Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Monday, July 05, 2010
The War in Hemet
By Douglas V. Gibbs
A friend of mine that lives in Michigan gave me a call a couple months ago asking me, "What's going on in Los Angeles?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I hear that gangs are attacking the police, booby-trapping the police department offices, and blowing up city vehicles."
"That," I replied, "is not happening in Los Angeles. It is happening about a twenty minute drive up the road from where I live in a town called Hemet."
On December 31st natural gas was rerouted into the office of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force office, and it was rigged to explode. The attempt failed.
On February 23rd a gun attached to the gate of the office of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force was rigged to fire when the gate was opened by an officer punching in his code. The shot barely missed the officer opening the gate.
On March 5th a deadly device was affixed to an officer's vehicle, but it fell off when the officer parked the vehicle at a convenience store. The device failed to explode.
On March 23rd four Hemet code-enforcement pickups were destroyed by fire while parked at City Hall.
On April 12th the Hemet police firing range was torched in a blaze caused by arson.
On June 4th a World War II-era bazooka training rocket ignited a pallet fire. The rocket had been aimed at the roof of a market at the Hemet Police Station.
On June 28th a fire destroyed the inside of the Hemet police evidence storage facility.
The Hemet area is not historically a gang infested area, or at least not until the last decade or so. Hemet is more known for being a retirement community, instead. The joke used to be that no city had more banks and mortuaries. This is not to say Hemet hasn't had its share of difficulties. Because of the city's location, which has a tendency to get quite warm in the summer, and the city is not near any other largely populated area, prices have always stayed down, and so some parts of Hemet has attracted lower income residents. With the low-income influx came the gang elements with it.
During the housing boom the least expensive homes in Southern California, far away from the chaos of Los Angeles, were in Hemet. The city grew, but so did the lower income zone.
In Los Angeles, the Black and Hispanic gangs hate each other. In Hemet, they work together. However, the main problem seems to be Motorcycle gangs and white supremacist gangs.
Now, with the Hemet offices being in a new location, moving from Latham to Florida Ave., the gangs have decided to target the city's facilities. Some say the attacks are because Hemet has been willing to crack down on gangs.
The goal is the same as with other violent groups. They believe if they are violent enough, eventually the forces for law and order will back down. Fortunately, Hemet's law enforcement has not done such a thing. Instead, they have stepped up their efforts, and now have arrested two of the men they believe may have been orchestrating the seven attacks against Hemet's officers.
Physical evidence located at the scene of one attack linked one suspect, but he may very well have been involved in all seven attacks. The case is also being reviewed for possible federal charges.
The second suspect was arrested on a parole violation, a felon in possession of a firearm. Though there is no evidence he is connected to the attacks against Hemet police officers, he knows the first suspect, and has other incriminating connections.
Hemet Police are still searching for two other suspects.
The arrests are the result of the work of a six month investigation by the Hemet Police Department, Riverside County Sheriff, district attorney's office, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Though no one has been injured in any of the attacks, booby-traps, assassination attempts, and arsons are serious crimes, and the hunt is far from over. I have a feeling the attacks have not reached an end, either.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
2 men arrested in Hemet police attacks; 2 suspects remain at large, authorities say - Los Angeles Times
Two Arrested in Hemet Police Attacks - Press Enterprise
A friend of mine that lives in Michigan gave me a call a couple months ago asking me, "What's going on in Los Angeles?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I hear that gangs are attacking the police, booby-trapping the police department offices, and blowing up city vehicles."
"That," I replied, "is not happening in Los Angeles. It is happening about a twenty minute drive up the road from where I live in a town called Hemet."
On December 31st natural gas was rerouted into the office of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force office, and it was rigged to explode. The attempt failed.
On February 23rd a gun attached to the gate of the office of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force was rigged to fire when the gate was opened by an officer punching in his code. The shot barely missed the officer opening the gate.
On March 5th a deadly device was affixed to an officer's vehicle, but it fell off when the officer parked the vehicle at a convenience store. The device failed to explode.
On March 23rd four Hemet code-enforcement pickups were destroyed by fire while parked at City Hall.
On April 12th the Hemet police firing range was torched in a blaze caused by arson.
On June 4th a World War II-era bazooka training rocket ignited a pallet fire. The rocket had been aimed at the roof of a market at the Hemet Police Station.
On June 28th a fire destroyed the inside of the Hemet police evidence storage facility.
The Hemet area is not historically a gang infested area, or at least not until the last decade or so. Hemet is more known for being a retirement community, instead. The joke used to be that no city had more banks and mortuaries. This is not to say Hemet hasn't had its share of difficulties. Because of the city's location, which has a tendency to get quite warm in the summer, and the city is not near any other largely populated area, prices have always stayed down, and so some parts of Hemet has attracted lower income residents. With the low-income influx came the gang elements with it.
During the housing boom the least expensive homes in Southern California, far away from the chaos of Los Angeles, were in Hemet. The city grew, but so did the lower income zone.
In Los Angeles, the Black and Hispanic gangs hate each other. In Hemet, they work together. However, the main problem seems to be Motorcycle gangs and white supremacist gangs.
Now, with the Hemet offices being in a new location, moving from Latham to Florida Ave., the gangs have decided to target the city's facilities. Some say the attacks are because Hemet has been willing to crack down on gangs.
The goal is the same as with other violent groups. They believe if they are violent enough, eventually the forces for law and order will back down. Fortunately, Hemet's law enforcement has not done such a thing. Instead, they have stepped up their efforts, and now have arrested two of the men they believe may have been orchestrating the seven attacks against Hemet's officers.
Physical evidence located at the scene of one attack linked one suspect, but he may very well have been involved in all seven attacks. The case is also being reviewed for possible federal charges.
The second suspect was arrested on a parole violation, a felon in possession of a firearm. Though there is no evidence he is connected to the attacks against Hemet police officers, he knows the first suspect, and has other incriminating connections.
Hemet Police are still searching for two other suspects.
The arrests are the result of the work of a six month investigation by the Hemet Police Department, Riverside County Sheriff, district attorney's office, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Though no one has been injured in any of the attacks, booby-traps, assassination attempts, and arsons are serious crimes, and the hunt is far from over. I have a feeling the attacks have not reached an end, either.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
2 men arrested in Hemet police attacks; 2 suspects remain at large, authorities say - Los Angeles Times
Two Arrested in Hemet Police Attacks - Press Enterprise
NASA; First Climate Change, Then An Asteroid, Now Islam
By Douglas V. Gibbs
Last February President Barack Obama made it loud and clear that he was not hip with this space program stuff, unless of course it could be used to save the world from Hollywood-proportion catastrophes. In other words, Obama scrapped the plans for a 2020 return to the moon, canceled the Aries Rocket program that would get us there, and then decided NASA would monitor global warming. Then, a little bit later, he let the cat out of the bag that saving the planet from mythical man-made Climate Change was not enough to make him look like Bruce Willis, or Denzel, or whoever it is he is trying to emulate. To save the world from more catastrophe, because global warming isn't enough to worry about, he also decided to take on the lofty goal of visiting an asteroid by 2025. Sure, it may take 15 years to complete this daunting mission, but Mr. Obama would definitely go down in mythology, I mean history, as the man that was willing to carry the ultimate safety of the planet on his shoulders. You see, by visiting the asteroid, we will learn how to purposely move an asteroid, to nudge the space rock to change its trajectory. Such a feat, Obama has said, would show that humanity could deflect a space rock if one threatened to crash into the planet.
Bravo, bravo, you are such a hero oh mighty Obamanation.
