EVERYTHING IS THE SAME, JUST A DIFFERENT PRESIDENT!!



To continue today about my ranting and raving about Politics and Politicians in Washington D.C., I came across a blog written by Wolf Blitzer who is media guru (for a better word) for CNN. After reading it, I am even more positive that the people who run our country cares about nobody else but themselves and will do whatever they have to so that they can get further ahead.

Basically what this blog shows, is I guess back in 2006, we went through this same thing about raising the Debt Ceiling. The only difference at that time was we had a Republican President and everything was turned 180 degrees. President Bush wanted the Debt Ceiling to be raised 9 Trillion dollars, and the democrats was saying that he was foolishly spending the country’s money. The vote was passed by the Senate 52 to 48 to raise the debt ceiling, and as usual, the vote for the most part went party ways. A lot of the people who are dealing with this today on both the Democrat and Republican sides. The only difference is they are on the opposite of the argument today. Can you blame anybody for not trusting a politician? Here is Wolf Blitzer’s Blog entry.

(CNN)It’s hard not to be a bit cynical in watching politics unfold in Washington. As you know, the Republicans are all lined up resisting any effort to simply pass an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling with a straight up-or-down vote. They insist on large-scale spending cuts.

The Democrats and President Obama would certainly prefer what’s called a clean bill.

What a difference a few years and a new president can make.

Check out The New York Times of March 16, 2006. The story notes that the Senate voted to increase the nation’s debt ceiling by a 52-to-48 vote. All of the Democrats, including then-Senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Harry Reid, voted against raising the debt ceiling. With the exception of three Republicans, all the Republicans, including Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl, voted in favor of what President George W. Bush was seeking.

Here was the first sentence in the Times report:

“The Senate voted narrowly today to raise the national debt limit to nearly $9 trillion, averting what would have been the first default ever on United States Treasury notes and giving Democrats an opportunity to portray Republicans as reckless with the people’s money.”

Here’s a quote in the article from Harry Reid: “Any objective analysis of our country’s fiscal history would have to conclude that this administration and this rubberstamping Republican Congress are the most fiscally irresponsible in the history of the country. In fact, no other president or Congress even comes close.”

Republican Senator Charles Grassley said the vote in favor of the legislation was necessary to preserve “the full faith and credit of the federal government.”

Now you can better understand why long-time Washington observers can become a bit cynical.



We need politicians in both the Executive and Legislative Branch of this government who is going to do what the people want. Until that is done, Washington is going to remain the same, no matter who our President is!!  We need people in Washington, D.C., who wants to do the right thing for the people, not the right thing for them.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG???

I wanted to blog this because everything it says is so true:

Remember, not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only 30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500. If you calculate the future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a simple 5% (less than what the govt. pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working (me) you'd have $892,919.98. If you took out only 3% per year, you receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30 years, and that's with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month. The folks in Washington have pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madhoff ever had.

I didn't try to clean up the language in this message. It makes a better impact as it is.

Entitlement my ass, I paid cash for my social security insurance!!!! Just because they borrowed the money, doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout !! Congressional benefits, aka. free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages , 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days, now that's welfare, and they have the nerve to call my retirement entitlements !!!!!!.....scroll down..............

What the Hell's wrong???
WAKE UP AMERICA !!!!

Tuesday's Daily Bulletin paper, ran two articles on the front page side by side:

1- Calif 's 20 Billion Dollar Budget Deficit
2- The Calif Supreme Court ruling that ILLEGALS can attend college and get benefits.

Why don't they just deport them when they arrive to register?

3- Last year they ran an article on the yearly costs to Calif Taxpayers from Illegals using Hospital Emergency Rooms for their general health care - At just one hospital the cost to tax payers totaled over 25 million a year.

Someone please tell me what the HELL's wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!!
We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,???????????

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey . And now Pakistan ......home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!

They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives and now when its time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place?
We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans.

AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc,etc.

YET.....................
They have a 'Benefit' for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it?

99% of people won't have the guts to forward this.
I'm one of the 1% -- I Just Did

ANOTHER CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA IS COMING!!!

My last blog was about what I would like in a person who is going to be President of my country. To carry on that conversation, I believe it is time for America to realize something, and that something is that we are in a gridlock in this country. Personally I believe that we have reached a point in this country that we can no longer agree to a majority on anything, and when we do come to a majority on something, the people who are in the non majority end refuse to accept it. This is at the local, state and national level. I also believe that if something is not done about it in the very near future, this country will again face another Civil War like the middle east countries are going through right now.

Simplicity is gone and an absolute was never ever really heard of in this country. Every single issue that comes up in this country these days has so many gray areas, and that is what divides our nation. However, this country was founded and made to run on what is known as the majority. If the majority of people wanted it one way, then that is the way is was suppose to be. The ones who were not part of the majority had to accept the way it was, get with the program, and make America work. It is not that way anymore. Instead of accepting what the majority wants, and continuing to believe in the way you believe and trying to convince the majority that it needs to be another way. We get angry, take it personally and start claiming that it is unconstitutional, against the law, or against the Bible. We have gotten to the point of if it is not our way, then we do not want to be a part of it. Whatever happened to, okay, that is what the majority wants, so let’s give it a chance, maybe it will work, and if it does not work, then we can try something else?

