march 2005

Doremus Jessup, editor of the Fort Beulah The Daily Informer, in Sinclair Lewis' famous book "It Can't Happen Here", at its conclusion, "drove out saluted by the meadow larks, and onward all day, to a hidden cabin in the Northern Woods where quiet men awaited news of freedom.....still Doremus goes on, into the sunrise, for a Doremus Jessup can never die......
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Bill Maher: 'Is our children learning' Bill of Rights? No, they isn't
Bill Maher

Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St.Paul)  February 22, 2005

A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.

Lemme tell you little darlings something: This is my livelihood you're messing with, so either learn the Bill of Rights or you don't deserve Social Security.

Now, to those of you who think I'm overreacting: Yes, I understand that when you're in high school you're still very young and that no one really cares what kids say anyway -- it's not like priests are dating you for your brains.

But the younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it; they're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority.

And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9/11 generation -- the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment -- or the loss of your show on ABC.

President Bush once asked, "Is our children learning?" No -- they isn't. A more appropriate question might be, "Is our teachers teaching?" In four years, you can teach a gorilla sign language. Is it too much to ask that in the same amount of time a kid be taught what those crazy hippies who founded this country had in mind?

I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution -- the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes -- but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.

Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions -- and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.

Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," wrote this article for the Los Angeles Times.

© Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Third homosexual propaganda video targets public schools
Tuesday, March 08, 2005 8:52 PMAmerican Family Association
http://www.afajournal.org/

"We Are Family" video to be delivered to 61,000 Elementary Schools March 11

If you have children or grandchildren in elementary school, you need to know about a new video being sent to 61,000 elementary schools. The "We Are Family" video www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/DVDSneakPeak.aspx will be delivered on March 11. It is produced by the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) www.wearefamilyfoundation.org , a pro-homosexual organization. Homosexual organizations have long used the schools to promote homosexuality.

When AFA alerted supporters about the video in our January AFA Journal, WAFF threatened to sue AFA for exposing the pro-homosexual content on WAFF's Web site www.wearefamilyfoundation.org .

WAFF attorneys threatened to sue us unless we recanted our statements, removed the article from our Web site, and issue an apology to WAFF. We refused. Thus far, WAFF has not sued AFA, primarily because they had no cause.

The AFA Journal article focused on a video project involving the 1970s hit song, "We Are Family" co-written by WAFF's founder, Nile Rodgers. The video features over 100 characters from children's television. A teacher's guide will accompany the DVD to encourage discussions after children view "We Are Family." The video will also air over the Disney Channel, PBS and Nickelodeon on March 11.

Under the guise of promoting tolerance for other categories such as race, gender, age, disabilities, etc., the WAFF Web site openly promoted homosexuality as a normative lifestyle. There was a "Tolerance Pledge" that encouraged signers to pledge respect for homosexuality, and work against "ignorance, insensitivity and bigotry."

While everyone should promote tolerance, a promotion of homosexuality should not be thrust on little children and unexpecting parents. It is absolutely wrong for schools to be used to promote the homosexual lifestyle.

While there is nothing questionable in the video itself, the site included a teacher's guide to use with the children to discuss the video that normalized same-gender attraction and same-sex marriage. There was also a recommended reading list for children and adults that included such  illustrated children's books as the lesbian tome, "Heather Has Two Mommies," which discusses artificial insemination, and "Daddy's Roommate," which included an illustration of two men in bed together.

The WAFF Web site ran a list of "allies" that virtually ran the gamut of homosexual advocacy groups: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network; Human Rights Campaign; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians & Gays.

Following publication of the AFA article, the controversial materials on the WAFF Web site were immediately removed from public access. The only exception was the tolerance pledge, which was altered from its original format. Evidently WAFF did not want parents to know what was on their site and in the teacher's guide http://tinyurl.com/7y49m .

A good school system will always work with parents, not against them. We encourage parents to find out what, if anything, will be going on in their schools in connection with the "We Are Family" video.

AFA is recommending that parents take the following simple steps – always ensuring that communications with school officials be conducted in a polite and civilized manner:

If you are concerned, here are things to do:

1. Ask another parent or a small number of parents to join you. Contact your school's principal. Ask him or her if they plan to show the "We Are Family" DVD at school.

2. Ask if the teacher's guide http://tinyurl.com/7y49m , will be used in facilitating any discussion, and ask for the opportunity to review the teacher's guide.

