Northington '08

Moving the Blog Site

2008-09-12T17:11:00.004-04:00

A new site has been developed for ongoing discussions and conversations. The current political campaign is ended, but life continues day by day. Many new options are available for the future. No door is closed at this time. Losing a vote changes life for a bit. Who can tell what is around the next corner these days?

Come and visit Jerry Northington.com to read my thoughts of the day and to continue discussion over the course of time. I look forward to spirited discussions in the same vein as so many we had here on the campaign blog. Many issues face our state and our nation today. Together we can become a force for change over the course of time.

Peace.

The Campaign Is Ended

2008-09-10T06:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday the voters made their decision. Another candidate, Karen Hartley-Nagle won the race for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Congress. The voters have spoken My race is ended.

Congratulations to Ms. Hartley-Nagle, and the other Democrats who won on September 9th. I will do all I can between now and November 4th to elect the Obama/Biden ticket and others who will end this war and bring sanity back to our country.

To all who offered support I offer my heartfelt thanks. The race could not have been run without your help. Words do not suffice to express the depth of my gratitude.

Short only of winning I and those associated with the campaign accomplished our primary goals. Early on in my relationship with every campaign staff member and with many volunteers who came to the race later, I expressed my absolute dedication to honor and principles. Together we ran a race in which our collective honor was kept intact. We sacrificed not one principle for the sake of gaining another vote. We each and every one leave the field bloodied but unbowed. Our heads are held high.

This has been without a single doubt the greatest experience of my entire life to date. The challenge was the biggest I ever faced. The course of the campaign led me to people, places, and actions which would never have entered my life otherwise. I learned a great deal about myself and about others along the trail.

For myself I have no regrets whatsoever. I am proud of what was accomplished. I am sad for those who found hope and lent their support to what in the end was a failed course. Hope must spring eternal no matter what happens in our lives. We must all cling to hope lest we lose the last remnants of what makes our lives meaningful. Hope keeps us going for another day, another race to be run, another battle to be fought. Hope is our reservoir of inner strength.

Again my thanks to all of who stood by my side in this campaign. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart. May all the blessings of life be yours to enjoy all the days of your life. You have all earned my deep and abiding respect. I will forever be grateful.

Peace.

NEWS FLASH

2008-09-05T14:32:00.001-04:00

Gentle readers, I must close the blog for at least a few days. Back online after the Primary. The final stages of this campaign are taking all my time.

See you all in a week or so.

Peace.

The Uniter Rides Again

2008-09-05T07:05:00.002-04:00

A few years ago President Bush campaigned on the idea he was a "uniter," not a "divider." How much farther from the truth could one be? Today we hear of McCain touting the same message one more time.

Let's use the best ideas from both sides.

We're all God's children and we're all Americans.

I fight for Americans. I fight for you.

How many more times will the American public fall for this rhetoric filled with empty words and hollow promises?

McCain stands for the same principles Bushco employed for the last 8 years. There may be little worse than allowing another 4 years of the same old mistreatment of America.

We need real change and a new direction today. The nation and its people are suffering. Our economy is a shipwreck breaking up on the shoals of poor administration and bad economic policy of the Bush administration. We are mired in a war McCain promises to continue for another hundred years or so. Our environment is suffering the ravages of too little protection as we continue to poison our world. We continue to pursue a course of oil dependency which cannot be sustained. At least the Democrats offer the possibility of real change and a new direction.

We must turn our nation around. We need policies from the Federal government which support the growth and development of small and medium businesses. All corporations no matter the size must be treated in a fair and equal way. We must end the favoritism shown the multi-national corporations as they continue to export jobs from our shores. Small businesses have long been the backbone of the American economy as they will be once again if the playing field is leveled for one and all.

We cannot afford to continue paying the monetary and human costs of the war in Iraq. We have lost too much already. Our military is stretched beyond its limits. With the pressures on the National Guard we have little reserve for emergencies within our own borders. We must regroup as soon as possible. Support the troops the best way we are able, bring them all home.

We must address global warming before large amounts of our nation are under water as a result of sea level rise. Human contributions to global warming are well documented. We must move quickly to alternative fuels such as wind and solar along with geothermal energy. We are late on the curve, but drastic action may save much of the future trauma we face without a new direction. Moving to alternative fuels will produce new jobs in the nation as we find research and development along with manufacturing on the rise.

Peace.

Debate Online from TV 6, WPVI

2008-09-01T17:59:00.002-04:00

On Sunday morning the debate between my opponents and myself was televised. The link is here. See for yourself the entire recording. Then decide which of us deserves your vote for the U.S. Congress.

Peace.

Poverty and Boats

2008-08-29T19:05:00.002-04:00

Imagine our nation and the economy as a three-masted sailing ship. Then give the people at the top of the tallest mast a lift to an even higher position. Did that help the people in the hold of the boat who are still below the water line? A recent article in The Nation by Katrina vanden Heuvel discusses this issue in our nation.

Our economy today with the Bush tax cuts concentrates wealth in the nation in the top 1% of people to a degree not seen since 1928. The theory of trickle down economics by which tax cuts for the highest wage earners has not brought any measure of real benefit to the middle and lower class wage earners. Robert Greenstein, Executive Director of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said,

Never before on record has poverty been higher and median income for working-age households lower at the end of a multi-year economic expansion than at the beginning. The new data add to the mounting evidence that the gains from the 2001-2007 expansion were concentrated among high-income Americans.

The article continues to discuss the falling numbers of Americans without health care. This change is a direct result of more people being covered by Medicare and Medicaid along with children taken under government programs. The change is a good one but not an indicator of improved status in our nation.

In conclusion Ms. vanden Heuvel says

Unless (and until) we tackle the gap between the very rich and the rest of America--including the growing number of people falling into poverty --it will be increasingly difficult to confront the major challenges of our time.

The truth is, lifting the boats at the bottom has historically been good for all Americans.

The time for lifting from the bottom of the boat is now. We are late already. If we fail to begin to change course today we will lose even more ground in the future. The time to take a new direction in our nation is at hand.

Peace.

Castle's Failing Memory

2008-08-27T09:35:00.002-04:00

Congressman Castle continues to insist he puts "people before politics" and says he has the people's interests at heart these days. He forgets his support of the Military Commissions Act relieving the people of the right of habeus corpus. He ignores his support of the No Child Left Behind Act condemned by most educators and leading to a decline in the actual teaching of our children. He ignores his steadfast support of the Bush administration with more than 80% of votes overall with the administration and more than 90% with the administration on the war and on economic issues.

The time has come for a new direction in Delaware and the nation. We, the people, can ill afford the kind of support offered by Congressman Castle and the Bush administration.

Peace.

Change Direction on Energy and the War

2008-08-27T09:05:00.001-04:00

In a recent op-ed article, my opponent in the Democratic congressional primary, Karen Hartley-Nagle, listed a series of problems facing the United States and the world. What she did not do was suggest solutions to the problems we face. Delaware voters deserve more than a restating of challenges; we deserve ideas and solutions. We need a new direction for this state and the nation.

For most Delawareans, the top issues are the state of the economy and the Bush administration's disastrous foreign policy adventures. Nearly eight years of Republican mismanagement of the economy, including an utter lack of any energy policy, has left many Delaware families on the edge financially.

Add to that the increasing cost of health care, food and fuel and the financial pressures on the men, women and children of this state are overwhelming. Clearly, we need a new direction in these areas.

Much of the economic crisis facing Delawareans stems from two dramatic errors made by the federal government: the lack of a comprehensive energy policy, and no regulation whatsoever in critical financial markets.

My economic solution calls for the creation of a national energy policy that will incorporate new and sustainable long-term energy sources with a steady decline in U.S. reliance on foreign oil. While the notion of complete energy independence is laudable, to get there we must fully exploit existing and emerging technologies.

Delaware is uniquely poised to be on the forefront of these technologies. For example, converting the soon-to-close Chrysler plant in Newark to build wind turbines would not only create a new industry for Delaware, it would play an integral role in energy policy and benefit the environment.

Without doubt, the federal government must play a more substantial role in regulating the financial industry, especially those segments that touch people directly, such as the mortgage industry. That is why once in office, I will submit legislation to ensure Americans never again are the victims of predatory lending by mortgage companies or other financial institutions.

American foreign policy has led to us being less secure. Our military is facing exhaustion. The war of choice in Iraq has cost lives, resources and strength, making it nearly impossible to respond to crisis spots around the world.

Contrary to what Republicans such as President Bush and Congressman Mike Castle believe, going to war does not make a nation stronger. It just puts us in greater jeopardy.

As a Vietnam veteran myself, I support bringing the bulk of our troops home as soon as possible and rebuilding our military so we can defend ourselves from credible threats, such as terrorism.

In a short newspaper article, it is difficult to touch on all the critical issues facing Delawareans and all Americans such as health care, crime, the environment and property rights. That is why I have a comprehensive list of issues and solutions at my campaign Web site, www. Northington08.com.

I am asking for your vote in the Democratic primary Sept. 9. Together we can turn Delaware and the nation in a new direction.

Biden for VP!!!

2008-08-23T08:02:00.002-04:00

Obama has made his announcement. Joe Biden is his choice for Vice-President. Good days for Delaware and the nation are on the horizon. Biden brings large amounts of foreign policy experience to the pairing. In addition Biden's 30+ years in the Senate give him the experience of government the administration will need to make progress on issues facing the nation today.

Walking the streets the last several days I found many people anxious to see this particular pairing. The opinion among voters in neighborhoods seems to be uniformly positive about Obama. Now with the addition of Biden Delawareans have more than one reason to celebrate.

Onward and upward we go! This is the best year the Democrats have had in a long time. This is the year when I feel confident we can sweep the House and possibly take a veto proof majority in the Senate. The pairing of Obama and Biden goes a long way toward making the year an overall success in Democratic Party politics. Let us hope this is the mark of the beginning of a truly new direction for our nation.

Peace.

I Call Foul!!!

2008-08-19T11:21:00.002-04:00

The News Journal today published an op-ed piece by one of my Primary Election opponents, Karen Hartley-Nagle. There are many issues with her writing as she leans far to the Bush administration fearmongering side. That is not the reason to call FOUL.

FOUL is called for the newspapers loose journalistic reporting as she is called the "Democratic candidate for Congress." In fact there are three people in a Democratic Party Primary Election scheduled for September 9. On that date the candidate for U.S. Congress will be chosen by the voters, not by the News Journal editorial board.

A retraction and an apology had best be in the offing. This is journalistic failure of the worst degree. The newspaper may or may not favor one candidate over another but to promote any candidate in such a blatant way is unforgiveable.

We need a new direction in our nation as a whole these days. The News Journal would do well to take the same ideals and work for journalistic excellence as opposed to this sort of sloppy work.

Peace.

Some of My Positions as a Peace Candidate

2008-08-18T08:53:00.003-04:00

In 1970 I came home from Vietnam a young but change man. From that day until this day I have been a peace activist standing in steadfast opposition to military intervention in place of diplomacy, negotiation, and peaceful resolution. My time in Vietnam allowed me to see the effects of war on the troops on both sides, the people of the nation, and the countryside. War is not a solution but rather is a generator of too many different probems.

My actions as an activist at long last drove me to a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Delaware, my home state. After beginning the campaign I discovered many issues in need of correction in our nation today. We as a nation need a new direction for our future.

We have many people without health insurance at all and too many with too little health insurance. A universal, single-payer health insurance system is necessary today. We stand as one of the only two developed nations around the globe without single-payer health care for our citizens. We can no longer afford to let our citizens languish without adequate coverage. Every American deserves the best medical care we have to offer.

I am a veterinarian. I have been a scientist all my adult life. We need more scientists in government to insure we make decisions on the basis of facts and not emotion and hollow slogans. We must seek new alternatives for energy production. Science offers the answers to renewable energy and new means of transportation but we will find those solutions only if we seek them. We must stop poisoning our environment if future generations are to survive on our planet.

Our prisons are overcrowded today with people in need of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Yet we fail them and release those people without benefit of any help along the way. We must begin to treat the people in need. We must offer housing and job training for released prisoners lest we see the rate of return to prison become even higher than today.

As a veteran I am ashamed of the treatment our returning troops find today. In my time the GI Bill was enough to allow me a fine education. Health care in those days was free and available. Today we are failing our troops. Any nation that fails its troops is a failing nation.

We are failing our children in our educational system. We must begin to rebuild the infrastructure and to allow our teachers more time for teaching and less time for required testing. An educated population will build an economy filled with better paying jobs far into the future but we must turn to a new direction soon if we are to make that change. A nation that fails its children is a failing nation.

Government today should be about fairness, openness, and accountability. I am first and foremost a peace candidate but that is only one small aspect of a greater whole. I stand for human rights for one and all. We as nation will stand together or we will fall apart.

Today we stand on the threshold of historic times. We have the opportunity to turn our nation to a new direction if we take the time and make the effort to support candidates who live our ideals. We are each and every one responsible for the future of our nation. We must not allow our elected officials to forget their responsibility to the voters. Elected officials are place holders for the people. The people, ALL the people, are the ones responsible for the future of our nation.

Peace.

Questions to be Asked

2008-08-14T08:41:00.002-04:00

In a fine article Roberto Rodriguez poses questions reasonable to ask of various elected officials and candidates across the nation. He ends with perhaps the single most important question of all.

Question for the mainstream media:

You in fact do ask the tough questions -- not of the strong and powerful, but of those who question the strong and powerful. When can we expect to see a return to the journalism that is preoccupied with protecting freedoms as opposed to the bottom line?

When indeed may we expect to see true journalism once again in our nation?

Peace.

The Military Commissions Act

2008-08-14T08:09:00.001-04:00

One more in a series of questions posed to me by a fellow blogger and human rights activist:

Do you support the Military Commissions Act of 2006?

In a word, NO! A very emphatic and loud NO. Of all the rights granted by the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights perhaps not one is of greater importance than the writ of habeus corpus. As defined under American law

A writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate to a prison official ordering that an inmate be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether or not he should be released from custody.

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 serves to remove the right of habeus from all detainees classified by the administration as military combatants. No judicial review is allowed those so named. The law in effect allows punishment without judicial proceedings, a concept foreign to the American way.

Our nation was founded on principles of liberty and justice for ALL. There is not one mention in our Constitution of any distinction among human beings. One may argue the Founders saw some races as inferior and intended to keep them subservient, but the wording works to the benefit of every person in the nation. Any person deprived of any rights is in effect punished. The MCA works in ways that violate the sense of our Constitution and of the ideals of our Founding Fathers.

The United States cannot hope to recover any measure of moral standing so long as the MCA is allowed to remain a force of law. We as a nation owe it to ourselves and to the world to repeal the act and get on with fair and open trials of those charged with crimes against our nation. Those detainees for whom the law was intended to punish and are not to be charged should be released and resettled in their own nation posthaste.

Given the wording of both the MCA and some Bush signing statements the greater danger to Constitutional rights in this country today may be the application of the MCA to any person (citizens are not excluded from the reach of classification as an “enemy combatant”). To insure our freedom in future times we must restore the balance of power as established by the Founders. A triumvirate government is only as strong as the weakest of the legs (just like in the three legged stool).

Peace.

"Inadvertent" Deaths

2008-08-09T07:56:00.002-04:00

According to the dictionary inadvertent means

unintentional

Today we get news of the "inadvertent" killing of 4 women and a child in Afghanistan. The deaths are the result of actions taken by US led troops against militants in the area.

How can we forget those who suffer most in war are often the women and children? We should keep in mind there are always innocents in war zones. War is not a game played on a board in the comfort of a living room. As Sherman said

War is hell.

We need to remember that fact on a daily basis as our nation continues to consider increasing our military presence around the world.

Humankind is in real danger if we fail to change our course and take a more peaceful way into the future. We humans possess far more than enough weapons to destroy the entire globe. We had best be careful or we will leave nothing but a burned cinder behind one day.

Peace.

500

2008-08-07T08:50:00.004-04:00

In the United States today we tend to forget there is still a war going on in Afghanistan. That military action continues to be deadly for American troops. We have reached a milestone with 500 US soldiers killed.

How many more must die before the nation recognizes the mistake? We are fighting a local insurgency that is becoming more and more entrenched. We should be fighting the causes of terrorism by reducing economic woes around the world. We as a nation need to lead the world in peaceful and humanitarian moves. We cannot continue to be the world's largest bully if we hope to lead in any measure into the future.

In memoriam for the fallen,

Peace.

DailyKos Fundraiser

2008-08-03T13:18:00.006-04:00

Friends of mine in the blogging community are hosting a fundraising fest at DailyKos. Please feel free to visit and join the conversation or follow along to see how we fare.

For 4 evenings, we're raising money on DailyKos for Jerry Northington, or Possum, who is running in Delaware. Possum's primary is this September. Possum is a Vietnam Vet and veterinarian who will provide our caucus with a much better Democrat!

All times are PST.

Possum 4-day DailyKos Fundraiser
Sunday August 3
3:00 p.m. Al Rodgers
5:00 p.m. Seneca Doane
7:00 p.m. noweasels
9:00 p.m. Patriot Daily
11:00 p.m. llbear
Monday August 4
3:00 p.m. One Pissed Off Liberal
5:00 p.m. Avila
7:00 p.m. Elise
9:00 p.m. blueness
Tuesday August 5
3:00 p.m. OrangeClouds115
5:00 p.m. pico
7:00 p.m. srkp23
9:00 p.m. Magnifico
Wednesday August 6
3:00 p.m. clammyc
5:00 p.m. gildareed
7:00 p.m. melvin
9:00 p.m. A Siegel

This should be a good time for one and all. Many thanks.

Peace.

Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming

2008-07-30T08:35:00.002-04:00

Given all the ongoing talk about carbon emissions and cap and trade, the numbers are mind boggling for the average consumer. What about some steps to take without too much complexity? For example, instead of driving to town or to work, carpool with a neighbor. The gasoline consumption is reduced by half and greenhouse gas emissions are likewise reduced.

