When Texas Child Protective Sevices released statistics showing nearly 60% of the teen girls taken from FLDS (Fundementalist Latter Day Saints) polygamist sect's ranch were pregnant or had children, they seemed to prove what was alleged all along; the sect commonly pushed girls into marriage and sex.
But in the past week, the state has twice been forced to admit "girls" who gave birth while in state custody are actually adults. One was 22 and claims she showed state officials a Utah birth certificate shortly after she and more than 400 children were seized from the west Texas ranch in an April raid.
The state has in custody two dozen other young mothers and others whose ages are in dispute. If most of them also turn out to be adults. It would be a severe blow to the state's claim of widespread sexual abuse.
Well, it turns out the other 24 disputed minors are adults, the number of actual 14 -17- year-old girls with children could drop to as low as five or six...........read more
Micheal savage calls it right on FLDS polygamist
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.
In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President
Truman "praised the work of the military services at home and across
the seas" and said, "it is vital to the security of the nation and to
the establishment of a desirable peace." In an excerpt from the
Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:
Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.
The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.
The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day "under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types." In the harbors across the country were the famed mothballed "battlewagons" of World War II, the Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar were exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.
As the people gathered to honor the Armed Forces on this occasion, so too did the country's leaders. Some of the more notable of these leaders' quotes are stated below:
"Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense."
Former Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson
"The heritage of freedom must be guarded as carefully in peace as it was in war. Faith, not suspicion, must be the key to our relationships. Sacrifice, not selfishness, must be the eternal price of liberty. Vigilance, not appeasement, is the byword of living freedoms. Our Armed Forces in 1950--protecting the peace, building for security with freedom--are "Teamed for Defense ..."
General Omar N. Bradley
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Real security lies in the prevention of war--and today that hope can come only through adequate preparedness."
General Omar N. Bradley, 1951
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Armed Forces Day this year should serve to emphasize the practical application of unification in action, and to remind us of the continued need for unity in our Armed Forces and among all of our citizens in the interests of security and peace."
Robert D. Lovett, Former Secretary of Defense
"It is fitting and proper that we devote one day each year to paying special tribute to those whose constancy and courage constitute one of the bulwarks guarding the freedom of this nation and the peace of the free world."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953
"Today let us, as Americans, honor the American fighting man. For it is he--the soldier, the sailor, the Airman, the Marine--who has fought to preserve freedom. It is his valor that has given renewed hope to the free world that by working together in discipline and faith our ideals of freedom will always prevail."
Admiral Forrest P. Sherman
"Our Armed Forces and our national defense system represent a judicious investment of the nation's resources in the cause of peace. The return on this investment, in terms of national strength, shows the determination of the American people to preserve our way of life and to give hope to all who seek peace with freedom and justice. "
The Honorable Neil McElroy, 1959
Former Secretary of Defense
"Close understanding between members of our Armed Forces and members of civilian communities is most important to preserve the high level of national readiness necessary for safeguarding the free world."
General Nathan F. Twining, 1959
Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
"We cannot, in this day of exploding world competition on all fronts, be content to maintain the status quo. We must also realize that the preservation of our freedom in the years ahead may require greater sacrifices from us than those made by Americans who have walked before us."
General Nathan F. Twining, 1960
Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Today we are strong enough to meet today's challenge. But the very fact that we are strong may put off the challenge to another day. The Soviets think that time is on their side. We believe otherwise. But meanwhile we cannot afford to lower our guard."
The Honorable Robert S. McNamara, 1961
Former Secretary of Defense
"...Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard."
President John F. Kennedy, 1962
"Only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."
President John F. Kennedy, 1962
"The support of an informed American people is increasingly important to the Armed Forces in these days of rapid technological advance, quick reaction time, and grave threat to our freedom. I, therefore, encourage members of the DoD to observe Armed Forces Day by informing the American people of our 'Power for Peace' and by confirming their faith that in our strength we will remain free."
The Honorable Robert S. McNamara, 1962
Former Secretary of Defense
"... Our Servicemen and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of peace--many of them away from their homes, their friends and their families. They are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth--that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice."
