Congratulations to The Western Tribune, which announced that it will be publishing Bessemer Magazine for the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce.
Be sure and read my column from this week, which follows this post. A little history.
A letter in the Western Tribune made me feel good. From Dr. Doug Smith of Bessemer:
"After reading week after week of your resident liberal, socialist Democrat, Joe Openshaw, instead of responding to his bullshouvaski of misrepresentations, half-truths and outright lies about this country, the war against terrorism, Sarah Palin and John McCain, drilling for oil, on and on ad-nauseum, I would like to give you something you can hang your hat on!"
Wow! Of course, he goes on to reveal himself as one of those bitter people clinging to his gun.
But what makes me feel good is that he apparently spends a lot of time reading my column and possibly Bessemer Opinions as well. This makes me happy, because some people have to hear the truth many, many times before they believe.
Dr. Smith goes on to pick and choose votes about guns that Obama supposedly cast over the years. But to know what Obama's position is on the Second amendment, one must examine his policy statement .
It says, for instance:
Millions of hunters and shooters own and use guns each year. Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional right of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the right of hunters and other law abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns.
For those who are slow to comprehend:
Millions of hunters and shooters own and use guns each year. Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional right of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the right of hunters and other law abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns.
Can it be any more clear? See the policy for more. There is more.
And speaking of guns, remember how a year ago the big issue was Iraq? And the big majority of Americans were against getting us out of Iraq, and wanted to elect a president who would do that, forcing Iraq to take responsibility for their own security and all? And remember how Obama is the anti-war candidate and John McCain is the forever war candidate? Just reminding you.
Here is another reminder, with music from Les Misérables.
Bring them home.
The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Western Tribune Column August 6 2008
Here is my column from the Western Tribune today. Be sure to read further and check out Paris Hilton's response to John McCain, and more.
A small collective sigh of relief was heard last week as Congress adjourned for their summer recess. They did not succumb to the fallacy that reversing the offshore drilling ban would help our energy crisis. Congress has approval ratings in the low teens or single digits, and conventional wisdom (CW) and the media tells us that this is because they are not addressing the energy problem.
CW and the media are often wrong in their assumptions and if one just looks back to the 2006 election it is obvious why Congress is ranked so low.
The number one issue at that time was the unjust war in Iraq and democrats across the nation ran on the premise they would end the war. Here we are almost two years later and the war rages on.
Congress, time and time again, has backed down and kissed George W. Bush’s…uh, boots by continuing to fund the war. This alone is reason enough to disapprove of congress.
“But the surge is working,” one might say, under the mistaken belief that reduced American troop deaths is a measure of success. Certainly, fewer deaths are a good thing, but success was to be measured by Iraq’s willingness to govern itself effectively and provide security for its people. The surge was to provide security while the Iraqi government steadied itself, overcame divisions and prepared to take the reins.
While the pro-war crowd was praising John McCain for his flip flop on the war, the U. S. Government Accounting Office released a report in June of this year after an analysis of the progress in Iraq compared to the goals laid out by the Bush White House in 2007.
If the public (and the media) had actually read the report there would be no debate, as it points out several areas where the surge has not produced the desired effect.
Examples? Only nine of eighteen provinces in Iraq are controlled by the Iraqi government (the goal was for all eighteen to be controlled by the end of 2007).
Another? Iraqi forces were to be able to act independently by the end of 2007, but the GAO found that less than 10 percent of the Iraqi army battalions are rated at the highest readiness level and still must be backed up by the U. S.
If space allowed I could share several other failures pointed out in the GAO report. But you can read the report. And I am sure you will come to the same conclusion: that we have no business in Iraq.
A small collective sigh of relief was heard last week as Congress adjourned for their summer recess. They did not succumb to the fallacy that reversing the offshore drilling ban would help our energy crisis. Congress has approval ratings in the low teens or single digits, and conventional wisdom (CW) and the media tells us that this is because they are not addressing the energy problem.
CW and the media are often wrong in their assumptions and if one just looks back to the 2006 election it is obvious why Congress is ranked so low.
The number one issue at that time was the unjust war in Iraq and democrats across the nation ran on the premise they would end the war. Here we are almost two years later and the war rages on.
Congress, time and time again, has backed down and kissed George W. Bush’s…uh, boots by continuing to fund the war. This alone is reason enough to disapprove of congress.
“But the surge is working,” one might say, under the mistaken belief that reduced American troop deaths is a measure of success. Certainly, fewer deaths are a good thing, but success was to be measured by Iraq’s willingness to govern itself effectively and provide security for its people. The surge was to provide security while the Iraqi government steadied itself, overcame divisions and prepared to take the reins.
While the pro-war crowd was praising John McCain for his flip flop on the war, the U. S. Government Accounting Office released a report in June of this year after an analysis of the progress in Iraq compared to the goals laid out by the Bush White House in 2007.
If the public (and the media) had actually read the report there would be no debate, as it points out several areas where the surge has not produced the desired effect.
Examples? Only nine of eighteen provinces in Iraq are controlled by the Iraqi government (the goal was for all eighteen to be controlled by the end of 2007).
Another? Iraqi forces were to be able to act independently by the end of 2007, but the GAO found that less than 10 percent of the Iraqi army battalions are rated at the highest readiness level and still must be backed up by the U. S.
