This Is Why Public Schools Get Ridicule......

I was reading the headlines on Fox yesterday and came across a headline that caught my eye; Girl, 10, Arrested for using knife to cut food at school. So wondering if the headline was just to grab your attention or if there really was something to this, I went to the article and read the story. I only have one word, well two actually, that comes to mind...... *&$*# STUPID!!!!!!

This article is a prime example why our kids do not get a quality education in the public schools of this country. If the teachers and administrators put as much effort into teaching as they do into stupid stuff like making sure that a 10 year old little girl gets arrested for having good table manners then we would be the best educated population in the world. When I was a student in the public school system, teachers taught. Teachers knew their course of study and they were capable of teaching it. Yes there were some teachers that had not kept up with their field and their were some teachers that while very well versed in their areas were not proficient at decimating that information to their students. But I think the biggest difference was that if a student misbehaved in class the teacher put an end to it right then and there. Teachers controlled their classrooms, but also used common sense and good judgment.  Teachers were not afraid to interact with their students nor were they afraid to discipline them either.

When kids got in a fight, their lives were not ruined by calling the cops and having them arrested and charged with assault and or aggravated battery. The teachers or the football coach got a hold of them, even if that meant physically intervening and then either just sent them on their way or isolated them until tensions had eased and in extreme cases the individuals involved might actually be punished by having to run laps or write sentences (neither of which, by the way, injures the child).  Also, when I was a student it was no big deal, especially in high school, for you to have aspirin or Tylenol in your book-bag and even share it with a friend or teacher in need. Nor was it an issue to ask your teacher if they had aspirin or Tylenol. No one was going to be expelled for being in possession of drugs or arrested for distribution.

So here is the newest show of just how far down our public schools have gone. If you didn't read the afore mentioned story, a little girl had a packed lunch, which was steak, and included (this was probably a parent with common sense) in the lunch box was a steak knife to cut the steak up with. The little girl used the knife for its intended purpose, that of cutting up her food and was subsequently arrested by the police (I hope they feel really stupid, because if the support their actions then that is a whole other blog) and taken to the juvenile detention center and was charged with a felony possession of a deadly weapon on school grounds (Let me show you what I can do with a school chair).

Now I have to say that if this case goes any further, than the already ridiculously stupid path that it has taken, every resident of Ocala, Florida needs to think long and hard about their elected officials and their priorities in upholding the laws.

Putin Solidifies Power and Moves Forward

Well last week Putin led his United Russia to a landslide victory in the Parliamentary elections. And since then there has been even more whispering and wondering and chatter about whether he will try to run again in March or if he would name a successor. The name of a successor was ushered from Putin's lips yesterday and I can't say that I am very surprised by the choice.

World I would like to introduce the next President of Russia...........................................

Dmitri Medvedev.

Feeling a little lost? Not sure who this new leader is? Unless you have been following Russian politics and economics you are probably not familiar with this long time Putin aide and chairman of Russian energy giant Gazprom. Medvedev is from St. Petersburg and was a law professor and has been a Putin aide for many years. He has no real Kremlin support of his own and is not a big player in the power circle of Moscow.

In the last day there was some talk as to what naming such a weak successor meant for Putin's future, as well as Russia's, and there were some that even said that Putin wanted to leave all the power behind. Not sure how these experts got from all Putin's recent moves to him leaving public life. I have to say that I have seen nothing by Putin for the last 3 years that has signaled anything other than solidifying HIS power and increasing HIS control of the central government. Being a much classier and intelligent leader than Chavez, he doesn't appear to be making a move to change the country's constitution which bans him from running for a third term. However, he appears to have found a way around that obstacle, today the wires ran that Medvedev has asked that Putin serve as his Prime Minister.

Now if you didn't see that one coming, PLEASE don't call yourself an expert on Russia or her politics. I am NO expert and I have seen that coming for years not exactaly how it has played out, but I knew that Putin would not quietly retire from power. He has put too much into his goal of reclaiming Russia's past glory and expanding on it, to just hand her over to anyone without insuring that HIS path would be followed.