Besides, with all this spending he has been doing, changing NASA's missions will probably save a few bucks, and at the rate these cockroaches are spending money, any cut into the funding of important stuff will help. After all, we wouldn't dare reduce the spending on programs that keep leaches afloat, or keep food stamp recipients from gambling in casinos and getting lap dances at local cabarets.
Ooops, sorry, that's a California thing.
Well, the whole sha-bang isn't written in stone, yet. Remember, President "Lotsa Talk and No Action" teleprompters a good game, but all he is really good at is golfing, reading other people's speeches, and organizing Marxist wannabes to destroy the American form of government.
Ahh, but the great Obama isn't done yet! He has more rabbits, or maybe flying donkeys, to pull out of his magical hat of tricks!
Get this, NASA has yet another new mission, but this one will really make you scratch your head. The White House is directing NASA to (drum roll please). . . improve relations with the Muslim world.
Uh, are there terrorists in space?
No, no, no. It seems that NASA is our latest tool in diplomatic diplomacy.
Among the top tasks assigned to NASA by none other than Barry Obama himself is better interaction with the Muslim world so that we can ultimately advance space travel. NASA is to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science.
Maybe all that help will help them make sharper swords for Jihad.
NASA's lead administrator was in the Middle East last month marking the one-year anniversary since Obama delivered an address to Muslim nations in Cairo. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he described space travel as an international collaboration of which Muslim nations must be a part.
Ahhhh, I see. Let's let them learn how to launch suicide bombing satellites!
Hey, can camels survive in space?
Then, since Obama doesn't want the United States to be exceptional, or the leader in anything, NASA's Administrator Charles Bolden said the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own and that no country is going to make it to Mars without international help.
It turns out our president is Rodney King.
Can't we all just get along?
So the way to boldly go where no one has gone before is to completely befuddle science, and turn it into a political opportunity. Why else would Obama cancel the agency's Constellation program, which was building new rockets and spaceships capable of returning astronauts to the moon, and instead demand that NASA fix mythical man-made global warming, and create international cooperation with Islam, an ideology that could care less about working with us, unless of course we are all dead?
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
NASA: Obama's Problem With The Space Program - Political Pistachio
NASA to undertake new mission to study arctic climate change - Headliner Watch
NASA's New Asteroid Mission Could Save the Planet - Space Frontier Foundation
NASA Chief: Next Frontier Better Relations With Muslim World - Fox News
Then, since Obama doesn't want the United States to be exceptional, or the leader in anything, NASA's Administrator Charles Bolden said the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own and that no country is going to make it to Mars without international help.
It turns out our president is Rodney King.
Can't we all just get along?
So the way to boldly go where no one has gone before is to completely befuddle science, and turn it into a political opportunity. Why else would Obama cancel the agency's Constellation program, which was building new rockets and spaceships capable of returning astronauts to the moon, and instead demand that NASA fix mythical man-made global warming, and create international cooperation with Islam, an ideology that could care less about working with us, unless of course we are all dead?
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
NASA: Obama's Problem With The Space Program - Political Pistachio
NASA to undertake new mission to study arctic climate change - Headliner Watch
NASA's New Asteroid Mission Could Save the Planet - Space Frontier Foundation
NASA Chief: Next Frontier Better Relations With Muslim World - Fox News
The American Dream, Welfare, and Personal Responsibility - Political Pistachio
Have You No Faith?
By Douglas V. Gibbs
Last night we watched fireworks from our perches, and we remembered what it is like to be an American. We paid tribute to those that came before us, to those that fought for freedom, and died for liberty. This nation was not born. It was forged by men willing to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
Freedom was fought for. It was not given to us.
As with our lives, nations endure storms. The times get tough, and we have a choice. Do we run over to the edge of the boat and spend the trip puking, or do we brave the storm, get our sea legs, and grab hold of the wheel so that we may steer the ship out of the storm?
This brings to mind the story about the apostles traveling across the Sea of Galilee. A storm whips up. Waves crash against the tiny boat. Winds blow so hard the masts nearly snap. The boat rocked viciously, and the men on board were sure they were going to die.
The apostles ran downstairs and approached Jesus, who was sleeping down below. "Lord," they called out, "Will you have us die in this storm?"
"Have you no faith?" replied the Christ.
After rising, Jesus walked up topside, and calmed the seas and the winds, and the boat eventually made it to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
Our lives, and our nations, are much like that boat on the waters of Galilee. He never promised us a smooth ride, but he did tell us he'd get us to the other side.
And why should we want a smooth ride? Is it not the storms of life that teach us our lessons, and helps construct our character?
My son, and I, were speaking recently. He has had a rough go at life over the past decade, and he said to me, "I have been praying and praying and God has answered none of my prayers."
I responded, "That is not true. He answered every prayer and you did not recognize it. You expected God to be like a Genie in a bottle, or like Jesus on the main deck of that boat on Galilee, and just calm the storms and let you go your way. But instead, He has provided you with storms to learn from, and rather than greet them as lessons, you felt sorry for yourself and puked over the side of the boat. A patient man becomes patient from enduring impatient situations. A humble man becomes humble after experiencing a number of events that taught him humility. A wise man does not gain his wisdom without being tested, and learning his wisdom along the way."
Speaking at events, and hosting a Constitution Study in Temecula, I often receive from the listeners the downtrodden statement that we have gone past the point of no return. Our government has taken too much from us, and the people have foolishly voted us into socialism. There is no turning back. Our ship is sinking.
Have you no faith?
If there was only one man left standing that was willing to fight for liberty, liberty would not be dead.
Independence Day celebrates the accomplishments of the Founding Fathers of this nation. They fought, and they died, so that we may have liberty. Freedom is something that must be continuously worked for. We have allowed the enemies of America to infiltrate our government, and to manipulate our way of life, and much of us are crying, "Well, nothing we can do. Government does what it does, and I am powerless to stop it."
Have you no faith?
An active America is a free America. We must vote in every election. We must volunteer for the candidates we most support. We must grab a hold of the wheel and steer the ship out of the storm, and back in the direction of liberty.
Storms end. The question is, are you willing to allow the ship to sink because you were never willing to do anything to set the ship on a course back to what was originally intended, or are you willing to be active, and be a part of taking this ship out of the storm?
I believe we can turn this around. I believe in November the Republicans will win big. But we can't be happy with that, because the GOP is just as capable of acting like idiots like the Democrats. We must be all over them, making sure they do the right things, making sure they act upon principles, not politics.
I have faith in the American People. I have faith that the storm is but a learning experience for us. I believe that we will look back at this time in history as the moment America nearly fell, and Patriotic Americans saved it from the brink of disaster.
God Bless America. The shore is in sight. I have faith we will reach it.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Another Crisis Goes To Waste
By Douglas V. Gibbs
The current powers in control of our government needs crisis to advance their agenda. If there is no crisis, then people are happy with the way things are, and no change is necessary. The oil spill was a gift to them, caused by the high pressure of abiotic reserves that even BP could not prepare for.
Before the spill, the left had been trying to manufacture crisis in other ways, and none of their attempts panned out the way they had hoped.
One such attempt was the H1N1 Virus. They tried to convince us that the virus would kill millions. The Swine Flu Vaccine was the only thing that could save us. Some believed the vaccine had some kind of chemicals in it to control the people, or something like that. I did not believe such a thing. However, what I felt they were trying to do was show the people through being the saviors through a massive crisis that it was the government the people can depend on. In other words, they were attempting to create loyalty by saving everybody from disaster. This is one of the reasons I believed they may try to force the vaccine on us through mandatory innoculations.
Problem was, the crisis never panned out the way they had hoped. The virus never spread like the flu in Stephen King's novel "The Stand," and many folks refused to be inoculated in the first place. As a result of their failed crisis, and despite their panicked claims there were not enough vaccines to go around, 40 million doses worth about $260 million is being written off as trash because it has expired.
