An Inauguration Invitation
copyright © 2009 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org I am asking you to believe, not just in my ability to bring about a real change in Washington, I'm asking you to believe in yours. The invitation arrived in an electronic mail. As much as America wishes to be hopeful, I had none. I saw the communiqué and thought it would not be possible. I would never be selected to attend the inauguration. Of all the millions who are moved by this historic occasion, while I am amongst these, my anecdote is and would be far less remarkable. My personal reflection on the Obama election, would not be tragic. Nor would any thought I might muse of move a reader to say, "Yes. She should be seated at the swearing in ceremony." Whatever I might communicate is certainly of little interest to most, if not all. Surely, the saga of a grandson, or grand-daughter, of a slave, one who worked as their ancestors had, might mesmerize more, or at least a legend such as this would enthrall me. Indeed, it did. Only yesterday, I saw and heard a film essay on James "Little Man" Presley. This steady man in Mississippi began his career when he was six [6.] On camera, this glorious gent recounted his reality of fifty years of work in the cotton fields. He shared his sorrow; as a Black man, he was barred from restaurants and royalties that might be awarded to a white man. "Little Man" Presley also presented his pleasure.
~ Barack Obama
Once again, as I stood blubbering, I bemoaned what I had faith I had no right to feel. Regrettably, I would not be able to attend the official observance. The installation of Barack Obama into the Oval Office would be one I would miss. It was true; my yarn could not compare to the composition an elderly man or woman, coal in color, might submit. Some of these individuals never felt their tally counted. For many, it did not; not until the Voters Rights Act 1965 was passed into law. Yes, a request for my narrative could not negate the truth of my tale; it was nothing in contrast to what others might tell. My complexion had always made me more privileged and that is wrong.
To my core I felt and continue to feel if the new Administration offers free transportation and tickets to the event, they should not be given to me.
I had never, through my actions, given up on the country I love. I had no reason to. Granted, I frequently felt there was no hope for my homeland. However, these moments were fleeting. Prejudice did not permeate my very existence. Nor did bigotry shade my second-by-second experience. Every thought I might express was not filtered through a truth I could never forget, for I was not dark as pitch. I did not realize repercussions for nothing more than my race.
I am an activist. My current age does not make my participation worthy of note, at least not in the year 2008, or 2009. I am one of millions. Four or perhaps more will readily appear in the Capital Mall in Washington, District of Columbia. Almost all will reach the destination without assistance from the Obama Administration. Why should I not do the same?
For me, without tickets, which I vigorously tried to obtain through conventional means, I would not truly be part of this momentous occasion. I would be disengaged, detached from the essence that bonds me and helped me to believe. I imagine as one in a crowd of countless, all I would see would be projected onto a screen. I would feel separate, not equal to those more worthy of the honor of an invitation.
Surely, the historic significance would be not be as I hoped. Were I to go, as a one amongst the masses might, I would grapple with what has long haunted me. I would not feel as connected to what means so much to me.
Hence, each time the invitation appeared in my mailbox, the opportunity to pen my prose, to state why this inauguration was so very important to me, I submitted what I knew was not enough, not special, and not unique.
Each time, I did not request what I hoped for, in many ways, more so than accommodations to the services. My dream was not to merely be welcomed to the Capitol. I wanted to find what was, and still is lost to me. The people I think of as parents, biological proxy to me. My desire was the President Elect and his staff might make a personal dream come true. Thus, I engraved and placed into the ethereal Internet for weeks.
I know not how to best express what this inauguration means to me. Attendance at the investiture would be the fulfillment of a dream, a desire to return the love that was given to me. Perchance, a bit of historical context might help to explain why this occasion moves me. My beginnings were not humble. Some might say that my childhood was filled with hurt. However, for me, the circumstances were joyous.
My parents had been together for years. They prospered financially. Yet, as a family they were disconnected. My birth was accidental and a source of anything but delight. It was decided another person, and her family would raise me. Mary [Hazel] Washington, and her husband, Arthur, thankfully took me into a world that was not my own. I became the white child who was far more accepted in a Black world, than she was in her own Caucasian community. My complexion was light as was my heart when with the persons who truly cared for me.
Later, at an age younger than Natasha Obama currently is, I witnessed an extraordinary event. My natural mother and father were home, together, in my presence. The two had grown farther apart in my five years on Earth. As they spoke of the 1960 election, they argued. The conversation was animated, more so than any I had heard in the past. My Mom, the ultimate Progressive mentioned she would not vote for the Republican candidate, register in the Grand Old Party; nor would she lie to the man whose bloodline I share and say she had. I was intrigued and remained so forever.
The two, Mommy, and her husband whose home I lived in, but rarely saw, and never really knew, divorced. However, sadly, the Washington's exited. Much occurred in the time of transition. Mary and Arthur had reason to believe they were no longer needed. Oh, what they did not know was how wanted they were, how honored I was to be raised in their world.
The people who did not reject me, taught me to trust. Mary mentored me in empathy. Arthur, her spouse, and their offspring, through their actions, helped me to understand the principle, love thy fellow man.
I never forgot how safe and sane I felt when with what felt to be my family, the persons who served as my surrogate parents. I could not have had a better home, more love, or been as welcome as I was in the neighborhood where residents did not appear as I did. At the age of eleven or twelve, I had an opportunity, the first of many, to stand up for the rights of the people who gave me more than a physical presence in the world. I marched for equality, civil rights for all. With Civil Rights leader Father Groppi, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I was among the many who said and sung, "Set my people free."
As I aged, I searched for Mary [Hazel] and Arthur Washington. While I never located the couple who bestowed upon me the freedom that comes with acceptance, as a politically active person, particularly in the 2008 election year, I saw them frequently. The Washington's were within me each time I made a telephone call in support of Barack Obama. My mother and father, brownish-purple in hue, were with me as I waved banners for a President Elect Obama. Mary and Arthur drove to rallies, spoke to relatives. The two were close at hand when I registered voters.
My hope is that if I am able to find my way to the inauguration, Mary [Hazel] and Arthur Washington will know that with thanks to them, "Yes, we can," and indeed, "We did achieve a dream!"
Mary [Hazel], Arthur, and sons, Arthur Junior and oh, how I wish I recalled the name of the younger, if you read this, please, please, please, get in touch with me. For as long as I recall, I have, from time to time, searched telephone books, cyberspace communities, asked relatives, sought some clue of where you might be. I wanted, I yearn for you to know what as a five and one half year old I could not, did not know how to share. You, your kindness, commitment to my well-being, the care you bestowed upon me has forever meant more to me than mere words.
I speak of each of you, your family, even when my mouth is closed. Who you are exudes from my every pore. So much of what I think, say, do, feel, and am, at least all that I treasure of me, is with thanks to each of you. Mary, I know my parents rejected what seemed the perfect reason to name me Hazel, your given name, as you requested. Nonetheless, please trust that while you and I may not share a moniker, for me, we share sooooo much more.
I thank you for being my first and best teacher. You are a mentor, one that money cannot buy. If I have any hope in 2009, it is that perchance, one day, you and I will meet. I wish to do more than merely greet you with a smile. Even from afar, I will, as I have, embrace the being that is you, and express my sincere gratitude for the being you helped me to become.
The Washington family, this is my Inauguration Invitation to you. May we begin to bring hope for a renewed future alive.
Hugs, kisses, and references for other realities . . .
- Crossing the railroad tracks amid a new time in history, By Wayne Drash. Cable News Network. January 12, 2009
- Introduction To Federal Voting Rights Laws. United States Department of Justice.
- Can Mall Be Filled For an Inauguration? 4 Million May Try It. By Nikita Stewart and Michael E. Ruane. Washington Post. Tuesday, November 18, 2008; A01
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on January 11, 2009 at 11:00 PM in Activism, American Dream, American Patriotism, Americana, Being Black in America, Looking at Life, Personal, Racial Discrimination | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Slackers Uprising; Free Speech and Download
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Today, you, dear reader, can do as no one has done before. Any of us in North America can view the full version of Slackers Uprising is now available for free to all residents of the United States and Canada. In the land of liberty, please take some. Be bold; be brave. Prepare to find reasons to partake in the democratic process. Get ready to click for a film, or cast a ballot for the next President of the United States.
The hype may heighten; still there is work to be done.
Americans already confident that their chosen candidate will win the Presidential election, may wish to assess what happens quickly. People are fickle. A voter can vacillate. Someone may say they will cast a ballot for one candidate or the other. However, when a constituent finally places pen to paper, punches a card, pulls a lever, or touches a computer screen, one never knows what that person will ultimately do. No matter what any individual tells a pollster, every citizen must remember, people change their minds.
The only certainty is the notion nothing is constant. Each of us must recall, how capricious any human being can be and how imprecise public opinion polls are. Even election results can be other than they appear to be. When humans are involved, anything can happen.
People are emotional, not necessarily rational. Constituencies are more easily swayed than we might imagine or wish to believe. We each may justify, intellectualize, and seem resolute. Indeed, every being is strong. Men and women are strong-willed. If the public harnesses this vigor, we, the people will have the power to change the county.
If as a united force, the populace is to transform America, every one of us must honor the reality; we cannot know what others will do. In truth, no one can predict what they themselves might act upon or achieve. Nor can any of us forecast or foresee the outcome of an election.
Michael Moore experienced this veracity four long years ago. It is for this reason the filmmaker hopes to get the vote out and ensure awareness. Every moment matters. From now until November 5, 2008, the evening after the ballots are counted, the public must not underestimate the effect of a word, deed, or thought not shared.
Until the tally is complete, the American people cannot assume a Presidential hopeful will win. It is up to us, each citizen of this country, to preserve, protect, and defend our Constitutional right. We can choose a person[s] to Represent us well, or not. The slackers can rise up and roar. People only need be a citizen who is interested in the quality of their life.
The connection to everyday excellence and country is evident or can be if individuals climb off the couch, get up from the chair, exit the car and consider the power people united have. A listless sole can seek influence, and find it at the polls. Slackers can arise, register to vote, cast a ballot, and create the change they wish to see.
Please ponder the history Michael Moore presents. We can learn lessons from the past.
Share the story with friends and family. Find the will and the way to work for your future, our future. Please, if you have been a slacker in an earlier time, reflect as you view the narrative. Then, if you would, rise up. Be eager, enthusiastic, an active member of the electorate. Perchance, your energy will excite a friend or someone in your family. Let us each participate in the selection of our President.
Collectively we can come together and unite the states. We, each and every one of us can make this country great again. Lazybones, ascend. Loafers, now is the time to lead this nation from the temptation of apathy. Please get out the vote! Stand strong and submit your ballot.
The Slacker Uprising Collectors Edition DVD features the full movie and lots of extras, such as:
Get the DVD for $9.95
This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans. The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November."
~ Michael Moore
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on September 23, 2008 at 12:00 AM in Activism, American Patriotism, Americana, Civics, Communities, Elections, Political Campaigns, Politics, Presidential Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wexler Waxes Practical Reasons for Impeachment
American Hero: Rep. Robert Wexler calls for Impeachment hearings
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
In an region filled with inert sand, in the Southern most State of Florida, there is an oasis. This breath of fresh air moves through the trees in Palm Beach County and in the halls of Congress in Washington, District of Columbia. A man who envisions "a more perfect Union" emanates enthusiasm for the ethical principles that define the democracy he loves. He stands solid in his belief; a nation founded in freedom for all its people cannot let a corrupt authority take these liberties away. This spirited being has a name and a title, Congressman Robert Wexler.
On July 26, 2008, Representative Wexler once again expressed his worry for what has remained "off the table." When asked is impeachment too little, too late, he said, "The crimes of this Administration must be revealed and Bush and Cheney must be held accountable." The Congressman fears a commitment to the Constitution has waned amongst his fellow legislators, and perhaps within the citizenry. Hence, Robert Wexler submitted a call to action. He requests Americans consider the history of censure and what occurs when Executive power is abused.
Many of the people in Wexler's district exclaim with glee as they observe the vigor of this visionary, as do advocates of impeachment throughout the nation. However, an equal number within the electorate express dissent to the opinion, prosecution is essential. Some think we can wait, or as a nation, we have waited too long. Others say a trial will trivialize lawmakers. A petty and partisan focus is futile. Nonetheless, Robert Wexler is not dissuaded. For him, democracy cannot be forsaken.
