A New Lifestyle Tax: Popping a Tax on Pop

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)  released policy options in May for financing reform of America’s health care system.  (Government health care.)

The Lifestyle Tax proposals include two proposals “to promote wellness and healthy choices, and curb activities that increase overall health care costs.”

One is a tax on alchoholic beverages.

The other?

“Impose an Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages – Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to obesity which drives up health care costs within the system. The policy options would expand on what some states have already done by imposing a federal tax on beverages sweetened with sugar, highfructose corn syrup, or other similar sweeteners. The tax would not apply to artificially sweetened beverages.”

Um, does this sound ridiculous to anyone?  If I’m fat, it’s my choice, right?  I don’t try to get legislation passed to elevate my status that’s based on a choice I make…

But let’s look at something else.  M and M’s and hamburgers.

I know.  Brian Williams has almost as much man-love for Obama as Chris Matthews.  It’s sickening.  I couldn’t watch the video for more than ten seconds of the lovesick Williams reporting, so I opted for a less saccharin story, much thanks to Newsbusters.

Burgers, M and M’s, Little Debbie, and a sedentary lifestyle lead to a little junk in the trunk, too.  Why not ration us down to bread and water?  Oh, wait, bread is another no-no.

It’s socialism by taxation.

I am almost fit to be tied.  Iced tea, soda, energy drinks, and maybe even my coffee creamer on tap for more taxes to pay for a health care system I don’t want.  We already pay an arm and a leg for basic healthcare coverage, though we sometimes have some difficulty finding quality healthcare providers in The Network and within a two hour driving distance.

So, will that mean that diet drinks are not taxed?

I’ve got a better idea.  Let’s just tax stupid ideas.  From the top down.  Get ‘em all.  Start with the list below.

Senate Finance Committee Members:
Max Baucus, of Montana, Chairman
John D. Rockefeller IV, of West Virginia
Kent Conrad, of North Dakota
Jeff Bingaman, of New Mexico
John F. Kerry, of Massachusetts
Blanche L. Lincoln, of Arkansas
Ron Wyden, of Oregon
Charles E. Schumer, of New York
Debbie Stabenow, of Michigan
Maria Cantwell, of Washington
Bill Nelson, of Florida
Robert Menendez, of New Jersey
Thomas R. Carper, of Delaware

Chuck Grassley, of Iowa
Orrin G. Hatch, of Utah
Olympia J. Snowe, of Maine
Jon Kyl, of Arizona
Jim Bunning, of Kentucky
Mike Crapo, of Idaho
Pat Roberts, of Kansas
John Ensign, of Nevada
Michael B. Enzi, of Wyoming
John Cornyn, of Texas

Thought Crimes and the Elevated Status

I’m going to get to S. 909, Proposed Hate Crimes Legislation in a moment, but first, I want to talk about Hate Crimes and the implication it produces.

Hate is a terrible thing.  No one wants to be hated.  If there’s one thing we hate, it’s Hate.

What does Hate mean?

Webster’s defines hate (v) as:
1.  to feel extreme enmity toward
2.  to have a strong aversion to: to find very distasteful: to express or feel extreme enmity or active hostility

and hate (n) as:
1.  (a) an intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; (b) extreme dislike or antipathy
2.  an object of hatred

So, basically, hate is something one feels or an object one feels hate toward.

Some people love raisins.  I hate raisins.  I will not eat them.  You wouldn’t have known that I hate raisins if I hadn’t told you.  You could guess that I hate raisins, but unless I told you, you’re out of luck.  I could start liking raisins tomorrow, too.  Feelings change sometimes.

So, Teddy Kennedy  (with 43 other elected officials in the Senate) proposes a bill that mean old President Bush refused during his tenure.  The official title is the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

Matthew Shepard?!

I actually found the Matthew Shepard website, and on the main page, there was a photo of a smiling Mrs. Shepard and Obama in the Whitehouse.  On the front page, I read something that caused the beginning of my understanding.  Agenda.

“We live in a different America now. The years of disappointment and heartache with the Clinton administration’s legacy of DOMA and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell as well as its failure to get hate crime legislation through Congress, only to be followed by the blatantly anti-gay environment of the very long eight years of the Bush/Cheney administration, which is now our past, not our present, nor our future. We may not be able to quantify it yet – but a brand new day is coming for the GLBT community and their friends and families who love and support them. “

I clicked on Matthew’s story, The Crime, to find out more information about The Crime, and I got:

“This page is still under construction and will be finished shortly, please check back soon.”

