, and they may, in fact, leave.
Come on President Bush - make the right argument and the right decision.
Posted by Rick | April 25, 2006 02:59 AM | Social Studies
The Katie Couric Era Begins At CBS News
Perky...
Bubbly...
However you describe Katie Couric's demeanor, she certainly doesn't make one think of serious, hard-hitting news gathering and reporting. Perhaps, with a few more wrinkles, she will grow into the role of the face of CBS Evening News.
Demeanor aside, the larger question yet to be determined is: Will Ms. Couric, as anchor and managing editor of the evening news, be able to put aside her left-wing bias on a consistent basis, or will it be more of the same tripe we were served by her for the past 15 years on NBC's morning show, "Today"?
Couric, 49, who reportedly signed a five-year contract, will do prime-time specials and contribute to "60 Minutes" in addition to her duties on the nightly news broadcast.
Thank God for the Fox News channel!
Posted by Rick | April 5, 2006 06:30 PM | Social Studies
Cheney Knows Better
Vice President Dick Cheney went quail hunting on Saturday, but ended up shooting something much larger than a quail. He shot one of his hunting companions, attorney Harry Whittington, 78, in the face and upper body.
It was left to the ranch owner, Katharine Armstrong, to explain how it happened. Unfortunately, she said that it was the victim's fault for not notifying everyone that he had rejoined the hunting party after looking for a downed quail.
I have been hunting many times and own many guns but have never heard anything so asinine. The responsibility lies with the person pulling the trigger, period. A hunter must always be aware of his surroundings and must always know what is in the area he is shooting toward. The ranch owner can say whatever she wants in an effort to deflect blame from the Vice President, but if Cheney had killed one of her cows, she would have sent him a bill.
There is no excuse for shooting someone while hunting. Vice President Cheney needs to be a stand-up guy and accept full responsibility publicly.
Update: Today, Wednesday, February 15, 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney, in an interview with Brit Hume of the Fox News Channel, said:
Ultimately, I'm the guy who pulled the trigger that fired the round that hit Harry. You can talk about all of the other conditions that existed at the time, but that's the bottom line and there's no...it's not Harry's fault. You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend......And it was, I'd have to say, one of the worst days of my life, at that moment.
The Vice President got it exactly right. He is a stand up guy.
You can read a complete transcript of the interview here.
Posted by Rick | February 14, 2006 01:27 AM | Social Studies
Wealth In America - What A Country!!!
From Forbes.com comes the annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. Although inheriting your wealth is still a great way to become wealthy (see Walton family), America is still the land of opportunity for enteprenuers in every walk of life. Amazingly, you have to almost be a billionaire to make the list. The cutoff was $900 million, with seventeen people tied for that honor. If you are not even a millionaire yet, you better get busy if you hope to ever make the list. Here are the top 50 on the Forbes list of:
THE 400 RICHEST AMERICANS
RANK - NAME - NET WORTH ($MILLIONS) - AGE - RESIDENCE - SOURCE OF WEALTH
1 - Gates, William Henry III - 51,000 - 49 - Medina, WA - Microsoft
2 - Buffett, Warren Edward - 40,000 - 75 - Omaha, NE - Berkshire Hathaway
3 - Allen, Paul Gardner - 22,500 - 52 - Seattle, WA - Microsoft, investments
4 - Dell, Michael - 18,000 - 40 - Austin, TX - Dell Computers
5 - Ellison, Lawrence Joseph - 17,000 - 61 - Silicon Valley, CA - Oracle
6 - Walton, Christy - 15,700 - 50 - Jackson, WY - Wal-Mart inheritance
6 - Walton, Jim C - 15,700 - 57 - Bentonville, AR - Wal-Mart
8 - Walton, S Robson - 15,600 - 61 - Bentonville, AR - Wal-Mart
9 - Walton, Alice L - 15,500 - 56 - Fort Worth, TX - Wal-Mart
10 - Walton, Helen R - 15,400 - 86 - Bentonville, AR - Wal-Mart
11 - Ballmer, Steven Anthony - 14,000 - 49 - Redmond, WA - Microsoft
12 - Anthony, Barbara Cox - 12,500 - 82 - Honolulu, HI - Cox Enterprises
12 - Chambers, Anne Cox - 12,500 - 85 - Atlanta, GA - Cox Enterprises
12 - Johnson, Abigail - 12,500 - 43 - Boston, MA - Fidelity
15 - Adelson, Sheldon - 11,500 - 72 - Las Vegas, NV - Casinos, hotels
16 - Brin, Sergey - 11,000 - 32 - San Francisco, CA - Google
16 - Page, Larry E - 11,000 - 32 - San Francisco, CA - Google
18 - Omidyar, Pierre M - 10,200 - 38 - Henderson, NV - Ebay
19 - Kerkorian, Kirk - 10,000 - 88 - Los Angeles, CA - Investments, casinos
19 - Mars, Forrest Edward Jr - 10,000 - 74 - McLean, VA - Candy
19 - Mars, Jacqueline - 10,000 - 66 - Bedminster, NJ - Candy
19 - Mars, John Franklyn - 10,000 - 69 - Arlington, VA - Candy
23 - Kluge, John Werner - 9,000 - 91 - Palm Beach, FL - Metromedia
24 - Icahn, Carl - 8,500 - 69 - New York, NY - Leveraged buyouts
25 - Redstone, Sumner M - 8,400 - 82 - Beverly Hills, CA - Viacom
26 - Newhouse, Donald Edward - 7,500 - 75 - Somerset County, NJ - Publishing
26 - Newhouse, Samuel Irving Jr - 7,500 - 77 - New York, NY - Publishing
28 - Anschutz, Philip F - 7,200 - 65 - Denver, CO - Investments
28 - Soros, George - 7,200 - 75 - New York, NY - Hedge funds
30 - Ergen, Charles - 7,100 - 52 - Denver, CO - EchoStar
31 - Knight, Philip H - 6,900 - 67 - Beaverton, OR - Nike
32 - Murdoch, Keith Rupert - 6,700 - 74 - New York, NY - News Corp
33 - Johnson, Edward Crosby III - 6,500 - 75 - Boston, MA - Fidelity
34 - Duncan, Dan L - 6,000 - 72 - Houston, TX - Energy
34 - Perelman, Ronald Owen - 6,000 - 62 - New York, NY - Leveraged buyouts
34 - Taylor, Jack Crawford - 6,000 - 83 - St Louis, MO - Enterprise Rent-A-Car
37 - Arison, Micky - 5,800 - 56 - Bal Harbour, FL - Carnival Cruises
38 - Bren, Donald L - 5,700 - 73 - Newport Beach, CA - Real estate
39 - Broad, Eli - 5,500 - 72 - Los Angeles, CA - Investments
40 - Bloomberg, Michael Rubens - 5,100 - 63 - New York, NY - Bloomberg L.P.
