New York, New York

It's not getting much press, and it should. It is ignored by the lamesteam...err mainstream media, and it shouldn't. It is the Manhattan Declaration. People are busy talking about health care reform, and they should be since it will socialize our country. The declaration can be found here...

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/

It is a call of Christian Conscience, and in a nutshell states,

"We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty."

I have said in past posts. I am a religious man. I love God, and what He has done for all of us. I can support this declaration for the most part. I struggle with #2, as I have also said in former posts. None the less, let's break this down and see what this declaration is saying, and how this group could change the way the country thinks if they receive enough support.

1. The sanctity of human life. Yes all you P.E.T.A. treehuggers are going to have to take a seat, they don't care about Bambi or Thumper. This is a kinder way of saying, "Anti-abortion." I support this with all my heart. With the exception of emergencies, people should not be allowed to get an abortion. There are people out there willing to adopt your baby. I know what you are going to say, there are over half a million children in foster care, which just shows that we need more people willing to help. Just because there are a lot of children looking for a good home, does not mean we need to start eliminating life. Someone call all the celebrities that think it is cool to adopt a foreign child, and tell them to buy American.

3. I know I skipped #2, but in order for me to prove my point, I have to discuss #3 first. The rights of conscience and religious liberty. Liberty is just another word for freedom. You are free to consciously believe what you want and what god you want. Not only does the declaration say it, so does that little thing we call the constitution. You can not force people to believe what you do, or bow down before the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter how hard you try.

2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife. Contradiction alert! I have said in the past that this does not bother me. People will remain who they are, and love who they love whether they are able to marry or not. The contradiction here is #3 says people have the liberty of religion. The husband and wife idea, which is a politically correct way of saying man and woman, comes from the views of religion. It is sinful to be be a homosexual according to the Good Book, and you are to only marry the opposite sex. You can not have it both ways, where people are free, but you restrict them through your own religious beliefs. They will still live with each other, still love each other, and still hold hands in public. So allowing them to marry will not change a thing. Only God can judge mankind. Quit trying to do His job for Him. In America people are free, so let them be.

As of this writing, only 297,426 people have signed this declaration. A drop in the bucket by American standards. A lot more people believe in what is being said here, but I think they can't get past the marriage part, or they just don't know it exists. The lamestream media will not talk about such a religious stance against the direction of our country. I only found out about it myself when the Father at my church discussed it. The actual Manhattan Declaration is way too long to attach, and I gave you the cliff notes. I recommend you use the link to read the whole thing, and please sign it if you support the cause. Very powerful religious people began this movement, and with what is happening to our country right now, we need these people to help us as much as they can. So we will need to help them. I will try to get past the marriage part.

Tis the Season

It is almost that time. I can smell the ham, candied yams, fruit salad, and violence. That's right people! Black Friday is only two weeks away, and I want you to try and behave yourself this year. If the economy was tough last season, it can only be worse this year. People are looking for deals that can only be had by waking up before the rest of the world, lining up at your favorite superstore, and waiting for that sweet, precious moment when people will trample, beat, shoot, stab, or cart rob for that oh so special item your loved one has always wanted. I agree, the prices are harder to beat than the 300 pound woman swinging a broom stick in isle 5. But it is too early and hectic to me. And dangerous too! I am not making it up either. Last year, a Wal-Mart employee lost his life when the stampede of consumers broke down the front door, trampling him. "He was bum-rushed by 200 people," Jimmy Overby, the man's 43-year-old co-worker, told the New York Daily News. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too ... I literally had to fight people off my back." Oh there is more:

Shortly after midnight yesterday, an estimated 15,000 shoppers pushed and shoved their way into the Fashion Place mall in Murray, Utah. Police soon joined them, responding to reports of nine skirmishes. Once inside, shoppers ransacked stores, overturning piles of clothes as they looked for bargains. A retailer's dream — too many customers! — quickly turned into a nightmare, forcing store clerks to shut their doors, and only let people in after others left. The mall even briefly closed its outside doors to avoid a fire hazard.

At the Wal-Mart outside Columbus, customers dashing toward 5 a.m. deals pinned employees against stacks of merchandise. "Oh, my god, stop pushing me, oh, my god," screamed Linda Tuttle, a 47-year-old employee at the store.

The rush at Roanoke's Best Buy turned violent, just seconds after the doors opened at 5 a.m. NewsChannel 10 caught a man on video hitting someone over and over. Watching in slow motion you can see him hit someone at least 5 times.

The scene at many stores was part Woodstock, part Lord of the Flies, as hundreds hunkered for hours bundled in clothes, wrapped in blankets and holding coffee cups and crumbled newspaper inserts.

As the 5 a.m. opening at Best Buy approached, latecomers crashed the line marked by yellow tape, jockeying for pole position with people who stood in the cold for hours. Attempting to quell the crowd, a store manager jumped on a garbage can and threatened to call police. Store employees handed out tickets, entitling the bearer to one of the limited number of so-called "doorbuster" items. Many of those in the line circling the building had no idea that the front of the store was on the brink of chaos, or that items they waited for were already claimed.

An elderly woman and nine other bargain hunters were injured Friday in a rush for gift certificates dropped from the ceiling of a local mall. Some 2,000 shoppers rushed for 500 falling prize-filled balloons at the Del Amo Fashion Center, leaving nine with minor wounds and sending an elderly woman to the hospital.

