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Why I Fight
By our Correspondent Frank Libbon, October 21th 2009

After having served in and with the United States Army for 43 years, and now fast approaching my 81st birthday, I have been asked why I continue to fight. I fight for those men, called our Founding Fathers, who upon signing the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, pledged their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor. I fight for the 6,824 men who died during the Revolutionary War to secure our freedom, for the 110,000 plus Union soldiers who died during the Civil War to preserve Our Union, for the 53,400 who died in World War I protecting Our Nation and Europe, for the 291,557 who died in World War II to protect us and the entire world from dictators, for the 33,700 who died in Korea to protect the people of South Korea and to stop a Communist Dictator's threat to world peace, for the 47,300 who died in Viet Nam, (and) for the 4,200 of our brave young men and women who died in Iraq and the 876 American soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan

In 1787, after securing our freedom from the Tyrant King George III, our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia, where after much arguing, debating and compromising, they composed the most liberal and progressive document written at that time by mankind, known to us and the entire world, as the Constitution of the United States of America. In doing so, they established a Democracy in the form of a Constitutional Republic. Among those who executed this document, which is the Law of Our Land, were 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformists, 2 Methodists and 3 Catholics. There were also 3 Deists -Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Ethan Allen and 19 Free Masons among them, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Robert Morris, and Roger Sherman.. Many, like Jefferson, only nominally belonged to their churches, and many like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, John Adams and Ethan Allen were anti-clerical and opponents of organized churches.

George Washington, the Father of Our Country, in May 1789 wrote that every man ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience. Thomas Jefferson believed in materialism, reason and science - and never admitted to any religion but his own and James Madison in his 1785 paper entitled: Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessment, wrote: “ During almost 15 centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the Laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.” On 10 June 1797, John Adams, the second President of the United States, signed the Treaty of Tripoli, also called the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary. In Article 11 of that Treaty Adams wrote: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion, as it has within itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the United States never entered any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nations, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

Our Founding Fathers were well educated men, and were fully aware of the religious conflicts and the persecutions which took place in Europe of those whose religious beliefs were contrary to State Established religions. They firmly believed that everyone had the right to worship as one's own conscience dictated and so believing, they composed the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights, using Jefferson’s thoughts that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thereby enforcing separation of Church and State and establishing a Secular Nation with the government remaining neutral in religious affairs. These my fellow Americans are the true facts which can easily be confirmed and which will expose the myths and outright lies by David Barton, John Hagee, Rod Parsley and others of their stripe that America was founded as a Christian nation.

So why, you may wonder do I still fight? I still fight because there are those among us, a small minority, such as Skin Heads who believe in Hitler’s Aryan philosophy; those who would deny the poor, the sick and the elderly healthcare; those members of the Clergy and their dupes who spread myths and outright lies in their continuous insistence that America was established as a Christian Nation in their attempt to tear down the wall that separates State from Church; Presidents who, after signing into law legislation passed by Congress, issue Signing Statements reflecting those parts of the law they will enforce and uphold and the parts they will ignore. The Constitution does not grant any President such authority, but clearly states that upon being presented with a Bill passed by both Houses of Congress, the President either signs the Bill and it becomes law, or he vetoes it, sending it back to Congress with his objections. Our Founding Fathers were of one mind when they intentionally limited the powers of the President, and were intent on insuring that those who followed George Washington, whom they knew and trusted, did not attempt to become Imperial Presidents or another King George III.

I fight because we have idiots in our midst who believe the Constitution begins and ends with “the right to bear arms,” and have the audacity to show up at town hall meetings carrying weapons to intimidate others, and I fight those so-called Public Relations firms who bused and paid individuals to cause these disturbances. They tell lies Loudly and Over and Over again until they are believed. I fight because those who follow these prophets of doom are not only gullible but because some are also so exalted that they are convinced that they, and only they will go to Heaven. Obviously they are not aware that many Roman Catholics as well as Muslims believe that they and only they will go to Heaven.

