Category Archives: life

Temper Tantrums

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Obama throwing a tantrum

We don’t have time for this crap. Partisan politics, ignoring our allies because Congress did not “follow protocol”, giving notice in advance that policies the people want to see changed, passed or eliminated will be vetoed, being told we are riding on our high horse above the rest of the world… We just don’t have time.

If I went through the list of times Barry did not “follow protocol”, this would be a twenty page post. That is not to say that tit-for-tat is the right way to deal with his particular brand of immaturity, but I can understand it. Years of enduring belittlement, false accusations (such as shutting down the government when we know damned well that horse was owned by Harry and the Dems in the Senate), working to pass bills only to have Harry Greed sit on them – refusing to put them up for a vote in the Senate – and public castigation by Barry during televised conferences can make one a tad testy, to say the least. Although I was never a fan of Bill Clinton’s policies in general, I respected the way he worked with a Republican majority Congress for the sake of America and her people.   I am not as confident that his wife would do the same, but she is inconsequential in my opinion.

Why does the Ego in Chief have such a hard time understanding his role as President? Why is the Democratic wing of the House led by Nancy Pelosi even considering being unavailable for Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the joint Congress? Why is our Vice President suddenly making a trip overseas (and if you believe this was scheduled a long time ago, I have a mountain for sale up here in the Rockies)? If I were one of their constituents, I would be livid. Israel is our ally. They are afloat at sea amidst a gam of sharks known as Islamic Extremists and I feel it is our obligation to at least listen to what Netanyahu has to say before passing judgment one way or another. Barry had time to entertain a group of Muslim “leaders” which included a player for the NBA (but not Dr. Zuhdi Jasser – a decorated Naval Veteran and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy), yet he is throwing a public hissy fit and refuses to meet with Netanyahu? His lack of class is glaringly obvious. But, then again, Netanyahu is just a “chicken shit” and not worthy of the Anointed One’s respect, right? I mean, he only served in Israel’s Sayeret Matkal Special Forces unit when he was in the Israeli military. Gee, Barry, I forgot. What unit did you serve in in our military?

I detest Michael Moore, yet I have read two of his books. They sucked, but one cannot have an intelligent argument without hearing from both sides. I do not understand parents who do not give their children an opportunity to experience some form of religion in their younger years. How can a person make an informed decision later in life without having a basis for that decision? I went to a Congregationalist Church in my youth, but am nonreligious now. Spiritual, yes. However, I have way more faith in God than man. How do you know you hate avocados if you have never tasted one? How does anyone in government know if they agree or disagree with the ideas of others if they don’t open their damned minds and listen to the other side before dismissing them off-hand?

Both parties are guilty of being the boy in the bubble and it needs to stop – now. Whether they wish to admit it or not, we are at war with an enemy who would love nothing better than to see all Western nations obliterated from the face of the earth. In many cases they disguise themselves as fruitful citizens of the very countries they wish to destroy. This is not the type of war we are used to. It is as much psychological as traditional – perhaps more so. That being said, we must be ever watchful.

ISIS is by far the most dangerous cult we have faced in decades. A cult, you ask? Yes. Not much different in tactics and approach than Jim Jones, Charles Manson or the KKK. They target socially disassociated individuals and promise them many things – respect and fear from those who have hurt them in the past, the respect and honor of a god (or, in Manson’s case, Charlie himself), the respect and acceptance of others in the cult and the ability to destroy those they perceive to have tried to destroy them.

However, the aforementioned were pussycats compared to ISIS. Why? Well, for several reasons. Social media did not exist when those cults were in their heyday. Charismatic leaders with evil intent did not have the ability to stretch their tentacles across oceans or continents to reach their intended targets. Photos were carefully distributed as they are today. However, video was not available for international distribution, especially the professionally produced videos we see currently. In most cases, a person wishing to join the cults of yesterday had to physically attend church meetings, rallies or party with Charlie in order to become an initiate. I am not saying the KKK does not still exist, by the way. They have been made all but impotent because people reject their message more than accept it in today’s world.  The media did not report on the atrocities committed by those groups with the frequency and fervor that they do ISIS. The Manson murders were a big story for a bit. So was the People’s Temple massacre. But they soon faded into the ionosphere, as did the crimes committed by the Klan. And, in many cases the despicable acts of the Klan were committed in Southern States in which the media chose not to report on them at all.

