Welcome to his world!
It is about Islam!
It is all about Islam! Deny as you may, but the truth will not go away.
At the extreme end of Islam, we have ISIS who kidnaps, tortures, decapitates, and kills any who do not believe their view of the Koran. Followers even go to the ultimate in suicide attacks on “infidels”. No one in the Western world believes this religion as proclaimed by ISIS is anything but crude, barbaric, Medieval, and a throw back to the worst of humanity. ISIS wants to conquer the world to establish the Caliphate they claim is God’s will.
At the more “moderate” end of Islam dominated countries, we see societies where women are treated as chattel or worse. We see societies where sex slavery is common. We see societies where stoning to death for alleged religious offenses is carried out. We see societies where chopping off of hands is considered suitable punishment for some offenses. We see societies where women are to be totally covered and are not allowed out of the house without accompaniment by a male. We see societies were women are not allowed to drive a car or exercise independence in a variety of ways. We see societies where Sharia law is the law of the land. And this, supposedly, is Islam at its most modern.
My conclusion is that most of Islam is not compatible with the United States Constitution even in its most moderate incarnation let alone that of the ISIS barbarians. Take a look at communities where Islam is practiced by the majority of residents; even in the United States.
We are at the point in the United States where radical Islamic terrorists want to kill as many innocent but “infidel” people as they can as often as they can. They will sneak in the front door, back door, side door and recruit home grown terrorists whenever possible. This is where the attention of national security institutions are focused. They will never be able to stop it all. More terrorism and death will happen. It cannot be completely stopped.
What is not recognized is culture creep. As the population of Islam believing people increases in the United States, so does the influence of the belief system they practice become entrenched. There are already many Muslims who prefer Sharia law in the United States over the Constitution. They openly say so. We see women treated as second class citizens in Muslim dominated communities in spite of US laws. What we don’t see is public outrage in the American Muslim community about the atrocities in the Middle East nor open, strong, and clear support of the United States Constitution.
For now, there should be a moratorium on immigration of any from Islam dominated countries until we have a national debate on what is happening and what direction we want the United States to take. If we let influence of fundamental Islam into our way of life, the road is backwards and dangerous. If you want to see this in action, just take a look at what has happened in Europe. They are in deep trouble. And do you wonder why about every picture we see of “refuges” is overwhelmingly dominated by military age males. Women and children are a small minority. And do you ever wonder why every picture of the inside of a mosque shows only men present. Where are women and children or is it only men who count.
We are in a religious war, like it or not. And we have a President who is a closet Muslim or at least a sympathizer. After all, he was brought up in earlier years as a Muslim, then spent years listening to the teachings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a twisted “Christian” minister who has little or no use for the United States or its Constitution.
We must wake up if the Unites States of America is to survive. We are a country of laws, the first and ultimate being the Constitution. Most of Islam is diametrically opposed to all the Constitution stands for.
Van wreck and poverty
There was a column in the September 30th Kokomo Tribune written by Jon Webb of the Evansville Courier & Press. It was the story of 22 immigrants in a 1994 Dodge 16-passenger van who were traveling from Washington, IN, to a temporary employment center some miles away. The van was in very poor state of repair including bald tires. A tire blew. The van crashed killing two and injuring all others aboard. Jon’s column is the story of poverty and what it does to people who are desperate. I wrote to Jon……..
“Jon… thank you for your column about the 22 people in the van. Personally, I believe there to be no excuse for any in the United States to go hungry or not have a proper place to lay their head at night….. or for that matter not to be able to find a job that pays a living wage. That might sound strange from a life long Republican given the crop of do-nothing “Republicans” in Congress now; particularly the extreme religious right wing variety.
We send billions to other countries when not taking care of our own. We send millions of jobs overseas that once were the economic engine for our country. We poke our nose militarily into places or conflicts that pose no threat to the USA. And we are on the way to economic catastrophe with spending out of control.
Then there is immigration. You mention that the 22 in the van mostly were Haitian immigrants. The thought that immediately flashed into mind was whether they were in the USA legally or illegally…. not that that would make any difference as to the tragedy that befell them. Then thoughts wandered to what is happening in Europe with the mass migration of people from the Middle East and Africa and what, clearly, is the case with our own southern border. It all ties together.
I think unless we have the will to take bold action, this country will be in deep trouble…. already is. Our political class has sold us down the river for their own personal gain. I find that I have become a fan of one who once was a politician, Pat Buchanan. He was a proponent of “fortress America”…. America first. First with a healthy America; then reaching out into the world. We are not healthy. Again, I find it appalling that any in the USA are hungry or without shelter. Shame on us. “
GMO labeling — again!
In a Tribune “Sound Off” letter on September 24, the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Growers Association came out as strong advocates of HR 1599 (now in the Senate), the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act”. It is anything but that. These groups repeated almost word for word the message by the Indiana Farm Bureau in the Tribune on August 14. The message could well have been crafted by the same public relations department of any of several large chemical/seed companies, processed food producers or corporate agriculture. The message is misleading at best and lies at worst
They claim the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences and over 2,000 peer-reviewed studies, have concluded that “genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption”. They have done no such thing. There have been no long term human health studies conducted by independent researchers. Studies with research animals, mostly in other countries, have shown results for concern.
The Soybean Alliance and the Corn Growers go on to talk about the altering of crops and livestock over thousands of years in an attempt to lull us into the belief genetic engineering is no different than improvement by selection of the best plants or by hybridization. I assure you genetic engineering is nothing like either of these. Neither selection nor hybridization violates biological barriers that have existed since the origin of life. There is risk in doing that.
Then, pesticides. I challenge you to look at the use of the primary pesticide used on genetically engineered crops: glyphosate (commonly, Roundup). They claim pesticide use is down when it has skyrocketed. The World Health Organization has declared glyphosate to be a carcinogen (causes cancer). We spray that chemical all over the place on corn, soy beans, and more. In the near future, we are to be blessed with crops that can withstand 2,4,D and dicamba; even more toxic chemicals that follow the crop to the dinner table. A primary component of Agent Orange was 2,4,D. We know what that did to thousands of veterans.
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would void all action taken by any state to require labeling. It puts all authority into the hands of the Federal Drug Administration that has failed us already. To our detriment, decisions about genetically engineered crops and foods have been made by political appointees rather than FDA scientists. No food currently on the market would be required to be labeled. Labeling is required in 64 other countries, so it can be done. And there does not have to be a patchwork of food labeling laws. What is needed is for the federal government to require labeling of GMOs uniformly across the United States. It is the right of people to know what is in food and how it is produced. Secrecy is not the answer.
It is not the anti-GMO groups that are waging a misinformation campaign. It is big chemical/seed, corporate agriculture, and large food processors. Those that till the land will someday come to realize that.
Pathetic SAT Scores
Last week, the Tribune reported only 38.3 percent of Indiana’s Class of 2015 met college and career readiness benchmarks set by SAT. Further, they reported local educators say there are other factors besides SAT test scores that predict students’ post-secondary (that’s after high school) success. Nice try, but no prize.
There is only one word to describe Indiana student performance on the SAT and that is, “PATHETIC”. The responsibility for this horrible performance must rest at the feet of the teachers and administrators of our Indiana education system. Personally, I believe they have lost focus. The result is students are not ready for college or technical schools. Remedial classes, sometimes for no credit and always at some cost to the student, are required to get students ready for even introductory college level studies.
Why aren’t students prepared with math, language, and science skills? Maybe there has been too much time, money, and energy spent on things other than academics. Things like building new buildings and establishing “International Schools”. Things like huge, elaborate athletic complexes and untold hours practicing band and sports skills.
And, maybe, there are not enough hours in the classroom learning. I see students being dropped off of buses at 2:30 in the afternoon. Seems awfully early to me. I observe many school vacations during the year and months off in the summer. It appears that there are some students that spend way too many hours riding a bus rather than in class.
The result of the lack of success of students on SAT testing is that the can is kicked down the road. Universities and Trade Schools have to pick up the slack. Our high schools can say, “Oh, well. We tried”. This is unacceptable. This incredible near collapse of education is what has fueled the fires for Charter schools, other private schools, and home schooling. Those are not the answer. The answer is to take steps to cut away the chaff and bring focus back to the old “reading, writing, and arithmetic” of days gone by, then throw in science to top it off.
It is no wonder that many industries want to promote additional immigration of highly educated, highly skilled people. Our early education system is failing to produce enough graduates that go on to excel at the university level. Local educators can dance around all over the place, but the game of musical chairs stops with them still standing.
Into the DARK
The House of Representatives passed the DARK bill (HR 1599) on July 24th, 2015. The legislation passed 275 to 150. All Indiana Representatives voted for the bill but one, Andre Carson. The legislation is now on to the Senate for consideration.
This legislation in effect blocks all action by any state to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Further, it negates any actions already taken; Vermont being the prime target. Some 64 countries including China and Russia require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. The United States does not.
If you want the full story, I suggest you read the books, “Altered Genes, Twisted Truth” and “Uncertain Peril”. You will be shocked at the manipulation done by the large chemical/seed companies and other biotechnology enterprises including many in the scientific community who protect their paychecks.
This technology is a train wreck waiting to happen. It is not precise as claimed. Consequences are not predictable. No long term safety testing has been done for human health or for environmental health. Once released into the environement, the “gene-ie” is out of the bottle, never to be retrieved.
In agriculture, all that has been done has been in the name of greed and control. We, the people, are the losers.
European Union and Immigration
Europe has its problems. There is a flood of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa. The pressure will continue.
The southeastern border of the European Union is generally marked by Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. Hungary is one nation removed from that border except for a rather short border with Ukraine and another with Serbia. Hungary has announced it will build a fence along its border with Serbia to block illegal entry of migrants. There are already fences on the Franco-Italian border manned now by legions of French police. Greece has tightened its Turkish border and Bulgaria built a fence on its Turkish border. All of this to prevent or slow illegal immigration from the Middle East and Africa.
The countries of the European Union are already heavily burdened by illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East. More come daily. They come from war torn areas and because of social, environmental, or economic conditions to seek a better life for themselves and their families…. and from areas with very high birth rates. If the tsunami of people is allowed to continue unabated, Europe will rapidly decline socially and economically. New homes for all would be wonderful, but that is not realistic.
In the United States, we are fortunate to have the natural barrier of thousands of miles of ocean to the east and to the west that do not prevent but do slow the flow of illegal immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere. Still many get through. Our primary problem is the border with Mexico where thousands continue to enter the United States illegally daily. Most illegal aliens that cross our southern border are from Central and South America, but others have made their way from the Eastern Hemisphere to Mexico to gain entry to the United States.
Nobody wants to talk about population numbers. The United States must adopt policies that stabilize human numbers within this country. Absent immigration, the United States and virtually all developed countries, including those in the European Union, would have stable populations. Not so the countries with continuing high birth rates. They have reached max capacity economically, socially, and with available natural resources…. yet continue to grow population numbers. There is no place to go but out. As said, the pressure on developed countries will continue and grow. It remains to be seen whether they will say NO MORE or participate in the race to the bottom.
And We Wonder — DDT and Monsanto
[In part from “The Week” of July 3, 1015]
DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, but new research suggests this once ubiquitous insecticide is still causing cancer. Women born in the 1960s to mothers exposed to high levels of DDT while pregnant are nearly four times more likely to develop breast cancer, reports National Geographic. Scientists measured levels of DDT in blood samples taken from mothers of 118 women diagnosed with breast cancer by age 52, and compared them with samples taken from 354 women whose daughters did not get breast cancer. Women exposed to higher DDT levels in the womb were not only more likely to get breast cancer but they were also more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive and deadly forms of the disease……. Shanna Swan, an environmental health scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital said the finding were very troubling. “DDT could be responsible for raising the risk of breast cancer for a whole generation of women”.
And we still wonder if we should trust Monsanto, one of the primary producers of DDT from decades ago. This is the same company that has given us Dioxin, PCBs, 2/4/D, Agent Orange and more. It is the same company that has given us Roundup (glyphosate) that now has been declared a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization. It is the same company that has given us genetically engineered crops that can live through massive application of pesticide; pesticide whose residues follow the crop to the dinner table.
It does not take a genius to conclude that biocides — chemicals that cause death to organisms — are dangerous and harmful. We are poisoning ourselves and the planet. And who knows the ultimate damage to be done by genetically engineered crops and animals. We play with fire.
Aiding and Abetting
The rhetoric is heating up over the illegal immigrant issue. Donald Trump has seen to that. Good for him. Other political candidates in both the Democrat and Republican parties really don’t want to touch the issue with a ten foot pole. Oh, yes, a lot of talk on the fringes but no action for literally decades. But, clearly, the American public wants action, not talk.
Now we have front and center the case in San Francisco of an illegal alien many times over, Francisco Sanchez, killing a woman while she was walking with her father on a pier there that was popular for tourists. I don’t think anyone knows why yet. Sanchez claims innocence. He was supposed not to be in the United States.
Then we learn that San Francisco is a “sanctuary city”, meaning they welcome illegal aliens. They, along with something like 300 cities across the country, offer welcome to all illegal aliens. Just to remind you, illegal aliens are breaking federal law with Sanchez doing it multiple times.
So, what are these cities doing? They are aiding and abetting individuals who are in violation of federal law. Anyone guilty of aiding and abetting is often found to be guilty of the same crime as the perpetrator. If this is the case, the mayors of all of these cities should be arrested and put in prison along with any who actively support sanctuary by their inaction. For example, this would include the Police Chief of San Francisco, a person sworn to uphold the law.
I am just guessing, but I am thinking sanctuary cities might rethink their positions pretty quickly if the mayors were hauled off in handcuffs in a paddy wagon for trial and jail time in a federal prison.
Donald Trump may not be the most diplomatic in his rhetoric, but he has struck a note with the majority of the American public. They are sick and tired of inaction on illegal aliens. They want the border sealed up tightly with total control of who is permitted to cross. That is not to say people with legitimate reason would be stopped. They would simply have to convince border authorities of that legitimacy. Pretty simple.
Weather
Don’t know about you, but I am thinking June and now into July has gotten mixed up with November. We are all tired of gray skies and rain, but there is more to come. Farmers in Indiana are in disaster mode. Fields are flooded or so soggy they cannot be worked. Any equipment on the soil will only compact it severely. Around here; the loss includes corn and soy beans mostly but farmers with tomatoes and pumpkins and other crops have suffered as much.
And what is there to do? Nothing. Weather experts report now that the Midwest is on average showing an increase of over two degrees. This seems little, but it is enough to disturb the water cycle. The result, they say, is to expect more rain with increasing winds and more water in shorter periods of time. They say crops will be affected everywhere and some crops will no longer be possible in areas in which they once grew. They say places like Iowa and Kansas may have to return land to grazing rather than attempt to grow corn, soy beans, and wheat.
Who is to blame. We have met the enemy and he is us. The consequences of our burning of fossil fuels and creating chemicals that cause the atmosphere to capture more heat will be felt long after those of us now living leave. It is our children and grandchildren who will pay the greatest price. The will not be calling us the “Greatest Generation“. They will wonder why we did nothing.