In terms of transportation we hear lots about development of electric cars. Those are a fine idea so long as renewable energy is available to recharge the vehicle, but what about lowering the amount of transportation we use for our products. Buy local. Consume farm products from your area. Those fruits from New Zealand are wonderful, but the transportation costs and the contributions to greenhouse gas are not necessary.

Drive less. Reduce your driving by 20 percent and save the same in gasoline expense. The ratio continues with more reductions. And every mile not driven reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Reduce your cooling in the summertime. Sit under a tree part of the day instead of asking your environmental system to provide creature comfort. Demand for power is highest in the summertime. We can reduce that demand and lessen the production of greenhouse gases by our power plants if we allow the temperature to rise a bit in our homes.

Simple solutions are all around. The trick is getting people to notice and to be more careful. Gasoline prices today are reducing the amount of driving and sending people to dealers for more efficient vehicles. At least we are making small steps. Bigger steps are necessary in time but every contribution helps.

Peace.

The Case of the Burgeoning Deficit

2008-07-29T09:35:00.002-04:00

News reports of the day tell a sad tale.

The deficit will hit $482 billion in the 2009 budget year

This figure is far above the previous record of $413 billion set in 2004 and may grow even more as costs of the occupation of Iraq and the ongoing war in Afghanistan continue to rise.

The Bush administration makes history in so many ways these days. Setting records for expenditure is not a usual hallmark of Republican adminstrations, but this one is a different breed altogether. Every Republican in Congress along with a number of Democrats must be held responsible for this maladministration of budgets. The nation cannot sustain deficits of this magnitude if we are to survive into the future.

Peace.

Offshore Drilling Is No Solution

2008-07-24T07:49:00.002-04:00

In today's News Journal Christine O'Donnell writes about offshore oil drilling as a solution to the pain of current high gasoline prices. This tired old tale needs to be refuted until people begin to see the truth. Offshore drilling may produce new oil supplies, but the first barrel to reach our shores is years in the future at the very best.

Real solutions to the current oil crisis lie in alternative energy for transportation, renewable energy sources for electricity, and in conservation of energy overall. America must begin to explore energy sources such as natural gas, ethanol (from other than food grain sources), methanol, and electricity as power sources for our vehicles. We must expand solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources. And we must work to stabilize or lower the price of oil into the future. Oil prices are affected by unrest around the world. Pushing for stability in the Middle East and other oil producing areas of the globe will help stop wild speculation in oil futures.

The world supply of oil is not endless. In all cases we must begin to leave our oil dependency to the past. Our future depends on our adoption of new energy sources. We cannot expect new drilling in any part of the world to be a solution to our immediate problems. Solutions will take time to be effective. If we fail to move quickly to new energy resources the pain of today will be multiplied tomorrow.

Peace.

Oil Dependency

2008-07-20T09:42:00.002-04:00

Much recent news and discussion centers on increased drilling by American companies. Proponents suggest the course as a way to reduce gasoline prices and reduce American dependency on foreign oil. Of course neither of these is likely to happen even if all of America's oil reserves are exploited.

American imports of foreign oil have increased from less than 60% of our yearly usage to more than 70% during the time of the Bush administration. We as nation must reduce both our oil usage and our oil imports. Only by turning away from a carbon based fuel system in favor of renewable energy do we have hope of solving this crisis.

Delaware is well positioned to be a leader in wind energy. We are first in the nation to contract for offshore wind power generation. We have a labor and manufacturing base in place and ready to produce the equipment necessary for increased wind energy generation around the nation. If we lead the way Delaware can be the First State in reducing national oil dependency.

Peace.

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

2008-07-10T12:48:00.001-04:00

A bumper sticker distributed by Common Cause carries the words

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

Never in the course of human events were words more true than is that simple statement in today’s world. We may sit around our keyboards as we moan and complain all we wish. We may energize some person out there, but we have a greater effect when we take action on our own.

Paul Wellstone had the right idea when he said

The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Not one of us can afford to sit on the sidelines one more moment. We must take action on the streets. We must talk to people. We must act on our beliefs and on our dreams lest we fail to see a new course come about in our nation.

In a different context this morning another blogger said what I have said for a long time.

we should insist up front that among the prices we demand from those who seek our support in order to gain political power is that they do more than offer pious words and wring their hands, that they speak out and act

In that context a specific situation of genocide was being protested, but the thinking applies across the spectrum. Again from Wellstone

We can and must move U.S. politics forward by means of committed participation.

Think for a moment about committed participation. Does that mean limiting our activity in some way? Or did Wellstone intend a much more broad interpretation including a variety of activities and interactions? I submit he wished people to take real action up front and personal. We must hold our politicians accountable by every means at our disposal. Protest in their offices. Write and call them. Find a local candidate in need of help and volunteer for the campaign. Work to elect better officials at every level and then hold those people accountable for their actions and their words.

For much too long too many in our nation have accepted elected officials at face value. For too long a time people have listened to the fine words without digging into the real meaning. Too many politicians fail to follow more than the money these days. That must change. To that end we must get off the sidelines and into the game. We cannot afford to let any person in the nation today remain a spectator. Each and every one must enter the game. Together we will turn our nation around.

Peace.

Responsible Withdrawal From Iraq

2008-07-09T13:58:00.005-04:00

Full and rapid withdrawal from Iraq is the responsible approach to world affairs. United States military forces attacked the nation and continue to occupy the country without any legal grounds for either process. The initial invasion was both illegal and immoral. Today we are losing lives and spending dollars we can ill afford. We must end our involvement in Iraq as soon as possible.

Several plans for withdrawal have been put forth. One set (PDF) of suggestions seems well in line with my own thinking in large measures. The report recommends withdrawal

quickly, carefully, and generously

in order to address both humanitarian and military considerations.

The economic assessment of war costs is grim.

The war has been economically costly to the United States as well. A recent study by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes estimates the total cost of the war to US taxpayers may reach $3 trillion when long-term veteran care and assistance is factored in.

And yet the administration continues to hold to the line that we are on the right course.

In the face of this grim record, US officials, such as Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker in their April 2008 testimony before Congress,
have repeatedly told Americans that the only way to pursue peace in Iraq is to continue prosecuting the war.
There is, of course, an alternative: to withdraw US troops while pursuing a diplomatic and political solution to Iraq’s civil conflict.

The report may be summarized as follows:

To make its intentions clear prior to withdrawal, the United States can and should:
1. Seek a short-term renewal of the UN mandate instead of a bilateral US-Iraqi security agreement.
2. Announce support for a new UN mandate to take effect in 2009 that will legitimate and define international participation in Iraqi reconciliation, reconstruction, and humanitarian aid.
3. Signal that all of Iraq’s neighbors, including Syria and Iran, will henceforth be treated as partners in promoting stability.
4. Support the establishment of an International Support Group for Iraq.
5. Inform the Maliki government that the United States will soon announce a timetable for withdrawal and will shift toward a stance that emphasizes neutrality and non-interference in Iraqi politics.

Subsequent to the announcement of a timetable for withdrawal, to promote reconciliation in Iraq the United States can and should:
6. Take vigorous diplomatic steps to stem the flow of arms and foreign fighters feeding the civil war and communal violence.
7. Assist Iraqi actors and the UN in convening a pan-Iraqi conference on reconciliation, backed by an expanded writ for a UN mission in Iraq. Among other things, that conference should seek an immediate ceasefire and redress of the losses of refugees and internally displaced persons.

On the international level, the United States can and should:
8. Immediately re-engage Syria and Iran in non-coercive “give-and-take” diplomacy addressing bilateral issues.
9. Engage with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey seeking their support for peace and economic recovery efforts in Iraq.
10. Work within the International Support Group to encourage Iraq’s six neighbors to promote peace and stability in Iraq and the region.
11. Strengthen the provisions of the International Compact with Iraq for reparations and debt relief.

With regard to security, the United States can and should:
12. Identify likely flashpoints and, when requested by Iraqis, factor them into the planning for transitional US military activities during the period of withdrawal.
13. In anticipation that a blue-helmeted peacekeeping force will be needed and requested by Iraq when the US withdraws, support the UN in organizing and funding it.
14. Assist the UN and donor states in creating disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs.

With regard to economic and humanitarian issues, the United States can and should:
15. Cease pressure on Iraq to open up its oil sector and other parts of its economy.
16. Support the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in better addressing the plight of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.
17. Give aid to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon earmarked for the care of Iraqi refugees.
18. Support a plan to fund refugee resettlement in third countries.
19. Donate to an Iraq Development Fund that bankrolls a labor-intensive public works program and helps to fix the broken food rationing system.
20. Help to strengthen Iraqi NGOs, with special attention to women’s groups.

In sum, the United States can and should: quickly carry out a full military withdrawal from Iraq, carefully pursue diplomatic remedies for the Iraq crisis, and generously give to help rebuild Iraq in the long run. The responsibilities are not America’s alone, but America must lead.

The entire report is well worth reading. Specific recommendations are given to implement the plan. There is much to consider as we begin to face ultimate resolution of the Iraq fiasco. Let us all hope we can begin the resolution sooner rather than any later.

Peace.

One More Bush Style Republican

2008-07-09T13:37:00.002-04:00

Congressman Mike Castle has voted with the Bush administration 81.4% of the time in the 110th Congress. This includes votes in support of the FISA bill on August 4, 2007. In addition Congressman Castle voted to support the administration by voting against bills that provided funds for the ongoing occupation of Iraq but also included timetables for withdrawal. Overall Castle has been a steady war supporter and a near constant administration supporter.

The record speaks for itself. One need look no farther than the last 8 years of voting record to see where Congressman Castle stands on the issues that affect our nation today. He along with the administration are responsible for the state of our economy and for the ongoing loss of lives and dollars in an illegal and immoral occupation.

Peace.

G-8 and Global Warming

2008-07-09T09:21:00.002-04:00

A recent article concerning the G-8 agreement to cut greenhouse gases as presented in the News Journal is somewhat misleading. In spite of a headline purporting a goal of cutting greenhouse gases, the actual agreement as described in the article is not binding on any nation and in fact is little more than an agreement to continue discussion in future years.

The ideals of the proposal including cutting greenhouse gases by half by mid-century are admirable, but may be very little very late in the overall scheme of life. Global warming as indicated by melting of the polar ice packs is an indisputable fact. We humans must reduce our contribution to this warming effect by reducing our carbon emissions if we are to sustain our presence on earth into the far future.

Some gloomy predictions include a sea level rise of more than three feet by 2050. In that worst case much of Sussex County would be flooded. We need rapid and firm actions to reduce global greenhouse emissions. Agreeing to continue discussion is not enough. Actions taken today are the only protection against future disaster.

Peace.

Iraqis Insist on US Withdrawal Timeline

2008-07-08T15:25:00.002-04:00

The Iraqi National Security Advisor, Dr. Muwafaq al-Rubaie,

said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

according to a report from the AP today. In spite of administration opposition to any withdrawal timetable, the Iraqis are resolute. From al-Rubaie

Our stance in the negotiations underway with the American side will be strong … We will not accept any memorandum of understanding that doesn’t have specific dates to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq

The UN mandate for a US presence in Iraq expires in December. Without some measure of agreement the occupation will then cease to be supported on any international level. Ongoing American military presence depends on Iraqi cooperation and agreement.

Maybe this time the United States will be forced to withdraw. Then diplomatic and economic solutions may be sought to the problem of worldwide terrorism. The military approach has failed every time in history and is failing once again in Iraq.

Support the Troops. Bring Them Home.

Peace.

Privacy in Today's Electronic World

2008-07-07T14:45:00.002-04:00

In recent months there has been much discussion about the telecommunication industry and its involvement in warrantless wiretapping in response to orders from the Bush administration. What is less newsworthy in our mainstream media is the far reaching effect of legal searches brought about by the power of a subpoena.

Last week's news tells the tale of Google's being ordered to turn over YouTube user data.

For every video on YouTube, the judge required Google to turn over to Viacom the login name of every user who had watched it, and the address of their computer, known as an I.P. or Internet protocol address.

This is a massive amount of information which if examined in the right ways may allow profiling of individual user's activities online.

Online usage reflects a larger measure of an individual's life than do medical records, financial records, school records or other solitary glimpses.

All this raises questions that I think Internet companies, privacy regulators and Congress would be wise to take stock of:

* How much data should be retained by Internet companies and for how long?
* What should Internet users be told about what sort of information could be disclosed about them in response to a legal action or government request?
* Should there be new laws that define more clearly what the standards are for disclosing online surfing and searching activity?

Given computer's storage of every bit and byte of data that passes through their circuits, how indeed do we protect our privacy into the electronic future? There is much we must consider. We must face the needs of national security and of copyright. Still our Bill of Rights insures the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure. How will be balance all these different aspects of life? What part will hardware play as opposed to software or laws?

The future poses many interesting opportunities for the spread of information. Computers change the way we interact with each other and with our surroundings in ways no one could have predicted a few short years ago. Only time will tell for sure how matters of privacy are to play out, but we must all consider ourselves forewarned today. We are all one subpoena away from having our entire online lives laid open to examination.

Peace.

Failed American Energy Policy

2008-07-06T08:05:00.002-04:00

The New York Times has a fine article today summarizing the failure of American energy policy over the past many years. Given the current gasoline price of more than $4 a gallon there is much concern among people of all economic positions in the nation. Everyone is suffering the consequence of decisions made over the course of the past 30 years or more.

Entire industries are reeling — airlines and automakers most prominent among them — and gas prices have emerged as an important issue in the presidential campaign.

Over the last 25 years, opportunities to head off the current crisis were ignored, missed or deliberately blocked, according to analysts, politicians and veterans of the oil and automobile industries. What’s more, for all the surprise at just how high oil prices have climbed, and fears for the future, this is one crisis we were warned about. Ever since the oil shortages of the 1970s, one report after another has cautioned against America’s oil addiction.

Where did we go wrong? In large measures the source of trouble may be seen in our own driveways. Americans are now and have been for years obsessed with large vehicles.

Nearly 70 percent of the 21 million barrels of oil the United States consumes every day goes for transportation, with the bulk of that burned by individual drivers

For many years low cost gasoline was part of American culture. We built houses far from centers of business and continued to drive everywhere we wished to go. Today we are paying the price of our neglect.

In 1975 the first corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards were passed.

LARGELY as a result, oil consumption in 1990 totaled 16.9 million barrels, basically on a par with the 17 million barrels consumed in 1980, even as the economy grew substantially.

A proposed revision of the CAFE standards to raise the average to 40 miles per gallon failed.

Amid furious opposition from Detroit, liberal Democrats from automaking states, like Carl Levin of Michigan, joined conservative Republicans like Jesse Helms of North Carolina to block new CAFE standards

The argument at the time included automakers responding to public demand. People bought more larger vehicles instead of smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. I'd argue this was in large part due to advertising pressures as automakers made the larger vehicles seem more attractive and macho. The better profit margins on larger vehicles (especially SUV's) made the pressure on automakers even more decisive.

Since the 1970's

global consumption [of oil] has taken off, rising to 85.2 million barrels a day last year from 76.3 million in 2000.

BY 2001, oil prices were slowly creeping up, but few seemed to notice, perhaps because the march was slow and steady.

But the handwriting was on the wall for those willing to take notice. The automakers missed the call and continued to build and market their profitable gas guzzlers.

Now even politician regret their previous stance on CAFE standards.

...onetime CAFE opponents like Mr. [Mike] Castle [R-DE] now say they wish that Congress had acted sooner.

Nice to see him on the right page for a change, but now is much too late.

The crisis is upon us today. The pain of the current market will not ease any time soon. Solutions lie in the distant past. Today we must face the situation and look for long term solutions.

“It’s a shame we’re doing this now instead of 10 or 20 years ago,” says Mr. Castle, who supported the legislation last year.

But where was he in 2001 when he voted against raising CAFE? Hindsight is wonderful but today we need honest foresight in Congress.

Solutions are not going to be found easily found. Foreign car makers are much better positioned to take advantage of the rise in gasoline prices and the changing demand of American consumers. Detroit is seeing the profit margins of large vehicles dropping faster than the companies are able to respond. The Chrysler plant here in Delaware is closing for an 8 week period this summer to retool for a pair of hybrid vehicles. The entire American auto industry must move as fast as possible to produce smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles.

Our government needs to invest in research and development to insure technological advance into the future. The current crisis is one more warning sign about a future we must face. Our society must take a look at housing development patterns. We must begin to improve our mass transit opportunities. We can no longer afford our oil addiction.

The pain of today is not to be relieved any time soon. We must demand accountability and truth from our elected officials. We must insure a future for our children and our grandchildren by moving to renewable energy sources and we must make the move very soon. Bluewater Wind will supply a small fraction of our electricity. We need a great deal more resources like that. We must move to electric cars or to hydrogen powered vehicles. There is much work to be done. If we fail to move today we stand to lose much more in the future.

Together we can face this situation. Americans have shown themselves to be resourceful and flexible over all these many years. We can face the issues of today if we stand together and take action. We stand together or we fall apart.

Peace.

Patriotism

2008-07-05T20:18:00.003-04:00

This weekend many people are pondering their personal ideas about patriotism. Nearly two years ago I posted a piece in which I pondered some personal thoughts about patriotism. Today I present that writing for review. The thinking is fresh as the day of the orginal.

Every week I have the privilege of standing on street corners with a group of war protesters. Every week we get various names thrown our way. The list is not endless, but the various epithets are several in number. "Patriot" has not to date been among the various suggestions. In the early days of protesting I took those epithets as a personal affront. No longer. Today I have a fine idea just who I am and what my life is about. Today in addition to being a patriot I am a husband, father, stepfather, worker, consumer, gardener, Vietnam veteran, war protester, and so much more.

The dictionary defines a patriot as a person who is devoted to and ready to support or defend his country. Patriotism according to the dictionary is not defined by race, wealth, or home address. It is not defined or limited by sex, skin color, or age. My version of patriotism grows out of a sense of loyalty to the founding principles of this country. I truly love what this country could become if we were allowed to follow the founding principles of liberty and justice for all. FOR ALL. Liberty and justice were not reserved for the rich, the famous, or the powerful but given freely to every person in this country when the Constitution was written.

