A pregnant woman and her unborn child died after being refused treatment at an Ohio hospital having been turned away because she was unable to pay. The account of the incident, as repeatedly told by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, goes on to say that the hospital demanded $100 payment “up front” when she told them that she was uninsured. After being refused treatment she later retuned to the hospital by ambulance and subsequently died after delivering a stillborn infant.
Mrs. Clinton has repeated this story many times at rallies when making her case for universal health care. The problem is, it is not true. Mrs. Clinton, beginning with her husband’s first term as president has claimed to be an expert on the American health care system and especially its many faults and failings. She and her advisors proposed radical and sweeping changes that were soundly rejected in 1993. She is back again promising even bigger and better plans for “free” health care for all.
With all her professed expertise it is hard to understand how it is that she doesn’t understand the laws that prevent just such an incident as related above from happening. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) was passed by Congress in 1986 as part of Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and it requires hospitals and emergency services to provide emergency care to any person in need regardless of ability to pay, citizenship, or any other reason. Patients cannot be discharged except with their consent and only when the condition has been stabilized or when the patient is tranferred to another facility better equipped to handle the emergency. A transfer requires that, first the hospital must do all that they can to stabilize the patient’s condition and then the attending physician (usually the ER doc) must contact the doctor at the facility to which the patient is to be transferred and provide a thorough report of the patient’s condition and the doctor at the receiving hospital has to accept the patient and agree to provide the appropriate care. All of this has to be thoroughly documented and all records have to accompany the patient to the receiving hospital. Any failure to comply with EMTALA regulations can result in very stiff fines to the hospital and possible loss of certification and disqualification from caring for and billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients in the future (this would result in financial ruin).
If Mrs. Clinton is ignorant of this situation, which is hard to believe, then she most certainly is ignorant of many other aspects of medical care in the U.S. and is not qualified to propose a plan to overhaul a system that she clearly doesn’t understand. The alternative consideration, which is much more likely, is that she knowingly relates a story that she knows to be false for the purpose of advancing her political ambitions by portraying American doctors and hospitals as heartless beasts that care only about money. Emotionally aroused, her listeners eagerly buy into her plan to let Government take over so that all Americans can then have “free health care.” Well, if you like going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for new plates or calling the IRS for information about deductions, you are going to love Government Health Care. In any event, don’t voters deserve an honest discussion of the issues before making a decision? An emotional appeal based on lies is not the way to solve the very serious problems that exist in American health care.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Mrs. Clinton Lying About Health Care
Microsoft sets deadline for Yahoo bid
Software giant gives Yahoo three weeks to accept its offer
updated 3:49 p.m. CT, Sat., April. 5, 2008SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. sent a letter to the Yahoo Board of Directors Saturday setting a three-week deadline for moving forward on its more than $40 billion buyout offer.
The letter signed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Microsoft will take its case directly to Yahoo shareholders and work to elect a new slate of directors, if the board does not respond by the deadline by April 26.
Read the rest of the report at MSNBC .
Sounds like bully-tactics to me. I'm not impressed with either Ballmer or Microsoft and I hope Yahoo isn't either.
Why should Yahoo be swallowed up by the monopoly, simply because the Microsoft monopoly thinks it -- Microsoft -- ought to control all aspects of the computer/internet users' experience? It shouldn't!
Yahoo needs to talk to (and think of) the consumers that will be affected by their decision.May the decision-makers at Yahoo realize that if Microsoft wants to take them over so badly, Yahoo must have something really going for it. May they realize that and tell Microsoft, in no uncertain terms, that the buy-out isn't going to happen and make sure that it doesn't!
That's my wish for the day!Congressional Report Optimistic About Efforts to Stem Spread of AIDS
A congressional report on PEPFAR (The United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) just released on February 1st has encouraging news regarding efforts to control the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in Africa and other underdeveloped countries. The report begins by saying that the “pandemic” of AIDS cannot be defeated by treatment measures alone. Only efforts to prevent infection hold promise of eventually breaking the cycle of AIDS transmission. More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981. AIDS orphans number in the tens of millions world wide, in 2007 50% of all adults with AIDS are women, and young people (under 25) account for more than half of all new cases.[1]
In sub-Saharan Africa prevention efforts have concentrated on the “ABC” approach to behavior change (Abstain, Be faithful, correct and consistent use of Condoms where appropriate), with particular emphasis on A and B. In a footnote it is stated that “AB programs promote as their primary behavioral objectives that 1) unmarried individuals abstain from sexual activity as the best and only way to protect themselves from exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and 2) individuals practice fidelity in marriage and other relationships as a critical way to reduce risks of exposure to HIV.” Compelling evidence is provided that prevention efforts are working in at least fifteen countries including Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Guyana, Nigeria and Mozambique.
The report explains further:
“ABC programs are more complex than the simple acronym suggests, because changing human behavior is a uniquely difficult undertaking. Achieving ABC requires significant cultural changes. Reaching children at an early age is key if they are to delay sexual debut and limit their number of partners… [I]nfluencing a 10 year old’s future behavior is far easier than changing a 25 year old’s settled behavior. Behavioral impact from programs for children may not immediately be apparent, because programs must work to influence future behavior rather than immediate behavior. Yet we must be patient and persistent — we are only four years into PEPFAR’s partnerships for a generational approach to prevention.
ABC also includes changing gender norms. Partnering with children’s parents and caregivers, supporting their efforts to teach children to respect themselves and each other, is the best way to promote gender equality. In order for the ABC approach to be effective it must address the gender dynamics that affect sexual decision-making and strive to reduce sexual coercion, violence and rape. Through support for delayed sexual debut, secondary abstinence, fidelity to a single partner, partner reduction and correct and consistent condom use, ABC contributes to changing unhealthy cultural gender norms.”
This report to Congress gives all Americans hope that our efforts and our money are being used to the benefit of millions of people and, ultimately, untold millions of lives will be saved from the devastating disease of HIV and other STDs. Yet, back home, there are epidemiologists, teachers’ unions like the NEA and organizations like Planned Parenthood that insist abstinence education cannot work here. The reports vary widely depending on the source, from “marginally successful,” to “little benefit, to “not effective” to “harmful.”
Why would a program in one part of the world be so promising and in another “not effective” or even “harmful?” True, we are dealing with different cultures, traditions and beliefs, but in Africa these indigenous characteristics may have very deep roots in their society and hundreds of years of social acceptance, yet abstinence and fidelity programs seem to be working. Our culture of promiscuity and hedonism is barely sixty years old yet there are those who insist that change in our society is impossible. And they may be right as long as we accept sex among pre-teens as normal and healthy and homosexual behavior as equivalent to monogamous sex between to a husband and wife, and adultery as an acceptable diversion from boredom. As long as we ignore and even promote behavior that only a generation ago was considered perverted, and we now know to be very dangerous, we can expect little to change in regards to AIDS prevention. Condoms alone, even if they are used consistently, cannot stem the epidemic of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Perhaps it is time we too swallow the antedote that we’ve given other countries and begin the healing of our own suffering society.
