Ron Paul and his Magical Mystery Tour

Ron Paul and his Magical Mystery Tour
Louis Lazarus

Congressman Ron Paul who is currently running for the Republican nominee for President in 2012 has some issues that some people don’t seem to care about or they simply don’t understand. The man is absolutely brilliant on most of the issues we conservatives care about. He is a strict Constitutionalist, which is good. He is in favor of a very small and limited federal government, which is better. He promises to do everything he can to “fix” what is wrong with Washington, D.C., which is best. He’s been a consistent advocate for less government his whole life. He believes in the rights of the individual. He also believes in the conservative concept of liberty and freedom above all else. It is strong individuals who make for a strong group. In other words, if it is not mentioned in our Constitution specifically, then the issue belongs to the states.

He’s a Tenth Amendment kind of guy. All of these are great qualities. So if he’s so darned brilliant, why can’t he grasp the most basic concept of all? Self-preservation. He is right on so many things and so wrong on the dangers of Islam. For the past 1400 years, Muslims have been on a quest to conquer the world. They have no timetable. They really don’t care if it takes a month, a year, a decade or a century or more. The Barbary Pirates, who were Muslims, were solely responsible for the formation of the United States Marine Corps. They attacked our ships without provocation and the Marines were formed to deal with them. This was over 200 years ago. Islam has been causing trouble with us since before we were a country. What we have done politically isn’t the reason they don’t get along with us. They simply don’t get along with anybody…even themselves.

Ron Paul thinks terrorism is our fault. It isn’t. Ron Paul has no problem with Iran getting nuclear weapons. That’s a huge problem because they have already told the world Israel has no right to exist and they will wipe them off the map. Do we really need to take the chance? These are really big and really important issues and to tread lightly is a huge mistake. Islam is our enemy. They won’t like us if we leave them alone. This is where sane people don’t agree with Ron Paul. People who live in “the pretend world” do.

Let’s suppose Dr. Ron Paul is without question, the World’s Greatest Surgeon. He is heads and tails above every single doctor in the entire world with his knowledge and skills. He can perform any procedure in medicine flawlessly. Doctors world-wide envy his abilities...except he has one little teeny tiny flaw. He does not believe in germs and he believes even less that bacteria can cause infections. When he operates, he usually comes from home where he was working on his car and his hands are filthy, dirty and full of oil, dirt, grime and grease. He refuses to wash his hands and he also refuses to wear surgical gloves or a mask when operating. The question then becomes…do you want him to operate on you? He has the skill. He has the talent. He has the knowledge. But, his hands are filthy and when he cuts you wide open, you just might be exposed to whatever is on his hands. Would you let this man operate on you? This is the way people who don’t support Ron Paul feel. They acknowledge his intellect and ability but just can’t get past the idea that he truly believes we don’t have a problem with Muslims or with Islam. It’s so basic and yet he misses this by a mile. To further make him the wrong man for the job he truly believes Israel and the Mossad were responsible for 911. He claims it was an inside job. He’s also pro-drugs and thinks we don’t need any laws making drugs illegal because drugs are not mentioned in the Constitution.

The sad part is, even with these faults, he would be a better president than Barack Hussein Obama. It wouldn’t even be close. Ron Paul is a true American while Obama is not. Ron Paul would actually try to do good things while Obama is trying his best to destroy this wonderful country. Ron Paul would strive to lead while Barack Hussein Obama strives to be a dictator. The worst choice we can make, as conservatives are much better than the best choice the Democrats can make. And, make no mistake, they will choose to re-elect Obama no matter what. Obama could nuke Cleveland, Phoenix and Seattle and the Democrats would still vote for him. Democrats believe in everything we abhor. They want socialism. They want cradle to grave government care. They are selfish and mistaken people but they don’t care. Government is good. Individuality is not. That’s what they believe. As voters and citizens of this country, we cannot afford to make the wrong decision in 2012. Any vote cast for Obama is the wrong decision. Any vote cast for anyone else but Obama is the right decision. As kooky as this sounds, we just might wind up with Ron Paul as our president. It’s an outside chance right now but in politics, you just never know.

Recall Vote: They are at it Again!

Recall Vote: They are at it Again!
Al Ritter

Liberals have started another action to secure a recall vote, this time the target is Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. In a move to have another Republican removed from office, the petition is the first step in the process, but names of “Mickey Mouse” and “Adolph Hitler” are already present.

In a new trend of recalling people the Democrats don’t agree with these actions follow a successful recall of Arizona State Senator, Russell Pearce, the legislator that penned S.B.1070, the anti-illegal immigration bill. Another recent target of this guerilla warfare is popular sheriff Joe Arpaio.

As I have said before, the democrats are very resourceful at using laws in ways they were never intended. If this is the new way to get rid of a politician you don’t like, then I want to sign the petition for a recall vote on President Obama……anyone know where I can find it?

DONALD TRUMP:DON’T COUNT THIS GUY OUT

DONALD TRUMP:DON’T COUNT THIS GUY OUT
Louis Lazarus

Here it is almost Christmas 2011 and the election is less than one year away. The candidates have been campaigning for months and months. The current occupier in chief has never stopped campaigning. We have been witness to the worst president in U.S. history who was elected fraudulently with the aid of many people in Congress. Below find two links which should give you enough reason to question Obama’s legitimacy and also the fact that Osama bin Laden was already dead and what we’ve been told is pure theater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJfdKClbH4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjtNiTm99e8

The public is not aware of this as yet but soon they will be. The truth always comes out and the cover up is always what gets “them” in the end.

At the moment Newt Gingrich is the “Republican Candidate du Jour”. He is leading in the polls and most pundits will agree that either Newt or Mitt Romney will be the next Republican nominee and will run against Obama in 2012. However, nobody asked me what I think and this is still America so I can express my opinion any time I like.

Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States of America. Once you stop laughing, please continue reading and I will explain this perceived lunacy. If you are paying attention, have a reasonable amount of intuitive intelligence and are able to predict “whodunit” in a movie five minutes after it starts, you will be able to relate to this. I do it every time and I’m seldom wrong. If you believe in the pundits because you assume they are wise and all knowing, you will simply laugh some more, shake your head and wonder how a guy could be so nuts. I’m only writing this now so I can put it on my Facebook page and prove to those who doubt me just how brilliant my mind is. And…make no mistake…it is brilliant.

Here’s what is in store for us in the next few months. The economy is going to get worse and worse. You don’t have to be genius to figure this out. Obama is going to continue to do “the wrong thing” for America every chance he gets. He is on a mission to destroy this country and he is succeeding because the naïve American public refuses to believe what is right before their eyes. The only pundit saying this is Rush Limbaugh and even he won’t go far enough. Obama knows he won’t win the White working class vote so he will cater to all those who aren’t in this group. As he continues to make life more miserable in our country, he believes more and more people will vote for him. Obama’s poll ratings will continue to drop the closer we get to November 2012.

In the meantime Donald Trump is salivating. He is one of the best businessmen in this country and knows an opportunity when he sees one. He sees a Republican Party in chaos with the candidates each trying to destroy the other by pointing out their flaws both past and present. It will come down to Newt or Romney and I’m betting it is Newt in the end. Once Donald Trump is finished with his hit TV show, “The Apprentice”, he will be free to run for President on a third party ticket. He’s all but said as much. If he runs sooner, he has to give equal time to other candidates because he is still in the media. If you were one of those rare people who have been paying attention you will have noticed Trump made some noise about running several months ago at the exact same time Obama furnished that ridiculous fake birth certificate. Then, Trump disappeared. Now Trump is back in the news popping up here and there and appearing on several TV and radio talk shows. Every single time he mentions Obama and his birth certificate. There are also one or two subtle remarks about with how disappointed Trump is with Obama. Trump will then make a comment about how other countries are ripping us off and how we should get the oil from Iraq and how our political leaders don’t know how to “deal”. Trump will then say he does know how to deal and if you are familiar with him, you know he is correct. He actually charged Kaddafi a bunch of money to rent some of (Trumps) property so he could pitch a tent while he was here at a U.N. meeting. Trump won’t say how much, but there is no doubt, it wasn’t cheap. Donald knows money and he knows success. He is a whiz at the “art of the deal”. He also advocates members of the military and their families be compensated for injuries or death. He has mentioned five million dollars to each family or military man or woman who has been injured remarking they will have a lifetime of medical expenses and the five million dollars is chump change for a country as rich as Iraq. He also thinks we should have made deal with Libya for cheap oil when we helped remove Kaddafi. He’s also amazed we don’t get anything in return for our spilled blood and spent treasure in Iraq. Trump will take a hard look at the Republican candidate and determine if he were able to beat Obama and even more important if he would be an effective president. The answer, as he will tell us, will be “no”.

