Freedom Folks

Monday, October 31, 2005

Guard The Borders Blogburst!

Damn, as a writer you on occasion read something a wish you had written it yourself. This is that piece for me today.

Kit & co. over @ Euphoric reality are hosting the Guard the Border Blogburst today. If you feel strongly about this issue get off your lazy ass and get involved!

Pimpin' 4 Gilchrist

My Daddy always said if you get people this angry, your probably doing something right.

"When asked to explain the contradiction between his more privately held progressive views and his public rants that appeal to his supporters by scapegoating immigrants, catering to their vile racism and presenting himself as a “rock-ribbed Reagan Republican” (even though he’s running as the American Independent Party candidate and his supporters believe that most Republicans are “traitors”) Gilchrist becomes unglued, face flushed with anger almost to the point of tears, and rants about Greens as terrorists and would-be murderers."

Wow, you would be excused if you thought this guy was crazy. I mean, for goodness sake his face is flushed, he can't complete a sentence without tears and anger rendering him speechless. He appears to be a dangerous fellow this Jim Gilchrist.

But JC may not be quite as fascist at heart as his die-hard supporters think.

Buzzword Alert! Buzzword Alert! I think our boy has given the game away. Whenever, and I do mean ever, you hear a Liberal weenie utter the word Fascist, stop and take a listen. This is a surefire rule of thumb for Conservatives, whenever that word along with other winning phrases such as -- Nazi! Bigot! Or the perennial favorite that I keep being invected with these days -- Brownshirt! Know that this issue or person is probably someone you will like.

In this article we get a little better sense of Jim and what he's all about, and as a bonus it doesn't come off as paid shill crap. I get the sense of a regular guy who's picked a fight with foaming at the mouth Liberal Goliath's, a guy who's tired, a guy who would rather be bass fishing. This is the kind of person I want representing me, not the smiling cardboard cut-outs who so often populate our halls of power.

Ask yourself this as we gear up for the next election cycle. What is the biggest issue facing our country today? For me that's an easy question, ILLEGAL immigration. No contest, if we don't make some drastic changes and soon we won't have a great country to worry about anymore, rather we will be dragged down into the morass of third world countries struggling to provide for a non native populace who sees welfare as a god given right along with their pimps in the ILLEGAL immigration business who profit from their, and our misery.

If you feel the same way don't be afraid to stand up and be counted. remember, when you hear words like -- Fascist! Bigot! Nazi! or Brownshirt! - know you are standing on the shoudlers of giants.

Also @ The Political Teen
And hangin' @ NIF




Sunday, October 30, 2005

Left Wing Bias? What Left Wing Bias? 10-30-05

Today's Left Wing Bias? What Left Wing Bias? MSM quote comes from this AP article by Deb Riechmann...

"Conservatives revile O'Connor for staking out moderate and practical positions on controversial issues."

Way to go, Deb. Now that's what I call impartial, unbiased reporting. I know, I know...Slick Willy taught us all that there's nothing wrong with doing something wrong unless you get caught...and with editors at least as biased as you are, what are the odds? You guys in the MSM have done such a good job of insulating yourselves, I bet you can read that sentence you wrote and say...

Left Wing Bias? What Left Wing Bias?

Jack Idema -- American Hero

Cao has got excellent coverage of this story over at her blog.

In a nutshell Jack Idema is a guy who has served his country in many a dangerous spot. he's now languishing in jail because our gubmint lacks the guts to do right by him.

Cao's got the round up. Check it out and prepare to be pissed!

Are We Having Fun Yet?

This article deals with the woefully unreported Muslim riots in France.

While no one claimed responsibility for this *wink* I'd wager an educated guess.

Nice to see jurisprudence taking hold in the barbary. Let me see if I understand..he's guilty cuz he's got a little thatch?

I wonder if Dubya is aware it takes two to tango?

Of course the PM has the audacity to come here and explain to us why we need to be more understanding of the savages, don't you know.

Our State dept., heads proudly planted up their little tushies & enabling mini-Hitlers.

We end our round-up here. Scroll down for photos.

No, really, scroll down goddamit! This is the face of Islam. Take note, I didn't say radical or fascist or hijacked. This is it, ugly isn't it?

No, please Mr. & Mrs. appeaser do tell about Christianities terrible history. remind me that all religions must have their growing pains. Maybe if you try hard enough you can work in an oblique reference to the Crusades.

These stories are the tip of the iceberg. I could have filled a couple of blogs with nothing but links to Islamic violence from this week alone, but I'm sure you'll agree that the last one is the capper.
It has literally kept me up all night. As I'm writing this at 5:13 in the AM the sun seems to be hiding from the pure evil of this act. All I can imagine this morning is the news story that this happened in Kansas or Chicago, or that someone blew up a bus or a train or an open air market here in the States.

One other thought creeps in on slippered feet. Why does our government resist doing the one thing that would decrease the threat of this happening here. The one thing that is guaranteed to lessen the likelihood of an event like this ever happening.

Fixing the border and Visa situation would make us safer overnight. Unlike the secret identity of those who beheaded those poor girls (black robed men -- say, why does that sound familiar? I'm sure it'll come to me) this isn't a mystery. Sealing the border and removing those who overstay on Visas would have stopped 9-11 in its tracks, Same with the original WTC bombing.

I don't think we face a bigger issue in the upcoming elections, nothing is bigger than safety. Which is why we'll be running a weekly feature called 'Pimpin 4'. These will be a series of articles on candidates who have made immigration enforcement their number one issue.

If you can stand to read one more thing -- This individual would most likely disagree with me about this but, you know what? Seeing as he doesn't allow comments on his blog or provide an email address, I think I can safely say he can kiss my ass. Oh, for extra credit and giggles check out his profile under favorite books (hee-hee)

Remember those pictures. Hold them close to your heart and remember, this is the true face of the enemy.

Linked @ The Political teen (Thanks Ian!)
And maybe at Stop The ACLU
And of course bad mama Cao
Let's not forget the good folks @ Mudville Gazette
MMMM...Bacon Bits!
The ever naughty Basil
As a fellow feline employee: Conservative Cat

Islamic terror




Saturday, October 29, 2005

ILLEGAL Immigration: Pissing Off The Base For A Few More Votes

I was reading this by Chris kelly at the immigration blog. In it Chris blogs about Senator Frist and his *NEW* tough talk regarding ILLEGAL immigration.

I'm not holding my breath!

What is the great love affair between our elected officials and ILLEGAL immigrants, I'm finding it a little hard to understand. I know that businesses want slave labor, but they always have. Anybody remember the child labor laws? I know soft headed lefties just love ILLEGALS, perhaps because they feel they deserve slaves. But why do our elected officials love ILLEGALS more than their own citizens and electorate.

Would somebody help me understand this. The leadership of the Republican Party is currently pissing off its base on this issue. The stated reason seems to be to garner *NEW* votes from the Hispanic community. What happens to these *NEW* votes when people get pissed enough and start screaming en masse for ILLEGALS to be tossed out?

Anyone?

Muslim Students Protest, Harper College Pulls Art Exhibit

**SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES**

I have been hoping, wishing & praying that this wouldn't happen in my neck of the woods.

DAMN.

It only took the academic weenies at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, a few hours to cave in to the demands of Muslim students "offended" by a public art display on campus. Read the local newspaper account here. (Hat tip: Little Green Footballs)

An art exhibit that included photographs of nude Muslim women wearing only a head covering was taken down Thursday afternoon just hours after opening for public viewing at Harper College in Palatine.

Muslim students at the college protested to officials about the pieces on display in Building C. Several students say the pieces — some showing young Muslim men with machine guns — were downright offensive.

Salma Habed, 20, of Hoffman Estates said some of the pieces continued with the stereotype that Muslim women are oppressed.

“We go to school. We have careers. It’s not like we’re oppressed like some people feel for some reason,” Habed said.