I have news for you Skin Heads, you Bigots, you politicians who accept campaign funds from Big Money, aptly called “Bribes” by Bill Moyers, and you whom Christ called “ Serpents and Hypocrites.” I will continue to fight you and rest assured that the majority of the American people will join me in this fight. We will counter your Intolerance and your Bigotry with Clarity and with the Truth and we will keep fighting until the Truth Prevails.
To the People of America, you who are in the majority, fear not, stand tall and make your voices heard, for those who paid the ultimate price so that We The People, and Your Children, and Your Children’s Children can continue to enjoy the benefits bestowed upon us by those who Pledged their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor.
Thank you, May the Lord Bless you and May God Bless America

Frank Libbon - An Old Soldier.


 


The Election and The Radical Religious Right
From our correspondent in Germany Frank Libbon
Los Angeles, October 29th 2008

The political campaign for the Office of the President is drawing to a close and most of us Americans will no doubt heave a sigh of relief when it is finally over. Relief, because all of us are totally sick and tired of the smear tactics, the lies and the falsehoods bantered back and forth.

During a recent 30 day trip to visit my children and grandchildren in Maryland, Ohio and Virginia, family members sorted my advice, knowing full well that I spent 43 years as a US Army Intelligence Operative whose duties required him to seek the truth. One indicated she was reluctant to vote for Obama because he was a Muslim. I reacted by quietly going to her computer, searched Google, and brought up the recorded history of Barack Obama’s religious background. I then turned to my daughter-in-law and quietly invited her to read what was reported. She did so, then turned to me wide eyed and said: “They Lied” - meaning those unsavory individuals of the Republican Party.

My fellow Americans, we, whom Benjamin Franklin defended and with admiration called the “common people” - and this means you Joe the Plumber, you Harry the Electrician, you John the Factory Worker, you Louise the Waitress, and you Mary the Cleaning Lady, and yes, even me - Frank the Old Soldier, you want the truth? Well here it is. Barack Obama is not and never was a Muslim. He is a Christian and always was. Barack Obama is not a terrorist as Sarah Palin dishonestly labeled him. In 1960, Bill Ayers, an anti-Vietnam activist got carried away and exploded what was reported as an itsy-bitsy two pound bomb at the Pentagon that caused some minor damage to the building, but did not kill or hurt anyone. In 1973 the Federal Government requested “dismissal” of the charges against Ayers because the Federal Government admitted misconduct on their part during their investigation of Ayers. These are the TRUE facts - but it gets better, because while Bill Ayers was violently protesting the Vietnam War (as thousands of others were also doing), Barack Obama was EIGHT Years Old. How does that grab you? Not satisfied with calling Obama a Muslim and then insinuating he was a fellow Terrorist, they now call him a Socialist with the intent of cleaning out our wallets to give our money to others. What Obama actually is on record of saying is that he will lower taxes on over 90 percent of the working people, eliminate income taxes on those over 65 earning less than $50,000 a year and raise taxes on the rich by imposing a payroll tax on income over $250,000 in order to close the gap in the financial shortfall which the Social Security system is expected to face by 2011. These my fellow Americans are the true facts which can be readily checked by simply going to your computers or by reading the October 2008 edition of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Bulletin. On examining the above one might deduce that John McCain and Sarah Palin might have exaggerated, but that is not the case - They Outright LIED, and they know full well that they LIED.

If you think that is outrageous you should read what that so called religious person ( I refuse to call him a Man) James Dobson just issued through his alleged evangelical Christian organization Focus on the Family, entitled: “ Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America” in support of the McCain/Palin Republican ticket. It is the most disgusting and insulting document I have ever read in my entire life, packed with lies and filthy innuendo meant solely to scare people into voting for McCain. It would be totally beneath my dignity to repeat the filth reflected in that rag sheet. Therefore, I enjoin those reading this article to go to Google in your computers, type in the name James Dobson, click on Search and then on “Letter from 2012----” Be prepared to get sick to your stomach.