President John F. Kennedy, 1963
"...Their contribution to our freedom and safety is measureless. Our national security depends on the maintenance of alert military forces as a deterrent to any possible aggressor."
President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964
"Armed Forces Day, above all, honors the dedicated individuals who wear the uniforms of their country. Each serviceman, wherever he may be, whatever his task, contributes directly and importantly to the defense of the nation. The task of each one is the task of all the Armed Forces: to protect the freedoms which underlie the greatness of America."
General Earle G. Wheeler, 1967
Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Our servicemen and women shoulder the burden of defense as one of the responsibilities of citizenship in this free country. Having participated in protecting our rights and having met oppression on the battlegrounds of the world, they are able to appreciate and savor the blessings of citizenship in the country they serve."
The Honorable Melvin Laird, 1970
Former Secretary of Defense
"At home and abroad, military men and women are showing purpose and dedication in defending American ideas. They are performing in our country's best traditions under circumstances both difficult and complex. Thanks to their determined spirit of patriotism and professionalism, our country has a powerful and unified defense team, employing its forces in the constant quest for peace and freedom."
The Honorable Melvin Laird, 1972
Former Secretary of Defense
The first Armed Forces Day came at a time of increased world tensions, political volatility and communist aggression. Some notable events that marked America's first Armed Forces Week were as follows:
- Bolivian police broke up "alleged" revolutionary communist-led general strike in LaPaz.
- Two U. S. government buildings in Canton, China were taken over by the Chinese Communist Government. The buildings were U. S. property acquired prior to the Communist takeover.
- The Burmese Army recaptured the city of Prome, a strategic communist-rebel stronghold.
- Nicaraguans elect General Anastasio Somoza to a regular six-year term as president.
- French and West German governments expected to talk shortly on the merger of the coal and steel industries of the two countries.
- Communist China lifted the ban on daylight shipping along the Yangtze River due to the decline of Nationalist air activity.
- Norway receives first US military aid in the form of two Dakota planes.
- U. N. Secretary General Trygive Lie seeks West's acceptance of Red China in the U. N.
- Iran announced close range news broadcasts to the Soviet Union with $56,000 worth of Voice of America equipment.
- Cuba celebrated the 48th anniversary of the establishment of its republic.
- The Red Cross celebrated its 69th birthday.
- Britain ended rationing of all foods except meats, butter, margarine, and cooking fat.
- The U. S. Congress voted to extend the draft. "A Bill to extend registration and classification for the Draft until June 24, 1952 passed the House 216-11."
- The Allied Command announced it would "ease" the burden of occupation on Austria and would name civilian high commissioners to replace present military high commissioners.
- Soviet authorities in Berlin withdrew travel passes of the U.S. and British military missions stationed at Potsdam in the Soviet zone of occupation.
- The Soviets returned 23 East German industrial plants to East German authorities. The plants had been producing exclusively for the benefit of reparations to the USSR.
- Twenty-eight Soviet vessels, consisting of tugs, trawlers, and supply ships remained in the English Channel as the Western Alliance prepared for air and naval maneuvers. Observers noted that many of them carried rollers at their sterns for trawling nets although no nets were visible.
- Pravda denounced Armed Forces Day, calling it the militarization of the United States. "The hysterical speeches of the warmongers again show the timeliness of the appeal of the Permanent Committee of Peace Partisans that atomic weapons be forbidden."
- Western Powers renewed their promise to help Mid-Eastern states resist communism. They also announced an agreement to sell arms to Israel as well as to the Arabs.
Below are some of the themes and ideas that have prevailed over past Armed Forces Days:
- Appreciation of a Nation
- Arsenal of Freedom and Democracy
- Dedication and Devotion
- Deter if Possible, Fight if Necessary
- Freedom
- Freedom Through Unity
- Guardians of Peace
- Lasting Peace
- Liberty
- Patriotism
- Pillars of Freedom
- Power for Peace
- Prepared to Meet the Challenge
- Professionalism
- Protectors of Freedom
- Realistic Deterrence
- Representatives of the World's Mightiest Democracy
- Security
- Special Opportunity for Thanks
- Teamed for Defense
If Christ returned, he'd be crucified again, not by Jews or Romans but by the church, which has been hijacked by His enemies; at least this is the case in Canada.
