No Nanny State - Molon Labe!

Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.
--William Arthur Ward

I was watching TV last night, and this interview was shown. This is a US Congressman from Georgia saying that Joe Wilson is a racist because of his, "You lied!" outburst.

Well, he goes a bit beyond just calling him a racist. He suggests that this is the start of a new wave of the Klan.

"I guess we'll have folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again..... that's the logical conclusion if this type of attitude is not rebuked."



That man's lack of integrity is stunning. The thought that a grown man, let alone a congressman, could stand in front of cameras with a straight face and pull such an obscene conclusion out of his ass is mind-boggling.

That the MSM swallows his bullshit like the good little whores they are, is less surprising. At least wipe your chins and dust off your pant knees when you're done...
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Then there's Jimmy.

Look at this NBC News (LOL, 'news' and 'NBC' in the same phrase) clip of an interview they did with Carter. The anchor starts off saying that the Tea Parties and Town Hall meetings are full of racist tone and imagery.

Huh? The meetings are supposedly full of racist banter, yet, they are only able to show one single image from across the country of a swastika, and that one is on a placard that specifically says they are against Barry's brand of change. No racial messages at all.

**UPDATE** As you can see, NBC has pulled their approval to allow the clip of Jimmeh from being played. Kinda embarrassing when a major news organization has a pack of race cards shoved up their ass, huh?

A clip from the Glenn Beck show - complete with Jimmeh's lips saying the same disgusting words - is now embedded below the original. **





"An overwhelming portion of the intensly demonstrated animated animosity towards President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man."

WTF? How about the "fact" that Barry surrounds himself with racist Marxist and is trying to nationalize all major industry in our country? How about the fact that he is proposing to saddle us and our children's children with mind-boggling debt that can never be repaid? How about the fact that he wants to establish various, "tax it if it moves" schemes - from VAT to Cap-and-Trade?

But you disparage tens of millions of pissed-off people across the country because you think we care that Barry is black? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!

By any sort of logical conclusion, since Barry now has a 50% approval rating, you MUST imply that America has 150 million racists. Half of the country.
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Enough.

If speaking against Barry makes you a "racist", then count me in.

If the media wants to hijack the word to include anyone who says anything counter to the Barry Express, then yep, I'm a "racist".

If it includes people who point out the lies in the socialist's speeches and writings, then I'm a "racist" by their definition of the word.

I will not be shamed into silence when I've done nothing shameful.

Labels: communism, Corruption, Ethics, Fascism, Media Bias, Race-baiters

I am unable to understand how a man of honor could take a newspaper in his hands without a shudder of disgust.
--Charles Baudelaire

Look at this crap they pass as news -

Oh, guess what? The economy sucks. Who'd a-thunk it?

The first 12 months of the U.S. recession saw the economy shrink more than twice as much as previously estimated, reflecting even bigger declines in consumer spending and housing, revised figures showed.

What happened to the "green shoots," Barry? They look more like brown turds.

I fully expect the stock markets to continue to defy logic, and soar on the news. Seriously.
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What is this "teachable moment" crap?

The White House billed the meeting, the culmination of days of national debate, as a "teachable moment" occasioned by the July 16 arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. by Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley after a confrontation between the two men.

Here's what I learned from this tender moment:

• A black man who makes his living by promoting the victim status of an entire race, and who clearly has racist tendencies - particularly against whites - is painted as a victim by the press.
• A white police officer, who had no prior knowledge of the race of a reported burglar - yet was smeared as a "race profiler" - is painted as a racist because the man who makes his living as a racist, says he's one.
• Our president made the presumption that the black person "crying wolf" was telling the truth, simply because the "victim" was black. Sounds like The One is just like Jesse, Al and Jeremiah.
  
• I don't need any more of these "teachable moments" - I'm already able to identify racism when I see it. I just don't see it the same way as the enlightened press.
  

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Shockingly, if the government offers over-market payment for goods or services, people will take advantage of it:

Less than four days after launching a popular cash-for-clunkers program, the Obama administration warned Congress the plan already had burned through its $950-million budget, setting off a rush for more money while leaving thousands of dealers and consumers in the lurch.

So, let's game-plan what the Administration is going to do with this: This will be touted as a raging success, and they'll move to expand the program.

That's like saying, "We were standing on the street corner handing out $100 bills - which we had to borrow - and we gave them all away! Our plan was successful beyond all projections. Aren't we smart? Aren't you glad we're in charge of your finances?"

Yeah, give more away, faster. Great plan.
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Most likely from the same great minds that brought us the wildly successful, "Let's turn food into fuel" ethanol program, all of those cars that you and I are paying for with the Cash For Clunkers program, MUST be destroyed.

Dealers must replace the oil in the “clunker” with two quarts of sodium silicate solution and run the engine for up to seven minutes, permanently disabling it, according to rules released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington.

Let's recap: When they decided to subsidize the price of corn so ethanol producers could buy it more cheaply, it resulted in massive corn shortages in the food chain. Riots, particularly in Mexico and central America, ensued. Then someone did some math, and determined that it actually takes more energy to produce ethanol than it provides.

Undeterred by fact or reason, the subsidy still exists.

Continuing down this path of Unintended Consequences, with this requirement to ruin these cars, we are taking affordable vehicles away from poor people, we are ruining the businesses of used auto parts dealers, and are being pretty damned "un-green" by discouraging recycling.

So the poor people will not be able to get to their jobs, losing them and going on the public dole. The auto parts dealers will go out of business, going on the public dole.

Their plan to make us all dependent upon Nanny is proceeding nicely.
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Breaking News -

U.S. Economy Shrank Less Than Expected in Quarter

How long before this "report", too, will be adjusted? Will it take another year, like in the first part of this post?

Again, I expect this news to also result in a soaring stock market.
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Another Atlas Shrugged Moment of Zen -

The newspapers did not mention the outbreaks of violence that had begun to burst across the country - but she watched them through the reports of train conductors about bullet-riddled cars, dismantled tracks, attacked trains, besieged stations, in Nebraska, in Oregon, in Texas, in Montana - the futile, doomed outbreaks, prompted by nothing but despair, ending in nothing but destruction. Some were the explosions of local gangs; some spread wider.

Labels: communism, Constitution, Corruption, criminal, democrats, Eco-fraud, Ethics, Fascism, Media Bias, nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Taxes, welfare state

I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one 'race' - the human race - and that we are all members of it.
--Margaret Atwood

Thanks to GunRights4Us for the heads-up on this story -

From the Akron Beacon Journal -

Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ''This is our world'' and ''This is a white world'' as they confronted Marshall and his family.

The Marshalls, who are black, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all white.

This attack occurred in late June as a family and two adult friends were finishing up some sort of Independence Day celebration.

The father took the worst of the beating -

Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.

The construction worker said he now fears for his family's safety, and the thousands of dollars in medical bills he faces without insurance.

''I knew I was going to get beat, but not as bad as I did,'' Marshall said. ''But I did it to protect my family. I didn't have a choice. There was no need for this. We should be all getting along. But to me, it seems to be racist.''

As a result of the beating, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the Revered Jeremiah Wright have organized a Hate Crimes march for this weekend. The Akron police are investigating it as a blatant Hate Crime. The FBI has initiated a federal Hate Crimes investigation.

There were approximately 50 white teenagers that participated in the beating. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC have all started work on "Race Relations In America" and "Why Does Whitey Hate?" multi-part investigative series.
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By now, you've probably figured out that this was a fabrication. Kind of. Everything here was true, except whenever the word 'white' was used in my re-creation, 'black' was used in the original story, and vice versa.

Also, the Feds and the Akron police are NOT investigating this as a hate crime. And of course, there is no national outrage at the clearly racial underpinnings of this attack - there will be no Race Rallies, no national news stories, no broadcast investigative reports.
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I hate "Hate Crimes" laws (does that make me a 'hater'?). In my eyes, the motivation of the attacker is irrelevant. You are just as beaten, robbed or dead if they assault you for money or for race. Hate Crimes is the same as Thought Crimes, and I don't want to go down that road.

It's the old 'slippery slope' - when Nanny can start criminalizing your thoughts instead of your actions, there is no end to what can be prosecuted.

Still, until the laws are overturned, they MUST be equally applied (see Fourteenth Amendment for clarification). This idea - and general practice - that only whites can be racist, is patently absurd.

I know, I know, I'm tilting at windmills. It is what it is, and the race baiters and compliant media have an agenda.

That doesn't mean I have to drink their Kool-Aid. You don't have to, either.
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Maybe the Akron PD and the FBI aren't investigating this as a Hate Crime because they think this was staged in some way. I don't know.

But that is irrelevant. If the family were black, I absolutely guarantee you the first words out of their collective mouths would have been "Hate Crime Investigation". Why doesn't that happen when the victims - real or staged - are white?

Labels: Corruption, criminal, Ethics, Media Bias, Political Correctness, Race-baiters

In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.
---Supreme Court Associate Justice Harry Blackmun

Let that quote sink in. It is at the very core of the liberal view on race: Give special, unequal treatment to promote equality. This makes my head hurt.

It has worked out wonderfully, hasn't it?
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Down in the LA area, Mexican gangs are specifically targeting blacks for murder. I found a handful of articles on the internet, and have seen nothing about this on TV. If this were a white, skin-head gang targeting blacks, this would be world-wide news.

Al Sharpton would have already walked through 3 or 4 pairs of Gucci loafers from his numerous protest walks. We would have every broadcast and cable station down in LA with reporters sporting furrowed brows asking questions like, "Why do whites hate so much?" and "Why do whites need their guns?".

20/20 and Dateline would already be showing two-hour long specials on, "White Hate In America". Diane Sawyer would be in tears.

If whites were doing it, there'd be Senate investigations and calls for money to be sent to "under-served" black neighborhoods around the nation. TARP funds would be allocated for this disaster.

Think I'm exaggerating? Do this: Go to Google, and key in this search query: Mexican gangs targeting blacks.

Then select the "News" tab (to show you how many news articles are out there right now). I got 103 hits.

Now, key in, White gangs targeting blacks. Click "News". I got 143 hits.

Why is that? There have been 150 Hispanic gang members arrested for specifically targeting blacks in their town. This is huge news. There is NOTHING "newsworthy" going on with whites doing anything even remotely horrific, yet there are more stories about evil whites?!

If you think "media bias" is a myth, you need to pull your head out of your ass.
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I have a friend that inspects public housing. He makes sure the physical building and "plant" are in working order. Most of this property is owned or managed by HUD - The Department of Housing and Urban Development.

He just received the following instructions about the inspection reports he prepares:

We have received a directive from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) instructing that the term “graffiti” be omitted from all of our reports. It should be replaced with the term “urban art”.

and

From this point in time forward, photos for inspection purposes cannot include a person’s image. Photos with people may be perceived as racial or a display of the socioeconomic status of a community which may project the wrong impression of an area.

Why the new requirements? Well, the short answer is, this is a glaring example of what happens when government gets into the charity business. People that are down economically, STAY down.

Pictures or "hateful" words that accurately describe a situation have the real chance to destroy the fantasy, socialist image Nanny attempts to portray.

Is this what Barry meant with, "Change We Can Believe In"? All sizzle, no steak?

Graffiti is defacing the property of another person without their permission. Art is done with permission or payment.

Renaming it does nothing other than encouraging more of the same behavior. You're an "Urban Artist", not a "Graffiti Punk". It's kinda like renaming our welfare social assistance programs.

Great plan.
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Head scratcher from jimmycrackcorn in the comments section of a past post: How many of the dealerships shut down by GM and Chrysler were owned by minorities?

I'd like to also know: If any minority owned dealerships WERE shut down, what percentage are they of the ones shut down, and what percentage of all dealerships do they represent?

What I'm getting at is, were they shut down in the same percentages as they were represented in the original "universe" of dealerships, or were some dealerships deemed "special" and spared the axe simply because they were minority-owned?
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Constitution Check: Which article or amendment authorizes HUD? Which article or amendment authorizes TARP?

Just askin'...

Labels: communism, Constitution, Corruption, Ethics, Fascism, Media Bias, nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Thought Crimes, welfare state

A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.
--Martin Luther King

I mentioned that I picked up a new handgun this weekend. I forgot to mention that they were out of ammo. Not low on ammo, they were out. The only stuff they had was hand-loaded, or you could buy hand-loading supplies.

Along the same lines, I hit the shooting range with one of my brothers this weekend (on Saturday instead of the planned Friday). This is the 20-lane facility. We got there at probably their peak time - right round 1:30 in the afternoon.

We waited for more than a half-hour. While we were waiting, another dozen or so people came in, with probably half of them just turning around and leaving.

They were totally out of 9mm. 45 ACP was $24 a box (looking at CheaperThanDirt.com[CTD], that looks to be A DEAL, since the only available .45 ACP they have is Wolf steel at almost $30), 38 SPL was $19 a box (another deal, as there is ZERO available at CTD.com). CTD.com, ironically, has some 9mm - starting at almost $23 for the Wolf crap.

I popped over to MidwayUSA.com, and the story is basically the same.

Maybe we'll leave a day earlier to get in line at the Reno Gun Show......
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Prediction: The new bootlegged item? Cigarettes. Prices will be going up again. On Wednesday, the federal tax will go from 39 cents a pack, to a $1.01.

Want to get around the tax by rolling your own? Good luck. The tax for loose tobacco will go from $1.10 a pound to $24.78 a pound. Holy fucking shit.

At the same time, the People's Republic of California - you remember us, the broke, socialist state way over to the left side of the map - will be raising the tax on smokes by $1.50 a pack. This will also kick in on Wednesday.

Looks like the weenies at ATF are going to have their hands full. Ammo is screwed. Smoking is screwed. When (not if) they raise the booze tax, they'll all be able to cry, "BINGO!" with much glee.

It makes me proud to be an American...
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Oakland actually made me feel good this weekend. Over 20,000 people attended the funeral of the 4 slaughtered officers. It was pretty amazing. They had to hold it in the Coliseum.

I saw a news piece on this guy from the neighborhood - a black guy - who literally walked up on the scene of the two traffic cops that were first slaughtered. He tore his shirt off and jammed in into the hole in the neck of one of the cops that was still alive.

The reporter asked him why he did it when so many of his neighbors were jeering the cops. He said something to the effect of, "It was a human being that had been injured. What else would I do?"

This guy - someone who lived in the neighborhood - had the intelligence and the humanity to understand the difference between the acts of a murdering child rapist, and the acts of a few (perhaps more) officers in a troubled agency. He saw a wrong and did what he could to make it right.

He acted like a civilized human being, not a fucking animal. Perhaps you reap what you sow.
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Another thing that honestly raised my heart was a story about the make-shift memorials that pop up.

They showed one of them for the cops that were shot. This was right in the middle of this neighborhood where the shootings occurred. It was chock-full of cards, flowers, teddy bears, etc., and words of sorrow for the officers. It was very nice.

Around the corner, one had been set up for the murdering child rapist. It had a couple of flowers, and a couple of notes of thanks for getting back at "the man".

The people of the neighborhood promptly trashed the thing.

God Bless the civilized residents of Oakland.

Labels: American Spirit, Brady Bunch, communism, Constitution, Corruption, criminal, democrats, Fascism, Gun Grabbers, nanny state, Race-baiters, Self-Defense, Self-Reliance, Taxes

Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant
will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results.
--Sakyong Mipham

I'm sure most people have heard about the 4 Oakland PD officers that were shot and killed (3 are currently deceased, and the other is supposedly brain-dead) this past weekend. Obviously, it is a horrific event. It is one of the worst police shooting incidents in the city's history.

It is going to be red-meat to the gun grabbers.

The press has had a major focus: He had an assault weapon.

According to authorities, Lovelle Mixon used a semiautomatic pistol to shoot and kill Hege and Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, two motorcycle officers who pulled him over during a routine traffic stop. Two hours later, Mixon, who was holed up in his sister's nearby apartment, opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle, killing SWAT team sergeants Ervin Romans, 43, and Daniel Sakai, 35.

The Brady Bunch will be all over this. They will focus on the fact that he had an evil assault rifle, not on the fact that it was illegal for this piece of shit to have as much as a .22 Derringer in his possession. The was a criminal who had a long history of breaking the law, and doing so in a violent manner.

Somehow, in their twisted little minds, removing guns from the hands of law abiding citizens will fix the problem.

I hope the CRPA and NRA will be ready to counter-attack the gun grabbers. But they won't.
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I think the most disgusting thing about this whole thing has been the attitude of the community.

The parolee who shot five Oakland police officers Saturday, killing three and gravely wounding another, was hiding inside his sister's apartment just around the corner, where he ultimately was shot dead himself.

And neighbors knew it. But they didn't call the cops for nearly an hour.

If neighbors had spoken up sooner, said one woman who lives two doors down, some of those lives might have been saved. But in East Oakland, lamented the woman, Elaine, who refused to give her last name, that just doesn't happen.

"I've been crying all day. It makes you feel bad," she said, wiping her eyes just steps from the blood spatters that clung stubbornly to a broken sidewalk on 74th Avenue. "Because all the time, you knew he was in that apartment. But you just don't want to be a snitch. The word, 'snitch,' it's almost worse than murderer."

Well, isn't that special? I feel so bad for that woman who has been crying all day. Boo-fucking-hoo. Two cops are dead because these cowards didn't want to besmirch their social status.

I'm sure the LEO families are very understanding of the neighbor's reluctance to get involved. They'll think sympathetically of them as their sons and fathers are being buried.

These leaches expect the police to protect them, but will do nothing in return. Sounds like the attitude of a community that has been too used to always taking, and never having to do anything in exchange.

As if that isn't bad enough, these living, breathing, life-sucking maggots actually taunted the police.

By late afternoon Saturday, a group of about 50 people lined 73rd Avenue, a block from where Dunakin and Hege were shot. Some shouted obscenities aimed at police. Others said the officers' deaths were retribution for the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant, the unarmed Hayward man killed by a BART police officer on an Oakland train platform New Year's Day. Shouts of, "They had it comin!' " were heard in the crowd.

They had it comin'.

All I can hope for is that the OPD stops patrolling that neighborhood. Let the drug dealers, pimps, whores, murderers, thieves and crack-heads offer protection to the good, civic-minded citizens.

Fucking animals.

Labels: Brady Bunch, Concealed Carry, Ethics, Gun Grabbers, Race-baiters, Self-Defense

The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.
--Albert Einstein

Shootin'

I started the first part of my NRA Basic Pistol Instructor's class yesterday. I picked up a couple of things - technique-wise - but it was mostly about how to present gun safety and shooting techniques, The NRA Way.

I must say, the most surprising thing was the income potential that seems to be there. We ran some numbers, and even part-time teaching can bring in a decent amount of cash. There are some logistics to work out, but I'm quite optimistic.

One thing that pissed me off about the instructor was that he was constantly taking phone calls, even in the middle of the class. He has no one answering the phones - he's the whole kit and kaboodle. I understand he's trying to run a business, but it was breaking up the flow of the class from people he already had money from. It was a bit unprofessional in my opinion.

Still, answering one of those calls paid off BIG TIME for him. It was a call from a major software company that is the biggest operating system coder in the world - any guesses? He booked a "morale building" gig for 80 people. It will last 4 hours and he will gross $10,000. Probably net himself $5,000 for half a days work after paying hired-on instructors and range expenses.

The class will be on "assault weapons", so I can't scam my first gig from him! Still, pretty impressive.
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I found it VERY interesting that, to teach the Basic Pistol class, the instructor does not need to demonstrate shooting proficiency prior to certification. You can just list classes you've taken and experience you have. You just need to take the class, pass the test and obtain the recommendation of the Training Counselor (the Instructor's instructor).

Now, my Counselor did take me to the range and I had to show that I knew what I was doing, but that seemed like an odd omission to the certification process.
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I picked up a nice tip while we were at the range. I don't know why he shared it with me, because we never used the technique - but it fit in perfectly with one of my personal training gigs.

I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that one of my training routines was to start with the gun in the Low-Ready position (both hands on the weapon while it is pointed downward), bring the gun up rapidly, acquire the target and shoot.

He said that he had gotten this from a "group of Israelis" (his fiance is Israeli).

You start with the gun in the Low-Ready position, but you tilt the gun perhaps 45 degrees to the right (if you're a right-handed shooter). When you bring the gun up to fire, it is brought naturally into a straight position. I guess the idea is that it is normal for your strong hand to muscle the gun "over the top" and it normally ends up tilted to the left when in the firing position.

I haven't yet tried this, so YMMV, but it seems to make sense.
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Shuckin'

....help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right.

That is part of the hate speech spewed by racist preacher Joseph Lowery. Of course, the media paints him as, "a civil rights icon and a pastor".

The press is trying to put lipstick on this pig of an old racist bastard.

Lowery implored God to help Americans make "choices on the side of love, not hate, on the side of inclusion not exclusion, tolerance not intolerance."

I guess that doesn't include blacks. It is still socially acceptable to make whites targets of reverse racism.

Go fuck yourself, preacher.
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Jivin'

I'm trying not be be ubber-paranoid today, but why isn't a clip from last night's Daily Show up on YouTube yet? Not politically correct enough?

On the show, Jon Steward and one of the other "correspondents" were having a discussion about Barry's speech. The correspondent was mocking the MSM and being all giggly about how wonderful everything was, and how Obama had given us all kinds of hope.

Stewart, to his credit and my shock, played a clip from Barry's speech, then ran one from Dubya that used virtually the exact same words. It was hilarious.

They ran a good four or five tandem clips. The correspondent had a great line at the end. It was something to the effect of, "Why are you doing this? You're ruining, 'Hope Day One'".

I nearly wet myself!
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UPDATE:

Here's the clip I was discussing above. The part I was referrencing starts at 1:21.

Labels: Brady Bunch, Constitution, Fascism, Hate Crimes, Media Bias, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Defense

There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.
--Booker T. Washington

Note: As Hermit has pointed out, I'm am rapidly moving up in line for the first classes to be held at the Obama re-education camps. This should get me VIP seating.


Could the quote above better describe Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton? They have literally made careers of race baiting and division. Jackson, in particular, seems to have tasted the blood in the water, and is ready to strike. The time is right. An Obama Administration would work nicely into his plans.

Jesse is over in France for some World Policy conference. He's making not-so-veiled threats to Israel and getting in shots on America, Iraq, Iran and the economy. But what got me going was his self-serving, race-baiting franchise.

As a public service, I am going to provide a translation of Jesse's quotes. Think of me as bi-lingual. Or perhaps as one not drinking his brand of Koolaid.

"We helped him start his career," says Jackson. "And then we were always there to help him move ahead."

Translation: It's quid pro quo time, baby. We MADE you! Time to pay the piper. Oh, and this won't be the last time we pull up to the Bank of Obama, either.

"He is the continuation of our struggle for justice not only for the black people but also for all those who have been wronged."

Translation: I have no damned idea. Who said I have to make sense? I am required to spew forth unintelligible gibberish at least 5 times a day. Said gibberish must contain the words or phrases (or derivatives thereof): black people, struggle, inequality, injustice, rights, demand and reparations. Honky, cracker, Hymie or Zionist are optional.

Will Obama's election close the chapter of black grievances linked to memories of slavery? The reverend takes a deep breath and waits a long time before responding.

"No, that chapter won't be closed," he says. "However, Obama's victory will be a huge step in the direction we have wanted America to take for decades."

Translation: Close the chapter?! What are you smokin', son?! Hell, we're writing a whole new book! With all of these trillions of dollars being pumped into the Money Changers, you don't think we're gonna get us a piece of that? It's gonna be like a Pulled Pork festival! Get it? Pork! Hahahahah! With Democrats owning both houses of Congress, and with Barry at the wheel, we're gonna be able to milk this baby for years. For generations!

But is Obama - who's not a descendant of slaves - truly a typical American black?

Jackson emphatically answers yes: "You don't need to be a descendant of slaves to experience the oppression, the suffocating injustice and the ugly racism that exists in our society," he says. "Obama experienced the same environment as all American blacks did. It was nonsense to suggest that he was somehow not black enough to feel the pain."

Translation: You mean the pain and oppression of having been put through Harvard Law School on Uncle Sugar's dime, election to the Illinois legislature and to the US Senate? Haw! Just messin' with ya! No, we'll subtly play the angle that he only went so far because of his white mama. We've got to tread lightly to season this steak with innuendo like, "An oppressed 'real black man' couldn't have gotten so far," you know - BS like that. Keepin' It Real, baby!
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My guess is, since Jackson has gotten all of this press, Reverend Al will soon be pulling some kind of stunt to get his mug in the news. Can't let Jesse get all the press.... and all of the hand-outs...
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HT to Hermit for the article, and to Brooke for the Booker T. Washington quote. I'll save y'all a seat at the camp.

Labels: Political Correctness, Race-baiters

The modern definition of "racist" is "someone who is winning an argument with a liberal”.
--Peter Brimelow

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning, and my blood is boiling.

An ugly racial component has entered the presidential campaign.

An anxious murmur is rising among white voters as the presidential race tightens: What if John McCain loses?

White talk-show hosts and white-themed Web sites are being flooded with callers and bloggers reflecting a nervousness -- and anger -- over the campaign. Bev Smith, a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host, devoted her entire three-hour show Monday night to the question: "If McCain doesn't win, what will you think?"

"My audience is upset," she said in an interview. "Some people said they would be so angry it would be reminiscent of the [1960s] riots -- that is how despondent they would be."

Of course, I substituted 'white' for 'black' and 'McCain' for 'Obama' from the original quote.

No radio station in America would be allowed on public airways if it were openly espousing support of a white candidate simply because he's white. It seems to be OK if you're supporting a black candidate for racial reasons.

White-themed web sites are chastised for what they are - racial cesspools. Black-themed sites are viewed as 'progressive'. WTF?

Labels: communism, democrats, nanny state, Political Correctness, presidential, Race-baiters

Learned helplessness is the giving-up reaction, the quitting response that follows from the belief that whatever you do doesn't matter.
--Arnold Schwarzenegger

I was sniffing around World Net Daily, and bumped into this story about menthol cigarettes. It caught my eye, because I happen to smoke menthols.

One thing the article made clear: I will not die from smoking. I am going to die because my blood pressure has got to be off the chart. When I read bullshit like this, I just want to scream.

Mentholated cigarettes started out in the 1920s with such names as Spud, Listerine, the Original Eucalyptus Smoke and Snowball. Today they're sold as Newport, Kool and Marlboro Menthol, the smokes of choice among the black community.

Critics charge they are products designed specifically to lure young blacks into a lifetime of tobacco use.

Oh Lord, it's gonna be one of those stories.

So I gird myself. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. I can do this.

Perhaps not.

While a growing number of states and cities, including Chicago, have moved to ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and entertainment sites, and Congress is weighing a ban on flavored cigarettes, the issue of what, if anything, should be done about menthols has proved complicated for political Washington —and for smokers.

Did I read that right? Our federal government is working on legislation to regulate the flavor of smokes? This can't be right.

A ban, though, looks like a political step too far for Congress. The House last month approved a measure that would authorize the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products and to ban flavored additives. Menthol flavoring, however, was exempted in the bill; defenders of that loophole argue it is a necessary concession to get the bill through the Senate.

Oh, it's a "political step too far". No, it's out of their fucking jurisdiction! A political step too far would be wearing a USC football lapel pin to a Notre Dame game.

OK, OK. I know both houses of Congress are nothing but a bunch of glad-handing, front page grinnin' whores. How is this a 'poor, abused blacks' issue?

Menthol critics point to studies that claim young blacks, who as a group are much more likely than whites to smoke menthols, have been targeted by marketing programs of cigarette manufacturers.

Ya mean like the way Crown Royal and goose liver pate are targeted to rich folks? Neither one of them do anyone much good, but you don't hear for calls to have them banned. Well, you do for the goose liver, but that was because it was to protect the goose, not the rich folks.

So how do blacks feel about this?

Billy Perry of Chicago said he's been smoking Newports for 30 years. "It has a better taste and less of the effects of harshness," Perry said. [Hey! That's the same reason this white guy smokes them, too! Small world, huh?]

But Perry said there is "not a shadow of a doubt that blacks are being targeted" by cigarette marketing campaigns.

... and ...

For her part, Twaynis Royal, a Newport smoker who is a student at Chicago's Robert Morris College, said cigarette firms have identified their market and are going after it. Royal, who is 25, said she started smoking Newports as a teenager, because that was what her parents smoked.

"Newport realizes their database is black people and they do the targeting," Royal said.

So. We have two blacks who recognize the cigarette companies are targeting them with menthols, yet they still buy them. Who has got the problem here? Do they want Nanny to do what LA did when they banned fast food restaurants in high-black areas? Apparently so.

But that wasn't what caused violent spasms in my brain and body. It was this:

Studies report that nearly three out of four black smokers prefer menthol brands, compared to three of 10 white smokers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Read it again, and let the numbers speak to you.

Roughly 3/4th of blacks smoke menthol. This is cause for Congress to actually discuss banning menthol smokes. Civil rights groups are preparing for protests. Health officials are soiling their shorts.

The kicker is that roughly 3/4th (7 out of 10) of whites smoke non-menthol. WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE CONCERNED CONGRESS-CRITTERS WHEN WHITES ARE CLEARLY BEING TARGETED WITH NON-MENTHOL CIGARETTES?!

Where's the love, Congress? Where's the love?
----------

When are blacks going to jump up in unison and say, "HEY! Enough is enough! We can run our own gotdam lives. Got it?!"

I keep waiting for it, but I fear the answer is 'never'. In my 49 years, I have witnessed the gradual, but steady, decline of blacks in our country. Instead of the handouts, quotas, affirmative action and diversity training helping, it has further ingrained helplessness into an entire segment of our society.

A radical black voice now and then screams out against this disintegration, but it's too little, too late. They see that blacks are being treated as nothing more than disabled children, unable to care for themselves. Instead of being cheered and encouraged, they're spit upon. Called "Uncle Tom's" or "House Niggers" or worse.

It's always someone else's fault. "Keepin' It Real" has somehow become the base of their culture.

Good luck with that. See how well it's worked so far?

Labels: communism, nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance, welfare state

“Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice”
--George Bernard Shaw

This all gets so tiring.

Apparently, Uncle Sugar, our benevolent ruler government, doesn't like black folks:

Award-winning singer Alicia Keys has claimed the US government invented "gangsta rap" to get black people to kill each other.

Can you see it now? Dick Cheney in the basement of some dusty federal building, looking like he's putting lotion on his hands (you know how those evil villains do that hand wringing move?) coming up with ways to destroy blacks.

Apparently there weren't enough foreign targets on the neo-con "hit list", so he decided to go local. Yeah.

You know, there may be something to it, though.



I've got to say, I still have not seen my sentiments on this subject put any better than Joan said it over at Primordial Slack:

So, you can go on blaming me for everything you think, do, and say. But as long as you think I'm your problem, then I'm your master.

Here's an idea: Why don't you get bitter like us white folks. Embrace guns, God and national sovereignty. Hey, it's worked for us.

Labels: Life and Times, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance, Thought Crimes

Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny.
--Huey P. Newton

Freedom is not something that can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be.
--James Baldwin

Two quotes on self-determination by two black men. Look how different they are in their basic approach to the subject.

Huey Newton's quote has the flavor of the current race-baiting crowd. Somehow, the power of self-determination has been stripped from blacks and it has to be given back.

The quote by James Baldwin understands freedom and self-determination for what it is: If you want it, you've got to take it. Most American's live by this ideal, as do the vast majority of immigrants to this country. It is the main reason they come here. The ability to determine your own path is a very strong incentive. Or it should be.

It's not a race-thing. It's an individual-thing.
----------

I was over at GuyK's place, and he had a link to a post that just set me on my butt. I swear, this woman must have my home, car and office bugged. She has a rant that so perfectly states my perspective of "oppressed blacks".

This is golden:

And I haven't plotted to develop hard-won skills in my life just to keep you from your dreams. I've worked hard because the world is a pitiless shark-pool of competition and I don't have the luxury of a conscience that allows me to expect someone else to back off and give me a chance. Because they won't.

You know, the world doesn't just screw Black people over, the world screws everybody over. That's its job. Our job is to not let real or imagined circumstance define us.

So, you can go on blaming me for everything you think, do, and say. But as long as you think I'm your problem, then I'm your master.

Why do blacks think I have the inclination, let alone the time to figure out ways to keep them down? I'm busy enough working to make a house payment, putting food on the table, stashing some money away for retirement and helping my kids get an education. When am I going to have time to plot against an entire race? Hell, I don't have time to go to the gym!

An evening out with my wife to see a movie would be nice. Masterminding the downfall of all that is black? Get a fucking grip on reality.
----------

I've seen this my entire life.

Speaking of Huey Newton, my dad arrested him and the rest of his Black Panther's on numerous occasions when he was an Oakland cop back in the 1960's.

In the late 60's, he transferred and got a promotion to Investigator (later, a Lieutenant) with the Marin County sheriff's department. In 1970 or '71, there was a trial being held for some Black Panther. Somehow, a gun got into the courtroom. The sheriff's department was located in the same building as the courts, so the place was locked-down immediately.

The judge for the case was taken hostage and had a shotgun taped to his face. The shotgun went off, and my dad said it basically took off his head. The prosecutor of the case was a friend of my dad's. He was also taken hostage, and was shot and paralyzed. He ended up becoming a judge.

Even through all of this, I never, ever heard my dad use, "The N Word", or even speak badly of blacks in general. Individuals by name, sure. Generalities, never.

My dad, obviously, had a lot of cop friends. The racial epithets flew pretty freely with these other guys. He would shut it down right away. He had grown up as a kid in Oakland and had friends of all races. When we were kids, he was ALWAY careful to distinguish between "radicals" and people just trying to make a living. Business people that had to pay protection money to the Panthers. That disgusted him.
----------

My dad passed away - twenty years ago this coming May. Much too young, he was only 55.

If he were still alive, I wonder what he'd think of the "progress" made by blacks since his early days in Oakland. "Black Power", indeed.

Labels: nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance, welfare state

Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion... in private self-defense.
--John Adams

I've mentioned here (I think) and at a number of other sites through my comments, that I will not vote for the "lesser of two evils" in this upcoming election. I just won't do it. If the "third party" is ever going to have a chance to break the lock of the Republicrats or the Demicans, there has to be a significant number of people that don't vote for either of them. I don't care if it is for the Greens, Communists, National Socialists, Druids, or whomever. The two major parties have nothing to worry about if there isn't a demonstration of disgust at the ballot box.

For my part, regardless of who the candidates are, I'm writing in Ron Paul.

The way I look at it, there will be no appreciable difference in the resulting mess our country will be in after 8 years of John, Hillary or Barack. Illegal aliens. The War in Iraq. Domestic security. Adherence to the Constitution. Guns, Guns, Guns. Taxes. It's depressing simply to think about it.

Anyways, I was seeing one potential long-term bump. If Barack became president, it might act as a beacon of sorts to poor, black kids that don't seem to think there is any way to get out of the crap their lives - indeed, the lives of much of their entire race - have degenerated in to.

It might help to shut the pie-holes of the race-baiters like Jesse and Al. It might show them that, just like every other race that has ever come to America, you can make something of yourself if you put forth some effort. If a black man can become president of a largely white nation, you can no longer use race as an excuse for not getting ahead. The whinings of the race-baiters would ring hollow.

To his credit, Barack has largely run his campaign without bringing race into the mix. Others have, but he has run as a typical tax, spend and "make others dependent upon the government" Democrat, not as a black tax, spend and "make others dependent upon the government" Democrat.

So when his religious advisor and every-day preacher goes all race-a-palooza on us, it is disturbing.

In the sermons the Rev Jeremiah Wright, who presided over Obama's marriage and provided the title of his book Audacity of Hope, condemned what he described as a systemic effort to keep black people in poverty.

The accusations of racism could prove embarrassing to Obama who has based his candidacy around a message of unity. In his sermons Wright reportedly refers to the US as being under the influence of the Ku Klux Klan, and describes black Republicans as sellouts.

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing God Bless America. No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon which was aired by ABC television.

"God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

----------

It is people like this bastard that are the main reason blacks as a demographic are poor, uneducated and under-achieving when compared to every other racial demographic in America. It is always "whitey" that keeps the black man down. There is never any responsibility for their plight. When you bring up hard statistics - black-on-black crime, out-of-wedlock birth rates, anything - you are painted as a racist, bent on keeping the blacks on the plantation.

The other demographics are sick and tired of hearing about it. If Obama does not clearly and unambiguously refutiate the words of this racist preacher, he will have virtually no chance of winning the general election. McCain will beat this like a drum. As he should.

It is Obama's election to win or to lose. How he handles situations such as this will demonstrate how he handles crisis.

----------
I don't think he'll do it, though. This is not good.

A while back, Hermit had said something on his site that got my attention. He was discussing about how there would be a good chance of race riots should Obama have the Democrat nomination "stolen" by Hillary.

I hadn't even thought about that. But he's right. Especially in areas with high concentrations of blacks and poverty. I've got two of those areas very close to me. One, Oakland, is where I work. The other, Richmond, is right down the road.

If the race-baiters feel the nomination has been stolen by whitey - and they will if he loses, regardless of the real reasons - they will incite the "believers" and riots will ensue.

----------
Great. There's probably a better than 50/50 chance of riots. What to do?

Here in The People's Republic of California, without having one of the impossible-to-obtain CCW permits, you can only have a handgun in your car if you either have it in your locked trunk, or in a locked, steel box. The ammo cannot be in the gun, nor can a loaded magazine be inserted into a semi-auto.

To stay clear of these laws or an over-zealous gun-grabbing DA, I currently keep my handgun in a locked steel case that is in my locked trunk. The ammo is kept in the locked trunk in a separate area.

If it looks like things might get bad, I may come down with the flu and just stay home. I think that a week or so before the Dems convention, I will start keeping the locked steel box in the cabin of my car, with the magazines in the center console. Because "travel to gun ranges" is one of the specifically mentioned justifiable reasons for having a gun in your car, maybe I'll throw my range bag in the back seat to add to the "plausible deniability" aspect.

Bottom line is, if it hits the fan in a bad way, I'm not going to become the next Reginald Denny. I won't go silently.

Labels: Concealed Carry, Constitution, Gun Grabbers, nanny state, Political Correctness, presidential, Race-baiters, Self-Defense, Self-Reliance, Thought Crimes, welfare state

I've been busy as hell at work the past two days - trying to wrap up the tattered ends of the employee that ripped us off. It is difficult to see what this woman did for the past 3 years. We've got a minimum of 4-6 weeks of work ahead of us just to get these records in presentable fashion.

It's interesting, but this has diverted my attention from the "bigger picture" of what is happening in the country and the world. I didn't even realize the Japanese stock market took a huge hit, that gold tickled the $1000 level and that oil had broken its all-time high price per barrel.

Speaking of gold, back on the 23rd of February, I had a conversation with Karen in the comment section of one of my posts. We were talking about how to buy gold coin. I noted that the spot price of gold was $944.60 per ounce. As of yesterday, it was at $989 per ounce, a 4.7% increase in 10 days. Annualized, that is a 173% rate of increase. Now, I doubt the increase will continue at that rate, but I do believe it will continue to grow. It's up around 50% over the past 6 months.
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I bought 400 rounds of .223 Rem ammo and some gold coin this weekend, paying (what seems to me) way too much for both. Ammo and gold are both true commodities, where supply and demand are making prices skyrocket. Both also share a common thread that people hoard both when they don't have rosy outlooks for the future. Same with the bucket of wheat I just bought. At least there isn't any inflation to worry about, and we're not yet in a recession. So sez Dubya.

On Friday, the employment numbers will be released. The preliminary figures have not been too good. Especially here in The People's Republic of California. Maybe the Leader of The Free World will change his tune at that time. Doubtful.
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When will a group of Nazi's or Skin Heads or some other racist group protest to Harvard University and get preferential treatment for use of the gym. The Muslim's get special privileges, and there are fewer Nazi's in the US than there are Muslims, so the Nazi's are actually a minor minority. They should get extra special treatment.

I wonder how Harvard would argue in denying the Nazi's request. It couldn't be on hate-speech grounds, because no group is more vocal in their hate of anything more than the Muslims. It couldn't be on promoting violence, because no group is more proactive in promoting and actually carrying out violence in furtherance of their goals than Muslims.

Labels: communism, Hate Crimes, nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, welfare state

It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
--P.G. Wodehouse, The Man Upstairs

Crap like this just saps the strength out of me.

New Jersey could become the first Northern state to apologize for slavery under a measure due for a legislative committee hearing this week.

"This is not too much to ask of the state of New Jersey," said Assemblyman William Payne, sponsor of the proposal. "All that is being requested of New Jersey is to say three simple words: 'We are sorry.'"

Wow. Who woulda thunk it? A Democrat proposing that New Jersey participate in some hollow, race-tinged self-flagellation. Oh look! He just happens to be black, as well.

Shocking.

Isn't there enough going on in New Jersey to keep pinheads like this busy? Don't they have some Mafia murders or a chemical plant spill that can keep him focused on something that actually matters?

According to the proposal, New Jersey had one of the largest slave populations in the Northern colonies and was the last state in the Northeast to formally abolish slavery, not doing so until 1846. The state didn't ratify the constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery until January 1866, weeks after it became law, having rejected ratification in 1865.

Hmm. A hundred and sixty-plus years have passed since they did away with slavery. Why would this idiot think this is appropriate now?

Payne said an apology would comfort black residents, who make up 14.5 percent of New Jersey's 8.7 million residents.

The state is now in the 'comfort' business? Is anyone buying that bullshit? This is another piece of the puzzle to get paid sometime down the line - either through reparations or increased government assistance, or some other scam.

I guarantee you that if this is passed, Payne or others like him will use the fact that the state admitted to wrong-doing, to get a bigger chunk of money in the future. It will go something like this:

"Well, everyone knows blacks have been pissed on their entire lives. Jersey even admitted as much. While doubling the amount of money going into [insert favorite special interest group here] may provide some comfort to disadvantaged blacks, it is only the first step in a long road to racial equality."

Excuse me. I just threw up a little in my mouth. At least there is a glimmer of sanity up there in the cold Northeast:

"Who living today is guilty of slave holding and thus capable of apologizing for the offense?" asked Assemblyman Richard Merkt [an evil white male -ed.]. "And who living today is a former slave and thus capable of accepting the apology? So how is a real apology even remotely possible, much less meaningful, given the long absence of both oppressor and victim?"

Wake up and smell the Payola, Mr. Merkt. This isn't about an apology. This is about continuing the gravy train.

Choo Choo......

Labels: communism, nanny state, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance, welfare state

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.

I love that quote.

I love it because it epitomizes what America is supposed to be all about. It doesn't matter if you're black, white, Hispanic or Asian. Man, woman, boy or girl. You are equal to every other person at birth, and have the ability and opportunity to change your place in society based upon your actions - based upon things that build your character.

It is one of the reasons I despise things like quotas based on race, color or gender. They are not based upon things you are able to control and influence - honesty, education, integrity or experience - but are instead based upon things over which you have no influence - your race, color or gender.

You get rewarded for doing nothing.

There was a time when the quotas were probably warranted. In the 1960's to enforce the Civil Rights Act, it may have made sense for the government to interfere into the operating practices of private businesses. Maybe. Well, maybe not.

Personally, I think market forces should have been the driver of this change. Make the laws - make it illegal to discriminate based on color. If businesses did it, sue them for violating the law. Shut down their businesses via fines if need be.

But the government should not be able to set arbitrary quotas on how many blacks, Asians or Hispanics a company should must hire.



During the 70's and into the early 80's, this wave of protectionism swept up women. The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed. It failed, but, I think in general, businesses were at least working towards equality in hiring practices. I can say it absolutely was stringently enforced here in the SF Bay Area.

I think it was a good thing for women that the ERA did not pass. In my experience, rarely do you hear of someone getting promoted solely because of their gender. It happens all too often with regards to race. In general, businesses saw the benefits of hiring women and advancing them through the organization. Again, in general, the private sector saw the benefits of hiring the best person for the job, regardless of their gender.

(Of course, this does not apply to government jobs. The armed forces, police and fire in particular were forced by court decree to lower standards to admit women into certain jobs. Not to the benefit of society, in my opinion.)

So today I read an article by Peggy Noonan. I've heard of her before, but never read any of her stuff. If it's all like this, I'm a new fan.

Margaret Thatcher would no more have identified herself as a woman, or claimed special pleading that she was a mere frail girl, or asked you to sympathize with her because of her sex, than she would have called up the Kremlin and asked how quickly she could surrender.

Nice. Someone who is what she is, and will stand on her reputation. On her character. On what she has made of herself, not upon some physical trait.

The point is the big ones, the real ones, the Thatchers and Indira Gandhis and Golda Meirs and Angela Merkels, never play the boo-hoo game. They are what they are, but they don't use what they are. They don't hold up their sex as a feint: Why, he's not criticizing me, he's criticizing all women! Let us rise and fight the sexist cur.

She goes on to take Hillary to task over using the "gender card" when things get a little rough. She wants to play with the big boys, but by her own rules. Wrong.

It's the same with the Al Sharpon's and Jesse Jackson's of the world - If you don't like something, pull out the Race Card. Don't argue your position based upon the character of the person in question, use the "boo-hoo" game to get your way.

Noonan offers this hopeful thought:

It's all kind of wonderful, isn't it? Someone indulged in special pleading and America didn't buy it. It's as if the country this week made it official: We now formally declare that the woman who uses the fact of her sex to manipulate circumstances is a jerk.

I think it IS wonderful. I think women enjoy knowing, deep down inside, that their accomplishments are a result of their hard work, and not of some "gimme" force-fed by Nanny.

I wish the racial minority groups would see the benefits of personal accomplishment. Accomplishment based upon personal deeds and not physical traits. Benefits not only to the individual, but to all of America.

I think many racial groups are too invested into the quota/gimme way of doing things. I don't know if they can ever get away from it, quite frankly. And I don't think they'll ever have a chance to prosper as women have.

11/15/07 Update:

Told ya so! Interesting how many financial services firms are included in the list. My first bank, Wells Fargo - where I spent the first 12 years of my career - made the list. Perhaps that is why this seem so, "duh!" to me.

Labels: nanny state, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance

I saw this in the online version of the Wall Street Journal today. If it happens - odds might be kind of low, as the court is in San Francisco - this could be the first step in normalizing our immigration flow to manageable numbers. We'll see:

Update: Spineless judge postponed this for 10 days.

Firms Brace for Crackdown on Illegal Labor
By MIRIAM JORDAN
October 1, 2007; Page A3

As a crucial hearing looms on a planned government crackdown on illegal immigrants in the workplace, many businesses are scrambling to figure out how they will cope with an expected loss of illegal labor. A U.S. district court in San Francisco could decide as early as today whether the Social Security Administration can send out thousands of "no match" letters to employers whose workers' names don't jibe with their Social Security numbers. The notices would be accompanied by letters from the Department of Homeland Security outlining new penalties for hiring undocumented workers.

The program, if put into effect, is expected to pose tough choices for many business owners, particularly in industries such as agriculture, construction and food service, which rely heavily on illegal workers. Employers would be required to fire such workers once their status was exposed, or risk fines.

The Bush administration prepared the crackdown after Congress failed to pass an immigration bill that would have legalized the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. At least eight million illegal laborers are believed to work in U.S. jobs.

The work-site program was supposed to roll out in September with the mailing of 140,000 no-match letters to employers. But the AFL-CIO filed a lawsuit alleging the new policy could lead to discrimination against or firing of native-born U.S. workers and legal immigrant workers. The program was delayed when a federal judge in August blocked the new policy until questions about its legality had been addressed. The hearing that opens today is aimed at clarifying this.

The new program puts employers on notice that they can no longer look the other way regarding illegal workers. If an employer receives a no-match letter on a particular worker, the company has 90 days to certify that worker's legal status; otherwise, the worker's employment must be terminated. Companies that violate the policy would face what Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff has called "stiff penalties or sanctions" higher than the fines of up to $2,200 a worker in place today.

Already, many companies are bracing for a hit -- particularly small businesses that say their survival could be at stake. Those businesses say the new enforcement places a disproportionate burden on them, subjecting them to costly and time-consuming record keeping by reducing productivity even if only a handful of workers are affected. Some businesses in industries such as agriculture and construction are talking about shutting down or moving their operations abroad.

"The typical small company is not equipped to be the nation's immigration police," says Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association, which represents about 65,000 small companies. "A small-business owner can't just give no-match letters to human resources to sort out."

In early September, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several trade groups representing small businesses that employ low-skilled immigrants joined the lawsuit. Among others, the United Fresh Produce Association, the National Roofing Contractors Association and the Association of Nursery and Landscapers allege the Department of Homeland Security failed to perform a financial-impact assessment, as required under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, to measure the impact of the new rule on small businesses.

"This is a hollow argument coming from businesses who want to avoid liability for employing unauthorized workers," said a Department of Homeland Security spokesman. "The rule does not impose an expense for employers."

In the $1.2 trillion construction industry, at least one-third of the work force is undocumented, according to an estimate by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industry experts believe the actual figure is much higher: Last year alone, nearly half of new construction workers were Hispanics who had arrived in the U.S. since 2000.

The impending crackdown generates everything "from concern to utter panic among roofing contractors," says Craig Silvertooth, director of federal affairs for the National Roofing Association, based in Chicago, representing 4,300 businesses. "There is no way to run your business if this goes forward."

In agriculture, about 70% of all workers are illegal immigrants, according to independent estimates, and an existing guest-worker program supplies less than 2% of the work force required each year.

Most illegal immigrants work for bona fide businesses and are hired and paid like other workers on the payroll. To get work, the immigrants normally obtain a fake Social Security card with a made-up nine-digit number. The fake cards are peddled in immigrant neighborhoods.

When the illegal immigrants are hired, their employers don't know whether the documents are authentic. A company thus hires workers, puts them on the payroll and withholds necessary taxes. The unauthorized workers, who receive a paycheck regularly, pay into Social Security but can't draw benefits.

Social Security has been mailing no-match letters for decades, but employers haven't been held accountable for workers who failed to address discrepancies. In fact, employers have been advised not to take any adverse action against an employee based exclusively on the letter. "There has been no definitive legal obligation to take action," says Angelo Paparelli, an immigration lawyer with offices in New York and Irvine, Calif., who is advising several concerned businesses.

"Employers have to be held accountable if they are given clear notice of the fact that they may be hiring illegal aliens," Mr. Chertoff said in announcing the new crackdown. Mr. Chertoff added that about 4% of the 250 million wage reports received by Social Security each year show no matches.

Maureen Torrey, former chairwoman of United Fresh Produce and a farmer in upstate New York, says she provides W-2 forms for all her employees and withholds taxes on their earnings. She has received no-match letters in the past: 375 of her 400 workers are Hispanics, and she figures some are in the U.S. illegally.

The new rule is pushing many farmers to consider extreme options. "You've got to comply," says Mrs. Torrey, who runs Torrey Farms in Elba, N.Y. "We move our farm operations to another country or just sell out." Some U.S. farmers have already been investing or subcontracting in other countries such as Mexico.

The owner of a small California manufacturer that has 120 employees and subcontracts for the U.S. government foresees having to fire about 15% of her work force. "Because of the role they play and the tight labor market, it is probable that we would go out of business," said the woman, who spoke on condition that neither her name nor that of her company be cited.

Some observers hope the legal challenge to the administration's latest enforcement efforts will revive congressional action on immigration. In the meantime, the policy could drive more immigrants to seek jobs in the off-the-books economy, where they have fewer legal protections from employment abuses.

Labels: illegal aliens, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance

Perhaps....

I was listening to the radio this weekend, on the way to seeing my Raiders get their butts kicked by (wow, this is hard to say) the Detroit Lions (sorry, a little self-pity there!). Anyway, the host posed an interesting question:

You are white. The best high school (in terms of academic achievement) in the area is predominantly black. Would you send your kids to that school, or drive them each day to a predominantly white, lower test score school?

Without much hesitation, I answered, "the white school".

I picked up my buddy that I was taking to the game, posed the question to him, and gave him my answer. He essentially called me a racist.

I don't think so, but perhaps he's right.

A little bit about me: I've lived in the SF Bay Area my entire life, so I've been exposed to every color and creed of person on this earth. In college, I attended SF State. Lots of interaction with different races every day. I played football at State. Our team was predominantly black. I not only interacted with them, I depended upon them (and they on me). Many became close friends.

While in college, I worked at Wells Fargo bank, which was as diverse as San Francisco itself. I met and married my wife, who is of Mexican descent.

In the workplace, I have often said, I don't like diversity. I expect all of my employees to be the very best. Their sexual orientation or color are irrelevant.

I walk the walk.

Yet, here I am, saying I would choose a school for my kids based on race.

As we talked through different scenarios, things began to clear up for me. My concern was more about the black race as a whole, not the individuals themselves. I believe that, in general, broad terms, the culture of American whites is what I want my kids to learn.

A school of 2,000 or so kids WILL have an influence on your child regardless of what you teach/preach at home. They will be with their classmates 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. This is clearly more than most parents will spend with them, especially with teenagers.

My bottom line: I want my kids being influenced by people with similar cultural values than by those that don't. Different races have different cultural values.

We went around and around about generalities versus specific people. Your kid could fall in with the stoner/skin-head white crowd. Or the Urkel crowd at the black school. You never know.

I think I've shown my kids that I don't care about the race, creed or color of my friends. We have an annual party and we have blacks, whites, Asians and Hispanics in attendance. We have Christians, Muslims, Jews and Atheists.

As an individual, I don't care about your color. I only care about your religion in regards to how it influences you in your interaction with me, my family and our community. I care about your personal values.

a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

Does this point of view make me a racist? Perhaps. I don't think whites are superior, but I know my race, agree with most educational, achievement and religious norms, and it's how I want to raise my kids.

A thought to leave you with: If the choice were between a high-performing Asian school and a lower achieving white school, I'd most likely choose the Asian school. Reverse racism????

Labels: Life and Times, Political Correctness, Race-baiters

Quick thoughts to start the week....

Gonzo Gone. Very surprised that the AG resigned. The damage is done, I'd keep him on as a whipping-boy if I were Bush. Help deflect other criticisms about the administration.

Michael Vick. Wow, he almost had me. His apology seemed genuine until he threw in the bit about "finding God". Seemed too contrived. Like when Lindsey or Brittany or Mel are emerging from or going to rehab. "I found the Lord and now I'm on the path to righteousness." We'll see.

Tumbling Prices. Geez, since the Federal Reserve has been tracking home prices, the nationwide, median price has never dropped. Until now. I have a brother that lives in the Sacramento Valley, and they are just getting battered..... and new homes are still being built. Hmmm. I'm trying to squirrel cash away right now, to pick up some property(ies) when the market starts swinging the other way (lat 2008, early 2009). And save the "vulture" crap. As long as you personally don't participate in a person losing their home through immoral/illegal means, picking it up at below market prices when a crash happens is totally on the up-and-up.

Labels: American Ingenuity, Life and Times, Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance

The NAACP isn't advancing anything but victim-hood...

I was shaking my head yesterday when the NAACP held a press conference in defense of Michael Vick. Instead of taking Vick's admission of guilt as an opportunity to speak to young black men about how NOT to live your life, they turned it into another persecution of a black man by white society.

"At this point, you're not looking at guilt or innocence," White said, referring to the possible harsher sentence Vick could have received had he taken his case to trial and been found guilty. "You're thinking, 'What I better do is cut my losses and take a plea.' But if he saw this as the best thing to do at this point for his future, then I think he made the correct choice."

What utter bullshit. They're estimating this will cost him upwards of $100 million in lifetime earnings. Michael Vick has money growing out of his ass. If he were innocent, he'd be fighting this like, well, a crazed pit bull.

The nation's most prominent civil rights organization takes up his cause, not because his rights are being violated, but simply because he's black and entertaining to watch.

"We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

What happened to all of that, "content of his character" stuff?

As I'm driving home after work last night, I'm listening to a talk show hosted by a black guy named Brian Copeland. I really like this guy. His politics in general are too liberal for my liking, but he defends his positions well. Most importantly, he's not a black apologist. He calls 'em like he sees 'em.

He was voicing his disgust with the NAACP in general, and the Michael Vick issue in particular. He asked his listeners to call in and voice their opinions as well. Was he off-base here?

A woman, probably in her 50's or 60's called in. Very well spoken, no gangsta dis 'n dat. Quite eloquent.

An an utter idiot.

She said that, while she thinks killing dogs was bad, she believed Vick was being persecuted by white society as pay-back for OJ Simpson getting off the hook. Furthermore, perhaps we should look the other way because of the residual effects slavery has had upon black society.

I sat there in my car with my mouth agape. Brian went nuclear.

He reamed her again and again about stopping with the victim bullshit, and stay on topic. Vick has admitted he broke the law. Slavery, which ended over 140 years ago has nothing whatsoever to do with this. His color is irrelevant. He broke the law and should be punished.

She kept coming back with this, "residual effects of slavery" crap. It was astounding to witness. She was dead serious. Amazingly, he received a number of calls with similar perspectives.

How can you have this kind of mindset? Is this similar to radical Islam that teaches its kids that Jews and Americans are all devils and must be exterminated at all costs? Does the typical American black family instill in its children the belief that they are being held down because of slavery? Whitey is evil and working to keep you under his whip?

If true, it would explain a lot.

The opportunity to succeed seems to have been grasped by every ethnic group that has come to America. Italians, Germans, Dutch, Irish, Poles. More recently, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Cubans and most other Hispanics.

Everyone except American-born blacks.

If this perpetuation of believing you are hopelessly oppressed is indeed what is happening in Black American families, the house-cleaning they need to do to bring themselves up to decent economic standards will be a big job indeed.

This isn't about civil rights. This is about taking responsibility for your actions and your life. A concept apparently lost on many black Americans.

Labels: Political Correctness, Race-baiters, Self-Reliance, welfare state