Reduced Postings
I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks, and will be very engaged, so I won't be doing very much posting during that time.
In the meantime, however, Carrie and Theophrastus will be holding down the fort.
Paying tribute to King's legacy
BY STAR PARKER
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
COALITION ON URBAN RENEWAL & EDUCATION
On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. walked out on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tenn., and was felled by an assassin's bullet.
It is a poignant and hurtful thing to recall. But, now, 40 years later, circumstances provoke more than the usual reflection about this man, his life and our country.
Given what King lived and died for, and given his milestone civil-rights achievements in his short life, why are we still talking about race in the United States in 2008?
Today, we have not just black millionaires but black billionaires, black celebrities, black CEOs, accomplished black professionals in every field. We have black governors, mayors and national and state legislatures filled with black representatives.
Certainly in our large cities, interracial couples no longer get stares.
Will electing a black man president finally bridge the racial divide? The prospect hovers before us. Yet, rather than fading into the background, the focus on race is getting more intense.
Can it be that, along with money and sex, talk about race will be with us forever?
King asked the question in his "I Have a Dream" speech.
"There are those who are asking ... When will you be satisfied?" And he answered, quoting the prophet Amos, not until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I would assume that even the most rabid Barack Obama supporter wouldn't claim an Obama administration would produce a mighty stream of righteousness.
So will it ever end?
The civil-rights movement led by King was, of course, a Christian movement. Its songs were spirituals. Its color and tangibility came from biblical imagery. It recalled the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and Moses demanding Pharoah to "let my people go."
And, in those fateful words that night before he was shot, King said he'd gone "up to the mountain. ... And I've seen the Promised Land."
The Israelites wandered for 40 years. Soon after they left Egypt, it was evident the generation of slaves was not ready to become a generation capable of the responsibilities of freedom.
Although there probably is no word more frequently used in American political discourse than "freedom," our popular sense of this word is quite different from the principle in that biblical story of liberation.
Receiving the law was the crucial stop between escaping Egyptian servitude and entering the Promised Land. Freedom amounted to exchanging external oppression for personal responsibility.
Like Moses, the great prophet and leader of the Israelites, King did not make it into the land.
Perhaps the message is that even the greatest leader has his place. He can lead in adversity, but he cannot live your life for you.
The Israelites' great sin, which condemned them to wander for 40 years, was to say, despite having all that they needed, "We're not ready. We can't do it. The challenge is too great."
King led the movement that produced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, closing the door on legal discrimination in this country. But more than 40 years later, we still hear, "We're not ready. We can't do it."
Washington lobbyists and special interests are not to blame for single-parent homes, drugs, promiscuity, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases, high-school dropouts and the accompanying poverty. The conditions reflect personal decisions and can only be addressed through personal conviction and resolve.
The Israelites were warned about false prophets. In today's terminology, I'd call this anyone, be it politician or clergyman, who suggests that anyone but you can solve your own problems.
The greatest tribute any American, black or white, can pay to King is to embrace the traditional values and truths critical to live the free life that his work helped make possible.
By so doing, racial politics will finally end and righteousness will flow "like a mighty stream."
Star Parker is president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education and author of the new book White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.
Prior to her involvement in social activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles, California. After receiving Christ, Star returned to college, received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet served as a springboard for her focus on faith and market-based alternatives to empower the lives of the poor.
52 girls taken from polygamist ranch in Texas
State officials acting on abuse complaint remove busload from Jeff's retreatupdated 9:21 p.m. CT, Fri., April. 4, 2008ELDORADO, Texas - Child welfare officials following up on an abuse complaint took custody of 18 girls who lived at a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.
A total of 52 girls, ages 6 months to 17 years, were bused away on Friday to be interviewed, but only 18 were immediately taken into state custody, said Texas Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner. No arrests had been made.
Meisner said welfare officials were looking for foster homes for the girls, most of whom have rarely been outside the insular world of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They were being housed for now at a civic center, she said.
Read the rest of the article.
Religious retreat? That is not a term I would use to describe the place in question.
Friday, April 04, 2008
B-1 Bomber was From Ellsworth AFB
The Rapid City Journal is confirming that the B-1 bomber which was involved in the incident in Qatar earlier today was from Ellsworth Air Force Base here in Rapid City.
The crew made it to safety, and the article says that details are uncertain as to whether the crew was from Ellsworth or from another base.
Sgt. Sandra Lucas of the Al-Udeid Air Base public affairs office confirmed Friday afternoon that the incident involved an Ellsworth plane. But she could not confirm whether any or all of the plane’s crew members were from Ellsworth.
The Air Force says the bomber was taxiing after landing at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar and caught fire. Few details are available, although the Air Force says the aircraft was involved in a ground incident.
All four crew members aboard the plane safely evacuated, according to the Air Force.
It was initially reported that the bomber crashed, but reports now say that wasn't the case. One report said that some of the munitions aboard exploded, but I've only seen that in one place, so don't know for sure if it's accurate.
You may notice from the Rapid Reply comments at the bottom of this article that there are a few childish liberals who, even in the midst of a frightening incident such as this (frightening for those involved, and especially for all the families of B-1 crews), feel compelled to make petty political jabs.
They should be ashamed, though I'm sure they're too far gone into their own petty little world to be.
President Bush made the right decision to invade Afghanistan, and again in Iraq. Our military heroes do their jobs whether they agree with those decisions or not, and their families sacrifice along with them.
For once, I wish the Left could get it's collective act together and grow up.
Thank God the B-1 crew is alright.
Taxes are Voluntary?
Check out this video.
This is amazing to watch Senator Harry Reid, a grown, presumably educated man, argue that income taxes are paid "voluntarily" in America.
Is he saying that, if we don't take tax deductions allowed by law, then that's what makes our tax system "voluntary?" That we "voluntarily" allow ourselves to be taxed MORE for deductions we don't take?
Was it Michael Savage who said liberalism is a mental disorder?
As Bill Cosby used to say: "Brain damage!"
Bomber Catches Fire
It was initially thought that an American bomber crashed in Qatar, but the information has been updated and reports suggest that the aircraft was instead involved in a ground incident. According to reports from the Middle East the bomber hit something after landing and caught fire. The crew was able to evacuate without injury and the fire was contained.
Found on Reuters UK...
"UPDATE 2-US B-1 bomber catches fire in Qatar, crew unhurt
Fri Apr 4, 2008 10:10pm BST(Updates with Air Force statement)
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. B-1 bomber caught fire after landing at an air base in Qatar on Friday but the crew escaped without injury, the Air Force said.
Fire erupted as the plane taxied after landing at al Udeid Air Base around 1:10 p.m. EDT (1710 GMT) after what the Air Force described as "a ground incident."
"The crew evacuated the aircraft and is safe. The fire was contained," the Air Force said in a statement.
A board of inquiry has been appointed to investigate.
Read the rest of the article at Reuters UK .
No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal
Wonder Land columnist Dan Henninger discusses playwright David Mamet's Village Voice essay on why he's no longer a "brain-dead liberal."
