Booting/NonConsensual Towing = Auto Theft

States have different laws and the way things are done in one state are not necessarily done the same way in another state. In many states before a vehicle is towed, signs with specific state designated language must be posted. Without the special language, towing is stealing. The state legislatures have to be careful that stealing cars does not become legal because of the wording in the law or ordinance governing booting and towing.

Making a giant jump to a conclusion I suspect local businesses have not followed the rule. Not following the law to the letter is stealing. It will not be long before the wrong person is "booted" resulting in non-consensual towing. That individual just might have a gun and someone is going to be hurt maybe killed. Can you imagine the outcry of sympathy for the person towing or booting? I cannot. Or, the individual will go to court and put Sevier county on the map. We all know hick towns known as speed traps. Sevier County just might become known as the hick county that legalizes stealing automobiles and holding them for ransom. Legalizing extortion as another source of income.

METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE-DAVIDSON COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION LICENSING COMMISSION
Minutes of
September 25, 2007

PUBLIC HEARING: NEW WRECKER RULE – NONCONSENT TOWING FROM PRIVATE
PROPERTY

Rule 24. NONCONSENT TOWING FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY

Prior to towing a vehicle (or personal property) from private property without the vehicle (or personal property) owner’s consent, the towing company must have express written authorization for towing of that vehicle (or personal property) from the owner of the private property or designated agent. When an individual is designated by a private property owner to act as an agent to authorize towing from the property, such designation must be in writing and signed. There shall be some relationship between the private property owner and the designated agent, and there may be no relationship between the designated agent and the towing company. Contracts or written agreements between a towing company and private property owners for nonconsent towing must be retained by the towing company, and must include the property owner’s signature and the signature(s) of any agent(s) designated by the private property owner. The towing company must make these documents available for inspection by the commission or any designated representative at any time. Maximum allowable rates for nonconsent towing from private property will be as specified in Section 6.80.550(H) of the Metropolitan Code of Laws.

Whiney Professional Athletes, Disgusting

Referencing the death of Sean Taylor, formerly of the Washington Redskins and the concerns of professional athletes for their personal safety, nothing good happens in a bar after 11:00pm. People with jobs are either working or home sleeping to prepare for the next day’s work or should I say obligations.

Today, professional athletes do not miss an opportunity to gloat and to show off their money and the things money can buy. It was reported there were three cars in Taylor’s entourage including a Rolls Royce. The Rolls cost more than the ten houses in the old neighborhood and does not blend in the old neighborhood. Rolls are intended to draw attention to the wealth of the owner and do it very well.

When was the last time you heard of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet being involved in a shooting at a bar or strip joint at 2:00 in the morning. Do they have entourages? Do they drive Rolls?

Taylor rubbed his money in the faces of the wrong people. He did not deserve to die but he put himself into the situation and he paid the price. ESPN reported that he was facing up to 46 years in prison resulting from charges he threatened three people with a gun. Obviously he was a very nice person.

Professional athletes should play their sport and keep their mouths shut and have a very high fence installed surrounding their property; to protect them from their friends and to protect the rest of us from them.

Co-evolution vs Reality

There is a concept of animals and plants responding to one another that biologists call co-evolution. The giant hawk moth and how it developed a proboscis long enough to reach the nectar of the Madagascar Star Orchid is an example.

As one who believes in Intelligent Design, Evolution and its adherents intrigue me.

On the subject an individual may select from two alternatives.
1. Things just happened.
2. Things were created.

Both alternatives rely on faith but only one is accepted as fact by folks such as Smithsonian. Since Evolution is referred to as a theory even scientists do not take it as fact but as a theory.

Alternative 1: Over an unknown period, an unknown number of events spontaneously occurred resulting in nothing becoming matter. Then, over another unknown period, that matter evolved into some material that evolved into the universe and all forms of life. The reason and cause of the spontaneous actions are not addressed.
Alternative 2: Someone created matter from nothing. Then the matter was molded into the universe and all forms of life. Cause and why are addressed in the only literature that claims to know, The Bible.

If the first alternative is correct then we are all accidents with accidental thoughts and emotions and your column as well as the magazine are the result of accidental thinking.

In efforts to prove the universe just happened various theories have been developed. Any theory that does not address the beginning of matter misses the point of the theory, to explain creation of the universe.

Those who disbelieve in the existence of a Higher Intelligence (God) and consider the Bible to be not relevant also have faith. The Big Bang Theory depends on a single point of infinitely dense and infinitely hot matter but does not address its origin. From where did the matter come? Did nothing become this matter, how? How was it hot? The Theory makes major assumptions.

Now to the giant hawk moth, has anyone concluded how the cells of the body of a specific moth determined the proboscis was the problem and it was not the legs or the wings? How about how long did it take for one such moth to “evolve” but it died before another moth with the same characteristics came on the scene but of the same gender? How did the body of the moth conclude it not only needed a modification to the proboscis but it had to be of the other gender? It occurs to me evolution requires more coincidences than a reasonable person could accept. I do not know how long the giant hawk moth lives but I imagine it is a relatively short time requiring the two I mentioned before to appear within that short window.

The use of 50 million years for this and 100 million years for that reminds me of a park ranger, I believe at Estes Park in Colorado. At a presentation he explained how something happened 2,000,008 years ago. He explained how he could be so specific is that 8 years earlier when he arrived at Estes Park he was told the something happened 2 million years ago.

Nice concept but I wonder about its validity if the author was just an accident of nature or “evolved” from a monkey.

Humane Executions

In recent months there have been challenges to lethal injection as a manner of execution. Most challenges have come from convicted criminals sentenced to such executions. The challenges ignore the fact the Constitution does not prohibit uncomfortable punishments nor does it require pain free punishments. The Eighth Amendment reads, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

To understand where those who wrote and ratified the Constitution and its amendments were coming from we must understand common punishment of their time.

Common punishments at the time were stocks, branding, hanging, and "hang draw and quarter." Nonviolent crimes may have resulted in the convicted criminal being locked head and hands or feet in stocks for public humiliation and a little mistreatment by the public. Those convicted of capital crimes were usually either branded or hanged by the neck until they were dead. A second conviction for a capital crime of a branded person resulted in hanging, no questions asked. For especially heinous crimes or crimes such as treason the punishment was the hang draw and quarter. In this punishment, you were hanged until very nearly dead; then you were disemboweled and your private parts cut off, all while you were still conscious. A good executioner could do it very quickly, so that you did not die too early. The person being executed would then be pulled apart with four horses tied to his extremities, so as to execute him.

Now, compare that with lethal injection and the uncomfortable “prick” of a needle.

If we make "humane" the guiding principle for executions and require that executions be performed humanely I have a suggestion.

The Humane Slaughter Act of 1958 requires livestock, prior to being killed, be rendered insensible to pain, stunned into unconsciousness by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective. Congress found that the use of humane methods prevents needless suffering. Thus we have the congressional approval of the use of the "captive bolt gun" to stun the animal into unconsciousness.

