Classic Red

Ted Vs. Teddy, Who Was The Better Man?

2009-10-05T19:24:00.001-04:00

Lately there has been a great deal of talk about two famous men who shared only a name. The two Men Ted Kennedy and Ted Williams, were each famous however led very different lives. Lets take a look into the two men and you can decide for yourself who the better man was.

Theodore "Ted" Williams was born into poverty, his mother did the best she could to raise he and his very ill brother. Ted later went on the become one of the greatest American Hero's of all time. Arguably one of the greatest baseball hitters of all time, the Splendid Splinter had a swing like no other.

Having played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox, Ted, was more to Boston than just a ball player. Not only did he play baseball, but he was a Fighter Pilot in two wars, and championed one of the greatest charities of all time, the Jimmy Fund.

Later in life, Ted enjoyed fishing and relocated to Florida however his love for baseball never died and he was seen every year at Spring Training in camp with the Sox watching all the young hitters. As he aged, his vision failed him however still being a fan of Baseball and the Red Sox Ted, made a special guest appearance at Fenway Park in the summer of 1999.

Because of complications with the erecting of the new ball park in Milwaukee, the Mid Summer Classic was moved to Fenway Park in Boston. Prior to the game, the living greats were all brought out onto the field, including one Pete Rose who was given special permission to attend the game by Major League Baseball. Then in what can only be described as a scene out of a Hollywood movie can Ted Williams on a golf cart from Center field. The Flash bulbs went wild and yet a pin could have been head dropping from within the hallowed grounds of Fenway. With what seemed like hours the Golf Cart slowly made its way to the infield by the pitchers mound and like children in a candy shop all the great players of the day and from the past surrounded Ted. The last baseball memory of Ted was him throwing that All Star Game First pitch and considering he was almost totally blind the ball sailed right over the plate...

Edward "Teddy" Kennedy was a man completely different than Ted Williams, Kennedy was not a war hero, didn't play baseball, and he sure was not born into poverty. Teddy Kennedy was born into wealth, his Grandfather was a bootlegger and a pretty lowly character. As a young adult Teddy was rumored to have driven his car into a pond while drunk and waiting for more than thirty minutes to go for help, knowing full well that his girlfriend was trapped in the submerged vehicle. Teddy later went on to become a career politician even having run a failed campaign in 1980 against then sitting President Jimmy Carter who later that year went on to suffer the greatest electoral college defeat in the history of the country to the late great Ronald Reagan.

Throughout his career as US Senator Teddy, a Democrat, later a Liberal and near the end of his life and career a closet Communist, fought for things like medicare, social security, and socialized health care. These programs while well intentioned had and will continue to have serious repercussions, medicare and social security are pretty much bankrupt, and socialized medicine while still not in effect will cause devastation among our health care community and looking at the failed socialized systems of Canada and Europe we need to look no further than our own back yards for a system that not only works well but would work a million times better if the government got out of it!

So again I ask you who was the better man? Theodore "Ted" Williams or Edward "Teddy" Kennedy?

Usurper Obama Has NO Business In Criticism

2009-07-25T13:54:00.003-04:00

Recently (alleged) President Obama made a statement regarding a police officer without knowing the facts. He stated that the police department "acted stupidly" in the arrest of his "personal friend" and this is a clear example of his lack of leadership. The sad part of the whole situation is that it was the (alleged) President who himself turned this justified arrest into a "Race Issue."

The police officer in question is Sgt. James M. Crowley, a veteran of the Cambridge Police force and the instructor of a class to teach other police officers how to avoid racial profiling. Sgt. Crowley has an impeccable record throughout his entire career as a police officer and is commended by his fellow officers.

Now here is the scope of events leading up to the justified arrest. A woman walking down a street in Cambridge, Ma noticed someone attempting to (what she thought to be) break into a home. The witness then called police and stated as such and as always the police respond to the call. The Officer responding was Sgt. Crowley and upon arrival attempted to figure out what was happening. The person on the other side of the door began yelling and screaming and soon became very belligerent. The officer calmly attempted to diffuse the situation while keeping his cool. After minutes of verbal abuse the officer told the person on the other side of the door that if he had anything else to say he could step outside. The man then stepped outside and got into the officer's face continuing the verbal assault. The man was then placed into handcuffs and arrested for Disorderly Conduct.

Take a second and ask yourself, what would I do if this happened to me? Well I know how I would have handled and I will tell you. Upon the arrival of the police officer I would have opened the door to my home, stepped outside and greeted the officer. After inquiring about the reason for his visit I would have proceeded to reach for and remove my wallet from my pocket and handed him my licence. Stating that my name, and address were listed right on the face of the licence and that I was thankful for his prompt call to action. Once everything was cleared up and I explained my complete and utter embarrassment of locking my keys in my house I would have wished the officer a good day and all would be well.

Taking some time to think under pressure and staying cool emotionally will always make things easier. Assuming the worst and reacting with extreme measures or disregard for the situation will cause nothing but stress or lead to an arrest as in this case. The Professor's actions were not only uncalled for they were disrespectful and completely reckless. The police officer had every right in the world to detain this man and was completely justified in doing so.

The Massachusetts Politicians Do It Yet Again!

2009-05-08T10:19:00.004-04:00

If the tax rates in Massachusetts were not high enough already the citizens get word of another obscenity this week. A recent proposal to increase the state's sales tax rate by a whopping 25% was overwhelmingly passed by the state's house of representatives and will now face barely no resistance in the state's Senate.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a proposal to increase the sales tax in the state by a whopping 25% this week. The names of the 51 State Reps who voted with the people and against the increase are listed below:

Arciero D-Second Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 3, 5 and 7, of the town of Chelmsford and the towns of Littleton and Westford, both in the county of Middlesex. James Arciero (D), Westford.

Ayers D-First Norfolk. - Consisting of precincts 3 and 4 of ward 3, precincts 1 and 3 of ward 4, precincts 2 and 5 of ward 5, and all precincts of ward 6, of the city of Quincy, and precincts 5 and 6 of the town of Randolph, both in the county of Norfolk.

Callahan D-Eighteenth Worcester. - Consisting of the town of Bellingham, in the county of Norfolk; and precincts 1, 2 and 4, of the town of Uxbridge, precincts 1 and 2, of the town of Sutton, and the towns of Blackstone and Millville, all in the county of Worcester

Calter D-Twelfth Plymouth. - Consisting of precincts 1 and 6, of the town of Duxbury, precinct 1, of the town of Halifax, the town of Kingston, precincts 1 and 5, of the town of Middleborough, precincts 1, 11 and 13, of the town of Plymouth, and the town of Plympton, all in the county of Plymouth. Thomas J. Calter (D), Kingston

Campbell D-Fifteenth Essex. - Consisting of precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the town of Methuen, in the county of Essex

Canavan D-Tenth Plymouth. - Consisting of precinct 3, of the town of Easton, in the county of Bristol; and precincts B and C of ward 4, precincts B, C and D of ward 5 and all precincts of ward 6, of the city of Brockton, and the town of West Bridgewater, both in the county of Plymouth

Curran D-Ninth Hampden. - Consisting of precincts A, B, C, D, F, G and H of ward 2, precincts C, D, G and H of ward 5, precinct H of ward 7, and precincts A, B, D and H of ward 8, of the city of Springfield, and precinct A of ward 5 of the city of Chicopee, both in the county of Hampden

Driscoll D-Fifth Norfolk. - Consisting of the town of Braintree, precinct one of the town of Holbrook, precinct three, of the town of Randolph, all in the county of Norfolk.

Fallon D-Thirty-third Middlesex. - Consisting of all precincts of ward 2, precinct 1 of ward 3, all precincts of wards 4, 5, 6 and 8, of the city of Malden, in the county of Middlesex

Fennell D-Tenth Essex. - Consisting of precincts 3 and 4 of ward 1, all precincts of ward 2, precincts 1, 2 and 3 of ward 3, precincts 1, 2 and 3 of ward 4, and precinct 3 of ward 5, of the city of Lynn, all in the county of Essex

Flynn D-Eighth Plymouth. - Consisting of precinct 6, of the town of Easton, and the town of Raynham, both in the county of Bristol; and the town of Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth

Fresolo D-Sixteenth Worcester. - Consisting of precincts 1, 2, 4 and 5, of ward 5, all precincts of ward 6, and precincts 1 and 5 of ward 8, of the city of Worcester, in the county of Worcester

Garry D-Thirty-sixth Middlesex. - Consisting of the towns of Dracut and Tyngsborough, both in the county of Middlesex

Golden D-Sixteenth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 2, 6 and 8, of the town of Chelmsford, precincts 1, 2 and 3 of ward 5, and all precincts of wards 6 and 9, of the city of Lowell, both in the county of Middlesex

Greene D-Twenty-second Middlesex. - Consisting of the town of Billerica, in the county of Middlesex

Harkins D-Thirteenth Norfolk. - Consisting of the town of Dover, precincts 1 and 2, of the town of Medfield, and the town of Needham, all in the county of Norfolk

Kozcera D-Eleventh Bristol. - Consisting of the town of Acushnet, precincts A, B, C, D and E of ward 1 and all precincts of ward 2, of the city of New Bedford, both in the county of Bristol

Kujawski D-Eighth Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Douglas and Dudley, precinct 4, of the town of Oxford, precinct 3, of the town of Uxbridge, and the town of Webster, all in the county of Worcester

McMurtry D-Eleventh Norfolk. - Consisting of the town of Dedham, precinct 8, of the town of Walpole, and the town of Westwood, all in the county of Norfolk.

Miceli D-Nineteenth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 4 and 4A, of the town of Tewksbury, and precincts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, of the town of Wilmington, both in the county of Middlesex

Murphy, J. D-Fourth Norfolk. - Consisting of precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18, of the town of Weymouth, in the county of Norfolk.

Murphy, K.J. D-Eighteenth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 1 and 2 of ward 2, all precincts of ward 3, precinct 1 of ward 4, all precincts of wards 7 and 8, of the city of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex

Nangle D-Seventeenth Middlesex. - Consisting of precinct 4, of the town of Chelmsford, and all precincts of ward 1, precinct 3 of ward 2, precincts 2 and 3 of ward 4, and all precincts of wards 10 and 11, of the city of Lowell, both in the county of Middlesex

Puppolo D-Twelfth Hampden. - Consisting of precincts 1 and 2, of the Town of East Longmeadow , precincts D, F and H of ward 6, precincts B, C, D, E, F and G of ward 7, of the City of Springfield , and the Town of Wilbraham , all in the county of Hampden

Quinn D-Ninth Bristol. - Consisting of the town of Dartmouth, precinct 2, of the town of Freetown, and precincts F and G of ward 3, of the city of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol; and precinct 1 in the town of Lakeville, in the county of Plymouth

Rice D-Second Worcester. - Consisting of the town of Ashby, in the county of Middlesex; and the city of Gardner, and the towns of Ashburnham, Royalston and Winchendon, all in the county of Worcester

Rogers D-Twelfth Norfolk. - Consisting of the town of Norwood, precincts 1, 2, 6 and 7, of the town of Walpole, both in the county of Norfolk

Rosa D-Fourth Worcester. - Consisting of the city of Leominster, in the county of Worcester

Rush D-Tenth Suffolk. - Consisting of precincts 14, 15 and 16, of the town of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk; and precincts 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of ward 20, of the city of Boston, in the county of Suffolk

Sandlin D-Third Hampden consisting of the city of Agawam, the towns of Southwick, Granville, and Russell

SmithD-Twenty-eighth Middlesex. - Consisting of the city of Everett, and precinct 2 of ward 7, of the city of Malden, both in the county of Middlesex

Stanley, T.M. D-Ninth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 2, 3 and 4, of the town of Lexington, and all precincts of wards 1, 2, 3 and 4, and precinct 1 of ward 7, of the city of Waltham, both in the county of Middlesex

Timilty D-Seventh Norfolk. - Consisting of Precincts 2, and 4-10, of the Town of Milton, and Precincts 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8, of the town of Randolph, both in the County of Norfolk

Tobin D-Second Norfolk. - Consisting of all precincts in ward 1, precincts 1, 2 and 5 of ward 3, precincts 2 and 4 of ward 4 and precincts 1, 3 and 4 of ward 5, of the city of Quincy, in the county of Norfolk

Torrisi D-Fourteenth Essex. - Consisting of precincts 1 and 3 of ward A, precincts 2 and 3 of ward E, and precincts 1, 2 and 4 of ward F, of the city of Lawrence, and precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the town of North Andover, both in the county of Essex

Jones R-Twentieth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 1, 3 and 4, of the town of Lynnfield, and precinct 1, of the town of Middleton, both in the county of Essex; and the town of North Reading, and precincts 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8, of the town of Reading, both in the county of Middlesex

Peterson R-Ninth Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Grafton, Northbridge and Upton, and precincts 3 and 5, of the town of Westborough, all in the county of Worcester

Hill R-Fourth Essex. - Consisting of precincts 1 and 3, of the town of Boxford, and the towns of Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and precinct 2, of the town of Middleton, all in the county of Essex