US House Candidate Chris Lien Speaks at Aberdeen Lincoln Day Dinner
From the mailbag:
Chris Lien spoke to a crowd of 200 at the Lincoln Day Dinner on Thursday eve 4-3-08 at the Ward Hotel Ballroom in Aberdeen.
Chris is challenging Stephanie Sandlin as he seeks the lone spot in the US House of Representatives. He will be traveling the State asking voters for their support in what he feels is a must for South Dakota to be represented in the manner they want.
He believes in Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and Strong Defense.
Chris comes from a Fourth Generation of South Dakotans as the Lien family came to SD in 1880 from Norway. His great grandfather served in the State Legislature in the late 1880's.
Chris is a Family Businessman along with the Lien Family who has worked in South Dakota for five generations, helping to build our infrastructure.
In 1944 Pete Lien and his two sons, Chuck and Bruce started a small quarry operation in the foothills of the Black Hills. Over sixty years later, Pete and Sons operates in three states , providing more than 400 good jobs.
Chis, being a Civic Leader, understands what it takes to get the job done and Washington is in dire need of that the way things are developing with congress today. He wants your vote and will work hard to earn it.
By the Content of Their Character
American Minute from William J. Federer
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated APRIL 4, 1968.
Pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, he rose to national prominence through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964, Congress set aside his birthday as a National Holiday.
Rev. King said August 28, 1963: "Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children...Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity...We must not allow our...protest to degenerate into physical violence...We cannot walk alone."
Rev. King continued: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
Martin Luther King finished: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
NewsBusted Conservative Comedy 154
Topics in this episode:
--Beer drinkers vote GOP while wine drinkers vote Democrat?
--Eliot Spitzer gets treatment for sex addiction
--CNN's new fake news show
--Anti-war movies continue to bomb at the box office
--The inventor of the Egg McMuffin dies
NewsBusted is a comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday.
If you like the show, be sure to subscribe!
Where the Dream Lives: The National Civil Rights Museum
By John W. Whitehead
“I may not get there with you, but I know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”—Martin Luther King, Jr., Macon Temple, April 3, 1968
For a brief moment in 1968, the attention of the nation focused on the tiny Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. It was April 4th, and Martin Luther King, Jr. had come to Memphis in support of striking sanitation workers. There was much turmoil surrounding his appearance in Memphis, but King knew what to expect. In a somewhat prophetic tone the night before, he had proclaimed to a capacity audience at Memphis’ Macon Temple that his time may indeed have been at an end.
Less than 24 hours later, King was dead. An assassin’s bullet had ripped a three-inch hole through his head.
When King was martyred, America lost its most effective prophet, and oppressed people, both at home and abroad, lost their most articulate spokesman. King possessed a willingness, almost a compulsion, to take moral stands, such as his stand against the Vietnam War, and to speak up for the downtrodden. He did so even in the face of great opposition and threats on his life. His prophetic voice challenged a 20th century America that had become a global power but also one that had sacrificed some of its most treasured values on the altar of institutionalized racism, economic injustice and war.
The after-shock of King’s assassination would plunge the Lorraine Motel, a minority-owned business in the south end of downtown Memphis, into a long, steep decline. By 1982, the motel was a foreclosed property. Fortunately, a group of Memphis citizens grew concerned that the historic Lorraine Motel would be destroyed through continued neglect and indifference. They joined together and formed the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation to save the Lorraine. The outcome was the opening of the National Civil Rights Museum in 1991, which now adjoins the Lorraine Motel.
Several years ago I toured this fascinating museum. Filled with artifacts and replicas, the museum brings to life the African-American struggle for freedom and should be a required visit for school-aged children and a must-see for anyone with even a passing interest in our nation’s history.
The museum is no small venture. The exhibits cover the struggle for civil rights from 1619 to the present day. Here you can learn about abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass and other early beacons for freedom. The Jim Crow or Black Code laws that limited the freedom of black Americans are highlighted. The legendary 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, leads into the struggle that focused on Central High School in Little Rock. Black students simply wanted to attend the same school as whites but were prohibited.
Growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, I remember watching on television the beatings and other brutalities that were heaped on black Americans who dared to seek equal treatment. Walking through the museum was a reminder of the ugliness of those years. It was also a reminder of the stark courage of those who dared to stand up for their rights.
There is the Montgomery bus boycott, where Rosa Parks entered history by having the audacity to refuse to sit at the back of the bus. This set off the first of many demonstrations and introduced the nation to the leadership of 26-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr.
You learn about James Meredith, who in 1961 sought and was denied admission to the University of Mississippi. That same year, seven African-Americans and six whites joined forces on freedom rides to expose the continuing segregation on buses and trains. They vowed to ride a Greyhound bus from Washington, DC, to New Orleans. Although they were beaten and jailed, and thus never made it to their destination, they became a symbol for the continuing struggle for equal rights.
These stories and much more can be found at the National Civil Rights Museum (some of which is available on the museum’s website, www.civilrightsmuseum.org), which is currently sponsoring several events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King’s assassination. However, the most chilling and disturbing part of the museum is preserved across the street from the Lorraine, where the story of King’s assassin is told. You can peer out the window to the second story of the Lorraine and see Room 306, where King stayed. From there, you actually have the same vantage point as the murderer. A wreath now hangs on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.
Often, there is little one can do to re-live history. The National Civil Rights Museum, however, changes all that. There the dream still lives. As Dr. King proclaimed on the night before he was murdered, “We’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through.”
No truer words were ever spoken.
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. He can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org.
Hillary Clinton Thinks Lying Is Funny?
Carrie Hutchens is a former law enforcement officer and a freelance writer who is active in fighting against the death culture movement and the injustices within the judicial and law enforcement systems.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Tsitrian Blasted for Anti-Church Editorial
It seems I was not alone in my, ah, disdain for Rapid City Weekly News columnist John Tsitrian's disdain for churches that take seriously Christ's admonition to be "salt and light" in a dark world.
A few weeks ago, as many Catholic and Protestant churches across South Dakota made the pro-life petition available to their congregations, we saw articles coming out of both the Rapid City Journal and the Rapid City Weekly News which engaged in a little fear-mongering.
Some people (and we know who) would obviously rather keep Christian churches silent and irrelevant in the public square, and waving the club of their tax exempt status over their heads is a good way to intimidate some.
If you follow the links embedded in the text above, you'll see that I had my own comments to refute these thinly veiled threats, and expressed my displeasure with them.
Today in the Rapid City Weekly News, several local citizens have spoken up about their displeasure with Tsitrian's column.
Here are a few tidbits:
Priests and ministers are within their right of free speech when they instruct their congregations on their duty, as Christians and children of God, to fight against injustice, in this case the terrible injustice of depriving innocent children in the womb of their right to life - Mary Alice Sorensen, Rapid City
It’s still wrong to kill the child and wrong to mislead the woman into thinking abortion is a solution to their problems. It is immoral to leave women to their own suffering that the abortion doctors, Planned Parenthood and some fathers never address. But the church is sympathetic to picking up the messes Planned Parenthood leaves.
