Memorial Day Tribute

A Tribute to The Red White and Blue

Whenever I see our flag waving proudly; her red white and blue boldly blowing in the wind, I realize she wears the colors of our heroes. The red represent the blood shed by those heroes, our men and women in service, given to defend our freedom. It represents their pain, their ugly and disabling wounds and even their very lives all given for a greater cause. The white symbolizes the purity of heart of those men and women who served, who never took our rights for granted; they valued them and because they cherish what this country stands for they answered the call to serve. The blue reflects the true blue spirit of these patriots, the men and women we can depend on to protect America and her liberties. They are the brave souls who will remain loyal to the cause, the ones on which we can rely even when the going gets tough. So now when I see our flag being raised up the pole and see her swaying proudly in the wind, I realize how she is saluting our military men and women. As she gallantly shows her red, white and blue she is reminding us that because they were brave, we are free. So for all our military men and women, for those who have served or are serving today, for those that have gone before us: Thank you for defending our freedom, for serving our country and for protecting our liberties; for without the brave there can be no free people.

Oh, say does that Star - Spangled Banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Republicans, the Party of Corruption?

Below, in a draft form; are excerpts and headlines from news articles usually stuck on the back pages of newspapers. Obviously the media does not want to make a big to-do about such facts and hope they will be missed by the majority of Americans. Of course if such incidents involve a Republican; any wiff of a scandal--then the media would have such stories splashed across their front pages for weeks on end.

Corruption by Democrats

· A review of misconduct cases in the House of Representatives since Watergate shows many more cases involving Democrats than Republicans. Skeptics can go to the web site of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, popularly known as the House Ethics Committee. Click on “historical documents” and go to a publication called “Historical Summary of Conduct Cases in the House of Representatives.” The document was last updated on November 9, 2004 and lists every ethics case since 1798, when Rep. Roger Griswold of Connecticut attacked Rep. Matthew Lyon of Vermont with a “stout cane” and Lyon responded with a pair of fireplace tongs. There have been 70 different members of the House who have been investigated for serious offenses over the last 30 years, including many involving actual criminality and jail time. Of these, only 15 involved Republicans, with the remaining 55 involving Democrats.

. One of the most ignored Democrat scandals that recently reemerged has involved Hillary Clinton’s former campaign manager, Peter Frank Paul, who filed a lawsuit against Bill Clinton, alleging that the former president reneged on a $17 million business deal. Worldnetdaily.com reported on April 8 that Paul claimed “Sen. Clinton pulled off the biggest campaign-finance fraud in history,” by “separately” preparing to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging the Democratic senator with submitting a false report – for a fourth time – that hides his personal donation of a multi-million dollar Hollywood gala and fund-raiser that helped put her in office.”

. Democrat Patrick Kennedy is given special treatment by police when he crashes his car while driving intoxicated. No breathalyzer test was given; instead Kennedy was conveniently driven home by the Police. While other Americans would have been charged with a DWI, Kennedy gets free taxi service.

· Georgia Democrat Rep. Cynthia McKinney strikes a U.S. Capital Police officer. Media leftists who demand endless apologies from Republicans – and slant the news against them if they don’t – aren’t demanding an apology from the unrepentant McKinney. In fact, after being cited for the fifth time in yet another round with the American patriots of the U.S. Capitol Police Department, McKinney won another free pass from her anti-American media associates who routinely look the other way whenever a Clinton Democrat breaks – and think they are above – the law.

· Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, head of the Democratic Election committee, is given a free pass when one of his senior aides illegally obtains the social security number of Maryland’s Lt. Governor Michael Steel in order to try to smear him in the upcoming election. If Schumer had been a Republican, Democrats would be shouting corruption and demanding an investigation as well as for Schumer to step down. However, since Schumer is one of their own, they look the other way.

· Democrat Alan Mollohan, has been accused of House ethics violations, was cited for committing over 250 House ethics violations by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), which filed a complaint on Feb. 28 with the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, alleging that Mollohan “failed to disclose and grossly underreported his assets, loans and interests in certain companies.” But the media would have you believe only Delay broke any rules.

. Another Democrat scandal that was also widely ignored by the elite media involved Illinois Democrat Cong. Jan Schakowsky’s husband, Robert Creamer. According to The Hill (April 5, 2006), Creamer was sentenced to five months in prison and 11 months house arrest on April 5 for a 1990s check-kiting scam when he headed the now-defunct Illinois Public Action Council, which was supposedly a consumer advocacy group.