The captive bolt gun could be used to stun the convicted subject being executed making them insensible to pain or unconscious. The bolt is a heavy rod made of non-rusting alloys, such as stainless steel (there is no danger of the subject catching any cruel or unusual illnesses or rashes etc). The bolt is propelled forward by the discharge of a blank round, which is ignited by a firing pin (actuated by a trigger pull).

Being struck in the forehead and rendered insensible to pain the subject can then be safely and painlessly executed in any manner defined by the law. This will ensure a humane AND Constitutional execution.

If you do not believe this to be humane you might want to give up eating beef, pork, and lamb because in all probability this is how they get to your table.

China Preparing

I have read and am re-reading a book titled China Wars that describes how China is getting cozy with various countries in South America. Middle East and on the African Continent and we cannot respond because China owns so much of our national debt. If they were to call the loans it would destroy the financial markets of the United States. Many if not all of the weapons used against the United States in Somalia during the Clinton administration were from China. The Chinese keep us on edge by threatening to make Taiwan part of China again which would require the United States to become militarily involved due to our long standing promise to defend Taiwan against such a move. They are also inhabiting a series of islands leading up to China and will eventually be able to control ships going to Japan and other neighboring countries in times of disagreement.

It also explains how the Chinese copy and pirate just about everything made by companies who outsource their production to China. It is possible but takes a lot of work to survive in the United States without buying something made in China. It is nice to know Wal-Mart has the courage to confront the Chinese which is something the United States as a country cannot do anymore.

Maybe we should take a lesson from Wal-Mart's manual on employee relations with our migrant workers.

Below is a note found in the Washington Post....

At a factory in Shenzhen, China poor migrant workers assemble stereos supplied to Wal-Mart stores. Factory engineer Surely Huang says "the profit is really small...we have to constantly cut costs to satisfy Wal-Mart". Workers receive about $120 a month. A sign on the wall reminds them of their expendability in a nation with hundreds of millions of surplus workers: "If you don't work hard today, tomorrow you'll have to try hard to look for a job."

I wonder which Dale Carnegie class the Chinese missed....or misunderstood when they pirated the lesson material....

Higher Calling

Email to Gatlinburg City Commissioners and City Manager.....

City Commissioners and City Manager:

Today's (Tuesday October 16th) The Mountain Press has a front page article about a little boy preaching on the Parkway in Gatlinburg. If Gatlinburg does not already have one you might want to consider ordinances controlling such activities and limiting the using of microphones or any amplification systems.You might consider a Free Speech zone out of the way so as to not annoy the tourists and citizens.

We live in a multicultural society and what was at one time considered a Christian country is far from it today. Gatlinburg has enough folks from India and it is only a matter of time before they will want to preach their Hindu beliefs or there will be or are Muslims in Gatlinburg who will want to preach their beliefs. The groups could go on including White Supremacists or Black Power advocates, or Native American causes and on and on.

Cute only goes so far.....

Corporate America's Fantasy World

Corporate America management live in a fantasy land. They lie and mislead Wall Street analysts to benefit their stock. I mean their stock as in their shares and their bank account.

They claim to believe every month will be better than the current month. Constant growth is not realistic. People who claim such cannot be trusted.

Every company will cease to grow someday and when they stop they will have to be managed differently than when they were a growing and expanding company.

Sam Walton had an idea that has long since been copied by competitors. It is time for another idea.

Corporations cannot pay people so they live at or near poverty level and expect loyalty. You can not put unqualified people into management positions just because they of their gender or their race just to placate the public. If you doubt that look at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is passed its prime and new managment strategies and expectations must be developed.

Protecting the Quarterback

Recently the local paper, The Mountain Press had an editorial, Protecting the Quarterback.

They wrote about the ranting done by the coach of Oklahoma State University’s football team. The coach was upset over a column in the newspaper critical of his second-string quarterback. The column suggested the quarterback had a bad attitude……. Then they wrote “It’s hard to know how far to go in critiquing and analyzing college athletes. They’re amateurs for sure but……”

Later in the same edition there was an article attributed to The Associated Press under a headline Vols’ Lincoln tunes out distractions. In the article the author wrote about Fulmer’s Boot Camp where “Some of it can’t be put into print, most of it can’t. It’s been everything from trying to distract you. Standing behind you talking, yelling at you while you’re doing it. Get hit in the head with things, having to run stadiums if you miss something or you get a kick blocked.” I’m not an expert in writing in the English language but I believe The Associated Press’s sentence structure would not be looked upon favorably by an English teacher.

Now back to your editorial ……..college sports are a multimillion dollar business, and people fork over hundreds, thousands, of dollars to get good seats to support the team.

Now let’s think for a minute. Is Coach Fulmer a sadist? Is he the only football coach who abuses players in attempts to get them to do better and maybe even their best?

Do you suppose Oklahoma State University’s Coach Gundy just did not like someone criticizing his player? A woman criticize him? Football is a man’s sport. Coach Gundy has charged that reporter Carlson’s article is 3/4ths errors but refuses to identify the errors. Do you suppose Coach Gundy may have been upset over his defense allowing a school record 718 yards or that they helped the opposition’s quarterback rack up the fourth-highest passing total in major college football history, which in turn dropped his team to 116th in the nation in pass defense? Only three teams have worse marks.

Maybe Coach Gundy was distracted and a reporter asked him the wrong question at the wrong time. This is not the first time Gundy has overreacted. Maybe it is because his program lives in a huge shadow in its own state (ever hear of Oklahoma?) and is an afterthought in the national conversation. Maybe Coach Gundy just wants his super-secret, sacrosanct program to be accountable to no one.

DUI Punishments

This is part of an email I sent to Governor Bredesen, Senator Finney, and Representatives McCord and Montgomery.

In Sunday's The Mountain Press there were several articles concerning DUI laws. One of the articles listed the current punishments. I do not believe Sevier county uses those laws and punishments. Sevier counth has too many guilty of multiple offenses.

I believe, Illinois has $10,000 fine and 14 years in jail for accidents in construction areas that kill construction workers. I believe South Carolina has a $7,500 fine for the same offenses.

If Tennessee law is ever to be taken seriously there must be harsher punishments. On the second offense the offender should be declared an habitual offender and lose driving rights permanently in Tennessee. The fines must be enough to be feared. Automobiles should be confiscated regardless of ownership.

Habitual offenders should be given jail sentences long enough to be feared and violations on probation or suspended licenses should result in life without parole sentences. The laws must protect the public.

It is long past time to get serious. If the lawmakers, and governor do not pass stricter harsher laws the next time there is a DUI death or devastating accident you all will know you permitted it.

It appears for lawmakers to be personally affected is the only way laws will be passed. An example is District Attorney General Dunn's nephew. I realize Dunn is not a lawmaker, he has some influence. Green county, in Ohio, has the toughest DUI laws in the state. Why? Their Federal Congressman's daughter was killed by a driver DUI. Also in Ohio, people tried for years to get crossing warnings for some railroad crossings where there were many accidents. One day a state truck was involved and several state employees were killed. Crossing warnings were installed within 2 months. I hope you and your compatriots will act to prevent needless deaths and injuries and not wait to respond. Laws are meant to protect.