The Congressman who identifies himself, as a Fire Breathing Liberal learned to survive and thrive in a Conservative State, as well as in the Halls of Congress.
Principles Robert Wexler adopted long ago have helped him to succeed. In his youth, the Congressman realized that many people may prefer to be passive, particularly where censure is considered.
Detractors of an impeachment inquiry by the House judiciary committee into whether President George W. Bush has committed impeachable offenses contend that no questions should be asked until conclusive incriminating evidence is either volunteered up by the suspects themselves or appears before them by spontaneous combustion. In other words, they say, no inquiry should commence until proof of the president's guilt has been unearthed—proof which would, of course, make the inquiry superfluous!
They may think it easier to speak of little of what concerns them. Congressman Wexler cannot sit quietly when he witnesses what he thinks is injustice. He understands and personifies the democratic adage, "every vote and every voice counts." Experience has taught Robert Wexler each person matters. He muses that any of us may not know what will move us; as he inscribed, "The reality is that sometimes issues find" us. Representative Wexler contends when a problem presents itself, people must address it.
Today, the unavoidable need to impeach the two criminals who currently occupy the White House consumes Representative Robert Wexler, and with good reason. Thirty-five Articles of Impeachment scream for consideration.
Wexler has heard the call. He has also listened to those who reject the notion. They say, "Impeachment proceedings would be a partisan effort." It is too late to censure George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. There is not enough evidence. To prove high crimes and misdemeanors. Hearings would be a distraction. Undeterred, Congressman Wexler reminds us.
This is not a partisan issue: Congress is a co-equal branch of government with the Executive, and it cannot allow this attack on our powers to go unanswered. To ignore these actions is tantamount to a willful concession of our rights as legislators. No Democrat, Republican, or Independent should allow Congress' powers to be so undermined.Nor should Congress allow the calendar to determine whether we should ignore abuses of office. No President should be given immunity and free-reign just because there are only a few months left in their term.
Impeachment Hearings can be held very quickly – in a manner of weeks.
Although today we don't have the votes to impeach today – neither did the Judiciary Committee investigating President Nixon until AFTER hearings were held and the truth was revealed. We must put a halt to this historic Administrative power grab.
Congress has not lived up to its promises, and we can no longer credibly claim that impeachment would upset our agenda. Our agenda has not withstood presidential vetoes or senatorial filibusters. If we do nothing, this session will be remembered for our conceding the rightful and constitutional powers of Congress, and little more.
The Congressman from South Florida offers a laudable verity. Robert Wexler, heeds the caution set forth by Conservative Constitutional Scholar Bruce Fein. If we do not impeach President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney then we will have allowed for an awful precedence, one that cannot easily be undone. If we as a nation continue to accept the practices of a President drunk with power, our republic will be perchance permanently crippled. Despite all the hype and hope that finally, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers has taken action, the truth is, an arraignment or even an adequate investigation remains stalled. Indeed . . .
"This is not an impeachment hearing," Conyers felt obliged to remind everybody."Maybe," proposed Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), "what we're here for is something called impeachment lite. . . . We're sort of in that Never-Neverland of accusing the president of impeachable offenses but not taking actions to impeach him, which I guess impugns him but does not impeach him, but maybe it has the same effect in the court of public opinion."
There was more truth to that than Democratic leaders could admit in public. . .
"Let's restrain ourselves, please," Chairman Conyers counseled.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) also played to the gallery with his eye-for-an-eye logic: "If lying about consensual sexual activity fits the bill for impeachment, then certainly lying to the American people about the reason for invading Iraq . . . qualifies as an official -- excuse me -- as an impeachable offense." The crowd applauded on cue.
"I am inclined to remind everyone," Conyers intoned again, "please refrain from any actions of support or opposition."
Thus, the official word is that we, the American people and our supposed Representatives, must refrain, abstain, desist, and decline to vote or voice our objection to what has occurred in the Oval Office. Chairman Conyers claims that his colleagues and constituents must forfeit our Constitutional right to censure an Administration that commits countless high crimes and misdemeanors. Collectively, we need to be calm, while the crooks and liars at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue destroy our democracy. Perhaps, it is time to again consider why . . .
Wexler Wants Real Impeachment Hearing NowSubmitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2008-07-26 04:59.
Today, in the Judiciary Committee, we held a full day of hearings that focused entirely on the crimes of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and featured testimony by Rep. Dennis Kucinich regarding his Articles of Impeachment against President Bush.
This is a great start – but I am far from satisfied. Following statements by Chairman John Conyers and the Ranking Republicans, I opened with a forceful call for genuine and immediate Impeachment Hearings for President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
The crimes of this Administration must be revealed and Bush and Cheney must be held accountable. Without Impeachment Hearings, we cannot break through the blatant and unprecedented efforts by President Bush to shut down legitimate oversight by this Congress.
As you know, President Bush has inappropriately and repeatedly invoked Executive Privilege to keep Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Josh Bolten, and other White House officials from complying with legal, Congressional Subpoenas.
I believe the only appropriate remedy is to hold Impeachment Hearings.
While Inherent Contempt might dislodge some testimony or at least guarantee the appearance of witnesses, the larger concern is the President's outrageous abuse of Executive Privilege.
We have been down this road before: in 1973, Articles of Impeachment were introduced against President Nixon after he illegally tried to use Executive Privilege to bury evidence of his wrongdoings.
I fully recognize the significance of holding Impeachment Hearings, and I have not come to this position lightly – but when the President of the United States takes actions that amount to high crimes, we are left with no other option than to seek his impeachment and removal from office.
Our government was founded upon a delicate balance of powers – whereby one branch carefully checks the other branches to prevent a dangerous consolidation of power. President Bush's actions have totally destroyed this careful balance. Without these checks and balances, the President could run roughshod over any law and turn us into a nation... ...where wars can be waged based on lies ...and laws can be rewritten without the input of Congress or the American people.
Congress must end this disturbing pattern of behavior, and in these circumstances, the only option left is impeachment . . .
I am unbowed in my determination for Impeachment Hearings and I know you feel the same way.
Encourage your friends to stay updated and demonstrate their support by signing up at www.wexlerwantshearings.comCongressman Robert Wexler
Fire breathing or a breath of fresh air. Representative Wexler asks us to look at our history, and what might prove a perilous future. He asks Americans to consider the consequences if we do not censure an abusive Administration. Robert Wexler pleads, Americans take action. Support those few who wish to restore the Constitution and bring power back to the people. Perhaps, citizens might wish to peruse the thirty-five Articles of Impeachment, just as this Florida forward-thinker has. Robert Wexler requests that citizens, be they :
Democrats, Republicans or Independents, walk forth and breathe deeply. Let us remember why we love a democracy.
Investigation and Impeachment . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on July 26, 2008 at 05:58 PM in 'Regime Change' , American Patriotism, Bush 43 Administration, Congress, Congress and Bush, Impeach GW Bush | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Farewell To Privacy. Hello To Arms
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
The Courts and Congress have come to believe there is reason for fear. Enemies are everywhere. Those who wish to do us harm are in our homes. They talk to us on our telephones. Some sashay in through our computers. "Evil doers" are ubiquitous in the United States. Our open society places the public at risk. We, the people, must defend ourselves. Thus, the Supreme Court and Congress have given the government and us the means. The highest judicial body in the nation has made it possible for the common man to protect himself with a pistol; Legislators provided the President ethereal firearms. Indeed, individuals and the Commander-In-Chief were bequeathed more than either had asked for. In 2008, we have entered the Summer of Separation. In the United States we say, "Farewell to privacy. Hello to arms."
Absorbed in fear, Americans have detached themselves from the original intent of the United States Constitution. We the people have embraced weaponry and rejected our right to privacy. The populace, with assistance from Congress willingly chose to forfeit the Fourth Amendment. authentic freedoms were disemboweled. If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) stands, and there is no reason to think a Bill signed into law by the President of the United States and each House of Congress would not be fully implemented, the press and the people will no longer have unfettered access to information. Nor can they disseminate data without intense scrutiny. Chris Hedges, a twenty year veteran Foreign Correspondent for The New York Times, speaks to a truth that he lived and now fears will die.
The new FISA Amendments Act nearly eviscerates oversight of government surveillance. It allows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to review only general procedures for spying rather than individual warrants. The court will not be told specifics about who will be wiretapped, which means the law provides woefully inadequate safeguards to protect innocent people whose communications are caught up in the government's dragnet surveillance program.The law, passed under the guise of national security, ostensibly targets people outside the country. There is no question, however, that it will ensnare many communications between Americans and those overseas. Those communications can be stored indefinitely and disseminated, not just to the U.S. government but to other governments.
This law will cripple the work of those of us who as reporters communicate regularly with people overseas, especially those in the Middle East. It will intimidate dissidents, human rights activists, and courageous officials who seek to expose the lies of our government or governments allied with ours. It will hang like the sword of Damocles over all who dare to defy the official versions of events. It leaves open the possibility of retribution and invites the potential for abuse by those whose concern is not with national security but with the consolidation of their own power.
Trepidation has long been a tool for intimidation. A frightened fellow or female will happily adopt a policy or a pistol to relieve apprehension. Perhaps, that it why after the events of September 11, 2001, Americans, panicked and the power elite prospered. As the Twin Towers fell, the people cried out for protection. Congress gleefully approved the Patriot Act; and as a nation, we pursued a course of action that was and is contrary to Constitutional principles. Even early on, Americans said, "Farewell to privacy. Hello to arms."
As the war thundered on, the public worked to avoid greater anxiety. People purchased more guns for personal safety sake. They feared the government might not be able to shield them from all potential harms. Indeed, this attitude has been ubiquitous in American history. The Wild West outlook often overrides logic or Constitutional law. In America, there have been many Summers of Separation.
When humans think weaponry is the solution, as they do in a country where there are ninety guns per every one hundred U.S. residents, they will grab a pistol when faced with any problem. The availability of petroleum has become a paradox. Prices for fuel and food are high. The cost for shelter is higher. Homes are in foreclosure. Job security is but a myth. Employer provided benefits are elusive. The cost for Health Care coverage is out of reach; yet, the gun that could end it all is close.
Immigration is also an issue that irks many in America. When migrants flee to the States in search of financial freedom, the native-born feel further threatened. The divide between the races causes much resentment. Income inequity offers reason for rage. Economic slavery causes tempers to rise. In 2008, the effect of all these predicaments troubles the populace. The American public is aggravated. Currently, people feel less safe, less strong, and more scared. Millions ponder. Force can seem the great equalizer. Hence, gun ownership is great. The Small Arms Survey, released in August 2007 reveals Americans have a ready arsenal.
With fewer than five per cent of the world’s population, the United States is home to roughly 35–50 per cent of the world’s civilian-owned guns.
The report went on to state that the common folk are better equipped with weaponry than law enforcement or the military might be. Civilians who reside in cities, suburbs, and those who dwell in the countryside possess the vast majority of total firearms owned in the United States. Citizens in a country built on might will use firepower to retain what they believe is their right. If they are refused the privilege to pack heat, Americans will seek recourse by any means.
Special-forces policeman Heller, a resident of Washington District of Columbia certainly did. The lawman, aware that anyone on the street might be armed sought solace in a piece of hardware. Mister Heller applied to register a handgun he wished to keep at home; the District denied his request since, at the time, the District of Columbia forbade civilian handgun ownership. Disgruntled, and prepared for battle, as Americans often are, Officer Heller filed a legal suit. He stated his Second Amendment Rights were violated. The Supreme Court agreed.
A review of the actual Second Amendment which states Americans have the Right to "bear arms in times when a well-regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free State," or research might have led the Justices to decide otherwise. Nonetheless, in a summer steeped with separation from acumen, the Supreme Court ruled civilian gun ownership is a right.
The Administration, policymakers, and pundits think the decision wise. After all, it is a dangerous world. Americans need to be prepared to fight the ominous foe Fifteen years ago, near half of American households understood this. People built arsenals. Thirty-one percent of adult Americans owned a firearm in 1993. Still, that armory was not enough to protect the citizenry from attack. Years later, the munitions stored, while likely larger, were no better protection.