ISIS is reaching into our children’s bedrooms and snatching their psyches right out from under our noses and POTUS can’t seem to grasp this concept. Statements by him and his administration show their naiveté over and over again. It is almost as though they perceive ISIS and the rest of the world as nothing more than siblings sitting in the back seat of the family truckster screaming “He’s on my side!” or “I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!” and all we have to do is yell at them and it will all stop. It is not going to stop. The killing of innocent children is not going to stop. The rape of young girls is not going to stop. The danger to Israel, those being held hostage, our homeland and the blameless caught in the crossfire is not going to stop. Killing our citizens on our soil is not going to stop. And if POTUS and Congress don’t end the bickering that has become all too common in DC these days and come up with a cogent plan to obliterate this boil from the ass of the world, it is only going to get worse. Then it will be all but impossible to stop.

Ennui

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I am not sure how this post is going to turn out. There is sadness, frustration and, yes, resignation flowing through my thoughts and I am not happy with any of those emotions.

Is the sadness a result of the knowledge that most Americans are willing to accept what those in DC are feeding us? A consequence of years of misinformation from both the White House and Congress that we have gotten to the point of “accepting those things [we] cannot change”? Or, the realization that we CAN change them, but are too lazy to do so? What happened to the American Spirit? Yeah, sure, we make snarky, sarcastic remarks about the policies and lack of same of the Ego in Chief. We yell at the TV when yet another insane proposal is made by a member of Congress that we know will never see the light of day or Barry acts like a little child by refusing to meet with our most treasured ally in the Middle East because he chose to talk to a joint session of Congress without permission. We sigh at the announcement of more committees to investigate the findings of other committees that were formed to decide if the very first committee’s findings were just partisan hogwash. Then we let them spend money that we really don’t have to fund said committees, bitch about the national debt under our breaths and bemoan the fact that we can do nothing about it.

Trust me. I am no better than any other American. I bitch, piss and moan right along with the rest of you. I wrack my brain trying to figure out what my one voice can do to change what our nation has become. Talking to the television has become second nature. My dogs think I’m nuts. No, not nuts. Just frustrated. I believed our Constitution would not allow us to get to this point. I believed that those we voted into office would respect the most important document in the history of our great nation. Instead, most of those in DC seem to spend time emulating the NFL – trying to figure out how to run plays that avoid the defensive line our forefathers built to save us from what we have become so that they can score points for their personal campaigns. Just another check in the “win column” so that they can use that to hold on to their cushy government jobs and become Legacies in the DC world. Short of leaving our homes and parking our butts on their doorsteps 24/7 (which seems not to work well, either) what recourse do we have? Do I sound defeatist? Perhaps. I really am not that kind of girl. Believe me, I have been reading and studying a lot over the past few years. The only power we seem to have, short of physically removing those who seem determined to ignore the will of the people and undermine the good works our forefathers did, is the power of our words. However, if our words are crumpled into a ball and thrown in the trash time after time after time, who among us is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and eradicate the cockroaches in the cupboard? Very few, I believe. We talk a good game. Then, we look at our comfy couches, flat screen TVs, fairly well-stocked pantries and sedentary lives and say to ourselves “Do I really want to jeopardize all of this for freedom?”

Freedom. Ha. Are we truly free when our government can tell us that we count less than those who cross the border illegally? That we should accept the fact that many American citizens will lose their jobs to H1B rated illegal workers who have been given Social Security numbers and drivers’ licenses? That the illnesses our children are contracting are just minor inconveniences we must endure in order to have a more affordable work force? Allow me a moment of immaturity. I have heard people labeled “stupid” because they believe the more recent epidemics of diseases that had been wiped out in America are the result of unvaccinated children crossing our border. You are “stupid” if you believe this is not the case. Immaturity moment has ended. Will those immigration advocates be so protective over illegals when the M13 roles double and triple in hard hit inner city communities and the death tolls rise, or will they join the rest of us in demanding better border security and a larger police presence in those areas? No, they will join in making more videos and organize demonstrations demanding the death of police officers. I used to criticize the police for accepting “toys” from the federal government – things that seem like overkill (pardon the pun) in small towns that previously knew nothing of violent crimes. I even deduced that they could be used if the Anointed One decided to declare Martial Law based upon some manufactured national crisis. That is a belief I still hold in the back of my mind, but after Ferguson I can sort of understand the desire of smaller police organizations to own equipment that can compensate for the lack of personnel if serious situations arise. Sort of…

Because Americans are constantly being pitted against one another based on race, ethnicity and religion day after day by the likes of Holder, Sharpton and Obama (and a whole host of others), we are ignoring one of the biggest threats to our nation since 1993. ISIS is not a threat to us since they are predominantly in Syria and Iraq? Really!?!? I am sure the rookie cops who were attacked by the man screaming “Allahu Akbar” and wielding a hatchet might disagree. Perhaps those who survived Fort Hood would have a thing or two to say about that. Or how about the family of the soldier killed at the Recruitment Center in Arkansas? The list can go on and on. Is it possible that the level of ignorance in the White House is so great that they believe one ocean will stop them dead in their tracks and put a halt to any violence in the United States? Does what people did 800 or 500 years ago in the name of Christ really even out the playing field? I guess we are supposed to accept the rapes, live burials, beheadings and burnings of live human beings because Christians committed heinous acts centuries ago. Just forgive and forget. We had our time, this is theirs. My inner angry woman keeps asking, “Is it January 20, 2017 yet?” I don’t know if our Republic can hold on that long.

