An Equal Opportunity to Follow the Rules

Two arrests and a fine in France have sparked innumerable protests with words like “discrimination” and “bigoted” drowning out all reason. French police arrested two women for participating in an illegal demonstration against the banning of face-covering garments. A third was fined for wearing a face veil, which violated the recently enacted law. Muslims and Muslim sympathizers around the world have complained that the police are discriminating against Muslims by arresting and fining the women. Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood chief Hammam Saeed stated that he considers the ban part of “a new crusader behavior targeting Muslims everywhere.”

What people fail to recognize is that the act prohibits the “concealment of the face in public space” by any citizen. It never specifically mentions the niqab, the Muslim face veil, though the niqab is a face-covering garment so it falls under the scope of the law. Therefore, in accordance to the law, the police were right in fining the woman as she violated the ban. It wasn’t because she was Muslim; it was because she broke the law. The other two women were arrested, not because they belonged to a certain religion, but because they were illegally demonstrating. It is not discriminatory to arrest criminals just because they all adhere to the same religious beliefs. The ban is not discriminatory, either, as it applies to people wearing ski masks, balaclavas, hockey masks, or any other type of face-covering garment in public. Muslims want an exemption from a law they don’t like and it should not be granted.

Both critics and supporters of the ban have made it seem like niqabs are the only garments banned. Fox News reported that France was “brave and right” to ban face veils. That report is wrong for two reasons. France did not just ban face veils and it was not brave of them to make a law that applies to all “face-coverings.” All face-covering garments are banned in public, from Halloween masks to niqabs. This is not discriminatory, but it is also dumb. French President Nicolas Sarkozy admitted that he “wanted a ban to uphold French values of equality and secularism” because niqabs “imprison women.” Also, the fine can be waived if the offender takes citizenship classes. Clearly kids wearing ski masks and balaclavas don’t need citizenship training. Muslims do, though. In 2004, France banned all religious clothing from public schools, as well. It is not hard to see that the ban is intended to curb Islamic religious practices. This is why I find it not brave, but cowardly, of the French government to try to hide its intentions behind a vague law that clearly targets a specific group. A stronger message would be sent if the government passed a law stating that signs of Islamic oppression are not welcome in France. As it stands, however, the ban is not discriminatory and should be enforced against everyone equally.

Gay rights groups in California have taken the same stance as Muslims in France, claiming that they should be exempt from retailer Target’s solicitation policy. The policy states that Target “does not permit solicitation or petitioning in front of any of our stores, regardless of the cause or issue being represented.” When Canvass for a Cause volunteers showed up outside of Target’s stores to get signatures supporting gay marriage, they were asked to leave. This wasn’t because they supported gay marriage, but because they have to abide by the same policy as every other person. The policy is a good one, too. I don’t want to be harassed when I’m shopping. Canvass for a Cause was treated the same was the Salvation Army has been treated by Target. Unfortunately, Judge Jeffrey Barton of San Diego has just made everyone’s shopping experience a little more unpleasant.

            Judge Barton recently ruled that store entrances are a public forum under California law. In Robbins v. Pruneyard Shopping Center (1979), the California Supreme Court ruled that regional malls with common areas and public amenities are the equivalent to the town squares of the past century. This means that some shopping areas are public forums, but individual stores are not. They are private property and do not have to allow solicitation. The decision from Costco Companies, Inc. v. Gallant (2002) held that Costco stores were not “miniature downtowns” and so were not public forums. This supports Target’s argument that their store entrances are not public forums, as they are similar to Costco. Activist judges are famous for ignoring precedents and casting stare decisis aside, though.

            Muslims in France and gay marriage activists in California need to stop complaining about how they are treated. They say they want to be treated equally. Well, they are being treated the same way as everyone else who goes against federal law or store policy. They have the same right to obey as everyone else does. If I can’t wear a mask, then why should they be able to wear a veil? If I can’t solicit at Target, how can they complain when asked to leave?

For It Is Abomination

“I am sorry,” said Julie Carr. “I never meant to hurt anyone in my family. I was conned.” This was during her sentencing for producing child pornography for a teen in England, pornography that involved her one year old daughter. The judge was not convinced that Carr was “conned” and she received twenty years in a federal prison for her abhorrent crime. She will receive more time from the state of Maine, which is sentencing her for sexually assaulting and exploiting a minor. That is just, but what about the teen in England. He only got five years for distributing child pornography. The message that his light sentence sends is not one that England wants to issue at this time.