41 - Menard, John R Jr - 5,000 - 65 - Eau Claire, WI - Home improvement stores
42 - Bezos, Jeffrey P - 4,800 - 41 - Seattle, WA - Amazon
42 - Rowling, Robert - 4,800 - 52 - Dallas, TX - Oil & gas, hotels, investments
44 - Moore, Gordon Earle - 4,600 76 Woodside, CA - Intel
45 - Geffen, David - 4,500 - 62 - Malibu, CA - DreamWorks
45 - Kaiser, George B - 4,500 - 63 - Tulsa, OK - Oil & gas, banking, real estate
45 - Koch, Charles De Ganahl - 4,500 69 Wichita, KS - Oil, commodities
45 - Koch, David Hamilton - 4,500 - 65 - Wichita, KS - Oil, commodities
49 - Warner, H Ty - 4,400 - 61 - Chicago, IL - Beanie Babies
50 - Perot, Henry Ross - 4,200 - 75 - Dallas, TX - Computer services, real estate
and here are the also rans from Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans:
375 - Sillerman, Robert FX - 975 - 57 - New York, NY - Entertainment
377 - Stewart, Martha - 970 - 64 - Bedford, NY - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
378 - Bisciotti, Stephen J - 960 - 45 - Severna Park, MD - Outsourcing, football
379 - Pasculano, Lynne & family - 950 - 64 - New York, NY - Auto parts, candy
379 - Watkins, Edward G III - 950 - 69 - Concord, MA - Security systems
381 - Burrell, Gary L - 940 - 68 - Stilwell, KS - Navigation equipment
382 - McCaw, Bruce R - 925 - 58 - Seattle, WA - McCaw Cellular
382 - Rizzuto, Leandro P - 925 - 67 - Sheridan, WY - Conair
384 - Anselmo, Mary - 900 - 76 - Greenwich, CT - PanAmSat
384 - Bowes, William - 900 - 79 - San Francisco, CA - Venture capital
384 - Case, Stephen M - 900 - 47 - McLean, VA - AOL
384 - Cathy, S Truett - 900 - 84 - Atlanta, GA - Chick-fil-A
384 - Cayne, James - 900 - 71 - New York, NY - Bear Stearns
384 - Connell, Grover - 900 - 87 - Westfield, NJ - Real estate, heavy equipment
384 - Forstmann, Theodore - 900 - 65 - New York, NY - Leveraged buyouts
384 - Gilbert, Daniel - 900 - 43 - Livonia, MI - Quicken Loans
384 - Glazer, Guilford - 900 - 84 - Beverly Hills, CA - Shopping malls
384 - Magness, Gary - 900 - 51 - Denver, CO - Inheritance
384 - Mandelbaum, David & family - 900 - 69 - Livingston, NJ - Real estate
384 - Mansueto, Joseph D - 900 - 49 - Chicago, IL - Morningstar
384 - McCaw, John Elroy Jr - 900 - 54 - Seattle, WA - McCaw Cellular
384 - Oates, Marvin L "Buzz" - 900 - 82 - Sacramento, CA - Real estate
384 - Osher, Bernard A - 900 - 78 - San Francisco, CA - Banking, investments
384 - Robertson, Julian H Jr - 900 - 73 - New York, NY - Money management, wine
384 - Shorenstein, Walter Herbert - 900 - 90 - San Francisco, CA - Real estate
Posted by Rick | January 18, 2006 05:00 PM | Social Studies
It Must Be Something In The Water
New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin must be drinking the same water that television evangelist Pat Robertson is drinking.
By now, it is common knowledge that on January 5, 2006, Pat Robertson said that God was angry at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon because he had abandoned some of the settlements in the Gaza Strip and that Sharon's stroke was some form of divine retribution.
Yesterday in a speech honoring Martin Luther King, the 'honorable' Mayor Nagin proclaimed that God was angry with the United States for going to war with Iraq and was sending the hurricanes to punish us. In additional comments, he proclaimed that after the reconstruction of New Orleans, it would once again be a 'chocolate' city. What is in that water anyway?
Posted by Rick | January 17, 2006 04:03 PM | Social Studies
Martin Luther King Jr. - Happy Birthday
Today as some of the country took the day off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., I doubt that the black community took much time to truly reflect on the status of their community. The black community hasn't reflected on much or accomplished much since King's "I have a dream..." speech over 40 years ago. They have been too busy squandering the wealth of entitlements given to them.
If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today he couldn't help but be embarrassed by the illiteracy, the out-of-wedlock births, the drugs, the gangs, the crime, the gangster rap, the poverty and the unemployment in the black community. After 40 years of busing, affirmative action (reverse discrimination), after-school programs, job training, low income housing, and every law imaginable to protect the rights of the black community, they are arguably worse off now than they were when MLK was alive.
Black community leaders like shake-down artist Jesse Louis Burns (AKA the 'Reverend' Jesse Jackson), the 'Reverend' Alfred Sharpton Jr., the Nation of Islam's Louis Eugene Walcott (AKA 'Minister' Louis Farrakhan, AKA Calypso Louie), and former President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAACP Frizzell Gray (AKA Kweisi Mfume) call themselves by fancy names, wear fancy suits and line their pockets from the sweat of the black underclass they supposedly serve. They have done little to lead their community out of the darkness.
It's time the black community looks to itself for answers, past their so-called leaders. Unfortunately, when a voice of reason from within the black community like Bill Cosby or Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks up, he is condemned as being an 'Uncle Tom' or worse.
In 2004, it is estimated that over 85% of blacks that voted cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate, John Kerry. Unfortunately, it is the Democratic Party that continues to divide the country with their class warfare mantra.
The black community needs to forget about what it thinks it is owed. The marketplace will provide for anyone willing to take advantage of the opportunities afforded all Americans who are willing to apply themselves in school and work hard when they get out of school.
Study hard and work hard...make Martin Luther King Jr. proud!
Posted by Rick | January 16, 2006 08:51 PM | Social Studies
Murderer And Crips Co-Founder Stanley Tookie Williams Eulogized
How many people do you have to brutally murder before the 'Reverend' Jesse Jackson, 'Minister' Louis Farrakhan, rapper Snoop Dogg and thousands of others come to honor and celebrate your life? Four...
How many violent gangs do you have co-found before the 'Reverend' Jesse Jackson, 'Minister' Louis Farrakhan, rapper Snoop Dogg and thousands of others come to honor and celebrate your life? One...
Yesterday, at a church in 'south central' Los Angeles, over 1,500 mourners attended the funeral of Stanley Tookie Williams during which the Crips co-founder and convicted murderer was eulogized as "a true revolutionary and a messenger of peace."
With heroes like Stanley it's no wonder that African-American community stays rooted in poverty and crime....
Shame on all those who went to mourn. Shame on Stanley Tookie Williams.
Posted by Rick | December 21, 2005 01:06 AM | Social Studies
Bush Screwed The Pooch On This One
Today President Bush gave the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, to a number of distinguished Americans. Below is the official press release:
Presidential Medal of Freedom RecipientsPresident George W. Bush today announced the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civil award. Established by Executive Order 11085 in 1963, the Medal may be awarded by the President "to any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." President Bush will honor these recipients at a White House ceremony on Wednesday, November 9, 2005.
Muhammad Ali is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He was the first three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, successfully defended the title 19 times, and was a Gold Medalist for the United States at the 1960 Olympic Games.
Carol Burnett is one of America's most accomplished comediennes and actresses. She debuted on Broadway in 1959 and starred for more than a decade on The Carol Burnett Show. Ms. Burnett won a special place in the hearts of people across America through her combination of creativity, humor, and compassion.
Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn designed the software code that is used to transmit data over the Internet. Dr. Cerf and Dr. Kahn have been at the forefront of a digital revolution that has transformed global commerce, communication, and entertainment.
Robert Conquest is a historian known for his groundbreaking work on Soviet history, politics, and foreign policy. More than 35 years after its publication, his landmark book, The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties, remains one of the most influential studies of Soviet history and has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Aretha Franklin has brought joy to millions with her music. She has nearly two dozen number-one singles and has won numerous awards. Ms. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Alan Greenspan has chaired the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve for the last 18 years. Mr. Greenspan has been an extraordinary leader who has made great contributions to America's economic growth and prosperity.