Dobson, like Huckabee (who wants to amend the Constitution to meet God’s standards) and others of their ilk, to include Pat Robertson (who maintained God punished America on 9/11 for her sins), John Hagee of Texas (who called the Catholic Church a Whore) and Rod Parsley of Ohio (who claims God made America in order to destroy Islam), these so called preachers, have done nothing but spread hate, lies and filth, and believe they have the right to tell us exactly how we should worship God. They admittedly would stop at nothing to stack the Supreme Court in order to change Our Constitution to suit their goals. They run mega churches and live in million dollar homes at the expense of their gullible congregations, and violate the tax exempt status granted religious institutions by overt involvement in politics.

I have news for all of them and all others of their stripe. We, the true American people, will give you enough rope to hang yourselves, and do not be surprised when you are brought to trial for Sedition, if not for Treason. Failing that, you can rest assured that Our Lord Jesus and God Almighty will judge you for taking the name of the Lord thy God in Vain.
Our Lord Jesus already identified the lot of you in Matthew 23: 12 through 33, rightly calling you “ Serpents and Hypocrites.”

A parting word to All Americans. Our Lord Jesus gave us all the instructions we need to follow when He said:
" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

An Old Soldier - Who served for 43 years and took the Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

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A Political Charade
From our correspondent in Germany Frank Libbon
September 30th 2008

The American people, weary of war, spiraling prices, unemployment, the credit crunch, lack of health care, and many other domestic problems, and hoping for a change, are again presented with another political charade.

A charade initiated by John McCain, his advisors and the Republican Party in their intentional selection of Sarah Palin as their nominee for the office of Vice President of the United States. The press got infatuated with her and they have failed to report her supposed Qualifications for the office of Vice President. When being interviewed by Charles Gibson of ABC on 11 and 12 September 2008 about Russia , she indicated favoring the admission of Georgia and the Ukraine into NATO, definitely viewed by Russia as a threat to their security. And when asked if the U.S. would go to war with Russia if Russia was to invade Georgia , she answered: “Probably so.”

Sarah Palin obviously is unaware that the Russian Bear still has Claws, and that Russia , as of 2008, still has an estimated 14,000 nuclear warheads with approximately 5200 strategic nuclear warheads mounted on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. They would not hesitate to use them if their backs were forced against the wall. We, the people of the United States , as well as others, would be the target. Millions upon Millions would be killed, and she answers with a “Probably so.” This women, a former mayor of a small town of 7500 people and now governor of a state occupied by more wild animals than people, obviously is not aware that the total number of US Forces in NATO is now at fifty thousand, from a high of three hundred thousand in the 1970s; that the NATO Rapid Reaction Force is at less than fifty percent of the twenty-five thousand projected, and that ten of the twenty-six NATO members, formerly under Soviet domination, are equipped with obsolete weapons, need extensive training and couldn’t punch their way out of a paper bag. The truth of the matter is that these former East Bloc nations have joined, or want to join NATO for their own protection, but can contribute little, if not nothing to NATO.

And don’t be fooled by her claims about all the oil available in the Artic North Slope of Alaska. A report by the U.S. Geological Survey Service estimates that there are 5.7 to 16 Billion barrels of “technically” (no one really knows) removable oil, which would be reduced to 4.3 to 11.8 Billion barrels, if drilling on non-Federal and Native areas is excluded. That oil, if drilling was allowed, would not start to trickle down to the Lower 48 States until the year 2018 (ten years from now); would not provide us with more than two percent of our annual needs, and would have absolutely NO effect on the price of gasoline or heating oil. Furthermore, a report by the U.S. Department of Energy reflects that oil from this area of Alaska would amount to only 0.4 to 1.2 percent of the world-wide annual consumption of oil and would have no effect on oil prices.
Sarah Palin, who obviously doesn’t know anything about foreign affairs, has the unmitigated Audacity and Gaul to claim she is not only qualified for the office of Vice President, but also for the office of President, should it become necessary. Her egotistical arrogance is beyond forgiveness.

She may have won a prize as a beauty queen, but she is definitely NO PRIZE for America .

