Joe Wilson

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Jesus

By now, everyone has heard the words shouted out by South Carolina GOP Rep. Joe Wilson during President Obama's congressional health care speech. One might assume that Wilson would be roundly criticized and censored from both sides of the aisle for his outburst. And indeed, many from his own political party have disassociated themselves from Wilson's "You lie" shout out as inappropriate and, more to the point, ineffective in persuading people of the dangers of the proposed health care plan. But even after offering a (forced) apology which was accepted by White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel on behalf of the President, some might be surprised that Wilson received $750,000 in campaign contributions in the 48 hours after Obama's speech.

And therein lies the problem. If Obama (or the Congress) sanctions Wilson further, the far right could become enraged in much the same manner Cuban repatriates and the CIA grew to despise John Kennedy for his lack of military response during the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. On the other hand, if Obama accepts Wilson's apology with no further retribution as he seems to have done, one can only imagine that it will encourage further outbursts during other Congressional speeches. Either way, there are some ugly feelings festering out there. I fear that unless the histrionics of the last two months over the proposed health care bill cannot be quelled with cooler heads prevailing, we are setting ourselves up for a similar Kennedy-like scenario. Let it never be said that Americans based their decisions on fear and hatred, but on the premise that all men are created equal, and that all Americans deserve basic health care.

9/11 In Memorium

"It's easy to imagine an infinite number of situations where the government might legitimately give out false information. It's an unfortunate reality that the issuance of incomplete information and even misinformation by government may sometimes be perceived as necessary to protect vital interests." - Solicitor General Theodore Olson, whose wife Barbara was killed on September 11th, 2001.

"Here we're talking about plastic knives, and using an American Airlines flight filled with our citizens, and the MISSILE USED TO DAMAGE THIS BUILDING, and similar (inaudible) that damaged the World Trade Center." - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in an interview with Parade Magazine on Oct. 12th, 2001, from inside the Pentagon

Today is Sept 11th, the eighth anniversary of the day planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa., a day never to be forgotten in American history. The result of this act was the loss of thousands of lives, two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands if Iraqi citizens. The reason given for the U.S. reaction? Retaliation for a terrorist attack led by Osama Bin Laden without prior knowledge of White House officials or provocation. Looking back from the perspective of eight years and a son who served in the Iraq war, I have a few questions. For instance, could someone please tell me:

Why many eye witnesses of the plane crash into the first Trade Center building said they heard secondary explosions after the plane hit the building, and also as the building was falling down. Why thermite was detected in both buildings, a material which burns/explodes hot enough to melt metal, while air line fuel doesn't burn at a high enough temperature to melt metal.

Why prominent newscasters commented at the time of the buildings' collapse that the way the buildings fell into their footprints had to be "a result of something that was planned."

Why, until Sept. 11, 2001, there had been no report of any protected steel structure collapsing from heat caused by fire anywhere in the world.

Why the damage at the Pentagon was completely inconsistent with being hit by a Boeing 757.

Why eye witnesses said they saw no evidence of a plane crashing anywhere near the Pentagon. The only sight was the hole in the side of the building, a hole which just happens to be the size of a Tomahawk cruise missile.

Why the odor emanating from the Pentagon site was identified as that of cordite, a compound found in aircraft ammunition.

Why eye witness reports showed that officials who controlled the streets around WTC building 7 evacuated the area an hour before its collapse, and that various officials forwarded verbal warnings conveying certainty that the collapse would occur. Why thermite was also found in that building.

Why television broadcasts, notably the BBC, announced the collapse of WTC 7 at least 23 minutes before the event.

Anyone?

Newsworthy?

Our government rests in public opinion. Whoever can change public opinion, can change the government. - Abraham Lincoln

I just heard on my local news station that Tom Delay will be performing on the upcoming program, "Dancing With the Stars." Glenn Beck is being mocked for finding symbolic Communist art at 30 Rockefeller Center. Town hall meetings are being taken over by demagogues. These are the kinds of stories that have been clogging our national airwaves in the last few weeks. But could it be that there is actual news out there that is deadly important, even crucial to our survival as a free country, news that we will never hear because it goes against the agreed-upon propaganda of those who control public policy?

I would submit that the pap masqueraded as the news that we are being fed daily pales in comparison with what is really happening in the world. The ironic thing about it, perhaps, is that the very people disseminating the "nightly news" are the ones most blinded to that fact.

Thus, "they have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see, they have ears, but cannot hear." Psalm 135: 16, 17a

"Youth will decide the issue of the entire struggle." - Vladimir Lenin

Someone has said that a revolution needs two things: a financial crisis and the youth of the middle class. On April 21, 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism Act, known as the GIVE act. But some opponents are strongly criticizing the legislation, calling it expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy. Some call it nothing less than forced conscription of our children into service for the government.

The signing of the landmark legislation, which Obama seeks to make mandatory, would require 50-100 hours from all able-bodied middle to high school aged young people. The amendment

"prohibits organizations from attempting to influence legislation; organize or engage in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; and assist, promote, or deter union organization."

In other words, my high school aged son would be effectively stripped of his right to protest, affect legislation, or even utilize his right to free speech if it conflicted with government policy.

Why did no one hear about this in the main-stream media? Are they scared, or are they being purposely silenced?

Let's not allow the law to be used as a blunt instrument to force on us the will of the cultural elite.

Let's not "go along to get along." Let's pay attention to the laws that are being passed, and let our voices be heard when we have concerns.

In the words of Frederic Vastia, "We will either eliminate justice or let justice ring."

The following link is for President Obama's proposed national health care plan:

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/AAHCA09001xml.pdf

Health Care Debate

Anyone who isn't confused doesn't really understand the situation. - Edward R. Murrow

The Obama administration's push for passage of a new national health care plan before the upcoming congressional recess has hit a bit of a roadblock in recent weeks. What once seemed to be a no-brainer (After all, what could be wrong with quality, affordable health care for all?), now is no longer regarded as a shoe-in.

The vast, grass roots network of supporters and volunteers that materialized in such great numbers before the last presidential election has failed to turn out with the same support for Obama's national health proposal. Why is that?

What has fueled the fiery opposition of protesters during the recent town hall meetings held for the purpose of quelling public fear of the bill?

Well, one reason is concern over the cost of the health plan. As Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah put

it, "I don't follow why we've got to spend around $1.5 to $2 trillion on top of the $2.5 trillion we are already spending....and yet still have 33 million people without health insurance."

Of course, under Obama's plan there would be no one without health insurance. Under his proposal, if someone did not already have a private insurance policy, he or she would be required to buy into the government plan.

The second reason for public dissent over the bill is mistrust toward a government system that would have the power to be judge and jury over who qualifies for care. While I do not necessarily agree with former governor Sarah Palin's fear of "death panels", as a fellow mother of a son with Downs Syndrome, I sympathize with her concern for the quality of her son's future health care under this proposed plan. Even with a budget of over $1 trillion, there will always be constraints and priorities put on policy holders. That means that the disenfranchised, i.e., the mentally challenged, the medically fragile, and the elderly would be at the greatest risk for budget cuts.

A third reason for people's lack of support for the proposed national health plan is that no one understands it. Delivered to the Senators' desks as a one thousand page tome, even their aides admit to not having read the whole thing. Do we want our congressional representatives to rush through and vote on something this critically important without understanding it thoroughly or even having read it through?

I say, let cooler heads prevail. Let's all sit back, take a deep breath, and give this plan the time and study it requires. Our nation's health depends on it.

The following are articles related to the Trans Texas Corridor:
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