Rich Johnson, co-coordinator of international students at Harper, said the exhibit was an event put on in conjunction with the college’s art department.

Johnson and school officials ordered the removal or covering of the images until further notice because of the uproar.

View the photographs by Chicago's Amir Normandi here.

I wrote a letter to the editor over at the newspaper. I'm planning to write to anyone and everyone I can find at Harper. And I'm going to write a letter of support to the photographer.

As far as I'm concerned this politically correct, extremely over-sensitive, easily offendable bullshit has got to stop. Let's face it -- it's a form of domestic terrorism.

"Wah, wah, wah. You took a photograph that shows a hijab AND a boob. I'm scarred for life."

Grow the hell up and learn a little something about a word that goes hand-in-hand with freedom, and that you love to throw around but clearly have no idea what it means:

TOLERANCE

**UPDATE**

Where, by the way, is the ACLU? I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for their intervention. As a matter of fact, I even e-mailed the local office with details and links. Given their efforts on cases like this, this, this, this, and let's not forget this, I'm sure they'll get right on it. Although, if Mr. Normandi had really wanted his first amendment rights to be vigilantly protected by the ACLU, he should have offended some Christian students rather than Muslim ones.

**UPDATE**

When I first read this story, I immediately dashed off a letter to the editor of The Daily Herald. It didn't make the cut. Shocker.

Fortunately, being a blogger, I've got the power to PUBLISH IT ANYWAY!

Here goes...

Freedom is a precious gift, and one that has been won and sustained in this country through sacrifice, pain, persistence and effort. So you will understand my horror at reading that Harper College voluntarily gave away a tiny slice of that freedom within the space of a few hours on Thursday.

Will everyone appreciate the provocative photography of Amir Normandi? No. Is anyone being forced to view it? No! But, for a few brief hours, it was open to the public for anyone who wished to see Mr. Normandi's exploration of human rights issues in Iran through art. That's freedom in action.

Salma Habed, 20, of Hoffman Estates, felt that some of the pieces "continued with the stereotype that Muslim women are oppressed," and was quoted as saying, "We go to school. We have careers. It's not like we're oppressed like some people feel for some reason."

No, you're not. You have access to wonderful freedoms, and I hope you exercise, enjoy, and appreciate them to the fullest. The reason you have those freedoms is because, the last time I checked, Hoffman Estates is in AMERICA.

I only ask that you be aware that, by protesting this public art exhibit, you chip away at those freedoms. I am thankful to live in a country where citizenship provides those freedoms, and I sure would like to keep it that way.

As seen @ bRight & Early

Und der Wizbang

And of course .5

VRWC indeed!

The inimitable Right on Right

If only reality were euphoric

freedom




Friday, October 28, 2005

The Cloudy Transparency of the MSM

It is certainly no shock to have read this at Michelle Malkin's place today, yet it is frustrating and infuriating all the same.

In their mission to "report" (read: exaggerate, distort, and spin) the truth about the war in Iraq, the NYT chose the wrong brave & honorable soldier to use for their disgraceful propaganda: Cpl. Jeffrey B. Starr. Fortunately, Cpl. Starr's uncle, Timothy Lickness, has spoken up with the truth -- the real & whole truth, not some carefully-chosen fragments that tell a carefully-chosen story. Read more here.

When you read the WHOLE story, the agenda of the NYT and the rest of the MSM is crystal clear. What worries me is how many people aren't getting the WHOLE story. Although my hubby, Jake, and I have eschewed TV (yes, as in don't have it), we are part of a decided minority in this country that does not get the bulk of their "information" from TV in general, and the MSM in specific.

They want the war over now. They want our troops out now. Never mind that this would not only throw away the strides that have been made toward Iraqi freedom & democracy, but also actually render the loss of our brave soldiers in vain.

So what do they do? They toss around the power that we entrust to them with little or no concern for delivering what WE ARE PAYING THEM TO DO -- report the news, report the facts, report the events -- who, what, when, where, why, how -- so that citizens can make informed decisions. Apparently, they not only refuse to deliver what we are paying them for, but also want to add insult to injury by making it clear that they disdainfully think they're a hell of a lot smarter than their customers. Why else would they feel the need and think it's perfectly OK to report THEIR TAKE on the news, rather than the news itself?

Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone throw their TV sets and newspapers out the window -- as liberating and empowering as that would be. I'm just saying that it is our right AND OUR DUTY, as citizens, to get as much information as we can, and from a variety of sources. If we don't we will have to live with the shame of having taken the easy road, of having listened to the MSM, shrugged, and condemned the brave men and women out there fighting for freedom.

Take a good, hard look at the MSM. It's pretty damn clear what they're about. For the sake of our military, our country, and the world, LET'S NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Thoughts On Idiot Lefty Protesters

I was reading this. In this article David Horowitz recounts how two lefty goons charged the stage on which he spoke chanting "No free speech for fascists."

Okay, first of all, do these folks have NO sense of irony?

Second, here's their site. You have to scroll down a little bit to find a mind twisting account of their actions. Take a moment and look at the site, do you notice anything?

Anything missing?

Okay, here's a clue -- comments!

They don't allow comments! Hee-hee, oh poor lefties are you afraid somebody might disagree with your puerile drivel?

Again, do these folks have no sense of irony!



Pimpin' 4 Vasquez: Part One

This will be a regular feature through the next election. We will be featuring candidates who "get it" on the issue of illegal immigration.

I was reading this.

First of all allow me to extend a hearty "you are a putz" to Mr. Collias. This article located in the Boise Weekly manages to strike a new low in displying anything approaching journalistic integrity. Mr. Collias, in a few short paragraphs, manages to insult me and every other American who cares deeply about the issue of ILLEGAL immigration.

Let's peruse the crappiness, shall we?

Most recently, he strong-armed Canyon County into hiring a lawyer to pursue litigation of any businesses found to employ illegal immigrants

"Strong-armed" according to my trusty Webster's this phrase means -- using physical force or violence especially in terms of robbery.

Is Mr. Collias suggesting Candidate Vasquez used force or intimidation? If so, can he back that up with anything other than the fact that Mr. Collias clearly embraces all things ILLEGAL whilst sipping his half-caff-soy-latte? I thought not.

Moving on in this morass,

What is already clear, however, is that Vasquez will continue to generate a quote a minute about what is wrong with those who are not fond of his isolationist jingoism

Mmmm...It seems Mr. Collias has a position here, but, it's so hard to wade through his muddle-headed liberal crap to figure out what he's attempting, however pitifully, to express. perhaps his mouth is full of Carob-chip Biscotti making it hard to understand his pitiful liberal bleating.

Allow me to translate. Mr. Collias thinks anybody in the world should be allowed to just simply stroll into our country and be embraced by liberal nit-wits like Mr. Collias who won't have to deal with them other than as servants in their day-to-day existence.

You see, Liberals love having servants and when someone sugests that these servants are here illegally...well, you have to listen carefully as they blow the foam off their Frappacino, but what their really saying is...

I dig slaves!

Robert Vasquez kicks ass on ILLEGAL immigration issues. He's running for Congress in Idaho. You may recall him as the county commissioner who billed Mexico 2 million smackers for services rendered to ILLEGALS. Even if you don't live in Idaho please support candidates who get it. All politics are local, especially this issue.

Know Thine Enemy

I was checking out VDARE and read this. Now, if you are concerned about ILLEGAL immigration this site should be in your favorites along with Michelle Malkin's Immigration blog.

You have to read through quite a bit of this article until you come to this. You should always be suspicious of governmental entities that operate under the radar. When politicians think something will benefit them they will trumpet that news from the mountaintop, yet somehow this story feels buried to me.

