War in Iraq

In recent news articles, the war has been a prominent topic of conversation. Whether this is because we are getting close to an election or because it just needs to be discussed, it covers the front page of many newspapers across the country.

The topic has not been an update to our efforts in the war however. It has become a point of contention among Americans, not just one political party vs. the other, but because we are all looking deep within ourselves as we read about the war and the effects that it is having to us and to the Iraqi people. One thing that really stands out are the two press conferences today by the Iraqi Prime Minister and our own President Bush.

The US has called for political time lines for the Iraqi people to govern themselves. The Prime Minister has stated that he won’t commit to time lines because this process should not be rushed and should be at the rate in which the Iraqi people establish it. Unfortunately, it seems that our American militia presence is the only thing keeping him up on that podium. At first, we all thought that the fighting were insurgents. People very much like and associated with those that felled our twin towers.

As more and more information comes out of the regions, and now from our own soldiers, we are finding out that this isn’t necessarily the case. While they may have some associations with al Queida, this is not the reason for their fighting. While they may all be Muslims, there are different factions of Muslims and in the case of Iraq, there are two main factions, the Shiites and the Sunnis, and within the Sunnis and within the Shiites, there are different groups that think they should be in power.

The only thing holding up the current Iraqi administration is the American military and its allies. We find ourselves in the middle of a civil war and that is where most of the fighting is currently. Our soldiers, as far as I can gather, are being killed because they are protecting other insurgents who are more than grateful to accept any US-led help to keep them in power. Who wouldn’t?

While I support the President and the American government, I do not agree with getting into someone else’s fight if we don’t need to be. This isn’t a country vs. country. This is North vs. South and we are the third wheel that doesn’t belong.

It is my hope that the American government and the American President begin drafting and implementing a plan for a full withdrawal of Iraq. While we may be doing good in that country for a lot of its civilians, it is their brothers and fathers that we are fighting against and it is only hurting the American people. The Iraqi people should resolve their own internal conflicts without our involvement.

Cheap Labor

As most of you know, I’m pretty big on the immigration issue. So, when I received the following information in my e-mail inbox, I was more than ready to share with everyone.

One of the key issues presented by the “affirmative” side of the immigration issue is that of cheap labor. Who wants to pay $10 a pound for oranges because we can’t find people to pick them or they actually want to be paid wages, worker’s comp, and the like. So, here is the arguement against it… Is it really cheap labor?

Cheap Labor?
Isn’t that what the whole immigration issue is about?
Business doesn’t want to pay a decent wage, consumers don’t want expensive produce, Government will tell you that Americans don’t want the jobs but the bottom line is cheap labor. “The phrase “cheap labor” is a myth, a farce, and a lie. There is no such thing as “cheap labor.”
Take, for example, an illegal Mexican who sneaks in here with his wife and five children. He takes a job for five or six dollars an hour. At that wage with six dependents he pays no income tax, yet at the end of the year if he files income tax he gets an “earned income credit” of up to $3,200 free. He qualifies for Section 8 housing and subsidized rent. He qualifies for food stamps. He qualifies for free (no deductible, no co-pay) health care. His children get free breakfasts and lunches at school. He requires bilingual teachers and books. He qualifies for relief from high energy bills. If they are or become, aged, blind or disabled they qualify for SSI. Once qualified for SSI they can qualify for medicare. All of this is at that taxpayers expense.
He doesn’t have to worry about car insurance, life insurance, or homeowners insurance. Taxpayers provide Spanish language signs, bulletins and printed material. He cannot be fired, harassed, or sued. He and his family receive the equivalent of $20 to $30 an hour in benefits. Working Americans are lucky to have $5 or $6 an hour left after paying their bills and his. They also pay for increased crime, graffiti, and trash cleanup. Cheap labor? YEAH RIGHT!”

More on Immigration

Given the energized political environment we are in, this immigration thing will be the hot topic for quite a while. It, along with a couple of other hot buttons may throw us into a state of chaos and possibly even war, (if it gets REALLY ugly), but I think the letter I'm about to post gives a more historical approach to immigration. I read this and knew I had to share it:

Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought alongside men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German-American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up anothercountry's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here.

These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that'snot what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900s deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

Rosemary LaBonte

 

War, an ugly subject….