As for John McCain, his advisors, and those of the Radical Right who have taken over the Republican Party, all I can say is: Have you No Shame? You John McCain, served honorably from 1958 until 1981 as a navy pilot, suffered as a POW, commanded a naval air training squadron, and served as a US Navy Liaison Officer to the U.S. Senate after 1977. You, like I and at least fourteen million others, who also served and suffered, took the Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States , Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic. You, as well as the general public, those called “the Common People” by Benjamin Franklin, well know that you could have picked a really qualified person as your running mate, and yet you resorted to a ploy - solely to win an election - and in doing so you have tarnished your own reputation, insulted the intelligence of the American people, and possibly put their lives and Our Nation in dangers way.
In one of your recent campaign speeches you stated you knew how to get Osama bin Laden. Well John Mc Cain, if you do know, have you provided the US Intelligence Agencies and the US Armed Forces, with the information you claim to have which will lead to bin Laden’s capture? If not, then why not? The public has the right to know.

I beg you, my fellow Americans, to Beware. Go to Google in your computers or to the library and ask questions about NATO , Russian nuclear capabilities, Russia’s perceived fears of threats from the West, and check with General Snowscroft, the former National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and H.W. Bush ,with former NATO Commander General Wesley Clark, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and others, and you will get truthful and honest answers about Russia (the former Soviet Union) and NATO. Don’t buy a pig in the poke.

At the conclusion of the convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin’s housekeeper in Philadelphia asked him if we have a government, and Franklin replied: “ We have a Republic, if we can keep it.” I wonder, for I have my fears.

An Old Soldier
Published by www.fordemocracy.com


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Fundamentalism and the Environment
From our Correspondant from Eureka, CA; Vicky Vaughn Zeitlin September 15th 2008 published by www.fordemocracy.com

I am an angry white woman, and I vote!
I am tired of Political and Religious manipulations meant to direct attention away from the real issues facing the United States and the World.
I am afraid for my future, my children’s future and the safety and sustainability of the planet we share.
I would be delighted to vote for a US Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate male or female with skin of any color if I sincerely believed they had the wisdom, understanding, fearlessness, knowledge, tolerance, judgment, historical perspective, experience, respect for the United States Constitution and decisiveness necessary serve as an executive charged with protecting the environment and the human rights of future generations.
I am terrified because I am no longer sure such a person could come forward and survive the political atmosphere of intolerance and ignorance that a candidate must swim through to survive.

I am a perplexed and worried woman as well.
How can we protect the environment and our freedoms if our leaders do not rely on rational thought based on reasonable evidence and observation of natural events AKA SCIENCE?
How can we trust leaders to protect our own rights if they are not willing to protect the rights of all, including the right to clean air, clean water and food and shelter? Leaders of the Christian Right and Radical Islam base their world view and politics on their own interpretation of revelations of truth in the Bible and the Koran. In both cases fundamentalist beliefs hold that a specific group of people have been chosen by God to dominate the Earth and spread their beliefs to all who will accept them. Those that don’t are or will be damned in one way other and will certainly not live on after any Holy Wars, Apocalypse or End of Times. So, why worry if you know that God will protect you and yours? One can only imagine what will happen if the Jihadist Suicide Bomber reaches heaven and the promised rewards aren’t waiting, or if the ice caps melt, the temperatures rise, the air conditioning fails flooding homes and the houses of worship of followers of the Religious Right. Even worse, what if it turns out we humans are all in the same boat making our way through the floodwaters of environmental disaster and there was something we could have done to reduce the effects of the flood?

COAL MINE IN WYOMING

I am concerned and angry because ignorance, intolerance and refusing to admit problems exist may prevent timely solutions to the problems we face. In this case I am referring to three specific problems. Anyone who says these problems are not related to human behavior or habits is either self delusional or an idiot. Anyone who says humans can’t and won’t change their behavior to prevent an emerging crisis or disaster or to protect the future of their offspring may have faith in God as they see him or her, but they have no faith in mankind and womankind to act intelligently, rationally and cooperatively. I believe in God, but I also believe in the ability of my fellow humans to help each other and care for the world.