· A former aide to Rep. William Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, who pleaded guilty the day before to bribing the congressman. The aide, Brett Pfeffer, said that his former boss had demanded a stake in Pfeffer’s business in return for his support. He also alleged that Jefferson had insisted that two of his relatives be put on Pfeffer’s payroll. Apparently, the FBI has been investigating Jefferson for some time. It has raided his home and wired conversations with him in a sting operation.

· Jan. 12, a state assemblyman who had formerly headed the Brooklyn Democratic Party was sentenced to jail a day earlier for receiving illegal contributions. The assemblyman, Clarence Norman Jr., faces other charges as well.

· On Jan. 23, former Democratic Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell is on trial for receiving payoffs of $150,000 from companies doing business with the city, as well as $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and other gratuities.


. Senate Majority Leader Democrat Chuck Chvala of Wisconsin said he did not believe he was breaking the law when pleading guilty to two felonies. Chvala entered guilty pleas to two felony counts, using a so-called independent campaign fund to collect money from lobbyists and give it to Democrats who were in serious election fights to retain their seats. Chvala won back control of the Senate from Republicans in 1996 and held onto it until he was charged with 19 felonies in 2002, using the post to stymie Republicans who controlled the Assembly and governor's office during that period. Many of the Democrats defeated in 2002 were targeted because of their links to Chvala.

. Texas Contractors today pled guilty to illegal campaign donations to Democrats in Texas: The U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association has pleaded guilty to two counts of giving illegal corporate donations to Democratic candidates during the 2002 election. "Texas law is very clear in prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations and labor unions," Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle said.The contractors were charged with contributing money collected from businesses to political candidates. John Sharp, running for lieutenant governor, received $1,000 from the contractors, and Sam Guzman, running for state representative from Austin, got $2,000. Gee, I thought Democrats said only Delay did that.

. In East St. Louis, Illinois today, the five Democratic leaders convicted of voter fraud in July had their sentencing postponed until January. The sentencing hearings for former City Council member Charles Powell Jr. and four other Democratic Party leaders convicted of vote buying have been rescheduled for January and February.

. Democrats have yet to return "dirty money" donations from U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance, a North Carolina Democrat, was "sentenced" to four years in prison on Oct. 12.

Alabama's former Democratic Governor, Donald Siegelman, was indicted yesterday on federal charges of racketeering, fraud, bribery, extortion and obstruction of justice. Siegelman is alleged to have taken bribes while governor.

West Virginia - At least 6 Convictions of Voter Fraud this Year West Virginia Democrats Charged with Vote Buying

. St. Louis - (Missouri and Illinois) 16 convictions of voter fraud, election violations, and attempted murder of a federal voter fraud witness

· Harry Reid is in a class by himself. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid's help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator. In the last four years alone, their firms have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees from special interests that were represented by the kids and helped by the senator in Washington. So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada's leading industries and institutions that it's difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist.

· Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) paid her son, a lawyer, $130,000 over four years to run her political action committee, according to her campaign filings.

· Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman: Son Matthew received about $34,000 and daughter Rebecca about $36,000 for working on the senator's 2004 presidential campaign

· Senator Joseph Biden's youngest son R. Hunter Biden is a Washington lobbyist/lawyer connected to the National Group.

Katie Couric is a fool

A comment about Katie Couric: Really I’m amazed any news station would want her or that anyone would listen to her. There was one morning where I watched her interview J.K. Rowling about her most recent Harry Potter book. Couric was claiming she had read all the books because her kids loved it. So after claiming to be an expert she then shows her complete ignorance asking Rowling about the romantic relationship developing between Harry Potter and Herminone Granger. Oh pleeeeease! She can’t even make heads or tales of a children’s book! Herminone was obviously interested in Ron Weasley. I couldn’t help but wonder how this woman can be a political analyst when she can’t even figure out a book written for children. I will never forget the look on Rowling’s face. She was absolutely aghast at Couric’s stupid comment. She looked at her and said something along the lines of, “You really think so? I would think it’s obvious she’s falling for Ron.” I wish that interview could be re-aired so that everyone could see what a nincompoop Couric really is!

