Mustang Rambles

Once again, government has reached out to screw with your individual freedoms.

Philadelphia has begun to tax bloggers as much as $300.00 for the privilege of blogging on the internet. According to an Investors Business Daily editorial, Philadelphia is reaching out to “touch” someone else for tax revenue. So much for freedom of speech.

Two years ago, August 8, 2008, I blogged on the Mayor of San Francisco’s plan to fine non-recyclers up to $1000.00. Of course, he would exempt property owners of rental buildings and apartments.

On May 4th of this year, I blogged:

Alexandria, Virginia. They are adding computer chips that will track you recycling habits so they can “educate” you in your civic responsibilities.

Now, in Cleveland we find:

The City of Cleveland is quietly going about issuing trash and recycle bins that will report your trash and recycle use. If you don’t recycle enough items, they will dig through your trash and possibly fine you $100.00.

Questions arise. How long before they begin mandatory “educational” programs? Will attendance at these programs by regarded as lawful or unlawful detainment? If you are a repeat offender, who many times will you repeat before some harsher punishment is deemed necessary? What happens if you are such a good “green” person, that you don’t use products that are composed of recyclables? Do you get a pass or will the robot bins report you anyway?

In April I told you about other forms of control on your life:
# Blackboxes for Autos http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042904700.html
# National ID Card http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/95235-democrats-spark-alarm-with-call-for-national-id-card
# Mandatory Organ Donation http://wcbstv.com/health/ny.organ.donor.2.1662437.html
# Clean Water http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/14/private-property-clean-water-restoration-act/

When and where will the line be drawn for individual liberty? Will the countryside be the last resort for independent and free Americans? Will we be banished from cities and towns, or just rounded up and kept out of the way?

Why are their views on trash better than my views?

There are still people who enjoy life, and who can see possibilities the rest of us are too stuck in the mud to see. This couple did it right. Their joy brought joy into my life, it brought hope for the future, and a renewed belief in the young. Enjoy this video.

According to my American Heritage Dictionary, a religion is:

1. The expression of man’s belief in and reverence for a superhuman power recognized as the creator and governor of the universe.

The definition for a Theocracy is:

1. Government by a god regarded as gthe ruling power or by priests or officials claiming divine sanction.

As I read this, Islam is both. The religion part is obvious in the adoration of Allah by Muslims everywhere. Islam is also a theocracy by the institution of ruling bodies of religious clerics representing by Imams, and other ruling religious figures. Examples that readily spring to mind are the government of Iran, and the former Taliban government of Afghanistan. While Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries have seemingly non-religious leaders, it is apparent by their policies that Islam governs many of their policies. The greatest example is when you hear of Muslims wanting to re-establilsh the Caliphate that included all of Spain, north Africa and most of Asia Minor. This Caliphate was not just a civil governing structure, but a religious governing entity that ruled absolutely over its subjects.

If you look at Sharia Law, Muslims claim it to be above any other system of law in any land they inhabit. In fact, they have been demanding that they be allowed to live by Sharia, and not by the local laws of Great Britain, France, The United States, and many other countries. In effect, they are trying to establish their own government inside our national boundaries.

The next question that looms, if Islam is a theocracy, if it is governmental in nature, should it be allowed tax exempt status since it preaches ideological and political tenets in its house of worship?
Should it be allowed to hide behind the “freedom of religion” laws and practices that our other non-political religions enjoy? Or, should there be some way to separate the religious from the theocratic in Islam?

Anyone out there with answer?

Friday night, at a dinner celebrating the start of Ramadan, a month-long Islamic religious observance, President Obama stated:

Obama said that while he understands Ground Zero is “hallowed ground,” he told a group of Muslims that he believes they have “the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in the country.”

“And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances,” he said. “This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41069.html#ixzz0wbvfkA1y

Well, that was admirably stated, Mr. President, if your commitment was real. Maybe you should step in and say that Americans should be able to wear religious jewelry, post religious pictures and objects at their place of work, and that school children should be able to wear clothing with religious pictures and sayings on them. Apparently, it all works for Islam (Muslims may wear headscarves), but not for Christianity or Judaism.

At best, you are a phony, Mr. President.

Much ado about nothing? Watch out for this video popping up on facebook.

Here’s a facebook link that has a short video http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=145345572161897&subj=1511972404 that claims the FBI Office in Phoenix, AZ has issued a guide that describes someone who quotes, mentions, or references the Constitution while talking about our Federal government OR THE UNITED NATIONS should be considered as potential terrorists.