Global warming, drought and loss of productive agricultural land due to our dependence on oil and coal as non-renewable energy sources.

Environmental degradation caused by overpopulation

Monocultures practices that diminish biodiversity

Combined and left unattended these problems will escalate until none of us have a comfortable place to survive wherever we live and whatever our religious or political beliefs may be. Left unattended worsening environmental conditions will bring on a collapse of civilizations, cultures, wars, changing weather patterns and natural disasters. I can hear the word “Armageddon” and the concept of “End Times” resonating in the minds, mouths and hearts of self righteous religious fundamentalists of all denominations throughout the world. I can see their satisfaction in knowing that the cleansing of their world is on the horizon with the prospect of the return of a Messiah and ridding the world of non-believers who will suffer horribly before they are gone for good. The true believers will survive and live on in health and harmony.

I would never argue with someone who holds these beliefs or in anyway try to interfere with their faith and the peace and comfort it brings them, but I will fight any effort to let these beliefs or anyone who holds these beliefs effect public policy and environmental management. There is an old saying, “Your right to use your fist ends one inch in front of my nose.” I am scared stiff when I think of someone in power, who might even be looking forward to the “End Times,” who might believe they know where the safe places will be with the power to make those times come sooner or protect that place they plan to safely be when the world falls apart. The thought of Fundamentalists with their finger on the buttons or triggers that release weapons that could start a conflagration be they in Iran, Pakistan or Washington, D.C. is more than we should be willing to bear.
In the last 8 years the religious beliefs of George W. Bush and his supporters have kept me alarmed and on edge.

Back to the environmental problems and what humankind can do about them public policy can encourage personal changes that will help solve environmental problems without interfering with individual rights. By encouraging development of alternative energy sources new economies and jobs will be developed, the air will be cleaner and we may be able to slow or stop global warming. There isn’t enough oil on the planet to continue as we have. Individual families can be encouraged to make thoughtful choices about the number of children they wish to welcome to our world with education and support regarding family planning. Our public policies should not discourage those who wish to make conscious choices to limit the size of their families, particularly those who do not have the resources to help themselves. Abstinence is not an effective way to limit population growth. Education and clinical support are. As a woman, if I had to choose between having a child that would starve to death in my arms or choosing to use birth control I would choose not to bring a child into a world of pain and suffering, Teaching contraception is the tool to limit population on earth and avoid that million of children as seen on TV in underdeveloped countries are living their life in hell. This hell is a world where the children are starving every day, they are crippled with diseases, they will never achieve a good level of education and in most cases they will die before being five or 10 years old or become part of this immense multitude of destitute adults living in the slums in big cities

Finally, we are beginning to understand the dangers of monocultures in agriculture.
By limiting diversity in the plants we grow we are threatened by our dependence on too few plant species if that species becomes vulnerable to a new pest or a drought. In Ireland in 1845 late blight led to the failure of the potato crop and a famine that lasted for about 4 years. Because 1/3 of the population was completely dependent on potatoes 1,000,000 died from starvation and disease. Death and emigration decreased the population of Ireland by 22-25%. Our own reliance on corn and the limited number of strains grown in today has led to the development of heritage seed banks that are being developed worldwide to preserve our diverse agricultural past should we need help in the future.

I believe in God, the wisdom of diversity in all things, freedom to worship and think as we choose and the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would to yourself.” I refuse to believe that we as a species can’t act more intelligently to protect the environment and the miracle of diversity it supports, but we must not allow ourselves to be overrun by Religious Fundamentalists and Zealots or those who choose to divide us politically. We must choose EDUCATION, TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY AND POSITIVE ACTIONS THAT UNITE US AS ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL. ONE NATION UNDER GOD “INDIVISIBLE!” Do not let those who wish to divide us lead us.

Best regards,
Vicki Vaughn Zeitlin

Our Political website: www.fordemocracy.com

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Politics and Moral Values

By An Old Soldier
All The Perspectives, Los Angeles, August 26th 2008
From our correspondent in Germany Frank Libbon


Well my fellow Americans, the Democratic and Republican Conventions are over, with both reminding me of three-ring circuses. Instead of hearing speeches about serious issues which effect the lives and future of all Americans, we are again exposed to sarcasm. smear tactics and outright lies, thrown back and forth by both political parties and the media. Barrack Obama made a snide joke about John McCain’s failure to remember how many houses he owns. In response Sarah Palin, who should have discussed her qualifications for the office of Vice President, instead used the opportunity to belittle Obama’s public community service.

There is no doubt in my mind that those of you who may have read my previous articles entitled: “Lessons Not Learned” and “Thoughts of an Old Soldier,” probably believe that I am a died-in-the wool Democrat. Nothing could be further from the truth, for I voted for Ike Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. The truth be told, I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat, but an American, and like most of you, I too am sick and tired of the mud-slinging, the smear tactics and lies flung back and forth by all political parties.

This disgusting behavior is nothing new in our history. From the day of our independence there were those who criticized George Washington because he rode around in a coach when he was President; they called Thomas Jefferson an atheist and claimed his election would lead to anarchy. And so it went and goes, down through the years, right up to today. Almost all candidates for office start out by declaring they will run clean political campaigns, but they soon change. I personally could care less about what McCain does and does not own, but I am very concerned about Palin’s lack of experience and her qualifications for the office of Vice President of the United States. The other day I received an e-mail from a Republican friend containing a video lambasting a speech made by Barrack Obama in which he indicated he would like to rid the world of nuclear weapons. My Republican friend forgot, or never knew, that Ronald Reagan (the darling of the Republican Party), in his second Inaugural Address on 21 January 1985, said: “We are not just discussing limits on a further increase of nuclear weapons. We seek, instead, to reduce their number. We seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.”

For those who failed to learn their history, Ronald Reagan, even before he became Governor of California, desired to rid the world of nuclear weapons. The Republican publisher who attempted to smear Obama either was not aware of Reagan’s speech, or assumed that the Common People were too dumb to remember, or too stupid to know that Obama expressed the very same wish that Reagan did. So it goes my good friends, on and on, and it will never end - for that is the nature of the Beast. I guess old Harry Truman hit the nail on the head when he said: “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.”

It is not just the dirty politics that concern me, and I might add, the majority of Americans, but also the never ending involvement of the so-called Religious Right in politics. That too is nothing new in our history. In 1620 the Puritans settled in America, seeking religious freedom and after surviving their first winter with the help of the local Indians, later turned and slaughtered over six hundred of them as “Infidels.” They attempted to purify the Anglican church and in 1688 they went on their infamous witch hunt, burning people at the stake. Roman Catholics in Maryland wanted to kill those who did not believe in the “Trinity” and the Baptists used the Bible to justify slavery. Today we have Mike Huckabee who wants to change the Constitution of the United States, to meet what he deems - God’s standards. This is the same Mike Huckabee who wanted to put those suffering with Aids in isolation, which according to Webster’s dictionary means “quarantine.” There are way over one hundred thousand men, women and children in the United States with this dreadful disease, so I ask Huckabee , to explain how he would insure these victims remained, as he put it, isolated. Who would guard them to insure they stayed in isolation, who would feed them, clothe them, house them, would he put them in Camps and make them wear Badges” like the Nazis did to the Jews? And he dares to tell us that he wants to change Our Constitution. I spent 43 years of my life in and with the US Army, during which time I took the Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States against all Enemies, Foreign and Domestic, and I’ll be damned if I let Huckabee and those of his ilk change Our Constitution. The Constitution starts with the preamble “We the People.” It belongs to us, the Common People, and not to Mike Huckabee, or Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, Hagee, Parsley, and all the others of their kind. Our Lord Jesus gave us warning when He said: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps’ clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” I ask you of the Religious Right, where pray tell is the morality in changing the Constitution that many gave their lives to defend, and where is the morality in isolating those suffering and sick? Our Lord Jesus healed lepers, the blind and the crippled. He didn’t isolate them, He showed them compassion.