The heartwarming stories from family and friends are there, but no information on what The Crime was.

I had to turn elsewhere:

In October of 1988, near Laramie, WY, Matthew Shepard, 21, was beaten, tied to a fence and left for dead.  Eighteen hours later, he was found and taken to the hospital, where he died 5 days later from injuries from the attack.  Matthew Shepard was homosexual.

I read the article, and found that the two young men that beat young Mr. Shepard were opportunistically looking for a method to buy drugs.  From the statements, it appears that the two met up with Shepard at a bar, where Shepard was heavily intoxicated.  Shepard asked them for a ride, and from there, they robbed him and beat him severely.  It was a horrible crime.  It wasn’t, however, a “hate crime” as defined (however vaguely) in the bill honoring his name.  I found some telling statements in the article:

“The story garnered national attention when the attack was characterized as a hate crime. But Shepard’s killers, in their first interview since their convictions, tell “20/20’s” Elizabeth Vargas that money and drugs motivated their actions that night, not hatred of gays.”

“Prosecutor Rerucha recalls that Shepard’s friends also contacted his office. Rerucha told ‘20/20,’ ‘They were calling the County Attorney’s office, they were calling the media and indicating Matthew Shepard is gay and we don’t want the fact that he is gay to go unnoticed.’”

“Former Laramie Police Detective Ben Fritzen, one of the lead investigators in the case, also believed robbery was the primary motive. ‘Matthew Shepard’s sexual preference or sexual orientation certainly wasn’t the motive in the homicide,’ he said. “

“As word spread of the attack on Shepard, other people who knew him also suspected the drug scene might somehow be involved. “

It is one of the most difficult things in life to lose a child, and for Mrs. Shepard, I am deeply sorry.  It is not my intent to demean Matthew Shepard in any way.

I did find it peculiar that a hate crimes legislation bill is being fronted in the name of Matthew Shepard, a victim of a horrendous crime, but NOT a “hate crime.”

What is a hate crime, anyway?!

We already covered the fact that hate is something based on human thought, or emotion, that can change from time to time.  Probably every crime (and punishment) known to man is covered in our U. S. Code, but I couldn’t really find a clear definition of a “hate crime.”  I looked in the U. S. Code found in various places on the internet, and tried to refer to the definition of the “hate crime” as described (the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994) in the brief description of S. 909:

4/28/2009–Introduced.
Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act – Adopts the definition of “hate crime” as set forth in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (i.e., a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim or, in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person).

Authorizes the Attorney General to:

(1) provide state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies with technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the investigation or prosecution of violent crimes and hate crimes.(2) award grants to assist such agencies with the extraordinary expenses associated with the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.

Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs to award grants to state, local, or tribal programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.

Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice (DOJ), including the Community Relations Service, for FY2010-FY2012 to prevent and respond to hate crime acts.

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person.

Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to expand data collection and reporting requirements under such Act to include:

(1) crimes manifesting prejudice based on gender and gender identity.

(2) hate crimes committed by and against juveniles.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech.

Wait a second.  “… actual or perceived …” We’re getting in a little deep here.  Perception is based on thought.  Who does the perceiving?  We can go back to the little raisin… the one I hate.  Some may perceive the raisin to be just a little dried up grape.  Some may perceive the raisin to be a lovely, nutritious snack.  It’s all a little vague to be in place in law language.

How does one produce evidence that I hate the raisin?  Again, if I didn’t tell you, how would you know?  In a court of law, I would have to testify against myself to prove that I perceive raisins to be a horrible and inedible thing.  Someone else could testify that I never eat raisins, but that proves nothing.  Some of the other ways for the my hatred of raisins to be introduced in a court of law might involve hearsay, or someone else’s perception.  Oh, sure… someone could catch me throwing them away, hence, ending their existence, but that would be a commission of the crime, so to speak.  They wouldn’t know my thoughts as to the raisin if I threw it away, but only that I threw it away.  So, the crime would be evidenced, but not my feelings toward the raisin.  Clear as mud?!

The U.S. Senate is expected to consider S.909 soon.   The bill would create a new class of crimes based on the actual or perceived traits of the victim, including “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”

Feel free to read it yourself.  I could run through definitions all day long.  “Gender identity” is a new one, for sure.

If this bill is passed, it could endanger your freedoms, and mine.  It could endanger your preacher’s rights to free speech from the pulpit.  It could create a whole new group of problems (and funding issues) that are not necessary.  Oh yes, this bill talks about the necessity of adding more law enforcement to fight “hate crime” and more grants for the program.

