Soldier of Glory, How Many Ears Must One Man Have Before He Can Hear People Cry?

To continue my offering of quotes regarding war, I present the wisdom of my favorite quotes from famous and not so famous military soldiers.

Regarding the cruelty of war, General Robert E. Lee said:

• "What a cruel thing is war...to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world."
• "The war...was an unnecessary condition of affairs, and might have been avoided if forebearance and wisdom had been practiced on both sides."
• What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness god has given us in this world..."
  

Regarding war, politics, patriotism & courage, the following soldiers said:

• "We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living." ~ General Omar N. Bradley
• "The military doesn't start wars. The politicians start wars." ~ General William Westmoreland
• "There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket." ~ General Smedley Butler
• "Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it." ~ General Douglas MacArthur
• "The dangerous patriot...drifts into chauvinism and exhibits blind enthusiasm for military actions." ~ Colonel James A. Donovan, Marine Corps
• "Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the cry of grave national emergency." ~ General Douglas MacArthur
• "War: A wretched debasement of all the pretenses of civilization." ~ General Omar N. Bradley
• "I believe that if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar soaked fingers out of the business of these [Third World] nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own. And if, unfortunately, their revolution must be of the violent type because the "haves" refuse to share with the "have-nots" by any peaceful method, at least what they get will be their own, and not the American style, which they don't want and above all don't want crammed down their throats by Americans." ~ General David Sharp
• "I hate it when they say, ‘He gave his life for his country.’ They don’t die for the honor and glory of their country. We kill them." ~ Rear Admiral Gene R. LaRocque
• "War is just a racket...I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else." ~ General Smedley Butler
• "Any forces that would impose their will on other nations will certainly face defeat." ~ General Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnam
• "It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell." ~ General William Tecumseh Sherman
• "The reality right now is that the most dangerous opinion in the world is the opinion of a U.S. serviceman." ~ Lance Cpl. Devin Kelly
• "The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault." ~ Major Ralph Peters
• "It is part of the general pattern of misguided policy that our country is now geared to an arms economy which was bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and nurtured upon an incessant propaganda of fear." ~ General Douglas MacArthur
• "The dangerous patriot...is a defender of militarism and its ideals of war and glory." ~ Colonel James A. Donovan, Marine Corps
• "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." ~ General Omar N. Bradley
• "War is a racket. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives." ~ General Smedley Butler
• "Putting aside all the fancy words and academic doubletalk, the basic reason for having a military is to do two jobs --to kill people and to destroy." ~ General Thomas S. Power
• " Vietnam was the first war ever fought without censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind." ~ General William Westmoreland
• "I learned nothing from war. War is not an activity for human beings; war is for criminals—rape, robbery and murder." ~ Roman Podabedov, Russian anti-tank gunner
• "War has become a spectator sport for Americans." ~Rear Admiral Gene R. LaRocque
• "War is at best barbarism. Its glory is all moonshine...War is hell." ~ General William Tecumseh Sherman
• "War is fear cloaked in courage." ~ General William Westmoreland

What does it all mean?

Previously, I published war quotes from former Presidents in "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" It is my intention to soon publish additional blog articles regarding war that utilize quotes from statesmen, philosophers & world leaders. Why do I bother?

I am very troubled that the government of my country has needlessly attacked and killed thousands from another land. My country is one where I have honorably & proudly served in the US Army. Yet, my country is trying to address it's failure in "packaging" it's honor by offering a $40,000 bonus to anyone who will enlist in the military. If this is not a bribe for one's soul, then it is outsourcing of the worst kind. It is outsourcing the responsiblity for truth of our citizens to those who are desperate.

So what is this undeclared war about?

I will close with a quote from Simon Jenkins of The Times:

“The crime was never 'an assault on democracy'. If Western democracy cannot withstand a suicide bomb attack on an office block, it is pathetic indeed. The crime was directed not against democracy but against Western policies in the Middle East.”

War on Terror, Indeed!

Mr. President, Where have all the flowers gone?

Over 30 years ago I came to the intellectual and emotional conclusion that there was nothing glorious about war. No matter how many John Wayne type of movies that I watched, I absolutely knew that there was no cause or reason that could justify the uniformed mass killing of mankind.

I challenge all readers of this article by asking you: Have you ever come to peace with you thoughts on war as a method on resolving conflict? Furthermore, have you thought about the specific consequences in innocent human terms that result from a leader’s cavalier decision to militarily attack another mass of humans?

