IN GOD WE TRUST: A Special Post

On this date in 1956, the phrase "In God We Trust" became our national motto. Fifty-two years later, civil libertarians would have us believe that we are wrong. May God have mercy on their souls.

That's my SPECIAL AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

GOVERNMENTAL TYRANNY TEARS AT FABRIC OF AMERICA

You know the little range light on your dashboard that comes on every now and then, “Check Engine?” The light is intended to let you know that something has gone wrong and it’s usually in your emissions system. Some manufacturers have the light come on every 3,000 miles or so to remind you to get an oil change. Some people disconnect it, others tape it over. But, because it’s usually an emissions problem and because the technology is there, some leaders in our government have proposed that your car send a message to the “big brother” satellite in the sky that will then contact your state motor vehicle department, which will send your violation notice and a fine in the mail. You think I’m kidding?

Remember those video cameras that sit on top of street lights at intersections? Yes, the ones that “big brother” promised would be used only to determine what happened in a traffic accident. Many cities are now using them to catch people who run red lights or flip off the camera on their way through the intersection. Never mind that the person driving your car may not be you; the presumption is that if they are driving your car, they have your permission and therefore you’re in the wrong. Cough the fine money up.

Ah yes, I haven’t mentioned the spotted owl who, (no play on words intended), if he lives within 1,000 miles of your mountain lot, cannot not only prevent you from building a vacation retreat there, but can also keep you from having a picnic there. It’s a big time fine if you get caught.

Then there’s that recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says citizens DO have the right to bear arms in this country. The Washington, D.C. “big brother” is not to be outdone by a simple Supreme Court ruling; it’s formulating a process and regulations that will make it almost impossible for you to legally get a gun, anyway. California is on the verge of passing a law that essentially says that no one can buy or sell more than 50 rounds of ammunition in any one month, which will mean that gun shops and sporting goods stores can only sell 50 rounds for the month…(total, not just per person).

I’m not a smoker. I agree that cigar and cigarette smoke is offensive in confined spaces, and that it is dangerous to your health. Yet, I believe that if a bar allows smoking and I know it, I don’t have to go there to buy a drink; I can go someplace else. The same applies to a restaurant or a casino. As far as public buildings go, where we citizens are required to enter in order to conduct business, I agree that smoking should be banned. Yet, the move is on to ban smoking in the privacy of your own home on the basis that your children could be adversely impacted, as well as the next occupant.

In Norwalk, Connecticut, the city took a house and lot from a private citizen using the law of eminent domain and sold it to a shopping mall developer. The Supreme Court said that was okay, which now opens the door for the government to seize your private property for any reason it deems “in the best interests of the community,” and you can’t stop them. In this case, it doesn’t seem to matter that the Bill of Rights says otherwise.

In California, the law now is that you can’t drive and talk on your cell phone at the same time unless you use a “hands free” device. However, you CAN drive your car while reading the newspaper, with your boom box turned up full blast, while you’re shaving, and while you’re disciplining the kids in the back seat, all at the same time. That’s legal.

There’s a city in northeastern California that says you cannot build a house there unless it has at least one fluorescent fixture in it. Since druggies use ingredients of over-the-counter cold and allergy medicine to make meth, it’s illegal to sell such medications off the aisle; you have to buy them over the counter and in small packages that cost a future on a per pill basis.

U.S. law provides for legal ways to enter this country. If you violate the law, you get deported. In fact, you may spend some time in jail before you get deported. Yet, Congress and the President refuse to enforce that law. The two primary candidates for election to the Presidency are also refusing to enforce that law. The City of San Francisco has declared itself to be a “safe haven” for illegals in this country. No one has the guts to go up against Congress or the President or the San Francisco “good old boys” and to charge them with crime of aiding and abetting or refusal to carry out the sworn duties of their public office. In fact, a couple of law enforcement types who were patrolling our borders down in Texas are now sitting in jails for doing their job.

You and I know that this post, if it listed all of the examples of how our government is ignoring the foundations of law that this country was built upon, could fill the vast resources of the Internet. One by one, day by day, our freedoms and liberties are eroding and the power of government is shifting more and more from the power of the people dangerously close to totalitarianism.

Do you care?

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

IS OBAMA A CRY BABY?

The great orator of the 21^st Century has taken the country by storm. The nation has been captivated by his eloquent speeches and mesmerized by the fact that he threw a successful wrench into the formidable Clinton political machine. Yet, the fact remains that we know little about who the guy really is, about his character and knowledge, about his ability to deal with matters of import while under extreme stress and duress. Nevertheless, after months of campaigning without revealing, and as clever as he’s been at hiding his true identity, (whatever that is), some things about Barack Hussein Obama, presumed Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America, may now be slowly oozing out.