Long before Mr. Tsitrian seeks to change the tax code concerning churches and property tax, he should consider removing taxpayer supported funding of Planned Parenthood to the tune of $305.3 million. - Clark Sowers, Belle Fourche
Throughout his rant he demeans Christians, mocks Catholics, and perverts the United States Constitution. Indeed, his apoplexy over the “Establishment” clause of the First Amendment has made him completely forget about the “Free Exercise” clause.
Bishops, pastors and priests have a moral obligation to counsel their parishioners about responsible citizenship and to invite the faithful to act according to good conscience. Tsitrian mischaracterizes the abortion law petitions as “favoring the passage of a law”...
Perhaps taxing churches would lower Mr. Tsitrian’s taxes. But how much would his tax bill go down if we eliminated government entitlements and left charity to the churches? - Tonchi Weaver, Rapid City
Well said, folks!
Maybe word is getting around in the Christian community that you can't ignore the murder of innocents and be "salt and light."
Maybe word is getting around in the Christian community that the Word that Christians hold to really does have relevance outside the four walls of their church.
Maybe word is getting around in the Christian community that not only do Christians have the obligation to present to the community the solutions their faith has to offer, but that they can do so without jeopardizing their tax exempt status.
Obama Is Not a Muslim...But Was He?
After the debacle of Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and his racist, anti-American statements, most of us are aware that Obama has beeen attending a Christian church for about 20 years.
We've also been told that despite Obama's Muslim-sounding name and his time in Muslim Indonesia, Obama is beyond a doubt "Christian."
So I was surprised to see a report from WorldNetDaily today that essentially says, "Well, maybe not."
According to the WND piece:
Widely distributed reports have noted in January 1968, Obama was registered as a Muslim at Jakarta's Roman Catholic Franciscus Assisi Primary School under the name Barry Soetoro.
The Loatze blog run by an American expatriate in Southeast Asia who visited the Besuki school, noted, "All Indonesian students are required to study religion at school and a young 'Barry Soetoro' being a Muslim would have been required to study Islam daily in school. He would have been taught to read and write Arabic, to recite his prayers properly, to read and recite from the Quran and to study the laws of Islam."
Indeed, the Israel Insider online magazine points out in Obama's autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," he acknowledges studying the Quran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."
"In the Muslim school, the teacher wrote to tell mother I made faces during Quranic studies," wrote Obama.
The article also cites other references to an Islamic background for Obama:
Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, notes the Tribune article – cited by liberal blogs as refuting claims Obama is Muslim – actually implies Obama was an irregularly practicing Muslim and twice confirms Obama attended mosque services.
In a free-ranging interview with the New York Times, Obama described the Muslim call to prayer as "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”
Maybe Obama "converted" from Islam to Christianity along the way. Or maybe he never took Islam that seriously. I don't know.
But it seems that efforts by Obama's campaign to distance himself from his Islamic roots may not present an entirely accurate picture.
Bill Would 'Require' People to 'Volunteer'?
The Ohio legislature is considering passing a bill that would require parents to volunteer in the public schools. Now, I don't have a PhD in logic, but is there something wrong with that picture?
From Local6.com, House Bill 519:
would require all parents to volunteer 13 hours each school year, either in the lunchroom, chaperoning field trips, or wherever the district needs help.
What happens if you don't play along?
The bill's incentive is a $100 fine for parents who don't fulfill the requirement.
According to the bill, if a parent doesn't fulfill the requirement and refuses to pay the fine, the money would be taken out of the parent's state tax refund.
Let's just cut to the chase here: if you are required to volunteer (which means work without compensation), then you are a slave (or in the military :-)
It may come as a surprise to some, but this is what you get when your society embraces a socialist mindset. The individual is a secondary consideration; the community and the state that regulates it are the primary consideration.
Remember this when you ask the government to do something you should be doing yourself, which cultivates this mindset. When you give the state more responsibility and power, don't be surprised if the state uses it.
More on Hillary's Unethical Watergate Conduct
If you follow Dakota Voice regularly, then you saw the post yesterday about the interview with Jerry Ziefman. Ziefman says that though he hired her, based on her participation in the Watergate scandal, Hillary Clinton was an "unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality."
Now there is a video available on YouTube which explains these allegations in a bit more detail:
Based on all the behavior we've seen from Hillary Clinton, this revelation should be no surprise. Facts, reality and history are no obstacle to her. Should it be a surprise that things like the law and the Constitution are no obstacle to her agenda, either?
Without a Country
American Minute from William J. Federer
A Man Without A Country was a classic book written by Edward Everett Hale, born APRIL 3, 1822. It is partially based on the life of Aaron Burr, the 3rd Vice President, who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was indicted for treason.
Edward Everett Hale was the son of the editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser and grandnephew of Revolutionary hero Nathan Hale. Edward Everett Hale entered Harvard at age 13 and later taught at the Boston Latin School. He published over 50 books, opposed slavery and pastored Boston's South Congregational Church for 45 years.
In 1903 he became Chaplain of the United States Senate. Edward Everett Hale wrote: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do."
Near the end of the book, A Man Without a Country, 1863, Hale wrote: "He could not stand it...he beckoned me down into our boat...'Youngster, let that show you what it is to be without a family, without a home, and without a country. And if you are ever tempted...to...put a bar between you and your family, your home, and your country, pray God in his mercy to take you that instant home to his own heaven.'"
Hillary Clinton: Shaper of Realities
Hillary Clinton is at it again: bending and shaping both history and reality to her will.
The woman who worked hard and supported the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been against it "from the very beginning."
How someone could support a lying, scheming, two-faced liar like Hillary Clinton, I'll never know. How can you trust someone like that? Even if they're saying the things you like right now, how long until they turn on you? Being close to her is like being close to a rattlesnake: it's only a matter of time until she bites you.
The thing is, while there are a few good Democrats still floating around, almost all of the Democrats at the national level are like this: adrift from facts, reality and history.
HT to Fort Hard Knox.
A 21st Century Constitutional Nightmare
I consider the United States Constitution one of the most enlightened documents in human history. It was the first of its kind, a document that defined not only the operational parameters of a government, but the most sacred values of the people to whom that government was responsible.
In it, we have established those values as a standard by which all other laws in our country should be measured; when our government works properly, laws which do not match the values of the constitution are rejected. This "landmark" of civic values helps us hold true to our noblest virtues, guarding against the tendency of civilizations to go adrift when our attention wanders.
It is the best, strongest fortress we have to safeguard not only the stability of our society, but our very liberties themselves.
So I was more than a little miffed to see a piece by Sanford Levinson in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer claiming the Constitution must be adapted to a "21st Century reality."
Seemingly in a state of advanced angst over the lack of progress in instituting a government health care system, and still bitter over Al Gore's 2000 loss at the hands of the electoral college system, Levinson seems to indicate that our Constitution is obsolete and outdated, and in dire need of replacement.