- According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 2005, 477,040 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a firearm.
- The FBI's Crime in the United States estimated that 66% of the 16,137 murders in 2004 were committed with firearms.
Crimes occurred outside the home, on the streets of any given community and , just as predicted, some transgressions traumatized those within four walls. Few Americans ponder the weightier aspects of artillery in the American home.
Earlier this year (1997), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a mind-boggling report showing that the U.S. firearm-related homicide rate for children was 16 times higher than the combined rate for children in 25 other industrialized countries. Meanwhile, the U.S. child rate of firearm related suicide was 11 times higher. . .Last year, Congress nearly slashed the budget for the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), which collects and monitors firearm injury data and funds related research as part of its mission. As a result of new funding mandates, CDC this year has been forced to dramatically reduce its firearm-related injury research, and CDC-funded gunshot injury surveillance programs will come to an end in several states.
All this comes at a time when gunshot injuries are expected to soon outstrip automobile accidents as the number one cause of injury death in the U.S., costing an estimated $20 billion yearly in medical costs and lost productivity. Surprisingly little medical research monitors the kinds of firearm injuries that occur or the types of guns used. While the CDC samples unshot injury data from 91 hospitals around the country, there is no comprehensive national surveillance system to accurately track how many people are wounded by guns each year..
Surveillance is the sham used to explain what Federal officials think a greater priority. Those who have more power than a weapon might wield understand the statistics on civilian gun wounds would not please or appease Americans. Information on gun injury might shift the fear factor. If the people are to remain focused on foreign forces, then FISA, the Bill that keeps on giving to the politically powerful, will remain safe, and after all, is that not the truer issue. As foreign correspondent Christopher Hedges reminds us . . .
It (the law) is about using terrorism (at home or abroad) as a pretext to permit wholesale spying and to silence voices that will allow us to maintain an open society.
Thankfully, when prized pistols are in question, it is easy to silence voices of dissent. Physicians were not asked to speak before the Supreme Court shot down a ban on gun sales. Had they had the opportunity Americans and the Justices might have heard . . .
Doctors worried by Supreme Court gun ruling
By Maggie Fox
Reuters
Wed Jul 9, 2008 7:44pm EDTWashington (Reuters) - Last month's Supreme Court ruling striking down a strict gun control law in the U.S. capital will lead to more deaths and accidental injuries, the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine said on Wednesday.
They joined a growing clamor from medical doctors, especially emergency room physicians, who fear a surge of accidental deaths, murders, and suicides if handguns become more easily available than they already are.
The ruling struck down a law in Washington that forbade personal ownership of handguns. The court made explicit, for the first time, that Americans had rights as individuals to own guns.
It won praise from President George W. Bush, Republican presidential candidate John McCain and guns rights advocates (and the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama)
Justice Antonin Scalia, who voted with the 5-4 majority on the decision, said citizens may prefer handguns for home defense because they "can be pointed at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the police."
Perchance, Justice Scalia would be comforted to know, that with thanks to his cohorts in the Legislative Branch, when a city dweller or a rural resident telephones for assistance, he or she can be comforted by the thought the authorities are very close by. Indeed, public officials may be plugged into the individual's phone, and computer. In the Summer of Separation, as powerbrokers in one part of Washington said , "Hello To Arms," those on the other side of the Hill proclaimed, "Farewell To Privacy."
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act established thirty years ago was all but rescinded. The court system created to help public officials in a crisis is no longer needed to swiftly serve warrants when an investigation is requested. The Constitution has been compromised.
Lawmakers are already justifying their votes for making major changes to that proven regime by saying that the bill is a reasonable compromise that updates FISA technologically and will make it somewhat harder to spy on Americans abroad. But none of that mitigates the bill’s much larger damage. It would make it much easier to spy on Americans at home, reduce the courts’ powers, and grant immunity to the companies that turned over Americans’ private communications without a warrant.It would allow the government to bypass the FISA court and collect large amounts of Americans’ communications without a warrant simply by declaring that it is doing so for reasons of national security. It cuts the vital “foreign power” provision from FISA, never mentions counterterrorism and defines national security so broadly that experts think the term could mean almost anything a president wants it to mean.
The President is abundantly pleased. The present Commander-In-Chief is now assured ultimate power. Future potential Chief Executives, one of whom voted to support this conciliatory commitment to telecommunication companies, will forever retain the "right" to be spy on the citizenry. In the Summer of Separation, cognitive and Constitutional dissonance is secure. Congress and the courts assured us of this.
Congress cast aside the Fourth Amendment, The Supreme Court rescinded the essence of the Second Amendment. Our countrymen are now be free to carry a gun, and chat on an open line with the trigger cocked. Former President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt told us “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself." Perhaps, the prominent predecessor could not have predicted a day when citizens would be convinced to embrace fretfulness, to forego freedom, and to sing, "Farewell to privacy. Hello to Arms."
References and Rights . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on July 11, 2008 at 11:00 PM in American Patriotism, Americana, Bush 43 Administration, Congress, Congress and Bush, Domestic Security, Fear, Guns, Judiciary, National Security, United States Constitution | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Cost of War; The Meaning of Memorial Day
copyright © 2008 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
On Memorial Day, Americans honor the fallen. Soldiers whose faces will never appear before us again are remembered for their service. Only the few, friends and family, will recall the life of those young men and women who passed from this world into another. In a country grateful for the protection troops provide, people will shop on this holy day. A President will place a wreath on the grave of an unknown soldier. Beautiful speeches will be made in the spirit of homage. Americans will bow their heads in respect. Reverence will be offered, and statistics that document the effects of war will not be shared. Yet, the numbers cry out for attention, just as the pained servicemen and women do.
- The suicide rate of veterans is at least three times the national suicide rate. In 2005, the suicide rate for veterans 18- to 24-years-old was three to four times higher than non-veterans.
- About 126 veterans per week commit suicide.
- About 154,000 veterans nationwide are homeless on any given night. One-fourth of the homeless population is veterans.
- There are more homeless Vietnam veterans than the number of soldiers who were killed during that war.
- It takes at least 5.5 years, on average, to resolve a benefit claim with the Veteran's Administration.
- More than 600,000 unresolved claims are backlogged with the Veteran's Administration.
- Approximately 18.5 percent of service members who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq currently have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or depression.
- 19.5 percent of these veterans report experiencing traumatic brain injury.
- Roughly half of those who need treatment seek it, but only slightly more than half of those who receive treatment receive at least minimally adequate care, according to an April 2008 Rand Report.
The research reveals a sorrowful reality. In an affluent nation, too many veterans suffer from more than a physical wound. Yet, citizens act as though they do not care. Undeniably, the American people offer words of support. However, these statements are empty. Expressions of sensitivity do not heal physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual lesions. Congressional Bills may provide some solace, that is if they ever pass. Fearful Americans accept what politicians proclaim, a preference to protect and defend a nation adrift.
The White House and the Pentagon said they feared that the bill would encourage men and women to leave the armed forces and enroll in college with federal aid, at a time when the military already has difficulty retaining troops to fight abroad.
Conservation of the Corps, an accretion in the Armed Forces, this is America's mission. The United States must be prepared to defend its shores. The conventional wisdom reminds us, war will always be with us.. Conflict will continue to exist in perpetuity.
Therefore, greenbacks must be devoted to defense. A soldier's depression or injuries cannot be considered a priority. Servicemen and women are trained to "suck it up," as are the American people.
The public is convinced there is no need to ponder the benefits of peace, for in their minds tranquility will never come . Nor do we reflect on the personal or financial costs of war. Millions spent need not make sense. Military might is marvelous. Memorials are evidence that we are proud.
Many are intent; America must win the fight. Mavericks, such as former prisoner of war and Presidential aspirant John McCain remind us. We must remain stalwart. Victory is at hand.
The battle against a perceived human enemy takes precedence for a pompous public. In the United States. the struggle for sanity amongst those who served, while lost, is of little significance to the individuals safe in their cocooned world of wonderment. Few Americans can count the cents spent on treatment for the troops who return to the homeland with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or traumatic brain injury. In April 2008, the Rand Corporation, presented the research in a report.
The Rand study estimates the societal costs of PTSD and major depression for two years after deployment range from about $6,000 to more than $25,000 per case. Depending whether the economic cost of suicide is included, the RAND study estimates the total society costs of the conditions for two years range from $4 billion to $6.2 billion.The RAND study also estimates that about 320,000 service members may have experienced a traumatic brain injury during deployment — the term used to describe a range of injuries from mild concussions to severe penetrating head wounds. Just 43 percent reported ever being evaluated by a physician for that injury.
While most civilian traumatic brain injuries are mild and do not lead to long-term impairments, the extent of impairments that service members experience and whether they require treatment is largely unknown, researchers said. In the absence of a medical examination and prognosis, however, service members may believe that their post-deployment difficulties are due to head injuries even when they are not.
One-year estimates of the societal cost associated with treated cases of mild traumatic brain injury range up to $32,000 per case, while estimates for treated moderate to severe cases range from $268,000 to more than $408,000. Estimates of the total one-year societal cost of the roughly 2,700 cases of traumatic brain injury identified to date range from $591 million to $910 million.
Yet, a month after these revelations were released, few Americans mourn the toll war takes on the living. Instead, citizens "celebrate" Memorial Day. Members of Congress muse, and mull over how to best serve those who serve us. Yet, nothing truly changes. Time marches on as do the memories that haunt those who were in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one notices, or at least those in power do not rush to alter reality. Presidential candidates posit in remembrance,
Memorial Day Draws Two Messages on Iraq
By Jeff Zeleny and Michael Falcone
The New York Times
May 26, 2008Las Cruces, N.M. — Senator John McCain stood before hundreds of flag-waving veterans and their families on Monday and vowed not to waver in his support of the Iraq war. “Even,” he said, “if I must stand athwart popular opinion.”
Senator Barack Obama addressed a separate audience of veterans and received vigorous applause when he declared, “As many of you know, my intention is to bring this war in Iraq to a close and to start bringing home our troops in an orderly fashion.”
If Labor Day is the traditional opener to the fall presidential race, this Memorial Day offered at least a preview into the summertime duel between Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama . . . .
As Mr. McCain spoke about the costs and sacrifices of the Iraq war at the Veterans Memorial in Albuquerque, Mr. Obama praised the patriotism of America’s soldiers before taking voters’ questions — and hearing their frustrations about Iraq and a host of other concerns . . .
Will the Iraq war and the nation’s security once again be the chief concern to voters in the general election? In a 20-minute speech, with the flags of all branches of the armed forces at his back, Mr. McCain made 14 references to Iraq. Later, he invited Mr. Obama to join him on a tour of Iraq. (Mr. Obama did not immediately say whether he would accept.)
“As long as there is a reasonable prospect for succeeding in this war,” Mr. McCain said, “then we must not choose to lose it.”
Or will economic anxieties at home and a fierce disapproval over the direction of the country be of higher concern to voters?
If the past and the present predict the future, money will matter. Most of the dollars doled out will go to protect and defend, not to save soldiers from the sanctity (insanity) of war.
The public barely ponders the seriousness of what combat causes or effects, that is, unless the conflict pinches the pocketbook. Even then, on this solemn occasion, as on most others, the discussion is purely political. People feel powerless. Perchance that is why Americans avoid the conversation; how might we serve those who serve us.
Wars kill warriors, frequently from the inside out. The few people who care for the troops, provide for those who sacrificed their lives and lived, those who feel the pain of loved ones lost to depression and injury, listen to the rhetoric and ponder. If we are to truly memorialize the fallen, why not venerate veterans who suffer emotionally, just as we do the soldiers who were physically destroyed in battle.
Might we learn what history attempts to teach us. Combat cannot create peace of mind; nor does warfare yield to global harmony. The physical, emotional, and spiritual cost of conflict is too great. If we are to authentically pay tribute to out troops, let us no longer engage violently. Let us discuss the actual tax of war. Might we show our soldiers the highest regard and adequately care for all those maimed and mutilated. Perchance, it is time to redefine the mission and what it means to offer a memorial.
Cut Funds for Combat. Costs are Too High . . .