It is sad that recalling the days of Jim Crow, Watts, Internment Camps during WWII, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Sandy Creek Massacre in Colorado can be used time and again to classify us as a nation of hate and divisiveness, but we are Islamophobic when we mention the crimes against humanity committed by ISIS. Sorry, Barry, I would rather be classified an Islamophobe than declared dead after a terrorist attack on US soil – which is inevitable and a lot more imminent than you think. I agree that what has happened to minorities in our nation, or original citizens such as the Native Americans, were horrific. We have worked hard as a nation to correct those wrongs. Not perfect yet, but we have come farther than many other nations in the world to mend our wounds. Although, you seem to be doing all you can to destroy the good we have accomplished. We need to concentrate on the threats of today, not the mistakes made in the past, if we want to survive as a nation. But, I have resigned myself to the belief that you truly dislike America.

This may sound like a strong statement. Maybe if you, just once, sounded sincere when you talk about protecting us and our most treasured way of life I would not feel that way. Perhaps if you stopped blaming the past and started fighting for the future for the sake of our children and grandchildren, I would excuse you for some of your lack of enthusiasm. Sadly, I stand by my statement that you dislike America. You seem to want a Saul Alinsky “paradise”. Those who choose not to educate themselves may think this would be a perfect world if their only source of information was the wide-eyed oratory of cult-like liberal Alinskyites. However, his world is not much different from that of Lenin or Stalin and I WILL get up off my dead ass to protect my child, my husband and my country from the horror of a future like that. Mark my words…

A personal message to the ignorant mobs “protesting” in New York tonight…

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maya angelou

It may seem odd to couple this quote from the great Maya Angelou with my post, but I do not hate.  I am angry, disgusted and in complete befuddlement by the actions of some people tonight.  Hence the following:

PISSED OFF WOMAN COMMENT TO FOLLOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! To the scum bag sons of bitches who are protesting as I write in my home town of NYC – FUCK YOU!!! You can’t even have the common decency that God gave a sand flea to wait until the officers who were assassinated protecting your sorry asses have been properly buried and give their families time to grieve!?!? A thirteen year old boy lost his father, his friend and his heart on Saturday. I would never wish something like that on your families. I would never wish any one of you dead or injured. Before you go out in public spewing your ignorance for the world to see, perhaps you should do this thing we call “reading”. I know that nothing is important unless Kim Kardashian’s ass is involved, but take the time and actually educate yourselves. Look up the facts on your precious cell phones and find out how many people were REALLY killed by police officers in the past 12 months for DOING NOTHING BUT SITTING IN THEIR CARS EATING LUNCH! You better disable the 9-1-1 functions on your phones, by the way. After all, why would you want a “murdering pig” to come save you if you are being robbed or raped, or someone in your home is having the shit beaten out of them by a loved one? Cops have not always been my friends and I have had my issues with them in the past. However, I never wished them dead and was always grateful that they were there when I needed them. I showed respect even when I disagreed with their reasons for dealing with me or my family. You all need to get the fuck home, mend your own houses and spend your time raising your children right instead of using 2 completely innocent police officers as the scapegoats for your shitty lives. Karma and God don’t play, mother fuckers. Remember that…

Bring me your poor, your hungry, your Ebola infected!?!?

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http://comicallyincorrect.com

Panic in tough situations is not in my nature. I am more of a “take charge” kind of person who collapses into a gallon of Pabst once the emergency is over. So, I feel that it is important to be concerned about the possibility of Ebola spreading within our borders; I do not believe it is time to hit the panic button – yet.

The Ego in Chief’s actions might change my views about this (and other communicable diseases) if he stays on his current, extremely wishy-washy course. There are so many questions to be answered and contradictory statements and actions to be explained, but the American public will never be told the entire story until we are living smack-dab in the middle of it.