So following the links I read this. This is the "Report to leaders" issued by the Security and Prosperity Partnership. Having had the misfortune of reading this dog through allow me to highlight a portion located in the security section --


• Public Safety along the U.S.-Mexico
Border. The United States and Mexico
recently agreed to, over the course of three
weeks, identify and target key procedures
and guidelines to establish a standardized
Alien Smuggler Prosecutions Program along
the Southwest border, built upon previous U.S.
– Mexico efforts in the Guide Identification
Prosecution Program (GIPP), a collaborative
effort between CBP and Mexico’s Attorney
General Office-Procuraduria General de la
Republica (PGR) - to identify and prosecute local
guides and alien smugglers who endanger the
lives of migrants.

Okay, allow me to translate this crap for you. What our illustrious leaders lay out here is a plan whereby we cooperate with Mexico to guard the border. Sounds good, right?

One small problem though...Mexico is a corrupt country. We cannot and should not trust a single thing that comes out of their crooked mouths until they get their house in order!

How stupid do you have to be. I know it looks good to have makework like this but, for god's sake people, you don't trust a crook in the middle of a crime. Maybe, maybe after a couple of decades in prison.

Mexico is the enemy here, but let's not forget the third leg of this tippy stool. Canada, Canada is as leaky as an open window when it comes to terrorists or frankly nybody who shows up on their shores with a sob story.

Why does our leadership insist on these meaningless paper excercises? It must fill a need in the bureaucratic soul.

I for one say no! Check these things out for yourself, know thine enemy



PR 101: Cindy Sheehan Goes Back to School

Looks like Cindy Sheehan has semi-made good on yesterday's promise to tie herself to the White House fence. Well, she made it to the White House, anyway. But check out this photo of her getting arrested (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)...

What's this? No grin for the cameras? No wide smile for her cheering supporters? Hmmmm. Methinks someone got to Mother Sheehan with the tip that it isn't a good idea to look like a freshman who just got asked to the prom by a senior while using the honorable death of your son to make your political point. It's called PR 101.

And, if her expression in this photo is the best she could do, might I also recommend Acting 101?



>

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Hiding Behind The Flag?

While protesting tonight an older gentleman walked by. He glanced at our signs and then stopped dead in his tracks with a patented "who waved a dog turd under my nose" look on his mean old liberal face.

"Disgusting! You know your disgusting." He bit out each word like he really meant it before walking away. It was too good to last.

"You know your disgusting, right?" He queried again as he angrily strode past.

"That's just like you right wingers, your hiding behind the flag." Well, if you look here you can plainly see that I'm far to big and fat to hide behind much besides, maybe, a mack truck. ( you have to scroll down a little bit, I'm the chappie gripping a flag like I want to bonk some Anarchists in their pointed noggins )

However, on a more serious note, somebody remind me what exactly is wrong with proudly holding up our countries flag? No, seriously. When did it become Malum in se to simply drape a flag over your shoulder? Or, what other symbols of this great country am I prohibited from displaying?

Even worse, when did it become intrinsically bad to be proud of one's country? Did I miss a memo or something? Why am I always the last to find out about these things. Dammit people your supposed to keep me in the loop here, okay?

Besides, I'm not hiding behind the flag, I'm waving old glory for all to see. Don't like it?

Kiss my A&&




Not One More

Just got back from counter-protesting the "Not One More" gathering in downtown Chicago. This is the Federal Plaza where the Not One More folks were joined by -- you guessed it --

the "World Can't Wait" folks. We keep running into them lately, particularly one shrill, foul-mouthed woman who wants to shout her opinion with no respect for the fact that someone else might have one too. Tonight she actually yelled to us that we were fascists (not for the first time, either!), then stage whispered to her buddies that we didn't have a right to be there tonight. Makes one wonder if she has any clue whatsoever what fascism actually is. She also read my sign ("Freedom is Worth Fighting For") and told her friends that "No American has ever died for my freedom because I don't have any." I'm not sure what, exactly, she thought was allowing her to stand in front of a federal government building spouting vitriol about the federal government. Makes one wonder is she has any clue whatsoever what freedom actually is.

I had read on the internet that the anti-war group would display combat boots and names of the 2000 soldiers who have died in Iraq. Forgive my aging digital camera for not seeing so well in the dark -- each of the white pages you see has a picture of a pair of boots on it, along with a name. Remembering our heroes: two thumbs up. What gets two thumbs DOWN in my book is using the names of these heroes who served with valor -- WITHOUT the permission of their families -- to get attention for your political cause. It lends an honor to the proceedings that is unearned, undeserved, and dishonest.


That's my patriotic hubby waving the flag and standing up for what we think is right. For exercising our right to speak out while outnumbered (at this event, anyway!), we were called...

Disgusting...Fascists...Cocksuckers...Ignorant...McCarthyists...Brownshirts...

You get the idea. Unfortunately, I could have stood there all night listening to them call me, George Bush, America, and Americans nasty names while I quietly waved my flag, and they wouldn't have gotten it.



Facing Down The Ghouls Of The Left

We counter-protested the "Not one more" rally in downtown Chicago tonight. My wife and I were the only ones there representing our country in a positve light.

A couple of quick thoughts before I get to the meat. I was reminded tonight of a time over the summer when I was researching blogs, the right leaning blogs had flags posted maybe 70% of the time, left leaning blogs NEVER, ever posted a flag. Same tonight, you would have thought we were carrying garlic at a vampire convention by the way these folks reacted to seeing Old Glory waving in the breeze.

We were of course insulted, I found out tonight that in spite of my devout hetero status that I enjoy fellating men, who knew? I also learned that my lovely wife and I are "disgusting" "Ignorant" "Brownshirts" "Fascists" "unread" "Wrong" "Assholes" "McCarthyites"

Well, you get the idea. It was not easy standing there in a sea of hatred and lies such as we were in tonight.

An entertaining lady approached us early on and debated us for about twenty minutes. What was interesting about her to me was that she told us she was a doctor and then went on to explain that "everybody" in the crowd around us was there for only the best of reasons. That "everybody" knew that the war was based on lies and that "nobody" was using this event for political purpose or gain.

I found it interesting first of all that someone who should have at least a rudimentary training in scientific thought could make such wild assumptions and then get a little huffy when an untrained lout like me called her on them.

Two statements made by the speakers jumped out at me. The first was a young lady who lost her sister in the war, for this I am truly sorry, but, she made the statement that her sister only signed up for the benefits and "had no idea what she was getting herself into."

Mmmmm...Bullshit! I am sick unto death of this argument. her sister was clearly old enough to know exactly what she was getting into, again we have the left condescending to those brave folks who sign the dotted line. They know what their signing up for. I think it's time to put this one to bed, it's an all volunteer force, okay?

The second was a gentleman who stated that we need to allow the soldiers to apologize to us when they come home...WTF!!!

No, NO, NO! We need to celebrate them as the best among us. We need to let them know in no uncertain terms that we appreciate them and their service to our shared country. Finally, we need to fete them, break out the goddamn fatted lamb and celebrate every single one who makes it home safe and sound.

Not, I repeat, not give them the kind of welcome the left gave our soldiers coming home from Vietnam. This bastard went on to talk about how we would have to look them in the eyes when they came home as if that would be difficult. This will only be difficult for ninny lefties who lack in so many ways but most of all in the simple art of gratitude. As I commented to my wife, I'm sure it was patriotic Conservatives who were spitting on the troops back then. Yeah!

We did have a neat experience this evening. About two hours into the protest we were being hassled by a young anarchist lady who we've encountered at different events. She was suggesting that we should not enjoy first amendment rights since we were troublemaking activists, of course she couldn't finish a sentence without sounding like someone with advanced Tourette's. An older lady standing near us who was part of the group we were counter-protesting upbraided the young lady telling her firmly that this was one of the great freedom's of our country, that we could all protest without violence. Ironically the first thing we heard the young lady say that day was that she personally had no freedom. Ahhh, irony in action.

I'm glad to have stood up for my country tonight. While I'm sure their were many sincere people present tonight I found the bulk to be self serving. They want us out of Iraq no matter the consequences and if it costs us or the Iraqi's a couple of thousand or million deaths -- oh well, so sad.