- On Memorial Day, Broken promises to our veterans. By Michael Blecker. San Francisco Chronicle. Monday, May 26, 2008
- One In Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression. Rand Corporation. April 17, 2008
- Invisible Wounds of War, Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery. Edited by Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox. Rand Corporation.
- Bush Pays Tribute to Troops at Arlington. Associated Press. The New York Times. May 26, 2008
- Veterans’ Benefits Bill Wins Approval in Senate, By Robert Pear. The New York Times. May 23, 2008
- Cost of War. American Friends Service Committee
- McCain: U.S. can win Iraq war within 4 years, Associated Press. MSNBC. May 15, 2008
David L. Giaimo 24. © copyright 2008 CappyBoy
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on May 26, 2008 at 11:00 AM in Active-Duty Troops , Afghanistan, American Patriotism, Iraq War, Memorial Day , Soldiers | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Peace Protester Meets Military Men; Perceptions or Promise
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
This morning, as I approached the peace corner, two of my fellow demonstrators made mention of the soldiers across the street. Weekly, a throng of Iraq war dissenters stands and pickets on the south side of the street. I position myself on the North end of the avenue. I stand alone. On this afternoon, two young men dressed in Army fatigues, soldiers, situated themselves on the median, yards from where I position myself. They carried plastic bins; patriotic banners were pasted onto these containers. American flags and pamphlets graced their station. The military men collected money from passers-by. They distributed literature. They did their work from the same side of the street I favor.
My comrades in peace and protest were concerned. Perhaps I would not wish to cross over into the abyss of possible confrontations or conflict of interest. I glanced over at the diligent warrior and decided they were as I, people that long for peace. I quickly gathered my sign, pressed the button on the traffic pole, and waited until it was safe to enter the intersection. Cars are my enemy. These fast moving vehicles are, in my mind Weapons of Mass Destruction. People, no matter their attire or philosophical views are not my foes.
Minutes after I took my characteristic stance, held up my sign "Love, Not War" and extended my forefinger and central digit to form the symbol universally acknowledged as "peace" one of the soldiers smiled at me. He faced me and flashed the same sign. Yes, we were on the same side of the street and the issue. Neither of us wants war. We work to bring harmony to a world wrought with distress. The serviceman and I each yearn for global calm.
Throughout the afternoon, I pondered what people might think a dichotomy. I wondered why other picketers thought there might be a problem with my being so near these troops. I reflected; what might those in their automobiles think. Was it likely those in cars would think to wave in appreciation of me was to defy the intent of the military volunteers, or might the travelers consider each of us, soldiers and myself, as joined forces. I observed various notions. I also accepted that some voyagers would see only what they wished to believe, or perhaps we all do.
We may walk down different philosophical paths; yet, I cannot help but believe we are one. We stroll in synch on the same side of a single street.
Days ago, Americans honored our war veterans. On that hallowed occasion, I wept as I thought of all the soldiers that passed. I mourned for those who would die on the battlefields abroad. Grief consumes me as I contemplate those who will take their last breath in transit. I feel such sorrow when I gaze upon a soldier some think fortunate enough to survive. I understand that many have lost the will to live. Those that made the trek and stand strong often tell tales. The war is alive and well within them, frequently for years, even if they appear settled, safe, and secure.
I might muse as many do, "I support the soldiers." However, I understand how trite, contrite, contrived such a claim might sounds, particularly to those that put their lives in on the line, the front line, in the face of great peril as they fight for America's freedoms.
I have infinite faith that each man or woman alive believes in the ethics of their actions, or on the rare occasion that any of us is reactive and engages in the unthinkable, we work to rationalize what we did. Sadly, frequently, we cannot. I have met many a soldier that speaks of how the mission was not what he or she thought it might be. I am familiar with numerous others that, long after, they return home from battle, still believe the cause was just. As I watch these two men collect funds for the fight, for families of the fallen, I wonder; what was and is their experience.
I look over and once more, I am greeted with a smile, a wave, and an acknowledgement that the three of us yearn for world peace. Ah, to be human is to love thy fellow man, and to fight?
Some say aggression is natural. Man by his very nature is combative. Others are certain confrontational behaviors are learned. No matter what we believe, every individual has to grapple with the fact that we are creatures of the Earth, complex, and difficult to understand. However, I believe no one truly wants war or wishes to kill another. Some say they think mass slaughter is an option; however, faced with the possibility, none of us is left unscathed.
Perception, passion, human emotions frequently give rise to errors, crimes against man and nature. People are easily persuaded, pushed, become fearful, and are filled with angst. Each can cause individuals to act against their best judgment or interest. I perpend the soldiers on the Boulevard and reflect. What is their reality. As we exchange glances and consistently acknowledge the other, I trust neither would have said . . .
"I came over here because I wanted to kill people."
By Andrew Tilghman
Washington Post.
Sunday, July 30, 2006; B01" I came over here because I wanted to kill people."
Over a mess-tent dinner of turkey cutlets, the bony-faced 21-year-old private from West Texas looked right at me as he talked about killing Iraqis with casual indifference. It was February, and we were at his small patrol base about 20 miles south of Baghdad. "The truth is, it wasn't all I thought it was cracked up to be. I mean, I thought killing somebody would be this life-changing experience. And then I did it, and I was like, 'All right, whatever.'"
He shrugged.
"I shot a guy who wouldn't stop when we were out at a traffic checkpoint and it was like nothing," he went on. "Over here, killing people is like squashing an ant. I mean, you kill somebody and it's like 'All right, let's go get some pizza.'"
As I read these words, I feel a palpable bravado. The boldness expressed for me is that of a man that felt so deeply, he wanted to feel no more. Months after Private Steven D. Green made this statement, he stood outside a federal courthouse in North Carolina. There he pled 'not guilty' to charges of premeditated rape and murder. Private Green was accused of these crimes. In Mahmudiyah, a fourteen-year-old Iraqi girl and her family fell victim to war and the emotions evoked by such a brutal practice.
Andrew Tilghman, embedded Journalist with the Washington Post wrote of his encounter with Steven D. Green and the tale the young serviceman told prior to his crime. The account was harrowing.
Tilghman describes the circumstances and situation. The correspondent explains he met Private Green in Mahmudiyah, on the edge of the zone known as "The Triangle of Death." It was there that the reporter realized the fear, foreboding of the frontlines. Andrew Tilghman remembers the unrelenting knot death and destruction left in his stomach. He recalls the low morale, the stories of fire, ambush, and the loss of innocence many soldiers and commanders expressed.
The columnist recounts a narrative. The company commander in charge of Green's unit said of himself, he "almost had a nervous breakdown." This trained, experienced, hardened officer was confined to a hotel-style compound in Baghdad for three days of "freedom rest." Without this time away he could not resume his command.
Yet, the journalist notes, he experienced extraordinary camaraderie among the soldiers in Mahmudiyah. Tilghman states, "They were among the friendliest troops I met in Iraq." These troops had been through much together. Washington Post Andrew Tilghman inscribes . . .
When I met Green, I knew nothing about his background -- his troubled youth and family life, his apparent problems with drugs and alcohol, his petty criminal record. I just saw and heard a blunt-talking kid. Now that I know the charges against Green, his words take on an utterly different context for me. But when I met him then, his comments didn't seem nearly as chilling as they do now . . .Green was one of several soldiers I sat down with in the chow hall one night not long after my arrival. We talked over dinner served on cardboard trays. I asked them how it was going out there, and to tell me about some of their most harrowing moments. When they began talking about the December death of Sgt. Kenith Casica, my interview zeroed in on Green.
He described how after an attack on their traffic checkpoint, he and several others pushed one wounded man into the back seat of a Humvee and put Casica, who had a bullet wound in his throat, on the truck's hood. Green flung himself across Casica to keep the dying soldier from falling off as they sped back to the base.
"We were going, like, 55 miles an hour and I was hanging on to him. I was like, 'Sgt. Casica, Sgt. Casica.' He just moved his eyes a little bit," Green related with a breezy candor. "I was just laying on top of him, listening to him breathing, telling him he's okay. I was rubbing his chest. I was looking at the tattoo on his arm. He had his little girl's name tattooed on his arm.
"I was just talking to him. Listening to his heartbeat. It was weird -- I drooled on him a little bit and I was, like, wiping it off. It's weird that I was worried about stupid [expletive] like that.
"Then I heard him stop breathing," Green said. "We got back and everyone was like, 'Oh [expletive], get him off the truck.' But I knew he was dead. You could look in his eyes and there wasn't nothing in his eyes. I knew what was going on there."
He paused and looked away. "He was the nicest man I ever met," he said. "I never saw him yell at anybody. That was the worst time, that was my worst time since I've been in Iraq."
At the time, Private green had served only four months of a one-year stint. He was resigned to a life that recruiters do not speak of. Servicemen and women intent on signing up young enlistees focus on the best of what we would all wish to believe. The military will train enlistees to do a job. The service will provide security. There is money for college, ample adventures, and a well-disciplined community will help to establish leadership skills.
All that may be true. However, there is a price to pay. The cost of engagement in a cold, cruel war, may be too high. Five months before he brutally sexually assaulted a young woman and slaughtered her and her family Private Steven D. Green said . . .
"I gotta be here for a year and there ain't [expletive] I can do about it," he said. "I just want to go home alive. I don't give a [expletive] about the whole Iraq thing. I don't care."See, this war is different from all the ones that our fathers and grandfathers fought. Those wars were for something. This war is for nothing."
Private Green, the soldiers that stood across the street from me, and I may not agree completely. We may differ on the broader construct of combat. Nonetheless, it seems to me, those that served in Iraq, those that expect to ship out, military men and women that saw war firsthand in years past, and I each concede war is not wonderful. It does not bring out the best in people. To kill or be killed is not a quest anyone pursues with love or intent.
Private Steven D. Green reflects and expresses his frustration with the Army brass. Green cries out as he contemplates the calls for caution. He states, soldiers are ordered to be prudent, exercise vigilance, even in the most horrific, dreadful, and grave circumstances. The Private ponders when your life is threatened you are commanded to remain calm.
"We're out here getting attacked all the time and we're in trouble when somebody accidentally gets shot?" he said, referring to infantrymen like himself throughout Iraq. "We're pawns for the [expletive] politicians, for people that don't give a [expletive] about us and don't know anything about what it's like to be out here on the line."
Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, in his book published in 1935 wrote, "War is a racket." The two-time Medal of Honor winner continued, "It has always been." The General would find no fault with the assessment Green makes.
Wars are rarely fought for the reasons that are claimed. Those reasons amount to nothing more than bogus excuses, ways to hoodwink the gullible public, and the vilest propaganda designed to incite people to sacrifice their children for a supposedly glorious cause.The defense of freedom and democracy is one false claim that we often hear in this country. This shameful claim could not be further from the truth.
No one ever bothers to explain how our freedom and democracy are at risk in some obscure little country halfway around the world. That's because the sad and dirty truth is that wars are fought for empire and the financial gain of the few.
I yearn for peace planet wide and I continue to do all that I might to ensure global harmony. Each weekend, I take to the streets to protest the war, just as I did today. The pilgrimage began years ago, before the first bomb struck the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan. Since then much to my chagrin, many innocents, soldier, and civilians have died, all in the name of terrorism. Americans, allied forces, and citizens of the Middle East. It is a challenge for me to understand; who is the fanatic, the foe, the revolutionary, or the rebel. I know not who fights for freedom and democracy, who occupies, or who liberates. For me, if we resort to killing we are as savages. War and combat are incomprehensible to me. Yet, I long to understand.
~ Thomas Edison [Scientist, Inventor]
Soldiers on active duty and off, also struggle to grasp the greater significance. Some warriors resent persons such as I, or what they believe to be my intention, my presumed purpose, or me. Just as those at the peace protest thought the soldiers on the calm city street in America might approach me with resentment or judgment, some of the troops feel support expressed by dissenters is shallow. Five Iraq War veterans spoke of their return to American life to editors of The New York Times.
Q: Are we mature enough as a country to thank those who risk their lives on our behalf while voicing our outrage at the actions of the politicians who put them in harm’s way?Michael Jernigan: To people who support the troops but not the war — that is your right. But remember there was someone holding a gun who fought so you can have that right. It is tough for me to smile when someone tells me that they support our troops but feel the war is wrong. I stand there and smile and say, “Thank you for sharing your feelings.” I think people say that because it makes them feel better to say it, but they really mean, “Thank you for your service, but really you are an idiot for following that insane president.” It makes me feel belittled. I do not want to hear it. I was a corporal in the United States Marine Corps and I do not make policy so save it for your congressman.