The awful truth, unarticulated by any major American political figure today, is that much of the fault for our present discontents lies in the U.S. Constitution, a distinctly 18th century document that inflicts significant damage upon our 21st century reality.
This is utter nonsense.
I think what Levinson means is that the Constitution "inflicts significant damage" upon our desire to cast off the noble virtues and transcendent values of our forefathers and become a law unto ourselves.
Our Constitution contains within it the process for making any necessary amendments for valid situations not foreseen at the Founding. The amendment process has--when used--worked just fine for over 200 years. There is no need for any "major overhaul" of the Constitution that the amendment process cannot handle--in fact, there is no need for a major overhaul at all.
What's more, there is seldom a need for amendment at all. While I and many other support a constitutional amendment that protects the definition of marriage, this does not constitute a "major overhaul" and would not even be necessary, if we could rely on judges to stick to the constitution instead of "legislating from the bench," or in other words, making law instead of adjudicating by law. Or in still other words, if judges would allow the Constitution to be the standard, and not substitute their own "wisdom" for the way they think things should be.
But to carry this one step further, I'm not sure why a liberal like Levinson is even concerned with the Constitution in the first place. After all, liberals have been ignoring the Constitution--except when it can be used to create a license for immoral behavior, or turned upside-down to quash religious liberty--since the days when FDR acted like it didn't exist and he created our modern socialist welfare state.
Why the sudden interest in the Constitution after decades of pretending it didn't exist? Is it that, now that liberals have succeeded in "reeducating" many people to believe that the "enumerated powers" doctrine of the Constitution is a myth, and have so many people believing that wealth-redistribution and government regulation of all facets of life is good and normal, they want to enshrine such beliefs inside the Constitution so that they can bash conservatives over the head with it anytime they want to return to the country's foundations?
One of Levinson's key displeasures with the Constitution is it isn't "democratic" enough. Well, maybe because that's because we don't have a democracy in the United States, but a republic. The two are fundamentally different.
A democracy is a form of government where the people rule directly by majority. When the Founders set up the United States government, the specifically and intentionally did NOT choose a democracy.
Consider what some of the Founders had to say about democracies:
It had been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience had proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity. - Alexander Hamilton
Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. - John Adams
Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. - James Madison
A democracy is a volcano which conceals the fiery materials of its own destruction. These will produce an eruption and carry desolation in their way. The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness [excessive license] which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty. - Fisher Ames, author of the House Language for the First Amendment
The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived. - John Quincy Adams
A simple democracy...is one of the greatest of evils. - Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration
In democracy...there are commonly tumults and disorders...Therefore a pure democracy is generally a very bad government. It is often the most tyrannical government on earth. - Noah Webster
Pure democracy cannot subsist long nor be carried far into the departments of state, it is very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage. - John Witherspoon, Signer of the Declaration
A republic, however, is characterized by a system where the people elect representatives who make law. This is a much more stable form of government. It can be infuriating at times, but tends to negate the rash whims that often overtake society. When functioning properly, it also holds a higher allegiance to established law and constitutional priority than the fleeting passions of the mob.
It is probably this stability that so vexes Levinson. Admittedly, it can be frustrating to see an important piece of legislation stuck in the sometimes seemingly endless bowels of bureaucratic wrangling that Washington can be.
But again, that was by design. The Founders intended lawmaking to face certain challenges and hurdles. Their establishment of a republic over a democracy is one manifestation of this, but also the system of checks and balances they built into our government, and the doctrine of federalism itself. The Founders intended the States to share power with the central government, not pick up the scraps that fall from the central government's table as we see today with the Tenth Amendment a forgotten relic.
The Founders recognized that man is a fallen, inherently-sinful creature, and they built safeguards into our government to put brakes on this human tendency. These "guard rails" help minimize the damage one man or a group of men can do when they throw caution and morality to the wind.
The liberal mindset, however, fails to recognize this Biblically-based view of man, instead believing that humans are "evolving" not only physically but morally. The believe, in the tradition of Woodrow Wilson and many since, that man has "evolved" beyond the need for these "childish" boundaries established by the Founders. They believe humans are now advanced enough to govern rightly without them.
One need only look back at the last century's 100 million+ dead at the hands of this worldview, and the ruin wrought by the welfare state, to recognize the utter fallacy of this philosophy. Yet the prophets of this "religion of man" refuse to look at the evidence, instead clinging to their faith that "if we just spend enough money" we can establish heaven on earth.
No, rather than ignore our Constitution as we have done for 60 years, or gut it beyond recognition as Levinson advocates, we need to renew our respect for it and adherence to it.
If we don't, our days as a free people are numbered. We musn't sell our birthright for the promise of licentiousness that we'll soon find comes with a heavy set of chains.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
2,000 Gather to Support Rep. Sally Kern
WASHINGTON, April 2/ -- Upwards of 2,000 people gathered today for the rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol in support of Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City), reportedly spilling over onto all levels of the Rotunda. Rep. Kern has stood firm in the face of harassment and threats over statements she made regarding the homosexual agenda.
The Baptist Press has photos from the gathering today, and the BP article quotes a recent statement by Kern on the "Messenger Radio" show hosted by Ray E. Sanders and Bob Nigh:
"I compared homosexuality to terrorism because [homosexual activists] want to destroy the traditional family and traditional marriage," Kern said. "That was the analogy that I was making. I was not in any way advocating that we need to go after these people [physically]. I was giving an example. I was making a point, using a metaphor if you will that ... this lifestyle, not the people, but the lifestyle is dangerous to this nation."
"I was just trying to make a point that the radical homosexual agenda is seeking to destroy the very foundation upon which this country has been built, and we need to wake up and stand up for our conservative values, yea our biblical values as Christians, or we will lose not only the freedom to express our own opinions, but we will lose the freedom to influence our children with our biblical lifestyles to pass on our values to them."
Concerned Women for America (CWA) joined with over 50 pastors who sponsored the event in support of Rep. Kern's Biblical stand.
Matt Barber, CWA's Policy Director for Cultural Issues, said, "This astronomical show of support for Rep. Sally Kern today sends a strong message. People with traditional values who value God's design for human sexuality will not be intimidated and bullied into silence. Political correctness can never trump truth. Sally Kern stood for truth, and she was hated for it. She was persecuted for Christ, but the Body of Christ was there to lift her up. Sally was faithful to God, and He was faithful to her in return. This is a great day for all who love righteousness."
CWA of Oklahoma State Director Linda Caswell said, "This is an awesome experience. We had a fantastic turnout and a fantastic message. Rep. Kern and her husband spoke a message of forgiveness, redemption and hope through Jesus Christ. This is a historic moment for Oklahoma."
Click here to listen to an interview with CWA of Oklahoma State Director Linda Caswell at the rally.
Report compiled from Christian Newswire release and Baptist Press.