Trump will then announce he will run as a third party candidate and Sarah Palin will be his choice for VP. This will happen after his show is off the air, which will be sometime in May or early June. Remember, Trump led in the polls months ago when he wasn’t even running. Also remember Sarah Palin will ignite the Tea Party. She is exciting and brilliant and has the ability to motivate all but the loony left. Most people vote Republican because the other choice is Democrat, not because they approve of the Republicans. Most people are conservative and the Republicans are the only party available. Trump knows this. Trump is shrewd, intelligent and one of the best businessmen in the country. He knows what he’s doing and wouldn’t do…. this…. if he thought there was any chance he would fail. Keep in mind that Donald Trump caters to high rollers and fat cats. His clientele isn’t Joe Six Pack. Trump owns lavish buildings, which he rents to rich and powerful men, and he owns several exclusive golf courses. To tee it up at one of Trump’s courses, you had better be ready to part with $500. To be a member of one of his golf clubs, you had better by very, very, very wealthy.

If Obama is re-elected, the economy will continue to go south and even a rich man like Donald Trump will be affected. The rich are not immune to a bad economy. It just takes longer for them to feel the crunch. When they do feel the crunch, they immediately quit spending their money on lavish items such as golf memberships in exclusive clubs and expensive office space in luxurious high-rise buildings. Donald Trump has an ego as big as all of New York City. Failure for him is not an option. He will run because he loves this country and he doesn’t want his empire to crash and burn or even be negatively affected. He will perceive this as not even having a choice but it’s simply something he must do for the United States to continue and the Trump Empire to prevail. The best part is yet to come.

Once Donald Trump announces, he will go on a media campaign and buy airtime, if he has to, so he can present all the evidence which supports the fact that Barack Hussein Obama is a complete phony. He will bring in experts to document exactly how the birth certificate Obama swore was his and was authentic was faked. We will all see what some of us know already. We will see exactly how this infamous .pdf file was put together by some hack that didn’t quite know enough about Adobe Photoshop. People will be shocked and amazed that the media has neglected this. We will also hear about Obama’s mother and how there is absolutely no record of her in the Hawaiian hospital where Obama claims he was born. We will be educated on the term “natural born citizen” and we will be reminded that Obama’s father was not a U.S. citizen. That alone is enough to disqualify Obama as president and should yield a nice stint in “The Graybar Hotel” for our usurper in chief. Many other politicians will also be found complicit in this hoax. The nation will finally realize what a lot of us have known for quite some time and then the anger will set in. Our talk show hosts will be embarrassed to death that they didn’t speak out. The Republican candidate will resign and Trump and Palin will be elected. With any luck and the help of a thankful country, all of Obama’s illegal accomplishments will be null and void. Obamacare will be over turned. It will be gone and dead. Obama will be a very bad after taste that will persist for weeks and weeks. The media will do a dance like we’ve never seen. Watergate 2.0 will begin.

Well, there you have it. This is what I believe is in store for us. I cannot possibly guarantee all or any of this will come true but it does make sense and it does seem more than likely to me. Look for Trump popping up here and there. If you see and hear him, you will know I am on to something. Notice Palin has been conspicuous by her absence lately and start putting two and two together. The pieces fit. America is in terrible shape. We will never all agree because about 30-40% of us are liberal and are just too stupid, selfish or lazy to get it. They will always be the thorn in our paw. The rest of the country knows Obama can’t be re-elected for four more years or America is over. That is a fact. Our choice will be Donald Trump who is not perfect by any means or Barack Hussein Obama who hasn’t got one shred of decency in his entire body. The Republican candidate will step out of the way in order to make sure there isn’t a three way split. I believe Newt or Romney will know they can’t win and they will do the right thing for the country. They will know they would never have the courage to bring Obama’s hidden records to light. That alone will amaze them and as America wakes up, they will know they can’t win. Americans will start speaking out about Trump who is not a career politician and how he had the guts to bring the truth about Obama to the public when no one else in the media would.

There is one more little hitch and that is even better news. It is possible that the records that have been hidden will come to light in February of 2012. It is quite possible all the information on Obama will be brought to America in the next few months. There is “something else” going on. I’d give it a 2 in 5 chance. That would mean Obama would be out and Hillary would be in. Either way, the Democrats are toast and Donald Trump will be the next President. You will have a shrewd and ruthless businessman who loves his country and will try to do right by his country, doing the nation’s business. We will not be walked all over by other countries anymore. It will be a brighter day and America’s best days will be ahead and not behind us like they are now.

There’s my prediction. Let’s just see how close it comes.

Keystone Pipeline: Is Obama Dumb or Stupid?

Keystone Pipeline: Is Obama Dumb or Stupid?
Kevin Bryant

More percentage of Americans own cars than in any other country in the world, it's no secret. Middle class in America would be upper class in many parts of the world. So much of America's prosperity is because of our ability to produce energy. It's safe to say that energy is a major part of what drives our economy. President Obama and his administration is essentially waging war on our energy. Is it dumbness or stupidity on the part of President Obama and his administration to want to mess with that?

Every person in America that understands what the Keystone Pipeline project is about knows how vital it is to the United States and North America. Canada produces oil that America needs. America buys it and the money goes into Canada's economy. Because the United States isn't importing it from 7000 miles away and having to use supertankers to move it, it would cost less money getting the oil to our refineries, thus lowering the prices of heating oil, electricity, plastic products and gasoline for consumers and industries. Is it dumb or stupid for an administration not to want to help lower the price of oil based products and byproducts for consumers?

If Canada is not able to move their oil directly to the United States, then it becomes available on the open market and a massive majority of it will end up being consumed in India and China. If we in the United States do not use it and China and others do, even the environmentalist who detest the use of fossil fuels in general would have to admit the pollution from usage of the oil would be greatly enhanced if it were used overseas and foreign economies would therefore be the beneficiaries. Is it dumb or stupid for an administration that claims to care about the economy and the environment would advocate helping foreign countries become richer while producing tons of pollution that dirty up the air we all breathe while restricting their own citizens and even those here illegally opportunities of prosperity while further endangering their health?

The administration's own EPA department has spent countless millions of dollars over the past three years studying the pipeline and the environmental effects it would have on our nation. The EPA approved the project. The principal owners were happy with the plans. The engineering and construction companies were all on board and eager to get started. The state governments where the pipeline would run were eager to get some 20,000 unemployed workers off assistance and have them start earning wages and paying taxes. Is it dumb or stupid for the administration to kill or postpone the start of some 20,000 jobs this country vitally needs?

For the past three years I have been scratching my head wondering about the actions of President Obama and his administration. I still can't make up my mind if they are dumb to the facts on so many subjects or are they all just plain stupid.

My Year in Review

My Year in Review
Al Ritter

As with the rest of my life, I have no regrets about the year 2011. I am fortunate enough to be in the fifth year of my retirement, and fortunate enough to have so many readers and friends to share opinions with. This year I have watched my grandson grow from a baby to a little man, and I can’t wait to see him this week. My son has settled into a job that I think he truly loves, and from what he tells me his employer loves the work he does.

I have to admit that this year has been very difficult for me to write articles on politics. This is my sixth year writing on politics. I have written over 1400 articles on issues of the day and been read by over 100,000 people around the world. This internet thing is pretty cool huh? Besides America, my articles are most read by people in the Netherlands, followed by Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. As some of you know I used to write for the Examiner. I enjoyed my largest readership in that relationship of over 30,000 monthly but also suffered the worst censorship. I cut ties with the Examiner last year and have never looked back.

I know that corruption has always followed politics as the draw of power and money have always corrupted people of good initial intentions, but these last three years have been especially brutal. We have seen that ideology has taken a front seat to the life of two border agents. We have seen the willingness of this administration to willfully lie and to secure legislation to legally lie to the very people who not only elect them, but pay them. When was the last time you willfully lied to your boss, then sought permission to do so in the future?

