Ah this fine country of America; what is to become of it? If you all have not heard, we are fighting a war over in the Middle East protecting the freedom of Americans; fighting for the good arrogant will of our nation. Exactly what freedoms are we protecting? Well, who knows. I forgot, let me get back to you on that. I would venture to believe that we are actually LOSING freedoms with this war on Iraq, although that would depend on your perspective. If trampling on privacy rights for the good of the objectives of our fearless leader is not an encroachment to your rights, I suppose nothing is wrong.
Fundamentally, the problem lies in the way America has evolved through the years. If you take a look at the CIA factbook you will see that the United States of America is a Federal Republic with strong democratic roots (so handsomely interjected, by the way), it does not say that it is a democracy purely, it states REPUBLIC.
Funny how people can actually believe the more taxes will make government programs more effective. Little do most Americans know that the 16th Amendment that was passed in 1913, was the essential green light to impose taxes although income taxes were not fully instituted until about 1945. Now that sixty one years has flown by since the imposition of this taxation, and this country is headed for a time bomb just as soon as the baby boomers start to come of age. This government makes promises that is not keeping with Social Security, robbing the livelihood of its citizens to pay for mindless endeavors that go no where and achieve nothing; yes, similar to the war in Iraq.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
This One's For You, Kirby Puckett.
As a young boy, I can clearly remember the glow in my grandfather’s eyes watching the Minnesota Twins. My grandmother was in the next room along with my aunts cooking the family meal that we usually did when we were younger. Oh how I can smell the ham, stuffing and potatoes that filled the air during those Sunday afternoons…
While waiting for this spread that I so heartily miss these days, baseball was the center of attention on our television. My grandfather somewhat crippled from polio long ago still had enough energy to jump around and praise the Twins every time we got another RBI, homerun, or strike out. What I heard was nothing but praise for a rookie named Kirby Puckett. New to the ball club, he didn’t waste any time winning over the Twins fans of the state of Minnesota. This charismatic young player from the rougher side of Chicago proved himself enough to play in the big leagues. Even so, overcoming millions of odds laid against him to which he stood up and prevailed against.
I suppose I don’t know exactly what to feel after I found out of his passing. There are many mixed emotions that run through my head, because this man was a part of my boyhood dreams. It’s as if those beautiful Sunday afternoons that the entire family spent at my grandparents’ house are all but scraps of distant memories that exist in my own mind. His passing is a reminder that no longer does my family celebrate at the house my grandparents owned. Those times have been long gone, no longer do I have these small innuendos of those good times that my family spent together, we have since been blown into the winds of time. Reading through pages and pages of articles (as opposed to merely articles and articles on only one page) that filled the entire newspaper these past couple days, I’m reminded of the impact that Kirby had on every baseball lover in this country. Supposing I had one wish to write a letter to Kirby now and tell him one last thing before his departure, it may go something like this:
Dear Kirby,
I wanted to let you know a couple of things before you take your leave. You have inspired a nation of dreaming boys who wish they could slug a ball just like you. Not only have you set standards in baseball that are seemingly unmet today, but your charismatic persona won an entire country of fanfare whether they were from Minnesota or not. You’ve never been too rich or too famous for your fans, and you were always willing to lead by example; extraordinary example. People have been writing in from all over the nation, Kirby, expressing their condolences to your passing. As you see, you’ve helped people understand that the spirit of baseball that you have carried on, lives within them because you put it there. An entire generation of boys, teens, and men know who you are; you are the epitome of what baseball was, is and always should be. Free of the envious pursuit of money and power to the good wholesome example of what people should do for their passions. Never give up. Although your physical presence on this Earth was short and sometimes filled with despair, you will not die in my eyes. Legends never die. You’ve won the people (to include me) through your smiles, encouragements, passions, and without a doubt, those majestic leaping catches. People will remember you for many years to come and speak of your good will during your time here.
Thank you for the dreams that you have given to me as well as the realizations that I have made in that the spirit of baseball is not dead. It’s alive through you. Now is the time that you find your place in the ranks of legends such as Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Hopefully you can knock a couple out of the park to show these guys up. Make sure to tell Ted “Semper Fi,” and let Shoeless Joe know that we all know that he wasn’t in on throwing the 1919 World Series. As for Ty Cobb, ask him why he was such an ass.
Until then my friend, peace be with you. Thank you for everything, Kirby, you’ll NEVER be forgotten.