The huge purchase of vaccines went unused, and the population killing virus never killed more than what the regular flu does anyway.
So much for that crisis.
You see, the left tries to use crisis to change behavior. They do the same with taxes, fines, fees, and other socialist policies. It is like they are trying to herd us around like a flock of sheep into their socialist pens. Problem is, the American People are smarter than that. We see through their madness. . . or at least most of us do.
No enemy can stand against us, neither foreign or domestic.
It will take a much better crisis than a virus that fizzles out, or an oil spill in the gulf that is but a trickle when you compare it to the gulf as a whole, to convince us to betray liberty.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Millions of Swine Flu Vaccine Doses Have Expired and Will Be Burned - CNS News
One such attempt was the H1N1 Virus. They tried to convince us that the virus would kill millions. The Swine Flu Vaccine was the only thing that could save us. Some believed the vaccine had some kind of chemicals in it to control the people, or something like that. I did not believe such a thing. However, what I felt they were trying to do was show the people through being the saviors through a massive crisis that it was the government the people can depend on. In other words, they were attempting to create loyalty by saving everybody from disaster. This is one of the reasons I believed they may try to force the vaccine on us through mandatory innoculations.
Problem was, the crisis never panned out the way they had hoped. The virus never spread like the flu in Stephen King's novel "The Stand," and many folks refused to be inoculated in the first place. As a result of their failed crisis, and despite their panicked claims there were not enough vaccines to go around, 40 million doses worth about $260 million is being written off as trash because it has expired.
The huge purchase of vaccines went unused, and the population killing virus never killed more than what the regular flu does anyway.
So much for that crisis.
You see, the left tries to use crisis to change behavior. They do the same with taxes, fines, fees, and other socialist policies. It is like they are trying to herd us around like a flock of sheep into their socialist pens. Problem is, the American People are smarter than that. We see through their madness. . . or at least most of us do.
No enemy can stand against us, neither foreign or domestic.
It will take a much better crisis than a virus that fizzles out, or an oil spill in the gulf that is but a trickle when you compare it to the gulf as a whole, to convince us to betray liberty.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Millions of Swine Flu Vaccine Doses Have Expired and Will Be Burned - CNS News
The Longest Independence Day
By Douglas V. Gibbs
I remember as a child when along the 91 Freeway on a spillway of a dam near Corona was being painted with a huge mural that stated, "200 years of Freedom, 1776 - 1976."
The Bicentennial was coming, and I anticipated July 4th more than anything.
As a kid, history was one of my favorite things. I loved reading about the men who placed their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor at risk so that they could deliver freedom to the masses in the form of a government like no other.
July 4, 1976 was something spectacular. The colors seemed a little brighter, the sparklers a little more sparkley, and the fireworks show was just a little bit longer. My heart thumped with each explosion, and tears ran down my cheeks.
Even at the tender age of ten I loved my nation dearly.
Vietnam had recently become a thing of the past, and America was going to be voting for a new president in November. Hope sprang eternal. Things were tough, gas lines were long, and folks had been tightening their belts, but it seemed to people that the light at the end of the tunnel had been lighted.
The fears were primarily economic, but nothing like today. With the approach of Independence Day, 2010, this is the first time I truly feel like our liberty is under great stress. We have fought foreign enemies, and we have won, but now the enemy is within, and they threaten to change our American form of government forever.
The nation is struggling with unbelievable debt, and the current administration wants to spend more. War is being fought overseas, and one of those wars (Afghanistan) is in a region that has never been won. . . by anyone. The federal government is performing a hostile takeover of the free market, and threatens to control the private sector in a fascist system style. I can't even find anybody on the street that can remember the first three words of the U.S. Constitution. I ask often, and I nearly never receive the appropriate response.
We The People.
We are the key, and we refuse to act as such. Those that came before us made the hard choices, and fought to give us our liberty. We have tossed it aside, refusing to work for our freedom. And it saddens me.
But as Independence Day commences, I am reminded that this is America. Americans can overcome the impossible because that is what we do. I believe the hard working Americans that will be standing in a park, or a school, or wherever they are tonight, will allow those fireworks to dig deep into their soul. Memory will be ignited. The love of our great nation will rise up. Americans, as they already have been at Tea Party events, will raise their hands in the air (perhaps not literally, but you know what I mean) and cry out, "Enough is enough!"
July 5th will be the day to consider what we felt on the fourth. Americans refuse to accept the destruction of the spirit of America through the idiocy of the little man-child that is in the White House, and refuse to accept the socialist ideals the Democrats of Congress are trying to ram down our throats.
July 6th, the burn for liberty will increase, and the words of the Constitution will call out to Americans.
And Independence Day will not stop. Each day after the fourth will be another Independence Day, eventually culminating on a cold autumn morning in November, when we vote the bastards out, with a statement that says "We reject big government! We reject socialism! We are unwilling to trade our freedoms for the hollow promises of power hungry politicians that say they can make our lives better at the expense of other Americans!"
Principles, not a great circus act in front of a teleprompter, will guide our hands at the ballot box. And Election Day will become Independence Day - making this years 4th of July celebration the longest in history.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
And Independence Day will not stop. Each day after the fourth will be another Independence Day, eventually culminating on a cold autumn morning in November, when we vote the bastards out, with a statement that says "We reject big government! We reject socialism! We are unwilling to trade our freedoms for the hollow promises of power hungry politicians that say they can make our lives better at the expense of other Americans!"
Principles, not a great circus act in front of a teleprompter, will guide our hands at the ballot box. And Election Day will become Independence Day - making this years 4th of July celebration the longest in history.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
The American Dream, Welfare, and Personal Responsibility
By Douglas V. Gibbs
As the ship pulls into the harbor, the Statue of Liberty comes into sight. With Ellis Island on the right the boat slows down and begins its turn. Lady Liberty beckons the world to reach out for freedom, to join America as a nation of opportunity, but the world is ruled by powerful men who dare not allow liberty to seep into their countries - to do so would result in a loss of their power. So, those seeking the American Dream don't wait for their homelands to follow America's example. Instead, the people begin to move towards the beacon on the hill.
America.
The Land of Opportunity.
Old films show the immigrants as they file off the ship, all of their belongings in the world hanging loosely on their weary bodies. You can see the anticipation, the honor, and the joy on their faces. No more would they be ruled over by a centralized government run by a powerful few. Now, in America, they have freedom, opportunity, and the ability to become prosperous through their hard work and responsible actions.
The American Dream never included government handouts. The new Americans immigrating to the United States were not like today's illegal aliens, arriving with their hands out, expecting a lifetime of benefits they didn't even pay for. They did not expect the Americans already here to bend over backwards for them, providing written forms with their language on it, or giving them special services that included government health care, food stamps or welfare checks. Assistance, when it was received, was much appreciated. But the goal of the American Dream was to be American, to learn English, to work hard and live better than before, and to give their children the opportunity (not the guarantee) to pursue education, and a better future than they would have had in the homeland.
New Americans worked hard, and lived impoverished lives, because they knew they needed to save every penny, and to be responsible with their new freedom. Nobody benefited from the opportunities America had to offer by being irresponsible, and by not planning things out. They did not live to their means, or buy things on credit they did not need, while over-extending themselves financially. They worked many hours per day, and brought home meager meals. They fought and they scratched, until the hard work paid off, and life got a little more comfortable.
Then, when the chains of hardship were lifted, they could say that they accomplished it through their hard work and dedication. And as individuals, they voluntarily helped others along the way.
Some did not succeed as well as others. It took longer, or perhaps they never made it to the next level at all. But their children did, and later those kids took care of their old, poor parents. Not only had the parents been responsible enough to work towards their goals, but the children were responsible enough to take care of their parents should their parents not be able to do so for themselves.