This is obvious from the fate of Kevin Annet, a young United Church of Canada minister who took Christ's teaching to heart, and suffered everything but Crucifixion; for exposing the hypocritical face of power in Canada, both religious and political.
In a self published memoirs, "Love and Death in the Valley," Kevin Annett reveals the currupt religious and political power structures of Canada responsible for systematic genocide of indigenious populations of Canada, to rob their lands and natural resources;They created the "Residential School System" for indiginious children , where a disproportionate number of this children died mysteriously in this schools run by various Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy, sanctioned by the Canadian Government.
Many books have left me winded, but none like this, no book has laid bare the true hypocracy of Canadian political and religious society, like this book.
I have met Kevin Annett and no, he doesn't have a halo. but he does exude a transperancy and a dogged determinationm to make sure we learn the truth about the genocide of North American Indians. He is the closest thing to a genuine dissent in this society, the closest thing to a real hero. Although he's been fighting this lonely battle for 15 years, we haven't heard of him, proof our "heroes" are manufactured for us.
Kevin is a kind of "innocent" or "true believer" organizations like the Communist Party or United (Methodist-Presbyterian) Church hire to provide an *artifice (*false front stratagem). But "every group has rules", Kevin was told repeatedly, and he didn't adapt. A real Christian represents Christ not the corrupt imposters who invaded you. Kevin was a Minister of Christ.
Minister Kevin muses on the disconnect between what people profess and what they actually do. The most successful minister in the church I found is the man or woman who can function as an efficient dissociated personality, regularly professing one thing and doing the opposite. "Give the place a bit of Spirit," his boss told him at Fred Victor Mission, a residence for the homeless near Toronto's seedy Yonge Station, as if talking to a painter.
In the course of his work, Kevin learned the Church Mission was a center for drug trafficking and prostitution and the staff were on the take. He learned that large donations to the mission were embezzled, while there wasn't any money for bibles. When he took these matters to the church hierarchy, they knew and didn't want to know about it.
This was Kevin's first glimpse of the United Church of Canada, paled beyond comparison when he took up his next asignment as Minister in a British Columbia logging town, he opened his sanctuary to the poor and non-White. He began to hear stories from his Aboriginal parishioners about ethnic cleansing at government funded church-run "residential schools."
In the course of telling their stories Kevin learned of Native children were sytematically abducted by the RCMP and forced to attend these "schools" which were in fact concentration camps in disguise. Here helpless children were physically and sexually abused, sterilized and deliberately exposed to deadly viruses.........read more
Grab your helmet, check the air in your tires, and hop on your bike because in many U.S. cities, May 12 - 16 is Bike to Work Week! Six Apart has a lot of biking enthusiasts, so we're very excited to support this event by encouraging all of our employees to bike to work this week. San Francisco's Bike to Work Day is tomorrow, Thursday, May 15th, and New York's is Friday, May 16th.
Six Apart is helping out its employees by providing maps (shaded according to steepness - a must in SF!) to help everyone plan out his/her route, as well as finding first-time riders buddies to commute with. We're also supporting ALL SF riders who pass the front of our office by handing out coffee, juice and snacks from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. If you're in our neighborhood, look for the sign that says "Six Apart Supports Bike to Work Day" and stop by to say hi and get energized!
Improve your health, financial status, productivity, and happiness by joining thousands - maybe even millions - of commuters around the country who are hopping on their bikes to get to work. Visit the Bike to Work Week website to find out more about events in your area.
Support the two-wheeled way of life with the "Passing Left" theme found in "Photo-Based" in the Design Area. Planning on cycling to work this week? Let us know in the comments!
An eight-year-old girl strapped with explosives has blown up and killed an Iraqi army captain.
The bomb was detonated by remote control, injuring four soldiers in addition to the one who died, an Iraqi Army spokesman said.
Local authorities imposed a curfew in the area and American troops launched a search for those responsible.
US soldiers confirmed that a young girl was involved in the attack, which took place near Youssifiyah, south of the capital, Baghdad.
