The RoanokeSlant

This file is a US personal journal of commentary of examples of the Roanoke Times and Liberal Media Slant...... lbhagen@aol.com

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

 

How Long Iraq Violence?

How Long Iraq Violence?
Roanoke Times, 6/26/05, Pg 1: Violence shadows soverneign successes
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Roanoke Times, 6/27/05, Pg 1: Fighting may last 12 years
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Both articles focus on the length and intensity of the insurgency in Iraq.
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The religious/ethnic struggle between the minority Sunni's, who were Sadam's source of power and enforcement, and the Shiite majority may well go on for many years. However, that does not preclude reaching a level of stability such that Iraq can function as a nation, and we can downsize.
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A similar situation has existed in Irland since 1919, starting with the Easter Rising, continuing through Bloody Sunday in 1972, the spectacular attack in London in 1996, and allegations of killings and recently a 50 million dollar bank robbery. However, it appears that after all this time, the parties involved are now turning to politics instead of violence.
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In the US the KKK continued their insurgency for 100 years after "completion of major hostilities."
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The key to success in Iraq is the Iraqi's! They must take on the responsibility and burden of controlling their destiny. They must defeat the insurgency manned by both those from within and those who are sent in. We can and should help, but we cannot do the job for them.
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Our own history well applies: Lafayette and Pulaski came here to help, they did not come here to fight the war for us!
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Boston Globe article on Irish history:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/03/27/on_centennial_sinn_fein_weighs_cost_of_ira_violence/
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Prior blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/just-enough-troops-to-lose.html
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Monday, June 27, 2005

 

This is Business?

Roanoke Times, 6/25/05, Pg Bus 8: Two large pictures and 2/3 of page devoted to Paris Hilton and her Hardees ad.
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The business section of the paper is typically anemic and irrelevant however it has hit an all time low with the hyping of this sex-star in a family paper, and in a major part of the business section to-boot!
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Hello, look around, there are lots of interesting and successful businesses in the Valley to write about. Interview them, find out how they started, find out what makes them successful and how they are coping with competition and changing markets. How are their needs for skill and talent being met by students graduating from schools in the valley?
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And if The Editor has a need to focus on Paris -- perhaps he could do it on the papers' web site since she is already featured at numerous sites and folks could just click on the links for her latest movies.
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Korea forgotten?

Roanoke Times, 6/25/05, Pg --- none
Looked throughout the paper for some reflection on the start of the Korean War 55 years ago. Only item I found was a letter to the editor.
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June 25, 1950 Pres. Truman responded to the attack on South Korea by North Korea. The initial part of the war was a disaster for the US. We lost a lot of troops and were pushed back into the Pusan perimeter with our back to the ocean. It took Gen. McArthur's bold move at the Inchon landing before any positive actions were accomplished.
We suffered 37,000 killed and many times that wounded and missing.
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If The Editor had been writing in those days he would have had a field-day waxing on with bad news about: bad politics, bad army, bad generals, bad equipment, and why don't we just capitulate and come home.
Perhaps that's why he chose not to cover this item today!
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We may well be very close to another military action with North Korea. Click on the link for the background on the next confrontation:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/north-korean-nukes.html
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Rove and the liberals

Roanoke Times, 6/25/05, Pg Va 7: Karl Rove, who said the liberal response to the 9/11 attacks was to offer "therapy and understnading to our attackers" while conservatives prepared for war.
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The fact is that Move-on and the Dean-team collected 700,000 signatures after 9/11 stating their position that we should not engage in any military action. We should arrest people and then make-nice with our enemies.
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Perhaps The Editor could publish those 700,000 names and let us know who they are, what their agenda is, and what their plan is to protect the US and our people. Perhaps they could all go over to the middle-east and resolve their issues, their departure tomorrow might be a good thing!
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/dick-cheney-and-reality.html
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Dick Cheney and reality

Dick Cheney and reality
Roanoke Times, 6/25/05, Pg Va 7: Gen. Abizaid's testimony confirmed the Iraq insurgency is far from its "last throes."
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It's not clear what the context of Chaney's "the last throes" comment was. However, it is clear that tens of thousands of terrorists were trained in the AlQaida camps in Afganistan during Clinton's eight years and that all those animals are someplace and are trying hard to find a way to carryon their 9/11 program!
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The reality is that folks like me believe that fighting them and killing them in Iraq is the lesser of the evils we could be faced with.
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Perhaps The Editor has a better and more effective eradication program?
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/just-enough-troops-to-lose.html
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Stealth attack

Roanoke Times, 6/24/05, Pg Va 6: The latest S/S proposal shows the depth of determination to shred the successful program in favor of a risky "ownership society".
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Apparently The Editor has a phobia about the "ownership society".
Yet another S/S article by him without any definition or description of "the problem" or any potential options to fix the 2-4-1 problem.
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It will be interesting to see how the young generation of taxpayers will view all this. They are paying a major amount into the system with no hope of getting a fair return. However they are well aware of IRA's, 401's, and annuities and how they relate to tax-deferred savings accumulation in their personal finances.
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Many are also very aware that the civil service employee retirement system has a major investment component and that all major commercial retirement programs have major investments in bonds and even some stocks. If Corporations could contribute more of their income into vested retirement investments and less to taxes, their employees would be even better off.
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It may turnout that the Democrat Party is on the verge of loosing a major part of the young voters by refusing to even participate in the development of options to save the system. What a sad sack of losers who are turning their backs on a major issue that is vital to the very people who have elected them to office.
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Prior S/S items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/dont-forfeit-ss-checks.html
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Saturday, June 25, 2005