Families would sometimes live together, sharing the expenses, under the same roof. That is what working towards a goal encompasses. One must do whatever it takes.
The big fat hearts of liberals hated seeing these people struggle, so through a process not unlike the rise of socialism in some countries, government programs sprouted into being. Much of what we see in the terms of entitlement programs is the result of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Marxist New Deal, and Lyndon B. Johnson's communistic Great Society. The problem is, in their attempt to help, they have actually hindered the American Dream. Rather than fight and scratch to succeed, many Americans are content to do nothing, and sit back and receive "benefits" from the government. And like any hand-out that has no limit, it didn't take long for others to get the bright idea to take from the golden pool of welfare benefits as well.
I applaud the few that partake in the Welfare System, but want nothing more than to never need to use it again. These folks feel ashamed for using the taxpayer's money, but had no choice. They have used the system on a temporary basis, and nothing more. They worked as hard as possible, working more than one job in many cases, doing whatever they could to be self-reliant and get off of the government dole. Unfortunately, most of the people that take advantage of the entitlement programs are not these personally responsible people, but instead of the kind of mindset that believes that somehow the government owes them something. Many of these folks also believe the wealthy have the money they have because they earned it on the backs of the poor, and that by becoming wealthy they somehow took away from the poor, and owe those below them.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is this kind of leach on society that the entitlement programs are currently feeding, for the most part. They have more babies for larger payouts, or as youngsters have babies so that they can afford a bigger apartment. These are the kinds of people who, after being laid off from a job, refuses an offer to go back to work so that they can continue to receive benefits.
In California, as with a number of other states, food stamp recipients can be given debit cards to actually withdraw cash from their benefit amount. They are told what the rules are (government money to you means a plethora of rules to follow) and then they do the opposite. They could care less about being responsible with their benefits because they aren't in this for responsible reasons. To them, the American Dream is being able to let everyone else work hard, fight, and scratch, then taking from that pot for themselves what they never worked for. These folks were irresponsible with their time, money, and opportunities in the first place, and that is what put them in their current situation - so how can the state expect them to be responsible with the taxpayer's money in the form of a debit card?
It was shocking to me (and yet, not) when I discovered that California welfare recipients have been using the state-issued debit cards to withdraw cash on casino gaming floors in more than half of the casinos in the State of California. But when I thought these folks could sink no lower, it seems casinos are not the only place welfare debit cards are being used. California is now discovering that welfare recipients are using their debit cards as strip clubs as well.
What did the bleeding heart liberals expect? The welfare recipients are the segment of society that has refused, for the most part, to be responsible with their money and opportunities, and then the liberals act all surprised when the welfare folks act irresponsibly.
Today we are celebrating Independence Day. The people who forged this nation into existence, and those that participated in its growth, were not the kind to sit and wait for a hand-out. They made things happen. They discovered new ways to accomplish their goals. They began as poverty stricken vagabonds, in some cases, and worked their butts off to become something productive, and responsible. This nation is great because of that attitude, because of the never ending push for achieving the American Dream. That is the American Spirit, that is the American Way, that is the American Dream.
I refuse to sit down and wait for government to do something for me. My chance for happiness does not lie in the hallways and file drawers of bureaucracy. Independence is just that, Independence. To be dependent on the government is not freedom. . . it is slavery.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Welfare Debit Cards Used On Casino Floors - Political Pistachio
Surprise: CA Welfare Cash Used At Strip Clubs - American Pundit
Obama Boasts about jobs Created by the Census
By Kevin J. Price
Currently the United States suffers from the worst unemployment in over a quarter of a century. The recent (and modest) job growth the US enjoyed last month was largely created by the government at the tune of 95 percent, according to CNN Radio. One of the biggest areas of growth in government was by the Census Bureau and President Obama boasted about it in a recent speech, stating that "This report is a sign our economy is getting stronger by the day." In reality, 411,000 of the 431,000 jobs created were government.
The President's economic agenda is fundamentally adverse to job creation. The only employment government can create is sustained through more taxes. Government cannot create jobs that last or create value, but jobs that undermine economic freedom and prosperity. There has to be a better way. The need for that "better way" is greater now than ever:
 Our nation is suffering from the largest unemployment rate in recent history. It is, in fact, much higher than the near 10 percent touted by the Obama Administration. Economic analysts of all political persuasions believe it is much worse simply because of the huge number who are not looking any longer.
 The war on job creation. Most jobs come from those who make upwards of $250,000 a year, but this group is being singled out to cover the vast majority of the tax burden. Recently it has been reported that less than half of the population actually pay taxes, clearly lower income groups need some "skin in the game" so they will be encouraged to keep government more accountable. Furthermore, the tax burden on the rich is creating a very hostile environment when it comes to jobs. Capital can move too easily to other countries for the government to keep rates at such excessively high levels.
 Inflation is on the rise. On one day alone last year the federal government pumped $1.4 trillion in the money supply in order to pay some of its recent bills and to "jump start" the economy. Inflation is simply caused by "too much money chasing too few goods." As more money is produced, the value of all dollars go down. This wicked form of taxation (on the value of dollars) destroys economic prosperity and job growth.
The administration should take the situation as seriously as it sounds and make immediate movements towards reducing unemployment. Here are a few steps government can take:
 Eliminate the barriers between people and jobs. This isn't through temporary government jobs that will run out with the subsidies and reduce private sector employment through taxes, but through real jobs that create cash flow for employment to grow in number and in quality. The federal government should mandate the states to have a minimum wage law of their own and allow them to set them based on the needs of the people and the cities. This would not cost the federal government a penny, but would spur economic activity immediately.
 There should be a moratorium on corporate taxes, because they do not actually pay taxes, but are only tax collectors. Taxes are a fixed cost for doing business. If taxes are too high, businesses have no choice but move to other countries where the rate is less so they can lower prices and be more competitive. This would have a positive impact on high quality job creation. This policy would also encourage an increase in productivity and soften the blow of inflation (since it would increase the number of goods to be chased by the new money).
 The government should end taxes on wealth creation altogether and replace income tax with a sales tax. This would eliminate the economic genocide against job creators and would more fairly spread the financial burden of government on all economic groups. This, in turn, would lead to a more responsible voting population who would have more incentive to keep the government fiscally responsible.
These policies could help put the country on the fast track towards prosperity. Unfortunately, they are not the kind of policies you will find from the Obama administration since this government seems committed to expanding the role of government through the decline of the private sector.
-----------
Kevin PriceHost, Price of Business, M-F at 11 am on CNN 650 and CBS RadioFrequently found on Strategy Room at FoxNews.comSyndicated columnist whose articles appear on a variety of media outlets.His http://BizPlusBlog.com/ is ranked in the top 1 percent of all blogs by Technorati.Kevin Price's Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/PriceofBusiness
Currently the United States suffers from the worst unemployment in over a quarter of a century. The recent (and modest) job growth the US enjoyed last month was largely created by the government at the tune of 95 percent, according to CNN Radio. One of the biggest areas of growth in government was by the Census Bureau and President Obama boasted about it in a recent speech, stating that "This report is a sign our economy is getting stronger by the day." In reality, 411,000 of the 431,000 jobs created were government.
The President's economic agenda is fundamentally adverse to job creation. The only employment government can create is sustained through more taxes. Government cannot create jobs that last or create value, but jobs that undermine economic freedom and prosperity. There has to be a better way. The need for that "better way" is greater now than ever:
 Our nation is suffering from the largest unemployment rate in recent history. It is, in fact, much higher than the near 10 percent touted by the Obama Administration. Economic analysts of all political persuasions believe it is much worse simply because of the huge number who are not looking any longer.