Recently, during my readings, I discovered a computer file that contains more than 700 quotes and thoughts regarding the idea of "War". These quotes are from Presidents, World Leaders, Statesmen, Soldiers, Authors, Philosophers and Religious Leaders. As I read the quotes and noted my respect and knowledge of who provided them, I recognized that I was reinforcing my own personal realizations on the concept of war that I first learned over 30 years ago.

It is an excellent study for the open-minded and below I offer some of the most profound (as determined by me) by the category of former Presidents.

Regarding war & dissent President Dwight D. Eisenhower said:

• "May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."
• "We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
• "Together we must learn how to compose difference, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose..."
• "There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs."
• "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."
• "We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security."
• "How far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?"
• "When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it without me. After my experience, I have come to hate war."
• "I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it."
• "War settles nothing."

Regarding war & principles President Thomas Jefferson said:

• "I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be"
• "If there is one principle more deeply rooted in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest."
• "Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government."
  "War...is as much a punishment to the punisher as to the sufferer."
• "Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it."
• "They are nations of eternal war. All their energies are expended in the destruction of the labor, property, and lives of their people."
• "We did not raise armies for glory or for conquest."
• "The spirit of this country is totally adverse to a large military force."
• "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
• "I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind."

Regarding war & patriotism President Theodore Roosevelt said:

• "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."
• "That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
• Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.
• "...to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."
• "It is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else."

Regarding war & glory President Abraham Lincoln said:

• "Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose—and you allow him to make war at pleasure."
• "Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived."
• "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
• "Military glory--that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood--that serpent's eye, that charms to destroy..."
• "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
• "To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."

Regarding war & liberty President James Madison said:

• "Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other."
• "The power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature."
• "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
• "All men having power ought to be mistrusted."
• "The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war."
• "It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."

Regarding war, power, peace, duty & life the following Presidents said:

• "Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes...can no longer be of concern to great powers alone." ~ John F. Kennedy
• "History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap." ~ Ronald Reagan
• "We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." ~ Jimmy Carter
• "The guns and the bombs, the rockets and the warships, are all symbols of human failure." ~ Lyndon B. Johnson
• " Old men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die." ~ Herbert Hoover
• "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." ~ John F. Kennedy
• "Power always thinks...that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws." ~ John Adams
• "We Americans have no commission from God to police the world." ~ Benjamin Harrison
• " Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." ~ Ronald Reagan
• "America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all." ~ John Q. Adams
• "Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions." ~ Ulysses S. Grant
• "The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure." ~ George Washington
• "...no mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology." ~ Ronald Reagan
• "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ John F. Kennedy
• "Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war." ~ John Adams
• "People do not make wars; governments do." ~ Ronald Reagan
• "Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." ~ George Washington
• "War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." ~ John F. Kennedy
• "It is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow...that are the aftermath of war." ~ Herbert Hoover
• "Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." ~ George Washington

The current questionably elected leader of my federal government attacked another mass of people for not yet explained reasons. War was not declared as required by the U. S. Constitution. Tens of Thousands (perhaps more) of innocent lives have been needlessly extinguished. Over $175,000,000,000.00 of American taxes have been wasted.

Many of the Presidents noted above are military warriors themselves. Instead of infrequently and casually protecting the skies over Texas, they experienced the real horrors of war. I am saddened that the wisdom of this history was not consulted.

History will judge.

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

~ words and music by Pete Seeger

Blame Him! Blame Her! Blame Them! Spin, Spin, Spin!

My blog articles are getting fewer and far between. Like I recently did with my friend Richard, I am sure that I could probably state that it is because I am "too busy." The truth is that I have become disillusioned by the whole process of understanding and then caring with what is going on in our world. The normal avenues of receiving the events of the news have turned into a gaggle of over-reporting, biased, unqualified idiots with political or marketing agendas that are corporately designed to convince all of the American people what they should think. Furthermore, anyone who offers a counter idea or position to the set agenda, has their credibility and existence systematically attacked. With me being a former passive protester to the last unwarranted military attack by my beloved country, I could not stomach the most recent coordinated smear of a mother whose son was killed in Iraq. I am weary of the battle of thought and I am close to giving up.

Then….

Along comes Hurricane Katrina. Billions upon billions of dollars of property damage is done. Several hundred people lose their lives. Over one half of a million people’s lives are significantly altered, many have lost everything. All of America saw the death, suffering and human tragedy on their televisions. The sadness, bewilderment and anger are overwhelming.