But, aren’t we getting a little redundant?  If a crime is committed, a crime is committed.  It should be punished according to our code.  It seems unnecessary to decide what someone was thinking when they were committing a crime, unless the criminal is receiving mental help.  This sounds like thought crimes punishment, too.  In fact, it should just be called the Thought Crimes Punishment Act.

Don’t misunderstand my point.  Things like assault and murder are wrong, but what if you cut someone off in the Wal-mart parking lot, and they became upset, being homosexual, and called the police to have you arrested because you were intimidating them. (Intimidation is in the bill.) How could you prove that you didn’t cut them off because you perceived them to be homosexual?

I don’t want to be arrested in the Wal-mart parking lot for intimidation in a new Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill.  I don’t want my preacher yanked off of the pulpit and jailed for preaching that the sin of homosexuality is against God.

Take a look at these two videos. Here and here.

I think the point is clear.  As I stated in my last post, the Democrat platform kind of speaks for itself.  It’s an agenda thing.  The homosexual (and however many other non-heterosexual things they stand by) community wants to become elevated to a protected status.  This bill was even named in honor of a victim of a horrible crime that did not fit the definition of “hate crime” in the bill itself.

What can you do?  Call your senators and tell them to vote no on this bill.  They are elected by you and should be taking your vote with them to Washington.  They work for you.

Lastly, here is the list of sponsors and co-sponsors:

Sponsor of S 909
Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA]

Co-Sponsors
Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA]
Cosponsors [as of 2009-05-19]
Sen. Daniel Inouye [D-HI]
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Sen. Jeff Merkley [D-OR]
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT]
Sen. Robert Menéndez [D-NJ]
Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D-NM]
Sen. Susan Collins [R-ME]
Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD]
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-WA]
Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA]
Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D-MI]
Sen. John Kerry [D-MA]
Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]
Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI]
Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD]
Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY]
Sen. Arlen Specter [D-PA]
Sen. Christopher Dodd [D-CT]
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]
Sen. Roland Burris [D-IL]
Sen. John Reed [D-RI]
Sen. Mark Udall [D-CO]
Sen. Ben Nelson [D-NE]
Sen. Thomas Harkin [D-IA]
Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK]
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]
Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-OH]
Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI]
Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I-CT]
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R-ME]
Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA]
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen [D-NH]
Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO]
Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA]
Sen. Bill Nelson [D-FL]
Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-LA]
Sen. Evan Bayh [D-IN]
Sen. Bernard Sanders [I-VT]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]
Sen. John Rockefeller [D-WV]
Sen. Tim Johnson [D-SD]
Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ]

Why I Will Never Vote for a Democrat

Strangely, I am a minority.  I live in an area that is mostly comprised of Democrats.  I see them in the store when I shop for groceries.  I meet them at school for my childrens’ conferences.  I even sit in pews with them at my church.  I am not a Democrat.  I am a minority.

In our neck of the woods, there is just about a church on every corner.  Christian churches, I might add.  So far, we haven’t been infiltrated by Islam on a local level.

I would venture to say that this area is at least 87% Democrat, and possibly more.  Don’t quote me on that.  I just think there are some non-Democrats in hiding.

Here, a Baptist preacher’s wife ran for office as a Democrat.  Her excuse (as many local candidates seem to be, when asked):  “You can’t get elected around here if you don’t run as a Democrat.”

I don’t know if that’s true or not.  I only recall seeing two Republicans on the ballot (excluding the Presidential Elections) in all the years I’ve been here.  Some even run  unopposed.  Whatever excuse will do, I guess.

I am a Christian.  I will never vote for a Democrat, nor register to vote as a Democrat.
Here are some interesting facts taken from the platform of the Democrat:

The 2008 Democratic National Platform: Renewing America’s Promise

(As approved by the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Monday, August 25, 2008, Denver, Colorado)

“The vast majority of Muslims believe in a future of peace, tolerance, development, and democratization… “
p. 32

“We support the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and the implementation of policies to allow qualified men and women to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation.”
p. 38

“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.”
p. 52

“We support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation, and support equal responsibility, benefits, and protections.  We will enact a comprehensive bipartisan employment non-discrimination act.  We oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and all attempts to use this issue to divide us.”
p. 54

Let’s very briefly address page 32 of the Democratic National Platform, shall we?  I don’t want to write a dissertation on the principles of Islam.  “The vast majority of Muslims believe in a future of peace…” okay.  In Islam, all non-Muslims are called unbelievers or infidels.  This means everyone.