 The war on job creation. Most jobs come from those who make upwards of $250,000 a year, but this group is being singled out to cover the vast majority of the tax burden. Recently it has been reported that less than half of the population actually pay taxes, clearly lower income groups need some "skin in the game" so they will be encouraged to keep government more accountable. Furthermore, the tax burden on the rich is creating a very hostile environment when it comes to jobs. Capital can move too easily to other countries for the government to keep rates at such excessively high levels.
 Inflation is on the rise. On one day alone last year the federal government pumped $1.4 trillion in the money supply in order to pay some of its recent bills and to "jump start" the economy. Inflation is simply caused by "too much money chasing too few goods." As more money is produced, the value of all dollars go down. This wicked form of taxation (on the value of dollars) destroys economic prosperity and job growth.
The administration should take the situation as seriously as it sounds and make immediate movements towards reducing unemployment. Here are a few steps government can take:
 Eliminate the barriers between people and jobs. This isn't through temporary government jobs that will run out with the subsidies and reduce private sector employment through taxes, but through real jobs that create cash flow for employment to grow in number and in quality. The federal government should mandate the states to have a minimum wage law of their own and allow them to set them based on the needs of the people and the cities. This would not cost the federal government a penny, but would spur economic activity immediately.
 There should be a moratorium on corporate taxes, because they do not actually pay taxes, but are only tax collectors. Taxes are a fixed cost for doing business. If taxes are too high, businesses have no choice but move to other countries where the rate is less so they can lower prices and be more competitive. This would have a positive impact on high quality job creation. This policy would also encourage an increase in productivity and soften the blow of inflation (since it would increase the number of goods to be chased by the new money).
 The government should end taxes on wealth creation altogether and replace income tax with a sales tax. This would eliminate the economic genocide against job creators and would more fairly spread the financial burden of government on all economic groups. This, in turn, would lead to a more responsible voting population who would have more incentive to keep the government fiscally responsible.
These policies could help put the country on the fast track towards prosperity. Unfortunately, they are not the kind of policies you will find from the Obama administration since this government seems committed to expanding the role of government through the decline of the private sector.
-----------
Kevin PriceHost, Price of Business, M-F at 11 am on CNN 650 and CBS RadioFrequently found on Strategy Room at FoxNews.comSyndicated columnist whose articles appear on a variety of media outlets.His http://BizPlusBlog.com/ is ranked in the top 1 percent of all blogs by Technorati.Kevin Price's Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/PriceofBusiness
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Senator Lindsey Graham's Dangerous Blend of Stupidity And Arrogance
By: J.J. Jackson
So here I am, getting ready for a nice long weekend with my family and preparing to take a break from politics when wouldn't you know it? Something happens that is just so stupid, so arrogant and so off the wall that I am drawn to scrap my plans not to write an article this week and hit the keyboard running. Thank you Senator Graham for helping to add to my workload.
Mr. Graham, I have come to find, is one of those Republicans that has always been rather full of himself. He is one of those elitists that just don't belong in Washington waving his finger at the people with a scalding tone as if to children that they need to settle down and let him just rule them. He doesn't take criticism at all well and he certainly doesn't take it from us common folk at all.
His flirtations with progressivism are numerous and his willful disregard for the Constitution is quite clear. He has, for example, supported giving law breakers crossing our borders illegally (hence making them criminals by default) amnesty and he has never taken a serious stand against government spending that falls outside of Congressional powers. Sure, every now and again he might stand up against some token unconstitutional spending but, like most Republicans, he has never, not once, seriously worked to end any of the major programs from the Department of Education to Medicaid, Medicare, Unemployment Benefits and Social Security which are eating up sixty percent or more of our federal budget and the real reasons our children and grandchildren will be slaves to Washington for generations to come. He supports Cap and Trade and voted proudly for TARP.
Of course Lindsey Graham does not ever admit that he is a progressive, socialist liberal and he finds all the ways in the world to add words to the Constitution and lie about what it says to justify his quest for power. No, he claims he is a moderate. If moderate means that one violates the Constitution on a weekly basis then perhaps he is right. However that is not what a moderate is.
It is our Constitution that is moderate. It strikes a fine balance between lawless anarchy and oppressive, tyrannical government. By violating it and helping to accrue powers not assigned to the federal government to Washington based politicians and bureaucrats Senator Graham however is on the left side, the tyrannical side, of the federal Constitution. He is, to be blunt, on the same side as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama are. Sure he may not be as far to the left as they are but let us face facts – he is to the left.
And like most leftists, perhaps due to a mental defect I suspect, they just do not understand who they are, that what they are doing is wrong and that sizeable numbers of people these days have really just about had enough of them. Leftists like Graham actually think they are great people with brilliant ideas that will save us all from ourselves. It borders on psychosis.
So it really comes as no surprise, at least not to me, that Senator Lindsey Graham would make the comments he has recently regarding the Tea Party and his status as a leader. According to Senator Graham the Tea Party movement will "die out." Why? Because, according to Senator hey I need some toilet paper, where's that old Constitution thingy, the movement lacks "vision."
Really? Are you serious Mr. Graham? The Tea Party movement which is standing up for the Constitution and against rampant federal spending that is putting our country in hock lacks vision? Oh, ok, but you have "vision" right Mr. Graham? Your policies of tax and spend, coddle to criminals and bailout companies that make bad decisions and let the government lead them around by the nose ring, hey what's a few more trillion dollars in deficits are "visionary"? Is that seriously what you want us to believe? Ok, maybe it is if your vision of America is some sort of dysfunctional state of leaches taking more and more from the producers and ripped right from the pages of Atlas Shrugged. But it is not my vision of America by a long shot. Oh, and FYI Mr. Graham it is not the vision of a lot of Americans either.
No, no, no Mr. Graham, and this is why you are a fool who should keep your mouth shut rather than open it and prove your status as such to the world. The fact is the Tea Party movement has a vision. It just is not the same as your vision.
Their vision is bringing the government in Washington back to its Constitutional foundation. Their vision is protecting America's borders from invaders. Their vision is getting government off the backs of the American people. Their vision is to expose all the little tricks progressives like you pull to make it look like you are helping us while actually hurting us and stripping upwards of fifty cents on every dollar from the paychecks of the middle class in direct, indirect and hidden taxes.
Give me the Tea Party's vision any day of the week and twice on Sundays over yours Senator Graham. I will gladly take it. As for your vision; a vision that is a dangerous blend of stupidity and arrogance? Well I will gladly let you keep that.
Hopefully the only place you will get to share it with others is in the retirement home.
=====================================
J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author from Pittsburgh, PA who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the Pittsburgh Conservative Examiner for Examiner.com. He is also the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts http://www.cafepress.com/rightthings. His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at http://www.libertyreborn.com
The Point of No Return
By Douglas V. Gibbs
When I was stationed on board my first ship in the U.S. Navy (USS Chandler, Guided Missile Destroyer - DDG-996 - on which I earned two Battle Efficiency ribbons) the General Quarters (all hands man your battle stations) drills basically followed a regular pathway. We fired, were fired upon, repaired damage, and so on. In the end we always won the battle, and worked hard at making ourselves better so that we could win the battles faster, therefore guarding against a larger loss of life.
My second sea going command was not such a bad-ass on the water. We didn't have a guided missile system, an intricate phalanx system, nor as big of gun turrets. The USS Peoria was a flat-bottomed Tank Landing Ship whose primary mission was to get the United States Marines to the beach. After beaching, lowering the ramp, and letting off the Marines, the USS Peoria (LST-1183) was tasked with closing up, reversing engines, and getting out to sea without being sunk. Without all of the weapons systems, the Peoria was not a warship. It was more like a. . . target.