In the name of fighting terrorism we have seen our freedoms severely limited first by an administration acting on behalf of itself and now by a Congress too spineless act on behalf of the people. These acts done in the name of Patriotism take away much of what I understand to be the truest meaning of the word; although those supporting such laws and acts may hold a different opinion.

Under the principles of liberty and justice for all we would have universal education and opportunities for all to find their own ways in the system. We would have universal health care so that all could live to the fullest without restriction in accordance with a ability to pay to maintain their bodies. We would see elected officials ready to serve the population from which their voting support was drawn instead of abiding the corporate interests which offer the most money for the reelection campaign. We would have a country in which people have real job opportunities where the welfare of the employee would come ahead of the corporate bottom line. We would have a country in which people honestly respected different opinions and in which people listened to one another without throwing rocks at each other.

In this country of liberty and justice for all we would have respect for governments and populations outside our borders. We would not feel obligated to invade foreign soil in order to establish our own peculiar version of democracy. Instead we would lead the world by example as true leaders and not as bullies trying to be biggest on the block.

Is this vision of patriotism and country too far over the line of fantasy to come true? I think not. Our country has survived more than 200 years in spite of the changes in government and society over time. We have demonstrated our resilience in the face of adversity more than once. Today we can do the same one more time.

Today we have much of the same opportunity to put our country on the right track that our Founding Fathers had 200 years ago. The election is just around the corner in time. We have an opportunity to demonstrate our patriotism as individuals by executing our right to vote and supporting candidates that adhere to the principles we consider most important. We have the chance to show further patriotism by seeing that others vote in accordance with their personal feelings whether or not those individuals happen to agree with our personal ideas. It is by acting as true patriots and by remaining loyal to the founding principles as defined in the Constitution that we have real hope for the future.

Peace.

Progressive Democrats of Delaware Endorsement Came Today

2008-07-04T21:24:00.003-04:00

The Progressive Democrats of Delaware have a process of evaluation for candidates at all levels of public office in Delaware. The process includes both a written questionnaire and a personal interview before a candidate is given the group endorsement. This year Jack Markell is endorsed for Governor and Matt Denn is endorsed for Lieutenant Governor among others.

Tonight the group announced my endorsement as a candidate for US Congress. This is a powerful recommendation coming from the most progressive group of Democrats in the state. The endorsement brings a new level of support to the campaign for which I am grateful.

The announcement was made at a gathering of the group in a member's home. Food, drink, and political conversation were shared by one and all as we enjoyed each other's company. Politics is lots of work but the fun times are also part of the package. Today was a combination of both.

The work of the campaign continues day by day as all of us continue to work to insure a victory both in September and in November. The road is long and arduous but the goal is a worthy one which must be pursued if we are to turn our nation around.

Peace.

Concerning Poverty

2008-07-02T12:46:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago a fellow blogger submitted a series of questions to probe my thinking. The following is one question and my answer.

You have written extensively about poverty as a human rights issue. How would you fight poverty at the grassroots level? What's the best way to get local citizens engaged in caring for their neighbors?

Poverty is a basic human rights issue for all of society as the poor have no real freedom, no security, and no opportunity in their lives. In order to be free in this life one must have rights including choices in housing, clothing, and overall activity not available to the poor. Security in terms of knowing food will be on the table and housing will keep the family dry are important but are often not within the reach of the poverty stricken. Opportunity to advance in life requires the ability to move about (a car is nice but not always necessary) and seek new circumstances. Those who find themselves in a situation defined by poverty are restricted in terms of their ability to move about. For example in Delaware there is no Sunday bus service today. The service is scheduled to begin in June only in the far northern part of the state. Many low income wage earners are not able to take jobs which require travel to and from work on Sunday in order to improve their situation.

The solution to poverty is simple if job creation can be accomplished. Those in our nation with good jobs need not worry about poverty being a part of their life. Delaware is a small state in danger of losing the last real manufacturing jobs if the local automotive plants are closed. We as a state must increase our employment base. We have an opportunity just over the horizon with wind generated electricity. Delaware has manufacturing plants which may be retooled to manufacture turbines. We have a population of educated people ready to take jobs in supporting and maintaining the turbines over the course of time.

Ever state in the nation must begin to create new jobs to allow their population to rise to the position of supporting a family. Education must be supported to provide a substantial group of workers. Trades must be supported to allow for training of future employees for skilled jobs. Tourism may be encouraged (Delaware does have ocean beaches) in order to provide more employment in time.

Fighting poverty on the grassroots level is more difficult but more important than at state or Federal levels. People need to be shown the effect of poverty on their nearby neighbors. One may travel through parts of Wilmington, or parts of Kent or Sussex county and see the housing conditions without even being required to leave a car. Any person can take a video camera or a still camera for a walking tour of poverty stricken areas. Pictures are often worth a million words. Once people begin to see the effect of poverty on families and children perhaps changes may take place.

There are many groups at work in Delaware today acting to relieve the worst effects of poverty. The food banks and homeless shelters can use volunteers most any time. People need to be encouraged to help out by donating time and energy in addition to money to those facilities already in place. Many churches have outreach programs already in place and in need of public support. Every person has the ability to write or call their elected officials in support of measures to alleviate poverty at all levels of government.

The best ways to gain public action and support against poverty is to show the similarities between the poverty afflicted and the remainder of society. People living in poverty have children, are often married, and are often elderly. Those of us blessed enough to avoid the struggles of poverty are the very same. It is the similarities that should drive people to aim to help one another.

The place of government in relieving poverty is multi-faceted. Government should serve to provide a safety net for those in need. For those affected by all measures of poverty the government needs to step in with food, housing, job training, and health care. People must feel secure in their life in terms of the basics to have any hope of climbing the ladder out of the poverty well. Federal, state, and local governments all have a part to play in this safety net. It is to the local governments final responsibility for action should fall as those officials are the ones most closely attuned to the problems of their own community. The Federal government may set standards and then should distribute money in fair and equitable ways to insure all in need are best served.

Federal programs including Food Stamps, food distribution, and housing subsidies are in place today but are in need of expansion. Qualifying incomes are often far too low given the costs of food and housing in the nation today. The standards should be reconsidered and revised in accordance with changes in the national economy over the course of time.

In a nation founded on principles of liberty and justice for all we must keep in mind those affected in any way by poverty. There is no justice and no liberty for the poverty stricken. We are a rich nation in the overall. The time has come for sharing of our benefits and our resources to the benefit of one and all. If we are to declare any “war” in the future, poverty deserves to be a target.

Peace.

Recycling is an Economic Benefit

2008-07-02T12:21:00.002-04:00

Tommywonk has the story. New York City studied the economics of recycling as compared to trash disposal. The report (PDF) includes several observations one of which is

...the overall cost of processing – as opposed to collection – a ton of the city’s recyclables is currently significantly less than the cost the city must pay companies to bury or burn a ton of the city’s regular trash.

Hear that Delaware? We need mandatory recycling in every part of the state. I don't know what your neighborhood has today, but we pay for recycling. We get a pickup every 2 weeks are and aggressive within the household about recycling all that is compatible. Now if every household in the state can get on the same program we can all contribute to a better environment and save money at the same.

The entire blog story is a worthy read. In addition the full report is a fine source of information.

Peace.

Sunday Bus Service

2008-06-29T11:14:00.002-04:00

For the first time ever buses are running in Delaware on Sunday. At long last people without private transportation are able to get to jobs, to church, and to shopping on public transit. The celebration took place on Rodney Square at 9AM with the departure of the first bus.

Following remarks by Scott Spencer, Mark Brunswick, Jack Markell, and others a bus departed with the first passengers to leave Rodney Square. Not long after buses began to arrive with passengers on board. The first arriving passengers were a mother and children coming to the city. Every arriving bus in the first hour had passengers on board. Not a single one left Rodney Square empty. For the very first day this is one fine beginning.

Now the issue is to improve all facets of mass transit. Delaware and the nation suffer a relative lack of public transportation. In this day of rising fuel costs the demand for these services is on the rise. We must find ways to fund public transit with stable, longterm money guaranteed into the future. In addition we need to begin development with public transit in mind. These steps are a needed part of our nation's future energy policy if we are to wean ourselves off the carbon addiction one day.

Peace.

Environmental News Bits of the Day

2008-06-28T17:11:00.004-04:00

Via the Climate Crisis Coalition comes news of various degrees of good today. Everyone may receive a daily summary of this new by subscription on the website.

Today's news begins with a bright spot. From the LA Times comes the news

House on Thursday moved to provide $1.7 billion to help transit agencies

Granted the money is offered to help with fuel costs, but at least help is on the horizon. We need larger subsidies and more encouragement for mass transit at all levels in our nation today. The effects of current fuel costs are to be found in use of public transit these days.

Last year, public transit recorded its highest number of trips in 50 years. During the first quarter of this year, ridership on light-rail lines rose 10% while vehicle-miles traveled on the nation's roads declined 2.3%.

Support for public transit, long regarded as secondary to highway funding, comes as Congress appears poised to reject President Bush's effort to take money from mass transit to help erase a projected deficit in the federal highway trust fund.

From the New York Times comes word

the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

The industry is already concerned over the fate of federal solar investment tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress renews them. The moratorium, combined with an end to tax credits, would deal a double blow to an industry that, solar advocates say, has experienced significant growth without major environmental problems.

At the same time gas and oil production is in full swing without apparent environmental concern in the West. We must be considerate of our environment on all fronts, but at the same time we need to move toward renewable energy sources for our future. Government bureaucracy must not be an impediment to the process. Government should function in this arena for fairness and accountability the same as in all of its affairs. Large questions loom on the horizon as the carbon fuel crisis makes time of the essence in developing large scale renewable energy sources.

From the London Independent comes word of a possible ice free North Pole this summer.

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

Seasoned polar scientists believe the chances of a totally ice-free North Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by huge swathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.

The thinner ice formed in only one year is much more likely to melt away as the summer season continues. We can all hold our breath as this effect of climate change continues right before our eyes.

In a week that saw Delaware approve an offshore wind farm the London Independent reports

In the next 12 years, 7,000 wind turbines will spring up across the hills and around the coasts of Britain

Why cannot we here in America follow the lead of so many others in this realm?

And from the LA Times we hear of Governor Swarzenegger calling a spade a spade in opening more oil drilling.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a veiled swipe at Republican presidential hopeful John McCain on Thursday when he said at a climate conference here that anyone suggesting offshore oil drilling could bring down gas prices was "blowing smoke."

All carbon fuel usage is "blowing smoke" into our atmosphere. Good for the Governor. About time someone took the big stage to point out the fallacy of increased drilling in this time of crisis.

The Climate Crisis Coalition can use your support, too. I took these bits of news from a single day e-mail summary. Much more is available in their archives. Every day brings a new summary for those interested in the protection and care of our environment.

Peace.

Pandering to Big Oil

2008-06-19T11:11:00.002-04:00

The New York Times has an editorial today telling the sad tale of Bush and others insisting on more drilling for oil.

This is worse than a dumb idea. It is cruelly misleading. It will make only a modest difference, at best, to prices at the pump, and even then the benefits will be years away. It greatly exaggerates America’s leverage over world oil prices. It is based on dubious statistics. It diverts the public from the tough decisions that need to be made about conservation.

The bulk of the issue is fiction being put forth as truth by Big Oil and their friends. Like Senator Harry Reid said

That a country that consumes one-quarter of the world’s oil supply but owns only 3 percent of its reserves can drill its way out of any problem — whether it be high prices at the pump or dependence on oil exported by unstable countries in Persian Gulf.

How ridiculous can we get.

People are hurting with $4 a gallon gas. Higher prices are on the horizon as the cost of oil continues to rise. Politicians are always ready to pander in their offerings in order to insure voter support in the future. Today we need real truth. We need real solutions to a problem with no quick fix. We must face the facts of today and get on with making tomorrow better.

The situation we face today is very complex and is rooted in decisions made many years ago and continued to this day.

...the oil companies are not starved for resources. Further, they do not seem to be doing nearly as much as they could with the land to which they’ve already laid claim.

They need no new claims until the current areas are developed to their potential.

We must rush to put in place alternative energy solutions. We are far behind but the pain of the present must serve as a lesson for the future. We need to push for clean energy transportation including light rail and increased bus service. We need new ideas for development that allow for communities accessible by bicycle and on foot. Urban sprawl must be controlled if we are to have a real future.

The technology is developing. The United States is already behind Europe in both wind and solar generation of electricity. We must run, not walk, into a renewable energy future. If we fail our world today future generations will have little or nothing left on which to depend.

Peace.

Broken Laws, Broken Lives

2008-06-18T08:35:00.002-04:00

Physicians for Human Rights just released a lengthy report called Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of Torture by US Personnel and Its Impact. The entire report is available with free registration. The message is nauseating, but important enough that all should read the entire 130+ pages.

This report demonstrates that the permissive environment created by implicit and explicit authorizations by senior US officials to “take the gloves off” encouraged forms of torture even beyond the draconian methods approved at various times between 2002 and 2004.

The patterns of abuse documented in this report, however, are consistent with numerous governmental and independent investigations into allegations of detainee ill-treatment, making it reasonable to conclude that these detainees were not the only ones abused, but are representative of a much larger number of detainees subjected to torture and ill treatment while in US custody.

In each case, the clinicians provided opinions on possible torture and ill-treatment based on correlations between individual allegations of torture and specific physical and psychological evidence. They found no evidence of deliberate exaggeration in any case.

In addition to reports and evidence of repeated beatings and other physical and sexual abuse

Among the conditions one or more of the detainees reported were placement in a urine-soaked punishment room, being forced to wear soiled underwear, often for weeks or months at a time, denial of access to food, water and toilets of any kind, and exposure to cold without blankets.

All of the former detainees reported being subjected repeatedly to lengthy periods of isolation that ranged from ten days to as long as two months in duration.

Physical assaults during detention included being kicked, stepped on, dragged, slapped, and forcefully thrown against a wall.

And the report goes on and on. The abusive treatment of detainees around the world has been well documented over the course of time. One can only wonder how may more were treated badly at the hands of US forces or US allies. The shame of this will linger for many years.

If this administration fails to register as the very worst of all time I will be very surprised. The level of moral turpitude exhibited by the Bush-Cheney regime is apalling. We as a nation will be many years making amends before we pay the final price for the misdeeds performed in our names.

Peace.

McCain vs Women

2008-06-16T15:40:00.002-04:00

Frank Rich has a fine summary of the McCain history in terms of women and their rights today. In spite of the current efforts to paint McCain as a supporter of women history tells a different tale altogether.

In 1998 McCain had to apologize for a crude and insensitive joke about Hilary and Chelsea. He continues to be an avowed opponent of a woman's right to reproductive choice. According to Ariana Huffington

A man who over the last eight years that NARAL has released a pro-choice scorecard has received a 0 percent rating (in his time in office, Obama has received a 100 percent rating)? A man whose campaign website says he believes Roe v. Wade "must be overturned"? A man who has vowed that, as president, he will be "a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to life movement"?

Rich closes saying

The ludicrous idea that votes from Clinton supporters would somehow make up for McCain defectors is merely the latest fairy tale brought to you by those same Washington soothsayers who said Fred Thompson was the man to beat and that young people don’t turn up to vote.

I'd go further saying any woman who supports John McCain for President needs to take a serious look at herself and at the candidate. Women have come a long way in recent years. McCain intends to reverse that progress and put women back into the stone ages once again. The nation cannot afford the man for President.

Peace.

The Solar Panels are Installed

2008-06-15T10:13:00.004-04:00

After a lengthy search and information gathering time, we decided to install solar panels on our roof to help with energy generation. The company we chose, CMI Electric, is local and came to us with a fine reputation. We signed the contract several weeks ago and just this week the installation time arrived. Thanks to the state of Delaware with their energy subsidy program we were able to put this together.

On Friday morning (two days ago) the crew arrived.

Before installation began our house looked this way:

And at the end we had a series of 12 panels on the front roof.

When the crew first arrived a quick inspection of the working space turned their attention to the rear of the house.

The front has a 35 degree pitch. The rear is much less sloped.

Slogans were everywhere as work began.

In a very short time the place became a veritable hub of activity. The driveway and garage were preempted as work and storage space.

Installation of the roof mounts began.

The panels were unpacked and readied.

Work moved rapidly.

The basement wall was the location of the main power console.
Before.

After:

(The extra bits are Verizon's FIOS connection to our home.) The console gives us information about the state of the system and tracks our energy generation over time. Watching the meters is a fun addiction these early days.

The system we installed is GE Photovoltaic. At 200 watts per panel we have a 2.4 kilowatt system.

Earlier this morning the system was generating almost all the power we were using in a time of partial sunshine. We anticipate doing much better in full sun later in the day.

Green energy is a way of life around here these days as we try to conserve and to move toward renewable energy sources. This change is necessary for our nation if we are to survive far into the future. Our reliance on carbon based fuels cannot be sustained.

Peace.

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T07:55:00.002-04:00

To all you fathers out there, Happy Father's Day. Today is a day to remember both the fathers and the single mothers who act as fathers these days. Those people bear a large responsibility for the next generation. It is responsible parents who raise responsible and accountable children who assure our future.

I am blessed twice in this life. My son is an adult living in North Carolina, married, and talking about having his own children one day. I also have a teen stepdaughter who brightens my days on a regular basis. The joys of fatherhood are celebrated most every day in my household.

I am honored and humbled by the experience of fatherhood. Early on the chore was not my first choice. But watching my son grow and become his own person over the years opened my eyes. The joys of our time together remains a wonder to this day. Even now we share one weekend a year for father-son time away from the rest of the family. The joy grows year by year.

My stepdaughter has a father in her life so she enjoys the benefits of two male parental figures. She seems to understand the value of more than one source of advice or information. Our relationship is one of mutual respect and love. I am honored by her presence in my life.