During the coming presidential elections the subject of Roe vs. Wade, Abortion, Gays, and Stem Cell research, will probably again raise their ugly heads. Why weren’t they resolved before? They weren’t and won’t be resolved because the Radical Right, that has taken over the Republican Party, has no desire to resolve these issues. Why should they, when these issues gave them the votes in 2004 to stay in power? Rest assured they will again raise these issues in an attempt to stay in power. For the good people of the Religious Right allow me to clarify some of these issues:

A. Abortion - According to the US Center for Disease Control there were 854,122 legal abortions in the U.S. in the year 2003, and 839,226 in the year 2004, with the number of abortions continuously declining since then. In the year 1972 when abortions were illegal in most states, there were 587,000 legal abortions and at least 130,000 illegal abortions, for a total of 717,000 abortions . Bear in mind that this figure is probably low, since for obvious reasons many illegal abortions in 1972 have gone unreported. Now let us assume Roe vs. Wade, which was decided under a persons’ right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, was revoked. What have you gained? The answer is - NOTHING. Nothing, because those who can afford an abortion will go where they can have it done legally, and those who cannot afford the cost, will again seek the services of a Quack Doctor in a cellar or back alley, or resort to the use of coat hangers. You have fought a good fight in defending your moral values, but in doing so, you have achieved Nothing, except perhaps labeling those who have abortions as criminals. “Do you, in good conscience, really want to do that? Suffice it to say, those who have abortions, will one day, like you and I, have to answer to God.

B. Gays/Lesbians - The most recent survey reflects that two percent of the adult male population and nine-tenths of one percent of the adult female population of the U.S. are gays & lesbians, respectively. Throughout my entire long life I have never encountered any gay men or lesbians who have hurt anyone. Most are polite, courteous, and go their own way. The only exception known to me are those Priests of the Roman Catholic church ,who over the years molested boys and girls. They should be excommunicated by the church and turned over to the civil authorities for prosecution for their crimes. And those in the church who covered up these disgusting crimes should likewise be prosecuted, be they ordinary Priests, Bishops, or even Cardinals. As for all the others, fear them not, because their activities will have absolutely NO effect on the sanctity of marriage between men and women and their family lives. As President Franklin Roosevelt said: “You have nothing to Fear but Fear itself.”

C. Stem Cell Research - Inasmuch as scientists have now been able to develop stem cells from a person’s own skin, it would appear that the controversy over the use of a fetus for such research is now moot. George Bush’s claim that the Federal Government no longer funds stem cell research is Untrue. The National Institute of Health has spent sixty million dollars on stem cell research since 2002. The Republican administrative just did not provide more funds for additional research projects. You should also be aware that there is an estimated two to four hundred thousand embryo’s in frozen state, which if not used will be destroyed and thrown away. They could have been used, with their parents’ approval, perhaps to help a crippled child see or walk again, cure those suffering from brain and spinal cord damage, those suffering from Alzheimer disease, or to help our brave young soldiers who lost limbs while fighting an Unnecessary War in Iraq. So ask your-self where is the morality in throwing away an embryo when it could have been used to possibly cure someone, giving them new life. As I said at the beginning, this subject is now moot, thanks to efforts of doctors & scientists who have discovered the means of developing stem cells from an individual’s own skin.

In spite of the fact that Article VI of the Constitution specifically states that: “No religious test shall Ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” candidates for office are continuously being questioned and re-questioned about their religious beliefs. Back in 1808, Jacob Henry, a Jewish-American, was elected to the state legislature of North Carolina, which refused to seat him unless he was a Protestant and conceded the divine authority of the Old and New Testaments. Henry answered by stating: “Governments only concern the actions and conduct of man, and not his speculative notions. Who among us feels himself so exalted above his fellows as to have a right to dictate to them any mode of belief.” John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, nominated by George Washington, with the unanimous approval of Congress, a man who was a devout Anglican and firmly understood what America was about, said:

“Real Christians will abstain from violating the rights of others.”

Allow me to remind all of what The Lord Jesus said as written in Matthew 23:12. “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” I need say no more.

