In my youth I lived in Joplin, MO. I graduated High School in 1982 and subsequently moved to Springfield, MO and later St. Louis MO. I remember this rather large brick building on one of the main roads across from the Lincoln-Mercury Dealer. A sign in front of it proclaimed it to be "Lincoln School" but it was empty and never used by the school district in the time I lived in Joplin.
Come to find out it had been the "Negro School" in Joplin. This was where blacks were provided "separate, but equal" education in the local school district. There was also a park provided for them as well as other facilities to keep blacks from intermingling with the white citizens of Joplin. This was a city that created a hospital strictly to keep from having to be treated by Catholics. (Joplin never had a Jewish hospital. I don't think there were enough Jews in Joplin to support one. The synagogue was just down the alley from where I grew up but apparently only had a traveling Rabbi and maybe a handful of attendees. However there was a Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. It was merged with the much larger Barnes Hospital just recently). I don't know when the school was closed. I don't know when the school was opened. I have no idea if it had any famous alumni. In searching for the school online, you would think it would have at least a picture, but its as if the school never existed. Even the building is gone now.
I find myself wondering what kind of memories, stories and the like existed for that school. Certainly it had some people who remembered it and what kind of teachers it had. Maybe its shame that they were kept apart from the society, but its a legacy that should be remembered.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
This is the way the world ends, not with a whimper
I started writing this last night, wondering how theocracy might come to pass in this country. I think it would be fairly easy. I thought about this after the Texas School Standards victory by the religious nuts the other day. There have been some classics in the field, Margaret Atwater's A Handmaden's Tale; Sinclar Lewis' "It Could Happen Here," and a recent good one by Douglas McKinnon's "The Apocalypse Directive." This is my take on the whole subject. Its a timeline, but it could serve as the basis for a novel. Understand this is a rough draft, heck the typewriter keys are still hot from me writing it. There might be some confusion, so bear with me and let me know what you think, please.
Timeline of the American Theocracy
President Obama wins the final Democratic primary and the Democratic convention selects him as the candidate for the 2012 election. Tea Party and other Right wing groups stage a tumultuous demonstration vowing that he will never be elected again.
Sarah Palin is selected as the Republican presidential candidate after a stormy Republican convention in which the Tea Party and Christian Nativist groups drown out moderate elements of the Party.
September 15, 2011 - President Obama assassinated by White Supremacist and Militia member Robert O'Dell of the Ohio "Patriot" militia at a campaign stop in Cleveland. O'Dell is killed in the resultant gun battle as the sniper nest he was concealed in is stormed by Secret Service Agents. Vice President Biden assumes office vowing to crack down on the perpetrators of this deed.
September 16, 2011 - Republican Candidate Palin appears on Fox News to express condolences for the death of the President but then calls into question the electability of President Biden since he was not the Presidential candidate. Right wing media takes up this question, fanning indecision and the electorate begins to question the electability of Biden.
September 29, 2011 - A joint FBI, Secret Service and ATF task force begins crackdown of several so called "militia" units. The Colorado 44th "Jim Bridger" militia fights back resulting in a stand-off in Boulder for 34 days. The Police vehicles are shot at by RPG's and heavy machine guns.
October 10, 2011 - FBI agent Harold Rediker is killed by a sniper within the Boulder compound.
October 15, 2011 - Units of the Colorado National Guard refuse orders to surround the Bridger militia compound citing their membership in the so-called "Oath Keepers" organization. Units of the US Army are called in from Ft. Hood. Some members of these units also refuse orders, also citing their membership in the Oath Keepers.
November 1, 2011 - Sarah Palin wins the Presidency as enough doubt is cast on Biden that many vote for her in the belief that Biden is not legitimate thanks to a campaign by right wing media outlets and pundits.
November 3, 2011 - Units of the US Army, along with FBI and ATF agents storm the Boulder compound. Much like Waco, the compound is set ablaze by Bridger Militia members, many of whom kill themselves rather than submit to capture.
November 4, 2011 - Fox News, which has supported the Militias since the storming of the Boulder compound, interview several soldiers who claim they were ordered to execute militia members rather than attempt to capture them. Subsequent investigation proves the soldiers were nowhere near the are of Boulder or even assigned to the storming of the Boulder compound. Several right wing organizations pick up this rumor and it is spread through the use of social media on the internet. Attempts to explain or refute the interview are fruitless.
November 23, 2011 - An attempt is made to assassinate President Biden and Speaker Polosi. A state of emergency is declared in the Washington DC area and the National Guard is called out in order to maintain security.
November 29, 2011 - Militia members attempt to storm the Supreme Court, but are thwarted by soldiers of the National Guard.
December 15th, 2011 - The Joint Militia Task Force storms the compound of the Maryland Militia unit responsible for the attempt on the President and the Supreme Court attack. Many of the militia are killed.
December 29, 2011 - Units of Xe Incorporated are called upon to secure some areas of Washington DC as some units of the US Military are rendered ineffective due to many soldiers who refuse to follow orders to maintain security citing their Oath Keeper membership.
January 5th 2012 - Units of Xe Incorporated seize President Biden and Speaker Polosi and hold them hostage as Sarah Palin assumes the Presidency. Citing an unprecedented national emergency, Supreme Court Justice Roberts swears Palin in early.
January 19th, 2012 - Justice Sonja Sotamayor dies under mysterious circumstances. Sarah Palin nominates Judge Joe Moore of Alabama as her replacement. Many soldiers which formerly were disobeying orders are released from military custody by the President who calls their imprisonment "un-American."
February 20th, 2012 - In a Capitol building surrounded by armed militia units of the, National guard and military units loyal to the President, Joe Moore is confirmed as the new Supreme Court Justice in a swift vote. Some objecting Senators are taken away by armed guards. Of those taken away, some disappear under mysterious circumstances.
February 22, 2012 - Cynthia Dunbar, formerly of the Texas Education Standards Board, is confirmed as Secretary of Education vowing to "bring God back to the classroom."
February 29, 2012 - Many Americans fearing for their safety begin to gather at the borders of Canada and Mexico fleeing the country as a campaign of intimidation and ostracized by Tea Party sympathizers. Canada grants asylum to many, but the numbers are starting to grow overwhelmingly as a wave of religious oppression begins in America.
March 14th, 2012 - President Palin proposes the first of many laws designed to "bring a Godly presence to government." Among these are laws withdrawing the United States from the United Nations, criminalizing homosexuality, instituting broad censorship of media outlets across the spectrum from television to Internet and criminalizing "disrespect of God." The penalty of many of these laws are low, but the sentiment in the country promises that such laws will be strictly enforced.