To those of you contemplating future fatherhood I advise taking real stock of yourself. The responsibility is great but the rewards are far greater if the job is done right. There are many to whom you may look for examples of fine fatherhood. Follow their ways and all will be well for you and your children in the end.

My father was a quiet and soft spoken man. He died almost 20 years ago, but his memory lives on. I remember some of his stories. I remember the ways he taught us to treat people. His favorite advice was, "Change jobs, wives, and homes every 20 years." He was married to one woman more than 50 years, held only two jobs in his adult lifetime, and lived in one town in one house for more than 40 years. His advice was more a measure of his humor than his serious side.

My father was a busy man, but he had time to coach the little league team on which I played. He could not carry a tune in a bucket but he was president of the Band Parents Club one year. He supported his three children to the limits of his ability. His example shines on today in the lives of his grandchildren. I am deeply grateful for his having been my father and for all the gifts of fatherhood he implanted in my life.

Peace.

More on Failing Our Veterans

2008-06-10T08:56:00.002-04:00

There is an interesting post about PTSD and considering the state our veterans find on return home these days. The article is an interview of Edward Tick, a psychologist who works as a psychotherapist specializing in veterans and trauma. Tick has an intimate perspective of the mindset of our returning veterans of all wars.

Soldiers have a responsibility to defend their country, and it is our responsibility as citizens to heal those who have put their lives on the line for us, even if they fought a war for the wrong reasons or for lies. And we’re not doing that. Many sincere people in the veterans’ healthcare system want to do well, but the system is doing an awful job. We need to keep veterans in the community and develop new ways of responding to their pain and suffering.

...everyone who participates in a war is changed. No one comes through unscathed.

Every person who has ever been on a battlefield knows the truth of that statement.

Tick suggests we honor our veterans by listening to their stories and by being supportive and understanding. Parades and fireworks are fine, but honest and compassionate listening may be even better. So many face friends and family who are not able to open their minds and hearts to the stories. The tales may be heartbreaking but for the veteran the sharing is a monumental step in coming home. Those who listen with an open heart and open mind stand beside the veterans in their service. That cooperative stance is important for both the civilian and the veteran.

Tick proposes means of approaching healing for our entire society.

We could have a huge national service corps and train people to serve the planet in dangerous situations. We could call them into service during peacetime. We need people to work with gangs in the inner cities. We need people to respond to the crisis the earth is experiencing. We need people to go to disaster areas like New Orleans and repair the damage. But we have a long way to go, and we have to heal from wars as a first step on the way to peace. Since we have not had a generation without war, we don’t even know what peace really looks like.

And makes some observations about humankind.

And war is so damn seductive, because many of our primitive needs are met in its pursuit. We need to transcend both our innate tendencies toward competition and our socialized love of war.

Peace.

We as a Nation Must Face the Terrible Truth of Iraq

2008-06-09T14:45:00.002-04:00

Reports continue to arrive week by week of the torture of prisoners. Last week came the confirmation of floating prisons for which there are no records at all. The truth may never be found for those prisoners as to how many, who, and how they may have been treated. Recent reports speak of large numbers of prisoners still in detention centers.

The US government currently holds some 270 prisoners in Guantánamo, over 600 at Bagram in Afghanistan and about 27,000 in Iraq.

And still today a common response to all the bad news is like one lady said

I’m so disturbed. I don’t even want to think about it.

We can no longer avoid the truth as a nation. Our future depends on facing the truth squarely and making decisions based on facts. The facts show the invasion of Iraq was unfounded. The continued occupation is based on an illegal and immoral invasion. We must not allow this to continue.

Today we hear more and more rhetoric from the White House about Iran. Every time there is a new threat, oil prices rise as speculators and traders begin to be nervous. The dollar is falling in world value and contributes a large measure to the increasing price of oil and the subsequent price of gasoline.

Our entire economy is at serious risk today in part because of our occupation of Iraq. We can no longer afford the costs in dollars and lives spent. We must end the occupation and begin the long and difficult road to economic recovery in America. We have no more time to lose. We cannot continue to speak fine words and hide our collective heads in the sand. Action is needed today and not one day later.

Peace.

$4 A Gallon for Gas

2008-06-09T08:37:00.003-04:00

The benchmark price is once again reaching higher and higher for gasoline as news of the day tells the tale.

The average price of regular gas crept up to $4 a gallon for the first time over the weekend, passing the once-unthinkable milestone just in time for the peak summer travel season.

While everyone wants a quick solution to this problem there are none in sight. The oil industry is lobbying for increased drilling rights. Some people are pressing for reduced taxes on gasoline. The oil industry profit margins are at record levels prompting many to accuse the industry of abusing the public. In the end most politicians are offering platitudes instead of real solutions.

The basic issue is very complex and will not be resolved by quick fixes. The current oil addiction in our nation is the result of many years of poor planning and bad decisions by both industry and government. While the pain is real, there is not an antidote to be given any time soon. The situation is likely to be much worse before we see any improvement.

Soaring demand in Asia and elsewhere is ensuring global supplies remain tight even as Americans cut back; recent figures from the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration showed U.S. gasoline demand actually fell 1.4 percent over the last four weeks.

A tumbling dollar is also contributing to the increase. Many traders buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the dollar is falling, and a weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for investors dealing in other currencies.

The rapid increase has also enticed speculators, frustrated by low returns elsewhere, looking to make a quick profit.

The time has come for elected officials and industry leaders to begin to both face the truth and tell the public the truth. Americans need to hear the facts for a change instead of fine phrases full of empty words. We as a nation have faced many difficulties in the past. We are a resilient nation. We will survive once again. In the end we will come out stronger than before.

Peace.

Bannowsky Guantanamo Musing

2008-06-08T13:03:00.003-04:00

In today's News Journal, Phillip Bannowsky has a fine post about the issue of the United States detention center at Guantanamo Bay. To quote Phil

What enabled our leaders to create a nowhere for human rights in Guantanamo Bay?

What indeed were the people in this administration thinking? Oh, no, there I go again forgetting those guys only think about their power and the exercise thereof. Sometimes I try to give them real human virtues.

And now the administration is playing politics with the detainees.

In a pathetic attempt to salvage its reputation and promote a Republican successor, the administration is pushing for Soviet-style "show trials" for five Guantanamo detainees accused of al-Qaida links.

The public will see through this if we are lucky at all. After keeping these people in prison for years we have a kangaroo court system in which acquittal is not an option. This is egregious behavior piled upon egregious behavior all taken in our names.

Repudiate anti-Semitism. Reject bigotry against Arabs and Muslims. End the rigged trials. Close Guantanamo Bay. Redeem America.

Right on!! There is no room for any of the racial, sexual, or ethnic phobias going around our nation today. We must stand together to end any and all support for those points of views. We are ALL human first and foremost. The sooner we begin to act in concert to see to all of humankind benefits from our collective actions the better for the future of the world.

Peace.

Where is the Accountability?

2008-06-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

My being a lifelong Democrat leaves few opportunities for agreement with Congressman Castle. In recent days his call for accountability in university spending is one of those exceptional times. Perhaps if he were to call for accountability in all aspects of government we'd find more ground for agreement.

Congressman Castle is requesting over $200 million in earmarks for the 2009 budget. This process allows funding of multiple projects while bypassing the normal funding review process. Where is the accountability in this? If one is to hold others accountable one must also adhere to the same levels of behavior or be seen as hypocritical.

We need full accountability in all levels of our society and government today. The sooner we begin to move forward to full and unequivocal openness and accountability in our nation the better.

Peace.

What's In the Numbers?

2008-06-08T08:21:00.002-04:00

The Pew Research Center continues to survey public opinion both in the United States and around the world. The latest summary report has some interesting findings.

According to the reports

Just 18% of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today

This represents a new low in the 20 years of polling by the center. This time even Republicans are turning to the negative and following a Democratic trend over several years. The Bush administration strikes again.

According to an April Pew poll, President Bush's job approval rating is now at 27%, the lowest of his presidency

People are awakening to the really poor job Bush has managed. His policies benefit too few people in the nation today. We, the people, need a government to represent our interests for a change.

...the public's perceptions of the war in Iraq have turned more negative, with disapproval of the intitial decision to use military force reaching a new high of 57%

The truth is beginning to be seen. People are beginning to see the twisted logic and half truths used to push our nation into an illegal invasion. Let us hope we see an ongoing trend in this direction to move the new administration to withdrawal.

...support for a quick withdrawal of U.S. forces has climbed by seven points (to 56%)

With public opinion moving to withdrawal how can a Democratic administration fail to follow? The public overall supports a phased withdrawal while I continue to hold to as rapid as possible a removal of ALL our troops. The longer we keep an American presence in Iraq the larger our costs will be.

As the campaign season continues we must hold our government responsible for moving the nation in new directions which benefit ALL the people. We have no time to rest. All our candidates and all our elected officials must be held accountable. They must listen to public opinion and must begin to bring about government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Peace.

Obama Claims the Presidential Nomination

2008-06-04T08:10:00.002-04:00

At long last Obama has enough delegate votes to claim the Democratic Party nomination for US President. Now the long slog to the General Election begins. With McCain being much the same in character as Bush we had better hope for a Democratic Party win in November. The nation cannot afford another few years of the current Republican strategy.

The next few months will not always be easy, but we cannot fail to stand as a party. We must let the issues of the Primary run be bygones. We must together stand for the People. We must stand for ALL the People.

Go, Obama!! Go, Democrats across the nation!!

Peace.

Floating US Prisons Reported

2008-06-02T08:45:00.009-04:00

Every time I begin to think the worst is over with the Bush administration along comes another report to the contrary. Today's news tells the tale of US warships being used as floating prisons.

According to research carried out by Reprieve, the US may have used as many as 17 ships as "floating prisons" since 2001. Detainees are interrogated aboard the vessels and then rendered to other, often undisclosed, locations, it is claimed.

According to one Guantanamo detainee

One of my fellow prisoners in Guantánamo was at sea on an American ship with about 50 others before coming to Guantánamo ... he was in the cage next to me. He told me that there were about 50 other people on the ship. They were all closed off in the bottom of the ship. The prisoner commented to me that it was like something you see on TV. The people held on the ship were beaten even more severely than in Guantánamo.

By its own admission, the US government is currently detaining at least 26,000 people without trial in secret prisons, and information suggests up to 80,000 have been 'through the system' since 2001.

This is beyond any measure of acceptable conduct. Unconscionable is too light a term. This is egregious behavior far below humane activity.

For America to regain any measure of our stature in the world view we must demand a full accounting of all the prisoners processed through the system in recent years. We must have a full reporting of all prisoners held today. Every one of those people deserves full legal representation under US and world law. To continue to claim we are acting in any best interest of ourselves or of the international community will not stand scrutiny.

Only a law abiding nation can stand with honor in the world. The Bush administration has taken us far from that posture. We must all stand together in active protest. We must continue to demand every day a return of our national honor. We cannot let this situation continue another single day.

Peace.

Iraq Deaths Down, How Long Will This Last?

2008-06-01T06:21:00.002-04:00

Reports in the news today tell the tale. American deaths are near the lowest point since the initial invasion of Iraq. But how long can this lull continue? Will it continue or are we seeing a combination of factors giving a false sense of improvement in the situation?

Iraqi forces have taken the lead in offensives against the Sunni extremist al-Qaida in Iraq in the northern city of Mosul and against Shiite militiamen in Baghdad and Basra in the south. U.S. and coalition forces assumed a support role in the three offensives, enabling them to avoid higher casualties which would have been expected had they been doing all the fighting.

Eric Rosenbach of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a former staffer of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said

It's more appropriate to say that we have a long road ahead of us rather than we've turned the corner.

If you look at it in terms of a video recorder, a lot of the groups have pushed pause, but that's not to say they can't push play again

said Nathan Freier, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

But U.S. officials and private security analysts warn against rapid withdrawals and optimistic forecasts.

In continuing these statements and observations America is set for an endless stay. There is no optimism if or not we keep our troops in Iraq. The time for American withdrawal has come. We have no more dollars to waste and no more lives to lose.

Peace.

Allies Being Paid to Fight in Iraq

2008-05-31T12:17:00.003-04:00

In a little noticed bit of recent news comes a statement from Mary Ugone, Deputy Inspector General for Audit, Department of Defense. In a prepared statement (PDF warning) before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives, Ugone confirms

Twenty-two payment vouchers, totaling $134.8 million, were for CERP payments to Coalition Partners to initiate and execute a variety of non-
construction and construction projects in their areas of responsibility

the Army had not performed any reconciliation of funds paid to
Coalition Partners

In effect the monies were given to partners in the "Coalition of the Willing" to insure (read that buy) their participation. The public eye was off the ball on those payments. And the media are still ignoring the issue for the most part.

The report outlines massive fraud in the entire funding of the occupation. The audit

of $8.2 billion spending related to the Iraq war showed that $7.8 billion had been improperly spent.

The people of the United States for generations to come will be held responsible for the loss of these monies as our national debt increases and remains for the future as an albatross around the neck of the nation. The sooner we come to our collective senses and cease our support of the occupation the better. We must bring our troops home as fast as possible. The nation has no more dollars and no more children to lose.

Peace.

RIP Utah Phillips, 1935-2008

2008-05-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

Utah Phillips, American singer and songwriter died last week. I mourn his passing as I might mourn a good friend. Utah wrote and sang some of the most moving songs of recent years. His "Room for the Poor" my wife and I recorded for use on the campaign website. Utah gave his personal permission for us to use the song. I am honored beyond belief to be able to use the song and to keep a piece of his memory alive in that way.

Like Utah said before his death

The future? I don’t know. Through all of it, up and down, it’s the song. It’s always been the song.

Peace.

The US and Cluster Bombs

2008-05-29T09:09:00.002-04:00

An international conference reached agreement among 100 countries to end the production and use of cluster bombs as weapons. The United States and China, major manufacturers of the munitions, were not among the nations attending the conference.

Cluster bombs allow widespread damage in an area. A large bomb opens to allow many smaller bombs to be spread. Damage may be great in the area and unexploded bomblets may remain on the ground to cause future injury to humans (think children as they are curious and may touch an unfamiliar object on the ground).

According to a Pentagon spokesperson

While the United States shares the humanitarian concerns of those in Dublin, cluster munitions have demonstrated military utility, and their elimination from US stockpiles would put the lives of our soldiers and those of our coalition partners at risk.

That so many nations find cluster bombs not to be so useful makes me wonder why America is so dedicated.

We as a nation need to examine our motives in instances of munitions. War is terrible enough without increasing the exposure of civilian populations to cluster bombs and land mines. The United States needs to join other civilized nations in banning the use of both land mines and cluster bombs once and for all. There are other steps to be taken in the future to reduce both the chance of war and the probability of civilian casualties, but at least these bans are a start in the right direction.

Peace.

Ending Oil Addiction

2008-05-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

A New Zealand blogger got the steps about right. Modified a bit:

The Twelve Steps:

1. Stop deluding ourselves. The era of cheap, readily-available oil has ended. Prices may fluctuate, but the underlying trend is up, up, up. We have to get used to using less.

2. Demand that politicians take the issue seriously. Make it an election issue. Don’t take ‘we’ve got everything under control’ as an answer.

3. Stop building new roads. They’re a monumental waste of money, time and effort. They encourage, rather than ease, congestion, and besides, the growth in car travel that’s used to justify them isn’t going to happen anyway.

4. Divert that money and effort into measures that address the challenges of oil depletion and climate change. Invest in renewable energy such as wind and solar. Put money into research and development to make those energy resources more productive.

5. Make a major investment in public transport. It needs to be better, faster, more comfortable, more regular, and more predictable. It needs to cater for everyone, not just peak-hour commuters — though they need a better service as well.

6. Make a major investment in broadband internet to allow more people to work from home, and change tax and business practices that discourage working from home. The more car trips we can avoid, the better.

7. Electrify transport where possible. We should be electrifying commuter rail where it is not already electric, using light rail (trams) in cities, and looking at electrification of the main trunk line. On the other end of the scale, electric bikes and scooters can make a big difference in our cities. And electric cars show promise, though there’s a lot of questions to be answered yet.

8. Don’t use cars unless there’s no alternative. Take the bus. Take the train. Switch to a scooter. Walk or cycle – both your wallet and your doctor will thank you.

9. Deal with other aspects of our oil dependence. Agriculture, for example, is highly dependent on oil. We’re going to need to change the way we grow and distribute food. Let’s get to work on that now, not wait until supermarket shelves start to empty.

10. Stockpile or manufacture vital products currently imported from overseas. When oil runs short, will that still be possible? Let’s take stock now and work out what we may need to start stockpiling or making in the state.

11. Think local. Ending our oil addiction isn’t just up to central government, though it can play its part. Communities can work together to make themselves more resilient. Join or start a Transition Towns group in your local area.

12. Accept reality. The age of cheap oil is over. It’s not coming back. As individuals and as a nation, we have to adapt.

As a small state these are not unreasonable steps to be taken. We could be the First State in leading the way for a nation needing to end oil addiction.

Peace.

Torture and the American Way

2008-05-27T11:38:00.001-04:00

Today we hear tales of behavior far beyond any reasonable definition of "torture." According to the dictionary torture is

the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.

We need to take a firm stand in this nation against any and all interrogation measures which may be deemed to be torture by a reasonable person's standards. We know the administration approves measures such as waterboarding (which simulates drowning) and in the past condoned more rigorous means of "alternative interrogation. If the United States is to regain any measure of our lost moral standing around the world we must as a nation condemn past practices and adhere in the future to all international treaties concerning the confinement and interrogation of prisoners.

As a human being and a political candidate I have no problem offering my personal pledge to resist any and all actions taken by our government in all our names to inflict any measure of torture in the interrogation of any human being. There are no circumstances under which such interrogation may be found acceptable. NO circumstances, not even the theoretical bomber offered often qualify in my mind. Tortured individuals are known to offer any statement, true or not, in order to escape the punishment. Military experts through the ages recognize the falsehood of torture as a reliable means of interrogation.