I have sat on the sidelines and watched while our government has made the same exact mistakes that administrations have made in just my life, which I see as extremely disturbing. We have seen an administration try to rewrite historical facts to claim that successful things in the past were unsuccessful and vice versa.

Each day under this administration scares me more than the last. Every day sees a little more of our freedom erode. I am even finding that my fears are becoming more irrational. For instance, I am very reluctant to secure a new primary care doctor for fear of having my health records flying around the internet, and yet here I am on Facebook……….lol…….seems sort of irrational in that light doesn’t it? There is far more information about me circulating on Facebook than could possibly be circulating by my health records.

Admittedly I have become paranoid, as I’m sure lots of my conservative friends have, how could we not be? It doesn’t take much of a history of past lies to feel that you are being lied to, and even less time to confirm it. Paranoia sets in shortly after and quickly expands. I am seriously scared for my country; I think 4 more years of this administration would put us on a path of no return to the ideas and policies of our forefathers.

Most of my readers have noticed the articles and opinions from my group of writers on the decline, and I think that this collective disgust and paranoia is part of the reason. We won’t give up but the horror we all see on a daily basis has an effect on how we write.

Huck's Forum

Huck's Forum
Kevin Bryant

I'm writing this right after Mike Huckabee's Republican Presidential Forum. First I want to say that I thought all the candidates did a good job. The way it was held allowed everyone to answer questions without having interruptions from other candidates. I personally would like to see more of these. This type of forum helped me solidify some of my own opinions of candidates and also changed my opinions on a couple.

Everyone who writes on this this page as well as those who offer comments are expressing opinions first and in some cases backs those opinions with facts. Tonight I am writing my opinions only. I'm not looking to try and add fact to any of this. With that being said, here we go.

I think Rick Perry and Ron Paul benefitted the most from the format. Neither are what anyone would call great debaters. They are arguably the two worst in all of the previous debates.

I think Michelle Bachmann did the worst of all the candidates. She was hardly on point in any of the responses she gave. Add the fact that she showed little conviction in her responses, I just believe that she is done as a candidate. I like Michelle Bachmann. I gave to 2010 re-election campaign and I don't even live in her district or state. Michelle, I love your work in congress and in my opinion, you are right where you belong. Please drop and and stay in congress. Tonight's Grade: C

Ron Paul, buddy, pal, fellow "I can't stand the federal reserve" guy. You are at best a fourth place candidate. You did good tonight. You stayed composed and articulated well. You also stayed away from answers that have irritated people in the past. Your stance on the military and foreign policy has alienated you from many voters. Like Michelle, I believe you serve this country honorably in congress and should continue to do so. Please drop out and stay a couple of more terms in the house. Tonight's Grade: C+

Rick Santorum, you impressed me and lost me all at the same time. Your belief in family and traditional marriage is well known and supported my a majority of the country. One thing that turned me off tonight was your attempt to inject family or faith or marriage into every response. The item that lost you any support was your stance on the Patriot Act. 1/2 of the Patriot Act does nothing but strip rights from the people. You brag about crafting it. You can't support the constitution and at the same time support legislation that takes away rights guaranteed by the constitution. You are still my choice for the VP slot, but it's time for you to drop out. Tonight's Grade: B

Mitt Romney lost a bit of my support tonight. Not once tonight did he ever hint that he is other than a big government candidate. Tonight he supported the 10th amendment some, but advocated big government policy and authority. You made sure you didn't hurt yourself tonight but you didn't help yourself either. The constraints of not being able to talk negatively about the other republican candidates seemed to take him a little out of his comfort zone. Tonight's Grade: B+

Rick Perry did a good job tonight. He stuck to the questions and strongly advocated state's rights. He articulated his answers tonight better than he has in the past yet he still stumbled a little in a couple of his responses. Perry knows he is not a great debater and it's because of that, Obama would eat him up in a debate. If it were possible to take your policies and beliefs and package them with Romney's speaking ability, Obama would rightfully be scared to debate you. Tonight's Grade: B+

Surprise Surprise (not really) the person I thought performed the best tonight was Newt Gingrich. Best articulator. Clear and easy to understand responses. He even managed to poke a little fun at himself. Again, he said all the right things but left again, left out things that would win over strict conservatives. He confirmed my opinion tonight that he is the second biggest "big government" candidate behind Romney. Tonight's Grade: A-

It has been my belief for quite some time that John Huntsman has needed to drop out of the race. His inability to make time for tonight's forum just adds to mmy belief that he is just wasting time and taking attention away from more serious and electible candidates.

I could support Romney, Gingrich or Perry. Until today, Herman Cain would also be in this group. Tonight's forum did shrink my choices as to who I will vote for in the Missouri primaries, but a definate choice has yet to be made. 2008, I firmly supported Fred Thompson and he didn't last long enough for me to even vote for him. This time I will wait a little longer before deciding.

Reality TV Comes To Politics

Reality TV Comes To Politics
Al Ritter

I couldn’t help but to laugh this morning watching Donald trump and Karl Rove lambast each other on Fox news about the “Trump Debate.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have much love for either their personalities.

What I do have a problem with is how Trump wants to make it all about him and a TV show. The feeling that somehow he is the anointed one and all candidates must parade in front of him to kiss his ring for some sort of blessing makes me ill. I AM shocked and disappointed that Dr. Charles Krauthammer is participating in Trump’s little dog and pony show, I always thought he had more class than that.

Karl Rove is another thing entirely; he is merely a washed up Republican operative that will never figure into the power base of the Republican Party again. His policy recommendations caused the horrific failure of George Bush’s second term, and the subsequent rise of the Democrats into power into 2009. His late career will only involve book sales and occasional appearances on Fox News.

While I’m at this rant, let me include Fox News as my target. Recent rating claims Fox News’s popularity is waning. Personally I can see why when they parade Trump as if he was some sort of King Maker. Let’s be clear as a bell here, Donald trump is NO CONSERVATIVE, and he’s certainly no Republican, this debate is nothing more that Donald blackmailing the American public to keep him from running as a third party candidate……….give him what he wants so he will go away!

Entitlement is an Ideology Not a Program

Entitlement is an Ideology Not a Program
Al Ritter

In much the same way that Islam is not only a religion but a way of life, entitlement is not just a program but a way of life. Subsidy handouts have created a multi-generational dependency on any sort of government program.

This is why black conservatives claim that liberal democrats have created merely another subculture of “slaves down on the farm.” Short term social programs are one thing, but government rarely does short term money handouts. Long term multi-generational dependency is not only a drain on our economic system, but it begets a feeling of entitlement in the recipient.

This feeling harbors a sense of “being special” to the recipient, when in fact the only thing it does is create their need for the next pay check. The uneducated in this group always feel the monetary relief is the “government’s money.” The truly educated in our system already know that the government has no “money.” They make no products, they run no business, they take taxes from 53% of the people and give to the people they feel are deserving.

The government has so many programs for the “poor”(and I use that term loosely), billions have been spent since the great depression……..to what avail? Have we fixed the state of the poor? The answer is no, we have elevated the poor, but unfortunately along with inflation so increases the rich.

Our system is an ever moving sliding scale of poverty; liberals constantly move the mark of what is poverty and what is not. If don’t believe me go to the requirements of ANY social program and you will see a percentage of over 100% to qualify. For instance to qualify for program “X” you need to have filed last year at 120% of what the federal government refers to as poverty. In other words you can be making 20% more than the poverty level to qualify.

The goal posts are always moving folks. Standard fare of qualifications hover around 120% now for most government programs. When that percentage starts to look too high then they raise the federally declared poverty rate.

This system never fixes anything but only makes specific groups dependent on social programs, but then again, it’s the governments money right?

