Fail.
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life…”
So are the words of Obama’s first (and hopefully LAST) pick for the Supreme court Sonia Sotomayor. Arrogance picks arrogance. Is anyone surprised? How is it that Liberal judges think that accurate jurisprudence is dependent upon someone’s ethnicity, personal experience and feelings on a subject? Could it be that they don’t actually give a rat’s kazoo about the constitution and it’s directive to the court to decide the constitutionality of law and the judgment of cases based on current US law and precedent?
I’ll be anxious to find out how our mainstream media views such an ethnically charged and ignorant statement. By default, it implies that we “poor, stupid, ignorant and inexperienced white folk” don’t have the same “richness of experience” as your standard, “wise (and apparently culturally superior) latina”.
Well, Judge Sotomayor, have you ever lived outside of New York? Ever lived in a foreign country for years at a time, or walked the shell-cratered beaches of Normandy? Have you ever seen the magnificent castles of Europe or studied the walled fortresses of Roman-era Britain first hand? Looked down from the windows of the Marksburg to the banks of the Rhine? Have you ever tasted haggis or listened to the lonely wail of a piper playing Amazing Grace from the towers of Edinburgh castle on a cold spring night? Ever experienced a ferry ride across the pitching north Atlantic to see Vestman Islands? Ever taken stock of the American graves in Europe personally? Ever seen the works of Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and been close enough to touch them? Seen the place where King Henry VIII executed his wives? Seen the bunker where Churchill directed the British War effort during WWII? Visted the Ossuary at Verdun and seen the bones of unidentified WWI soldiers stacked by the room-full? Visited Stonehenge? Seen the Book of Kells? Traveled across the green hills of Ireland? Have you walked the streets of Paris? Dublin? Cologne? Reykjavik? Munich? Bonn? London? Inverness? St. Andrews? Strasbourg? Calais? Seen the ruins of the Abbey at Wrexham? Ever seen the Alps at sunrise out the back of a tent? Ever whitewater rafted down a glacier-fed river in Austria? Ever bothered to visit the battlefields that checker the eastern half of the US that bore witness to our own domestic conflict? Seen the ruins of a Native American palisade wall or a mound complex that contains not only the bones of those who built them but also those of US soldiers? Been aboard a US aircraft carrier?
That’s all just stuff that us poor, stupid honky white folk do. I suppose I still lack the “cultural richness” of your standard “wise latina”.
FAIL.
Future Memorial Days
I would like to take the opportunity presented by the serious nature of today’s national holiday to address the current news cycle as it pertains to our Military men and women present and future. As of this morning, the world is fully aware that North Korea, an internationally recognized dictatorship and rouge nation, has the capability of launching a nuclear warhead that is reportedly on par with Hiroshima. It is now clear (and probably has been to those that serve in the region) that our US men and women that serve in the pacific theater are now under a direct threat of a nuclear attack, should the ‘Glorious Leader’ Kim Jong Il, decide to toss a bomb at someone close by.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect that he will (NUTS as he may be) because it would entail the immediate and very purposeful decimation of his entire ‘crackpot kingdom’ (surely starting with his very visible and well publicized assassination). The point is that the threat IS THERE.
It is now possible to imagine a future where memorial day is taken much more seriously by the largely ignorant American populace because of this nut job’s decision to proceed with an internationally condemned nuclear test. Of course, without the lackadaisical, ever-trusting left wing of American politics, this may not have been the present reality. What does it say that the Democrats are more willing to believe a certifiably insane Communist dictator (with a long history of lying to the world, exaggerating his own benevolence, and killing those that disagree with him) than they are the loyal opposition of their own country?
Pyonyang says: “We’re just looking for nuclear power for our country to make electricity”.
Pelosi, et al say: “We should talk to them to see if they’ll stop, and in the mean time offer them some technology and aid money and food to knock it off”.
George W. Bush says: “Saddam is a ruthless thug dictator that is a threat to the US”.
The very same left wing cabal shout: Bush is a liar! Impeach Impeach!!!! War Crimes!!! Torture!!!
Can anyone tell me how a person with a proven mental instability (and a voracious appetite for expensive liquor) can be allowed to have a nuclear weapon at his dispsoal? Do we also routinely let violent, pedophlie sex offenders visit our preschools with shotguns and grenades? Hell no, of course we don’t. Doing so would be too great a threat to those whom we seek to protect. Kim Jong Il is a BIG problem. It should be active, open US policy to see that he and his entire power structure in North Korea are quickly and decisively deposed and incarcerated. Keep in mind that this is a man that had his military kidnap a Korean filmmaker and his wife for his own personal film-making pleasure. The man is a certifiable loony tune. Anyone living in this country having taken the same course of action would be locked up in the crazy house for the rest of his days. He is a threat to not only our safety, but to that of our Pacific allies.
I’m sure there are those out there who would call me a war-monger or imperialist hack for saying that, but if a man expresses a very real dislike for me and my family and follows that by waving a weapon in my face, he’s not going to live long enough to think about the ramifications of his actions… but that’s just me caring about the well-being of my family.
One thing is absolutely certain. America’s soldiers, due to the ignorance, political posturing, and naivete of the left in this country are – and will continue to be – at a greater threat of becoming part of the remembered on memorial day rather than those that do the remembering. God hold our troops close… past, present and future.
“Fighting the War”
The year is 2017. You crawl out of your bed and prepare yourself for a dangerous day of duty to your nation. You knew the sacrifice that might have to be made when you accepted the challenge and the call from your country. You splash a little water on your face to wake yourself and grab a cup of fair-trade, shade grown coffee. You would check on the weather, but you know what the report will be… hot, and getting hotter daily.
As you and the others prepare to load up in your transports, you see the familiar US Government logo on the side. It is faded now, but it still carries the aura of strenght and dominance. The quarters are cramped and the trip will be tedious, but it is a choice you made 9 years ago and you are determined to live out the commitment that you made. As the journey begins, you notice the faces of those travelling around you… serious and furrowed faces; equally tired of the daily grind of duty but resigned to the task ahead.
Looking ahead you see the clinic. Unsurprisingly, there are many casualties waiting at its doors. You watch as the medics go about their work, almost casually, attending to the injured masses without much enthusiasm.
Without any warning, you are suddenly thrown sideways. Just before you black out you see the enemy that you have fought so long… how you hate them. Then there is nothing.
You awake in a bed in the very same clinic that you saw before… now the glum doctors and nurses are attending to you with the same lack of vigor. On the television you can see a report about more casualties. You cant’t hear the sound, but you can read the subtitles. The news is grim and the death toll rises. You read the white text running across the bottom of the screen:
“US Department of Transportation reports 17,000 deaths on the roads last year.” Experts believe that smaller cars are a leading cause of increased traffic accident deaths. Legislators are pondering outlawing SUV’s.”
You shake your head a little to clear the fog. “What?” that can’t be what it said. You look again to the screen to see a picture of a transport just like yours bearing the same logo that you remarked upon when you got in.
“General Motors claims that smaller fuel-efficient cars are not to blame in the increased death tolls on the highways and says that older, larger and more polluting cars are to blame.”
That big GM stares back at you from the front end of a Chrysler Nano, the newest car in the line of government-mandated, fuel efficient cars. Your car was much like that one… as are many these days. You think about the 17,000 deaths and wonder how many of them, like you voted for “change”. As you look down at your badly broken legs, you are thankful that your choice to save the planet didn’t cost you your life. You remember the image that crossed your line of sight just before you went unconscious. Damn that Escalade and it’s fat, undoubtedly Republican driver.
The nurse comes in to attend to you, but to your surprise, she simply looks at your chart and turns to leave.
“Will I need surgery?, you ask carefully.
“Maybe”, she replies in an even tone. It will depend upon the results of your X-rays.
You look at her, perplexed. “I haven’t had any Xrays yet.” The words are barely out of your mouth when the truth of the situation washes over you.
The nurse looks up and flatly informs you. “They’re scheduled for early next week.”
“Next week?” you spout indignantly. The news had just finished giving the weather for today… Monday. “How can it take so long for an xray?!”
You had heard about the rationing of health care and the long waits for procedures, but never imagined that it would be your problem. Now, you were at the mercy of the system. “Is there any way to get them sooner?” you inquire with a faint taste of bribery on your voice.
“Nope.”, she blurts. “Everybody waits.”
“…we hope for a day when everyone recieves the same quality of care….” the echoing words come back to you now from that rally so many years ago. “Heathcare for free, healthcare for all” was your chant. Shortly afterwards, you had celebrated the passage of the Universal Healthcare Act of 2011. Now you were a beneficiary of that piece of legislation. Somehow, though, it didn’t feel so beneficial…
Is it futuristic fiction or prophesy? Or is it simply the unavoidable result of “Change You Can Believe In”?
Congress sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong…again.
Congress is at it again. They are pressuring the NCAA to switch from the BCS to a play-off format.
Now, as a college football fan, I am all for a play-off, in some form. I think the BCS doesn’t really do any better than the old poll system did at deciding a national champion. I do think that the BCS does a really good job of creating a thunderstorm of media coverage every year with all the disagreements and arguments both for an against it. But ultimately, I’m in favor of a ply-off.