The time has come for every elected official at every level to be held accountable for their pledge to end torture as an American institution. We as a nation are above that level of action. As we face an uncertain future around the globe our stature will not be improved by our failure to condemn torture on all levels. We must lead the way into a peaceful future if we are to survive as a species. We as a nation lead best by example. If we lead others will follow in time.

Peace.

On Memorial Day

2008-05-26T07:39:00.002-04:00

In 1884, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr, delivered a momentous address. As a soldier he addressed the meaning of Memorial Day before a group of veterans.

But Memorial Day may and ought to have a meaning also for those who do not share our memories. When men have instinctively agreed to celebrate an anniversary, it will be found that there is some thought of feeling behind it which is too large to be dependent upon associations alone. The Fourth of July, for instance, has still its serious aspect, although we no longer should think of rejoicing like children that we have escaped from an outgrown control, although we have achieved not only our national but our moral independence and know it far too profoundly to make a talk about it, and although an Englishman can join in the celebration without a scruple. For, stripped of the temporary associations which gives rise to it, it is now the moment when by common consent we pause to become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for the country in return.

As Holmes suggested let us today remember meaning of the day. Today we honor our fallen soldiers of all wars. Let us at the same time remember the living. Thank a veteran today for their service. Let them know you are grateful. We may disagree on the mission any one of the individuals performed, but we owe them as people our gratitude.

Today, at least for one day, we may join in national celebration. Today we may rejoice as Holmes says in our national life. Today we each one should recall what great gifts our nation has sent our way and look at the ways we may return the favor. Today we stand united in gratitude and in remembrance of all we have lost over the years.

Peace.

Garden Trekking Friday

2008-05-23T22:11:00.003-04:00

Sometimes we all need a break from politics as usual. Today was a day off from campaigning in Possum Valley. Time was taken to rest and enjoy a beautiful day in the sunshine and fine weather. We hit a high around 70F today making one perfect day for a tour of one of our fine local gardens.

Longwood Gardens is located on a former DuPont estate in nearby PA. The site encompasses 1050 acres making for a spectacular space in which to display various gardens, woodlands, and meadows.

Just inside the gate are areas of color gardens.

As we walked the trail toward a small lake, we found a new and spectacular exhibit.

The tree house is built of recycled wood and featured wonderful carvings.

The kid was brought out in all of us as we climbed about the house.

Closer to the lake is a beautiful pagoda.

And a wooded area.

On the opposite side of the lake were the first of many fountains and waterworks to be seen today.

Some of the trees are old and magnificent in their root structure like this American Beech.

Just a bit up the trail another fountain.

And an open meadow.

The other end of the main estate has a fountain called the “Eye of Water.”

The water flows down a series of cascades.

All along the trails are wonderful sights.

And the surface is barely touched. The place is worth a trip if you ever have the opportunity to visit. Plan a full day or two or else skip over lots of the parts. There is too much to see in only a few short hours. We live near and have year long passes; so we can visit often and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

Peace.

Politics 101

2008-05-18T09:42:00.004-04:00

Most of you readers know already this blog is all about my personal campaign for the U.S. Congress. Along the way I hope to educate those of you who may not be astute in politics already. To that end I offer the following suggestions for your consideration.

How You Can Help

Many of you may be new to this blog site.
Some of you are longtime political
activists, while others are newcomers.
For those new to politics, here are some
suggestions for action:

1. Come to campaign rallies or meetings.
For details: jerry@northington08.com.

2. Respond to any media coverage with a
letter to the editor. Any mention of
the campaign is good. I can use all
the support you have to give.

3. Talk to your friends and neighbors, and
consider hosting a house party where I
can talk with your neighbors about the
importance of this election. This is most
valuable in Delaware, but talking and sharing with
around the country helps spread the word, too.

4. Even if you can't host a house party at
this time, wear a button and mention the
campaign as often as you can. Don't stop
at one mention but keep talking. The
campaign depends on person-to-person
word of mouth communication. For buttons or
bumper stickers contact Jerry@Northington08.com

5. Pass this blog along to your friends.
Any one who wishes to be added to the e-mail list
can subscribe to the newsletter on the website
at http://tinyurl.com/6jkbj5

6. Watch the Delaware blogs (there is a small list
here on the blog site) and offer support
in their comments. Please identify yourself
as a supporter or a member of the campaign,
depending on your status. Anonymity is
fine in terms of name identification,
but your association with the campaign
should be made public.

7. Donations are always welcome. I am
very grateful to those of you who already
have made a contribution. Those who offer
moral support at any level are likewise
appreciated. http://tinyurl.com/26cy46
A contribution of any size is always appreciated.
Credit cards are accepted on the web through
a secure connection or checks may be mailed.
Cash is not solicited as the limits are very small
in a Federal campaign.

Never forget all your support is always appreciated by any candidate. Do not think for a moment even a small contribution of money or moral support will go without notice. Candidates depend on the support of many people for a successful campaign. Your involvement at any level increases the chance of seeing the candidate of your choice elected in November. Be involved. Those who wish to own the future will do so by being active, not by sitting on the sidelines watching the game.

Peace.

Some Veterans are Angered at Bush and the Golf Story

2008-05-17T16:08:00.002-04:00

I could not have responded any better than did Brandon Friedman, vice-chairman of VoteVets.

Thousands of Americans have given up a lot more than golf for this war. For President Bush to imply that he somehow stands in solidarity with families of American soldiers by giving up golf is disgraceful. It's an insult to all Americans and a slap in the face to our troops' families. It shows how disconnected he is from everyday Americans, especially those who are serving in Iraq.

Peace.

Senator Ted Kennedy Hospitalized

2008-05-17T15:28:00.002-04:00

Details are scarce as of this moment, but Senator Kennedy suffered some medical event overnight last night and was airlifted to a hospital in Boston where he remains this afternoon. According to reports the Senator had a seizure and is now undergoing tests to determine the cause of the event.

Let us all hope he survives and is well in the end. The Senate needs his voice for completeness these days.

To the family go my thoughts and prayers. To Senator Kennedy go my best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

Peace.

President Bush in Israel

2008-05-16T15:43:00.002-04:00

The President recently addressed the Knesset in Israel. The text of the speech as provided by the White House may be found here. Excerpts and my thoughts follow.

In speaking of shared convictions, the President said

We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman and child.

This from a man whose administration supports segregation in our public schools if we look at their legal positions. The same administration treats detainees as if they have no rights whatsoever. People seem to be matchless only if they are able to contribute large numbers of dollars to Republican causes.

We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights.

And we will instill that democracy by military force on any nation in the world at our choosing he forgot to say.

We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to a civilized society.

Only so long as fundamentalist Christian ideals are expressed and adhered to.

We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong.

So what are we doing in Iraq? And other nations around the world?

In our nation there are Bush supporters. I borrow his own words to explain my concern.

There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain away their words.

For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

For the sake of world peace we need a global nuclear arms reduction leading to full disarmament one day. So long as nuclear arms are held by any nation we are in danger of removing humankind from the planet.

Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.

Having already mentioned Almighty God in this speech we may assume he is talking about our Christian values in this bit. And in his mind the expansion of liberty justifies the use of military force for invasion and occupation.

I am embarassed once again. And the bit most often quoted comparing today's leaders who wish to use diplomacy to the situation in WWII is omitted on purpose. There was enough coverage of that one. Even Senator Biden called Bush's remarks delusional. There is not much more to say after that fine wording.

Peace.

The Numbers Tell the Tale

2008-05-15T11:29:00.002-04:00

TomDispatch has a fine article today telling the full tale of our nation's insecurity. Among the numbers are the following.

536,000,000,000: the number of dollars the Pentagon is requesting for the 2009 military budget.

Not including the usual supplemental requests for Iraq and Afghanistan.

1,390,000: the number of subprime foreclosures over the next two years, as estimated by Credit Suisse analysts. They also predict that, by the end of 2012, 12.7% of all residential borrowers may be out of their homes as part of a housing crisis that caught the Bush administration totally off-guard.

How secure is your home? Your neighborhood?

509,000: the number of names found in 2007 on a "terrorist watch list" compiled by the FBI.

How many of us are on that list? Prominent national politicians have been detained at airports for having been found on the lists. No one seems immune these days.

51,000: the number of post-surge Iraqi prisoners held in American and Iraqi jails at the end of 2007.

Where are the trials? How many of these people are guilty of more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

511: the number of applicants convicted of felony crimes, including burglary, grand larceny, and aggravated assault, who were accepted into the U.S. Army in 2007, more than double the 249 accepted in 2006.

Further eroding the military preparedness.

And there are other terrible numbers in the article. Also there is global warming on the rise and being ignored to date by the Bush administration. All together now, do we feel more secure?

Peace.

The Facebook Page is Up

2008-05-14T19:30:00.002-04:00

The Facebook page is up and running at last. The page is still in development but at least a start is made. With any luck we will have pictures and news along the campaign trail posted over there as well as here and on the website. If you have Facebook friends please point them my way. The more the news of the campaign spreads the better for the end result.

Peace.

2008-05-14T17:58:00.002-04:00

In a recent interview President Bush answered questions from an online reporter while in the White House. Excerpts and comments follow. The entire interview is worth a read if only for entertainment value.
Asked about his faith, Bush replied:

I mean, part of the faith walk is to understand your weaknesses and is to constantly try to embetter yourself and get closer to the Lord. And that's a daily occurrence. Obviously there's been some tough moments in here. When you know that somebody lost their loved one as a result of a decision that I made, that's a tough moment. If you're a faithful person you try to empathize with the suffering that that person is going through. On the other hand, there is a knowledge that the good Lord can comfort during these moments of grief. And that's what I ask for in my prayer.

Commenting about his Presidency, Bush said

... I didn't want to come to Washington, D.C. and just hold the office for the sake of holding it. I wanted to come to Washington, D.C. and help be a transformative President. And I think history, when they look back, will say this is a fellow who knew how to make decisions, and made some tough ones, stood by them, wasn't driven by the latest opinion poll, but was driven by some core principles from which he would not deviate.

Maybe what should be said is blind dedication to a course without the ability to look at the facts and take a new tack.

Asked about the energy crisis and the price of oil, Bush had this to say

With the price of gasoline going up, it's like a tax. (snip) In other words, it took us a while to get to where we are -- very dependent on oil, and in a world in which demand is greater than oil. ... the best thing we can do is to increase supply, and to drill for oil and gas in environmentally friendly ways at home, and build more refineries.

Spoken like a true oil man in the best interests of his industry. What about environmental concerns? If drilling and building were to begin today how many years will elapse before any benefit is passed to the consumer? More drilling will not solve our problems. We must have immediate steps to reduce our oil dependency. We must begin to work very quickly to develop alternative energy sources to end our dependence on carbon based fuels of all sorts. Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and wave may solve our energy needs on day, but we must employ all our resources as soon as possible in their pursuit.

On climate change the President had this to say

And my administration has done more for the new technologies necessary to change our lifestyles without sacrificing wealth than any other administration.

This administration has increased the wealth of the most wealthy people by leaps and bounds at the expense of the environment and the good of the nation. We must not allow statements such as this to stand without protest. The damage will last for years already. We must not allow more severe damage to occur.

On global warming Bush had this to say

So the policies I've outlined are policies that will actually make a difference: nuclear power for generating electricity; battery driven cars; ethanol. There's a variety of initiatives -- clean coal technology -- all of which will help us sustain our economic vitality and at the same time be better stewards of the environment.

We can all see the result of the administration's ethanol program in the price of bread and of other cereal grains. In addition the energy gained from ethanol barely equals the energy necessary for production. “Clean coal” is a terrible misnomer. Large amounts of energy are required to clean up coal. In the end we are still using a carbon based fuel to the detriment of the environment.

On Iraq

Iraq is the place where al Qaeda and other extremists have made their stand -- and they will be defeated. They'll be defeated through military action, but they'll also be defeated as this young democracy takes hold. They can't stand to live in a free society, that's why they try to fight free societies.

And not a word of mention that al Qaeda did not exist in Iraq prior to our invasion. And not a syllable of acknowledgment that military force has never been successful on any mission of that dimension in the course of human history. Why will Iraq be any different? Why must we always reinvent the wheel?

On WMD

I feel like -- I felt like there were weapons of mass destruction.

Sorry but starting a war or invading a sovereign nation is not justified by “feelings.” What about facts? The facts were distorted. In retrospect we know there were no WMD's. Why are we staying in the country as an occupying force?
But he has given up playing golf

No, I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life. And I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, it's just not worth it anymore to do.

Dripping with respect for the fallen don't you think?

And contrary to very good evidence

... America doesn't torture. If the implication there is that we do now, then he's wrong.

The interview goes on to discuss baseball, American Idol, and other topics of entertainment interest.

Peace.

Tragedy Strikes DE

2008-05-13T09:48:00.002-04:00

A crewman on the RV Russell Peterson, a research ship launched in March to study Delaware's offshore wind power resources, died during yesterday's storm.

Special to The News Journal/CHUCK SNYDER

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family and friends of the as yet unnamed crewman. The loss of any human life is a tragedy. This one is particularly sad as the ship was involved in research to benefit the future of all Delawareans. The costs of a better future are sometimes tough to swallow.

Peace.

The Facts Speak for Themselves

2008-05-12T15:58:00.002-04:00

The current military situation in Iraq leads to hidden costs far beyond what we hear in the mainstream media these days. There have been rumors of numbers of suicides among our returning veterans far beyond those reported in the press. Those rumors have some basis in fact according to a recent report.

Published on Sunday, May 11, 2008 by Foreign Policy In Focus
The Truth About Veteran Suicides
By Aaron Glantz

Eighteen American war veterans kill themselves every day. One thousand former soldiers receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs attempt suicide every month. More veterans are committing suicide than are dying in combat overseas.

This hidden news came to light in a lawsuit filed against the VA. Without the legal proceedings the American public would still be left in the dark.

More bad news in the same revealing filings:

Another set of documents presented in court showed that in the six months leading up to March 31, a total of 1,467 veterans died waiting to learn if their disability claim would be approved by the government. A third set of documents showed that veterans who appeal a VA decision to deny their disability claim have to wait an average of 1,608 days, or nearly four and a half years, for their answer.

And this from an administration that purportedly supports the troops. If that is their idea of support I hate to think what may be their idea of not supporting the troops.

And according to the Rand Corporation report (PDF) of 2008

...16 to 17 percent of those returning from Iraq met strict screening criteria for mental health conditions.

The monetary costs of these injuries and mental illnesses are staggering.

Estimates of the cost of a condition for two years post-deployment range from $5,904 to $25,757 per case for major depression and PTSD.

This analysis ignores the ongoing costs of homelessness, domestic violence and suicide.

Providing evidence-based care to every
individual with the condition would increase treatment costs over what is now being
provided (a mix of no care, usual care, and evidence-based care), but these costs can
be offset over time through increased productivity and a lower incidence of suicide.

In simple terms if we treat our troops now, we reduce the burden on society and the individuals far into the future. Prevention is always worth a few pounds of cure in medicine.

We must not allow our veterans to be mistreated this way. We as a nation must insist on the best available medical care for each and every returning soldier. Mental health as well as general medical condition must be evaluated and managed for every individual. A nation that fails its veterans is a failing nation. We as a nation are in serious danger of failing in the care of our veterans today.

Peace.

Regrets

2008-05-12T15:23:00.002-04:00

On a day when the news is of American soldiers killed reaching 4,075 in Iraq, we also read another story of an Iraqi mother and child killed in northern Iraq. The civilian deaths were at the hands of the American military. A military spokesperson expressed regrets at the deaths.

How many more times must we express regret at the death of both American soldiers and civilians? When will we end this fiasco and leave Iraq to the Iraqis? The costs in both dollars and lives mount day by day as the bad news continues. We as a nation cannot afford to continue this course the way the Bush administration is planning.

On April the 2007 version of the State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism was released. True to form the report was touted by administration spokespersons as showing a decrease in violence in Iraq. That was true in the last quarter of 2007 but fails to continue into 2008. Final reports for the first quarter are not yet available, but all indications show a rise in violence this year.

The one part the administration ignores is their own observation.

Where governments cooperate, build trusted networks, seek active, informed support from their people, provide responsive, effective, and legitimate governance, and engage closely with the international community, the threat from terrorism has been significantly reduced. Where governments have lacked commitment in working with their neighbors and engaging the support of their citizens, terrorism and the instability and conflict that terrorists exploit, have remained key sources of threat.

In Iraq we see these principles at work on many levels. The Iraqi government is not allowed to function as an independent body but rather must answer to an occupying force. There is no apparent commitment from the US other than to control the oil fields. Most efforts to improve the daily lives of civilians have failed in the morass of contractors abusing the system for profit.

Legitimate governance is imperative if Iraq is to become a stable nation in the future. Legitimacy can be attained when the people are empowered to elect officials who then have the power to make decisions in the best interests of the nation without outside influence or pressure. Imposition of a government from the outside has failed in every instance through history. Iraq is not destined to be different.

The time for American withdrawal from Iraq has come. We have enough regrets. The time for rebuilding the nation has come. We need work both at home and around the globe to restore the respect our nation once held.

Peace.

Power and Fear

2008-05-08T07:57:00.005-04:00

For years now I have talked about power and how people may be attracted to power and the people who hold that power. It has been said

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Today in the aftermath of the tragic hurricane in Myanmar (Burma) I was reading a long ago speech about power and fear. In 1990 Aung Sang Suu Kyi gave a "Freedom From Fear" speech beginning with the following words:

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.

For some reason that way of thinking had not occurred to me. I always attributed the desire to keep power to the addiction of always being in charge and being somehow worshipped, but the thought of fear being the driving factor makes more sense. People as a whole are driven by fear as much or more than by most any other feeling.

Another Burmese activist, Bogyoke Aung San, said

Don't just depend on the courage and intrepidity of others. Each and every one of you must make sacrifices to become a hero possessed of courage and intrepidity. Then only shall we all be able to enjoy true freedom.

We in the United States today would do well to take heed of those words and the advice contained within. It will be by our actions as individuals coming together in the greater collective that will restore our nation one day. Fear of failure or of power in the hands of others must not sway us from our goal. True freedom for one and all is a goal we must not let fall from our vision.