As we were leaving a businessman stopped and asked us what was going on. we responded by pointing to the larger crowd and saying we were there to protest them. He said so what are they protesting? My patience had worn a little thin by this point, I responded "Their a bunch of goddamn crybabies who are against the war!"

And you know what? I still think that's true.




The Left: Celebrating hero's deaths

I have taken some heat lately for suggesting that our friends on the left were celebrating the loss of the 2000th hero in Iraq.

Let's take a look at the definition via Mirriam-Webster online:

Main Entry: cel·e·brate
Pronunciation: 'se-l&-"brAt
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -brat·ed; -brat·ing
Etymology: Latin celebratus, past participle of celebrare to frequent, celebrate, from celebr-, celeber much frequented, famous; perhaps akin to Latin celer
transitive senses
1 : to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites
2 a : to honor (as a holiday) by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business b : to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine
3 : to hold up or play up for public notice
intransitive senses
1 : to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival
2 : to observe a notable occasion with festivities
synonym see KEEP
- cel·e·bra·tion /"se-l&-'brA-sh&n/ noun
- cel·e·bra·tor /'se-l&-"brA-t&r/ noun
- cel·e·bra·to·ry /-br&-"tOr-E, -"tor-; "se-l&-'brA-t&-rE/ adjective


Okay, let's go through these one by one.

1 : to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites

Our pals on the left are solemnly preparing themselves to hold a vigil tonight. A vigil for our shared loss in this war. But, while I will focus on those men and women who chose to risk thier lives to keep me and mine safe, what will the left be celebrating this evening?

They will be celebrating how wonderful and sensitive THEY are. How RIGHT they are and ultimately how THIS war was a horrible mistake brought on by McBushie Bushitler Halliburton.

2 a : to honor (as a holiday) by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business b : to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine

Tonight the left will crawl out from thier darkened lairs of mourning they've ensconced themselves in since they lost the last election. They will act as the priests and priestesses for us poor rubes who haven't yet received the memo, this memo reads: facts be damned, we're right! As they hold up lighted candles and chant thier hippy lullabies we would do well to remember that they know best, facts be damned.

3 : to hold up or play up for public notice

Finally we come to my favorite. Whereas tonight my thoughts will be with those brave men and women who have fallen in our common defense, who will those sensitive souls on the left be thinking about? Themselves perhaps? I think so. I think they will be wondering if thier striking just the right revolutionary note as they weep crocodile tears for a group they collectively loathe. Will the left put the soldiers in the forefront of thier sick ceremony tonight? I doubt it.

It's all about them.

Thanks to Cao's blog for the linkage!
Thanks Political Teen fro the linkage! (is it just me or does Ian have a monster crush on Catherine Harris?)
Thanks to Stop The ACLU for the linkage!
Let's not forget TMH Bacon Bits and thier linkage!
Outside the Beltway!
And finally the infamous Mudvile Gazette!

2000 dead


Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Piggy Banks Banned as PC Sinks to New Lows

Yes, it's true. Halifax Bank and NatWest Bank in the U.K. have banned your old friend and mine, the piggy bank, from their promotional/advertising campaigns. Read the entire story here. Apparently, it's no longer OK for little Johnny to save up his pennies in a piggy bank -- like his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. did before him -- because...well, let's take a look at why, shall we?

Because:
Muslims do not eat pork, as Islamic culture views the pig to be an impure animal.
MJ says:
A piggy bank is not pork. It is a fake pig, usually made out of a synthetic material like plastic, and often only barely resembling an actual pig. No one is asking any Muslims to eat these fake pigs (which, even with a generous topping of HP sauce, would taste pretty gross, being made out of plastic). No one is even asking any Muslims to have a piggy bank.

and because:
Salim Mulla, secretary of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, endorsed the bank initiative. "This is a sensitive issue and I think the banks are simply being courteous to their customers,” he said.
MJ says:
Actually, it's NOT simply "being courteous to their customers." Courteous is "Good afternoon, Mr. Smith." and "Thank you for your business, Mr. Perez." and "Have a good day, Mr. Mulla." Courtesy is NOT "Plump, jolly pigs have been the beloved caretakers of children's careful savings for generations, but, WHAT THE HELL, lets toss this innocent, time-honored tradition for kids out the window because that guy over there can't eat pork."

and because:
Councilor Mahbubur Rahman, a practicing Muslim, backed the ban, saying "It’s a tolerance of people’s beliefs.”
MJ says:
I know what tolerance is, and it has NOTHING to do with forcing someone else to say or not say, do or not do, something because it isn't in accordance with YOUR beliefs. I am tolerant of Councilor Rahman's beliefs and traditions because I recognize and respect his right to practice them. If he truly understood and practiced tolerance, he would recognize and respect the rights of Non-Muslim kids to carry on the tradition of piggy banks, and he would rejoice to be living in a country where his piggy-bank-free kids could live side-by-side in harmony with them.

Why Al Franken Should Not Hold Political Office (with jokes)

OK, I'm not going to cover every reason why Al Franken should never, ever hold political office...I don't have that much time, and I'm guessing that you don't either.

First of all, I'm extremely uncomfortable with someone whose grip on reality is so loose that he purports to be funny in this David Letterman clip at The Political Teen. Or on this video ad for his new book over at Amazon. (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

But, seriously folks, let's take a look at the hatred this man has for ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH HIS WHACKED OUT IDEOLOGY! His brand of vitriol has no place in political office where you have to work with people with all sorts of political beliefs that differ from yours. Can you imagine day one of Al Franken in office?

8:00 am
Settle into new digs. Contemplate how much you hate @#$&!!! Bush.

8:15 am
Buzz secretary for chai with a splash of vanilla soy. Tell her how much you hate @#$&!!! Bush.

8:30 am
Call in to Air America (you won't have to wait long in the caller queue) to gloat and remind them how much you still hate @#$&!!! Bush.

8:45 am
Meet with local conservative and (throw chair) tell him how much you hate him AND (overturn desk) #$&@!!! Bush.

9:00 am
Phone interview with the NY Times. Don't forget to mention how much you hate @#$&!!! Bush.

Fortunately for America, and the good people of Minnesota, I have a sneaking suspicion that his political support would be somewhere along the lines of oh, I don't know, Air America ratings?

Monday, October 24, 2005

Thank You!

I was just reading this.

In this article the Independent Conservative strikes me as a cool refreshing breeze of sanity. So let me just say thank you. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Professor Kambon represents the nutty black fringe the same way Cindy Sheehan represents the nutty left fringe, but it still was a comfort to have a black person debunk this guy.

Thank you Independent Conservative, your aces in my book!



The Problem with Progressive

It's a fine word, progressive. It means to advance, or move forward. I was thinking recently about the way the left throws that word around, waving it proudly like a banner. We're part of a progressive movement. We're progressives. It's the party of progressives.

What I never hear addressed, though, is what, exactly, they're moving toward. It occurs to me that there has to be a goal if one is "making progress." There has to be something definable that you're trying to achieve, and progress can't be measured without first acknowledging and judging the goal. The goal, of course, can be good or bad.

I mean, if a person's goal is to be a serial killer, and he murders three people, he's made progress.

But I think that this part has gotten lost in over a century of "progressive" politics. The definition of "progressive" has come to include the assumption that the goal is a positive one, and it's a dangerous and repugnant assumption.

If, for example, the goal is to bring Socialism or Communism to America, it's not progress in my book. If the goal is for a woman to be able to kill her unborn child because she wants to freely engage in her sexual rights without having to bear the consequences, it's not progress in my book. If the goal is to make it an offense to make a joke about one religion while working to persecute another, it's not progress in my book. If the goal is to leave our borders wide open, spit on our immigration laws, and devalue the privilege of U.S. citizenship that our ancestors have toiled, struggled and bled for, it's not progress in my book.

To advance or move America forward requires a good, hard look at what will really make it a better place for our children and their children. In my book, striving to make it a place where hard work, responsibility, freedom and citizenship are not held in highest esteem isn't even the ballpark if we're going to talk about PROGRESS.

TMH's Bacon Bits has some similar thoughts

As seen @
Stop The ACLU

TMH's Bacon Bits

CAo's Blog (we love Cao!)

California Conservative

MacStansbury

Protesting Ward Churchill's Depaul Visit

Finally, here are some pictures from last Thursday night's protest of Ward Churchill as a paid speaker at Depaul University. If you haven't been there already, please check out pictures of the protest over at Marathon Pundit's blog, and video at Andrew Marcus' site.

Protesting Loans for Illegal Immigrants

We spent Saturday morning down in Indiana protesting a bank that is giving loans to illegal immigrants.

Bank Calumet is located at 750 Ridge Road in Munster, Indiana.

We found out about this protest after meeting Cheree Calabro, Porter County Director, and Greg Serbon, Lake Country Director, of IFIRE (Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform & Enforcement) at another event.



According to Section 8, U.S. Code 1324: "Any person who...encourages, or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the Unisted States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law...aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts...for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both..."

Giving someone here illegally a mortgage sounds like aiding and abetting to me...













We protesters got a good amount of honking in support of our message. A few people even vowed to follow Greg's lead (picture on right) and close their Bank Calumet accounts. Now that's what I call effective protest -- speaking the only language banks will understand: $$$.

ILLEGAL Immigration: Just Bus'em In

This article details the mission statement and general loopiness of an organization called: No More Deaths.

It is the usual touchie-feelie leftist crap about people dying on the border because of mean old America.

This list shows that far too many churches have lost their way.

The object of our border laws is not to kill aliens, no more than the weapon on a police officers hip is for killing bank robbers. However, when people choose to break the law there may be consequences.

These laws are not unjust, every nation should have the ability to control who enter their borders. Every nation should be able to control who lives and works within their territory.

But these lefty softheads would have us throw open our borders to anyone who wishes to enter without asking the simplest questions that should be asked.

Are you a criminal?

Do you have a communicable disease that would be a danger to the community?

Are you willing to be a productive part of American society?

Rather, these jack-asses would throw open the door to anyone leaving us vulnerable and broke.

Vulnerable to terrorists or just garden variety killers who know they can flee the country to get away with their heinous crimes.

Broke because of soft-headed lefties who would hand the wealth and treasure of our country to those who haven't earned it.

Finally, they would offer amnesty to those who have spat in the face of every person who came to this country LEGALLY. Making a joke of the whole concept of just law, way to go ministers of god, you are truly jack-asses!

These people are the true danger. They wander around oblivious to reality, ensconced in their lefty dreams of a world where everyone gets along, reality notwithstanding.

These people make it hard to do anything reasonable about the border. Whenever a bill is put forth they begin bleating aboutthe rights of criminals and non-citizens making it virtually impossible to have an intelligent conversation regarding those who make a travesty of our laws on a daily basis.

If you attend one of these alleged churches please let them know you don't appreciate their approval of crime.

These folks aid and abet criminals on a daily basis, providing them with the means to enter our country ILLEGALLY. The next logical step is for these morons to provide a bus service.

Racist!

We attended the IFIRE protest in Indiana last Saturday. We were protesting the Bank of Calumet providing home loans to ILLEGAL aliens.

Seems straight forward enough, right?

Wrong.

At least one person accused a protester of racism. It seems while I wasn't looking the definition of racist had changed.

As far as I recall from fifth grade, the word 'racist' used to suggest that you thought others were inferior due to the color of their skin, OR some other judgement based on religion, race, gender preference or something along those lines.

No more, allow me to explain.

Nowadays all you have to do to be a racist is to support the enforcement of the law. In our peculiar case we happen to support immigration enforcement so clearly we're racist, right?

I just wish I could strap one of these knuckleheads down and tickle them until they explained to me, in non-touchie-feelie terms, exactly what in the hell their talking about.

If I am anything I am an inclusive person. I believe in people of every color being tossed out of this country if they are here illegally. I furthermore believe that people of every race, religion and gender preference who are here illegally should be tossed out too.

So does that make me a racist?

The Minutemen are under attack for wanting our borders to be under our control. They also support wild, crazy ideas such as America controlling its immigration, not Vincente Fox. I know, I know, It truly is shocking when you put it that way.

Let's contrast this with what our opponents desire. They desire a world without borders, a world where all men live as brothers, a world of justice and peace.

And if it takes a couple million dead Americans to achieve that dream, well...I don't think they'd lose much sleep.

So am I a racist?

Al Franken: Fluffer For The Left!

As every aficionado of porn knows, a good piece of wood doesn't just happen on it's own. No, it's nurtured, over time, until the explosive finale.

I had the misfortune of watching this drivel. Thank you as always political teen for pouring this bilge into our blissfully TV free home.

While perusing the wildly unfunny Mr. Franken I got to thinking about what function he serves in the twisted lefty community. As it unspooled and he got loonier and unfunnier it dawned on me.

He's their fluffer.

See, when your as morally and intellectually bankrupt as the left is these days you need something -- anything, to keep the juices flowing.

The fluffer fulfills a vital function. On set he or she keeps our hard working adult industry folks ready to spring into action at a moments notice. In the real world a fluffer, oh, let's call him Al, keeps folks in high dudgeon over things that really don't amount to a whole hill of beans.

Luckily for our fictional fluffer Al, his constituents are feeling a little hyper these days, so he's got lots to work with. Unfortunately, they have absolutely nothing to offer, so he's probably working overtime (I wonder if we could start a chapstick fund or something?).

Fortunately, their also complete loons, so he feels right at home.

In summation I would just like to say that I respect all hard-working Americans. I do not discriminate against those who cannot find honest work in a non-nasty field.

Oh, and we lucky bastards get this to get our juices flowing!

So, life is good.

Friday, October 21, 2005

As If You Needed Another Reason

If its good enough for Larry Flynt. Then by god it's good enough for me!

The Teacher

Another story from last night at the Depaul/Ward Churchill protest.

As night fell we waited for the event to let out. Finally people began to stream form the building, each with a supportive or derisive comment.

A lady walked past me, stopped and took a moment to read my sign. It said, FREE SPEECH -- YES! TREASON -- NO!

Her face curled up like someone waved a dog turd under her nose and she approached me in a firm fashion. "Everything he said tonight was protected free speech you know."

Let me direct your attention again to what my sign actully said. FREE SPEECH -- YES!

With unabashed look of surprise I lowered my sign and with my finger traced the offending phrase and said "I agree wholeheartedly."

This did not appease the old nut so she finally read the second half of the sign. If anything the turd increased in size as she continued, "Treason?"

I assented. I explained that I thought several statements he'd made amounted to treason and that I was unhappy that Depaul had paid him a large sum of money to spew his vitriol on campus.

She shook her head and told me I was wrong.

Okay, I told her we'd have to agree to disagree. She agreed curtly and stomped off and had this confrontation with Marathon Pundit. (Blogspot won't let me link. Go to Marathon Pundit and scroll down to "Depaul Professor to me 'I would never allow you in my classroom'"

The moral of the story? She was a teacher! Couldn't this alleged teacher read English? Is this who's teaching our children? I'm more concerned about her being an idiot than a crusty old lefty!

Game Face

While attending the Depaul/Ward Churchill protest last night I had the opportunity to watch my fellow protesters and think a little about how we as conservatives present ourselves in public.

Overall, I was very impressed with my fellow protesters. We were all generally quiet, respectful of both other protesters and authority, we made out point without getting ugly.

However, one situation I witnessed and played a small role in disturbed me. Later in the evening a young black lady approached the Protest Warriors clearly upset and distraught. She accused us and the United States of being racists who wished to harm and hurt black people.

