In Colorado Springs, an elementary school has banned tag on it’s playgrounds.

“It causes a lot of conflict on the playground,” said Cindy Fesgen, assistant principal of the Discovery Canyon Campus school. Running games are still allowed as long as students don’t chase each other, she said.” Nobody likes to be “it.” Kids complained they were chased against their will. Then, don’t run, just sit and watch the fun. A couple of parents complained also, but most of the community remained silent. Story. When the good responsible parents make a stink of it all, then this craziness may change, but until then straightjackets are the norm.

*****

And then there is the valedictorian of the Lewis-Palmer High School near Colorado Springs, who in her graduation speech mentioned her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so then her diploma was withheld by the assistant principal until she “apologized” to the school community.

“…before graduation in May 2006, Principal Mark Brewer told the valedictorians they could choose one student to speak, or all 15 could deliver 30-second messages. The students chose to all participate and picked a general topic for each speaker. Corder and one other student were assigned to deliver concluding messages.

The law firm said each valedictorian gave a proposed speech to the principal ahead of the graduation. Then during her 30-second message, Corder added some comments about her faith in Jesus.

“We are all capable of standing firm and expressing our own beliefs, which is why I need to tell you about someone who loves you more than you could ever imagine. He died for you on a cross over 2,000 years ago, yet was resurrected and is living today in heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. If you don’t already know him personally I encourage you to find out more about the sacrifice he made for you so that you now have the opportunity to live in eternity with him.”

After the graduation ceremony, she was escorted to see an assistant principal, who told her she would not get her diploma because of her speech. Story. Her comments were considered “immature.”

The school is being sued with the help of Liberty Counsel.

Go for it Erica, get your college education paid for by these secular liberal Marxists. Public education gone amuck. The golden rule of education is now: “Do not offend anyone, except Christians, who are fair game.” And secondly: “Do not let children be children.” One precious little brat may need a band-aid, and then the parents may sue.  And what is this with having 15 valedictorians?   It’s hard to believe 15 students tied for the highest academic record.  Another case of  ‘no winners, no losers’, all equally dumbed down.

These educators have no idea whatsoever what builds self-esteem.

What a sorry state of public education.

Last year, a high school in Michigan lost the first four games big time so the principal canceled the rest of the season because he felt a need to protect the students from getting hurt. The underlining message to the team and the student body was that “when faced with a difficulty, give up.”

The kids in private and home schools will be the ones to lead the next generation, and hopefully enough of them will become teachers to take over from this generation of “teachers for dummies.”

In Collier County Florida, the high school journalism students are being given an A if they sell $600 of ads for the school yearbook, and less than $300 gets them an F in the class assignment.  “Selling the school for a grade.”  Are these kids taking a class in salesmanship, or writing skills?    The school board is looking into the matter.  “Collier County School Board Member Linda Abbot says she was shocked to find out students at Naples High School are graded based in part on sales.”

Yep, our federal government is allowing Mexican trucks being driven by Mexican drivers to deliver their goods to drop off points in the USA, whether they can speak English or even read English road signs or not.

It’s all part of the NAFTA agreement.  The Department of Transportation told the Teamsters Union of the opening of American highways to Mexican trucks was a done deal and it would begin on September 1, 2007.   Drivers not certified.  Trucks not safety inspected.

“The Bush administration said last week it would start the cross-border program once the Transportation Department’s inspector general certifies safety and inspection plans.  

A one-year demonstration project would allow 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads. It can begin as soon as the inspector general certifies that safety and inspection plans and facilities are sufficient to ensure the Mexican trucks are as safe as U.S. trucks.

Since 1982, Mexican trucks have had to stop within a buffer border zone and transfer their loads to U.S. trucks.”   Link.

Now how in anyone’s name can the Dept of Transportation inspect and certify thousands of trucks and drivers before they cross the border.  Were the Department officials granted access In Mexico to all Mexican trucking companies to inspect those trucks and then put a “seal of approval” on the rear of each to notify us citizens and police officials the truck has been certified as meeting our safety guidelines?    Were all of the potential drivers giving written and road tests and issued a State drivers license? 

Take your guess. 

The scenario of Certification.  Raise your right hand.  Do you certify that all of these Mexican (foreign) trucks meet the safety requirements as required by all American owned and driven trucks?   Yes. (behind his back his fingers are crossed).

That’s it.    All part of the NAFTA plans.  

But our tomatoes and tamales are cheaper.  We got minimum wage rules here. Union dues to pay. Labor rules to follow. Health insurance to provide those workers. The jobs Americans won’t do.  We’ve got environmental restrictions on fertilizers, pesticides and the price of our gas and diesel is going through the roof.  Our farmers can’t afford the huge equipment with new environment mandated features. the small farmer sold out, and we can’t drill anywhere, nor build nuclear power plants, and at the same time watching out for endangered species, that fences would prevent their natural migration and on and on.

So NAFTA is the only way around our own regulations. 

He is guilty of not having an attorney…..stupidity. As a Senator who has spoken out against homosexual agendas and proposed laws against those homosexual agendas, he should have known that he would be a target worthy of being taken down. If he is a closeted gay, he should have known better. He is also guilty of stupidity for thinking that by agreeing to a plea bargain, the thing would just go away. You’re a Senator, and a republican one at that, and you thought it would just go away. Stupid. He is also guilty of fidgeting, of tapping the foot, of not sitting on the stool like a good Kid in Sunday School. Nice and quiet and still.

But what has become of our legal system in this country? Arrested for Perceptions. You know, I am now aware of the details of the so-called “suspicious activity” in men’s bathrooms, and man, from now on I will never tap my foot while sitting there waiting a move of nature, whether anyone is in a stall on either side or not, and by golly, I will not spread the knees and legs out to be more comfortable either. No way. That suitcase bag with roller wheels on the bottom will be hung from that hook on the back of the door, and I don’t care if the hook breaks. Can’t put the thing on the floor and usually there is not enough space for it between the stall walls and the seat unless I want to sit half on and half off. My hands will always be above the bottom of that divider and I don’t care if the cuff of my pants are laying on a nasty wet floor. And there is no way that I will ever “fidget” (someone with Parkinson’s may be doomed). Looking through the crack of the door as my eyes roam to and fro looking for an empty stall is forbidden. Nope, not me.

That’s the kind of things the senator is being charged with as a misdemeanor, as “suspicious activity”, as “known signals” of homosexuals desiring a hit. I was ignorant, because I was not aware of these signals. That sure could have caused problems as I’m sure I have tapped my foot, and fidgeted in the past.

Senator Craig was not caught in the act. He was not caught soliciting by word or by deed (tapping a foot?) . What kind of society have we become where a person can be arrested for just suspicious activity for a non-violent act? And because of that arrest, your entire life can be ruined, completely devastated and thrown out in public for everyone to see the “suspicious activity.” Your wife and children will always have a “suspicion” in the back of their minds. It’s all perception, the same kind of language that is included in the “hate crimes” bill. Read the full actual report of his crime as filed.

The Va. Tech shooter had several years of “suspicious” activities, but he was never arrested. No sting operations out for his kind.

In this world, the media assumes one is guilty first, then asks questions. In this world the public assumes one is guilty first. Otherwise, the arrest would not have been made, right?

It is just craziness. “But for the Grace of God……”

And now the gay community is cheering as another closet is opened, and they have already changed their rest room codes, and it will take the police a few years to figure out the new “suspicious activity.” In the meantime, some innocent nobody’s may be arrested for “suspicious” activities.

And, lest we forget, Bill Clinton  and the oval desk affair was not considered a “suspicious” activity back then, as the gays had really not formulated their tactics nor had the police penetrated the bathroom codes, nor was Bill suspiciously “gay.”  Whether he tapped his foot during this time is not clear.

I was just out for a few errands and tuned in the local radio news. “37 million Americans are now living in poverty.” That’s a lot of people in this great big country of opportunity galore, free education through the age of 18, free bus rides to and from school, and a guaranteed minimum wage in an economy that has been gaining ground for a number of years. No recessions in America. No long food lines. No shortages of good quality food getting to market. No real infectious disease pandemonium. Free emergency medical care to anyone (even non citizens). Wow, how can this be? How can the country still be waging a war on poverty that was started back in the 60’s with Johnson? What is going on?

The census bureau just came out with it’s annual report, this one called “Health Care & Insurance, Income & Wealth.” Already the media is looking at and reporting the worst, the most negative appearing figures to make it more newsworthy, to get your attention, to sell more papers, to get you to listen to their station for their “in depth report.” Well, just forget it all. It does not mean a hill of beans, except to politicians who want to push their private agendas to get your votes, and you bet your life, they will be quoting this report as reasons for a “new improved” war on poverty, a new improved version of “Universal health care for everyone.” New taxation’s to even up the income disparities. A better food stamp program. Free dental care for all. They’ll find a way to get you to pay for free condoms as part of the war against poverty. Why not hair cuts? Look at us, we need free memberships in athletic clubs too.

• 46% of poor own their own homes.
• 80% of poor have air-conditioning.
• 66% of poor homes have two rooms per occupant.
• 75% own their own car, 31% have two or more.
• 97% have color TV’s and 50% have two or more.
• 62% pay for cable or satellite reception.
• 89% of poor report they have enough to eat.
• 33% have cell phones and land line phones. Robert Rector.

The poor in this country are really suffering according to the above statistics. Is it all economics? Is it a lack of work? Is it a lack of education? What is causing poverty?

According to the stats in the report: Married couples had a poverty rate of only 4.9% vs the rate for single female households. So dag gone it, stay married. Make better choices for your life-long mate. Now I’m messing in personal lives. Now that is not something that government can legislate, and passing tax laws punishing the divorced will never happen, nor should it. It’s a moral problem. It’s a human condition in a society that puts self-fulfillment above commitments, that puts self-realization and getting in touch with those inner feelings above personal sacrifices for a healthy family life. Secular government has only hindered these values.

Now I don’t doubt that there are many cases of people living in dire poverty because of tragic illnesses, accidents and other personal disasters of some sort causing handicaps and financial hardships. But not to the percentages the media and politicians will politicize.

There is another aspect to these total figures. The influx of immigrants from other poverty stricken nations of Central America, Africa and the Middle East are included in these figures. 20.6% of Hispanics were said to be in poverty. 24.3% of blacks were in poverty, and Asians just 10.3 percent. You’ve got to ask why Asians escape the poverty cycle?

“One quarter of all poor persons in the U.S. are now first generation immigrants or the minor children of those immigrants. Roughly one in ten of the persons counted among the poor by Census is either an illegal immigrant or the minor child of an illegal. Immigrants tend to be poor because they have very low education levels. A quarter of legal immigrants and fifty to sixty percent of illegals are high-school dropouts” National Review report.

The bottom line. Political hacks will run with this report as needs to be met by the government, by a larger more powerful government, by messing with old legislation and creating new ones. Who could possibly be against helping the poor?

As I see It……Now.

The Islamic Society of North America is holding a convention in Chicago, the theme of which is “Upholding Faith and Serving Humanity.” 

The mission statement of ISNA is: “an association of Muslim organizations and individuals that provides a common platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, and civic and service organizations.”    ISNA website.

Sounds good.  Sounds like a decent convention to educate American Muslims, and maybe it is.  But a red flag of caution goes up when you read that ISNA has been branded as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a major terrorism case, also by the Justice Department.   Alberto Gonzales canceled a high-profile “Muslim outreach event this summer because of it.    Jihad watch.

But NOW, the Justice department is sponsoring this convention in Chicago by the same organization, ISNA.  Now how is our federal government sponsoring this event, a few weeks after the canceled event by Gonzales? Short memories.? Reconsideration?  Appeasement?  One part of the Justice department calls ISNA as co-conspirator, another branch sponsors events for ISNA.  Confusing? 

“According to an e-mail from Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, acting deputy chief of the Voting Rights Division, the sponsorship will involve sending government lawyers to man a booth.” 

“This is an important outreach opportunity, and a chance to reach a community that is at once very much discriminated against, and very wary of the national government and its willingness to protect them,” Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere said in an e-mail obtained by The Washington Times.

“It would be a great step forward to break through those barriers. And Chicago is lovely this time of year,” Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere said.  Washington Times.

So that’s it.  Susanna wants to take a little vacation trip to Chicago.  It’s lovely this time of year in Chicago.   Can possibly take in a Cubs game.   Taxpayers expense.  Breaking through barriers?  Another purpose is to educate the Muslim community on their civil-rights.

When has the Justice department funded a booth at a Southern Baptist convention?  The ACLU lawyers would be screaming “separation of church and state.”   Why are they so quiet now?    The stillness of opposition coming from the liberal left is deafening.

Double standards for Muslims.  Appeasement toward Muslims.   Why?

Running scarred.   Dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.  Islam has western culture dammed anyway, so just sit back,  ride along and enjoy Chicago this time of year.  

“Before becoming a citizen it is reasonable to expect that a person will understand the core values that have helped to create a society that is stable yet dynamic, cohesive yet diverse,” Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said in a statement.

Somehow Australia has been able to resist the urge to ‘appease to please,’ as the rest of the world is doing with regards to relationships with Muslims. In some of our Universities, Muslim student organizations wanted foot baths installed so they can wash their feet before they pray. It happened….at taxpayer expense. Keith Ellison took his oath of office on a Quran. Western societies are caving in to the demands of Muslims, rather than Muslims adopting to Western ways.

Let’s go down under.

“Asserting that Australia has been built on values based on “Judeo-Christian ethics,” Prime Minister John Howard’s government has introduced a new test for would-be citizens.

“Before becoming a citizen it is reasonable to expect that a person will understand the core values that have helped to create a society that is stable yet dynamic, cohesive yet diverse,” Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said in a statement.

“They are, for example, respect for the equal worth, dignity and freedom of the individual, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and secular government, freedom of association, support for parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, equality under the law, equality of men and women, equality of opportunity, peacefulness, tolerance, mutual respect and compassion for those in need,” Andrews said.” CNS news Story.

As usual, the opposition to holding to the traditional values of our western heritage, is coming out against these rules. The usual.

“Potentially discriminatory.” “Values are often subjective.” “Sending the wrong message to the community.” “Creates a wedge between migrants and natives.” “Bigoted.”

Why is it that the opposition to these rules do not see this conflict turned around, like it is for a westerner living in a Muslim nation. Can a small minority of Christians living in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and others, ring out the church bells calling the Christian community to worship? Nope. No way. It’s always the Judeo-Christians appeasing the Muslims. Why? Well, one of the main reasons is that we have that golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s the Christian thing to do. It’s the Jewish thing to do.

But Islam does not operate by our golden rule.

The secular liberals slowly taking control of western culture operate by their new religion of multi-cultuuralism, diversity, and non-offensiveness. To put it more accurately, they are running scared of the Muslims and the radical element within Islam that would just as soon blow their heads off, chop their heads off, burn the rest of the body and hang the charred remains from a bridge. It’s scarring the daylights out of them. The secular liberals are terrorized, afraid to stand up for our heritage as being superior to that of Islam. There, I said it.

I applaud the efforts of Australia.

And that is how I see it.

The border town of El Cenizo, whose population is heavily Hispanic, has adopted Spanish as its official language and declared the community a safe haven for illegal immigrants, officials said Friday.  (8/16)    The “safe haven” ordinance forbids city staff, which consists of one employee and two volunteers, from helping the U.S. Border Patrol find illegal immigrants or inquiring about any person’s immigration status.

The intent was to avoid meddling in peoples’ lives, Rodriguez said.

`We are not protecting them and neither are we turning them in,” he said.     Read the rest here.

El Cenixo is just  down the road a bit south of Laredo which is also making the news as below.

******

There was a town hall meeting in Laredo, Texas recently when a sector chief, Carlos X. Carrillo, of the US Border Patrol had this to say:  “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Border Patrol’s job is not to stop illegal immigrants. The Border Patrol’s job is not to stop narcotics ? or contraband or narcotics ? the Border Patrol’s mission is not to stop criminals. The Border Patrol’s mission is to stop terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country.”

Congressman Tom Tancredo is alarmed at the statements of Carillo.  It’s news to him that the Department of Homeland security is not concerned about the numbers of Illegal immigrants crossing our borders daily.  “If the Border Patrol is no longer trying to stop illegal entry into our country, border states will have to set up their own border police to halt this flow. I think this will be news to the governors in Texas, Arizona, California and a dozen states on the northern border.”   More

Check it out on the Homeland security website.  Their mission statement does not mention anything about protecting the country form illegal aliens crossing the border without permission, it only mentions terrorists and instruments of terror.

The overview of border Security.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is America?s largest uniformed law enforcement organization and is dedicated to providing homeland security by securing our borders. Specifically, CBP prevents terrorists and their weapons from entering our shores while enforcing hundreds of U.S. trade and immigration laws.”

And we wonder how and why America has millions of “undocumented workers”, and rapists, murderers, drug dealers coming in and doing their evil deeds in our country.  And people like me wonder why the border patrol has only 18 miles of fences built in the last year, with 836 to go.   Fences-R-Us could do it, but our government cannot, or will not, and when they do, it’s a mile a month ( about 200 feet a day).  That qualifies for a great big party.  High five it guys.  62 more years and this job will be finished.  

Duncan Hunter had some choice words to say about the project.  Here.

David Aguilar, the U.S. Border Patrol Chief testified to a Senate Judiciary committee in July in response to the Ramos and Compean case, and said that last year the border patrol had arrested 1.1 million illegal aliens, of which 150,000 had criminal records, 90,000 were OTM’s (other than Mexican), and also had intercepted 1.3 million pounds of narcotics.  As far as Ramos and Compean, he said that these agents had broken the laws, and that is it.  The link to his testimony is located on the CBP.com site.   Here.

But the fence is still not being built.   Can they see that by building that fence and using all of that high tech security equipment, their jobs would be much easier?   

It broke this morning and has everyone’s attention. Alberto Gonzales resigned his post as AG. Three cheers went up on the democrat side and two cheers went up on the republican side. All that Alberto went through over the firings of those prosecuting attorneys, the hearings, listening to the screamers, hearing your name degraded all over everywhere would be enough to drive a guy out the door. “This pisses me off, I’m leaving.”

Some of the remarks made after Al’s two minute press briefing:

“Never the right man for the job.” “He’s done the right thing and stepped down.” “Better late than never.” “Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda.”

The following is a statement by Richard A. Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006), regarding the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

With the resignation of Alberto Gonzales, President Bush has an historic opportunity to recover from some of his self-inflicted injuries. He can do this by nominating a principled conservative to be the next Attorney General. Confront the Democrats, don?t ?reach out? to them as liberal commentators are urging.”

For decades, polls have shown that the American public takes conservative positions on judicial and legal issues and appointments. If Democrats refuse to confirm a true conservative as Attorney General, that is an issue the Republican presidential candidate?whoever he is?can carry all the way into the White House.”

Confronting the Democrats and rallying the conservative base is also a way for Bush to raise his approval ratings from the 30s, perhaps even into the 50s. And that would help him and Congressional Republicans on their entire agenda.”

The bottom line is: who in their right mind would want to put their lives into the hands of political hacks like the liberal democratic left-wingers and the spin makers in the far left liberal secular mainstream media? Who? Why would any decent human being submit themselves to this kind of scrutiny? Every misspeak, every misstep, every mistake is broadcast to the world. They’ve got journalists following them into the restroom with microphones recording every sound, that only your wife and family knew about.

In his short briefing, Alberto said that “public service is honorable and noble.” He’s got that all wrong. It used to be, but not any more. There is not one bit of honor left in American politics. And as far as being noble, Ha. “Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor.” There is not one bit of high moral character, nor courage, nor generosity, nor honor left in our political system.

The entire body stinks. Stinks of their own puke.

We’d be served just as well by randomly picking 535 names out of the phone book to serve one term, then another 535 names for the next, and the next.  The approval rating for congress is….?    Something like 16 or 18% of the American people approve of their performance.   In baseball, a player needs to be in the 30% area to be accepted.  At 18%, he is outta there.

It’s only as I see it.

As I was driving around Tulsa yesterday after playing a round of golf, I did not see a big parade of cars, vans and pick-ups packed to the hilt with luggage,  garden rakes, shovels, circular saws, sewing machines and wicker baskets heading for the highways.  I even drove through the area of east Tulsa that has become a ”little Havana.”  Nope.  Did not see it.  But it was reported in our local news that tens of thousands of Hispanics have left the Tulsa area.  Now why would they do that?

Business owner Simon Navarro came to America for a better life. And, he found one on Tulsa’s east side. “I have 11 years here in Tulsa,” he says.

But, a tough new state law has much of Tulsa’s immigrant population fleeing for fear of deportation.  “Two months ago I heard 25-thousand Hispanics have left Oklahoma,” Navarro says.

Why would Navarro be fearful?  We enjoy those many restaurants offering specially flavored Spanish cuisine.  The work being done on the hundreds of new homes looks great.  Yards are being attended to like never before.  Hispanics have had a very positive effect on Tulsa.  Who could argue otherwise?  However.  I just don’t like pressing ONE for English, but the banks and other companies have done that pandering to get that business. 

Note to the Hispanic community.  If you are one of the millions of people who broke the laws of the country by not following the established laws for entering America, then you have everything to fear.  If you did follow the laws, then rest and further enjoy the great blessings of being in this country, and then say good-bye to your illegal compadres.   This is a very complicated issue and it appears to be really tough on some who have had their children here, but there is a reason for borders between countries, just as fences between neighbors is also a good idea.  It establishes areas of responsibility,  defines accountability and recognizes ownership.

Note to the news people.   The statement that “a tough new state law has much of Tulsa’s immigration population fleeing…”  is just out right false and misleading.  It’s irresponsible for a News organization to imply that the law targets immigrants in general.  No it does not.

 Oklahoma 1804 is ready to take effect November 1.  Here. also.

Tulsa County sheriffs are being trained to enforce national immigration laws and to cooperate further with ICE.

It’s as I see it.   Now.

“Keep your laws off my Doggie.” If you have never read any of the articles by Mike Adams, a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, you just might enjoy this account of a dream he had, a dream of being at a dog fight in the back woods. Click here for it.

I’ll copy a passage to get you interested.

The worst part of it all was that the victor just kept on fighting even after the loser?s fate was sealed. His teeth were dripping with blood but he just kept on…..

I just sat there for awhile in silence. But then I decided to say something. I turned to the guy next to me and said, ?Man, this is brutal. This is the most brutal thing I’ve ever seen.? He said, ?   Not me. I used to work in an abortion clinic.?

Now you get the gist of it.

And then I woke up and the terrible moral inconsistency was staring me right in the face.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”   1 Cor 13:12

Don’t all of us just get things turned around upside down and inside out most of the time. But for the grace of God…….Mercy.