Perception is the truest reality and I believe it is the reason we war. I could have surmised that the soldiers were warmongers, fighters, aggressors, ready to attack and antagonize me. However, that conclusion would be contrary to my basic belief: people are good. I have faith, in the human form, we each error. Emotions cannot be easily understood or controlled. Often, what we feel, what we think true, rules us. Then, later, with regret for what we have thought or done, we rationalize.
This week, as I listened to a National Public Radio interview A Soldier's Journey from Iraq to Grad School, I realized again, the power of the mind, and the role it plays in peace.
Demond Mullins spent a year in Iraq with the National Guard. When he came back, he felt alienated and angry at what he had seen and done in the war. Now Mullins has found a degree of peace in higher learning."Academia ... that's where I'm at," the City University of New York grad student says. "Right now, school, books — Weber, Marx, Durkheim — that's my medication."
That's his medication now. But if it's true that there are seven stages of grief, it's fair to say that Mullins is going through several stages of adjusting to his new life.
Upon his return from Iraq, Mullins hoped to resume his life as it was. Yet, he realized this was not possible. He was no longer the same person; his views changed. The way Demond Mullins saw the world and considered himself had been altered.
Before he enlisted and shipped out, Demond Mullins had been a clothing model. This romantic gentleman once followed a girl to Las Vegas. He had plans. Ambitious and reflective, Mullins joined the National Guard to pay for college; he did not join the armed Services to fight. Yet, that is what he did.
when he tried to resume it, Mullins' old friends kept asking questions, like "What was it like when you shot someone?""I don't know," he says. "My experiences are not pornography for my friends or for anyone else. I use the word pornography because I feel like it is just the ... exploitation of my personal experiences for someone else's entertainment."
Mullins says he either ignored the question "or I would just say, 'You know, I don't want to talk about things like that' or just say, 'I didn't shoot anybody or whatever.'"
'Stressed Out and on the Edge'
He says he's not sure if he did shoot and kill anybody, though he knows exactly what he did at close range."I dehumanized people," Mullins says. "I don't even know how many raids I did while I was there. But during raids you're throwing them up against the wall, you're tying their hands behind their back, you're dragging them out of the bed. You're dehumanizing them in front of their wives and their kids and, you know, the women are crying and the children are crying and you're just like, whatever. Put a bag over their head or blindfold, drag them into the Humvee.
"Certain exhibitions of violence on my part that were probably unnecessary — were definitely unnecessary. But I was really stressed out and on edge at the time and I conducted myself . . . like that."
When he returned from Iraq, Mullins says he felt angry at himself. He broke up with his girlfriend. He spent days in his apartment.
"Staring at the wall. Not eating. I lost about 15 to 20 pounds," he says. "My friends still look at me and like, 'What happened to you?'"
Mullins says he was depressed to the point of being suicidal. Two of his friends have died since their return from Iraq, including one who shot himself in the face, Mullins says.
"To me, that would be the only way that I was capable of doing it because it was fast and it was a tool that I was very familiar with," he says.
Mullins got counseling from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He didn't like it and didn't want to take medication.
He managed to resume college, get a degree and move on to graduate school.
However, the path Demond Mullins took had many twists and turns. Initially, he immersed himself in his anger. Then dedicated to a cause, Demond took action and protested the war. Mullins appeared in an anti-war documentary called The Ground Truth.
"When I first started anti-war activism, it was because I felt guilty," Mullins says. "Because I'd meet people, especially a lot of civilians on the street, and they say, 'Oh, thank you for your service. Thank you for protecting America.' Like, what are you talking about? I wasn't protecting America. I was protecting myself and my buddy, you know?"After Mullins participated in the film, he felt less of a need to speak out.
And by this semester at graduate school, most of his fellow students and at least one of his professors had no idea of his background.
Demond Mullins is now more reflective, philosophical, and aware. He knows, to authentically assess America and this society, he must study.
Perhaps, the servicemen I watched stroll from car to car on this day, were on a similar journey. Perchance, later, after we all finished our work we would speak, not as peace protestor and participants in war, but as people. For now, they had a job to do as did I. Interestingly, in the abstract we each were motivated by peace.
As I interacted with those in vehicles as they passed I continued to ponder. I am close to numerous Veterans. As friends and as fellow protestors against the current wars, I know many a Vietnam Veteran.
One noble and honorably discharged soldier, whom I first met in cyberspace, again dedicates himself to his country. Jerry Northington aspires to be the Congressional Representative from Delaware. As one who fought in country, he understands the woes of warfare.
Family members engaged in battle during World War II. A nephew is off about to depart for Basic Training. Jason joined the Marines. I cannot imagine what his future holds. Will Jason be injured. Will he return whole, if at all. What will my nineteen year young nephew see, hear, and feel. Will he be willing or able to discuss such an ordeal. I am certain what I have been told by those once there on the frontlines is true. War is not pretty. A soldier cannot fully explain what he or she witness. Combat is experienced. It scars the spirit and deprives a man of his senses.
Soldier describes killing unarmed Iraqi
One of three members of sniper team accused of murder makes a tearful confession during testimony in the court-martial of a colleague.
By Ned Parker
Los Angeles Times
September 28, 2007BAGHDAD — U.S. Army Sgt. Evan Vela spoke in a low voice Thursday at the court-martial for his fellow soldier. Tears slid down the 23-year-old's cheeks and the judge prompted him to talk louder.
On May 11, Vela's sniper team had detained an Iraqi man near Jarf Sakhr, Vela testified. Staff Sgt. Michael A. Hensley undid the ropes that had pinned the prisoner's arms and asked Vela whether he was ready, he said.
The dark-haired Idaho native told the court he wasn't sure what his superior meant at the time. Vela said Hensley cradled the Iraqi's head, straightened his headdress, then moved away from Vela, who gripped a 9-millimeter pistol.
"I heard the word 'shoot.' I don't remember pulling the trigger. I just came to and the guy was dead. It took me a second to realize the shot came from the pistol in my hand," Vela said.
Vela is one of three soldiers from the same sniper team who are accused of premeditated murder in three shootings this spring. Their cases have provided a picture of mentally exhausted troops and the role they allegedly played in a "baiting program," in which snipers are believed to have planted fake weapons and bomb-making materials, then killed anyone who picked them up.
The alleged tactic was revealed in a hearing in July that eventually sent Hensley and Spc. Jorge G. Sandoval Jr. to face court-martial on murder charges. The Pentagon refuses to speak publicly about baiting or other such tactics, but insists that military practices are within the law.
"My client is no murderer. He is a victim," said James Culp, Vela's civilian defense attorney, who suspects that baiting contributed to the slaying of the Iraqi man on May 11.
We are all victims of war and those that command young men and women to shoot another being. Enemies, as nameless and faceless as we wish them to be are as we are. They are humans, with hearts and souls. Minds can be manipulated for a moment or for months. People persuaded or unduly influenced to do as they would never have done may commit crimes. Emotions can evoke feelings of fright that cause us to temporarily separate ourselves from our greater wisdom. However, after any of us does the unthinkable, we are left with the memories. Overtime, we reflect on the meaning. Perhaps that is why those that fought in battles are often less likely to resort to combat.
There must be a lesson, a means to communicate the tragedy of war before we engage. For now, I can only propose what I envisioned as a child. As I reflect on the story, The Truce of Christmas, A Silent Night 1914, I understand the power of true knowledge. When people stop and listen to the hearts of others, not the harangue of irrational "intellectualizations," they learn to love. When we see strangers as similar to us, we cannot kill. Indeed, we connect to the commonality that is humankind.
Hence, I believe, world leaders must face each other alone in a room for more than a moment. The argumentative among us must eat and sleep with those they disagree with. Perhaps, if the need to compete overwhelms those in power, they might arrange a chess tournament. A "war game" played on a checkered board might relieve the angst some feel when they argue. Thoughtful battles would do far less harm. Physical and financial wounds would be less severe. This is but a thought. I trust there are infinite opportunities to connect that we might consider. Unquestionably, there must be a better way to learn the lessons of war before a soldier loses a limb.
Jonathan Bartlett, one of 25,000 military persons injured during the Iraq war speaks of his trauma and trials. When Bartlett was a 19-year-old Army Corporal his truck hit a bomb on a road near Fallujah. That was three years ago. The explosion blew off both of his legs. Today, he appears in a Home Box Office [HBO] documentary titled Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq. In an interview with Vanity Fair Columnist Austin Merrill, Jonathon shares the conflict within. He explains how the battle has just begun, or perhaps Bartlett plainly states how the battle never ends. Merrill inquires . . .
At one point in the film you say that you'd do it all over again. Then later you say that if given your legs back, you'd move on to do something else.[Jonathon Bartlett] replies] I would do it all over again if I went back to the age of 18 and they told me, you're going to join the army. I'd say yes. But if they gave me new legs tomorrow, I wouldn't go back. I was 18 and idealistic and naïve and uninformed, and I didn't know how the world works. Now I'm 22 and idealistic and naïve, but I do know how the world works. And I'm not going to go fight in a war that's so badly run, that some people don't give a [expletive] about. There's just so much bad [expletive] going on in this war. I don't want any part of it.
Yet, Bartlett goes on to clarify for him the problem with this war is not the warriors. It is the leaders. Jonathon Bartlett is angry with the Commander-In-Chief and his Cabinet. This soldier believes the nation's leaders did not have a plan. The soldiers were well trained. He was a good trooper.
I was good at being a soldier. I say that with no shame or no boasting. I was good at being a soldier. Mostly because I enjoyed it.What does being a good soldier mean, exactly?
I could shoot straight, I could ride true, and I could speak the truth. I could fight, I could think. I took care of my stuff. I took care of my vehicles. I looked the part all the time, which is very important. I knew how to talk, which gets you in trouble. I knew how to work the system. I knew how to acquire things. I could take care of my buddies.
Bartlett believes the Bush Administration is at fault, not the soldiers. On this, we would agree. However, when asked of peace protesters and retired Generals that speak out against the conflict he offers a view that befuddles me.
How do you feel when you see people rallying for or protesting against the war?
I think all of them have a massive disrespect for the soldiers who are over there, because they do not understand. They have no [expletive] clue. We don't have a choice. As soon as you sign that paper and swear that oath, we do not have a choice. We go wherever the hell the president and the generals tell us to. People who say if you're against this war you're against the soldiers are displaying their ignorance. Most people don't understand. They just don't get it. You know how many times I've been asked by some stupid person, some civilian, how many people did you kill? You don't ask a soldier that. I was a trained killer. That was my job, man. Somebody has to do it. Being a soldier is a job.What do you think of the retired generals who have come out against the war? Is that a betrayal?
No! It's good! They should have been doing that [expletive] when they were still in. I don't think it's a betrayal. These generals understand that they have soldiers on the line. The best generals are those who know what it means to be a troopie. A ground pounder. A supply clerk. This administration keeps throwing people at a problem and expecting it to fix it. It's not how things are done. You have to give them a plan. You have to lead them. And these generals understand that. The president does not. The president doesn't have a [expletive] clue.
The clue may be cryptic and not part of our conscious mind. As I stood at the corner, I thought the soldiers were on a peaceful mission. Fellow dissenters were certain there might be a confrontation.
Our view of others and ourselves provides, perspective. Perceptions are profoundly altered. Jonathon Bartlett has long believed military service was in his blood. His mother and father were each in the Navy. Jonathon was trained to protect, defend, and kill, and to consider each of these options tantamount. The young man trusts that Generals understand this. Yet, Mister Bartlett believes there must be a strategy if a mass massacre is to be effective.
Perhaps, that is the paradox. We coach our young to be combative. As a culture, we do not expect world harmony. We do not believe it can exist.
We must acknowledge and accept, what each of us believes affects our idea of war, peace, perpetrators, and protestors. An experience may cause us to blame, to frame friends and foes in a manner that does not make sense to others.