Aung Sang continues saying

...the burden of upholding the principles of justice and common decency falls on the ordinary people. It is the cumulative effect on their sustained effort and steady endurance which will change a nation where reason and conscience are warped by fear into one where legal rules exist to promote man's desire for harmony and justice while restraining the less desirable destructive traits in his nature.

In nations where just laws reign there is no need for ongoing resistance and protest.

In the United States today we see the erosion of justice as we find our rights taken away one by one. We are subject to invasions of privacy far beyond what our Founding Fathers imagined might be possible. We must stand together to see an end to this falling away from our founding principles. We have lost much already. We must stand steady and true to ourselves and to our nation if we are to keep what remains and restore what is lost.

Aung Sang again

A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.

This I submit is the greatest challenge facing we citizens of America today. Too many are apathetic or fearful. We have nothing today to fear but fear itself. We must overcome our fear and move to bring power back to the people.

Today power resides in the hands of a privileged few in our nation. Too many of our political leaders are mired in the quicksand of the system. We need new ideas and new leaders to show the way into a future which benefits all of humankind. We will not find that new future if we continue to allow power and fear to be in control today.

We must act together. We will stand together or we will fall apart. The choice is ours to make each and every day. Every one of us has within our reach the power to make a difference. We must not let fear stop us from taking the actions we know to be right. We talk to others every day. We can protest on the streets, write letters to editors, and live a life free from fear.

Those who find themselves in any position of power and especially those in elected office must learn to live with the responsibility power brings. Elected officials have a special state of accountability and must not let themselves become attached to the power to the detriment of their voting public. We, the voting public must be the ones to hold our officials accountable for their actions. Fear of power or of losing power must not be allowed to rule either side of the equation lest we lose our freedom in the end.

Peace.

Three County Announcement Day

2008-05-05T20:50:00.003-04:00

Today, May 5, 2008, was another momentous day in this candidate's life. Today we took the trek across Delaware to make the traditional three county announcement of my candidacy.

The day dawned somewhat gray instead of the sunny we were told to expect by the weather forecast. Our friend, Daniel, arrived early

His black dress and dark glasses prompted us to name him the Enforcer and call him MIB (Man in Black) most of the day.

We left early in the morning, picked up a photographer on the way, and began the trek to the Indian River Power Plant in Sussex County.

After a talk about the environment and the effects of pollution on the environment (Indian River Power Plant is the largest fixed contributor of carbon based pollution in DE) and some picture taking we moved along to Dover for lunch. On the way out of the restaurant Daniel managed to politic a bit and found two more voters on my side.

At Delaware State University we met some very nice officials of the school and a gate guard who kindly granted us the freedom to take pictures and do an announcement on their grounds near the front gate.

Our final stop was in Wilmington, my home town and the northernmost point in our trek today. As people began to gather I chatted with friends.

Once the crowd was assembled the formal announcement and question time started right on time. Some of our group were surprised to find a political event right on time.

By the end on one grueling day we were all happy to depart for homes. We delivered our photographer to his house and await his pictures. Over all the day was most successful. The tradition was followed. We met fine people along the way and had a wonderful time.

The campaign continues day by day. More meetings this week. The day to day working to make this a successful venture never stops. Today was a hallmark all its own, but these days every day is a new and wonderful piece of the adventure.

Peace.

More Failure to Support the Troops

2008-05-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

The New York Times today has a story telling a sorry tale of failure in Iraq. A 2004 bulletin issued to Army commanders across Iraq offers a warning.

Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted.

The story continues to tell the tale of faulty oversight of contractors as more troops have been injured or even killed since the original warning was issued.

American electricians who worked for KBR, the Houston-based defense contractor that is responsible for maintaining American bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, said they repeatedly warned company managers and military officials about unsafe electrical work, which was often performed by poorly trained Iraqis and Afghans paid just a few dollars a day.

KBR is one of several companies which have garnered billions of dollars of contract work since the beginning of the war.

Outsourcing has become the state of war in Iraq to the detriment of our troops in some instances as is the case in this story of electrical wiring. Even when KBR admitted there was trouble

KBR itself told the Pentagon in early 2007 about unsafe electrical wiring at a base near the Baghdad airport, but no repairs were made.

the situation went without correction. Less than a year later a soldier was electrocuted while showering.

The Defense Contract Management Agency

is the Department of Defense (DoD) contract manager, ensuring acquisition programs are delivered on time, within cost, and meet performance requirements.

(PDF) Keith Ernst, who stepped down as director of DCMA this past week, (PDF) describes the personnel responsible for insuring the adequacy of contract work in Iraq.

DCMA maintains a cadre of approximately 83 military and civilian personnel in
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait to support LOGCAP.

With a combined total of only 83 people to insure the adequacy of performance in two war theaters should we be surprised at the failures? In his remarks, Ernst said

“We don’t have the technical capability for overseeing life support systems.

such as electrical wiring. How very sad for our troops.

The Bush administration leads the way in allowing industries and corporations to supervise themselves to the continued detriment of both our troops and the American public at large. One DCMA official admitted

All the contract officers can do is check the paperwork.

That process allows the fabrication of reports to cover up faulty work.

How much longer will the American public stand for this egregious abuse of tax dollars? When will we come to our senses and begin to demand accountability and responsibility from our government? Can we correct this course or are we already too late?

Peace.

Mission Accomplished???

2008-05-01T08:20:00.002-04:00

Five years ago President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier for the purpose of announcing a new phase in Iraq.

Mission Accomplished

he declared on that infamous day. The day stands as one more reminder of the abject failure of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Billions of dollars and thousands of lives have been lost in the last five years. Iraq is in shambles and may or may not be entering a period of civil war. Even the famed Green Zone is under attack with casualties a regular even in that walled fortress.

How much longer can this continue? Given the current thinking of the administration and the Congress there is no end in sight. Only a major turning of public opinion to pressure our legislators has any chance of returning sanity and reason. The United States cannot afford to continue a course of being the bully of the world. We must turn to a leadership position in which we serve as an example of peaceful resolution.

Peace.

Industrial Farm Animal Production--A Pew Report

2008-04-30T13:19:00.002-04:00

The lengthy report (PDF) may be summarized in the following quote

The present system of producing food animals in the United States is not sustainable and presents an unacceptable level of risk to public health and damage to the environment, as well as unnecessary harm to the animals we raise for food.

In the race to produce cheap meat in our nation, agriculture has become large business. In my childhood family farms were the norm. My family raised cattle for a time. We had crops on the land to provide much of the needs of the animals on the farm. Today we find self-contained facilities which must bring in feed and water which is not available on the facility grounds. Confinement operations put large numbers of animals in a small space to increase the production per unit of land used. The subsequent environmental pressures are great indeed.

The Pew report is based on observations and investigations begun in 2006 by a 15 member panel of experts. An excellent summary is presented here, but the entire report bears a read to get the full effect.

For many years veterinarians have known the drugs and other chemicals put into our livestock are sometime going to find their way to the environment. Recent press reports tell of drinking water contamination with many human and animal drugs as well as herbicides and other noxious chemicals. The concentration of animals in small areas for meat and egg production increase the pressures on the surrounding environment in terms of contamination by wastes of various sorts.

We must be cognizant of the risks in our current system. New regulations to keep animal production a safe distance away from surface water, from schools and other public facilities, and from homes may be necessary. The risks are beginning to be recognized but some of the long term health risks may be years away from being explored.

The sooner we become very aggressive in caring for our environment the better. Agriculture is one more facet among many which must be considered very soon if we are to maintain a living planet for our grandchildren.

Peace.

Pet Spay-Neuter in Delaware

2008-04-29T15:21:00.003-04:00

According to a News Journal article today, thousands of dollars are sitting idle in a fund intended to fund a spay-neuter program for low income pet owners in Delaware.

As a veterinarian I am always concerned about the pet overpopulation in our nation today. The recent news of the failure to start a spay-neuter program in timely fashion in Delaware is distressing. That there are thousands of dollars collected from residents paying an added fee for rabies shots for their pets to fund this program makes the situation even worse.

We need a spay-neuter program in Delaware to serve those who are not able to afford the surgery and yet would like a pet. There are many benefits to having a pet in any household. At the same time having a pet reproducing without control is often not desirable.

There are enough veterinarians in the state to make a spay-neuter program work. Now is the time for the legislature to make adjustments to the law and get the work underway. As we enter summer and pets are allowed to be free outside, reproduction may increase. The sooner this program is put into effect and begins to help reduce pet overpopulation the better.

Peace.

Democracy Loses Another Round

2008-04-28T12:22:00.003-04:00

Today the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of an Indiana law requiring a photo ID in order to vote. This ruling comes in spite of the fact no voter fraud of this sort has ever been proven in Indiana. In addition the state laws make the penalties for voter fraud so large as to effectively prevent any such effort by any person.

The ruling puts an inordinate burden on the elderly and those at an economic disadvantage. To obtain an ID one must present a birth certificate and make application. The ID itself is free to the poor, but the process of transportation and obtaining a birth certificate is not. The burden may be too much for many people, especially the elderly without their own transportation.

Voting should be a primary right in this nation. Citizens should be encouraged to vote and to participate in their government at all levels. The more active participation the better the chance for a representative democracy. As more and more laws like this are upheld we become a nation dedicated to representation by the more favored in our society. There is nothing fair about that sort of process.

Government should be about leveling the playing field so all in the game have the same opportunity. When government takes steps to deny basic rights (such as the right to vote) we all lose a bit of what makes the United States great.

One more time I am saddened by the actions of my government. I long for the day when we can once again return to a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people with liberty and justice for ALL, not just the favored few.

Peace.

Momentum Builds

2008-04-24T11:45:00.003-04:00

Having made a somewhat later start than many candidates across the state, I worried a lot about my ability to attract attention and to gain the support of party committees. I need not have worried too much. Last night after a meeting at McKeann High School and my appearance (along with several County candidates) before the group, the 22nd Representative District Committee voted to recommend my endorsement.

WooHoooo! We are on the way. The road ahead is clear. One voter at a time, one meeting at a time progress is being made. Life is good.

Peace.

Contractors Outnumber Troops in Iraq

2008-04-22T15:38:00.002-04:00

According to recent news reports, the total number of contractors in Iraq is placed at 180,000. This exceeds the number of American troops (163,100) by a large margin. The problems associated with this situation are numerous and varied.

There have been reports of criminal action taken by contractors and not prosecuted as the laws are not clear. Congress is making an effort to change the legal status and bring contractors under the same judicial system as troops face today. Until that process is finished many contractors act outside any legal system.

The idea of having such large numbers of contractors as opposed to troops serves to hide the full extent of United States involvement in Iraq.

The presence of many armed contractors (Blackwater employees) makes war for profit by mercenaries the state of the nation.

Some part of the contractor presence is in fact a good thing as those people are engaged in reconstruction projects. But the question remains, could the American military fight on without much of the contractor support being supplied today? Is privatization of war supply lines and support services a good or a bad thing?

The slope appears to be slippery. Who knows where this will lead or when this will end?

Peace.

Animal Cruelty

2008-04-22T15:31:00.001-04:00

On the way to work this morning I passed a truck filled with hogs on their way to market judging by their size. Pigs reach about 200 pounds in a feedlot and then are trucked to a market or straight to a slaughterhouse for processing into the food we eat every day (if we are not vegetarians). Every time I see one of those truckloads of livestock (pigs, cattle, or chickens) I am reminded that many of we humans survive by taking the life of another animal to provide us food.

The thought this morning was just how intelligent and inquisitive the pigs near the outside of the truck seemed to be. They were sticking their snouts out between the bars and looking about as if to discover what was outside their world inside the truck. They were crowded in enough to prevent lying down so all were standing. My thoughts drifted to the realm of animal abuse and what constitutes such treatment. Are we engaging in corporate animal cruelty when we raise animals for food?

Animal cruelty comes in two different categories. There is the passive in which neglect is the primary abuse. In this instance food, shelter, or necessary medical care may not be provided.

Active cruelty implies malicious intent, where a person has deliberately and intentionally caused harm to an animal, and is sometimes referred to as NAI (Non-Accidental Injury).

Veterinarians by virtue of their professional lives are exposed to instances of both forms of overt cruelty.

According to the National Animal Abuse Registry

In 1997 Boston's Northeastern University and the MSPCA did a study that found 70% of all animal abusers have committed at least 1 other crime and that 40% had committed violent crimes against humans.
Studies also found that a history of animal abuse was found in 25% of male criminals, 30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of domestic violence cases and 46% of homicide cases.
30% of convicted child molesters and 48% of convicted rapists admitted animal cruelty in their childhood.
In 2000, 7% of animal cruelty cases involved child abuse. The perpetrators either abused the children or force them to witness the cruelty to animals. 13% of the animal cruelty cases involved domestic abuse. And 1% of animal cruelty cases involved elder abuse.

Abuse as a result of neglect may be corrected through education. Some pet owners are not aware of the needs of their pets. Other owners take on pets which outgrow the space or nutritional supplies available. In these instances removal of the pet or a change in the management may suffice for the animal.

Those instances in which the cruelty or abuse directed toward an animal is a different situation altogether. Veterinarians have long discussed the chance of human abuse by animal abusers. Now there are studies showing the link. In addition there are studies linking animal abuse among children with adult criminal activity including human abuse in adulthood.

There is much to consider in the realm of animal rights, animal welfare, animal abuse, and animal cruelty. It is my intention to explore over the course of time some of these issues in an effort both to educate myself and to refine my thoughts. There will no doubt be plenty of fodder for discussion as we all explore our own thinking along the way.

Peace.

More Tales of the Campaign Trail

2008-04-20T08:34:00.001-04:00

This was one big week as we begin to ramp up heading for a Primary Election in September. Every candidate in the state is on the road these days talking to people, knocking on doors, and making themselves evident in the public. I was no exception. For those of you who have worked on campaigns or have campaigned yourself, my tale will be nothing new. For others of you I offer the experience for your vicarious pleasure/torture.

The week saw me on the road every night. Two the nights found me more than 90 miles from home after 9PM. That makes for a pretty long day since I leave for work every morning before 7AM. One pair of days the driving included 350 miles. I was thinking that is very close to a trip from home to Raleigh to see my son and his wife. Different treks both of which are important in their own ways.

Every night these days means a trip to a different local Democratic Committee meeting. The state is divided into various sorts of local districts which meet in small groups at different times of the month. Every gathering brings together people working in their own neighborhood trying to see Democrats get elected. In addition these people are working on local issues of concern right on their very own street.

Each meeting this week brought more than one candidate to the forum. Each time we were all given varying amounts of time to introduce ourselves and make a brief presentation. We are all seeking office in the state this year and most are seeking statewide posts. Sometimes there are candidates for local council positions or for county positions, but the statewide candidates are more often the ones who see each other over and over.

One night we were in a pizza restaurant with about a dozen local committee people. Two were new to the process. Others are local office holders or county committee people long active in partisan politics. During the course of the meeting one woman asked the age of the two of us running for Congress. At the end of the meeting as I was saying farewell to each person in the room, she said, “You have my vote.” Those are words a candidate loves to hear. My heart flew and I am still high on the thought.

Sometimes people ask about my past history in partisan politics. I have no past involvement outside donations of money and my time as a political blogger and political junkie. I have spent lots of time talking to anyone who would listen over the years. Politics is a passion, not a hobby. For years I have been involved in the local peace movement, on the ground week after week trying to swing public opinion to oppose the occupation of Iraq and bring our troops home.

Opposition to the war drove me to a campaign, but there are so many other pressing issues in our nation today. The war is a fundamental wrong which must be corrected. But the economy, the environment, our educational system, and so many more basic issues are important and all need attention today. Tomorrow may be too late.

We must each and every one take action today to see our nation has a better tomorrow. We cannot wait another minute. Having preached action for such a long time I am now taking action myself. I have an opportunity which may not be matched in my lifetime. The timing in my personal life is perfect for a campaign. This is the culmination of a lifetime of working behind the scenes for change in our country. I am deeply grateful for the chance to put my stake down and work for honest change in the nation. One person, one conversation at a time I hope to make a difference. I can no longer sit by and watch the world pass by without more active resistance.

Peace.

On the Primary Ballot in DE

2008-04-19T07:22:00.001-04:00

The state of Delaware has a system for elections in which any person may join the fray by declaring their candidacy and paying a fee to the party of one's candidacy. Friday was the day for me. We trekked to Dover, DE, to file the papers and pay the fees. All went very well as my wife, our friend, and I wandered along the campaign trail one more day.

The day dawned bright, clear, and sunny. The weather could not have been any better than what arrived today for this time of year. I had an early morning meeting to attend so we had a scheduled departure of 9:30AM. We were only a few minutes late getting on the road. Off the wife and I went to Newark, DE, to retrieve a friend who was to travel along and be our camera man.

We called from the road with a progress report. The call led to a funny conversation about getting a phone with a very long wire (our friend does not like my Bluetooth equipped car as the voice quality is not so good on the copper line). He reminded us the day was going to be hot and asked if he was allowed to wear shorts and a T-shirt. I assured him that was just fine as he was a camera man and not a full fledged representative.

Newark is on of those interesting towns with too many one way streets and many difficult paths which do not connect in ordinary ways. We found the apartment complex we were seeking but someone was in the driveway and blocking our entrance. Then we started the wander around town to find our way back. After a few minutes we approached the apartment complex once again and saw our friend on the sidewalk waving us into the parking lot. He was decked out in jeans, a sport coat, nice shirt and tie. We almost did not recognize him for the transformation.

The trek to Dover was uneventful. We did see a state patrolman along the way. Our pal wanted me to pass the officer so he could offer a “special finger.” (At the Friday night vigil we have children who call the uplifted middle finger the “special finger.”) I declined and the trip went right on.

The Commissioner of Elections office is located above a soda supermarket. The address and directions led to some interesting conversations about the propriety, but the site was found without difficulty. We entered and made a video of my being on the way and our purpose at being in the building.