America Get a Clue.....

Someone took a lot of time and effort but maybe one day America will get a clue.

In which of these counries have the people been raised with Christian values, with the same view of ethics, morality, and character we take for granted? My guess is it will take a death to get people in the mindset to bring the manufacturing and agriculture back to the U.S. and pay more. By the way brake shoes from China have been found in the U.S. supply chain made of grass.

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6am. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG ). He put on a dress shirt ( MADE IN SRI LANKA) , designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA ) he sat down with his calculator ( MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN ) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car ( MADE IN GERMANY ) filled it with GAS from Saudi Arabia and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN J OB .. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia )(with tech support in INDIA ) , Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE!) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA ), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in.. AMERICA ...

Dogs on the Loose

Editor, The Mountain Press:

Reference the letter-to-the-editor printed in the September 12th The Mountain Press concerning the big brown dog intentionally being hit by the driver of a white four-door car.

How about the more pervasive problem in Sevier county; you know the problem of dogs running loose? The author of the letter described the dog as a family pet wearing a collar with a rabies tag. Family pet; running loose? If that isn’t a contradiction what is? Family pets are at home, in the house not out running around.

Does anyone consider the drivers who accidentally hit dogs or other animals? How traumatic it is for them? Imagine a mother, driving her young daughter to school and accidentally hits a dog, you know one of those family pets. How upsetting it is to the mother? How upsetting it is to the daughter? How upsetting for the family pet?

Owners of animals are similar in their actions as are those who like to smoke. Since they like it EVERYONE must like it too. Some even want to share their animals so much that they leave them outside so everyone can enjoy them, especially the barking at all hours day and night and let them run loose stepping on the flowers and leaving surprises in the neighboring yards (spreading the love so to speak).

Intentionally running over an animal of any species is wrong and should be punished but if that family pet had not been permitted to run loose the cruel and inhumane act never would have occurred. Who is more cruel the person who commits the act or the persons who knowingly create the situation that permits the act to occur?

Beware of Politicians wearing their religion on their sleeves

The 1st amendment to the Constitution prohibits congress from “making laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Most of those involved with developing the Constitution believed in God or a higher power of some sort. Most were not “church goers.” Prior to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War there was financial penalty for those who did not attend the “official” church, that being the Church of England. The Constitution left open the possibility of that being continued thus, in 1791, the 1st Amendment. Thus today people talk of separation of church and state, which is nowhere found in the Constitution.

Religious convictions and beliefs have no place in government. Hopefully a religious person who chooses to indulge in politics brings from their religion, ethics, morality, and honesty nothing more. Sevier County politicians,as well as those in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville might want to take note.

Claiming religious conviction, our President is unwilling to permit the sacrifice of embryos in an attempt to improve the lives of American citizens but is willing to sacrifice the lives of American citizens, some against their will, in an attempt (futile as it is) to improve the lives of people who hate us and hate those being sacrificed and who will, whenever possible, persecute us because of our religious convictions.

If a member of the Muslim religion becomes a person of influence in our government I do not want them applying their religious convictions concerning women or religious conversions or honor killings. I want them to apply laws and the Constitution not the Koran.

Referencing the Saturday, June 16, The Mountain Press Political View cartoon that quotes Mitt Romney as saying "I can't imagine anything more awful than polygamy;" in the drawing the voters are shown to be saying, "Please tell me 'nuclear annihilation at the hands of terrorists' is a close second." My guess is most of us can think of many things much worse than polygamy even though we do not believe it to be right. I do not want a member of the Mormon religion applying their religious convictions concerning marriage. I want them to apply laws and the Constitution, not the book of Mormon, or Pearl of Great Price etc.

Beware of politicians who wear their religion as a badge. A religious person should bring morals, ethics, and honesty to government, nothing more.

It doesn't rate well

Reference the article "It doesn't rate well" on the front page of the Sunday, July 29th The Mountain Press. Motels and other businesses that advertise low rates that mislead the customer call in to question the subject of ethics.

Ethics, adhering to a moral principal, is nothing more than the Golden Rule; "Do for others what you would like them to do for you.” Ethics is a system of moral standards.

When a business misleads its customers can you trust anything that business does? Can you trust the cleanliness? Can you trust the maintenance? Can you trust the security? If they provide food is the food safe to eat? The answer to those questions is you can not trust anything associated with that business.

Once a business shows it will deceive its customers to get their money the business shows it will do anything for the dollar and therefore cannot be trusted.

Is misleading the customer considered honest behavior? It is past the time for the local businesses to stop acting like carnival hucksters.

Businesses that are dedicated to doing the right thing have a written commitment to social responsibility, and act on it consistently are more profitable than those who don't. Embracing ethical behavior will not automatically make the business owners rich and successful but ethics + competence is a winning equation.

Believing Impossible Things

Recently in occurred to me that for evolution to work it would require that a male and a female of a species develop the same characteristics within the lifetime of the other. Have you ever wondered how many species died waiting waiting for the sex organs of both genders to be present in the right place to permit procreation?

Then, how would nature know the problem was not with the sex organs but the problem was there were no feet?

How many died waiting for the other gender to develop the eye or nose or feet or paw etc that would permit the movement to meet their mate with everything in the right place only to discover they were sterile? How long would it take for another perfect match to develop and procreate?

I find it fascinating that there are those who believe that over an unknown period of time an unknown number of events spontaneously occurred resulting in nothing becoming matter. Then, over another unknown period, that matter evolved into some material that evolved into the universe and all forms of life. They do not address the reason and the cause of the spontaneous actions.

Either our universe is the result of Intelligent Design or it just happened.

Lacking logic various “theories” have been developed but any theory that does not address the beginning of matter misses the point of the theory, to explain creation of the universe. Scientists agree a theory is not fact only an only a hypothesis but we permit teachers to teach it as fact.

Accepting the Bible requires faith. Rejecting the Bible requires faith.
In Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll constructs an interesting dialog between Alice and the White Queen:

“Now I’ll give you something to believe, I’m just one hundred and one, five
months and a day.”
“I can’t believe that!” said Alice.
“Cant’ you?” the
queen said in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your
eyes.”
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “One can’t believe
impossible things.”
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the
Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why,
sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

To avoid acknowledging God people choose to “believe impossible things.”

Labor Day a Holiday, Not Hardly

Our local paper, The Mountain Press had an editoral on September 3rd (Labor Day) headlined “A most fitting holiday; Saluting labor an American tradition well worth keeping.” We pay tribute to the worker by requiring them to work? Not hardly. Just another holiday for the government, the same people who established it to begin with.

The Revolutionary War freed the colonies from the tyranny of England but did little for the slaves in the colonies.

Some of our forefathers, though they did not like slavery and would have ade importing slaves illegal, could not. Having slaves to work large plantations was a part of the economy and without slaves one could not compete with those who had slaves. To refuse to go along with slavery would have meant losing their livelihood, their plantation and their place in society.

Many businesses in Sevier County are in a similar situation. They cannot afford to pay the inflated leases and rents and still compete unless they can pay their employees minimal wages and minimal or no benefits. Some businesses offer benefits to their employees but the employee’s cannot afford to pay their share and therefore do not subscribe, leaving their family to depend on government assistance such as Tenncare or Medicare.

Land prices in Sevier County are subsidized by the low wages paid the workers, those whom we pay tribute to on Labor Day according to your editorial. Businesses in Sevier County are subsidized by Tenncare etc.

Businesses in Sevier County should tremble at the thought of a Cesar Chavez rising up. Remember him and his United Farm Workers and the boycotts he led in the 1960s and 70s and how farm owners changed the way they treated and paid the workers? Remember how Jimmy Hoffa organized the truck drivers into the Teamsters when they were treated very much like Sevier County workers are treated today?

As long as a husband and a wife can work full time jobs in Sevier County and continue to remain below or close to the poverty level it is only a matter of time before a Cesar or a Jimmy appears.

One last thought. What if those (legal OR illegal) workers, paid lower than minimum wage were permitted to sue their employers for violating Federal Statues by paying less than minimum wage? What if legal residents who are unemployed sue employers for hiring those who are not legal residents or those who’s Visa does not authorize them to work?

The businesses in Sevier County should tremble; it is just a matter of time.

To Believe in Evolution is to Believe in the Miraculous.

For evolution to work it would require that a male and a female of a species to have developed the same characteristics within the life time of the other.

How many "species" died out waiting for their sex organs or those of the other gender to be present in the right place to permit procreation? And how would nature know that the problem was not that the sex organs were not in right place but the problem was there were no feet.

How many died out waiting for the other gender to develop the eye or nose or feet or paw etc that permitted movement to meet their "mate" with everything in the right place only to find that they were sterile. And how long would it have taken for a second perfect match to develop and procreate?

elief in evolution is belief in the truly miraculous. Wouldn't it be easier to believe a Creator made it?

Letter Sent to Dixie Stampede

It occurred to while I was reading an article in Sunday's The Mountain Press, "Child Molestation trials to start", that, I believe, The Knoxville News Sentinel has reported that the accused Armando Martinez Gonzalez is illegal. That being true and since securing our borders is such a hot topic in the news it might be good for Dixie Stampede to explain your policy on hiring illegals and how extensively you verify the legality of hiring an individual.

The Mountain Press reported Gonzalez will go to trial separately for each charge. That means his case is going to be in the newspaper and on television for many weeks if not for many months and maybe a year or so. Imagine the bad publicity for Dixie Stampede at all locations.

You may recall the following situation 25 years ago.

In 1982, Johnson and Johnson experienced a major crisis when it was discovered
that numerous bottles of its Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules had been laced with
cyanide. By the end of the crisis, seven people had died. How Johnson and
Johnson dealt with this situation set a new precedent for crisis management. The
company was lauded for its quick decisions and sincere
concern for its consumers. Despite initial losses, Johnson and Johnson regained
and exceeded its previous market share within months of the
incident.

Actions of the CEO and other senior management were a
major part of the corporate reaction and eventually to the recovery of
reputation and market share.

Only you and Armando Martinez Gonzalez know what really happened. It has been reported he does not speak English so for Dixie Stampede to put him a situation where he is one on one with your guests is most problematic.

As President Harry S Truman said, "The buck stops here." Where does the buck stop for Dixie Stampede?

Dixie Stampede, and its owners, have a very short window of opportunity to show yourself a community leader or that you are more interested in keeping hourly rates artificially low by hiring criminals.

Religious Beliefs Have No Place In Government

The 1st amendment to the Constitution prohibits congress from “making laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Most of those involved with developing the Constitution believed in God or a higher power of some sort. Most were not “church goers.” Prior to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War there was financial penalty for those who did not attend the “official” church, that being the Church of England. The Constitution left open the possibility of that being continued thus, in 1791, the 1st Amendment. Thus today people talk of separation of church and state, which is nowhere found in the Constitution.

Religious convictions and beliefs have no place in government. Hopefully a religious person who chooses to indulge in politics brings from their religion, ethics, morality, and honesty nothing more. Sevier County politicians,as well as those in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville might want to take note.

Claiming religious conviction, our President is unwilling to permit the sacrifice of embryos in an attempt to improve the lives of American citizens but is willing to sacrifice the lives of American citizens, some against their will, in an attempt (futile as it is) to improve the lives of people who hate us and hate those being sacrificed and who will, whenever possible, persecute us because of our religious convictions.

If a member of the Muslim religion becomes a person of influence in our government I do not want them applying their religious convictions concerning women or religious conversions or honor killings. I want them to apply laws and the Constitution not the Koran.

Referencing the Saturday, June 16, The Mountain Press Political View cartoon that quotes Mitt Romney as saying "I can't imagine anything more awful than polygamy;" in the drawing the voters are shown to be saying, "Please tell me 'nuclear annihilation at the hands of terrorists' is a close second." My guess is most of us can think of many things much worse than polygamy even though we do not believe it to be right. I do not want a member of the Mormon religion applying their religious convictions concerning marriage. I want them to apply laws and the Constitution, not the book of Mormon, or Pearl of Great Price etc.

Beware of politicians who wear their religion as a badge. A religious person should bring morals, ethics, and honesty to government, nothing more.

Letter Sent to Tennessee Federal Senators and Senate Majority Leader

With all the talk of earmarks and how much they cost the American taxpayer, don’t let the talk discourage you. Someone---Ben Franklin, perhaps---said that democracy will survive only until the people discover they can vote themselves money from the national treasury. We in Tennessee have you.

Will Rogers is alleged to have said “we should elect the local thief and send him to rob Washington.” We in Tennessee have sent you. As you, our government representative, achieve seniority you have more opportunities to give something to us, and we don’t care how you do it, so we elect you again and again and again. The idea of a professional representative was foreign to the men who began this country.

Priorities in public office are: first: take care of ones self; second: take care of the people who provided money; and last, if it does not negatively affect the other two priorities, help the voter.

A definition of a "professional" politician is “one who is more interested in securing their own lifetime career in office through repeated re-election than in fulfilling the duties of their elected office.” As a professional you are more interested in your own re-election, and are willing to subvert the Constitution in order to use the public treasury to buy blocks of votes from the public. “Professional" politicians such as yourself have converted our "republic" into a democracy by surrogates. Where the Founders envisioned statesmen winning elections based on principles, unhampered by term limits and with the entire US treasury at their disposal, "professional" politicians began the wholesale buying of various blocks of voters.

You are a fine example and are proving the rule so keep up the good work….

Citizens Prefer Non-involvement

Recently The Mountain Press reported the results of Gatlinburg’s election of our City Commissioners. One fact was evident to even the most casual observer. The majority of the eligible voters in Gatlinburg prefer a non participatory style of government such as communism, dictatorship, or the like. Apparently at least 74% of the eligible voters prefer Syria’s style of government or maybe Cuba’s style or how about Afghanistan’s?

It is regrettable when citizens show their distain for their city, their country, and our soldiers. The Mountain Press reported that 711 out of a possible 2,705 took time to vote. I do not know the numbers for Sevierville and Pigeon Forge but I suspect Gatlinburg is a fair representative of Sevier County.