I finally decided that it was time for another blog on this site.  It's been a while.  Today's topic stems from an article about Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg.  For those of you who don't know who Nick is, he was an American contractor in Iraq beheaded on international TV by al Queida.  The beheading was broadcast through out the world on television and can probably still be found on the internet.  I've seen it, its not pretty but I'm not sure when war or killing was ever pretty.

 Anyway, Michael Berg, father, in an article on the web announced that he blamed Bush,  Rumsfeld, and Gonzales for the death of his son.  That is just CRAP!!!!  I have seen the footage and none of those people were holding the knife.  I'm pretty sure that the terrorists were never directed, paid, or asked by anyone in the current administration to behead Nick Berg.

 "But its in response to the attacks by Bush against Iraq" you might say.  Well, we target terrorists, criminals, and people who would do us harm.  We do it in a way as to stop or kill them immediately.  We do as much as possible so that they do not suffer.  We do not target innocent civilians and if that happens, the soldiers that do it are punished.  Soldiers who have committed degrading acts against the terrorists in Abu Gharib (sp?) are being punished because of those acts.  We, as Americans, do not subscribe to the antics that are rampant with terrorists.  That's why we call them terrorists.

We are not at war with Iraq.  Let me clear this up.  We are at war FOR Iraq.  Iraq is the collection of individuals native to that region who have been under the control of a malevolent dictator and have lived in fear for years because of the sadistic things that he and his vile son's have done.  People died for their pleasure but no one hears or portrays those stories.  

We are at war with the regime that was in power that would terrorize and kill so many people.  That is who we attacked this week and it was one of their leaders that we killed. A known terrorist!  A known criminal against the free world!  A known killer among his own people!  That's who died.  That's who some of our people are defending.  

Things may have been different IF the persons kidnapped were soldiers and they were executed in a manner befitting a soldier.  Not a civilian beheaded on national television.  Not tortured but killed in response to the events happening.  These people are not warriors.  They are not soldiers.  They are cowards.  They are criminals.  They are disgusting excuses of human beings.  They hide behind civilians.  They kill innocent people.  Their attacks against America have not been against military installations.  They have not been against other combatants.  They have KILLED INNOCENT PEOPLE!!!!!!

 Mr. Berg, I can empathize with you about the death of your son.  But realize, there are bad people in this world.  You may have wanted to reconcile with al-Zarqawi but you know what, he would probably have spit in your face.  He sees no distinction between you or any other "infadel" in the world.

War is an ugly business but as long as there are bad people in this world, we will have to fight them.  That's why we have an army.  That's why we have police.  There are bad people, both foreign and domestic, and the army and police do what they can to keep the world safe for you to stand on your soap box and denounce those same people that defend your freedom. 

 I support the militia that defends my freedoms.  I support the president that directs the military and government.  He may not do an "excellent" job but I do think that he has responded with some really crappy situations the best he can.  This world is getting worse and he's doing his level best to make it better for everyone.  Regardless of how good or bad of a job he does, he is still my President.  I voted for him and am proud to have done so.  Someone has to do the job and given the alternatives, I will support President Bush good or bad.  I don't think he does anything for a malevolent purpose.  If he did, I would not support him but I do believe he has the American people's and the world's best interest at heart.

Out with the old… in with the new.

I finally did it.  I switched Alythea from Internet Explorer to Firefox.  I have told her before that she should use this program and it was available on her start menu (actually on the start.  IE she had to go through the menus for) and now I have eliminated the IE icons and in their place, made sure Firefox was more apparent.  I even showed her what to use and how to use some of the other functions like the tab manager and g-mail manager.

 It is great that we can start to get rid of the Microsoft programming that has plagued us for so long for something that works better, something more efficient, and something more user friendly.

There are some rumors of programs in the works to eliminate more of the Microsoft programming, mainly a new OS that will be coming out in a couple of years, and this programming will hopefully be better than the current regime that is Microsoft.

Now, if we could have some rivals for the Walmart Corporation that will make their influence less felt and eliminate the "monopoly" that they are headed towards.  It is my hope that they will get knocked down a few notches for their elimination of smaller mom-and-pop niche markets with their supercenters, but that is another blog entirely. 

The Constant Gardener

I watched an interesting movie last night called The Constant Gardener. It was a very interesting movie. Basically, it is a murder/conspiracy mystery about pharmaceutical companies and the testing of new drugs. It brings up a lot of philosophical questions regarding our health care system and our desires to beat death.