This year's Black Friday shopping sprees were tinged with violence, as incidents on both coasts left shoppers wounded, or dead. The New York Post has disturbing video from the scene of the Black Friday Wal-Mart stampede in Long Island where one worker was trampled to death and four shoppers, including a pregnant woman, were injured and had to be hospitalized. "Police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart doors before its 5 a.m. opening. The impatient crowd knocked the employee, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour of Queens, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion." Meanwhile, in Southern California, there was a Black Friday shootout at a Toys 'R' Us that left two men dead. Truly frightening.

All of these articles can be found easily on the web. Yes getting that gift for your loved one, or yourself is important. But not so important you need to harm yourself or others. Let us remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and that gifts are just an added bonus. If you can't afford the item today, maybe you shouldn't buy it on Black Friday. But if you must, please for the love of mankind, do it peacefully. This is not just a day of "great deals" but another example of just how greedy We the People have become, and how far we will go to get what we want. Be smart, be safe, wear a flack jacket. I am predicting worse violence than last year.

Happy Holidays.

Interesting Court Case

This email was forwarded to me from a Republican friend of mine:

Federal Judge Carter sets Trial Date for Obama's Eligibility!

The expedited trial has been set for Jan. 26, 2010!

Many concerned veterans and citizens attended the hearing in Federal Court in Santa Ana in the lawsuit against Barack Obama to determine his eligibility to be President and Commander in Chief. About 150 people showed up, almost all in support of the lawsuit to demand that Obama release his birth certificate and other records that he has hidden from the American people.

Judge David Carter refused to hear Obama's request for dismissal. He indicated there was almost no chance that this case would be dismissed. Obama is arguing this lawsuit was filed in the wrong court if you can believe that. Obama would prefer a "kangaroo court" instead of a Federal court! Assuming Judge Carter denies Obama's motion for dismissal, he will likely then order expedited discovery which will force Obama to release his birth certificate in a timely manner (if he has one).

The judge, WHO IS A FORMER U.S. MARINE, repeated several times that this is A VERY SERIOUS CASE which must be resolved quickly so that the troops know that their Commander in Chief is eligible to hold that position and issue lawful orders to our military in this time of war. He basically said OBAMA MUST PROVE HIS ELIGIBILITY to the court! He said Americans deserve to know the truth about their President!

The two U.S. Attorneys representing Barack Obama tried everything they could to sway the judge that this case was frivolous, but Carter would have none of it and cut them off several times. Obama's attorneys left the courtroom after about the 90 minute hearing looking defeated and nervous.

Great day in America for the U.S. Constitution! The truth about Barack Obama's eligibility will be known fairly soon - Judge Carter practically guaranteed it!

Video from the press conference after the hearing coming soon. Congratulations to plaintiffs attorney Dr. Orly Taitz! She did a great job and won some huge victories. She was fearless!



Now if you can tell, I am not the President's biggest fan. Evidently, I am not his biggest enemy either. Let us discuss how a person becomes an American citizen by birth. 1- Be born on American soil, read Hawaii. 2- Have a parent that was born an American citizen. His mother, Ann Dunham, was born in Fort Leavenworth Kansas in 1942. Those are the only two ways. So it doesn't matter if President Obama was in fact born in Kenya, Mexico, your back yard, Antarctica, Mars, or in a test tube in Germany. According to the laws set forth by this land he is in fact, an American. This debate keeps going on, though subtly, and if this court case is true, and some of the searching I have done shows that it possibly is, it is a waste of money and time. I found the best information on the suit here http://obamacitizenshipdebate.org/lawsuit-updates/ which states the suit has been dismissed because it needs to be filed in Washington D.C. where the President resides. Now if you are a supporter of this suit, God help you. If you think it is going to make Senator McCain president, your wrong. Lord help us, Joe Biden will be your next president, and that scares me even more. We the People need to take all this effort and apply it to something more useful; things that will actually challenge the federal government. Learn your laws, and then you will see ways to use them against the powers that be.

Party, Party, Party!

Bust out your toga people and lets start a party. After my last post I got to thinking to myself that the only way to move our country forward in the right direction is to start a new party. The people we want in Washington to fix the problems and restore America to its rightful place are going to need to be held accountable somehow. If a candidate is a straight up independent then there will be no support system in Washington to help. Let's be honest with ourselves. If you are going to send fresh meat into the water full of sharks, support is going to be needed. Plus there has to be a way to raise and distribute donations for all the candidates. Unfortunately, to compete, you need cash. So in order to make sure what I wanted to do wasn't redundant, I hit the web to look at other parties. Some of them are so close to being right to me, and then they blow it. Others don't share enough information. If you can't be open and honest on your website, how will we every trust you? Most of them are just plain wrong. I did not visit the republicans and democrats websites, since we already know they are incompetent, and the point is to bring change...and not Obama's change. So let us begin with the audit of parties. Please note that there are so many parties out there that I didn't get to them all. Please feel free to refer to me to some that may be useful.