As I reflect on the words of Jonathon Bartlett, I am confused. While critical of those that demonstrate in favor of global accord, Private Bartlett also believes the individuals that think protestors are against the soldiers are in error. The Iraq war Veteran reasons, military leaders must speak out, stand strong, and stress ''we need a plan. The dichotomy befuddles. Perchance, another soldier explained the circumstances best. Sandi Austin discussed her view of the peace protestors.
For the most part, I feel that the majority of anti-war activists focus on our political leaders and not the soldiers. Driving by the anti-war protests I usually see signs the relay messages in support of the troops, but opposing the cause. Perhaps if I still wore a uniform I would feel differently, I might get glares or comments, but because I too am a civilian, I haven’t faced any hostility or felt unappreciated on a regular basis.
I wonder. When people go to war, do they flail at uniforms and forget that a person inhabits the clothing? Might appearances motivate us to engage in battle? As I reflect on the day, I realize, I could have reacted to the olive green and khaki camouflage fabric. The shaved heads, the American flags, the military garb . . . I might have been offended. If I had done as advised, I would have kept a distance. The servicemen might have concluded I did not understand. They too could have chosen to do other than they did. War, on a small scale may have ensued. Instead, each of us gave peace a chance.
Imagine if world leaders chose not to presume, assume, suppose or surmise, if soldiers were not sent off into battle, if we established a Department of Peace and left the Defense Department behind. I can dream and act in accordance.
Perceptions; The Promise of Peace . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on November 18, 2007 at 08:15 PM in Active-Duty Troops , Activism, American Patriotism, Civil Disobedience, Iraq War, Military Missions, Morality in an Immoral War, Peace Movement, Peaceful Protests, War and Peace, War Kills [Mind, Body, Spirit], Why War?, World War I Christmas Truce | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A Climate of Fear Permeates; Morton High School Students Protest
Climate of Fear
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
It was a quiet day in America; yet, the feeling of fear was palpable. Oceans away, in Baghdad, the air was filled with the smell of napalm. Frightened, as the young contemplated their future, seventy some courageous and committed students filed into the Morton West High School cafeteria in Berwyn, Illinois. Trepidation for their lives, and the lives of friends, family, and those innocent Iraqi citizens they never met prompted these pupils to take action. The young and eligible enlistees protested the war in Iraq.
Years earlier, dissent against this unjust battle was unthinkable. The Twin Towers fell. The Pentagon was hit. Other buildings were threatened and the nation panicked. America could not comprehend there might be blood shed on the tranquil shores of their homeland. Citizens were willing to do anything to ensure no more lives would be lost in the land of their birth. If it meant countrymen must sacrifice their freedoms, so be it. Immediately, Congress was called into session. Bills were passed and liberties lost. America was attacked; and thus, we were at war.
Theories were bantered about. Osama Bin Laden, the enemy behind the assault, was in Afghanistan. Terrorists were within our country. Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction. The thousands killed on September 11, 2001 were just the beginning. Certainly, we must know as a continent, North America is no longer safe. Air travel has opened all borders. Trains, boats, and planes were no longer means of transport. These are potential missiles.
Acquiescent, the American public believed they were not safe. Yet, fearful as the people were they knew this country must come together and show its strength. At ground zero a crowd stood and chanted, "USA, USA!" The Commander-In-Chief took the bull by the horn or the bullhorn and calmed the throng. He said . . .
"I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon,"
It was then that the former friendly fellow, the man that had failed in most all of his business ventures, the son of a President whose success was said to be tied to his name, appeared decisive. The President, placed into the Oval Office by the Supreme Court, not by the people, became the protector. From the moment Bush stood on the mound of rumble and raised his voice, Americans followed his lead.
George W. Bush led his Secretary of State astray. Colin Powell addressed the United Nations with what Bush and Vice President Cheney knew was not "solid" intelligence. The Commander prompted his Cabinet to lie to Congress. The President's pal and Attorney General told a nation the Rules of the Geneva Convention are quaint. Our leader authorized torture. He trolled telephones. President Bush took us to the airport and asked us to take our shoes off. He read our library records and convinced us there was reason to forfeit our rights. The President of the United States played on our fears and we accepted his truths. Americans became apathetic and perhaps pathetic.
However, just as in years past, when an unpopular war was sold to the American public, when a threat [then communism, now terrorism] loomed large in the minds of those told to fear the youth responded, Morton High School's young scholars decided they must speak out. They entered the dining hall, a nook in the cranny of a huge building, a place where pupils often feel, or felt able to break from bureaucracy. For students, the canteen is considered a safety zone. Every high school has one, a place where pupils can relax, chat, gather, and forget the fears that flank them in the halls, and stalls of academia.
Yet, on this day, November first, All Saints Day, and a national day of peace, the lunchroom furnished no refuge. Apprehensive Administrators swooped down on the young scholars as they exercised their democratic right to free speech. Frightened school officials did just as a petrified President had done. Under the guise of informed authority, the Superintendent and Principal imposed retaliatory measures.
As is often true in a climate of fear, the terrified meet the terrified, and the trouble begins. When filled with fear a person in a powerful position does not wish to show his or her weakness. Thus, they adopt a punitive posture to appear in control; George W. Bush, Superintendent Ben Nowakowski , you decide.
The Berwyn School District bureaucrats selectively singled two-dozen students for expulsion. [Might these individuals be as those sent to Guantanamo Bay Prison, or off to Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other countries with poor human rights records, for interrogation.] Morton West, Morton High School District 201 Superintendent Nowakowski told parents, pupils involved in the protest that are seventeen years or older would also face police charges. [Ah, those of a certain age may be as the persons of Middle Eastern descent. People in power think it just to profile agitators.] High achievers, athletes, and those whose parent are well connected were exempt from the more severe penalties. [Frequent fliers, white businessmen, and little old ladies . . .perhaps these persons are above reproach.] Indeed, school officials telephoned many prominent Moms and Dads and warned them. Take your child home. Be sure your son or daughter returns to class. Cease or dismiss.
The injustice was obvious; even mothers and fathers were distressed. Parents questioned School Board members and Administrators. They asked, what have we as a people become when we suppress speech, suspend dialogue, and arrest those that assemble, and petition the government for a redress of grievances. Perhaps, after all these years of war and Weapons of Mass Destruction that never were, the adults realize they too must question authority.
Parents and students say that penalties were too harsh -- and unfairly dispensed -- for some of those involved in the protest. More than a dozen parents at the meeting in the Morton East auditorium told the board that students who play varsity athletics or have a high grade point average were given less stringent penalties.Maniotis said her daughter Barbara, a junior at the high school, participated in the protest but was given a 5-day suspension and does not face expulsion because she is an honor student with a 4.5 GPA. Other students received 10-day suspensions with the possibility of expulsion.
"She did the same thing they did," Maniotis said. "This entire incident is outrageous. The school missed out on a wonderful teachable moment. Instead, they cracked down on them right away and turned it into a punitive situation."
Parents have said they want their children reinstated and the penalties removed from their records.
However, the Board and the Superintendent chose to exert its power. The community gathered thousands of signatures in support of the students. Parents, neighbors, concerned citizens met with authorities and stated, the punishment for protestors is too harsh. Those in power argued the point. School authorities might have said, "We do not torture." Waterboarding, while repugnant, is just in "real life" situations.
School officials also sent a letter to the parents of all the school’s students calling the protest “gross disobedience” and reminding parents that any disruption to the educational process could lead to expulsion.
Disobedience and dissention must be deterred. There can be no distractions. Our mission is clear. If we are to accomplish our goal, all threats must be eliminated. Presidents and Principals, Secretary's of State and Defense and Superintendents remind us, we have reasons to fear. This is the "age of terror."
Americans know by now, as we accept our telephones are tapped, any time we question authority we are in insubordination. Countrymen chuckle on reflection as they ponder, I almost got sent to Guantanamo. We are anxious regardless of what is real, for in truth, reality is perception. As long as we perceive a threat, there is one, and those in power will act in accordance. Innocents will be sent to [Guantanamo Bay] prison without due process.
Morton High school Principal, Mister Lucas was fretful despite of what occurred or did not. The protesters, pupils were extremely peaceful. They did as they were told to do. Law enforcement officers observed all went well. Nevertheless, fear flourished amongst Administrators.
[S]everal students said the protesters, whose numbers had dwindled to about 25, obeyed the administration’s request to move from a high-traffic area in the cafeteria to a less-crowded hall near the principal’s office. There, they intertwined arms, sang along to an acoustic guitar and talked about how the war was affecting the world, said Matt Heffernan, a junior who took part.“We agreed to move to another side of the building,” Matt said. “We also made a deal that if we moved there, there would be no disciplinary action taken upon us.”
Matt said the group had been told that the most severe punishment would be a Saturday detention for cutting class that day.
Police officers were on the scene, and Berwyn’s police chief, William Kushner, said no arrests were made. “It was all very peaceful and orderly,” he said.
But at the end of the school day, Matt said, Dr. Nowakowski gave the remaining protesters disciplinary notices stating that they had engaged in mob action, that they were suspended for 10 days and that they faced expulsion.
The sense of being actively involved in the community and in the civic process is weighty and can be woeful. As a Morton High School student stated; upon reflection he had "feelings of confidence — of a job well done." However, faced with expulsion he also embraced anxiety "and fright, because my whole educational future is at risk.”
Education for American students is at risk whether they protest the war or not. As the battles in the Middle East intensify, our youngest citizens watch expectantly. Currently, they are not forced to take up arms; yet, the cost of an advanced degree, the expense of living on your own, salaries, or more accurately, practically speaking, minimum wages threaten the security of a young mind. Military recruiters know this, as does the Administration, local and Federal. Armed Forces representatives maximize on the fear and the White House blesses such actions.
The practice began just after America surrendered itself to permanent apprehension. The Twin Towers fell and so too did the Bill of Rights. The Constitution was set aside in favor of the Patriot Act. The Commander-In-Chief of the United States, George W. Bush proposed we leave no child behind. In the spirit of bipartisanship, Mister Bush garnered support for a initiative that would change the lives of young Americans forever. The "Education" President signed the measure and a new military force was born.
Sharon Shea-Keneally, principal of Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, was shocked when she received a letter in May from military recruiters demanding a list of all her students, including names, addresses, and phone numbers. The school invites recruiters to participate in career days and job fairs, but like most school districts, it keeps student information strictly confidential. "We don't give out a list of names of our kids to anybody," says Shea-Keneally, "not to colleges, churches, employers -- nobody."But when Shea-Keneally insisted on an explanation, she was in for an even bigger surprise: The recruiters cited the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush's sweeping new education law passed earlier this year. There, buried deep within the law's 670 pages, is a provision requiring public secondary schools to provide military recruiters not only with access to facilities, but also with contact information for every student -- or face a cutoff of all federal aid.
"I was very surprised the requirement was attached to an education law," says Shea-Keneally. "I did not see the link."
The military complained this year that up to 15 percent of the nation's high schools are "problem schools" for recruiters. In 1999, the Pentagon says, recruiters were denied access to schools on 19,228 occasions. Rep. David Vitter, a Republican from Louisiana who sponsored the new recruitment requirement, says such schools "demonstrated an anti-military attitude that I thought was offensive."
Slights or the restricted right of entry seemed odious to pro-war Congressman Vitter, a man too young to have fought in a foreign battle. Attitudes such as his may helped build a system of recruitment that expanded our military defense. Prior to the initiative that allowed military representatives to sell their schpeel to High School students interest and investment in America's youth was not equally distributed. Nor is it now. The difference is, under current law, military recruiters can more easily find men and women willing to enlist. With thanks to No Child Left Behind the armed forces can focus on those most in need. That is best. After all, the affluent have opportunities that ensure economic and academic success. The rich are less likely to enlist.
[I]t appears that the affluent are not encouraging their children and peers to join the war effort on the battlefield.The writer of the Post-Gazette article, Jack Kelly, explored this question in his story that ran on Aug. 11. Kelly wrote of a Marine recruiter, Staff Sgt. Jason Rivera, who went to an affluent suburb outside of Pittsburgh to follow up with a young man who had expressed interest in enlisting. He pulled up to a house with American flags displayed in the yard. The mother came to the door in an American flag T-shirt and openly declared her support for the troops.