A Special Thanksgiving

A Special Thanksgiving
Al Ritter

I am thankful today because:

Al Gore was never elected as our president

Nancy Pelosi lost the speaker of the house position

Chris Dodd retired

Carbon Credit trading collapsed last month

Barack Obama continually makes major mistakes

Joe Biden has his foot in his mouth constantly

Unless Ron Paul wins the nomination his political career will be over soon

Chris Matthews has lost that tingling feeling up his leg

Thousands of military men and women are protecting my freedom

I had a wonderful mother that formed the man you see today

My mother made sure I travelled the United States to see the real spirit of the country

The father that instilled the work ethic that allowed me to retire early

A son, daughter-in-law, and grandson who love me

I have a wonderful girlfriend who loves and appreciates me

A rescue dog that loves her daddy

A wonderful house, a little bit of property that’s paid for

Fortunate enough to be retired and happily busy

Fortunate to have some of the best friends in the world that would do anything for me if asked

I am lucky to have been born in the best country in the world!

Liberal’s New Weapon: The Recall Vote

Liberal’s New Weapon: The Recall Vote
Al Ritter

At one time our society used the recall vote to remove someone from office for social indiscretion, theft or some other moral cause. Now the democrats are using recall to remove Republicans from office for anything they don’t like.

Such is the cause for State Senator Russell Pearce. Who is Russell Pearce and why should you care? Senator Pearce wrote the most powerful bill in America at the time to allow his home state to enforce something that the Federal Government refuses to do.

The liberals flooded his small district with out of state money to form an alliance to have this politician removed. They succeeded in his recall vote, he is now gone. They now have a new target, one of his best friends, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Their declared intention is to have the “trouble maker” removed. The same big money will be behind them as they attempt to remove every Republican they don’t like in high visibility areas such as Arizona.

It surely isn’t the first time liberals are misusing a law to their benefit!

For those of you who don’t know who Russell Pearce is………..he wrote the bill SB 1070 in Arizona allowing local Police Departments to ask about their illegal status…………now you know the rest of the story!

I Refuse to Be Ashamed of My National Flag

I Refuse to Be Ashamed of My National Flag
Al Ritter

It disappoints me to see a Federal Judge rule in favor of a school principal who demanded that a student turn his American Flag T-shirt inside out or go home during Cinco de Mayo in a California public school.

Since when is wearing the official flag of our country a “disruption?” The Judge even ruled that the disruption doesn’t even have to have occurred for the principal to claim that it will. Merely the fear that it can happen is the legal precedent to demand action?

This action was handed down unevenly illegal students were wearing Mexican Flag T-shirts but received no such demand to turn their shirts inside out, showing a clear bias. No students had complained that the display of the American Flag was disruptive, only the principal had made the decision.

We have become a nation of disgrace………..disgrace based on the ideology of the left, or of fear of litigation or maybe both. Why should we be “ashamed” of our flag, or afraid that its display could be construed as a disruption?

What have we become as a nation if it’s citizens can’t even show its collective pride?

Anchors Away

Anchors Away
Kevin Bryant

Article 14 – Section 1:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

I was driving into work this morning and on the radio was a discussion about how some child born to parents that are here in the U.S. illegally was suing the state of Florida because she was going to have to pay out of state tuition to go to college in Florida due to her parents being unable to produce proof of legal status to be here. More have joined her in the suit.

This is the problem with the court system today. Too many times judges recite the letter of the law the exactly as it is written when it fits their beliefs and then proceeds to interpret the law when as the law is written does not fit their beliefs.

Brief Sidebar – Some of you may now be reflecting back on my position regarding Texas and in-state tuition for the children of illegals in that state. My main argument was that it was a state issue and the state of Texas did what it thought best for the state of Texas. I supported their decision because they were pro-active instead of being completely inactive like the federal government. – Sidebar is now over.

I’m sure the parents can prove they have resided in the state of Florida for the required amount of time but if you are here illegally then if the state believes you should have no rights, then by all means I support the state. If the state wants grant you certain rights specific to that state including having your anchor babies pay in state tuition, then again I support the state. It’s a STATE issue.

The 14th amendment to the constitution came about because of slavery. Since many slaves were brought to this country against their will, once slavery ended, their children should by all means be lawful citizens of this country. It was a way to protect the kids of former slaves.

The law now is being taken in a complete different text than it was meant to be when drafted and ratified. In my own opinion, the U.S. should grandfather the kids of illegals as citizens but say as of 01 JAN 2012, the law changes to where children of illegals do not have the right to become lawful citizens of the United States simply by being born here.

In my opinion the law covering anchor babies make as much sense a bank robber who steals several thousands of dollars, files taxes on the stolen money then gets to keep what is left because even though he gained it illegally, he paid taxes on it therefore he is “entitled” to it. It makes no sense.

The host of the morning talk show stated the subject of anchor babies is a complicated issue. I think we need an amendment to the 14th amendment, NO MORE ANCHOR BABIES. It’s not complicated to me.

Obama and His “We Can’t Wait” Campaign

Obama and His “We Can’t Wait” Campaign
Al Ritter

Somehow President Obama has rationalized his use of the Executive Order to be constitutionally legal when he doesn’t agree with Congress. At first he blamed Republicans saying, “Republicans in Congress aren’t paying attention.” Later the president must have realized that just maybe the democrats aren’t “paying attention” either because of their inability to pass even a budget for the last two and a half years.

When President Obama introduced his own budget this year, not one single democrat or republican would even vote for it, leaving Obama to fight his own war of threatened executive order against congress. The president claims that his use of the executive order to bypass the house and senate is perfectly legal per the DOJ.

Really Mr. President? You take the word of Attorney General Eric (fast and furious) Holder over what you already know to be constitutionally illegal? You were a Constitutional law scholar weren’t you?

This constant trampling of the Constitution to merely force your socialistic agenda on America has to stop. The Constitution is not just a suggestion on limiting the power of the federal government, it is LAW, the very same one you will be breaking if you invoke executive order to get your way!

Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences
Kevin Bryant


We all know what unintended consequences are. Now we have a federal judge in Florida sticking her nose in what is clearly a state issue and could potentially open Pandora’s box.


District Court Judge Mary Scriven has temporarily blocked a law that mandates Florida that mandates welfare applicants pay for a mandatory drug screening as part of the application process. If the applicants pass the drug screen, they are reimbursed the cost of the test.


According to the judge, the law is a violation of the 4th amendment.


Here is two main issues I have with her ruling:


1) Receiving welfare is voluntary.

2) This is a state issue.


No one is forcing these people to apply for welfare. I understand that many people need assistance at given points in their lives. A very small amount of those that have applied have failed the drug testing. Many are calling this a waste of money by paying for the screening. What the news is not reporting is that over 1500 applicants did not show up to take the test. That is 1500 les people in the state drawing welfare and saving the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. Of the 30 or so that did take the test and fail, the state probably saved their lives and or the lives of their children because they now must either do without or enter into a state sponsored drug treatment program. If they stay sober for 6 months, they can then reapply.


The military has drug screening and it is not considered a violation of the 4th amendment because service is voluntary therefore the military member is consenting to the screening. Why does this apply to the military and not the state? If receiving welfare is voluntary, then the 4th amendment does not apply, therefore it is no longer a federal matter but a state matter and the state has already spoken on this subject in the form of the law itself.


If the injunction in Florida stands then here is the Pandora’s Box that has been opened. Because it involves public sector funds, it makes searches when entering any building built with public funds also illegal. Think of the damage that could be done by this ruling. One would now be free to enter a packed publicly owned stadium with a bomb strapped to them because searching them is now illegal. One could walk into the Washington Monument and blow it up. The list goes on and on.


Advice for Judge Scriven – Quit mimicking congress and actually think before you act.

Occupy Wall Streeters

Occupy Wall Streeters
Al Ritter

I have watched in amazement this week as thousands of basement dwellers who normally live with their parents playing video games have taken to the streets across the country to protest………??????

They clearly have no clue about what they speak or for that matter even believe in. They vilify capitalism and glorify socialism/communism with no real clear thought as to what that would mean.

Their only “demands” are places to take showers, and food stuffs to eat.
The democratic administration of Mayor Bloomberg is merely empowering this raucous behavior that has resulted in over 700 arrests. Now Barack Obama is treading on dangerous ground by siding with the entitlement generation even though he happens to be the “darling of wall street.” The Occupy group either isn’t aware of his association with Wall Street or doesn’t care.

This association could really backfire on President Obama when the empowered group turns to violence, notice I didn’t say “IF” they turn to violence. Now our inability to deal with this bad behavior has spread to other countries, and the violence is escalating.