March 17th, 2012 - The City of Berkely, CA is among the first of many cities and states to object to the new laws proposed. Many cities in California, Oregon, and other "blue states" pass resolutions condemning the laws.
March 29th, 2012 - After a tumultuous debate, the slate of laws are passed by the House and Senate. They are quickly signed into law by President Palin in a Rose Garden ceremony. In a speech at the signing ceremony, she states that, "We have begun a new order in which the Lord and Jesus Christ will be the king of our land."
March 31, 2012 - Former President Biden and Former Speaker Pelosi are charged with treason by the Justice Department for facilitating Obama's Presidency. In the charges, it is alleged that Obama was not a citizen of the United States due to his status as a Kenyan citizen (or Indonesian depending on the media outlet originating the story). Hearings begin to nullify laws passed during the Obama Administration due to their alleged illegality and the alleged illegitimacy of the Presidency.
April 1, 2012 - The Religious Enforcement Division (RED) of the Department of Homeland Security is created by executive order to enforce the slate of laws passed in March since many professionals at the various agencies object to enforcing them. The new agency is staffed with extremists from various Christian religions, among the Eric Prince, former head of Blackwater (Xe Incorporated) who is the head of the new agency.
April 2, 2012 - The offices of MSNBC are stormed by Federal agents and many of the media personalities are arrested for Treason. Among them are Rachael Maddow, Keith Olberman and others. MSNBC is taken off the air. Similar raids take place at the offices of other Media companies, newspapers and radio stations in the ensuing days. Some reporters and media personalities slip away and flee to Canada or Europe who grant asylum.
April 12, 2012 - NATO forces, citing the present US policies state they will no longer support US operations in Afghanistan. Their forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, leaving the US alone.
April 22nd, 2012 - Former President Biden and Former Speaker Polosi are moved to a High Security Federal Penitentiary in Colorado.
May 23rd, 2012 - Troops from the US Army (apparently forgetting their Oath Keeper oaths) under the auspices of the RED raid various sections of Dearborn and Detroit to start rounding up persons of Arab decent regardless of citizenship. Similar raids take place in various Southwestern states with the exception that the persons rounded up are of Hispanic decent. Raids at various "gay bars" start rounding up persons alleged to be homosexual. In spite of statements to the contrary, many are killed in these initial raids by overzealous personnel in the RED.
May 25th, 2012 - New gun control laws are instituted requiring an RED background check before one can purchase a firearm. A letter or similar document from a pastor or other "approved" church leader is needed before a firearm can be purchased.
May 27th, 2012 - Citing lack of support by their allies, President Palin quietly withdraws US troops from Afghanistan. This is not seen as a setback as they are going to be desperately needed to quell domestic disturbances. This goes unreported in the media due to censorship. Units are consolidated in Iraq as insurgent attacks increase.
May 30, 2012 - Federal troops seize control of Berkley and other locations in the San Francisco Bay Area as roundups begin of homosexual and other undesirables. A new "Federal District" is created in the area to house "displaced persons." Homosexuals from other locations throughout the country are brought to this area to be "processed." A similar area is created in the Detroit and Dearborn areas to house persons of Arab decent. The city of El Paso is cordoned off to create a similar district for Hispanics. They are then deported across the border to Mexico. (Strangely enough, persons of Cuban decent are not included, but it is strongly suggested that they remain in Florida so that they not be confused with Hispanics from other areas. Due to this, many Hispanics of all countries flee to Florida to escape arrest).
June 5, 2012 - in order to prevent "confusion," persons of Hispanic or Arab decent are required to wear flags on their clothing indicating whether they are a legal citizen or not. This does not stop the arbitrary detentions or arrests as people are known to wear the flags regardless of their citizenship status. The penalties for violations are harsh if one is caught wearing a flag he is not entitled to wear. Persons on temporary visas are required to wear a flag of their country of origin either on their clothing or in a pouch contained on or about their person visible to law enforcement personnel. All citizens are encouraged to carry required display identification and display such if approached by law enforcement. Failure to do so is enforced by harsh penalties as well. Homosexuals are required to wear pink triangles on their clothing. Hispanic radio and television stations and other media outlets are ordered to begin broadcasting in English under penalty of license forfeiture. Border control officers along the Mexican border are now advised to "shoot to kill" anyone trying to get across the border from Mexico. Many Restaurants and Yard Care companies close due to lack of personnel.
June 20th, 2012 - In order to prevent "confusion" in news reporting and media outlets, all media outlets are closed down in favor of Fox News and other Murdoch and conservative owned papers, electronic media, radio and television stations. The newspapers, radio stations, and television and cable outlets of several cities are seized and given over to the new government sanctioned media monopoly. Glenn Beck is appointed to the revised Federal Communications Commission which is given responsibility to apply the new directives concerning the media. Stations not seized and not in the affected areas are strongly encouraged to broadcast the sanctioned media.
June 30th, 2012 - A resolution in the Oregon State legislature proposes secession from the United States. The Governor of Oregon mobilizes the National Guard in his state to protect its citizens from the new Federal Laws and seizures. A similar resolution is proposed in California but is quickly quashed by conservative legislators. Governor Schwarzenegger resigns rather than enforce the new federal laws.
July 1, 2012 - Federal troops from Fort Lewis, Fort Ord and Camp Pendelton are mobilized in order to invade Oregon in the first step to quash the so-called "Blue State Rebellion." Oregon passes its secession resolution by acclimation. The States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York all pass resolutions to join Oregon. These states mobilize their various National Guard Units. The State of Maine petitions Canada for assistance to protect itself from US Federal troops.
July 15, 2012 - Sailors on the USS Harry Truman and her escorts mutiny and sail towards Oregon to assist them in their struggle. The "Blue Mutiny" of the US Military begins. There is some chaos as other Federal units begin to mutiny on some overseas bases. Some other Federal individual soldiers and some entire units join the "Blue Mutiny" as well and head to Oregon and other states to assist them.
July 20th, 2012 - The Harry Truman is sunk off the coast of California by Air Force aircraft. Mutinies by other units are quashed as leaders are executed by officers loyal to the President. Some soldiers in the Blue States flee their bases to join National Guard Units. Those that remain on base are enclaves surrounded by National Guard troops of the states in question.
July 22nd, 2012 - The RED begins purging the military of suspect persons based on affiliations and the like. Many discharged soldiers, sailors and Airman flee to the Blue States as the so-called "Blue State Rebellion" begins. President Palin declares martial law and begins to institute federal rule by decree calling it "Gods Order."
July 31, 2012 - Canadian officers and military personnel are removed from NORAD and Space Command Headquarters at Pearson AFB in Colorado. Canada continues to offer asylum to US citizens and soldiers fleeing the country. Some soldiers who slip into Canada return to Blue States to join up with Blue National Guard units. Canada begins to mobilize its military. Units of other NATO countries are quietly mobilized to assist Canada in the event they are needed.