News was released yesterday of a memorandum from The State Department (copied to the Department of Homeland Security and White House) outlining a plan to allow patients with active Ebola to be transported to the United States from West Africa for treatment. Of course, Mr. Less-than-Ernest uhmmed and ahhhhed his way through a lame statement directing reporters to ask those Departments about the memo because the White House had not read it – or some other such blather. According to what has been reported, the total financial toll per patient will be approximately $500,000.00. Seriously? We just spent (more than likely) our next three years’ budgets on accommodating thousands of potentially disease-ridden illegals, feeding them, clothing them and shipping them via air and land across the country without our knowledge! But, we can’t afford more Border Patrol agents or a completed fence?

These are the questions I would love to have answered (but never will):

  • We have sent some 3,000 troops to West Africa to build hospitals and assist with the current Ebola crisis there. Why are we putting them in harm’s way if the ultimate intent is to bring sick people here to be treated?
  • Why did we send regular ground troops and not the Army Corps of Engineers and/or Seabees if the mission is mainly to build medical and quarantine facilities? Oh, that would make sense! Answered my own question, I guess.
  • Part Two of the second question would be “Why are we putting them in harm’s way if the ultimate intent is to bring sick people here to be treated?” Why do we need to build facilities if the sick are not going to be there to use them?
  • I completely agree with the Pentagon and DOD’s assertions that the troops should be quarantined on the base in Italy before repatriating to the U.S. for 21 days to ensure that they have not contracted Ebola. Why is it so obvious a solution to the Military brass, but not to you, Barry, or your minions?
  • If planes can fly sick people into our country, why can’t they just send medical supplies to West Africa and let those people remain there? I am sure that the plasma from those who have survived Ebola can be transported safely by military aircraft and be used to treat patients in their home countries. Sorry, that was common sense. I will self-flagellate later 😉
  • How can the government expect us to trust the CDC (also “the government”) when they say that doctors and nurses exposed to Ebola patients both in West Africa and here at home are responsible enough to self-quarantine when they clearly are not? I don’t know about you, but I have more respect for other people than to hop on a plane to Ohio or take a few subway rides through New York City when I know I am within the 21 day incubation period. Sorry you’re bored. Catch up on your reading. Perhaps refresh your knowledge of the nature of Ebola and the fact that you can go from asymptomatic to full-blown infectious in a New York minute. Just a suggestion…
  • Perhaps the actions of the doctors and nurses who went to West Africa (or the nurse from Dallas who tended to Mr. Duncan) could be considered heroic. However, the “heroism” ends there. I see nothing heroic in not showing their fellow citizens the same respect and concern by disregarding all they know about this virus in order to satisfy their own needs. The nurse who was quarantined in New Jersey (until she whined so loud I could hear her in Colorado) is now openly stating that she will not be kept prisoner in her own home in Maine and fully intends to go out if she feels like it. Do they not remember taking the Hippocratic Oath? “I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure. I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.” (Lasagna, Hippocratic Oath).
  • Why can you, Barry, not keep your damned nose out of the states’ business and stop criticizing them for initiating their own forms of quarantine for those arriving from the infected areas? Personally, I do not think they are carrying it far enough! Fever or not, anyone with a Visa from West Africa should be quarantined for a minimum of 21 days before being allowed to engage with the general public. I would even go a step further. Quarantine them in their respective homelands for 21 days before they can get a Visa in the first place! Uh, oh. More common sense. AND, I guess I am a racist as well. Shit… You are not taking care of the business that is your business, so the people have to do it for you. Believe me, if I was able to build a fence along our southern border, I would do it myself. I would build humane quarantine facilities in the Border States and examine people for any and all communicable diseases. They would then be held for the time recommended for each individual disease or virus until they are medically cleared. Finally, I would ship them back to their own countries happy, healthy and out of our hair!

Take care of your own before others. If grown people choose to put themselves in harms’ way, they must accept responsibility for their actions, heroes or not. Our soldiers might be members of a volunteer military, but they seem to understand what others cannot. The mission is to protect our country, our children, first and foremost – above all else. All you care about protecting, Mr. Obama, is your own skinny ass.

I would like to thank Antonio F. Branco for allowing me to use his wonderful cartoon in this blog. Mr. Branco is an extremely talented artist with a kick butt sense of sarcasm and an uncanny grasp of the importance of events affecting our nation. The link to his work is

http://comicallyincorrect.com/

I highly recommend a visit to his site. ~Katrina

Fair Warning…

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I apologize to those who follow my blog that nothing new has been added in 2 or 3 weeks.  I have been fighting with the MS that seems to want to screw with my hands and I absolutely dislike talking into a microphone while the computer prints my words.  This old broad doesn’t work that way.

