THE ROLE OF FAITH AND VALUES IN AMERICA – NEEDED MORE THAN EVER!

FROM THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION:
Bill of Rights
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


WHERE, pray tell, does this Amendment say one word about the BANISHMENT of religion from our society?

What I do not now, and never will, understand is HOW that very clearly worded, unambiguous amendment has been so misinterpreted over the years – and by some very well educated, supposedly intelligent men and women.

Regardless of how it has happened, the fact remains that the “secularists” are doing everything in their power to remove faith and values entirely from the decision making and public processes in this country, entirely to our nation’s detriment.

So what can or should we do about this relentless assault on the foundation of our nation’s most basic structure?

To start with, we must rigorously adhere to OUR own personal faith and values, whatever that might be. I have been pretty casual about my Catholicism for years, but in recent years, not so much! Many things have conspired to draw me back toward my faith, including the despicable examples of immorality and licentiousness exhibited by our former President, the appallingly amoral William Jefferson Clinton, to whom it has always appeared to me, faith is only a stage prop for political purposes.

In addition, the clear and absolutely unwavering faith of our current President has been an inspiration. Perhaps the greatest refutation of the “Bush lied” canard is my strong belief that George W. Bush’s own spiritual and moral compass would not permit him to do so.

There is so much evidence in our daily “bad” news of the compelling need for a return to the morality and belief structure of former generations. School shootings, rampant promiscuity (and the accompanying diseases), amoral politicians (well they’ve mostly always been that way to some degree but in my view, they are far worse than ever), the attitude that “if it feels good, do it”, the utter garbage being foisted upon us by the moral bankrupts of this world – in books, movies, television and particularly music, the incessant and dangerous drug dependency of so many Americans (prescription drugs are STILL drugs). People don’t try to get through tough times supported by character all that often any more. Instead they pop a Xanax or have a couple of shots of Scotch!

We have a great example of steadfast morality in our President. As individuals and as a nation, we should be striving to emulate his example.

NUCLEAR IRAN

In the April 17, 2006 issue of the Telegraph (UK) a writer named Amir Taheri examines why Iran wants the bomb. Amir Taheri was formerly the Executive Editor of Kayhan, Iran's largest daily newspaper, but now lives in Europe. He seems to know what he’s talking about in his analysis of the present political landscape in Iran.

Mr. Taheri basically claims that Iran’s intentions are to (falsely) appear to back off on nuclear ambitions (which are directly related to a desire to provoke a "clash of civilizations" in which the Muslim world, led by Iran, takes on the "infidel" West, led by the United States, and defeats it in a slow but prolonged contest that, in military jargon, sounds like a low intensity, asymmetrical war.

The theory is that they must delay moving forward until George W. Bush is no longer an issue. Their timetable to dominance has been frustrated by the presidency of W because he is an aberration among Western leaders – not the kind to “cut and run”. Iran's current strategy, therefore, is to wait Bush out. And that, by "divine coincidence", corresponds to the time Iran needs to develop its nuclear arsenal, thus matching the only advantage that the infidel enjoys.

According to Taheri, Iran and its leader Ahmadinejad believe that hundreds of millions of Muslim "ghazis" (holy raiders) are keen to become martyrs while the infidel youths, loving life and fearing death, hate to fight. (Tell THAT to the Marines!) Islam also has four-fifths of the world's oil reserves, and so controls the lifeblood of the infidel. All of this sounds all too plausible, given the non-stop screeching of the Defeatocrats in Congress and the assorted leftwingnut pinheads on both Coasts in the neverending campaign of the useful idiots to lose Iraq and humiliate President Bush.

Mr. Taheri’s prediction is that at the end of the 12 days still left of the United Nations' Security Council "deadline", Ahmadinejad will announce a "temporary suspension" of uranium enrichment as a "confidence building measure". Taheri also predicts that, some time in June Ahmadinejad will agree to ask the Islamic parliament to consider signing the additional protocols of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Such maneuvers would allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director, Muhammad El-Baradei, and Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, to congratulate Iran for its "positive gestures" and denounce talk of sanctions, let alone military action. The confidence building measures would never amount to anything, but their announcement would be enough to prevent the G8 summit, hosted by Russia in July, from moving against Iran.