We will start with the Libertarian Party. They can be found at www.lp.org They say some good things. But I am not sure yet if they could be the "one." The believe in the heritage of liberty, enterprise, and personal responsibility. So far, so good. People should be free and independent; a system that encourages all people to choose what they want from life, that lets them live, love, work, play, and dream their own way. They are pro choice, and pro 2nd amendment rights. I myself am pro life, but I can see their point where its not the governments responsibility, but the individuals. Education should be handled locally, health care should not be government controlled. Their motto is for people to live and let live. They lose me at their system being a caring, people centered approach. I fear it would lead to more of our tax dollars going to people who can help themselves. I sent a message asking for clarity. We will see what they have to say. Overall, not bad. They are considered the nations "third largest party." So they already have a party base to work with. Could they help change America? They have also had members run for president for many years now. Most recently Bob Barr, who received over 500,000 votes. They need to branch out and get people on the ticket for all offices throughout the nation. Show use what you can do.

The Independence Party of America. www.independencepartyofamerica.com The problem I have here is the term "mass appeal" used by their website. I can change myself to appeal to just about anyone, and so can you. That doesn't make you anymore honest or better than the ones we have right now. After all, that is what they do, morph to appeal to whoever they need to. They want to transform D.C. to root out waste, abuse, and mismanagement. But they don't give us enough information on their site to help us cast judgment to what type of party they would be. So impressed...I am not.

The Moderate Party. www.americanmoderateparty.org I like some of the things they have to say here. Allow civil unions? Sure it doesn't hurt me, you or anyone else. And if you think the homosexuals of the world are going to disappear because they can't "wed" your wrong. Pro choice is still hard for me, but this is about freedom, and the debate here will never be settled. It will be between God and the parties involved. Over all, this group seems to me to be a mix of the big two. I could be wrong. Their name reminds me, and probably you of the Republicans. The website leaves something to long for, as it is poorly built, and hurts my eyes with its colors. These people may have a future, but they need to work on some things as well.

The Marijuana Party, Website down. I posted this because it shows you just how funny America is. To me, smoke all the mary jane you want. I do not partake, as it would cost me my job, and I have enough things to waste my money on. I don't buy that it leads to the use of more extreme drugs they way they advertise. Some people sure, but not all. I know plenty of fully functional pot smoking rebels that are a benefit to society. Smoke if you got 'em. But seriously, you can lobby for the legalization of pot without forming a party dedicated to just that one area. Maybe it does make you a little dumber after all.

Objectionist Party. www.objectivistparty.us Pro life with the belief that you have the right to your own thoughts, property, and to protect yourself. That's all I can get from their site. So you don't get enough information from their site to make you feel safe about joining.

The American Party. www.theamericanparty.org Catchy title but there are two red flags that will stop people from supporting them. They are a Christian oriented group. I can't blame them, after all I believe Jesus is my savior and died on the cross for me. But you on the other hand may not. You may be Protestant, Catholic, or a Orthodox Jew. A dumb Scientologist, or a guy who bends spoons, a Buddhist, Hindu, or Atheist too. And lets not forget our nonviolent Alla loving Muslims. Only some of the above mentioned people will be allowed to enter the party. That restricts freedom of religion, and turns people away. Ever hear of separation of church and state? Also they have a section stating that anyone who enjoys the protection of government to bear his fair share of the burden. Sounds a little socialist to me.

The America First Party. americafirstparty.org Not such a catchy title. If they changed it to something better, they might start gaining some ground. But I like them. Pro life, pro 2nd amendment, and so much more that I couldn't possibly share it all in this post. They have great ideas, and are growing. I recommend when you have some time to kill, you go to their site. They will impress you, or not.

The Constitution Party. www.constitutionparty.com Now that's a name a person could get behind. Pro life, pro 2nd amendment, and giving the power back to the people. There is way too much information here to share as well. To sum it up, if it's not in the Constitution, it should not happen. I like it, and I will be reading more on them.

I could go on for hours. But I am stopping there. At the end of the day some of these parties need to be put out to the farm with the big 2. Others need to get together, and form one party that can actually make a difference. In order for our country to succeed in the direction we want, we need to remember that the people are free, and if they are not restricting your freedom, harming you, your family, or your property in any way, then leave them alone. Let homosexuals marry. If the Lord has a problem, he will deal with it in his time. After all, only God can judge. Take away all the guns and then only the criminals will have them. The government will have to take mine from my cold dead hands. And when they show up, they better have a meeting to decide who is going with me. Because some of them will be. Smoke, drink, be merry. Most importantly, be free. Our new party has to believe in term limits and be willing to push for them. Campaign finance reform too. If the person can't vote to reelect you, they can't give you money. And the amount needs to be restricted. Smaller government, less taxing, and more honesty. Tell us the truth. We are adults who can handle it. Trust us, we know things don't always go to plan. Most importantly is giving the power back to the people. Let the local and state governments decide what is right for their area. Stop messing with the peoples' freedom.

This one may have been long and boring. I am not sure yet. I need ideas from you. I may some of the answers, and you just might too. We put our heads together and get the ball rolling, we might just be able to help change the country. Thanks for sticking with me on this one. Next time, it will be something more amusing, or better ideas. The more I dive into this, the harder I find it is to come together on the right course of action.