So the future of Russia after the March elections will have a solid United Russia power base in parliament with a new weak president in Medvedev and the ever strong and ever present Putin there in the fore-front as Prime Minister. And look for the roles of a strong president and weak premier to flip. And don't be surprised if that doesn't become the permanent face of Russia. A weak hand picked president by Putin with Putin running the show as Premier. Putin is determined to see Russia as the super-power that she was and he will not step out of public life until he is sure that her position in the world is secured to his liking.

Ex-wives usually know (them) best

Ex-wives usually get a bad wrap. They are called not-so-nice names and considered to be vindictive and irrational. Then again those claims are made by the men who screwed them over. I think ex-wives can be a good source of information about their ex-husbands. In the process of going through a divorce, as well as, having spent considerable time with the person prior to the divorce (unless you are Britney Spears) most ex-wives get to see ALL sides of the man.

And in the latest case, Marisabel Rodriguez is speaking out against Hugo Chavez's push to make Venezuela "more socialist," which she sees as a "road straight to totalitarianism."

Rodriguez has the intelligence to be concerned about one person being in control for such a long time. And she should be, as we all should be, no mater where we live or whom the person is. There is too much at stake to allow one person to be in control for a very long term. The risk is there that the power will corrupt them and that with this will arise a greed and hunger that will restrict and limit the freedoms and power of the people. The very real danger of this happening was present in Venezuela last week with the referendum vote on the Constitution. Some of the resolutions that were on the ballot would have given and extraordinary amount of power to an elected official.

Rodriguez is also proposing to shorten presidential terms. Something that she helped to put in place as first lady and part of the draft assembly. Stating that Chavez has been in office too long. She is not the only former ally to change their stance, former Defense Minister Raul Baduel rallied the former pro-Chavez party Podemos to vote NO. And a new group has entered the political scene, university students. All this will help change the dynamics of the political power in Venezuela and if successful there it may flow into other Latin American countries.

Iran is not nuclear free

The NIE came out this week and the mainstream media jumped on an out of context line and went full-steam ahead with it.

All the headlines read that Iran abandon nuclear program in 2003. Just another attempt to say that the current administration lied about intelligent reports just to suit their policy. Here are a couple little know facts about the NIE. First the NIE was written by policy makers and not analysts. Second the report states that one program, that of trying to develop a nuclear warhead for their missiles, seems to have been abandon. These two points reflect the media's refusal to tell the complete story.

If the Bush Administration were trying to lie about intelligent then why didn't the policy makers that wrote report toe the line? Now the Bush bashers, if so inclined, could read the whole report, with an open mind, and come out and say that in it totality the NIE states that we need to keep a close eye on Iran and that other programs are just covers for a covert Iranian nuclear weapons program. Now you have ammo that the Bush Administration is trying to push policy. Because you are so convinced that Bush is so wrong about everything. And lies about everything. Please look past your anger and hatred for Bush and look at Iran's history. Iran has a standing policy of being anti-American and anti-Israel and sees both as being the same entity. Iran wants to be a major player in the Middle East and the World, being a nuclear power would grant them that.

Does abandoning one program or goal, that of arming their missiles with nuclear warheads, mean that Iran has ceased its nuclear intentions or desires? Absolutely not. They are still enriching uranium that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes. And in today's world and political climate it is easier and cheaper for them to purchase the technology and weapons than to try to adapt current armament and develop technology on their own.

Do not think that China or Russia would not sell them the technology and resources that they would need. And making Iran a nuclear power would actually benefit both countries. And then you have the other angles to contend with if we turn our attention away from Iran and her intentions. If Iran becomes a nuclear power while Chavez is in power, you can bet that we would have another nuclear power to contend with.