Understandably we were taken aback by her vehemance and accusations. I think if we were to be fully honest we would say we were a little hurt by her. She scolded us for, in her words, supporting a racist government, and again, being racists.

Now, at this point I think people were somewhat in shock. They protested that they were not racists, I suggested that such a blanket statement might suggest she was a racist. She had a very hard time articulating her position, probably because it didn't make much sense, however, it was clear she was hurting. I don't know if anyone noticed but around that time I did a fade and got out of the crowd.

Because by this point people in the crowd were jeering at her. My wife shared with me later that she almost burst into tears at this point.

The challenge I want to lay out to my fellow protesters is to consider your game face. When you attend protests you represent the the good guys. We are actually all about tolerance and diversity in healthy and productive ways.

We represent a philosophy that is truly welcoming and inclusive. All are welcome. Our job is to stand firm without sinking to the level of our antagonists. Remember that a lot of the people we stand against are hurting, they believe in things that don't make sense to any reasonable person. They have committed themselves to such a dissonant viewpoint that it's tearing them apart.

I guess what I'm getting at is just this, absolutely stand firm in what you believe, debte passionately. Don't we always say that if it comes to name calling and mockery you have already lost the argument? Let's be the good guys in all we do. Yes I stand for certain ideas and philosophies and beliefs. I wish others to come to those beliefs, however, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt I will not reach them if I drive them away and hurt them further. Don't get drawn into thier fallacious arguments or ways of thinking. They may be nuts but we don't have to act nuts to argue with them.

If you think I'm taking our side to task you couldn't be more wrong. I was exceedingly proud of those I stood with last night. We fought the good fight and did it with class.

I know I had several people approach me last night to find out what was going on. One young man stood talking with my wife and I for several minutes before paying us what I thought was an extraordinary compliment. He said he normally hated protesters, but that we seemed pretty reasonable. He mentioned that the usual protestes he saw around campus were usually very hateful and if you didn't agree with them they would start yelling at you.

We surveyed together the crowd of patriots quietly protesting a univesities discriminatory policy and I felt a surge of pride to stand with those who believed in a country strong and united.

Thanks guys, I'm proud of you all!

Jake

Protesting Ward Churchill and Discrimination at Depaul University

Aaaaaaaah, the sound of banners blowing in the breeze and people in heated debate! God Bless America!

WHERE: Depaul University, Chicago
WHEN: Last night
WHY: To protest the university paying charlatan & University of Colorado-Boulder professor Ward Churchill to speak while trampling the rights of Depaul Republicans

I'll get my pictures posted over the weekend -- meanwhile, check out John's pics over at Marathon Pundit. We enjoyed meeting our fellow blogger at the protest, along with filmmaker Andrew Marcus.

A good crowd turned out to protest Churchill and support the students whose rights were trampled. Read more in my previous post here.

Some thoughts/stories:

Why on earth did the folks from World Can't Wait show up to counter-protest? They are all about kicking Bush and his administration out of office. We were protesting a speaker and an institution of higher learning's discrimination against a group of Republican students. Hmmmm. Wait a minute. Could it be that they, too, think that everyone except Republicans should be able to voice their opinions?

I was answering the questions of a group of students who approached me to ask what was going on outside the Cultural Center when a woman steps in front of me, interrupts my sentence, and softly but angrily starts talking about "these right-wingers" and blah, blah, blah, you can fill in the rest. One of the students turned back to me and said, "You were saying?" The woman starts talking again, and hands one of the girls some sort of Socialist/worker newspaper, then informs her it costs 50 cents. The girl handed it back to her and said she didn't have 50 cents, her friends quickly offering that they didn't have 50 cents either. The woman then walked away, and I was able to finish my discussion with the students. Let me see -- interrupting, name-calling, then trying to sell you something. Who'd have ever guessed she was a rabid leftie?

None of the students I talked to had heard anything about the ways that the Republicans were mistreated by Depaul. Rules about who was "invited" to today's workshop with Churchill were changed after the Republican group applied to attend so that they were excluded, and when they submitted posters for approval to post they were denied because they were "propaganda." (Interesting note: the posters consisted of Ward Churchill quotes, providing, I'm sure, an unintended confirmation that the university used students' money to pay for -- say it with me -- PROPAGANDA!) Opinions varied on whether or not Churchill should have been invited to speak, but almost every student agreed that the Republicans had been treated unfairly and were disappointed in the university's handling of the situation.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Ward C. & Depaul Protest

We just got back from a protest at Depaul U. in Chicago.

We met this guy. He was a hoot! (pix on his site)

And we met this guy. Who's filming a documentary about Ward Churchill and was also a hoot. He also has the reasons why we were protesting tonight.

Joe Blewitt the head of the Campus Republicans led the charge and did an exellent job. We had a crowd of about twenty, which considering the short notice was pretty good.

I find it interesting that the whole Ward Churchill debate seems to focus on free speech. I don't think it's a free speech issue at all. I think this guy is a charlatan and a huckster and I'm very disappointed that a big name university would give him the time of day.

It just seems like they validate his loopiness by paying him to speak. I understand he's also chairing the conference tomorrow on "Human right for people of color." My question would be, what does he bring to the table?

Anyway, great protest tonight, you guys rocked!



Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Ass Monkeys ATTACK!

Okay, in the course of operating a blog, on occasion, people leave comments. This is usually a good thing, solid debate, air the issues all that.

Then, on occasion a screaming ass monkey stops by and stops you in your tracks with a breathtaking display. My wife and I post quite a bit about illegal immigration, it's a subject we feel passionately about as we have both worked in the hospitality field and seen up close and personal the down sides of it.

Well I posted this the other day. It was an article suggesting that ILLEGAL aliens cost us on average $1800 a head.

So, the next morning I fire up my trusty laptop and free all surfaces of cats and kittens. Logging onto the internet I find a message waiting for me:
The calculation was done only for Florida, not for other states, and it does not consider the billions of dollars paid by illegal aliens into social security. I find this very typical: a paranoid radical anti-immigration fanatic skewing facts

So on the upside, he's reasonable. On the negative side of the ledger he's a screaming ass-monkey. Well I donned my anti ass monkey gloves carefully dipping my hands into a bucket of ass monkey disinfectant, because, who knows? It might be catching.

As dispassionately as possible I dip my toe into his green skied world and respond: (snipped for length, feel free to contact for the full transcript)
Also, there's a dishonesty on your side of the issue that really chaps my ass, let me share. There's one word that you neglect in your email. You accuse me of being against immigration. Nothing could be further from the truth. This country was indeed built on immigration, controlled orderly immigration. The word your side seems incapable of uttering is ILLEGAL.
Also, if your gonna call me out on something, please take the time to read the article, your two points were addressed within.

Luckily for me this fellow has an IQ hovering somewhere around room temperature. He assures me that he's secretly very well read, but, he doesn't want that information getting out or they might ask him to actually do something at his place of employment. He responds:
I did take the time to read the article as well as many others, and unlike
you, my comments reflected all the facts. You and many other paranoid
radical anti-immigration fanatics selectively highlight the facts that
support your pre-drawn conclusions and ignore


This is starting to drag a little for me so I keep it snappy:
Funny, I was thinking the same of you. I note you are still unable to use the word ILLEGAL. Why is that?
Oh, the ad hominem stuff makes you look like a nut, not me pal. Though tiresome I'll come right out and say it, I support Immigration, just not ILLEGAL immigration. Do you support bank robbers and pedophiles? ILLEGAL, Mr. Ass-monkey (name withheld), makes all the difference in the world

Careful readers will note in the upcoming passage he STILL hasn't allowed the dread "I"* word to be typed: You chose to highlight the $1800 per head that it costs the state. YOU did not mention in your introduction to the article the contributions that immigrants make to the economy nor to Federal programs. YOU selectively chose to highlight ONLY those facts that support your pre-drawn conclusion. This is called spin and is a dishonest presentation.

