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What They've Thought
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What They're Thinking Now... R.A.
Hawkins Click here for columnist bios |
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R.A.
Hawkins It is a sad thing to watch Ted Kennedy as he proves without end that he is ill fit for the job for which he keeps being selected. Here is a political career that is at times both amusing and sad at the same time. He rails about the cruelty of our troops and seems to think that Iraq was better under Saddam than it is under an Iraqi majority. We are still finding mass graves in Iraq and we will continue to find them. I read an interesting article about a translator who was from Iraq and was present when they caught Saddam living in his hole in the ground. He started yelling at Saddam and Saddam called him a traitor. The translator punched Saddam a couple of times. I sure would like to hear what that guy thinks about people like Ted Kennedy. Ted reminds me of many of the elite leftists who will do anything to gain power again. He will grab on to anything he possibly can and use it as justification for his actions. Well almost anything. He apparently won't grab on to a girl in a sinking car. But he actually got up and made a speech that tied Alberto Gonzales — Bush's new attorney general — to the actions that occurred at Abu Ghraib. He said that we aren't doing enough about those who are guilty. I guess court martial for those who were guilty isn't enough. He wants further investigations into just about everything, and he wants it all out in the open. He is a fine example of how the left thinks. Bastiat spoke quite accurately of people such as him. He said, "Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain." You can read the whole translation at this link. There is quite a bit more on this subject, and it is a good antidote to the leftist anti-theocrats who quote Jefferson and have no idea what he was talking about. Here is another link to the home page for you. I do have one nice thing to say about Ted Kennedy, though. He makes Bill Clinton look like a saint. That may well be why Bill and Hill have replaced the Kennedys as the left wing royalty. Here's a great article on his morality. And here is an excellent book about his real level of intellect. Part of the problem with the left wing ideology is that it chooses to tell us how to live and relate with each other. It claims to be free and open, but demands that we cast off all belief in antiquated systems such as religion, more specifically Christianity. (Unless you are a whahabbi intent on killing all American infidels. Then it's okay to be religious.) The leftists want to be your religion. They are just like those who took part in and caused the French Revolution. They as yet have not come down to say they are God. They have removed all references to religion from any place they can, and they wonder why we are in a state of moral decay. Their way of thinking has infected our colleges, and professors are allowed to preach their anti-Semitism as though it were gospel. To them it is. We have the Ward Chamberlains and we even have a female version of him in North Carolina by the name of Jane T. Christensen. She is teaching a class called "American Police State - Where do we go from here." I realize the leftists reading this commentary might not see the problem with this, but here it is. That isn't a class; it is an indoctrination. She teaches that it was our government that pulled off the WTC attacks. The University President Ian Newbould defended her right to say these things with the following statement. "I've often used a quotation that they say comes from Voltaire, 'I may disagree with what you say but I'll fight to your death your right to say it.'" The most telling part of this quote he uses is that he is clueless. He didn't even get the spirit of the quote right. He will defend until the professor is dead her right to be wrong? Nothing like a little left wing chivalry. Here is the actual quote and the source of the quote. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."-- The Friends of Voltaire, 1906 was written by one Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre. But the real point is that the President and the professor are clueless like Kennedy. They don't know the difference between education and indoctrination, and they don't care. Their version of politics and sociology is more like a completely new science. It should be dubbed as Neuro-Botany. R.A. Hawkins Web Site Contact Back to Top |
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In scanning your headline news, the topic of our children plays profoundly upon the pages. It would seem that the days of reading heartwarming stories of “The Tigers Little League Team” overcoming the odds and winning their division finals has disappeared from news sources across our nation. Is it possible that we no longer can witness the sense of pride in our young people’s accomplishments because our media and our nation no longer aspire to shine happiness and good tidings about today’s youth? Or is it because the adults who direct have failed to help our youth have any positive stories written about them? Perhaps it is a combination of the two. On any given day in any newspaper or news site you will locate topics that reveal a nation which has a very troubled population of young people. What have we done to perpetuate this atrocious picture of our youth? What have we done as the leaders and supposed adults to have headlines state “Child Found Strangled, Suspect Recently Released Child Molester” or “It’s Prom Night Birth, Baby Found Dead in Girls Restroom?” What is happening to our youth? In the last few days, I have tracked numerous news sources. Here are just a few stories I found: children murdered by a parent, increased steroid usage by American girls, girlfriend forced by boyfriend's parents to have an abortion, children have obesity problem, young girls are obsessed with being model thin, teens increasingly feel the need to bring weapons to school for protection, and the list goes on. Why does the world of innocence appear to have been turned upside down? Children gain knowledge and follow by example. We as adults have been setting very pitiful examples. We have laws that govern each state — rules that have been established to protect the innocent — but we have elected judges who play the role of judicial god, not upholding the laws of protection. Thusly, our children have been laid out as sacrifices to be preyed upon by child molesters. These sick-minded molesters are not being held accountable nor are they being prosecuted fully for the evil deeds they have committed. Adults that touch children inappropriately should never be allowed near a child again (I believe anyone who hurts a child should be locked away forever). If the laws of our land cannot protect the children from these hideous monsters, we have truly become a people who do not deserve the blessings of our youth. Abortion activists like to fight for a woman’s right to choose. To choose what? Killing their own child or not killing their own child, all under the guise of “abortions should be rare…?” (If it is a constitutional right, I have to ask why should it be rare...) The denigration once again can be seen and felt by our youth. When adults do not value human life from the moment of conception, then why would we expect a young person to be inconvenienced by their child? Becoming mind-numbed to the event of giving birth and throwing a newborn in the garbage can is how we are teaching that life isn’t valuable…it's expendable. The youth have been left so unprotected by the responsible adults that they can obtain an abortion without parental consent (the only exception for non-parental notification should be in cases of parental abuse). Please hear this: Our daughter under the age of 18 can obtain full rights to kill her child without parental involvement or knowledge, but she has to have parental authorization to get her ears pierced. What has this taught our youth? A baby human is an inconvenience, so you can make an adult decision; but your ear lobes belong to mom and dad, so you cannot poke a hole through them of your own free choice until you turn 18. Think about that. A parent killing their own flesh and blood in the name of depression or fights over custody is disgusting and sick. If you are suffering from depression, get some help, take a flippin' pill, would you? Do not drown your children, for the love of all that is good. If you are the mate of a depressed person, get them aid. Do not be so proud to let the demonic plague of depression reach a point where innocent blood lays dripping from your own hands. If you are in the middle of a custody battle, your children are not pawns in the game you have decided to play with your ex-spouse. They are individuals with rights and due process to live their lives fully protected from the insanity of those who use their anger at their spouses to kill their own children. Our youth is watching our behavior, and our interactions as adults. What are your children seeing and hearing? The American love affair with fatty foods, lack of exercise and steroid usage seem to all correlate with one another. Anytime day or night, adults can be overheard saying, “I weigh too much, I need to start dieting.” Then we will reach for a bag of chips, two cookies and a Diet Coke. We will proclaim in front of our families that we want to start exercising and go to the gym that we paid for six months ago, and then we will go and sit our fat butts down in our recliners. Parents reveal to their children that binge and purge is the only way to become the waif thin model that graces the cover of Cosmo. Children's daddies gaze too long upon pictures of big-breasted women, with tiny waists and shapely rounded buttocks. American mommies, in order to regain their youthful bodies (and grasp the gaze of their mates or their potential one-night stands), pay “Dr.-Make-Me-Feel-Twenty-Again” several thousand dollars to inject, cut, stitch, and remove unwanted crap from their aging bodies. Old age is no longer held in honor, and an obsession with stereotypes prevails. Our adult sports figures cannot seem to leave well enough alone, either. The mad drive to push ourselves beyond our human limits has driven many sports figures into the darkened realm of drug usage. Steroids are the entire cure-all to build false muscle and bulk…all for the love of the game. What game are we playing as adults, not only with ourselves, but with our children as well? Who is to be the example to our children of tomorrow? Is it about the sport, or is it about how to abuse our bodies so we can smear the other team and take the trophy? Lives have been lost due to steroid usage. What trophy is there in that? Lastly, why is it our children do not feel safe at school, or possibly anywhere, anymore? We have taken a brief scan of what we as adults are doing as we contribute to the insecurities of our youth, but what is causing them not to feel safe within the confines of their learning institutions, homes and public places? Could it be a culmination of all the above that makes them feel scared? When the leaders of the insane asylum cannot control their own emotions, desires, and bodies, what is the emotional feeling left to those who live in the containment center of the asylum. Have we left our children only angst? Are we offering rational thinking skills to be followed? Are we showing compassion? Are we demonstrating respect for all? Have we as the adults illustrated that we are capable of leading and offering a safe haven for our youth to grow up in? What example have we set? The adults need to stop the nonsense. e are not the children; we are the leaders and framers of tomorrow’s youth. Our world depends on our ability to reign in the stupidity and hypocrisies we have been so freely demonstrating. Our children of today and tomorrow deserve our best, not our left overs, not our selfishness, and not our inane phobias of dealing improperly with the reasoning powers of our own bodies and life’s dilemmas. Adults must stop the confusion. Our children are sitting in a pool of bewildered, insensible muck, and many of our youth — if you look at today’s headlines — are paying the ultimate price for our idiocy. They are paying with their lives. |
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This week, millions of Americans will—allegedly—turn off their TVs for the sake of turning off their TVs. It’s all part of an annual event called TV Turnoff Week, which urges people to get off their couches…and sit back down with a nice, quiet book. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. Perhaps not. They don’t advertise it too well on TV. Anyway, to do my part to promote literacy, I’ve compiled this here list of the top ten things about television. Feel free to read them at your own leisurely pace. 10. Nationalism. That’s right. I watch American Idol. And I’m not afraid to admit it, either. Go Carrie Underwood. 9. Loyalty. TV is the best friend you’ll ever have (or never have, depending on how often you read Ray Bradbury). Unlike a human, it will never stab you in the back, because it doesn’t have arms. And unlike a dog, it won’t ruin your carpets, because it can’t have accidents. TV is there for you—day or night, when the rain starts to pour. It’s there for you. Like it’s been there before. [Cue music.] 8. Efficiency. On TV, problems are solved in 30-60 minutes. Guaranteed. People say that’s unrealistic; I say it’s idealistic, and that’s all. I mean, just think about the problems you’ve faced throughout your life—the feuds, the disasters, the injuries, etc. Time heals all wounds, sure. But most of ‘em still take an awful lot of time. Not so on TV. On TV, ancient Middle Eastern rivalries would be settled in half an hour. The whole War on Terror would be over in less time than it takes to deliver a pizza. Why should we condemn this? If anything, shouldn’t we strive to be so unrealistic? 7. Timelessness. How good are reruns? I love ‘em. In fact, I love ‘em more than first-run shows. Reruns are all about nuance—picking up on things you might’ve missed the first eight or nine times you saw “The Contest” episode of Seinfeld. Jack Ruby only shot Lee Harvey Oswald live on TV once, but go ahead, ask me, how many times have I seen the episode of Saved by the Bell where Zack and Slater get into a fistfight, and then shove each other over a punchbowl, and Mr. Belding’s toupee falls in, and they start laughing and realize they’re friends again? All right, only two or three times. But I really liked it. 6. Populism. The local news—God bless it. Last week, a beluga whale swam up the Delaware River because it was too stupid to tell the difference between a river and an ocean. Philly news outlets ate it up. Live reporters went out to the scene. For my money, that’s journalism at its finest. Just watching these people makes me feel better about myself as a person. 5. Remorse. TV means never having to say you’re sorry. In fact, TV means never having to say anything—period. Thanks to the miracle that is TV, you can theoretically float through life without ever saying a single, solitary word to your friends and family members again. 4. Unpredictability. Not in the shows themselves, of course, but in the channel line-ups. Take Philly, for instance. When I lived in New York, things made a fair amount of sense. CBS 2 was on Channel 2, NBC 4 on Channel 4, FOX 5 on Channel 5, etc. But in Philly? Well, let me put it this way: In my house, Channel 2 is CBS 3, Channel 5 is ABC 6, and Channel 9 is NBC 10. It’s like a regular channel line-up, give or take a frequency. Channel 4? That’s FOX 29. Channel 29? That’s A&E. There’s even a Channel 69 on Channel 15. I love it. Turn to 69, it’s the answer to Pi. Oh, and the best part? In no two houses are the line-ups exactly the same. 3. Profundity. You probably think sitcom theme songs are just cheesy, throwaway show tunes, but you’re wrong. No, in fact, sitcom theme songs are some of the most significant compositions of the modern era. Take the theme to Diff’rent Strokes: “Now the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you may not be right for some.” Does this not speak to the crisis humans have faced throughout the ages? Individualism? Existence? Who am I? Why am I here? I won’t even get into The Facts of Life theme song. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have it—truer words have never been sung and/or spoken. 2. Class. I just love the way people who don’t watch TV make a big deal about how they don’t watch TV. “Hey, did you see the game last night?” “Oh, I don’t watch much TV.” Oh, you don’t watch much TV? Oh, great. Good for you. You’re such a good person. A better person, even. No, seriously. Because human value ought to be measured in whether or not you press “On” from time to time. You know what? If more people wasted their time watching TV instead of trying to “make a difference,” this country would be a much better place. 1. Morality. Sex and violence. Need I say more? Jonathan David Morris Web Site Contact Back to Top |
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I don't often find myself so angry about an opinion expressed in a piece of writing that I have to respond. It does happen every once in awhile, though, and so today I must write a rebuttal to Kathleen Loftus's piece, Leaving Kids Behind in Illinois. Let me begin by saying that I vehemently disagree with the views expressed in her Op Ed, so much so that I might propose Illinois consider legislation that would actually make it a law NOT to implement Robin Hood dispersal of education funds. Ms. Loftus actually had the audacity to call Illinois Representative Tom Cross a "whiner" because he criticized Randy Dunn's (acting State Superintendent of ISBE) decision to divert more federal funds to less affluent schools. How dare she impose a Socialist agenda in this Capitalist country of ours! I live in a good school district and my tax dollars should go to keeping it that way. I work very hard, sometimes 16 hours a day to try to get ahead. I CHOSE to purchase a previously neglected smaller house, with a yard that hadn't been maintained in a decade, a carpet that needs replacing, a garage door that's warped, trees that need to be cut down, windows that leak, and an assorted list of things that need attention because this is a good neighborhood with good schools. I don't have the wealth of most of my neighbors. I do however live in a community which has a lot to offer. I've accepted that tradeoff. What, then, gives the Illinois Board of Education the right to disperse more federal funds to school districts with less local tax dollars? Why do I have any less right to that money than anyone else? Do I deserve less because I work hard and sacrifice in many areas of my life to have what I have? I think not. As a matter of fact, I would like to earmark exactly where my tax dollars go. Many states have referendums allowing people to vote regarding tax increases for public education. I'd like the right to choose where I want a percentage of education funding to be spent. I am not suggesting that I can decide the uses for 100% of the money. But I want to decide where part of the money should be dispersed. Advocates of school choice have put forth many suggestions on how reform should be implemented. Some states distribute school vouchers, and a portion of education dollars earmarked for the public schools can be transferred to independent education providers. But there are a lot of strings attached when public money goes to private institutions. Usually the education provider loses some autonomy in the way the product is delivered. Eventually, private could become public. Tuition Tax Credits
are another option but money that is earmarked for other public services,
like the fire or police departments might get less funding as a result.
