FREEDOM FOR...

Lynndie England and all her comrades that have been convicted and serving sentences for torture. If CIA operatives who were"just following orders" are not going to be prosecuted, then set free and wipe clean the records of those who were offered up as sacrificial lambs by the very ones who ordered them to "soften up" their prisoners using any and all techniques, including torture.

The story they will tell their children? "I signed up to serve my country, I followed orders as any good soldier does, I did what they asked. Then my country prosecuted and jailed me for following orders. I was one of their sacrificial lambs. Now, my son, my daughter, wouldn't you like to sign up to serve your country?"

I call on all who consider themselves PATRIOTS to notify President Obama and demand these folks be cleared and returned home to their family. Demand, also, that those who asked for the memos and those who wrote memos regarding the legality of torture be held accountable. America's principles and values are at risk and we must hold accountable those who proposed and supported the use of torture. Someone must be held accountable, these horrors cannot go unpunished.

TALKING HEADS & DUMMY ON DOWN...

Personally, I blame oj simpson for the mess that can now be seen on most any channel that carries news stories. Back several years ago, when oj was arrested for murder, everyone wanted to get in on the act. TV stations started the era of talking heads. Talking heads are speculators...

Speculate: think about things yet unknown...to THINK about things UNKNOWN...this according to Webster's Dictionary.

Now, we see speculation in action...it has become an action verb and it has and continues to cause this country and the world so many devastating outcomes. Looking at the economy and the shape it is in...more evidence of the damage speculating can do.

All the speculation in the world didn't convict oj, but it did make talking heads popular and millions are being spent keeping those heads talking. And now we have more talking heads, all who think they can tell us what is going to happen with Obama's economic plan and the right wing whackos (now including George Will, sadly) are, of course, telling us all how disastrous his plan will be. Even when we are all being told we have never been in such a position, but the talking heads are just so sure they know that Obama will be the downfall of this country.

The truth? WE CAN ALL BE TALKING HEADS. WE ALL HAVE AN OPINION, be it right or wrong, it just doesn't seem to matter. Here's my suggestion: reduce talking heads to folks who can give us accurate information and eliminate the spin. When I turn to a show that has spinners, strategists, or just big mouths, I leave that show. I already know what these folks are going to say(particularly republicans who issue talking points regularly, once you heard one parrot the talking points, no need to hear any one else). However, if the talkers are knowledgeable, such as Constitutional experts, economists without obvious political leanings, or people with past experience who do not have a political agenda to promote, I will "stay tuned". Long story short, I think for myself and accurate information helps me to come to a better informed position.

So REVOLT against the talking heads...besides I hate Pat Bucannan's comb over...yuk, how can anyone take seriously someone who is so vain that he trys to cover up bald with a looooong strip of hair growing from the side of his head?

Maybe its time, PATRIOTS to let advertisers know how you feel about the garbage they spew. Here's a place to start:

Bose Speakers, Kashi, and Gillette are three of the sponsors of glen beck who is one of the worst, most vile talking heads found in the media today.

Check them all out, take some action!

BURNOUT???...