The actual signing was very simple. For such a momentous event the affair went very smoothly and quickly. We were out of the office in only a few minutes. The entire event was recorded in both still photos and video. And then the error was made. I asked permission to use the video for posting. I wished to have permission from the clerk to use her picture as she was easy to identify. “Not allowed,” we were told. State offices cannot be presented on the internet these days. Homeland security strikes again.

Here we are some 7 months after my original public announcement of candidacy and the process continues. Delaware has a deadline for filing for office near the end of July so I was far in advance of any deadlines. Filing today guarantees my name on the ballot on September 9 (Delaware Primary Day) as a Democratic Party candidate for the US House of Representatives. There is much work to be done before this race is done as the campaign trail continues day by day.

Peace.

Where is the Outrage?

2008-04-17T10:46:00.003-04:00

A few years ago the nation was brought to a virtual standstill as we heard the details of President Clinton's affair with a White House intern. Last week ABC news reported President Bush knew of and approved conferences inside the White House to discuss the application of torture to Taliban and Al Quaida detainees.

President Bush says he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details about how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency...

At one meeting in the summer of 2003 -- attended by Cheney, among others -- Tenet made an elaborate presentation for approval to combine several different techniques during interrogations, instead of using one method at a time, according to a highly placed administration source.

Where is the outrage? The silence is deafening in our media and around the nation. This cannot continue if we are to keep any semblance of democracy or justice in our country.

In a fine analysis of this issue, Ruth Conniff puts the facts into perspective.

...top Bush Administration officials, including Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft, and George Tenet, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld met to discuss which particular torture techniques should be used against Al Qaeda suspects in U.S. custody.

We now have confirmation that the President of the United States gave the OK for his national security team to violate international law and plot the sordid details of torture.

This is beyond belief let alone acceptance. The evidence weighs toward criminal action at the highest levels of United States government. We as nation cannot hope to regain our leadership standing in the eyes of the world until and unless these issues are addressed, investigated, and resolved.

We have lost all moral standing around the globe as a direct result of this administration's egregious behavior. The time has come to insist upon Congressional action. We need subpoenas and investigative committees. In lieu of that process maybe the World Court will bring charges and resolve the guilt or innocence. Without some formal judicial process we as a nation are forever doomed to repeating our mistakes. It is by admitting fault, punishing the guilty, and taking action to prevent any future occurrence we may be able to hold our heads high once again at some future time.

Peace.

War an Academic Argument??

2008-04-17T08:34:00.002-04:00

Quoting John McCain

We can look back at the past and argue about whether we should have gone to war or not, whether we should have invaded or not, and that's a good academic argument.

The words were spoken in a lecture on the current college circuit McCain is making. With more than 4000 American deaths so far, academic argument is the farthest idea from my mind.

McCain continues to trivialize our losses as he supports the ongoing occupation. We must not let this continue. The nation cannot afford the costs in either dollars or lives. We have no more children to lose. Saying the war is an "academic argument" is one of the most ridiculous statements I have heard from any of our Presidential candidates.

Peace.

Ocean Level Rising

2008-04-16T14:38:00.003-04:00

Latest estimates suggest the ocean levels may rise as much as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) by the end of the century. With much of Sussex County less than 3 feet above sea level this is a real threat to Delaware and many of its citizens. The time for building flood defenses is upon us. Planning far ahead makes good sense if we are to avoid a major catastrophe.

Peace.

One Year Ago Today

2008-04-16T12:39:00.003-04:00

Last year on this day 32 people died on the Virginia Tech campus. The shooter was among the dead. The next day I pondered the events in a posting at DKos. One year ago I saw similarities between the tragedy at Virginia Tech and the ongoing occupation in Iraq and the losses of children in that country. At the time I said

Action is necessary to both prevent any future such tragedy as the VPI event and to make sure we stop fostering similar tragedy in Iraq. We must call our Congress critters. We must write to our local newspaper editors. We must get into the streets and among other people. We can sit here at our keyboards until Hell freezes over, but we must take other action. If we fail to take positive and productive action we are failing our obligation to the world we live in today.

I stand by those words as we commemorate a terrible day in US history today. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to each family member and friend of the students killed last year. My sympathy also goes out to all those Iraqi families who have lost a loved one as a result of our occupation.

This senseless loss of life must come to an end. We humans deserve a better life than the violent one so many live today. Together we can bring about a new direction for our globe, but we must take action. We cannot continue to let someone else take on the hard work. If we all work together the load will be light for any one, but in the end the chore will be finished and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Peace.

Iraq Embassy Ready for Occupancy

2008-04-16T10:57:00.002-04:00

Six months late the United States Embassy is ready for occupancy in Baghdad. According to the news

The Construction of the embassy has cost the American tax-payers almost 700 million dollars and with a staff of 1000 people, its operating costs are projected to be totaling $1.2 billion a year.

The waste continues day by day. As the Iraqi people are forced to live on a few hours of electricity per day, limited fresh water supplies, and sewage running in many Baghdad streets, the United States employees are guaranteed posh quarters. Does anyone really think this is fair? Are we setting a proper example for leadership? Or are we continuing a course of occupation that will lead to further resentment and resistance?

Peace.

Abolish the Death Penalty

2008-04-16T08:49:00.005-04:00

I have said more than one time I am opposed to the death penalty as a punishment for crimes in our nation. One more time I feel the need to establish my position. Under no circumstance should the death penalty be considered a reasonable punishment for crimes committed by any person in our nation.

Why have I come to that conclusion? There are many reasons beyond the purely philosophical reasons arguing against an eye for an eye. In the state of Delaware a simple majority of jurors (7 of 12) is required to impose the death penalty. In recent years almost half those convictions have been overturned in the course of judicial proceedings. The cost of those ongoing legal actions is enormous. The state of Delaware has many better ways to spend that money. Incarceration for many years may not cost what a lengthy legal proceeding requires.

Criminologists (experts in the field of criminal justice) in large majority (84%) feel the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime. There is no reliable evidence the death penalty serves as a deterrent to crime.

Over 80% of death sentences come in cases in which the victim was white when only 50% of cases overall include a white victim

In our nation today the process is flawed in ways that may not always be obvious. Racial discrimination across the nation is overt in the death penalty. A black defendant having committed a crime against a white person is four times more likely to be sentenced to death than a white person in the same or similar circumstances.

In our nation today 99% of the people making decisions about seeking the death penalty are white. I suspect without knowing for certain most of those are male. This situation with so many human beings involved opens to door to basic discrimination no matter how fair the people trying to make decisions may try to be.

There may be ways to ameliorate the difficulties with the death penalty such as taking out the local jury process. If we had a far away, very diverse group making decisions there might be more fairness to the system. In too many instances local pressures and local politics may lead to a verdict outside the range of ordinary. My basic objections remain in place no matter the process, but other people may find solace in a system more fair in overall proceedings.

I believe no nation calling itself civilized can support the death penalty. No human being has the right to take the life of another under any set of circumstances in my mind. We must as a nation and as a society take a good look at where we are in this business. We must begin to have open discussions about the issues involved. We need to change our basic ways of looking at other human beings so we begin to first see a human being. We are in this together. We humans will stand together or we will fall apart.

Peace.

Eat Less Meat, Save the Earth

2008-04-15T15:27:00.002-04:00

In today's Boston Globe Derrick Jackson has a fine article about a simple way we can all help reduce greenhouse gas emission and thereby help reduce the risk of global warming. The trick is eat less meat.

Scientists are concluding that along with more fuel-efficient cars and curbing industrial pollution, the simple act of eating less meat could help slow global warming.

Livestock occupy nearly a third of the land on earth. Agricultural greenhouse gases are about 22 percent of all emissions around the world.

The study said that stabilizing agricultural emissions would require a 10 percent cut in global meat consumption.

In addition there would be other health benefits around the globe including

lower rates of heart disease, colorectal cancer, and obesity, and preservation of the habitat for all kinds of species.

How very simple is this? We can all pass one burger or more. Eating less steak is very easy in my family. We eat little in the first place. We could eliminate more and not notice the change.

At the same time as we lower our meat consumption, we cannot fall into the usual trap of wealthy people.

...they often substitute increasingly endangered fish near the top of the oceanic food chain such as swordfish, tuna, or shark or create a demand for shrimp and salmon that overwhelms the environments they are being raised in.

We must be conscious of our choices. Vegetarian choices are good ones overall. There are many meals which contain no animal protein at all. Those meals are both healthy for the consumer and friendly to the environment.

Good eating all. Peace.

The Campaign Trail Runs Right Along

2008-04-15T10:17:00.002-04:00

Sunday and Monday this week (writing on Tuesday) with meetings both days. The times keep on being a lot of fun as the gatherings are always about politics and include people who are active in their communities. Many fine people these days are working to bring about a new direction in our nation one small step at a time.

Sunday afternoon was a gathering in the home of a local Democrat. Sponsors included the Stonewall Democrats Delaware Chapter, the Progressive Democrats of Delaware, and others. The keynote speaker was Newcastle County Executive Chris Coons. Chris spoke to the group about his political activism as well as speaking to the topic in general. He was speaking to the choir so to speak, but the effect was a good one overall. Several elected official were in the group along with a number of candidates campaigning today. All were introduced to the larger group.

Most of the afternoon was social in nature. There were people of all ages in attendance. Talking politics along with general family affairs made the afternoon fun and educational. Having food and drink to accompany the affair did not one bit of harm.

Monday evening was a local Democratic committee meeting near Newark, De. The group included more than a dozen committee members in addition to candidates and their staff members. Seeing that many people out on a weeknight, away from their families and homes, working on politics is heartwarming.

Each candidate was given a few minutes to speak their piece. Once all the candidates finished the chairman of the meeting requested we all leave. The committee wished to deliberate their endorsements in private as those deliberations deserve to be.

The trail runs right on along as I try to visit as many representative districts across the state as possible. Later this week two visits to Sussex County are set. The fun times keep rolling right on by. More reports later as events unfold and time allows.

Peace.

More Signs of a Faltering Economy

2008-04-13T09:28:00.002-04:00

The New York Times today has a short article about the failing economy.

The American Bankers Association recently reported that in the fourth quarter of 2007, consumer credit delinquencies reached their highest level since 1992.

Given the rising costs of fuel, utilities, and food we cannot expect this situation to change in the near future. Those more than 30 days in arrears are advised to consult their lenders and make an effort to work out a payment plan to allow repayment without default.

Delaware is no stranger to the national situation. Increasing numbers of people find themselves falling behind on their mortgage payments. Many have lost their homes to foreclosure already. Many more stand in deep trouble and in danger of facing foreclosure this year.

How are we to resolve this problem. The basic issue is in the economy. For too many years we have watched the exporting of good jobs in manufacturing and other parts of the business world. We must find ways to regain our stature in providing jobs for those willing and able to work. Small businesses in this nation are the backbone of the economy. By providing adequate support fot those employers we could make a start to restoring the economy.

We must find ways to exploit our technological knowledge to bring new innovation and new manufacturing to the nation. We can use our manufacturing base of both facilities and labor to function in new industries such as solar or wind power.

We need new and imaginative ways for government to aid people with mortgages in distress. Government at its best affords a safety net for those in distress. We must not allow the continued failure of the housing market. The nation can ill afford a lengthy round of displaced homeowners.

We hear politicians of every ilk these days talking about job creation. We need a great deal less talk and a good deal more action. Congress must act and act soon. State legislatures have some power to act, too. Both groups need to get to work and move to fruitful solutions. The problem is obvious. Now we need solutions, not more rhetoric.

Peace.

Politicking Saturday

2008-04-12T16:55:00.002-04:00

And then came Saturday. One more day in a long series of political events this week (number 3 in a row and 4 in 6 days). All are part of life in the fast and furious lane these days. Today was the training session led by the 21st Century Democrats. The focus of the meeting was winning elections. The group presented an organized approach applicable to a campaign of any size. The information presented was timely and useful.

Once again a fine part of the day was the interaction with attendees (the meet and greet part). And again the food was fine. Box lunches were provided for all in attendance.

Tomorrow the campaigning continues with a candidate meet and greet. The good times keep rolling right on by these days. News of that one later.

Peace.

Politicking Friday

2008-04-12T16:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the 13th Annual Spaghetti Dinner for the 23rd District. The food was fine. Wine and beverages were available for one and all. The crowd was the largest ever according to the MC, Terry Schooley.

Highlights of the evening included both a silent auction and an open auction with longtime autioneer, Chris Coons. The overall effect of Chris as auctioneer was one of hilarity coupled with good effect. The event was a fund raiser for the district. I managed to win not a single bid. So many others with so much more money...

The event was quite a fine time. Over a hundred Democrats in one room, every one interested in politics. Those times are such fun. Nothing like sharing time with likeminded people. Add in food and drink and life gets little better.

Peace.

The First Amendment Stings Sometimes

2008-04-09T18:08:00.002-04:00

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech in this great nation of ours. I am now and have been for many years a staunch defender of freedom of speech even at times when the speech was not in my range of interest or of personal acceptance.

This blog site was set up with the right of free speech as a founding principle. Site rules allow comments to be screened or censored by me, the site owner. In addition bloggers may be required to register to prevent anonymous postings. I do not support any of those measures and instead choose to leave comments open to one and all who happen to visit.

In the past few days my principles came home to cause great personal pain. A blogger who chose to post as anonymous spoke in harsh terms which hurt my wife more than me. I accept the risk of personal attack, but the pain is real nonetheless.

The blogger called me a "coward" and suggested because of my anti-war stance I was in effect spitting on the grave of a fallen American soldier. I take issue with most all the person had to say. As a Vietnam veteran myself there is no one who honors and respects our military members of today more than I. Those men and women deserve all the honor our nation has to offer. They are doing a fine job under terrible circumstances.

It is the failure of the Bush administration to lead our military in the right ways with which I take serious issue. The administration led our nation into Iraq with a series of lies. The military was not given enough manpower or enough equipment to accomplish their assigned chore. Now in the face of abject failure the administration continues the occupation without an end in sight.

The only rightful American solution is full and rapid withdrawal. Then and only then may we as a nation begin the difficult process of healing our wounds. Until the day all our troops are home once again I will continue to speak and to work against the war. We have no more children to lose.

Honor the dead.

Heal the wounded.

End the war.

Peace.

RIP Staff Sgt. Travis Griffin

2008-04-06T08:00:00.003-04:00

On Thursday in central Baghdad Delaware lost another of our soldiers in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Travis Griffin was in Iraq as a volunteer for a year-long tour to train police officers. His vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb and he was killed.

Salute, brother. You have served your last. May you find eternal peace.

To the family and friends left behind, my heartfelt sympathy.

To the state of Delaware and all its citizens, my sympathy for yet another loss. The sadness increases day by day.

Peace.

Hope is on the Horizon

2008-04-03T09:18:00.003-04:00

In 1968 Martin Luther King delivered a speech in which he said

The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. (snip) But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.

Today we are in that same state of national affairs. Our nation is in deep trouble. The occupation of Iraq drags on day by day. The economy is in shambles. People are losing their homes. Good jobs are tough to find for many. Healthcare is non-existent for the millions of uninsured. Poverty rates are on the rise.

King went on to say

...we have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them.

I for one am not happy to be living in these trying times, but to be able to take a stand and to work for what is right is an important task for all us alive today. In that course of action I am delighted to work daily toward a new future for the state and for the nation.

In this darkest of recent times there is hope. If we look to the elections coming in the fall in both Delaware and the nation there are many fine candidates running for office. We have people campaigning for the good of the people for a change. We have candidates who have the vision and the track record to lead this nation out of the dark places and into the light. Like King said, only in the very darkest of times can we see the stars in the firmament.

Today we need to look to the future and keep hope alive. If we lose hope we are doomed. We must not rest for a single moment until we have elected officials in place to make the needed changes for our nation. After the elections we will be responsible for keeping our new officials on the straight and narrow. Government of, by, and for the people is possible if we hold to hope and work hard to realize our dreams.

Peace.

The Iraq Morass Worsens

2008-04-03T08:58:00.002-04:00

During the last week of March attacks on United States forces reached the highest level since the inception of the surge (think of that as escalation and you have the right idea). American troop losses stand at 4012 as of this morning. Those numbers can only rise as the days go by and the resistance increases.

Over the week that began March 25, when the offensive began in Basra, there were 728 attacks against U.S. coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and civilians across Iraq, according to U.S. military data

Of these, 430 -- or almost 60 percent of the attacks -- occurred in Baghdad

In comparison, the average weekly attack rate in Baghdad last June was 326 attacks, according to U.S. military statistics.

When will the administration and the American public awaken to the reality that is Iraq? There is no military solution. The longer we stay the more our costs will rise. The time for withdrawal is now. We have no more children to lose.

Peace.

An Immigration Poll Answered

2008-04-01T11:34:00.008-04:00

In e-mail a few days ago I received a poll from Americans for Better Immigration. The organization purports to be a non-partisan group but the only politicians receiving high marks for their immigration policies are Republicans. In addition the positions put forth by the organization are xenophobic and restrictive in subtle but effective ways. I have not replied to their request and may not. At the same time I believe a position on immigration is important and I am happy to share my views and thought on the poll as offered. More to come in time on this subject, but for today this will do for a start.

1. Do you OPPOSE offering a path to citizenship and/or long-term residency to the 12-20 million people illegally in the U.S. (whether through a blanket amnesty or an "earned legalization" or other form)?

[xx] NO
There are millions of undocumented workers in our country today. Many have families, children, and homes. These people deserve the basic protections of our nation in terms of liberty and justice for all. We must develop more fair ways to allow immigration and we must consider every individual as a single person. Some people are in this country working and contributing. They deserve a chance to become citizens and to remain. If person is undocumented and involved in criminal activity that person does not deserve the same right to citizenship.

2. Should Congress fund an Attrition Through Enforcement campaign to cause illegal aliens to self-deport back to their home countries over time?

[XX] NO
Congress needs to take a real stand in terms of immigration policy. These back door moves to limit immigration or to force people to make unreasonable choices must be stopped. Government must be open and honest if we are to survive as a nation. Our founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness apply to each and every human being on the planet.