This might not be in everyone's best interest. Assuring tax credits
won't significantly cut into a town's financial resources means that
not everyone will be given the opportunity to access independent education
providers. Low income families must depend on tax scholarships generated
by donations from wealthy benefactors. It's been said time and time again that pumping more money into failing schools does not reform the problems. There is more at work in a school that functions well than the amount of money available to the district. It is an insult to good teachers and parents who are involved in their children's lives to credit student performance solely to education dollars. Funds should be distributed based on the number of pupils and the number of "special services" needed by individual students. Just because one school has more local tax dollars doesn't mean that school isn't entitled to their fair share of the pie. If everyone adopted the Socialist Robin Hood philosophy then there would be no reason for those in our society to excel…the benefits would all be the same. Oh, that's right, utilizing the lowest common denominator is the cornerstone of the liberal agenda. Nancy Salvato Web Site Contact Back to Top |
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What does a famous pin ball wizard have in common with the planet's largest retailer? An internet version of the old bar room game has not exactly mastered the cyber world, as it has in the bricks and mortar arena. But why worry about e-commerce when you have so much of the retail market in your hands? And it’s growing all the time... Second hand cars from a reliable source! Test drive your dream auto, even if a little used. Or how about running down the aisles to find those midnight snacks, now that food is on the grocery list when shopping at the house that Sam built? But now we have an announcement that Franklin Bank of California is the next trophy in the bank vault for the giant from Razorback country. This is a tale that has two sides - love and hate. So maybe a little concert can be gleaned from that opera known as Tommy. You say WHO is that fellow, and what does that have to do with that old guy that greets us at the door? Well, Tommy faced a horrible and tragic crime while looking into the mirror. He was told: "you didn't hear it, you didn't see it, you won't say nothing to no one ever in your life..." The shock of a slaying committed in his own house caused him to go through life as a "deaf, dumb, and a blind boy." His relatives molested him and savage cousins tortured him. But when he learned to play pinball - he became a Sensation - the Wizard . . . As Tommy becomes a famous champion, he still can't bear to look at himself in a mirror. What he sees, seems not to respond to anything, until the mirror is broken. Now a miraculous transformation takes place and he becomes a real super-star. When an admirer asks how to be more like him, Tommy tells his fans that they shouldn't be more like him. He is happy that he's finally like them.--able to hear, talk and see. Enraged and confused by Tommy's answer, his fans abandon him. He is left alone with his family
On the surface this
statement is true and valid. But what does the Wal-Mart philosophy really
mean? Just ask the folks who want to Save
their Communities! Their main points are:
A previous effort to acquire a banking subsidy was met with resistance from the Independent Community Bankers of America. - "very serious public policy issues involving the mixing of banking and commerce, community reinvestment and conflicts of interest." Does this mean that Sam's buildings all have the same address as Uncle Ernie? Well, we said this was a story with two sides. What we do know is that the Walton family has never been known for being dumb. Sam's heirs leave Bill Gates far behind. But is the reason for their financial success just the "Epitome of Capitalism", as their detractors contend or are they receiving the eager support of the consumer? When Wal-Mart Supercenters enters the California market is the promise of every day low prices on general merchandise - expanded to groceries just the greed of a monopolist or is it the marketplace working its best magic? Sam built a better mouse trap! The beauty and tragedy of business is that universal benefits are not equally distributed. Efficiency in the market means weak competitors will fail. And that is the way it should be! The real issue is that concentrated synergism and scale cannot be countered with a competing alternative if access to capital is unavailable. The hopes of the independent merchant class can never seek to go nose to nose with a hog of the size of Wal-Mart. But that sow may not be the pig that some want you to believe . . . When buying from American sources and suppliers was the prime pork on the plate, it was easier to defend a smart retailer that brought real competition to the outdated models of Sears and K-mart. Today, the juggernaut of a friendly smile and invite to buy foreign, causes pause to the bandwagon of - if it isn't sold here, you don’t need to buy it! All bright consumers are devotees of sensible, if not the lowest price. Value goes a long way and Wal-Mart is certainly the leader if that is the foremost objective. But at what point will the giant consume the alternative, and become the default employer? Will that worker be able to shop in their own store, or will the Walton family just need to consume their own products? The lesson of Henry Ford should not be forgotten in this era of buy low, sell lower and get paid by the government. Even for people of independent means, Wal-Mart has been a pleasant neighbor and dependable merchant. But when and where will the linear integration end? Maybe with baked dough, Sam's face on the lettuce, can be issued in the form of scrip for the company store, through the onsite bank? Sam was more than a "good old boy". He was as ordinary as one can get in the realm of the rarefied air of the billionaire class. Can we say the same for the current crop of management? Maybe they need to listen to Roger Daltrey when he sings Tommy . . . Hearing himself saying "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me." Sam knew he realized that he finally has what he's always wanted - to be normal. Can we say the same for the officers in their new bank?
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©2004-2005 by their respective authors. Reprinted by permission. |
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