Andy Griffith is an American icon of the stage, cinema, and television. He first achieved national acclaim in the 1950s for his stand-up comedy routines, and he went on to star in television shows such as The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, as well as numerous Broadway productions and films.
Paul Harvey is one of America's most respected radio personalities and has set a standard of excellence for broadcasters. Since his radio broadcasts first aired nationally in 1951, Mr. Harvey has won the trust of millions of radio listeners.
Sonny Montgomery was a champion for veterans during his 30 years as a Member of the House of Representatives from Mississippi. His signature achievement was the Montgomery GI Bill, which has helped make education affordable for millions of veterans.
General Richard B. Myers served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during one of the most challenging and dangerous periods in American history. General Myers was at the forefront of preparing America's armed forces to meet the threats of the new century. His tenure was marked by the toppling of brutal dictatorships in Afghanistan and Iraq and the liberation of more than 50 million people.
Jack Nicklaus is the greatest professional golfer of all time. He won 18 majors as a professional, the first in 1962 and the last in 1986, and he won more than 70 PGA Tour events.
Frank Robinson is one of the greatest baseball players ever. Among his awards are National League Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player in both the American and National Leagues, and the American League Triple Crown in 1966. He also has been a top manager and earned Manager of the Year in the American League in 1989. He broke the color barrier for managers, becoming Major League Baseball's first African-American manager in 1975.
Paul Rusesabagina demonstrated courage and compassion by sheltering people at the hotel he managed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. By risking his own life, he helped to save the lives of more than 1,000 fellow Rwandans. Mr. Rusesabagina's selfless acts have inspired millions, and he represents the best of the human spirit.
Unfortunately but understandably, they left off the fact that Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, was a convicted draft dodger. Although his conviction was somehow overturned on appeal, the fact remains that when his country asked him to serve, he would not. It takes a lot of chutzpah for the President to give this award to a draft dodger when Americans that he sent to war in Afghanistan and Iraq are dying in the service of this country every day. This was a slap in the face to all those that serve and have served their country with dignity and courage when asked.
I don't know what the President was thinking when he decided to give this award to Muhammad Ali, but I know that the 'great' Ali did not deserve this honor.
I find it quite ironic that Sonny Montgomery, who was a advocate for veterans while a member of the House of Representatives, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers, were also honored. If I were them, being honored with the 'great' Ali would have turned my stomach.
No doubt about it, President Bush screwed the pooch on this one.
FYI: 'Screwed The Pooch' is commonly used in the military and generally means that a big mistake was made. If you are interested in reading about more about 'Screwed The Pooch', click here. Since the 'great' Ali didn't serve in the military, I know he will want to read all about it.
Posted by Rick | November 9, 2005 10:40 PM | Social Studies
NBA Dress Code = Lipstick On A Pig
In an effort to clean up the thug-life attitude portrayed by many NBA players, commissioner David Stern has initiated a dress code which bans baseball caps, doo-rags, pendants, medallions, sleeveless shirts, headphones, and sunglasses indoors. The dress code mandates jeans or slacks and shirts with collars while on league business. Players in street clothes who sit in the stands or on the bench during games must wear sport coats, shoes and socks. Here is the letter from commissioner David Stern to the teams:
NBA Dress Code Policy | Oct. 17, 2005 From the NBA: We know that you share our desire that NBA players be appreciated not only for their extraordinary talent and hard work, but also for their accessibility to fans, their community service, and their professionalism – both on and off the court. To that end, we will be instituting, effective with the start of the regular season, a league-wide “minimum” dress code. Many teams have previously issued their own dress codes, designed to demonstrate the seriousness with which their players take the representation of their teams, their cities, and our league; our new dress code is not intended to affect any of those that are more formal than what is set forth below:1. General Policy: Business Casual
Players are required to wear Business Casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business.
"Business Casual" attire means:
- A long or short-sleeved dress shirt (collared or turtleneck), and/or a sweater.
- Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans.
- Appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots.
- "Team or league business" includes all activity conducted on behalf of the team or the league during which the player is seen by, or interacts with, fans, business partners, members of the public, the media, or other third parties. It includes arriving at games (car or team bus to locker room), leaving games (locker room to team bus or car), attending games when not in uniform, participating in team or league events with business partners or in the community, conducting media interviews, and making promotional or other appearances.
2. Exceptions to Business Casual
There are the following exceptions to the general policy of Business Casual attire:
a. Players In Attendance At Games But Not In Uniform
Players who are in attendance at games but not in uniform are required to wear the following additional items when seated on the bench or in the stands during the game:
Sport Coat
Dress shoes or boots, and socks
b. Players Leaving the Arena
Players leaving the arena may wear either Business Casual attire or neat warm-up suits issued by their teams.
c. Special Events or Appearances
Teams can make exceptions to the Business Casual policy for special events or player appearances where other attire is appropriate -- e.g., participation in a basketball clinic.
3. Excluded Items
The following is a list of items that players are not allowed to wear at any time while on team or league business:
- Sleeveless shirts
- Shorts
- T-shirts, jerseys, or sports apparel (unless appropriate for the event (e.g., a basketball clinic), team-identified, and approved by the team)
- Headgear of any kind while a player is sitting on the bench or in the stands at a game, during media interviews, or during a team or league event or appearance (unless appropriate for the event or appearance, team-identified, and approved by the team)
- Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player's clothes
- Sunglasses while indoors
- Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team locker room)
We know it's not possible to create a dress policy that will anticipate every possible situation. Our policy will therefore be interpreted in all cases to ensure that players are neatly and professionally attired, while not being unfairly burdensome.
Thank you in advance for your continued cooperation. Good luck to all for the 2005-06 season.
Unfortunately, the problems in the NBA go far deeper than gold chains and baseball caps, and have for many years. In an article posted April 29, 1998, CNN/SI reported:
According to SI, one of the NBA's top agents says he spends more time dealing with paternity claims than he does negotiating contracts. The agent tells the magazine that there might be more kids out of wedlock than there are players in the NBA.
Bill Redeker, reporting for ABC News on July 30, 2004, reported:
In recent years, the NBA and trouble seem to have become synonymous. In the past year alone, some of the biggest names in basketball — Jerry Stackhouse, Marcus Fizer, Darrell Armstrong, Allen Iverson and Glenn Robinson — have all had run-ins with the law.So many members of the Portland Trail Blazers have had problems with the law in recent years, sneering sports commentators have begun calling them the "Jail Blazers."
Some players have been charged with spousal abuse, others have been caught carrying guns, while still others have gotten into brawls with police.
To counter the trend, the NBA sends rookie players each summer to a seminar that doles out advice on how to avoid trouble. Role playing is a major component, and off-the-court advice on how to deal with money, fame, and sexual situations is featured. Sexual conduct is high on the list, especially since the Kobe Bryant case sent shivers across the professional sports landscape.
The classes, however, have had only modest success.
It's going to take a lot more than a little lipstick to change the NBA's thug-life image. A pig wearing lipstick is still a pig.
Posted by Rick | October 23, 2005 10:55 PM | Social Studies
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
To see more of his cartoons, click here.