Second Head Rolls in Kansas Corruption Scandal as Director of Medical Board Resigns
WICHITA, Kansas, April 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Executive Director of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, Larry Buening, resigned today amid increasing calls for his ouster. Buening tendered his resignation, effective July 1, at a special meeting of the Board that was called to address concerns of ineptitude in handling high profile cases. The Board has been rated as one of the worst in the nation for handling patient complaints.
KSBHA foot-dragging first came to light when Operation Rescue accused the Board of covering up for criminal conduct by late-term abortionist George Tiller in the third-trimester abortion death of Christin Gilbert.
Buening was questioned extensively by a joint legislative committee last fall for failing to enforce the Board's own guidelines when it came to Tiller. He came under further scrutiny when it became public that the Board refused to act for four years to discipline the owner of a "pill mill" in Wichita, which was accused of misprescribing medication that resulted in over 50 deaths.
"As the people of Kansas become more aware of corrupt abortion politics, heads are beginning to roll. First, we had the resignation of former Attorney General Paul Morrison, who was exposed for attempting to use an illicit sexual relationship to illegally influence criminal cases against Tiller and Planned Parenthood. Now we have Buening's resignation, who, more than anyone, has covered up for Tiller indiscretions over the years," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
"We believe this that this trail of corruption winds its way though the current Attorney General's office, the Kansas Supreme Court, and ends at the governor's office. As more of the corruption is exposed, we expect more resignations in the future," said Newman.
There are currently two open complaints against Tiller on file with the KSBHA. One complaint filed in October, 2006, involved illegal late-term abortions and violations of the unaffiliated second physician requirement for post- viability abortions. Tiller has since been criminally charged with 19 counts of that same charge, but the Board, while saying their case is progressing, has yet to act. The second complaint involves a coerced, illegal late-term abortion. That complaint has yet to leave the "investigation" stage.
"We call on Buening's replacement to be appointed by the Legislature rather than by the Gov. Sebelius, who is a radical abortion supporter, or we risk getting someone even worse," said Newman.
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Terrorist on Campus in North Dakota
At the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, our neighbors to the north have invited a domestic terrorist to speak at the college. Some are understandably outraged.
According to CNS News, a group called "Students for a Democratic Society" (why is it that groups which hate America and cling to Marxist ideals usually have "Democratic" in their title?) has invited Bill Ayers, former member of Weather Underground, to speak at the university.
Ayers and his group set off bombs back in the early 1970s in the Pentagon, the Capitol Building, several banks, courthouses and other locations. Several members of his own organization were killed when one of their bombs went off prematurely.
The college president Charles E. Kupchella claims, according to the article,
"I do not see how anyone could logically conclude that the University has therefore endorsed the things a speaker is alleged to have done some 40 years ago."
If the man had denounced and repudiated his former acts, it might be worthwhile to have him speak on why his actions were wrong. But to the best of my knowledge, he has never expressed regret for his actions.
In fact, the article says
Brevik noted that in a 2001 interview with the New York Times, Ayers -- looking back on his days as a fugitive -- said, /ldblquote I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough."" (In one of those weird quirks, the interview was published on Sept. 11, 2001.)
Even now, Ayers refuses to apologize for his terrorist acts against the United States, Brevik said.
There should not even be a question of an unrepentant terrorist coming to speak at any event, much less a public university.
We've lost our way somewhere, that not only does this student group fail to realize how wrong this is, but so does the college president.
Rage of the Clin-Titans
You hear a lot of talk from the "mainstream" media about John McCain's temper, and he does have one. But there's someone in politics who makes him look like a piker: Bill Clinton.
The San Francisco Chronicle tells about Clinton blowing a gasket last weekend:
"It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said.
The piece says Clinton initially showed the "good ole boy" public persona he is known for, but that changed:
But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.
It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.
"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.
"It was very, very intense," said one attendee. "Not at all like the Bill of earlier campaigns."
If you've ever looked beyond the "mainstream" media's sanitized portrayal of the Clintons, you'll know that Hillary can hold her own with Bill, too. Conservatives don't joke about ashtrays flying when Hillary's around for no reason.
Part of what fuels this rage from the Clintons is that they are elites, and they know it. They are a law unto themselves, and they know what's best for the rest of us.
When we, the ignorant ones, fail to pay the proper obeisance to their superiority, it's like angering one of these petty gods of ancient times. According to the stories, when the people fail to genuflect and pay the proper reverence, the god becomes petulant and takes out his rage on the petty mortals
The United States was blessed to survive one round of these Clin-Titans; I don't know if we could bear another.
Hillary Has More to Explain
Dan Calabrese who writes for North Star Writers Group has an article on-line posted yesterday. In it he interviews Jerry Ziefman, a lifelong Democrat, who supervised Hillary when she worked on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate investigation. Ziefman fired Hillary from her position and when asked why he said:
“Because she was a liar,...She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”
Could this be the mortal wound that brings Hillary’s political career to an unanticipated and abrupt end? Maybe, but never underestimate the power and ruthlessness of Clinton, Inc.
(H/T: Hot Air)
Pro-Abortionists Can't Hide Now
South Dakota is once again making national headlines with our efforts to protect human life at all stages of development, as evidenced by coverage from the Washington Post.
They include these lame protests from the ironically named pro-abortion group that fought the last attempt to protect human life:
The Campaign for Healthy Families, formed by Planned Parenthood and other groups to fight the 2006 initiative, said the new proposal is still too restrictive.
A woman would have to report rape or incest to police before seeking an abortion to qualify for that exception. "A woman who is the victim of incest and is 13, being raped by her father, is highly unlikely to report that," said Sarah Stoesz, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Opponents also said the definition of a health risk to the woman is too narrow because the language implies a doctor would have to be certain the woman's health was threatened and excludes mental and emotional issues as health exceptions.
Would the Unhealthy Families bunch rather this girl--who is likely being subjected to repetitive incest at age 13--continue to suffer in silence? Perhaps they think it's better that the molester be able to get an abortionist help him hide the evidence of his despicable crime?
A health exception isn't good enough for them, either...if it actually requires there be proof of a valid health issue that only an abortion can solve. Is medical certification of this medical necessity too much to ask when we're taking an unborn human life?
The truth is quickly becoming clear.
Two years ago, the pro-aborts could hide behind the excuse that "we need exceptions" as they worked against human life.
Now, they no longer have that to hide behind--there are exceptions for rape, incest, the mother's health and the mother's life in this proposed law. But as we figured, even these exceptions aren't good enough.
Nothing will be good enough for the pro-abortionists short of unrestricted abortion for any reason. That makes abortion a form of retroactive birth control. Something that even most lukewarm Americans find disgusting.
What Hath God Wrought?
American Minute from William J. Federer
The world of communication was revolutionized by a man who died APRIL 2, 1872. His name was Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph and the Morse Code.
An outstanding portrait artist in his own right, founding the National Academy of Design, Morse erected the first telegraph lines between Baltimore and the U.S. Supreme Court chamber in Washington, D.C.
The first message over this new communication system, sent in 1844, was only four words, a verse from the Bible, Numbers 23:23: "What hath God Wrought!"