Time to Rise

First and foremost, I need to apologize for being gone for so long. I had been ill for the last couple months, and it has kept me from pushing forward in the fight for freedom. The time has come. The anger is back. The fight must go on. Our government continues to try to push our country down the road they seem fit. They have continued to ignore the voice of the people. I have said it before and I will say it again, the government works for us. We do not work for them. They have forgotten that. Some of the American people have forgotten that. If you don't stand up and tell everyone you see that We the People are in charge of this country, not the government, then we will continue to lose control. Our elected officials must remember that they are there to serve us. Our forefathers wanted us to decide what is best for us, not the government. Washington thinks we are all unable to make our own decisions, decide what is the best course of action for ourselves, and our children. They have already made a decision for my four children, and all of yours. They have decided to force them to pay for a deficit that grows more each day. Our children are owned by China thanks to our bailout bills. This is not only about us, it is about our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren etc. I recently read a book by Glenn Beck called "Glenn Beck's Common Sense." I want you to buy the book, borrow it from a friend, go to the library, whatever it takes to get your hands on it. Then read the first couple pages. Make sure to read all of the Introduction. It will most likely explain to you who you are, were, or will be. Its a short book, and I read it in a day. I don't always agree with Mr. Beck, but I have nothing but respect for him. This is a fine piece of literature. And you need to read it. Our Constitution continues to be used as toilet paper by the people we pay to defend it. You may or may not want Universal Health Care. From the looks of all the town hall meetings, it would appear that a lot of people do not. Do not let Congress decide for you. Tell your elected officials that not only do you want to see the bill so that you know everything that is in it, you want to know how it will be paid for. And then tell them you want the issue placed on a ballot. Let the American people decide if this is what we want. After all, the government is overstepping their boundaries by trying to pass such an act. The can't efficiently run Medicaid, Social Security, the entire State of Illinois, their own checkbook, and retirement funds without going into the red. What makes us think they will do anything different with our health care. It is not the governments job to baby us. I have said in the past, too many people have a false sense of entitlement. You are not guaranteed anything in this life except what the constitution guarantees. You want a cell phone, money for food for the rest of your life, and a nice home? Use one of the many programs we have already to further your education, get a job, and work for it like the rest of us do. The pursuit of happiness means you must pursue it. It will not come on a silver platter for you. Don't get me wrong, people should be granted aid in a time of need. But it needs to be short term and there needs to be motivation for them to better themselves. How did this country get so lazy? Why do we keep letting the government have more control? The only way to change things for the better is to force the laws to be changed. Term limits for every elected official throughout the country. I don't care if that person is a road commissioner; two terms and pack your bags! We need to hold elected officials responsible for their words and actions. Lie to us on the campaign trail, get elected, and then stick a knife in our back? Your out, fired, terminated! If I went to work and lied to my bosses (after all that is what you are, the government's boss) I would be fired before I finished the sentence. When you say your going to do something to the people who pay you...do it! The tea parties are nice and are bringing the right attention, but they are not changing a thing. It is time for all of us to make a plan for change and execute it. We need to root the corrupt, ethically challenged people out of our government and tell them never again! This is our lives, our children, our country. We will not stand by and let the government control us any longer. Glenn Beck has asked us to ask everyone we know the following questions. Answer them yourselves and then share it with everyone you know. My answers are in red.

1. Do you trust those in power to always tell you the hard truth - especially if it would hurt them at election time? No
2. How is it possible that every president since Jimmy Carter has promised to lower our dependence on foreign oil, but now we import more oil than ever from countries that do us harm? Because it is not about We the People, but about big business getting what they want.
3. Are we to honestly believe that a country that took the idea of man walking on the moon and turned it into a reality within eight years, or the country that built a transcontinental railroad in seven years (without power tools or machines) doesn't have the ability to completely build the 670 mile fence along the southern border that was promised in 2005? If our govenment really wanted this fence done. It would be already.
4. Why are the same politicians who insist America is a "melting pot" the first ones to insist that different races, nationalities, and ethnicities retain their distinct languages, identities, and practices? For more votes. If you want to be American, embrace America!
5. Why are the people who respectfully question global warming mocked and condemned? Because it is against the view that is beheld at the time. Science from both sides must be heard, so We the People know what we are up against.
6. Do you believe that your elected representatives view themselves as truly being "public servants" who place your well being above their own? I think they look at us as the servants, as they continue to get rich off of us and big business.
7. Do you believe that those in Washington see your face when they make decisions or, instead, the faces of those who richly contribute to their campaigns?
8. Do you believe that our "public servants" have your best interests at heart and will defend your life, liberty, and property? I don't think they see a face at all, except for Ben Franklin's face from the $100 bill.

Depending on how you, and the people you ask, answer those questions you are one of three things. One of us who is tired of being kicked around by a corrupt, greedy, government. One of them, who like a bigger government than what the founding fathers had in mind. Or the third class, one who is clueless on the issues at hand and need to be waken up to see how far off course we have gotten. Thomas Jefferson said it best, "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." The government does not fear us, and never will until we unite, raise our voices and demand change. Join me in the fight to set America free. Share your ideas with me, and everyone else. But lets not just talk, lets act.

Fine I Was a Little Harsh

My main goal is to always try to be fair without sacrificing my beliefs, opinions, or voice. As I reread my post on the Senator, I realize that maybe it was out of hand, and these were youthful indiscretions that he grew out of. Character flaws is what I will settle with. I am in a debate with a person who feels that Senator Kennedy was the last of his kind. Powerful, with his thoughts on the people at all times. Now I don't agree with this, and find that when a famous person passes, only the good, whether it is really there or not is seen. Look back at Michael Jackson. He changed the world for sure, but man was he screwed up. When he passed it enveloped the news way too long, and made the country look like fools to the rest of the world. After all, we have two wars going on, and we rarely mention it. While the country was busy talking about the pop icon, soldiers were dying, and our country was too busy to notice. But back to Kennedy. If he truly was so powerful and cared about the people so much, he should have done more. It's time we the people make a change.