Posted by Rick | September 26, 2005 10:10 PM | Social Studies
Go Ahead, Make My Day
President Bush said in remarks today that residents of the gulf coast need to be ready for the worst. So, in addition to stocking up on water, canned goods, plywood, and batteries, reliable sources tell me that residents of Houston are also stocking up on ammunition. I am guessing that the wide spread looting that occurred in Katrina's aftermath will not be tolerated in Texas. Residents in hurricane-ravaged areas should shoot first and ask questions later if they witness any looting. As Clint Eastwood said as he portrayed Dirty Harry in the movie Sudden Impact which was released in 1983, "Go ahead, make my day."
Here's a little movie trivia from IMDb - Earth's Biggest Movie Database concerning Dirty Harry's famous line:
The phrase, "Go ahead, make my day" was originally said by actor Gary Swanson in the movie Vice Squad (1982). Swanson, who played a Hollywood vice cop, said the line, "Go ahead scumbag, make my day," to actor Wings Hauser who played a pimp.
I like the earlier version better, don't you?
Posted by Rick | September 21, 2005 09:15 PM | Social Studies
The Politics Of Race, Poverty, And Class Warfare
In an article written by Ker Than at SPACE.com it was reported that "astronomers have detected a massive black hole but can find no traces of the surrounding galaxy that should be feeding it."
It is apropos that the announcement was made a day before President Bush’s speech to the nation from New Orleans on Thursday. President Bush declared war on poverty, but his war will be against poverty which has roots based on racial inequality. A war on poverty in New Orleans and the deep south that continues with larger and larger entitlement programs could very well become a massive black hole similar to the one just discovered in deep space that sucks up everything around it. America is already feeding the black hole of poverty at an alarming rate. Eventually, all that will be left are the impoverished.
President Bush's remarks, while attempting to comfort and encourage those who had to flee their homes because of Katrina, were more reminiscent of a speech LBJ might have given while promoting his Great Society than those of someone who proclaims to be a compassionate conservative. Seemingly oblivious to the massive entitlement programs of the past 40 years, the President, in a blatant attempt to pander to the African-American community, promised not only a chicken in every pot, but two, three or maybe even four for those that get lucky and win the lottery for free land that he is proposing. The entire transcript of the speech can be found here.
“Within the Gulf region are some of the most beautiful and historic places in America. As all of us saw on television, there’s also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses, along those streets. When the houses are rebuilt, more families should own, not rent, those houses. When the regional economy revives, local people should be prepared for the jobs being created.”
By an arbitrary line written in sand somewhere in Washington, D.C., approximately 12.5% of Americans are living in poverty in the United States. Caucasians comprise approximately 75% of that group, while African-Americans comprise most of the remaining 25% of the population living in poverty.
Bill O’Reilly has written a column in which he points out some startling economic facts about the efforts we are already making on the war on poverty in these great United States.
"We'll begin by comparing the halfway point of President Clinton's tenure to the fifty yard line of the Bush administration. In 1996, the poverty level in the USA stood at 13.7%. In 2004, the poverty level was 12.7%, so Bush beats Clinton here by a full percentage point. To be fair, Clinton did bring the poverty rate down during his administration, while it has been rising slightly since 9/11. But at the halfway point, Bush wins.As far as entitlement spending on poverty programs is concerned, it isn't even close. In 1996, President Clinton signed a budget that directed 12.2% of spending be directed toward the poor. In 2004, Bush's budget kicked 2% more than Clinton to poverty programs, an astronomical $329 billion dollars. In fact, President Bush is spending more on poverty entitlement programs and education than any President in history. What say you, Jesse and Howard?
For a country that is often accused by left wing loons of not caring about the poor, we are certainly putting up a good front. In 2006, almost $368 billion dollars will go for Medicaid, food stamps, family support assistance, supplemental security income, child nutrition programs, earned income tax credits, welfare payments, child care payments, foster care and adoption assistance, and child health insurance payments to the states. The truth is that the working men and women of this country are providing the tightest safety net in history for the poor. And our private charitable donations rank first in the world as well.
So the next time the poverty propagandists start with the "America ignores the poor" bull, simply walk away. These people are blatantly dishonest and could not care less that America does, indeed, help the less fortunate. The race and class baiters will always ignore the fact that some people simply cannot support themselves no matter what society does. The New Testament states it clearly: "the poor, they will always be with us." But America provides more opportunity for more people than anywhere else on the planet."
Yet on Friday night, September 16, 2005, Alan Colmes said on his show, Hannity and Colmes, Friday night:
"Not a lot of attention has been paid to the poor, paid to those that can't vote, that who are not empowered."
Apparently, Mr. Colmes would have us believe that $368 billion dollars is tantamount to ignoring the poor.
Talk show host Bill Maher, oblivious to the fact that perhaps more money has been spent on essential public works programs in Louisiana than in any other state in the nation, would have us believe that it's a class warfare issue. On his show Friday evening, Mr. Maher said:
"The levees didn't get built because the money for it went to rich people's tax cuts, and pork projects and corporate welfare."
The voices become even more shrill among African-American advocates who continue to try to divide the nation along racial lines.
As a guest on that same Bill Maher show Friday night, San Francisco mayor Willie Brown said:
"When you take a look at New Orleans for an example you see what occurred. You announce 'hey, let's get out of town, Katrina's coming.' Well you know the people who got that message who had cars, and who had airline tickets, and who had relatives in other places split. The only people left behind are the ones who couldn't split and they were there because America has never addressed the issue of that class of persons.""If poor people were given the same resources or had the same resources made available that's been made available to Haliburton and to all of corporate America there wouldn't be any poor people. So be clear, when you give them only a piddlin', you're going to end up with people who are near..."
and he was then cut off.
And finally this from the honorable mayor:
"The policies of this nation that has allowed the issue of poverty, you understand, voting rights is one thing, but to just vote is not getting rid of the real problem in America. The Republican operation under George Bush has been consistently perpetuating the existence of an incredible number of very poor people all whom happen to be black in America."
From the MSNBC show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, radio talk show host Joe Madison came up with these pearls of wisdom:
"And this mess about is it economics or is it race? It's a double whammy when you're black. It's economics because poor people in this country are always marginalized. It's race because if you are poor and black you are marginalized doubly."
After that remark, I went out and put my hip-boots on. You would think that the lessons of the past 40 years of the Great Society would begin to sink in eventually. Throwing money at the impoverished without any level of personal responsibility on the recipient’s part is not the answer.
80% of success in life is merely a matter of showing up.
Poverty is rooted in laziness, not inability. While there are some in our society who are unable to cope for themselves because of illness or disability, most people below the poverty level are capable of providing a good life for themselves. However, it is much easier to let someone else provide life’s essentials and our society is willing to do it. Poverty in general, and poverty among African-Americans in particular, will be reduced substantially when individuals are forced to become self-reliant.
Every year thousands of dollars are spent per child in this country providing books, computers, schools and teachers, and it’s all free. Students who show up and put forth a modicum of effort can learn to read, write, and even add and subtract. If you can read, write and speak well in this country, the sky is the limit. Throw in the ability to do a little math, even if you have to use your fingers and toes, and you could end up as successful as Donald Trump.
American society is set up so that if you just show up, and keep your nose clean you can make a pretty nice life for yourself without breaking a sweat. Keeping your nose clean does not include having children out of wedlock or having more children than one can afford.
If merely showing up is not your style, and you want something better for yourself and your family, higher education abounds. Low interest school loans are available for students attending universities and trade schools. Scholarships for good students, students from poor families, and students who merely take the time to fill out the applications are there for the asking. Enter the military and the government will pay for most, if not all, of your higher education.