They have no agenda other than some people have more money than they do, and they don’t like it. Most of the protestors have no jobs, nor do they want them, they merely wish to have their complaints heard. Complaints without basis have no meaning. It’s a sad state of affairs when the seated administrations will only support the useless electorate and not the ones who actually produce something in America.

You Make Me Tired!

You Make Me Tired!
Al Ritter

Years ago my dear Aunt Helen (my father’s eldest sister) had a phrase that she used with my father. When we would go to Helen’s house for dinner my father would just go on and on constantly about things that didn’t matter to her. Helen would patiently listen for a couple of hours as she hovered about the stove while the rest of the family downed their favorite libation.

We knew when Helen had heard enough, the phrase she uttered rather loudly from the kitchen was, “Alfred, honest to josh, you make me tired.” I used to think that her utterance had more to do with impatience than it had to do with boredom. I say “I used to think” because I feel my dear Aunt Helen’s pain every time I see Barack Obama on TV.

His seemingly endless TV appearances drive me to very same phrase that Aunt Helen used with my father. My impatience and boredom seem to be brought on by his constant lies of the past. Once the trust is gone the impatience and anger will follow.

“Honest to josh Barack, you make me tired.”

Entertainers and Actors: Stop It Already!

Entertainers and Actors: Stop It Already!
Al Ritter

Every time this happens I am floored at the arrogance of individual stars, and personalities that somehow are conceited to the point that they think that we should somehow take political advice from them. If I was a star, I’d be scared to death to make a declaration one way or the other for a political party. I mean this country is pretty close to being split down the middle on political persuasion, and to actively taunt the other half into hating you is a sure sign of narcissism.

I’m not too impressed with the latest display by both Morgan Freeman and Hank Williams Jr. Why on earth would you think the purchasing public would want to hear your opinion on the state of the country? Isn’t it your job to entertain us? I am NOT amused nor am I entertained by your antics.

I have added the last two names to a continually growing number of actors and culture personalities that disgust me. Brad Pitt, I hope you and Sean Penn are getting the message! Obviously others feel the same as I do because Mr. Pitt is suffering a dismal first two weeks of his new movie.

I wished everyone would wake up and vote their conscience in the way of box office receipts and tell these legends in their own minds what we really think of them. Mr. Williams I am disappointed in your actions, they were once wholly reserved for liberals, but now you have crossed the line and are playing the game the way “they” play it. I understand your frustration but hardly condone your actions either. Some things don’t need to be invaded by politics nor should they!

Stinging Slightly

Stinging Slightly
Kevin Bryant


Yes, my ears and eyes are still stinging a little over my opinion that the Texas legislature and Gov Perry did something good for the state of Texas and America by allowing kids of illegal immigrants to get in state tuition and go to college.

I never promised anyone that my opinions would be main stream. It you have been reading Al’s blog site for the past three years, you might remember I laid out the case why McCain should choose Hillary Clinton as his VP before he announced Sarah Palin. Some people there thought I was completely off my rocker but looking back, I still think it would have been a wise move.


At least one reader believes that I am endorsing Perry for President. I’m writing this to set the record straight. I am not endorsing Perry. There were 9 candidates up on stage during the last republican debate and out of those 9, I would vote for any of them over Obama, but for the primaries, I have not yet decided though I have pretty much written three off my list. Funny thing about that is, one of those three I would highly recommend that person for the VP slot on the ticket.


To set the record straight, Perry is at best, my 4th or 5th pick to vote for. I like his economic message. I like the fact that he has more Texas Rangers on the boarder than the federal government has agents there. The HPV vaccine law is a totally different issue. He should have never signed that law or any law that diminishes or limits parental control or choice.


Each candidate has plusses and minuses. Romney was governor over what is primarily a sanctuary state for illegals and did nothing to change that. Before Pelosi, Gingrich was the most controversial Speaker of the House in modern times. Paul is hell bent on cutting the military that if we ever had to fight beyond our own shores we would be outnumbered by Russia, China and every major power but France and Pakistan (only because they have nukes are they listed) in terms of personnel and equipment. The only foreign experience Bachmann has is reading & listening to national security briefs. Johnson can’t speak well enough to ever be taken seriously on the world stage. Must be a side effect from supporting the legalization of marijuana. Santorum is so in love with himself and what few things he ever did in congress he considers to be earth shattering acts that I’m surprised he still has the use of both arms after patting himself on the back so often. Huntsman supports Obama’s cap and trade stance, and believes man is the sole reason for global warming. Cain is the only person who has even less foreign policy experience than Bachmann, but I bet he could put on one heck of White House Pizza & Beer Summit.


Well what about Chris Christie? Definitely not ready for prime time. Give him 5 more years. Donald Trump, do I really need to go into this one? Sarah Palin, too many gaffs when she was VP candidate, too narrow in her ability to see 5 – 10 years down the road and a little too rogue for the job.


Each have their own faults and shortcomings and each have strengths about them. Most importantly, each would be a better choice than Obama.



I have yet to make up my mind as to who I will be voting for come the Missouri primary. I have no clue who will be left to vote for when that time comes. It could be Perry, but as things stand right now, there are at least three individuals who rank MUCH HIGHER on my list and one who is about even with him.

My Dear Friends:
William Grant Burmer


There is a story told of a man, the likes of Obama and his army of tyrants, passed down through generations of time. Like Obama the man wanted to be a King over the people and he pursued power wherever he could claim it, even by flattering words deceiving the some with a promise to make those who followed him rulers themselves over the people; Czars has a familiar ring does it not. Such individuals dismiss God or His righteousness and seek for power only, they are quick to do iniquity and be led away by evil men.


We have over the past 3 years seen the wickedness one very wicked man can cause to take place among the children of men. Because Obama is cunning in his devices and a man of many flattering words he has led the hearts of many people to do his bidding, not only to destroy our Christian faith but to destroy all the foundations of liberty which our God has proclaimed the essence of Americas culture.


Now comes the “Tea Party,” an enigma to the men and women who follow after Obama. Not just one man, but a growing plethora of American patriots, prepared to do battle with the evil that has engulfed their sacred Land of Liberty and Freedom; Ready to do battle and reclaim their land, their Christian faith, their love of God and Country from those who would dare take it from them.


Prepare, those of you who are not ashamed of our God, or to keep His commandments, Obama and his followers can see that the “Tea Party” is greater than they and they fear them. We must be faithful above all, to reclaim our Liberty and restore our heritage for which much blood has been spilt.


Let the true justice again prevail in our Legislatures, Our Courts, and with those chosen to lead our Nation. We do not need appeasers; we need men and women with selfless hearts, willing to sacrifice their time for the well being of the people and our Nation, that America can again lead the World in a better direction. God Bless America.

Perry & Texas Are Right

Perry & Texas Are Right
Kevin Bryant



Over the course of the last couple of debates, Rick Perry has taken a real beating for the appearance that he is weak in immigration. In particular, his stance on the children of illegal immigrants receiving in state tuition cost at Texas universities.



Now let the arguments commence. I for one agree with the policy though I do not think it quite goes far enough. The one thing that seems to escape all those hammering him on this subject is “ children of illegals who are here do to no fault of their own”. It’s not like some 6 year old decided one day to leave Mexico on his or her own and come to the U.S. to start a new life. So, somebody had to bring them across and I bet it was the parents.



Now you have a illegal child in the U.S., what do we do in all public schools, we educate them in accordance with the law. By the time this 6 year old illegal has graduated high school, between $40,000 and $80,000 has been spent on this child’s education.



Now he or she is a high school graduate but is still here illegally which means he or she can’t find a job that doesn’t pay under the table, off the books or whatever term you prefer. So, what happens to this person, they become even more of a drain on the system.



You can’t fix this kind of problem until you address border security directly. Seal the borders tighter than a drum and then those who are complaining have a legitimate complaint.



Until then, so long as this child – kid – young adult has not gotten into any trouble with the law, graduated high school in accordance with state and federal requirements and otherwise meets the requirements for college acceptance, then why not get this kid into the system, start the paperwork for citizenship and allow them to go to college.



Chances are, if this kid has graduated high school, never had a run in with the law and meets the requirements for college, he or she would make the most of the opportunity and become a productive and positive citizen of the U.S. and member of society.