NJ Students Hold a Mock Trial Against President Bush for War Crimes

A mock trial is being held in a high school classroom in Parsippany over Bush’s alleged “crimes against civilian populations” and “inhumane treatment of prisoners.” School officials claim this is not about bashing Bush—sure, of course not—that’s why they didn’t hold a mock trial on human rights violations or crimes committed by terrorists.

Long ago, when I was in school we held mock trials; however, they were based on actual trials that had taken place--not on the wishful thinking of left-wing liberals. Students were able to research the presentation of both the prosecution and the defense. Such research provided students with a clear understanding of both sides of the issue.

I have heard all the inane arguments defending this classroom activity and it amounts to claptrap. Our nation is at war with terrorism and common sense tells us this is a bad idea; most especially when Osama bin Laden loves to use anti-American hyperbole on his tapes which are broadcasted around the world. And now we have a Parsippany high school adding more fodder to bin Laden’s propaganda; they might as well charge him a fee for their PR service.

Schools should be a place where students learn how to be good citizens. Part of such an education should include how to be a responsible citizen during times of war; and how to exercise free speech respectfully and responsibly. Those opposing Bush’s policies are always free to speak out against them; but there is nothing wrong with teaching kids it can be done so in a mature and respectful way—unlike the liberal members of Congress that prefer to use inflammatory remarks to incite hatred and destroy America’s reputation abroad.

Pope and Church Speak on Violence of Muslims

Below Is an article from Catholic World News CWN:

>Jesuit journal challenges "moderate" Islamic leaders

Rome, Mar. 02 (CWNews.com)

- An influential Jesuit journal has challenged moderate Muslim leaders to intervene to curtail the violent protests over cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammed.

In an editorial that will appear in print later this week, Civilta Cattolica argues that Islamic fundamentalists have deliberately inflamed public protests against the Danish cartoons. The editorial also calls upon European leaders to defend the fundamental priniciples of their own culture.

Civilta Cattolica is regarded as an authoritative publication whose views reflect those of the Holy See, since all articles published in the Jesuit journal are reviewed in advance by the Vatican Secretariat of State.

The editorial appearing in the March 4 issue observes that many Muslims have been the victims of a propaganda campaign aimed to stir up outrage against European institutions. The 12 cartoons that are the focus of the worldwide demonstration were published in a Danish newspaper last September, Civilta notes. The public outrage that reached critical mass nearly four months later was the result of a concerted effort to cause religious conflict, the editorial states.

While conceding that the cartoons were clearly "blasphemous" by Muslim standards, and a deliberate offense against Islamic sensitivities, Civilta Cattolica goes on to say that "one cannot use a few caricatures as the pretext for unleashing a violent confrontation against the West."

The violent expressions of outrage in the Islamic world fail to recognize the good-faith efforts by Western countries to protect the rights of Muslims, the magazine says. The Western world, the editorial argues, "cannot accept an Islamic fundamentalism that cultivates hatred against the West in predominantly Muslim countries." Islamic propagandists, the magazine says, are attempting to blame all the current ills of the Muslim world on the West.

While it is reasonable to ask the West to avoid offending religious beliefs, Civilta Cattolica argues, it is equally reasonable:
….to ask those who profess themselves to be "pacifist" or "moderate" Muslims, who say that Islam is "a religion of peace," to oppose all forms of fundamentalism and all efforts to create or promote divisions and sentiments of hatred between the peoples of the West and those of the Islamic world, between Christians and Islam.The Jesuit journal goes on to ask Western leaders to end their "inertia and silence" regarding violations of religious freedom in the Islamic world. Citing the "principle of reciprocity" that Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) mentioned in his February 20 meeting with a new ambassador from Morocco, the editorial said that Western governments should demand that religious minorities in the Islamic world receive the same respectful treatment that Muslims enjoy in the West.

As long as leaders remain silent in the face of religious-freedom violations by Muslim governments, Civilta Cattolica says, their passive attitude will provide encouragement to both fundamentalists in the Islamic world and anti-Muslim extremists in the West. Both Islamic leaders and Western governments must accept their responsibility to ward off a "clash of civilizations," the editorial concludes.

Also in CWN:
Pope says terrorists face God's wrath

Vatican, Feb. 27 (CWNews.com) - Terrorists who kill in the name of religious faith will receive a stern judgment from God, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) warned during a public audience on Sunday, February 26.