            The Dutch administrator of boylover.net, who was arrested by European police, provided information that led the discovery of a pedophile ring with over 70,000 members. The number is terrifying, especially considering that one Spaniard abused over one hundred kids during his time working at summer youth camps. Youth leaders, elementary school teachers, and even police officers were arrested in the sting. Only 184 suspects have been apprehended thus far, but more arrests are expected. Police raids also led to the rescue of 230 victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. England was one of the primary countries that the investigation has focused on, so giving a pervert five years is not going to by an effective deterrent. If one of these monsters can abuse one hundred boys, then we should lock them up and throw away the key, because they can’t be allowed back into society.

            The trafficking occurred in the United Kingdom, Italy, Amsterdam, Australia, Canada, and Thailand. European Union police chief Rob Wainwright has done a good job coordinating the sting operations, but cooperation only goes so far. If police officers are among the suspects being rounded up, it may be more effective to create an international taskforce consisting of nationals from countries other than the ones listed above.

Most importantly, the authorities should ensure justice is done by trying the creeps in a jurisdiction that provides life imprisonment or death for the offenses of producing child pornography and gross sexual abuse of a child. Some may feel this is extreme, but their actions defile something that is still pure in the eyes of God. It is also an abominable act because it inflicts lasting mental torture on the victim.

Another revolting case that is unfolding closer to home is the trial of four Philadelphia priests concerning the rape of two altar boys. One of the priests, Rev. James Brennan, proved that he was the most repugnant of the group, by requesting that the Archdiocese cover his legal fees. Judge Renee Hughes took a stand and unleashed a salvo that left Rev. Brennan shaking where he stood, which is a surprising action for a judge to take today. (With more judges like Judge Hughes, maybe criminals would change their attitude when in court.)

It is sickening that people commit these types of atrocities, but what’s even worse is when legal systems fail to address them properly like in England. I sincerely hope that the authorities in charge of busting the 70,000 member pedophile ring can keep the beasts in shackles forever.

We Don't Want You Either

 “An Arizona jury on Tuesday found an Iraqi immigrant – Faleh Hassan Almaleki – guilty of second-degree murder for running down his daughter with a Jeep because she had become too Westernized,” began a Reuters article a couple days ago. Now, I know this is very tragic, but does everyone see the irony here. This man immigrated to a Western country and now commits an “honor killing” because he’s ashamed of his daughter’s Western beliefs. Well, if Western beliefs “defy Muslim values,” then maybe he should have just stayed in his desert instead of coming to ours. Almaleki reportedly told people that if his daughter died he would kill himself, yet following his daughter's death, he fled to Mexico and then London. It seems that only daughters are held to “honorable” standards, because Almaleki is a very dishonest man, as he is still breathing.

In other news, Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a Saudi national, was recently hindered in his jihad by an FBI arrest. He had been here in America acquiring chemicals which he planned to use to destroy dams, nuclear power plants, American soldiers, and George W. Bush. I want to know why people like Aldawsari and Almaleki are allowed entrance into this country. We see time and time again Middle Eastern immigrants come here just to cause problems. Wouldn’t our immigration clearance policies look like even more of a joke right now if Bush had been assassinated? Homeland Security and the INS would be the laughing stock of the entire Muslim world.

Fortunately, law enforcement agencies in Western countries are doing a better job than Immigration and Customs. Zachary Chesser, a jihadist from Virginia, was just arrested for communicating threats of violence and providing material support to terrorists. Traitors like Mr. Chesser are an internal threat that we cannot seem to purge, but at least the police are keeping tabs on these people. (People say the PATRIOT ACT and similar policies violate the privacy of citizens, but that’s fine by me if it lets the government track material support going to terrorists). Mr. Chesser was about to board a plane that would take him to Uganda, which would allow him to then join the terrorist group al-Shabab in Somalia. While in America, he called for the deaths of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park, in response for an episode showing Muhammad dressed like a bear. He also promoted violence against cartoonists who planned to participate in the aborted “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.” (I would have drawn him with his nine year old concubine; I’m glad I don’t worship a pedophile). Related to this, cartoonists in Copenhagen were saved by law enforcement last month, when a plot to shoot up the newsroom of the paper that published the cartoons of Muhammad was stopped the morning of the planned assault. Two Tunisian men, an Iraqi seeking asylum, and a Lebanese man were behind the conspiracy and had in their possession submachine guns with silencers.

I’m still struggling to understand why Iraqis seek visas and asylum to countries that they despise. They don’t want to be here and we don’t want them there, so one would think they would just stay in the Middle East.

Kulterkrieg

Recently, the judges of the 9^th Circuit ruled that a war memorial cross was unconstitutional due to the separation of church and state. However, Islam, Summum, and a host of other evil or strange religions have been protected by the government, and even been ruled as part of it. For example, the United States government won’t allow the Ten Commandments to be shown in our court buildings, though that is what our legal system was founded on. But courts have recently ruled that Sharia law must remain part of our legal system, though last time I checked we weren’t an Islamic state.

            The first question I have concerning the recent federal court decision is: what are we going to do with all those little white crosses in Arlington cemetery? Crosses are used as a way to remember the dead and mark their burial site. The use of memorial crosses is not a surreptitiously organized conspiracy by Christians across the country, yet judges are actually deciding cases concerning it. Yet these judges are releasing Muslim terrorist recruiters living in America on bail, even after they bite and assault FBI agents. These judges need better clerks to organize their priorities. A cross in a cemetery won’t kill you, terrorist suspects very well might.

Joe Infranco of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, stated in response to hearing the decision in this case, that “the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom shouldn't be dishonored because the ACLU finds a small number of people who are merely offended.” I agree whole heartedly, because lots of things offend me, but I can’t do a thing about that. Hell, building a center with a mosque in it near ground zero offends me, as does allowing Muslims to beat their wives because of their religion (S.D. v. M.J.R., 2010), but most judges would just ignore my complaints. And what about the Korean War veterans, do their feelings not get taken into consideration. If American war veterans want a cross, how can a minority tell them they can’t have it? What has that minority done for the country?

But crosses are not the only thing being targeted. The Christian, and sometimes also American, way of life is being threatened. This is because of the kulturkrieg – culture war – led by the Muslim, Summum, Atheist, and whack job minorities in this country.

When Germany’s Angela Merkel said, “those who don’t respect our values, don’t have a place here,” she was right. Well, the minorities in the United States do not want to join us or respect our values, so they’ve decided to try to beat us. They take us to court over long established traditions, while forcing their new radical culture on us. They justify their extreme beliefs in courts built on Christian values. The United States federal government recently sued a Chicago school for refusing to grant a Muslim teacher unpaid leave to take a trip to Mecca for the Hajj. The contract the teacher signed did not provide for extra vacation days, but the government said that they had to give in to her demands anyways. However, if I wanted to take a trip to Cumorah, a Mormon holy site, I’m fairly certain that the federal government would not fight a legal battle on my behalf. If a Catholic teacher wanted to go to Rome to see the Pope, I doubt the ACLU attorneys would get outraged and call dozens of press conferences.

Outside of court, minorities use their status as a growing minority to change our way of life. Movie producers, CEOs, and other people are afraid to honor God, because they don’t want to offend customers, especially atheists and Muslims. Now some businesses have started catering to Muslims, changing their menus and store schedules. McDonald’s and KFC both released Muslim friendly menus. Slaughterhouses have started to follow halal standards. Best Buy even recognized Eid al-Adha. This is unacceptable. These businesses are aiding the enemy in this kulturkrieg.

I pray to God the next round of federal judges are appointed under a conservative president, that Christians file more of their own suits, and that businesses recognize that appealing to a minority may not be such a good idea if you shun a large group of people in doing so.

The Unions Strike Back

Mitch Daniels (R – IN), the recently empowered Governor of Indiana, revoked public sector employees’ right to collective bargaining as soon as he took office. Other states have followed suit, the most recent being Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, protestors took to the capitol and Democrat lawmakers fled to Illinois so that the recent legislation could not be passed, as the remaining lawmakers cannot constitute a quorum. (At least with Rahm Emanuel in office the Democrats will have a hospitable place to stay in Chicago.)

            The public sector workers are different from private sector workers in that their boss is not some rich, monopoly seeking, tycoon that wants to pay his workers next to nothing for back breaking work. Public sector workers report to the government. (Yes, the government does have monopolies, but it is by no means rich.) If public sector jobs were so horrible as to need powerful unions to protect the workers, why are they so frequently sought? I don’t hear public sector workers complaining about unreasonable hours. And the benefits, well, those aren’t anything to complain about, either. Yet union workers have launched a continual string of protests across America. They claim they want the power to demand wages that they can live on. I don’t understand why they would need this power seeing that public sector employees start at around $26,000 for even the lowest of jobs; most of the jobs start around $35,000. This isn’t wage slavery.

But until now, the protests have been civil. Today, however, a Communication Workers of America assaulted Tabitha Hale, a conservative activist working for FreedomWorks. The attack occurred when she was filming the protestors outside of FreedomWorks’ office in DC. The mustached brute even had the audacity to say that the union way was “to get a little bloody.” (I guess he wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to strike). Of course, none of this was reported by mainstream – or liberal – news stations. Fox analysts did give Ms. Hale a voice, though, so her story did not go unreported. The crime, which is on video, will also not go unreported. I must entreat Ms. Hale to also seek legal action in civil court, because the assault must have been jarring and emotionally disturbing.

Liberal journalists and talk show hosts are fanning the flames as I write this. Daily Beast reporter Rick Outzen said about elderly Tea Party supporters – who he calls “teabaggers” – that the country was “just a few funerals away from a good government.” This came after an elderly Tea Party protester was beat by Irish-American union thugs during a rally in Boston. (Now we know why Democrats work so hard to help criminals avoid punishment.)

It is alarming that public service unions are this up in arms over something they clearly do not need. The only reason for fighting this hard, that I can think of, is that they like the extra cushion that our taxpayers’ dollars provides them. One thing, however, is clear – the unions will resort to violence to intimidate conservatives. I would not be surprised if Mitch Daniels wakes up tomorrow to find a dead fish on his front porch next to the morning paper.

Thug Video: http://michellemalkin.com/2011/02/23/video-cwa-union-thug-strikes-young-female-freedomworks-activist/

Priorities

The Jerusalem Reclamation Project, which promotes the settlement of Arab and Palestinian areas, recently hosted possible 2012 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. While he was there, he told his Israeli audience that international criticism should not deter them from building settlements in East Jerusalem because it is Israel’s “eternal capital.” He stated that they have the right to build anywhere in “the place that God gave them.” President Obama, on the other hand, has called the settlements illegal; an opprobrious stance for the President of the United States to take.

            Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently denounced the destruction of the Shepherd Hotel, former residence of the grand mufti of Jerusalem. The Palestinians blow up buses and check points, killing dozens of Jewish people, but Hillary Clinton wants to condemn the Israelis for demolishing a vacant building. After hearing of Secretary Clinton’s rebuke, Huckabee stated, "I think we ought to be more concerned about Iran building bombs than Israelis building bedrooms." He is right in his reasoning – the United States should get its priorities straight.

            According to Israeli intelligence, Iran is just three years away from having a nuclear bomb capable of reaching the West. Pakistan and North Korea already have nuclear missiles, so the United States should be focused on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capability. With Iraq out of the way, Iran is the only Middle Eastern country remaining in the Axis of Evil, but Ahmadinejad has been gaining support in recent years, especially from terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. Iran’s power is waxing and it does not look ready to stop. The recent unrest has visibly altered the political landscape and when the dust settles Iran may have even more allies. The balance of power is shifting and we need to apply enough pressure to keep it tilted in our favor.

It is not just up to the United States, though. As the first line of defense against Iran, Israel has a responsibility to use the materials we have given them to execute their duties in protecting Judeo-Christian nations from Islamofascist countries. In 1981, Israel used F-16 fighter jets to lead an air raid on Iraq’ Osirak Nuclear Reactor, preventing Saddam from gaining nuclear weapons. This raid’s codename was Operation Opera. I’m now calling for Operation Encore – an Israeli air strike, sanctioned by NATO, on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Preventative measures like this must be taken; preemptive strikes are necessary in securing our safety. As the old adage goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Some worry about lack of concrete evidence, but I feel Israel needs to follow former Vice President Dick Cheney’s one percent doctrine, which states that “even if there's just a one percent chance of the unimaginable coming due, act as if it is a certainty… it’s about response.”

In addition to working on its nuclear program, Iran recently positioned war ships in the Red Sea, near the Suez Canal, in an attempt to provoke Israel. After learning of this, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said to a group of American Jewish leaders that the voyage “proves that the self-confidence and chutzpah of the Iranians are growing from day to day.” I must agree, which is why I support taking direct and decisive action against Iran. One can only pray that Mr. Lieberman and his right wing party – Yisrael Beiteinu – can become the majority in the Israeli government. Mr. Lieberman summed up his speech by saying, "To my regret, the international community is not showing readiness to deal with the recurring Iranian provocations.” I hope that we prove his assertion wrong by speaking up and showing that he has our support against this Iranian threat.

North Korea: A Nuisance

Now is the time to strike. North Korea has shown that it is the aggressor by attacking South Korea without any provocation. This calls for retaliation.

On November 23, 2010, North Korea shelled the island of Yeonpyeong of the coast of Incheon, South Korea, which is situated near North Korean waters. The shelling killed two marines, two civilians, and wounded sixteen others. The civilian population was evacuated to the mainland. Charred forests and nearly thirty destroyed buildings were left in the aftermath. On March 26 of this year, North Korea sunk the ROKS Cheonan with a torpedo, killing 46 seamen.

South Korea knows how it needs to respond to North Korea’s belligerent behavior. South Korea parliament member Yoo Seung Min stated, “The only solution is to deliver precise strikes on North Korean positions first through a massive air attack in the early stages of a war.” I agree wholeheartedly. At a rally in Seoul, veterans shredded and burned North Korean flags and protested the North Korean leadership. One veteran, Kim Jin Gyu, said he felt that “[South Korea] should just smash [North Korea] up” in retaliation for the attacks, adding that he has “had enough.” The government should give the veterans what they want – I’m sure they would like to see victory before they die.

My friend, whose name I will not disclose, was shipped to Kunsan Air Base in South Korea two days after the attack by North Korea. The United States also sent the U.S.S. George Washington, a supercarrier, to South Korea. And the United States already has over 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, so we’re prepared.

It was recently revealed that China has decided to stop backing North Korea if the situation escalates. A propitious turn of events, this means that North Korea would not have the support it had during the first Korean War. A weakened North Korea is a prime target for a South Korean and American counterattack.

North Korea has, however, provided Iran with improved ballistic missiles, strengthening a country that wants to destroy Israel and the United States. This signifies that North Korea still has at least one ally – an ally that is considered a threat and enemy of NATO. Helping Iran is practically declaring war on the United States and Israel. Just like Japan and Germany were allies during World War II, Iran and North Korea have united today. But this is yet another reason for the United States to attack; we have a pretext.

At the end of the day, North Korea has: 1.) killed South Korean civilians without provocation in a military strike; 2.) lost support from its strongest ally; and 3.) provided missiles to a country hell-bent on the destruction of Israel and the United States. I believe that South Korea and the United States would be fully justified in carpet bombing Pyongyang’s administrative buildings and all of the North Korea’s military bases. A joint invasion followed by a South Korean occupation and reconstruction would be a good plan to follow after the bombing. We have the chance to put an end to this illegitimate state that misleadingly calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, so let’s take it.

A Federal Placebo

            The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a placebo, a sugar coated pill to sedate the masses. When passing the PPAC, the Obama Administration announced “healthcare for everyone” like the United States was some utopia. The Department of Health and Humans Services claims that the overhaul strengthens Medicaid and provides health insurance coverage to everyone. That is not quite true.

            The healthcare overhaul does not “provide” health insurance to everyone; “requires” people to purchase health care insurance within the next four years or be subject to a penalty in accordance with Section 1501 of the PPAC. In response to this, insurance companies have increased their job-based coverage. This adversely affects businesses, as they now have to provide more expensive healthcare benefits to all employees. As a result, one organization attempted to bring the PPAC before the Supreme Court last week. The Pacific Justice Institute, in Baldwin v. Sebelius, 10-369, “objects to being compelled to comply with the act because the act imposed increased costs on it by preventing it from denying health care insurance coverage to part-time employees.” But not all businesses are facing this dilemma.

            The Department of Health and Human Services has granted waivers to over one hundred unions and companies since the healthcare bill was passed. Knowing the Obama Administration, I wouldn’t be surprised if the waivers were arbitrarily given to the unions and companies based on party ties – most unions contribute campaign funds to Democrats. Now that the Republicans have taken back the House of Representatives, the healthcare bill will undoubtedly come under strict scrutiny. Senator Mike Enzi (R – WY) has already revealed his intention to use the Congressional Review Act to hinder the implementation of “problematic” or vague sections of the PPAC.

            Now, to address the issue of strengthening Medicaid – it doesn’t work, so strengthening isn’t going to improve anything. Let me explain. Medicaid has turned to privately managed health care plans, like Healthcare USA, which attend to their profits more than to patient’s needs. USA Today recently reported a story about a woman who had to drive five hours to get therapy for her knee because the orthopedists in her area were not covered under her Healthcare USA plan. When she got a brace for her knee, Healthcare USA wouldn’t cover it. Healthcare USA and its competitors are shams. Unfortunately, it is predicted that the enrollment in these managed-care plans will increase by 30% due to the new healthcare law.

Starting next year, Republicans will have more authority in Congress. They are the majority in the House. They cannot be filibustered on the Senate floor. And after witnessing the federal and state-level onslaught, the Democrats will have to keep a low profile lest they anger more voters before next election. However, this regained authority will not allow the Republicans to eradicate the PPAC entirely, but maybe they can amend the bill or pass a new bill nullifying specific sections of the PPAC.

The Treachery of Considering Sharia Law

Last Tuesday, a controversial amendment to Oklahoma’s state constitution prohibiting state courts from considering Sharia law when deciding cases passed with an amazing 70 percent of the vote. Critics of the bill – Muslims and liberal bloggers – are calling the measure a pre-emptive strike. I must agree with them, that it is a pre-emptive strike, but that is exactly what the country needs. They are also saying that the bill is unnecessary, because Sharia law is not being considered by courts. This is a lie.

            In a recent New Jersey trial court decision, S.D. v. M.J.R., a judge applied Sharia law to a case of domestic abuse between a Muslim man and wife, ruling that the husband could not be held accountable for the rape of his wife under Sharia law. The judge reasoned that the defendant’s actions were “consistent with his [religious] practices.” If rape is a normal practice in a religion, then maybe the practice of that religion and the imposition of its laws should be prohibited.

In 2008, the immigrant couple were wed in Morocco in an arrange marriage. After coming to the United States, the husband began to pinch, beat, and rape his wife. The wife stated in court that she “felt he was enjoying hurting” her. Evidence was brought into the trial proving that the husband had told his wife, “You must do whatever I tell you to do. I want to hurt your flesh” and “this is according to our religion. You are my wife; I can do anything to you.” The defendant’s Imam testified that, under Sharia law, a wife cannot refuse her husband’s sexual advances. She apparently refused, so he raped her. As justification, he told her that, “I am doing [this] to correct you.” I hope our Department of Corrections does not apply these standards to the treatment of their women inmates, because I’m sure the ACLU would be all over the government if that was the case. Luckily this horrendous ruling was reversed by a New Jersey appellate court, so the Sharia victory was short lived.

It may not always be this way, though. Sharia law may be used as a standard in more courts if laws, like the measure in Oklahoma, are not passed to prevent it. These laws also need to be enacted immediately, as the Muslim in the presence in the legislature is likely to grow in the coming years. As of now, there are only two Muslim Representatives in Congress – Andre Carson (D – IN) and Keith Ellison (D – MN). This, however, could change with the growing Muslim population; therefore, it is paramount we thwart Muslims in their pursuits of political and legal power in America. In 2008, former U.S. Representative Virgil Goode (R – VA) stated that to avoid more Keith Ellisons from being elected, that we cannot allow “persons from the Middle East to come to this country.” I feel that he is right, because the less Muslim politicians, the least likely it will be that Sharia law is considered in American courts.

Judges have ruled in the past that prayer in school is an affront to the Constitution. But now they have ruled that adopting a religious law that promotes violence towards innocents is the correct way to proceed. And they are doing this while Muslim politicians are being elected in non-Islamic states. Laws prohibiting the consideration of Sharia law, the influx of more Muslim immigrants, and the spread of Islamic power are vital if we are to halt the perfidious spread of Sharia law into American law.

The Real American Express

This past Saturday, I attended the Republican Rally on campus. The rally was replete with refreshments, American flags, and great candidates. Of those candidates, one really enticed me with his speech. His name was Joe DioGuardi. A CPA that had been in Congress during President Reagan’s second term, Mr. DioGuardi was our lone, but well qualified, senatorial candidate at the rally. Halfway through his speech, he pulled out his Congressional voting card. He held up the card and said, “My friends, take a good look at this card. This is the Most Expensive Credit Card in the World.” He was right; the government increases the national debt without ever being held accountable.

After the rally had ended, I conversed with Mr. DioGuardi about reckless spending at the federal level and his time in office under Ronald Reagan. As he was leaving, he invited me and a few others back to his RV, where he gave us copies of his recently revised book Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn’t Add Up. I read the book as soon as I returned to my dorm room. It exposed the true extent of the national deficit – $56 trillion if Medicare and Social Security debts are included. That means each of us owes $569,330 because of the irresponsible spending of 535 individuals (I’m glad Mr. DioGuardi informed me of this). It also illuminated the problems with Congressional budgeting, spending, and accounting, touching on issues such as healthcare and Social Security. Mr. DioGuardi’s book allows the average citizen to see through the “smoke and mirrors” of the appropriations process.

Unaccountable Congress does an excellent job underscoring the contemptible Congressional budgeting processes and inadequately designed bailouts. However, I would like to focus on a matter mentioned in passing in “Chapter Six: A House of Ill Repute” that is plaguing every level of government – personal spending. Spending on personal luxuries has become a pastime of the members of Congress whom Mr. DioGuardi refers to as “spendaholics.” Nancy Pelosi is the latest culprit of this wasteful spending. Pelosi spent over two million taxpayers’ dollars in the past two years on travel expenses for her and her family. Thousands of dollars were spent on her expensive friends Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker. Fine dining also accounted for tens of thousands of tax dollars. This wasteful spending needs to stop.

Now, there may not be a company to cut Congress’s line of credit, but we the people can monitor its spending. Mr. DioGuardi’s organization, Truth in Government, exposes the poor budgeting and spending practices prevalent in Congress. The organization’s website, truthingovernment.org, is constantly being updated with the latest news and information concerning fiscal issues. The information shows why Social Security reform, which has been ignored for too long, is imperative. Why repealing Obama’s Healthcare Bill should be of a high priority.

If Congress continues to increase the national debt at the rate it has been, China will soon overtake us as the number one superpower. The threat that China poses is great, as their economy is irrefutably more stable than, and arguably as powerful as, ours. Social Security will be non-existent. Taxes will have to be increased to keep up with defense spending. The hazardous spending needs to stop. It is our job as citizens to pressure the lawmakers, especially those in Congress, to rein in the monstrous budget we are facing. If we don’t, the deficit will indisputably have terribly adverse results on future generations, including our own.

No Loyalty, No Citizenship

            With the moratorium on building in West Bank settlements terminated, Israel has taken an even greater, though primarily symbolic, step forward by requiring non-Jewish citizens to pledge an oath of loyalty to Israel.

            The measure has come under fire from Arab advocacy groups, like Adalah. The bill affects an Arab minority, which is already considered as “second-rate” by many. One Arab lawmaker said that the bill is intended “to solidify the inferior status of Arabs by law”. Another advocacy group stated that the legislation is just one factor contributing to a “terrifying” atmosphere for Arabs. I find this to be ironic, as the Arabs in Israel have been known to support Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist organizations operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It appears that they can dish it out, but can’t take it.

            I feel that the measure was a great idea, as loyalty to the Jewish state is not very strong among Israel’s Arab minority. Many members of Israel’s Arab minority comfort Israel’s enemies, encouraging their actions. For instance, some Arab groups continue to mourn the Nakba, which is in support of a Palestinian state instead of a Jewish state. Fortunately, there are efforts in the Israeli parliament to punish those participate in this treasonous act.

The loyalty bill was backed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who belongs to the nationalist party Yisrael Beitenu. Yisrael Beitenu has questioned the loyalty of Israel’s Arab minority in the past; the party has received a great deal of support for their position on these maters. Lieberman proposed revoking the citizenship of anyone who refused to swear loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state. With more politicians like Lieberman, Israel may have a chance to actually expel members of the Arab minority who present themselves as anti-Jewish. I give my full support to Yisrael Beitenu, because slowly but surely they can solve the Arab problem in Israel and provide the foundation for a strong Jewish state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Peace talks with the Palestinians have been strained by the passage of this bill. The refusal to extend the moratorium on building in the West Bank has contributed to this strain, as well. Both of these measures are baby steps in the overall attempt to secure Israel, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as a Jewish state, which Arab minorities must be forced to respect. I believe that under the leadership of Avigdor Lieberman and Yisrael Beitenu, Israel can eradicate traitorous, spying, Palestinian-supporting Arabs. We can only hope that Yisrael Beitenu receives more support in the coming years.

By: Adam Ondo

Bloomberg, Obama, and Teacher Unions! Oh, My!

Education reform in the United States is facing many obstacles, coming from many different directions. Arne Duncan and his precious Department of Education are interfering with school reform via the Race To The Top program. Michael Bloomberg is exacerbating an already dismal situation in New York City. All the while, teacher unions are making it more difficult to reform schools, creating an even worse situation for the country to deal with, and especially New York City.

            The Obama Administration’s federal accountability and standardized testing policies, which have not proven to be effective, have been adopted by the mayor of this country’s largest city – Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg, and his school chancellor Joel Klein, are after Race To The Top funds, which reward schools based on their students’ performance and teacher’s effectiveness. This accountability issue is a major concern. Teachers “fired” under the accountability policy continue to receive pay during their time in “The Rubber Room” – a place where they sit and do nothing for years on end as they await their hearing. This is because teachers are never truly fired due to clauses in union contracts. Teachers have been caught being racist, sexually inappropriate, drunk, and purely incompetent and still receive pay until a verdict is issued in their hearing, which can take years to complete.

The combination of Bloomberg’s accountability policies and the teacher union’s due process policies, which nearly give teachers complete immunity, have led to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. This money could be used improving schools, but instead it is wasted on bureaucratic policies, paying teachers to not work because they were found to be too dangerous or unfit, to work around children. Because of the lack of funds, Bloomberg has decided to shut down dozens of “underperforming” schools in New York City.

Bloomberg has stumbled across one good idea, though. That idea is the establishment of charter schools – public schools that do not have to follow the same guidelines as normal public schools. However, the creation of these schools has cost money, which he had to shut down other public schools to obtain. If the funds mentioned above were not wasted on teachers that should have been fired months earlier, then there would not be a need to close any schools. David Hursh, a professor at the Warner School, stated in my interview with him that, “Instead of closing schools, we should focus on developing structures and systems to improve the schools.” This is true, but as I have already stated, unions have caused many obstacles in the realm of education reform.

Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, is one of the main union culprits behind these problems America’s education system is facing. Besides giving terrible teachers amnesty and costing the government valuable money, she also promotes the airing of misleading commercials. The commercials her union puts out claim public schools are improving, while they are clearly not (largely due to union involvement).

            However, there are two solutions to this education reform problem. The formation of more charter schools is one solution. The second is the use of state funds to provide vouchers to every child in the state, instead of allocating the money to the schools specifically.

The benefits of charter schools are as follows. The can fire underperforming teachers, while rewarding better ones with bonuses; this provides incentives for teachers, which they do not usually get while working for a union. In addition to that, they must be innovative in order to attract students if they wish to stay open. The overall education at charter schools is better than at normal public schools.

My favorite solution to the problem of poorly performing public schools is the assignment of state funds directly to students, so they, or more likely their parents, may spend the vouchers on whatever education they see fit. Public schools, charter schools, and private schools – religious and secular – will all have to compete in order to stay open. This will cause the teachers and school administrators to operate more efficiently in order to attract the students, and their money. This idea has been successfully implemented in Belgium already.

The current system of schooling in the U.S. gives public schools monopoly status over low income families and monopolies have no incentive to improve; the DMV is a good example of this. Charter schools and public schools, however, must continue to offer something better in order to remain open; schools that do not perform well fail because they do not receive any money. This competition is healthy for the education system, so giving students vouchers is the most logical, and may I add capitalist, option for the states to consider.