Gatlinburg "honoring" soldiers from our city or our county or our state going to Iraq is a joke. Gatlinburg Memorial Day festivities are absurd. Our soldiers are dying so the Iraqi people can vote while Gatlinburg, as a whole, prefers to not get involved and are perfectly happy sending others to die

We should all be embarrassed.

An interviewer asked, "What do you think is the primary cause of the lack of interest in our elections, ignorance or apathy?" The answer given was “I don't know and I don't care."

What do you think?

Disgusting Disney

Below is a letter written to Disney World, in Orlanda FL.

Recently my wife and I, along with our son and his family (2 grandchildren) visited Wilderness Lodge, which was great. Reasonable access to the various parks is a definite plus. We have visited Disney World 6 or 7 times at least since we first brought our son in 1978. While on this visit we visited Epcot and the Magic Kingdom my comment concerns Animal Kingdom.

I hope you are already aware of the situation I will refer to but if you are it is obvious you have taken no steps to correct it and I am disappointed.

For lunch we ate at Flame Tree. While the food was tolerable to good the environment was a disaster. Birds defecating on the tables, chairs and people as well as in their food, children leaving their food to get napkins and birds landing on the tables and grabbing French fries, defecating upon lift off, appear to me to be unacceptable.

I am surprised the Florida Health Department tolerates such environments but I imagine Disney World has a lot of pull in the Orlando area. I believe if you will check with your veterinary staff they will verify that momma birds teach their baby birds how to find food. As years pass along more birds will be feeding at Flame Tree and nesting in the surrounding trees eventually making the area uninhabitable by humans.

I hope you will take the necessary steps to improve the area and that when you have you will let me know. I will not frequent Flame Tree again. Until I receive such notification. The entire experience was nauseating, disgusting, and revolting. Not a good memory of a visit to Disney World, Orlando, FL.

Gatlinburg Natives Protecting Gatlinburg's History? Not!!!

What follows is a letter to the editor of The Mountain Press where I was responding to an article of a group of Gatlinburg citizens were bragging how the natives are protecting Gatlinburg's history.

Reference The Mountain Press February 26, article “All eyes on ‘Burg’ for ’07 jubilee."

The reporter quotes an individual “Gatlinburg is unique to (national park) gateway cities in that the original families are still here and for the most part still in control of the business community.” Another individual is quoted, “The fact that you all built Gatlinburg, not some outsiders, is part of the story … this survey shows that Gatlinburg was built by its founders … .”

Hmmmm, who purchased the Mountain View Inn, from the builder, and replaced that ugly reminder of the past with Fun Mountain and now lets Fun Mountain remain as an eyesore to the community? Could it be one of those descendants of one of those original families? Who continues to let them? Who sold Lucinda Ogle’s cabin to “outside developers?” I believe it was descendants of one of those original families. Who owns the properties that are T-shirt shops? Outsiders? No, those original families that control the business community are at it again. Don't forget the Greystone that is now the Aquarium. Who owns the property surrounding Gatlinburg Inn that is surely destroying the Inn with its noise pollution and all night carousing? Who owns the property crowding the Arrowmont School of Arts making it an island of history in the midst of what? Who owns the property and permits developers to remove the trees that draw the leaf-lookers then builds thousands and thousands and thousands of cabins? If those original families are still in control what business are they controlling it is certainly not an interest in Gatlinburg history.

I'm not sure where these Committee members came from but they see things that are not and think, cabin! I see cabins and wonder just what are they thinking.

In family owned companies it is generally the third generation who either bankrupts the company or takes it public. Gatlinburg is right on schedule.

Do those committee members really want to draw the National Geographic's attention to how Gatlinburg is maintaining its history?

Politicians

I have a philosophy that politicians at all levels are dishonest, unethical and immoral. They will first take care of themselves, second, those who give them money and last and by all means last those who voted for them.

In an effort to achieve what he believes to be a better good a politician may vote for abortions (which he is against) so someone else will vote with him for gun control (which they may be against). They call that politics. I call it immoral, unethical, and dishonest behavior. They are selling a vote and buying a vote. Instead of all the artificial voting our representatives should vote their conscious on all matters and let the chips fall where they may. That way we know the real majority. As it is with all the vote selling and buying the people are not being represented.

Locally a politician may sell his vote for popularity among his peers or he may see maintaining his job as to permit him to support his family the greater good when he sells his vote. These people are not bad people they are just caught in the world of politics. People new to politics get a real slap in the face when they realize that if they are to survive they have to sell and buy votes. Their standards and morals go right out the window. A politician can sell their vote and buy another's vote but for me to pay you money to vote the way I want you to vote is illegal. I see no difference.

Shooting at Virginia Tech

With the shooting at Virginia Tech the arguments for gun control and against gun control. Against and for violent computer games, against and for violence on television, and against and for trash rap will be the 24x7 topic of the cable television networks.

We will hear arguments for and against. As for me, some arguments do not make sense.

As an example, most if not all media rely on advertising as their major source of income. Internet websites depend almost completely on advertisements as their source of income. The Entertainment industry relies heavily on advertising to influence the public to buy their products. That advertising affects the way we think is accepted as fact and is expected by those paying for that advertising. That people change their opinions, actions, behavior, and the way they think as a result of repeated exposure to or as we think of it advertising, is a core belief of all who pay for advertising. If it were not for advertising most would not be able to exist.

On the other hand, these same people tell us that violence on television, violent computer games, portrayal of violence in music, have no affect on us. Are they crazy or are they just lying? The same people who pay for and rely on advertising and the resulting repeated exposure to their commercials to affect our thinking are now telling us what they are paying for and relying on does nothing to affect the public’s behavior?

I suggest the only options are they are lying or they are stupid. What do you think?

Of course repeated exposure to anything does not affect everyone in the same way. If it did, everyone would buy everything they see advertised. But, the people paying for those advertisements are depending on the fact that enough people will be influenced to buy their product they will remain in business. They are counting on their ability to influence the way the public thinks. If repeated exposure to something has no affect there would be no learning and then where would our teachers be?

The public must understand the relationship between what we are exposed to and our resulting behavior. Hopefully we will wake up soon enough to make a difference. Otherwise as shootings at high schools spread shootings at colleges will repeat. How many have to die before the public becomes aware of the obvious and works for and demands change?

Are the religious beliefs of people in public office relevant?

Recently General Pace had the adacity to tell us what he believed is moral and what is immoral. Are the beliefs of people like General Pace relevant? "No." I want honesty, integrity, and ethical behavior. I want our leaders to work hard and to care. Their religious beliefs are of no consequence. If we have a Muslim Supreme Court appointment I do not want them applying their religious beliefs concerning women I want them to apply the constitution. If a homosexual is appointed I do not want them to apply their belief on marriage I want them to obey the law. A General who does not like homosexual activity has no right to allow those beliefs to affect his daily duty as General. What he believes to be moral or immoral is of no consequence. He should keep quiet...

What Does Taking the Fifth Amendment Mean?