Don't Make Kennedy a Total Hero

Ted Kennedy has passed away. He suffered through his illness, and I pray that God rests his soul. As I flip through the channels and surf the web, I see more people trying to turn him into "America's Hero." Now granted he did do some good things for this country, but he also did a lot of bad. He is no hero of mine, and he should not be a hero of yours. Here are some facts on Senator Kennedy:



1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was
expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a
classmate to cheat for him.

2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two.

Oops! The man can't count to four! His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador

to England (a step up from bootlegging liquor into the US from Canada during prohibition),

pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that

he served in Europe, not Korea , where a war was raging. No preferential treatment for

him! (like he charged that President Bush received).

3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris , never advanced beyond the rank of
Private,and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. Imagine a
person of his "education" NEVER advancing past the rank of Private!

4. While attending law school at the University of Virginia, he was
cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was
clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood
with his headlights off after dark.. Yet his Virginia driver's
license was never revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959. Amazing!

5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash and
hospitalized for several months. Test results done by the hospital
at the time he was admitted had shown he was legally
intoxicated. The results of those tests remained a "state
secret" until in the 1980's when the report was unsealed. Didn't hear
about that from the unbiased media, did we?

6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick
Island in Massachusetts . At about 11:00 PM, he borrowed his
chauffeur's keys to his Oldsmobile limousine and offered
to give a ride home to Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker.
Leaving the island via an unlit bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy
steered the car off the bridge, flipped, and into Poucha Pond.

7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party passing several
houses and a fire station. Two friends then returned
with him to the scene of the accident. According to their later
testimony, they told him what he already knew - that he was required
by law to immediately report the accident to the authorities.
Instead Kennedy made his way to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went
to sleep. Kennedy called the police the next morning and by then
the wreck had already been discovered. Before dying Kopechne had
scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the upside-
down car. The Kennedy family began "calling in favors", ensuring
that any inquiry would be contained. Her corpse was
whisked out-of- state to her family before an autopsy could be
conducted. Further details are uncertain, but after the accident
Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under the water trying to rescue
Kopechne and he didn't call police because he was in a state of
shock. It is widely assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he held off
calling police in hopes that his family could fix the problem
overnight. Since the accident Kennedy's "political enemies" have
referred to him as the distinguished Senator from Chappaquiddick. He
pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a
SUSPENDED SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS.
Kopechne's family received a small payout from the Kennedy's
insurance policy and never sued. There was later an effort to have
her body exhumed and autopsied, but her family successfully fought
against this in court, and Kennedy's family paid their attorney's
bills.... a "token of friendship"?

8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty years, but
considering his longevity, his accomplishments seem
scant. He authored or argued for legislation that ensured a
variety of civil rights, increased the minimum wage in 1981, made
access to health care easier for the indigent, funded Meals on Wheels for fixed-
income seniors, and is widely held as the "standard-bearer for
liberalism". In his very first Senate roll he was the floor
manager for the bill that turned U.S. Immigration Policy
upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants from third world countries..

9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and
author of every expansion of an increase in immigration up to and including
the latest attempt to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Not to
mention the pious grilling he gave the last two Supreme Court
nominees, as if he was the standard bearer for the nation in
matters of what's right. What a pompous ass!

10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, loud,
boisterous, and very disrespectful to ladies. JERK is a better
description than "great American". "A blond in every pond" is
his motto. Let's not allow the spin doctors to make this jerk a hero --
how quickly the American public forgets what his real legacy is.

Dear Mr. President

Well it has been an interesting week to say the least. I had to take my four children shopping to get them ready to go back to school. As I walked around the mall, I became more and more frustrated (don't worry I did not take it out on the kids) about the bailout/stimulus packages that our former and current presidents passed. So I decided it was time to write to President Obama. I am hoping I get a reply. It would not be fair for me to do such a thing and not share it with the world. I tagged on some health care issues as well.

