bman

Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11,2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't.

I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, please know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college hazing incident, rest assured that I truly don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and --- you guessed it...... I don't care.

Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country.

This rant was written by Pamela Foster of Atlanta Georgia, and submitted to me by a very good friend of mine, Dale Johnston. I would normally never reprint something like this.. but Im not sure I could have ranted any better myself!

The next news anchor or reporter that I hear mispronounce the word 'cache' will be promptly stabbed in the face repeatedly. Im sick ... SICK to death of hearing them pronounce it cash-ay instead of cash. A quick check at good ole merriam webster would be in order for them.

Pronunciation: 'kash
Function: noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cache

"No child left behind". Anyone remember this? For those of us nearing 40, do you remember the early Reagan education initiatives.. how about the Clinton education initiatives? Well if you do not remember them dont fret over it...neither does anyone else including our lawmakers, educators, nor the majority of those under 30yrs of age today. Never fear, the 2008 campaigns are going to begin in full force very shortly and im quite sure that this next generation of bureuacrats will certainly bring this education issue up again.

For some reason Government feels that tossing money at most anything will fix it. This theory could be applied to some things, but education is not one of them. These programs were merely selling points to obtain voters as they sound good on the outside, but any reasonably intellligent person would see right through the thousands and thousands of pages of text and realize that it wont work.

As in any capitalistic society money drives the gears. When you are funding a large portion of any school system they become accustomed to this income. Now you tell the schools that their children, who's test scores have been steadily declining since 1980, that they must get their students scores back up to a national standard OR you're going to penalize them by taking away some of their money. How fair is this? Does anyone honestly believe that 99% of the teachers in America suddenly stopped caring about children beginning in the 1980's? I dont think so. The ever increasing statistics on drop-outs and high school students who cant pass basic reading and math tests are directly attributed to a huge decrease in our society's morals, ethics, values and most importantly, pride.

The schools have known this very simple fact: You cannot teach anyone anything that they dont WANT to learn. Yup, its true. Look at the prison system. That is probably the harshest form of education in existence today and guess what? It doesnt work. The prison system has a 44% relapse rate... 44%.. amazing.

Now a dilemma unfolds. They need the money to continue daily operations; What should they do? Simply fixed! Let's lower the standards required to get the children to pass! What a novel idea! This was a much larger mistake than any government education initiative ever could have been. Now begins the long slow boat ride up the proverbial shit creek. Each passing generation has now been graduated from High School with fewer real requirements and real knowledge than their previous generations as the government threatens to take more and more money away from schools who's children cannot read or write at a certain level. This has continued now for almost 20 years and guess what? Our National education average when being compared to other countries has fallen from #3 to number #17 by some studies, and as low as #22 on others.

Now when these children are in the work force will they expect the very same set of standards that we required of them while in school? Will the companies that employ them begin to lower their requirements simply because they cant find anybody to do the same job better and more efficiently? Will the companies give them the same pay with less performance expected of them? I think not.

The largest issue with our education system is that we as a people are suffering from lower morals, ethics, values, pride and common sense. People simply do not care about much of anything anymore except themselves. Why should they? There are so many government funded programs, aid and assistance available to them that there simply is no need to really learn much about anything if they dont have the personal drive, morals and common sense to do so.

This steady decline in common sense, morals, pride and IQ is quickly blinding the general population from the bullshit the government is handing us... this will allow the steady flow of bullshit from the government to continue its ebb and flow at an ever increasing rate and increase people's reliance upon more government intervention in our daily lives. Its already begun.. just look around and think about it for a bit.

I walk into the grocery store yesterday, June 2nd, 2006. The scene is somewhat chaotic, almost like a pre-9/11 or pre-Katrina atmosphere fills the air. Dozens of shopping carts racing busily along the meat counters - people grabbing things as if armageddon will happen soon. The aisles, freezers and refrigerated shelves look in total disarray - items accidentally knocked off the shelves lay on the floors - the entire meat section has been completely ravished - trash laying on the floors and throughout the aisles. People almost running me over as I traverse the aisles. What in the hell is going on? Is there an approaching major storm that I didnt hear about? Was there a union strike somewhere that may cause a shortage in the food supplies?

I am totally miffed by now. So I hit the meat aisles and couldnt even find any steaks..... none - however there was tons of hamburger...which I didnt want. I hadnt had any steak in a couple of months and damnit I was in the mood for a nice big juicy steak. I found a store employee and rushed over to him to ask just what in the hell was going on... why all the disarray, pushing, shoving and for god's sake.. wheres all the damn steaks?! He looked at me, smirked and said.. "Dont you know what day it is?" to which I replied, "No, did I miss a Holiday or something?" He looked down at his watch, pointed, and said, "Uh, its the first of the month.. the welfare recipients received their checks today." Holy shit I exclaimed! Now I was mad. I wish he wouldnt have told me this as now Im paying a lot of attention to the shoppers, their food choices and unfortunately, the vehicles they're driving - something I dont ever recall even being interested in.

Yea, I know I shouldnt be bashing those less fortunate who clammer to the grocery stores at the beginning of each month with hundreds of my tax dollars in hand happily piling their shopping carts with the only the finest meats and produce that money can buy - but its hard not to get upset when you see your local grocery store looking like a battleground, trash laying around everywhere, ravaged, mostly empty shelves in total disarray, and most importantly, I noticed some of the fine vehicles that many of them piled their dozens of grocery bags into. Get someone else to buy your groceries and I guess you can afford Lexus, Escalades and Cadillacs.

Now in all fairness I didnt see *everybody* get into a $45,000 vehicle but I did see a good number of them going away in some rather expensive vehicles. My description of the scene at the grocery store has not been exaggerated - I wish I would of had my camera to take some pics of the store, you honestly wouldnt believe it, I know I didnt.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Dont shop for groceries during the first few days of the month.
2. Im not smart enough to figure out how to get the State to buy my groceries.