I read about a poll taken today, and I do not know who took the poll, because for the most part, I do not pay any attention to polls because the media and others takes these poll numbers and spins them 520 different ways from Sunday and they really come up meaning nothing. But I do want to use this one as an example to complete this blog. The poll was taken using 1,173 adults, meaning they are of voting age, and from this number 989 of them were registered voters. The poll results show that 63 percent of the people do not like the way the country is headed or is on the wrong track. The poll also said that 49 percent said that the problems is not because of President Obama. So, take a look at the numbers another way! A whopping 63 percent (a majority), says that they are not pleased with the way the country is heading and another 51 percent (a majority) think that the President is to blame for it. That tells me that only 37 percent (not a majority) likes the way the country is headed, and 51 percent (not a majority) thinks the President is to blame for it. Me personally, I get four things out of this, and they are 1) The country is not pleased with the way we are going, 2) The country thinks we need a new President, 3) The country thinks we need more than just a new President, and maybe the most important 4) The country has more than 15 percent of its people who are of age to vote not going to vote. The biggest thing I would like to get out of this poll and it does not tell us this, is how does the percentage of registered voters feel and how does the percentage of non voters feel. Because you see, if you do not vote, then you are part of the problem and not part of the solution. So I am sorry to say, but I feel if you do not vote, then you have no right to say if things are right or wrong.

Now me personally, I do not blame Obama for the gridlock that this country is in. I believe it has been coming for a long time, maybe even all the way back to the 1960’s when prayer was taken out of schools. So I am in the percentage of people who believe that the problem we have today in this country is to be blamed somewhere other than the Executive Branch of the government. If you noticed, that percentage was not mentioned in the poll.

Do not get me wrong, as of right this minute, I do not believe that President Obama is the person to lead this country, however, I also feel very strong that just changing the President of the United States is not going to fix our problems. I also feel very strongly about with the attitude of our country these days, that Obama will not have a hard time getting reelected.

I feel that the Legislative Branch of our government has become way to strong and feel that they believe they are the ones in government who run this country. I believe that going back to the Clinton administration, the Congress of the United States has been grid locking this country. If you remember back to my last blog, it is the Congress who passes the laws in this country, and they should do that by the will of the people. The President can only enforce these laws and make recommendations to Congress on what laws and issues they should deal with. Like me and you, the President really only has an opinion on these things. You see, I believe our Congress has forgotten that they work for us, and that the laws they should be passing should be the will of the people. The economic mess that we are in today is because of Congress. Yes, each of the Presidents over the last 25 years have had something to do with it, but it Congress who has been robbing Peter to pay Paul putting us in this economic mess.

We here people in Congress all the time talking about how we need to overhaul this and overhaul that. Well, I believe we need to start the overhauling things with the Congress itself. Our House of Representatives and Senate!
Like the Congress decided when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for the fourth time, it gave a person too much power to be President for that many terms. Well, I believe we need a term limit on our Congress that is the same as President of the United States.

Along with this term limit, we need to have a law that states people who were a Congressman or worked within the office of the Congress cannot go to work for any special interest groups or lobbyists once they have retired from Congress.
We need to stop all stock and commodities trading by all Senators, Representatives and their staffs.

We need to make sure Congress shows transparency by having all bills under 100 pages be made public for 7 days before a vote can happen. All bills over 100 pages shall be made public for 21 days before a vote can happen.
I believe a Senator or Representative of any district or any state in Congress is there for one reason and one reason alone, that is to represent the people.
Not to represent themselves and there buddies who will give them a nice slice of the pie for passing money and jobs there way.

So to me, to turn this country around and getting it heading back in the right direction, we need to vote in a President who is a great leader and who will listen to the people and oversee the government by the will of the people.

We need to overhaul our Legislative Branch of government and start voting in people who will take the peoples opinions and votes to Congress and not there own opinions and there will to take care of only themselves. We need a Congress who will pass laws and help run the government by the will of the people.

The American people need to get involved, they need to get out and vote, they need to research and find out what is going on in their community, there district, there state and there nation. What our politicians are doing in Washington, every state capitol and local districts effects each and everyone of us. Yes, every issue might not effect you directly, but it might effect your neighbor, friend, or family, and for that reason each and everyone of us need to know what is going on.

Write your Senator’s and House Representatives at both the state and national level. Find out what they are doing, ask them how they plan to vote on different things, and ask them to tell you the issues they are working on. They will answer you, because they work for you, and you need to let them know that! If we do not let them know how we feel about something, then they will vote the way they feel, and that is going to be voting the way that is more advantages to them. Not you!

WHAT IS IT I WANT IN A PERSON WHO IS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT OF MY COUNTRY?

 

Well, we are coming up very quickly on a four year election cycle which makes this country so great. We get to vote to see who our next President of the United States of America is going to be. Me personally, I feel that this election cycle is very important. I feel that way for a lot of reason and they are too many to even bother about mentioning in a blog. But when it comes to electing a President, I feel we the people let it get too personal over each and every little issue. Instead of doing that, I feel we all need to step back a little, take a look at the big picture of the country and then ask ourselves. What is it I want in a person who is going to be President of my country?

Put all the petty differences between issues aside and ask yourself, what is it I want in a person who is going to be President of my country? People running for President can have all kinds of views on different things, but the President is not the person who makes the laws of this land, that is the Congress. The President can weigh in on them and give his views and even veto a bill if he views it is necessary to do so. But even then, if Congress wants to, they can override his veto. The President of the United States of America is charged with carrying out and insuring compliance by the American people of these laws. He does not make them, he just carries them out. We also have a justice system that will ensure that each and every law put forth to the American people is well within our rights given to us by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States. So like everybody else in this country, the President should have his views on all issues, but when it comes right down to it, he is only there to carry out the laws from which Congress passes. Congress should only be passing laws in this country that are by the people, and are the will of the people. But that is a whole other blog.