If space allowed I could share several other failures pointed out in the GAO report. But you can read the report. And I am sure you will come to the same conclusion: that we have no business in Iraq.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Martin Luther King Jr: Pro Public Health and Anti-War
Since 1900 the average life expectancy in the United States has increased 30 years. Of that, 25 years can be attributed to advances in public health, and the other five years to advances in medicine.
The differences might not be readily apparent, but in general, public health initiatives that contributed to extended life include things like food safety and better understanding of nutrition, decrease in tobacco use, improvements in workplace safety, family planning, maternal and child care, water safety and fluoridation, vaccination programs, seat belt use and sanitation.
Advances in medicine, while important from an individual standpoint, do not contribute that much statistically. These include things such as the development of new diagnostic equipment, advanced procedures and new drugs to treat illnesses.
Today we honor the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King understood the importance of public health and the role that it plays in the health of our nation. Consider the following:
"One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage is in the final analysis as significant as the physician, for if he doesn't do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity."
(Martin Luther King, Jr., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson (Grand Central Publishing, 2001), pp. 352-35)
King was referring to the low wages the sanitation workers received and was fighting against the institutionalized poverty forced upon blacks by their own government. But he also made the point that in the control of disease, sanitation is a must. In the 19th century immigration and urbanization caused a population shift that led to overcrowding in cities with inadequate waste disposal systems. Often garbage was piled in the streets or thrown over a fence giving food and shelter to vermin and contributing to disease outbreaks.
By 1900 public health departments had been established in 40 of the 45 states. From the 1930’s through the 1950’s, great strides were made in solid waste disposal, as well as sewage and water treatment and hygiene practices. Vermin control, related to garbage control, also contributed to the reduction of disease.
I believe King would also be an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq. Here is what he said about the Vietnam War:
"And I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic, destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such."
(Beyond Vietnam speech delivered April 4, 1967. The quote can be found in A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard (Warner Books, 2002), p. 142)
To the left of this column you can see the Cost of the war. $487 billion. Almost half a trillion. Consider the job training and education that could be provided with that money. Not to mention the cost in lives lost or damaged. One example is the number of men and women returning with traumatic brain injury, and an army task force suggests that 10 to 20 percent of those returning for Iran and Afghanistan have brain injuries. This story from September explains how the problem is insidious and how the effects can be long term.
So yes, the war in Iraq is a “demonic, destructive suction tube” destroying the lives of our young people who are fighting as well as hindering education of students not yet old enough to be sucked in.
There are so many ways in which this war is wrong, and Dr. King would be one of its most outspoken critics. Unlike the ever changing heated rhetoric that we hear on a daily basis (from presidential candidates), his words are set, his opposition is unchallengeable, and his positions unchangeable. And they apply today.
Some of the information I used here comes from Soulforce , an organization whose mission statement reads:
“The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source – religious bigotry…We apply the creative direct action principles taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. to peacefully resist injustice and demand full equality for LGBT citizens and same-gender families.”
Information on sanitation and control of infectious diseases and public health can be found here.
The differences might not be readily apparent, but in general, public health initiatives that contributed to extended life include things like food safety and better understanding of nutrition, decrease in tobacco use, improvements in workplace safety, family planning, maternal and child care, water safety and fluoridation, vaccination programs, seat belt use and sanitation.
Advances in medicine, while important from an individual standpoint, do not contribute that much statistically. These include things such as the development of new diagnostic equipment, advanced procedures and new drugs to treat illnesses.
Today we honor the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King understood the importance of public health and the role that it plays in the health of our nation. Consider the following:
"One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage is in the final analysis as significant as the physician, for if he doesn't do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity."
(Martin Luther King, Jr., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson (Grand Central Publishing, 2001), pp. 352-35)
King was referring to the low wages the sanitation workers received and was fighting against the institutionalized poverty forced upon blacks by their own government. But he also made the point that in the control of disease, sanitation is a must. In the 19th century immigration and urbanization caused a population shift that led to overcrowding in cities with inadequate waste disposal systems. Often garbage was piled in the streets or thrown over a fence giving food and shelter to vermin and contributing to disease outbreaks.
By 1900 public health departments had been established in 40 of the 45 states. From the 1930’s through the 1950’s, great strides were made in solid waste disposal, as well as sewage and water treatment and hygiene practices. Vermin control, related to garbage control, also contributed to the reduction of disease.
I believe King would also be an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq. Here is what he said about the Vietnam War:
"And I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic, destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such."
(Beyond Vietnam speech delivered April 4, 1967. The quote can be found in A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard (Warner Books, 2002), p. 142)
To the left of this column you can see the Cost of the war. $487 billion. Almost half a trillion. Consider the job training and education that could be provided with that money. Not to mention the cost in lives lost or damaged. One example is the number of men and women returning with traumatic brain injury, and an army task force suggests that 10 to 20 percent of those returning for Iran and Afghanistan have brain injuries. This story from September explains how the problem is insidious and how the effects can be long term.
So yes, the war in Iraq is a “demonic, destructive suction tube” destroying the lives of our young people who are fighting as well as hindering education of students not yet old enough to be sucked in.
There are so many ways in which this war is wrong, and Dr. King would be one of its most outspoken critics. Unlike the ever changing heated rhetoric that we hear on a daily basis (from presidential candidates), his words are set, his opposition is unchallengeable, and his positions unchangeable. And they apply today.
Some of the information I used here comes from Soulforce , an organization whose mission statement reads:
“The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source – religious bigotry…We apply the creative direct action principles taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. to peacefully resist injustice and demand full equality for LGBT citizens and same-gender families.”
Information on sanitation and control of infectious diseases and public health can be found here.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Congress Stumbles, and the Weird Westboro Baptists
I am 100% in support of our troops, and believe we should fund them and send a surge…into Afghanistan, and Pakistan if necessary, to find Bin Laden. I am also in favor of supporting the troops in Iraq… by bringing them home. So I am really pissed that the house and senate gave the president another blank check. $100,000,000,000. That much. Well, 95 billion anyway. 120 billion if you add all the other spending tacked on to the bill.
Are you listening, New Orleans? Are you listening, south Mississippi and Alabama? Are you listening, Kansas? Are you listening, 47 million uninsured Americans? Think of the ways that money could be used.
Is this what the electorate wanted when it voted last November and returned power in congress to the democrats? No. And now watch Bush’s ratings go up after congress caves in to his demand to leave out the timetable for withdrawal. At least Representative Artur Davis voted against the bill, saying earlier yesterday that he wanted a definite timetable for withdrawal of troops. But I have a question. If he was so sure he was going to vote against the bill, how come when I called his office before the vote, they wouldn’t tell me that, only saying they did not know how he felt about it? They say this every time I call, and I know other representative’s staff members will report whether they oppose or support a measure, but Artur's always seem to be in the dark.
****************************************************************
In other national news Shirley Phelps-Roper of Westboro Baptist Church says that Americans are doomed to eat their children. “You’ll eat your kids, you hateful people,” are the words the church members sing in their parody of “We Are the World.” “No, we are not being metaphorical,” she says, basing her beliefs on a verse in Deuteronomy which says “Thou shalt eat…the flesh of thy sons and daughters.” BhamNews
Are you listening, New Orleans? Are you listening, south Mississippi and Alabama? Are you listening, Kansas? Are you listening, 47 million uninsured Americans? Think of the ways that money could be used.
Is this what the electorate wanted when it voted last November and returned power in congress to the democrats? No. And now watch Bush’s ratings go up after congress caves in to his demand to leave out the timetable for withdrawal. At least Representative Artur Davis voted against the bill, saying earlier yesterday that he wanted a definite timetable for withdrawal of troops. But I have a question. If he was so sure he was going to vote against the bill, how come when I called his office before the vote, they wouldn’t tell me that, only saying they did not know how he felt about it? They say this every time I call, and I know other representative’s staff members will report whether they oppose or support a measure, but Artur's always seem to be in the dark.
****************************************************************
In other national news Shirley Phelps-Roper of Westboro Baptist Church says that Americans are doomed to eat their children. “You’ll eat your kids, you hateful people,” are the words the church members sing in their parody of “We Are the World.” “No, we are not being metaphorical,” she says, basing her beliefs on a verse in Deuteronomy which says “Thou shalt eat…the flesh of thy sons and daughters.” BhamNews
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Tell the Whole Story, Dale
I posed the question “Who will be next?” to leave in the Bush administration and now we know: Tony Blair, announcing today that he is stepping down as Prime Minister. I have to admit, I’m not sad to see Bush’s lap dog go.
And in Bessemer, we have someone ready to make a run at replacing Tony Snow as President Bush’s press secretary if such an opportunity arises. Dale Jones, the editor of The Western Star, has once again misrepresented the truth regarding the war in Iraq as to leave no doubt that he could handle the job. Remember early this year he made the assertion that every person who has served would “return to Iraq in a second” while we all know of such veterans who have denounced the war and are working to get us out of Iraq.
This week, in his weekly editorial titled “Our Fight is against Al-Qaeda, not Iraq” Jones once again shows his willingness to twist the truth to fit his message, much as the White House does through its press secretary. He says:
Al-Qaeda was formed in or around 1988, twelve years before Bush went into office.
Ollie North testified before (the) Senate. He told Senator Al Gore that Osama bin Laden, the force behind Al-Qaeda, was the one man that he was most afraid of.
We’ve had opportunities before Bush to make a difference, but our “leaders” seemed too busy dealing with interns in the oval office.
Let’s remember, that twelve years before Bush went into office, when Jones says Al-Qaeda was formed (1988), Ronald Reagan was president (1981 – 1989) and during the next four years while Al-Qaeda was gaining strength, daddy Bush was president. And let’s not forget where Osama bin Laden got his inspiration.
When the marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, were destroyed by a suicide bomber in 1983, killing 241 American servicemen, Reagan was president, and did he retaliate? No. After initially pledging to keep a military force in Lebanon, he quickly changed his plans and withdrew. We did nothing to retaliate. Cutting and running, we were unable to get out of there fast enough. The success of that attack led to a sharp increase in suicide bombings across the world, and such bombings were later adopted by Al-Qaeda as an often used tactic. Bin Laden himself has indicated that the bombing in Beirut and the U. S. unwillingness to respond was inspiration for him.
So don’t blame the Clinton administration for the rise of Al-Qaeda. Jones is right, we have had opportunities before Bush to make a difference, in fact, Al-Qaeda might never have come into existence if Reagan had stood up to the terrorists in 1983. Tell the whole story, Dale.
And some roses.
The fence surrounding the back of our property is covered in vines and shadowed by trees, but as we have begun to clear it off, surprises have been revealed. These roses are two of several that remain, that the former owner must have had covering the fence decades ago. If we can get more sunlight onto the fence area by trimming some scrubby trees back, I’m hoping the roses will flourish once again.
And in Bessemer, we have someone ready to make a run at replacing Tony Snow as President Bush’s press secretary if such an opportunity arises. Dale Jones, the editor of The Western Star, has once again misrepresented the truth regarding the war in Iraq as to leave no doubt that he could handle the job. Remember early this year he made the assertion that every person who has served would “return to Iraq in a second” while we all know of such veterans who have denounced the war and are working to get us out of Iraq.
This week, in his weekly editorial titled “Our Fight is against Al-Qaeda, not Iraq” Jones once again shows his willingness to twist the truth to fit his message, much as the White House does through its press secretary. He says:
Al-Qaeda was formed in or around 1988, twelve years before Bush went into office.
Ollie North testified before (the) Senate. He told Senator Al Gore that Osama bin Laden, the force behind Al-Qaeda, was the one man that he was most afraid of.
We’ve had opportunities before Bush to make a difference, but our “leaders” seemed too busy dealing with interns in the oval office.
Let’s remember, that twelve years before Bush went into office, when Jones says Al-Qaeda was formed (1988), Ronald Reagan was president (1981 – 1989) and during the next four years while Al-Qaeda was gaining strength, daddy Bush was president. And let’s not forget where Osama bin Laden got his inspiration.
When the marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, were destroyed by a suicide bomber in 1983, killing 241 American servicemen, Reagan was president, and did he retaliate? No. After initially pledging to keep a military force in Lebanon, he quickly changed his plans and withdrew. We did nothing to retaliate. Cutting and running, we were unable to get out of there fast enough. The success of that attack led to a sharp increase in suicide bombings across the world, and such bombings were later adopted by Al-Qaeda as an often used tactic. Bin Laden himself has indicated that the bombing in Beirut and the U. S. unwillingness to respond was inspiration for him.
So don’t blame the Clinton administration for the rise of Al-Qaeda. Jones is right, we have had opportunities before Bush to make a difference, in fact, Al-Qaeda might never have come into existence if Reagan had stood up to the terrorists in 1983. Tell the whole story, Dale.
And some roses.
The fence surrounding the back of our property is covered in vines and shadowed by trees, but as we have begun to clear it off, surprises have been revealed. These roses are two of several that remain, that the former owner must have had covering the fence decades ago. If we can get more sunlight onto the fence area by trimming some scrubby trees back, I’m hoping the roses will flourish once again.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
September? Not What the Voters Were Hoping For!
These are the headlines as they appeared on aol this morning: (I disabled the links).
Huge ExplosionWows Scientists
Expert Says 'This Was the King' See What Astronomers Found'
Blast Kills Worker in Las Vegas 'Unusual' Murder at Famed Casino
So did the stellar explosion kill the worker in Las Vegas?
Now the democrats in congress are considering a plan to fund the war through September, and maybe a good number of republican lawmakers will go along with that. However, waiting almost a year since the November 2006 election before something is done about the war is not the message the American voters sent. Democrats in congress are being pushed back, but there is no corner they are being backed in to from which they will attack back, and no cliff they will stumble off of as they retreat from the will of the voters. They are just retreating and allowing American service members to be at risk for a few more months while Bush and Petraeus roll the dice hoping for some measure of success. Trouble is, we still don't know what success is, we still don't know who the enemy is, we still don't know why we are there, and we don't know what victory is.
I gave Wolfowitz three weeks and it looks like his removal is being negotiated by European countries as they agree to let the U. S. choose the next World Bank president if the current president steps down. A World Bank commitee has found him guilty of breaking rules and there is no way they will allow him to stay on. Who's next?http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/08/news/newsmakers/wolfowitz/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories
Huge ExplosionWows Scientists
Expert Says 'This Was the King' See What Astronomers Found'
Blast Kills Worker in Las Vegas 'Unusual' Murder at Famed Casino
So did the stellar explosion kill the worker in Las Vegas?
Now the democrats in congress are considering a plan to fund the war through September, and maybe a good number of republican lawmakers will go along with that. However, waiting almost a year since the November 2006 election before something is done about the war is not the message the American voters sent. Democrats in congress are being pushed back, but there is no corner they are being backed in to from which they will attack back, and no cliff they will stumble off of as they retreat from the will of the voters. They are just retreating and allowing American service members to be at risk for a few more months while Bush and Petraeus roll the dice hoping for some measure of success. Trouble is, we still don't know what success is, we still don't know who the enemy is, we still don't know why we are there, and we don't know what victory is.
I gave Wolfowitz three weeks and it looks like his removal is being negotiated by European countries as they agree to let the U. S. choose the next World Bank president if the current president steps down. A World Bank commitee has found him guilty of breaking rules and there is no way they will allow him to stay on. Who's next?http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/08/news/newsmakers/wolfowitz/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Mission Accomplished
Mission Accomplished
I’ve taken one final exam, two to go. But by Bush’s standards, I can proclaim “Mission Accomplished” like he did four years ago on the USS Abraham Lincoln, even though the fighting continued and the insurgency was already underway. To Bush, “Mission Accomplished” doesn't mean the task is finished; it’s just something to say to make yourself feel better.
Don’t tell me he really didn’t mean the war was over, or the banner was put up by the ship’s crew about their mission and the president didn’t know anything about it.
3351 U. S. service members are dead. The surge continues.
January, 83 dead. February, 80 dead, March, 81 dead, April, 104 dead. Like I said, the only thing surging is American and Iraqi casualties.
Let’s look at Iraqi deaths for the same period.
January, 91 police/military dead, 1711 civilians dead, February, 150 police/military dead, 1381 civilians dead, March, 215 police/military dead, 1674 civilians dead, and April, 158 police/military dead, 1482 civilians. Mission accomplished?
These statistics come from the Department of Defense, and they admit that the numbers are not complete for the Iraqi deaths, so the numbers are actually higher.
And Bush wants more money to continue this war indefinitely.
56 % of Alabamians disapprove of Bush, according to Survey USA poll reported last week. And across the nation, over 60% disapprove of the president. Americans went to the polls in November and overwhelmingly told congress to get us out of Iraq. Today the congress will present the president with a plan to do just that. As Barack said, we are just one signature from beginning to bring our troops home.
According to the Bush administration we shouldn’t even have to be paying for this war. Remember when Paul Wolfowitz was Deputy Defense Secretary in September 2003 and said, “There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”
Here is the current cost of the war, over 400 billion dollars. See the total rising here:
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
So, Wolfowitz was off in his calculation by over $400 billion, and now he’s president of the World Bank? He's supposed to be good with money? I'll give him 3 weeks, not for this but for his cronyism as he got his girlfriend a promotion and a big pay raise. Bush is standing behind him, just like he stands behind Alberto Gonzales. The dominoes continue to fall. Who will be next?
I’ve taken one final exam, two to go. But by Bush’s standards, I can proclaim “Mission Accomplished” like he did four years ago on the USS Abraham Lincoln, even though the fighting continued and the insurgency was already underway. To Bush, “Mission Accomplished” doesn't mean the task is finished; it’s just something to say to make yourself feel better.Don’t tell me he really didn’t mean the war was over, or the banner was put up by the ship’s crew about their mission and the president didn’t know anything about it.
3351 U. S. service members are dead. The surge continues.
January, 83 dead. February, 80 dead, March, 81 dead, April, 104 dead. Like I said, the only thing surging is American and Iraqi casualties.
Let’s look at Iraqi deaths for the same period.
January, 91 police/military dead, 1711 civilians dead, February, 150 police/military dead, 1381 civilians dead, March, 215 police/military dead, 1674 civilians dead, and April, 158 police/military dead, 1482 civilians. Mission accomplished?
These statistics come from the Department of Defense, and they admit that the numbers are not complete for the Iraqi deaths, so the numbers are actually higher.
And Bush wants more money to continue this war indefinitely.
56 % of Alabamians disapprove of Bush, according to Survey USA poll reported last week. And across the nation, over 60% disapprove of the president. Americans went to the polls in November and overwhelmingly told congress to get us out of Iraq. Today the congress will present the president with a plan to do just that. As Barack said, we are just one signature from beginning to bring our troops home.
According to the Bush administration we shouldn’t even have to be paying for this war. Remember when Paul Wolfowitz was Deputy Defense Secretary in September 2003 and said, “There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”
Here is the current cost of the war, over 400 billion dollars. See the total rising here:
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
So, Wolfowitz was off in his calculation by over $400 billion, and now he’s president of the World Bank? He's supposed to be good with money? I'll give him 3 weeks, not for this but for his cronyism as he got his girlfriend a promotion and a big pay raise. Bush is standing behind him, just like he stands behind Alberto Gonzales. The dominoes continue to fall. Who will be next?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Bush's Success and a Request from Bessemer's Mayor
President Bush, Vice President Cheney and John McCain must really feel good now. McCain had bragged about how safe it was to walk in a Baghdad marketplace, yet yesterday a bomb in just such a place killed 127 people. In all, at least 183 people died in Iraq yesterday. Last week the Iraqi parliament building was attacked and at least 8 people died. The parliament building is in that same secure zone. Bush, Cheney and McCain keep talking about the “successes” we see because of the surge in targets, I mean troops, that we sent over there. But the only success I see is the success of the insurgents in killing their own people and the surge I am most aware of is the surge in U. S. military deaths, with at least 80 deaths per month reported over the first three months of this year.
Here is what Bush says about it, “Violence in Baghdad, sectarian violence in Baghdad, that violence that was beginning to spiral out of control is beginning to subside. And as the violence decreases, people have more confidence...” Those were his words just 9 days ago.
Think of this. At Virginia Tech 32 people were murdered in one day. Think of how our nation is grieving and responding to this tragedy. When most of us were in school, 30 people was about the size of one classroom full of students. That’s about how many were killed at VT. Think of Iraq. Think of that kind of devastation every day. Think of having the equivalent of 6 classrooms full of people killed in one day. That’s what happened yesterday. Think of the worry you would have living in such a society. We worry now about our children or our friends or ourselves in college classrooms now and if we are safe, but what if we had to worry about the classroom, the marketplace, the bus. Every day. Most Iraqis know someone who has been killed or injured, and even more fear that it will happen to them.
We are not just taking part in destroying the infrastructure of a country, or destroying the confidence of its populace, rather we are taking part in the destruction of a society.
This is not success.
On to a Joel Montgomery update. Seems councilman Montgomery gets a little foul mouthed when he is drinking. “I haven’t been this drunk since before I ******g went to Iraq,” he said to the arresting officer. That was before he asked “Do you know who I am?” indicating that he believes he deserves special consideration. And most disgusting, off the police report: the defendant offered to give the officer something “good to look at” if the officer would remove the cuffs. The police report was leaked to the Birmingham News and you can view it at http://blog.al.com/archiblog/2007/04/read_the_arrest_report.html.
And from the Mayor of Bessemer: “We have some very dedicated citizens, who are willing to work hard to get Bessemer where it needs to be and I want to give them an opportunity to do just that.” He want’s us join the various boards, committees or authorities in the city, including the Beautification Board, the Airport Authority, Emergency Medical Advisory Board, Health Care Authority, Public Library Board, Birmingham-Jefferson Transit Authority, Downtown Redevelopment Authority, Commercial Development Authority, Historical Preservation Commission, Park and Recreation Board, Tree Commission and more. To get more information, call City Hall at 205-424-4060 and ask for Mayor Ed May’s office.
Here is what Bush says about it, “Violence in Baghdad, sectarian violence in Baghdad, that violence that was beginning to spiral out of control is beginning to subside. And as the violence decreases, people have more confidence...” Those were his words just 9 days ago.
Think of this. At Virginia Tech 32 people were murdered in one day. Think of how our nation is grieving and responding to this tragedy. When most of us were in school, 30 people was about the size of one classroom full of students. That’s about how many were killed at VT. Think of Iraq. Think of that kind of devastation every day. Think of having the equivalent of 6 classrooms full of people killed in one day. That’s what happened yesterday. Think of the worry you would have living in such a society. We worry now about our children or our friends or ourselves in college classrooms now and if we are safe, but what if we had to worry about the classroom, the marketplace, the bus. Every day. Most Iraqis know someone who has been killed or injured, and even more fear that it will happen to them.
We are not just taking part in destroying the infrastructure of a country, or destroying the confidence of its populace, rather we are taking part in the destruction of a society.
This is not success.
On to a Joel Montgomery update. Seems councilman Montgomery gets a little foul mouthed when he is drinking. “I haven’t been this drunk since before I ******g went to Iraq,” he said to the arresting officer. That was before he asked “Do you know who I am?” indicating that he believes he deserves special consideration. And most disgusting, off the police report: the defendant offered to give the officer something “good to look at” if the officer would remove the cuffs. The police report was leaked to the Birmingham News and you can view it at http://blog.al.com/archiblog/2007/04/read_the_arrest_report.html.
And from the Mayor of Bessemer: “We have some very dedicated citizens, who are willing to work hard to get Bessemer where it needs to be and I want to give them an opportunity to do just that.” He want’s us join the various boards, committees or authorities in the city, including the Beautification Board, the Airport Authority, Emergency Medical Advisory Board, Health Care Authority, Public Library Board, Birmingham-Jefferson Transit Authority, Downtown Redevelopment Authority, Commercial Development Authority, Historical Preservation Commission, Park and Recreation Board, Tree Commission and more. To get more information, call City Hall at 205-424-4060 and ask for Mayor Ed May’s office.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Jeff Key
No one has an opinion or wants to comment on race relations? Don't worry, I'm going to have more to say about it in the weeks and months to come.
Some of you know Jeff Key or know of him. Jeff is a former Marine and Iraq War veteran. He is also recognized for his play, The Eyes of Babylon, and is the subject of a documentary entitled Semper Fi which will air on the Showtime network in late June. Jeff was raised in nearby Walker County, so he is a local, now living in greener pastures. I say that because he has chosen to live in a place where he can be open about who he is, and respected and tolerated. Jeff is gay, and he now fights for equality, both in civilian life and in the military
He left the military, as portrayed in The Eyes of Babylon, because he could no longer accept being asked to take innocent life for corporate gain. The Eyes of Babylon reflects this part of his story, and played here last year, and many of us saw it. If you ever get the chance, see this one man play.
I spoke with Jeff last week about featuring his story and his activism on this blog. We had been in contact since the resolution for inclusion in Birmingham was defeated, and he made sure to point out that things were not like that in L.A., and that 2000 miles makes a world of difference. I first met Jeff at Equality Alabama’s Day of Equality last year following his portrayal in The Eyes of Babylon here in Birmingham. Since then I have been impressed with his openness and his desire to correct things both here and in Iraq.
Three years ago Jeff started a foundation called the Mehadi Foundation, named after a young boy he befriended while in Iraq. This non profit foundation was created to serve two purposes: one, to provide assistance to returning veterans who have emotional or psychological scars from the war, and two, to provide assistance to the Iraqi people who have been adversely affected by the war. Currently the Mehadi Foundation is focusing on organizing a peer group for veterans called Vets4Vets (website http://www.vets4vets.us/) which is a peer support group where veterans of this war can come together and talk about issues in a non-judgmental, non-political and non-partisan setting. Jeff has said "Psychological scars always heal more slowly than the bloodier variety” and this effort will surely help heal some wounds. The other part of their mission involves assisting in restoring clean water sources for Iraqi citizens whose infrastructure has been destroyed with the war and occupation by U. S. military. As a public health student I am well aware of the problems that lack of access to clean, safe water is for people across the world, and add to that the ravages of war and it is easy to see that this is a worthwhile endeavor. To find out more about the Mehadi Foundation or to make a donation visit http://mehadifoundation.org/. Donations are tax deductible.
I asked Jeff if he was still in contact with Mehadi and he said due to danger to the young man he was not.
The Showtime documentary uses excerpts from his play, interviews with his fellow marines and from friends and family in Alabama and LA to tell the story of his life growing up gay in Alabama as spiritual child who struggles because of some of his church's teachings and on into his life in the military and then in the peace movement. Semper Fi will have its world premiere at Birmingham Shout Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at Workplay on April 29 before being featured on Showtime. For more information visit http://www.bhamshout.com/. Please support Birmingham Shout and Jeff.
I wish that all returning servicemembers had the vision, the ability and the strength to do what Jeff is doing: providing a much needed service to those who served in the same capacity as him, and helping to rebuild the country that we have torn down. In addition, he is continually raising the awareness of the injustice of this war, as well as awareness of the injustice of the current don’t ask, don’t tell military policy that bans gays (who are open about who they are) from the military. To me this translates into the broader picture of the injustice in our country toward gays and lesbians anyway. Thank you Jeff for being such a leader, a true hero, and a veteran.
Some of you know Jeff Key or know of him. Jeff is a former Marine and Iraq War veteran. He is also recognized for his play, The Eyes of Babylon, and is the subject of a documentary entitled Semper Fi which will air on the Showtime network in late June. Jeff was raised in nearby Walker County, so he is a local, now living in greener pastures. I say that because he has chosen to live in a place where he can be open about who he is, and respected and tolerated. Jeff is gay, and he now fights for equality, both in civilian life and in the military
He left the military, as portrayed in The Eyes of Babylon, because he could no longer accept being asked to take innocent life for corporate gain. The Eyes of Babylon reflects this part of his story, and played here last year, and many of us saw it. If you ever get the chance, see this one man play.
I spoke with Jeff last week about featuring his story and his activism on this blog. We had been in contact since the resolution for inclusion in Birmingham was defeated, and he made sure to point out that things were not like that in L.A., and that 2000 miles makes a world of difference. I first met Jeff at Equality Alabama’s Day of Equality last year following his portrayal in The Eyes of Babylon here in Birmingham. Since then I have been impressed with his openness and his desire to correct things both here and in Iraq.
Three years ago Jeff started a foundation called the Mehadi Foundation, named after a young boy he befriended while in Iraq. This non profit foundation was created to serve two purposes: one, to provide assistance to returning veterans who have emotional or psychological scars from the war, and two, to provide assistance to the Iraqi people who have been adversely affected by the war. Currently the Mehadi Foundation is focusing on organizing a peer group for veterans called Vets4Vets (website http://www.vets4vets.us/) which is a peer support group where veterans of this war can come together and talk about issues in a non-judgmental, non-political and non-partisan setting. Jeff has said "Psychological scars always heal more slowly than the bloodier variety” and this effort will surely help heal some wounds. The other part of their mission involves assisting in restoring clean water sources for Iraqi citizens whose infrastructure has been destroyed with the war and occupation by U. S. military. As a public health student I am well aware of the problems that lack of access to clean, safe water is for people across the world, and add to that the ravages of war and it is easy to see that this is a worthwhile endeavor. To find out more about the Mehadi Foundation or to make a donation visit http://mehadifoundation.org/. Donations are tax deductible.
I asked Jeff if he was still in contact with Mehadi and he said due to danger to the young man he was not.
The Showtime documentary uses excerpts from his play, interviews with his fellow marines and from friends and family in Alabama and LA to tell the story of his life growing up gay in Alabama as spiritual child who struggles because of some of his church's teachings and on into his life in the military and then in the peace movement. Semper Fi will have its world premiere at Birmingham Shout Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at Workplay on April 29 before being featured on Showtime. For more information visit http://www.bhamshout.com/. Please support Birmingham Shout and Jeff.
I wish that all returning servicemembers had the vision, the ability and the strength to do what Jeff is doing: providing a much needed service to those who served in the same capacity as him, and helping to rebuild the country that we have torn down. In addition, he is continually raising the awareness of the injustice of this war, as well as awareness of the injustice of the current don’t ask, don’t tell military policy that bans gays (who are open about who they are) from the military. To me this translates into the broader picture of the injustice in our country toward gays and lesbians anyway. Thank you Jeff for being such a leader, a true hero, and a veteran.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
March Madness, and WWJD
There is no excuse for Xavier losing an 11 point lead with just a few minutes to go, and allowing Ohio State to come back and win in overtime. March Madness. And NCAA tournament with no Alabama teams. No Auburn. No Alabama. No UAB. No USA. No any other college. March Madness.
And there is no sense in going to war 4 years ago in March 2003. March Madness. Being hoodwinked by Bush and his faulty intelligence now known as manipulated intelligence. If I were running for president I could truthfully claim that I was against this war from the beginning. It was unjust. It was un-biblical. It was unprecedented. It was unnecessary. It was March Madness.
We call ourselves a civilized society, but does a truly civilized society go to war without cause? In fact, do they go to war at all? If a society is truly civilized, would they not use every means necessary to AVOID war? Apparently we are NOT a civilized society.
Monday is the 4th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Alabamians killed in Iraq: 52. Mostly young men. Dead in Iraq by State They left behind spouses, young children, and parents.
U.S. Dead in Iraq (confirmed by DOD): 3204 (on 3-17-07) Department of Defense List There are 12 more pending, maybe more by the time you read this.
Total wounded in Iraq: 23,417, or 32,544, depending on how you count. Iraq casualties Unfortunately, many, if not most of these, have had their life altered in ways we can not imagine. Some unbelievably were treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with substandard care and under inhumane conditions. This is how we treat those who are serving their country.
(Remember, others serve their country in clandestine ways, as operatives for the CIA. And how do we honor them? By outing them? Valerie Plame could not believe that she was identified as a covert agent by her own government. But I digress.)
Peace Takes Courage
Ava Lowery is a 16 year old high school student from Mobile, AL whose web site, Peace Takes Courage, gives clear insight in to the war in Iraq and the Bush administration. Amy has been featured on CNN and her piece "WWJD" garnered death threats from Bush supporters. How ironic that those who supposedly support an effort to guarantee free speech in a foreign land by forcing democracy on a nation, would threaten to silence free speech in their own country. But one only has to recall Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks, who also received death threats after expressing their views. What kind of democracy do these people really want?
Ava’s site has received over 1 million hits a month for several of the last few months. Add a few more. She is a patriot.
Watch Ava’s montage: “WWJD”
Please visit her site and explore. Really, if you can stand it, watch some of the video’s she has produced. Read the blogs. And they want to kill a 16 year old girl who wants peace. Click on “About” to read about Ava. Click on the videos to the left, under “Updates.”
Ava’s web site: http://www.peacetakescourage.com/page-home.htm
Remember, there is a candlelight vigil Monday at 5:30 at 5 Points South in Birmingham. The service members who have been lost will be honored. Options for the future will be discussed. Disclaimer: I have a midterm at 5:30 on Monday and will not be able to attend.
We can support our troops by bringing them home!
And for later:
Check out the Dixie Chicks Movie here:
http://www.dixiechicks.com/06_dcmovie.asp
And there is no sense in going to war 4 years ago in March 2003. March Madness. Being hoodwinked by Bush and his faulty intelligence now known as manipulated intelligence. If I were running for president I could truthfully claim that I was against this war from the beginning. It was unjust. It was un-biblical. It was unprecedented. It was unnecessary. It was March Madness.
We call ourselves a civilized society, but does a truly civilized society go to war without cause? In fact, do they go to war at all? If a society is truly civilized, would they not use every means necessary to AVOID war? Apparently we are NOT a civilized society.
Monday is the 4th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Alabamians killed in Iraq: 52. Mostly young men. Dead in Iraq by State They left behind spouses, young children, and parents.
U.S. Dead in Iraq (confirmed by DOD): 3204 (on 3-17-07) Department of Defense List There are 12 more pending, maybe more by the time you read this.
Total wounded in Iraq: 23,417, or 32,544, depending on how you count. Iraq casualties Unfortunately, many, if not most of these, have had their life altered in ways we can not imagine. Some unbelievably were treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with substandard care and under inhumane conditions. This is how we treat those who are serving their country.
(Remember, others serve their country in clandestine ways, as operatives for the CIA. And how do we honor them? By outing them? Valerie Plame could not believe that she was identified as a covert agent by her own government. But I digress.)
Peace Takes Courage
Ava Lowery is a 16 year old high school student from Mobile, AL whose web site, Peace Takes Courage, gives clear insight in to the war in Iraq and the Bush administration. Amy has been featured on CNN and her piece "WWJD" garnered death threats from Bush supporters. How ironic that those who supposedly support an effort to guarantee free speech in a foreign land by forcing democracy on a nation, would threaten to silence free speech in their own country. But one only has to recall Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks, who also received death threats after expressing their views. What kind of democracy do these people really want?
Ava’s site has received over 1 million hits a month for several of the last few months. Add a few more. She is a patriot.
Watch Ava’s montage: “WWJD”
Please visit her site and explore. Really, if you can stand it, watch some of the video’s she has produced. Read the blogs. And they want to kill a 16 year old girl who wants peace. Click on “About” to read about Ava. Click on the videos to the left, under “Updates.”
Ava’s web site: http://www.peacetakescourage.com/page-home.htm
Remember, there is a candlelight vigil Monday at 5:30 at 5 Points South in Birmingham. The service members who have been lost will be honored. Options for the future will be discussed. Disclaimer: I have a midterm at 5:30 on Monday and will not be able to attend.
We can support our troops by bringing them home!
And for later:
Check out the Dixie Chicks Movie here:
http://www.dixiechicks.com/06_dcmovie.asp
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