When the sky cleared over Alabama, Mississippi and mostly Louisiana, the finger pointing and spin begins. How could so much human suffering have happened in America? Everyone has someone to blame and everyone who is blamed has a strategic counter blame. Over the last 2 weeks I have heard it all – It’s the President’s fault, it’s the Governor of Louisiana’s fault, the mayor of New Orleans "is no Rudy Guilliani" therefore it is his fault and it’s FEMA’s fault. My personal favorite is that God did this to punish all of the sinners in New Orleans!

I consider the word "blame" to be irresponsible and I suggest that anyone with any intelligence and compassion to beware of anyone who recklessly uses it. The basic principle of problem identification/problem resolution requires that a "root cause" be determined before any accurate evaluation of the failures to the people can be completed.

America is at such a point of misdirection for it’s people, that I urge every American to put aside all of their political and self serving influences and ask themselves: "What is my personal expectation of local, state and federal government?"

My own personal answer to this question is rather simple. It is my expectation of local, state and federal government to spend my tax dollars to primarily provide adequate services and safety. When the services and safety cross local, state and federal lines of responsibility; I further expect my Mayor, my Governor and my President to play well together irrespective of their political history or affiliation. This concept is not profound or sexy. There is nothing in this concept that allows for lobbyist or spending my tax dollar on "pork projects" or for taking my tax dollar and attacking another country without declaring war.

I am a trained Information Technology & Business Disaster Recovery Planner. On a much smaller scale, all of the elements of a Business Recover Plan are the same. Although I have no valid insight into the specific plan, decisions and activities by officials associated with the approaching disaster of Hurricane Katrina, I am confident that either no or an inadequate Disaster Plan was in place for the Area of New Orleans.

An adequate plan would have clearly and without flaw:

• Defined the key decision points (and who was responsible to make the decisions)
• Defined the roles, responsibilities and coordination of local, state and federal officials
• Defined all of the resources and requirements for a successful evacuation: personnel, transportation, temporary housing, evacuation routes, etc.
• Defined the security of property after the evacuation
• Define and evaluate a simulated test of the disaster plan every 6 months

The lack of an adequate, tested for success Disaster Plan is the "root cause" of the human tragedy due to Hurricane Katrina. Having a viable plan to save human lives is a basic responsibility of our governments and the omission of the basics is a tragedy of responsibility.

EVERY official who has made decisions to cut resources, spend tax dollars elsewhere and to assume the risk should be held accountable by all Americans. If you are hung up on "blaming" someone, then we Americans should blame ourselves. Afterall, we are the ones who elect these individuals who assume the risk of our lives. Just because I am not a resident of New Orleans or Louisiana doesn't mean that I feel any safer from my own local and state government working with the inept federal government.

The government is tasked with spending our tax dollars on the services that provide for our lives and keep us safe. Unless they do that, they are not doing what they were elected to do. I am tired of hearing "what we have learned" and "what we are going to do". I would prefer to not see bodies floating in the floodwaters or diminished to ashes by falling skyscrapers before there are John Wayne type responses. For those floating or pulverized bodies and my heart, it is too little, too late.

The 'War on Terror' is Over! Yipeeee!

Newsflash – The War is Over!

There it was in the liberal rag, the New York Times on July 27, 2005: Officials from President Bush’s administration have decided to “re-brand” the “War on Terror”.

The article went on to say “Administration and Pentagon officials say the revamped campaign has grown out of meetings of President George W. Bush's senior national security advisers that began in January, and it reflects the evolution in Bush's own thinking nearly four years after the Sept. 11 attack.

Evidently, the new brand name to replace “War on Terror” is probably going to be “The global Struggle Against Violent Extremism”. However, It is possible that the marketers are still working on it because on July 29th Donald Rumsfeld called the previously “War on Terror” branded product
“Struggle Against the Enemies of Freedom”.

If the Bush administration is truly having a difficult time with coming up with a better catchphrase for their military aggression, my personal favorite is “The Crusade to Kill the Evil-doers”. It has pizzazz and I made it up myself!

Where is the Parade?

When past wars ended in our beloved country, we had parades, didn’t we? Where is the ticker tape parade? Where are the people taking to the streets to celebrate? Where is our President declaring a national holiday to honor the victory?

Is it possible that there is no victory because there was no war?

The Undeclared War on the Undefined Terror

For years I have had my own personal “struggle against logical ignorance” when I have tried to convince virtually no one that there is no such thing as a “War on Terror”.