 

FDA and Quality of Life

Roanoke Times, 6/24/05, Pg A 14: FDA rejects implantable artificial heart. Unsure if a few extra months of life outweighed the serious side effects.
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Kudos to the FDA for taking this appreach.
We all should focus on what medical procedures and tests are being done, particularly on senior citizens, and how these things relate to "quality of life".
It appears that there is often a BIG gap between what the service provider may call a "successful" procedure and what the patient may experience!
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Perhaps the "do not resuscitate" concept needs to be significantly expanded!
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Graduation rates

Roanoke Times, 6/24/05, Pg 1: States inflate high school graduation rates, study says. Those numbers show "rampant dishonesty" says the author.
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After reading through a pile of "apples and oranges" it appears that instead of going for flaming-headlines it would have been helpful if the author and The Editor had made some key items clear.
Are we counting students who enter high school from eight grade or are we counting students who enter their senior year from their junior year?
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If we're counting eight grade students who graduate high school, it appears the number is about 70%.
If we're counting juniors that graduate, it appears the number is in the high 90's.
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Perhaps "rampant dishonesty" or at least "slant" has crept into this article too.
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After we get past the number thing, the key issue is what to do about the 30% of eight graders who do not graduate? We need a new and innovative program to help them achieve the skill and knowledge required by tomorrows jobs.
No wonder the unemployment rate is high and the incarceration rate is even higher.
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In my youth, most of these folks were drafted into the Army, got away from their home environment, saw other communities and cultures, and learned the concept of work and responsibility and self esteem and the value of a dollar honestly earned. Getting rid of that program (the draft) was really a good thing wasn't it?
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Prior school item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/hard-to-teach-kids.html
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PETA out of the closet

Roanoke Times, 6/23/05, Pg Va 4: Two NC counties stop giving animals to PETA after two PETA workers are accused of dumping euthanized animals.
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This story brings two items into focus: One: do-good organizations like PETA sound really impressive when they talk about what to do, however, when they actually have to do something themselves, it turns out not to be so easy. Second: the animal abuse laws have gone way too far. By law the ONLY people who can euthanize your dog or cat is a veterinarian. This may be OK in the cities, but in the country this is way too restrictive.
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Debate on Iraq

Roanoke Times, 6/23/05, Pg Va 9: R. Scheer of the LA Times: "beginning to question the war in Iraq". "We may finally get a long-overdue national debate on ending the US occupation."
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Where was Robert during 2004? Didn't we have over 12 months of presidential-national debate about the war starting with the awesome dozen? Didn't Dean and Moore and Move-on reach Robert way out there in LA?
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And then we had an election.
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/iraq-support.html
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Iraq Support

Roanoke Times, 6/23/05, Pg 1: Dozens of leaders give Iraq support, vows of concrete aid. In Brussels, Iraq won wide and concrete support from the international community.
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It would be a good thing if we now could just get The Editor, his media partners and the Democrat leadership to join the international community!
A united front in support of a free and democratic Iraq would do more to quell the violence than bullets and bombs.
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Aljazeers's US Senator Quaking

Roanoke Times, 6/22/05, Pg A 6: Durbin apoligizes for "Nazi" remark.
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What a pathetic sight! The #2 Democrat in the US Senate with voice quaking now says the "Nazi, Soviet gulags and Cambodian butcher Pol Pot. Remarks" he made about our treatment of terorist-prisoners "may have crossed the line."
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What has caused the members of the Democrat leadership to sink into such a low level of performance? Have the Deaniacs totally consumed them?
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/gulag.html
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Friday, June 24, 2005

 

Lebanon Elections

Roanoke Times, 6/21/05, Pg A 9: Anti-Syrian coalition gets landslide victory.
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Is there a cause and effect function going on in the middle-east? Let's see:
Afghanistan free of the Taliban and holding elections
Iraq free of Sadam, holding elections and writing a new Constitution
Libya turning in all their WMD's and joining the world community
The Israelis and Palestinians seriously working together in Gaza.
The Syrians pulling their troops out of Lebanon
The Lebanese holding elections
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Is there something going on in the middle-east? Perhaps two things: seeing Sadam pulled out of a spider hole, and 200,000 American troops in the area!
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But The Editor and his media partners and associated Democrats see a different middle-east where the only activity is suicide bombers and positive outcomes are blocked-out.
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Perhaps they would have pulled out of the Pacific in 1944 when thousands of Jap-Kamikaze attacked our ships and troops. How can one win against such an enemy? Time to turn-tail and run!
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Wednesday, June 22, 2005

 