Dear Mr. President Obama,
First and foremost allow me to congratulate you on a historic victory. I know you have heard a few times by now, but it is a great feat and brought our country a little closer together, if only for a moment. I don't imagine you receive correspondence very often where the author does not ask for something in return. I question answered, a bill passed, a dinner at the White House. Fear not! I am no different. I would like to discuss the current economic status of America from the point of view of a middle class American. I think that is where I would fall in your economic scale. My wife and I have four children. I noticed you have two beautiful daughters yourself. You are a blessed man and I wish the best for them in their future endeavors. I am willing to bet, no fault of your own, that you did not take them school shopping this year. Well I did take mine to the mall this year, after all it has to be done. There are a couple things I noticed after going to a few stores. 1- there were no "Back to School" sales this year like there were in the years passed. When I look back I don't even remember seeing commercials for them either. 2- The prices for jeans, shirts, shoes, underwear, sock, that pretty pink tutu, and a Bozo button have not gotten cheaper in these tough economic times. If anything, they have gone up. One pair of jeans from Gap $52.00, watching your daughter get sad when you tell her you can't afford them, "worthless." That is how it felt with all my kids. Things I used to be able to go and buy, I can't anymore. Who in their right mind pays $52.00 for a pair of jeans anyway? Thank the Lord Old Navy had jeans on sale for kids priced at $10.00. And T-Shirts, no problem. It's almost fall. The stores are giving them away. But what am I supposed to do in the fall, when it gets too cold, and they need winter clothing? Well hopefully I will have a second job by then. Then it's off to Wal-Mart, who by the way is a monopoly in this county. Your a lawyer, so I am sure you know that monopolies are illegal in this country. See they set the price on everyday items, and the rest of the companies just have to fall in line to compete. Paper, pencils, folders, binders, pens, spitballs and straws, erasers, compass, protractor, calculator (because God forbid we teach kids how to do it by hand, like we used to learn) highlighters, and anything else the school mandates that a student must have to start school. Now I know why tissues are always on the list. Because when you get to the register and realize how much money you spent on stuff that will have to be replaced by Christmas break, you tend to weep. After it was all said and done, I had to choose which bills I could pay, and which one would have to wait till next payday. And then the wife's car started acting up. Well there are all kinds of great deals out there at the moment thanks to the C.A.R.S. Program. I will not knock this program it was a wonderful thing that has helped a lot of people out. But her car doesn't qualify, and because the economy slumped over the last year or 8, (or what I like to call the Bushy Years) our credit slightly slumped with it. Now imagine this, we the people own GM. Anything more than 51% is deemed an owner after all. But yet they will not give us financing. Nor will all the banks that we bailed out. My money, but I can't get any of it back. You have to have "near perfect credit" to get financed I am told. I don't know a person that qualifies. In the current status of the country, the only ones that do would most likely be at an Obama fundraiser. Oh by the way, my wife and I made $106,000 together last year. We paid our taxes, and love our country. And all we want to know is, where are the people's bailout? Why didn't anyone in the Democratic controlled Congress (And it has been that way for 5 years now) listen to the math and economic experts when they said, "give the money to the people, not the businesses!" and give us say $50,000 to $100,000 each? We could have paid off our homes, cars, credit cards, prostitutes. Bought new cars, new houses, new prostitutes! Taken a vacation, bought a lot of lotto tickets, anything we wanted! Especially taken care of our kids better, put away some so they can go to college, and most importantly, gotten bailed out of debt by the government that works for us. Remember that, you work for us, we do not work for you. Businesses got bailed out, just so they could take lavish trips, give out bonuses, and tell the people they should be thanking..."no!" I read in Time magazine that before the economy fell, we the consumer accounted for 70% of the Gross Domestic Product. But now we have become a non-factor due to the fact that all the companies we have bailed out, will not help out the people who gave them the money. And we didn't even have a say in if they got a bailout, or which companies would get the money. And the government never outlined how it will be paid back. So it's not a loan, it's a gift of sorts. No paying it forward this time I guess though. Please help the people that you represent, not the companies who pave the road with greed. On a final note I would like to say that your health care plan scares me. But that does not mean it is a bad thing. No matter if people support it or disagree with it, we the people are scared. Quit trying to rush it through, make sure it's right. And for the love of Pete, if it is supposed to be good enough for us, then we expect Congress, and yourself to use it too. After all, none of you are better than us in the end of it all. I would like better health care, but like what I have as well. My grandmother could use more help. So I hope you do pass a plan that will work for everyone, including yourself. Thank you for your time and good luck with your future plans. I wish you well Mr. President.

