Death-Row; one man's plight

I have a dear friend who is facing an incredible family crisis, like none any of us have probably ever faced.  Today she informed me that her brother-in-law has lost his last appeal from The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday.  He is the longest person sitting on death-row in the state of Texas.  He has been there for 30 years.  That was before I even came to Texas.  That's longer than I have been married.  That is a lifetime.  He lives in an 8x10 cell and even now, doesn't know what you will know, that his appeal is denied and his execution date will be reset for sometime in the next two months.

First off, I am an advocate for capital punishment.  Yes, I believe people need to die for their heinous actions BUT, we need to be sure that the person we are punishing is guilty beyond ALL doubt.  This is where this case get's tricky.  Lester was a man who told a series a lies, had no alibi and was in the wrong place at the wrong time and because of his own discrepancies surround the truth made his credibly iffy and so was found more readily guilty.  Four people died that terrible day and other people reacted in fear, ran, accused, and lied, yes, even people who were supposed to defend the law, in the least, stretched it.  This story could be a movie plot, like some of your favorite movies we all enjoy in the theaters.  You know, like "The Fugitive", where a good man is wrongly accused and all roads seem to point to him except in this case, there are no cameras and there is no "cut" and there also seems to be no justice on this of heaven for this man.  Lester's wife has waited for him all these years, standing by him, as does his family and yet, because he is on death row, they can't even see him.  Her email's maybe will get delivered to him, days or weeks later, when the correctional institution seems to get to it and he is treated like an animal on some days by those who order him into his cell or out into the Texas heat or rain.  He is treated as, well, a criminal.  Hmmm - seems to fit when we are dealing with a "wicked" soul but from what I hear about the "rest of this story" he is just a man who failed to tell the truth while a series of crazy events unfolded.

Today, Les's health is failing and he is ready to "go home" but his family isn't ready to see his life come to an end for someone else's crime.  Les knows where he is going and he is at peace with God.  That is Good News, but what about justice and what is right?  This is a scary thing and we all need to be mindful that it is "just by the grace of God" that this could be someone you love. 

Several people have since come forward who KNOW what happened that day, risking their own lives to speak-up about who really was the "trigger" man and how he has gloated with "getting away with murder" and what really happened that day.  See, some of these people are evil in much of what they do.  They were the "bad crowd" your mother warned you about but because this whole incident was sketchy involving law people working the wrong side of the law, political appointed people with careers in play and reputations on the line and even elected officials trying to jockey for position, the truth keeps getting sidelined and Les sits.  He has been treated less than kindly by many during his incarceration, because, well, he is a criminal - right?  Well, my bible says differently.  We are to care and visit those who are in prison.  Even Jesus mentioned them.  I think that makes them in the least, noteworthy.

There are many who may be reading this who may know another side to this story, as it was local news before I got here, but I pray God will bring forth justice and that people will look long and hard and what they could do to help this man before he is put to death.  My understanding is that he wanted to buy an airplane and his wife said no.  He went out and bought one anyway, to cover up the purchase, he took the plane apart to bring it home, piece-by-piece; as if he would be "building" one.  He did have phone records calling this place, as he did buy an airplane that fateful day but no one knew he was there and he lied about it to cover his plan; his plan to have a plane and not tell his wife.  He is guilty of doing his own thing and MANY have come forward to speak on his behalf BEFORE this injustice is carried out.  How many of you have ever bought something against your mate's wishes and hid it?  What if events turned on you.  Who would "stand by you"?  I sure know a LOT of people who have lied on countless occasions and thank God a murder didn't go down on the day THEY did.

Their is also the part about the ammunition that he used.  That too has been played up by the prosecutors in this case, and it was taken a bit far for flavor.  I know SEVERAL people who "pack" their own bullets, buy and collect rare guns and yep, even have been caught in a lie but again, that doesn't make them guilty of capital murder!  It certainly shouldn't be shocking to have "criminals" (who were prepared for an altercation that day) to have their own unmarked bullets from rare guns on hand. There seems to be some common sense missing, which in and of itself is a theme we all have seen played out, again and again in our culture over the last few decades.  The connection was a stretch and unfortunately for Les, a hobbiest who enjoyed guns too, he was the perfect "fall guy" for this fateful day.  This was a perfect storm, to pin it on him, because legal people were involved with this sour drug deal that went south and we certainly don't want to see the "good guys" being exposed for their evil.

I am not saying Les was a totally innocent man nor was he clear of wrong doing, but I am saying, capital murder for a crime he didn't do, seems a bit strong in the least and downright wrong.  Why not give him a new trial and let ALL the evidence come out. I don't understand why he can't get a new trial when there are SEVERAL who will testify to the truth that were not heard from in the beginning.  This is someone's life here and we have to get it right.  We all have seen and heard of people who were incarcerated for years set free because of "new" evidence came for some even that maybe was withheld during the initial trial and people are released for mistakes made.

Praying this story ends with justice and a new trial will miraculously be given where ALL evidence can and will be heard.  There are TOO many questions about who is being punished for these murders and I am praying that God will move where man seems to be stalling.  Another thought is if Governor Rick Perry would step-in to help save this innocent man of capital murder before his execution is under his watch.  It is a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God and on that day, many will not have a dry eye.  God have mercy!

Benghazi and Accountability

So tell me again why so many defended Hilary and the president when they stood in the rose garden and blamed a video?  Used to be that when leadership were caught in their lies, they resigned before bringing disgrace on our nation.  Remember Watergate?  How many people were fired, removed and/or resigned?  Today we have four people dead in Benghazi and one is an Ambassador not to mention the two former Navy seals and yet it seems some just want to "sweep this under the rug and move forward" like nothing terrible has really happened.

"Sweeping things under the rug and moving forward" seems to be a "spell" over many these days, not only in politics but I have seen this personally in my family and even in the church.  What happened to accountability?  How about responsibility?  Integrity?  Repentance?  Restitution?  When we allow people/leadership to do this, we are basically saying that this "injustice" (whatever it may be) is no big deal and we hear them saying "get over it".

Really?  I have seen this same demon manifesting in pastors taking this same stance over issues in their church when it comes to family disputes.  They want to "sweep things under the rug".  No one wants to get their "hands dirty" and so they "wash their hands" of involvement in anything "messy" so they don't loose tithes or members because too many people today are not about truth; they are about easy.

It reminds me of Meg Ryan's line in "You've Got Mail".  Kathleen Kelly is dealing with the loss of her business and she keeps hearing this line as if it is truth.  She is told that it is nothing personal; it's business.  She finally responds with this dialog, "What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to *you*. But it was personal to me. It's *personal* to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?"

I have seen SO many things in the past few years (even aside from politics) where people act like personal attacks are nothing personal.  Really?  Or where accountability and leadership don't want to get involved with "this or that" because that is a "family issue" or they use the line of it's "personal".

"And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?" - Kathleen Kelly

We seem to live in a day where accountability and restitution seem to be a thing of the past.  Tragic!

Edward Andrew Stumm's Parole

On facebook today a friend sent an urgent plea to have letters written to stop the parole of Edward Andrew Stumm.  Stumm is a 67 year old man who back in August of 1993 was found guilty of sexually assaulting eleven mentally-challenged adults who lived in a group home setting where he (Stumm) had a part-time job.  See, my friend's life was personally affected by Stumm's behavior as her brother (a Down's Syndrome man with an IQ of a 3 year old) was one of the victims terrorized by Stumm.  (If you happen to know my friend or more importantly the victim, please don't bring up this situation with him as it still too difficult.)


Many of you are already moved to compassion but there may be many of you who may ask, "What is that to me?"  Well, there is more to this story that you should know.  See, In 1992, Edward Andrew Stumm was a full-time Public School Administrator in Hood County! He used his part-time job as an opportunity to gratify his sexually deviant behavior.  He terrorized his victims through forces sexual acts, as well as threatening torture and violent death.  As I have stated, he was ultimately charged with sexually assaulting eleven of the clients and the jury returned with a guilty verdict and sentenced him to serve: one 99 year sentence for Aggravated Sexual Assault with a Deadly Weapon, three 99-year sentences for Aggravated Sexual Assault, and two 20-year sentences for Sexual Assault. The severity of the sentences deemed appropriate, by the jury who heard the evidence, are indicative of the heinous details of abuse disclosed during the trial.

The terror experienced by the victims of Edward Stumm were, and still are, very real to those he tormented through sexual and emotional abuse.  He came up for parole once already and people were up in arms then that Fifteen years was too little time to serve for all the crimes he committed. Justice demands that Stumm be required to serve his full sentence was the cry after 15 years of imprisonment. People launched a crusade to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to have him kept in prison, where many feel he belongs.

I did my own checking up on this case and as a Texas resident with children, this is a real threat and now with money being short in the prison system decisions are being made (many we don't know about) that are putting us as risk!  Keeping prisoners in prisons cost money...lot's of money and many think it's time to free up this money but letting criminals loose back into society is a troubling solution.  If we as a people would have dealt with atrocities such as this as crimes punishable by death, maybe people would think twice before dabbling in behavior that could end their own life.  I'm not saying all people would be stopped from their choices but eventually they would be stopped when caught and sentenced to pay with their life.

Back to the problem at hand, Stumm will be paroled UNLESS people rise up and begin to DO something.  What can you do?  Write a letter, send an e-mail or send a fax THIS WEEK (9-19-2011 until 9-23-2011) to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Victim Services Division.  Here is the address:

Texas Dept of Criminal Justice - Victim Services Division
Angela McCown, Director
8712 Shoal Creek Blvd, Ste 265
Austin, Texas 78757

Email: victim.svc@tdcj.state.tx.us

Fax: 512-452-0825

http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/victim/victim-home.htm

Please include the following:
Offender: Stumm, Edward Andrew
State ID: 04738957
TDCJ ID: 00648361

You still want more help with this?  Here is a sample letter:  

Dear Parole Board Members:

RE: Edward Andrew Stumm  TDCJ-ID# 00648361

As a concerned citizen, I am writing to ask that you DO NOT grant parole to Edward Andrew Stumm.  In 1992, Stumm was a full-time public school administrator who worked a part-time job caring for mentally-challenged adults.  Stumm used his part-time position as an opportunity to gratify his sexually deviant behavior.  He was ultimately charged with sexually assaulting eleven of his victims. He terrorized his victims through forced sexual acts, as well as threatening torture and violent death.  Stumm received an accumulative sentence of 436 years.  It is appalling that he is can even be considered for parole.  Stumm's heinous acts should preclude any such consideration.  Justice demands that Stumm be denied parole.

Please DO NOT grant parole to Edward Andrew Stumm.  To lessen the emotional trauma the parole review process has on the victims, please grant a five year or greater set-off for future parole reviews.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Here is another sample letter for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles:

Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
c/o Ms Angela McCown, Director
TDCJ-Victim Services
P.O. Box 13401
Austin, TX 78711
Fax # 512/452-0825
E-mail to: victim.svc@tdcj.state.tx.us

Dear Parole Board Members:

RE: Edward Andrew Stumm TDCJ-ID# 00648361

As a concerned citizen, I am writing to ask that you DO NOT grant parole to Edward Andrew Stumm. In 1992, Stumm was a full-time public school administrator who worked a part-time job caring for mentally-challenged adults. Stumm used his part-time position as an opportunity to gratify his sexually deviant behavior. He was ultimately charged with sexually assaulting eleven of his victims. He terrorized his victims through forced sexual acts, as well as threatening torture and violent death. Stumm received an accumulative sentence of 436 years. It is appalling that he is can even be considered for parole. Stumm's heinous acts should preclude any such consideration. Justice demands that Stumm be denied parole.

Please DO NOT grant parole to Edward Andrew Stumm. To lessen the emotional trauma the parole review process has on the victims, please grant a five year or greater set-off for future parole reviews.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

If you want to view for yourself some information on this case and others go to the Texas Tribune and read about it.  Here is some specific information on Edward Andrew Stumm from the Texas Tribune.  To view information on sample letters go to: Take Action...and make a difference.

TSA and the Powers that Be...

Well it is all over the news that Osama Bin Ladin has been killed by American forces in Pakistan and there have been a wide range of emotions and postings related to the news of this terrorist's demise.

Because of the atrocities that he orchestrated on our soil back on that tragic September 11th morning in 2001 our lives have been changed, forever.  Out of fear of further attacks, Americans have willingly given up our freedoms one-by-one in the effort to "FEEL" safe.

What is troubling about all of this is now we have further and further infringements on our freedoms and it is beginning to cross some cultural lines that are raising some eyebrows.  Here is a link of a six-year-old girl who was "patted" down and drug-tested before being allowed to fly on one of our national airplanes.  We are a far cry from the days when me and my teen-age friends would play a friendly game of "trench-coat" at the airport or boldly storm a departing plane to sing a song for a traveling singer!

I have heard that some are talking about bringing litigation against the powers-that-be for pedophile crimes as these TSA agents can view "pornographic" images of children and also for fondling these same children in routine pat-downs.  We would NEVER allow teachers, priests, baby-sitters or any stranger out there the rights that we have given these TSA agents yet people continue along thinking these things are making us safe.

Israel, the country with the biggest target on their back doesn't do these silly and freedom stealing things.  They address the issue and TARGET the terrorist.  They PROFILE them!  If you have mean friends and you travel to slimy places in the world and you fellowship with known creeps then you will be targeted.  Seems like a plan to me!  Let's make this about the people DOING the crimes, not making us, the U.S. citizen the criminals.  Ridiculous!

Actual Footage: Brainwashing in Elementary School

This is actual footage from a documentary done in an elementary school (Cambridge Friends School - a Quaker School) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  What is troubling to me is that in this day of "education" only one side of many issues is allowed to be taught.  They are focusing all the explicit attention to the tolerance of a few and "re-educating" these children.

Elementary schools should be a place where children learn to read (phonics), write, grammar, learn the English language (rules, spelling), practice reading, learn math (calculate numbers - add, subtract, multiply, divide, percentages, fractions), learn the introductions to science (and there is plenty to teach that is non-controversial like plant life, cell life, animal life, solar system, rocks, oceans) learn about history - US (our presidents, our founding of our nation, our wars, our government (the branches of government and what they do) and a limited amount of world history (the big items like wars and countries births, basic economics (money - the use of and it's influence on our society) and yet this school feels the need to "re-educate" on issues that are non-academic.  There was opinion shared throughout these interviews and it's allowed because it's the "lefts" agenda.  No one on the "right" would be able to share in such detail "their" opinions in the classroom on such topics or many other topics without an uproar yet these children are being "formed" by teachers on matters that should remain issues taught at home.

I don't remember my teachers sharing their "intimacies" and choices while I was in grade school; in fact, it wasn't until I was in high school that I ever knew much about the private lives of my teachers and the information I did receive was shared after school hours outside the classroom instruction.

There is such a double standard in this country.  Would these same teachers agree to have someone come into address Christianity and all the details of that with their students?  Would they feel that was education or indoctrination yet they are allowed to "share" because "they" have determined what is acceptable and what it not.  This is NOT surprising that this is in Massachusetts but still it is shocking how far they are pushing the envelope under the guise of "education".

Elementary School Brainwashing - Part 1
Elementary School Brainwashing - Part 2

Act Like a Patriot!

Many of us have heard about the Patriot Act and you may or may not know all that it deals with or what exactly is it suppose to do. 

Well, here is a light-hearted clip to get you up to speed with some of what is contained in the Patriot Act.  I believe this legislation needs a second look.  Let your US representatives know how you feel about it.

HR 875 - Outlaw Organic and Homegrown Foods?

This is another version of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 and is in this version HR 875 will effectively make personal gardens subject federal inspection and regulation.  The speculation on the why to this is because individual home gardens are cutting into the profit of multinational food, herbicide and pesticide producers.  This bill has many outrageous infringements and it is just another reason why people need to wake up and see what their congress is up to and change up those with these radical agendas by voting them out this November!

This bill has been quietly pushed through the processes by those in special interest groups representing the money behind manufacturing of larger farms and industry where regulation already exists.  If local and small facilities are included in this final bill and it becomes law, then those who violate it will subject to a $1,000,000 for any perceived violation.  The bill was rendered dead on March 11, 2010 but was amended and moved forward again by these big lobbyists and was sitting in committee back in April without having been read because the lobbyists are telling the congress what THEY want them to know.  Because of the outcry of people this bill is still sitting in committee and yet there have still been some modifications to it.

This bill will override states rights and cause federal regulations to be imposed on all states and local farmers.  The attack against "organic" farming is not spelled out clearly but infers that it affects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it by only consuming it.  It would also affect anyone producing meat of any kind including the processing wild game for personal consumption.  This law as now written would also allow federal authorities to seize records, products or produce as they see fit as part of the inspection process.

Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation.
Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities.
Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment. There are many more that you need to check out for yourself!  HR 875 as it is written, could mean the end of the vibrant and growing local foods movement, the demise of farmers markets, road-side farm stands and small family-run farms altogether.
Ironically, HR 875 fails miserably in promoting food safety as it pretends; on the contrary, it promotes it. Rather, than promoting true accountability and proper farming techniques that minimize the risk of introducing pathogens into the food supply, it simply will create greater barriers for our already struggling small farms and farmers markets. It will give a few huge companies total control on the food we eat, which will be their food -- food that has bio-genetically engineered and laced with toxins, carcinogens and poisons that they call pesticides. Food, seed-stocks, herbicides and pesticides that will be owned by these companies.

the Elana Kagan, Obama Connection

Seems there is some controversy surrounding this newly appointed justice to the United States Supreme Court, Elena Kagan.  It seems to becoming quite clear why she was Obama's choice for the recently vacated seat and the reasons for their connection are in the least, very interesting.  You see, Ms. Kagan was the Solicitor General for all the suits that were filed against Obama with the Supreme Court regarding Obama's proof of natural born citizenship.  Some are saying that this was a "payment" for all of her hard work in helping him with all his legal issues.  See, all the requests that came across Kagan's desk were denied and never heard by the court.  The American people were totally kept from the truth regarding all of this as even Congress didn't bring up these facts during the confirmation hearings on Kagan. 

David and Barbara Mikkelson are the couple behind Snopes and they have posted on their site that, "No, Virginia, There is No Obama/Kagan Connection."  They are still saying that they are "correct" in posting that this "rumor" is "false" but they have never explained all the United States Supreme Court dockets (listed below) that are all signed off by ELana Kagan.

World Net Daily (WND) has posted that Kagan's name is on at least nine dockets involving Obama and his eligibility to be President and Snopes has a link on this as well, yet  Snopes still concludes there there is NO connection.  Not sure I am following the math on this one.  Snopes lists the dockets too and even highlights Kagan's name on them, yet they say there is NO connection?  I don't understand their reasoning as all of this seems pretty obvious to me.

I have included all the links in this blog for you to check it out for yourself.  After reading all this, I would hope you have ONE more reason to vote this November.  Not only am I upset about the conflict of interests and total disregard for the process that has permeated this administration, but I am also upset at those in Congressmen and women who did NOT expose this and stop this nomination. 

Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #08M38     November 25, 2008
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #09A381
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #08-8145   January 12, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #08-1234   April 7, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #08-10382 May 15, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #09-6790   October 1, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #09-581     November 13, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #09-724     December 22, 2009
Supreme Court of the United States - Docket #09-8857   January 29, 2010

Remember that all of this "controversy" is swirling because there are still so many questions that have not been answered regarding the birthplace of Barack Obama, Jr.  There is still no birth certificate stating that Obama was born in Hawaii among the passport documents for Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro that were recently released by the State Department on July 29, 2010 regarding Obama's Citizenship. In these recently released documents, Dunham's husband, Lolo Soetoro petitioned the Immigration and Naturalization Services of the State Department in 1967 to obtain a waiver to return to the United States to rejoin his wife and her infant son, Barack.

An Indonesia timeline was recently compiled by World News Daily (WND) created from information gathered from the State Department's July 29 Freedom of Information Act.  This information shows that Lolo Soetoro returned to Indonesia on July 20, 1966, after completing his studies at the University of Hawaii.  Soetoro was required to complete a mandatory two-rear residence requirement in Indonesia before he could be granted a visa to return to the US.

There is a document dated September 14, 1967, as an apparent attempt to establish the nationality of Barack Obama Jr. by a person named Mix who submitted a poorly typed and difficult to decipher memo to the file but failed to identify their official position with the State Department at the time.  This memo was written pursuant "to inquire from Central office regarding the status of the aplicants' spouses' child by a former marriage." (sic)  The next paragraph reads:

"The person in question [Barack Obama, Jr.] is a united states citizen by virtue of his birth in Honolulu, Hawaii Aug. 4, 1961. He is living with the applicants' spouse in Honolulu. He is considered the applicants step-child, within the meaning of Sec. 101(b)(1)(B), of the act, by virtue of the marriage of the applicant to the childs' mother on March 15, 1965."

The person writing the document does not indicate that they ever SAW any birth-certificate document to establish the citizenship of her son, Barack Obama, Jr., but instead, it suggests that is was written as a result of conversation, possibly with the mother, and was accepted as is without documentary verification.

In contrast, various forms in the Freedom of Information Act release clearly indicate when corroborating documents have been presented. For instance, an examining Immigration and Naturalization Service and State Department official filing a particular report had examined the divorce decree between Barack Obama's mother and his father, Barack Obama Sr., to establish that the parents were legally divorced.
In the two separate releases of Freedom of Information Act documents July 29, what should have been a clear opportunity to see a birth certificate for Barack Obama Jr. was lost when the State Department destroyed any and all passport documents that may have existed for Dunham prior to 1968.  The released State Department documents make clear that Barack Obama Jr. was listed on his mother's passport. However, as WND has previously reported, the State Department claims Dunham's application for her 1965 U.S. Passport No. 777788, issued July 19, 1965, was destroyed at some unspecified time in the 1980s, apparently pursuant to a General Services Administration directive.

Lacking Dunham's application for her 1965 U.S. passport, it is impossible to determine what documentation, if any, she submitted to the State Department to establish her son was a U.S. citizen. WND has reported that in a passport amendment submitted Aug. 13, 1968, Obama's mother identified her son with an Indonesian surname and asked the State Department to drop him from her U.S. passport, bolstering evidence Barack Obama Jr., became a citizen of Indonesia when he moved to the Southeast Asian nation with his mother and stepfather in the late 1960s.
Since 1961, the Obama family has always maintained that Barack Obama Jr., was born in Hawaii. However, as WND has reported, the family has changed its story about his hospital of birth, first claiming it was Honolulu's Queens Medical Center then changing it to Kapi'olani Medical Center.  What has yet to be produced is a long-form certificate of birth that lists the hospital where Obama was born and the doctor that attended the birth.

In, June, Tim Adams, a senior elections clerk for the city and county of Honolulu in 2009 made the claim that Barack Obama Jr., was definitely not born in Hawaii and that a long-form, hospital generated birth certificate for Obama does not exist in that state.

The birth address reported in the Honolulu newspapers in 1961 announcing the birth of Barack Obama Jr. was the address where his grandparents lived, suggesting the grandparents may simply have applied at the Hawaii Department of Health for a short-form Certificate of Live Birth. WND has also reported that newspaper birth announcements in Hawaiian newspapers in 1961 did not necessarily indicate a baby was born in the state. Hawaiian law in 1961 allowed "an adult or legal parent of a minor child" to apply to the health department and, upon unspecified proof, be given a birth document in the form that is known as a short-form Certification of Live Birth.  Under Hawaiian law at that time, a family wishing to register the birth of a baby outside Hawaii was permitted by the Hawaii Department of Health to list a family residence in Hawaii as the birth address, even if the mother was residing outside Hawaii at the time the baby was born.  Moreover, WND has reported that being a U.S. citizen does not by itself fulfill the requirement under Article 2, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution that the president be a "natural born citizen."

Information used above from WND - No Birth Certificate.
CHECK IT OUT FIRST...here are some sites to use:
Snopes.com
FactCheck.org
urbanlegends.about.com
PolitiFact.com - Obama White House Fact Check

EPA Considers Banning Lead Bullets

According to the Weekly Standard, Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to make a change to existing rules before the November 2 elections.  What is she up to?  Well, she is considering banning lead bullets and shot as well as lead sinkers that are used for fishing.  Several environmental groups [including Center for Biological Diversity (CBD)] are petitioning the EPA to rate these above products under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

EPA is currently barred by statute from controlling ammunition, CBD is trying to have these banned further up the marketing line.  Non-lead alternatives are available but they are much more expensive.  This ban would force sportsmen and hunters to buy the non-lead ammunition that has been twice the cost of regular ammunition.

I then found this link that I thought was most pertinent to this discussion from the National Rifle Association Institute of  Legislative Action (NRA-ILA).  It seems that the EPA has denied a petition by the CBD and the other groups trying to ban the use of lead bullets.   There still is an open comment period until September 15 however to the EPA on the other part of the petition regarding the lead sinkers.

Affirmative Action in an American Election!

Bet you never thought that Affirmative Action would effect how elections are run, did ya? In the village of Port Chester in New York a federal judge ordered that each Latino should receive SIX votes per person in the upcoming elections.  That's right - 6 votes per Latino to give them a chance to elect a minority in this roughly 46% Latino but many of them are not American citizens, are not registered to vote or are too young.

So on June 15th, 2010, they elected their first Latino trustee.  This was done under Cumulative Voting in which the Latinos would have greater minority representation, even minorities who were not registered to vote gained greater representation.  With six open seats on the village board and 13 candidates each voter was given 6 votes. Voters were allowed to cast all of their six votes for one person.

Judge Stephen Robinson said this was alright after the Department of Justice sued the Village of Port Chester in 2006 claiming the Latino population was not fairly represented under the Voting Rights Act.

Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution is now being brought up in the discussion as I am sure this is going to be appealed.  One person, one vote.  So much for the Constitution.

NO Mosque at Ground Zero - Jay Sekulow

Have we FORGOTTEN?

Jay Sekulow is the Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) which is a law firm and educational organization that focuses on constitutional law in the United States.  He had an interesting discussing on his radio show yesterday entitled, NO Mosque at Ground Zero.  He addressed many concerns about the $100 million dollar Mosque that is being funding by "NO ONE knows who" and that is scheduled to be erected in New York City (just 600 feet from where Tower One used to stand) and to be dedicated on 9-11's ten year anniversary, next year.  What is also making this matter more troubling, aside from the fact that Muslims throughout history have erected Mosques over the sites of their victories, is that there is a very illusive money trail and some of the names being mentioned have known ties to be anti-American and are associated with radial Muslim groups.  It is also common knowledge that traditionally the Mosque was not only a place of prayer meetings but was also a military training ground since the foundations of Islam.

Tim Brown (former member of the New York Fire Department and who personally was on the location of the buildings during the 9-11 attacks) has been speaking out against this Mosque.  He has been active in this matter from the beginning as has former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Landmark status has been given to many properties in New York City and some have been pending for over 20 years on what to do with those properties and suddenly a Muslim group was able to purchase this landmark property and have been granted special permissions and status to build on this significant piece of land.  People are beginning to catch wind of all the details and our outraged.  You can call 877-989-2255 to make your voice heard on this matter today to speak out on this potential victory tower in the form of a mosque in New York City.

A side comment that is noteworthy is that President Obama has issued a statement earlier this year saying that people are no longer able to use the word "Islam" or "Jihad" in public government affairs and yet newly appointed Afghanistan commander General Petraeus has issued a doctrine in which he refers to "Islamic insurgents", Islamic extremists" and Islamic subversives".  Seems we have a conflict here and we will have to watch and see in the General has to re-write his doctrine on counterinsurgency.

Once again, please take a minute to call 877-989-2255 and let your voice be heard along with all those in New York City.

H1N1 Scandal

Information has surfaced about some of the top scientists who convinced the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding H1N1.  These scientists held close financial ties to the drug companies that profited from the sale of those vaccines so they stood to make a lot of money if people needed the vaccines.  So when H1N1 became a global pandemic (under their council) to the WHO they stood to gain great deal of wealth.

The report was published in the British Medical Journal exposing the billions of dollars in profits for the vaccine manufacturers.  I have found several links to the discussion of this scandal and rather than re-writing all they have said, I am just giving you the links.

N1H1 - Kevin Trudeau Show
N1H1 - The Dr. Coldwell Report
N1H1 - We Must Know
N1H1 - Natural News

I want to focus on the fear that people are falling into because they are trusting in "officials".  God has given us a brain and the Holy Spirit to discern and people are just checking their "gut" at the door because "someone" who is "educated" is saying they need this or that.  Your grandparents would be ashamed!  We need to WAKE UP AMERICA and start taking responsibility for the decisions that will effect our lives.  We have to do the leg-work and find out the truth and not just swallow every pill.  This requires work on our part and as a rule our culture has become lazy. Well, then we will get what we deserve.

Big business is EVERYWHERE and people of all walks of life are in the business of making money.  It's always about the money, a close friend always says.  If there is money to be made, we need to think twice about "whose" interests are being protected.  You are your only advocate.  All the "services" we pay for are weighted toward the seller.  They have a bottom-line and they are in business to make money.  It is only natural that the seller has to be concerned with his "profit".  The danger comes when he is MORE concerned for himself  than for your benefit.  "Buyer Beware" has a new meaning today as we are not just talking about goods but we are talking about your health and well being!

On the topic of vaccinations, I happened across some more information that is food for thought before you decide to take you or your children in for a routine vaccinations. We have got to start asking the hard questions of our doctors and the medical profession.

Over the last 20-30 years we are vaccinating more and more and giving booster shots on almost everything now because we are told that they will prevent harm, sickness and disease.  There may be some truth in that.  Some diseases are just not worth getting but what is the harm that comes from the vaccination itself?  Maybe we need to count the cost.

Many of the vaccinations given today are diseases our parents and grandparents had and they were not fatal as a rule.  In fact, I had some of these diseases too as a child and I have been told the science says this is the desired effect, for my body to fight it off.  There is concern that these vaccines and the additives placed in the vaccines are messing up our human auto-immune systems and thus causing more damage than good.  Isn't that in the Hippocratic Oath?  To "first, do no harm"!

With the jury still out on the reason for the increase of diabetes and other auto-immune ailments shouldn't we be a bit concerned?  We all want a silver bullet but we have to realize that in everything we do, there is a price to pay.  I am NOT saying all vaccines are bad, I am just saying we are vaccinating more and more because schools get paid when children are in class.  Parents get paid when they are at work.  Money is lost when children are sick and miss school so once again, we see the almighty dollar directing our decisions and how can this be the BEST choice?

Again, EVERY business is about saving money and cutting costs.  Please be informed and read as much as you can about the truth regarding the "bottom line".  There are cover-ups everywhere and most people just find it easier to follow the pied-piper...until it's too late.  WAKE UP AMERICA.  Get off the couch and get involved.

Supreme Court - Gun Control

Today was a historic day, then again, everyday is becoming historic as our country is in a continual fight for it's very life.

The Supreme Court voted today 5-4 in regard to Chicago's 28 year ban on handguns.  This is a significant victory for those who uphold our Second Amendment right but with this victory is a great concern as well because four of justices against it.

The Justices voted to overturn a 7th Circuit decision upholding gun bans in Chicago and it's suburb, Oak Park.  The 5 justices agreed the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments, as well as to federal territory.

This is the second time that the court has given a win to gun rights advocates.  The first time was in 2008's District of Columbia v. Heller,  where the court held that DC's gun ban was illegal because the Second Amendment protects individual rights to keep and bear arms.  This '08 decision was the first time in history that the court directly addressed the individuals rights to bear arms but the '08 decision did not go beyond federal territories so the Chicago ban survived that decision...until now.

Some are saying that today's decision today will open doors to new cases.  This is of significance because President Obama has made his selection for the replacement of  Justice John Paul Stevens (nominated by Gerald Ford) and is retiring tomorrow, June 29th by picking Elena Kagan.  Stevens who at the time of his retirement is the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justin in the Court's history is widely considered to be on the liberal side of the court and voted with the minority on this ruling today by calling the ruling "destructive".

Elana Kagan began her confirmation process today and will most likely fill the vacated liberal side of the court with another in kind.  She is scary as a nominee to me as she calls Aharon Barak, a foreign judge her "Judicial hero".  Who is Aharon Barak you ask? He is an activist Israeli Supreme court just who is a radical advocate for an agenda-driven judiciary.  Judge Araron Barak believes that for a democracy to work an unelected judge should have the final say in ALL matters of government.

Elana Kagan is not the best appointment for the court in my mind and I pray there is way to stop her confirmation vote by the Senate until after the November elections.  With God, all things are possible and I am praying for any delays in the matter.

Some would think that as a Jew himself, Araron Barak who suffered under the atrocities of Hitler, would be more sympathetic to freedom like that of the US Constitution but one of the most liberal Justices currently on the Supreme Court is also Jewish, Justice Ruth Ginsburg who leans toward the liberal agenda on the Court and was appointed by President Bill Clinton, another liberal.

A side note about other news today was that Justice Ginsburg's husband Martin Ginsburg, a prominent tax lawyer and professor, passed away today at the age of 78.  May he rest in peace.