More Media Memos

Roanoke Times, 6/21/05, Pg Va 6: Media credibility, already eroded, would not have been served by rushing stories without verifying the authenticity of the Downing Street memos. But the memos' authenticity, while unrefuted so far by either President Bush or British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has not been confirmed. The reporter who obtained them says he destroyed the originals after retyping them, making authentication problematic.
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The media certainly has given this story and these memos big-time coverage and has not made any attempt to discount their validity. (Kudos to The Editor for at least pointing out some of the facts concerning these documents in his article.).
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Given the sources story, why is this being discussed as "news" anywhere? If there's a story here, it's that we have yet another "news source" cooking up "evidence" to support a supposition that he and his associates want to prove so bad they can taste it!
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Perhaps I can help add to the plot: Bush and Blair certainly should have been working on war plans for more than a year before the invasion. Based on the 18 UN resolutions it was clear, to even the most casual observer, that direct action would be required to get "The butcher of Bagdad" out of power.
But let's go farther: based on what we know today, we should have detailed plans to take-out the nuclear facilities in Iran and North Korea. If our government doesn't have those detailed plans in-place now -- somebody should be fired!
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Prior North Korea blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/north-korean-nukes.html
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Tax Hikes for a Surplus

Roanoke Times, 6/21/05, Pg Va 1: Surplus rankles GOP leaders.
Revenues for 11 months are 15.2% greater than last year.
Fiscal end of year, Jun 30, will have over $500 Million surplus
Warner tax increase will generate $1.4 BILLION during two years
Old tax rate was sufficient to cover 10.3% increase in budget
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It's not just GOP leaders that are rankled.
The Editor is of course gleeful that the bureaucrats and politicians in Richmond are floating in excess taxpayer money not defined as required in any budget. He is sure they will find a way to take advantage of this opportunity at the tax payers expense.
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But even the base number is problematic. Is the (increase in population plus the rate of inflation) equal to 10.3%? This huge Warner unnecessary and ill advised tax increase will certainly have a negative impact on the Va. Economy because our system works best when the people who earn the money, spend the money.
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Prior tax items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/virginia-tax-rating.html
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Tuesday, June 21, 2005

 

Wind Power

Roanoke Times, 6/21/05, Pg Va 7: Wind-energy advocate (M. King) misled with misinformation, by Glen Schleed, author who reports on energy matters.
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Talk about "misinformation" and slant:
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"Windmills do not make power when the wind doesn't blow. Therefore, they are not the sole complete 24/7 solution to the power system."
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Right -- and solar panels don't make much electricity at night, and Smith Mountain Lake facility actually consumes power when pumping-back water from Leesville Dam, and our coal and nuclear plants don't make power when they're shut-down for maintenance. These systems are all components of a total system interconnected by a grid that's designed to satisfy the user demand. No single component is ever intended to be "the" sole supply at any given point in time.
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"Wind turbines are not economically viable and lots of folks are having second thoughts about them."
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Actually: 34 States have commercial/utility level wind power facilities
TOTAL INSTALLED U.S. WIND ENERGY CAPACITY: 6,740 MW as of Jan 24, 2005
Click to see the map:
http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html
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Graph of installed power capacity by year
Click to see the graph:
http://www.awea.org/faq/instcap.html
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For a summary of wind policy, economics and environmental impact:
CLICK:
http://www.awea.org/policy/index.html
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"Tax advantage is key to economics"
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Right -- and our government has been subsidizing "bad emission" hydro-carbon fuels for a hundred years. So now to jump-start clean, green, renewable energy we are giving tax incentives to low-impact energy generation. That's not a negative, it's a positive! We need to do lots more of it and soon!
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Prior energy items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/clouding-wind-energy-debate.html
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Monday, June 20, 2005

 

Electricity - cleaner air - higher cost

Roanoke Times, 6/19/05, Pg H 1: Cleaner air and more costly electricity ahead. Article by Dan Carson, VP at AEP.
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Mr. Carson points out the many disconnects between the reality of power generation emission reductions and the media slant and spin.
Of particular interest is the Mercury story. The Editor has been wailing (without a wall no less) about Bush purposely "killing our children" with the current EPA mercury rules. However the facts are that the new rule will reduce US electric utility mercury emissions from 48 tons per year (the Clinton legacy) to 38 tons per year by 2010. Further reductions to 15 tons per year in 2018 are based on mercury removal technology and processes that have not yet been developed.
If only Bill and Hillary had done more sooner (during their 8 years) our children would have been safer!
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Click back through prior energy items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/clouding-wind-energy-debate.html
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Isn't it long past due for the Roanoke Times, a self-proclaimed ecology leader, to publish their environmental footprint to their readers and the community? As a major consumer of power and chemicals and natural resources their environmental footprint has a major impact on the Roanoke Valley and its residents. To help get them started they might go to the eco-business web site below and get started:
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http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/ecological_footprint_calculator.htm
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Subsidies for PBS