The Koran says that  Allah wants Muslims to kill the infidels (unbelievers) wherever they are found (Surah 9:5), and that peace will come only to  those who submit to him (Koran 8:17, 48:29, and 65). According to the Koran,  Allah states that unbelievers should be killed (Koran 2:191, 3:141, 4:104, 4:89, 8:12-16, 9:5, 9:73-74, 9:123, 25:52…), that Muslim apostates should be killed or chastised (Koran 2:39, 2:85, 3:85, 3:106, 4:89, 16:106, and 47:25-28), that the heads and fingers of unbelievers should be cut off (Koran 5:33, 8:12, and 47:4), and that Muslims should fight and humiliate Jews and Christians (Koran 5:18 and 9:29).   In addition, Allah orders Muslims not to take Jews, Christians and other unbelievers as friends (Koran 3:28, 5:51 and 9:23), and will not forgive Christians (Koran 4:48 and 4:116).

“Fight and slay the pagans [Christians] wherever ye find them and seize them, confine them, and lie in wait for them in every place of ambush” (Surah 9:5)
“Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war.” Hadith 19:4294
“Wherever you find infidels kill them; for whoever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection.” Hadith 9:4

Here’s more:  http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-kills.htm#kill

Okay, that goes beyond the opposite of peace and into the realm of war.  Our western (and free) thought doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg on eastern thought on Islam.  We cannot imagine, as a country, that 9/11 was a jihad… a holy war.  The recent shooting of two soldiers in Little Rock, Arkansas was a jihad.  Our current president may be embracing Islam, as he has since he was a small child, but this is not peace.  It will never be peace.

Page 38 of the party’s platform is a no-brainer.  I volunteered to serve my country in the United States Army.  The job requires very close quarters with other soldiers, at times.  Showers and lodging are often quite public, and it is not a comfortable feeling to be showering with someone you feel might be ogling you (or worse) in a way that makes you uncomfortable.   In fact, it happened in one situation to me, where a lesbian tried to accost me in the shower.  I was against the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and wished the prevention of homosexuals from entering the military.  The environment is often too stressful to add an additional problem.

Page 52 of the Democratic National Platform is really what gets me.  “…a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion… and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.”

A woman’s right… what about the right of the child?  Pro-abortion folks try to claim that they only agree with abortion in the case of rape, etc…  The fact is, over 95% of abortions are performed as a method of birth control.

I completely agree with birth control— pre-pregnancy birth control.  I’m tired of our tax dollars going to support women that have four or five kids from 3 or four ‘baby daddies.’  I don’t care what your race is; we are tired of paying for programs for you to sit on your behind and make more babies for us to support.

You cannot be a Christian and stand on the Democratic principles of Roe v. Wade.   Absolutely not.   Ten commandments ring a bell?

Page 54 of the platform is against the the institution of marriage being between one man and one woman as God designed it.  I didn’t say it.  God said it.  Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve:

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. –Genesis 2:24

So, let’s review.  I am a Christian.  I will never vote for a Democrat or register to vote as a Democrat.
If you are a Christian running for office on the idea that no one will vote for anyone but a Democrat here, then your witness shows that you don’t trust God to take care of things, or that you stand for the platform of the Democratic Party, whether or not you do.  If you are a Christian and a registered Democrat, what does that say about you?

It’s a Clearance, Clarence.

I know this is an old article, but, I found myself wondering if 12 percent of DEA Analysts were found not to have proper security clearances to do their jobs, I wonder if it’s going to matter if the president-elect is able to obtain a security clearance.

When I joined the U. S. Army, the job that I had required a security clearance.  An investigation was done, and I only know this because quite a few people called my mother and told her that they’d been asked about me.  I was not allowed to go to certain countries in the world because of the job that I held and the sensitive data I was privy to while in the service of my country.

If I had done drugs, had friends who participated in terrorist action against our own country, had a preacher who preached hate and anti-American propaganda, and had a relative that burned down a church and killed people in a foreign country, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gotten a security clearance.  In fact, I wonder if they wouldn’t have been watching me pretty closely.

Obama has admitted to doing drugs.  He had a friendship and business relationship with Bill Ayers and his wife.  I don’t know if I need go further than Trinity Church and Jeremiah Wright (I don’t call anyone ‘reverend’).  His cousin, Raila Odinga, now the Prime Minister of Kenya, killed people after he tried to steal an election by burning them in a church and having his ‘goons’ stand outside with machetes in case anyone were to escape.

Isn’t it a little awkward that this man is to be the Commander In Chief and President of the United States of America?

Peace, Dear Friend.