Anyway, the anger towards the state our nation is in has been building – and I have been taking copious mental notes about the string of injustices that have occurred in the past month.  Today I plan to park my butt in front of my computer and write my little fingers off.

If I don’t post it today, it will definitely appear tomorrow.  My apologies to Cry and Howl for not being a good contributor.  I promise to do better in the future.

~Katrina

Anti-Gun Nut Orgasms to Commence in 3…2…1

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Tragically, yet another school shooting occurred today. Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon was the scene of the shooting. Since it happened within the past 2 to 3 hours, details are scarce. The only fact police will confirm is that the shooter is dead.

We know nothing about the person who made a conscious decision to go to this school with the intention of harming or killing someone, but it has been reported that Reynolds High School does not have armed security personnel within the building.  Although they do have two police officers on the school grounds, the officers are located outside not within the building where most school shootings occur.  If they hear the shots, the officers have to run to the building, determine where the sounds came from and waste time locating the shooter.  If armed security personnel were located within the building at various locations, their chances of ending an incident and preventing further tragedy would be much greater.

I believe that any town council or school board members who vote to declare our schools “Gun Free Zones” (You know, a building containing hundreds of children with an implied open invitation to “Come on in and harm our kids. We’ll wait for the police.”) should be charged as accessories to any crimes committed by an individual (or individuals) with a knife, firearm, bomb or other device.   Stationing armed, well-trained security personnel within our schools would not invite more incidents such as this. It would discourage them. If teachers were permitted to carry licensed firearms and receive proper training from either the FBI or local police agencies, it would discourage potential shooters from trying. However, that would make sense and we all know those who seek to eradicate personal firearms from the face of the earth don’t have any.

Another issue is that teachers and parents need to PAY A-FUCKING-TTENTION to their kids! Are they much more depressed than the average teenager? Are they angry all of the time? Do they isolate themselves from the family or other kids their age? Are their grades slipping? Do they express anxiety about going to school? A million clues can reveal themselves if you take the time to look. I personally believe that school shootings have very little to do with the gun, and a great deal to do with the mental state of the person holding it. One or two hours a week with a psychologist or psychiatrist could save ten or twenty lives in some cases.

We, as a society, need to understand that there are those who struggle tremendously to feel comfortable in social situations. They cannot relate to people and simple therapy sessions are not enough. Willowbrook is gone and the regulations for in-patient mental health care are much more stringent than even ten years ago. Inspections are more frequent and many times the families have an important role in the care regimen for their loved ones. Why, then, is it so difficult for a highly trained psychiatrist to place a patient in one of these facilities if they feel the patient is a danger to him/herself or others?

Banning firearms is not the answer. There have been several incidents of late in which the weapon has been a kitchen knife. Are we going to be required to register our cutlery next?

Calling it as I See it…

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Okay, I am getting really tired of waking up every morning and hearing some reporter state that “The President signed an Executive Action for…” Just sayin’.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I have a question for you. Does anyone else see anything wrong with the Administration and various agencies in the government having video conferences with the deserter’s parents, but keeping Congress out of the loop because of fears information might be leaked? Anyone?

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), a charter member of the Barry Fan Club, seems to be as perplexed by this whole state of affairs as I am. Never in my life would I have thought that I would agree with her on anything whatsoever.

So, now the question must be raised about how much classified information the Bergdahls’ were privy to. Were they aware that five extremely dangerous prisoners would be traded for their son? Did they push for this? After all, Mr. Bergdahl seems quite at ease with communicating his desire to empty out Gitmo in this tweet (later removed from his account): stupidity

Was this tweet removed by him or our government for fear that it might tip off others about the Administration’s plans to make this treasonous trade? Yes, I said treasonous. Deal with it. The Ego in Chief essentially released five enemy combatants back into their stomping grounds, knowing full well (by his own admission) that they will most likely return to their previous positions in the Taliban during a time of war. This is not the “end of the war”, Barry. You have set that date for the end of 2016. This is 2014. We are currently still fighting a war, dumbass.

It can be argued that the physical combat in Afghanistan might end in 2016, but the Taliban, Haqqani network, Al Qaeda and all the other bottom feeders in the world will continue their jihad against America and her allies until the entire world is bowing to Mecca. Thus, we could be “at war” for eternity. Our fight has never been against the people of Iraq or Afghanistan, but terrorist entities who wish to control them and destroy us.

Barry, I believe I have finally figured out why four Americans died in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. You and the rest of our intelligence and military agencies were chatting with the Bergdahls and could not find the time to walk into the Situation Room and try to save our people! No, you were working on releasing more terrorists into the world while the ones running around loose were attacking the post in Benghazi. I know this is just conjecture on my part, but based upon recent developments I would not be surprised if this were the case.