Roanoke Times, 6/19/05, Pg H 1:
A pro and con article on government subsidies (and therefore involvement) in PBS.
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Local PBS programming is very good, actually outstanding compared to many cable channels. However the national programs on both TV and radio certainly have a slant in content and delivery and it's not just a Bill Moyers issue.
A comparison of national PBS with the NY Times and Washington Post would certainly have a high degree of correlation and even they have finally admitted to a significant left-wing-slant.
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But the more basic issue deals with having the government involved in media content through funding. This will eventually result in political philosophy creeping into the material and those with a contrary view raising fairness issues.
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Several years ago it was alleged that persons in PBS had given copies of their donors listings to members of the DNC. True or false, this is precisely the type of things that are bound to occur.
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The article states that a poll of the American people indicates that they are willing to continue to spend $1 each to support PBS. If that's the case let's stop supporting it with tax dollars, dolled out by politicians all of whom have an agenda, and move to some other funding method.
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This same concept should apply to the arts for the same reasons.
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Aljazeera has a US Senator

Roanoke Times, 6/17/05, Pg A 7: Number 2 Democrat US Senator Durbin equating our facility at Guantanamo to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Cambodian butcher Pol Pot.
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It's not surprising that the Howard Dean and Maxine Waters vicious dialogue has infected Sen. Durbin. What is surprising is the lack of condemnation by responsible members of his party and the media.
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Where are the Sen. Sam Nunn's of the Democrat party who were honorable and decent and played a major role in defeating the Evil Empire? Have they all become infected with the visceral and vile virus of the Deaniacs or are they intimidated by them and afraid to speak-up?
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I am embarrassed for those of my friends and relatives who are Democrats. It must be difficult to feel proud or even positive about the leadership of that party.
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Prior blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/gulag.html
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Just enough troops to lose

Just enough troops to lose
Roanoke Times, 6/17/05, Pg Va 9: Thomas Friedman, NY Times. Mr. Friedman writing with great authority on how many troops should be in Iraq and since we don't have the right number, which "General" Friedman doesn't define, we now will lose!
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"General" Friedman would apparently like to follow McNamera's Vietnam band and send in a million troops. Perhaps that didn't work well because the South Vietnamese people became convinced that it was a US war and not their war and therefore became spectators and not players.
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The US Iraq strategy is to ensure that the Iraqi people take responsibility for their security and their freedom by committing their sons to the task of security. Apparently the terrorists understand that and therefore are killing their fellow countrymen by the thousands, trying hard to break their will.
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The final outcome will and should be the results of the fortitude and determination of the Iraqi people to control their own destiny. If that war is lost, so be it! History will centainly record that at least we tried and did not stand idly by and watch.
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Our own history well applies: Lafayette and Pulaski came here to help, they did not come here to fight the war for us!
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Prior blog items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/sunnis-shutout.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/un-fails-again.html
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Wisdom to fight AIDS

Roanoke Times, 6/14/05, Pg 1: HIV infection passes 1 million mark.
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Roanoke Times, 6/14/05, Pg Va9: The wisdom we need to fight AIDS is a comprehensive article by David Brooks of the NY Times based on his trip to Africa to study the AIDS epidemic.
Mr. Brooks is deeply emotionally moved by his experience. "The AIDS crisis is about evil. It's about the small gangs of predatory men who knowingly infect women by the score without a second thought in the world." "It's about people who have come to so undervalue their own lives that ruinous behavior seems unimportant, and death is accepted fatalistically."
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Mr. Brooks did not need to go to Africa to study this plague. There are over one million Americans now living with HIV. It is the major cause of death in young black women in NY. 76% of new HIV infections occur in women in the south who represent only 29% of the nation's females.
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His description of the "predatory men" is probably now only the tip of the iceberg for this problem in the US. We now have massive numbers of folks who don't even know they are infected and are now carriers and spreaders. Since NY and Cal do not report any HIV data to the CDC we can only guess at the extent of this problem.
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However, the media and the government refuse to implement those public health policies and systems that were developed based on Typhoid Marry 100 years ago and have been successfully utilized for all STD's (but not HIV+AIDS) since then. Until we decide to implement these processes we are no more responsible than the folks Mr. Brooks is writing about in Africa.
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Click on the link below for an insight into the level of governmental malfeasance that is involved with this plague.
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Clinton apologized to the two dozen Tuskegee Experiment victims, the Senate apologized to the thousands of lynching victims, who is going to apologize to the MILLIONS of HIV+AIDS victims?
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Mr Brooks, it's not the wisdom to fight AIDS -- it's the will!
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Prior detailed blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/hivaids.html
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Clouding wind energy debate

Roanoke Times, 6/14/05, Pg Va 9: The author presents a good case for the Highlands wind farm and points out the potential conflicts of interest of recent critics of this project.
In a recent editorial The Editor's point was of course that if Bush were doing the right things we wouldn't have to do projects like this. Of course he neglects to mention that Bush sent to Congress a comprehensive energy bill during his first term and there it is! He didn't elaborate on how eight years of Clinton helped to establish a comprehensive energy policy. The Editor is always so helpful in addressing important issues!
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The science and physics and state of the art of energy production leaves us with difficult choices, not simple solutions.
Wind power offers very low environmental impact renewable energy. It has been used throughout the world for many years on farms and ranches to pump water and later to generate home electricity.
Large scale turbines have been installed across the world and are a component of many energy systems.
The Highlands wind farm will not be pretty. The 765 KVA towers bringing energy from the power plants to our communities are not pretty. The power poles in our neighborhoods are not pretty.
The point is not beauty, it is clean, green renewable energy produced as close as possible to where it is to be used!
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If the Roanoke Times were half as environmentally motivated as they pretend to be they would purchase the "green tags" from this project for as much of their energy needs as possible! This would be a good time to: Put up or shut up Mr. Editor and Ms. Z.!
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Prior comprehensive item on this subject:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/wind-turbines-on-highlands-of-va.html
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Friday, June 17, 2005

 

Texas Humor?

