Commentary: Pro athletes must leave their pasts behind

Commentary: Pro athletes must leave their pasts behind - CNN.com

It is so nice to see these sorts of commentaries regarding the bad behavior of professional athletes. It is even nicer to see these comments coming from someone who is the same race as the majority of the offenders. Roland Martin is a radio talk show host in Chicago so he has seen and followed one of the worst offenders as his career has gone from talented young player to convicted felon, and that is Tank Johnson. Now granted Johnson is only the tip of the iceberg but as Martin points out so well, he is exactly what is wrong with society today. Look at what he says

Casual observers are quick to suggest that these are nothing more than spoiled, rich athletes who revel in the bad-boy side. What they don't understand is most of them were either bad boys growing up, or they now choose to associate themselves with bad boys who don't care about their big contracts and grown-up responsibilities. Their only focus is to party like a rock star.

It would be wrong to suggest that grown men can't make their own decisions, but the fact is the company you keep plays a role in keeping your business private, or seeing it spread on the front page.

He is right on target with these comments, and he also shows that if a one of these young men wants to change they can, but it will require hard and usually uncomfortable choices of who they associate with.

Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson can preach on this subject for days.
When he was in his first couple of years in the league, Iverson was running hard with his "crew," a collection of guys who he grew up with. He told reporters that they often discussed taking care of each other, so when he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, they traveled with him to the City of Brotherly Love.
But instead of truly loving him like a brother and protecting his back, they made his life even more difficult. The team, and subsequently the NBA, got tired of the arrests and police interrogations, and told Iverson to cut his ties with his past or lose the gravy train he was riding on.
He got the message and changed.

Yes Iverson still has his tattoo but I have no problem with that. They are a personal decision on what to do to your body, that each individual has control over. What your "posse" does while living off your hard work and talent is another thing. Again it comes down to hard choices between your past and your future.

That's really what the problem is for guys like Vick, Jones and so many others. Many grew up poor, and it was their athletic talent that kept them from falling victim to the streets.
See, the money is irrelevant here. What they are most afraid of is losing the support system -- no matter how detrimental -- and then being branded a traitor for turning their back on the guys who were there when they had nothing.
You don't have to admit it, but that's a serious guilt trip that can eat some folks alive.

Everyone is tired of their acts. Now it's time for them to decide whether saying no to their "friends" is worth losing everything they worked so hard to get.

Martin is correct and if more people learn from what Adam "pacman" Jones, and Tank Johnson have done in continuing to pollute their lives, then can learn even more from what Iverson has done to clean up his life.

Katy reconsiders 12-year-old's graffiti suspension

This is another of KISD's attempts at "zero tolerance" enforcement that has gone wrong.

Katy reconsiders 12-year-old's graffiti suspension

Katy Independent School District is reconsidering a decision to send a sixth-grader to alternative school for four months after she confessed to writing "I love Alex" on a school gymnasium wall with a baby blue sharpie.
Under a firestorm of widespread criticism, the district is researching discipline options for Shelby Sendelbach, a 12-year-old Mayde Creek Junior High School pupil who was punished by the district with a Level 4 infraction after writing the message in permanent ink.
The grafitti offense — on par with making terroristic threats, drug possession and assault — is punishable as a felony under the district's discipline plan. Only a Level 5 is more severe -- for murder, possessing firearms, aggravated or sexual assault and arson.

Ok, first off when has writing on the walls or anything for that matter on the same level as any of these three actions,(terroristic threats, drug possession and assault). If you can give me an answer to that which makes sense then you are smarter than I am by a long shot.


Here is my personal feelings, there has been a significant overreaction on the part of teachers, administrators, school boards, and even parents with regards to school discipline. Busting someone for graffiti, for writing on a gym wall, is insane. It seems as if every time someone breaks a rule in Katy ISD the school and district jump in and throw the book at them, with out even taking the time to determine how serious the offense is. Why is that? Well for one thing most people in education for the past 20 years have been more about feel good environments, but kids who are not stupid, realized that they could get away with almost anything, started to do just that. Now districts are having to crack down and these same people who for the longest time could never bring themselves to calling a student down for something as simple as talking out of turn in class are having to discipline students and do not know how to. For that reason and that reason alone, they go to the extreme case and then fall back on the argument that they were only following the zero tolerance policy of the district. Buffalo Bagles, these educrats are the reason we have these problems and until they learn to better evaluate the level of a student's misbehavior, and start to apply some simple logic and common sense to assigning punishment we will continue to have these sorts of events.



This is not the first time KISD has been busted for going overboard with regards to their discipline and zero tolerance, and it will probably not be the last. These people need to stop reacting and start using the brains that they supposedly have.

Another link about Zero Tolerance
State lawmakers look at revamping school discipline

Headlines I have collected

Ex-Marine, 72, Teaches Pickpocket a Lesson
New Jersey mutt wins ugliest dog crown in California
Judge rejects $54 million lawsuit over lost pair of pants
Millionaire, 84, died fleeing Harris probate court
Disney to scrap lucrative direct-to-DVD animated sequels
Is Earmark Disclosure a True Measure of Transparency? Actually the question is do we actually have a conservative or at least honest democrat?
Embattled Duke Rape Case Prosecutor Mike Nifong Could Get Jail Time
Senate Votes to Increase Fuel Economy Standards in Cars, SUVs
Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer Dispute Conversation About Reining in Conservative Talk Radio So who do you believe, a moderate/conservative republican or two flaming liberals
Prince William Turns 25, Gains Part of Diana's Inheritance Now the question is will he be king instead of his father, and who will he marry....
Bush Administration Opposes Making Immigration Bill Easier on Employers
Vatican Reverses Annulment of Ex-Rep. Joseph Kennedy's First Marriage
Computer Hacking Plagues Department of Homeland Security
County rescinds Westpark Tollway fee hike
Plan for new taxes on oil companies stalls
N.H. Town Hopes to End Standoff Between Police and Couple Barricaded in Home Since January
FOHacker Claims to Have Posted 'Harry Potter' Plot on Internet
Police Say Washington Baby Died After Mom Taped Pacifier in Infant's Mouth
The perils of carving a path to the Taliban's front door
Fireworks sales likely to blast off
Duke prosecutor testifies; ex-lacrosse player weeps

Are we nearing the end in the Duke Lacross Rape story?

