Rock27's Blog

I was watching the news one night, and wondered to myself why many of the people in the world hate Americans so much. So I tried looking at us from their perspective, and I didn’t like what I saw.

America. A land of opportunity, liberty and a great place to live. But, try taking a look at Americans from the outside world. Then, maybe you will understand why we are so hated.

The values of the American people are very questionable to those that live outside the USA. We hear so much about the crime, violence, rape, murder in this country, yet every evening on primetime television we see shows showing sex and violence as a way of life. Could we be sending the wrong message to the generations following in our footsteps? Is this the moral compass we want our children growing up with?

We live in a great democracy. We have the opportunity to have our voices heard by our government. But more people know the cast of The Soprano’s than know who their State representative and state senators are. And more people know who the competitors are on Survivor than who is running for president. And more people will vote for the next American Idol than will vote for the next president. We have the freedom and right to vote for our government when people in some countries risk their lives to go to the polls and vote.

Americans are a wasteful people. We waste gas, electricity, and food without giving it a second thought. For most Americans, we don’t know what it is like to go hungry. We don’t know what it is like to not have lights, heat and even air conditioning. Yet when we are asked to conserve electricity, we groan about the inconvenience of having to “suffer”.

American’s take freedom and security for granted. When was the last time an American went to bed fearing bombs would be dropped on their city in the night? When is the last time an American had to worry about walking down the street and being blown up by a car bomb? We have our military to thank for that.  And while our soldiers are risking their lives daily fighting terrorism, we belittle their mission by saying it is a war we should not be fighting.

America is a country of excess. Americans feel they need to have everything. Whenever a new cell phone comes out, we toss the old one away and buy the latest. We have 3-4 cars per family. We have televisions in every room. We buy bottled water, even though we can get the same drinking water from most taps in our own houses. We drink excessively, overeat and throw away more food in a day than some families see in a week. We have more shoes and clothes in our closet’s right now than some will own in a lifetime. And we will throw much of them away to buy the latest fashions.

I am an American, I love the United States, and I love the opportunity we have in this country. But I can understand why we are hated, and I don’t blame them one bit.

I used to really enjoy watching Fox 8 news, with Stacey and Bill. There was a time when it was the best news program on TV. I could count on being informed of everything that was happening locally, as well as what was going on in the nation and the world.

 

All that has changed over the last 6 months or so. Maybe its been longer, but lately, it seems as though the local news has become a joke. Tonight for example, I kept a note pad beside me on the table as I watched the news. In a one hour news program there was only 17 minutes of programming that I would actually call news ( and that includes the "boob jobs"). In that same hour there were 18 minutes of commercials. Yes, more commercials than news. There were 7 minutes for weather, which I think has also become a joke on Fox 8. Someone needs to tell Andre he is not doing weather for an elementary school. What is with the snowmen with faces, and all the hand gestures? (Pulling one screen over another).

 

To me Fox 8 is getting real close to becoming a tabloid style show. People turn in to Fox 8 because of their history of being the top news station in north east Ohio. The sound effects (distracting and unnecessary), the tabloid stories, a pig making football picks. And endless commercials.

 

I understand wanting some feel good stories in the news. And I understand having the "Don't forget the Lyric's" in the show. And the sound-off is good for the viewers to be able to get involved. But tell me what is happening in the nation and in the world. Otherwise, I'll be finding a news station that will.

 

Isn’t it ironic that the majority of presents bought this year as Christmas gifts are made in a communist country that has had hundreds of thousands of products recalled in the last year? I am talking about China.

America has lost an estimated 1.8 million jobs since 2000 to outsourcing. Week after week we see on the news another company closing its manufacturing facilities in America to have products made in overseas markets. And this year alone it is estimated that Americans will spend $2 trillion on imports from China. And as the American middle class keeps taking hit after hit, China and the companies supporting trade keep getting wealthier.

And why is it we are all so surprised when another product is recalled? Why do we seem to get frustrated  when out safety is put in jeopardy? We are talking about a country that has very little concern for the safety and well being of its own people. A country where people are working for wages well below the poverty level. A country that has allowed, even contributed to the contamination of its rivers that are used as a water supply for villages, and irrigation for crops. A country that still forces abortions to control population. A country that puts its citizens in prison for speaking out against the government. So why would we even think for a second they care about American’s?

            In the last year alone we have had our pets die from food that was found to have melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer. We have children getting sick from toys with lead paint. There has been fish and shrimp recalled because of contamination of drugs not allowed in the US. Tires have been recalled because of tread separation which has been the blame for several deaths. The list goes on and on.

 

            So why is it we continue to send our money to a country that obviously has no concern whatsoever for our well-being? And why are we supporting American companies who also show no concern for the safety of Americans?

 

It’s time Americans take a stand. Americans need to start demanding products made in the USA when they are buying Christmas presents, or anything else they may need or want. If it’s not made in the USA, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Many things we buy are not needs, but wants.  If we all sacrifice just a little in the beginning, we can all win in the end. We will start seeing manufacturers begin coming back to the US. We will start seeing made in the USA back in stores. And we can all be proud to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Be sure to let the store managers and employees know why you refuse to buy their products. Let them know you are DEMANDING products made in the USA. Make a difference, one purchase at a time.

So, who will you vote for in the coming elections? What will you base your decision on? Do you go with the person that has the most name recognition? Will you vote based on party loyalty? Or, will you be one of the few that actually learns about each candidate and where they stand on the issues and actually make an informed decision? This country is in a dire position right now. If it is to have any chance of recovering we need to make the right choices now. We can not afford to allow it to slip any further away, or there will be no hope of bouncing back. When we go to the polls, in the primaries and in Nov., there are many issues we need to be aware of. Now only do we have to consider the same issues as with every election, such as abortion, gay marriage, and the economy, we have many more to consider. Here are a few that come to mind.. How do you feel about the outsourcing of jobs? Does it bother you that companies are closing American plants to have products made overseas? Does it bother you that many Americans are out of work because of this? Take a look at how that effects the economy. And this country is setting new records every month for the number of home fore-closures.

 

 

 

How about health care? Do you have medical coverage? Do you know anyone that needs medical care, but has no insurance and just can’t afford to get the care they need? And what about getting prescriptions filled? Where do you stand on illegal immigration? Is it okay that your tax dollars are giving benefits to people that are in this country illegally? Do you mind that illegal’s are getting free health care that you can not get because you have no insurance? Does it matter that our schools are spending nearly $12 billion dollars annually nationwide to educate illegal immigrants? And that takes me to the war on terror. Are you concerned that our unsecured borders could be allowing terrorists to slip into this country undetected? Do you actually feel safer than you did before 9/11? How do you feel about Iraq? Afghanistan? Iran? Pakistan? How do we deal with the threat of Iran having nuclear weapons? With diplomacy? War? Are we winning the war on terror? Can we win the war on terror? Do you believe the reports on global warming and climate change? Are the glaciers melting? Is the ozone depleting? Is man to blame? Do we need to do something to change it? Can we in fact change it? Lastly, how much can you afford to pay for gas? And for how long can you keep paying that much? Oil prices are expected to reach over $100 per barrel by December. Should we invest in alternative energy? Which ones? Hydrogen, nuclear, solar, wind or clean coal? How about ethanol? We have much to consider before going to the polls. Currently there are 15 candidates running for president. 8 democrats, and 9 republicans. How in the world do we choose which one is best? I am not recommending any of them. Actually, I am still undecided myself. What I am doing is asking anyone that reads this to do the research for themselves. Vote for whomever you feel is best qualified. In this day of technology, with all the cable shows, and the internet at our fingertips, there is no excuse for going to the polls uninformed. I am asking you not to just go to the polls and vote for who is most popular. Don’t vote for the person whose name you’ve heard the most in the news. And while loyalty is most always a good thing, its not always best to vote based on party loyalty. Do your homework and vote for the person that best represents YOUR interests, NOT the interests of those trying to tell you who to vote for.

 

 

 

 

 

So, who will you vote for in the coming elections? What will you base your decision on? Do you go with the person that has the most name recognition? Will you vote based on party loyalty? Or, will you be one of the few that actually learns about each candidate and where they stand on the issues and actually make an informed decision?

 

 

This country is in a dire position right now. If it is to have any chance of recovering we need to make the right choices now. We can not afford to allow it to slip any further away, or there will be no hope of bouncing back.

 

 

When we go to the polls, in the primaries and in Nov., there are many issues we need to be aware of. Now only do we have to consider the same issues as with every election, such as abortion, gay marriage, and the economy, we have many more to consider. Here are a few that come to mind..

 

 

How do you feel about the outsourcing of jobs? Does it bother you that companies are closing American plants to have products made overseas? Does it bother you that many Americans are out of work because of this? Take a look at how that effects the economy. And this country is setting new records every month for the number of home fore-closures.

 

 

 

How about health care? Do you have medical coverage? Do you know anyone that needs medical care, but has no insurance and just can’t afford to get the care they need? And what about getting prescriptions filled?

 

 

Where do you stand on illegal immigration? Is it okay that your tax dollars are giving benefits to people that are in this country illegally? Do you mind that illegal’s are getting free health care that you can not get because you have no insurance? Does it matter that our schools are spending nearly $12 billion dollars annually nationwide to educate illegal immigrants?

 

 

And that takes me to the war on terror. Are you concerned that our unsecured borders could be allowing terrorists to slip into this country undetected? Do you actually feel safer than you did before 9/11? How do you feel about Iraq? Afghanistan? Iran? Pakistan? How do we deal with the threat of Iran having nuclear weapons? With diplomacy? War? Are we winning the war on terror? Can we win the war on terror?

 

 

Do you believe the reports on global warming and climate change? Are the glaciers melting? Is the ozone depleting? Is man to blame? Do we need to do something to change it? Can we in fact change it?

 

 

Lastly, how much can you afford to pay for gas? And for how long can you keep paying that much? Oil prices are expected to reach over $100 per barrel by December. Should we invest in alternative energy? Which ones? Hydrogen, nuclear, solar, wind or clean coal? How about ethanol?

 

 

We have much to consider before going to the polls. Currently there are 15 candidates running for president. 8 democrats, and 9 republicans. How in the world do we choose which one is best? I am not recommending any of them. Actually, I am still undecided myself. What I am doing is asking anyone that reads this to do the research for themselves. Vote for whomever you feel is best qualified. In this day of technology, with all the cable shows, and the internet at our fingertips, there is no excuse for going to the polls uninformed. I am asking you not to just go to the polls and vote for who is most popular. Don’t vote for the person whose name you’ve heard the most in the news. And while loyalty is most always a good thing, its not always best to vote based on party loyalty. Do your homework and vote for the person that best represents YOUR interests, NOT the interests of those trying to tell you who to vote for.

 

          "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.    Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."  Luke 6:27-28

            "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Matthew 5:43-44

             "Judge not, that ye may not be judged.   For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.    And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in ones own eye?    Or how wilt thou say to the brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye."     Matthew 7:1-5

            They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, the very act.     Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?      This they said, tempting Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as tho He heard them not.     So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them,   "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."  John 8:4-7

             " Two men went up into the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.     The pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.   I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.   And te publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner.      I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."     Luke 18: 10-14

These are just a few verses that have come to mind lately as I hear and read about all the hate lately. The hate of muslims, of gays, of non-gays. The hate of black men, of white men. The hate of the homeless, of abusers, of addicts, of alcholics, smokers, and anyone that just doesn't agree with out way of thinking.

Jesus tells us not to hate anyone. We are to love all. It is easy to love family, and friends that love us. But the hard part comes in loving those that intend to do harm to us, or others.     "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?    And if ye salute your bretheren only, what do ye more than other? do not even the publicans so?"  Matthew 5: 46-47

Now don't for a minute think I am saying I am not guilty of any of this. I am just as guilty as the next person. I think I may have written this as much for myself, as for anyone. So let me leave you with this. Go out, and do something nice, or say something nice to someone whom you wouldn't have before. Don't do it to make yourself feel good. Don't do it so you can tell everyone what you did. Do it because it is the right thing to do.

Let me start by saying I voted yes on the minimum wage increase. I am fortunate to make well over minimum wage, however, I have seen the struggles of a person trying to make a living only making minimum wage.

At $6.85 per hour, which is what it was raised to, a person will make $274 for a forty hour week, before taxes. And most jobs paying minimum wage are not 40 hour a week jobs.

So, assuming a person is working 40 hours per week, at $6.85 per hour, they make $274 a week, or $1096/month. Now, being generous, (figuring only 20% being taken out for taxes) that equates to about $877 take home for a month. Now, take out car insurance for a month, $877-$60=$817. Now take out electricity, $817-$90=$727. Phone, $727-$40=$687. Rent, $687-$400=$287. Gas to get to the lousy job, $287-$60=$227. What about the gas bill, $227-$80=$147. If that person is lucky, water and trash removal is included in rent.

That leave $147 for a month for that person to but groceries and incidentals, such as toothpaste, toilet paper, milk, bread, very limited clothing. And if you have not been to a grocery store lately, $147 does not go very far at all. I am very certain I am way low on many of my estimates for the cost of some of these things, such as taxes, and rent. $147 is probably higher than it really is, but I am just trying to make a point. And this is just for a single person with NO kids. Imagine a small child thrown into the mix.

This is living without many luxuries that many many of us enjoy, such as cable TV, Internet access, a computer, cell phones, ipods, a new car, and meals out of the home.

So, if your worried about your next meal costing a little bit more than it did before, or your shoes costing a little bit more, Be very glad that you can afford to eat out, and buy new shoes. There are many people that don't have that luxury.

S. 1033 - would give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, increase legal immigration by almost half a million each year, and create a massive new worker-importation program. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is the bill's main sponsor.

H.R. 2330 - The Kolbe-Gutierrez bill is an amnesty/increased immigration/foreign worker importation bill. It would sell amnesty to every illegal alien who can was employed as of May 12, 2005, is still employed, and can pay the $2,000 fee. Spouses and children would get amnesty, too. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) is the bill's main sponsor.

The very thought of giving amnesty to any person that has entered this country illegally should scare the crap out of every legal American citizen. Many people in this area don't believe it is a problem, because they think it does not effect them. Well, I would like to explain a little bit of why it does effect every American citizen.

First of all: Under Title 8 Section 1325 of the U.S. Code, "Improper Entry by Alien," any citizen of any country other than the United States who:
Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or
Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or
Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact;
has committed a federal crime.

That's right. Our elected officials are considering giving amnesty to criminal. Yet we hear the activists telling us these are law abiding citizens. How can that be when the first act they committed getting into this country was a federal crime? Sure, they may be living a law abiding life now, but would you want to let every criminal that only committed one crime to walk the streets? They say they had to break the law to get here. NO, there are many legal ways to enter this country.

Second : Aliens who apply to become legal immigrants are screened by the U.S. consular officials to weed out criminals or potential terrorists. Millions who have evaded this screening would be made legal, with no safeguards to ensure they are not threats to our national security. We already know that aliens with terrorist ties have been caught attempting to enter this country via the Mexican border. What we don't know is how many. Giving amnesty would give any potential the freedom to walk our streets without worry of being caught.

Third: Amnesty invites even more illegal immigration with the hopes of future amnesty being granted. Amnesty makes a mockery of all those that have applied and have been granted legal entry into this country, and it rewards those that committed federal crimes coming in.

Fourth: The Pew Hispanic Center estimates the 2005 population of illegal immigrants at 12,000,000. The World Net Daily reported that approximately 70% of the U.S. population growth is from immigration, and 29% or the U.S. prison population are illegal aliens. An independent study by the bear-Stearn investment firm said the illegal alien population may be as high as 20,000,000 people.

These are a few of the legal reasons we should all be concerned. Now, let me explain why it hurts us all economically.

Education: FAIR - Federation for American Immigration Reform: Total k-12 school expenditure for illegal immigrants costs the states nearly $12 billion annually, and when children born to illegal aliens are added, (anchor babies), the costs more than double to $28.6 billion annually.

Since illegal aliens come mostly from impoverished countries, they will come here and work for wages in many cases below the poverty level. This in turn drives down wages for American workers. In some cases the jobs they are doing are decent paying jobs. I hear President Bush saying these are "jobs Americans won't do". Tell me how many unemployed Americans would not want to make $12-$14 per hour? This was on NBC Tuesday night, in Colorado. A construction company was hiring illegal aliens and paying them these kind of wages. If they showed up without papers, they were turned away, only to return the next day with papers. There are people out there that are selling illegal documents to illegal aliens to get work. That's right, they may some day show up for a job with YOUR social security number.

Many of the illegal aliens that are working are paying NO TAXES. True, some are, but the ones that are not are robbing local communities of funds they would be getting if these jobs were held by legal workers. Americans and legal immigrants.

Medical Care: Hospitals can not turn away illegal immigrants, nor can they ask if they are able to pay. Many community hospitals suffer from giving treatment and medication, with no hope of being paid. This loss is then passed on to us, by inflated hospital bills, and by increased insurance rates.

Welfare System: Many people think illegal aliens can not receive government welfare assistance. However, a child born in this country, regardless of the mothers status is automatically a U.S. citizen. (anchor baby) These families are collecting welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid. That is right, many American citizens live without health care, and yet illegal aliens are receiving assistance from our government. Who pays for this assistance? Taxpayers that's who.

I do not want you to take my word for it. I want every American to educate his or her own self. You have time to surf the web, do a little research for yourself. This is just one more problem this country is facing, and it is obvious our elected officials are more concerned about losing votes than correcting a growing problem. Americans need to speak out, and let our government know we are not ignorant, and we will be heard.

It's going to be tough to enforce this law. The health department is already getting over 70,000 calls per day with reports of non compliance. With 88 counties in Ohio, that averages out to almost 800 per county. Now, with Cleveland being so big, and many other counties being so much less populated, I am sure Cleveland is getting way more than 800 complaints per week. So, how do you suppose they are going to respond to every complaint that is called in? And, the law is not even on the books yet. Wait until "enforcement" begins. The call volume is sure to go up.

So the next issue on the ballots will be ISSUE 6-- A proposed 9.2 mil tax levy to fund the department of health for enforcement of the issue 5 smoking ban.

As a smoker, I know the "statistics" that say smoking is not good for me. I think every smoker does. How could we not? It is shoved in our face every time we turn around. What I want to know is what business is it of anyone's? Do these people also go around telling people that cook in Teflon it could give them cancer?
What about microwaving in plastic?
What about eating red meat?
What about drinking alcohol?
What about being in the sunlight?
What about breathing diesel fumes?
What about radon (in just about every home in this area)?
What about bovine growth hormone? (rBST/rBGH)
What about nitrates?
What about sassafras tea?
What about X-Rays?
What about sex? (heard of HPV?)
What about red dye #2?
What about BHA and BHT, common preservatives in many foods.(strictly forbidden in Great Britain)
What about Saccharin? (artificial sweetener)
What about grilling with charcoal?(just cooking on charcoal and breathing the smoke or fumes)

And the list goes on. So get the H*** off my back about smoking until you have eliminated everything on this list from your own life, and the lives of all your loved ones that you are so concerned about. And don't forget to quit eating in restaurants that cook with Teflon and have not been tested for radon too.
Do you know where your vegetables come from? Better do some research on what kind of herbicides and pesticides they use in their fields. Or how they process them. And how they package them. And don't you dare heat them in the microwave using a plastic bowl. What about mothers heating the milk, containing bovine growth hormone, in plastic bottles in the microwave? Bam, triple whammy. Giving your baby cancer and you didn't even know it.

Any women you know that are taking Premarin? It is a drug commonly prescribed to women going through menopause. Did you know it comes from pregnant horse urine? Did you also know Premarin has been reported to increase the chance of womb (endometrial) cancer in women who have been through menopause. (Info-Pharm.com)

Cancer is predominantly a disease of western civilization and is largely due to the way we feed and treat our bodies and our wanton disregard for the environment.
The major causes of cancer are a faulty diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation. It is estimated that 60% of all cancers in men and 40% of all cancers in women are caused by a diet that is too high in fat and proteins and too low in fruits, vegetables and fiber. Fats are believed to promote cancer rather than initiate it and animal fats and hydrogenated fats are particularly detrimental. A high intake of protein has been associated with an increased risk of many types of cancer and a high sugar intake significantly increases the risk of breast cancer. Smoked, pickled, salt-cured and barbecued foods are also potent cancer initiators while alcohol is strongly implicated in the promotion of already initiated cancer cells(1,8). (International Health News )

And since all you non-smokers are so concerned with statistics, here is one for you!
According to Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, "Among U.S. residents, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer at some point in their lifetimes. Research shows that environmental factors trigger diseases like cancer, especially when someone has a family history." Taken from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH News (National Institute of Health)
As for me, I still have not seen any proof that supports the statement SHS causes cancer. I have seen that the ACS studies have "determined that SHS MAY cause as many as 3000 cases of cancer per year". Get that? They don't know either. It "MAY" cause "AS MANY AS". Nothing about it does cause. Cripe, I may have AS MUCH AS $3 billion in the bank. There may be AS MANY AS 600 billion people in Ohio.
SO what I suggest is you get off your high horses, clean up your own houses, and build yourself a bubble to live in. Because if you think your going to eliminate everything that causes cancer in your life, then your going to be pretty damn busy. And just when you think your done BAM, there comes something else. So instead of focusing on my habits, maybe you should put your energy into something a little more constructive. Like, oh I don't know, why not push these drug companies to find a cure for cancer? It will never happen. Know why? There is too much MONEY in cancer. Yep. All the drugs to TREAT cancer pay much more than a cure would pay.

This nation has a very serious problem. Actually, it has many. But lets talk about just one of them for now. The crime rate in this country is getting out of hand, and there are several reasons it is happening. But of all the reasons, I believe it all boils down to one major reason.
Lets start with the statistics, taken from the FBI website.
Nationwide, Violent crime has risen 3.7%, Robbery has risen 9.7%, Burglary has risen 1.2%, and arson has risen 6.8%.
In the Midwest, Violent crime has risen 3.9%, Robbery has risen 10.4%, Burglary has risen 5.8%, and arson has risen 6.6% in the same period. Here is my theory.

The number of jobs lost in this country, with the Midwest being the most effected by lost jobs has a snowballing effect on our society.

1) Every job lost is less money to our local law enforcement for protection and patrol.
2) One of the places we see cuts in a local budget is law enforcement and fire departments.
3) People have to feed their families, and everything costs money. (even if they have to steal it)
4) There just aren't that many jobs that pay enough for a family to survive.
5) With lower paying jobs, most families are forced to have at least 2 incomes to survive, if not more. This means that there is less parenting going on at home. With less parenting you get less respect for authority.
6) Until we can properly patrol and get the criminals off the streets, and without the fear of being caught, then yes, crime does pay.

So, rising crime is going to be a continuing problem until we can start getting some of these jobs back in this country. Outsourcing is contributing to major problems in this society, whether it was your job lost or not. Maybe you still have your job, but I'll bet we have all been, or know someone close to us, that has been a victim of a crime. Yes, I know we have always had crime. Yes, I know there are other reasons for crime, but, it is rising, and will continue to do so until WE the people stand up and do something about it.

Tonight, Monday Dec. 18, 2006, on the Fox 8 News at 5:00 pm, there was a story about the smoking ban. It seems that the businesses that are abiding by the law are complaining about losing business. Why is that you may ask? Because people are going to the restaurants that are still ALLOWING smoking! Yes that is right. The non-smoking businesses are suffering! Yes, that is right. The ones that still allow smoking are doing well, and people are showing their true colors. The proof is right there. Oh, well thats not fair you might say. Well, is it fair to take away the business they wouldn't have if they followed the ban? H*&^ no its not fair. That is taking money out of their pocket. So I say, leave it to the property owners to decide. Non-smoking or smoking. We already know what people prefer. The news showed that tonight.

I have this theory on the insurgency going on in Iraq. In my humble opinion, (which is supported by many facts), the insurgents are NOT trying to get us to leave Iraq. Let me give you some background on my thinking.

1) When the terrorist hit the World Trade Center (9/11), Osama bin Laden said in a video admitting responsibility, " The Twin Towers were legitimate targets, they were supporting US economic power." He went on to say the hijackers were "blessed by Allah to destroy Americas economic and military landmarks."

2) In a transcript of a speech by bin Laden in the News Arab World, bin Laden made these comments:
All that we have mentioned has made it easy for us to provoke and bait this administration. All that we have to do is to send two mujahidin to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaida, in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits for their private companies.
This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers, as we, alongside the mujahidin, bled Russia for 10 years, until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat.
All Praise is due to Allah.
So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah.

3) The war in Iraq to this point has cost the United States $350 Billion and counting, some say at a rate of $6.8 billion a month.
"DOD spent about $6.4 billion/month on Iraq in FY2005 " (taken from zFacts.com)

4) The president is now speaking of sending even more troops into Iraq. There has been no mention of additional cost for this. ( I am in no way saying I agree or disagree-agree with this. That is for another blog)

5) What have the insurgents really accomplished with their attacks? Yes it is true that America has lost a confirmed 2, 946 troop, and 6 more yet to be confirmed. yes it is true other casualties have totaled 46, 880.

But what is it they are truly doing? Hit and run. They hit an area, and when we respond, they run and hide. Occasionally they attack with a roadside bomb, yet with the numbers they have, has anybody wondered why the don't attack us? We have had sporadic attacks, but nothing like would be expected in a war. What they are doing is attacking members of sects from their own country, and waiting for US troops to respond. Then, they move to another area. They continually give the impression of a civil war if we pull out. So of course we have to stay now to protect Iraqis from a civil war.

The greatest threat to America is the economy. The greatest way to hurt us, is by bringing our economy down. America is currently facing the largest national debt ever, which continues to grow, and has no end in sight. We are in debt to China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, U.K., India, and almost all oil producing countries. And currently the greatest contributor to the national debt? The war in Iraq.

So, as I said, it is my opinion, a theory only with no proof, other than the facts presented here, that thee insurgency in Iraq is nothing more that a well coordinated effort on the part of terrorist organizations to keep America in the fight, and continue to run up our debt to the world, which in some point in time, is going to be called in.

Thank you for staying with me through this long, (possibly boring) blog of my theory on the Insurgency in Iraq.

The American Lung Association says that there are approx 3400 lung cancer deaths per year related to second hand smoke. I agree that is tragic. However,

According to report from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43,200 people died on the nation’s highways in 2005, up from 42,636 in 2004.

Therefore, by the standards set forth by the voters in this great state of Ohio, driving on public roadways should be banned. You may still drive a car at home, but driving in public will be against the law. That way, nobody will be killed by a car accident again.

Now, shall we tackle guns?How about liver cancer from alcohol?

If ignorance is bliss, then Ohio must be the happiest place on Earth.

Yes, I have an intolerance for ignorance. Webster defines ignorance as a lack of knowing, or being unaware. It just amazes me that in today's age of technology, so many people will believe anything they read or hear, and make uninformed comments when trying to discuss a topic. I see so many people refering to a certain group's findings, or statistics put out by another group, without even looking into where these findings and statistics came from.

Many people watch the news. And no offense to Fox 8, because I do watch them every night, but even they do not have all the information correct all the time. And they do not always have the entire story. They report what they have in front of them.

So, make yourself informed. Know what you are talking about. Don't always believe what you are told or what you hear, just because it came from "higher authority".