General Quarters drills on board the USS Peoria were very different than the battle strategy style of the USS Chandler. During our battle drills aboard the flat-bottomed, slow moving, few weapons to protect yourself, amphib-Navy vessel known loving as an LST, the sequence usually went: be fired upon, be fired upon, be fired upon, abandon ship drill.
In fact, every General Quarters drill ended with an Abandon Ship drill.
I was not used to being a target like that. Not after serving aboard the technologically (by speed, maneuverability, and weapons) advanced USS Chandler. Concerned about the difference in battle drills, I talked to one of the officers about my dilemma.
"The Peoria is a target after dropping off the Marines," he said. "Historically, the life expectancy of an LST after disembarking the Marines is about nine seconds."
GULP.
I was willing to give my life for my country if need be. It was just that I would rather allow that to happen with a firearm in my hands, and engaging the enemy. Not by being gunned down while trying to run away from a hostile beach.
That night I began to wonder about where the point no return was.
What I mean about that is surely as the vessel approached the beach, there was a point at which even if the ship turned around before dropping off the Marines, it would not be able to get away.
Sort of like the Niagra River. Along the Niagra River is the world famous Niagra Falls. As you approach the falls there are signs along the way. One of them reads, "Approaching the Point of No Return." Further down there is a sign that reads, "The Point of No Return." Once you get to that sign, no matter how good of a paddler you are, no matter your conditioning, the forces of the current approaching the falls will be too much for you to escape, and you will die a violent death as you fall over Niagra Falls.
The cataclysm is not immediate. You still remain on the river for a while. But the end is inevitable, at that point, and there is nothing you can do to escape.
Our national economy is approaching the point of no return. The spending by the federal government is out of control, and with the compound interest, increased entitlement demands, and so forth, we are fast approaching the point of no return.
Personally, I really don't want to know where that point is. I believe if we don't turn the ship around now, we will not escape collapse. All of the good intentions in the world, the hope of saving lives as you really enslave people in a dependency on the government, will not matter if it all collapses and the government has nothing left.
Then, the battles will only have just begun. Without a government that can spend on anything, that means no military as well, and then the U.S. would be ripe for invasion.
The Point of No Return is more than an economic danger. It indeed would mean the eventual collapse of America.
The spending must stop now.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
When I was stationed on board my first ship in the U.S. Navy (USS Chandler, Guided Missile Destroyer - DDG-996 - on which I earned two Battle Efficiency ribbons) the General Quarters (all hands man your battle stations) drills basically followed a regular pathway. We fired, were fired upon, repaired damage, and so on. In the end we always won the battle, and worked hard at making ourselves better so that we could win the battles faster, therefore guarding against a larger loss of life.
My second sea going command was not such a bad-ass on the water. We didn't have a guided missile system, an intricate phalanx system, nor as big of gun turrets. The USS Peoria was a flat-bottomed Tank Landing Ship whose primary mission was to get the United States Marines to the beach. After beaching, lowering the ramp, and letting off the Marines, the USS Peoria (LST-1183) was tasked with closing up, reversing engines, and getting out to sea without being sunk. Without all of the weapons systems, the Peoria was not a warship. It was more like a. . . target.
General Quarters drills on board the USS Peoria were very different than the battle strategy style of the USS Chandler. During our battle drills aboard the flat-bottomed, slow moving, few weapons to protect yourself, amphib-Navy vessel known loving as an LST, the sequence usually went: be fired upon, be fired upon, be fired upon, abandon ship drill.
In fact, every General Quarters drill ended with an Abandon Ship drill.
I was not used to being a target like that. Not after serving aboard the technologically (by speed, maneuverability, and weapons) advanced USS Chandler. Concerned about the difference in battle drills, I talked to one of the officers about my dilemma.
"The Peoria is a target after dropping off the Marines," he said. "Historically, the life expectancy of an LST after disembarking the Marines is about nine seconds."
GULP.
I was willing to give my life for my country if need be. It was just that I would rather allow that to happen with a firearm in my hands, and engaging the enemy. Not by being gunned down while trying to run away from a hostile beach.
That night I began to wonder about where the point no return was.
What I mean about that is surely as the vessel approached the beach, there was a point at which even if the ship turned around before dropping off the Marines, it would not be able to get away.
Sort of like the Niagra River. Along the Niagra River is the world famous Niagra Falls. As you approach the falls there are signs along the way. One of them reads, "Approaching the Point of No Return." Further down there is a sign that reads, "The Point of No Return." Once you get to that sign, no matter how good of a paddler you are, no matter your conditioning, the forces of the current approaching the falls will be too much for you to escape, and you will die a violent death as you fall over Niagra Falls.
The cataclysm is not immediate. You still remain on the river for a while. But the end is inevitable, at that point, and there is nothing you can do to escape.
Our national economy is approaching the point of no return. The spending by the federal government is out of control, and with the compound interest, increased entitlement demands, and so forth, we are fast approaching the point of no return.
Personally, I really don't want to know where that point is. I believe if we don't turn the ship around now, we will not escape collapse. All of the good intentions in the world, the hope of saving lives as you really enslave people in a dependency on the government, will not matter if it all collapses and the government has nothing left.
Then, the battles will only have just begun. Without a government that can spend on anything, that means no military as well, and then the U.S. would be ripe for invasion.
The Point of No Return is more than an economic danger. It indeed would mean the eventual collapse of America.
The spending must stop now.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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The Enemy Cometh
By Douglas V. Gibbs
"General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations."
Such is the call on board a U.S. Navy vessel when it is time to prepare for possible confrontation with an enemy target.
I had just finished one of my underway watches. The watch schedule was four hours on, and four hours off, continuously as long as we were underway.
So here we were, out in international waters, with a Soviet warship following us and scooping up every piece of trash we had discharged a few hours ago, on the edge of a hot conflict. Their turrets and guided missile launchers were pointing at us, their sailors waiting for the order to blast the American guided missile destroyer out of the water. Our hearts were pumping. This was for real, and all we could do was let our training guide us to victory, or defeat. . . or we could hope that for once, this little entanglement with the enemy would not result in conflict.
The fact is, whether we wanted confrontation or not, the enemy decided it for us. No amount of negotiation would protect us. If the enemy desired to fight, we had no choice but to fight. That is how war works. The enemy dictates the terms, unless you refuse to let them through superior firepower and training.
The Soviet vessel followed us for thirteen miles. We were traveling so slow, however, it seemed to take hours. Hours of tension filled, blood-pumping adrenalin. Just one torpedo, just one missile, just one spray of shells from their guns - and we would launch into full-throttle conflict.
"All engines stop."
Dead in the Water.
We sat there, rocking violently, posing as either a target, or a warrior ready to strike. If we were boarded, I would run to the armory for my piece as a member of the team designated to do so. But that would not matter if the fight remained between the ships. Just one weapons activation, and the repair lockers would launch into action, and the gunny's would fire back.
Like it, or not, the enemy was out there, and the decision of whether there would be a battle was his to make.
Perhaps they analyzed the firepower we had. Perhaps they figured out that we could blow them out of the water. Peace through strength succeeded again, and the Soviet ship backed down, changed course, and went off into the wide sea yonder.
For now, we were at peace again.
Today, and my memories journey once again through that episode of my life, I wonder if it had been Islam, would we have been so fortunate?
Islam, like other enemies, cannot be negotiated with, and only understands the strength or weaknesses of their opponent. However, the difference is, they do not back down when they figure out the enemy contains strength. They simply adjust, and attack in a different manner.