All of this is truly terrifying in scope, but more than that, it sounds pretty familiar. Isn’t this more or less what North Korea pulled on our government during President Clinton’s administration?

I guess we’ll know when the Security Council’s deadline runs out. In the meantime, more than ever, I thank God for George W. Bush.

DONALD RUMSFELD


Donald Rumsfeld has been called the most capable and successful Secretary of Defense in our nation’s history. I don’t necessarily know if that is true since I’m no expert on military matters. What I do know is that the calls for his ouster started on practically the first day he showed up at the Defense Department for work and have continued pretty much nonstop since then. What I also know is that this is a man with no patience for fools or knaves and the bureaucracy at the Defense Department and the Pentagon was absolutely loaded with both.

The retired generals who are now calling for his ouster are very likely some of those who had reached their position of entrenched comfort and were not at all pleased when the seldom tactful Donald Rumsfeld showed up with a broom and a new way of doing things! Or they have a book coming out soon. Or both.

Meanwhile, true to his character (and the man has tons of that on his worst day), Rumsfeld continues to run his department and see to it that the will of the Commander in Chief is done. In addition, Rummy has come out swinging, once again proving that you mess with this completely secure and confident man at grave risk.

Mr. Rumsfeld and senior military commanders in Iraq are planning to meet Tuesday with a group of retired officers and civilian analysts as part of an effort by the Pentagon to stanch calls for Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation from a half-dozen retired generals.

Perhaps the most fascinating and comforting thing about this latest flummery by the mainstream media is that the President, at whose pleasure Donald Rumsfeld serves our nation, is quietly proving once again that George W. Bush is a steadfast and utterly loyal human being.

Here’s something else I know. This country is STILL at war and the calls for Donald Rumsfeld’s ouster are detrimental to our nation’s security and the safety and security of our military who are still in harm’s way. SHAME on these leftwing idiots and the mainstream media. The useful idiots of the left keep saying “We oppose the war but we support the troops!”

To that sophistry I have but one word: Bullshit!

SPRINGTIME=REBIRTH

The best part of spring is that it’s a chance for a do-over of sorts. Or it should be. If you are a Christian, the Lord has risen from the tomb signaling a rebirth for the human race. Trees are turning green again; flowers are beginning to bloom and the weather isn’t unbearably hot as yet.

I’m compelled to ponder whether there will be a rebirth of our Nation as a result of the blatant attempts to both invade and overwhelm America by the hordes of illegals from the South – as well as other places it can be disturbing to contemplate.

We have been so hammered by the spewing of American self-hatred from the left and Bush Derangement Syndrome that it almost seems it would take more strength than we really have to push back against this blatant attempt to overthrow our way of life.

When I was a little girl, my father explained to me that other nations had underestimated the will and strength of the mainstream American and had lived (or not) to regret that choice. He very firmly told me that people like Josef Stalin would live to regret underestimating us, and that Adolf Hitler and Emperor Hirohito had already done so. I was probably only about 4 years old at the time and the Second World War had only recently ended and my father was responding to my questions about why people were throwing paper out of windows onto the heads of returning American soldiers in the newsreel at our local theatre. (Told you I was OLD! Yes, I remember newsreels.)

Right now, this Spring, I am praying as I’ve never prayed before that my beloved departed father was totally correct in his assessment. I believe our Republic is in growing peril from the invaders of our nation (illegal immigrants) and from the lassitude of our politicians who are too lazy or cynical to defend us.

Let me ask a question – knowing this is likely a logistical impossibility. If 20 million mainland Chinese came streaming into our country, would you politicians consider THAT an act of war? Why then does Vicente Fox get off the hook for encouraging the same activity?