Many hearing but not listening to the debates never heard the words “put them on a path to citizenship” , they never heard “to no fault of their own”. All they heard was “illegal”. Are we a society where we directly make the kids suffer because of actions of the parents?



If the kid completes college, he gets a job, earns a living, pays taxes on those earnings and eventually pays back all the money spent to him in the form of sales tax, fica tax, med tax, gas tax and each of the other 120 types of taxes we have.



Even if this kid doesn’t complete college, he or she is now legal to be in and work in the U.S. He or she now has a legal social security number and is required to pay taxes.



Now, the one step further I stated in the beginning. In addition to all the requirements for college mentioned, I would include making the parents register as being in the country go to the back of the line for citizenship and college was conditional upon one of the parents finding gainful employment. The family as a whole would be fined $10,000 to be paid to the state within 10 years.



So, Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, what exactly is NOT logical and beneficial about Texas’s approach to dealing with children of illegals? Come up with a better solution or shut your mouths because you are criticizing for the sake of criticizing. What plan have ANY OF YOU offered that meets or exceeds the one in Texas? Truth is none of you have one.

The Direction of the GOP

The Direction of the GOP
Al Ritter

The direction of the GOP should be guided by the RNC chairman, but it seems that once again the media seems to be setting the stage for the primary. After a series of debates it seems the two front runners (Romney and Perry) are more moderate than conservative. Tea Party conservatives are questioning if this is the direction they want to go in the primary.

The media is now pushing with some of the GOP to get Gov. Chris Christie to run for president. As I pointed out in a past article Gov. Christie is anything but a strict conservative and yet some voices want him to run for the presidency. Isn’t the field populated enough with moderate candidates? With a president that leans as far left as Obama does, do we really need an “Obama lite” candidate?

Do we really need a moderate to get some things done in congress? Some people think that a farther right leaning candidate will only alienate each side of the isle to farther gridlock. I suppose there is ample proof from either side of this issue. Tea Party members seem to think that if a moderate candidate wins the general election it will still leaver us closer to the left than where they want to be.

Every voter will have their own deal breaker issues that they will NOT stray past. Most people seem to think that nobody will have a candidate that they will agree with totally, and that may be true.

Unfortunately I live in a VERY liberal state that still sees Obama in a 60% positive light. Because we deal with general elections and an electoral college my vote in the general election in Maryland has been wasted since 1973. Is that a cynical outlook? Maybe it is, but it also realistic.

I refuse to vote in this election for a candidate that so happens to be the “lesser of two evils.” I made that mistake in 2007, but I will not make it again. The winner of the GOP primary will have to sell themselves to me!

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." --Samuel Adams, in the Boston Gazette, 1781

Lies, and Corruption, When Is Enough Enough?

Lies, and Corruption, When Is Enough Enough?
Al Ritter

Every day when I don’t think things or choices from our government can get much worse I am unpleasantly surprised. Bad choices seem to be the daily menu for this administration. Deceit, lies, and corruption seem to rule the day, and the law of the land is violated as easily as washing ones hands.

We have been lied to by our president on everything from job production to economic policy, to ending wars, to prosecution of criminals. The Obama Administration has turned conflict of interest into an art form. His collusion with unions’ borderlines on treason, and his stand with Acorn is clearly corruption.

I can remember NO time in the past, including the Carter Administration, where I so feared the direction of our country. Obama has done the American people as a whole a disservice. I also fear that he has tainted the candidate pool for black Americans running for office in the future. His arrogance and deceitful nature has without a doubt caused our once staunch allies to cast a guarded eye on our country.

To assume that all these actions are unrelated and unintentional shows the naiveté of holders of such thoughts. This has been a well- orchestrated agenda from the narcissistic leader of our country begging to be the leader of some new world order where only he knows his eventual role. Hope and Change is one thing, but systematic destruction of the country that our forefathers envisioned must not be tolerated.

If I had told you in 2007 that after such a short time after 9/11 that Muslims would be greeted with open arms in droves into our country, both illegal entry and legal, or that the Palestinian people would be on the verge of having their own state declared by the UN while they are still attacking Israel. If I had told you that our President would refuse to seal our borders against illegal entry but declare we are safer than we have ever been before. If I had told you that the Attorney general had been complicit in the death of a border agent because he illegally passed assault weapons over the border to drug cartel members to sway the American people into thinking that guns are bad and should be banned in the U.S. If I had told you that same Attorney General would pick and choose what laws to enforce and what laws to ignore. If I had told you that our president would act as the mouthpiece for organized labor and push forward every objective on the union’s collective table. If I had told you that one of the first things our new president would do is go on a world apology tour right after he was elected…………………would you have voted for him?

Funding for 9/11 Memorials

Funding for 9/11 Memorials
Al Ritter

I was curious as to who funded the 9/11 Memorials so I embarked upon a research project. The three sites have very special needs and of course with those needs come required funds. I only researched the builds on the memorials, not the rebuilding of buildings. Of course the monumental damage done to the 16 square acres in NY was the most devastating in both lives and structural damage. The Pentagon was next on the list with catastrophic building damage. Lastly the Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash site. I will give you every bit of funding I could discover from all three sites.

New York, Ground Zero

This was the most emotionally charged site of all. Early emotion decisions finally gave way to more logical ideas on how best to utilize the sixteen acres destroyed in the two plane crashes. Originally $500 was designated for the Memorials at ground zero, but that figure was later downgraded to $300 million.

A foundation was set up controlled by a 36 member board to not only do fundraising but to make decisions on the final usage of the site. Many hours were spent hearing from victim’s families on their personal ideas as to the design of any and all Memorials.

Gov. Pataki designated $80 million of his 2006-07 executive state budget to the building of to the building of some sort of Memorial to be decided on at a later date. Congress also earmarked $2.78 million to the project. The Department of the Interior has designated the 8 acres of the Memorial as a Nation Park. It has been suggested but not mandated that entry to the Museum area will request a $20 donation for continued funding and maintenance. Victim’s families will never be charged any admission costs for passage to the Museum. Outside entry will always be free. Additional funding for the site has been started by the U.S. Mint in the form of a memorial coin which hopes to raise an additional $20 million to the pot. Of course private donations are the lesser amount and continue to trickle in.

Mayor Bloomberg has offered a personal donation for an unspecified amount. Additional funds for future upkeep and maintenance has been suggested in Congress for the amount of $20 million yearly for staffing and upkeep, however some estimate that the staggering figure will be closer to $55 to $60 million.

The Pentagon

Figures for this Memorial were somewhat harder to get. Because this was basically a military building, the rebuild had to be of the utmost importance to return it to functional mode. The rebuild of the Pentagon was done the fastest and the Memorial although primarily confined to the outside area has made some small concessions to inside the building Memorials. The original budget for Memorials was a conservative $32 million compared to the other sites. The actual cost of phase one was $22 million with an additional $10 million for extension into phase 2 and initial planning. The Pentagon has declared all money for this project was from donations. Some claim that almost all those donations came from Defense Dept. contractors. One donation came from Taiwan in the amount of $1 million. The Pentagon was the first site to not only reopen the building from crash damage but to dedicate its Memorial in 2008. It was announced on September 9, 2011 that phase two will start shortly and a fund drive will be $3 to $4 million to plan for the Visitor Education Center to be built somewhere close to the crash site.

Shanksville, PA Crash of Flight 93

Shanksville, PA is known for its remote location, and therefore creates another special challenge for funding. Once a strip mining area now turned into another Federal Park to the tune of 2200 acres. The Memorial property once owned by a strip mining operation has been acquired and added to by private surrounding properties. Some property was purchased and some was acquired by eminent domain as a buffer zone. Figures for the Memorial do not include property acquisition. The figures for the Memorial were equally hard to obtain. The initial budget was $62 million so far $19 million in private donations and $32 million in state and federal funds have been used. Although the total budget is dwarfed by say New York’s Memorial fund (New York State’s governor’s participation would have paid for the entire Shanksville Project,) the Flight 93 memorial still lags behind by $10 million for completion.


There you have it patriots, the numbers I could find just in case you were curious like me!

My Shanksville Experience

My Shanksville Experience
Al Ritter

A year ago today I was in transit to visit my son in Pittsburgh and just so happened to stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Somerset rest stop. While I was leaving the building I happened to see a Memorial Plaque on the wall for the crash site of Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA. I never really knew where Shanksville was in Pennsylvania but I read on.

