Election Thoughts Part 1

With elections coming up, I thought I put out my two cents worth of opinion. The issues I discuss are not in any particular order—it’s just the order they came to mind as I put my thoughts to the keyboard. This will probably go out in two or three installments…so, check back regularly!

(Yeah…I am going to show some of my conservative side. So, be prepared.)

First issue: Government Power.
Everyone wants the Federal courts to decide issues that involve personal or local problems. The original intent was for the states to decide for themselves. The more things we demand the Federal government take action on, the more we are giving power to it. While the Feds were not supposed limit the bearing of arms or religious expression or free of speech or whatever, the states have repeatedly refused to make a decision—or enough people didn’t like it—and gave the Feds the right to set the limits. Want to know what I think limits the expansion of the Federal government? WE THE PEOPLE making decisions for ourselves by learning to talk to each other and really listen to what others are saying. My biggest gripe with both the political right and the political left: neither one listens to what true statements the other makes. Worse, neither side acts on those truths. IF we as a nation can solve that issue, we will go a long way towards what the founders originally intended.

Second Issue: Abortion.
Yup. I believe abortion is wrong. Anyone who has read the stuff I’ve posted about myself (see here and here) knows I was not always a Christian, nor are my parents. So, I will tell a secret here. I have never really been in favor of abortion. Want to know why? (No? Too bad…I’m going to tell you anyway) I’ve actually got a list of reasons. The first is basic science, and I quote myself in block:

A fetus (Yes, I prefer the word baby…but I’ll be nice here) is a living organism. An abortion kills that organism. The DNA of something decides what it is (not the shape, developmental stage or anything else). The DNA of a fetus in a woman’s womb is decidedly human. Therefore, abortion kills a human organism. If killing people is wrong, then abortion must be wrong as well.

Second, WE use school classrooms to teach our kids how to have sex. Then, when they do, rather than let parents be involved, we teach those kids to sneak away from their parents and be dishonest with themselves and their families. We teach them to have sex and avoid the consequences of their actions—which makes abortion in these cases nothing more than convenience. (And we wonder why young people today have such a problem with authority?)

Third, there’s a growing number of psych studies that are showing the emotional damage abortion does to women. Many abortion clinics aren’t even subject to health inspection standards—or medical reporting requirements. Support abortion on demand? Not likely. Too many lies backing it up.

(By the way, I don’t have a problem with an abortion that saves the life of the mother. But, let’s be honest, very few abortions are actually done for that reason. So...are you surprised that there's no religious arguments in this?)

Third Issue: Election Reform.
I am scared to death of the idea of election by popular vote. That is, the one who gets the most votes overall, nationally, wins the presidency. The major problem with that idea is that the highly populated states would then have total control over what the lesser populated states got in terms of national government (the Executive Branch). That’s why the founders of our nation created the system we use now. It gives everyone a chance to have their say. This should not be changed. I do like the idea of going back to the “loser” of the Presidential race becoming the Vice-President. No more choosing your running mate! Given the partisanism of American politics, that would add a new level of balance to Executive powers.

CONTINUED READING:
Election Thoughts Part 2
Election Thoughts Part 3

Iraq...Again

OK…Here’s the first of my big “catch-up” postings. I don’t normally do it this way, but I thought I would just link around the web. Otherwise…well…there’s no telling how long this posting would get!

I’ve read a few interesting articles around the web on Iraq today. If you’re wondering what I think, read this. Apparently, I’m not too far off the beam, judging by these articles. There are actually a couple of good ideas out there. One, is a rather extended diplomatic solution. There are even reports of a bad one—i.e. the possibility of a Coup d’Etat. And there is the concept of letting the Iraqi’s decide in a direct election whether to let American troops stay or leave. That may not be more than just spitting in the wind, though (as us Texans would say it, that is.).

In a related piece of news, here is something you don’t see very day in the mainstream media (MSM). Chickenhawk put out a really great break down on what has changed in Iraq since this whole thing started. A lot of infrastructure changes have gone on. I was really excited to read the list. You should probably check it out, too. Not everything is doom and gloom!

And, for those who don’t think soldiers have a heart, you should visit One Marine’s View in general. Specifically, read the story of Taylor Grayce. Then, read what One Marine did to make a difference. As a Marine General once said, “The greatest supporters of peace are those who have sworn to risk their lives to defend it.”

And, in light of that, CNN’s sniper video deserves a comment or two. Personally, I think it was disgusting that a camera man, or media entity, was paid to film the shootings. CNN made a statement about reporting newsworthy events—even those unsavory ones. Personally, I don’t buy it. Confederate Yankee did a really good breakdown of their statement. And, while I personally don’t want to believe that CNN, or any of the mainstream media, is actually in the hip pocket of terrorists, I do believe that the almost complete negative focus on the US in the middle east is fueling terrorist and insurgent efforts there.

Next up: Elections!

OK...I'm Back...

Well…it’s been a frustrating week.

We lost our computer. It had a heart attack…uh…a power supply failure. We had to wait a few days to get it fixed. (...hazards of living with most of your funds already committed every payday…there are disadvantages to having committed savings schedules…but overall its worth it…)

I have no idea how I’m going to catch up on all things I had planned to write about this last week. There were two in particular I was writing about election issues. With 3 weeks left…well…

and then there's all the stuff that's happened this week...the CNN terrorist sniper videos…and the Cardinals made the World Series…sheesh...I haven’t even touched all that’s gone on this week.

There’s even been some really cool stuff around the house… (...my wife, kids, and I re-dsicovered the joys of non-on-line gaming...while arguing over the use of the only other working com0uter in the house...)

Well…I guess all I can suggest is check back oftener for a while. I’ll probably be posting a little more frequently…

UPDATE: What Kind Of Reward Is This

Here is the update for my original post on August 24. Thank you Blackfive and Major Pain and Marty Horn--and everyone else who had a hand in getting the word out on this. Y'all ROCK!!!

Hello Major Pain,
I am not sure if I am emailing the right person, but here it goes... if not maybe you can tell me who to contact. I typed in a few words and came up with your site... I didn't know that it was there. I knew about the anysoldier site, but not the anymarine site. I am the mother of SSG Bryan Fluharty. First, I want to thank you for posting it... second I am wondering if you could help me come up with a way to get the story out and also update you on what has been happening. Bryan now has his children back... Children's Services took them away from mom last weekend and he got the call to come to Louisiana. There are pictures of them and updates on this website... V.O.I.C.E.S. Home and check out Chelsie's Letter. It is a heartbreaker.

This isn't over by far, he has hearings coming up the end of the month there is Louisiana and is told there will be more...and hopefully the kids will be able to stay here, stay in school, and not have to attend the hearings. There is another scheduled for here in November, but we are told it may be canceled... again.

There are also some senators getting involved in making some law changes so others don't have to go through this. A very special lady, Kim Willmon has been emailing away and has had some very positive response. Senator Nick Gautreaux was especially helpful in "rescuing" these children and has been speaking to Senator Marc Dann's office here in Ohio. There are some others also from other states who are climbing on board too.. this should have never happened, those kids should have never been sent back to endure being "dragged by their hair and beaten." I am very proud of my son being able to hold it together to make sure he would be able to be here for his kids, I don't know how he did it. Yes I do, he did it FOR THEM.

These law changes would benefit not only other children but service members as well... and it is the right thing to do. Please feel free to contact me if you would like with any suggestions. I truly would appreciate anything you can do to help make all of their V.O.I.CE.S. heard. Thank you for everything you have done, including serving our country.
Sincerely,
Char Fluharty

The Lancet Farce II

There are things I don’t like about working nights. There are more things I don’t like about working weekend nights.

You give up a lot of family things. You miss a lot of sporting events. You are always about 12 hours out of sync with everyone else in America. You sleep all day—or enough of it—even on your days off. So, your news is internet based (which isn’t actually bad), and your always behind on what people are talking about

That, said, I’m revisiting the Lancet study. I’ve tried to keep up with some of what’s said.

On the Left, I found this two part discussion at The Questionable Authority. It was pretty interesting. If you get past the political rhetoric of both sides, it’s an informative breakdown of methodology and analysis.

I found another good breakdown at Dean’s World. And, again, if you get past the political rhetoric, it’s got some really good information. There is some good critique in the comments.

Personally, I still don’t buy the numbers. I think even the low adjusted figure suggested at one point (491K, I think) from The Questionable Authority is high as well. I suspect the number to be more in the range of 150-200K, overall. And, I absolutely agree even that number is unacceptably high. And, I agree with the assessment that it is due to post invasion practices of dismantling the government.

However, I believe the pre-invasion death rates are wrong as well. And, I hold this opinion despite the breakdown of mortality rates in the Dean’s World posting. I suspect they are not taking into account the actual disappearance and death rates under the Sadaam regime. And, if this is so, it would further skew the results of the study--as I understand the analysis.

But, my biggest question is one I’ve seen asked in several places. If 600K people are being killed in violent deaths and combat actions, where are the volumes of wounded that should accompany? Generally, the number of wounded in violent events outnumber the dead by several multiples (my mind wants to say a factor of 2 or 3, though I think it may be higher). This would mean that something like 1.2 to 1.8 million wounded should have occurred, putting the total casualty rate at something at 1.8 to 2.4 million. I freely admit that military and government propoganda can hide a lot. But, I seriously doubt it could hide something that big.

Sorry, I just don’t buy the numbers. I still see the study, and the timing of the release, as nothing more than political hay.

Dems & Reps And Sex Crimes II

You can read my original post below. But, I wanted to add a few comments. I've been following several comment threads on the political left, and right. The general consensus seems to be (thankfully) that Foley is a despicable rat and both sides are glad he's gone. There is even general concensus that Hastert needs take a powder if he, in fact, had prior knowledge of Foley's activities. The argument (somewhat generated by the news report from the WSJ (referenced below) seems to be how political each side is being. The Dems see the Reps as just trying to twist facts around. The Reps see the Dems as trying to avoid the past and how it relates to their current activities.

Frankly, I don't think there should be a differnce. One point the Dems make is that the Presidential pardon by Clinton was for an obstruction of Justice charge. So what? I don't think a sex offender should be pardoned for anything. (Sorry, I'm a parent. I don't like the message this sends..so sue me) And, I still haven't seen a good defense of the other two. Why did they keep getting elected? Why did the DNC not run them out of office? Are the Democrats demanding the Republicans hold to a different standard than themselves? The left wing rant that this is ancient history is invalid, too. Using history is how you set expectations of future behavior. Want to know how the media measures up? Here is a little taste:

The Media Research Center (MRC) decided to measure what it calls "the aggression of TV assignment editors" surrounding the Mark Foley scandal since it came to light on Friday evening, September 29. According to their research, the "Big Three" networks -- NBC, ABC, and CBS -- aired 152 stories about the matter between that time and Wednesday morning, October 11. NBC aired 56 stories, ABC 50, and CBS 46. Only a fraction of those stories, says MRC, were "brief anchor updates."

In contrast, MRC points out that media reaction to another Capitol Hill sex scandal several years ago -- specifically, one involving a Democratic congressman who was eventually convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of child pornography. In covering both the 1994 indictment and 1995 conviction of Representative Mel Reynolds, the same three networks' coverage amounted to 19 stories. MRC calls that an "undeniable double standard."

Now, we all know there have been sex scandals in American politics from the beginning. I seem to recall one or two surrounding George Washington (neither really proven...but they make a great story). There will probably be more in the future, too. The issue is will both parties deal with these situations equally. Going by history, I'll stand by my statements in the original post.

Then, there is this fromChickenhawk Express, quoting from the letter the page's parents setnt to CNN:

In the fall of 2005, as soon as Congressman Alexander became aware of the e-mails received by our son, he called us. He explained that his office had been made aware of these e-mails by our son and that while he thought the e-mails were overly friendly, he did not think, nor did we think, that they were offensive enough to warrant an investigation.
Rather, we asked him to see that Congressman Foley stop e-mailing or contacting our son and to otherwise drop the matter in order to avoid a media frenzy. He did so. If we had any other knowledge or evidence of potential impropriety, we would have asked for the matter to be treated differently. For instance, we were not aware of the instant messages that have come to light in the past few days.

So based on the parents' statement the situation was handled exactly as THEY wanted it. The parents were satisfied with the action taken. Plus their recollection follows right in line with Hastert's recollection. Now because of a political vendetta, they ARE involved in the media frenzy that they tried to avoid.

And...people still want me to believe this is not a Democratic/Anti-Republican witch hunt for election purposes? Please have the courtesy to give me more credit than that.

The Lancet Farce

This was a really dumb politicized attempt to bash the Bush Administration. A simple information check reveals teh following:

1. The report was based on a survey of some 1800 Iraqi households, with a total of about 12000 people. And, I am supposed to believe a “poll” is giving me correct data? To really show how invalid the data is, there is this (from page 3 of the Appendix)

"Validation of cluster sampling methodologies as an appropriate alternative to simple random sampling is difficult in conflict situations."

The report itself says the sampling is not trustworthy.

2. I could do a breakdown of the numbers, but I think Terrye said it best in this comment post:

According to this report about 770 people have died every day. Every day. Where are they? They do not say. According to this report 14% of the 655,000 people died as a result of suicide bombers, that would be about 91,700 people. When and where were these people killed? They don't have a clue.
A bad month in Iraq is about 2600 casualties, but according to this so called survey, 22,800 people have died every single month.
A third, or more than 200,000 would have died in air raids. That is more than Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
According to this report 57% were killed by gunfire, that would be about 373,000 people. Where are the bodies? When and where they buried? (Coach mark adds--not to mention the wounded…which is usually two or three times the number of dead.) Did the BBC and AP, UPI, Reuters, Al-Jazeera all conspire to help hide the truth? Are the US and the Iraqi government together with all the doctors and mayors part of the plot ot hide these hundreds of thousands of dead people?
They took the deaths of a few hundred people and extrapolated them into more than 600,000 and they compared numbers to the pre-invasion Iraq saying there had been virtually no violent deaths in Iraq the 14 months before the invasion. Think about how absurd that is.

3. Official, and even private groups, put the death toll somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000.

How much crazier do we have to get? Are we so hard up for election year garbage that we have to work this hard to make something up? Between the Foley scandal, the War in Iraq, the still not straightened out Katrina mess, and ad nauseum, someone actually worked this hard at making up obvious political hay?

God help us all, because we are destroying ourselves in partisanism.