Semper Fidelis

In this media firestorm that has surrounded the reports of unlawful engagement of unarmed civilians in Haditha, I just wanted to take this time to say that I support the Marines and all that they stand for. They have protected America's honor and they have sacrificed for liberty ever since their inception in 1775. The main stream media, along with such characters as John Murtha (a former Marine), have already tried and convicted these Marines before the official investigation has even concluded.
John Murtha calls them murderers who 'killed in cold blood', the media has used terms like, 'Blinded by hate', 'Massacre', and 'The Shame of Kilo Company' to paint a vivid picture of an incident that we do not even have all facts.

The authorities are investigating and I am confident that they will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law if these allegations are found to be true, but to jump ahead of the investigations and perform a media trial instead of an investigation and trial in a judiciary does everyone a dis-service...especially those serving honorably in this war.

So to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen who have served honorably in this war on terror I continue to support and defend you. I am grateful for your service and sacrifice. May the Lord bless each and every one of you. May He give you courage under fire and wisdom under stressful conditions and circumstances. May HE protect you all and bring you home with the honor you so deserve.

Semer Fi'!

THE MARINE HYMN

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to bear the title
Of United States Marines.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job --
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

Mike D.

Moscow Mayor says we (the West) can learn a thing or two from them...

"Our way of life, our morals and our tradition -- our morals are cleaner in all ways. The West has something to learn from us and should not race along in this mad licentiousness,"

Hmmmmm, does he have a point? Even with all the that Russia isn't doing for their people with regards to democratic freedoms; should we throw the baby out with the bath water? Should there be a line in the sand? Is our behavior a reflection of our moral character or is it something else.

Women hurled eggs and fruit (no pun intended) at the Gay Activists trying to complete an illegal march on the monument of the unknown soldier who had fallen during the war to defeat Nazi Germany. All the while shouting, "Moscow is not Sodom".

I assume, the activist are implying that to not tolerate homosexual behavior is to be a Nazi...but I can't say for sure.

One thing is true in the West, we do have our own Sodom and I for one will not travel there. San Francisco has become our Sodom and perhaps if we had made a more earnest effort to make a moral stand for our country then perhaps we would not be where we are today where children are indoctrinated at an early age to accept and on some levels experiment to determine their sexuality as if there isn't a natural design of sexuality for our species.

The Mayor of Moscow might just have a point. We can tolerate ones own behavior but that does not mean that we must redefine our own or our history to accommodate what is an obvious choice in lifestyle.

AZ

Black Republican a Dem nightmare

May 29, 2006

BY ROBERT NOVAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST


UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- Richmond Myrick, the principal of Largo High School, is a registered Democrat in overwhelmingly Democratic Prince George's County next to Washington, D.C. He has not been active politically and is not recorded as having made any contributions to candidates for federal office. Yet recently, he stood in the parking lot of Prince George's Community College adjoining his school to introduce Republican Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, whom he has endorsed for the U.S. Senate.

Myrick is African American, as are most students at Largo High. So is Steele. If enough non-political blacks follow Myrick's course, Steele will become the first black Republican elected to the Senate in 32 years. That is the Democrats' worst nightmare. Democratic dominance in Maryland has been based on maintaining a hammerlock over the state's substantial African- American vote. Steele threatens that domination.

Steele sees national implications and put it to me this way in a conversation before the recent rally in Upper Marlboro: ''It's a breaking point. I've heard the talk: 'Hillary, Bill, Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, all are coming in to campaign against you. They can't bear to see you win this race.' If I win this race, I am sure that the whole dynamic changes.''

This is a potential bright spot in a dreary 2006 election vista for the Republican Party. Two other African-American Republicans are running for governor: Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell in Ohio and former professional football star Lynn Swann in Pennsylvania. A victory by any one of them would constitute a rare GOP breakthrough in the black vote, but a Steele win in Maryland would be most exceptional.

Maryland typifies the pattern of blacks supplying nearly unanimous support for Democrats but getting little to show for it in the way of major offices. The party's choice this year to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of Paul Sarbanes is Rep. Benjamin Cardin of Baltimore, a hardworking toiler in the vineyards during 40 years as a state legislator and congressman. The feeling in political circles is that Cardin's time was due after so many years of tireless if unexciting service.

The flamboyant Kweisi Mfume, former head of the Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP, has waged a serious Democratic primary challenge against Cardin. Mfume is so underfunded that he is unlikely to win, but the scars of the intraparty conflict could drive blacks to Steele in November.

Democratic leaders were not happy when Steele, as running mate in 2002, helped pull even a mere 5 percent of the black vote for Robert Ehrlich, the winning Republican for governor. Running by himself for the Senate, Steele will surely do much better. His own surveys show 14 percent, with an upside potential of 44 percent. If Steele gets 25 percent of the black vote, he is probably the winner.

I asked Myrick why he had endorsed Steele. ''He came to school, not just for a brief visit, but spent the whole day,'' the principal told me. ''He showed he cared about the students and teachers.'' What about Cardin? ''He hasn't been here,'' said Myrick. When I asked if he even knew who the veteran congressman was, he said he did not.

Steele is a conservative and is pro-life on abortion (balancing Ehrlich's pro-choice views on the '02 ticket). He says he became a Republican at age 18 when he heard Ronald Reagan address the 1976 Republican National Convention.

But at Prince George's Community College, with Myrick at his side, Steele whacked President Bush's educational policies (especially defunding support for low-income college students). In his brief remarks, he could not find anything favorable to say about the president.

He was even tougher on Bush in talking to me: ''In the eyes of blacks, [Hurricane] Katrina was a 9/11 event. You didn't fly over 9/11. You got on the ground in the rubble. You should have been on the ground for Katrina.'' Republican regulars don't mind this sort of talk. They know Steele, their former Republican state chairman, from fish fries all over the Free State. He can say whatever he wants to score a historic victory of national proportions.

'My Country 'tis of thee' on Memorial Day We Sing...

"HERE REST IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD"

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.

Our Freedom has been paid for in blood.
To all those who have sacrificed thier all for the freedom that I enjoy, the freedom that my children frolic in, the freedom that is the envy around the world, I salute you. You are the unsung heroes behind the ink of our free press, you are the unknown patriarchs behind the pulpits of our churches and synagogues, you are the thread that holds together the stars and stripes of Old Glory, you are America at its greatest; selfless sacrifice for freedom and liberty. On this Memorial Day I want to take the time to thank you. My flag flies in your honor. May God Bless the men and women who serve our country today and may His peace be upon those who have given thier all in the service of others.

Michael DiBartolo

California's Electoral College: From disenfranchisement to political revolution

Argument:

With more than 37 million people residing in the state of California; California is by far, the most populated state in the Union. This diverse population ranges from the farming communities in the Central Vally, to the tech communities of the San Francisco Bay to the 10+ million people who reside in the Los Angeles Basin. California's diversity isn't just based on race or geographic location but also in political philosophy. The densely populated coastal regions have a political outlook that differs greatly from those in the Valleys or rural mountain regions.

California's ever growing population, which rivals the population of Poland at 38 million people, requires that the state maintain 53 congressional districts, more than any other state in the Union. From District 53 which covers San Diego to the US/Mexico border to District 1 which is 800 miles to the north and is home to the California Redwoods and the North-Pacific Coast, California's congressional make-up is as divers as the nation is as a whole.

Just as our Founding Fathers found it necessary to institute the Electoral College to secure the fair representation of each state in a National Presidential Election and ensure that the choice of president would not be decided solely by the largest, most populous States with little regard for the smaller ones; so too must California ensure that the entire state electorate is heard from in our national elections and not just the densely populated areas located in coastal regions.

The current winner-takes-all statute of the California Electoral College causes for millions of Californians to be disenfranchised, making their votes null and void when selecting the highest office in the land.

Example:

In 2004, 12,383,678 Californians participated in the State wide election. Of the 12.3 million voters who participated; 6.7 million votes went to the challenger John Kerry who received all 55 of California's electoral votes leaving 5.6 million voters disenfranchised. The winner-takes-all statute does not fairly or accurately reflect the will of the electorate of California. Not only does the winner-takes-all statue disenfranchises millions of California voters, it also props up the two party system awarding one party the lion's share of the electoral vote while leaving all other political parties without any standing and potential funding for the next national election.

Californians can change all of this. Californians can demand that our law makers change the winner-takes-all system to a system that provides a more accurate representation of the political make-up of our state and ensure that millions of California voters are no longer being disenfranchised in the political process.

Proposal:

In order to support a free, open, and democratic society, it is the responsibility of the State of California to ensure that no one vote is weighed more than another, and that no one congressional district has the right or authority to receive or convey the Electoral Representative vote of another district.

It is the will and desire of the people of California that each congressional district within the State of California cast their electoral college vote according to the popular vote within that district. It should be mandated that the selected representatives of the Electoral College cast the vote that represents the popular vote of their particular district and not of the State or the political party they may be affiliated with.

It is also the will and desire of the people of the Great State of California that the two electoral votes that represent the two US Senate seats be awarded to the candidate in a national election who wins the overall popular vote of the state.

Expectations:

This proposal is binding. The people of California will accept nothing less from our State Legislature and our Electoral Representatives. Our law makers are expected to work with due diligence to facilitate the will of the People in this regard.

Californians can no longer tolerate political apathy while millions go disenfranchised and the two party system continues to monopolize the political process. Californians expect full compliance in time for the 2008 national election.

Signed,

The People of California

submitted by
Mike DiBartolo

Text: Criminal Indictment of the California Legislature

California District Court
Every District in the State of California

INDICTMENT
ref. Cal. Gov't Code §§ 3060-3074
--------------------------------------------x
The People of the Great State of California
- V -
The California State Legislature,

a/k/a "California Oligarchy,"

a/k/a "California State Assembly,"

a/k/a "California State Senate,"

a/k/a "California Law Makers,"

a/k/a "California State Officials,"

a/k/a "Belly of the Beast,"

a/k/a "The Kids Under the Dome,"

a/k/a "The 'left' Coast,"

a/k/a "The People's Republic of California"



Defendants.
--------------------------------------------x

COUNT ONE


Willful or corrupt misconduct in office


The Grand Jury Charges:

Background: California Legislature

1. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;

The California Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of California. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Assembly, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 80 State Assembly Members and 40 State Senators. The State Legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento.

According to the California State Constitution, each elected official must take an oath of office prior to conducting the business of the electorate. At all relevant times from in or about March of 2000 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the California Legislature has circumvented and/or directly opposed the will of the People and Electorate of the Great State of California.

2. The Legislature opposed the will of the People of California for several reasons. First, the will of the people, as revealed through Propositions, was considered by the Legislature to be outdated and regressive. Second, the electorate of California was viewed as too conservative and ruled by religious dogma. Third, the Legislature opposed the California Electorate becoming better informed and empowered to affect the direction of California law and social growth.

3. The Legislature functioned both on its own and through some special interest groups (a/k/a the Union Lobby and other un-named lobby groups and associations). These groups used their financial and social resources to influence the electorate, mainly by disseminating their views through mass media outlets who are supportive of their overall goals.

4. The Legislature, in direct dereliction of their sworn duties, allowed the public school system to become the focal point of groups who maintain a social-political agenda and who have willfully and purposefully attempted to guide the moral, social, and political views of the children enrolled in our public school system. The Legislature, and members therein, are working cooperatively with these groups and associations to influence the social development and moral compass of the children within the Great State of California, circumventing the rights and responsibilities of the parents and guardians ultimately responsible for the development of their children.

4a. The Legislature knowingly, willfully, and recklessly opposed legislation that would provide for better protection of our children and our society from sexually violent predators (svp) and pedophiles.

5. The Legislature, and members therein, have also forged alliances with groups like 'MECha' and 'La Raza'who maintains that California is not the sovereign land of the United States, but part of land identified as 'Aztlan'. These lawmakers, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly joined and/or agreed in principle with the goals of these organizations to interfere with and obstruct the will of the electorate and the citizens of the Great State of California.


Overt Acts


6. In furtherance of said violations, and to effect the blatant disregard of their oath of office, the following overt acts, among others, were committed:

a. At various times since 1994 the Legislature has refused to support the spirit of Prop. 187 which was a clear desire by the electorate to gain control of the illegal immigration problems running rampant within the state. The Legislature put forward the following bills that were in direct opposition to the desired will of the electorate as revealed in the passing of Prop. 187:

~ SB60 - award driver's licenses to illegal residents
~ SCR113 - Legislature's endorsement of 'May Day'; a Socialist/Communist day of celebration and walk-out by illegal immigrants across the United States
~ AB540 - Free college tuition awarded to illegal residents

b. At various times since 2000, the Legislature refused to respect the will of the People of the Great State of California and the Constitution of California by proposing and approving bills meant to undermine Prop. 22, which states that

“Only marriage between a man and a woman
is valid or recognized in California.”

. The following are bills submitted by the California Legislature contrary to the implied will of the electorate:

~ AB205 - California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003
~ AB1967 - Redefining Marriage
~ AB19 - Gender-neutral marriage
~ AB849 - Gender-neutral marriage
~ AB1437 - Requiring school books (K-12) to disclose sexual orientations of those who contributed to California
~ HR16 - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans gender (LGBT) Pride Month (June 2005)
~ AB2920 - Services for Gay Seniors
~ AB2051 - grants for domestic violence programs for gays
~ HR51 - Gay and Lesbian Pride month (2002)
~ AB2651 - recruiting gay foster parents for the promotion of placement of gay youth
~ AB1338 - Civil Same Sex Unions are recognized the same as Civil Marriages
~ ACR108 - Gay Pride Month (2003)
~ HR53 - Gay Pride Month (2004)
~ ACR85 - 'Respect for All'; a film series to celebrate "family diversity"
~ AB606 - Additional protection from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation real or perceived

c. At various times since 2000, the Legislature opposed legislation that would have provided additional protection for our children from sexually violent predators (svp) in direct violation of California Government Code, Chap. 9, Article 3. The Legislature, and members therein, opposed or held up in committee the following bills:

~ SB588 - Jessica's Law; The Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act
~ AB231 - Jessica's Law; The Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act
~ AB864 - Sexually violent Predators: terms of commitment
~ SB865 - Clearly defining a "Sexually Violent Predator"
~ SB1098 - Sexually violent predators: definition
Refusing to act on these bills places the Legislature in direct violation of California's State Constitution; Article 1, Section 1 & Section 28a which states:

SECTION 1. All people are by nature free and independent and have
inalienable rights. Among these are enjoying and defending life and
liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing
and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.

SEC. 28. (a) The People of the State of California find and declare
that the enactment of comprehensive provisions and laws ensuring a
bill of rights for victims of crime, including safeguards in the
criminal justice system to fully protect those rights, is a matter of
grave statewide concern.
The rights of victims pervade the criminal justice system,
encompassing not only the right to restitution from the wrongdoers
for financial losses suffered as a result of criminal acts, but also
the more basic expectation that persons who commit felonious acts
causing injury to innocent victims will be appropriately detained in
custody, tried by the courts, and sufficiently punished so that the
public safety is protected and encouraged as a goal of highest
importance.
Such public safety extends to public primary, elementary, junior
high, and senior high school campuses, where students and staff have
the right to be safe and secure in their persons. To accomplish these goals, broad reforms in the procedural
treatment of accused persons and the disposition and sentencing of
convicted persons are necessary and proper as deterrents to criminal
behavior and to serious disruption of people's lives.

d. On February 10th, 2004 the newly elected Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, declared Proposition 22 unconstitutional and directed the County Clerk of San Francisco to change the forms and documents used to apply for and issue marriage licenses to be changed to allow for same sex couples to marry. Thousands of marriage licenses were issued to same sex couples in the County of San Francisco in direct violation of the State Constitution; Article 3, Section 3.5 a,b & c which states:

SEC. 3.5. An administrative agency, including an administrative
agency created by the Constitution or an initiative statute, has no
power:
(a) To declare a statute unenforceable, or refuse to enforce a
statute, on the basis of it being unconstitutional unless an
appellate court has made a determination that such statute is
unconstitutional; (b) To declare a statute unconstitutional;
(c) To declare a statute unenforceable, or to refuse to enforce a
statute on the basis that federal law or federal regulations prohibit
the enforcement of such statute unless an appellate court has made a
determination that the enforcement of such statute is prohibited by
federal law or federal regulations.

The State Legislature took no action in the face of this blatant violation of state law.

e. From at least 1994 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the Legislature has allowed Justices to legislate from the bench in direct violation of the State Constitution, Article 3, Section 3 which states:

SEC. 3. The powers of state government are legislative, executive,
and judicial. Persons charged with the exercise of one power may not
exercise either of the others except as permitted by this
Constitution.

f. From at least 1998 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the State Legislature has allowed the English language to diminish as the official language of the State of California. This is in direct violation of the State Constitution, Article 3, Section 6 which states:

SEC. 6. (a) Purpose.
English is the common language of the people of the United States
of America and the State of California. This section is intended to
preserve, protect and strengthen the English language, and not to
supersede any of the rights guaranteed to the people by this
Constitution.
(b) English as the Official Language of California.
English is the official language of the State of California.
(c) Enforcement.
The Legislature shall enforce this section by appropriate
legislation. The Legislature and officials of the State of
California shall take all steps necessary to insure that the role of
English as the common language of the State of California is
preserved and enhanced. The Legislature shall make no law which
diminishes or ignores the role of English as the common language of
the State of California.
(d) Personal Right of Action and Jurisdiction of Courts.
Any person who is a resident of or doing business in the State of
California shall have standing to sue the State of California to
enforce this section, and the Courts of record of the State of
California shall have jurisdiction to hear cases brought to enforce
this section. The Legislature may provide reasonable and appropriate
limitations on the time and manner of suits brought under this
section.

g. From at least 2000 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the State Legislature, and members therein, have failed to uphold their oath of office by having a total disregard for the will of the Electorate in violation of the Article 1, Section 3a of the State Constitution which states:

SEC. 3. (a) The people have the right to instruct their
representatives, petition government for redress of grievances, and
assemble freely to consult for the common good.

h. From at least 2001 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the Legislature has awarded certain college tuition privileges to illegal residents of this state in direct violation of Article 1, Section 7b and Section 31a of the State Constitution which states:

SEC. 7. (b) A citizen or class of citizens may not be granted privileges
or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens.
Privileges or immunities granted by the Legislature may be altered or
revoked.
SEC. 31. (a) The State shall not discriminate against, or grant
preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of
race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of
public employment, public education, or public contracting.

i. From at least 1994 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, the California Legislature, and members therein, have violated their oath of office by expressing support and/or allegiance with groups and organizations who, as part of their agenda, have vowed to separate California from the United States and incorporate it into a region known as Aztlan. This association with members of the Legislature and those determined to separate California from the Union is a direct violation of Article 20, Section 3 of the State Constitution which reads:

SEC. 3. Members of the Legislature, and all public officers and
employees, executive, legislative, and judicial, except such inferior
officers and employees as may be by law exempted, shall, before they
enter upon the duties of their respective offices, take and
subscribe the following oath or affirmation:

"I, ______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support
and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Consti-
tution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign
and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the
State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without
any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will
well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about
to enter.
"And I do further swear (or affirm) that I do not advocate,
nor
am I a member of any party or organization, political or other-
wise, that now advocates the overthrow of the Government of the
United States or of the State of California by force or violence
or other unlawful means; that within the five years immediately
preceding the taking of this oath (or affirmation) I have not
been a member of any party or organization, political or other-
wise, that advocated the overthrow of the Government of the
United States or of the State of California by force or violence
or other unlawful means except as follows:
________________________________________________________________
(If no affiliations, write in the words "No Exceptions")
and that during such time as I hold the office of ______________
________________________________ I will not advocate nor become
(name of office)
a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise,
that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United
States or of the State of California by force or violence or
other unlawful means."

(CA Gov. Code 3060 - 3074)

Indictment filed by:


Michael DiBartolo
Resident, Citizen, and Electorate
of the Great State of California



** This Indictment lays out clear offenses, disregard, and blatant obstruction of the State's Constitution and the will of the people of California. This indictment is meant to edify the electorate to the abuses taking place in our State Legislature and to encourage the Electorate to take immediate action to hold the Legislature accountable for their actions by removing all those who have violated their oath of office by voting them out of office in the elections slated for 2006 and 2008 and to hold all elected officials accountable to the Constitution and the will of the people.
If you are in agreement with these charges and the resolution to regain control of our legislature, please sign your name to the comment section of this Indictment and then forward this Indictment to all those who care about the direction California is heading. **

Another Milestone reached in Iraq

On May 20th 2006, the newly elected Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, presented his new cabinet to the Iraqi National Assembly for confirmation. Applause filled the chamber as each member of Iraq's new cabinet was named and approved.

This is a long awaited milestone for the Iraqi people. After more than 5 months of haggling and just two days before the constitutional deadline to submit a cabinet, al-Maliki was able to put together a government that was accepted by the entire parliament. The challenges do not end there; there are some critical appointments to this knew Iraqi cabinet that have yet to be filled. While Maliki acknowledges the challenges ahead, he should take pride in what he and the Iraqi people have accomplished thus far. In spite of all that the Iraqi people are enduring, despite the pessimistic views and energy being directed towards anything that has to do with Iraq, the people of Iraq continue to press forward with unwavering determination to take full control of their country and their future.

While I see this event as an absolute positive, the reactions around the world range from cautious optimism to down-right hope of failure. Notwithstanding the violence that is occurring in Iraq, I see the Iraqi people determined to overcome this violence and to bring their country into a era of peace. They have taken hold of the freedom they have long desired. This isn't an American philosophy being forced upon them but it is an Iraqi desire for self determination, self-rule and peace that draws the good people of Iraq to defend their country from the insurgents and terrorist who wish only for the complete opposite of the Iraqi people.

The semantics and style of reporting used by the media reveal how they would like to paint the picture of Iraq. No good news in Iraq is reported without a death toll from recent attacks. In contrast, the United States can have the position of the CIA Director vacant while the Senators debate the qualifications of the next person to take that seat and no one will say the US Government is weak or treads on a thin alliance to govern. The President of the United States can announce the signing of a bill that would best serve the people of the United States and never a mention will there be of the murders committed in Washington D.C. or the nation as a whole.

Iraq can't have a school open, or a Government Cabinet formed without a list of the most recent deaths and/or attacks listed in the middle of that same report. They don't want the thought of death in war to be far from any news of peace.

According to the Associated Press, there is

"no guarantee of success"

and their report went on to note;

"As the Cabinet was sworn in, at least 33 people were killed in a series of attacks across Iraq, and police found the bodies of 22 Iraqis who apparently had been kidnapped and tortured by death squads that plague the capital and other areas."

The AP story also cited "Many (nameless) analysts" who say that Iraq has taken on the characteristics of an "irregular civil war". An "irregular civil war"??? I assume this is a civil war that isn't...but those reporting on it desire it to be in order to justify their continuous assault against the entire effort to remove Saddam and free the Iraqi people. What next? Analysts are going to discover the 'irregular diet'?

The LA Times sees the Iraqi government as

"too diverse to prevail"

. The LA Times also suggests that the Prime Minister of Iraq

"has a Cabinet so wide-ranging that it could collapse, a 34-point program aimed at satisfying each faction, and a disillusioned, weary nation to govern."

Though the LA Times did not mention an "irregular civil war" they did feel it pertinent to present the new and freely elected Iraqi government as an act of appeasement,

"On the surface, the Cabinet of Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds unveiled Saturday appears to be just the body to appease a torn nation. Urbanites keen for a secular state sit alongside religious Iraqis in search of Islamic rule; advocates of loose federalism vie against leaders demanding a strong central government."

I guess according to the LA Times, people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and religious views aren't able to form a government for all the people of Iraq. In light of that, I wonder how they view the United States Congress?

The Iraqi people continue to press forward despite the fatalistic views of such groups as the LA Times and the Associated Press. I applaud their success and I support their efforts to continue down the road of freedom and democracy.


Mike DiBartolo

War on Terror is a Global Effort

Ambassador Henry Crumpton, the State Department coordinator for counterterrorism gave his assessment of the State Dept. annual report on terrorism. Crumpton's prepared testimony was submitted to the House International Relations’ Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation.

The report cited efforts on every Continent, from single country and multilateral efforts to counterterrorism initiatives.

The report states:

Some areas in which we witnessed positive trends in 2005 include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Colombia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Canada. Specifically:


~ Afghanistan embraced a new democratic government, a remarkable feat even while violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border increased.
~ Pakistan continued its efforts to wrestle South Waziristan from al-Qaida influence.
~ Iraqis bravely participated in democratic elections and recently agreed to form a national unity government, a critical step in ending the violence.
~ Saudi Arabia captured or killed the top 26 senior al-Qaida operatives inside the country by the end of 2005. The government also took steps to counter radicalization, and opened its Financial Investigation Unit.
~ Algerian forces reduced the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat’s (GSPC) strongholds in Algeria to small isolated pockets.
~ Colombia demobilized in 2005 10,418 United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia fighters, made some progress in engaging the National Liberation Army into negotiations, and kept the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the strategic defensive. Bogota now boasts police forces in all 1,098 municipalities throughout the country, and is trying to work with bordering countries to combat the FARC. Kidnappings in Colombia numbered less than 300 in 2005 -- down from more than 2000 a year at its high point -- and the Colombian government cooperated with our efforts to recover three U.S. citizens kidnapped by the FARC in February 2003. These efforts continue.
~ Indonesia intensified its broad counterterrorism campaign after the second Bali bombing in October 2005, and its campaign continues to gain momentum. This includes successful prosecution of terrorist operatives, an emphasis on moderate religious theology to blunt radicalization, and the death of Bali bomb maker Azahari bin Husin in a November shootout.
~ With U.S. Government assistance, the Philippine Government now has increasing control of the island of Basilan and is beginning to create stability on the island of Jolo, both areas of operation for Jemaah Islamiya and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
~ U.S.-Canadian counterterrorism cooperation continued to be strong, and rests on our joint efforts to safeguard the northern border. This bilateral cooperation, which also extends internationally, is characterized by a number of established and new fora, including the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, the terrorism sub-group of the Cross Border Crime Forum, and the Smart Border Accord. The latter led to an agreement to expand the number of Integrated Border Enforcement Teams covering the border to 15.

Crumpton's report goes on to say,

Our strategy to defeat terrorists, however, does not stop there. Rather, our strategy is structured at multiple levels -- a global campaign to counter violent extremism; a series of regional collaborative efforts to deny terrorists safe haven; and numerous bilateral security and development assistance programs designed to build partner CT capabilities, as well as liberal institutions, support the rule of law, and address political and economic injustice.

To view the text of the report click here.

Terror Leader arrested in Iraq

Baghdad/Cairo - Iraqi security personnel have captured in west Baghdad the suspected head of a terrorist cell linked to al- Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the country's interior ministry said Tuesday.

'Terrorist Omar Ahmed Saleh, alias Abu Jibril, one of the leaders of al-Tawhid al-Jihad (the former name of the al-Qaeda-linked group), was arrested in his house,' the ministry said in a statement.

Arms including explosives, RPG launchers, ammunition and a bomb- laden vehicle were also seized in the raid, the statement continued.

© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

President of Iran asked Bush...'What would Jesus do?'

NEW YORK, May 9 (UPI) -- A rambling letter to U.S. President George Bush from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested Bush return to Christian teachings.

"Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ, the great Messenger of God ... But at the same time, have countries attacked: the lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed," the 18-page letter said

Click here for UPI story.

Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQ) frustrated that their efforts are for not...

writer says that the American and Iraqi government forces "were able to absorb our painful blows," enlist new recruits and "take control of Baghdad as well as other areas, one after the other."

For the complete AP story, click here.

Insurgents are having a change of heart: they’ve been "fighting the wrong enemy."

There seems to be a paradigm shift occurring in Iraq, which is under-reported and under appreciated. This started with the four month grid lock to select a leadership in the Iraqi government being overcome by negotiations and compromise, and has now continued through the peaceful negotiations by Iraqi insurgent groups, leading Iraqi clerics, and the Iraqi government.

Upon Secretary Rumsfeld’s return from an impromptu visit to Iraq, he was interviewed by radio talk show host, Laura Ingram where he stated that the progress in Iraq was happening more than he appreciated from Washington DC.

"I met with the advisors to the Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi Minister of Defense and the progress they're making there is notably faster and better than I had appreciated from Washington."

In the interview with Laura Ingram, Secretary Rumsfeld applauded the announcement of the top leadership for the Iraqi government as well as the support from the local leading clerics of the Iraqi people.

"It is an historic event for the Iraqi people to vote and then for a new government to be formed with the top seven officials announced. The meetings we had with them could not have been better. One listens to their comments and you can't help but come away encouraged that they understand the importance of having a unified government; of governing from the center; of having non-sectarian ministers administer the government on behalf of the Iraqi people. The recent remarks by Sistani against militias and the government's announcement that they intend to address the militia issue. It is clearly an encouraging time in Iraq and it's important that it be noted."

Couple Secretary Rumsfeld’s assessment of the progress in Iraq with the news being reported from the office of the Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani stating that President Talabani has been meeting with seven armed groups in hopes of agreeing to a deal to include them in Iraq's political process. The spokesperson for the Iraqi President’s office stated:

"These groups who are holding talks with the president are those who believe in a prosperous Iraq. Their will to fight America has waned,"

According to a CNN report,

'a source close to the Iraqi President said the meetings have been under way for some time.
The groups are realizing that Americans are not their true enemy, the source said, and that they have been "fighting the wrong enemy."
"[These groups] are coming to the realization that one day the Americans will leave -- and that the most important thing is an Iraq that is free from Iranian influence," the source added.'

One should ask, how does this progress and new leadership affect the terror operatives for Al Qaeda in Iraq? Well it marginalizes the Al Qaeda terrorist and places them at odds with all that the Iraqi people are striving for; …. Peace.
According to a statement released shortly after al-Qaeda frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi released a tape condemning the US and the Iraqi government, the President of Iraq declared al-Zarqawi an enemy of the Iraqi people.

"Al-Zarqawi has launched a genocide against the Iraqi people, branding the Shi'ites as rawafidh [rejectionists], the Kurds as traitors, and the Sunni Arabs as renegades…The Iraqi people hate his brutal crimes and he is now isolated,"
"The best way to deal with the al-Zarqawi phenomenon is through national reconciliation and restoring security and stability,"

Progress in Iraq continues despite the main stream media’s attention being focused on anything but success in Iraq. If projections by the US commander in Iraq, General George Casey hold true; the US forces will be reduced by 30,000 by the end of the year bringing the total force in Iraq equal to the number of forces we have in Germany (100,000). This reduction would highlight the continued progress in Iraq and the overall success of the Iraqi campaign.

Mike DiBartolo

"Melting pots that do not melt become pressure cookers, and diversity carried too far is dangerously divisive."

Richard Lamm, governor of Colorado from 1975 to 1987, is director of the Center for Public Policy and Contemporary Issues at the University of Denver. He was a Reform Party candidate for the presidency of the United States.

His comments over the past two decades have often sparked debate as well as controversy. An email circulation of a 5 minute speech by Mr. Hamm, titled ‘I have a plan to destroy America’ continues to circulate around the country causing many to take pause and evaluate where our country is today. While researching Mr. Hamm’s writings, I came across a piece titled, ‘The Ten Commandments of Community’, first published in the Chronicles in 1996. In it Mr. Hamm writes,

In short, "diversity" is only an asset if it is secondary to unity. The emphasis must be on the unum not the pluribus. We should respect diversity, but we should celebrate unity.

To which I wholeheartedly agree. Mr. Hamm also addresses Community responsibility and national identity. It’s an interesting read that provokes reflection on where we are today and where we plan on being in the future.

Mr. Hamm provided a complete text of his speech, 'I have a plan to destroy America’ to Snopes.com, which reads,

I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA
RICHARD D. LAMM

I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG, TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA. IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN THEIR CITIZENS THINK. NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF TIME. ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE." HERE IS MY PLAN:

I. WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY. HISTORY SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT, AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. IT IS A BLESSING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE BILINGUAL. ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:
THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY. CANADA, BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE. PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS HAVE DIVIDED. NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION. FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.

II. I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE. I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE MAJORITY. EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

III. WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY. AS BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY:
...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY. WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO HOLD US TOGETHER.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING THEIR SIMILARITIES.

IV. HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS, UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION. I WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.

V. I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY. I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY. I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY POPULATION.

VI. I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. I WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE WORD. IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES. DIVERSE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER. A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA. LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS. DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US:
THE GREEKS BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS. ALL GREECE TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI. A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR LIBERTY. YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME TWO FACTORS . . . (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS . . .)
IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.

VII. THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO TALK ABOUT. I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY - THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING. WORDS LIKE "RACIST", "XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION.

HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF "VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.

VIII. LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR HANSON DAVIS'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA — THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS — IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. SO PLEASE, PLEASE — IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED — PLEASE, PLEASE — DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN.
"THE SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT SPECTRUM." — NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY CRITIC.

Both Governor Lamm and the writer of the e-mail misidentify the author of the book Mexifornia, whose correct name is Victor Davis Hanson.

With all that is going on across the globe, it is hard for one to ignore the signs we find ourselves in and what our responsibilities are. If we are to remain ‘One nation under God’ then we need to take action to preserve this great nation for the next generation. Pacifism will not preserve our future. Apathy will not preserve our future. Shopping will not preserve our future. Only active citizens who are willing to do their part to preserve and protect our democracy, can change (for the better) occur.

AZ

(Thank you, to Dr. J. Dave Toler w/Abbaquest Ministries for forwarding this email to my attention)