Thinking back about the early stages the primary campaign when he was emerging as a front-runner, it did not take long for Obama to let it be known that he did not want race to be an issue in the months that would follow. Yet, by even saying so, did he not interject the subject into the conversation of the day? The Clintons, of course, jumped on it like a hot potato and Obama cried foul. A few weeks later, Michelle made her now famous “proud of America” remark, the press and media jumped on it, and Obama cried foul again. Then there was his “clinging to guns and religion” gaffe that had Republicans everywhere salivating at their chops; again, Obama cried foul. Fingers were pointed at him for changing positions on important issues, and he cried foul again.

Now comes to center-stage the front page of the NEW YORKER MAGAZINE. Frankly, I think it’s a big honor for any one in this country to be on the front page of any major magazine. The fact that you are there, pro or con, shows that you are important enough to be there. But, Obama took offense to it and cried foul again. And, every time he cries foul, it’s always about “picking on him,” because he’s black, or because his middle name is Hussein, or because he refused to wear a flag pin or…….. the country, “they,” the “other side,” have all been picking on him.

Up to this point and this realization, I have to say that there was nothing that I liked about either candidate and some things that I disliked about both. But, this characteristic stands out because it speaks to me about his upbringing and about his view of being in trouble. And, we all know that Presidents get themselves into trouble from time to time, so how will Obama handle it if he does? If Putin really starts to build up the Cold War again, what will Obama do? If that short little reptile from Korea gives him the “Moon,” how will Obama handle it? If terrorists manage to rain on the American parade, how will Obama respond?

Judging by what I see as an emerging trend, Obama will go into denial and shake his fist in anger and will say that he’s being picked on. He will curl up into a little ball and scream for mama to protect him.

I’m serious in this criticism because this is the first extremely strong negative that I have viewed, and I think it merits further discovery and explanation. In short, we need to spend more time listening to WHAT he is or isn’t saying and to spend less time congratulating him on the rhythm and cadence of his speaking.

Does this mean I am voting for McCain? Like most of America, I don’t know. I’m in the process of evaluation and that’s why I wrote this piece. I’ll be doing one about McCain, soon. In the meantime, should Obama see this post, expect him to sing the “Wah, wahs.” Maybe he should use his flag pin to hold up his diapers.

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

IRAN: What Their Sabre Rattles Mean

I’ve always tried to write my blogs from the perspective of the average Joe Schmelingfarther living out in smoke covered California. How do we “lesser beings,” we “non-elitists” of the world, perceive things in the bigger realm of the universe? Admittedly, I lack the insider’s knowledge. But, as often is the case, sometimes the “dummies” in the streets of America have a better understanding and view of the world than those who are immersed in its daily and intricate details.

That all having been said, today comes the news that Iran has been firing off “test” missiles. The implications being proffered by the all-seeing, all-knowing media are that Iran is getting ready to lob one or two missiles off to Israel. I think they’ve totally missed the mark on this one.

What’s his face, “Awwwkk! Man Jenny Wad,” believes that the Jews need to be extinguished. Wad, (pardon me if I shorten his name,) has been threatening us and Israel ever since he climbed out of the commode bowl. And, we know that he’s been busy building a nuclear reactor and working on making nukes while thumbing his nose at Bush and the rest of the world. Evidently, the memory of an American missile going through a living room window in Libya has yet to register with him.

Anyway, Wad has made it clear that he’s not going to cooperate. In the meantime, Israel’s excursion into Syria a few months ago to level a growing nuisance there, and Israel’s position that they are not going to allow Iran to complete their nuclear plans, have Wad worried about losing face if Israel flies a mission to destroy the building Iranian threat. Israel’s position was punctuated in recent days by the conduct of “training Missions” evidently designed to sharpen pilot skills in the event that a flight into Iran becomes necessary.

So, Wad had no choice other than to fire off a few “test” missiles to let Israel know that there will be a payback if they try anything. However, any one with any understanding of the skill and military capabilities of Israel knows that Iranians would probably be wiping brown stuff out of their pants if they entered into any sort of conflict with Israel.

Enter the good old U.S.A. We, in our infinite wisdom, believe that we can successfully intervene and settle things down. I may be wrong, but it occurs to me that those dingbats in the Middle East have been snarling, spitting and snorfing at each other since the beginning of time. In fact, they’ve occasionally escalated their bad feelings into rock tossing, spear chucking, catapult throwing, arrow shooting, gun firing, and missile launching over the centuries. And, over those centuries, many emperors, dictators, kings, and other would-be potentates have tried to meddle in all of that ruckus to create peace. Again, to my knowledge, no one has ever succeeded. I think, the truth be known, even God has high-tailed it out of there.

There we are, starting to mire down in Afghanistan and being ensnarled deeply in Iraq, ready to prove to the world that we can do it, and there’s the Wad threatening to bring us to our knees if we try. Well, he just might be right. Most assuredly, if we end up sticking our proboscis into Iran, Syria is very likely to take offense. In fact, such a venture on our part could well be the match that lights the fuse on the Middle East powder keg.

So, what to do? I think we should jack up the price of gas. Sarcasm aside, what do we do?

From a purely pragmatic approach, we would be much better able to deal with this if we were not already on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq. This would leave us many military options and the troop strengths necessary to carry them out. That is not the case, as we all know. Further, if we try to get out now, there WILL be an unholy massacre in the Middle East.