The United States Constitution and the War Powers Act of Congress clearly defines the process and rules for declaring war. Like with the Vietnam Conflict, war was never declared.

If this even was a pseudo-war, what kind of enemy is terror or terrorism? Why was not the name Al-Qaeda used in the campaign? There have been numerous groups of people who have used terrorism tactics in the past: Black Panthers, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hamas, IRA, Red Brigade and McVeigh/Nichols. None of these groups had a non-war declared on them.

Lastly, what kind of war is it that does not have any defined criteria for success or winning? I am aware that our president told us that this was a different kind of war, but I can only trust and accept a certain degree of abstract ideas. To quote the late great philosopher Johnnie Cochran, “If it don’t fit, it’s full of shit!”

If the “War on Terror” wasn’t really a war and terror really wasn’t an enemy then what was it?

After reading that the Bush administration has decided to “re-brand” the “War on Terror” and after understanding that it is their intent to “re-tool” the campaign, it became clear to me: The “War on Terror” was a marketing campaign.

What is “re-branding” and why are you doing it to our war?

I am a business graduate and I took marketing & sales courses. I remember well and I have a good understanding of the marketing process called “branding”.

It is mind boggling to think that “War on Terror” is a brand name for the Bush administration much like “Air Jordan” is a brand for Nike and “Walkman” is a brand for Sony. Something cannot be “re-branded” unless it was first branded.

If “War on Terror” has been identified by it’s creators as needing to be “re-branded” then it must mean that the war is really a product. If the product’s marketing campaign has to be “re-tooled” then it must mean that sales are down and the objective is to create a new “packaging” to improve product sales. Will Americans buy the new “brand” or will they recognize that it is the same old product in a new package?

Is our patriotism being manipulated here?

It’s not news until FOXNews tells you its news!

I realize that the “War on Terror” being over has not been reported yet on FOXNews. I also know that until FOXNews leads them to follow them, MS/NBC and CNN will not report it.

If you are someone who wants to verify these facts about the re-branding of “War On Terror”, you can do a google search on the terms “re-branding” with “war”. You should get 68,000+ hits.

Because I cannot link to the archives of the New York Times, I can’t link to the August 27th article. However, I can link to this excellent article in the
International Herald Tribune:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/26/news/terror.php

Why would FOXNews, CNN, MS/NBC, ABC, CBS & NBC decide to not report the re-branding of the “War on Terror”? I strongly suspect that it is because they have invested all of their credibility in it being a reality.

Conclusion

The “War on Terror” is over because it was a slick marketing campaign instead of a real war. Thousands of fine US soldiers and 10’s of thousands of innocent civilians have died needlessly. Close to $200,000,000,000.00 of US tax dollars have been spent with most of it going to the military weapon and support corporations.

Will the American people receive any closure for their patriotic trust and support? No. There will be no victory celebrations and no treaties with the enemy. There will only be a subtle changing of the brand name of a marketing slogan. Slowly and with little notice, the termonolgy will change. Goodbye “War on Terror!” Hello “The global Struggle Against Violent Extremism.”

As General Douglas MacArthur once said “Old brand names never die, they just slowly fade away!”

Is It Illegal? Or Is It Merely Unethical and Immoral?

There is much talk around about values and the lack of values in our ever-changing world. There are "family values" and there are "Christian values". There are those that will tell you that the current leadership in the United States is trying to fight a "Cultural War" and that the progressive liberals are the enemy.

The foundation of any value system is based on the moral and/or ethical behavioral decisions that are engrained in the populace. The stronger the value system is, it is more likely that good decisions regarding behavior will be made.

For the very worst behavior, laws prohibiting the behavior have been and continue to be implemented. Laws deem the behavior as illegal with varying degree of accountability based on the severity of the illegal behavior. With the exception of safety laws most laws are created to control and prevent immoral or unethical behavior.

Most disturbing to me is that there are innumerous types of behavior that, while they may not be illegal, are unacceptable and damaging because they are either unethical and/or immoral.

For the majority of my adult life I have functioned in the corporate world and most of the time I have been in varying leadership positions with strong expectations of proper ethical and moral behavior. With my responsibilities comes a clear understanding of various "codes of conduct" and "conditions of employment". These ethical and moral compasses clearly involve proper behavior in relationships with customers, peers, superiors and subordinates.
These are good and proper behavioral expectations and certainly should be taken forth to family, community and all other entities where humans interact with each other.