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Throughout my country, millions of INVADERS are demanding the same rights that I enjoy as an American citizen, without the concomitant responsibilities. And at the same time, the Democratic Party has been and is continuing to do everything in their power to exacerbate this situation for their own POLITICAL GAIN, without regard to the security and safety of our nation up to and including registering these NON-American-citizens to vote.

My question is this: What about the nearly 300 million LEGAL Americans? Where are our rights? Where is our REPRESENTATION? In 1776 this country was founded, at least in part, upon the principle that there would be no taxation without representation. It appears to me - and I suspect to many other Americans - that their elected representatives are not representing their interests, but rather the interests of those who scream loudest and have the least right to do so, never mind paying taxes.

The Republicans in Congress - both houses - have done an appalling job of representing the people who elected them in many areas, but particularly in the area of border security and preventing the influx of ultimately disruptive, lawless and damaging ILLEGAL aliens, particularly from Mexico. And our President, despite his stellar record on most fronts, has seemingly supported this spineless pandering to special interests who don't even have the right to be here.

So what then are we to do? I believe that every Senator and Congressman who is up for reelection this November must be required to speak up clearly and without equivocation on this subject. And then the voters will vote on their reelection accordingly.

In the meantime, those bloviating Democrats like Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, who are PANDERING in the most despicable way to this underclass who are NOT here legally and are thus lawbreakers from the start, no matter what their good intentions may be, really need to be chastised about their absolute disloyalty to American values with clarion tones in no uncertain terms by everyone who believes that to be true.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Let’s be very clear – this is AMERICA! We have the obligation and the right to make laws governing immigration into this country. And those who have already broken the law entering our country have NO RIGHT to demand anything, at any time, for any reason.

The flood of ILLEGALS (no, they are not “undocumented” – they are here because they broke the law – that makes them illegal and calling them anything else is sophistry) across our borders is threatening the economies of the states where they plunk themselves down, the safety and security of our nation, and the quality of life for everyone.

This is AMERICA! We speak ENGLISH! If you want to come to this country, you must adhere to OUR laws, first among them the IMMIGRATION LAWS. How difficult is this concept? What the protesters over the weekend were demanding was that we exempt them from the laws of our land. How utterly asinine is that?

Under certain circumstances, maybe a “guest worker” program would work but FIRST, all those who have invaded our nation illegally need to either return to whence they came -voluntarily or involuntarily (don’t much care) Then they can present their bona fides and allow us to decide whether or not their immigration or “guest worker” status is in the best interests of the American people.

I am the granddaughter of LEGAL immigrants. They came to this country with very little. Their education and status in their country of origin meant ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in this country and that was probably unfair. But that was the price they were willing to pay to provide a better life for their eventual family of 12 children. My highly educated grandfather (a man who spoke 19 languages fluently) worked in the steel mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the early 1900s to support his brood and even managed to buy a house AND put his eldest son through college. I never met my immigrant grandparents but I am grateful to them for the sacrifices they made and the hard work that gave their children, including my beloved mother, their start in this beautiful country. And I have no tolerance or respect for people who try to find a shortcut to achieve what my grandparents worked so hard to achieve – the American dream! And I have even less respect for people who make excuses for illegal invaders of our nation and try to help them evade our laws. And to the Catholic priests who consider themselves above our immigration laws, I will remind you of Jesus’ words: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” which to me means, there is no moral relativism possible here. Helping people break the laws of the United States is NOT part of your priestly calling and should stop immediately and in perpetuity!

A SKATER TO BE CHERISHED FOREVER

Other than an Olympic Gold Medal, Kurt Browning of Canada has won all the presigious awards there are to be won in men's figure skating. And, what is probably more important to him, he has a beautiful wife and son. During his heydey as an amateur when he was busily winning four straight World Championships, he was consistently sunny in his demeanor, slightly goofy from time to time, and an altogether remarkable skater with exceptional jumps and spins and an ability (more rare than you'd think) to actually hear his music and respond to it when skating a competitive program.