So, again, what is it I want in a person who is going to be President of my country? I started about a month ago searching the internet for a few different things. Although I have voted in many local, state and national elections, I have never taken the time to find out what is the requirements and responsibilities of the President of the United States. Some of my searches included, “What is the Job Description of the President of the United States”, “What is the Responsibilities of the President of the United States”, and “What does the Constitution say about the President of the United States”. That is just a few of my searches, their was many more. Feeling that this is an important election, I thought it was my responsibility to find out what is required by the position of President. After reading through many articles, I came to the conclusion that the best was Article II of the Constitution of the United States when it came to defining the job of President. In using all of these articles, I have came up with my own job description or responsibilities description of the President of the United States. They are below:

1. Head of State - This responsibility requires a President to be an inspiring example for the American people. In some nations, the chief of state is a king or a queen who wears a crown on special occasions, celebrates national holidays, and stands for the highest values and ideals of the country. As the American Chief of State, the president is a living symbol of the nation. It is considered a great honor for any citizen to shake the president's hand.

2. Chief Executive - The president is the boss for millions of government workers in the Executive Branch, deciding how the laws of the United States are to be enforced and choosing officials and advisers to help run the Executive Branch of the Government. The Executive Branch of the Government does not makes laws, they are only charged with executing and enforcing them. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff to the President, along with entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

3. Chief Diplomat - The president decides what American diplomats and ambassadors shall say to foreign governments. With the help of advisers, the President makes the foreign policy of the United States. He appoints for Senate approval more than 50 independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices.

4. Command in Chief - The president is in charge of the Untied States Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The president decides where troops shall be stationed, where ships shall be sent, and how weapons shall be used. All military generals and admirals take their orders from the President. He also has the authority and use of the States National Guards and Reserves.

5. Chief Legislator - The President has a constitutional requirement to "from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Although the President may fulfill this requirement in any way he or she chooses, Presidents have traditionally given a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress each January (except in inaugural years) outlining their agenda for the coming year.

6. Guardian of the Economy - This responsibility of the President is to stay abreast and knowledgeable on such issues as unemployment, high prices, taxes, business profits, and the general prosperity of the country. The president does not control the economy, but is expected to help it run smoothly. He is also responsible for giving Congress a budget for consideration and vote each year.

7. Chief of Party - This responsibility is given to the President because of being the highest elected official from a party. In carrying out this responsibility, the President helps members of his political party get elected or appointed to office. The President campaigns for those members who have supported his policies. At the end of a term the president may campaign for reelection.

Now in looking at these 7 responsibilities, I ask once again, What is it I want in a person who is going to be President of my country? Simple, I want someone with the following attributes:

1. A Leader - Someone who can put their personal believes on issues aside and do what is best for my country according to the will of the people. No matter if it goes against or for their ideological believes their respective party may have. Someone who can take charge of the country, defending it when needed, make tough decisions even when they may not be popular with their party, but are according to the will of the people. A person who has integrity, loves my country, and puts the security of my country above all else. I want a President Honest, Forward Looking, Competent, Inspiring, and Intelligent. They must be able to handle, operate and lead the government in accordance with the way the Constitution was written. They must be able to communicate the correct Ideals, Morals and Traditions of this great country. This person must be able and willing to admit to their mistakes, to try new things, and to refine things that does not work. They must have the ability to work with other country’s and other parts of the government who make the country run.

A true leader is what we need in the white house. What we do not need in the white house is someone who knows all of the answers, because no one does. A true leader has the following traits:

- A true leader understands and listens to people!

- A true leader enlightens people!

- A true leader guides, but does not dictate to, people!

- A true leader enables and empowers people!

- A true leader motivates people!

- A true leader inspires people!

- A true leader credits people!

- A true leader helps people!

- A true leader leads by example!

- A true leader helps people!

This is what I am looking for in a President. We must realize though that whoever is voted in as our next President can only do one thing for us, and that is to lead us. It is the other parts of the government that we need to concentrate just as much or more on. Because no matter how good a President is, they are limited in power with most of his/her power being that of implementing laws and standards from other branches of the government.

This is part 1 of a series I am going to do on electing our officials.

AMERICAN HERO - Mark C. Warren

Mark C Warren

La Grande, Oregon

January 31, 2005

Age Military Rank Unit/Location 44 Army Sgt 1st Calss 3d Battalion, 116th Armor Cavalry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team (Forward) LaGrande, Oregon

