Justice In The Heartland?!

Here is another case of our justice system running morally bankrupt and making more and more Americans frustrated and angry.
A man was convicted in Cheyenne County, Nebraska for sexually assaulting a minor child.(www.pasadenastarnews.com) The man could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. What do you think the judge gave this pervert? 10 years probation!!! Why she did is even more perverse.
The judge, Kristine Cecava said that the convicted pervert would not survive in prison because...Short!!!
In the coming up with this sentence, among other things she said the pervert would be electronically monitored for the first four months of the sentence and never to be alone with anyone under 18 years old and date or live with a woman whose children are under 18. The topper is that he was ordered to get rid of his pornography! Oh, I bet that he is shuddering with fear!
Even the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union could not believe it. The following from the legal director, Amy Miller, "I have never heard of anything like this before." NO KIDDING!!
When the ACLU can not believe it, you know something is wrong.
So, a short criminal can not survive in prison. I have a solution to that. Do not commit the crime-except in Cheyenne County Nebraska and hopefully you get "Judge" Cecava.
There is nothing more to say than this is a perversion of justice that a "judge" can hand out a farce of a sentence. It is a slap in the face of the jury system that we have and, with its faults, usually gets it right. It is decisons like this that make Americans of all stripes angry. Why would a judge show such concern for a 5 foot 1 inch criminal and not for the rights of the 12 year old victim? It is why the more we have judges like this that Americans lose faith in the system.
It is the perception to the average American that a judge is above the law. Because of the excellent reporting of Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly(www.foxnews.com), more sick judges are being exposed for bending over backwards for the rights of the criminals and convicted ones at that.
An independent judiciary, like the executive and legislative branches of our government can not go to the extremes of the far right or left. Some common sense must prevail.
Otherwise, we will keep getting sick judges who can not met out justice and put their own personal feelings in the way they sentence, or lack thereof.

Stop Calling Concerned Americans Racists!

Ruben Navarrette is a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Over the last few months, almost all of his columns have focused on illegal immigration and or how racist Americans are who do not agree with him and his views on the subject.
In today's latest tome (www.pasadenastarnews.com), Mr. Navarrette brings out the underlying reason why many Americans are concerned about illegal immigration...it all about racism! And why? Because the Senate had the nerve, I mean nerve, to vote on a resolution that English is the national language. And how dare President Bush say that those who are here illegally should learn English!
What garbage!
Those of us who are concerned about illegal immigration are concerned that they are not assimilating into American cultural life. They are clinging on to their language and customs and guilt-ridden liberals see nothing wrong with that.
I would like to point out Canada as an example of this gone wild.
One province, Quebec, speaks French as the main language. Roughly about eighty percent of the population is French Canadian. Yet the WHOLE country has to speak French and English. The French Canadians are seen with contempt everywhere else in Canada. They have blackmailed a nation into giving in to keep this province from separating and becoming a separate nation.
If people coming to the United States want this then we already have a problem.
It is not racism but trying to get a common sense approach into actually integrating these people into common American life.
If that is racism, then I am one. But it is not.
I do not want to take away the fact that anyone wants to have ties to the old country, but it is the old country. Once someone comes to the United States, they will give up that nation and become something very unique and cherished, Americans.
So, there is nothing wrong with congress and the president saying the obvious. English is the national language. It is the real pathway to citizenship.
It is too bad that Mr. Navarrtte does not get it. Fortunatly most Americans do.

Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay Education

California governor Arnold Schwarzennger will veto a bill moving through the California lesgisature that would add one's sexual orientation to history textbooks under the guise of their contributions to history.
That is a good thing.
Let me be clear, there are many gay and lesbians who have contributed to history and they are already known without having to make a big deal about their sexuality. Taking that approach would mean that all heterosexuals would have to be identified as such. So would bisexuals and polygamists.It goes down a really bad road that takes history over the cliff.
We have a hard enough time just trying to get young children in school to begin with, why make it harder? Most children are, regrettably, not really interested in history in the first place. What schools need to do is try creative ways to teach history, not political correctness and placating an extremely small minority.
There are ways that in teaching history it comes out, so to speak, that someone in history was gay or lesbian.
What we need is to ask the California legislature to concentrate on actually educating California's youth and not indoctrination.
Governor Arnold is making the right decision.