Roanoke Times, 6/11/05, Pg Va 8: Research program named for Nelsons.
A Dallas Texas medical center announcing that they have established a Willie Nelson professorship in drug research named for Willie.
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Even SNL and Jay Lenno couldn't make this stuff up!
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Revenues UP, Deficit DOWN

Roanoke Times, 6/11/05, Pg A9: Tax revenues surge, budget deficit declines. Deficit for May half of last May.
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How can this be? How could the Bush-tax-reduction Act have resulted in increased revenues that are paying down the deficit. Perhaps letting the folks who earn the money keep more of their money may not be a bad thing after-all.
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Interesting that The Editor put this very good news in extra-small print back on page A9.
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Nationalized Health Insurance

Roanoke Times, 6/10/05, Pg A10: Canadian Supreme Court struck down ban on Canadians having/using their own health insurance or personal funds to get medical services in Canada.
George Zeliotis went to court, in 1997, because he was not allowed to pay with his own money to get a hip replacement. The law required he wait (in line) for a year for a government paid operation. Apparently it's taken 8 years to get a ruling. Wonder how his hip is doing?
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Canadian Hillary-Care at its best!
Don't remember these kinds of examples being touted by Hillary and her friends when they were touting the "Canadian Health Model" as the way for us to go! Doesn't sound like a big improvement to me!
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No wonder so many Canadians come down here for health care.
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North Korean Nukes

Roanoke Times, 6/10/05, Pg A10: N. Korea claims to have more nuclear bombs.
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The following links to GlobalSecurity.org, a web site of the United Nations Foundation, is a wealth of detailed information and links to reference materials that catalogue the history of the North Korean Nuke Weapons activities during the 1990's. A period in which Pres. Clinton (with Jimmy Malaise Carter's help) and the U.N. used food, money, fuel and a gift of a nuclear reactor to bribe North Korea into agreeing to stop development of nuclear weapons. We are now witnesses to the results of that appeasement just as we witnessed Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler in 1938. His pronouncement of "peace in our time" was quickly followed by WW2. Those who ignore the lessons of the past are bound to repeat its mistakes!
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These links are required reading for those who are wondering or questioning why we are on the very edge of going to war with North Korea.
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/1994/index.html
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/1995/index.html
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/1998/index.html
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/1999/index.html
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/dprk/2000/index.html
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Prior blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/north-korea-nucs.html
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Sunday, June 12, 2005

 

Ax-grind online

Roanoke Times, 6/9/05, Pg X1: Millions of Americans have found blogs to be the perfect tool for venting. But will they regret it? About blogs: Everything I just wrote is ridiculously biased according to Lars Hagen,
www. roanokeslant.blogspot.com.
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The large graphic and the article focus on the "road rage" component of blogs. What the author and The Editor are ignoring is that there are many blogs that represent the empowerment of individuals with this technology. Editors have been very comfortable with their control of information over many years. They are now very uncomfortable with the reality that individuals might get some limited distribution of alternative points of view.
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The reference to "but will they regret it" is somewhat ominous. If one were slightly paranoid it could even be construed to be threatening and suppressing. Perhaps The Editor is reminding bloggers that one shouldn't pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel. On the other hand perhaps their view is that buying ink by the barrel means never having to say you're sorry.
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The "everything I just wrote" item is a stretch. It's not everything! However, The Editor: selects a set of stories from thousands each day on the wire services, he decides what page to put them on, he decides what the headline should be and the print size of the headline, he can totally ignore alternative views and context, and he totally controls what criticism gets printed in letters-to-editor. He also controlls what ads. the paper will run that might conflict with his views. All this gives him great power and influence over public perceptions about what is happening.
This very Roanoke Times article and its graphic is a very good example of slant and perhaps The Editor isn't even aware of it anymore. It's just what he does.
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/bias-in-journalists.html
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Prior blog item and vido about blogs by WDBJ-7
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/roanoke-wdbj-7-tv-news-blogs.html
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Cut UN money in half

Roanoke Times, 6/9/05, Pg A7: House panel approves bill to cut UN dues by half based on specific changes the UN should make.
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Wow! Congress getting tough with the UN and John Bolton isn't even there yet! There go the top 10 floors!
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How could these folks be so insensitive. They're making Bolton look like the "good cop" in this scenario.
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Prior Bolton items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/christians-killed-in-indonesia.html
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Troops into Darfur