Okay, I'm starting to get a little confused here. I'm not exactly sure why he's referencing this again, so I reply: ILLEGAL, Mr. Ass-Monkey (name withheld), makes all the difference in the world.

Quoth the raven: A piece of paper is the only difference between illegal and legal.

Oh-hoh! Well, well, well. This has suddenly gotten interesting again. If I owned a television I would probably lean over slowly and flip Sally Jesse Raphael off. Sadly. we don't so I settled for tossing a kitten unceremoniously off my desk and savoring the moment. I finally got a leftie to admit they support ILLEGAL immigration. Truly curious I shoot back: So, if I rob a bank, or molest a child, the only difference between legal and illegal is a piece of paper? It's weak Mr. Ass-monkey (name withheld) and you know it.

Ever the Grand Master he retorts, and you sense he thinks he's got me on the ropes: It certainly is a weak comparison. Illegally crossing a border and causing absolutely no harm to anyone is certainly a lot different than robbing a bank or molesting a child.

Okay, here it is. I've been hoping to find a lefty with at least a vestige of a brain to debate on my site ala Hannity & Colmes. Is this my guy? It clearly wouldn't be too difficult to pin his soggy ass, mentally at least, and frankly it always does my heart good to get liberals to make funny involuntary noises. I pose the challenge, fingers crossed behind my back: Okay, why don't you make your argument. Explain to me exactly why you support ILLEGAL immigration and we'll have it out on our respective blogs.

I read his next response, breath held, hoping, hoping...Who said I support illegal immigration? Man, you are amazing. Character assassination. Spin via use of selective facts. Now defining your opponent's argument. Is there any sleazy debate tactic you DON'T use?

WTF!! You have got to be kidding me! Here I am walking around with a chubby thinking I've got a liberal on the spit, somebody dumb enough that they don't even know how dumb they are and he pulls this? I'm outraged.

Seriously, can anybody follow this. I clearly have him supporting ILLEGAL immigration a couple of responses back: A piece of paper is the only difference between illegal and legal.

Did I miss something? So he clearly saaays he supports ILLEGAL immigration, then he pulls a Clinton and just denies what he clearly told me.

You know what? He just changed my mind on Roe v. Wade.

* ILLEGAL, clearly a word not favored by Ass-Monkeys







Bush/GOP Scrambling for Base, Independents?

In the near term, Bush and GOP congressional leaders seem focused on quelling the uprising among conservatives. "The common theme is, 'We have to get back to the base,' " said one prominent lobbyist who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was involved in strategy discussions with Capitol Hill Republicans and the White House.

Read the whole article here.

It goes on to talk about how GW needs to focus on reigning in that bad spending habit Republicans have developed, and on improving his inexplicably Democrat-friendly approach to solving our border/immigration woes.

And then, out of nowhere, the article takes a zany turn toward comedy.

Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, said that stabilizing the president's base was more important for the GOP over the next year than wooing independents disaffected from the administration.

Yeah, that's right. Matthew Dowd, who just a couple of months ago wrote the following in an op-ed piece for The New York Times (I'm afraid you'll have to take my word for it, since you have to pay for EVERYTHING at the NYT these days):

But chances are that there will be a substantial decrease in illegal immigration from Mexico in the next 20 years...

and this:

If the trend continues, it could be that we've already seen the high-water mark of illegal Mexican immigration -- put simply, the issue may be resolving itself.

But chances are? If the trend continues? Could be that we've already seen? The issue may be resolving itself? Please! I can't handle all the certainty!

Dowd quoted statistic after statistic in the piece (called The Mexican Evolution), but, even with all the numbers that were supposedly quoted to back him up, the best he could do was finish the article by flinging turds of possibility at us regarding fixing our immigration problems.

All I can say is that there are lots of us out here who are very seriously concerned with the border/illegal immigration problems that America faces right now. And, whether we're part of "the base," independent, or WHATEVER, Bush and the GOP are going to have no choice but to address this issue fully, because chances are that if they don't, it could be that our votes may be going to someone else.

The Elephant In The Room

I was just reading this.

It occurs to me that the overarching issue these days, whether you know it or not is ILLEGAL immigration.

It is the elephant in the room that no one will address directly. If the President and Congress would do the hard work of dealing with this problem instead of making excuses they would find the American people behind them in large numbers.

How can we deal with legitamate budget issues and simmering social issues when ILLEGAL immigration is such an interwoven element?

It's time guys, time to fix this problem once and for all.

Here's The Problem

Yesterday I posted about this article.

Then I received this comment --

The calculation was done only for Florida, not for other states, and it does not consider the billions of dollars paid by illegal aliens into social security.I find this very typical: a paranoid radical anti-immigration fanatic skewing facts.

Now, if you READ the article you'll notice this passage --

He crunched the numbers and found in Florida each immigrant household costs the state roughly $1,800 on a net basis. In other words, $1,800 is the total of how much more public services immigrants consume - mostly Medicaid and education - and how much less in taxes they pay than does the average resident.
Although his research and calculations pertain only to Florida, "We would think that would be close to the national figure" for other states, Denslow said.


So, Mr. Whack-ass's question's are answered in paragraph five and six of this article. Did he even bother to read the article? Does he know how to read? Perhaps his bloody Mary was not to his liking, I know that always makes me cranky in the AM.

This is the problem with this issue, it's an emotional one for people so they tend to go into any article or deal with any fact by emotionalizing it.

Let's see, so I'm a radical, paranoid anti-immigration fanatic. I wonder if he has any opinion on this subject? It's so hard to tell from the text. I just wish he would have come right out with it and kill the suspense.

Here's a bit of my response to him--

Also, there's a dishonesty on your side of the issue that really chaps my ass, let me share. There's one word that you neglect in your email. You accuse me of being against immigration. Nothing could be further from the truth. This country was indeed built on immigration, controlled orderly immigration. The word your side seems incapable of uttering is ILLEGAL.

He just wrote me back, I know you'll be shocked, shocked to learn that he still could not bring himself to utter that hated word. The word that if uttered utterly invalidates thier weak-ass argument. Yes my friends, that word is...ILLEGAL

I mean how silly. I you can't argue honestly why bother?

I suppose I'd have to be a lefty retard to know the answer to that.

***Update***
I have just challenged Mr. Whack-ass to make his argument as to why he supports ILLEGAL immigration. Let's see if he'll come through.

The Scoop on ILLEGAL Immigration from Inside Customs & Border Patrol

Unfortunately, if you're willing to read this letter at V-DARE from an incredibly frustrated Customs & Border Patrol agent, you probably already know and acknowledge that illegal immigration is the real quagmire America faces today.

The agent details this list of infuriating ways that our borders and enforcement of immigration law is an absolute joke:

Fresh-across-the-river illegal aliens in American schools!
Counterfeit charging documents for EOIR Immigration Court—the next big thing!
Summary removal under Immigration Act Section 235(b) really works . . . so why not use it to the fullest?
Illegal Honduran mental case awaits EOIR Immigration Court while roaming the streets!
Inspectors watch as illegal aliens sneak in through cross-border lake causeway!
Inspectors watch on security cameras as alien and marijuana smugglers use cross-border ferry port by night
Reporting illegal aliens—still no response . . . even for an insider!

Then the agent asks “How Can I Tell My Children I Won’t Be Home For Christmas Because I’m Working An Important Job For Our Country?”

I wish I had an answer for him. What part of ILLEGAL do too many of our citizens, the agent's bosses, and our elected representatives right up to and including the White House not understand? I'm sure that there are plenty of people who come here illegally purely seeking a better life, and I'd welcome them if they followed the laws we have in place for a reason, but quit calling them GOOD PEOPLE.

By definition an illegal immigrant has broken the law the moment they step foot inside the U.S.! CAPICHE? ILLEGAL means ILLEGAL. I'm starting to feel like a broken record here, but for cryin' out loud ILLEGAL means ILLEGAL. We all need to get a very strong grip on this concept before we can even begin to address this monumental problem.