Right-wing talking heads and voices, and most of the MSM seem to have such great insight and are eager to speak for all Americans when they announce that Americans are suffering from Bailout burnout.
WRONG, what this American is suffering from is CORRUPTION burnout.
A corrupt administration, w's, appoints corrupt lawyers to the Justice Dept. These lawyers were forced to take corrupt Sen. Ted Stevens to trial before his election because he insisted. He was subsequently found quilty...on seven counts. Now we learn these corrupt appointees threw the case. It is not possible that these lawyers did not know they were committing an illegal act when they did not turn over all their evidence to the defense team. So for a second time these lawyers sold their soul to the devil, perhaps thinking that w and his ilk would protect them from accountability and possible criminal charges, not to mention the loss of their license to practice law. Not so. w and his ilk could give a rat's a** at this point, about who the most recent "little person" in his administration is being called to task now. No, they got what they came after and if you are found dead on the roadside...well, in the words of Cheney..."So?" They gave their allegiances to a paper tiger and Ted Stevens, after being found guilty will never be held accountable for his thefts from the American people.
I remember a time when we would shake our heads in disbelief when we would hear of leaders around the world who would steal food and medicines meant for their citizens and keep them for themselves. How could any leader steal from their own people, allowing their countrymen to go homeless, hungry, ignorant? How could such a person come to and stay in power? Do you know how w made money? After bankrupting more than one company, his daddy's friends loaned him the money to buy into a baseball team. He and the other owners threatened to move the team if the city did not build a new stadium for their team. Voters said yes, lets build it and so taxpayers footed the bill for the new stadium A few years later, w, et.al sold their team, anyway...but this time they had a stadium to go with it...thanks to local taxpayers...w's take from this deal was approximately 13 million. The bushies have a history of stealing from the taxpayers...middle income taxpayers of course...the rich pay no taxes. Never has that been clearer than when so many candidates, office holders and appointees find themselves paying back taxes, cleaning up their "loose ends". Being in the limelight, trying to further one's career brings out a lot of "loose ends"...course, its all honest errors or oversights! Yes, of course, of course.

PATRIOTS, a big budget fight is coming on health care. It has been suggested by some that the only way we will achieve health care for all is to "take to the streets" as was done in the 60's. The Civil Rights Bill would never have been passed if Americans had not marched and protested, demanding that all Americans must have equal rights. Are you ready? Will you join those marches?

IN GOOD COMPANY...

During the Pres. press conference last week, I found myself in very good company. At the end of the questioning, Pres. Obama spoke to us all about persistence...I am a big fan of persistence. I have spent many years in school, and many think and actually say, that I must be really smart to have gotten a doctorate. My answer to them is always the same. I don't consider myself any smarter than the average person, but I am persistent as hell. Once I started the program, no way was I leaving there without that degree. By the way, I also found that a thick skin was essential by the time one gets to the doctorate level in school, but I can assure you, you can be a genius but if you don't have stick to it-ness(?), all the smarts in the world won't do you any good. If determination and persistence are not very, very strong characteristics of your personality, you may find the slow going and intense criticism difficult. Yet, don't ever put off anything you want to try for fear you don't have what it takes...IF you can be persistent, you will achieve your goal.

My spirits were raised after the press conference. Pres. Obama is a man of the people and he has learned in his life that getting thinks done means never letting up, never allowing ourselves to loose sight of the goals we have set for ourselves and our country.

ATTENTION PATRIOTS:

Another issue has surfaced. HR 875: A bill that would shut down organic farms and lots of small farmers. It will dictate that farmers will have to use specific pesticide-treated seeds manufactured by Mansanto(main backer of the bill). Calls must be made right away as this is on the fast track to be passed in the next week. For more complete info: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?vill=h111-875 Call your reps and senators today! Thanks

JUST PLAIN ABSURD...

I watched as Pres. Obama was holding his news conference and once again, came away with a renewed sense of spirit...but it wasn't to last long. The very next day I was listening to xm radio and heard that someone at politico.com had written an article addressing the question: Is Pres. Obama Overexposed? Overexposed? My God, can this man do nothing right? Pres. Obama is a president of the people, his campaign was financed by the people, and he has promised to represent the average American, to be held accountable, and to be transparent. Now, how are all those things going to take place if he doesn't keep us well informed, if he doesn't make himself available on a regular basis, and if he doesn't visit directly with Americans? Well, personally, I think the author of this article was trying TOO hard to carve out a niche for herself as someone innovate, creative, or insightful, placing herself just a notch above all her colleagues who continue to write about boring issues like, the needs of this nation and its people.

I along with many others, esp. the talking heads, thought I knew more about how to run a campaign than Obama and his team. I second guessed him all along the way and it turns out that he had a winning plan and really didn't need my well-meaning advice.

I welcome his high profile. I like seeing competence at work. I am proud of our Pres. and I hope he once again ignores all the nay-sayers and continues to communicate directly with his fellow Americans.