August 10, 2012 - Riot at the Canadian border crossing at Detroit as persons attempting to cross are shot at by Federal troops. Lines of cars are shot at and set ablaze by Federal troops. The Detroit Border crossing is closed.
August 12th, 2012 - NATO advises US units to leave Germany and England. Soldiers who do not wish to return to the US are invited to stay and many do so. Remaining US Forces are withdrawn and evacuate via Airlift. Whatever heavy equipment could not be flown out is demilitarized and left behind by withdrawing US Federal Troops. The US is given 30 days to remove all Personnel. US responds by banning flights from the US to NATO and EU countries by Executive Order. Thousands of stranded travelers, students and businessmen unable to flee before begin to make their way to Blue States or to the Canadian or Mexican border in order to return to their home country. US units in Iraq and units remaining in Afghanistan are attacked by insurgents. The units in Afghanistan are few since the withdrawal was almost complete. Those units institute a fighting withdrawal as they flee by transport aircraft. Units in Iraq are surrounded as they hole up in Baghdad.
August 14th, 2012 - US Navy personnel at the US Base in Yokohama are asked to leave by Japanese authorities. What forces do not turn themselves over for asylum to Japanese Self-Defense Forces withdraw to Korea, Guam and Hawaii or are tasked to assist in the evacuation of US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.
August 15, 2012 - US borders are closed to departing persons by Presidential decree. Units of the Department of Homeland Security are placed under the Eric Prince, (Head of the RED) and Law Enforcement is Federalized under the RED by Executive Order.
August 17, 2012 - In what is typical of many abuses by the RED, a 20 year old woman in Denver is executed for failing to wear a dress according to the new dress code instituted under the "Gods Order" Laws. Hair Salons and beauty shops are ordered closed and the sale of makeup and birth control devices are banned.
September 12th, 2012 - US Forces complete withdrawal from NATO countries.
September 15th, 2012 - Oregon is invaded by US Federal troops in an attempt to quash their rebellion.
September 20th, 2012 - Portland is bombed by US Air Force and by Cruise Missiles launched from US Naval vessels in the Pacific.
September 30th, 2012 - Portland, Oregon falls to Federal troops as the last pockets of the Oregon National Guard surrender. Lacking sufficient manpower, resources and equipment the Oregon forces were doomed form the start. Some officers and men are executed summarily by Federal troops by order of the President. The Governor of Oregon is hanged by executive order. The hanging is broadcast live on Fox News as a warning to all who would oppose Gods Order.
October 10th, 2012 - In a meeting in the Adirondacks, the Governors and key legislators of the various remaining Blue States elect the Governor of New York as de facto head of the government. The declare all Federal Laws and the Constitution of the US the was extant before the new administration to be in force in the area. They adopt the name Free United States as their name. The Council of Governors and the heads of the various state national guard units begin the process of coordinating strategies to maintain their republic and the safety of the people therein.
October 15, 2012 - Units of the New York National Guard attempt to seize Fort Drum, the HQ of the 10th Mountain Division and are successful as the units are understrength due to the mutiny. In a coordinated operation, Blue Rebel units seize federal facilities in their states and imprison Federal officers who refuse to join in the rebellion.
October 25, 2012 - US Federal Forces mass at the New York Border in Northern Pennsylvania in a standoff that lasts approximately two months.
November 1st, 2012 - Fighter sweeps begin as the US Air Force attempts to gain Air Superiority over the area controlled by the Free US.
November 10th, 2012 - A raid by rebel navy units of the Free US Navy based in Groton, Connecticut responding from Submarines, seize the remaining ships based at the Diego Garcia Naval facility which contain ammunition, vehicles and supplies for the Rapid Deployment Forces. They are then spirited to New York for use by the Free US Military. (Although the USNS Bob Hope is sunk by the Federally controlled USS Sacramento, the Sacramento is then sunk by Free US units defending the Convoy).
November 20th, 2012 - This the middle of a period of relative calm as both sides take steps to consolidate their positions. The RED continues to round up various groups people who practice non-Christian religions and ship them to Detroit (if they are in the East) or San Francisco (in the West). Some practicing witches other Pagan religions are summarily executed rather than shipped off because they worship Satan or practice religions against "Gods will." Prices rise for goods and services in the Federal states as world trade increasingly becomes disrupted. Groups of RED officers continue to make sweeps across Oregon looking for Blue State sympathizers. They adopt the Celtic cross as a logo on their uniforms and wear armbands with the logo on them. Its a symbol that becomes increasingly associate with "Gods Order."
However, the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have had their toll on Federal forces. The Oregon attack proved brutal on many and the prospect of shooting their own citizens has had the effect of polarizing some soldiers.
Blue state units attempt to fortify their positions with the limited manpower and resources available to them. Many of the new arrivals who manage to slip in have abilities to assist. Tens of Thousands head to the Blue States to attempt to slip in and get away from the repression of "Gods Order." While they would love to assist, Canada and other NATO countries have to have an official neutral stance given the nuclear capability of the Federal Forces and the lack of it on the Blue State side. (While some soldiers and units escaped with Nuclear Weapons, in many cases the codes did not come with them and the weapons are few and far between).
Several overseas US Federal military bases and facilities are seized by their host governments. Air Forces continue a battle of wits over the skies of the Blue States as they attempt to maintain air travel to and from the rest of the world.
December 27th, 2012 - An Air Canada Airbus A320 is shot down by a USAF fighter for "violating" the Federal Airspace restricted zone around the Blue States. The shooting is accidental, but the effect is to drive Canada into the rebel camp. US Federal troops are massing at the southern border in preparation for an expected invasion of New York.
January 15th, 2013 - NATO officially begins to assist clandestinely the Free US forces by shipping whatever spare parts were left at US bases in Europe and other countries which were seized after US forces left. Since many spares are universal among the NATO countries, the transfer of parts offers a respite the Free US Forces need.
January 25th, 2013 - The countries of Kenya and Uganda officially offer support the US Federal Government. Several other Christian-dominated African countries on the western coast offer their support as well.
Timeline of the American Theocracy
President Obama wins the final Democratic primary and the Democratic convention selects him as the candidate for the 2012 election. Tea Party and other Right wing groups stage a tumultuous demonstration vowing that he will never be elected again.
Sarah Palin is selected as the Republican presidential candidate after a stormy Republican convention in which the Tea Party and Christian Nativist groups drown out moderate elements of the Party.