David Bourne
Aurora, IL.
AmericaReBourne.blogspot.com

Waste, Waste, and More Waste

So I have been digging. I have been through books, magazines, websites, my sisters desk, and the White House's trash. All to find where the government is spending money that it shouldn't be. I have found that it is too much for one person to sort through, and is probably designed that way so it can never be truly brought to light. But none the less, I bring you examples of such wastefulness, and greed. Stick with me, this is a long article that I hope you find useful. The first comes from an article written by Michael Crowley for the January 2009 issue of Reader's Digest, for the article, "Outrageous." Mr. Crowley is a senior editor at The New Republic, and was very informative in his article. I will give you the highlights. The first section is titled, "Air Farce One" and describes how the Washington Post reported that there has been a request to set aside $16.2 million from the allotted money to fight terrorism to upgrade military planes for high ranking officials. These upgrades would include 37-inch flat screen monitors, plush leather seats, and full length mirrors. Air Force Generals also requested that the color of the leather seats and seat belts be changed at a cost of $68,240. Now I will give this one to Congress, partially. They said no. But they did tell the military to pay for it out of their own budget! We have troops that can't get the items they need to fight the wars like body armor and equipment that actually works, but Lord forbid a general has to sit on a cloth seat with no t.v. Next comes "Bigwig Bailout." Last October (read under the Bush regime, but also passed by a Democratic ran congress) Congress budgeted $700 billion to clean up Wall Street. And what price did the C.E.O.'s of these companies pay for such mismanagement? Nothing. The C.E.O.'s of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Daniel Mudd and Richard Syron earned $11.6 million and $18.3 million respectively. They then both set to retire, with an estimated $7 million retirement check. Once again, our government did step in, but not good enough. The Federal Housing Finance Agency demanded a review. But even with the review, Mudd will receive $5 million and Syron $2.3 million in retirement benefits. If they ruined their companies to the point where our taxes had to bail them out, then how can they afford such a lavish retirement check? That's out money! Speaking of money, the next section is called "Sex, Drugs, and Your Money." It sounds like a rock concert but it is really about how government officials are in bed with big corporations. Like we didn't know this already. According to an investigation by the Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General, a fraternity house style culture of substance abuse and promiscuity existed among employees responsible for managing billions of dollars in contracts with oil and gas companies. According to the report, 13 current and former employees in Denver and Washington D.C. indulged in drinking, marijuana, cocaine and sex with representatives of companies negotiating multimillion dollar deals with the government. There were also some golf and ski trips, snowboard lessons, and concert tickets involved. With behavior like this it is no wonder the gas prices were and still are so high. The last one I am going to discuss from this article is "Bad Credit." Federal Employees spent an estimated $18 billion in 2007 using checks, and credit cards that are issued to them to conduct legitimate government business. A N.A.S.A. employee bought expensive iPods to store data although cheaper ones were available. A U.S. Forest employee gave $640,000 in checks meant for government use to her boyfriend. A postal worker spent $1,100 to find a date online, and another threw a dinner party for 81 people at a steak house for $13,500, including $3,000 for alcohol. I know, those are old now. We have a new president. Things have changed. I found two websites I love. Citizens Against Government Waste (www.cagw.org) and Project on Government Waste (www.pogo.org). I have yet to be able to go through P.O.G.O. very much, as I just started accessing it recently, and it will take some time. But I do recommend it to you. You can look up contractors who have been found "guilty" of some misconduct, how many times they have been found guilty, and what they are guilty of. You can also report misconduct by government officials there as well. C.A.G.W. has just released a book, as they do every year that you can purchase, or view online for free. It is 58 pages long, so I ask that you read it yourself. There are 10,160 instances of waste according to them that total up to billions of wasted tax dollars. Here are some highlights. $3.8 million to the Old Tiger Stadium Conservatory in Detroit, $1.9 million for a water taxi service in at Pleasure Beach in CT., $1.8 million in swine odor and manure management research in Iowa. The total earmarks used this budget season raised to $19.6 billion. You need to read this book, see where all the wastefulness is going, and who is responsible. It is time we the people stop the earmarks to bills. It costs us way too much, especially in these tough economic times.

The Plot Thickens

So it seems I am going to need more time to show the wasteful spending of our tax dollars. It is not as easy as I thought to get a detailed account for the money. Funny since it is our hard earned cash that is being used. Perhaps I am looking in the wrong place and one of you can help me. It seems a lot has happened since my last post. I am sorry for the delay, but life happens. Sotomayor is officially a judge, and I wish her luck. I hope that she can help move this country in a positive way. Of course the big debate at the moment is health care reform. I am lucky enough to have insurance. It is good insurance, but they do frustrate me. I have to see a specialist and have a procedure done. Although there are doctors nearby who could do the work, my insurance does not cover these doctors, so I have to take a five hour round trip to have the work done. This costs me a lot of money in gas, and a lot of time. Other people have no insurance at all, and I feel for them. I have talked to people who have referenced the U.S. Armed Forces, and how they have government ran health care. I reply to them to go find a veteran who has used a Veterans Affairs Hospital. They will all tell you the same thing, "It is some of the worst health care I have ever had, but the price is right." If this is how we treat the people who have defended our country, then why would we want it for the entire nation? I will not debate that reform is needed. Money is wasted everyday by doctors who order unnecessary tests and surgeries, like my wife when she hurt her back, has had her tubes tied and just finished her menstrual cycle and the doctor wanted a pregnancy test anyway. People should be able to choose what doctors they want to see. Not have a private company choose for them. And if treatment is needed, they should receive it, not let some person that only cares about the money decide. I have said before that this is a country built on greed, and health care is just another example. Things that are needed for the health and safety of humanity should not be ran for profit. If it is, then you get HMO's telling you no when they should be saying yes. You get prisons paying their officers minimum wage and cramming their prisons full, and then we are left wondering how the inmates escaped. France seems to have the best program going in the world. After all, the World Health Organization ranked them #1. The good ol' U.S. came in #37. France's system is a mixture of private and public funding that is very complex, so I will only tell you the basics. The french can see any doctor and specialist they want. The doctors, many of whom are self-employed can prescribe any medical care the doctor feels is necessary. The statistics have shown that this program is working. Here are some statistics for you:

France's infant death rate is 3.9 per 1,000 live births, compared with 7 in the U.S.
The average life expectancy is 79.4 years, two years more than in the U.S.
The country has far more hospital beds and doctors per capita than America
Far lower rates of death from diabetes and heart disease
The difference in deaths from respiratory disease, an often preventable form of mortality, is particularly striking: 31.2 per 100,000 people in France, vs. 61.5 per 100,000 in the U.S.
65% of French citizens express satisfaction with their system, compared with 40% of U.S. residents
France spends just 10.7% of its gross domestic product on health care, while the U.S. lays out 16%, more than any other nation