There is virtually no excuse to be uneducated in America. There is virtually no excuse to be on poor in America. The excuses must stop.
Everyone needs to show up, especially those living in poverty....
Posted by Rick | September 16, 2005 11:50 PM | Social Studies
Has The Federal Response To Hurricane Katrina Been Inadequate?
There are some realities that most of the critics of the relief effort seem to be overlooking. The New Orlean's mayor and police chief are responsible for preparing their local emergency plans and for carrying them out. If help is needed, it is their responsibility to ask the governor for that help. The governor of Louisiana is then responsible for activating the national guard and state police. If even more help is needed, the governor asks the federal government to come into the state with assistance. This doesn't happen in a vacuum and it isn't like ordering a Domino's pizza. Marshaling millions of meals, millions of gallons of water, thousands of trucks, hundreds of helicopters, thousands of troops, and all of the support staff and supplies to service the trucks, helicopters, and troops takes a day or two, not to mention the travel time to put everything in place. In good weather, with power and water, with telephone service, and with open roads, this takes time. In the middle of a flood with none of the above-mentioned infrastructure, it inevitably takes even longer.
It appears that the local authorities had nowhere near the foresight or preparation necessary for an event of this magnitude. (See the example of putting together an emergency shelter in Houston. The Astrodome was outfitted as a refugee site for the people of New Orleans. With time under ideal conditions, they couldn’t accommodate anywhere near the number of people needing a bed. When it became apparent that they could not accomodate all of the refugees, they began putting together sites in other cities in Texas; and other states have begun to offer accomodations for the refugees as well. They put together these sites under ideal conditions, where they had open roads, telephone service, water, and power. The sites still took a few days to come together.) Exacerbating the problem was the fact that the Louisiana’s governor was slow in activating the Louisiana national guard, and no one, not the police chief, the mayor, or the governor, was willing to do what was necessary to control the lawlessness which ultimately became a major impediment to the relief effort.
Marshaling the relief effort to a tragedy of this magnitude which covered three states and hundreds of miles of coastline in 4 days is truly a marvelous feat. Any blame of the President and FEMA for an untimely response to the emergency by the federal government is misplaced.
Posted by Rick | September 3, 2005 04:28 AM | Social Studies
"George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" - Kanye West
On NBC's concert for the victims of hurricane Katrina, Mike Meyers reads prepared remarks off a prompter, then the microphone switches to black singer, Kanye West, who had this to say:
"I hate the way they portray us in the media.If you see a black family, it says they are looting; if you see a white family, it says they are looking for food.
And you know that it’s been 5 days because most of the people are black and even for me to complain - I would be a hypocrite because I’ve tried to turn away from the TV because it’s too hard to watch. I’ve even been shopping before even giving a donation , so now I’m calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give.
And just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help with the set up, the way America is set up to help - the poor, the black people, the less well off as slow as possible. I mean, Red Cross is doing everything they can.
We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war right now fighting another way and they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us."
Mike Meyers makes a brief attempt to get back on message, then Kanye West ended his rant with this:
"George Bush doesn’t care about black people."
I don't know how long the video will be posted on MSNBC, but here is the link if you would like to see the video.
Mr. West would have been better off admitting that he had not learned to read the prepared remarks - the public school system had failed him and he would be spending whatever his business manager said he could on a remedial reading class. Going on national television with this ridiculous, unintelligible rant merely highlighted his ignorance, and his bigotry.
Posted by Rick | September 3, 2005 01:00 AM | Social Studies
Free Living Wills
I am providing some generic information regarding advance directive health care forms along with links to forms used in various states. You will notice the type of forms vary from state to state. A Living Will is different from a Health Care Power of Attorney in that the Living Will does not appoint another person to speak for you. It speaks for you in writing. While a Health Care Power of Attorney can include written instructions for your patient advocate to follow, the choices do not have to be included for the Health Care Power of Attorney to be used. If a Living Will also includes your choice as patient advocate, it automatically becomes a Health Care Power of Attorney and must follow the state law requirements for witnesses, required language, etc. This information will be updated from time-to-time with more forms and other information.
The following disclosure is from The People's Lawyer webpage entitled Death and Dying by Professor Richard M. Alderman of the University of Houston Law Center:
- Medical Power Of Attorney For Health Care
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENT. BEFORE SIGNING THIS DOCUMENT, YOU SHOULD KNOW THESE IMPORTANT FACTS:
Except to the extent you state otherwise, this document gives the person you name as your agent the authority to make any and all health care decisions for you in accordance with your wishes, including your religious and moral beliefs, when you are no longer capable of making them yourself. Because "health care" means any treatment, service, or procedure to maintain, diagnose, or treat your physical or mental condition, your agent has the power to make a broad range of health care decisions for you. Your agent may consent, refuse to consent, or withdraw consent to medical treatment and may make decisions about withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment. Your agent may not consent to voluntary inpatient mental health services, convulsive treatment, psychosurgery, or abortion. A physician must comply with your agent's instructions or allow you to be transferred to another physician.
Your agent's authority begins when your doctor certifies that you lack the competence to make health care decisions.
Your agent is obligated to follow your instructions when making decisions on your behalf. Unless you state otherwise, your agent has the same authority to make decisions about your health care as you would have had.
It is important that you discuss this document with your physician or other health care provider before you sign it to make sure that you understand the nature and range of decisions that may be made on your behalf. If you do not have a physician, you should talk with someone else who is knowledgeable about these issues and can answer your questions. You do not need a lawyer's assistance to complete this document, but if there is anything in this document that you do not understand, you should ask a lawyer to explain it to you.
The person you appoint as agent should be someone you know and trust. The person must be 18 years of age or older or a person under 18 years of age who has had the disabilities of minority removed. If you appoint your health or residential care provider (e.g., your physician or an employee of a home health agency, hospital, nursing home, or residential care home, other than a relative), that person has to choose between acting as your agent or as your health or residential care provider; the law does not permit a person to do both at the same time.
You should inform the person you appoint that you want the person to be your health care agent. You should discuss this document with your agent and your physician and give each a signed copy. You should indicate on the document itself the people and institutions who have signed copies. Your agent is not liable for health care decisions made in good faith on your behalf.
Even after you have signed this document, you have the right to make health care decisions for yourself as long as you are able to do so and treatment cannot be given to you or stopped over your objection. You have the right to revoke the authority granted to your agent by informing your agent or your health or residential care provider orally or in writing or by your execution of a subsequent medical power of attorney. Unless you state otherwise, your appointment of a spouse dissolves on divorce.
This document may not be changed or modified. If you want to make changes in the document, you must make an entirely new one. You may wish to designate an alternate agent in the event that your agent is unwilling, unable, or ineligible to act as your agent. Any alternate agent you designate has the same authority to make health care decisions for you.
THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY IS NOT VALID UNLESS IT IS SIGNED IN THE
PRESENCE OF TWO COMPETENT ADULT WITNESSES. THE
FOLLOWING PERSONS MAY NOT ACT AS ONE OF THE WITNESSES:
(1) the person you have designated as your agent;
(2) a person related to you by blood or marriage;
(3) a person entitled to any part of your estate after your death under a will or codicil executed by you or by operation of law;
(4) your attending physician;
(5) an employee of your attending physician;
(6) an employee of a health care facility in which you are a patient if the employee is providing direct patient care to you or is an officer, director, partner, or business office employee of the health care facility or of any parent organization of the health care facility; or
(7) a person who, at the time this power of attorney is executed, has a claim against any part of your estate after your death.