September 15, 2011 - President Obama assassinated by White Supremacist and Militia member Robert O'Dell of the Ohio "Patriot" militia at a campaign stop in Cleveland. O'Dell is killed in the resultant gun battle as the sniper nest he was concealed in is stormed by Secret Service Agents. Vice President Biden assumes office vowing to crack down on the perpetrators of this deed.
September 16, 2011 - Republican Candidate Palin appears on Fox News to express condolences for the death of the President but then calls into question the electability of President Biden since he was not the Presidential candidate. Right wing media takes up this question, fanning indecision and the electorate begins to question the electability of Biden.
September 29, 2011 - A joint FBI, Secret Service and ATF task force begins crackdown of several so called "militia" units. The Colorado 44th "Jim Bridger" militia fights back resulting in a stand-off in Boulder for 34 days. The Police vehicles are shot at by RPG's and heavy machine guns.
October 10, 2011 - FBI agent Harold Rediker is killed by a sniper within the Boulder compound.
October 15, 2011 - Units of the Colorado National Guard refuse orders to surround the Bridger militia compound citing their membership in the so-called "Oath Keepers" organization. Units of the US Army are called in from Ft. Hood. Some members of these units also refuse orders, also citing their membership in the Oath Keepers.
November 1, 2011 - Sarah Palin wins the Presidency as enough doubt is cast on Biden that many vote for her in the belief that Biden is not legitimate thanks to a campaign by right wing media outlets and pundits.
November 3, 2011 - Units of the US Army, along with FBI and ATF agents storm the Boulder compound. Much like Waco, the compound is set ablaze by Bridger Militia members, many of whom kill themselves rather than submit to capture.
November 4, 2011 - Fox News, which has supported the Militias since the storming of the Boulder compound, interview several soldiers who claim they were ordered to execute militia members rather than attempt to capture them. Subsequent investigation proves the soldiers were nowhere near the are of Boulder or even assigned to the storming of the Boulder compound. Several right wing organizations pick up this rumor and it is spread through the use of social media on the internet. Attempts to explain or refute the interview are fruitless.
November 23, 2011 - An attempt is made to assassinate President Biden and Speaker Polosi. A state of emergency is declared in the Washington DC area and the National Guard is called out in order to maintain security.
November 29, 2011 - Militia members attempt to storm the Supreme Court, but are thwarted by soldiers of the National Guard.
December 15th, 2011 - The Joint Militia Task Force storms the compound of the Maryland Militia unit responsible for the attempt on the President and the Supreme Court attack. Many of the militia are killed.
December 29, 2011 - Units of Xe Incorporated are called upon to secure some areas of Washington DC as some units of the US Military are rendered ineffective due to many soldiers who refuse to follow orders to maintain security citing their Oath Keeper membership.
January 5th 2012 - Units of Xe Incorporated seize President Biden and Speaker Polosi and hold them hostage as Sarah Palin assumes the Presidency. Citing an unprecedented national emergency, Supreme Court Justice Roberts swears Palin in early.
January 19th, 2012 - Justice Sonja Sotamayor dies under mysterious circumstances. Sarah Palin nominates Judge Joe Moore of Alabama as her replacement. Many soldiers which formerly were disobeying orders are released from military custody by the President who calls their imprisonment "un-American."
February 20th, 2012 - In a Capitol building surrounded by armed militia units of the, National guard and military units loyal to the President, Joe Moore is confirmed as the new Supreme Court Justice in a swift vote. Some objecting Senators are taken away by armed guards. Of those taken away, some disappear under mysterious circumstances.
February 22, 2012 - Cynthia Dunbar, formerly of the Texas Education Standards Board, is confirmed as Secretary of Education vowing to "bring God back to the classroom."
February 29, 2012 - Many Americans fearing for their safety begin to gather at the borders of Canada and Mexico fleeing the country as a campaign of intimidation and ostracized by Tea Party sympathizers. Canada grants asylum to many, but the numbers are starting to grow overwhelmingly as a wave of religious oppression begins in America.
March 14th, 2012 - President Palin proposes the first of many laws designed to "bring a Godly presence to government." Among these are laws withdrawing the United States from the United Nations, criminalizing homosexuality, instituting broad censorship of media outlets across the spectrum from television to Internet and criminalizing "disrespect of God." The penalty of many of these laws are low, but the sentiment in the country promises that such laws will be strictly enforced.
March 17th, 2012 - The City of Berkely, CA is among the first of many cities and states to object to the new laws proposed. Many cities in California, Oregon, and other "blue states" pass resolutions condemning the laws.
March 29th, 2012 - After a tumultuous debate, the slate of laws are passed by the House and Senate. They are quickly signed into law by President Palin in a Rose Garden ceremony. In a speech at the signing ceremony, she states that, "We have begun a new order in which the Lord and Jesus Christ will be the king of our land."
March 31, 2012 - Former President Biden and Former Speaker Pelosi are charged with treason by the Justice Department for facilitating Obama's Presidency. In the charges, it is alleged that Obama was not a citizen of the United States due to his status as a Kenyan citizen (or Indonesian depending on the media outlet originating the story). Hearings begin to nullify laws passed during the Obama Administration due to their alleged illegality and the alleged illegitimacy of the Presidency.
April 1, 2012 - The Religious Enforcement Division (RED) of the Department of Homeland Security is created by executive order to enforce the slate of laws passed in March since many professionals at the various agencies object to enforcing them. The new agency is staffed with extremists from various Christian religions, among the Eric Prince, former head of Blackwater (Xe Incorporated) who is the head of the new agency.
April 2, 2012 - The offices of MSNBC are stormed by Federal agents and many of the media personalities are arrested for Treason. Among them are Rachael Maddow, Keith Olberman and others. MSNBC is taken off the air. Similar raids take place at the offices of other Media companies, newspapers and radio stations in the ensuing days. Some reporters and media personalities slip away and flee to Canada or Europe who grant asylum.
April 12, 2012 - NATO forces, citing the present US policies state they will no longer support US operations in Afghanistan. Their forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, leaving the US alone.
April 22nd, 2012 - Former President Biden and Former Speaker Polosi are moved to a High Security Federal Penitentiary in Colorado.
May 23rd, 2012 - Troops from the US Army (apparently forgetting their Oath Keeper oaths) under the auspices of the RED raid various sections of Dearborn and Detroit to start rounding up persons of Arab decent regardless of citizenship. Similar raids take place in various Southwestern states with the exception that the persons rounded up are of Hispanic decent. Raids at various "gay bars" start rounding up persons alleged to be homosexual. In spite of statements to the contrary, many are killed in these initial raids by overzealous personnel in the RED.
