Thursday, March 24, 2005

Finally, Canada Does Something Right

Canadian officials finally passed along a ruling on the Jeremy Hinzman case. If you aren't familiar with this loser, take a look at his own website: www.jeremyhinzman.com
He didn't want to go to war in Iraq, although he signed up for the Army & was stationed at Fort Bragg in 2001. He claims that he was brainwashed into joining the army, with promises of a better life and more security. Sorry, pal, but just because you thought joining the Army was going to be a cake walk & a free check doesn't mean that the poor Canadians should have to put up with you.
The Immigration and Refugee Board stated that Mr. Hinzman had not made a convincing or sufficient claim that he was persecuted in America. "Removal to the U.S. would not subject them personally to a risk to their lives or to a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment," the board decided. "There are no substantial grounds to believe that their removal to the U.S. will subject them personally to a danger of torture."
Finally, Canada gets it right.
When asked what would happen to him if forced to return to the US, Jeremy states, "I would go to jail if forced to return to the US. And the U.S. does have a law that states that deserters can, in a time of war, be subject to the death penalty. Although I say it is unlikely, the Bush administration is known to set precedents, so I wouldn't put anything past them." Maybe in this case, this wouldn't be a bad precedent to set?
Maybe Hinzman went about this all the wrong way. He should have asked Bill Clinton for help, then, in a few years, he can run for President.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

The Right to Live, The Right to Die

While the Terri Schindler-Schiavo case is all over the news, it seems a bit reduntant for me to blog on the matter. However, I have a few things that I wonder about, in regards to the case, and I wonder if anyone else feels the same way...

1.) If Terri's heart attack was not because of her eating disorder (that she developed because her husband told her she was fat, constantly), but actually because of Michael and his abusive demeanor, should he be charged with a crime?

2.) If Terri had not been denied years of Physical Therapy, as doctors had ordered in the beginning, would she be okay today? (I have heard several moving stories of people who were in a "vegatative state" but after six months or so of pt they are mobile again.)

3.) If the Schindler's (Terri's parent's) whole-heartedly want to take over caring for Terri, shouldn't they be allowed? Why is Michael Schiavo fighting this? He's off the hook. Just let them take over, go live your life with your new girlfriend and two kids.

4.) Does anyone else think that Michael is creepy and bastardly? Who honestly withholds treatment from a woman that has a hope of regaining her life? Who speaks with such harsh words, as he has, and leaves her side to start a family with another woman? I understand needing to move on, but he wasn't doing a very good job of moving on in the first place. He could have easily gave up Power of Attorney, and THEN moved on with his life.

5.) Does the new girlfriend find it strange that her man is so cold hearted? Is she naive enough to believe that he would be different to her, if she were in the same situation?

I'm so perplexed on many levels, that I cannot fathom being in this situation. She obviously had hope at one time for a normal, or somewhat normal life. How can that be denied?

Thursday, March 03, 2005

The Senator and the KKK

I hate to trudge up someone's past like this, but after Senator Robert Byrd's remarks on Tuesday, I feel that it's justified.
When someone makes a statement claiming that I am a Nazi because of my political affiliation, I get a little upset. Let's think this through for one second though.
The Nazi movement came based upon wanting to create a "Perfect Society." Men, women and children were murdered because of their looks, their capabilities in life, and their religious views. Because I am Polish (one quarter, so lets keep the Pollock jokes to a minimum, please), I would not have lasted a day under Hitler's regime. Ken Mehlman? Gone in a heart beat. Someone born with a deformity or a handicap? Shot to the head.
Let's talk about the party that does this on a daily basis and they fight for the right to be able to kill at will.
The Democratic Party platform allows for genocide, and borderline infanticide. By allowing procedures like Partial Birth Abortion, Selective Reduction and other medical cruelties, they are no better than the Nazis.
If a mother and father find out that the baby may have a handicap, or other health issues what does the doctor suggest? Abortion. If the life of that unborn child creates an inconvenience, what does NARAL, NOW & Planned Parenthood suggest? Abortion. If you have a handicapped infant, and you decide that you do not want to deal with the issues at hand, what does Professor Peter singer say you should do? Kill the child. Yes, its true. Do a google search on this wacko. He later rescinded his statement that it was okay to kill a handicapped child for up to 28 days, and said he thought it should be more like 2-3 years.
It leads me to call into question the various statements that have been made by the left in the past by people like George Soros of moveon.org, and Senator Robert Byrd. If you allow children to be killed because you simply don't want them (or the old PP mantra, "Every Child Should Be a Wanted Child") then are you better than the Nazis?
I think its time to take a look at the platforms and discuss some changes that need to be made.

Conservative? Liberal? Or Just a Swinger?