3. Should all businesses be required to use the Federal government's automated, rapid-response system (E-Verify) to verify the legal status of new and existing employees to remove the jobs magnet from illegal immigration?

[XX] NO
The system as proposed by the Department of Homeland Security is based on Social Security numbers. There are an estimated 17 million or more records in that database which are not reliable. Any enforcement based on this proposal may lead to the loss of employment of both legal immigrants or native American citizens.

4. Should the federal government be required to cooperate with local officials and pick up all illegal aliens detained by local law enforcement?

[XX] NO
Local officials detaining undocumented persons should have a variety of options. The case must be decided on a one person at a time basis. If the person is in fact a criminal beyond being undocumented, then the justice system may take over. Federal intervention should occur only after our legal system has made a judgment in terms of deportation. No person should be subject to deportation without a full and open hearing and pursuit of all avenues open in our justice system. We as a nation must not sacrifice our principles of truth and justice for any reason whatever.

5. Should Congress reduce funding to state and local governments that adopt sanctuary policies and other rewards for illegal aliens?

[XX] NO
Man’s humanity to man should not be restricted by government on any level. The place of government is to guarantee our rights, not to deny or restrict them on any level.

6. Should Congress fully fund the completion of the entry/exit system at all borders and points of entry in which every person entering and leaving the U.S. is logged into a database which would notify law enforcement, businesses and others when a foreign tourist, student, worker or other fails to leave on-time? *(U.S. Visit was approved by Congress in 1996 and has never been sufficiently funded and is largely incomplete.)

[XX] NOT TAKING A POSITION
As a matter of reasonable immigration policy this may be a step to consider. There is much to be evaluated before making a final decision in matters of this magnitude.

7. Should Congress fund and provide oversight for the full implementation of border security measures already signed into law?

[XX] NO
There are measures including the security fence being built in Texas which should not be funded. The projects do nothing to protect the United States and drain needed resources from other useful projects.

8. Should Congress stop the policy of giving automatic citizenship to children born to illegal aliens?

[XX] NO
That is a long standing ideal of American justice. We should be in a position of welcoming those new citizens rather than restricting their freedoms in our country.

9. Should Congress implement the bi-partisan, national Jordan Commission recommendation to limit family-based immigration to the nuclear family of spouse and minor children, thus eliminating the "chain migration" categories of extended family that are the key reason immigration has quadrupled since the 1960s?

[XX] NO
Immigrants with relatives already in the country are much more likely to find housing and employment once they arrive. These are productive people who contribute to our economy and should be allowed entry based on their qualifications including family ties.

10. Should Congress stop using a lottery to give away permanent greencards to 50,000 randomly chosen foreign citizens each year (an elimination suggested by the Jordan Commission)?

[XX] NO
There needs to be some system by which a measure of fairness is introduced around the globe for immigration to the United States. There are already many favored nations with special consideration. Allowing others to participate in a lottery at least offers hope of one day making the trek. We as the greatest nation in the world must keep our borders as open as possible and allow new immigration in order to maintain our culture and our national identity.

11. Should Congress institute safeguards that will prevent importation of foreign workers any time they would threaten the jobs or depress the wages of American workers?

[XX] NOT TAKING A POSITION
On the surface this is a reasonable proposition. The terms of any such limitation must be explored before a final judgment can be rendered. Today if we had more open borders, employers could import seasonal workers for a time period, and then those workers would return home. The more restrictive our immigration policies the more likely people are to stay as undocument aliens once they cross the border. Free movement allows people to work, improve their status, and go home again.

12. Until 1976, U.S. immigration tradition was an average of 250,000 a year; since new legislation in 1990, it has averaged 1,000,000 a year. More than 37 million foreign workers and dependents now live in the U.S. At current rates, immigration will add another 105 million by 2060. Do you favor reducing overall immigration numbers toward the traditional levels?

[XX] NO
No specific limit on immigration is needed. Global circumstances change. We need a policy which is fair to all. We must work to a fair trade circumstance around the globe which allows people to remain in their native country and earn a reasonable wage. So long as we have the economic inequality represented by the United States we will continue to have difficulty with immigration. Violence and other conditions may require changes in immigration policies and numbers which require other than fixed numbers.

The most reliable evidence concerning immigration shows a positive effect in the overall scheme. Immigrants work, earn and spend money, and contribute to the growth of communities across the nation. Our nation was built on a melting pot of nationalities and cultures. Any effort to restrain or restrict that continued diversity will take away from our overall being. We must be careful not to prevent future growth in cultural entities lest the nation become like unto a stagnant pond.

Peace.

April 1

2008-04-01T09:01:00.003-04:00

Best known as April Fool's Day, the tricks and tricksters are already out today. Delaware Liberal takes off with a post about Mike Protack and Dana Garrett. Well worth the read and be sure to see the comments. Not everyone recognized the joke early on.

On this day in history the bag is somewhat mixed.

April 1, 1991, the Warsaw Pact officially dissolves and the dissolution of the Soviet Union continues its march to history books.

April 1, 1986, world oil prices drop below $10 a barrel. Tough to believe in this day and time.

April 1, 1982, the United States transfers the Panama Canal to Panama.

April 1, 1980, France performs another nuclear test and proliferation continues.

April 1, 1972, Major League Baseball players stage their first strike in history and begin the transformation of baseball as a sport.

April 1, 1945, United States troops invade Okinawa.

And lots more on the site.

Enjoy and have a great day. No jokes from this corner today. There will be plenty available without my input.

Peace.

103

2008-03-30T06:28:00.001-04:00

In the first 90 days of 2008 the United States reports 103 troop deaths in Iraq. Since the invasion we have commemorated the 5th anniversary we have commemorated 5 years and more than 4000 soldiers lost. Today we hear of costs near $12 billion per month and estimates of $3 trillion overall before all is said and done.

Meanwhile our mainstream media continues to play down the ongoing failure with barely a mention any more of the deaths let alone stories of the families and friends left behind. The death count also fails to reflect the numbers of US contractors killed in country. No mention is made of the many thousands of life altering injuries such as limbs or eyes lost. Nor do we hear much of the many minds broken beyond repair. Suicides related to service time are also not counted and often not mentioned. The Iraqi losses count many thousands more, yet those are dismissed often without a thought.

activefree, Flickr, Creative Commons

Recent news of increasing violence in Basra is characterized by President Bush as a “defining moment” for the Iraqi forces. The time is defining alright, but not in the way Bush meant. US and British troops are being put back into the fray once again. There are increasing reports of US air attacks in which civilians are killed. Bombing a populated area always results in casualties among the innocent.

While the ground war continues day by day and our losses mount, the insanity of Guantanamo Bay continues. Several hundred detainees remain confined in legal limbo. While the military would have us believe the prisoners are held in relative comfort

US Navy, public domain

we know better. Reports of abuse may be found most any day. Justice is a fleeting hope for many of the detainees as the only court on the horizon is a military proceeding in which the rules of evidence favor the prosecution. We know the prisoners spend their days in shackles.

US Navy, public domain

Even transport for medical reasons or for exercise may result in the shackling of a detainee.

US Navy, public domain

US Navy, public domain

Razor wire surrounds the compound.

US Navy, public domain

Pictures of Camp Delta

www.bloomberg.com

suggest conditions far removed from the reality we know exists today.

US Navy, public domain

In 1970 I came home right off the helicopter pads of Vietnam only a few days out of the field. I came home a changed person. In 1967 I enlisted in the US Army filled with the patriotic vigor only the young seem to possess. I came home well aware of the terrible tragedy war represents. I saw first hand how war affects the people on both sides as well as the havoc wreaked across the land. Since those days I have stood firm in my opposition to war for almost all reasons. Today I stand opposed to the ongoing occupation of Iraq with every fiber of my physical and moral being. The costs are far too high in both dollars and blood. We as a nation can ill afford to continue one more day let alone the years predicted by most in the administration.

Today the reaction of the public in our nation reminds me of a line from a song

a nation blinded by its disgrace

Today I am ashamed of my country's actions. Recent years have seen a drift in this nation our Founders would never have imagined. We have watched the atrocities of Abu Graib

CID image

along with the aforementioned Guantanamo Bay and all the damage done in Iraq. And yet we as a nation continue to survive.

Is there any hope for us? Of course there is. So long as good people stand to fight the good fight our nation will survive this trauma the same way we have survived so many past times of trial and tribulation.

How are we to resolve the morass? We must withdraw ALL our troops from Iraq. The Iraqi people do not wish our presence to continue. The international community does not support our continued occupation. The time has come to end the occupation and let diplomatic maneuvers replace military force. We must act to bring stability to the entire region through the cooperation of all nations around the globe. We stand to be much more successful if we use the carrot rather than the stick approach.

If we withdraw will there be blood shed in Iraq? Of course. Will the situation be made worse than the one we see today? Maybe or maybe not. Who can predict that future? The one indisputable fact remains the longer we continue as an occupying force the higher the cost to our nation.

We who believe the war is wrong headed must stand steadfast in our opposition. The blind stubbornness of the administration will ruin our nation forever if we fail to fight. We cannot afford to lose this one. There is no room for failure.

Out the door, people. Hit the streets. Talk to every person you encounter. Tell everyone you can corner the truth. Show them the images of war and of Guantanamo. Let them see the facts for a change. It is only by our continued action and ongoing protest that we stand to win in the end.

Peace to one and all.

Saturday Morning Vigil

2008-03-29T13:18:00.008-04:00

My first effort to video and post a view of the Saturday morning vigil.

Every Saturday morning 11-12AM we are out on Concord Pike at the Border's shopping center. Come join sometime. All are welcome. The outing is one of the ongoing actions of Delaware Pacem in Terris.

Bonus Video:

From the vigil commemorating 4000 dead.

Peace

A Day in Life at Guantanamo

2008-03-29T08:20:00.001-04:00

Imagine for a few moments how your life would change if you were suddenly charged as an enemy combatant and sent to Guantanamo Bay as a detainee.

You'd be transported under conditions of sensory deprivation to maximize your disorientation.

Brooke Anderson, Flickr, Creative Commons (reenactment)

Carlos Ferrer, Flickr, Creative Commons (reenactment)

Carlos Ferrer, Flickr, Creative Commons (reenactment)

If you were really unlucky you'd end in Camp Delta.

Lorri 37, Flickr, Creative Commons

In any event there would be guard towers all around the place.

USMarine0311, Flickr, Creative Commons

You might be allowed to exercise, or maybe be gathered as a group in an enclosed pen.

ManilaRyce, Flickr, Creative Commons

Your day would not begin or end with regularity. From the LA Times the story continues:

It's a dreary winter afternoon, but the scene could be any time of the day or night. The hour for rec time is one of the few unpredictable features in a day in the life of a detainee.

Reveille is at 5 a.m., when guards collect the single bedsheet allotted to each detainee. That precaution has been in effect since June 2006, when three prisoners were found dead, hanging from nooses fashioned from their bedding.

When they do leave their cells, prisoners are shackled and escorted -- to and from showers, recreation pens, interrogation interviews, and a meeting or two each year with their lawyers. They leave their cells in the "hard facilities" of Camps 5, 6 and the new 7 for no other reason, unless they are found to need medical or dental treatment when corpsmen make periodic rounds.

Once a man has refused nine consecutive meals, he is considered a hunger striker and brought to the detention medical center. His head, arms and legs are strapped to a "restraint chair" while a tube is threaded through his nose and throat into the stomach. A doctor-recommended quantity of Ensure is administered.

Under those circumstances forced feeding is one more nice way of saying "torture." Put yourself in the prisoner's place and imagine the pain and distress of being strapped down and having a tube forced into your body.

A schoolroom was added to the predominantly Afghan camp last year to teach basic written Pashtu and Urdu to the illiterate.

Leather-and-steel shackles protrude from the floor beneath each desk where prisoners' ankles are tethered during classes.

mushroomandrooster, Flickr, Creative Commons (reenactment)

Lights are kept on in the cells 24/7 for what military jailers said were security reasons.

The full story has many more details than my excerpts. You should read the entire article. And put yourself in the place and time as you read. Then remember this is our nation at work. We, the citizens of the United States are represented by the actions of every day in Guantanamo. We cannot let this continue.

jemstaht, Flickr, Creative Commons

The United States needs to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay as soon as possible. All detainees deserve the right to a fair trial or release. We cannot continue to hold human beings in the conditions of Guantanamo if we as a nation hope to hold any measure of moral high ground.

Peace.

Civilian Deaths Mount in Basra with Air Attacks

2008-03-28T09:31:00.003-04:00

Overnight US warplanes carried out at least two attacks on Basra.

Iraqi police and hospital officials in Sadr City said five civilians were killed and four others wounded in the attack.

The attacks by the US increases the likelihood we will be drawn into the internal Shiite struggle in Basra.

Whatever the outcome of the immediate struggle, the ongoing use of warplanes to bomb areas where civilians may be harmed is outrageous. There is no excuse for the use of weapons of mass destruction in a civilian region. This is the fallacy of fighting an insurgency. Weapons such a bombs kill people and increase the risk to innocent persons. Any person having a relative killed by a warplane bomb is more likely to become part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Withdrawal followed by diplomatic efforts and economic support for reconstruction is the only way. We must leave Iraq to the Iraqis. The United States cannot afford the continued economic let alone human costs of this occupation.

Peace.

The Surge is Failing Again

2008-03-27T20:29:00.002-04:00

Not that we needed much more evidence of the failure of the surge. Now comes news the State Department is telling employees in Baghdad

not to leave reinforced structures due to incoming insurgent rocket fire that has killed two American government workers this week.

The memo continues to recommend employees not sleep in their personal trailers, but rather move into the palace which now houses the embassy or into the not yet completed embassy. Employees are asked to use cots in place of their beds in trailers.

And not to let a single minute pass without ratcheting up the attack on Iran

U.S. military officials said that among the weapons used in recent attacks are 107mm rockets made in Iran.

How gullible can the administration continue to think we are if we continue to acccept progress in the face of situations like this? If the presence of the United States military cannot provide security and safety within the vaunted Green Zone, what place in Iraq can possibly be safe?

I have argued against this war from the very beginning. The invasion was illegal and immoral. Now we have an occupation costing $12 billion a month, we have lost more than 4000 United States soldiers to combat, and the losses continue. The time for withdrawal has come. We must remove our forces from Iraq and let diplomacy begin. Military force has shown itself time and time again to be unable to quell an insurgency. Nor has democracy been instilled from outside by force at any time in history.

The time has come to take stock of our mistake and make international apologies as we begin withdrawal of ALL our troops. Maybe if we are out of the nation the Iraqis can begin to find solutions to the internal problems we will leave behind.

Will there be bloodshed if we leave the country? Of course there will.

Will the situation be worse than what we see today? Who knows?

If we stay will the costs continue to rise? Yes, there is no doubt whatsoever.

Let us all hope we find a way to end this egregious war before we have nothing left to lose of our nation.

Peace.

Wind Power in Spain

2008-03-27T07:58:00.002-04:00

During one brief period on a recent weekend Spain generated 40% of all their electric power needs from wind. In the meantime we here in Delaware continue to be deprived of the same renewable, sustainable energy source while DelMarva Power refuses to budge on their carbon fuel provisions. Given the business of Pepco in generating power and trading from one corporate division to another for profit overall, we cannot expect much different.

How much longer are we the citizens of Delaware going to sit still for this?

Spain, which along with Germany and Denmark, is among the three biggest producers of wind power in the 27-nation European Union, is aiming to triple the amount of energy it derives from renewable sources by 2020.

Why should Delaware not be the first state in the United States leading the way in wind power? We are a small state, but we have resources such as offshore locations not available across the nation. We must begin to move to renewable and sustainable energy sources as rapidly as possible. Wind is one means already proven around the world. The time has come to make the move in Delaware.

Peace.

The Real Meaning of 4000 Dead

2008-03-26T16:54:00.002-04:00

Lieut. Sean Walsh, on duty in Iraq, writes his personal take on the fallen and the meaning of their deaths. The entire story is worth the reading.

The passing of the 4,000th service member in Iraq is a tragic milestone and a testament to the cost of this war, but for those of us who live and fight in Iraq, we measure that cost in smaller, but much more personal numbers. For me those numbers are 8, the number of friends and classmates killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 3, the number of soldiers from my unit killed in this deployment. I'm 25, yet I've received more notifications for funerals than invitations to weddings.

For the vast majority of Americans who don't have a loved one overseas, the only number they have to attempt to grasp the Iraq War is 4,000. I would ask that when you see that number, try to remember that it is made up of over 1 million smaller numbers; that every one of the 1 million service members who have fought in Iraq has his or her own personal numbers. Over 1 million 8's and 3's. When you are evaluating the price of the war, weighing potential rewards versus cost in blood and treasure, I would ask you to consider what is worth the lives of three of your loved ones? Or eight? Or more? It would be a tragedy for my 8 and 3 to have died without us being able to complete our mission, but it maybe even more tragic for 8 and 3 to become anything higher.

The real costs of war are not in dollars and cents. The costs are much higher in the lives of the fallen and of their friends and families.

Please read the entire article. Lieut. Walsh has a great deal to say. All Americans need to think about what he has to say.

Peace.

Possum 4-day DailyKos Fundraiser
Sunday August 3
3:00 p.m.	Al Rodgers
5:00 p.m.	Seneca Doane
7:00 p.m.	noweasels
9:00 p.m.	Patriot Daily
11:00 p.m.	llbear
Monday August 4
3:00 p.m.	One Pissed Off Liberal
5:00 p.m.	Avila
7:00 p.m.	Elise
9:00 p.m.	blueness
Tuesday August 5
3:00 p.m.	OrangeClouds115
5:00 p.m.	pico
7:00 p.m.	srkp23
9:00 p.m.	Magnifico
Wednesday August 6
3:00 p.m.	clammyc
5:00 p.m.	gildareed
7:00 p.m.	melvin
9:00 p.m.	A Siegel