May 25th, 2012 - New gun control laws are instituted requiring an RED background check before one can purchase a firearm. A letter or similar document from a pastor or other "approved" church leader is needed before a firearm can be purchased.
May 27th, 2012 - Citing lack of support by their allies, President Palin quietly withdraws US troops from Afghanistan. This is not seen as a setback as they are going to be desperately needed to quell domestic disturbances. This goes unreported in the media due to censorship. Units are consolidated in Iraq as insurgent attacks increase.
May 30, 2012 - Federal troops seize control of Berkley and other locations in the San Francisco Bay Area as roundups begin of homosexual and other undesirables. A new "Federal District" is created in the area to house "displaced persons." Homosexuals from other locations throughout the country are brought to this area to be "processed." A similar area is created in the Detroit and Dearborn areas to house persons of Arab decent. The city of El Paso is cordoned off to create a similar district for Hispanics. They are then deported across the border to Mexico. (Strangely enough, persons of Cuban decent are not included, but it is strongly suggested that they remain in Florida so that they not be confused with Hispanics from other areas. Due to this, many Hispanics of all countries flee to Florida to escape arrest).
June 5, 2012 - in order to prevent "confusion," persons of Hispanic or Arab decent are required to wear flags on their clothing indicating whether they are a legal citizen or not. This does not stop the arbitrary detentions or arrests as people are known to wear the flags regardless of their citizenship status. The penalties for violations are harsh if one is caught wearing a flag he is not entitled to wear. Persons on temporary visas are required to wear a flag of their country of origin either on their clothing or in a pouch contained on or about their person visible to law enforcement personnel. All citizens are encouraged to carry required display identification and display such if approached by law enforcement. Failure to do so is enforced by harsh penalties as well. Homosexuals are required to wear pink triangles on their clothing. Hispanic radio and television stations and other media outlets are ordered to begin broadcasting in English under penalty of license forfeiture. Border control officers along the Mexican border are now advised to "shoot to kill" anyone trying to get across the border from Mexico. Many Restaurants and Yard Care companies close due to lack of personnel.
June 20th, 2012 - In order to prevent "confusion" in news reporting and media outlets, all media outlets are closed down in favor of Fox News and other Murdoch and conservative owned papers, electronic media, radio and television stations. The newspapers, radio stations, and television and cable outlets of several cities are seized and given over to the new government sanctioned media monopoly. Glenn Beck is appointed to the revised Federal Communications Commission which is given responsibility to apply the new directives concerning the media. Stations not seized and not in the affected areas are strongly encouraged to broadcast the sanctioned media.
June 30th, 2012 - A resolution in the Oregon State legislature proposes secession from the United States. The Governor of Oregon mobilizes the National Guard in his state to protect its citizens from the new Federal Laws and seizures. A similar resolution is proposed in California but is quickly quashed by conservative legislators. Governor Schwarzenegger resigns rather than enforce the new federal laws.
July 1, 2012 - Federal troops from Fort Lewis, Fort Ord and Camp Pendelton are mobilized in order to invade Oregon in the first step to quash the so-called "Blue State Rebellion." Oregon passes its secession resolution by acclimation. The States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York all pass resolutions to join Oregon. These states mobilize their various National Guard Units. The State of Maine petitions Canada for assistance to protect itself from US Federal troops.
July 15, 2012 - Sailors on the USS Harry Truman and her escorts mutiny and sail towards Oregon to assist them in their struggle. The "Blue Mutiny" of the US Military begins. There is some chaos as other Federal units begin to mutiny on some overseas bases. Some other Federal individual soldiers and some entire units join the "Blue Mutiny" as well and head to Oregon and other states to assist them.
July 20th, 2012 - The Harry Truman is sunk off the coast of California by Air Force aircraft. Mutinies by other units are quashed as leaders are executed by officers loyal to the President. Some soldiers in the Blue States flee their bases to join National Guard Units. Those that remain on base are enclaves surrounded by National Guard troops of the states in question.
July 22nd, 2012 - The RED begins purging the military of suspect persons based on affiliations and the like. Many discharged soldiers, sailors and Airman flee to the Blue States as the so-called "Blue State Rebellion" begins. President Palin declares martial law and begins to institute federal rule by decree calling it "Gods Order."
July 31, 2012 - Canadian officers and military personnel are removed from NORAD and Space Command Headquarters at Pearson AFB in Colorado. Canada continues to offer asylum to US citizens and soldiers fleeing the country. Some soldiers who slip into Canada return to Blue States to join up with Blue National Guard units. Canada begins to mobilize its military. Units of other NATO countries are quietly mobilized to assist Canada in the event they are needed.
August 10, 2012 - Riot at the Canadian border crossing at Detroit as persons attempting to cross are shot at by Federal troops. Lines of cars are shot at and set ablaze by Federal troops. The Detroit Border crossing is closed.
August 12th, 2012 - NATO advises US units to leave Germany and England. Soldiers who do not wish to return to the US are invited to stay and many do so. Remaining US Forces are withdrawn and evacuate via Airlift. Whatever heavy equipment could not be flown out is demilitarized and left behind by withdrawing US Federal Troops. The US is given 30 days to remove all Personnel. US responds by banning flights from the US to NATO and EU countries by Executive Order. Thousands of stranded travelers, students and businessmen unable to flee before begin to make their way to Blue States or to the Canadian or Mexican border in order to return to their home country. US units in Iraq and units remaining in Afghanistan are attacked by insurgents. The units in Afghanistan are few since the withdrawal was almost complete. Those units institute a fighting withdrawal as they flee by transport aircraft. Units in Iraq are surrounded as they hole up in Baghdad.
August 14th, 2012 - US Navy personnel at the US Base in Yokohama are asked to leave by Japanese authorities. What forces do not turn themselves over for asylum to Japanese Self-Defense Forces withdraw to Korea, Guam and Hawaii or are tasked to assist in the evacuation of US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.
August 15, 2012 - US borders are closed to departing persons by Presidential decree. Units of the Department of Homeland Security are placed under the Eric Prince, (Head of the RED) and Law Enforcement is Federalized under the RED by Executive Order.
August 17, 2012 - In what is typical of many abuses by the RED, a 20 year old woman in Denver is executed for failing to wear a dress according to the new dress code instituted under the "Gods Order" Laws. Hair Salons and beauty shops are ordered closed and the sale of makeup and birth control devices are banned.
September 12th, 2012 - US Forces complete withdrawal from NATO countries.
September 15th, 2012 - Oregon is invaded by US Federal troops in an attempt to quash their rebellion.
September 20th, 2012 - Portland is bombed by US Air Force and by Cruise Missiles launched from US Naval vessels in the Pacific.