The plaque said that the crash site was only 30 miles from the rest stop, so in my mind I was already making plans to visit the site on my return trip. September 10, 2010 just so happened to be my visit date to the hallowed site. I called my friend Eric and asked if he wanted to meet me there, and he was up for the road trip from Maryland and we agreed on a time.

The Shanksville area has been transformed immensely since that fateful day in 2001. The area was basically a strip mining site. Careful planning by environmental groups has transformed the area surrounding the site into a beautifully landscaped zone that now incorporates an electric wind farm. Some 30 wind generators dot the area now and despite claims to the contrary they seem to offer a serene, almost silent feeling of grandeur.

As I approached the site I was surprised that the development of the memorial wasn’t farther along than it was. A dirt covered road lead almost two miles back to the site from the highway. An old work building from the original strip mining site was transformed to house the artifacts from the crash. The intent was to keep things the way they were that horrible day.

I can’t explain the feelings that Eric and I felt that day, and I’m certain that other visitors to attack sites from 9/11 feel the same way. As we stood in the building reading all the information with about 100 other visitors it was eerie how quiet it was. It seemed like a silent tribute to the most active flight that crashed that day. Flight 93 took an active role in preventing the attack on the Whitehouse. From the black box found at the site, it was shown that the automatic pilot was set on the coordinates of the Whitehouse for the final destination. Through the actions of the brave patriots on board they forced a crash into an unpopulated area in the coal mining area at over 500 MPH.

Eric and I both felt an eerie reverence to the passengers on that fated flight, and we both left with a new sense of patriotism. I encourage everyone to visit one of the 3 sites and I promise you will come away with a renewed sense of America.

Today 9/10/2011 the memorial ceremony will be broadcast live on the internet from Shanksville at 12:30 pm. The Memorial Site has progressed at a rather fast rate since last year I will be watching to see the finished product. You may go here to watch http://www.history.com/flight-93-pre-event

Labor Day: Democratic Appeasement to Big Labor

Labor Day: Democratic Appeasement to Big Labor
Al Ritter

When you think about Labor Day, you think about pools closing down, cookouts, and the impending end of summer, but little do we think about the real cause for the holiday. The cause for the holiday was enacted by President Grover over the Pullman strike. In 1893 the Pullman Company was struggling with declining sales and hard times and had increased workers hours and decreased wages. Company owner George Pullman declined to meet with union representatives from the American Railway Union.

Eugene Debs the ARU president increased pressure on Pullman by organizing a massive boycott through 125,000 railroad workers, virtually shutting down the railroads in America. Grover Cleveland felt that this shutdown interfered with the delivery of the mail and therefore violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Cleveland sent US Marshals and some 12,000 military troops to break up the strike. After the dust had settled 13 strikers laid dead and 57 were wounded. Some 6000 workers did over $360,000 in damages ($8.8 million in 2010 dollars.)

In 1894 Cleveland tried his best to appease the ARU and declared the first national Labor Day celebration. Debs was imprisoned 6 months for his part in denying an injunction to end the strike.The name Eugene Debs may ring a bell with some readers, he later became a candidate for president under the banner of the Socialist Party of America in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920 from his prison cell. Noted for his oratory, it was a speech denouncing American participation in World War I that led to his second arrest in 1918. He was convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917 and sentenced to a term of 10 years. President Warren G. Harding commuted his sentence in December 1921. Debs died in 1926 not long after being admitted to a sanatorium.

Congress passed the declaration of Labor Day in just six days siting that they would now place union pacification at the top of their priority list………….not much different from today……..and now you know the rest of the story!

Government Never Created Jobs

Government Never Created Jobs
Al Ritter

Government never created one single job without making itself larger. The Obama constantly touts itself as creating or saving jobs, but let’s investigate their claim. What exactly is a “saved job?” This term is thrown around loosely to make the Administration look better in the eyes of everyday Americans, but what does it mean? To claim a saved job in the Obama Administration normally means they gave some sort of business incentive to keep from laying people off, or temporarily sidestepped a rule or regulation that they first imposed on private business. They then claim that by doing so they “saved” that job, even though they were the ones that put that job in peril in the first place.

The figures came out today that America created NO jobs in August, and unemployment still stands at 9.1%. Obama still clings steadfast to the flawed notion that he is creating jobs. I still hold true to the idea that the government never creates a job that it can’t take away the next time the political winds change. Although government workers only account for 2% (2.7 million people) in the work force, the Administration thinks that somehow they can improve unemployment by adding to that work force. Even IF that were possible and the Administration were to double that number the effect on the unemployment figure would barely change. Hiring additional government employees’ only costs the citizens more in taxes.

Government can’t be the cause of hiring in the private sector. Offering a small business an incentive of $500 or $5000 to hire another employee is ludicrous without first having the need to hire them. Consumer confidence is the ONLY driving factor toward additional hiring. There has to be more customers coming through the door to hire more employees, not some token gesture by government.

We need an atmosphere conducive to business and yes…….here’s that dirty word to a liberal, capitalism. Capitalism is not a dirty word it is the thing that drove us as a country to greatness. It started the age of the Industrial Revolution it was the thing that drove America to be the leaders in the computer age, and Silicon Valley. To strangle our creativity by implementing new rules and regulations is counterproductive in the continued success of our country. Until an Administration sees the light, we shall continue down the tunnel of major failure.

My America

My America
Al Ritter

I grew up in the 60’s. Some of my most vivid memories were the famous air raid drills, hiding under the desk of the duck and cover era. (Like that would have helped in a nuclear blast!). I went to a military school in western Baltimore County from 4th grade to 10th.

Although I was “rebel” against authority, some of the military influence couldn’t help but to “stick.” I graduated from a public high school not far from my home. I started working full time in the summer of my 16th year, and continued to do so through my junior and senior year. My life took a turn from here, I never went to college, although I took some college classes, but I settled down to marry my high school sweetheart just 3 years out of high school in 1976. I worked at different jobs in my twenties all auto related. I felt the sting of government from the Carter years. I upheld the end of the gas line to prevent additional people from getting in line. I heard the obscenities and felt the anger. I watched as the powerful cars from Detroit turned into whimpering shells of cars that once were.

I bought my first house at age 21, and luckily for me got a mortgage at 9%! Shortly after I bought my house mortgages went through the roof, some of my friends stuck with a 21% rate! I saw first- hand what an administration run by incompetent people was like. I wasn’t big into politics back then but I saw how it was affecting my life.


Five years after my marriage my son was born, and my outlook on life changed. I felt the need to somehow do something that left a legacy for my name sake. Fate played a bigger role in my life than a planned existence. By 1988 my body was breaking down do to my profession as an auto mechanic, and for that entire 12 month period I was incapacitated from two ruptured discs in my back. The wonderful man I worked for at the time paid me at full rate and gave me light duty until I could be operated on and recover to the best of my ability. I came back to work in the fall of that year but my ability to bend over fenders was now gone. I needed to work at something but what?

I knew how to weld and I had done odd jobs welding before but I needed to be better, so I practiced long and hard, and after a few months had become a pretty fair welder. I was gifted with an eye for engineering although I never had any formal training. In 1989 I built my first trailer from scratch. I never wanted to own my own business, it just came about from my need to do something to earn a buck and the ability to sit down and rest when my back told me it had enough. In the 5 years that followed I built 535 trailers! Like it or not I WAS a business owner! Thank goodness the stars must have aligned perfectly because I was now in Ronald Reagan’s era! My business prospered at a phenomenal rate. Backlog on orders was about 1month and when it exceeded that time I was able to raise my prices. Life was good!

By 1994 my back was once again acting up and an orthopedic doctor told me that if I didn’t stop building trailers I would be due for another operation and he wouldn’t guarantee the results. This was yet another crossroad for me and I decided to morph my company it yet another direction. I always sold hitches as supplemental add on to the trailer sales, so an idea struck to sell hitches online in the blooming internet sales world. My wife set up the webpage and off we went, never looking back.