But the system is not perfect. There has been health care inflation, resulting in the rise of taxes. This is something that we would have to deal with if wee had a government ran health care system. Prices of things will go up, and to adjust accordingly, taxes will go up too. An easy way to deal with the problem would be to put a cap on how much a doctor can charge, because different people see different prices. A person with medicare can watch the government charged almost double what a person with insurance is charged, because the doctor knows the government is not watching and will not scoff at the bill.
"To grasp how the French system works, think about Medicare for the elderly in the U.S., then expand that to encompass the entire population. French medicine is based on a widely held value that the healthy should pay for care of the sick. Everyone has access to the same basic coverage through national insurance funds, to which every employer and employee contributes. The government picks up the tab for the unemployed who cannot gain coverage through a family member. But the french system is much more generous to its entire population than the U.S. is to its seniors. Unlike with Medicare, there are no deductibles, just modest co- payments that are dismissed for the chronically ill. Additionally, almost all French buy supplemental insurance, similar to Medigap, which reduces their out-of-pocket costs and covers extra expenses such as private hospital rooms, eyeglasses, and dental care. In France, the sicker you get, the less you pay. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, and critical surgeries, such as a coronary bypass, are reimbursed at 100%. Cancer patients are treated free of charge. Patients suffering from colon cancer, for instance, can receive Genentech Inc.'s Avastin without charge. In the U.S., a patient may pay $48,000 a year. France particularly excels in prenatal and early childhood care. Since 1945 the country has built a widespread network of thousands of health-care facilities, called Protection Maternelle et Infantile (PMI), to ensure that every mother and child in the country receives basic preventive care. Children are evaluated by a team of private-practice pediatricians, nurses, midwives, psychologists, and social workers. When parents fail to bring their children in for regular checkups, social workers are dispatched to the family home. Mothers even receive a financial incentive for attending their pre- and post-natal visits. To make all this affordable, France reimburses its doctors at a far lower rate than U.S. physicians would accept. However, French doctors don't have to pay back their crushing student loans because medical school is paid for by the state, and malpractice insurance premiums are a tiny fraction of the $55,000 a year and up that many U.S. doctors pay. That $55,000 equals the average yearly net income for French doctors, a third of what their American counterparts earn. Then again, the French government pays two-thirds of the social security tax for most French physicians—a tax that's typically 40% of income. Specialists who have spent at least four years practicing in a hospital are free to charge what they want, and some charge upwards of $675 for a single consultation. But American-style compensation is rare. "There is an unspoken and undefined limit to what you can charge," says Dr. Paul Benfredj, a gastroenterologist in Paris."
Thanks to BusinessWeek for supplying me with the statistics and the part in quotations. without their article, I would never have learned about the French system and how good it seems to be, although like I said not perfect. So here is the Democrats choice to change the way America does it. First they need to stop pointing fingers at the Republicans. They control the White House and Congress. They can pass whatever they want without the Republicans being able to stand in their way. The problem lies in that they are not able to reach an agreement that the whole party can agree to. The Republicans on the other hand need to stop being such a hindrance and realize that change is needed in this country. If the Democrats have a good idea, and I am not saying they have one yet, try agreeing to it. This party line stuff has gone on too long, and cost the country too much. You work for us, so do something to help the American people. That comment goes for both sides. President Obama, you promised change. Give it to us in a way we can agree with. This is not just your country, this is ours. Look at the polls, letters, emails, phone calls, etc. and hear the people. See what it is that we want, and then see to it that it gets done. You work for us, not us for you.

Somehow We Lost Control

Take a look at this country. It has begun to fall apart. We have become the very thing that caused us to have a revolution so long ago. We are over taxed for useless things (and we will discuss this subject more later.) How did we the people allow the government to become such a force that they no longer have to answer to us? We have become a country where the government no longer serves the people, but we serve the government. Where did our freedom go? How did it become that there are laws/rules about what you can do with the property that you own? You own the place, as long as it is not causing harm to people, who cares what your shed looks like, or what kind of siding you have. How is that that we became so lazy that we tell our government that illegal aliens are fine, because they do jobs to menial for us regular citizens to do? So back to the taxes for a minute. I am doing research to give a full report in a future article. But think about it. Some of your money is going towards finding the reason pigs stink. They lay around in their own waste. Is it so hard to figure out? Pigs smell, big deal, we don't need to know the reason why. When a person becomes elected to go to Capital Hill, they get an office. When they arrive they use your money to have it remodeled. Does that seem fair? When you get a new office do you get to use the people's money to fix it up how you want? The list is too long, and I will break it down later, but imagine paying for simple stuff with your hard earned money that is not necessary. Why do we not get a vote in the choice to raise taxes, and where our money goes? Welfare is a great program. It helps people in their time of need. But some people misuse the program because they choose not to work. I am not giving my money away for somebody to sit around and do drugs all day instead of trying to better their lives. We need to have mandatory drug testing, and some type of motivational tool for these people to get off their asses on into a working environment. I don't care if it is help pick up trash on the side of the road, cutting grass on highways, or helping to build a bridge...we have plenty of things for people to do for their welfare. And then there is the wars. I can kind of understand Afghanistan, after all they were over run with the Taliban who liked to do evil things. But Iraq proved to be a war full of lies. The people responsible need to be held accountable for their actions and tried for not only lying to the people, but for the deaths of American Soldiers who did not need to die. But we the people sit back and say, "Oh well, those things happen I guess." We need to realize we are in control of this country, and that the government, no matter which party has control, works for and answers to us. Changes need to be made, and they need to happen quickly. I am ranting here for sure and will try to provide detailed subjects every week. Please feel free to comment on this post, and to let me know of any ideas you may have for future articles.