While waiting for this spread that I so heartily miss these days, baseball was the center of attention on our television. My grandfather somewhat crippled from polio long ago still had enough energy to jump around and praise the Twins every time we got another RBI, homerun, or strike out. What I heard was nothing but praise for a rookie named Kirby Puckett. New to the ball club, he didn’t waste any time winning over the Twins fans of the state of Minnesota. This charismatic young player from the rougher side of Chicago proved himself enough to play in the big leagues. Even so, overcoming millions of odds laid against him to which he stood up and prevailed against.
I suppose I don’t know exactly what to feel after I found out of his passing. There are many mixed emotions that run through my head, because this man was a part of my boyhood dreams. It’s as if those beautiful Sunday afternoons that the entire family spent at my grandparents’ house are all but scraps of distant memories that exist in my own mind. His passing is a reminder that no longer does my family celebrate at the house my grandparents owned. Those times have been long gone, no longer do I have these small innuendos of those good times that my family spent together, we have since been blown into the winds of time. Reading through pages and pages of articles (as opposed to merely articles and articles on only one page) that filled the entire newspaper these past couple days, I’m reminded of the impact that Kirby had on every baseball lover in this country. Supposing I had one wish to write a letter to Kirby now and tell him one last thing before his departure, it may go something like this:
Dear Kirby,
I wanted to let you know a couple of things before you take your leave. You have inspired a nation of dreaming boys who wish they could slug a ball just like you. Not only have you set standards in baseball that are seemingly unmet today, but your charismatic persona won an entire country of fanfare whether they were from Minnesota or not. You’ve never been too rich or too famous for your fans, and you were always willing to lead by example; extraordinary example. People have been writing in from all over the nation, Kirby, expressing their condolences to your passing. As you see, you’ve helped people understand that the spirit of baseball that you have carried on, lives within them because you put it there. An entire generation of boys, teens, and men know who you are; you are the epitome of what baseball was, is and always should be. Free of the envious pursuit of money and power to the good wholesome example of what people should do for their passions. Never give up. Although your physical presence on this Earth was short and sometimes filled with despair, you will not die in my eyes. Legends never die. You’ve won the people (to include me) through your smiles, encouragements, passions, and without a doubt, those majestic leaping catches. People will remember you for many years to come and speak of your good will during your time here.
Thank you for the dreams that you have given to me as well as the realizations that I have made in that the spirit of baseball is not dead. It’s alive through you. Now is the time that you find your place in the ranks of legends such as Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Hopefully you can knock a couple out of the park to show these guys up. Make sure to tell Ted “Semper Fi,” and let Shoeless Joe know that we all know that he wasn’t in on throwing the 1919 World Series. As for Ty Cobb, ask him why he was such an ass.
Until then my friend, peace be with you. Thank you for everything, Kirby, you’ll NEVER be forgotten.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
21st Century Communism in the U.S.
Welcome to 21st Century America! A nation founded on the principles of democracy, free from the oppression of British rule and unfair taxation. A land of a diminishing checks and balances system where a single party controls the House of Representatives, Congress, and also has the final Executive powers to put into law anything the single political affinity desires. We're a new America!
Depressed, lethargic, and pessimistic, I sit here staring at three articles published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune on January 20, 2006. The first is an article where Vice President Dick Cheney is speaking in Washington D.C. regarding the inherent war powers authorized to the President after the 9/11 attacks. The Vice President stated. "that the President's power to protect the country with surveillance was reaffirmed when Congress passed an October 2001 resolution that authorized the President to use military force against Al-Qaida and to deter furure terrorist attacks (Leonnig, 2006)." Futhermore in utilizing their own interpretation of that language used in the resolution, the Bush Administration asserts that Congress gave the affimation to eavesdrop on international phone calls and email of United States citizens and others (Leonnig, 2006). One crucial fact taht seems to escape my comprehension though, is that none of the terrorists were United States Citizens.
Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not the job of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to regulate the people who exactly are admitted into the country or not? When have we ever been told by the Bush Administration what has been improved within that organization since 9/11?