I want to examine some current and recent behaviors of some individuals in leadership positions and present my analysis of these behaviors against the moral/ethical standard.


Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, etc.

Since the U.S. Attorney General has appointed a Special Prosecutor (at the President’s direction) to investigate, I feel safe in assuming that someone engaged in some type of wrong behavior involving the exposure of a CIA agent. Perhaps it was illegal and there will be appropriate punishment. Perhaps it was illegal and effective attorneys will be able to successfully present that no laws were broken. Who knows how the legal review will end up.

But what about the moral and ethical implications about what happened? You must examine the "why" and the resulting human impact.

The human impact is easy to define. Regardless of the reasons or intentions, an individual’s career and quality of life has been destroyed. Certainly, there is also a negative impact on her family and friends.

The "why" question is more difficult to define. It has been suggested with significant credibility that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby intentionally and with malice "leaked" the CIA information to reporter(s) as retribution for an unfavorable article that was written by the CIA employee’s husband.

If you are these individual’s bosses, is this the type of behavior that you expect and support of your subordinates? Do you demand ethical behavior? Do you expect moral behavior? Who else is involved in the unethical and immoral behavior? Wouldn't it be easy to have a few discussions and make that judgement?

Regardless of legal determination, If I did this type of behavior at my place of employment, my boss would have me on the carpet and my employment would be terminated.

Governor Fletcher and the BlackBerry Jam

In my home state of Kentucky we recently elected a new Governor who ran on a platform to "Clean Up the Mess in Frankfort". His predecessor had engaged in sex scandal that embarrassed all residents of the commonwealth.

Unfortunately, as the new Governor and his cronies started replacing the state employees of their choosing they also chose to ignore the laws that clearly defined which jobs they were able to appoint partisan employees to and which jobs were "merit" protected jobs. As they proceeded to hire and fire employees at will, much of their "slimy" communications on who to get rid of and who to do favors for were being recorded on e-mail devices called "BlackBerry". While it was a nice technology toy for the cronies, it created quite a political "jam". The State Attorney General is investigating with plenty of embarrassing e-mails as evidence. Thus far, there has been a Grand Jury appointed and several charges filed against many of the top officials in the state.

The new Governor has stated that the investigation has been:

1. A witch hunt that is "politically motivated"
2. "No big deal, since misdemeanors are similar to jaywalking"
3. "Unavoidable, since he and his staff did not understand the law about the Merit hiring system"

Reportedly, the Governor is also considering granting pardons to all of those involved.

Meanwhile, several good state employees have unnecessarily lost their jobs while other favorable employees have been given jobs for which they are probably unqualified for. Many, many humans are hurt and their lives are changed.

Where is the ethical behavior? Where is the moral behavior? Where is the leadership that demands it?

Media Pied Piper Bill O’Reilly Gets a Pass on Moral and Ethical Behavior

Last year, Bill O’Reilly found his bad behavior being called to task in a civil lawsuit that was filed by a producer who was an employee of FOXNews. It seems that Bill was looking out for more than just himself as he engaged in obvious sexual harassment activities with a co-worker.

In case it has been forgotten here is the verified complaint that was filed in regard to this behavior:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html

Of course, this behavior was secretly settled financially. I wonder if the executives of FOXNews who participated in the secret settlement had a job performance counseling session with Mr. O’Reilly regarding his immoral and unethical behavior. Whereever I have worked, sexual harassment in the workplace is immediate grounds for employment termination.


Let’s Let Ward & June Decide!

Can you imagine if any of the above mentioned individuals with questionable behavior had to answer to Ward & June Cleaver?

The scenario would go something like this:

June: "Ward, I worried about the Beaver, Karl & Scooter"

Do you think Ward would then say "June, let’s let the Special Prosecutor complete his investigation and if anything has been done that is illegal, then I’ll take action?" Of course not!

Ward would say: "June, I’m going upstairs to the boy’s room and talk to them right now!"

And when Ward got to the boy’s he would not be talking to them about damage control and ways to skirt the legality of their behavior. He would be talking to them about morals, ethics and what proper behavior is. He then would make them accountable for their bad behavior as a life lesson.

Is this "Leave to Beaver" scenario silly & unrealistic? Sure! But how did we as an American people get so far off track from Ward & June’s world.

How is it that lying, dishonesty, corruption and vindictiveness are the norm?

I am concerned that these examples represent what is considered acceptable behavior by the leadership of our government and corporations. What concerns me even more is that if these examples are accurate….what more are they doing in the unethical & immoral arena that we don’t even know about?