I send my heartfelt apologies to this agent as a citizen, and a plea of my own that he not give up. I can't even imagine the frustration he feels on a daily basis as he observes fiasco after chaos after joke all in a day's work. But please don't give up! Some of us get it, and we're shouting the truth as loud as we can!

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Ward Churchill Speaks at Depaul: PRELUDE

When I heard that Ward Churchill had been invited to speak at DePaul University in my beautiful home city of Chicago, I immediately reserved the date...to PROTEST. There are any number of reasons to do so but, for anyone not familiar, you can read about the man and some of what he stands for here, here and here.

So I went online to see if there was any buzz about his lecture on October 20th. During my research I came upon an interesting tidbit over at Marathon Pundit. According to an "anonymous tipster," Churchill's "Multicultural Human Rights Education Workshop," offerred on the following day and originally advertised as being For Student Organizations Only, had been changed to Open to Student Organizations which are supported by Cultural Center's Allocation Fund.

Curious about whether the alleged change in who was welcome to attend the workshop was accurate, I called the DePaul Cultural Center today to find out for myself.

When someone answered the phone, I first asked a couple of general questions about the Thursday evening lecture, and was told that it was open to the DePaul community only. Fair enough -- that matched what I'd read online. I gave my full name and stated that I was writing an article for the Freedom Folks blog, and asked about the discrepancy I'd seen reported online regarding the workshop on Friday. There was a pause, then the woman asked who I was. Even though I had just told her, I repeated my name and that I was a blogger working on an article. She told me that nothing had changed about the workshop.

I asked if she could tell me what the Cultural Center's Allocation Fund was, and received an abrupt "I don't have any more information for you."

I thanked her for her time, and asked for her name for my story.

"I don't have to tell you that." CLICK.

She hung up on me. And I thought I was curious BEFORE the evasive, rude treatment I received from the Cultural Center! Of course, this only made me more determined to find out what I could about Ward Churchill's visit to the DePaul campus.

I went on the school's website this evening and, lo and behold, easily found out what the Cultural Center Allocation Fund is about...

The goal of the Cultural Center Allocations Fund is to provide funding to cultural and ethnic student organizations for the promotion of underrepresented and marginalized communities, including African American, American Indian, Asian, Ethnic Greek, GLBT, Jewish, Latino/a, and Muslim. These campus activities educate, inform, and enliven the sponsoring group and the university community at large.

Fair enough, although I'm not sure how the "university community at large" is educated, informed and enlivened if they aren't invited to the activity. But why the cold shoulder when I asked about the Allocation Fund?

And if the university is proud to welcome Mr. Churchill to speak on their campus, why is he namelessly promoted like this (bold is mine)?

Lecture on Human Rights
10/20/2005 - 10/20/2005
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LPC
Student Center Room 314-A
A dynamic and prolific speaker with politically unique views
Cultural Center
culturalcenter@depaul.edu, 773/325-7759
http:\\culturalcenter.depaul.edu
Group Meeting
DePaul Community


As soon as I finish this posting, I will be e-mailing Harvette Grey, Executive Director of the Cultural Center. Maybe she will have some answers for me and, if she does, I'll be sure to pass them on.

Until Thursday...

Breathe, Just Breathe

I was just reading this.

To quote Glenn Reynolds, heh.

I am suddenly proud to be a part of the fire breathing Religious Right!

And by the way, your damn straight that our god can be a stern one. That's why we got things done, not just sit around and compare Michaelangelo to Confucius to Jesus.

Heh.

I tell you what, when you guys sound just a smidge less kooky, maybe you can elect another president.

Heh.

The Rest Of The Story

I just received this from Cheree Calabro one of the founders of IFIRE, if you're not familiar with them make sure to check out thier website at -- IFIRE. They are an excellent organization out of the flat plains of Indiana.

If you read the news coverage of Saturdays Minuteman conference in Arlington Heights, Illinois, you may have been under the impression that the attendees tried to rumble with the protesters. That was the story presented by one of the officers at the event to the media, well, as is often the case there is more light to be shed on the subject...
Here's what Cheree sent--

There is more to the story. Here is what I sent you a couple days ago:

I stopped to thank 2 of the policemen on my way out. The officers were pretty upset about a woman from our side who flipped off the demonstrators and yelled at them. They told me there were only 4 officers at the scene when this happened and they felt like things could easily have escalated out of control because they were so greatly outnumbered. This officer had been there all day and was still very upset with us. His comments were covered by the press. We need to resist the temptation to stoop to the level of our opponents because it only hurts our cause.

Here is the rest of the story that the officer conveniently left out when he was blaming us for provoking the demonstrators.

One of our members was trying to enter the building. His path was blocked by demonstrators, so he said, "Excuse me." and they moved a tiny bit and he tried to get through. Then about 6 of them jostled him and someone shoved him from behind trying to ram him into the railing. They were calling him a racist and probably other things as well.

As I understand it, this is when the woman that the police officer mentioned moved in to assist our guest who was being knocked down. She was screamed at by protesters and flipped off and she reacted in kind. I can't say that I would have been able to control myself under similar circumstances. When our guest clambered past them, they were screaming and cursing at him. He turned and cursed back at them. That's when an officer came running after him and escorted him inside while telling him that he shouldn't start any trouble with the anarchists! This is after he had been assaulted by the anarchists!

Although there were more police on the site, there were only about 4 of them near the entrance where the trouble occurred. Now I question why they didn't do a better job of keeping the entrance open for us. The police blocked off the streets. Why couldn't they have blocked off a 10 foot wide corridor so that we could get in to the building and up the steps? In hindsight, I question whether the police wanted something to happen. You would think they would know that the main place where problems could occur was at the entrance. The demonstrators were allowed to get in our faces from the beginning.

I looked out from inside the building at around 11 a.m. and demonstrators were sitting on all the steps blocking entry. I was told that they linked arms at one point and refused to move. The demonstrators reportedly threw bottles of water at people. One of our speakers had to jump the railing in order to get around the protesters to leave. One of our guests, a veteran, had his tires slashed.

I wonder if the Arlington Heights police officers went to the Garden Grove School of Crowd Control. You may recall that Garden Grove, CA is where the police let the protesters block the only exit from the parking lot after a CCIR meeting where Jim Gilchrist was the featured speaker. There was a large police presence yet protesters were allowed to surround some vehicles while pounding on them and screaming at the people inside. When one man feared that he and his wife would be pulled from the vehicle and beaten, he tried to drive away, knocking a couple of protesters down. If it hadn't been for a video tape of the event, the driver might have been charged.

An Arlington Heights officer told the press that we "baited" the protesters by using the Walnut Street entrance and refusing to use another entrance even though others were available. This is wrong. The Minutemen submitted an event plan to the Christian Liberty Academy a month in advance. The plan called for one entrance, the Walnut St. entrance, to be used. It was selected for its proximity to the parking lot and for security purposes. Guests were required to stop at the registration desk inside this entrance before entering the meeting. All other entrances were locked. Demonstrators still tried to get in through those locked doors.

So, that's the story I've been able to piece together. It's a little different from the one painted by the Arlington Heights police officer when he spoke to me and when he spoke to the press.

Cheree Calabro
www.ifire.org
Valparaiso, IN


I think we all agree on how important it is to be respectful of those who disagree but, I think these folks reacted in fear and anger to the provocation they received from the crowd. Lest you be tempted to think of the protesters as dewy eyed hippies let me disabuse you of that notion.

These folks were radicals and they were looking to rumble, more press for them if something bad happens, you see.

I stopped on several occasions to thank the police officers who were guarding us and was struck by thier cool response. I don't know what to make of it, I can't imagine that they are fans of illegal immigration. Perhaps it was just the fact that we were a pain in the butt for them.

Whatever the reason I am shocked that one of the attendees had to experience that and I cannt say I wouldn't react exactly the same way.