The horrific bombing came as Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki flew to Mosul to take charge of a major offensive against al Qaeda.
The US military says the northern city is the terror group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq.
Military officials hope the offensive will deliver a knockout blow.
Sunni Islamist al Qaeda gunmen have regrouped in Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh after being pushed out of Baghdad and western Anbar province by US and Iraqi forces.
Moqtada al Sadr's opposition movement struck a deal the ruling Shi'ite alliance to end running battles in Baghdad, although sporadic clashes keep breaking out.
Scott Bourne of MacBreak Weekly (and many other podcasts, including the ApplePhoneShow and TWIP, This Week in Photography), recently wrote two articles for JPG Magazine, including "10 Tips For Avian Photographers" and "Photo Essay - The Wolf." Scott also sat down with Leo on TWiTLive.tv last week after MacBreak Weekly to talk about some of his shots and techniques.
Bob
I've been asked to perform and I consider it an Honor to do so. I will be donating this performance at no cost...
Enduring Freedom event that will be held June 28, 2008 in Lake Odessa, Michigan~ for our soldiers.
On that Saturday, the non-profit veterans awareness group called Rolling Thunder will be holding their annual Enduring Freedom ride from Grand Rapids and ultimately ending up at the capital in Lansing (anywhere from 500 bikers to 1500 bikers). They are planning a midway stop and stretch stop here in Lake Odessa. I’m the Secretary for The Lakewood Area Chamber of Commerce and when I heard about their “stop and stretch” I got the Chamber involved and we thought of a cool way to honor our soldiers.
We’re constructing a moveable (non-permanent) Iraqi Freedom wall in the park with a list of soldiers names who have served while during the Iraqi Freedom war (reserves or active duty) for anyone who’d like to give me their names. We’re also planning a photo display in the pavilion for those who’d like to drop of 8x10 copies of pictures of their soldiers at the Page Building here in Lake Odessa. (After the event the photos and wall will be moved to our local VFW).
The Rolling Thunder sent out letters to every fallen soldier’s family in the state of Michigan letting them know about this event and inviting them to Lake Odessa or the Capital. Their President will be making a special presentation to two area families soldier’s who’ve died during Iraqi Freedom and we’re having the VFW do a 21-gun salute and two professional buglers do a shadow rendition of taps. This will all take place in our Village Park where there is a stage and room for lawn chairs. We’ll have food and drinks available and we’re also getting t-shirts made with the list of soldiers on the back of the t-shirts.
After the festivities, the Lake Odessa Police department will escort the bikers in a parade so we can send them off to the capital.
Lots of planning has gone into this but we’d like to do a little more. We’d like to start the festivities with entertainment starting around 10:00am. The bikers are due to arrive in Lake Odessa around 11:00am and the send off will be around 12:00pm but from 10:00am – 11:20am we’d like to provide entertainment for the soldiers families and the community.
Village of Lake Odessa
1103 Jordan Lk Street
Lake Odessa, MI 48849
Two articles I would like to bring your attention to.
“Is Libertarianism Amoral?” by Ralph Raico is the first. It was originally published in the New Individualist Review in 1964. In it Dr. Raico replies to some common criticisms in opposition to libertarianism from both traditionalists and fusionists. And he attempts to sharpen any kind of "fusionist" (libertarian-conservative) political philosophy analytically.
The second one fits right into a recent entry on The Paleo Blog. It is by Anthony Gregory. It is called “In Defense of Rules.” This article just came out on LRC. Mr. Gregory explains that libertarians are not against rules because if we were we would not be against statism. He says that libertarianism is for private rules and that this champions "private and community rights," while "respecting each other's boundaries."
As we mentioned last week, we had to postpone the maintenance that was due to occur on Thursday, May 8th.
We have rescheduled the maintenance for tonight, Tuesday, May 13th, starting at 6:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time (that's 1:00 A.M. UTC/GMT). We'll be taking Vox offline for a bit in order to move the service to a brand new home in some bright, shiny new server racks. We don't expect to be offline for more than an hour or two, but we apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
Again, thank you for your patience as we continue to invest in Vox's infrastructure!
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