Before the conservative right tackle the more complex issues of single sex marriage, stem cell research or abortion, perhaps it would be best to address the day to day immoral and unethical behavior of the leadership of America.

Me and Uncle Sam: Born on the Fourth of July!

My birthday is July 4th, just like the United States of America.

Along with my father, step-father and uncles, I have served honorably with merit in the United States Military.

I love my country along with the ideas for which it was founded. I have studied American history along with all of the more important documents that define its structure and principles. I have a very clear understanding of the meaning of patriotism.

In recent times, patriotism seems to have been captured as their own by the conservative right and supporters of the present administration in our government. The meaning of partiotism and who is considered a patriot has been spun to only be applicable to those who agree with them. To question the policies and decisions of this administration causes one to feel that the very essence of one's patriotism is being questioned.

I recently saw a bumper sticker on a car that said "I Love My Country, I Just Don't Trust My Government!" Of course, I thought to myself, "RIGHT ON!"

Not trusting or respecting a government that is corrupt with politics, power or influence is as old as the hills. It is not a question of one's partiotism and it is not a question of one's political idealogy. To not respect and dis-trust individuals and groups who are not doing the job the way it is supposed to be done is very American!

I was born on the 4th of July and I am proud of that fact!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy birthday to the United States of America!

May we both have many more to come!

Runaway Absurdity

So…

Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA was fixin’ to get married and instead she decided to hop a bus to Las Vegas. Although there was no evidence of a crime, her family reported her missing. Reports went out far and wide of this mysterious disappearance. Some clever person created the stupid name "Runaway Bride!" Sheeesh!

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans are very worried about Jennifer.

Then…

Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA shows up in New Mexico. She reports that bad people who were driving an evil doer’s white van had kidnapped her. Aha! Just as we thought! Greta Van Susteren is awoken at 4:00 am! Greta will get to the bottom of this!

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans are very relieved that Jennifer is okay.

Then…

Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA admits that she was lying. She had not been kidnapped. She only had run away because of the mounting pressures of her life.

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans are very disappointed that Jennifer is not the next Elizabeth Smart.

Then….

The top-notch 24/7 television “get to the truth when convenient” media decided that it was important to get to the bottom of Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA. It is reported that Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA has 3 previous convictions for shoplifting. It is also reported that while in the 7th grade, Jennifer Whatshername from Duluth GA got a ‘D’ in home economics.

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans are disgusted with Jennifer.

Then…

With unbearable pressure from the top-notch 24/7 television media, The government officials of Duluth GA decide to charge Jennifer Whatshername of Duluth GA with giving a false statement to police, which is a felony.


The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans are very angry with Jennifer for worrying them all over her emotional shortcomings.

Then…..

Jennifer Whatshername pleads no contest to the charges and she was sentenced to pay $2,500, 120 hours of community service, 2 years of probation and enough notoriety & humiliation to last a lifetime.

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans feel vindication.

Meanwhile….

In the refugee shantytowns of Darfur the systematic campaign of “gang rape”, murder and genocide continues. Over 1.6 million people have been displaced from their homelands and over 200,000 people have died.

The fair and balanced, educated populous of Americans say “Huh? Where is Darfur and how is that news?”

Perhaps Jennifer Whatshername should have runaway to Darfur instead of Las Vegas. Better yet, maybe she could do her 120 hours of community service in Darfur instead of Duluth. Afterall, they both start with ‘D’.

Absurd does not accurately describe how bad this is. How can one emotionally troubled woman from Georgia with trivial problems get so much attention from the American media while millions of people in the Sudan are being cruelly brutalized and murdered?

Like Richard Jewel, all the ignorant media has acomplished is to ruin the life of another poor victim. The emotionally weak Jennifer Whatshername should be given a percentage of all of the advertising revenue from the 24/7 media jerks. The next time you hear "fair and balanced" or "we report, you decide", think of how much you heard about the systematic gang raping in Darfur. Then salute the "Runaway Bride!".

If you are interested in learning about the genocide in Darfur, please check out these websites:

http://www.savedarfur.org/
http://www.darfurgenocide.org/
http://www.darfurinfo.org/

If you are only interested in learning more about the continuing soap opera life of Jennifer Whatshername, stay tuned to FoxNews, CNN and MS/NBC. Of course, you could also buy your weekly copy of The National Enquirer at you local grocery check out. Anymore, they are pretty much the same!!