September 30th, 2012 - Portland, Oregon falls to Federal troops as the last pockets of the Oregon National Guard surrender. Lacking sufficient manpower, resources and equipment the Oregon forces were doomed form the start. Some officers and men are executed summarily by Federal troops by order of the President. The Governor of Oregon is hanged by executive order. The hanging is broadcast live on Fox News as a warning to all who would oppose Gods Order.
October 10th, 2012 - In a meeting in the Adirondacks, the Governors and key legislators of the various remaining Blue States elect the Governor of New York as de facto head of the government. The declare all Federal Laws and the Constitution of the US the was extant before the new administration to be in force in the area. They adopt the name Free United States as their name. The Council of Governors and the heads of the various state national guard units begin the process of coordinating strategies to maintain their republic and the safety of the people therein.
October 15, 2012 - Units of the New York National Guard attempt to seize Fort Drum, the HQ of the 10th Mountain Division and are successful as the units are understrength due to the mutiny. In a coordinated operation, Blue Rebel units seize federal facilities in their states and imprison Federal officers who refuse to join in the rebellion.
October 25, 2012 - US Federal Forces mass at the New York Border in Northern Pennsylvania in a standoff that lasts approximately two months.
November 1st, 2012 - Fighter sweeps begin as the US Air Force attempts to gain Air Superiority over the area controlled by the Free US.
November 10th, 2012 - A raid by rebel navy units of the Free US Navy based in Groton, Connecticut responding from Submarines, seize the remaining ships based at the Diego Garcia Naval facility which contain ammunition, vehicles and supplies for the Rapid Deployment Forces. They are then spirited to New York for use by the Free US Military. (Although the USNS Bob Hope is sunk by the Federally controlled USS Sacramento, the Sacramento is then sunk by Free US units defending the Convoy).
November 20th, 2012 - This the middle of a period of relative calm as both sides take steps to consolidate their positions. The RED continues to round up various groups people who practice non-Christian religions and ship them to Detroit (if they are in the East) or San Francisco (in the West). Some practicing witches other Pagan religions are summarily executed rather than shipped off because they worship Satan or practice religions against "Gods will." Prices rise for goods and services in the Federal states as world trade increasingly becomes disrupted. Groups of RED officers continue to make sweeps across Oregon looking for Blue State sympathizers. They adopt the Celtic cross as a logo on their uniforms and wear armbands with the logo on them. Its a symbol that becomes increasingly associate with "Gods Order."
However, the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have had their toll on Federal forces. The Oregon attack proved brutal on many and the prospect of shooting their own citizens has had the effect of polarizing some soldiers.
Blue state units attempt to fortify their positions with the limited manpower and resources available to them. Many of the new arrivals who manage to slip in have abilities to assist. Tens of Thousands head to the Blue States to attempt to slip in and get away from the repression of "Gods Order." While they would love to assist, Canada and other NATO countries have to have an official neutral stance given the nuclear capability of the Federal Forces and the lack of it on the Blue State side. (While some soldiers and units escaped with Nuclear Weapons, in many cases the codes did not come with them and the weapons are few and far between).
Several overseas US Federal military bases and facilities are seized by their host governments. Air Forces continue a battle of wits over the skies of the Blue States as they attempt to maintain air travel to and from the rest of the world.
December 27th, 2012 - An Air Canada Airbus A320 is shot down by a USAF fighter for "violating" the Federal Airspace restricted zone around the Blue States. The shooting is accidental, but the effect is to drive Canada into the rebel camp. US Federal troops are massing at the southern border in preparation for an expected invasion of New York.
January 15th, 2013 - NATO officially begins to assist clandestinely the Free US forces by shipping whatever spare parts were left at US bases in Europe and other countries which were seized after US forces left. Since many spares are universal among the NATO countries, the transfer of parts offers a respite the Free US Forces need.
January 25th, 2013 - The countries of Kenya and Uganda officially offer support the US Federal Government. Several other Christian-dominated African countries on the western coast offer their support as well.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
I wonder if he does everything God tells him to do
Man tells cops God told him to stroll in the nude
THIBODAUX, La. (AP) -- A man who told police that God told him to walk the streets naked to save his soul has been arrested. Thibodaux police responded to an obscenity complaint around 2 a.m. Thursday and found Shafiq Mohamed walking nude down the street. When approached, Mohamed reportedly told officers that "America raped him" and added God told him to walk the streets naked to save his soul.
Mohamed was taken into custody and charged with obscenity. He was booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center where he awaited bail.
It was not immediately known whether Mohamed has an attorney.
� 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Friday, May 21, 2010
Martin Niem�ller updated for 2010
In researching this I had to read the original poem by Niemoller which, translated from German reads thus:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Now this poem has been quoted many ways, but from my research this is the original. There have been variants which have included the Catholics, the Homosexuals, and what have you. Niemoller varied it depending on the year.
What would the modern version say?
First they came for the communists, but I was not a communist and they were our enemy anyway so I was not concerned.
Then they came for the anti-war protesters. I wasn't necessarally for the war, but then we stopped fighting the war, and they faded away.
Then President Reagan fired all the Air Traffic Controllers because they had the audacity to strike. I thought Reagan did the right thing because it disrupted my travel plans. In fact, we needed to get rid of all those pesky unions and their silly rules to keep the corporations in check. We let Reagan do that and now we have no unions.
Then they deregulated the banks. They let banks sell insurance and play the stock market with our savings. I didn't say anything because I was getting rich and my 401 K was getting large.
Then they came for those "Activist Judges," you know, the ones who "leglislate from the bench." Yeah, those judges that made Abortion legal and forced us to go to school with black kids. Yeah, we got those guys out of there and replaced them with judges who say that corporations are people and that even though that fella Al Gore got the most votes, that George Bush was the man who won the election and he should be President of the United States.
Then they came for the Welfare recipients. I didn't care because they were lazy bastards anyway and we needed to get them to work. It didn't matter that the only jobs they could get were the menial ones that didn't pay anything, no child care and if the welfare recipient was a single mother left the child at home to raise themselves. I didn't care just as long as those welfare mothers had a job and weren't on the dole.
Then the came for the Arabs. I didn't care because the Arabs had smashed some planes into our buildings. Anyone who wore a rag was suspect as far as I was concerned. "Kill them all," I said, "and let God sort them out." It didn't matter that the Arabs we rounded up didn't have anything to do with the Arabs who flew the planes into those buildings. It didn't matter that the country we bought most of our oil from and had a repressive religious regime and that was where the Arabs who flew the planes came from.
Then we invaded Afghanistan. I thought that was good since the terrorists who flew the planes were trained there. But we didn't go in with enough troops and I thought that was strange.