3. Ask very specifically if the subject of homosexuality will be brought up by teachers or discussed if brought up by a student.

4. If the school assures you that homosexuality will not be discussed, thank them politely. If you are informed that homosexuality will or may be discussed, ask for permission to sit in on the discussion.

 

Invite other parents to attend with you. A good school will welcome involvement of parents.

Should you have problems with your school, or if you would simply like to tell us about your
experience in dealing with this issue, e-mail us at contact@afa.net.

Sincerely,
Don

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

P.S. Please forward this to other parents of elementary school children.

afghanistan

When Bush jr. said, "we will smoke them out…" he lived up to his promise, making life an unattainable reality for the unborn and unsustainable reality for the living sentencing the Afghan people and their future generations to a predetermined death sentence.

These words were uttered by an aggrieved Afghan grandfather, who saw his own and that of others' familial extinction at the hands of the United States of America and her allies. Another Afghan, who also saw his demise, said:

'Ode to Ares'
- by Ian Reed -

With blows and bombs, War takes his toll,
Chaos, confusion, clash,
Dispatched to human slaughterhouse,
Dust to dust, ash to ash.

With wasting and destructive woe,
None friend from foe distinguish,
The aging men fire up the young,
Life's brief flame to extinguish.

Untimely, in oceans of red,
The limbs and corpses mangled
Pay homage to technology
And weaponry new-fangled.

Meaningless metal, stripes and stars,
On chests the generals pin it,
A monstrous, bloody waste of life
That hath no honor in it.

Why the U.S. Must Get Out of Iraq, Pronto, by Maj. General Harry Upman (retired)

Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005
http://www.corvusworld.com/getoutnow.htm

Let me say in no uncertain terms, we must get out of Iraq.

There is nothing to gain and everything to lose in Iraq. We have lost over four thousand of our military, those who were killed in Iraq and those who died in intransit from Iraq to our hospitals in Germany and in Europe. We have had over 10,000 of our troops wounded. According to a report I heard last night on Frontline on PBS, 1 in 6 of our people coming home from Iraq need mental help.
What have we gained in Iraq? Absolutely nothing. What have we lost? Our leadership in the world militarily, morally and financially.
Frankly, Generals Franks and Abizaid have failed. Donald Rumsfeld has failed, as have his top aides. As a former military leader, I am appalled at the Pentagon leadership and the leadership in our military. These men should be drummed out of the military with their heads in shame for the needless loss of the lives of our young men and women.
But that's not the worst of it. What business did they have calling up our Reserves and National Guard to attack another country. These troops are for emergencies and to protect our nation. I know the law, that these troops can be called up. On the other hand, they are to be used for short periods of time, not for long periods of time as they have been abused in Iraq. I note that the recruiters are having a hard time in the Reserves and the National Guard. I can't blame the people for walking away. I would if I'd been lied to this much.
As a man of three wars, from Korea to Viet Nam to Gulf War I, I am embarrassed by such men as General Mattis. If he was under my command, I'd have him disciplined for ignorance and leading his men astray. No, it is not "fun" to kill people. Killing is a serious business, not something you brag about to businessmen or to the media about. We never told our men to kill for the fun of it. You killed to save yourself and to achieve an objective, never for the "fun of it."
I fear that we have hit the bottom in our military men and women. Lower level officers are now afraid to report atrocities for fear that they will lose their rank, men are afraid to admit they are shot, women are afraid to report rape, when they report rape they are told it was their fault! What has this man's army come to? Have we totally lost our honor? To be a military man in this army means to be immoral, a liar, to accuse the innocent and to not grieve for killing women and children.

This is not the military or the country I served. The men running our government at this time are either mad or totally immoral and have not place in this world as leaders. That is why they must turn out such people as Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush, Mattis and Abizaid and bring in some new leadership who better represents what we are as a nation.
In the process, they may as well take such fools as Bill O'Reilly and let him put his body where his mouth is in terms of Iraq. Let him go to Iraq and see how it feels, let him smell death and let him dodge bullets the way our troops do in Iraq. I'd like to see how much of a smart-ass he would be then. The same is true of that falsely serious Richard Perle; I'd have him take his fat behind out in the boot camp and work him until he learned to sweat. I'd do the same with Paul Wolfowitz. Paul has never had the respect of intelligent men, only men who thought Paul was intelligent. How they were deceived. I've known Paul since he was a bootlicker in his youth in Washington, DC.