Let's Go To Conference

Tomorrow sometime in the dead of night, the United States Senate will vote on a "comprehensive" immigration reform bill.
That is the bad news.
The good news is that the House has also passed a bill that emphasizes enforcement first.
Now that seems like two totally different things.
Well, they are but because there is such a difference, there will have to be substatial compromise and the senate version maybe the one that will have more to compromise than the House version and that is good.
As noted in earlier posts, there can be no real reform without enforcement first.
And that is what the House is saying and in a much lesser way there are forces in the Senate bringing it along.
There is no way to bring over the cliff Democrats on board to enforcement first so there is no reason to try. However, there are some who see the reality of how Americans feel about the way this debate is going. They will compromise just enough to not scare off their base. They have to. They read polls too.
Look at the election in the California 50th congressional election race. Republican Brian Bilbray is running to the right of the president on this issue and will win on it.
The American people want a two track solution.
Start with getting some security along the border. Fencing alone will not do it and the whole border can not be fenced. More Border Patrol and high tech surveillance will go along with that. But realistically, it will not stop all illegal immigration. But it will be a deterrent to the unfettered porous access that illegals have now. Also heavy fines against companies that knowingly hire illegal aliens will help.
Then we can look at having guest workers and a sane way to bring along some, defiantly not all or even close, to the path to citizenship.
But, we should not see the vote in the Senate as a bad thing. It is good because now it will go to a House-Senate conference and maybe real reform will occur.

A Little Comparison

In today's New York Post(www.nypost.com), a short column by Arnold Ahlert points out the difference between radicals in two religions.
I am giving it away, but Mr. Ahlert compares the hysterical reaction in the Islamic world over some cartoons that supposedly depict the Prophet Mohammed and the reaction in Christian, predominantly Roman Catholics over the movie The DaVinci Code.
While it is very offensive to Orthodox Christians, there are not maniacs rioting in the streets looking to hang author Dan Brown of the same name as the movie. Yes, there are peaceful protests.
In the Islamic world, there is rioting, destruction and death.
I know that President Bush refers to Islam as a "religion of peace" but most of its followers are fanatics that are willing to die for something as cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
Those of us offended by the DaVinci Code look to it as an opportunity to share the Gospel message and that Jesus Christ is infact the Son Of God and putting your trust in him can save your life.
Read the Ahlert column, see the scorecard for yourself.
Any questions?

Juan Williams and Those Who Think We're Nativists

Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Juan Williams during the roundtable portion referred to those of us who favor border enforcement first as racists and the new word, "Nativists." and that may be the most backhanded insult of this debate.
Let's be fair. There are a minute few who have latched on to this issue and are infact racists, nativists or something even worse. But they are far and few between.
The overwhelming vast majority of us who want enforcement first, overall immigration reform second are not racists or nativists. We are very concerned about the fact that unfettered illegal immigration will lead to a breakdown in our society.
Maybe Mr. Williams needs to join Bill Kristol and those who do not have a clue as to what goes on here in California and make a month-long trip and see what the cost, not benefit, of illegal immigration hath wrought.
The fact is that because most do not have any health insurance, they overwhelm the emergency rooms at hospitals and free clinic programs. These are people and they do get sick, or injured at work or other situations. Because we are America, we do not turn them away. In California, the cost is so staggering that many whole hospitals are shutting down making a bad situation worse.
Many of the children of illegals are in school. Overwhelmingly, they do not speak English and have no incentive to. Even though in California we are an English immersion state, many school districts are through the back door promoting and teaching billingual education. That costs money. Also, because most parents do not want the school or the district to know they are illegals, there is no parental involvement.
Think illegal aliens do not commit crimes? Of course they do.
Because of the way our system works, if the crime is committed within the boundaries of a county, the county gets to first administer justice. If the criminal is convicted, they serve the time and then get to go through the federal deportation process.
It is all of this that is bankrupting California.
This is why we need strict enforcement of the law first. If that works, the rest of comprehensive immigration reform makes perfect sense.
But, it does not look like the two will be separated. So, that means that when the bill that passes the senate goes to conference, those who want strong enforcement must make the case and get what we can.
This is a national and security crisis that all sides need to take seriously.
It would also be helpful for people like Juan Williams to stop calling names and think about what serious people are saying about the serious issue of border enforcement.