The information contained herein is not guaranteed to be accurate. We are not attorneys, and although these forms may have been prepared by an attorney or a state legislature, you should consult your own attorney before executing any of these documents.
Alabama Living Will and Health Care Proxy
Alaska Sample
Alaska Advanced Health Care Directive
Arkansas Living Will & Health Care Proxy
Arizona Living Will Sample
Arizona Health Care Power Of Attorney Sample
Arizona Mental Health Care Power Of Attorney Sample
California Advance Health Care Directive
Colorado Living Will
Connecticut Living Will
Delaware Advance Health Care Directive
District Of Columbia Advance Directive
Florida Living Will
Georgia Living Will
Hawaii Advance Directive
Idaho Living Will and Durable Power Of Attorney For Helath Care
Illinois Living Will Form & Power Of Attorney For Health Care Form
Illinois Health Care Surrogate Act
Illinois Living Will Act
Illinois Health Care Power Of Attorney General Information
Indiana Living Will
Iowa Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care
Kansas Advance Directive
Kentucky Living Will
Louisiana Living Will and Power Of Attorney For Healthcare Decisions
Maine Advance Directive
Maryland Advance Health Care Directive
Massachusetts Advance Directive - The State of Massachusetts does not specifically have a Living Will or Advance Medical Directive statute. A valid Massachusetts Health Care Proxy or valid equivalent advance directive from another state shall be honored in accordance with Massachusetts and federal law. Other types of documents, such as living wills, may be used to assist with determination of the patient’s wishes, but are not legally binding on caregivers under Massachusetts’s law.
Michigan Living Will & Health Care Power Of Attorney Information
Minnesota Health Care Directive and Statutory Health Care Living Will
Mississippi Advance Health-Care Directive
Missouri Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care and Health Care Directive
Montana Living Will
Nebraska Living Will
Nevada Living Will
New Jersey Advance Directives for Health Care
New Hampshire Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care and Living Will
New Mexico Advance Health Care Directive
New York - Living Will
North Carolina Health Care Power Of Attorney and Living Will
North Dakota Health Care Directive
Ohio Living Will & Health Care Power Of Attorney
Oklahoma Advance Directive For Health Care
Oregon Advance Directive
Pennsylvania Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
Rhode Island Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care and Living Will
South Carolina Health Care Power Of Attorney and Living Will
South Dakota Living Will
Tennessee Advance Care Plan, Appointment Of Health Care Agent, Physician Orders
For Scope Of Treatment, and Appointment Of Surrogate
Texas Advance Health Care Directive
Texas Medical Power of Attorney
Texas Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order
Utah Advance Directive and Power Of Attorney For Health Care
Vermont Advance Directive For Health Care
Virginia Advance Directive
Washington Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care and Health Care Directive
West Virginia Medical Power Of Attorney and Living Will
Wisconsin Advance Directive - Power of Attorney for Healthcare and Living Will
Wyoming Advance Directive
Posted by Rick | August 31, 2005 02:40 AM | Social Studies
Louisiana Attorney General OK's Looting
Louisiana's attorney general Charles C. Foti, Jr., seems to be more concerned with the few businessmen charging a few extra dollars for items in short supply in the aftermath of huricane Katrina than he is in stopping the widespread looting by lowlifes stealing everything that isn't nailed down. On Hannity & Colmes last night Mr. Foti said:
"there is always the opportunity for looting when you think about that. You have no electricity, no food, you have limited water and the grocery stores are closed - that might not be looting; that might be self preservation. That food would go bad anyway."
Of course, the same thing could be said about every bank robber, mugger, purse snatcher, and for that matter every drug dealer. They are all doing what is necessary to survive.
There is no excuse for the looting. None! Mr. Foti should order looters to be shot on sight or he should resign immediately.
Posted by Rick | August 31, 2005 12:31 AM | Social Studies
Unconscionable Looting In Katrina's Wake
I remember the criticism our troops received after we entered Baghdad in 2003. Why didn't we stop the thieves who were stealing everything that wasn't nailed down in the aftermath of Saddam's ouster?
Now the pathetic sight of looting in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina has me asking why don't we stop the looting in our own streets. There is no good reason why we don't shoot looters on sight after natural disasters such as this. They won't be missed.
Posted by Rick | August 30, 2005 01:45 PM | Social Studies
More Perspective On Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan has captured the imagination of the anti-war activists, the anti-Bush activists, and the pro-terrorist activists. Ms. Sheehan claims to have absolute moral authority to speak for all the parents who have lost children because she is the mother of Army Specialist Casey Austin Sheehan who was killed in action in Iraq. Ms. Sheehan claims to be protesting the war because President Bush lied about why we went to war in Iraq, namely weapons of mass destruction, or lack thereof, and links between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda, or lack thereof.
These activists conveniently forget that we were already in Iraq patrolling the no-fly zones and trying to monitor the cease-fire agreement agreed upon after the first gulf war. Our planes were in constant danger and the weapons inspectors were thwarted at almost every turn. The cease-fire had turned into a joke, and we were the butt of it. In sheer frustration, President Clinton pulled the weapons inspectors out in 1998, and bombed Iraqi military installations for 3 days beginning December 16, 1998. President Clinton in his announcement to the American people said:
Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.
Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.
I want to explain why I have decided, with the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, to use force in Iraq; why we have acted now; and what we aim to accomplish.
Six weeks ago, Saddam Hussein announced that he would no longer cooperate with the United Nations weapons inspectors called UNSCOM. They are highly professional experts from dozens of countries. Their job is to oversee the elimination of Iraq's capability to retain, create and use weapons of mass destruction, and to verify that Iraq does not attempt to rebuild that capability.
The inspectors undertook this mission first 7.5 years ago at the end of the Gulf War when Iraq agreed to declare and destroy its arsenal as a condition of the ceasefire.
The international community had good reason to set this requirement. Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq.
The international community had little doubt then, and I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.
The United States has patiently worked to preserve UNSCOM as Iraq has sought to avoid its obligation to cooperate with the inspectors. On occasion, we've had to threaten military force, and Saddam has backed down.
Faced with Saddam's latest act of defiance in late October, we built intensive diplomatic pressure on Iraq backed by overwhelming military force in the region. The UN Security Council voted 15 to zero to condemn Saddam's actions and to demand that he immediately come into compliance.
Eight Arab nations -- Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman -- warned that Iraq alone would bear responsibility for the consequences of defying the UN.
When Saddam still failed to comply, we prepared to act militarily. It was only then at the last possible moment that Iraq backed down. It pledged to the UN that it had made, and I quote, a clear and unconditional decision to resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors.
I decided then to call off the attack with our airplanes already in the air because Saddam had given in to our demands. I concluded then that the right thing to do was to use restraint and give Saddam one last chance to prove his willingness to cooperate.
I made it very clear at that time what unconditional cooperation meant, based on existing UN resolutions and Iraq's own commitments. And along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully, we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.
Now over the past three weeks, the UN weapons inspectors have carried out their plan for testing Iraq's cooperation. The testing period ended this weekend, and last night, UNSCOM's chairman, Richard Butler, reported the results to UN Secretary-General Annan.
The conclusions are stark, sobering and profoundly disturbing.
In four out of the five categories set forth, Iraq has failed to cooperate. Indeed, it actually has placed new restrictions on the inspectors. Here are some of the particulars.
Iraq repeatedly blocked UNSCOM from inspecting suspect sites. For example, it shut off access to the headquarters of its ruling party and said it will deny access to the party's other offices, even though UN resolutions make no exception for them and UNSCOM has inspected them in the past.