By the way, you might have forgotten about Andrew Tahmooressi – USMC – being held in Mexico. Oh, wait. Silly me. You are probably conducting daily video conference calls with his mother and the authorities in Mexico to secure his release, aren’t you? Of course you are…

Dear Mr. Obama…

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Dear Mr. Obama,

I am the parent, husband, wife, sibling or child of a U.S. Military Veteran who sat (forgotten and neglected) on a waiting list with the Veteran’s Administration to see a doctor for treatment. I did not know my loved one’s name had been placed in a drawer, in the dark shadows of some bureaucrat’s desk. It no longer matters. They are gone now. If the list that contains their name is ever found, you can remove it. Your “help” is no longer needed.

I am a member of the Military who is still serving in Afghanistan. You know, one of the people whose life you put in jeopardy by again announcing a timeline for withdrawal of our troops. If my transportation home is a flag-draped coffin, please stay away when I arrive. My family will not need you to remind them why I am being carried by six of my fellow service members and not carrying my child in my arms for the first time.

I am a Border Patrol Agent who witnessed the death of Brian Terry at the hands of illegal thugs who carried weapons supplied by you. I look at the bean bag in my hand as I load my “gun” and wonder why I still do this when you have just released thousands of convicted illegal criminals into our system. I look across the border and think of Andrew Tahmooressi, a U.S. Marine being held in a Mexican jail because of a wrong turn. Then, I turn my head toward my home land and question why you have let illegal immigrant murderers and rapists run free while he sits there… My friend is in the ground, his family still has no answers and one of our Marines is held captive in a country that is supposed to be our ally.   Do you even care?

I am the spouse of a victim of the radical Islamist who killed 13 at Fort Hood. You remember that, don’t you? It was nothing but workplace violence according to your Attorney General. I and our 4 children are suffering not only from the loss of my spouse and their parent, but financially. Because of the bad decisions made by all of you in Washington, benefits we should be entitled to will not come. I work two jobs and my children have essentially lost both parents, although I am fortunate enough to tuck them in at night when my second shift allows.

I am the son of a Sargent in the U.S. Army who I never met. I do not know if my father is alive or dead. He is a POW in Viet Nam. Well, that is what we were told by some who were able to escape and come home. How can you allow Jay Carney to stand there in front of the American people and explain that Sgt. Bergdahl was released through a deal you made with the Taliban because Americans do not leave our soldiers behind? If that is so, why did I have to grow up without my father? What have you done to secure the release (or find the remains) of our men and women who are either MIA or POWs in Viet Nam? Nothing. Not a damned thing!

I am a former POW who was held in the Hanoi Hilton for 8 years. Our guards did not speak to us in English. In fact, they rarely spoke to us at all. They communicated through torture. However, even being isolated from my fellow Americans did not cause me to forget my native tongue nor did the North Vietnamese succeed in indoctrinating me into their form of Communism no matter how many days they withheld food and water, or committed unspeakable acts of torment and pain. I was captured when my helicopter went down. I did not leave my base to seek them out. I went into the POW camp an American, and I remain an American today – language, customs and all.

I am a NYC Firefighter (Retired) who is now battling a rare form of cancer. Although my doctor says it was most likely caused by the work I did at Ground Zero on (and long after) that horrific day in September 2001, I still await the help my country promised me. I know you were not in charge then, but you are now and any decisions concerning the care all of us were to receive were made under your watch. I watched many young men and women enlist after that day. Our small part of Staten Island felt like a ghost town when they left. Only a few returned. In speech after speech you have taken credit for “decimating” the head of the snake that is the Taliban. Why then, sir, are you reattaching it to the body by releasing the worst-of-the-worst into Afghanistan? Do you need a new “shiny thing” that badly? Maybe this disease is a blessing in disguise. I will doubtless be gone before the next terror strike on our beloved nation. In fact I pray for it to be so.

I am one of those told to stand down on September 11, 2012. I ran toward the fire despite those orders. I survived, unlike Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. We were under attack by terrorists, period. Now you have chosen to release five high-ranking members of the Taliban. How many times are you going to spit on the memories of those men?

I am a resident of Boston. Martin Richard was 8-years-old when he was killed by terrorists on our own soil during the Boston Marathon. Can you explain to his family why one man was so important that you had to send five Taliban members back to their homeland? Most likely not.

Sir, by your own words and actions you have proven that you would have done less harm to the American people by remaining either an ineffectual Senator or a Community Organizer. We do not need your perversion of the truth or stump speeches anymore. Do us all a favor and stick to golf. If you are going to spend our money, at least do it on something you don’t suck at.