Died at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq from non-combat related injuries. La Grande, ORE. -- A soldier laid to rest a fellow soldier, his father, in a private ceremony held at the Veteran's Circle at the Grandview Cemetery here today. Sgt 1st Class Mark C. Warren died Jan. 31 from non-combat related causes while on duty in Iraq with eastern Oregon's 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Armored. The sergeant's son, 1st Lt. Christopher Warren was also on duty with the 3rd Battalion in Kirkuk, Iraq, and he escorted his father home to render full military honors and bid a final farewell with his family. Nearly four hundred friends, family, and military and civilian coworkers attended a late-morning memorial service held at the Oregon National Guard Armory in La Grande. Warren, who became a Marine and served a four year active duty tour starting in 1981, joined the Oregon National Guard in 1990. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, a fellow Marine, said Warren was, “a shining star of the Oregon National Guard and heroic son of La Grande.” The governor also noted that Sgt. Warren will be remembered for his hard work, loyalty, leadership, patriotism, and for taking care of his soldiers and coworkers. “Although he is gone, his good deeds remain” said Kulongoski. Also attending the service were Maj. Gen. Lawrence F. Lafrenz, Adjutant General of the Idaho National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Raymond C. Byrne, Jr., acting Adjutant General of the Oregon National Guard. The 3rd Bn., 116th Cav. is assigned to the 116th Armored Brigade of the Idaho National Guard in Iraq. Warren is survived by his sons 1st Lt. Christopher Warren, Michael Warren, and Ryan Warren, his former wife Carol Anne Warren, and his mother Wanda Davies, all of La Grande. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORATION ON SGT 1ST CLASS MARK WARREN TAKEN FROM THE MEMORIAL PROGRAM. Mark Carlyle Warren, age 44, of La Grande, died Jan. 31, 2005 in Kirkuk, Iraq. A memorial service was held Friday, Feb. 11, 2005 at 11 a.m. with full military honors. Mark was born on May 17, 1960, the son of Howard Warren and Wanda nee Sutton in Hermiston, Ore. He attended schools in La Grande and graduated from high school in 1979. In 1979 he married Carol Ann DuBosch in La Grande. In 1981 he entered into the U.S. Marine Corps and served until 1985. In 1985 he returned to La Grande. He worked as a conductor for the Union Pacific railroad, and since 1990 he served with the Oregon National guard. His battalion was deployed last summer. Mark enlisted in the Marine Corps on Sept. 24, 1981 and served a four you tour of active duty which included tours in Lebanon and Grenada. Mark joined the ORNG on Feb. 9, 1990. Throughout the 90's he progressed through the ranks to the rank of Sgt. 1st Class on Jul. 18, 2002. During this timeframe, he held positions such as assistant squad leader in a scout platoon, M1A1 tank gunner and tank commander, as well as a platoon sergeant. Sgt. 1st Class Warren was known for his outstanding marksmanship and his ability to teach others the skills needed to become fine marksmen. Because of this, he was given the additional duties as the Battalion Marksmanship Coordinator. In this duty, he helped organize, conduct, and participate in rifle marksmanship matches throughout the United States, including 29 Palms, Calif., and Little Rock, Ark. He also took great pride in helping train young soldiers in and additional role as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the recruiting training company and developing future officers as NCOIC and Associate Professor of Military Science of the Guard Officer Leadership Detachment (GOLD) program at Eastern Oregon University. Sgt 1st Class Warren's awards include: The Combat Action Ribbon (Marine Corps), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, and four Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals. Mark was a life member of the NRA, a member of the VFW, American Legion, Marine Corps Cryptological Society, and the United Transportation Union. He enjoyed marksmanship, hunting, and woodworking. Survivors include his sons, Christopher Warren, Michael Warren, and Ryan Warren, and former wife Carol Ann Warren all of La Grande; mother and stepfather Richard and Wanda Davies also of La Grande; sister, Tara Warren, niece Erin and nephews Cole and Jack burgess; Uncle Aaron and Donna Sutton of Stanfield, Ore.; Aunt Bev and Ben Schatz of Olympia, Wash.; Uncle Gary and Frankie Sutton of Fremont, Neb.; Aunt Iva an Ben Collins of Buhl Ida.; Uncle Vern Sutton of Hermiston, Ore; Uncle Cecil Sutton of Puyallup, Wash; Aunt Ina Beck of Federal Way, Wash.; Aunt Maurine and Harry Hansen of Stanfield, Ore. ; and his fiancée Mary Calloway. His father Howard Warren, sister, Angela Warren, and Uncle Robert Ernest Warren preceded him in death. Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away, Honor It!

AMERICAN HERO - Dustin Lee Sides

Dustin Lee Sides

Yakima, Washington

May 31, 2004

Age Military Rank Unit/Location 22 Marine Cpl 9th Communications Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Camp Pendleton, California

Died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

'The War's Hit Home' -- Dustin Sides Laid to Rest

By ED STOVER

and MARK MOREY

YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Three rifle volleys — crack, crack, crack — fired by seven Marines in full dress uniform.

The 24 golden notes of "Taps" being mournfully played.

The red, white and blue stars and stripes of two American flags being slowly folded and presented, one to each parent.

A dozen white doves flashing as one across a sun-drenched green lawn, then wheeling upward into a brilliant blue sky.

With those lasting images, an estimated 400 relatives, friends, comrades and admirers gathered Saturday morning at Yakima's Tahoma Cemetery to bid farewell to U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dustin Lee Sides.

Sides, 22, is the Yakima Valley's first casualty of the war in Iraq.  He was killed in an ambush May 31, Memorial Day, while returning from a mission to Fallujah, one of the hot spots of the war.

That conflict seemed suddenly much closer Saturday morning as nearly 100 Marines, some of them Iraq war veterans, performed the solemn ritual of burying their fallen comrade as Sides' friends and family looked on.

"It's our responsibility as Marines," said Gunnery Sgt. David Gregory, who led the detail of seven pallbearers who bore Sides' flag-draped coffin the 200 feet from a silver Keith & Keith Funeral Home hearse to his final resting place adjacent to the Yakima Valley Veterans Memorial, which overlooks the military section at Tahoma.

Gregory, an adviser to the Marine Corps Reserve's Bravo Company, 4th Tank Battalion in Yakima, said he and his men had practiced all week for Saturday's 45-minute ceremony.   "It's how we take care of our own," he said.

"... And Dustin did love the Marine Corps," Rear Adm. Darold Bigger told Sides' mother and father, Wendy Billings and John Sides, who sat facing the grave site with other family members and close friends.