Iraq repeatedly restricted UNSCOM's ability to obtain necessary evidence. For example, Iraq obstructed UNSCOM's effort to photograph bombs related to its chemical weapons program.
It tried to stop an UNSCOM biological weapons team from videotaping a site and photocopying documents and prevented Iraqi personnel from answering UNSCOM's questions.
Prior to the inspection of another site, Iraq actually emptied out the building, removing not just documents but even the furniture and the equipment.
Iraq has failed to turn over virtually all the documents requested by the inspectors. Indeed, we know that Iraq ordered the destruction of weapons-related documents in anticipation of an UNSCOM inspection.
So Iraq has abused its final chance.
As the UNSCOM reports concludes, and again I quote, "Iraq's conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in the fields of disarmament.
"In light of this experience, and in the absence of full cooperation by Iraq, it must regrettably be recorded again that the commission is not able to conduct the work mandated to it by the Security Council with respect to Iraq's prohibited weapons program."
In short, the inspectors are saying that even if they could stay in Iraq, their work would be a sham.
Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness. Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors.
This situation presents a clear and present danger to the stability of the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere. The international community gave Saddam one last chance to resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors. Saddam has failed to seize the chance.
And so we had to act and act now.
Let me explain why.
First, without a strong inspection system, Iraq would be free to retain and begin to rebuild its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs in months, not years.
Second, if Saddam can crippled the weapons inspection system and get away with it, he would conclude that the international community -- led by the United States -- has simply lost its will. He will surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction, and someday -- make no mistake -- he will use it again as he has in the past.
Third, in halting our air strikes in November, I gave Saddam a chance, not a license. If we turn our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check against Saddam will be destroyed. We will not only have allowed Saddam to shatter the inspection system that controls his weapons of mass destruction program; we also will have fatally undercut the fear of force that stops Saddam from acting to gain domination in the region.
That is why, on the unanimous recommendation of my national security team -- including the vice president, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the secretary of state and the national security adviser -- I have ordered a strong, sustained series of air strikes against Iraq.
They are designed to degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors.
At the same time, we are delivering a powerful message to Saddam. If you act recklessly, you will pay a heavy price. We acted today because, in the judgment of my military advisers, a swift response would provide the most surprise and the least opportunity for Saddam to prepare.
If we had delayed for even a matter of days from Chairman Butler's report, we would have given Saddam more time to disperse his forces and protect his weapons.
Also, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins this weekend. For us to initiate military action during Ramadan would be profoundly offensive to the Muslim world and, therefore, would damage our relations with Arab countries and the progress we have made in the Middle East.
That is something we wanted very much to avoid without giving Iraq's a month's head start to prepare for potential action against it.
Finally, our allies, including Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain, concurred that now is the time to strike. I hope Saddam will come into cooperation with the inspection system now and comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. But we have to be prepared that he will not, and we must deal with the very real danger he poses.
So we will pursue a long-term strategy to contain Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction and work toward the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people.
First, we must be prepared to use force again if Saddam takes threatening actions, such as trying to reconstitute his weapons of mass destruction or their delivery systems, threatening his neighbors, challenging allied aircraft over Iraq or moving against his own Kurdish citizens.
The credible threat to use force, and when necessary, the actual use of force, is the surest way to contain Saddam's weapons of mass destruction program, curtail his aggression and prevent another Gulf War.
Second, so long as Iraq remains out of compliance, we will work with the international community to maintain and enforce economic sanctions. Sanctions have cost Saddam more than $120 billion -- resources that would have been used to rebuild his military. The sanctions system allows Iraq to sell oil for food, for medicine, for other humanitarian supplies for the Iraqi people.
We have no quarrel with them. But without the sanctions, we would see the oil-for-food program become oil-for-tanks, resulting in a greater threat to Iraq's neighbors and less food for its people.
The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world.
The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government -- a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people. Bringing change in Baghdad will take time and effort. We will strengthen our engagement with the full range of Iraqi opposition forces and work with them effectively and prudently.
The decision to use force is never cost-free. Whenever American forces are placed in harm's way, we risk the loss of life. And while our strikes are focused on Iraq's military capabilities, there will be unintended Iraqi casualties.
Indeed, in the past, Saddam has intentionally placed Iraqi civilians in harm's way in a cynical bid to sway international opinion.
We must be prepared for these realities. At the same time, Saddam should have absolutely no doubt if he lashes out at his neighbors, we will respond forcefully.
Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people.
And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them.
Because we're acting today, it is less likely that we will face these dangers in the future.
Let me close by addressing one other issue. Saddam Hussein and the other enemies of peace may have thought that the serious debate currently before the House of Representatives would distract Americans or weaken our resolve to face him down.
But once more, the United States has proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in America's vital interests, we will do so.
In the century we're leaving, America has often made the difference between chaos and community, fear and hope. Now, in the new century, we'll have a remarkable opportunity to shape a future more peaceful than the past, but only if we stand strong against the enemies of peace.
Tonight, the United States is doing just that. May God bless and protect the brave men and women who are carrying out this vital mission and their families. And may God bless America.
President Clinton's speech lasted almost as long as the bombing but it certainly is interesting reading in light of the occurrences of the past seven years.
Eventually the weapons inspectors went back in, but nothing changed. The time had come to put an end to the game Saddam was playing. There would be no more cat and mouse with the dictator. Saddam could leave or we would forcibly evict him. He chose the latter.
It's now three years later, Saddam is gone and progress is being made toward establishing a government in Iraq with elections and everything. Unfortunately, we have lost over 1,800 brave souls fighting to bring about this momentous change, and the fighting isn't over.
Americans live in a world where everything can be delivered almost instantaneously. Pizza can be delivered in 30 minutes or less. Packages can be sent one day and delivered across country by 10:30 the next morning. Medical care is delivered with lightning speed. Our wars are expected to be won with little fanfare and few casualties. Americans have no patience and very short attention spans. We do not live in the same reality as the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we are fighting a war where we must be patient. The people we are fighting wear no uniforms, have no headquarters, have no consciences. They hide among the civilian population and behind a twisted religion. When we leave Iraq, unless we have exterminated the cockroaches, they will be swarming all over Europe and the North American continent in no time.
Ms. Sheehan would blame President Bush for her son’s death. Maureen Dowd, back from her book writing sabbatical, in an op-ed August 10, 2005, attempts to pile on the President along with all the other activists claiming some sort of absolute moral authority for Ms. Sheehan. Ms. Dowd’s op-ed is reprinted in the Common Dreams News Center.
But his humanitarianism will remain inhumane as long as he fails to understand that the moral authority of parents who bury children killed in Iraq is absolute.
It should be noted that Casey Sheehan was not drafted, but enlisted voluntarily and reenlisted when his first commitment was up. Some people are doctors, others lawyers. Casey Sheehan was a warrior and served his country valiantly.
Mark Steyn writing on August 21, 2005, in the Chicago Sun-Times noted about the brave men and women in our armed services:
They're not children in Iraq; they're grown-ups who made their own decision to join the military. That seems to be difficult for the left to grasp. Ever since America's all-adult, all-volunteer army went into Iraq, the anti-war crowd have made a sustained effort to characterize them as "children." If a 13-year-old wants to have an abortion, that's her decision and her parents shouldn't get a look-in. If a 21-year-old wants to drop to the broadloom in Bill Clinton's Oval Office, she's a grown woman and free to do what she wants. But, if a 22- or 25- or 37-year-old is serving his country overseas, he's a wee "child" who isn't really old enough to know what he's doing.