“Our friend died on his own battlefield. He was killed in action fighting a civil war. He fought against adversaries that were as real to him as his casket is real to us. They were powerful adversaries. They took toll of his energies and endurance. They exhausted the last vestiges of his courage and his strength. At last those adversaries overwhelmed him. And, it appeared that he had lost the war. But did he? I see a host of victories that he has won.
For one thing, he has won our admiration. Even if he lost the war, we give him credit for his bravery on the battlefield. And we give him credit for the courage and pride and hope that he used as his weapons for as long as he could. We shall remember not his death, but his daily victories gained through his kindnesses and thoughfulness, through his love for his family and friends. . .for all things beautiful, lovely, and honorable. We shall remember not his last day of defeat, but we shall remember the many days that he was victorious over overwhelming odds. We shall remember not the years we thought he had left, but the intensity with which he lived the years he had. Only God knows what this child of His suffered in the silent skirmishes that took place in his soul. But our consolation is that God does know, and understands.”

[Peale, N.V.(1966). The Healing of Sorrow. Pawling, New York, Inspirational Book Service.]

In Memory of CBG

November 16, 2008

Thank a Vet Today!

Since the formation of this country, brave men and women have fought and died for the freedoms we possess.  We owe them a debt of gratitude for their service.  If you are enjoying the freedoms of life here in the United States, thank a veteran.

Ninety years ago today, World War I ended.  At the ending of World War I, known as the ‘war that ended all wars’ President Wilson established a memorial gesture called Armistice Day to begin at 11:00am on November 11th.  Three years later, an unknown soldier was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

On November 11, 1947, a World War II Veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, organized a “National Veteran’s Day” celebration to celebrate all veterans. Edward Rees, a Representative from Kansas, proposed a bill that would change “Armistice Day” to “Veteran’s Day.”  In 1958, Congress passed the bill, signed by President Eisenhower, declaring November 11th to be known as Veteran’s Day.

October 31, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation’s ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America’s veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom’s defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

U.S. Dept. of Peace Legislation – Another Hippie Work of Fiction

Let me tell you about a piece of dumb legislation headed up by those hippie liberals in California. Thanks to DTMF for the tip-off. Make sure you take a look at his really informative blog on the topic.

Legislation to create a U.S. Department of Peace

(Full text of the bill)

These darling love-children want to slap everyone with the twinkle of peace—domestically and internationally.  Peace for the city. Peace for the military. Peace for gangs. Peace with rehabilitation of prisoners.

Yup.  Let’s forget for a moment that prison was actually designed for punishment.

They want to advise the President-Elect, though we’ll forget for a moment that his friend and co-worker, Bill Ayers was a radical terrorist.  They want to advise the military.  They want to advise you in your own home.

Don’t get me wrong—war is not a goal.  Violence is not a mission.

Shall our military just hold hands with our enemies and sing Kumbaya?  Radical muslims breached our borders and killed innocent people.  They have no problem dying for their cause.  Do you think they want to hold our hands?  They believe they will be rewarded for killing infidels.

Hey, law-abiding gun-owners!  Do you see your 2nd Amendment rights going down the drain?

They’re even trying to get to our children.
They have a whole page dedicated to statistics (globally).   In context or not?

Some of their claims:

In 2004, 5,292 young people ages 10 to 24 were murdered–an average of 15 each day. [Youth Violence Facts at a Glance, Summer 2007, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)]

In 2001, almost 21,000 homicides and 31,000 suicides occurred; and almost 1.8 million people were assaulted, while about 323,000 harmed themselves and were treated in hospital emergency departments. (Surveillance for Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries – 2001, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Vital Statistics System)

Worldwide, an estimated 1.6 million people lost their lives to violence in 2000. About half were suicides, one-third were homicides, and one-fifth were casualties of armed conflict. (World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization, 2002)

Here’s some statics from the US Department of Justice:

Serious violent crimes have decreased since 1993

After peaking in 1993, the number of gun crimes reported to police declined and then stabilized at levels last seen in 1988.

They didn’t include abortion in the statistics, but groups like the National Organization for Women have endorsed the legislation.  There appear to be more abortions in the United States than World-wide violence.

In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000.

Number of abortions per year: Approximately 46 Million

The co-sponsors of the legislation are comprised of a whole slew of Democrats and one Republican.  See the list below to find out who they are.

The endorsements are as liberal as they come.  Peace freaks, meditation specialists, humanistic weirdos, and even a ‘conscious evolution’ nut.  Remember the freaks in pink (Code Pink) that busted in to the Republican National Convention and then again tried to arrest Karl Rove?   Endorser.  Make sure you click on the links of endorsers at the bottom of the page for more information on the group.