Bigger, of Walla Walla, is deputy chief of Navy chaplains for U.S. Naval Reserve matters for the United States.  He officiated at the ceremony, which also included the presentation of the Purple Heart Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal to Sides' parents.

Bigger, a pastor in civilian life who teaches religion at Walla Walla College, said he travels all over the country as part of his reserve duties, and he visited Iraq last summer.

"These young men and women do us proud," he declared following the ceremony, referring to the Marines at the ceremony and the military personnel he sees elsewhere.

"Most people I see wherever I go are grateful we're there (Iraq).   It's a very small number who create the kind of sensations you hear about in the news."   One who attended Saturday's burial service who expressed gratitude was William Craven, who with his wife Virginia made the journey all the way from Roslyn.  The Cravens know what it's like to lose a loved one; their son, Tom, 30, was one of four U.S. Forest Service firefighters to die in the Thirtymile Fire on July 10, 2001.

"I just saw it (funeral notice) in the paper and we thought we'd attend," said Craven. "Everybody should be here.  It's because of him (Sides) that we can stay home and be safe."

Craven surveyed a photo display of Sides at various stages of his life that stood near the grave site.  He shook his head.

"Another young kid gone," he said. "It's a long way down here, but it's worth it.   After all, he (Sides) went a long way for us."

There were those, too, who expressed frustration with a war that has now spilled the blood of a native son.

"It's nonsense," said Frank Beard, 78, a World War II Navy veteran who served in the South Pacific and is immediate past commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 379.

"It's different now," said Beard, who was attending with another veteran, Herbert Matsen, 78, who also served in the South Pacific.   "They don't fight to win anymore, just to pacify. When we went in, we went to win, to whip their fannies. This is nonsense."

"But we're here on behalf of our post to pay our respects to this young fellow."

Kathy Garlock, a friend of Sides' mother, said it's a "terribly difficult time" for Wendy Billings and John Sides and their surviving children. She said she supports the troops in Iraq.

"That's not to say I'm particularly happy with the situation — anything that kills our children is not a good thing," she said.

Garlock's husband, Duane, a Vietnam veteran, said he, too, supports the troops. In some ways, though, the situation in Iraq is worse than Vietnam, he said, because the troops are so vulnerable.

"Me? I'd rather fight in the jungle.   This (Iraq), it's so difficult to see the end of it.  But we've got to support our people there."

One woman who came, Paige Olney-Hammond of Wiley City, presented the family with an eagle feather wrapped at the base with red, white and blue beads.   Olney-Hammond, whose husband is serving his second tour in Kuwait with the Navy, said she felt the feather honored Sides' service.

"He gave his life for all of us.   He gave his life for our children," said Olney-Hammond, whose 4-year-old son, Tanner, had Nancy Sides (Sides' stepmother) as a teacher's aide.  "He gave the ultimate sacrifice."

Olney-Hammond said Saturday's funeral magnified the scary prospect that her own husband might not return alive.

"The war's hit home.   It's a reality check," she said.

Yakima resident Saul Chacon, a former Marine sergeant who left the service last year after spending six months in Iraq, said he considered Sides' fate next to his own.    "I've been thinking about that all day," Chacon said at a reception after the funeral at Eisenhower High School, where Sides went to school.

"It's kind of weird. I can't explain it," Chacon said, noting that the environment around Fallujah has grown even more tense and violent since he left.

Tesa Peterson, 23, of Yakima said Sides' youth added an extra element to her feelings about his death.

Peterson and Sides knew each other from when they attended Wilson Middle School. She last saw him at a party before he headed off to boot camp.

"It makes me sad to think about how young he was, but it sounds like he was having fun being over there, so that was important to him," Peterson said.

By all accounts, Sides did enjoy the service, even his time in Iraq, where he served with the 9th Communication Battalion from last February until he was killed.   He drove a specialized wrecker that was used to keep the battalion's equipment on the move in difficult places.

"He was willing to take the risks," said Bigger at the funeral.

"He had that look of happiness, of joy, of excitement," said Master Sgt. Kevin Berry, who was Sides' motor transport chief and is stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.   Berry was one of several Marines from Camp Pendleton who attended Saturday's service.

Not that Sides was oblivious to the danger he was in.   John Sides said his son had arranged beforehand for his younger sister, Katie, to receive part of his life insurance toward her education in case of his death.

"He didn't want his sister going into the military to get money for school," Sides said.

In brief comments Friday, Sides also repeated his gratitude for the support shown to his family.

"I can't thank them enough," Sides said.  "What this community has said and done for my family — and the biggest thing is the honor for my son — is just unbelievable."

Trying to keep track of those to thank became impossible after the list of names he was making grew to six pages long, he said.

Notes of sympathy have poured in from across Washington, Oregon and California, among other states.   California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, even sent a letter.

A Tribute to Dustin Sides

U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Kevin Berry flew up with several other Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to attend the funeral of Lance Cpl. Dustin Lee Sides on Saturday.   At the funeral, Berry read the following tribute, which he said he was moved to write Friday after meeting with members of Sides' family:

To Dustin:

When you checked in to the unit, I knew you were different — you had that look in your eye, that look of happiness, joy and excitement.

And I said to myself, "What is it about this young man? How can he smile when there's so much he doesn't know? So much more he needs to see, and, as a Marine, he must grow."

But that's how Dustin lived — happy to not know.

Dustin taught me to seize the day! Take a chance on love, friendship and life. So because of you, Dustin, I'm a better husband, father and Marine master sergeant.