First things first, we have to get the attention of the parties involved. History will show that you can’t get any one’s attention in the Middle East unless you are dealing from a position of strength. The political wrangling and snorfing in Washington, coupled with the inadequacies of the war leadership on Pennsylvania Avenue, must surely have convinced the Wad and his cronies that we are not all that strong willed. And, neither McCain nor Obama impresses me as being capable of dealing with Bush’s mess, either.

There’s only one answer. We need to drop one big nuke, I mean big, right smack in the middle of Iran. That would surely get the Wad’s attention and I think some of the other players over there might be willing to listen, too. Besides, who would be left alive over there to blame us?

While the option should give one pause to think, you’ll have a few minutes to contemplate the situation while you run to Webster’s and look up the word, “snorf.”

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.

THE THREATS AMONG US

Terrorism is for real. We know that because we are missing four passenger planes, two rather large buildings in New York City, and almost 3,000 American citizens.

Of course, time has passed and there have been no further Stateside events to speak of. Oh, we hear now and then about some isolated incident where law enforcement found some kook with an explosive shoe, or some nut with a jug full of nitro trying to get on a plane. But, the threatened bombing of the Golden Gate Bridge, or the leveling of the Los Angeles Air Terminal, or the destruction of the Washington Monument…none of those things has happened.

That’s a fact. Despite the endless predictions that the terrorists would be back to do more damage on American soil, nothing has happened. So, logic has to make one wonder whether or not this “threat” was just nothing more than hype, just as was the “threat” that Iraq was making “weapons of mass destruction.” Could this all just be a demented figment of some Presidential imagination?

Just for the sake of argument, let’s dwell on that thought for a moment. 1f our President happened to be all that deranged, surely there would be more evidence of it by now and the Vice-President would have laid down his hunting weapons long enough to assume “control of the situation.” And, we know that there have been weapons unearthed in Iraq that were buried in the sands…Russian jet fighters, for example. We also know of Hussein’s historical take over of Kuwait and the extent of weapons he held at his command at that time.

Back in our homeland, does the absence of another national tragedy, such as the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge, likewise mean that there is an absence of those who would like to do us in? Or, does the happenstance discovery by a would-be car thief of a van loaded with explosives in New York portend something more dangerous and sinister than years of quiet would lead us to believe? That van may be tied to two other vans loaded with explosives by a Chinese man on the East coast who has been in jail since January on a charge of trying to blow up one of his tenant’s cars. The vans were evidently rigged to explode upon receipt of some radio signal, but the perpetrator forgot to take his handheld device to jail with him.

Whether or not the man is a radical Muslim remains to be seen. For the sake of my argument, I would prefer that he is not. That’s my preference because I propose that it’s not just the radical Muslims who would like to do this country in. In every corner of the world, there is some one or some faction that believes that they should be in control of the world and that America stands in their way. Whether they are simple crooks that don’t like laws, Black extremists, Communists, dictators, despots…America stands in their way.

What makes the problem worse is that this country is perceived by many to be both weak and vulnerable. To them, it’s just a matter of zeroing in on our soft points and taking over. If they cannot succeed against our military might, then they may succeed by infiltrating our ways of life and using our freedoms against us. And, although their reasons may vary, there is no reason that their goals and objectives cannot be the same.

And, I propose that our weakness, our vulnerability, is that we do not stand united, we stand divided. And, where the price of freedom is vigilance, we have become complacent and inattentive to the dangers now within. Who knows if the guy standing in the shadows is waiting to kidnap and rape the 10-year-old-gir crossing the street toward him, or if he intends to break into the communications building behind him and use the explosives in his backpack to create unknown havoc? Or, do we care? The little girl Is Black and we don’t like the telecommunications company that owns the building, anyway. Here we are, divided and inattentive and vulnerable.

Here’s the point. I know it seems like it never happened, but there was the first bombing at the World Trade Center, perpetrated by Muslim radicals using a van loaded with explosives. Then, there was the Oklahoma City bombing. How does a van loaded with explosives go undetected and uninvestigated in New York for six months?

It happens every day. A carload of thugs drives down a street and guns down innocent people. A child gets kidnapped, raped, killed and many times worse. A college co-ed goes missing. Behind the scenes, with barely a whisper, law enforcement arrests someone planning or about to commit an act of terrorism. Yet, we go about are lives as if nothing is happening. We build around ourselves this artificial cocoon of protection and we isolate ourselves from the facts.

The reality of terrorism is here. We cannot comprehend the reality what it means because we allow ourselves to be wrapped in our cocoons. What happened on 9/11 is removed from us because we could control what we were seeing with the remote control in our hands. But, it was real. People did die.

We need to draw a deep breath, to contemplate where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Before we take one more step toward where we are going, we need to take a moment to regain our unity and our solidarity of purpose as Americans. With vigilance, we should examine our surroundings and those others within them. And, we should become aware and convinced that the only thing standing between our freedoms and anarchy is us.

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted