Wish I'd said that!

In recent decades, the ACLU has used its so-called "wall" to fight tooth and nail to prevent government sponsorship of the Pledge of Allegiance, memorial crosses, Ten Commandments displays, nativity scenes, Bible displays, and virtually every other acknowdgement of America's religious heritage.

At the same time, it is worthwhile to note that there have been some instances in which the ACLU has endorsed public displays of religion. For example, When New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani threatened to cut taxpayer funding from the Brooklyn Museum of Art for displaying a painting of the Virgin Mary with cow dung and pictures of female sexual organs pasted all over her body, the ACLU was first in line to defend the display. U.S. District Court Judge Nina Gershon ruled that New York City's elected officials were not allowed to place conditions on the museum's funding.

In another instance, the ACLU offered its support to the taxpayer-funded National Endowment for the Arts, after the agency sponsored an art show featuring "Piss Christ" - an exhibit consisting of a crucifix submerged in a jar of urine.

In the ACLU's myopic world, it appears that the only permissible publicly-funded displays of religion are those which blatantly mock or disparage the Christian faith.

-- Indefensible: 10 Ways the ACLU is Destroying America, Sam Kastensmidt, 2006

Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Nation on Life Support

If you read no further, read this and understand: What you don't know can hurt you. And that is the purpose of this pathetic little blog, to fill in a few of the knowledge gaps, and make you more aware, and more prepared for what lies ahead.

OK, you're still reading, so buckle up. Yeah, I know; more bad news. It sucks to be us. But if we don't take our collective heads out of our nether regions, the America we wake up to one day soon may become an Amerika more akin to the Soviet Union, with all the waste, persecution, suspicion and poverty that image conjures up. Fortunately, some people are beginning to stand up and speak out eloquently on the danger we are in and what our response should be. Unfortunately, most Americans are still living in a dream constructed by master craftsmen in the art of distraction, dissembling and disinformation. It could be chalked up to mere schizoid paranoia if there weren't so much damn evidence staring us in the face.

Our present leadership is taking us on a crash course in "How to Kill a Great Nation". If you're one of those trying with all your might to ignore the obvious, allow me to burst your bubble. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke to a group of illegals in a church in California recently (which tells you where she stands on "separation of Church and State"), clamoring for the suspension of ICE raids on illegal workplaces and calling them "patriotic." Oh really... patriotic to which country, Nancy? And whose side are you on?

Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee that pushed for and oversaw the AIG deal, coincidentally received the biggest campaign contribution from AIG. Barack Obama received the second largest contribution. During interviews covering only a couple of days, Dodd first claimed he didn't know about the sweet bonus deal, then admitted that they had placed a measure in the stimulus bill to restrict the bonuses but were asked to remove it (and did). Yet he, Barney Frank and the rest of the Up-on-the-Hill Mob have the cojones to then use congressional extortion to get the bonuses back, threatening a 70% tax on those who received the money.

As bad as they might look, those bonuses were part of a contract between AIG and the employees. It goes against the Constitution for congress to violate, or cause to violate, a contract in such a way (see Bill of Attainder, Article I, section 9 ). Does it suck that they made the deal? Yes. But is it proper for the government to stoop to mob tactics to extricate themselves from a problem of their own making? Certainly not. In case you're wondering, that's what totalitarian governments do. Hmmm...come to think of it...

My question is, where are the Supreme Court Justices on this issue? They are supposed to be the protectors and interpreters of the Constitution, but the tendency is to look the other way on such matters. Look at it this way: the Senate - the supposed "thoughtful body" of congress as instituted by the Founders - has just decided that it can selectively go after individuals, using the IRS as a weapon of extortion. If they can go after individual AIG employees, who will they go after next; you, someday?

Speaking of justice, Attorney General Eric Holder thinks that a good way to protect the American people from terrorism is to release Gitmo terrorists inside the United States. Makes me feel safer already. Also, the state government of Missouri has published a Strategic Report on "The Modern Militia Movement," which in part outlines what state officials should look for as indicators of possible domestic terrorists. Ostensibly, it's a profile for potential terrorists, and includes intriguing tips for spotting these 'enemies of the state'. Among things to look for are being a supporter of Ron Paul and displaying bumper stickers that contain "anti-government rhetoric." I suppose that would include such rubrics as "Don't steal; the government hates competition."

When all the little pieces of the puzzle are seen together, they point to an ominous conclusion: our way of life has never been in greater jeopardy, and the people's righteous rancor against an increasingly oppressive and unresponsive government hasn't been this high since our forefathers took up shooting at lines of men in red jackets.

A lot of lather was worked up over Obama's careless remark on the Tonight Show, in which he supposedly dissed the Special Olympics. My opinion on this is that there is too much made of too little here. Everyone makes stupid and unthinking remarks from time to time (just keep reading me), and Obama makes more than his share when he goes off-prompter. In this instance, let's worry about the real mistakes he's making, and not dwell on subjective minutiae. But just for comparison, check out what Sarah Palin had to say about Special Olympics.

Now for some actual fun: the Media Research Center's 2009 Gala Dishonors Awards. See; those radical Right-wing conspiracists do have a sense of humor! Unfortunately, the video compilation of Jay Leno's man-on-the-street interviews is a real downer, as it shows the absolutely pathetic state of American education and the utter vacuuousness of a great proportion of American youth. (But I'd bet they can text "UR so kul 2" without even taking their eyes off the road!)

And so I can say it's not all doom and gloom, let me invite you to see what it's like to fly with the Blue Angels. Enjoy!

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