Roanoke Times, 6/9/05, Pg A11: NATO will airlift troops into Darfur.
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Nice spin, it's the US that will perform the airlifts. Why are we doing this? Why aren't the French and Germans doing this?
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The only airborne airdrop the US should make into Darfur is a fact finding mission headed by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Maxine Waters.
These folks were so nasty about the US involvement in Haiti last year that it’s a sure thing that they will not recommend the US get involved in Darfur.
And the Congressional Democrats will surely not approve a US military involvement until there is a major approval by the UN Security Council with a clear mission statement and an end date.
Why are we doing this?
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Saturday, June 11, 2005

 

Brown confirmed

Roanoke Times, 6/9/05, Pg 1: Senate confirms Brown.
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Judge J.R. Brown, a demon, a threat to the Constitution, a threat to free men everywhere confirmed by the Senate on an up-down vote by 54 to 43.
The electrical power went out at the Roanoke Times and papers couldn't be printed until the next day. Babies cried, song birds couldn't sing, and Teddy Kennedy went on the wagon for an hour. How could this black woman Judge with an outstanding record possibly be confirmed to a Circuit Court?
At least The Editor and his media associates and friends were able to keep her off the Circuit Court for two years in order to limit the damage she may do to the Republic.
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/senate-agreement-to-vote-on-judges.html
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Homespun and Harvard

Homespun and Harvard
Roanoke Times, 6/8/05, Pg Va 7: Hard to be homespun and from Harvard by R. Friedman of the New York Times.
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The article attempts to ridicule Sen. Bill Frist for his participation in a NASCAR function. What a farce. Friedman didn't have any problems with the homespun video of Yalee Kerry goose hunting during last fall's election cycle. Just how short do you think are memories are?
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Board backs Mom

Roanoke Times, 6/8/05, Pg Va 1: The electoral board said it had seen no evidence of improprieties by Willie Mae Kilgore.
Kilgore, mother of Jerry and Terry Kilgore was asked to resign by attorney for the challenger to one of her son's.
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Over the last several months, The Editor has devoted an amazing amount of newspaper coverage throwing heifer-dust at and on Mrs. Kilgore without giving any specifics on things she may have done that were not OK.
If Jerry Kilgore were Harry Truman, The Editor would surely have a bloody nose by now!
This would be a good time for The Editor to print a heartfelt apology to Mrs. Kilgore and her sons! Doubt if he has the strength of character to do it!
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Please click back through the blog items on this subject:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/apparent-conflict-of-interest.html
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Flood area inundated quickly

Roanoke Times, 6/8/05, Pg Va 1: The short but intense storm overwhelmed Ore Branch and the businesses located along its path.
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Insanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. If you live in a flood-plain area, perhaps you should not be surprised if it floods! (Here's your sign!)
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And stop hoping for flood control to solve your problems. The endangered species act is bigger than you are. Consider a change in venue. The Editor and the staff at the Roanoke Times are committed to the environment and will certainly not let bulldozers destroy the snail darters and log perch that live in the river so that you can reap the benefits of a capitalistic system and exploit mother natures defenseless creatures. George Bush might do that, but NOT The Editor and his associates at The Times!
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Prior item on this subject:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/flood-control-and-environmental-ethics.html
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Dumb? but dumber!

Roanoke Times, 6/8/05, pg A13: Kerry's grades were not as good as Bush's at Yale.
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After five years of being exposed to the liberal press' characterization of Bush as being very "dull" and during the last election cycle of hearing daily about Kerry's brilliance, we now find out that Kerry had a first year average of 76 and got four D's! What a whiz! Apparently he's much better using his mouth than using his brain. Other parts are apparently OK too, based on the rich women he has married.
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During my freshman orientation as an engineer, the Dean said: look to your left, look to your right, those guys (Rutgers was all boys in those days!) will be gone when you graduate. He was right, and clearly Kerry would not have seen his sophomore year in my class! I wonder what he would have done after he flunked out? Probably gone into politics and married rich women!
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GM problems

Roanoke Times, 6/8/05, Pg 1: GM CEO predicts job cuts, closings. If US market booms, if gas prices go down, if large SUV's come back, then we'll be OK!
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Ah yes! If all our ifs and buts were only fruit and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas!
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It sounds like GM is being run by Jimmy Malaise Carter!
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It's the design, manufacturing, customer service and meeting the needs of the market place STUPID!
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See prior blog item:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/toyota-to-help-us-out.html
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Flood Control and Environmental Ethics

Roanoke Times, 6/7/05, Pg Va 1: Flood control project's status may be up in air: Corps of Engrs trying to find a new contractor.
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What happened to The Editor and his associates being advocates for the endangered species of Snail Darters and the Log Perch in the Roanoke River at Roanoke? Have they just joined George Bush in trashing the environment in order to get a biotech firm to locate in the flood plain within the city? These two species are endangered and deserve The Editors complete support, including going down to the river and lying in front of the bulldozers to stop the massacre. Hopefully he will call and let us know when he's going to do that! Is The Editor influenced by the $65 million dollars to be spent on destroying these poor defenseless creatures of nature? How easily he has sold-out to the rich elitist drug cartel!
Why don't we just let the poor fish live in peace and buy our drugs cheap from Canada as The Editor has so passionately proposed that we do.
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Click for Prior cheap-drugs item
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/import-cheap-drugs.html
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Thursday, June 09, 2005