Co-Sponsors of the Legislation
Rep. Abercrombie, Neil [HI-01-D]
Rep. Andrews, Robert E.E. [NJ-01-D]
Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [WI-02-D]
Rep. Boswell, LeonardL. [IA-03-D]
Rep. Brown, Corrine [FL-03-D]
Rep. Carson, Julia [IN-07-D]-
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11-D]
Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-01-D]
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-05-D]
Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14-D]
Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-07-D]
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [IL-07-D]
Rep. Davis, Susan A. [CA-53-D]
Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-04-D]
Rep. Ellison, Keith [MN-05-D]
Rep. Farr, Sam [CA-17-D]
Rep. Fattah, Chaka [PA-02-D]
Rep. Filner, Bob [CA-51-D]
Rep. Gilchrest, Wayne [MD-1-R]
Rep. Green, Al [TX-09-D]
Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-07-D]
Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-04-D]
Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23-D]
Rep. Hinchey, Maurice [NY-22-D]
Rep. Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-02-D]
Rep. Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12-D]
Rep. Honda, Michael M. [CA-15-D]
Rep. Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-02-D]
Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18-D]
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [GA-04-D]
Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30-D]
Rep. Kaptur, Marcy[OH-09-D]
Rep  Kildee, Dale E. [MI-05-D]
Rep. Kilpatrick, Carolyn Cheeks [MI-13-D]
Rep. Kucinich, Dennis [OH-10-D]
Rep. Larson, John B. [CT-01-D]
Rep. Lee, Barbara[CA-09-D]
Rep. Lewis, John [GA-05-D]
Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14-D]
Rep  Markey, Edward J. [MA-7-D]
Rep. McCollum, Betty [MN-04-D]
Rep. McDermott, Jim [WA-07-D]
Rep. McGovern, James P. [MA-03-D]
Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21-D]
Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-06-D]
Rep. Miller, George [CA-07-D]
Rep. Moore, Gwen [WI-04-D]
Rep. Moran, James P. [VA-08-D]
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [NY-08-D]
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC-D]
Rep. Oberstar, James L. [MN-08-D]
Rep. Olver, John W. [MA-01-D]
Rep. Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10-D]
Rep. Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-03-D]
Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15-D]
Rep. Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-09-D]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [OH-17-D]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-09-D]
Rep. Scott, Robert C. [VA-03-D]
Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16-D]
Rep. Sherman, Brad [CA-27-D]
Rep. Stark, Pete [CA-13-D]
Rep. Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10-D]
Rep. Towns, Edolphus [NY-10-D]
Rep. Tubbs-Jones, Stephanie [OH-11-D]
Rep. Waters, Maxine [CA-35-D]
Rep. Watson, Diane E. [CA-33-D]
Rep. Wexler, Robert F. [FL-19-D]
Rep. Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6-D]
Rep. Wu, David [OR-01-D]

Endorsers of the Legislation
Amnesty International
American Ethical Union
American Muslim Voice
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Voices Abroad
Another Mother for Peace
Arcana Workshops
The Attitudinal Healing Connection of Oakland
Begun Center for Violence Prevention and Education
Brahma Kumaris
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Center for Nonviolent Communications
Code Pink
Communities of Peace Foundation
Conscious Talk Radio
Cross Left
The Dutchess Peace Coalition
Fellowship of Reconciliation -FOR
Foundation for Conscious Evolution
FusionStorm
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Exchange
Global Family
Global Youth Action Network
Humanity In Unity
Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy
The Institute for Progressive Christianity
The International Center for Attitudinal Healing
The International Trauma-Healing Institute
Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace
NAACP–Maryland State Conference
The National Service Conference of the American Ethical Union
National Women’s Studies Association
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
N.O.W.- National Organization for Women
One Common Unity
Order of International Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain
Pace e Bene
Pathways to Peace
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
The Peace Company
Peace and Justice Studies Association
Peace is Every Step
Peace Journey
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Rainbow Solutions, Inc.
Restorative Solutions
September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
School Mediation Center
Share International USA
Social Welfare Action Alliance (SWAA)
Tikkun
Traprock Peace Center
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Methodist Church–General Board of Church and Society
United Religions Initiative – URI
Veterans for Peace
Whole Children, Whole Planet
Wholistic Peace Institute
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
World Centers of Compassion for Children International
YES! – Youth for Environmental Sanity

The Executive Order: Let the Punishments Begin

It seems that Obama is already working on the Executive Orders his office will impose and banish.  No, no.  No need to call upon Pelosi and Reid to find out the pulse of the government.