Poirier R-Fourteenth Bristol. - Consisting of precinct B of ward 3, of the city of Attleboro, precincts 2 and 5, of the town of Mansfield, the town of North Attleborough, and precinct 2, of the town of Norton, all in the county of Bristol

Sarrows

DeMacedo R-First Plymouth. - Consisting of precincts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14, of the town of Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth

Evangelidis R+First Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Holden, Hubbardston, Oakham, Princeton, Rutland, precinct 1 of the town of Sterling and the town of Westminster, all in the county of Worcester

Frost R-Seventh Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Auburn and Millbury, precinct 3, of the town of Sutton, and precincts 1 and 3, of the town of Oxford, all in the county of Worcester

Gifford R-Second Plymouth. - Consisting of precincts 1, 2 and 3, of the town of Bourne, in the county of Barnstable; and the towns of Carver and Wareham, both in the county of Plymouth

Hargraves R-First Middlesex. - Consisting of the towns of Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell and Townsend, all in the county of Middlesex

Humason R-Fourth Hampden. - Consisting of the city of Westfield, in the county of Hampden

Perry R-Fifth Barnstable. - Consisting of precincts 10, 11 and 12, of the town of Barnstable, precinct 4, of the town of Bourne, precincts 1 and 3, of the town of Mashpee, and all precincts of the town of Sandwich, all in the county of Barnstable

Polito R-Eleventh Worcester. - Consisting of the town of Shrewsbury, and precincts 1 and 4, of the town of Westborough, both in the county of Worcester

Ross R-Ninth Norfolk. - Consisting of precincts 3 and 4, of the town of Medfield, precinct 1, of the town of Millis, the towns of Norfolk and Plainville, precinct 5, of the town of Walpole, and the town of Wrentham, all in the county of Norfolk

Smola R-First Hampden. - Consisting of the towns of Brimfield, Holland, Palmer and Wales, all in the county of Hampden; precincts B and C, in the town of Ware, in the county of Hampshire; and the towns of Sturbridge and Warren, both in the county of Worcester

Webster R-Sixth Plymouth. - Consisting of precincts 2, 3, 4 and 5, of the town of Duxbury, precinct 2 of the town of Halifax, and the towns of Hanson and Pembroke, all in the county of Plymouth

Help Prevent Voter Fraud

2009-04-29T00:05:00.002-04:00

With so many questions surrounding the previous three Presidential elections it begs us to ask if we need voting reform. I do not mean to revamp our system or to realign congressional districts or anything of that nature. All I am saying is that we need to figure out what we can do to prevent any fraud going forward.

The 2000 and 2004 elections results while conclusive, proved to somewhat put a dark cloud over our country and our election process. Questions surrounding the vote totals in certain states were common place, however no one could ever conclusively prove that there was any voter fraud what so ever.

Moving on to the 2008 election many more questions surfaced, numerous offices of a certain community organization group by the name of ACORN were raided and the raids provided some shocking and very serious issues. For example the entire starting offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys were fraudulently registered to vote in Las Vegas along with their Quarterback who was registered eight times and even Mickey Mouse who was registered more than twenty times.

So I beg to ask the question, should the states individually completely clear the registered voter logs and start from scratch or is there a better alternative available?

Here is my suggestion, each city and town in every state completely clear their databases of all registered voters and set up over the course of a week or two depending on how large the city or town is for their citizens to reregister. We could also look at this from a different angle, that being that instead of wiping out the database the cities and towns could require that each registered citizen present a state issued ID to a town official in order for them to be a certified voter. This process would cut back on time, expenses and man power. However this time in order to register the citizen would need to present a valid state issued ID ensuring that they are who they say they are.

The next step to preventing voter fraud would be to require each voter to present their ID each election in order to be allowed to vote. This would prove as a second line of defense in addition to having presented it at the time of registration. This process would simply confirm that you are who you say you are and protect your vote.

In addition it would also be a reasonable requirement that no one except for an official from the city or town process voter application cards. This way we can all be certain that ID’s will be thoroughly checked and double checked. Community organizations and get out the vote campaigns are good at getting people involved in the process however they should not be responsible for registrations. By all means they can pass out application cards and what not, however the actual registration process should be kept away from these groups.

One final step in the prevention of voter fraud would be to have the systems updated on either a daily or weekly basis by having the names of anyone who passed away removed. This simple step would prevent people from going in and voting multiple times by passing themselves off as someone who passed away.

While there is no fail safe method to any of this, keep in mind that these are only suggestions and common sense methods that will assist us in preventing voter fraud. By no means are these steps a violation of anyone civil rights or are they discriminatory, in reality they are precautions and efforts to protect them. Perhaps we can achieve some kind of success in the prevention of voter fraud by taking the necessary steps to prevent it instead of simply reacting to it after the fact. The choice is yours, you can either sit back or let everything we have worked for go to waste or be proud to stand up and fight to protect it!

America is the Greatest Nation Because...

2009-04-07T18:03:00.002-04:00

What is so great about living in the United States of America? We are only afforded three basic rights, those being Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We all are given an equal chance to be as successful or as unsuccessful as we desire to be. We are provided with a general sense of safety and security and these two simple functions are two of the three main functions that were given to the Federal Government by the Constitution along with unifying the states that compose the Union.

Once again I ask what is so great about living in the United States of America? Well we will now discuss all the things that make our nation great. We will focus on the good and only the good because this is meant to be a positive story and not a negative one.

The greatest document in the history of not only our free republic but of the world is the Constitution of the United States written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by all of the famous patriots of the day. The document was written in a manor to prevent the nation from becoming a democracy and also to prevent it from tyrannical rule. The document was also drafted to provide each of the nation’s citizens’ three basic rights those again being Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Life, what is life? Well life can be described as any living and breathing human being. We are provided with the basic right of life because without life we would not have a nation. We are all given the chance to live our lives and to live them in the manor we wish to live them and most importantly without the control of any kind by the Government.

Liberty, what is liberty? Liberty is freedom, so long as we the citizens of the United States obey a set of basic laws we are free to live our lives free of any government control. Laws are based on what is right and what is wrong not based on the feelings of politicians.

Pursuit of Happiness is simple, it is exactly what it states, the right to be happy in a life full of liberties. We are provided with a basic right to promote ourselves and to be as successful as we want or desire to be. We are free to do the things that make us happy and that give us warmth and a sense of joy.

The constitution also gave us the ability to amend the document in any way to further uphold the basic rights we are given. For example the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery, this was necessary because the basic right of Liberty was not provided to a certain group of Americans based on their race. Another amendment gave another group of Americans the right to vote. These amendments were not only necessary, they were also very important in providing equal rights under the law.