The Fifth Amendment includes the phrase: “(No Person) shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,”

To understand, we must remember that the Constitution specifies what the Federal Government may or may not do not what individuals may or may not do. Limitations on citizens are called “Laws.”

The Federal Government may not consider the individual guilty or punish the individual when the individual claims the Fifth Amendment. Citizens may. There is nothing to prohibit citizens from believing an individual guilty of a criminal act and acting accordingly toward that individual when that individual claims the Fifth Amendment. After all they are admitting that if they testify they will be a witness against himself in a criminal case, just as the Constitution says.

Today it seems the Fifth Amendment is used whenever an individual does not want to testify; when testifying might cause embarrassment; when testifying might make public some information the individual does not want made public. What follows is Amendment V (1791) in its entirety.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be take for public use, without just compensation.

Mercenaries Patrolling Our Cities

The citizens of the United States should be aware that their federal government is using mercenary forces such as Blackwater, DynCorp, Intercon, American Security Group, Blackhawk, Wackenhut and an Israeli company called Instinctive Shooting International to police our cities such as New Orleans following Katrina.

The Federal government is ignoring Posse Comitatus (the ban on using US troops in domestic law enforcement). The presence of heavily armed private forces in New Orleans only demonstrates what everyone already feared: the utter breakdown of the government. To have them now on the streets of New Orleans is frightening, possibly illegal and definitely unconstitutional.

The Myth of Freedom of Speech

Recently our local news paper dropped Ann Coulter's column. It was their response to her statement about having to go to rehab if she used the term "faggot." As would be expected, the moronic cry of Censorship! was heard far and wide. Obviously these people do not understand the Constitution. Following is a letter-to-the-editor of the newspaper.

At the time of adopting the Constitution several states wanted additional restrictive clauses to prevent the Federal government from abusing its powers. Thus, beginning in 1791, we have Amendments to the Constitution with Amendments 1 through 10 AKA Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment, we hear quoted so frequently reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The Constitution of the United States sets limits on what the Federal government may or may not do. It says nothing about what individuals may or may not do. Those limitations are called Laws. Because of our ignorance of the Constitution “We the people,” have permitted the Judiciary Branch to make new laws and add invisible amendments to the Constitution.

While the Federal Government may not “abridge the freedom of speech,” private individuals and corporations do not have that same limitation. I, as an individual, am not required to listen to you and you have no Constitutional Right that requires me to listen to you. The Mountain Press is not required to print anything the owners do not want printed and may print anything the owners want printed. That is not censorship that is freedom of speech, The owners of The Mountain Press' freedom of speech.

I encourage the Readers of The Mountain Press to read the Constitution and know what it says as well as what it does not say and to stay in touch with our governments.

Another 'F' word

In response to Ann Coulter's latest comments about having to go to rehab if she talks about faggots our local paper decided to replace her as one of their commentators,.

Generally I agree with her comments but mostly I like that she is a burr under the Liberal's saddle. She is usually over the top and over reactive but it is fun to listen to her and her opponents play verbal tag. On one occasion Larry King of CNN tried everything he could to get her to contradict herself but she did not. That was interesting to watch.

Most of the time she thinks fast but not in this case. She succumbed to the same temptation everyone in a position of influence eventually succombs to and that is they begin to think they can do or say anything. She was in a safe environment and whether planned or by accident she overstepped her boundaries. She tried to be humorous at another's expense and now defends what she said by trying to change the accepted meaning of the term. What is the meaning of "is?"

I wonder if the paper would have had the same reaction if she had said homosexual, or gay or even queer. And I wonder if everyone's upsettedness comes from the idea the word she used is a term of contempt or that she was alluding to John Edwards being a closet homosexual, which I do not have any reason to believe that he is. If it is at all because she may have been accusing him of not being straight it should tell the world homosexual activity is not accepted no matter what the law claims and to allude to someone being one is a no-no and a major insult. If she had made a similar statement about a homosexual being straight most likely nothing would have been said. Based on the public reaction to a commercial during the Super Bowl the majority of Americans find homosexuality disgusting, revolting, dirty and something to disdain and they can think it but not say it in a public forum such as the one Ms Coulter found herself in.

Now we have one "N" word and 2 "F" words that will cause someone to have a hissy-fit. I wonder what is next.

I await our paper's decision on her replacement. But I suggest they do not hold out hope the next one won't do or say something stupid also,

Gatlinburg Maintaining Its History?

Recently there was an article in our local newspaper concerning National Geographic coming to town, “All eyes on ‘Burg’ for ’07 jubilee."

The reporter quotes an individual “Gatlinburg is unique to (national park) gateway cities in that the original families are still here and for the most part still in control of the business community.” Another individual is quoted, “The fact that you all built Gatlinburg, not some outsiders, is part of the story … this survey shows that Gatlinburg was built by its founders … .”

Hmmmm, who purchased the Mountain View Inn, from the builder, and replaced that ugly reminder of the past with Fun Mountain and now lets Fun Mountain remain as an eyesore to the community? Could it be one of those descendants of one of those original families? Who continues to let them? Who sold Lucinda Ogle’s cabin to “outside developers?” I believe it was descendants of one of those original families. Who owns the properties that are T-shirt shops? Outsiders? No, those original families that control the business community are at it again. Don't forget the Greystone that is now the Aquarium. Who owns the property surrounding Gatlinburg Inn that is surely destroying the Inn with its noise pollution and all night carousing? Who owns the property crowding the Arrowmont School of Arts making it an island of history in the midst of what? Who owns the property and permits developers to remove the trees that draw the leaf-lookers then builds thousands and thousands and thousands of cabins? If those original families are still in control what business are they controlling it is certainly not an interest in Gatlinburg history.

I'm not sure where these Committee members came from but they see things that are not and think, cabin! I see cabins and wonder just what are they thinking.

In family owned companies it is generally the third generation who either bankrupts the company or takes it public. Gatlinburg is right on schedule.

Do those committee members really want to draw the National Geographic's attention to how Gatlinburg is maintaining its history?

Global Warming Debate Heats Up

The cause or causes of Global Warming may be debated but it is obvious to the even the most oblivious is that things have changed and are continuing to change.

Photographs of the Teton mountain range show there is less year-around snow in the mountains today than there was just twenty years ago.

Cruises now cross the Arctic area later into the season because the ice flows are smaller and do not extend as far as they have in the past. If you want to see something funny is to see a boat arrive in a town with 200 to 300 people and ask where the dock is located. There is no dock. The town does not have enough food and supplies to take them through the winter let alone sell some to a group of tourists. Tourists can be a bit testy when they don't get what they want.

The icy habitat of the polar bear is disappearing causing the continued existence of the polar bear in question. Polar bears spend most of their lives on floating ice in the sea. But that ice is melting, and polar bears have nowhere else to go. Bears do most of their hunting from ice close to, or attached to, the shoreline. There has been ice near the land for hundreds of years. Today, in one of the polar bear habitats in Canada the ice is melting four weeks earlier than it did twenty years ago and in places can be 200 miles from shore in the summer. Scientists say there has been more ice melt than normal in the last fifteen years. In the last six years, the melting has speeded up even more. At the present rate scientists estimate there will be no ice left in the Arctic within thirty-five years allowing for more cruises even later into the winter season. Polar bears can completely disappear by the end of this century.