Here we go with the final chapters of the Duke Lacross Rape case.
to summarize
1) Duke Lacross team has a party, strippers are invited
2) underage drinking occurs
3) one of the strippers, a black woman, with a past history accuses them of rape.
4) the DA, in a tight race for re-election takes the case
5) People are up screaming for these rich spoiled brats to face justice.
6) DNA testing is done to verify if a crime occurred
7) The accuser's background is made public, and her credibility is brought into question.
8) the DA calls the Duke players hooligans and swears that they will face a trial.
9) Charges of rape are brought on 3 of the players
10) DNA Testing shows that the 3 are innocent
11) The DA refuses to release all DNA Testing
12) the accuser' changes her story so many times, any reasonable person would question its truth.
13) Duke suspends the lacross teams season and fires the coach
14) the DA wins re-election
15) Pressure to drop the charges because there is no evidence increases
16) the DA turns the case over to the State AG for completion
17) the State AG drops the charges and calls the DA's actions deplorable
18) DA faces multiple charges both civil, criminal, and professionally
19) DA is disbarred for over 10 violations of conduct code but he shows no remorse

District Attorney Mike Nifong was disbarred Saturday for his "selfish" rape
prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players -- a politically motivated
act, his judges said, that he inexplicably allowed to fester for months after it
was clear the defendants were innocent.
"This matter has been a fiasco.
There's no doubt about it," said F. Lane Williamson, the chairman of the
three-member disciplinary committee that stripped the veteran prosecutor of his
state law license.
Even Nifong and his attorneys supported the decision,
though the veteran prosecutor refused to admit to the end that no crime occurred
at a March 2006 lacrosse team party

20) DA resigns from office and offers to leave middle of July
21) State superior court judge bars DA from office and removes him from his position ASAP
22) Duke and accused players reach settlement

The players said in a joint statement that they hoped the agreement would "begin
to bring the Duke family back together again."
"The events of the last year
tore the Duke community apart, and forcibly separated us from the university we
love," they said. "We were the victims of a rogue prosecutor concerned only with
winning an election, and others determined to railroad three Duke lacrosse
players and to diminish the reputation of Duke University."

23) NCAA gives accused players extra year of elegibility

OK now with all of this that has happened over the past 13 months, have we learned anything? I would say no, simply because there are still to many people who feel that they deserve something, and will do anything to get it. The DA in this case was so desperate to get elected after being appointed to the position last year that he failed to look at the whole picture, as well as failed to keep is personal feelings out of the case. He is lucky that he only lost his job and not all of his retirement and benefits. But that may well be coming as it looks like the 3 young men who were WRONGLY accused of this crime are looking into a civil case against the DA. I hope they take him for everything he has and he has to start over. I will not say that this is a liberal democrat that is getting busted, but what it is plain and simple is a person who let their ambitions and the public outcry and outright local hatred of a group that was better off than them cloud his decision making to the point that he eventually realized that he could not just walk away with out completely losing all credibility. He has convinced himself that a crime did occur, and that he simply pursued the wrong "criminals". Really sad if you ask me.

Collection of Headlines

7 Sex Offenders Arrested in Texas MySpace Crackdown
Schwarzenegger to Immigrants: Avoid Spanish-Language Media
Markets Surge on CPI Data; Dow Jumps 100 Points
Hamas Seizes Control of Main Gaza Road as Civil War Breaks Out
Rays: Former foster teen says she is carrying Dukes' baby
House tentatively OKs plan to replace TAKS test
The ultimate hoops game from hell
Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Teen Who Walked on His Lawn
$152 billion Texas budget pact boosts education
Grand jury clears shooter in March Metro fatality
Rift seen in Iraq insurgency -- some groups reject al Qaeda
Bill, Hillary Clinton Sold Drug, Oil Assets to Avoid Conflicts of Interest

Immigration Reform for Dummies (or Congress) your choice

Well over the past few months we have seen just about every idea regarding immigration reform discussed and argued about and still Congress sits on their collective asses and does nothing. Why well for one the liberals cannot make up their minds, and the conservatives are afraid to take a position and fight for it. So I have taken it upon myself to sit down and look at the issue and see if we the people cannot come up with a solution that we can send to Congress for examination.

In order to do that we need to look at the what are the things that have people trying to enter this country illegally in the first place. Next we need to find a way to either eliminate that incentive or make it easier for the goal to be achieved. Finally we need to set things out in a way that allows for easy and consistent enforcement of these guidelines.

That being said I know of at least 5 reasons that people are crossing the borders illegally:

• better paying Jobs than at home
• Free Health care
• US Citizenship by birth
• little or no taxes
• Family already here

I know there are others however for discussion I think that these five cover the largest portion of the pie. So how do we fix things and eliminate the incentive or if necessary make it easier to enter legally?

Well for starters we can eliminate two of the issues really fast, US Citizenship and Health care. Citizenship requirements need to be cleaned up, and eliminating the Citizenship by birth for all, and change it to Citizenship by birth for those here legally. If you are in the country illegally your children born here are not citizens of the US plain and simple. Refuse to recognize these births and you reduce and probably eliminate the pregnant woman coming across the border and having her kid in a border town hospital. This also will reduce if not eliminate the problem of splitting up families because mommy and daddy are illegal.

Along those same lines you eliminate free health care and other government programs for non citizens and several things will happen. First the local support programs, hospitals and police, will not be stretched as thin because of all the expenses that they have to write off due to non payment or indigent care, and at the same time the quality of care should improve for those that need it. This means that every facility should be allowed to refuse service if they feel that the person who is requesting care is not a citizen, that and the emergency clinics should be able to refuse care for those that are truly not in need of emergency care. Cut out food stamps, welfare, and any other program that enables illegal to be attached to the teat of the government.

Now as far as dealing with the employment issue, it should be cut and dried. Every person who wants to enter the country strictly as a worker should be allowed to provided they follow these steps.