These “terrorists” are possible quite insane, murderous, and should be treated with psychiatric drugs and mind-altering substances in order to make them docile and safe.

While the brochure does first attack “Constitutionalists” under the heading of “Right Wing Extremists”, it is a bit scary to think that those of us who hand out the Constitution to our friends can be snatched up and sent to the funny farm.

IMPORTANT NOTE: FOLLOWING REFERENCE PAGE IS DATED NOVEMBER, 2001

Check out more facts on this seemingly, innocent brochure here at: http://seclists.org/politech/2001/Nov/80

This video says it all about how Democrats view the Constitution and the powers of the Federal Government. If you ever had any doubts about the subtle overthrow of the Constitution, this explains the philosophy of the Democratic Party. This all happened in Hayward, CA, and surprised me by the support of the questioner by the audience. Seems even California has true Americans who have had enough.

Athens, Alabama, located 15 miles south of Tennessee in Limestone County, became the 1800th US city to visit mustangrambles. A town of 19,00, Athens has been basically agricultural in nature but is now growing as an industrial town. A look at their Chamber webpage shows that Friday will host the Tanner Tractor Pull. Hurry and get your tickets!

Just missing out at 1799 was Washington, Pennsylvania. Upcoming events include, oops, that page is not working on their website. You can visit the “The home of David Bradford, leader of the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794″.

A step late and visiting at number 1801 was another Michigan town, Benton. A look at the google search shows that the page listed for Benton mentions two other “Benton, MI” towns. Which is which and which one visited is unknown. Interesting enough, their webpage is hosted by “epodunk“.

The new “National Coordinator for Health Information Technology”, Dr. David Blumenthal has stated that the new electronic health records that everyone must have by 2014 will not contain the results of positive AIDS tests or abortions.

Interesting that these vital health records will omit certain items that various liberal constituencies consider “sensitive”.

At the same time, everyone of these health records will contain the BMI, or Basic Metabolic Index, of every individual. A high BMI means you are obese. Being obese is indicative of health issues that may arise that could be long term and costly, and therefore of concern. Isn’t AIDS a long term and costly disease and therefore should be in the medical records?

It is obvious if a patient is obese, but not if the patient is HIV Positive. Isn’t it important for health care providers to know who is HIV Positive and who is not? But if it isn’t in the health records, how will they know?

The big point here is why are somethings mandated and some hidden? Obviously, the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is already corrupted by politics. But with this Administration why I am surprised?

The US Army reports that a record number of soldiers committed suicide in the month of June. This continues a trend that has risen appreciably in the last four or five years as the mental strain of service in prolonged wars against shadowy enemies and restrictive rules of fire have played mental havoc with our troops. Too many have been unable to withstand the hardship. Why?

Two questions arise from this.

1. The Marine Corps suicide rate is much below the Army rate. The only thing I can think of to cause this result is better training and motivation.
2. Why are our “volunteer” troops so unable to cope with their choice of career? They know going in what it is going to be about. They are trained to kill people and blow up things. They are trained to win. Oh, oh!!

Seems I might be on to something here. It would appear that our policy in Afghanistan as it was in Iraq, is to destroy the enemy and build a stable government. Our army isn’t very good at civilian stuff, we are not really trained that way. In these two areas of operations, we have been very careful not to kill civilians and have thus incurred lots of unnecessary casualties. We succeeded in Iraq (though it remains to be seen how well our success will play after we are gone), but our efforts in Afghanistan really suck. We have never really tried to weed out the bad guys using overwhelming force. Our killer instincts are hampered by our concern for a bunch of opium farmers who provide much of the dope that is ruining America. Soldiers are trained to win, not screw around playing soldier for the press and politicos. Not being allowed to win creates a lot of stress. Our troops are having a hard time handling it. And that brings me to the root problem.

For the last forty years, we have been on a sweety-pie binge in America. Everyone must have their feelings protected. They must be absolutely safe. Hence, no more dodge-ball at school, no more tag, no more keeping score at baseball and soccer games, everyone gets a trophy just for showing up, don’t tease, don’t critique, don’t grade in red pencil, don’t tell him he’s wrong, don’t, don’t, don’t, bullcrap! Most of our kids these days grow up without all the adversity most of us older guys experienced during our youth. We got bloody lips falling down, banged our head without helmets, lost ball games, got picked last, got hit in the head at dodge ball, were too slow to tag the fast kid on the block, and it all made us tougher, able to handle bad things in our lives, made us strive for excellence, and to depend on ourselves and our buddies who were in the same boat as ourselves.

The liberal psychologists and self-help people have ruined two generations or more. We have put skirts on our men.