 

Elections voter-friendly

Roanoke Times, 6/7/05, Pg 1: Elections should be voter-friendly. 30 states have changed the rules so no excuses are required to vote by "absentee" ballot.
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Over the last month, The Editor has consumed a major part of the paper lambasting the elections in Gate City because folks were using absentee ballots without "adequate" reason. The front page now says that there is a major national move to make "absentee" ballots available without any restrictions to everyone registered to vote.
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Now, which is it?:
Voters are either stupid or corrupt and therefore must be brought physically before an election official in order to cast a ballot, or:
Voting should be voter-friendly and allowed to either send in their ballots or perhaps even vote "on-line"
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Apparently The Editor wants to have it both ways so he can choose which method would apply to which voters.
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Prior voting blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/apparent-conflict-of-interest.html
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Tillman's death

Roanoke Times, 6/5/05, Pg H3: Shameful cover-up of Tillman's death by Robert Scheer columnist for LA Times.
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The article describes the initial battle reports of Tillman's death, during a fierce fire-fight, as due to enemy fire vs. the results of follow-up investigative reports that conclude he was hit by "friendly" fire. The author takes gross advantage of the emotional reactions of his close family and friends to his death and the conflicting after action reports.
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A historical view of this can be seen in the death of one of the greatest generals in US history, Gen. Stonewall Jackson, who also was killed by "friendly" fire. Also by a soldier in his own unit, who in the fog and confusion of war fired instinctively and so by error ended a great life.
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These brave soldiers gave their all and their sacrifice was not diminished by which bullet pierced their bodies; therefore, the shameful part of this Roanoke Times/LA Times story is that writers and editors, sitting safely behind their desks, would take opportunities like this to exploit a shocked family's trauma to discredit our military. Perhaps they should be "imbedded" into front-line combat units so that they can determine first-hand and real-time the facts behind each combat encounter and casualty without error or mistake totally unfazed by the fog of war.
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Aljazeera has a US Senator

Roanoke Times, 6/5/05, Pg H2: If not a US gulag, far too much like one. "Like the Soviets, the White House twists or spurns domestic law and treaties such as the Geneva Conventions -----".
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The Editor is fitting nicely into the Aljazeera team with his White House Gulag line by totally ignoring that these persons are NOT prisoners of war and therefore do NOT come under the terms of the Geneva Conventions. The US courts have ruled on numerous occasions that the President has great discretion in handling these types of enemies.
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A good US comparison is the eight German "terrorists" who landed on the east and west coast of US in June 42. After being caught, FDR personally determined that they were not prisoners of war.
The eight were tried before a Military Commission comprised of seven U.S. Army officers appointed by President Roosevelt and sentenced to death. Two were spared because they testified against the other six. The six were executed. Apparently FDR would not have been moved by The Editors opinions.
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Click on the link for a summary of this history:
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http://www.shelter-island.org/german_spies.html
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Prior blog item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/prisoner-abuse.html
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Wednesday, June 08, 2005

 

Apparent conflict of interest

Roanoke Times, 5/3/05, Pg Va8: Scott voter registrar should step down. The latest in The Editors long string of articles about Jerry Kilgore's mother who is a voter registrar in SW Va. Gate City where it was determined that there were 10 invalid votes in the last election.
"A mom who is legally responsible for the conduct of an election in which her twin sons are candidates on the same ballot for two separate offices raises at least the hint in impartial minds of an apparent conflict of interest."
"The mom should bow to public propriety and step down."
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First, it's not clear where The Editor would find "impartial minds" at the Roanoke Times to discuss this item with to determine their opinions and second he presents no data that mom has done anything wrong, other than being a mom.
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However, being so focused on conflicts of interest The Editor could look closer to home at his friend Cranwell who was just appointed by his hero Gov. Warner to be chief of all Democrats in Virginia.
The Editor could revisit the allegation that Cranwell had a major financial "apparent conflict of interest" when while siting on a state committee determining the policy for health organizations he was being paid a quarter of a million dollars by a Roanoke health group as their consultant.
The Editor should determine if this allegation is really true, document the facts, and if so, lambaste the Governors choice and ask Cranwell to "bow to public propriety and step down".
Something about a goose and a gander.
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Prior Gate City item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/big-election-story.html
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Tuesday, June 07, 2005

 