Things were once again changing politically and the darkness I felt during the Carter years had returned, not to the degree of Carter but different. We were in the Clinton years, sales were waning, and the buying climate had changed too. It was harder to change with the times now, the products became cheaper built and the attitude of the customer became more demanding. We struggled through Clinton/Bush years. The attack on 9/11 changed our world as we knew it, our innocence was gone and the country took a decidedly darker turn. No longer as a people were “trusting.” We didn’t even trust our president anymore. Our liberties and freedom were being replaced by policies to “protect us.” My attitude towards the rapidly changing business world was growing bitter, and by the end of my fiscal year in 2005 I actively sought retirement, ironically it was also the end of my marriage.

Instead of morphing my business life I was now morphing my personal life into something new and different. I now have time for my son and his family, and I have that special time for me. I am so happy I was born at exactly the right time to enjoy the prosperity of the Reagan years, to enjoy the success of a business I started and ran from the ground up. I was blessed with getting out of the business in the right time, retiring early and now enjoying the fruits of my past labors.

I started writing in the summer of 2004, and wrote a book about the care of my parents in their later years. Shortly after that was published I became heavily involved in writing on politics. I have written over 1000 articles on just about any subject involving politics in one way shape or form. I am unhappy for today’s small business owner, unhappy about the taxes, unhappy about the regulation, unhappy for his ability to succeed. I often wonder if I had started my business in 2008 if it would still be going. Personally I doubt it!................so now you know the rest of the story!

What’s Next Obama? Holocaust Denial?

What’s Next Obama? Holocaust Denial?
Al Ritter

It is one thing to express your opinion, and everyone is entitled to do that in America. But it is an entirely different thing to rewrite history to either further your political career or to secure “political correctness.”

During his presidency George Bush instructed the State Department to compile a list of known terrorist attacks before 9/11 and who committed them. This list survived as a published account on the State Department’s website until recently. There is no doubt in my mind that President Obama personally demanded that the terrorist attacks list be removed from the site.

I ask you, is there any difference between President Obama’s and Ron Paul’s denial that we are at war with Islam and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s denial that there was a holocaust? Ahmadinejad’s denial of the holocaust has been made expressly to further his cause to wipe out the people of Israel, and Obama and Paul’s claim has been made to further the Islamization of the United States.

For those of you that never saw this partial list of attacks on America here is the compilation that disappeared on the State department website:

Ambassador to Afghanistan Assassinated, February 14, 1979: Four Afghans kidnapped U.S. Ambassador Adolph Dubs in Kabul and demanded the release of various "religious figures." Dubs was killed, along with four alleged terrorists, when Afghan police stormed the hotel room where he was being held.

Iran Hostage Crisis, November 4, 1979: After President Carter agreed to admit the Shah of Iran into the US, Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages were soon released, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on January 20, 1981.

Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut, April 18, 1983: Sixty-three people, including the CIA’s Middle East director, were killed and 120 were injured in a 400-pound suicide truck-bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Bombing of Marine Barracks, Beirut, October 23, 1983: Simultaneous suicide truck-bomb attacks were made on American and French compounds in Beirut, Lebanon. A 12,000-pound bomb destroyed the U.S. compound, killing 242 Americans, while 58 French troops were killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Kidnapping of Embassy Official, March 16, 1984: The Islamic Jihad kidnapped and later murdered Political Officer William Buckley in Beirut, Lebanon. Other U.S. citizens not connected to the U.S. government were seized over a succeeding two-year period.

TWA Hijacking, June 14, 1985: A Trans-World Airlines flight was hijacked en route to Rome from Athens by two Lebanese Hezballah terrorists and forced to fly to Beirut. The eight crew members and 145 passengers were held for seventeen days, during which one American hostage, a U.S. Navy sailor, was murdered. After being flown twice to Algiers, the aircraft was returned to Beirut after Israel released 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners.

Achille Lauro Hijacking, October 7, 1985: Four Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists seized the Italian cruise liner in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, taking more than 700 hostages. One U.S. passenger was murdered before the Egyptian government offered the terrorists safe haven in return for the hostages’ freedom.

Kidnapping of William Higgins, February 17, 1988: U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel W. Higgins was kidnapped and murdered by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group while serving with the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization (UNTSO) in southern Lebanon.

Attempted Iraqi Attacks on U.S. Posts, January 18-19, 1991: Iraqi agents planted bombs at the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia’s home residence and at the USIS library in Manila.

World Trade Center Bombing, February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center in New York City was badly damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic terrorists exploded in an underground garage. The bomb left 6 people dead and 1,000 injured. The men carrying out the attack were followers of Umar Abd al-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric who preached in the New York City area.

Attempted Assassination of President Bush by Iraqi Agents, April 14, 1993: The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a cruise missile attack 2 months later on the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Attack on U.S. Diplomats in Pakistan, March 8, 1995: Two unidentified gunmen killed two U.S. diplomats and wounded a third in Karachi, Pakistan.

Attack on U.S. Embassy in Moscow, September 13, 1995: A rocket-propelled grenade was fired through the window of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, ostensibly in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Serb positions in Bosnia.

Saudi Military Installation Attack, November 13, 1995: The Islamic Movement of Change planted a bomb in a Riyadh military compound that killed one U.S. citizen, several foreign national employees of the U.S. government, and over 40 others.

Khobar Towers Bombing, June 25, 1996: A fuel truck carrying a bomb exploded outside the US military's Khobar Towers housing facility in Dhahran, killing 19 U.S. military personnel and wounding 515 persons, including 240 U.S. personnel. Several groups claimed responsibility for the attack.

Empire State Building Sniper Attack, February 23, 1997: A Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding visitors from the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and France before turning the gun on himself. A handwritten note carried by the gunman claimed this was a punishment attack against the "enemies of Palestine."

Murder of U.S. Businessmen in Pakistan, November 12, 1997: Two unidentified gunmen shot to death four U.S. auditors from Union Texas Petroleum Corporation and their Pakistani driver after they drove away from the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. The Islami Inqilabi Council, or Islamic Revolutionary Council, claimed responsibility in a call to the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. In a letter to Pakistani newspapers, the Aimal Khufia Action Committee also claimed responsibility.
Somali Hostage-takings, April 15, 1998: Somali militiamen abducted nine Red Cross and Red Crescent workers at an airstrip north of Mogadishu. The hostages included a U.S. citizen, a German, a Belgian, a French, a Norwegian, two Swiss, and one Somali. The gunmen were members of a sub-clan loyal to Ali Mahdi Mohammed, who controlled the northern section of the capital.

U.S. Embassy Bombings in East Africa, August 7, 1998: A bomb exploded at the rear entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 12 U.S. citizens, 32 Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), and 247 Kenyan citizens. Approximately 5,000 Kenyans, 6 U.S. citizens, and 13 FSNs were injured. The U.S. Embassy building sustained extensive structural damage. Almost simultaneously, a bomb detonated outside the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 7 FSNs and 3 Tanzanian citizens, and injuring 1 U.S. citizen and 76 Tanzanians. The explosion caused major structural damage to the U.S. Embassy facility. The U.S. Government held Usama Bin Laden responsible.

Kidnappings in Kyrgyzstan, August 12, 2000: In the Kara-Su Valley, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan took four U.S. citizens hostage. The Americans escaped on August 12.
Attack on U.S.S. Cole, October 12, 2000: In Aden, Yemen, a small dingy carrying explosives rammed the destroyer U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 others. Supporters of Usama Bin Laden were suspected.

Manila Bombing, December 30, 2000: A bomb exploded in a plaza across the street from the U.S. Embassy in Manila, injuring nine persons. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front was likely responsible.

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Homeland, September 11, 2001: Two hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Soon thereafter, the Pentagon was struck by a third hijacked plane. A fourth hijacked plane, suspected to be bound for a high-profile target in Washington, crashed into a field in southern Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 3,025 U.S. citizens and other nationals. President Bush and Cabinet officials indicated that Usama Bin Laden was the prime suspect and that they considered the United States in a state of war with international terrorism. In the aftermath of the attacks, the United States formed the Global Coalition Against Terrorism.These were attacks BEFORE 9/11, and happened either on American property or involving American citizens. These accounts are only a partial list, twice the amount that was reported worldwide. All these attacks were perpetrated by “Islamic” or “Muslim” groups. No massive condemnation has come from the “peaceful faction of the Islamic faith.” There was also a list compiled about attacks after 9/11 which has also been removed from the State department website.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts”…Patrick Moynihan