What I’m not in favor of is Congress mandating that NCAA switch from one format to another. Not only is this type of action a complete waste of taxpayer time and money, it’s an flagrant abuse of power. In no part of the Constitution is the right to a fair and balanced college football championship format guaranteed. There are certain congressmen who are reaching far beyond the scope of the Congress’ power to win votes in their own states and are attempting to bring big-time college football money to their state funded institutions.
With the shape of the economy (it’s recovering but not we’re not completely out of the woods yet), justices using international law to influence decisions in American cases, and a president who has forcibly taken control of an automaker and illegally changed bankruptcy laws to favor unions in the most blatant of vote buying actions, you’d think our congressmen and women would have better things to do with OUR time than tell the NCAA what to do with college football. But when you consider the actions of our president in regards to GM, then they could simply be playing a very expensive, very dangerous game of follow-the-leader.
If you are as pissed about this or any other issue as I am, I highly encourage you to contact your Senator and Representative and let them know. The only way that we can change this country is to change the leadership. And the only way they will change is if they think Americans have begun to pay attention again and aren’t simply sitting in front of the TV with their eyes glazed over as Simon Cowell yells at the latest American Idol flunky.
Make your voice heard.
P.S. – I know that a while back, I promised a few articles on the FairTax, since it was tax season at the time. Due to illness, craziness at work, a friends wedding and the launching of a new site, I was unable to sit down and write some comprehensive posts on the FairTax. I will at some point actually do it, I just don’t know when. Sorry to all those who were expecting the posts.
“Obama Rex”
So lets say I owe you $1000.
I also owe Visa $25,000 for purchases made on their card.
(Note that this is a fictional account because credit cards are a stupid idea)
I go bankrupt. Now whatever I own outright stands good for all my debt.
Bankruptcy law says that Visa gets first swipe at my stuff because they have a secured loan. A legal contract that says that they have a right to reclaim whatever I own in order to collect the money that I owe them.
You have a handshake agreement for $1000.
Enter King Barry.
Because you are a democrat voter, Barack says that you get your $1000 before Visa gets ANYTHING. Sound cool? It might to you - it’s your $1000, but to the credit card company with a secured loan, it’s bass-ackwards… And illegal.
This is exactly what is going on right now with the Chrysler bankruptcy. The Unions have an unsecured claim on Chrysler for their pensions. The people who invested money in Chrysler (Bondholders) have a secured right to claim their money back under US bankruptcy law. Our president has decided that the Unions should get their share first. You got that? Decided. He doesn’t have the right, privelege or power to “decide” anything in this situation. This man must think he’s a king with the ability to override federal law where he doesn’t THINK that it’s fair or “right”. This is called hubris, people. I hope the court of whatever state this comes up in slaps the teeth right out of his mouth for this arrogant attempt at countermanding standing US LAW.
A new job listing…
Wanted: Candidates to fill an important judicial position in Washington D.C. starting this fall.
Length of appointment: Candidate selected will be appointed to this position for life (or until such time as they see fit to retire)
Requirements:
Candidates must be able to distinguish between the law as written and their own personal feelings
Candidates must understand that foreign law is inadmissible in Supreme Court deliberations
Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of the phrase “Legislating from the bench” and be able to effectively show how doing so is contrary to the very fabric of a Representative Democracy.
Candidates must have read the entire U.S. Constitution at least once (and be intimately familiar with Article III of the same).
Candidate must be able to demonstrate a record of healthy respect for the limits and dicatates of the U.S. Constitution and ALL of it’s ammendments in previous positions of employment.
Well qualified candidates will be able to summarize either (orally or in writing) the duties and responsibilities of the U.S. Supreme Court in relation to the other two branches of government. Must have a spine and an excellent grasp of history, including U.S. founding documents and their contemporaries in literature that describe the thoughts of the founders on the limits of government, especially where the judicial branch is concerned.
Candidates will be expected to appear before congress prior to their appointment, where they may be subjected to endless grandstanding and will undoubtedly be used by politicians of both parties to further their own political agendas (to include scoring cheap brownie points at your expense). Candidates may be defamed, smeared or humiliated as part of this appearance.
Other duties include: Avoiding the US Press at all costs, living in relative seclusion, and sitting through each State of the Union Speech without showing any emotion whatsoever.
Long Black Robes will be provided as part of the candidate’s compensation package.
Originalist, Libertarian and/or Conservative Jurisprudence is a definate plus.
If you fit the above requirements, please forward your resume to the White House, care of Rahm Emmanuel.
However, if you fit the above description, don’t hold your breath…