USA Today is reporting that Sandra Day O'Connor is the deciding swing vote in the Ten Commandments case. This is usually the case in these types of issues, especially when it comes down to a liberal versus conservative point of view.
People have long argued about the place of religion in our government. People like the ACLU would like for us to believe that religion has no place in America. I would like everyone, including Justice O'Connor to remember that religion is why America was founded in the first place. Had it not been for the need to worship freely without persecution, we'd all still be part of the Church of England and the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War would never have happened.
But, it is a part of our history. We cannot forget the importance of religion in America. As much as people would like to disagree, ideology stems from religious beliefs, not all of the time, but a lot of the time. I believe in God and I am not offended by a statue of Moses and the Ten Commandments, which happens to be at the Supreme Court building.
Justice O'Connor needs to remember that she was appointed by President Reagan. A man that was devout in his faith. She needs to remember that this decision will effect not just two states, but the world, and generations to come. Hopefully she will stick to her guns and go with allowing these monuments to be displayed as a "museum."
The fact is, it happened. It's a part of history. If we don't allow the Bible stories to be told, what's next? Do we start to erase parts of history pertaining to wars that were fought to conserve the very freedom that we can no longer claim?

Side Note, from The Note

Every morning I receive an email from ABC's "The Note." It's a general overview of anything and everything going on in politics, in DC and abroad. If you haven't signed up for it yet, I suggest you do.
One thing I love about it: HUMOR. I love that they can take jabs at D's & R's, and it never seems to be bias. This morning something I found particularly funny was a "memo" to Howard Dean...Read on...
***********************************************************************************
TO: GOV. DEAN
FROM: DNC STAFF
RE: SO FAR

With successful trips to two Red States under your belt and not a single public (or even cowardly on-background) quote leveled against you from a Democratic strategist/leader/operative, you are off to a fine start. But there are some things we think you could do, uhm, better.
Here's our list:

1) Implied in your insistence that we call you "Governor" instead of "Chairman" seems to be a forlorn fondness for your former employ and a disdain for your current job. Keep this up and we may end up splitting the baby and just calling you "the politician-formerly-known-as-front-runner." [Keep this up and we may end up insisting that you call us "former McAuliffe staffers." Stings a little, doesn't it?]

2) We know you're sick of hearing it, but that's okay because frankly three weeks in, we're already sick of telling you: watch the language. Osama bin Laden is evil. Lionel Ritchie music is evil. Astroturf is evil. Republicans are not evil. Entirely.

3) The Fabulous Flournoy has been captaining the ship well, but we have no idea who her lieutenants are. Vagueness was okay on week one. And two. And arguably three. But we're now nearly on week four of the new Dean regime and we need two words our party seems allergic to — "org chart."

4) Word to the wise — staff is a constituency, and like any constituency you have to win us over. You can't do that if you won't talk to us. The last guy here wouldn't shut up — and we loved him for it.

5) Psychologists say room decor reveals a lot about a person. Actually we just made that up. But it does sound like something they would say. Anyway, we're ascribing that to them to make a point: your office is too spare. Where's the campaign memorabilia, the 11 framed balanced budgets, the conspicuously absent Trippi photo, etc.?

6) Terry was to Cafe Milano as Howard is to . . . What? Until you can answer that question, you're not really our chairman. That said, we're here to serve. From what we've gathered from our time together so far, you're probably a tad more earthy; we recommend you consider Nora, Two Quail and Ben's Chili Bowl.

7) Get out there more. Yes, yes. We understand that you're trying to send the signal that you're here to work and don't wish to hog the limelight. But Sen. Clinton's first year in office proved that you can both stay low key and get more exposure for it.

8) Whenever you first ride the DC Metro, we wanna come with.

9) Look, we're not going to name names here, but we all know where you lodge while in town and, well, while admirable, we would feel safer if you upgraded to at least a Motel 6.

10) Stop lighting incense all over the building. People are growing suspicious.

11) It's always a good idea to let state parties know you might be coming to their state to visit. In advance, we mean.

12) Our blog: sure it's fun and all, necessary too, but NOT SUFFICIENT.

13) As you know from reading The Note every day, we're soclose to defeating bush on Social Security. So let's pony up some $ — our side needs it.

14) Hello. We are your staff and we are here to help. Let us. Otherwise we'll turn into a soft, gentle people and it won't be pretty.

15) But…on the other hand: hey hey, ho ho, some of us have got to go.

16) Can we keep Tina?

17) GOP leadership? '08ers? Tell us how to go after them. Bush no longer matters.

18) The Republican Party has a very clever plan to keep you from re-making your public image. Don't be fooled by that Ken Mehlman "good cop" stuff. You can be one of the best chairs this party has ever had, or you can end up a cartoonish joke.

19) Do you have a plan — secret or otherwise — for the next four years? If so — and if it needs to be secret to work — by all means, keep it secret.

20) Transitions are hard. For all of us.

Thanks for hearing us out.