So while you may not like Bush or some of his policies, keep in mind that there are power players in the rest of the world that are using the political division here to their advantage and if we blindly look at everything as a Bush conspiracy then we are giving countries like Iran carte blanche.

One Defeat is all you need when it Counts

YES!!!!!

I have been hoping for it and it finally came and it came when it mattered most. Way to go university students of Venezuela!!! They looked at the issues and decided that they opposed handing more power over to Chavez. Good on them for sticking to his preaching of democracy and giving it back to him in the ballot box. The results were close, 51% to 49%, but the opposition won. This was the first defeat that Chavez has suffered since taking the Presidency in 1998.

Many of the constitutional reforms that were part of the national referendum would have given Chavez power verging on dictatorship. Some of the most disturbing parts of the reforms including the appointment of governors and mayors as well as bringing the Central Bank under the control of the President. These are issues that caused Chavez dissent even among his most ardent supporters, including his former Defense Minister, Raul Baduel.

This single act by the voters of Venezuela may prove to the rest of Latin America that democracy is and can be alive and well. And one day later the fact that Chavez for the moment is accepting the defeat, at least until he can figure away around it, also gives rise to the belief that this may well be the century of the Americas.

Today In History---Cuba became communist

On this day in 1961 Fidel Castro announced that he was a Marxist-Leninist and than under his leadership Cuba would become a communist country. This statement came after the Bay of Pigs disaster, when the CIA did not follow through on their promises to support the loyalists. That would not be the last time that the US promised to support revolutionists or pro-American dissidents and then hung them out to dry. Then we shake our head and wonder why people in the world hate us.

After Castro declared Cuba communist it became a key pawn in the cold-war. The Soviet Union coddled the small island nation to attempt to place missiles within 90 miles of American soil. This stare down between the US and USSR was the closest that we came to a nuclear war. Most people do not remember the Cuban Missile Crisis or the 13 days in October 1962, when thousands of Americans held their breaths wondering if Kennedy could get us out of a nuclear confrontation.

On 28 October 1962 both the US and USSR agreed to remove missile bases that were close to the other's land mass. That was our bases in Turkey and their bases in Cuba. And so the cold-war continued until the Wall opened in 1989. With the end of the cold-war most people assumed that all communist countries would follow suit. That didn't happen, China saw the chance to become a big player on the world scene and step up to the plate. In it's shadow remain Vietnam, North Korea and Cuba.

Cuba is still only 90 miles from our shores and still communists. Being from South Florida I am a little more aware of Cuba's presence than most Americans and we also get more Cuban news here than the rest of the country. Cuban Americans here in South Florida have been holding their breath for months now hoping to hear the news that Fidel has passed. They believe that with Fidel out of the picture that Cuba will gain the real chance to be free and independent. I hope that they are right.

It will be a long road if they chose to take it. One of the things that most Americans don't realize about other countries around the world is that most don't allow their citizens access to a lot of the resources that we take for granted. Their text books are written differently and they view the world with certain taught basis. Just like we do. The difference is that we can make the effort to seek out different points of view and new information so that we may make informed decisions and create informed opinions about the world around us. So when the uncensored doors of the world are opened to the Cuban people they may find some things strange and even troubling, it may be easier to go back to the old ways if for no other reason than the comfort of familiarity. Venturing into the unknown can be a wonderfully scary thing to do and is not for the faint of heart. I happen to believe that the Cuban people are ready and willing and very capable to make this journey and we need to be open to helping them without pressure or influence.

Putin Check Mates Kasparov

In an anti-government rally in Moscow the police swarmed in and put their sights on Kasparov. Kasparov is famous enough as an international chess champion that he is seen as a major target by Putin's government. I think that with this election will show just how calculating and thought out Putin has been in trying to return Russia to the Soviet Union. This is an election that most Americans do not even know is taking place much less paying any attention to, however this election will have broad implications for the United States and her interests globally.

We sit here and rant about the bickering between our candidates, as well we should but we need to be aware of the politics of other countries as well. And right now the political events in Pakistan and Russia are just as important as our own. What happens in the upcoming election in Russia may well set the stage for some challenges in our own political future.

Putin has been strategically aligning himself against us without creating too much friction and he has been able to do this because for the most part the mainstream media here in the US does not support the current administration and  therefore does not blast any head of state when they speak out against our government. When reports make it to the headlines about other heads of states speaking against our own it is presented more as a see how wrong you are report against our government instead of as offense against all Americans.

One of the things that we have to realize as Americans is that our opponents look at us collectively and put us all in the same stereo-type, unlike us where we separate the government from the people. When our enemies attack us they do not concern themselves with the collateral damage that they may cause, the ends always justifies the means. So we need to keep that in mind when we see and hear the opposition speak against us.

We need to look at the larger pictures sometimes before we take hard fast stands based on 2 minute sound-bites. We are a global power living in an international environment, we cannot be an isolationist nation it will not work and it will most definitely not improve our security.

And you call Bush stupid........

2 April 2007

"It makes no sense for politicians in Washington, D.C., to be dictating arbitrary timelines for our military commanders in a war zone 6,000 miles away," Bush said.
The above statement is very accurate, however politicians are so power hungry and greedy that they do not concern themselves with petty issues like reality.

If the bill becomes law, "our enemies in Iraq would simply have to mark their calendars," Bush said.

This statement seems to be very out of the realm of comprehension of the minds of Congress. It must be nice to live in such a fantasyland. Where you can play with people's lives without the ramifications of dealing with the consequences of your actions. Hey, here is one that we should think about—wonder if the politicians would be so keen to set a pull-out date if after said date, we divided Iraq into geographic sections and assigned one of the supporters of the troop pull-out to each section and every time that someone in that section was killed or injured by insurgents then the assigned politician would loose the same number of persons from their family/friend circle. By the way their family/friend circle would also include their biggest financial supporters, as we really want them to feel some pain.  Wonder if even the mere thought of possibly losing members of these lists would give them the incentive to be more realistic in their assessment of how and when our troops leave Iraq. It would certainly show which ones even have a shadow of a heart within their breasts. Then we could tell them every time that they loose someone that we support their job as politician, we just don't support their decision for a troop pullout, because as they say they support the troops just not the war. Somehow I don't think that they would buy our support, do you? But we could tell them that our support for them is just as real as their support for our troops; nothing like salting a wound when it is fresh and bleeding.

What happened to the days when elected officials considered it a duty and honor to SERVE society? When you were elected to an office because you were respected and trusted? When you didn't worry about re-election and always did your best to do what was right? When being a politician was in addition to your career or profession or job? When you didn't do the job for power or money or a stepping-stone?  Where have all the TRUE heroes gone? Where have all the GREAT role models gone? Where have leaders with morals gone? Why is it that our best people are not on Capitol Hill? Why is it that as citizens and voters we do not demand better from our lawmakers? Why did we allow peace to make us soft? Why did we allow prosperity to make us lazy? Why are we not concerned about the citizens of the world? When did we change our perspective from the world beginning at the end of our nose to the world ending at the end of our nose?

Deadly Day in South Florida

14 September 2007

Yesterday was not a good day in South Florida.

We had 4 law enforcement officers shot here. That brings the total in the last 10 weeks to 6 locally and at least 7 statewide. According to the Department of Justice more law enforcement officers were shot in the first 6 months of this year than in all last year. (There were 48 officers killed in the line of duty in 2006. That was 7 fewer than in 2005.)

It has been a rough summer for the boys in blue here in paradise. Broward County had two deputies shot in less than 10 days, one fatally and the other still hospitalized with a severe head injury. Then right on the heels of these events a deputy was shot in the Tampa area.

But yesterday was the worst day since 1976, 4 Miami-Dade officers were shot making a traffic stop while working a burgalry detail. The suspect, Shawn Labeet exited his vehicle and fired his AK-47 multiple times, hitting all 4 officers. One officer was fatally wounded, one seriously wounded and the other two were treated and released.

As can be expected the incident and ensuing manhunt was the focus of all of South Florida yesterday. The media was sent chasing leads and stories across two counties, in the end there would be 5 crime scenes and another shoot-out. Late last night law enforcement cornered Labeet in a Pembrook Pines apartment complex. A shoot-out ensued that left Labeet fatally wounded. While the result is a victory for law enforcement it will bring little relief to the families left behind.

All three shootings here in South Florida were law enforcement officers doing routine duties, stopping a driver running red lights/stop signs, approaching a vehicle in a drug store parking lot, and stopping a vehicle that was driving erraticately. This series of recent events highlights that even the most routine events in law enforcement can be deadly. But the more pressing issue is the complete disregard for peace officers and law that these individuals displayed.

Two of the shooters had extensive records, one that while showed a total disregard for authority did not show violent behavior. The other was wanted on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assualt with a deadly weapon. And the third suspect is an unknown.

How did this happen? Why were these persons on the street to begin with? It is my opinion that the courts are to blame. There is way too much poliltics in the court room. If you commit a crime, especially a violent one, like aggravated assualt with a deadly weapon, you should not be walking the streets. And before the excuse of over crowded jails is brought up--which is a whole other blog topic--put them on house arrest then, but keep them off the streets. Violent offenders should not be out on the streets they should be detained by any means available till their court date. And we as citzens need to support our law enforcement agencies by demanding that the courts get tougher on violent offenders.

Let that be the legacy that these fallen officers leave behind.

Who is held to higher standards?

27 August 2007

Well the breaking news right now is that Gonzales is resigning.........

And the big deal is that less than 10 federal prosecutors may have been fired for political reasons. Oh, BOO HOO!!!! I got news for you that is what happens when you work for elected officals. It might suck, it might be wrong, but it is the way politics works and until the American society decides that this is wrong it is acceptable.

Hum, didnt Clinton fire almost 200 federal prosecutors? Which top offical resigned over that? Better yet who screamed foul in that political move?

And when faced with this comparison, then you hear that Gonzales might have misled Congress when he testified about the firings and other issues.

Hum, what was it that then President Clinton said on national TV and again in a sworn deposition in a CRIMINAL investigation (not a Congressional fact finding probe)? Oh yeah, I didnt have sexual relations with that woman!!! He sat in the same chair that the acts occured in and didnt even have the balls to name Monica by name (because as a politican and lawyer he knows that if you give her a name then you make her a person and invoke feelings).

I missed Clinton's resignation, oh yeah that is right he didnt resign!!!!!!!!

Dont get me wrong I think that most of our politicians dont deserve our trust.

But wrong is wrong regardless of which political party you belong to. But it is amazing how the democratic slant of the media makes it a haven for misdeeds by those members of the democratic party and turns into the Spanish Inquistition for any perceived wrong doing by a member of the republican party.

So much for journalism bringing truth to the American people and holding the government accountable for the actions of ALL its members.

Obama visits Miami.........

27 August 2007

Obama chose to voice his ideas for a new policy towards Cuba in the same auditorium that Ronald Regan announced imposing strict bans on travel and economic relations with the communist regime. Miami is home to many Cuban exiles and there are strong emotions with reguard to Cuba - America relations.

I think it is obvious to state that the Cuban-American community wants the communist regime toppled. If there is any divergence it is in how to accomplish this. For years there has been very strict bans on travel and even stricter restrictions on economic relations with the country or industries within the country. The reason behind this was to devastate the economy and there by facilitate a collaspe of the ruling government. Well, while well intended we did not acheive the goal we wanted. So maybe it is time that we step back and take another look at how to achieve a better enviroment, economic and political, for Cuba and her people.

Obama would like to see and ease in travel restrictions and the economic policy eased to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to send money to relatives still in Cuba. These are small steps that with the current climate might help shift the regime just a little our way. And with Chavez trying to buy Cuban alliance with Fidel, we cant afford to be stubborn and close-minded on this issue. And this is not a Miaimi or Florida issue; what happens in Cuba affects the whole region and impacts the world.

America can not be an isolationist country or we will be a country defeated.

Chavez socialism is abusive relationship.......

26 August 2007

As I have been reading the articles concerning Hugo Chavez and his antics -- I keep telling myself that this is an abusive relationship. If you start with the begining and follow through to now- Chavez' rise to power has been a step by step climb taken from any DV relationship.

Over a decade ago this charming, charismatic hero appeared on the scene. And he said all the right things and acted the part of the answer to all the prayers of the poor, the weak, and the disinfrancised. He was able to gather the energy of their hopes and dreams and used it to secure power for himself. Then he appeared to be true to his word as he nationalized industries and created jobs. The people saw these things as being great. What they didnt see was Chavez arresting opposition and spreading propaganda to create the basis that he needed to stay in power. He created the US as an evil villian that he and he alone could protect Venezuela and the rest of South America from. He made loud and rude comments about America, he arrested and threw out Americans that he labeled as spies. With his control of the state run media it was easy for him to create a completely false vision of himself for the people of Venezuela.

He has created a dependency of the Venezuelan people on his power. He has convinced them they need him, when the reality is the opposite. He has convinced them that they would be nothing without him, the same as any abuser. Now he is going to rewrite the constitiution so that he can consolidate power and increase his tyranny. He is a smart and cunning man-he is a danger to the peace and stability of Latin America and the world. And just like with an abusive relationship if the victim (the Venezuelean people) is not seperated from the abuser the results will be fatal.

Throw Us Under the Bus, Please!!!!

12 March 2007

So the Democrats are showing their support for our troops once again. Setting a pull out date, how nice of them. They still don't get it. You cannot give deadlines to the enemy. Could you be any more anti-troops than that? They might as well hand the insurgents copies of all our mission plans and defense capabilities. Hell, why not just sign a surrender agreement right now. Maybe we should put all the supporters of the troop pull out on a plane send them to Iraq and let them go to every school and every clinic and every village and tell every innocent civilian that we are going to bail on them again.

And NO we do not have the troops to protect your visits to these villages and schools and clinics, take your chances; you are peace loving enlightened intellectuals that understand the insurgents and are civilized enough to reason with them so you have no need for military escorts!!!!!

That would show the world that they can count on us; that we have backbone and the stomach to go the long haul. NOT!

I just get more and more irritated with the Democrats every time they shoot their mouths off. The problem is that they are so anti-Bush and anti-Republican that they don't even look at the issues or the big pictures. All they want to do is show that they went against Bush that they were on the opposite side of the argument with the Republicans.

What is it with Democrats that being against Republicans and Bush is more important that doing the best thing for national security and interests? Why would they cut off their nose to spite their face? Why is it that they are more concerned about one detail than the bigger picture? How is it that they only know how to be reactive and never proactive? Why is it that they never want to prevent something but only pick up the pieces after and then only if they cant get someone else to do it and only if it wont hurt too bad.

What happened to the true Democrats? FDR must be so disappointed in his party today; even JFK had a better grasp of world politics and international relations than any of the Democrats in Congress today.

If it were up to the Democrats we would still be under terrorist attacks, because they would not have pushed for any retaliation, except for maybe a UN resolution calling the acts uncivilized. Yeah, that is what we should have done, whined to the UN that Usama was not playing nice, that the Taliban were supporting terrorism and encouraging attacks against innocent civilians. Yes that is ALL that should have been done and then in 10 or 15 years after the current Democrats had left public office the next generation of leaders would have been left to clean up the mess that would have grown exponentially unchecked in that time. What a wonderful thought, what a nice legacy to leave our children!