Of course, all of the activists would love for the United States to cut and run. They cut their teeth on the anti-war protests during the Vietnam war, and have just enough PoliGrip left for one more anti-war rally. Fortunately, Americans who remember 9/11 and all the other terrorist attacks during the past 20 or so years are not going to let the protests sway public opinion as easily as they did thirty years ago. This time we have a stake in the outcome and and we are not going to take our marbles and go home until the battle has been won.
Henry Kissinger writing on August 12, 2005, in the Washington Post:
American strategy, including a withdrawal process, will stand or fall not on whether it maintains the existing security situation but on whether the capacity to improve it is enhanced. Victory over the insurgency is the only meaningful exit strategy.
We are lucky to have had Ms. Sheehan’s son as an American soldier and patriot. On the other hand, Ms. Sheehan has my permission to go live in whatever country she believes is worth fighting, even dying, for. We really don’t need her kind of American living here. Bye bye Cindy, don't let the door....
God Bless America!
Posted by Rick | August 25, 2005 03:49 AM | Social Studies
"This country is not worth dying for." - Cindy Sheehan
Lee Kaplan reported in FrontPage magazine that Cindy Sheehan appeared at San Francisco State University with Lynne Stewart. Yes, Lynne Stewart,
the terrorist lawyer, who billed herself as a “Civil Rights Lawyer and Political Prisoner,” was recently convicted of conspiracy and for passing along fatwas (Islamic religious edicts) from Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman to his terrorist followers in Egypt’s Islamic Group. Rahman is the blind sheikh responsible for the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 that left six Americans dead and more than 1,000 people injured.
In the same article, Ms. Sheehan's appearance was recounted as follows:
Cindy Sheehan followed this act. Wearing a sweatshirt advertising the website for United for Peace and Justice, Sheehan was interviewed outside just before the meeting by an ABC-TV news reporter. Sheehan said then that military recruiters should not be allowed on college campuses, maintaining they trick naïve 18-year-olds with offers of money and scholarships. Tragically, Cindy Sheehan lost her son Casey who was in the Army and was killed two weeks after arriving in Iraq. She claimed he was promised a job as a chaplain’s assistant although once in the service was placed in a combat role and killed, certainly a moving story – one she exploits to promote venomous anti-Americanism. “George Bush and his neo-conservatives killed my son,” she said tearing up a bit. “America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for.”Sheehan said she considered Lynne Stewart her Atticus Finch, the lawyer who defended an innocent Black man accused of rape in the book and film “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
“They’re not waging a War on Terror but a War of Terror,” she said. “The biggest terrorist is George W. Bush.” She claimed “it costs $66,000 to recruit one soldier, not including training, and $49,000 a year to house a prisoner, yet only $6,000 per year is spent to educate a child in California. (Recruiting costs are actually $15,000 per soldier, the cost of housing a prisoner in California for one year is $26,000.)
Sheehan continued, “9/11 was Pearl Harbor for the neo-conservatives’ agenda” and declared the U.S. government a “morally repugnant system.” Then she raged:
We have no Constitution. We’re the only country with no checks and balances. We want our country back if we have to impeach George Bush down to the person who picks up the dog sh-t in Washington! Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq. It’s OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons but we are waging nuclear war in Iraq, we have contaminated the entire country. It’s not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. Hypocrites! But Israel can occupy Palestine? Stop the slaughter!
While one might dismiss some of Sheehan’s hyperbole due to grief over her son’s death, a little research about Casey Sheehan revealed that contrary to being tricked by military recruiters, Casey Sheehan had reenlisted in the U.S. Army voluntarily when he was 24-years-old, after serving his first hitch successfully. Casey Sheehan was in fact a hero who received a Bronze Star. He was attached as a mechanic to the artillery division of the 1st U.S. Cavalry in Iraq. When a convoy of soldiers from Casey’s unit was attacked in Sadr City by insurgents, Casey volunteered to join a rapid rescue force to get them out. His commanding sergeant told him he did not have to go into combat, because he was a mechanic and not an infantryman. Casey was quoted telling his officer, “I go where my chief goes.” He was tragically killed during the rescue attempt. The source for this story? Cindy Sheehan herself.
I also visited an army recruiting office on my way home and asked about Casey being promised a job as a chaplain’s assistant only to be thrust into harm’s way. The recruiter explained to me that on reenlistment, the Army’s B.E.A.R. program (Bonus Extension and Retaining) guarantees everything in writing. If Casey was a mechanic during his first hitch, that was the only thing he would have been guaranteed per his reenlistment contract. Further research showed that a chaplain’s assistant is a combat infantry position, whereas Casey was deployed in a non-combat job as a mechanic. Casey Sheehan sought combat duty for his country and should be honored for it, not used as a symbol of how evil the United States is.
I wonder what Ms. Sheehan thinks is worth fighting and dying for...
Apparently now that Ms. Sheehan has crawled into bed with anti-American left wing radicals like Michael Moore and Lynne Stewart, her husband of over 28 years, Patrick Sheehan, finds the bed a little too crowded and has filed for divorce. You can review the divorce petition here.
Posted by Rick | August 16, 2005 02:55 AM | Social Studies
Stalking The President - A Misguided Mother
Cindy Sheehan lost her son, Casey, in Iraq, but rather than honor his decision to join the armed forces and his service, she has decided to make the absurd allegation that the President killed her son. Sadly, she has also begun writing in Michael Moore's blog.
She has decided to stalk the President by holding court outside the President's home in Crawford, Texas, at what she calls Camp Casey all the while sputtering the same old tired liberal propaganda about stolen elections and misleading the American people. She dishonors her son Casey's service and his memory by making allegations fueled by her hatred of conservative values, embodied by the President.
The left doesn't care about her. Ms. Sheehan is the sound bite of the day for them. When she was the proud mother of a brave soldier, she was the scum of the earth. They will do and say anything, use anyone, to further their liberal agenda. Her son had the courage and the willingness to fight for our country. She dishonors that service by aligning herself with the Michael Moore's and Jimmy Carter's of this world.
She should be ashamed of herself.....
Army Specialist Casey Austin Sheehan would be ashamed of her.....
Posted by Rick | August 12, 2005 12:37 AM | Social Studies
Nike + Kobe = $$$ - Nothing Else Apparently Matters
The Associated Press is reporting that Kobe Bryant is back in Nike ads. Apparently there is no behavior that will eliminate someone from being a spokesperson for Nike.
Posted by Rick | July 11, 2005 01:43 PM | Social Studies
The Top 500 Jukebox Songs Of All Time
The following list of the top 500 jukebox songs of all time has been compiled from a number of radio station and jukebox operator surveys and my own list of personal favorites:
1. CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE - ELVIS PRESLEY
2. EARTH ANGEL - PENGUINS
3. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND - BEATLES
4. MY PRAYER - PLATTERS
5. DON'T BE CRUEL - ELVIS PRESLEY
6. RUNAROUND SUE - DION
7. DUKE OF EARL - GENE CHANDLER
8. SIXTEEN CANDLES - CRESTS
9. UNCHAINED MELODY - RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
10. PRETTY WOMAN - ROY ORBISON
11. MY GIRL - TEMPTATIONS
12. SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU - SKYLINERS
13. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS
14. AT THE HOP - DANNY AND THE JUNIORS
15. YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' - RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS