YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK

[HisDaughter]

I have just emailed my senator: Cantwell.  (please I'm ashamed to even say that she represents us.  Or DOESN'T represent us as the case really is.)

I forgot to save my letter and I certainly wasn't as eloquent as my brother was, but the message was there all the same.  My brother has a way with words.  I just have a hot-head and nerve!

Grammyluv

[nChrist]

I have just emailed my senator: Cantwell.  (please I'm ashamed to even say that she represents us.  Or DOESN'T represent us as the case really is.)

I forgot to save my letter and I certainly wasn't as eloquent as my brother was, but the message was there all the same.  My brother has a way with words.  I just have a hot-head and nerve!

Grammyluv

        ROFL!

Some folks call that "the bull in the china closet syndrome", and I don't know of anyone who has it.           Most have said that we are far too shy and reserved. UM? - I'm hard of hearing - maybe they said something else.   

(Small Print:  maybe those bulls need to be turned loose from time to time.)

[Soldier4Christ]

 

[nChrist]

 

       ROFL!  -  Consider this one snagged.  I might also have to go buy that game and try to find out more about this mysterious ailment.

[Soldier4Christ]

      ROFL!  -  Consider this one snagged.  I might also have to go buy that game and try to find out more about this mysterious ailment.

It's fun. 





It was the bull, your honor. I witnessed it myself.

[HisDaughter]

Well, my mother always said I was "gutsey".  Must've been from that time my grade school principal called to tell her that I had come to his office asking for a different 4th grade teacher because I didn't like the one I had!

Glad I could make ya all laugh! 

[Soldier4Christ]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has just released his
398 page "Priorities for America" omnibus spending bill
(S. 3297) authorizing a massive $11.3 billion in federal
spending--making it the largest earmark in history!

At a time when American families are struggling under the
strain of skyrocketing gas prices, and 85 percent think
the U.S. economy is seriously off track (according to a
TIME/Rockefeller Foundation poll), Harry Reid is trying
to siphon more of your tax-dollars to fund 34 new federal
programs--including $17 million over five years for the
Captive Primates Safety Act (S. 1498), and $12 million
for a botanical greenhouse in Maryland!

Many of the bills included in Reid's omnibus plan have never even
been considered in committee, while others have been altered
before being added to his package!

Worse yet, our Capitol contact expects Reid to file cloture on
the motion to proceed to the bill as early as Thursday with a
vote on Saturday... This is why Congress enjoys a 9 percent
approval rating.

This is just another obscene example of "government
gone wild". It's no longer about serving the people. Accountability
has been cast aside, and it’s every Congressman (and woman) for him
or herself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Louisiana the Only State to Promote Academic Freedom (So Far)

Last month, Louisiana became the only state to set into law some measure of academic protection for teachers who wish to present more than one side of the origins debate. The Louisiana Academic Freedom Act, authored by State Senator Ben Nevers, will shield public school teachers from discrimination or job termination if they introduce material on controversial topics in the science classroom, including evidence against biological evolution.

The bill was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal, who has already received criticism for his Christian background. Critics, including well-known evolution supporters from the National Center for Science Education and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, say the bill’s intention is to introduce creationism into the classroom.

But just what exactly in the bill’s provisions irks these critics?

The bill states Louisiana recognizes that “an important purpose of science education is to inform students about scientific evidence and to help students develop critical thinking skills that they need in order to become intelligent, productive, and scientifically informed citizens.” Also, that “the teaching of some scientific subjects, such as biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy, and that some teachers may be unsure of the expectations concerning how they should present information on such subjects.”1

Rather than promoting a specific religious agenda, Section E of the bill “protects the teaching of scientific information, and this section shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or non-religion.”1

There is no doubt that problems exist in Darwin’s evolutionary and natural selection theories, but rather than inform students of these truths, evolutionists would prefer to only have their brand of science presented to the impressionable minds of the next generation, with no questions asked. Critics have accused creation and intelligent design proponents of “using” legislative bodies to pass laws favoring an open origins debate in the classroom. They fail, however, to mention their own use of the judicial system to support evolution-only teaching (as in the highly-publicized 2005 Dover case2).

A basic U.S. government high school course should remind us that in a democracy, legislators vote on policy to reflect the will of the people who elected them. The judicial system exists to interpret those laws, not to create new ones to fit the will of the few. According to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life nationwide survey,3 in 2005 a significant number of Americans did not think evolution was the best explanation for the origins of human life.

Similar legislative bills have failed in South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan, Missouri, and Florida. Hopefully, these states and the rest of the nation will follow Louisiana’s example to offer our nation’s students the freedom to learn and the opportunity to become objective and critically-thinking adults.

[Soldier4Christ]

U.S. government: We know parenting better than you
Proposals would give Washington unprecedented control over kids

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to debate two bills that could give the federal government unprecedented control over the way parents raise their children – even providing funds for state workers to come into homes and screen babies for emotional and developmental problems.

The Pre-K Act (HR 3289) and the Education Begins at Home Act (HR 2343) are two bills geared toward military and families who fall below state poverty lines. The measures are said to be a way to prevent child abuse, close the achievement gap in education between poor and minority infants versus middle-class children and evaluate babies younger than 5 for medical conditions.

'Education Begins at Home Act' – HR 2343

HR 2343 is sponsored by Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and cosponsored by 55 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing the Education Begins at Home Act would cost taxpayers $190 million for state home visiting plus "such sums as may be necessary" for in-hospital parent education.

While the bill may appear to be well-intentioned, Pediatrician Karen Effrem told WND government provisions in HR 2343 to evaluate children for developmental problems go too far.

"The federal definition of developmental screening for special education also includes what they call socioemotional screening, which is mental health screening," Effrem said. "Mental health screening is very subjective no matter what age you do it. Obviously it is incredibly subjective when we are talking about very young children."

While the program may not be mandatory for low-income and military families, there is no wording in the Education Begins at Home Act requiring parental permission for treatment or ongoing care once the family is enrolled – a point that leads some to ask where parental rights end and the government takes over. Also, critics ask how agents of the government plan to acquire private medical and financial records to offer the home visiting program.

"There's no consent mentioned in the bill for any kind of screening – medical, health or developmental," Effrem said. "There are privacy concerns because when home visitors come into the home they assess everything about the family: Their financial situation, social situation, parenting practices, everything. All of that is put into a database."

Effrem said it does not specify whether parents are allowed to decline evaluations, drugs or treatment for their children once they are diagnosed with developmental or medical conditions.

"How free is someone who has been tagged as needing this program in the case of home visiting – like a military family or a poor family?" she asked. "How free are they to refuse? Even their refusal will be documented somewhere. There are plenty of instances where families have felt they can't refuse because they would lose benefits, be accused of not being good parents or potentially have their children taken away."

When WND asked Effrem how long state-diagnosed conditions would remain in a child's permanent medical history, she responded:

"Forever. As far as I know, there isn't any statute of limitations. The child's record follows them through school and potentially college, employment and military service."

Effrem said conflicts could also arise when parents do not agree with parenting standards of government home visitors.

"Who decides how cultural tolerance is going to be manifested?" she asked. "There's some blather in the language of the bill about having cultural awareness of the differences in parenting practices, but it seems like that never applies to Christian parents."

'Providing Resources Early for Kids'

The Pre-K Act, or HR 3289, is sponsored by Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and cosponsored by 116 Democrats and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. Estimated to cost $500 million for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013, the bill provides funds for state-approved education. Government workers would reach mothers and fathers in the hospital after a baby has been delivered to promote Pre-K programs.

"They give them information about Child Care Resource and Referral Network so they can get the child into a preschool or daycare that follows the state standards and get the mom working as quickly as possible," she said. "It's always that sort of thing: It's a list of resources, it's intruding on parental autonomy and authority and it's not necessarily accurate or welcome information."

While parents may choose to be involved in preschool programs, Effrem said the Pre-K Act poses similar concerns about government trumping parents' rights.

"Once they are involved, they don't have any say over curriculum," she said. "There's plenty of evidence of preschool curriculum that deals with issues that have nothing to do with a child's academic development – like gender, gender identity, careers, environmentalism, multiculturalism, feminism and all of that – things that don't amount to a hill of beans as far as a child learning how to read."

Effrem said the Pre-K Act extends a "really messed-up K-12 system" to include even younger, more vulnerable children.

"This is an expansion of the federal government into education when there really is no constitutional provision for it to do so."

[Soldier4Christ]

*CAIR Islamofascist-Symp Dawud Walid Whines As Michigan Reps Amend Intelligence Bill:  "None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this act may be used to prohibit or discourage the use of the words or phrases 'jihadist,' 'jihad,' 'Islamo-fascism,' 'caliphate,' 'Islamist' or 'Islamic terrorist' by or within the intelligence community or the Federal Government"


Hoekstra fights ban on terms that describe terrorists

The Bush administration advises officials to avoid the use of certain words when describing terrorism, saying the terms are inappropriate and counter-productive. But four members of the Michigan congressional delegation want to ban federal funds for initiatives that prohibit the use of the words, like "jihadist" and "Islamist."

Muslims have long considered the words slurs. The American and British governments now say the words unintentionally honor terrorists while marginalizing moderate Muslims, who believe that Islam provides no rationale for extremism, let alone terrorism.

Regardless, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, offered an amendment last week to the 2009 Intelligence Authorization Act that would ban financing for any restriction on such words. Reps. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia, and Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, also voted for the amendment.

"None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this act may be used to prohibit or discourage the use of the words or phrases 'jihadist,' 'jihad,' 'Islamo-fascism,' 'caliphate,' 'Islamist' or 'Islamic terrorist' by or within the intelligence community or the Federal Government," the amendment reads. It was approved by a 249-180 vote in the House. The Senate is working on its own authorization bill, and no such amendment has been offered, to date.

"I am sympathetic to the argument that if used inappropriately, the words can be counterproductive, but I find that the people who are criticizing this are very short on alternatives," Hoekstra said. "So how do they want us to describe al-Qaida and what they are involved with?"

Muslim leaders said that even the Bush administration, which they blame for critical errors in the war on terrorism, now realizes the terms are ill-advised.

"We believe that Rep. Hoekstra's misguided decision reinforces the positions of extremists and may unintentionally legitimize al-Qaida and other anti-American forces," said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan. "CAIR supports using terminology such as 'criminals,' 'murderers' or 'terrorists' that helps isolate extremists and remove the false cloak of religiosity they use to justify their barbaric actions."

Muslims and government officials say jihad often in everyday life, against immorality and evil. Jihad is a spiritual pursuit to which they are called, Muslims say, and those who embrace jihad bring themselves closer to God. The fact that terrorists like Osama bin Laden and others brandish the word to rationalize murder demonstrates how far they exist beyond the bounds of Islam.

A memo issued to state department employees this year cautioned against the usage. The Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center followed with similar advisories.

Spokesmen for McCotter and Knollenberg said while they are aware Muslims find the words objectionable, they believe intelligence officials must be free to describe events as they see them.

The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Arab American Institute, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and CAIR have all urged officials to adopt a broader view of Islam, to more effectively counter the extremists.

[HisDaughter]

"So how do they want us to describe al-Qaida and what they are involved with?"

Oh, those bad guys.  Those bad, bad guys.  If only they'd behave themselves.  Those poor, little, misunderstood darlings.
Yeah.  Right.

[Soldier4Christ]

Oh, those bad guys.  Those bad, bad guys.  If only they'd behave themselves.  Those poor, little, misunderstood darlings.
Yeah.  Right.

Even that would be considered too harsh by most liberals. After all it is our fault that they act the way they do. If we would just give them what they want they wouldn't be a problem.   

[HisDaughter]

Even that would be considered too harsh by most liberals. After all it is our fault that they act the way they do. If we would just give them what they want they wouldn't be a problem.  

Yeah.  Like our country.  As it is, seems like they are doing a pretty good job of just helping themselves to it, while our govenment looks the other way.

[nChrist]

That "Land for Peace" strategy that Israel tried sure did work well. UM? - NO, it didn't work at all because that isn't what they want. They want the total elimination and annihilation of Israel. UM? - what country would be next on their list for elimination and annihilation? Anything LESS would not make them happy and would really be like putting a tiny band-aid on a major wound.

If they were able to wipe Israel completely off the map, aren't we all smart enough to know that another country would then occupy their attention? In other words, THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE THEM HAPPY! In fact, the simple act of trying to make them happy is viewed by them as a sign of weakness. The attempt actually identifies that entity as a viable target. Believe it or not, this is the TRUTH!

[Soldier4Christ]

That "other country" is already in their sites and is being worked on for quite some time now as that "other country" has been standing in the way of their objective. Not only have we been under attack violently but are also seeing a fifth column that is working on destroying us all from within. There are a large number of not so sleepy "sleeper cells" within the U.S. that has already taken over a considerable amount of our government (cities, counties and starting on states and federal) and is already instilling sharia law in those areas. We see the rest of our government kowtowing to the "rights" of islamists all the while ignoring the legal rights of others.