Now that Kurt Browning is a professional skater, he has been busy touring with Stars on Ice and other shows. In addition, he has displayed a depth of skill that was never evident in his amateur days.

I bring all this up because yesterday I watched a professional competition called the 2005 Desjardins World Team Challenge on Oxygen Network (a new destination for jocks?). The competition was done in 2 parts: technical and artistic. Now one would expect, if one is at all savvy about the sport, that the young stuff would do far better in the technical aspect of the competition than the old fogeys. But one would be wrong. Because as things progressed, dear old Caryn Kadavy of Erie, Pennsylvania (age approximately 38) and Kurt Browning who is probably in the same age bracket were skating right in the thick of things with the youngsters.

AND, to my delight, in the last phase of the competition, the men's artistic performances, Alexei Yagudin of Russia (one of the most magnificent skaters of all time and the reigning Men's Olympic Champion) preceded Kurt Browning onto the ice and skated magnificently, bad hip and all. Then it was Kurt Browning's turn and it was oh so worth the wait. He skated a clown number, red rubber nose and all. And as anyone who has ever skated can tell you, physical comedy on ice requires enormous skill, a skill that Kurt Browning possesses in abundance. In between all the foolishness, there were numerous, very solid triple jumps. including a triple/triple combination. His footwork was original, intricate and beautiful executed. His spins were tight and centered and altogether perfection.

When I tell you that I laughed aloud numerous times throughout Mr. Browning's performance, you will understand how enjoyable he was. And when he got all "10"s for his efforts, I only felt sorry that they couldn't score him with "plus" numbers! And was oh so glad I have it on my DVR for revisiting.

BRAVO, Kurt Browning, the "Gene Kelly" of the ice skating world!

HERE FOLLOWS A LIST OF THINGS THAT CHAPPED MY HIDE IN 2005:

* The very strong scent of antiCatholicism constantly wafting through the air, escalating with Tina Brown’s smarmy and contemptible column in the Washington Post, a/k/a Pravda on the Potomac, upon the election of Pope Benedict and culminating at year’s end with the despicable so called comedy, The Book of Daniel. But I reserve a fair share of my opprobrium for the Catholic Church itself which never INSISTS that respect be shown. If this show was about Muslims, it wouldn’t have made it onto the air, so strident would the hue and cry have been and from the same bubbleheads who think The Book of Daniel is just so cutting-edge and cool. I swear to you, there should be proof of reasonable IQ before these people are permitted to open their stupid mouths.

* Howard Dean: every time he opens his mouth he gives new meaning to the word paranoid schizophrenic, with psychotic tendencies! I also think that if HoHo Dean didn’t exist, the RNC would have to invent this fool! I recently saw him described as a sh*t throwing howler monkey which I thought was too benign.

* Jay Rockefeller: The Village Idiot and a seditious,if not treasonous, one at that! If ever there was proof that the gene pool dilutes as new generations arrive, this man is it!

* Most Defeatocrats in Congress: Murtha, Kennedy, Pelosi, etc. There is a well known saying: lead, follow or get out of the way. Since there is precious little leadership emanating from the Dems in Congress and they seem incapable of following anything or anyone rational, then they all ought to get the heck out of the way. Perhaps we can assist them with this during the midterm elections in 2006. Republican, some of YOU folks from the leadership on down need to strap on a set as well.

* Chris Matthews on general principles and because he so deserves any amount of contempt we can muster.

* The impotence of the Iraqi courts to force Saddam Hussein to show up and shut up at his trial! Can we all say glass booth and shackles?

* John McCain for giving me whiplash every time he opens his mouth. In his insatiable drive to be president of the United States, he changes his positions and opinions so often that I understand why John F. Kerry was so anxious to have him as a running mate. Why do I keep getting this picture of the two of them side by side, eyes spinning counterclockwise?

* France and Germany. Enough said!

* George Clooney and his error filled film about Edward R. Murrow and the entire McCarthy era. Mr. Clooney was at great pains to trumpet his multiple fact checking. Clearly, he doesn’t really understand how that process is supposed to work. Note to Mr. Clooney: Just checking the facts isn’t enough. YOu then need to INCORPORATE the truth resulting from that fact check into your movie. It is a source of constant embarrassment to me that you were born in Ohio. Most Ohioans are smarter by far than Mr. Clooney.

* To all “celebrities” everywhere who believe that their ability to regurgitate lines written for you by other people, to sing songs written by other people, or because you dress like a cheap slut despite the fact that you have INHERITED tons of money gives you a right to tell ME how to think or believe, just SHUT UP. You are not intelligent, you are not learned and you make a fool of yourself every time you open your mouths. I have no respect for people who “feel” things should be a certain way. THINKING solves problems, not feelings.

* My friend Andrea put it best. Mariah - either take off some weight or buy some clothing that fits. You are looking WAY too flanky these days.

* Hillary Clinton – no matter how many times you try to repackage yourself to be palatable as a presidential candidate, the truth is you are as unqualified as you are unprincipled. You may be reelected as Senator from New York but New York isn’t the United States of America. You cannot and will not be permitted to be the first female POTUS. You’d be amazed at how many Democrats share my views on this subject. And Hillary: word to the wise, when people criticize something you’ve done, they aren’t criticizing an entire CLASS of women. Hill Baby: YOU are the one who lost billing records, YOU are the one who made an obscene amount of money on a questionable cattle futures investment, and you are the one who has so little self respect that you stay married to a philandering, lying serial rapist for purposes of your own political gain. In my eyes, that makes you the most DANGEROUS woman in America. I know you aren't the most intelligent woman in America because I have NEVER seen you at the meetings.

* The secularists, one and all, who tried once again to ruin Christmas for the 94% of us who profess to believe in God. Here’s the deal – read the Amendment. All that it says is that no law shall be made regarding the “establishment” of a religion. Nothing whatsoever is said about this country being devoid of religious beliefs. In fact, an openminded study of the history of the times will clearly inform you that none of the Founding Fathers ever intended this to be anything other than a faithbased country. And to he producers of that lovely new show, The Book of Daniel, you WILL be hearing from us soon. In large numbers.

* While it is not politically correct to say this, to those immigrants who want to impose the standards and customs of their former countries on ours, I have only one thing to say to you: GET OUT! We do not need or want you in our country. If it was so peachy keen where you came from, why the hell did you leave and impose your sorry selves on US? This is AMERICA you ignorant morons. We speak ENGLISH. We respect each other (at least the vast majority of us do). We do not indulge in honor killings. We do not expect our women to walk 10 paces behind us, nor do we expect them to wrap themselves in burkas. In this country, it is a CRIME to beat up on your wife, your child, your neighbor or any person who happens to incite your enmity. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in our Constitution or Bill of Rights that gives you a right not to be offended!

* If, in fact, you wish our nation and its people some kind of harm (as in “jihad”), bear in mind that we have no sense of humor about such things. We can and will kick your butts. And enjoy ourselves doing so. That is the beauty of the sitting President of the United States. He has no problem aiming a rocket directly at you. More than once. You may think that because we are, essentially, a peaceful people and that we are kind to disadvantaged people in other nations, we are weak. Trust me, we are not. Both Germany and Japan, and more recently the Taliban and Saddam Hussein discovered that to their detriment. And France and Belgium, although they are unwilling to admit it, would be speaking German were it not for us.

* I believe in profiling. Those 19 murderers (let’s call them what they were, folks) were not from Sweden. They were swarthy, Middle Eastern men who had specific behavior models and heavy accents. Checking MY shoes when I go flying is asinine. I’ll admit that at age 63 I’m no great beauty, but even now I sure as hell look better than Richard Reid!

HAPPY 2006!