Unlike most countries around the world we are provided with the rights to free speech and religion along with the basic right to bear arms. Most countries around the world control the media and arms while many others dictate religion.

The difference between a Democracy and a Republic is simple in a Republic laws are based on absolutes where as in a democracy laws are based on a simple majority. Looking at this from a simple point of view we take into consideration a simple child’s game.

If the game were a Democracy the rules for the game would be determined by the majority of the players. Often one player or team would benefit from the rules and would take advantage of them. Rules formed in this manor could potentially create fairness and/or safety issues not to mention tension between players or teams and possibly arguments or even fights.

Whereas if the game were a Republic all parties would have to agree on a set of rules before the game is played. If a certain rule was not agreed upon by all parties then it would have to be altered until agreed on or thrown out completely. In this situation each team would play to a predetermined set of rules agreed upon beforehand and all is fair.

If it is also agreed on beforehand that changes or amendments could be made to the agreed upon set of rules in the future to either prevent or stop one person or team from cheating or for safety reasons then such changes or amendments may be made so long as all parties agree to the rule changes.

A few simple yet major differences that may be described in the context of a simple child’s game and can either cause or prevent any potential issues. Like this child’s game the same situations may be seen in our government. The Constitution was a set of rules for government agreed upon by the founders of our nation. It was agreed that government was limited and each state was free to govern itself and that a set of basic rights would be provided to the people and the states.

In closing I will also discuss charity and charity is something that comes from the heart. We donate our money and our time to charities and causes we believe in. For example many donate in various manors to foundations such as the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, the March of Dimes, and the Red Cross just to name a few. People donate to these causes because they believe in them and also because they either want to help in some way to find the cures for diseases or to help those in a time of need.

Charity is not something to be dictated by the government in the form of taxes and as previously stated we are all given an equal chance in life having been privileged enough to have been born here. We are free to help those that we feel deserve the help and those that are at least trying to help themselves. Most importantly we are individually able to determine who to help and how to help them.

To My Fellow Citizens

2009-02-24T12:38:00.001-05:00

The United States of America is a nation under God, where each person, regardless of race, religion or classification of wealth has the opportunity to not only life but a life of freedoms, Liberties and the pursuit of happiness. Each person is afforded a basic right to an education free of charge and the opportunity to extend that education. If they so choose to take on the responsibilities that come with an extended education they will be vowing to become the greatest teachers, doctors, scientists, lawyers and so many other professionals that the world has ever seen.

Some may say that the American people are a “decent people” however I say and with the greatest pride that we, the American people have always been and will forever be the greatest collection of people on earth. The American People are an example of a civilization based on freedoms, liberties and equal rights that the rest of the world looks at and wishes that they may one day achieve all that we have accomplished as a whole throughout our very brief history.

The United States of America has always been the greatest nation in the world and we will forever be the Greatest Nation. Like a child has made mistakes so too have we and like that child we have learned from our mistakes. We have atoned for the mistakes we made so long ago by our ancestors by amending our constitution. We have in law expressed that those injustices will never be made again. I believe that each and every American will stand here with me today and agree that every citizen of our great nation has the same opportunities, the same challenges and most importantly the same basic rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness that our constitution provides to us.

We as collective group of people must agree that regardless of the color of our skin or the religion we are born into or choose to believe in that we must all be held to the same standards and that those standards may never be set so low that by simply doing the minimum that they will be achieved. Let us push our future generations to become a better generation than we have been. Let us believe that lives lost in order to protect and defend our constitution, our basic rights and our liberties have not been lost in vein.

In the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” These words speak volumes of the greatness that comes with freedom and every American today should ask themselves nothing less. No matter if you are ten or one hundred years of age you possess something that we your fellow citizens may learn from. With our basic rights comes a great deal of responsibility and that responsibility must be passed on to future generations. Our children and our children’s children must never allow future generations to forget what so many lives of past generations have died so selflessly to give to us.

In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” these words are to be embraced by every one of us. These words may only be words however when spoken together they have a great deal of meaning. We must not fear those who wish to harm us, they only wish to harm us because they hate that we are free and not under tyrannical rule like so many other nations. We are a free and sovereign nation, we are a nation founded on basic laws and those laws based on all things correct and incorrect.

Calvin Coolidge stated that "Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country." What does this mean for the American People? It means that by looking out for the basic principles that our nation was founded on and by allowing them to prevail we will always be as strong as possible. It also means that as Patriots we will not allow government to get to the point where it will take too much control and ruin what freedoms and rights we now have.

Abraham Lincoln so eloquently stated that "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." We must stand strong together defend our constitution, our freedoms and our rights. If we allow these basic principles to be stripped from us we lose our way and we will lose our free republic as we know it today.

In the words of Richard Nixon "We must always remember that America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people but because of what people did for themselves and for one another." What did he mean by this you may ask? He meant that no government has ever given anything to us and that what we have had we had to get it on our own. It also means that we the people of the United States of America must never allow our government to tell us how to live our lives and that our basic morals and principles will forever take us down the right path.

Thomas Jefferson once stated "My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" These words ring true today and many Americans have forgotten what makes this country what it is. The citizens of America must take a step back and revisit the foundation of our nation. They must remember that our forefathers fought for our freedoms and later Lincoln’s men fought so that we may truly be equal.
Hubert H. Humphrey stated that "What we need are critical lovers of America - patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it." Working to improve our nation and not destroying it by turning it into Europe which is overrun by socialist governments which have always proven to become communist states. We have never been Socialists or Communists nor will we ever be either of them. Those beliefs are not welcome here in our United States and we will forever be a free nation where capitalists will always be the greatest gifts we ever be given.

The document that is the foundation of our free republic gives us all the rights to freedoms of speech, religion, and self defense. Our constitution also provides that government shall pass no laws infringing on those basic rights. Our Constitution also states that each state shall be free to govern itself independently and that while a federal government is a necessary evil it is necessary to keep our states unified and in order to protect our homeland, our freedoms, our lives and our liberties from all enemies both foreign and domestic. The federal government does not have a right to impose a tax upon the citizens of our free nation in order to take from some and give too many for the sole purpose of the greater good.

I call for government to revert back to the basic principles which our nation was founded upon by eliminating the Internal Revenue Service, the temporary Federal Income Tax, The Federal Reserve and return our currency to the gold standard. I call for each American Citizen to take responsibility for one’s actions and to strive to be the best that you can be and nothing less. We all live in this country and we all have the opportunity to do anything we put our minds to and to you the person who feels that they may not be good enough or strong enough to get to where you want to be, I know what that’s like because I too have been where you now are.