Instead, I read on about our Attorney General of the United States, Alberto Gonzales, in another published article, asking a federal judge in San Jose, Ca, for a court order so that Google Inc., will be required to hand over their records of millions of search queries within their database. Here another fine example of our government taking meaningless and ineffective measures in "protecting," this country from terrorist attacks from within (Liedtke, 2006). Never forget that it is our brethern that we have supported and continue to support in the Iraq war, even though all fo the evidence providing the premise for the invasion was erroneous. Still, our President desires to alienate the population that he governs.
The last horrific aspect to the chain of recent events, is that Osama Bin Laden the mass murdering architect of the 9/11 attacks, continues to be on the loose. Despite the Administration's "great" efforts to find him and terminate his worthless existance, they have continued to fail. Through the Al-Jazeera Television network, Bin Laden has once again threatened attacks that no one seems to be taking seriously (Pincus & Whitlock, 2006).
"Some analysts dismissed Bin Laden's warning, saying he has repeatedly vowed to attack the United States again without suceeding. But others said it was not for lack of trying and noted that previous Bin Laden statements have been followed a few weeks later by attacks elsewhere in the world (Pincus & Whitlock, 2006)." Appalling as this complacent attitude may be, the threat remains nonetheless very real. Time and time again, we have been witness to horrific and grizzly tragedies around the world created by these ruthless vandals. Bin Laden's threat is real and he has been waiting for our government's desensitized complacent attitude as a signal to take another chance in carrying out another American atrocity. Only the next time that it happens, the public will not be so kind to believe that the Administration's efforts have actually been effective; rather, all measures that have been taken since 9/11, have been essentially to save face.
Coming from a simple college student and a Marine Corps veteran such as myself, my opinion does not have too much weight, which is perfectly fine. But mark my words, these people can and will attack again. Our own arrogance is our own self-inflicted disease which will serve us with the devastating final blow. We must remain vigilant in keeping our priorities straight.
Depressed, lethargic, and pessimistic, I sit here staring at three articles published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune on January 20, 2006. The first is an article where Vice President Dick Cheney is speaking in Washington D.C. regarding the inherent war powers authorized to the President after the 9/11 attacks. The Vice President stated. "that the President's power to protect the country with surveillance was reaffirmed when Congress passed an October 2001 resolution that authorized the President to use military force against Al-Qaida and to deter furure terrorist attacks (Leonnig, 2006)." Futhermore in utilizing their own interpretation of that language used in the resolution, the Bush Administration asserts that Congress gave the affimation to eavesdrop on international phone calls and email of United States citizens and others (Leonnig, 2006). One crucial fact taht seems to escape my comprehension though, is that none of the terrorists were United States Citizens.
Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not the job of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to regulate the people who exactly are admitted into the country or not? When have we ever been told by the Bush Administration what has been improved within that organization since 9/11?
Instead, I read on about our Attorney General of the United States, Alberto Gonzales, in another published article, asking a federal judge in San Jose, Ca, for a court order so that Google Inc., will be required to hand over their records of millions of search queries within their database. Here another fine example of our government taking meaningless and ineffective measures in "protecting," this country from terrorist attacks from within (Liedtke, 2006). Never forget that it is our brethern that we have supported and continue to support in the Iraq war, even though all fo the evidence providing the premise for the invasion was erroneous. Still, our President desires to alienate the population that he governs.
The last horrific aspect to the chain of recent events, is that Osama Bin Laden the mass murdering architect of the 9/11 attacks, continues to be on the loose. Despite the Administration's "great" efforts to find him and terminate his worthless existance, they have continued to fail. Through the Al-Jazeera Television network, Bin Laden has once again threatened attacks that no one seems to be taking seriously (Pincus & Whitlock, 2006).
"Some analysts dismissed Bin Laden's warning, saying he has repeatedly vowed to attack the United States again without suceeding. But others said it was not for lack of trying and noted that previous Bin Laden statements have been followed a few weeks later by attacks elsewhere in the world (Pincus & Whitlock, 2006)." Appalling as this complacent attitude may be, the threat remains nonetheless very real. Time and time again, we have been witness to horrific and grizzly tragedies around the world created by these ruthless vandals. Bin Laden's threat is real and he has been waiting for our government's desensitized complacent attitude as a signal to take another chance in carrying out another American atrocity. Only the next time that it happens, the public will not be so kind to believe that the Administration's efforts have actually been effective; rather, all measures that have been taken since 9/11, have been essentially to save face.