The main idea is that pharma companies, out to make big bucks, will make shortcuts to have bigger profits while trying to give the general public what they want. No one wants to hear how they develop the drug that will cure whatever disease as long as it it there when needed. So, the question is, if you or a loved one was dying from a disease, any disease, what lengths would you go through to save that person’s life? What responsibility would you put on your doctor? the pharma companies? Would you authorize the use of a drug that was developed using people in other countries as guinea pigs knowing that it was done in unsafe conditions or that the initial testing resulted in a high number of deaths?

It is a very tough question. At what cost would you save your life or the life of someone you loved? Would the deaths of innocent people be ok if the end result was what was wanted? Do the ends justify the means?

As I sat and thought about this and all the things that we die from these days, I realize that, as a society, we demand that our medical fields be able to solve all of the things that come up in our health. When they can’t, its THEIR fault. While we have made leaps and strides in these fields over the last 100 years, there are still so many things we don’t know. We put pressure on these fields and they, in turn, try to produce results. Some of these start out as benevolenty as they can, but with all of the regulations and resources required, these people turn to where they can to get assistance, business. These are people that are now only out for money. The relationship starts easily enough until business says to sell it for more and produce it for less. Widen the profit margins.

Now, this company that started to try to help people is now in bed with people who care less and less about what is produced as long as it makes a good profit. Even if the product is flawed, the collateral damage is not bad enough to warrant re-evaluation. It becomes competition between companies and that is the most important part, get the product out, make the money, and satisfy the investors. If a couple of people die in the process, so what? Right?

What once started out many years ago as a desire to better our lives has turned into a better our lives at the expense of other “non-important” lives and make a major profit doing it. It is really sad but will it change? Will we be so caught up in our lives that we will determine that it is ok? Will our shiney new developments be bathed in the blood of the innocent sacrificed for the almighty dollar?

Immigration Reform

All the news is a buzz with the new immigration package being offered by the Bush administration.  At last count, it had passed the House and was on its way to the Senate.  This has not made many illegal immigrants very happy, as it should not.  While I have not looked into the whole of the package being introduced, I have heard quite a few things that I agree with.  Here is my take on any illegal immigrant package.

 First, if you are going to come to our country to work, why can't you go through proper channels to come across the border legally?  Why sneak across?  I know it is difficult to come into our country and with the terrorism that has become a part of our lives these days, you can't blame us for wanting to be careful can you?  YOU may be ok but that guy standing next to you with the wires coming out of his jacket, well, we worry a bit about him.  We have to stop everyone because that terrorist is going to do his best to look just like you when he comes across the border.

Second, come here to do something.  Don't come to get on our welfare systems.  They aren't meant for you.  They are meant for our own degenerates.  I know I made a few people upset  about that one, but working in the environments I do, I get a consensus of those that are on state offered programs and quite a few are capable of more but just won't do it.  There are quite a few people that do need help and you can tell when they come through the lines.  Mostly because they have a well rounded diet.  There are those that come through getting steak and lobster and shrimp and say "This is on food stamps."  Anyway, I digress…..

Third, and this to me seems very important, LEARN OUR LANGUAGE.  Even though English is not officially claimed as our country's official language, it IS THE LANGUAGE!!!!!!  Take an ESL class, have someone walk around with you at all times when you would encounter an English-speaking native so that you can communicate.  Don't claim you don't understand and try to get out of situations because of it because, quite frankly, if we go to your original country, that excuse doesn't fly for us so why should it for you.  We shouldn't produce forms in any other language than English EXCEPT the sign up form for the ESL class.  We will produce a sign that says, "Learn English" in your original language as a compromise.

Lastly, if you are coming to this country to become a citizen, become an American.  This Mexican-American, African-American, etc. crap has to go.  That would signify that you have allegiance to 2 different countries and that's not possible.  Either you are an American or you are not.  If you are not, don't attach American to your nationality because its stupid.  People seem to what to hold onto their heritage identity and while its great to celebrate your heritage (because you wouldn't be who you are without it), remember that it is your heritage and NOT your nationality.  Most "African-Americans" that I have met and know have never actually been to Africa so why should they claim it as part of their heritage?  

This is a reason why our country is being torn apart.  We find more differences then similarities.  We focus on being seperated so we can be an island unto ourselves but we never try to come together.  Nationality is only one thing that causes us to be seperated.  We should look to finding similarities and common ground so we can be happy with who we are and who is around us.