Executive Orders Defined

An Executive Order (EO) is a directive issued to executive-level agencies, department heads, or other employees from the President under the President’s statutory, or constitutional powers. In many ways, the EO is similar to written orders, or instructions the president of a corporation might send to department heads or directors.Thirty days after it is officially published in the Federal Register, an EO becomes law. While the EO does bypass the U.S. Congress and the standard legislative law making process, no part of an EO may be illegal or unconstitutional.

Obama’s in a hurry to get rid of President Bush’s EOs.

From the Washington Post (emphasis mine):
(Obama Positioned to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions, Nov 9., 2008)
“A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive…”

Here are a list of all of President Bush’s Executive Orders, soon to be abolished and archived:

What can we expect now?  The anti-Christians, anti-gun, tree-hugging Al Gore cult, baby-killing abortionists, Marxists, and Socialists are going to get immediate attention.

You liberal media folks are in for a surprise, too.  After Obama’s temper tantrum in Missouri and the punishment of Barbara West from WFTB during his campaign, you can guarantee that anyone with a dissenting voice to Obama will be punished.

Punished with a baby … Punished for dissenting … Punished with skyrocketing electricity … Punished for being a middle or high school student …

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Mandatory Servitude

Change.

Earlier today, the version of America Serves from Change.gov was this:

“Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year.”

Um… United States Constitution:

Amendment XIII

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Somebody better call Whoopi… it’s ba-ack.

But, later today, the version of the agenda from America Serves at Change.gov:

“Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4000 of their college education is completely free.”

So, now the college students will get paid 40 bucks an hour to get a college credit for their college education.  The little kiddies that haven’t made it to college will still be punished.

Unfortunately, it’s hard enough to get a kid to clean their room.

And those fortunate retirees who haven’t lost everything in their retirement programs by this time will probably not feel like serving.  The rest of us poor jokers are going to have to work until they die (and let someone pay the death tax).

And today’s award goes to: The Youth Vote.  Good behavior is always rewarded.

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update:  November 10, 2008 9:08AM CT:  More Change: The change.gov Agenda topics are no longer available.

Huntin’ Season Arrives

The air is crisp and the leaves have turned on the trees from green to varying vibrant hues of gold and red.  Fallen leaves crackle as the breeze carries them away.  I love the sound of leaves crunching under my feet as I walk around the terrain of Obediah Hill.

I’ve been watching white-tailed deer from my window for weeks as they hurry to gobble up the acorns fallen from the oak trees.  They seem to favor the white oak acorns.

I watched quite a spectacle last night.  Nine deer were in the yard.  There were four bucks, from what I could tell.  One massive buck stood under an oak tree and silently dared any to challenge him.  He had quite a rack.  Another large buck chased a smaller buck away, entirely, and then proceeded to chase an antler-less deer—be it buck or doe, I don’t know. The chase continued for almost an hour.  The antler-less deer was more lean and nimble than the aggressor and leapt in and out of the woods effortlessly.  The aggressor grunted and stomped in the chase making quite a racket as the pair dodged in and out of the woods.  Both eventually tired and disappeared into the woodline.

Deer hunting season has begun here. There are more than 1 million white-tailed deer in Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  In Arkansas, hunting seasons are granted for deer, black bear, wild turkey, elk, squirrels, rabbits and other fur-bearing animals, and waterfowl.

Today is the first day for modern gun use.  The past couple of weeks have been dedicated to bow and muzzle-loader gun use.

Obediah Hill has seen much traffic in the past 24 hours from visitors from other parts of the state to participate in Modern Gun Season.

There are deer camps scattered across the area with members having hunted with the same deer camp all of their lives.  Hunting is a much anticipated way of life for people across our great nation.  Often, deer camps work together, sharing the hunted land and proceeds of their game.  The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has a program called Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry, in place since 2000, in which hunters donate a portion of their game.  It is estimated that the program has provided around one million meals to the needy since it’s inception.

For the past few years, we’ve even been able to check our deer online, rather than driving to a check station to register our game.  Isn’t technology grand?!

Last week there was a Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt.  Youth aged 15 years or younger were permitted to hunt with modern guns. Our newspapers were lined with photos of youth as young as 6, happily posing with their deer.

We do not hunt for the sheer sport of it.  We hunt to garner the meat, though there is excitement in the hunt.  Our family primarily hunts deer, but we have also hunted squirrel and wild turkey.  Game meat is always much healthier than purchased meat, having been stayed from hormones and processed food.  There is much to be said about processing your own meat, but that’s my least favorite aspect of hunting.