Samuel F.B. Morse, who graduated from Yale in 1810, was the son of educator Jedediah Morse, known as "Father of American Geography." Jedediah Morse stated in Charleston, Massachusetts, April 25, 1799: "Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them."
Four years before his death, Samuel F.B. Morse wrote: "The nearer I approach to the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God's remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illumined with hope and joy."
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
First Amendment Not Applicable at School
Why is it that, even as our society is supposedly becoming more enlightened, our rights as American citizens seem to be eroding away before our eyes?
Sure, we hear loud voices in society calling for and demanding "rights" to this and "rights" to that...but are they looking for rights, or are they really just looking for license? License to live without restraint and without regard for the cost to our civilization? License to undermine good order, good health, and the stability of family and society?
Even as some cry for the "right" for one man to shack up with another man and call it "marriage," and the "right" for men to use women's restrooms, people on that same side of the political aisle are working to quash the rights to keep and bear arms to defend themselves and keep themselves free, and even the very right to life itself--rights which are defined in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
Now comes word of the latest example of another area where the Left is attempting to quash the defined rights of Americans.
A lawsuit has been filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of a Wisconsin student who was given an art assignment at school, but the school rejected his project because it contained a reference to the Bible.
From the ADF release:
A student at Tomah High School drew a landscape picture for an art class containing a road, clouds, and mountains with a cross in the background and the words “JOHN 3:16 – A sign of love” written in the sky. The teacher of the class told the student to either remove the scriptural reference or cover it up with a border.
According to the complaint, the teacher told the student that the Scripture reference "infringed on the rights of others in the class and was offensive."
I'm not sure what right the Scripture reference was violating. Was that the right not to be offended--which Amendment guarantees that? Was it the right not to be exposed to the religious beliefs of another person--which Amendment guarantees that right?
The only reference to religious expression in the United States Constitution--the document upon which all our laws should be founded and which outlines our freedoms--says
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
How a student's drawing can be equated with "Congress mak[ing a] law respecting an establishment of religion," I cannot fathom. To the best of my knowledge, the student in this case is not a member of congress, and even if he were, I can't understand how his personal drawing would constitute a "law respecting an establishment of religion."
Some religious drawings are apparently "okay" with the school, however. Other students drew demonic graphics and a Grim Reaper with no complaint from the school.
The complaint also states that one of the teachers had Hindu and Buddhist figures displayed prominently in the classroom and a teacher's assistant said that teacher “teaches Hinduism to his students with a passion.”
So it would seem that the only religion unwelcome in this school is the one whose principles this nation was founded on, the one ascribed to by more than 80% of Americans.
Our schools are supposed to be a place where children learn not only the basics of a modern education, but learn what it means to be an American citizen. It goes without saying that what they learn should be true and factual.
When we teach our children that they have no right to religious expression--or more specifically, to Christian religious expression--outside the walls of their church or their home, we are teaching them a LIE.
Not only are we teaching them something contrary to the United States Constitution, we are teaching them that their faith is something to hide, something to be embarrassed about, something that is simply not allowed in public.
In other words, we are teaching them their religion and its values are IRRELEVANT.
We obtain our morals, values and ethics from our religion. When we tell them that Christianity is irrelevant in the "real world," why are we surprised when our children cheat, use drugs, have sex outside of marriage, and blow each other away with whatever weapon is most convenient? They are simply following what they are being taught to its logical conclusion.
After all, we've taught them that all those values like honesty and the value of human life just don't matter.
I wonder, for those who have worked so hard to sanitize religious values from the public square, if the day comes that they're staring down the barrel of a gun held by those who have no values, will they have enough sense to regret the fact that they are the architect of their own demise?
South Dakota Family Policy Council Hits the Blogosphere!
The South Dakota Family Policy Council has entered the wild world of the South Dakota blogosphere with their new blog here.
I've added them to the blog roll and the recommended blog posts area to the right.
Welcome, SDFPC!
Hundreds Protest Phelps' Topeka Church
POSTED: 1:23 pm CDT March 31, 2008UPDATED: 2:15 pm CDT March 31, 2008
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Instead of picketing by members of Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church, around 400 people targeted the church in a Sunday protest of their own.
To read the rest of the article, go to KMBC.com .
This is the church that likes to picket the funerals of our servicemen and women.
Married Life in the War Zone
Military life can be extremely stressful, even when you're not in a combat zone.
There are usually a lot of long hours in order to get the mission accomplished, often done days and weeks on end. Even stateside, military members sometimes don't get to see much of their family for extended periods. And when deployed overseas to remote areas or combat areas, spouses and family usually remain stateside.
Fortunately, I didn't get married until the final year of my 10 years of service, and that last year was all stateside. But from my married friends I saw the tremendous stress and strain, and I saw far too many of their marriages go up in smoke.
Things are undoubtedly even worse now than when I was in the military in the mid-1980s and 1990s. Our military is now post-Cold-War-drawdown, meaning it is far smaller than it once was, yet with the War on Terror the military is spread thinner than ever.
So I considered it welcome news when I read from Yahoo News that the Army is now allowing married military couples to reside together in Iraq:
In a historic but little-noticed change in policy, the Army is allowing scores of husband-and-wife soldiers to live and sleep together in the war zone — a move aimed at preserving marriages, boosting morale and perhaps bolstering re-enlistment rates at a time when the military is struggling to fill its ranks five years into the fighting.
This is certainly an unusual development in the annals of military history, but then, never before have their been so many women and so many married people in the military. While the traditionalist in me raises an eyebrow, I think that given the circumstances, it's for the best.
Military people have the most important job in the country: defending their country. While they're still human, they need to be able to concentrate on the military mission; it can mean life or death for many. And while a married domicile in the combat zone may bring its own distractions, I think that in the long run it may be a positive thing.
As some of the testimony in the article cited, having your spouse nearby to bare your soul to, to cry on their shoulder every now and then, to get some affirmation from, can be a tremendous boost to the spirit wounded and weary from the strain of long hours and some unpleasant duty.
When I was in the military, we complained that the brass seldom did anything that made sense for the troops.
Maybe for once, they've proven us wrong here.
Images of Pro-Life Petitions Submitted to SD Secretary of State
I received an email with the pictures below from Western Dakota Families; they were sent to them from Al Carlson of Citizens for Life in Rapid City.
The email states the number of petitions turned in to Chris Nelson, the South Dakota Secretary of State, was 46,333.
Not bad for a couple of months' work in the middle of a South Dakota winter!.jpg)
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The Secretary of State's office will check the petition signatures to ensure they're valid, and hopefully we'll hear that pronouncement in a few weeks.
Though some are sure to get rejected (just the law of averages), the number shouldn't be too substantial. I tried to check over all that I gathered for legibility, etc., and checked over those I notarized. I know the South Dakota Family Policy Council and VoteYesForLife.com folks were also going over them for quality control, too.
Let's make history this November, South Dakota!
Fighting to Uphold the Doctrine
60,000 U.S. troops landed on the Island of Okinawa, APRIL 1, 1945, in the largest amphibious attack by the U.S. in the Pacific war. 12,000 Americans died, 36,000 were wounded and 400 ships were sunk or damaged.