There are many other examples so those who consider the concept a hoax should wake up and smell the roses. The question is, is the warming part of a cyclical warming and cooling thus being completely natural OR are the billions and billions of barrels of oil having a negative affect on the environment?

God said he would not destroy the earth until the end when it will burn away but He never said He would not permit his Creation to destroy itself.

Where're the Media and the Scholars

I am wondering why I do not hear more outcry from our scholars as well as our media concerning the military of the United States being committed to battles lacking a congressional Declaration of War upon the focus of our wrath? I hear no comments concerning our invading of a sovereign country; removing their army and police forces; removing the legal government; imprisoning the administration; turning their President over to his political enemies; and then watching while he was executed in a manner not tolerated within the United States. We are not the world’s police and have no legal right to do what we did in Iraq or any other country no matter how despotic their leaders.

With almost the entire world being against us George has more to worry about than Iraq. He as well as other "leaders" could very well be the focus of a War Crimes Trial. They may never be taken into custody but I suggest we should look for the Middle East countries to ask the World Court for such a judgment and for that request to be granted. Then things should really get interesting.

By not understanding the religious mind of the area we have created a monster from which we may never honorably extricate ourselves. They are not crazy and they have an agenda. They could kill our president, poison our waters, kill anyone anytime. We have finally run up against an enemy who wants us out of their countries and their hemisphere. Not unlike our not wanting them in our country or in our hemisphere.

Where're the Media and our Constitutional Scholars when you need them?

Is NASCAR Serious?

News reports would cause one to believe the NASCAR cheaters are kids who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar and that boys will be boys.

Intentional cheating should result in the entire team being disqualified for the next race plus point reduction plus a dollar fine plus a substantial fine to the owner of the car. How about limiting the number of sponsors names on the car that cheated? How about a no decals for the race?

If NASCAR is serious they should get serious. A second violation of intentional cheating should result in disqualification for the entire season.

Ethics are ethics there are no business ethics, no racing ethics there are ethics.

If the fans cannot believe the results of a race it is professional wrestling.

On the other hand how about two races each season with no control over the car setup?

Pigeon Forge City Commissioners Vote for Industrial Zone

Recently our local paper had an article with a headline “PF city Commissioners vote for industrial zone” with a secondary headline, “Rezoning of property would open field for adult businesses, any type of industry.”

The reporter quotes one of the local commissioners as saying, “This is not putting a rubber stamp on adult businesses, this opens up that land for any type of business.” If it is not a rubber stamp what is it?

Unless the cost of locating in such a district is prohibitive the commissioners have just created a future slum where illegal activity of all sorts will migrate. If you doubt it look at any city with a district specifically zoned for “adult businesses and industry.” Most cities would like to eliminate such districts while Pigeon Forge is creating one.

People in large cities migrate away from such districts. Has anyone studied the likely affect such a district will have on the home owners across the street or are they not within Pigeon Forge so no on cares what the affect might be? Are we to look forward to smoke stacks belching out air pollution of all sorts? Will more police activity be required? If so has anyone looked into how that will affect that department?

If the concerns I mention are not relevant someone might want to clarify what is going on because at first blush it looks horrible.

At least we know where the casinos and the associated one-armed bandits will be located when they are eventually approved by our state legislature. If you doubt they are coming remember the lottery. How many years back did anyone believe Tennessee would have a Lottery?

Iraq a Major Miscalculation

Every “war” the United States has participated in since WWII has been political as well as unconstitutional. Our Presidents have committed our military without Congress declaring war as specified in the Constitution. If the President would have asked for a Declaration of War those “wars” would have been countrywide wars instead each was Republican or Democratic war. A non-binding resolution of support by our congress is nowhere to be found in our Constitution. Luckily we were able to get out of each of those debacles until Iraq. Except for those unfortunate enough to have died or been maimed for life.

We cannot win in Iraq for many reasons among them is the moral of the military, for which we are the blame. One of the soldiers upon his return said no one wants to be the last one to die for a mistake. You cannot win if you are not willing to die. Until we are ready to kill hundreds just to kill one we cannot win. As General Giap of North Viet Nam, until we are willing to lose ten of ours to kill one of theirs we cannot win. Military leaders such as Tommy Franks should have been run out of the service instead of being allowed to retire. He conspired with Rumsfeld to develop a battle plan that was a joke. The enemy should never be allowed to be in strength at your back. We send convoys on roads not secured and wonder why our people our killed. Franks put his men and women into a trap and then he left. He is an embarrassment to the history of great leaders in our history.

We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish when we destroyed the government in Afghanistan, a country giving refuge to those who attacked us, and installed a puppet President who previously resided within our borders.

We have accomplished what we wanted to accomplish in Iraq. We invaded a sovereign country; disbanded their army and police forces; removed the legal government; imprisoned the administration; turned their President over to his political enemies; and then watched while he was executed in a manner not tolerated within the United States. We are not the world’s police and have no legal right to do what we did in Iraq or any other country no matter how despotic their leaders.

Iraq never was a threat to the United States anymore than any other country in the Middle East as well as South America as well as the Far East. We picked on the one we thought we could beat and made a major error in judgment.

During our Revolutionary War we proved a small band of untrained badly organized group of patriots with the sometimes assistance of our enemies’ enemy could defeat the greatest army in the world. Similar to what is happening in Iraq.

With almost the entire world being against us George has more to worry about than Iraq. He could very well be the focus of a War Crimes Trial. He may not be taken into custody but look for the Middle East countries to ask the World Court for such a judgment and for that request to be granted. Then things should really get interesting.

By not understanding the religious mind of the area we have created a monster from which we may never extricate ourselves. They are not crazy and they have an agenda. They could kill our president, poison our waters, kill anyone anytime. But they do not. We have finally run up against an enemy who wants us out of their countries and hemisphere. Not unlike our not wanting them in our country or in our hemisphere.

We are on our own. We can no longer count on God’s help since we have expelled him. We just might be the Northern Tribes being carried off by the Assyrians.

The last “war” we won was a war where civilian leaders did not mini manage the military. Until our military is allowed to do what they believe right we cannot win. With a country such as we are today the outcome of WWII might well have been quite different than it was and we just might be speaking German today. A country without morals is a country without laws and is no use to anyone.

We Can’t Blame the White People Any Longer - Bill Cosby

They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: Why you ain't, Where you is, What he drive, Where he stay, Where he work, Who you be... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk.

Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth. In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.

People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.

I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? Or who is his father?

People putting their clothes on backward: Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?

What part of Africa did this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail.

Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem. We have got to take the neighborhood back. People used to be ashamed.

Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands'; or men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We as black folks have to do a better job. Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us. We have to start holding each other to a higher standard.

We cannot blame the white people any longer.

Americans make too much of an individual apologizing for an act or comment

An apology is an acknowledgement of some fault, injury, insult, etc. with an expression of regret and a plea for pardon and we insist the individual express that remorse or regret before we are willing to move on.