But she made it clear that her support only went so far.
"Military service isn't for our son," she told Rivera. "It isn't for our kind of people."
The kinds of people that are targeted are poor or lower Middle Class. Plebeian families will sacrifice their progeny disproportionately. Morton West High School in Berwyn, is nestled in a working-class suburb just west of Chicago. Soldiers dressed in uniform, don sparkly metals, and wear shined shoes as they stroll the halls of this blue-collar neighborhood school campus. They smile and sweet-talk eager teens. Recruiters befriend students and promise them a bright future if they enlist. In part, this helped to provide perspective for the pupils and prompted the protest.
Disabled Gulf War veteran Cesar Ruvalcaba, dressed in his military uniform, chose to lash out at military recruiters allowed to roam the halls of the school."Shame on the administrators who think receiving military money from recruiters is more important than the education of their students," he told the board. "I am 100 percent disabled, and I learned the hard way that education, not carrying a machine gun, is the key to success. It's those people who are pro-war who would never drop everything and go fight for the red, white, and blue. These kids should receive extra credit for speaking up, not expulsion."
Morton High School students are not alone. After years of subjection, some schools are fighting back. Administrators have decisively stood up for their students. Principals refuse to be part of the Bush regime or relegate academics to expulsion. Principals ask whether funds from No Child Left Behind provisions are worth the cost, the lost of freedom.
Rift over recruiting at public high schools
A Seattle high school bars military solicitation, touching off debate over Iraq war and free speech.
By Dean Paton
The Christian Science Monitor
May 18, 2005Seattle - While most Parent Teacher Student Association meetings might center on finding funding for better math books or the best way to chaperon a school dance, a recent meeting here at Garfield High School grappled with something much larger - the war in Iraq.
The school is perhaps one of the first in the nation to debate and vote against military recruiting on high school campuses - a topic already simmering at the college level . . .
High schools are struggling with a similar issue as the No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools receiving federal funding must release the names of its students to recruiters. Some feel that's an invasion of privacy prompted by a war effort that has largely divided the American public. Others say barring recruiters is an infringement of free speech - and a snub to the military, particularly in a time of war.
Garfield High School took a decisive step last week with a vote of 25 to 5 to adopt a resolution that says "public schools are not a place for military recruiters."
All this comes as recruiters struggle to meet enlistment goals.
Perchance, Americans no longer wish to live a life in fear. Our countrymen finally decided to vote for change. However, it did not come. Now the children take up the cause. Perhaps they will be more successful. With the support of their parents, the impossible may be probable. Indeed, it is, slightly.
Last evening, the Superintendent of Berwyn Schools released a statement. [On the same day some troops are slated to return home to American shores, not because the President heard the people say exit Iraq, but because, physically, they could no longer remain in battle] suspended students could and would return to class. School records will not reflect, peaceful rebellions as a dishonorable reason for discharge. Although Administrative faces are saved, it is important to consider that this is a step. We may move closer to educational experiences and further from a culture of fear. One can hope.
I offer the link for your perusal. Please read the Superintendent's proclamation. Please share your thoughts, quietly. Remember class is in session. Recruiters may still be listening and the Bush regime remains in office.
As you, dear reader, breathe deeply and ponder the protestors' plight, might I submit, alls is not well; nor did this situation truly end well. Granted, the students will be reinstated. Those that wish to pursue a military career will, and those that do not, will not. However, there is more to this story. Power plays; those that instill fear, fear not. Even when we think the Authorities care; they are concerned, and will no longer abuse, use or manipulate, we discover they continue to do as they have done.
Eight million veterans got their education thanks to the World War II GI Bill, which covered tuition, fees, and books, and gave veterans a living stipend while they were in school. A 1988 Congressional study proved that every dollar spent on educational benefits under the original GI Bill added seven dollars to the national economy in terms of productivity, consumer spending and tax revenue.Unfortunately, the current educational benefits offered to veterans are far lower than the original GI Bill. In fact, they cover only 60-70% of the average cost of four years at a public college or university, or less than two years at a typical private college. Our veterans deserve better.
A new GI [Government Issue] Bill is being crafted in Congress. However, Americans have reason to think this too shall not pass. If we the voters learn from the Morton High School students and state what we think, perhaps, veterans will have the chance they were promised . . . that is if they live to return home.
Let s fear no more. Americans cannot sit silent. If you wish to communicate to your Congress Person, please do. The time is now.
Help Veterans Continue their Education.
Sources of Fear; Culture of Care. . .
Thursday, January 6, 2005; Page A01
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on November 15, 2007 at 01:00 PM in 'Regime Change' , Activism, Adult Influence on Children, Afghanistan, American Patriotism, Americana, Bush 43 Administration, CIA Prisons, Civil Disobedience, Civil Rights, Congress and Bush, Current Affairs, Domestic Security, Education or War, Emotional Decisions, Exit Iraq Now, Fear, Inequality in America, International Security, Iraq War, Lies, Military Missions, National Security, No Child Left Behind, Patriot Act, Peace Movement, Politics, Question Everything, Saddam Hussein, Teach The Children, The Patriot Act , War and Peace, War is in the Wind, Wars Bush Commanded, “When is Enough, Enough?” | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Veterans Day; A Time to Remember Wars End
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
As many do on Veterans Day, I pondered the profound effect war has on the world. Indeed, today, the battles aboard met me at my door. I never imagined that brutal combat might enter my home. I am an active peace person.
This Veteran's Day weekend began, and I recalled the history of this holiday, holy day. It was eleven o-clock hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice went into effect. At the time, this truce was thought to be significant beyond the moment. As the combat came to a close, worldwide people concluded this protracted battle was "The War to End All Wars." Since then, throughout the planet, we have seen many more militarized mêlées. Hence, the clash at the turn of the twentieth century became known as World War I. A second followed decades later. Today, the President of the United States of America, threatens, there may be a third on the horizon. The number of skirmishes in-between is countless.
It all seems senseless to me. I am grateful that those close to me prefer peace. If someone I love were away at war, I could not bear the stress. Soldiers suffer; many are killed. Some return home disabled. I know people say these are the "lucky ones." I wonder.
In that first "Great War," almost 10 million solders died while fighting in the trenches. Six times that number, upwards of sixty million lost their lives in the Second World War. Fifty percent of those that passed were innocent civilians. The blameless are often affected by our blood baths. Never did I think I might be among those that would literally feel the pain.
Then and now, war takes a toll. Families are separated, physically as well as philosophically. People are torn apart and asunder. a temporary proximal distance can be distressing. An academic detachment can be upsetting. The two collectively can fracture a family; the combination can also bring relatives together.
I come from a long line of peaceniks. For generations, my family has marched in hopes of bringing world harmony. My grandfather saw no reason for war. My Mom could not rationalize a feud. I cannot comprehend why nations or individuals engage in combat. My sister feels the as Grandpa, Mommy, and I do. Violence begets violence.
I recall decades ago, Lisa campaigned for the peace candidate. Our nation was at war and Lisa thought this unwise and wrong. She met her husband while the two worked towards global goodwill. Once married, my sibling and her spouse created domestic tranquility in their domicile. Peace is the policy they actively embrace.
Nineteen years ago, their son was born. The two nourished and nurtured the little boy. He grew and grew. Jason enrolled in every possible activity. His interests were vast. However, according to Lisa he never truly enjoyed school.
At an early age, Jason decided he wished to help others. He took part-time employment at the Veterinarian office in town. Jason volunteered at the Youth Center. The young lad loved to sing. He was often a soloists in chorus.
Sports did not escape the young man's eye. Jason took an interest in football and golf. In time, technology consumed him. There was talk; perhaps, he would study computer sciences. Programming may be in his future.
This Fall Jason registered for college. He began his freshman year months ago. My nephew expressed an interest in the armed forces. Friends of his were off to fight in the current conflict. Lisa and Nathan were thankful, the Marine Corps turned him down. This gentle giant was a little too chunky; he also had asthma. The recruiters suggested he lose weight, become healthy. Maybe then he could join the "few, the proud."
I heard little more and thought Jason might become enamored with school. Study in subjects of interest to him might stimulate the mind in an unexpected manner. After all, Lisa is highly educated, as is Nathan. Perchance, Jason would follow in his father's footsteps. A Ph.D., Doctorate of Philosophy, might be in Jason's future too.
Time marched on. Weeks went by and we did not talk. That is not unusual. My sister and I are not emotionally close. Nor do we live near each other. The difference in our ages had an affect on our relationship from the first, as did other dynamics. None of which have I ever understood. I do not even think I know what all these are. Nevertheless, we try to keep in touch, to empathize with the other.
Then it came. I received a small white postcard in the United States mail. Slowly the word traveled across the country until it reached my hands. The starkness of this cardboard communiqué was as harsh as the message. Mechanically printed on the stiff paper were the words, "Jason has joined the Marine." Although the stamped script was meant to be delicate, the message was anything but.
It was the evening before I would walk to a peace protest I regularly attend. I know the body count for this, the Iraqi war. Close to one million innocent civilians have passed. More die daily. Do I dare quote a figure for allied military deaths. Each day, the number increases.
On this Veterans Day weekend, the war touched me personally. I never expected this. I could barely breathe as I attempted to come to terms with what my sister and brother-in-law must feel. I wanted to telephone them. I told myself it was late.
The next morning I rose and dressed in white as I do each Saturday. I hope to make a statement as I stand on the corner with my index finger and third digit extended in a sign of peace. On November 10, as people passed by in their cars, some off to shop in Veterans Day sales, I stood silent. I said thank you to those that honked or waved in support, just as I have done for years. However, on this day, I was preoccupied.
Do I pray for the safety of my sister's son more intensely than I might for those I have never met, or is each life of equal importance. I recall weeks earlier, another peace protester was extremely upset. A family in an automobile stopped at the traffic light screamed at her. "Traitor," they said. "Terrorist," they cried. This woman, the mother of a soldier fighting in Iraq could barely contain herself. She was hurt, fearful, and angry. The activist felt a need to hold her tongue. Yet, she also wished to explain. She thought to tell this carload, "Enlist; my son did!" However, she wondered whether they would understand or care.
As they drove on in their late model gas-guzzler, she whirled about. Protesting for peace, she yearned to be as tranquil as she wants the world to be. Yet . . . her heart hurt. A fellow protestor shared her pain with us, those she trusted to remain calm. Each of us that stand on the sidewalk, holding our signs knows, we are in a precarious position.
As the nation mourns the war dead on this Veterans Day weekend, one young man swore at me, "F*** you!" I said nothing. Agitated, as he entered the intersection, he threw his empty water bottle at the horde of demonstrators.
Moments later, another twenty-something chap, tore into me. I will not repeat the foul remark this prime-to-fight fellow made. I am not warlike, no matter the circumstances. A statement such as that curdles my blood. The stench of such language is powerful and awful. My mind raced. Each of these criers was the same age as my nephew. They too may have recently enlisted. I know not. Perhaps they survived a stint in the Middle East and were back. However, appearances led me to believe they were different. As Jason prepared to enter boot camp, these lads toddled about town in their flashy vehicles, lashing out at a small female who carried a sign, "Love, Not War."
After the rally, I telephone my sister Lisa. For the first time in a long time, we connected deeply. Although neither of us knew what to say, we chatted endlessly and easily. War brought us together. As we pondered the possibility, a life might be lost we were touched deeply.
Often as I stand at the peace corner, or even when doing my daily deeds, I try to imagine what the families of soldiers and civilians affected by war must feel. I understand that relatives unite at services for a fallen soldier, sibling, spouse, parent, or a proud Marine. I do not want to experience such a gathering.
On this Veterans Day, I ask, I pray, I plead; may this war be the last, the one that ends all wars. May we agree to establish an authentic armistice and settle into peace, prosperity, and a calm for all.
Jason, Lisa, Nathan please be well.
For Jason, Basic Training begins early in December 2007. Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for February. As every other person effected by the war beseeches, please stop the madness.