Though Japan's casualties exceeded 100,000, their kamikaze suicide attacks grew more intense, not relenting until the bombing of Hiroshima.
The U.S. entered the war after President Roosevelt addressed Congress, December 8, 1941: "The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage...lives have been lost...ships have been reported torpedoed between San Francisco and Honolulu...the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya...Hong Kong...Guam...Philippine Islands... Wake Island...and Midway Island."
FDR stated January 6, 1942: "Japan's...conquest goes back half a century...War against China in 1894...Occupation of Korea...War against Russia in 1904...Fortification of the mandated Pacific islands following 1920...Seizure of Manchuria in 1931...Invasion of China in 1937."
President Roosevelt continued "Our enemies are guided...by unholy contempt for the human race...We are fighting...to uphold the doctrine that all men are equal in the sight of God."
Abortion Petition Signatures in Pierre
VoteYesForLife.com, the South Dakota pro-life coalition, submitted nearly 50,000 petition signatures to the South Dakota Secretary of State yesterday.
The petition is for a pro-life initiative to reduce abortions in South Dakota by up to 98%.
Unlike the 2006 abortion bill which was defeated at the polls, this bill contains clearly defined exceptions for rape, incest, the health of the mother and the life of the mother. According to a KELO poll taken during the 2006 campaign, 75% of South Dakotans said they would support a bill that had these exceptions.
Some people who value human life in the womb have expressed concerns that these exceptions could be exploited and abused to once-again return to abortion as birth control, by merely claiming they were raped or claiming the pregnancy might be detrimental on their mental health. However, the exceptions in this measure have been specifically worded to prevent such abuses.
The rape and incest exceptions require that the crime be reported to law enforcement authorities before the abortion can proceed. The abortionist is also required to gather DNA evidence from the aborted child for prosecution of the rapist.
The health exception specifies that there must be a "serious risk of a substantial and irreversible impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or system" which could be prevented by an abortion. In making this determination, the doctor must go by "accepted standards of medical practice," and the basis of that medical judgment must be specifically documented in the woman's medical records.
The life exception specifies the abortion must be necessary to avert the death of the mother.
According to the latest abortion statistics from the South Dakota Department of Health, 84.6% of abortions done in South Dakota are simply because "the mother did not desire to have the child."
Those statistics indicate that only 1.5% of abortions are done for health reasons, and 0.4% for rape or incest. By these numbers, the proposed abortion measure would eliminate 98.1% of the abortions currently being performed in South Dakota.
Some say up to 25% of petition signatures may be eliminated in any given petition measure by the Secretary of State's office due to legibility issues, etc. However, with nearly 50,000 signatures submitted, this should leave more than enough to ensure the measure will be voted on by the people of South Dakota in November 2008.
And given the poll results from the 2006 KELO poll, passage looks pretty certain.
Monday, March 31, 2008
In South Dakota things need to be seen differently by different people
By Gordon Garnos
AT ISSUE: Have you ever researched the number of higher education institutions in South Dakota? An ideal directory was published in the January-February issue of the South Dakota Magazine. This is a great resource for high schoolers who are making plans for their college days. At the same time there is another side of the coin when we talk about higher education in our home state.
WHEN READING the January-February issue of the South Dakota magazine, I was amazed and perhaps a little shocked to see the number of South Dakota universities, colleges and tech schools available for our kids. I was amazed at the job someone at Bernie Hunhoff's magazine in Yankton did in researching all these higher education facilities and related "condiments" in those towns.
I am shocked at the number of additional university centers either under construction or in the planning stages by the South Dakota Board of Regents; shocked as there is no apparent attempt at the same time to down size any existing public universities. I say this because the board wants to build more of these facilities as our youth population is in such a dramatic decline.
Even with Governor Mike Rounds' Initiative 2025, which I commend him for, to draw more people back to South Dakota's work force, build, build anew for higher education doesn't seem to be the answer South Dakotans can afford. Or am I missing the boat? South Dakotans have attended our existing facilities for generations. Wouldn't a little brick and mortar and spit and polish to these institutions be a better way to go. I suspect it would be a less expensive way as well.
OH, I KNOW the argument, get these higher education facilities closer to the work place. At the same time, doing it is hard on the state's pocketbook, especially when such grandiose plans are on the table. There's no question about that.
This gets me back to the 2008 Guide to South Dakota Higher Education, starting on page 77 of the January-February South Dakota Magazine. I had to look at Vermillion, home of the University of South Dakota, my alma mater, known for, among other things, the Dakota Dome, which was unheard of in my days at the U. It mentions Shop EZ for late-night grub, something else that wasn't there when I was. Yes! there was the Vars back then. Who from yesteryear could forget that place of "higher education."
Of course, having moved to Watertown, I had to take a look at Lake Area Technical Institute's sketch in the directory and I would have to pretty much agree with what is said about our school and its "condiments."
AT THE SAME TIME, Ron Williamson, president of the Great Plains Public Policy Institute in Sioux Falls, took a little different twist in expressing his concern about our public universities that certainly ties in with my skepticism. The public policy institute is a conservative think tank that centers in on South Dakota issues. In a recent "Thinkaboutit" memo Williamson noted there are 29 other public and private statewide higher education campuses and facilities besides our six public universities. That includes private and tribal colleges and our four technical institutes.
These 35 campuses and facilities across the entire state are for a population of some 770,000 residents where the student population is declining, he says.
"At the state level the public universities compete with K-12 and technical institute for taxpayer dollars. However, any shortfall in public university funding is usually augmented with increases in student tuition and fees, which are paid for with student loans, the parents and increased cost to non-traditional students.
"THE ECONOMIC downturn and credit crunch may well cause some student and parent borrowers to be squeezed out. At the same time several universities nationwide are cutting tuition, especially for middle and low income students."
Hey! Aren't they what we have right here in South Dakota? Because of the downturn and credit crunch, shouldn't somebody be looking at some different alternatives to the ever-increasing cost of our universities rather than building new ones? Yep. That is something to think about....
Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion and recently retired after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Abortion Petition: 46,000 And Counting...
Pastor Steve at Voices Carry reports this afternoon that as the VoteYesForLife.com campaign met this afternoon, 16,776 petition signatures were needed to get the abortion petition on the November ballot, the signature count was at "46,000 and counting."
Congratulations, VoteYesForLife and South Dakota Family Policy Council, two organizations who have led the petition effort!
This is a good first step to saving 98% of the children being aborted in South Dakota!
Intoxicated with Unbroken Success
American Minute from William J. Federer
During the Civil War, after issuing his Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln set a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, MARCH 30, 1863, stating: "It is the duty of nations...to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins...with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy...The awful calamity of civil war...may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins."
Lincoln continued: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven...We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."
Lincoln concluded: "Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for...forgiveness."
William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America’s noble heritage. The American Minute radio feature, recalling events of American significance on the date they ocurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the Internet.