Then we invaded Iraq. I thought that was good since they were Arab, we had fought them before, and they might have had something to do with those planes hitting those buildings. (Even though, as mentioned before, the country where most of those terrorists came from wasn't Iraq).
Then they came for the new President. They said he was a Muslim, that he wasn't born in the United States and since he wouldn't show his birth certificate (even though the State of Hawaii has it on file and there are announcements on the day of his birth in the newspapers in Honolulu) he wasn't the legitimate President of the United States. They accused him of being a Socialist and a Fascist even though he was neither.
Then they came for the Mexicans. Well, that was OK since Mexicans steal our jobs. (Still, I don't think for all the tea in China I would work some of the jobs that Mexicans do, so they really aren't stealing those jobs are they?)
Then they changed the textbooks. Thomas Jefferson was an idiot they said, so we should ignore him because he believed in the separation of church and state.. Instead we need to study people like Phillis Schfley, and Newt Gingrich and things like the Contract with America. Joe McCarthy might have been right in his pursuit of Communists even though he destroyed many lives of people who had nothing to do with communism and his lists were lies. We need to study Jefferson Davis and the wonderful contributions his cause made to the United States and that his words mean as much to the country as those of Abraham Lincoln and are just as great. We don't need to study people who didn't contribute much like the Latinos, since they didn't do much to make Texas what it is today. There were "unintended consequences" of things like the Civil Rights movement. And that the United States is a "Christian Nation" in spite of the fact that most of our Founding Fathers argued for a strict separation of Church and State because the kings had used the church to control the populace and we elected our leaders, they weren't selected by God, but by the people.
Who will they come for next?
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Now this poem has been quoted many ways, but from my research this is the original. There have been variants which have included the Catholics, the Homosexuals, and what have you. Niemoller varied it depending on the year.
What would the modern version say?
First they came for the communists, but I was not a communist and they were our enemy anyway so I was not concerned.
Then they came for the anti-war protesters. I wasn't necessarally for the war, but then we stopped fighting the war, and they faded away.
Then President Reagan fired all the Air Traffic Controllers because they had the audacity to strike. I thought Reagan did the right thing because it disrupted my travel plans. In fact, we needed to get rid of all those pesky unions and their silly rules to keep the corporations in check. We let Reagan do that and now we have no unions.
Then they deregulated the banks. They let banks sell insurance and play the stock market with our savings. I didn't say anything because I was getting rich and my 401 K was getting large.
Then they came for those "Activist Judges," you know, the ones who "leglislate from the bench." Yeah, those judges that made Abortion legal and forced us to go to school with black kids. Yeah, we got those guys out of there and replaced them with judges who say that corporations are people and that even though that fella Al Gore got the most votes, that George Bush was the man who won the election and he should be President of the United States.
Then they came for the Welfare recipients. I didn't care because they were lazy bastards anyway and we needed to get them to work. It didn't matter that the only jobs they could get were the menial ones that didn't pay anything, no child care and if the welfare recipient was a single mother left the child at home to raise themselves. I didn't care just as long as those welfare mothers had a job and weren't on the dole.
Then the came for the Arabs. I didn't care because the Arabs had smashed some planes into our buildings. Anyone who wore a rag was suspect as far as I was concerned. "Kill them all," I said, "and let God sort them out." It didn't matter that the Arabs we rounded up didn't have anything to do with the Arabs who flew the planes into those buildings. It didn't matter that the country we bought most of our oil from and had a repressive religious regime and that was where the Arabs who flew the planes came from.
Then we invaded Afghanistan. I thought that was good since the terrorists who flew the planes were trained there. But we didn't go in with enough troops and I thought that was strange.
Then we invaded Iraq. I thought that was good since they were Arab, we had fought them before, and they might have had something to do with those planes hitting those buildings. (Even though, as mentioned before, the country where most of those terrorists came from wasn't Iraq).
Then they came for the new President. They said he was a Muslim, that he wasn't born in the United States and since he wouldn't show his birth certificate (even though the State of Hawaii has it on file and there are announcements on the day of his birth in the newspapers in Honolulu) he wasn't the legitimate President of the United States. They accused him of being a Socialist and a Fascist even though he was neither.
Then they came for the Mexicans. Well, that was OK since Mexicans steal our jobs. (Still, I don't think for all the tea in China I would work some of the jobs that Mexicans do, so they really aren't stealing those jobs are they?)
Then they changed the textbooks. Thomas Jefferson was an idiot they said, so we should ignore him because he believed in the separation of church and state.. Instead we need to study people like Phillis Schfley, and Newt Gingrich and things like the Contract with America. Joe McCarthy might have been right in his pursuit of Communists even though he destroyed many lives of people who had nothing to do with communism and his lists were lies. We need to study Jefferson Davis and the wonderful contributions his cause made to the United States and that his words mean as much to the country as those of Abraham Lincoln and are just as great. We don't need to study people who didn't contribute much like the Latinos, since they didn't do much to make Texas what it is today. There were "unintended consequences" of things like the Civil Rights movement. And that the United States is a "Christian Nation" in spite of the fact that most of our Founding Fathers argued for a strict separation of Church and State because the kings had used the church to control the populace and we elected our leaders, they weren't selected by God, but by the people.
Who will they come for next?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Typical of Texas politics
Gov. Perry's temporary digs costs Texas big bucks
It costs more than $10,000 a month in rent, utilities and upkeep to house Perry in a five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion that has pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen and three dining rooms. Perry has also spent $130,000 in campaign donations to throw parties, buy food and drink, and pay for cable TV and a host of other services since he moved in, the records show.
The public spending on Perry's rental comes as the state grapples with a budget shortfall forecast to reach at least $11 billion over the next two years. Perry has asked state agencies to cut their budgets by 5 percent and the Republican House speaker has begun to consider furloughs and shortened workweeks for state employees.
Ethics watchdogs, meanwhile, say Perry's campaign may have violated state disclosure laws because of the vague way he's reported what his staff calls "incidental" spending at the mansion.
"Anybody who is not offended probably doesn't know what's going on," said Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, the Texas House Democratic leader. To spend so much while asking state agencies to spend less, Dunnam said, is "just rank hypocrisy."
Perry dismissed such criticism with a laugh when asked by the AP about the costs of living in the exclusive Barton Creek Estates neighborhood in West Austin: "If that's the best cut anybody's got of leadership in the state of Texas, then bring it on."
Texas' longest-serving governor moved into his temporary home in the fall of 2007, leaving the white columned, two-story governor's mansion so it could undergo repairs. A still-unsolved arson wrecked the 1856 residence less than a year later, and officials say it will take another two years to finish its reconstruction.