Another Voice of Sanity

I recommend reading the blog by Barry Cassleman at Real Clear Politics (realclearpolitics.com) concerning the upocoming midterm elections.
It points out one important fact that I have overlooked
That in the Republican tidal wave of 1994, what is what the Democrats are banking on, it was infect the Democrats that were taken aback and not prepared for what happened on election day that year. As Cassleman points out, the Republicans are very aware and running accordingly.
There are some other salient tidbits that were analyzed.
Please read and comment

The Coming Episcopal Breakup?

On June 13, the Episcopal Church, or for us traditionalists, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, will hold the triennial convention in Columbus, Oh.
Hopefully, the church will not have a breakup over the most obvious and charged issue of homosexuals roles in the church and in particular over same sex unions and the ascent of V. Gene Robinson as the first openly gay and non-celibate man to be a bishop in the church.
But most worrisome is the fact that the church is straying further and further from Anglican ethos that are the three-pronged approach to faith and religion, Scripture, Tradition and Reason.
It appears more and more that the hierarchy of the church and their lay followers have decided that Scripture and Tradition are irrelevant and only Reason matters. If you only have reason, then nothing else really matters.
Hence, that is why if the evangelical movement is now the face of the Republican party in the eyes of the mainstream media, then my beloved Episcopal Church, is the face of the Democrat party. I mean, if you live in the six-county Diocese of Los Angeles, go the the annual convention the first weekend in December. You will see what I mean.
But, it is the issue of removing the Scripture and Tradition and having reasonable debate over any given issue is quickly becoming impossible among the liberal hierarchy with the people in the pews.
As a Christian, my most important task after being baptized is to spread the Gospel, "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"
I would like to remind those who are Episcopalians reading this that the following is the most succint and truthful confession of faith and I hope that our church meeting on June 13 remember the Nicene Creed. This is from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very god; begotten, not made: Being of one substance with the father; By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, And was made man: And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried: And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: And he ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father: And he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and giver of Life. Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets: And I believe in one Christian(Catholic) and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the life of the world to come.
Amen.
I hope that those that still believe that will prevail over those who have done their best to forget it.

Please Tom Friedman, Just Go Away

Poor Tom Friedman, the so-called foreign policy guru who writes a column for the New York Times and an occasionally tedious book that purports his vast knowledge of the world today.
In Mr. Friedman's latest tome for the New York Times, also in the Pasadena Star-News(www.pasadenastarnews.com), among his rantings is this:
What has eaten away most at support for this admisitration, I believe, has been the fact that time and time again, it has put politics and ideology ahead of the interests of the United States, and I think a lot of people are jus sick of it.
Wow! I did not realize that Mr. Friedman has his pulse on the modern Republican party.
What we Republicans in particular are upset with is the fact that President Bush has NOT been ideological enough on the matters that count and particularly on the immigration issue.
On the War Against Terror, there he is right to stay the course and bring Iraq into the civilized group of nations. But even there, because of a lack of communicating straight with the American people, we are losing our nerve, I am afraid. Mr. Bush needs to keep talking to us about why we are in Iraq and it importance as the central front, not the only one, in the War Against Terror.
But where Mr. Bush is losing ground is on illegal immigration. It is not all his fault. Mr. Bush is a genuinely decent man and believes that his middle of the road approach, which DOES lead to a pathway of amnesty will work. It may, but without intense border security first, everything else is off the table.
It would behoove Mr. Friedman to get out of the New York Times ivory tower and come to California for a month and see the impact of illegal immigration that threatens to bankrupt the state.
That is why Mr. Bush is losing support among many Republicans. But, I argue that this party is beyond this election and Mr. Bush and should look at a long term strategy.
We should be doing all we can to register and elect MORE Republicans to office and increase our majorities in the House and Senate. Instead, many of my fellow Republicans refuse to see the forest through the trees and feel that somehow we can "punish" Mr. Bush for straying off the reservation. It is about the future of our country and it WILL be worse if the Democrats are running the show.
Mr. Friedman, why don't you actually talk to some Republicans for a change and then see why President Bush has lost some support?