Coming from a simple college student and a Marine Corps veteran such as myself, my opinion does not have too much weight, which is perfectly fine. But mark my words, these people can and will attack again. Our own arrogance is our own self-inflicted disease which will serve us with the devastating final blow. We must remain vigilant in keeping our priorities straight.
- Snooping on what college kids are researching for their coursework is not a priority.
- Knowing what kind of porn Mr. Johnson from down the street prefers, is not a priority.
- Monitoring United States citizens phone calls, is not a priority.
- Least of all, actually spending intelligence resources watching anti-war protestors peacefully protesting take the biggest slice of pathetic cake.
All the while that our government is doing this, Al-Qaida is planning, researching, and recruiting for the next catastrophy.
Thinking of every child that needs to grow up without a father, mother or both, has inspired me to write this. No one else deserves to die, because of our leadership's ill-fated efforts to protext this country. When will Bush finally listen to reason and quit slandering the name of "The President of the United States?"
Written by: Adam
References:
Leonnig, C. D. (2006, January 20). Justice: Eavesdropping Power Trumps Warrants. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Liedtke, M. (2006, January 20). Google Fighting White House Over Data Request. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Pincus, W., Whitlock, C. (2006, January 20). Bin Laden: Al-Qaida Preparing to Attack U.S. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Good News From Iraq
An idea I recently had was to locate good news from Iraq, whatever it may be. With so much negativity in the press, many fail to see that there are signs of progress in this nation. America has committed so many of her sons and daughters to helping these people, but many of these positive stories never get heard. They good stories are white noise against the latest death toll, or the new ways in which the insurgents are trying to use terror tactics to try and sway our government from continuing to rebuild this nation. So, I want to add my little contribution: Say something good about our sacrifices made over there.
Just a warning though, I am NOT a Bush supporter, so please do not contact me assuming that I am a staunch supporter of this President and his administration. Since I am a former Marine though, I support the recognition and countless thanks that we can give to our troops. They have the courage to stand up and believe in an ideal when no one else would. For this, someone needs to tell their story.
Troops Convert Trash Lot to Soccer Field for Local Kids
Neighborhood residents pointed out the cluttered site; a contractorwas contacted and local Iraqi children benefit from the effort.
By 4th Brigade Combat Team
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 8, 2005 — U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Task Force Baghdad recently teamed up with a contractor in western Baghdad to transform a trash-filled lot into a soccer field for local youngsters. A patrol from 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment triggered the start of the project to clear away the rubble and garbage.
Neighborhood residents showed U.S. Army Capt. Paul Murach, the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment civil-military operations officer, a cluttered lot in a residential area a few weeks ago. The residents needed some assistance cleaning up the field which had become an eyesore
Murach contacted a local Iraqi construction contractor, and after receiving approval on financing, awarded the beautification project to him.
"The project took six days to complete at a cost of $9,000," Murach said.
The unit sponsored a media event Nov. 3 to show off the new field for the residents and watch local children put the field to the test by practicing their soccer skills.
Reference:
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/nov2005/a110805wm1.html
Just a warning though, I am NOT a Bush supporter, so please do not contact me assuming that I am a staunch supporter of this President and his administration. Since I am a former Marine though, I support the recognition and countless thanks that we can give to our troops. They have the courage to stand up and believe in an ideal when no one else would. For this, someone needs to tell their story.
Troops Convert Trash Lot to Soccer Field for Local Kids
Neighborhood residents pointed out the cluttered site; a contractorwas contacted and local Iraqi children benefit from the effort.
By 4th Brigade Combat Team
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 8, 2005 — U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Task Force Baghdad recently teamed up with a contractor in western Baghdad to transform a trash-filled lot into a soccer field for local youngsters. A patrol from 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment triggered the start of the project to clear away the rubble and garbage.
Neighborhood residents showed U.S. Army Capt. Paul Murach, the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment civil-military operations officer, a cluttered lot in a residential area a few weeks ago. The residents needed some assistance cleaning up the field which had become an eyesore
Murach contacted a local Iraqi construction contractor, and after receiving approval on financing, awarded the beautification project to him.
"The project took six days to complete at a cost of $9,000," Murach said.
The unit sponsored a media event Nov. 3 to show off the new field for the residents and watch local children put the field to the test by practicing their soccer skills.
Reference:
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/nov2005/a110805wm1.html
I am new!
Hey there, I am the new guy in town! I have decided that since I like to write, I will blog my thoughts here... More to come soon!
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