Diocese to pay victims

Roanoke Times, 6/4/05, Pg 1: Diocese to pay sex victims millions. Diocese of Covington, Ky., to set up a $120 million fund to compensate over 100 victims.
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A very interesting observation is that in this lengthy article and in other articles The Editor and his media partners have published on this subject, they never seem to mention the victims gender.
Based on the AP web site (link below) it appears that 81% of the victims are boys being abused by male priests.
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If this is so, why do The Editor and his media partners insistent that the Boy Scouts must accept gay men as scout leaders?
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Perhaps it's time to stop discriminating against the Boy Scouts and let them determine who their leaders should be!
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Key Figures From a Catholic Abuse Survey By the Associated Press
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http://www.beliefnet.com/story/141/story_14121_1.html
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* Individuals making accusations: 10,667.
* Victims' ages: 5.8 percent under 7; 16 percent ages 8-10; 50.9 percent ages 11-14; 27.3 percent ages 15-17.
* Victims' gender: 81 percent male, 19 percent female.
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Prior item: -
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/restrictions-on-boy-scouts.html
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President at odds with reality

Roanoke Times, 6/1/05, Pg Va 8: Iraq, Afghanistan and the terrorist threat all contradict Bush's misleading rhetoric.
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The Editor waxing on with examples that prove that the war with the terrorists is not over and "Pres. Bush's administration deserves no credit for getting it right".
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He is trying so hard to be a Vietnam-era journalist, hoping some day to be able to say 'I told you so'! The Editor would have fit in well with the 80+% of the media that lambasted Pres. Lincoln during the Civil War claiming he should resign and unilaterally withdrawal and let the Country divide! They were so helpful!
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His coverage of D-day and the Battle of the Bulge would certainly have claimed that the war was a disaster and that the US should capitulate to Hitler and bring the troops home.
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My recollection is that Pres Bush said at the beginning and many times since: this will be hard, it will take a long time, we will suffer many casualties, and there is no end date in sight! What part of these statements don't you understand? How much clearer and blunt must he be?
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The Editor and his media partners and his political friends have not offered any alternatives except on day X they want to send lots more troops and on day X+1 they want to bring the troops home.
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The reality is that we were attacked on our homeland, we are taking the fight to the enemy wherever we can find them, fix them and finish them; and it is hard. And we just had a national election during which we-all participated in this debate and we made a choice.
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If anyone is at "odds with reality" it is clearly The Editor and his media partners.
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/03/coalition-fractures-in-iraq.html
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Patriot Act

Roanoke Times, 6/1/05, Pg Va 9: Patriot Act was well thought out, by US Rep Bob Goodlatte.
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This is a very professional rebuttal to The Editors hysteria about the initial version of the Patriot Act and the current review process for its renewal and enhancement. It's reassuring to know that we in Southwest Virginia are represented in Washington by Rep. Goodlatte.
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/true-patriots.html
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SML watercraft incidents

SML watercraft incidents
Roanoke Times, 6/1/05, Pg Va 2: Over 100 violation tickets issued over holiday weekend. Ski-jet accident comment by Officer Martin: They are very powerful, some travel at speeds exceeding 75 MPH. Many don't have ability to turn or brake once power is lost:.
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SML lake patrols are a very important component of lake safety for everyone. Also required are regulations for speed and noise (see prior blog item).
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/sml-warden-coverage.html
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Children Abortion Records

Roanoke Times, 6/1/05, Pg A12: Indiana Planned Parenthood ordered by court to release records to attorney general of abortions of girls under age 14.
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Why would Planned Parenthood participate in the cover-up of sex-abuse felony crimes against girls under age 14?
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/abortion-records.html
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Iraqi Minister at the UN

Roanoke Times, 6/1/05, Pg A5: Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari tells UN that Iraq continues to need US military help. Said rejection of new European Union Constitution demonstrates that developing and enacting a Constitution is not easy.
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Nice shot at UN debating society! Other than participate in the biggest financial scam in history (Oil for Food) what has the UN done to help Iraq?
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Prior item: http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/sunnis-shutout.html
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Thursday, June 02, 2005

 

Pro-nuke power

Roanoke Times, 5/31/05, Pg Va 8: Pro-nuke environmentalists? The threat of global warming could outweigh the potential dangers of nuclear energy.
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Kudos to The Editor for a very good energy discussion. Our energy policy is indeed a set of choices amongst conflicting options most of which have negative byproducts. One of the most vivid examples of our nuke-paranoia was the Long Island Shoreham nuke plant that was built and then decommissioned before operation. But New York continues to use the outdated and obsolete Indian Point plant that, based on prevailing winds and obsolesce, has far more risk, by orders of magnitude, than the new plant.
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I believe that most folks agree that our national policy should be to move to sustainable-renewable energy in a comprehensive and expedited manner. This will likely result in primarily distributed generation facilities that are in our backyard. This will help conservation because we will be more aware of our consumption. There's nothing like pictures of an empty reservoir to get folks to cut down on using water.
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However, it appears that utilizing additional nuke plants may well be required to bridge the gap from where we are to where we want to go. We have dual issues, the pace of renewable energy technology development and increased demand. We are, and have been, adding two million people per year
http://www.demographia.com/db-uspop1900.htm
and that's a lot of houses, jobs, transportation and energy to support. It is equivalent to adding two cities like Boston every year.
Decisions to build nuke plants are even more difficult than fixing Social Security and therefore only a national consensus will result in action.
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Prior energy blog items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/energy-challenge.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/wind-turbines-on-highlands-of-va.html
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