Senate Moving Right on Illegal Immigration

Finally, the senate is getting right on this illegal immigration issue by supporting the amendment by Alabama senator Jeff Sessions that authorizes a 370 mile fence to be built along the Mexican-United States border. It is shorter than the 700 miles in the House legislation but it dovetails into the secure the borders first, guest worker later that the nation wants.
A bit of realism here.
There are only 55 Republican senators and as we know some are just not particularly right on this, and many issues.
But, if there is to be any needed legislation, we have to get what we can now. The fact that this amendment passed 83-16 shows there is wide, bipartisan support for security. Not surprisingly, the architect of the McCain-Kennedy bill, the sycophant senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) voted against this. It shows that he is not a real serious player, but a thorn in the side of serious debate.
Having said that, it is time to keep the heat on and keep the senate moving towards security first. Call your senators, even if you are not sure where they stand on this. Put the pressure on. If we don't then all we are doing is moaning and whining and being not much better than Mr. Kennedy.
Also, e-mail those senators until you overflow their inboxes.
We need serious immigration legislation and instead of threatening to sit out, put the pressure on now and expose those, overwhelmingly Democrats, who are not serious about this issue. We need to defeat those with serious senators who will support security and American sovereignty.
DO NOT SIT OUT IN NOVEMBER!!! VOTE!!!

Finally, President Bush is getting a bit right on the illegal immigration issue.
In his speech last night, Mr. Bush for the first time endorsed a fence, not exactly sure what kind, but none the less a fence. Also, putting National Guard troops at the border is another good sign, but it is the fact that Mr. Bush started the speech by saying the obvious-that the border with Mexico is pourous and something needs to be done about it.
It is not exactly what I would do about it, but in context it is the best we can expect from a man like George W. Bush. However, lets try this argument.
If Republicans had a larger majority in the House and Senate, would he emphasize the psudeoamnesty program? Is it not a reason to elect more Republicans in November? I think so.
Let us get real, if the Democrats take back Congress, forget about any meaningful immigration reform. They will simply back amnesty and nothing to get to the crux of the problem. The Democrats need these people as they look to them as new voters.
The Republicans have not done a great job and are all over the place on this issue, but they need to get right on this issue. Take a clue from Mr. Bush. Talk enforcement and then lead to the other reform.
Again, if you think that electing Democrats helps the conservative cause, please explain. By putting the Republicans in the minority will not do anything but help those we are trying to defeat. Elections matter. Please read the book "Painting the Map Red" by Hugh Hewitt for were the Republicans should go.
A start is being done by the president himself. Talk enforcement first!

The Polls, the polls

A new Gallup survey of President Bush's job approval ratings out today were, in a word, lousy.
Mr. Bush only has the support of 31% of the public and a 65% against him.
Ahh, if only that were all true, the Democrats could call in the movers at the House and Senate buildings. I am sure that some are, but the reality of this and the slew of negative polls against Mr. Bush are the method that most are using.
The Gallup poll is notorious for padding up the Democrats. They always ask "registered" voters and even today, more people are throughout the country registered as Democrats. Hence, the poll is tilted with a built in favor towards the Democrats.
But, the accurate polls are of likely voters, the people that will actually vote this November. Since most polling at this point uses the Gallup approach, of course there is a built in negative towards Mr. Bush.
But almost any poll that is of likely voters, Mr. Bush's numbers creep back up towards the 40s and thus that is overall better news for the President and Republicans keeping control of congress.
BUT, do not think that it is something that should make those of us who support Mr. Bush complacent and just waiting to vote on the first Tuesday in November.
We need to be out in the hustings and when we support Mr. Bush, do it hard. When we don't, let him know it, but offer something that is a viable alternative.
Again, as I wrote in a earlier post, giving the Democrats control of congress to maybe punish Mr. Bush is pointless. It is the sign of a minority party that would rather be right than the governing party. Sometimes being the governing party is not always comfortable. There is give and take and sometimes, many times, we conservatives do not get all that we want.
But, governing and increasing that majority makes it more likely that we will eventually get what we want.
So, when you see these polls, question the methodology. Ask what their agenda is.
Yes, Mr. Bush has lost some support, but again, if you think that having Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is going to be a good thing, explain why. If not, when these pollsters ask you, give a thumbs up to Mr. Bush and a thumbs up to a Republican congress.