Veterans Day Reflections and Resources . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on November 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM in American Patriotism, Iraq War, Peace Day, Peaceful Protests, Personal, War and Peace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 26, 1920; Women's Suffrage Day. Election Day; Women Exercise Right
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
August 26, 1920 is a date that lives large in history. Those of the female persuasion may be more familiar with the day; however, few mark it on their calendars. They may instead honor the occasion on the first Tuesday in November, or on another Tuesday in the Spring of the year. On August 26, 1920, women received the right to vote. Since that date the weight of womanly wisdom is exercised on election days throughout the years.
For many decades, women, typically single adult females, did not honor the inherent privilege their predecessors fought to provide. A colonial woman believed the right to vote was a vital liberty. Today, more and more women acknowledge women's suffrage is significant.
Women, older people, and married people are more likely to vote.Among citizens, women were more likely than men to vote in the 2002 election (47 percent compared with 46 percent) . . . Although men historically have voted at higher rates than women, women’s rates surpassed those of men in the entire 18-and-older population for the first time in the Presidential election of 1984. This trend coincides with a number of other social changes for women in recent decades. Educational attainment and the labor force participation rate, both strong correlates of voting, have risen dramatically among women.
These trends point to increased levels of political involvement by women, including voting participation.
It began in 1776, prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As our forefathers assessed the future of the colonies, so too, did our foremothers. In 1776, Abigail Adams as the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, she penned a note to her husband, John, who attended. Missus Adam asked that he and the other men gathered together to work on the historic document, "Remember the Ladies." She thought John responded with humor; others thought his remark a bone of contention. John inscribed; The Declaration's wording specifies, "All men are created equal." Then and today, some say, what of women.
For many decades more, "The Cult of Domesticity" dominated the American culture. Then, in 1821, Emma Hart Willard founds the Troy Female Seminary in New York. This was the first endowed educational institution solely for girls.
Twelve years later, in 1833 Oberlin College was the first college in the United States to enroll men and women.
In 1841, Oberlin awards the first academic degrees to three women. Early graduates include Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown.The drum beat on. The rhythm was slow. The path towards authentic progress was slower still. In 1868 and 1869 respectably, women were shunned and gained ground. Females were denied rights and given their full due.1836
Sarah Grimke begins her speaking career as an abolitionist and a women's rights advocate. She is eventually silenced by male abolitionists who consider her public speaking a liability.1837
The first National Female Anti-Slavery Society convention meets in New York City. Lucretia Mott, a Quaker activist, is instrumental in organizing the convention, having had the experience of being denied membership in earlier anti-slavery organizations because she was a woman. Eighty-one delegates from twelve states attend.1837
Mary Lyon founds Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, eventually the first four-year college exclusively for women in the United States. Mt. Holyoke was followed by Vassar in 1861, and Wellesley and Smith Colleges, both in 1875. In 1873, the School Sisters of Notre Dame found a school in Baltimore, Maryland, which would eventually become the nation's first college for Catholic women.1839
Mississippi passes the first Married Woman's Property Act.
1868The fissure grew among women and within the States. There was support for a voting standard in some regions; others rejected the idea outright. Attempts to obtain the provision, failed and succeeded. Women remained undeterred. During the following year and for five years hence . . .
The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified, which extends to all citizens the protections of the Constitution against unjust state laws. This Amendment is the first to define "citizens" and "voters" as "male."1869
The women's rights movement splits into two factions as a result of disagreements over the Fourteenth and soon-to-be-passed Fifteenth Amendments. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony form the more radical, New York-based National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA).Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and Julia Ward Howe organize the more conservative American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), which is centered in Boston. In this same year, the Wyoming territory is organized with a woman suffrage provision. In 1890, Wyoming was admitted to the Union with its suffrage provision intact.
Several women--including Virginia Louisa Minor, Victoria Woodhull, and Myra Bradwell--attempt to use the Fourteenth Amendment in the courts to secure the vote (Minor and Woodhull) or the right to practice law (Bradwell). They all are unsuccessful.
In the subsequent three years efforts to secure full rights for women did not wane. Finally, in 1878, a Woman Suffrage Amendment is introduced in the United States Congress. However, it would be another forty-one [41] years before the amendment would pass in both houses. The words ratified in the Bill passed in 1919 were identical to those proposed in two score earlier. The text did not change, times did.
More than a century after Abigail Adams expressed her concern, womankind must be awarded equal rights, in 1919, females were granted some liberties. Officially, following ratification by the necessary thirty-six states, the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted on August 26, 1920.
Today, on the anniversary of this rite of passage, I wish all women well. Each election day, as you exercise your right to cast your ballot, please remember the women before you that worked for centuries to ensure that you had the freedom to speak.
Suffrage Sources . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on August 26, 2007 at 11:30 PM in American Dream, American Patriotism, Civil Rights, Women | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
America; World Superpower?
copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org
Americans are proud of their place in history. Those residing in this nation [for the most part] are prosperous. Even citizens of lesser means have more than those in other countries. We, the people often speak of the quality that is America. Our educational institutions are excellent. Health care here is said to be the best in the world. Goods and services could not be better. That is why we often hear “Buy American.” In the United Sates, we take care of our people, physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Americans are financially fat and happy. This country is great! We are known throughout the globe as a, no, the one and only superpower.
However, this label may be indicative of a nation that sits on its laurels and has for far too long. In educating our children America lags further and further behind.
U.S. falls in education rank compared to other countriesIn health care, while we excel at much, we are nowhere near the best. Indeed, the health care we provide is barely average. If we consider the cost, the total dollars spent to heal a hurting the public, or prevent serious illness, this nation ranks poorly. The United States does not offer the best of medical care. Indeed, our system leaves much to be desired.
By Elaine Wu
U-Wire
Story posted: 10-04-2005 07:07The United States is falling when it comes to international education rankings, as recent studies show that other nations in the developed world have more effective education systems. In a 2003 study conducted by UNICEF that took the averages from five different international education studies, the researchers ranked the United States No. 18 out of 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its educational system.
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation working toward high a performance Health System, created a National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance. This was first-ever in-depth study of health care. Researchers monitored health care outcomes, quality, access, efficiency, and equity and placed the findings in one report.
The results indicate that America's health system falls far short of what is attainable, especially given the resources the nation invests. Across 37 indicators of performance, the U.S. achieves an overall score of 66 out of a possible 100 when comparing actual national performance to achievable benchmarks. Scores on efficiency are particularly low.American also no longer has the goods. Manufacturing in the United States is down. What we do produce is not always appreciated. People may say buy American; yet, often they speak of built-in obsolescence when discussing America machinery. Thus . . .Executive Summary
Once upon a time, it was taken as an article of faith among most Americans that the U.S. health care system was simply the best in the world. Yet growing evidence indicates the system falls short given the high level of resources committed to health care. Although national health spending is significantly higher than the average rate of other industrialized countries, the U.S. is the only industrialized country that fails to guarantee universal health insurance and coverage is deteriorating, leaving millions without affordable access to preventive and essential health care. Quality of care is highly variable and delivered by a system that is too often poorly coordinated, driving up costs, and putting patients at risk. With rising costs straining family, business, and public budgets, access deteriorating and variable quality, improving health care performance is a matter of national urgency.The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System has developed a National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance (see the table below for scores on 37 key indicators). The Scorecard assesses how well the U.S. health system is performing as a whole relative to what is achievable. It provides benchmarks for the nation and a mechanism for monitoring change over time across core health care system goals of health outcomes, quality, access, efficiency, and equity.
The table summarizes U.S. average rates on 37 indicators, their benchmark comparison rates typically those achieved by the top 10 percent of countries, states, health plans, hospitals, or other providers and the U.S. average score, calculated as the ratio between U.S. performance and benchmark rate. In just a few instances, the benchmarks represent targets, rather than achieved top performance. The sources of the benchmarks are shown in the table.
Some major findings include:
Long, Healthy, and Productive Lives: Total Average Score 69
The U.S. is one-third worse than the best country on mortality from conditions "amenable to health care" that is, deaths that could have been prevented with timely and effective care. Its infant mortality rate is 7.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 2.7 in the top three countries. The U.S. average adult disability rate is one-fourth worse than the best five U.S. states, as is the rate of children missing 11 or more days of school because of illness or injury.Quality: Total Average Score 71
Despite documented benefits of timely preventive care, barely half of adults (49%) received preventive and screening tests according to guidelines for their age and sex.The current gap between national average rates of diabetes and blood pressure control and rates achieved by the top 10 percent of health plans translates into an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 preventable deaths and $1 billion to $2 billion in avoidable medical costs.
Only half of patients with congestive heart failure receive written discharge instructions regarding care following their hospitalization.
Nursing home hospital admission and readmission rates in the bottom 10 percent of states are two times higher than in the top 10 percent of states.
Access: Total Average Score 67
In 2003, one-third (35%) of adults under 65 (61 million) were either underinsured or were uninsured at some time during the year.One-third (34%) of all adults under 65 have problems paying their medical bills or have medical debt they are paying off over time. And premiums are increasingly stretching median household incomes.
Efficiency: Total Average Score 51
National preventable hospital admissions for patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure, and asthma (ambulatory care sensitive conditions) were twice the level achieved by the top states.Hospital 30-day readmission rates for Medicare patients ranged from 14 percent to 22 percent across regions. Bringing readmission rates down to the levels achieved by the top performing regions would save Medicare $1.9 billion annually.
Annual Medicare costs of care average $32,000 for patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, with a twofold spread in costs across geographic regions.
As a share of total health expenditures, U.S. insurance administrative costs were more than three times the rates of countries with the most integrated insurance systems.
The U.S. lags well behind other nations in use of electronic medical records: 17 percent of U.S doctors compared with 80 percent in the top three countries.
Equity: Total Average Score: 71
On multiple indicators across quality of care and access to care, there is a wide gap between low-income or uninsured populations and those with higher incomes and insurance. On average, low-income and uninsured rates would need to improve by one-third to close the gap.On average, it would require a 20 percent decrease in Hispanic risk rates to reach benchmark white rates on key indicators of quality, access, and efficiency. Hispanics are at particularly high risk of being uninsured, lacking a regular source of primary care, and not receiving essential preventive care.
Overall, it would require a 24 percent or greater improvement in African American mortality, quality, access, and efficiency indicators to approach benchmark white rates. Blacks are much more likely to die at birth or from chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Blacks also have significantly lower rates of cancer survival.
U.S. manufacturing jobs fading away fastIf there are fewer industrial jobs in America, in what sectors do we excel. Surely, you may say, this country is technologically savvy.
By Barbara Hagenbaugh,
USA TodayRochester, N.Y. - Charles Seitz remembers when Rochester was a bustling manufacturing town. Now, all the 58-year-old unemployed engineer sees is a landscape of empty buildings.
"There's nothing made here anymore," the former Eastman Kodak employee says, his eyes welling with tears as he talks about his struggle to find a new job. "Wealth is really created by making things. I still adhere to that."
It's a situation that's been playing out across the country for decades but has received increased attention in recent years.
Fifty years ago, a third of U.S. employees worked in factories, making everything from clothing to lipstick to cars. Today, a little more than one-tenth of the nation's 131 million workers are employed by manufacturing firms. Four-fifths are in services.
The decline in manufacturing jobs has swiftly accelerated since the beginning of 2000. Since then, more than 1.9 million factory jobs have been cut about 10% of the sector's workforce. During the same period, the number of jobs outside manufacturing has risen close to 2%.
Many of the factory jobs are being cut as companies respond to a sharp rise in global competition. Unable to rise prices and often forced to cut them companies must find any way they can to reduce costs and hang onto profits.
Jobs are increasingly being moved abroad as companies take advantage of lower labor costs and position themselves to sell products to a growing and promising market abroad. Economy.com, an economic consulting firm in West Chester, Pa., estimates 1.3 million manufacturing jobs have been moved abroad since the beginning of 1992 the bulk coming in the last three years. Most of those jobs have gone to Mexico and East Asia.
I invite you to take this survey. Test Your High Speed Internet IQ. Consider where the United Sates ranks in the world of cyberspace. Then, if you are able, stand tall and proud, as you say, 'I am an American.'
Please Peruse the Sources, Resources, and References. Familiarize Yourself with the Homeland . . .
Posted by Betsy L. Angert on July 1, 2007 at 01:53 PM in American Dream, American Jobs, American Patriotism, Americana, Business, Economics, Education, Health Care, Labor, Employment | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