Americans of all ilks have their likes and dislikes; they have prejudices; they discriminate. Those are not bad terms unless they cause an individual to break a law or even worse, have an opinion different than our opinion. Remember, the Constitution defines what the government can do, not the people.

Celebrities will on occasion say or do something that is upsetting to the public. They do not regret thinking the way they think or feeling the way they feel, but they regret having to deal with the public's reaction to their thoughts or feelings. They are sorry they were caught.

When an individual is convicted of committing a crime, Americans want to know why, so before we move on we demand an explanation. Of course, once convicted the individual is sorry they were caught.

Americans need to accept that we do not all think alike, and as long as no law is broken that is OK. We may disagree and that is OK also. Some crimes have no rational explanation. We need to move past the infraction with those differences in place.

If Americans cannot forgive or forget at least we must stop insisting on being lied to.

Recently the Amish have exhibited an example of forgiveness from which we can all learn.

The United States Needs to Get Over Its Self-Righteousness

When the people who eventually made up the original thirteen colonies came to this land they came for many reasons. Some were running away from something some were running to something. One of the common desires was the desire for freedom.

Eventually demands by the government of England infringed on that freedom and became intolerable, the result being our Declaration of Independence and eventually the Constitution of the United States.

No country gave us their Declaration of Independence from which they could copy to develop our own. No country gave them their Constitution, from which they could copy to develop our own. The people of the colonies selected representatives to speak for them and to work with other representatives to make decisions and to develop a course of action.

What would our founders think? Descendants of those founding fathers have invaded a sovereign country, deposed the legally elected President and removed his government from power as well as its disbanded its army. We have turned that President over to his political enemies for trial with a predetermined verdict and punishment. Maybe the Iraqi president should have been removed and tried it was not up to us. With the world being against us I expect our leaders to eventually be accused of crimes against humanity as well as other war crimes and demands for them to be subject to a World Court will be heard. If that happens I expect our leaders to be found guilty and punished. I expect our President and Vice President as well as selected members of the military and selected members of congress to be so charged. Do not dismiss the notion it is a real possibility.

For reasons beyond comprehension, our leaders do not recognize what is happening in Iraq. Following the first George Bush’s war in Iraq we left our military in Saudi Arabia as we have a habit of doing giving a target to which our enemies could focus. The second George Bush led the United States into a quagmire from which there is no honorable way out. We have successfully defeated a country that had no chance of defeating us. We have successful bullied a smaller country. We are a bully. We are proud.

During the Russian invasion of Afghanistan the United States fought a proxy war with Russia and maintained plausible deniability. Today Iran and Syria are fighting a proxy war with the United States and maintaining plausible deniability. The Executive Branch and Legislative Branch fail to see what is really happening and continues in quagmire.

If the Iraqi people wanted freedom they should have fought for it. One cannot be given democracy when will the United States understand that? We are not the World’s Police. We do not have a right to decide how other countries govern nor how the people live. We need to get over our self-righteousness.

Keeping Things in the Right Perspective

House Democrats kicked off the new session with a 100-hour legislative blitz that is planned to allow them to post a series of quick victories before President Bush even delivers his State of the Union address toward the end of this month.

But even as Democrats filtered back to Capitol Hill on Tuesday in anticipation of the opening of the 110th Congress on Thursday, there was confusion about just when the 100 hours would officially begin. Would it be as soon as the new Congress was sworn in and began voting on internal rules changes? Or when the House takes up its first actual legislation on Tuesday?

And since it is 100 hours of strictly legislative activity, the clock will be on pause when House members give their customary one-minute speeches at the start of each day and during the “special orders” at night when members reserve floor time to carry on about their favorite issues.

Last Monday was out since the House, despite Democratic pledges of a disciplined five-day work schedule, will not be in session. The day off was scheduled to allow freshmen lawmakers time to return from an orientation session - and others to attend the college football national championship game.

What are Crimes against humanity?

In 1945, the United States and other Allies developed the Agreement for the Prosecution and Punishment of the Major War Criminals of the European Axis and Charter of the International Military Tribunal (IMT), sitting at Nuremberg, which contained the following definition of crimes against humanity in Article 6(c):

Crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against civilian populations, before or during the war; or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether
or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated.

The Nuremberg Charter represented the first time that crimes against humanity were established in positive international law.

Washington, The Unchanging Place

ALL politicians at ALL levels are dishonest, unethical, immoral. They will take care of themselves first, those who give them money second, and last and certainly least, those who vote for them.

There is a proverb "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." That can be said about any power in any amount corrupts. You can see examples almost everyday. There must be a higher power overseeing anyone in a position of authority.

Citizens of the United States must wake up and observe how their government is being taken from them. The Executive branch believes itself to be above the law and the Constitution. The Legislative branch believes itself to be outside the law and looks only to line its pockets. The Judicial branch believes it should make law instead of applying the Constitution.

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. He was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He wrote a poem:

America the Beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride; I'm glad they'll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty; your house is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly, poisoned by cocaine

Choosing to indulge their lusts, when God has said abstain

From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.
We've kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool, and Heaven is His throne.
We've voted in a government that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges; who throw reason out the door,
Too soft to place a killer in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.
You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God, from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do, but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children, will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face and mend our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven; and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful, if you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God withdraw His hand from Thee.

A Democracy in Default

It has been said a democracy can exist only until the electorate discover they can vote for someone who will give them something. Politicians at all levels are unethical, dishonest, and immoral. They will take care of themselves first, those who give them money second, and last and surely least, their constituents. At the Federal level they pay millions of dollars to obtain a job that pays a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year. When they complete their term they are millionaires over and beyond their net worth when they began their term in office.

Without a word being said the folks leaving office in Washington D.C. know the special interests will provide for them. With this assurance special attention is paid to the wants of those special interests while maintaining plausible deniability of any collusion.

Politicians are beyond the reach of the laws most Americans must follow and have become a government unto themselves. In practice they pass their place along to their children. Members of the Judicial branch, appointed by the members of the Legislative branch know if they rule as wanted by those same members of the Legislative branch they know more like them will be appointed and members of their families will be taken care of and all the while are able to maintain plausible deniability. To rule as required, the Judicial branch has stopped long ago applying the Constitution and have begun making laws themselves.

The ordinary American is out of the loop and is merely a surf to the Lordships.

With the blessing of the Legislators and the Executive branch selected members of the ruling hiarchy become millionaires and billionaires while the surfs lose their jobs. Our country manufactures nothing, leaving an economy based on lotteries and casinos.

We go to war, commit atrocities, sacrifice the lives and limbs of our military and then treat them as if they are the ugly step child when they return and all for the benefit of those special interests.

The women's lib movement of the 70s or so has resulted in women being successful if they dress and act like prostitutes and feel self expression includes participation in pornography. A surprise affect has been less children so the working class is dwindling while those on welfare and members of violent religions multiply by 4 and 5 times in one generation.

Being Politically Correct means one thinks they can pick up feces by the clean end.

Within this democracy we have minority rule, necessarily meaning America is self destructing.

America may survive but her best days are behind her.