Responding to a new spate of religious violence in Iraq and in Nigeria, the Pope said: "God, the Creator and Father of all, will be severe in his judgment of those who shed their brothers' blood invoking His name."

. . . The Pontiff referred first to the attacks on mosques in Iraq, in a conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. These attacks, he said, "spread mourning, nourish hatred, and interfere with the already difficult job of reconstruction in that country."

. . . Such violence deserves "firm condemnation" by all responsible religious leaders, he said.

Violence and bloodshed are not authentic products of religious faith, the Holy Father said. True faith, he said, produces "not destructive conflict, but the spirit of brotherhood and cooperation for the common good."

Teacher's anti US Rant Caught on Tape

Ever wonder what students are learning at the hands of radical liberals? Be sure to listen to the tape made by a student in his H.S. geography class and listen to the rants of his teacher. This you have to hear for yourself--- way too unbelievable!

No matter what one’s political view may be, all parents need to be concerned when any political views (especially radical ones) are presented in the classroom without any balance; any attempt to represent the other side under the banner of education. Children are not being “educated” they are being indoctrinated.

Here.
Just click on: Additional Resources—Listen to the taped remarks made by Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish.

Did the Oklahoma student really mean to blow himself up in a stadium with 80,000 fans?

More here.

Clintons on opposing sides
Does Sen. Clinton Believe Her Husband was Undermining National Security?

More.

Abbas: 'Signs of al-Qaida in Gaza, West Bank'Palestinian officials for months denied infiltration of global terror group

JERUSALEM – After months of denying al-Qaida had any relationship with Palestinian groups, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in remarks published today there were signs the global terror organization has established itself in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
"We have indications about a presence of al-Qaida in Gaza and the (West) Bank. This is intelligence information. We have not yet reached the point of arrests," Abbas said.

More.

Loss of Common Sense

In this age of political correctness and of tolerance—we have lost all common sense. Our establishments are becoming idiotic at a rate faster than the speed of light.

The Wall Street Journal today informs us that a former Taliban spokesman is now a student at Yale. More here.

The Time article, “Like a Virgin” informs us how women are spending thousands to have their hymen restored to become a “virgin” once more and have their “innocence” restored. Married women are actually doing this as an anniversary gift for their husbands with the hope that it will bring back some of the passion in their marriage. Let’s see if we’ve got this straight—women are spending lots of money having their hymens restored which is gone after only one night of ‘passion’ while children are walking around starving? More here.

A group that calls itself “United for Peace and Justice” wants to storm the White House and overthrow our elected government by force. An SOS was sent to the UN.

U.N. SOS - We need your help to end the reign of international criminals.
It is our duty and the duty of the United Nations to rescue the people of the world from the U.S. dictators. Murder for occupation and theft of land is illegal. Murder of journalists is criminal. Remove the traitors who have stolen the U.S. budget and used it to commit international crimes against humanity.

For more on this see Captain's Quarter Beware the Ides of Marching and
also Michelle Malkin The Moonbats Plot a Coup

That’s it for today although I am sure there is more. But I think it’s all we can handle before a severe depression sets in.

Islam of Terrorists

There’s no doubt that the news of late has been terribly depressing and demonstrative of the complexities involved in the terrorist threat the world is facing today. Al Qa’ida and Islamic fanatics are not stupid (albeit I wish they were) understanding their culture far better than any Western leader and knowing just what buttons to push to initiate a violent reaction. The bombing of the Golden Mosque was in a sense a stroke of genius if indeed your intent was to advance a civil war in Iraq. And its obvious we were not prepared for such a move—a move so alien, so foreign to western thought. Who could believe that these Islamic fanatics who claim that Islam must be practiced more strictly, would in their warped minds find it appropriate to blow up a house of worship, a mosque with the sole purpose of worshipping their Allah? Western logic would conclude that this is an affront to their deity—and yet in their twisted logic they see this as an act of holiness. Heaven help us—but it is so difficult to confront and fight an enemy who thinks so “outside of the box” – whose logic is so alien to ours, whose judgment is so foreign to the West, whose nature is so violent and inhumane . . . How do we remain one step ahead of irrational behavior?