When I was on my ship I understood that it wasn't the people on the other ship that was the enemy, it was the ideology they were being controlled by. I am sure there were Germans who were moderate enough to not agree with the Nazis, but they didn't do much in the way of stopping the carnage. There are a lot of moderate Muslims, or so I am told, but there is no moderate Islam. The so-called moderates have been silent, and if they exist they do nothing to stop the violence. They were dancing in the streets on September 11, 2001. The ideology is in control, and through Islam the enemy cometh.
We are left with the responsibility of stopping it, or we will be consumed by it.
As much as we would like to avoid conflict, they do not intend to break off contact, they do not intend to turn the ship around, they do not intend to end their pursuit.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
"General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations."
Such is the call on board a U.S. Navy vessel when it is time to prepare for possible confrontation with an enemy target.
I had just finished one of my underway watches. The watch schedule was four hours on, and four hours off, continuously as long as we were underway.
During the moments of "four hours on," I endured a number of watch stations that included, but was not limited to, sitting outside watching for other vessels on the water and in the sky. I remember one time it was so cold that four layers of clothing, jackets and coats did not warm me up. But, it was a part of the job, and I knew it, so I endured it with a smile, and prepared for my next watch station up on the bridge.
During the moments of four hours off watch I had to go to my work station to get some work done, sleep, eat, and occasionally spend a few relaxing moments writing or reading.
Then the Soviet vessel came into our zone. When General Quarters was called, I had just finished breakfast, and was stretching out on my rack.
Damage Control Central was a small compartment with barely enough room for all of us to fit into it. The hatch was sealed, and all of our communications occurred through the internal phone system through a network of phone talkers.
Damage Control Central was a small compartment with barely enough room for all of us to fit into it. The hatch was sealed, and all of our communications occurred through the internal phone system through a network of phone talkers.
The Damage Control officer handed me a sheet with codes on it, and I relayed the message to the repair lockers. Word had it that a Soviet vessel was following us, and their weapons systems were pointed toward us.
The Cold War was a war of politicians. They stared each other down, threatening to pull the trigger, but fear of world annihilation kept them from following through.
The Politicians considered the Cold War a cold conflict, but for the military out in the field, the war that was supposed to be devoid of actual conflict was hotter than most wars.
The Cold War was a war of politicians. They stared each other down, threatening to pull the trigger, but fear of world annihilation kept them from following through.
The Politicians considered the Cold War a cold conflict, but for the military out in the field, the war that was supposed to be devoid of actual conflict was hotter than most wars.
So here we were, out in international waters, with a Soviet warship following us and scooping up every piece of trash we had discharged a few hours ago, on the edge of a hot conflict. Their turrets and guided missile launchers were pointing at us, their sailors waiting for the order to blast the American guided missile destroyer out of the water. Our hearts were pumping. This was for real, and all we could do was let our training guide us to victory, or defeat. . . or we could hope that for once, this little entanglement with the enemy would not result in conflict.
The fact is, whether we wanted confrontation or not, the enemy decided it for us. No amount of negotiation would protect us. If the enemy desired to fight, we had no choice but to fight. That is how war works. The enemy dictates the terms, unless you refuse to let them through superior firepower and training.
The Soviet vessel followed us for thirteen miles. We were traveling so slow, however, it seemed to take hours. Hours of tension filled, blood-pumping adrenalin. Just one torpedo, just one missile, just one spray of shells from their guns - and we would launch into full-throttle conflict.
"All engines stop."
Dead in the Water.
We sat there, rocking violently, posing as either a target, or a warrior ready to strike. If we were boarded, I would run to the armory for my piece as a member of the team designated to do so. But that would not matter if the fight remained between the ships. Just one weapons activation, and the repair lockers would launch into action, and the gunny's would fire back.
Like it, or not, the enemy was out there, and the decision of whether there would be a battle was his to make.
Perhaps they analyzed the firepower we had. Perhaps they figured out that we could blow them out of the water. Peace through strength succeeded again, and the Soviet ship backed down, changed course, and went off into the wide sea yonder.
For now, we were at peace again.
Today, and my memories journey once again through that episode of my life, I wonder if it had been Islam, would we have been so fortunate?
Islam, like other enemies, cannot be negotiated with, and only understands the strength or weaknesses of their opponent. However, the difference is, they do not back down when they figure out the enemy contains strength. They simply adjust, and attack in a different manner.
When I was on my ship I understood that it wasn't the people on the other ship that was the enemy, it was the ideology they were being controlled by. I am sure there were Germans who were moderate enough to not agree with the Nazis, but they didn't do much in the way of stopping the carnage. There are a lot of moderate Muslims, or so I am told, but there is no moderate Islam. The so-called moderates have been silent, and if they exist they do nothing to stop the violence. They were dancing in the streets on September 11, 2001. The ideology is in control, and through Islam the enemy cometh.
We are left with the responsibility of stopping it, or we will be consumed by it.
As much as we would like to avoid conflict, they do not intend to break off contact, they do not intend to turn the ship around, they do not intend to end their pursuit.
They will not stop, they will keep terrorizing us, they will keep planting sleeper cells, building mosques, and incrementally conquering the other lands . . . unless we stop them.
That is the reality.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Friday, July 02, 2010
MSNBC Poll Has Vast Majority Supporting Arizona's Immigration Law
Obama said don't watch FOX News. So how about MSNBC? Even the most liberal of the liberal news channels has over 95% of the respondents in favor of Arizona's Immigration Law.
Hmmmm. Isn't that interesting.
Apparently, Obama has an agenda that leads to no borders, and flooding our nation with law breakers with their hands out - and he could care less what you think about it.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Do you support Arizona's tough new law on illegal immigration? - MSNBC
Chicago, Like Washington DC, Is Trying To Circumvent The Court
By Douglas V. Gibbs
I have voiced my opinion that I am uneasy with the Supreme Court dictating to cities and States that they "have" to do what the federal government says, even when it comes to protecting gun rights as per the recent Supreme Court ruling in the McDonald v. Chicago case regarding Chicago's handgun ban. The Tenth Amendment says that if it is not a federal authority, or prohibited to the States, it is a State issue (meaning a State decision). Gun rights, as per the 2nd Amendment, is not a federal authority. It is a prohibitive clause that disallows the federal government from infringing upon an individual's gun rights in any way shape or form. However, nowhere in the Constitution is that same prohibition pointed at the States. In other words, it is the State's decision. Though I am a gun owner, and a firm supporter of gun rights, it is up to the people to make sure Chicago allows gun rights, not the federal government.
However, let's set aside my argument for a moment and look at the ruling, and this entire issue surrounding the Chicago handgun ban, from the point of view of other folks who believe in that "federal government is supreme over States regardless of the issue" attitude.
Considering the fact that most folks, especially liberals, believe the federal government has the final say on everything, why is it then that when the federal government, via the Supreme Court, makes a decision, unless it is in line with liberal marching orders, they do whatever they can to subvert those decisions, and circumvent what they ought to be believing is the law?
In Chicago, now that the Supreme Court has determined that infringing on gun rights in cities and States is unconstitutional, Chicago (like Washington DC did) is looking for any way they can to get around it. So. . .
. . . Within 100 days, anyone who wants to keep a gun in the city will have to register, get their training and pay the fees. Also within 100 days, any of the estimated 10,000 Chicagoans convicted of a gun offense will have to register at their local police station like sex offenders. . .
So, since the Supreme Court says guns must be allowed, Chicago has decided that guns are okay if you pay a fee. But if they have been so concerned about the violence caused by firearms, then affixing fees suddenly makes everything less violent? Suddenly, after squeezing more money out of the populace, the gun violence worry by the liberals is no longer a concern?
Okay, Chicago. Just a simple question. Whose gonna enforce the 10,000 who aren't about to register their guns?