Until we regain our moral stature and moral bearings, we shall continue to be hated in this world for good reason. We no longer defend freedom and liberty, we are the new British colonialists, we are the new plunderers, we are the new imperialists. This makes me ashamed of our country.

What do I hope for? I hope some of our military men, men of honor, will stand up and call these immoral and ignorant men what they are. If our military is to defend its honor, it must stand up now. If not, then our military men are part of the problem, not part of the solution. I am not advocating revolution, but I am advocating the right to resist immoral duty and men who think that "killing is fun," and men who think that bombing a city into the earth, as was done in Fallougha, will make us more friends and fewer enemies.
We must get out of Iraq, pronto, before we lose more troops, make more enemies and show our military vulnerability to the watching world. We are not the formidable force the world thought we were, our troops are exhausted and yet have not won a victory, and our will to victory is fast disappearing. We should get out before we needlessly kill more Iraqis as well. Killing over a hundred thousand, 100,000, according to the Lancet in England is enough to make me more ashamed than when we learned of Mi Lai in Viet Nam. We killed more in Fallougha than in Mi Lai, and yet no one has apologized to the dead or the men and women who survived the devastation, the Dresden like bombing of Fallougha. Where has our moral leadership that we taught at West Point gone to? What are they doing in OCS these days? I dread finding out if the officers I've seen in Iraq are a fair sample.
How low we have sunk.

--- General Upman is a pseudonym for a retired general who would rather not
reveal his name because of his former leadership positions in the U.S. Staff
Leadership and because he does not want to argue with old friends at the
officers clubs when he visits

March 2, 2005

DISHing It Up Hot!
On the 3/5 Compromise!
By Dot

In the scientific method, the first step to solving a problem is identifying
it.  It pains me to admit that after centuries of struggle to be free and
treated humanely, my people still do not understand the nature of the
problem we face in the United States of America.  Acting as if slavery
ended, they seem to assume that the racism and discrimination that are facts of our daily existence are the random acts of individuals.

In reality, the socioeconomic and political slavery to which blacks have
long been subjected and codified in Article 1 Section 2 of the United States Constitution, better known as the Great or 3/5 Compromise, was never repealed.  It is alive and well and continues to dictate outcomes in the US market for goods and services.  Contrary to what we are taught in public schools, subsequent amendments to that great document did not dismantle the apparatus or machinery for carrying out the tenets of that unholy agreement.

For example, every national election, including the most recent, millions of black votes are not counted due to "spoilage."  Fact is, under the Electoral College system, there is no individual right to vote for president.  In Ohio, a black man with political ambition led the way in disenfranchising black voters.  He committed no crime, because it is legal not to count a certain amount of black votes.  The Electoral College is the machinery or apparatus, a direct outgrowth of the 3/5 Compromise, designed to prevent states with heavy slave, i.e., black, populations from electing the president.

Ironically,  Jesse Jackson and Greg Palast did an article, which appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, titled "Jim Crow Returns to the Voting Booth: Does America Have Apartheid Vote-Counting System?"  Clearly, Jim Crow never left.   The entire system is based on not counting all black votes. By now Jackson should realize this, and as a "black leader" be actively working to dismantle the apartheid system.

Other examples of the 3/5 Compromise abound.  There is the redistribution of federal dollars from blue states, where the majority of blacks reside to sparsely populated red states where few blacks reside and Southern states, where there remain large numbers of blacks that do not control any aspect of their socioeconomic and political lives.  Then, there is the economic welfare gap or chasm of inequality, which can be measured using median family incomes, that mimics the 3/5 Compromise.   Last hired and first fired, blacks earn less than their white counterparts at every educational level.  Thus, the disparity in income from wages, which is the chief source of income for the vast majority of Americans,  is not explained away as the result of differences in educational achievement.

When all the measurable factors that influence income from employment are quantified, an unexplained income difference remains.  For the sake of discussion, this unexplained disparity can be called institutionalized
racism.  It is the 3/5 Compromise that continues to shape the lives of black and white Americans.

As the curtains close on another Black History Month, let us admit that
socioeconomic and political slavery still exists in the USA.  Cognizant of
the problem, let's work to be free and demand reparations.
thedish@ga.net