Sincerely,

Those Americans Who Pay Attention

All about him…

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If I were the parent of a cadet graduating from West Point today, I would be hard pressed not to smack the Ego in Chief in the face today.  With the exception of about 5 or 10 lines in his “stump speech”, it was all about him.  It was about justifying the weaknesses of his administration when it comes to foreign affairs.  Oh, and we were reminded yet again (as his nose grew and grew) that the major Al Qaeda forces along the Afghan/Pakistan border were decimated.  Yup, he really went there.

Barry, this might help you look like less of a fool in the future.  It is the definition of decimate from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

Decimate – destroy, devastate, annihilate, ruin, slaughter, demolish, reduce, cut a swath through, lay waste to, cut down.

None of this has happened and you know it.

I always thought that Commencement Ceremonies were about congratulating people for the accomplishments they have achieved, giving them some sort of pep talk about what they can expect when going out on their own to begin their lives and a small bit about past experiences the chosen speaker has had that might provide encouragement and wisdom to the graduating class.

Boy, he really earned the title “Ego in Chief” today.  Well, at least the graduates had a chance to nap before the big day ahead of them. 🙂

Affirmative Action – Stepping Stone or Stumbling Block?

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This is a paper I wrote for my American Government class in 2012.  Given the recent ruling by the Supreme Court regarding the issue of Affirmative Action, I thought I would share my thoughts with you.  It is well cited, so I suggest any reader should access the links provided in the Works Cited section before commenting 🙂

Affirmative Action – Stepping Stone or Stumbling Block?

Katrina L. Velsor

POS-111/500: American Government

Professor Meredith McKee

November 15, 2012

 In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order (EO) 10925 that mandated equal opportunities for employment in the Government sector “without regard to race, creed, color or national origin” (Teaching American History.org, 2012). It also prohibited discrimination when awarding government contracts to civilian contractors. At the time, sex was not included under what was later to be known as Affirmative Action (Ibid). Those who supported the concept of affirmative action in the 1960s had been fighting a long battle against segregation, discrimination and racism in the United States and EO 10925 was looked upon as a good start toward equality for all Americans. Those in opposition feared that Affirmative Action might cause them to lose income and create financial hardships for their families. It would be naïve to assume that there were not individuals who opposed the Executive Order due to racist attitudes, as well. Since 1961, many changes have been made to President Kennedy’s original Executive Order that include private sector hiring practices, the inclusion of extending equal opportunities to someone without regard to their sex and equal opportunities in the academic realm (NYU.edu, 2012). Affirmative Action, while created with the best of intentions, is no longer necessary in American society. The Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provide ample protection to all citizens. Society appears to be far less tolerant of racism and racist acts. The establishment of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity (now known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC) in EO 10925 ensures that all job applicants, contractors and potential college students will be treated equally regardless of their minority status, not because of it (Teaching American History.org, 2012). Affirmative Action has created an environment that may cause potential employers to discriminate against non-minority citizens due to a desire by the employer to maintain a more accurate representation of the percentages of minority citizens within American society. I am not in favor of Affirmative Action as it appears to alter the perception of their capabilities as an individual in a negative manner.

Many arguments have been brought before the Supreme Court relating to Affirmative Action. Cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Gratz v. Bollinger, Grutter v. Bollinger and most recently Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin either sought to clarify or redefine Affirmative Action. In Bakke, the court determined that race could be used as a factor in college admissions, but not the only reason a person is or is not accepted. Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger were based on a premise similar to Bakke, and the Court decided that Gratz did use race above the merits of the individual applicant, whereas Grutter considered both factors when determining admission into the University Of Michigan Law School (Janda, Berry & Goldman, pp. 559-560). Fisher has yet to be decided. It is clear that the above referenced cases dealt with the effects of Affirmative Action on the academic admissions process. Being admitted to college because one is a minority and not in spite of it might cause that person to doubt their ability to compete on merits alone. If a person’s test scores are lower than those of someone who is not a minority, but that person is admitted anyway, one might question if that individual was being set up to fail. The same set of questions could be asked if the situation were reversed and a white male was admitted based on his race and not his test scores.  The testing process, though arguably not a true measure of one’s academic skills due to the potential for test anxiety, exists for a reason. If an individual does not test well in mathematics, it does not appear to be fair to that individual to admit them into a program in which they will be yards behind the starting line on day one.

“Although about three-fourths of white Americans consistently agree that blacks should “work their way up… without any special favors,” so do about half of black Americans.  Although 85% or more of whites endorse “ability” rather than “preferential treatment” to determine who gets jobs and college slots, so do about three-fifths of blacks” (Hochschild, JL, 1999).