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Chicago approves new handgun restrictions; 45-0 vote comes after Supreme Court hits city on gun ban - Chicago Sun Times
Geico Says Drill Instructors Make Terrible Therapists
Personally, I think they would make great therapists. I am sick and tired of a world full of whiny little men running around feeling sorry for themselves and blaming everyone else for their problems. I don't know, maybe if we would grow a pair, be responsible, and do whatever it takes to take care of ourselves and our families, then perhaps liberalism would be neutered forever.
Just a thought.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Border Violence Results in 21 Dead
By Douglas V. Gibbs
One of the many reasons for sealing the border, enforcing the law, and deporting illegal aliens is that by not doing so we are welcoming violence to our own nation. Yesterday, in a massive dispute between rival drug gangs only 12 miles from the U.S./Mexican border, 21 people were killed in a shootout.
Some of that violence has spilled over the border. Arizona has passed stricter immigration laws to protect themselves. The Federal Government's response has been to chastise Arizona.
Why does the federal government refuse to protect the states? Aside from the law breaking of the illegals by coming into this country illegally, and the terrorists also freely crossing the border, this drug gang violence is on our doorstep. It is only a matter of time before America becomes a war zone just like Mexico - and the only way to protect ourselves from it is to heavily enforce the border, and to make sure our laws are enforced - as Arizona is trying to do.
Gang violence near the Arizona border has become a regular occurrence, and has led to calls from officials in the U.S. state for greater control of the border and is one of the many reasons given for their recent immigration law passed in April requiring Arizona police to ask people about their immigration status in certain situations.
By Obama's Administration taking action against Arizona as it is, the President is basically telling the State "Screw you, we refuse to support your protection."
Perhaps these idiot Democrats should live in a hotel on the border for a while to see what the violence is really like. Maybe then, they will realize the danger our nation is in because of their incompetence, and refusal to enforce the law.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
21 killed in Mexican gang shootout near US border - Yahoo News
One of the many reasons for sealing the border, enforcing the law, and deporting illegal aliens is that by not doing so we are welcoming violence to our own nation. Yesterday, in a massive dispute between rival drug gangs only 12 miles from the U.S./Mexican border, 21 people were killed in a shootout.
Some of that violence has spilled over the border. Arizona has passed stricter immigration laws to protect themselves. The Federal Government's response has been to chastise Arizona.
Why does the federal government refuse to protect the states? Aside from the law breaking of the illegals by coming into this country illegally, and the terrorists also freely crossing the border, this drug gang violence is on our doorstep. It is only a matter of time before America becomes a war zone just like Mexico - and the only way to protect ourselves from it is to heavily enforce the border, and to make sure our laws are enforced - as Arizona is trying to do.
Gang violence near the Arizona border has become a regular occurrence, and has led to calls from officials in the U.S. state for greater control of the border and is one of the many reasons given for their recent immigration law passed in April requiring Arizona police to ask people about their immigration status in certain situations.
By Obama's Administration taking action against Arizona as it is, the President is basically telling the State "Screw you, we refuse to support your protection."
Perhaps these idiot Democrats should live in a hotel on the border for a while to see what the violence is really like. Maybe then, they will realize the danger our nation is in because of their incompetence, and refusal to enforce the law.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
21 killed in Mexican gang shootout near US border - Yahoo News
Supreme Court Party Lines over Chicago handgun ban
By Douglas V. Gibbs
The Chicago handgun-ban case that was recently ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court was decided by a 5-4 decision. The Conservatives voted to protect gun rights, and the Liberals voted to take away gun rights. Then, the writers of the opinions worked to craft an explanation that somehow made sense. In both cases, they failed miserably.
Stevens' dissenting opinion wastes page after page of why he believes your right to own a gun should be taken away from you, and Alito's argues to the contrary. Then, as they make their arguments, they try to squeeze the Constitution into a little box in support of their own opinion.
I believe the Constitution, however, had nothing to do with the ruling, and was only used as an afterthought in an effort to justify their decisions.
A 5-4 vote down party lines tells me the decision by the Supreme Court on the McDonald v. Chicago case was based on agenda. The Conservatives wanted gun rights protected, and the Liberals wanted gun rights taken away - but where in the Constitution does it allow for their decisions?
Before answering that question, consider State Sovereignty, and the fact that with the Court's decision, the federal government is telling the City of Chicago they have to "do away with their gun ban laws. . . oh, by the way, we think the Constitution applies because of the 14th Amendment."
That is not applying the law, that is interpreting the law, and then twisting it to fit an agenda.
I am disappointed in all nine justices.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Chicago, Gun Bans, the Supreme Court, and Article I of the U.S. Constitution
Constitution Study with Douglas V. Gibbs Week 09: July 1, 2010
Topics:
McDonald ET AL. v. City of Chicago, Illinois, ET AL. - Supreme Court 5-4 Decision Disallowing Chicago’s handgun ban; United States Supreme Court uses 14th Amendment to apply the 2nd Amendment to the States.
U.S. Constitution, Article I
McDonald v. City of Chicago:
The 5-4 Decision holds that the 2nd Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms in all cities and States. The U.S. Supreme Court concluded that originally the 2nd Amendment applied only to the Federal Government, but it is in the opinion of the court that the 14th Amendment incorporates the Bill of Rights, therefore applying those amendments, and more specifically the 2nd Amendment, to the States.
I believe that the U.S. Constitution applies to the federal government except where specifically noted otherwise.
After the decision many people called me saying, “We won!”
I said, "I am not so sure."
I am uneasy anytime the federal government tells a city or state what they have to do. I am happy about the protection of gun rights, but that does not mean I am in agreement with the constitutional angle used.
Let me put it this way. If we give the federal government the right to tell cities they have to allow gun ownership, what stops them from doing the opposite later? This case creates a precedent of allowing the federal government to dictate to the states and cities what they have to do, and in that I recognize a great danger to state sovereignty.
We will also begin marching down Article I of the U.S. Constitution - The Legislative Branch
Section 1: Establishes the Legislative Branch
Section 2: U.S. House of Representatives
Section 3: U.S. Senate
Section 4: Elections, Sessions
Section 5: Elections, Rules of Proceedings
Section 6: Compensation and Ethics
Section 7: Bills
Section 8: Federal Authorities
Section 9: Federal Prohibitions
Section 10: State Prohibitions
Other pages found at in tonight's handout:
Article About SCOTUS Decision
Syllabus of McDonald v. Chicago SCOTUS Ruling
Join us at 6:00 pm tonight in Temecula at Faith Armory, 27498 Enterprise Cir. W, #2, right next to Birth Choice.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Oil Spill Clean Up Hindered by Government
By Douglas V. Gibbs
My father spent a number of years as the captain of an oil spill clean up ship for a company called "Clean Seas." He told me stories about the Exxon spill, and the efficient manner these ships extract oil from the ocean.
My father died in 1999, but one of his best friends who also used to work for Clean Seas, and I, had a great conversation today. He told me how the ships, if given the okay, would be instrumental in helping with the oil spill clean up in the Gulf. Problem is, the EPA has not allowed any of the ships to participate. The ships are not fitting the EPA's standards.
Yet, Obama says he is doing all he can to fix the problem.
hmmmmmmmm. . . .
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
My father spent a number of years as the captain of an oil spill clean up ship for a company called "Clean Seas." He told me stories about the Exxon spill, and the efficient manner these ships extract oil from the ocean.
My father died in 1999, but one of his best friends who also used to work for Clean Seas, and I, had a great conversation today. He told me how the ships, if given the okay, would be instrumental in helping with the oil spill clean up in the Gulf. Problem is, the EPA has not allowed any of the ships to participate. The ships are not fitting the EPA's standards.
Yet, Obama says he is doing all he can to fix the problem.
hmmmmmmmm. . . .
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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