We keep guns relative to hunting.  Muzzleloaders, rifles, and shotguns.  We also have hand-guns for an entirely different purpose: protection.

Some of our firearms have been passed down through several generations, and some are quite recent purchases.

From the United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, The Second Amendment:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

There is much history in the right to keep and bear arms.  From the founding of our great nation, families have kept guns to protect and feed their families.

What will happen with our gun rights and hunting priviledges in an Obama administration?

Sportsmen
Barack Obama did not grow up hunting and fishing, but he recognizes the great conservation legacy of America’s hunters and anglers and has great respect for the passion that hunters and anglers have for their sport. Were it not for America’s hunters and anglers, including the great icons like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, our nation would not have the tradition of sound game management, a system of ethical, science-based game laws and an extensive public lands estate on which to pursue the sport. Barack Obama and Joe Biden recognize that we must forge a broad coalition if we are to address the great conservation challenges we face. America’s hunters and anglers are a key constituency that must take an active role and have a powerful voice in this coalition.

I’m not certain if conservation in this sense means of the land or of the hunter.

Obama, having been raised in big cities and elite schools across the country, could not understand the longstanding family tradition of hunting and gun ownership in rural areas.  I can’t help but feel nervous as I try to imagine what an Obama administration will bring.

The NRA warns that Obama has four targeted goals regarding gun ownership in our country:
1. Making the expired ban on assault weapons permanent.
2. Repealing the Tiahrt Amendment.
3. Closing the gun show loophole.
4. Making guns in this country childproof.

I think non-gun owners don’t understand that the main sector of gun owners are law-abiding citizens.  Most gun-related crimes are not committed by individuals who intend to be law-abiding.  We practice gun safety.  I have never pointed a firearm at another individual, and our guns are locked in a gun cabinet, away from visitors and children.

The definition of ‘assault weapons’ in the ban is not just military weapons and the like, but semi-automatic rifles and guns hunters and shooting sportsmen use.  I don’t personally have a use for an AR-15, but, there could come a day when our borders are invaded again…  The point is that I don’t agree with any form of bans on guns.  Once the bans start, they’ll be like eating potato chips—they won’t stop at just one.

I think repealing the Tiahrt Amendment would be a privacy violation, and subject to misuse.  The Tiahrt Amendment prohibits the release of federal firearm tracing information to anyone other than a law enforcement agency conducting a bona fide criminal investigation. If anything, the Tiahrt Amendment could be strengthened.

There is no gun show loophole.  Gun show sellers are required to do background checks on individuals before the sale of firearms.  Private individuals can sell guns to whomever they please, sans the background check.  Believe me, a gun seller does not wish to sell a gun to a criminal.

Childproofing guns is an expensive venue if it entailed using ‘Smart Gun’ technology.  This type of safety device prevent the device from firing if it was in the hands of an unauthorized user, using biometric or other technology.  Some gun manufacturers have deemed this an impossible and even dangerous venture.

We utilize the lock on our gun cabinet.  None of our parents or grandparents locked their guns up.  Our families have instructed safety to our children, just as generations before them.  I think the one of the problems these days are the children and their parents.  We were reared to respect our parents and today’s child is being reared as the center of the household.  Many children are home alone while parents, either both or single, work and are left to become responsible adults without the guidance of an adult.

One week of teaching Vacation Bible School, and I was ready to run away from children.  I have adopted a term for those children:  Other People’s Kids.  OPK are sometimes disrespectful, self-serving, spoiled, and  lack consequences for negative behavior.

I will be paying attention to Obama’s choices for Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the new head of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Each will have a major role in gun ownership and control.

Obama was a director of the Joyce Foundation between 1998-2001.  In his tenure, the Chicago-based foundation gave out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated against gun ownership.  The Joyce Foundation has funded the group called Violence Policy Center, a serious anti-gun ownership rights organization.  The Joyce Foundation provided $700,000 in 2007 to the VPC.   Some of their information is disputable.

The Violence Policy Center touts themselves as “…the most aggressive group in the gun control movement…”

That’s only one of the groups funded by the Joyce Foundation.

Earlier this year in California, referring to a Pennsylvania group he’d spoken to earlier, Obama said, “And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

It sounds like an elitist policy preview on gun ownership, religion, and rural America.

In the words of the late Charlton Heston, “I’ll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands.”

Now, I’m ready for some deer steak.

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Update:  Dtmf, great research on Obama and guns.