I'll live each day to the fullest. Yes, each and every one. Just like my brother Dustin, not knowing if tomorrow will come.

God bless all your family and friends.

Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away, Honor it!!!

AMERICAN HERO - Josehp A. Jeffries

Joseph Allen Jeffries

Beaverton, Oregon

May 29, 2004

Age Military Rank Unit/Location 21 Army Pfc Army Reserve’s 320th Psychological Operations Company Portland, Oregon

Died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when their vehicle hit a land mine. DATE POSTED: MAY 31, 2004 PRESS RELEASE: 3 USASOC Soldiers killed in Afghanistan U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, May 31, 2004) — Three U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan May 29 when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device there. Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen and Spc. Joseph A. Jeffries were fatally wounded while returning to their base of operations near Kandahar when the IED detonated as they tried to avoid another explosive device in the road. Eggers, 28, a Special Forces detachment commander, and Mogensen, 26, a Special Forces weapons sergeant, were both assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C. Jeffries, 21, was a psychological operations specialist assigned to the 320th Psychological Operations Company, an Army Reserve unit based in Portland, Ore. The explosion also killed a U.S. Navy Sailor. All four service members were attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The incident is under investigation. Eggers, a native of Cape Coral, Fla., graduated from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina in May 1997 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He completed Special Forces training in 2002 and was assigned to 1st Bn., 3rd SFG in May 2003 following Arabic language training. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and his sons, John, 6, and William, 3. A native of Leesville, La., Mogensen enlisted in the Army in 1995 and served in a number of Special Forces assignments with the 3rd SFG. He was a senior Special Forces noncommissioned officer and spoke French. Mogensen is survived by his wife, Tanya, and three children, Joshua, 10, Vanessa, 6, and Leilani, 8 weeks. Jeffries, of Beaverton, Ore., joined the Army in October 2001 and completed the Psychological Operations Specialist Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He is survived by his wife, Betsy, of Beaverton, and his parents, Mark and Linda Jeffries, also of Beaverton. Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away Honor It!

LET'S ALL GET RICH OFF OF CASEY ANTHONY

 

Okay people, enough is enough. The verdict has been read, the sentence has been given for the crimes she was found guilty on. Bottom line, Casey Anthony hit the lottery. I do not know if she will make a fortune from this or if she will not. All I know is that she has went through the system the way she was suppose to and the ruling came down from the Jury of the Quilt or Non-Guilt of the crime. The Judge did what he was suppose to do and now like Casey, we all need to move on with our life.

No matter if she was found Guilty or Not Guilty, Casey’s life was going to change in one way or another. No matter what happened she knew she was going to have to go back to court. She new that she was going to have to pay a fine, she knew that she was going to have to face Civil Court cases against her no matter if she was found Guilty or Not Guilty. The IRS is going to get there money from her over the $200,000.00 that she got from the media to help with her case.

Also, now that it is over, the line from trying to get their share of the money is getting as big as the line there was to get in to see this case. You see all of these signs and interviews that say it is not right to make money off of a dead baby. Well, that is probably right, but trust me, everybody involved in this case is going to make their fair share of money or try to get it off of Casey. Casey, George, Cindy, Lee Anthony, the Judge, the Defense lawyers, the Prosecutor lawyers, the Jury and everybody else who thinks they can get some money out of this, is going to do it. I guess we can call it the American way. I even now heard that Casey’s ex fiancé who really made it known that he was not the father of Caylee Marie Anthony. But his father set on television today and said they would be looking into it because she took Caylee Marie away from them. Everybody is looking to use this to put money in their pockets and to get their 15 minutes of fame.

So to me, although the media will probably not let that happen, it is over. Let it go, and just remember, nothing good came from this. We have a dead baby girl, who we do not know what happened to. We also have 11 other unsolved child murders in Orange Country Florida that deserves just as much time as any other murder. It is time that we move on and start trying to find out about those murders which was mentioned by the Attorney General after the verdict was read. I have searched the internet and have not been able to find out any information on these 11 unsolved child murders.

AMERICAN HERO - Jeremy E Christensen

Jeremy E Christensen

Las Vegas, Nevada

November 27, 2004

Age Military Rank Unit/Location 27 Army Spc 1st Squadron, 4th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division Schweinfurt, Germany

Killed in Ad Duilayah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol vehicle. From AP: Jeremy E. Christensen never did anything halfway, either in work or in play. Take Thanksgiving: His preferred activity wasn't a relaxed game of tossing the pigskin with the family. "Full-contact football," said his younger brother, George Hunt Jr. "No pads." Christensen, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Nov. 27 when his tank was destroyed by a roadside bomb during a combat patrol north of Baghdad. He was based at Schweinfurt, Germany. He grew up in the Portland area and signed up with the Army National Guard at age 18 and attended Mt. Hood Community College. Once Christensen was a civilian again, he moved to Idaho to work as bail bondsmen and later moved to Albuquerque to serve as office manager with the company. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Christensen decided to re-enter the military. He said "that's too close to home. I need to go and serve my country, and keep you guys safe," said Gerri Jimenez, a co-worker and friend. "He was prepared for the war. He wasn't scared."  Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away Honor It! 

AMERICAN HERO'S - HONOR THEM!

<>

Marvin Leslie Best Prosser, Washington June 20, 2004

Died due to hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Age Military Rank Unit/Location 33 Marine SSgt 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Twenty-nine Palms, California Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away Honor It!

GIVE ME YOUR TIRED

The Statue of Liberty, our symbol of freedom and of our nation, was given to the United States in 1884 as a gift from France as an expression of friendship. The inspiration for the Statue came from Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye, the sculptor was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and the framework was designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Our Statue of Liberty stands 151 feet tall and was placed on a pedestal on Liberty Island, New York, raising the height to 305 feet. The American poet Emma Lazarus conceived the poem in 1883 which gave the Statue its eternal meaning of freedom which reads.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

In the early twentieth century, we saw the beginning of new religious movements. The Pentacostal movement originated in 1901 with Charles Fox Parham at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas. Seeking to defend the Bible from modern liberalism, a group of Christian ministers published a twelve volume writing called The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth from 1910 to 1915. The term fundamentalist first appeared in 1920 in a Baptist weekly newspaper, the Watchman Examiner.


After the world war years, Americans were generally raised the same, and our families gave us the same value system. In school, we were taught a morality based on the Bible and the Ten Commandments, we would say the Lord's Prayer, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, and sang God Bless America.

The non violent religious movement of the 1950s and 1960s emerged as the civil rights movement in the United States. This finally afforded racial equality for African Americans, one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This movement was led by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the movement was pushed forward by President John F. Kennedy. African Americans had begun to receive recognition in the fields of art, music, and sports. But it took an unknown lady in Montgomery, Alabama named Rosa Parks, who was arrested on December 1, 1955 for refusing to move to the back of the bus for a white person, that sparked the drive for civil rights. Reverend King, the young pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, was elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which had begun the Montgomery Bus boycott and ultimately led to the end of segregation on city buses. Reverend King quoted Scripture and urged non violent civil disobedience to turn the tide in favor of racial equality, a movement that culminated in his famous I Have A Dream speech on the Washington, D. C. National Mall on August 28, 1963.

Starting in 1958, Bible readings in public schools were attacked with the court case of Abington Township versus Schempp in Pennsylvania. School prayer in public schools was challenged in 1959 with the court case of Engel versus Vitale in New York. In Engel versus Vitale, the Supreme Court reversed 80 previous court decisions in 1962 and ruled, to protect freedom of religion, that an official state prayer for public schools was unconstitutional. In Abington Township versus Schempp, the Supreme Court in 1963 ruled against Bible readings in public schools.

Secularism and atheism themselves became puritanical in the late twentieth century, as God, the Ten Commandments, the Bible, and school prayer were stamped out of public schools, such that religion and a moral upbringing in society has been marginalized for a whole generation of Americans.


The Supreme Court needs another chance to restore school prayer in our schools. To quote Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who wrote the dissenting opinions in both Supreme Court decisions on school prayer (Engel vs Vitale) and Bible readings (Abington Township vs Schempp).

In Engel versus Vitale (1962), he wrote:

"With all respect, I think the Court has misapplied a great constitutional principle. I cannot see how an "official religion" is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think that to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of our Nation."

In Abington Township versus Schempp (1963) he wrote:


"If religious exercises are held to be an impermissible activity in schools, religion is placed at an artificial and state created disadvantage. Viewed in this light, permission of such exercises for those who want them is necessary if the schools are truly to be neutral in the matter of religion. And a refusal to permit religious exercises thus is seen not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism, or, at the least, as government support of the beliefs of those who think that religious exercises should be conducted only in private."

President John F. Kennedy, in opposition to the CIA and the military industrial complex, became an advocate for peace following the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 22, 1962, evidenced by his American University speech of June 10, 1963. His second speech on peace was given during his proposed Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on July 26, 1963, which he signed on October 7, 1963, after his third speech on peace to the United Nations September 20, 1963.

He said:

"For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.
We all breathe the same air.
We all cherish our children's future.
And we are all mortal."

Martin Luther King Jr., in addition to his cause for civil rights, also began to voice his opposition to the Vietnam War in a quest for peace. He was shot dead on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. America was told it was a "lone gunman." That evening, Senator Robert Kennedy delivered a speech in honor of the slain man: "Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort."

Senator Robert “Bobby” Kennedy was favored to win the 1968 Presidential election. After easily winning the California primary in Los Angeles, Senator Kennedy was shot to death on June 5, 1968.

To many people, the loss of three great leaders who served justice and peace began the loss of faith and trust in our government. They say all these events have led to the subsequent loss of values and direction in our society and country.

The peace initiative of President Kennedy was carried on by Presidents Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989).

The advent and arrival of the Third Millennium has brought new threats to our culture of Life and our individual Liberties. Traditional Bioethics came under attack when the first step towards euthanasia became legal in Oregon and same-sex union became legal in Vermont. The specter of a police state grew as the administration supported the invasion of our privacy through domestic surveillance and proposed the disarming of America, thus removing our best defense against tyranny. The Constitution was written to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." Corporate greed and uncontrollable government spending have threatened our children and our long-term survival.

Our children need to learn about God, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments if we are going to preserve our Western culture. We must support marriage and the traditional family. We must speak up for responsible government and preserve our Bill of Rights and the sovereignty of our Nation if we are to enjoy our God given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

America needs to Trust in God and live in harmony with our Creator if we are to Save Our Nation.

THOUGHTS ON THE ANTHONY TRIAL

Well, much to my surprise, Casey Anthony was found not guilty. Well to be honest with you, I am not surprised on the verdict. Every time we have tried a case in the media, this is how it ends up.

But here in this article I am going to take the side of our Justice System. I believed it worked today the way it is suppose to work. I will accept the fact that Casey Anthony was found not guilty. She was not found innocent. The United States Justice system worked, it worked the way it was suppose to work. A jury of 17 people was taken from more than 100 interviewed and questioned about the trail. Jurors are chosen by the Judge, Prosecution and Defense. They have to answer questions from one or all of these people.

So in this trial in order to try and get enough Jurors, who would be fair and unbiased to set this trial, they had to go outside of the county to get people who would swear or affirmed that they had little to no knowledge about this case. A start to a trial that I thought from the first would be impossible to be a fair trial. So this being the first part of the trial was to me an impossible task of finding anybody that had not heard about this.

You see, there lies the problem, the media and press was involved in this from the get go. They started putting everything out on the news from Day 1 of this whole crime. They started there suspected twists and spins and own investigations. So much information came out through the media trying to be the network that solves this case themselves. Never leaving it to the proper people to investigate the case, like on anything else that is news worthy, they made their own rules. I remember watching all of it, like the trial itself, there was nothing else on the news except for this story. I also remember, myself, my wife and mother along with neighbors talking about the news and at that early of a time into the story, the news media had us and everybody else believing the Casey Anthony had done it, and that she was guilty.

Since I have lived in the Orlando area, this case has been at the top of the news media, both local and national. Even during the down times, when they were getting ready for the trail and such things as that. Never did more than two or three days go by without something on the news about someone from the Anthony family. If someone from the Anthony family said “Hello”, they broke in on other programs to show it and then a one hour special that evening would air. Most all of the local television news programs showed some type of picture involving the Anthony’s on their advertisements. So without a doubt, I have taken my fair share of the obsession in this case, as have the Orlando area, and the whole nation and I would say in some part even the whole world. This tends to make people bias in one way or the other.

With that said, I believe in my heart and with listening to the evidence shown during the trial, that Casey Anthony is Guilty. Now how the Jury looked at it, and what they got out of it, I do not know. But I do know that when the media starts putting their two cents worth in it, what should be absolute, gets a lot of gray put into it.

This jury had to set through 35 days of listening to people come up to the witness stand and tell their story, and while they were telling their stories, the jury had to listen to the lawyers objecting back and forth about how questions were asked and then also the lawyers going back and forth fighting with each other. Along with that, they had to watch something like almost 300 hundred pieces of evidence being submitted, they had to listen to more than a day of lawyers talking back and forth to them delivering closing arguments. Then if that was not enough, they were delivered from the Judge a pile of papers setting forth all of the instructions they must follow along with verbal instructions on how they could not listen to some, but they could listen to others. If that was not enough, they also had to set in that courtroom daily with camera’s shown on the witness, the judge, the prosecution and the defense and news media in the crowd watching the trial, and they new that these people where news media.

This jury was so overwhelmed with paper, information, evidence and basically BS. What was meant to be a simple job for these 12 individuals became so complicated it should not be any surprise to anybody the verdict they came back with.

But it is clear, they did not have the same pre trial media that most everybody else had. That is if they did tell the truth at the questions during the selection. So, the bottom line to me is that they was not put into a position we the audience was put into. They did not have it put into their head by the media that Casey Anthony was guilty. You see, if the media would of tried to make Casey look innocent or if they would have been neutral in the matter as they should, that would not sell any news.

Think about this!!! If Casey Anthony would have been found guilty today, what would of all the news stations talked about. A verdict such as that would of cut there news information in half if not more. Especially if they would not of come back with a guilty verdict and no death penalty. Maybe a little 5 to 10 minute spot if that would have been the case. But with the fact that she was found not guilty, their has been nothing but this on all over the television. The fact that she was found not guilty has made Nancy Grace a few more thousands of dollars. She was able to have a two hour show and if Casey would have been found guilty, that would not have happened.

So, this jury, not listening to the media hype leading up to this trial, came into it with a clear and open mind. They listened to what the defense had to say, they listened to what the prosecutors had to say, what the judge had to say, what the witnesses had to say and what the evidence had to say. After doing that, they got together and made a decision of guilty or not guilty on the 7 counts that the State of Florida had charged against Casey. On these 7 counts they had instructions that told them exactly what had to be proven to them to convict someone on these counts. There was no count that ask the Jury if they felt Casey Anthony was involved in anyway in this crime, or was at fault in anyway of this crime, and there was no count asking them if Casey Anthony was innocent, and I am not sure how other people feel, but to me, there is a difference in being innocent of something and not guilty of something in the court of law. They were given 7 specifics to make a decision on, and they made that decision. The Jury was not given any wiggle room to say that they believed someone else committed the crime, or to say that they thought Casey committed the crime but should be charged with something else. Maybe if they would of have been given that type of choice, things might have been different.

So you see, the Justice System did work today. It might not of come out the way I thought it should, but it did work. Because 12 Jurors set and listened to what was presented in the courtroom and then given 7 different counts to determine the guilt or non guilt of a person. That is what our Justice System is all about. It is not perfect, no Justice System is, but it is the best Justice System in the world.

So in closing I am going to agree with statements of the two defense lawyers. The first is, nobody won today, because Caylee Anthony is no longer with us and that in itself is a great tragedy. To add to that, no matter if Casey Anthony was found guilty or not guilty, justice was not going to be given to Caylee today. Nothing that could of happened in this case could of brought this young child back. For you see, true justice on this case can only be given by our God almighty! Second, I agree with the other defense lawyer, in that we need to stop trying all these cases in the media. Television prosecutors and defense lawyers need to just let things be handled by the Justice and Court System of this great country.

Please feel free to comment on this or any other blog I have. I enjoy reading and learning from the comments I get no matter if they feel or do not feel the same way I do.