• They enter the country from a legal point of entry
• They submit to fingerprinting
• If they want citizenship they have to return to their country and start the process.
• They will be given a work visa that expires 365 days from date of issue and needs to be renewed annually for a small fee. This renewal could be done at any consul or point of entry or INS office .
• If for any reason they are convicted of a felony, all rights and access would be revoked permanently. Misdemeanors would be different, however habitual offenders could have their rights and access revoked as well.
• Eliminate sanctuary cities and find a way to withhold federal assistance funds for local projects if for any reason immigration laws are not enforced within any part of the country, be that city, county, or state.
• Accept the issuance of a federal foreign worker ID card that is tied to a unique tax id number, and that is accepted as a form of ID that way employers can take care of the payroll taxes and such. Also they would during the process forfeit the right to claim any of their income taxes that are withheld. They would have the option if they obtain citizenship get a partial refund of these taxes provided they have been legal the whole time.
• They pay an administrative fee of no more than $200 that would cover the above expenses

Now you all may be saying that is all well and good, but how do we deal with the twelve million plus that are here illegally right now. To that I say, we give them ONE chance to come clean, after that we go after them with no mercy or quarter, and here is how that is done. On the first day of the month after this legislation is signed, the following rules would be put in place.

Anyone who is in the country right now illegally has 6 months to come clean, return to a legal point of entry, and begin the process as described above or face forfeiture of any and all future access to the program. Then at the end of the 6 month period you start hitting cities one by one and holding massive immigration sweeps, unannounced, and hit all of the day labor sites, as well as spot checks at employment sites where immigrants are known to be employed, as well as social spots. No other choice, and from then on if you are caught in this country illegally you will be fingerprinted, and shipped back to your country of origin. If for some reason someone is caught a second or even a third time they will face prison for at least 15 years.

I realize this is not a perfect plan and some would call it amnesty, however we need to do something, and the sad thing is if we leave it up to Congress it will be nothing more than a hollow convoluted mess that cannot be enforced let alone understood. Just look at the Medicare Prescription plan that was enacted.

Sports headlines since 4-10-07

Yao takes blame for Rockets' first-round loss

Clemens will reunite with Pettitte in New York

Jazz top Rockets in Game 7 to advance in playoffs

Crasnick: Meet the best defensive shortstop in baseball

Amaechi 'caught up in the whirlwind' after coming out

ESPN The Magazine: John Amaechi Busts Out

Amaechi in speech: 'I underestimated America'

ESPN The Magazine: Open Look

Misc Headlines since 4-10-07

General Lee going for millions

Did Fort Bend teacher dump class for Bachelor?

NASA Rethinking Death, Sex for Long Space Trips

Economics 101: Look at the Facts; Don't Listen to Hysterics

U.S. Man Arrested in Hong Kong in Notorious Child Abuse

Kansas Prison Limits Inmates to 4 Rolls of Toilet Paper Per Month

Wally Schirra, One of America's Seven Original Mercury Astronauts, Dead at 84

Political Headlines since 4-10-07

Dewhurst balks at Perry's push for more tax relief

Patrick's abortion bill advances despite criticism

House bill OKs religious expression on campus

Senate passes shield law after adding a few loopholes

Top 10% admissions cap proposal moves ahead in Senate

Appraisals up 7%, but tax bills should shrink

Hamas Fires Rockets at Israel After Declaring End to 5-Month Truce

Hamas Calls for New Terror Attacks on Israel

Rep. Hunter Calls on Harry Reid to Step Down as Senate Majority Leader

Supreme Court to weigh fate of Houston teens' killer

Conservative Sarkozy and Socialist Royal Face Off in French Presidential Election

Another Event we should never forget but probably will

Monday, April 16th 2007…. A day that in any other normal year, would be the day that citizens of the United States would be sending their Income Tax Returns to Uncle Sam. However instead we were again shocked horrified and sadden by a brutal shooting spree at a school. This time instead of some irate parent or student at some high school in some small town USA, we are confronted with over thirty people shot to death at a university. And this was not just some small country college; no this was at one of the major state universities, Virginia Tech.

Now as I sit here and compose this article, I have come to one very unfortunate realization about the world that we live in, and that is the fact that people today are so addicted to instant access news and information that, they cannot stand to wait and allow police the time needed to do their jobs and get the answers to this crime. This is not the first time, nor will it probably be the last time that some crime or news event is broadcast and before the ink is even dry on the paper that the story is written on, there will be rampant speculation about everything about the event, and that the event will have been tried in the court of public opinion to the point that it will be considered a dead horse in less than week. This is what happened with the Duke Lacrosse Rape case, the three young men were found guilty before a single shred of evidence was collected, and in the process the District Attorney, committed the biggest mistake a public official could make. He tried to use a hot button issue from his election campaign to cloud his judgement with how to run the investigation.

But back to Blacksburg, and the horror and pain that those people have gone through as well as what they will be going through in the near future. There will be many stories about the person who did this, his whole life will be examined with a microscope, his friends and family will be harassed and bothered till they have no private life anymore, yet at the same time the stories about the true heroes will be told and forgotten faster than a four year old forgets where his shoes are. We will also forget about the 32 people that this gunman apparently shot down in cold blood before turning the weapon on himself. The saddest thing about this latest rampage through a learning institution is the fact that, someone somewhere will take this moment, one of mourning and sadness, and try to turn it into a political talking point. That and it will probably be someone who will stand up and demand tougher gun laws, or some other insane idea. This article right here is proof that people simply do not think before they open their mouths. The saddest thing about this event is that just like the WTC bombings of 1983, 9/11, the US Embassy Bombing in Lebanon, and many other events this one will eventually be forgotten by all but those that lost a loved one in the event, simply because society as a whole, and people in general, prefer to walk around and live life like a horse with blinkers on, seeing only what they need to, ignoring the fact that we live in a violent and confusing world, that has many problems that will not go away unless we are willing to put in the time and effort to make a difference.

Until that happens things will remain the same and the VTech massacre, will eventually fade into the pages of our history, forgotten by all but those that were directly touched by it.

My prayers are with the friends and families of those killed in Blacksburg yesterday, may they rest in peace, and may their families find the healing process is quick.

Comics of the Day

Beaurocrats at their best...

Strickland Georgia Prius fails emission test

Jason Whitlock Hits another Home Run when discussing Race

Jason Whitlock, is 2 for 2 with 2 home runs. Now he is not a baseball player he is a writer for the Kansas City Star, as well as a contributor on ESPN, and AOL. For those that do not know him here is a little more background:

Think you know it all? Not until you read Jason. Jason Whitlock has been creating water-cooler conversation in Kansas City since his arrival at The Star in 1994. His award-winning newspaper columns shock the funny bone, challenge conventional wisdom and cause readers to re-think their positions

So why do I think that he has knocked the ball out of the park 2 times? Well it simply has to do with the fact that here is a black man who is not afraid to call out those of his race when he sees them acting like fools, or doing things that he sees as detrimental to either the black community, race relations or both. However when he does this he also opens himself up for the inevitable cheap shots that come from the poverty pimps, race baiters, and appologists. That does not seem to bother Jason, and I applaud him for his courage of convictions and his willingness to call a spade a spade ( and yes I did use that word ) I do not care one single bit. Whitlock along with a few other influential Blacks have stood up and have said the same thing that most conservatives have said for the past 40 years, the black community needs to be responsible for itself, and that goes all the way down to the individual. And until this happens there will always be people like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson willing to step up and make money off of the misfortunes of any and all minorities.

However enough of my bitching about the poverty pimps and their actions, and back to Jason and the articles. Anyone who follows sports knows about Adam "Pacman" Jones the corner back for the Tennessee Titans who was just suspended for the whole NFL season because of his 10 off the field events that have required police intervention. Now these 10 events have happened in less than 2 full years, and do not include several other run ins that he had during college. For there full details of the final straw you can read Whitlock's article entitled : Mayhem Main Event at NBA All-Star Weekend . Here are a couple of quotes.

NBA All-Star Weekend in Vegas was an unmitigated failure, and any thoughts of taking the extravaganza to New Orleans in 2008 are total lunacy.
An event planned to showcase what is right about professional basketball has been turned into a 72-hour display of why commissioner David Stern can't sleep at night and spends his days thinking of rules to mask what the NBA has come to represent. Good luck fixing All-Star Weekend. The game is a sloppy, boring, half-hearted mess. The dunk contest is contrived and pointless. The celebrity contest is unintended comedy. And, worst of all, All-Star Weekend revelers have transformed the league's mid-season exhibition into the new millennium Freaknik, an out-of-control street party that features gun play, violence, non-stop weed smoke and general mayhem.

Now that article generated a lot of heat especially from those that are trying to protect the NBA, however now that the full story about "Pacman" and his trash bag of 1's has hit the press, even the NFL players association has called for stronger guidelines for behavior off the field, all year. There is finally some accountability that is being delivered to these over paid children for their actions.

Well when noise from that article died down Don Imus decided to open his mouth and insert his foot up to his knee, by calling the Rutgers women's basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed Ho's". Now all of a sudden the poverty pimps have a new target, Imus. Now I do not condone what Imus said, however there are at least 20 or more "singers" who have songs out that say a whole hell of a lot of things that are worse, but you do not hear anybody from the black community say anything about that because it would be wrong to hold the black community accountable for it's own poor behavior, let alone expect the "leaders" to set the proper example. That is where Whitlock's second article comes in: Don Imus is not the real story

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem. You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victim hood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.
The bigots win again.
While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

So you see where this is all going. Jason Whitlock is calling these people to the carpet and demanding accountability in the black community. Bill Cosby has taken heat for doing the same thing, however both of these men have done something that very few people can or are willing to do, and that is stand up to those in power and tell them that they are wrong, and reach out to the general public and try to wake them up to the reality of things, and get them to stop living in the past. If or when the black community as a whole wakes up and sees what 40+ years of blindly following the democrats and the liberal agenda has done to their community, you will see a drastic shift in support to the conservative mind set, and the black communities that right now are shunned, by most will become thriving centers of hope, life and energy that has not been seen in this country in a long time. Just wait, it is going to happen, and it will happen a lot sooner than most liberals think.

Political hot Potato or the Third Rail of Politics

After writing my last article I started to think about what issues do the American Public see as critical to the future of the country that most politicians would not touch with a ten foot pole. You see there are issues that can be described as hot potato or third rail issues. These are issues that if you are a senator, congressman or a member of a state legislature, and you take them up and seriously try to push through changes, you are taking your political career into your own hands. Plain and simple these are things that if you make a wrong step you will be out on your backside maybe even before the next election. So here are what I see as the issues that can and sometimes kill the career of most conservatives.

1) Social Security Reform
2) Welfare Reforme - All types
3) Income Tax Reform
4) Immigration
5) Abortion

I know there are others but for the most part when ever a true conservative tries to make significant changes to any of these programs they are always walking on thin ice. And it is for that reason that I have always said that the best way to change these programs short of complete elimination is to make very small changes, that is how 90% of these programs were built and that is how they need to be dismantled as well.

But again this is a common sense approach to things and I beleive that those in Austin and DC lose that skill after being there for to long.

Questions about immigration

Ever since 9/11 there has been an increase outcry from certain sectors of society demanding tougher immigration law enforcement. Stronger security on the borders, more inspections at the sea ports, as well as tighter security in airports have also been looked at and discussed. The biggest noise maker on both sides of the fence has been illegal immigration and the southern border of our country. There have been rallies both for and against changes in border security as well as immigration enforcement as well as the obvious irrational emotional outbursts on both sides. Well I am here today to look at why it is that the target of most of the immigration complaints revolve around people who are of Hispanic, or South and Central American heritage.

We could look at simply the assumed counts of illegal immigrants and say that since the majority of this groups comes from Mexico, Central and South America that this is why they are the poster children for this issue on both sides, however I do not think that strictly looking at the numbers does it justice. If we look back on history, it is quite obvious that whenever there is a major influx of immigrants from one country or region of the world the citizens of the region that is most heavily impacted by the additional people are the ones that are screaming the loudest for change. It happened when the Irish came over , the Italians, even the Vietnamese. I remember well all the yelling and screaming about the Vietnamese Shrimpers and Fishermen and how they were taking jobs of hard working citizens.

Well why is it that we currently have had such a negative perspective of Hispanic immigrants, both legal and illegal? Well I thing I can point to several things that are happening which help feed the fire as we say.

• First and probably the easiest issue is the fact that there is an enormous number of Hispanics who are here in direct violation to one or more of the United State's immigration laws. This alone seems to generate the largest amount of animosity towards this group of people in general.
• Second, the numbers seem to show that a large majority of those here illegally also are taking advantage of social benefits that most people think that they should not be allowed to use. Things such as food stamps, medicare, welfare, emergency room services, indigent care services, and others.
• Third, these people who are here illegally are taking jobs from others as well as in many cases working for below the standard wage levels for citizens. This can be done because most of them work for cash, and do not report their earnings, nor do their employers pay any taxes on their salaries. I remember when my mother worked as a teller at our local bank every Friday I would see 20 or 30 people walk in to the bank cash their paycheck completely, and walk out, most of these people spoke little or no English, and a few simply made an X on their check to endorse it. It got so bad that the bank finally had institute a policy that if the person cashing the check did not have an account with the bank the only way the check would be cashed was if it was drawn from an account at that bank.
• Fourth along with the cash labor market, there are also other monetary reasons that fuel the fire. For example there is an increase in road side markets that deal only in cash, as well as the other vendors that are focused on that social group (road side and traveling taco stands for example). These are also drains on the government services because they do not contribute to the city, or county or state coffers but need water and sewer service, fire and police protection.
• Fifth there is the issue of both sanctuary and the fact that a large portion of those here illegally are also criminals in their own country, and are here committing multiple felonies which damages the reputation for even those that are here legally.
• And Finally there is the fact that the majority of these people DO NOT WANT TO BE US CITIZENS. Nor do they have any desire to integrate themselves within the culture of the US. If you look at every other major immigration group, the vast majority did two things: First they worked to be come citizens of the US, and second they worked hard at learning English, as well as learning and becoming part of the US culture. That does not mean that they abandoned their heritage, no just the opposite. They took the things that were the best of their society and merged them in with that of the city or town where they were living. That is the reason why you see in Houston such strong and vibrant communities like China Town and the Vietnamese area in West Houston along Bellaire.

So I guess the it comes down to this, if more of those immigrants from south of the border had in the past made a more concerted effort to become part of the US, both socially as well as economically we would not be having these discussions. As it is we still need to do three things: First close the southern border, second work on removing the nearly TWENTY MILLION illegal immigrants here, and at the same time make significant changes to the immigration laws and take into account that there is a need for seasonal migrant workers, and make it easier for them to get into the country legally and at the same time providing a low cost employee market for those companies that want to use it.

But then again that solution is the common sense solution and there is no way in hell that anyone in Austin let alone Washington DC will follow through with it. So we will continue to be plagued with all of these problems.

Katy Watchdogs Newsletter #2

THE KATY CITIZEN WATCHDOG NEWSLETTER

We’re Taxpayers. It’s Our Money!

Local Citizens Looking Out For The Interests Of Taxpayers and Students!

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Volume 27 – March 29, 2007

Dear Katy Citizen Watchdog Members, KISD Teachers/Faculty, Taxpayers and concerned Parents:

We hope you find our newsletters useful and informative. We urge you to please forward this newsletter to anyone you know that might be interested in its content. For those of you that have received this newsletter via a “forward”, please go to our web site (as noted above) to find out who we are and consider joining us. KCW welcomes your ideas, comments, suggestions, concerns and questions, so please feel free to e-mail us any time at info@katycitizens.org

Contained in this issue:

· Katy Dogs/AFP Call First Ever Texas Watchdog Summit!
· Dogs To Visit Galveston ISD Watchdog Group Next Month!
· Dogs Contacted By Pennsylvania & Michigan Watchdogs!
· KISD Polling Locations & Times Posted!
· Upcoming Events

KATY DOGS/AFP CALL FIRST EVER TEXAS WATCHDOG SUMMIT!

Because of all the positive response that the Watchdog web site has been receiving, both locally and nationally, Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, began thinking about trying to organize a Texas Watchdog Summit where fellow Watchdogs from around the state could meet and discuss ideas on how we all can take this movement to the next level; that next level being, how we can become more powerful in Austin. Well, Chris’ idea has become a reality. After discussing the idea with Americans For Prosperity (“AFP”), AFP has decided to host the event in Austin. The meeting has been scheduled for April 27 and 28. AFP is currently setting up appointments with various legislators so that the Texas Watchdogs can meet with them to discuss what we are trying to achieve, along with our concerns about taxes and school district shenanigans.

“All Watchdogs in this state need to begin thinking about how we can become more of a resource to AFP and to each other. We need to begin figuring out how this movement can become more of a force in Austin. The Watchdogs of this state need to be a real voice for the ordinary taxpayer that is currently drowning in school and property taxes,” said Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell.

The Katy Dogs are very excited about this event. It will be open to all so if you have any interest in attending please send us an e-mail so we can sign you up. We will post the proposed agenda on the web site just as soon as it is finalized.

DOGS TO VISIT GALVESTON ISD WATCHDOG GROUP NEXT MONTH!

Yet another new Watchdog group has been following our web site and our corresponding accomplishments. We have recently been contacted by a new Watchdog group that has formed in Galveston, TX. They have asked that we come to Galveston to visit with their group to share strategies, recommendations and “war stories”. We are currently working to schedule a mutually acceptable date for all concerned. We will issue a report once the meeting has taken place. Stay tuned!

DOGS CONTACTED BY PENNSYLVANIA & MICHIGAN WATCHDOGS!

In addition to California, Missouri, Nevada, Maryland, Florida and Colorado, we can now add Pennsylvania and Michigan to the list of states that have contacted the Katy Dogs about information in order to help them with their school district fights. The Katy Watchdog$ are thrilled that others have been inspired by our efforts to defend the ordinary taxpayers. We are proud that we have become a real “pox” on local government, not just in Katy but around this state and now around this great land.

KISD POLLING LOCATIONS & TIMES POSTED!

As we do for every election in our community, the Katy Citizen Watchdog$ have added a new button to our web site; that being the “2007 Voter’s Guide”. This is where you can find all the necessary information on polling locations and times for our spring school board election. We realize that this information can be very confusing, but that is exactly the district’s plan. Having these important elections at off-times and in off-months has served this district well over the years. We therefore urge you to please contact us if you are not sure about where and when to vote in your area. Whether you agree with the Watchdog$ or not it is very important for everyone to exercise their right to vote!

THE LAST WORD!

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom...and that government of the people...by the people...for the people...shall not perish from this earth.”

Abraham Lincoln

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. April 25, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. Work/Study Board Meeting
2. April 30, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. General School Board Meeting

Don’t forget that as a taxpayer you have a right to speak at any General Board Meeting. Exercise that right if you are so inclined! Come join us at the next meeting.

IF YOU PREFER THAT WE NOT SEND YOU ANY MORE E-MAILS, YOU MAY OPT OUT BY SENDING US AN E-MAIL AT INFO@KATYCITIZENS.ORG

More proof that Metro is out of control

Ok, I have been quiet on the "lets all bash metro front" for a while but this article in today's business section of the Chronicle has me up on the soapbox one more time. Houston mass transit company works to pick up speed

Here are a few choice bits from the article

A Houston company hopes to prove its soaring rail design is the best solution for new mass transit systems, but you won't get to ride on it anytime soon unless you're in China.

Plans call for the system's 2.7-mile route to sweep high over a bay to Liugong Island, linking the Chinese tourist destination with the Weihai central business district.

Company officials hope to use the China project as a springboard for other sales. Aerobus executives say that its installations have operated reliably for millions of passenger miles. However, the company has built no systems in the U.S., where only a handful of monorails are in operation.

To start with we have a local company that has a mass transit solution and there is not one in the US.

Aerobus was one of 11 companies Metro invited in 2004 to present their products at a forum hosted by Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority to examine technologies for transit lines. And the company has held talks recently with Metro, Stallings said.
"The engineers did like the technology and wanted to consider it for future routes, as they already selected light rail for the Richmond corridor," Stallings said.

The pylons can be placed as far apart as 6,600 feet, Aerobus officials say. They say that makes it cheaper than other kinds of rail systems because it requires less land and saves on construction costs. Aerobus estimates it costs $10 million to $15 million per mile to construct versus $30 million for conventional monorail and $45 million for light rail.

Now how about that for a kick in the face, here metro is presented with an option that will cost between up to 70% less than light rail and WILL NOT cause the construction problems that light rail will and they walk away from it. Makes you wonder if anyone at Metro is willing to take a chance on something new, or if they are all bought and paid for by the light rail manufacturers?

A round trip from Weihai to Liugong Island will take 15 minutes. Aerobus is working on final designs. It has ordered the vehicles and will soon order the cable needed. Stallings said construction will take 26 to 30 weeks

And so finallyyou find out the trip on this system will run 2.7 miles and take 15 minutes, and take only 1/2 year to build. If Metro is serious about mass transit in the City of Houston then maybe they should look at this as a replacement for the park-n-ride lots, as well as for routes to both airports. No that would make to much sense. I mean why would they want to do that after spending the Billions they are going to spend on Rail. I mean if they did this then they could have a true 24-7-365 commuter transit system along every major freeway and at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.

Will the real Rick Perry stand up... Oh you are standing...

Just look at the headlines, what you are seeing is a governor who has forgotten that he is supposed to be a Republican, and a conservative. Yet we have over the past few weeks found out that he is more RINO, and even more likely has sold himself to special interests. And if not that then his staff is selling him out to the highest bidder. Here are some links and clips from the majority of the stories that I have found about this issue. You decide for your self. Did we (Texas Voters) elect a liberal Republican to office. It things like this that make me glad to say I was a Kinky Voter this past election. I think you will not be surprised by the time lines nor by the attitude Perry is taking with this, since he is getting pounded by both is family on one side and the ultraconservative voters that he is abandoning on the other.

Perry angrily defends vaccination decision

Gov. Rick Perry today angrily defended his embattled order to vaccinate all Texas school girls against the virus that causes cervical cancer, saying it would have been irresponsible to ignore Merck & Co.'s ideas for requiring the shots statewide.
Perry said critics are getting lost on the campaign contributions, which he said were just a small share of the $24 million he raised and had no effect on his decision.
"When a company comes to me and says we have a cure for cancer, for me not to say, 'Please come into my office and let's hear your story for the people of the state of Texas, for young ladies who are dying of cancer,' would be the height of irresponsibility," Perry said. "Whether or not they contributed to my campaign, I would suggest to you, are some of those weeds that we are trying to cut our way through."
Pressed on when he decided to issue the executive order requiring the vaccination, Perry snapped: "I wish you all would quit splitting hairs, frankly, and get focused on are we going to be working together to find the cure for cancers. No, I can't tell you when."

State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Rockwall, said Perry's staff failed him. "Whoever's setting up that meeting, they ought to be chewed out, you know, for not looking at everything and saying, 'Now wait a minute, could this cause any questions down the road?"
Merck has waged a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get state legislatures to require 11- and 12-year-old girls to get the three-dose vaccine as a requirement for school attendance. But it announced Tuesday it was suspending those efforts.
The drug company had mainly funneled money through Women in Government, a bipartisan group of female state lawmakers. Many of the group's members have sponsored legislation in other states that would require the vaccine for schoolgirls.
One member of Women in Government is Texas state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, Deirdre Delisi's mother-in-law. Despite her ties to the group, the elder Delisi has opposed Perry's order and voted for the bill aimed at overriding it.

Panel votes to block HPV vaccine requirement

Perry spokesman Robert Black said the committee's vote doesn't change the governor's position. "He believes the state should do everything it can to protect young women from getting cancer," Black said. "He has encouraged the Legislature to have a vigorous debate on this issue. They are." Perry has said that cancer has touched several members of his family and that he is determined to use his authority to try and reduce the deadly disease. He also wants to sell the Texas Lottery to help fund anti-cancer efforts.
But the governor has alienated many social conservatives who have been key to his political fortunes with the requirement that pre-teens be inoculated against the most common sexually transmitted virus. Parents would be able to opt out their daughter

Merck's reversal may mean setback for Perry

Pharmaceutical giant Merck abandoned its lobbying push to require girls to get vaccinations aimed at preventing cervical cancer, providing another possible setback to Gov. Rick Perry's plan to make Texas the first state to mandate the shots.
Saying the campaign was undermining its efforts to make the Gardasil vaccine accessible to as many women as possible, Merck officials announced they would no longer try to convince states that the vaccine should be made mandatory for preteen girls to attend school."Maybe we'll get even some more with Merck acknowledging that this isn't the right thing to be doing right now," said Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, who introduced HB 1098, which could be voted out of the Public Health Committee as early as today.
Bonnen said Merck had gotten ''extraordinary publicity for free" about its vaccine as lawmakers debated the issue.
''Maybe they felt they had hit the point of diminishing returns," Bonnen said.
Merck's stock closed Tuesday at $44.50 a share, slightly below its level before Perry's executive order.
Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, who has filed a bill to make the HPV shots a requirement, said that people opposed to requiring any vaccines for school admission and social conservatives "have hijacked the issues" surrounding Gardasil, which protects against four strains of HPV that can cause 70 percent of cervical cancers.
"Without any real evidence, they are trying to distort the science and cause confusion and distrust," Farrar said.
Merck officials said they remain convinced of Gardasil's effectiveness and the company will continue its efforts to make it widely available.
In the past month, there's been a definite "uptick" in the use of the vaccine, according to Merck spokesman Chris Loder.

Texas governor defends vaccine order

Critics have previously questioned Perry's ties to Merck. Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff, now lobbies for the drug company. And the governor accepted a total of $6,000 from Merck during his re-election campaign.
Merck has waged a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get state legislatures to require girls to get the three-dose vaccine to enroll in school. But on Tuesday the pharmaceutical company announced it was suspending the effort because of pressure from parents and medical groups.
The Kentucky House on Thurday passed a bill that would require the vaccination for middle school girls unless their parents sign a form opposing it. The state has the nation's second-highest death rate from cervical cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the bill still needs Senate approval. Virginia lawmakers have also passed legislation requiring the vaccine, but the governor has not decided if he will sign it.

Time line of events involving the HPV vaccine in Texas

Aug. 15: Two Perry staffers meet with a Merck lobbyist for an "HPV Vaccine update," documents obtained by The Associated Press show. Deirdre Delisi, Perry's chief of staff, has lunch with another Merck lobbyist, Mike Toomey, her predecessor in the governor's office. Perry spokesman Robert Black said he didnot know what they discussed.

This is within 24 hours of Perry's campaign getting a large donation from Merck. Makes you wonder....

Nov. 7: Perry is re-elected with 39 percent of the vote.

I just could not pass this date up either, Mr. Plurality decides to act as if he is Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Vaccine meeting, Merck donation coincide

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Rick Perry's chief of staff met with key aides about a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer on the same day its manufacturer donated money to his campaign, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
Texas became the first state to require the vaccine against human papillomavirus earlier this month when Perry issued an executive order requiring it for girls entering sixth grade. Lawmakers are considering overriding the measure.
A calendar for chief of staff Deirdre Delisi obtained under Texas' open records laws shows she met with the governor's budget director and three members of his office for an "HPV Vaccine for Children Briefing" on Oct. 16. That same day, Merck & Co.'s political action committee donated $5,000 to Perry and a total of $5,000 to eight state lawmakers.

I want to see who the 8 state lawmakers are as well and see how they vote on this issue.

HPV vaccine's cost turning into key issue

AUSTIN — The high cost of the vaccine that protects against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer is becoming a key issue in opposition to Gov. Rick Perry's order that schoolgirls receive the shots.
The Texas Medical Association opposes the mandatory use of the human papillomavirus vaccine partly because of it's effect on doctors' finances. Perry's mandate has the potential to increase doctor's revenue — which will be taxed by the state for the first time next year — but not necessarily their profit, said TMA spokesman Brent Annear.

Vaccine plan puts Perry on new stage

AUSTIN — What has gotten into Gov. Rick Perry?
That question has been echoing around Austin since the governor, much to every one's surprise, "ordered" the vaccinations of schoolgirls against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
This, after all, is the Rick Perry who has so closely courted religious and social conservatives that his pronouncements sometimes sounded more like those of a fundamentalist minister than the governor of a major state.
He is the Rick Perry who, according to popular speculation, wants to use that conservative support to become a player on the national political stage.
On track to become the longest-serving governor in Texas history, he surely wants to be remembered for more than building toll roads and raising college tuition, two of his more noteworthy accomplishments so far.
Maybe he would rather be remembered as the governor who launched an all-out attack on cancer.
But the governor also has personal motivations. His wife, Anita, a former nurse, is said to be strongly supportive of the vaccine order. His father-in-law is a retired doctor, and the Perrys, like most Texans, know people whose lives have been ravaged by cancer.
The governor may harbor dreams about being the vice presidential nominee on the 2008 Republican ticket, although his top political strategist denies it. Perry fanned the speculation with several references to international problems during his inaugural speech last month.

Former top Democrats back Perry's vaccination efforts

Actually the headlines say enough... but here is something for you to chew on.

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's effort to get young girls vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer drew praise Thursday from two prominent Democrats, former Gov. Mark White and former Attorney General Jim
Mattox.
White, who was attorney general for four years before being elected governor in 1982, declined to comment on the legality of Perry's executive order, deferring to the current attorney general, Greg Abbott, who has been asked by two lawmakers to rule on the issue.
"I applaud him (Perry) for the courage he had in issuing the order," said White, who recently underwent surgery in Houston for removal of a cancerous kidney. "It's wise for our state officials to be mindful of medical advances."
"I happen to believe that the governor who sold the lottery plan to benefit education, Ann Richards, would look with pride upon us for what we are doing to find a cancer cure that's out there in the future," he said.
But Mattox said he thinks Perry was "usurping the Legislature's authority to make statutory and funding decisions. To that extent, he's probably stepped beyond his authority."
Buck Wood, an Austin lawyer and veteran litigator of Texas constitutional issues, agreed with Mattox that Perry had exceeded his authority.

Guv's girl vaccination a super idea

Gov. Rick Perry is right to push for all Texas girls to be vaccinated against a virus that causes cervical cancer.
Normally I'm suspicious of anything a politician does that will make billions of dollars for a company that hired his former aide as a lobbyist.
But I got over it after talking to the woman who sat next to me during the fourth quarter at a friend's house.
She's not a fan of Perry nor of the big drug companies. She is, however, a great fan of women with cervical cancer and has spent decades researching the disease and treating its victims at one of Houston's great hospitals.
In some developing countries, she said, cervical cancer is a leading killer of women, even more common than breast cancer. It is very common in Latin America, which is relevant to Texas because of immigration patterns.
She also agrees with Perry that vaccination should be universal, though his
executive order does provide for parents to opt out.
"The goal should be to eliminate the virus," she said. "And we only do that if everyone gets the vaccination."
In fact, she favors vaccinating boys as well, although she knows that the cost of the vaccine may be prohibitive.

Critics rip Perry's vaccine mandate

Perry refused to rescind the executive order he issued Friday requiring the vaccine for girls ages 11 and 12 who are entering sixth grade in September 2008. Parents will be able to opt out their daughters, as they can for other required vaccines.
In a statement, Perry addressed criticism that the vaccine could send a message that teenage sex is permissible.

"This needs closer examination. How much will it cost the state?" asked Sen. Jane Nelson, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, at a press conference. "Most importantly, as a mother of four daughters, I want to make sure our daughters' health is protected and parental rights are preserved."
Nelson, R-Lewisville, asked Perry to reverse his order and said she also would ask the attorney general whether the Legislature has any recourse if he doesn't.

Also, a spokesman indicated that first lady Anita Perry's strong support for the vaccine may have played a role in the governor's decision. A former nurse and the daughter of a doctor, Anita Perry works for an organization
dealing with sexual assaults. "I know they have discussed it, and it's something they both feel very strongly about," said Press Secretary Robert Black.

His former chief of staff, Mike Toomey, is a lobbyist for Merck and Perry has received $6,000 in contributions from the drug manufacturer's political action committee since 2005.
Black said Perry and Toomey have never discussed the issue, and he noted the campaign contributions to Perry from Merck were relatively small. He said Perry indicated his support for the vaccine during the recent reelection campaign.

Austin political consultant Bill Miller said he thinks Texans are seeing a governor showing some independence after winning a hard-fought campaign over three rivals for his second full term. Perry took office in 2001 when George W. Bush became president. "This is an example of the governor going his own way without political consequences. He has immunity at the ballot box," Miller said.

No it is a big government liberal showing that he thinks he knows what is best for everyone else, despite the public persona of being a conservative.

One more voice saying celebs are not role models

I am always thrilled when someone stands up and either questions or condemns the actions of someone from the "entertainment" industry. It does not matter if it is politics, fashion, or behavior. The sooner people realize that these people should always be held to a higher standard, as well as not be held in as high regard, we will be a whole lot better off.
The following article again sounds the warning that rich little tarts like Britteny Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan should never be role models and that the press is responsible for their continuing inappropriate behavior.

Here is what I mean.

I always cringe every time people show concern over the antics of celebrities and about the impact they can have over impressionable youngsters.

Other celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan created their own uproar with sex tapes and flashing the paparazzi. In a two month time period, Lohan went panty-less four times in front of hordes of cameras. Consequently, a famous person being naked or at least giving full frontal nudity is more than enough to create a media sensation. And the tabloids and the press loved it.

Unfortunately, too many people have an unrealistic expectation of celebrities being role models to young people. Britney Spears is not a role model. And neither is Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan. More often than not, their outrageous behavior is done to garner publicity and attention or to feed their own insatiable egos.

The author is spot on about the fact that 99% of the actions that these young "ladies" do are to get more attention and feed their egos. If only someone had been there when they were younger to hold them accountable for their actions, things might be different.

But if parents in particular and society in general are actually expecting these beautiful sexy starlets to be positive role models to young girls, then they are going to be terribly disappointed.

NBA superstar Charles Barkely created a backlash when he adamantly insisted that he is not a role model. Lots of people were taken aback and some basketball fans were furious by such a bold but truthful statement. But as iconoclastic as Barkley is, he is definitely right when he further asserted that ordinary people like parents and teachers ought to be the role models for kids.

And it is also time for ordinary people like parents to step up to the plate and behave like mature responsible adults so that they can give kids the direction and support they need, especially during the turbulent times of their lives. And most importantly, parents who create a nurturing environment can have a profound influence upon their children if they apply themselves to it and become a moral authority that can be respected.

However, if parents fail to step up to the plate and assert their influence, then Britney Spears and others will be more than happy to influence the next generation of youth.

John Edwards is this who you want as president?

Hey let's lets talk about the presidential canidates...

John Edwards is now getting heat from the Catholic League for failure to fire a couple of bloggers who have posted intollerant and biggoted comments on his blog.

By not firing Andrea Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, Donohue said, Edwards is promoting anti-Catholicism. He said the 2008 Democratic contender's actions should be viewed in the same way it would be seen if Edwards had not fired a staffer who had used the 'n'-word.

"He's nothing more than David Duke with a blow-dried haircut," Donohue said of Edwards.

Then we have these tidbits from Michelle Malkin on her site Hot Air about it. Check out these videos.
hot-air-theater-presentsamanda-marcotte/
hot-air-theater-presentsamanda-marcotte-part-ii/

Edwards has these comments about the comments, but please note that he has failed to terminate these people.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor or anything else," Edwards added, saying he believed of Marcotte and McEwan that "it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith

Then you have the standard appology that is supposed to cover all of the bases when it makeing things better. Yeah Right...

Another posting by McEwan is headlined to address religious conservatives: "What don't you lousy motherf——ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds and our families?"
In the statement released by the Edwards campaign, Marcotte said her "intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs, and I am sorry if anyone was personally offended by writings meant only as criticisms of public politics."
McEwan said "Shakespeare's Sister is my personal blog, and I certainly don't expect Senator Edwards to agree with everything I've posted. We do, however, share many views — including an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs. It has never been my intention to disparage people's individual faith, and I'm sorry if my words were taken in that way."

It is amazing how badly people try to cover up the hate from the liberal left...

Despite saying the postings "personally offended me," Edwards decided not to fire Marcotte, who writes for the Pandagon blog, and McEwan, who runs the Shakespeare's Sister blog, for comments they made on those sites.

Then when the announcement that they had been fired was floating around look at the attack dogs fly around...

Reports that Marcotte and McEwan had been fired, although incorrect, sparked movement across liberal-leaning blogs to begin targeting Patrick Hynes, a Republican strategist and consultant to John McCain's presidential exploratorycommittee.

And finally there is this comment from these people.

"I'm not going to say a lot about this right now, but suffice it to say that the fact I cast a vote, without hesitation, for a Catholic during the last presidential election might suggest I'm not anti-Catholic," she wrote. "My degree from Loyola University might also suggest the same."
Another Catholic group, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, issued a statement saying it was satisfied with Edwards' actions following the "religiously intolerant remarks."
"We accept Senator Edwards' assurances that he too was offended by comments made by recently hired staffers and that religious intolerance has no place in his campaign," said the group's executive director, Alexia Kelley, who added that since roughly one-fourth of the U.S. population is Catholic, Edwards can't take the religion's members for granted.

I'll leave the rest for you to decide. Pass the word to all your friends about this and let's not let it die....