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,