His 6,386-square-foot rental sits on more than three acres and was advertised in 2007 for sale at $1.85 million. Perry's state-paid expenses at the home include $18,000 for "consumables" such as household supplies and cleaning products, $1,001.46 in window coverings from upscale retailer Neiman Marcus, a $1,000 "emergency repair" of the governor's filtered ice machine, a $700 clothes rack, and a little over $70 for a two year subscription to Food & Wine Magazine.
Maintenance on the heated pool has cost taxpayers at least $8,400, and the tab for grounds and lawn maintenance has topped $44,000, the records show. All told, taxpayers have spent at least $592,000 for rent, utilities, repairs, furnishings and supplies since Perry moved in.
By comparison, the Texas governor's mansion is wholly owned by the state - there is no rent or mortgage to pay. As currently configured, it has about 9,900 total square feet, but most is public space packed with historic artifacts. Only 2,750 square feet is dedicated to the governor's residence.
Democratic critics have said Perry and his wife, Anita, could live in a downtown apartment while the mansion is under repair. Should he win in November, Democrat Bill White, the former Houston mayor and multimillionaire lawyer challenging Perry's bid for a third full term, told the AP he would rent his own home until the mansion is repaired.
The records detailing the amount of public money spent on Perry's temporary home came from the governor's office, the State Preservation Board and the Texas Facilities Commission, and were obtained by the AP through the Texas Public Information Act. Perry's office is still fighting the release of at least 10 e-mails about his temporary residence.
The governor's staff said Perry, who earns $150,000 a year as governor, has cut back on some luxuries in response to the state's tight finances. Spokeswoman Allison Castle said he has just one housekeeper, one full-time chef - although a second chef works part time - and a mansion administrator who left and was not replaced. Along with a steward, the salaries for the five mansion employees cost taxpayers $195,770 a year, records show. The governor's security detail occupies the guest house.
Castle also said Perry and his wife lessen the burden on taxpayers by using campaign funds to pay for their expenses and reimburse the fund for their own food. For the 28 months from September 2007 through the end of 2009, the campaign-funded "Mansion Fund" has incurred costs of over $130,000, including more than $56,000 for food and beverages. Thousands more were spent on flowers, tent set-ups and other rentals, the cable bill, invitations and unspecified "services."
That spending tops more than $810,000 in all since Perry took office in 2001.
"These are non-taxpayer dollars that go for entertaining and various costs that a governor's residence would have," said Perry campaign spokesman Mark Miner. "These are the same policies that were implemented for numerous governors before Rick Perry."
Perry's aides add the governor, who has made officeholder transparency a signature issue of his 2010 campaign, has fully complied with ethics and transparency laws that govern such spending.
But Perry's state disclosure reports describe the $810,000 directed to the "Mansion Fund" generically as "Mansion Expenditures," despite state requirements that recipients of political dollars be listed by name along with a description of the goods or services they provide.
"It's a fact question on a case by case basis to determine whether the actual payee has been disclosed," said Tim Sorrells, the deputy general counsel at the Texas Ethics Commission.
Sorrells stressed that he could not specifically speak about Perry's report. But ethics watchdog Fred Lewis, an Austin lawyer and activist who for years has urged the Legislature to tighten political disclosure rules, said Perry's reports may not comply with the law.
"When you do not describe who the payee is, and do not describe what the services or goods are, it's impossible for anybody to know whether the expenditures comply with the law or whether it is an expenditure for something that the public would like or dislike," Lewis said.
� 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Mama Test
I got this from a female friend. Feel free to borrow it.
THE MAMA TEST
I was out walking with my 4-year-old daughter. She picked up something off
of the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that. 'Why?' my daughter asked.
'Because it's been on the ground; You don't know where it's been, it's
dirty and probably has germs,' I replied. At this point, my daughter
looked at me with total admiration and asked, 'Mama, how do you know all
this stuff? you are so smart.' I was thinking quickly and replied, 'All
moms know this stuff..... It's on the Mama Test. You have to know it, or
they don't let you be a Mama.'
We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, But she was evidently
pondering this new information. 'Oh.....I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you
don't pass the test you have to be the dad.' 'Exactly,' I replied with a
big smile on my face.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Sad Ending of a St. Louis Tradition
In the next few days, in spite of all efforts to the contrary, one of the great institutions of St. Louis will cease to exist. I speak of our award winning classical music radio station, KFUO. Since 1948, KFUO has broadcast its 100,000 watt signal filled with wonderful sounds of classical music throughout the St. Louis area. It has won many awards and is among the highest rated classical music radio stations in the nation.
However, its ownership, the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, decided it was loosing money on the station and decided to sell it a couple of years ago. When the news came out, a group of listeners decided to put up the money to buy the station from its owners. However, the church was determined to adhere to its political and religious agenda rather than the loyalty of the listeners who had supported the station for years. It negotiated a deal with an organization called Joy FM which ALREADY owns and operates TWO stations in the area, broadcasting a so-called "Contemporary Christian" format to purchase the station. The deal may end up breaking the Lutheran Church here, but at least they had their way.
Local leaders petitioned the FCC contending that the deal or the transfer was not open to competitive bidding or taking the public good into account. However, the FCC apparently was not listening and the transfer was approved on or about May 7th. So, within a week, the station will be transferred and will cease broadcasting.its present format and broadcast its new format. The institutions which broadcast on KFUO, such as the St. Louis Symphony and local High School and College Symphony Orchestras, will have to look elsewhere in order to have their music go out to the public.
Again, the fundies have removed another symbol of art in their inane pursuit of spreading the Gospel.
However, its ownership, the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, decided it was loosing money on the station and decided to sell it a couple of years ago. When the news came out, a group of listeners decided to put up the money to buy the station from its owners. However, the church was determined to adhere to its political and religious agenda rather than the loyalty of the listeners who had supported the station for years. It negotiated a deal with an organization called Joy FM which ALREADY owns and operates TWO stations in the area, broadcasting a so-called "Contemporary Christian" format to purchase the station. The deal may end up breaking the Lutheran Church here, but at least they had their way.
Local leaders petitioned the FCC contending that the deal or the transfer was not open to competitive bidding or taking the public good into account. However, the FCC apparently was not listening and the transfer was approved on or about May 7th. So, within a week, the station will be transferred and will cease broadcasting.its present format and broadcast its new format. The institutions which broadcast on KFUO, such as the St. Louis Symphony and local High School and College Symphony Orchestras, will have to look elsewhere in order to have their music go out to the public.
Again, the fundies have removed another symbol of art in their inane pursuit of spreading the Gospel.
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About Me
- spacestevie
- I am interested in CNG vehicles because they are good for the environment and aren't powered by dead Marines. I still have a little hope for the world. Read the musings and enjoy.