To my fellow American Citizens together we are the greatest people, the greatest nation and the greatest example of what freedom is all about. Collectively we will forever be what we are today so long as we stand our moral ground and strive to be the best we can possibly be. Charity is something that comes from the heart and gives a feeling of greatness to oneself in any possible way so long as it comes from the heart. Charity is not something to be forced upon us by government because a nation with big government is a nation with big taxes and with big taxes come oppression, lost opportunities and a feeling of imprisonment.

In closing I ask that we stand strong together and never allow our family, our friends, our neighbors, or any of our fellow citizens to ever feel that they are not as good as you or I. I ask that you believe in all that is right and in all that is fair to each other and that our justice system simply do what it was intended to do which is not to make law but to uphold it. I ask that you have faith in and allow capitalism to take us to places and provide us with riches the world has never seen. Believe in your hearts that we are the greatest nation in the history of the world and that no person, no government, and no military will ever take that away from us!

God Bless you all, God bless the freedoms and rights provided to us, God bless the Constitution, the Flag of the United States and all that makes us exactly what we are, The greatest nation on Earth. We are Patriots today, we will be Patriots tomorrow and we will forever be Americans so long as we remember the basic principles our free republic were founded on and we keep those principles alive forever.

An Open Letter To The President

2009-02-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

"Mr. Obama,

With the average person like myself struggling financially in today's financial world why do you feel that giving corrupt organizations like ACORN billions of dollars? Nationalizing Health care? Violating our rights as citizens of this country by giving to those that are not? And Finally Infringing on the rights of states to govern themselves will stimulate the economy?

Instead, why don't you take the money of the two proposed bailout bills and divide it up equally among each American tax paying citizen? It would amount to approximately $175,000 (TAX FREE) per tax payer this would allow citizens to either pay off debt, purchase a new car or pay down or put a hefty down payment on a home so that they could have a reasonable mortgage payment?

By doing this it would have a direct effect on the economy by allowing the banks to free up funds that are currently tied up by debts currently in the system and possibly affording individuals the opportunity to start up a new small business which in itself would create countless new jobs.

Something else that would stimulate the economy almost immediately would be the removal of all national taxes and implementing a reasonable national sales tax applied to anything not considered a necessity. This in turn would force illegal aliens to pay into the system they are currently stealing from! It would also cut government jobs and eliminate the IRS which truly is an unconstitutional government operation.

Oh yeah and one more thing... Eliminate the Federal Reserve as well because that really is a complete joke and bring back the gold standard for our currency. While your at it break up big national banks and utility companies and force them to allow competition in their markets this will also help to stimulate the economy.

Thank you,
An American Taxpaying Citizen

What Have The Banks In This Country Come To?

2009-02-07T09:31:00.002-05:00

The other day I received a refund check from something I decided not to persue and went to the bank to cash it and you will be appaled by what I experienced. Now to start to pave the way for the rest of the story, I used to work at a bank and we were told that as long as the check was from one of our accounts, the funds were available and we felt as though it wasn't fraud to go ahead and cash the check.

Now here it comes, are you ready? I walked into the bank, check and license in hand, the check was signed and I approached the teller. I will give you the play by play below:

Me: Hello I would like to please cash this check.

Teller: Do you have an account with us?

Me: I do not bank here

Teller: Oh ok, well there is a $6 fee to cash this check and we need your thumb print on the check as well.

Me: That is unacceptable, the check is drawn on an account from your bank, the check is signed and you have my license, that is enough to cash the check and I refuse to pay a fee.

Teller: Well you can talk to the manager then.

So I wait 10 minutes to talk with the bank manager and get the same response from her. I just don't get it. Why should I have to pay a fee to cash a check and more so put my thumb imprint on the check!

This is absolutely unacceptable and the reason I will never bank with the communist controlled bank named BANL OF AMERICA!

patriotic Quotes Part 1

2009-02-07T09:27:00.002-05:00

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." ~Samuel Adams

"We can't all be Washingtons, but we can all be patriots." ~Charles F. Browne....

"Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country." ~Calvin Coolidge....

"True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else." ~Clarence Darrow ....

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." ~Nathan Hale's last words before being hanged by British. ....

"Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" ~Patrick Henry ....

"When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country." ~Andrew Johnson ....

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty." ~John F. Kennedy ....

"(W)e here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ~Abe Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address ....

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~Abraham Lincoln ....

"We must always remember that America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people but because of what people did for themselves and for one another." ~Richard Nixon ....

"Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter we are known at home, by the former to the world. Our great title is AMERICANS…" ~Thomas Paine ....

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children (America), the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done." ~Ronald Reagan ....

"In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that day may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future. I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead" ~Ronald Reagan ....

"I venture to suggest that partiotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." ~Adali Stevenson ....

"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a patriot." ~Mark Twain ....

"I shall know but one country. The ends I aim at shall be my country’s, my God’s and Truth’s. I was born an American; I live an American; I shall die an American." ~Daniel Webster ....

"Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be." ~John Wayne ....

"The things that the flag stands for were created by the experiences of a great people. Everything that it stands for was written by their lives. The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history." ~Woodrow Wilson ....

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him." ~Abraham Lincoln....

"[P]atriotism... is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." ~Adlai Stevenson....

"When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect." ~Adlai Stevenson....

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." ~Elmer Davis....

"America is much more than a geographical fact. It is a political and moral fact - the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality." ~Adlai Stevenson....

"Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea." ~John Gunther....

"If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag." ~Author Unknown....

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." ~Benjamin Franklin....

"Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America is the only idealistic nation in the world." ~Woodrow Wilson....

"Oh, it's home again and home again, America for me!I want a ship that's westward bound to plough the rolling seaTo the blessed land of Room Enough beyond the ocean bars,Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars."~Henry Van Dyke....

"I love my freedom. I love my America." ~Jessi Lane Adams....

"This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in." ~Theodore Roosevelt....

"Of all the supervised conditions for life offered man, those under USA's constitution have proved the best. Wherefore, be sure when you start modifying, corrupting or abrogating it." ~Martin H. Fischer....

"It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism." ~J. Horace McFarland....

"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" ~Thomas Jefferson....

"Our great modern Republic. May those who seek the blessings of its institutions and the protection of its flag remember the obligations they impose." ~Ulysses S. Grant....

"Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty." ~Louis D. Brandeis....

"To me, being an American means feeling safe." ~Currielene Armstrong....

"We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." ~Robert J. McCracken....

"May I never wake up from the American dream." ~Carrie Latet....

"I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot." ~Gary Hart....

"What we need are critical lovers of America - patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it." ~Hubert H. Humphrey....

"We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights." ~Felix Frankfurter....

"I think patriotism is like charity -- it begins at home." ~Henry James....

"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." ~Edward Abbey....

"Yesterday, the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, that those United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." ~John Adams....

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~John Quincy Adams....

"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." !John Quincy Adams....

"The problem with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneur." ~George H. W. Bush....

"The notion of political correctness declares certain topics, certain expressions, even certain gestures, off-limits. What began as a crusade for civility has soured into a cause of conflict and even censorship." ~George H. W. Bush....

"America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." ~George H. W. Bush....

"America was targeted for attack because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world, and no one will keep that light from shining." ~George W. Bush....

"The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree." ~Thomas Campbell....

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." ~Dick Cheney....

"Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong." ~Calvin Coolidge....

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" ~Benjamin Franklin....

"The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness, you have to catch it yourself." ~Benjamin Franklin....

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." ~Banjamin Franklin....

"Are you a politician who says to himself: "I will use my country for my own benefit?"Or are you a devoted patriot, who whispers in the ear of his inner self: "I love to serve my country as a faithful servant?" ~Kahlil Gibran....

"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" ~Thomas Jefferson....

"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." ~John F. Kennedy....

"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." ~John F. Kennedy....

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." ~Martin Luther King Jr.....

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." ~Martin Luther King Jr.....

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." ~Abraham Lincoln....

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." ~General Douglas MacArthur....

"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." ~General George S. Patton....

"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." ~George Washington....

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one." ~George Washington....

"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company." ~George Washington....

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance." ~Woodrow Wilson....

Hopey Pocket Change

2009-02-03T14:02:00.002-05:00

So yet again we have been duped by a left winged politician what else is new? For a man that ran a campaign based on "HOPE" and "CHANGE" the only hope we have is that the truth comes out about all the tax cheats that he nominates for his cabinet and the only change is that this radical will potentially turn this country into a wasteland if he isn't stopped.

Why can't our politicians for once just put parties aside and do what is right for this country? If democrats want republicans to agree to their "stimulus bill" then why did they put so much pork in it? They did it because as usual they want to pad their pockets and those of their friends before taking care of their country's needs.

What we need is not a massive amount of inflation we need tax cuts and lowered government involvement in our lives. Lets face it if we want an economy that is prosperous we need to lower taxes and then charge a "Fair Tax." www.fairtax.org will provide you with every reason why this needs to happen!

Racism Dead In America? NO, It Is WORSE!

2009-01-23T16:29:00.002-05:00

Let me ask you a question are you a racist? Do you go around calling people of various races by derogatory terms? Personally I do NOT nor do I believe that you do. Why am I writing about this topic today because I am tired of all the blatant racism going on by our government today and worse completely ignored by the Main Stream Media.

If you or I were ever to say something like "Typical Black Person" we would be called racists, am I wrong? So why is it that Mr. Obama can say during his campaign "Typical White Person" and not be called on it and worse not even apologize for having said it? For all you brainwashed ignorant people out there that will try to argue this with me he did NOT apologize he simply held a press conference and danced around the fact that he made a racist statement.

Now Robert Reisch wants congress to ensure that funds from the next wave of bail out money is directed towards minorities and not to "Skilled, White Construction Workers." Now if this is not a blatant violation of the 14th amendment I don't know what is. Now stop drinking the poisonous Kool-Aid and get the facts straight, Mr. Obama is a threat to our country and to the safety of every American. Want proof of this OK, he wants to close Gitmo and every other military prison across the globe because he feels they are unnecessary. So, Mr. Obama what do you plan to do with these killers? Bring them to the US and put them in Domestic Prisons? You better not even think about it!

Lets keep racism out of our country and lets not those that feel privileged take advantage of our tax money. Let us stay strong and strictly oppose each and every idea Mr. Obama has!

I Pledge Allegiance To...

2009-01-22T10:05:00.002-05:00

I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands, ONE NATION under God, INDIVISIBLE, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL.

That is and will forever be the only Pledge the citizens of this country will abide by and by no means will I or anyone else be forced to pledge to any other person, place or thing. Our nation is not a democracy, socialist or communist state, a tyrany or anything other than a republic.

Going back and looking at history the last time citizens of a nation peldged to a person was during World War Two and to an evil person in the history of the world by the name of Adolf Hitler. The citizens of Germany pledged to Hitler and the Nazi party for two reasons one they were fearful for their lives if they did not and two they had been brainwashed into believing that everything that Hitler and the Nazi party believed in they also should believe.

Let me be the first to say that unlike the German people in Germany I am an American in the United States of America and I will never support B. Hussein Obama as President of this country nor will I ever support any practices, policies or laws he puts into place and I will never fear for my life. Remember that if government is too big it will only fall harder and cause larger problems for its citizens.

Finally the media in this country should be ashaimed of itself. The blatent misconduct of their actions and clear slanting of facts in order to assist in the brainwashing of the citizens of this country has caused more dissent among citizens than any foreign war ever has. Today more than ever we are a nation divided by two major political parties and until we take back our nation and start to do the right things politically like curbing violence, creating jobs, boycotting monopolies and providing ourselves with safety and security of our homes.

In closing I will leave you with the following quote from George Washingtons farewell speech given in 1796:

They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests.

A Great Day In American History

2009-01-20T09:59:00.003-05:00

While today is a great day in American history in regards to who we are as a nation it is also a day where we need to sit back and ask ourselves many questions. This morning the first African American will be inaugurated as President of our great nation and while I completely disagree with his political views there is only one way in which I hope he succeeds. I hope that the next president will do everything in his power to keep our homeland safe.

Lets talk for a minute about the historical moment we will see in our country today, for the first time in our history an African American will be President. This is a testiment to who we are as a nation we are a diverse meshing of common people where racisim and hatred will not stop anyone from achieving anything they want. No longer will any child be born and as they grow be told that there is anything they can not achieve. No longer will there be a need for Affirmative Action because now we are on an equal playing field and no one can disagree with that.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "Let us not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character," strong words that are 100% true. Personally I do not support Mr. Obama as President of our country not because he is black but because I do not know enough about him. There are many questions regarding this man's past and well honestly I would and I hope that you would want these questions answered as well. Just a few of the questions I'd like answered would include the following:

1. Why do you refuse to produce your actual Birth Cirtificate and put to rest all the questions regarding your place of birth?
2. What is the full extent of your relationships with people like Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko?
3. Why have you blocked all access to your past from the American people?
4. Why did you neglect to vote in more than one third of Senate bills durring your tenure as US Senator?
5. Why can't you be asked tough questions and actually answer them and not only be asked what kind of dog your getting?
6. Where did all of your campaign money really come from and why don't you release a factual list of contributers?

These are just a few questions that I would like the answers to, there are many, many more just as tough and just as probing. Now lets face the facts the reasons that we don't know the answers to these questions lies solely in the lap of the Media. The media has conducted itself with gross misconduct and should be ashaimed of itself. The few reporters that did ask the tough questions, Thank you! What happened though when tough questions were asked? They were treated like dogs, kicked off of planes, and barred from future interviews. The rest of the reporters in an act of defense of the First Ammendment should have not only stuck up for their comrads they should have called the Obama Campaign out on the issue.

As an American I hold every politician to the same standards, as should you and even more so as should the media. As I previously stated I will support Mr. Obama in only one way and that is by doing whatever it takes to keep our soil safe anything else I will disagree with him on 100% of the way if I believe it is wrong for our country. This simple fact does not make me a racist it makes me an American, free to think how I feel, free to believe in what I believe in and free to question the government 100% of the way!

My challenge for you is the following, educate yourself with anything Mr. Obama wants passed and understand the full spectrum of what the program or bill entails, question it and if you don't support it cal your US Senators and congress reps and tell them you don't want that program and to vote against it. If enough people call, email, and fax their reps, the reps will vote how the people want them to vote because they will be afraid of political backlash if they do not. They will be afraid of not being reelected if they go against the people they represent.

All in all I will leave you with this to keep in mind, The United States of America will today swear in the first African American President in our nations history. A great day historically for our nation however is it a great day for the future of it as well? We will just have to sit it out, wait and see.

Finally, A Politician that Looks at the Whole Picture

2008-07-17T09:51:00.003-04:00

This morning while eating breakfast I sat down and watched a few minutes of news on the local Fox affiliate here in Boston. Not expecting to do anything besides laugh because the personalities on that station are down to earth and consistently cracking jokes, however I ended up witnessing something surprising. A politician actually being up front, honest and sincere in what he was saying. While I know this is surprising the interesting part is that this politician is a high ranking official in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts State Treasurer Tim Cahill (Democrat) is the politician who appeared on the news broadcast this morning. While being interviewed Treasurer Cahill stated that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is looking for the state to bail them out of their current financial mess. He went on to say that in the interest of the financial status of the state along with the protection of tax payers that the turnpike should work out its own financial issues. Going on he also stated that government officials seem to only look at the current picture (amount due now) and not the long term picture which includes fees and interest which will accrue over time. The Treasurer also stated that he felt obligated to "raise his voice" concerning the issue and when he did he was chastised by fellow politicians for doing so. He also stated that he felt as though the state should not "reward" the department for its "Miss-management."

While personally being a life long resident of the Liberal state of Massachusetts I have grown to distrust many of the politicians here. Reason being that so many of them are only looking to pass bills that benefit themselves, their party, and their "friends." So many times here we see nothing being accomplished and the days, weeks and years slip away with no end in sight. Examples for this include but are certainly not limited to the Big Dig project which was overseen by corrupt politicians looking only to benefit and has now cost the tax payers of Massachusetts $22,000,000,000 more than originally projected.

Corruption in Massachusetts also includes the passing of laws in order to benefit the Democratic party. This I will explain in lay mans terms so that everyone will understand. Back in 2004 when U. S. Senator John Kerry a Democrat from Massachusetts was running for President of the United States, the Massachusetts House and Senate passed a law forbidding the current Governor (Mitt Romney-Republican) the ability to name a replacement for his (Kerry) seat in the Senate barring a Presidential election and so requiring a special election. Now that there is a Democratic Governor along with the failing health of U. S. Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy Democrat, the state wants to once again change the law back to its original wording which would allow for the current Governor (Patrick-Democrat) to name his (Kennedy) replacement if Senator Kennedy were to become too ill to serve or pass away.

The present Governor (Patrick-Democrat) has raised tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike as well as those on the states major Bridges and Tunnels. Not to mention the $400,000,000,000 plus budget plan for 2008 in which he expected $360,000,000 plus in revenue from his now defunct casino plan. The Governor also attempted to sleaze ball his was into leasing a Cadillac for his use while in office. The governor was not going to personally pay for the excess in spending until it was brought to the attention of the public. Lets not forget about the $10,000 drapes that were purchased for the corner office or even the $78,000 that was and still is being paid to a personal assistant for his wife. The personal assistant works no more than 15 hours per week. I could go on and on about the Governor's ideas and tactics but I will not here and save for a future post.

There is a simple conclusion to the Turnpike's financial troubles, this includes the removal of tolls and toll takers. Toll takers make an average of $65,000 per year to simply take peoples money. The so called tax on every gallon of gas purchased in Massachusetts would more than pay for the repaving of all state roads in the state which only need to be repaved every five years or so. The money generated from the issuing of speeding tickets by state troopers on state roads should also be put into this pool as well again lessening the burden on tax payers and commuters throughout the state.

These issues are only a few facing the residents and politicians of Massachusetts. They can not and should not be over looked and I urge Treasurer Cahill to continue to do what is right. I also want to thank him for bringing this issue to light and allowing the residents that voted him into office to see that their vote did not go to waste. There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything and this is certainly a case of doing things the right way. Treasurer Cahill please keep up the good work and hopefully other politicians in Massachusetts as well as those in Washington will take note of your honesty and start to do the same.

How to... Make Your Selection for the Next President of the United States

2008-07-07T09:41:00.003-04:00

The first Tuesday in November will be a day that Americans will remember for years to come. On this date the election for next President of the United States will be held. What will the results of this election be? No one knows just yet, but we will all soon find out. However before we do lets take a look at exactly what it is that we need from our next president in order to get back to our prosperous ways.

As a nation we are amidst the worst war since Vietnam, the lives of numerous soldiers have been lost, others destroyed and we are supposedly among the worst recession in years. The economy is down, the value of the US dollar is down and the American consumer is being crippled financially by the soaring price of gas, not to mention the dramatic decline of the real estate market.

Taking the above mentioned topics as well as many others important to Americans into consideration we need to focus on who is the best possible candidate for the position. While not getting into specifics on who is with this party and who is with that one, as individual citizens we need to focus on who will do the best job in the position. The questions one must ask of the available candidates include and are certainly not limited to experience, tax and spending reduction plans, what their beliefs are in the Constitution and how they feel as though they are the best candidate to protect the physical, emotional and financial well being of the country and every citizen of our country.

Post 9/11 we live in a new America and one where safety of Americans is of highest concern. How do each of the candidates plan on protecting us as citizens? What steps will be taken to punish those that attack us if something were to happen? How do they each plan to prevent terrorists from getting here to begin with? These are just a few of the many questions that need to be asked to all the candidates and also answered by them. Will all the questions be answered? We will just have to wait and see how that turns out as well.

I would however recommend that as an American you put aside the labels of parties such as Republican and Democrat and do some homework on each of the candidates. To find information you feel is important seek out the answers in the numerous facets of media available to you which includes but certainly not limited to newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. Ask yourself what do I feel is of utmost importance in the country right now? Which candidate do I feel will represent me the best when these subjects appear? Which of the candidates do I feel has what it takes to lead our great nation? The last question that I will ask of you to ask of yourself and of the candidates is as follows, which of the candidates will protect what our country, our constitution and all that it stands for and represents?

You and you alone can and will make a difference by believing in your country, by making educated decisions and not basing them solely on what political party you belong to. Remember that you and you alone are responsible for electing government officials and that it only takes one vote to make a difference. Go and seek out the information that is important to you, put your ego aside and make decisions based on your morals, beliefs and concerns and again not on the political party you belong to.

America is Alive with Patriotism?

2008-07-05T10:33:00.003-04:00

As I sit back and think about what the United States is going through right now I believe that we are getting stronger, not weaker. Across the country yesterday(July 4, 2008) millions of Americans from every race, creed, color and political background celebrated the 228th birthday of our great nation. Thousands of cities shot off fireworks, hundreds of thousands of people hosted cookouts, and many others demonstrated for what they believed in.

The great thing about our country is that we can do all we can to ensure that what is done is done properly. There are many who may disagree with me however we must all come together at times like this. Throughout the world there are thousands of troops fighting for our freedom. These troops are putting their lives on the line daily and fighting for what they believe in. They are not fighting for political advancement, financial gain, or fame, they are fighting for everything that both you and I believe in. They are fighting for our rights and the ability to grant what we have to millions of others around the world.

We may not all agree that our troops should be over seas right now fighting for their lives but lets support them, lets thank them when we see them and be proud to call them ours. During the World Wars we came together and supported the troops, we held parades for them and welcomed them home. During Vietnam we supported our troops but in a different way, we didn't hold parades for them when they returned, we held protests and fought to bring them home. Now we are in yet another war and it just seems as though with all the political agenda's and partisan politics that we are forgetting about what really matters and that is the support of our troops. Are we holding parades for them? Are we thanking them for their services? I believe not! What are we doing for them many of you may ask, well lets see, NOTHING. Things are so bad that I have heard people call our soldiers murderers and that makes me sick as it should you!

Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Patriots Day and Independence Day are not what they used to be, they are no longer days that communities to come together to thank our past and present veterans for their commitments to our freedom and for their services. They have turned into retail carnivals with this store holding this sale and that store holding that sale and so on and so forth! What happened to the days when every business was closed on these days? What happened to all the parades? What happened to all of the patriotism? No matter what race, creed, color or religion you are, we all live in this great nation and take advantage daily of its advantages. We take for granted our freedom of speech, religion, right to bear arms, and the rest of the freedoms for which our forefathers granted us.

In closing lets get back to our patriotic ways, no matter what country you are from, no matter what political party you are affiliated with and no matter what religion you are, we are all Americans. We live in a country that provides us with so many great opportunities and yet we pass them by, often times without even blinking an eye. Get back to basics and work hard for a living, more of us should start our own businesses instead of relying so much on the big corporations. The more small business owners there are the stronger our economy is and the stronger our belief in the American way is. Just remember the bigger the corporation becomes the smaller you become! Let's do more for our veterans and have more victory parades and celebrations. Most of all let us all become better Americans.

Major League Baseball Lacks Effective Steroid Policy

2008-05-06T15:03:00.006-04:00

Over the course of time baseball has transformed from a simple game played by kids and adults alike, into more than a billion dollar industry. Big league teams today market themselves as well as their players in every way possible. From baseball cards to tee shirts to hats and every other item with a team logo on it. Not to mention television and radio broadcasting rights, each team takes in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues from these streams alone. Therefore Major League Baseball(MLB) should take pride in promoting not only a safe environment for its players but also that of its fans.

In 1919 MLB was given a black eye when a gambling scandal involving eight ball players from the Chicago White Sox rocked the headlines of every major newspaper of the day. If you are unfamiliar with this story eight players were paid off to throw the 1919 World Series in order for bookies to make even more money. These ball players which included one "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, committed blatant errors, didn't run out ground balls and committed numerous other questionable acts during games. After the Series ended rumors began to leak out that numerous ball players were paid off to throw the series. Once an investigation was completed it was proven that the eight ball players were in fact guilty and MLB punished these players. Were they suspended? NO! Were they fined? NO! Were they slapped on the wrist? Once again NO! These eight men were banned for life from ever playing organized baseball again. Baseball made it a point to prove to its players that gambling and baseball did not coincide and that if you did gamble on the game you would suffer the consequences.

Fast forwarding now to 1989, once again gambling becomes a threat to the game. It has come to the attention of MLB's Commissioner that one of its Managers is betting on the game. Pete "Charlie Hustle" Rose is the Manager of the Cincinnati Reds and has become the center of the commissioner's attention. Pete was an amazing player, in fact one of the greatest who ever played. He accumulated more than 4,ooo career hits and holds the major league record for most career hits accumulating a total of 4,256. There has been only one other player in the history of the game that had more than 4,000 hits that player was Ty Cobb(4,189). Pete swore up and down that he never gambled on the game and when it was proven that he did he was also banned for life from Baseball. Rose has since stated that he did bet on the game however, he claims to have only bet on his team winning!

Lets once again fast forward, this time to the early Twenty-first century, once again a scandal rocks baseball giving it yet another black eye! This time however it isn't gambling, its STEROIDS! It is rumored that steroids began to infiltrate the game in the mid to late 1980s and became popular among players in the 1990s. Players used steroids to gain an advantage in order to be more productive for example hit more home runs, to beat out others in earning roster spots on major league clubs and to even extend their careers well past their expectancy. When it came to steroids, MLB decided that in order to avoid another work stoppage such as the ones it suffered in the 1980s and 1990s, it was going to take the easy way out and work with the players union to iron out an agreement in regards to drug testing and suspensions. Many of the players saw this as a joke yet others saw it as though being caught would be a major blow to their careers. Taking into consideration the fact that most players saw this as a joke goes to prove that the policy is not effective and needs repair.

Finally my belief is this... In order for MLB to restore order in the big leagues they must hold steroid use in the same class as betting on the game. These two issues have had the same result on the game, both having given the game a black eye and therefore should be held to the same standards. MLB needs to take a stance that no other professional league has so far and set the bar as high as possible for it's players, owners and fans alike. They must not only ban the use of steroids in baseball but the use of all other controlled substances as well. Excuses aside all ball players must be held to the same standards and the penalty for use must be banishment for life from the game!