As Pres. Obama introduces his budget proposal, this is a very important time to notify your senators and reps. asking for support for the budget, particularly energy, education, health care, and the environment. Based on what Reps. and the Blue Dog Democrats are saying, Pres. Obama will need the support of us all. Patriotism=communication.

PATRIOT-IN-ACTION...pt. 2

The following article appeared in a local paper in a small town in middle Tenn.:

To the Editor:
We the people...These words have always held a special meaning to me, as they do for most Americans. These words mean we have a voice in our government whether it is on a national or local level.
A few years ago when the new jail and justice center was in the planning stages, a large group of Smith County residents made their opinion known in the form of a petition with many signatures.
This petition stated we were aware that our county needed a new jail but not a justice center with new court rooms and office space, since the existing court house had already been renovated and treated for mold at the taxpayers expense. The petition asked that a jail be built for our needs and not bring more criminals from state institutions into our county. This petition was given to a county commissioner who presented it to the committee. The commissioners voted to build only the jail saving millions of dollars for the taxpayers. We felt our voices had been heard.
Since then, a new vote was taken. I was told it is not being called a justice center but the new jail will have court rooms, office space and house state inmates. I was also told this was in the paper...after the vote. An offer had previously been made for donation of land in the county area to build the jail but was rejected due to the expense of transporting prisoners from jail to the court house. Land was purchased on a cemetery site and the taxpayers were responsible for more money to relocate the graves.
Did any other taxpayer receive a call, a letter, see a notice asking for your opinion from your county commissioner? Are the Smith County patrol cards being driven after hours for personal use? Did any other taxpayer get to voice their opinion on funds spent on the superintendent of schools office building? Did the chairs in that building really cost $500.00 each? Who was held accountable for expenses when our teachers are forced to buy a lot of their own supplies and parents are asked to bring copy paper?
Our county has one of the highest wheel taxes in the state of Tennessee but we the people voted for that. We were heard.
This is a time of economic decline, unemployment and loss of homes, which will be felt in our county revenue. While I am aware that housing state inmates does generate revenue, is this what our county wants? When this "not a justice center" but a new "jail with court rooms, office space and state inmate housing" is finished, who will pay the bill and maintain the existing court house? We the people!

E. has followed up on her phone calls with an excellent letter to her local paper. A true Patriot, E. is asking for some answers, alerting fellow citizens about important issues in the community, and presenting concerns in a very professional manner. The above letter would make an excellent model for anyone wanting to write a letter to their local paper.

Way to go E., I am guessing you have opened the eyes of your fellow citizens and we have not heard the last of this...

PATRIOT-IN-ACTION...

They say, all politics is local. So here you go:

In a small town in middle Tennessee it seems the county fathers were preparing to vote to build a new jail and justice center. Local citizens were not convinced a new justice center was necessary. So my friend and co-worker, E. became a patriot-in-action! She developed a petition to support the new jail, but not the justice center. She gathered pages of signatures that were presented to the County Commission showing the opposition for the justice center. The justice center was voted down, only a jail would be built.

Two years later, the justice center, known by new name, is back in the plans. Upon learning this, E picked up the phone, called her commissioner and the county mayor expressing(firmly but politely) her disappointment that the commissioners were ignoring the will of the people, to which the commissioner and mayor had no response. And at the moment, this is where things stand.

Every once-in-a-while, we meet folks who have acted very courageously and patriotically to protect citizens from their own elected officials. We are fortunate to have these pro-active folks in our communities. Without them, there would be no oversight, no one to try to keep the politicians honest, no one to speak for the "common folks".

E, you are a wonderful role model for women and young girls everywhere and an inspiration to all who love their community and country.

So Thank you E, Keep up the good work...make them look for a way out of the room when they see you coming! Keep them on their toes. Hold their feet to the fire!

In appreciation, "SO YOU THINK YOURSELF A PATRIOT?"is naming E. its very first PATRIOT-IN-ACTION. You make us all proud.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!