Americans do need to try to understand this “out of the box thinking” better. Primarily one of the important elements to understand is that Islam is a faith that is actually used to govern, to rule as well as being military in nature. Truly it is like no other religion we have encountered before.

Here’s a little bit of history I recently read about; it’s one of those “little things” that goes a long way understanding this Muslim culture. Obviously this is a very condensed version. Apparently there was a character named Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian, who became a leading ideologue of Muslim fundamentalism and a member of the Muslim Brothers. (This is one of the Islamic fundamentalist sects which translates into fanatics.)

Qutb came to the US to study—1948-1950. After he returned from America he became one of those “fanatic Islamists.” He was sentenced to prison in 1955 for his radical writings and released in 1964. Again he was rearrested in 1965 for planning to assassinate Pres. Nasser. He was sentenced to death and executed but not before the damage was done; that is developing an ideology that is harming us to this very day.

After his visit to America he turned against us because we supported Israel what he viewed as support for ‘the Jewish onslaught on Islam.’ He also experienced a cultural clash with our lifestyle—which he found sinful, degenerate, and debauched. He even criticized our churches for holding dances where women and men “shamelessly” touched each other while dancing all under the noses of American religious leaders! He quoted the Kinsey Reports* on sexual behavior to document American debauchery.


Qutb’s writing and preaching was directed at what he referred to as the “internal enemy” the “age of ignorance.” And his philosophy that the degeneracy of America was a threat to Islam became the articles of faith among Muslim fundamentalist; in other words we were a bad influence. Of course he could have visited any Western country and drawn the same conclusions, but as fate would have it he visited America. And so the hatred was directed at us. But this ideology goes a step further. In the radical Islamist view the world of Christian unbelievers (the West) was the major force obstructing the spread of Islam—what Muslims view as divinely ordained goal to make Islam global. The United States was being recognized as a superpower of the West and so in the eyes of the Islamofanatics, America was the head of ‘The Land of Unbelievers.’ Thus in this twisted radical logic we earned the title the Great Satan among the fanatics—which later became very popular after Khomeini publicly began using it against us.

This was also the dawn of “the communication era” and so these ideas spread through the media, in pamphlets, sermons, and public speeches—and spread rather quickly at that. This ideology has become a part of the vocabulary of Islamic fanatics and now we have a clearer picture of what is meant by the term ‘the Great Satan.’

These things are important to understand because some confuse the issue trying to argue that American foreign policy is what created this anger against us. While it’s true that some of our policies and actions in the Middle East are cited as grievances against us, it is used more as ‘the icing on the cake’ but it is not the cake—the meat of the matter itself. These political grievances are merely used to further their arguments against us—it is not the basis for their hatred against us. If that were the case then why wouldn’t Russia be sharing the Great Satan title with us?

Islamofascists believe our culture, our way of life is a threat against Islam. Tremendous harm would be done to confuse this issue. Those that want to argue that it was our foreign policy that is responsible for this hatred against us are misinformed; they are guilty of thinking with “Western logic” believing that this hatred must have a logical reason. They are not thinking like a Muslim and therefore missing the mark. In truth our policies have little to do with this—they did not help—but they are not the core reason behind Muslims hatred of us. The more Americans understand this—the better—because without a clear understanding of what is going on, we cannot develop sound and wise policies.

To better understand this clear and present danger be sure to read the piece in the Wall Street Journal Today (Feb. 25, 2006). Daughter of Islam

Please note--when I refer to Muslims in this writing I am refering to fanatical Muslims and terrorists. This should not be confused with Moderate Muslims such as the one described in the article above.

*An Aside: Kinsey created false and corrupted reports—conducting inhumane experiments on children who were exploited by pedophiles under the banner of scientific research; and he studied men in prisons where there is more homosexual behavior than in the general population—so much for a control group. His methods lacked scientific structure and are considered by many to be severely immoral—such as his methods to try to bring infants to what he claims were orgasms—a very sick, sick man. Later the far left liberal groups used these scientifically flawed and corrupt Kinsey Reports to advance extremely liberal forms of sex education on our children where immoral and deviant behavior was taught as “normal.” Truly it is amazing how one evil man can spread so much evil in the world. But just as Kinsey created a spread of tremendous evil in our society; so too have individuals like Qutb and Osama Bin Laden and the Ayatollah Khomeini.