 

There is the possibility for “reverse discrimination” when private employers, colleges or agencies within the government use Affirmative Action in their hiring or promotion practices. Reverse discrimination is defined as “discrimination against whites or males (as in employment or education)” by Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. In New Haven, Connecticut the Fire Department offered a promotional exam to those who were qualified to take it. Eighteen White and one Hispanic firefighter passed the test, but none of the African-American candidates did. The Fire Department chose to invalidate the results and no one was promoted. Mr. Ricci, the firefighter who scored highest on the test and the seventeen others who passed, brought their case to the Supreme Court on the basis of reverse discrimination. Justice Kennedy wrote the court’s decision, stating that “…allowing ‘employers to discard the results of lawful and beneficial promotional exams even when there is little if any evidence of disparate-impact discrimination…would amount to a de facto quota system’” In her dissention, Justice Ginsburg mentioned a “long history of race discrimination in firefighting.” However, one of those who passed the test is Hispanic – a minority. Justice Alito wrote a concurrence to the majority decision. He opined that “…they [the firefighters who brought the case] have a right to demand…evenhanded enforcement of the law – of Title VII’s [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964] prohibition against discrimination based on race” (NYTimes.com, 2012).  So, instead of eliminating racial bias, Affirmative Action has created an avenue for bias in a different form.

It is a fact that “ those of minority are more likely to be born into poverty then [sic] those who are white; 29 percent of Hispanic kids and 33 percent of Black kids and only 10 percent of White kids are born below the poverty line” (NYU.edu, 2012). Taking the socioeconomic background of a college or job applicant into consideration is one of the possibly untended aspects of Affirmative Action. However, if the federal and state governments would institute programs such as Charter Schools and School Choice Vouchers, the parents of minority children might have a fighting chance at improving their child’s educational experience. Giving someone a fighting chance to compete from the start of their lives produces a better result for their future than allowing them to flounder in a system that isn’t working. A strong educational foundation might produce better test scores, which would allow an individual to be accepted on their merits and not the color of their skin. That, in turn, would increase the individual’s level of self-esteem which could carry forward into their personal and working lives.

There are many private organizations that are working in communities in which the population is composed predominantly of minority families. Peaches and Greens, Girls Inc., The Women’s Bean Project and Wounded Warriors’ Project among hundreds of others contribute to improving self-esteem, education programs, and ways to be financially independent in a struggling economy. Some have job fairs and even employ residents to work for their organizations. Through the good works of these organizations, individuals might begin to feel that the small bit of assistance the Affirmative Action policy gives them is unnecessary. As mentioned previously, education reform (especially in economically challenged areas) needs to take place. More attention must be paid to the conditions under which children living in the inner cities and other depressed areas of the country are being educated. Vouchers and Charter Schools are a good start.

Regarding employment and college admissions, the ideal situation would be one in which the race or sex of the job or college applicant is unknown to the decision-maker until and unless the time comes when a face-to-face meeting is necessary. At that point, one would hope that the decision-maker has pre-judged the individual on their merits and physical appearance would be inconsequential. Although racism and sexism still exist, they are no longer the norm. It seems that society judges individuals on who they are and not what they are today more so than during the 1960s when President Kennedy signed EO 10925. During that era, one can understand how a policy such as Affirmative Action would be necessary. More Americans have, all too slowly, begun to understand the true meaning of the dream Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”  (BrainyQuote.com, 2012).

 

 

References

Janda, K., Berry, J.M., Goldman, J. The Challenge of Democracy, 11th Ed. 2008. Boston. Wadsworth.

Hochschild, JL. 1999. Affirmative Action as Culture War. The Cultural Territories of Race: Black and White Boundaries. :343-368., Chicago IL and New York: University of Chicago Press and Russell Sage Foundation. 2012. Web. http://scholar.harvard.edu/jlhochschild/publications/affirmative-action-culture-war Accessed November 15, 2012.

The New York Times. Supreme Court Finds Bias Against White Firefighters.2009. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/us/30scotus.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Accessed November 15, 2012.

Brainy Quote. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes. 2012. Web. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth115056.html   Accessed November 15, 2012.

TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Executive Order 10925. 2012. Web.   http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=541 Accessed November 15, 2012.

NYU.edu. Affirmative Action History. 2012. Web. http://www.nyu.edu/classes/jackson/social.issues/papers/AfActGrG.html Accessed November 15, 2012.

 

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2012. Web.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20discrimination Accessed November 15, 2012.