Democratic Scandals

It seems that now the Democrats are the party of scandal and corruption, but you would not hear much about it from the mainstream media if not for the blogs and alternative media.
The latest scandal is congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) getting busted for crashing his car, American made of course, into a barrier at 2:45am. When he got of his car, he should have been given a breathalizer, but he was not. Even as one of the officers smelled alcohol on Mr. Kennedy's breath, he checked the box on the citation, he was not taken to jail as you or I would have been. No, no, he was driven home by the police! Amazing!
If that is not enough, a top aide to Louisiana congressman William Jefferson was convicted of political dirty tricks.
Now the Democratic leadership under the stewardship of the "bright light" Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) is calling for the house ethics committee to investigate.
Actually, I would like to investigate the people of Rhode Island who keep reelecting this Kennedy fellow. I mean, is there not a better Democrat to run and win?
No matter, it is up to us in the blogging community, Fox News, Talk Radio to expose the Democrats as the corrupt venomous leeches that they are. They want to come back to power so bad that they will continuously overreach. It is why the Republicans will keep congress. If any sane conservative Republican thinks that the way to straighten out the shortcomings of the Bush Administration is for Nancy Pelosi to be the Speaker of the House or Harry Reid to be Senate Majority Leader, please explain that here.
We need to increase the Republican majority in both houses.
Maybe the Democrats think they have already regained control as they are acting like the run the place with their scandals, and more to come!

Double Standard

Another blonde-bimbo school teacher hooks-up with a 13 year old boy, gets a slap on the wrist and when she is out of minimal jail time, she gives him one helluva cell phone strip show, alas without a pole to slide down on.
What is going on here?
Why is it a blonde, female who is a school teacher, someone in a position of authority, can molest a student, usually male, get a slap on the wrist but the male that would do the same thing, whether it is with a male or female student, get serious jail time?
Well, some who would defend this say that it is because men are more than likely to be predators while the women are usually mentally unbalanced. Huh?
They are all unbalanced and it shows that our society and so-called justice system has a problem.
Lets change the situation.
Say the female teacher is a black, like Tyra Banks, the former supermodel now talk show host. She bops with a white, male student. Would people be outraged? Would there not be a double standard? Would the attractive teacher, because she was black, get more jail time? You betcha!
Lets says the female teacher is less than attractive, same scenario. Even more jail time.
The reason these blonde bimbos all but get off, no pun intended, is because they are blonde, beautiful hotties. They can do no wrong.
The facts are this. If you are a teacher, man or woman, you are in a position of authority and should never take advantage of that power. You should not be having sex with students who are not mature enough to totally understand what they are doing. You are a predator. You are going to cause serious mental damage when you abuse your authority.
Justice must be blind. That means everyone involved should not look at a blonde hottie any differently than the black woman or less than attractive woman or any male teacher.
They are doing wrong and the justice system must take this seriously because I am afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Don't Count Ohio Out for the GOP

The primary results from Ohio are in from last night and it may be a better night on the first Tuesday this November for the Republicans in this state and the nation.
Importantly, Ohio Republicans nominated the Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell to run in the general election. He is the worst nightmare for the Democrats.
A black, conservative Republican who has few if any ties to the scandal-ridden Taft administration.
Senator Mike DeWine, an actual disappointment, did win and will probably win a close reelection.
But, according to Michael Barone of USNews & World Report, turnout and voting in the Republican primary was higher than in the Democratic primary.
One would think with all the talk of the stampede to the Democrats that we should expect later this year that they would be real fired up to start the process early. But it was the Republicans.
It will be the Republicans in November and many independents who will be reminded that despite the minor divisions on the immigration issue, it is the Republicans that will assure a strong immigration policy, not the amnesty Democrats.
This maybe the underlying issue that will pull the Republicans from the brink and keep, if not gain seats in congress.
Ohio maybe a good starting point.

Review of United 93

United 93, the controversial movie about the doomed fourth plane hijacked on 9/11 and the bravery of those on board to take back the plane and prevent the terrorists from destoying either the capitol of White House opened over the weekend in second place.
Saturday I went to see it. It was a matinee and the theatre was about half full as it was the first showing.
It was what I expected and more.
It brought back the awful day and the hours of uncertainty that America was going through.
And what made it compelling was that the actors were no names playing the parts.
What the movie drove home was several points.
That it was the beginning of an average day.
That once the first plane was hijacked, no one really thought anything unusual, per se, about it. Even when the second plane was hijacked, it seemed to create chaos.
That ordinary people, facing certain death took a chance and did more to save lives that day than any one else.
Not to take anything away from the brave firefighters and police that gave their lives to save many in New York City and the Pentagon, but these were people not trained to do anything but get together and try their damnedest to take back the plane and save lives.
It is what made this movie so powerful.
It is why I believe that every American that has forgotten the events of 9/11 should see this movie and understand that the War Against Terror is what it is. A long and treacherous affair that may last and even outlast our lifetimes.