In ending, I beg you all to show compassion, tolerance, respect and love for your fellow Americans and all mankind. Use your heart driven energy in helping the elderly, the poor and the sick, and worry not about things you cannot change. Concentrate your energy on the real issues - such as the war, unemployment, out-sourcing of jobs, fair wages, health care, education and the national debt (estimated to be over a trillion dollars), instead of worrying about the sexual proclivities of others and what they do within the privacy of their own four walls. And when you vote, do so using your brains, not your emotions and vote not for a Republican, or a Democrat, or an Independent, but vote for the best qualified candidate who will do his Honest Best for ALL Americans.


Thank you, and have a Great Day & a Great Life.
Frank Libbon, published by: http://www.fordemocracy.com



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AMERICA'S TREASURE: THE COMMON PEOPLE
All The Perspectives, Los Angeles, August 26th 2008
From our correspondent in Germany Frank Libbon


In my article entitled “Lessons Not Learned” I mentioned Benjamin Franklin’s concerns about sharing of the wealth so that the Common People of the United States would share in, and support our new nation.

In March 1868, after the Civil War, the Congress, which was controlled by Radical members of the Republican Party failed in their attempt to impeach President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, primarily because Johnson attempted to follow Lincoln’s desire to “heal the wounds of the nation.” These Radical Republicans managed to keep control of the South by passing a law preventing anyone who fought against the Union from voting. The South was devastated, poor and ruled in most cases by “carpet-baggers” from the North. Large farms were broken up and were cultivated by “Share Croppers,” which ended up making the South the poorest area of the country. Situation that can be seen today in the statistics.
( According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, the US Census Report for the Year 2005, reflects that the Per Capita personal which is $ 38,611 in the USA is much lower in every southern state and under $35,000, except for Florida and Virginia. The State of Mississippi is at the bottom of the totem pole, with a Per Capita personal Income of $28,845).

Then along came Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican who was elected President in 1901. Although he was himself rich, he was first and foremost a “Progressive Reformer and a trust buster against corrupt and illegal practices.” He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved forty monopolistic corporations, stating he wanted to give the average citizen a “Fair Shake.” He was also the first President to call for Universal Health Care and National Health Insurance.

World War I came along, followed by the roaring twenties - and then the Great Depression of 1929, reportedly caused by the big speculators in their never ending greed for more and more riches. Sounds like the sub-prime housing market meltdown of today, doesn’t it? Farmers lost their crops, their farms turned into dust bowls, and millions of ordinary people - the Common People - were out of work, surviving day by day on handouts. I know, for I was born then and was known as a “depression baby.”

In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat and Teddy Roosevelt’s cousin, was elected President and created the “New Deal” to provide “relief for the unemployed.” He established price controls and rationing, reformed the banking and economic systems, initiated the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect the Common Peoples savings, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) bringing electricity to those who previously had none, established the U.S. Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate Big Money from running wild, and founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now called the March of Dimes) to help children who suffered the most from this dreadful disease. He established the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to give mortgage relief to millions of farmers and home owners, the Civilian Conservation Corps which employed two hundred and fifty thousand young men rebuilding our national parks and forests, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), providing employment for over two million family heads. Last but not least, President Roosevelt was responsible for the Social Security Act and Program, “promising economic security for the elderly, the poor and the sick.” The Robber Barons hated him with a passion and to this day would do everything in their power to destroy this program step-by-step under the guise of “privatizing and giving the working people back some of their money to invest” as George Bush proposed. Invest in what? Enron, where thousands of workers lost their life savings, while the CEOs and finance officers raked in millions. Sixty million retirees, who had worked hard all their lives, most being members of the American Association of Retired Personnel (AARP), made their voices heard and defeated Bush’s radical right proposal.

On 11 June 1963, President John F. Kennedy introduced the Civil Rights Act, which was finally passed by the Congress and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 2 July 1964. On 30 July 1965, President Johnson signed into law the Medicare Act, giving former President Harry S. Truman the first Medicare Card, providing Medicare and Medical Assistance to about forty million of America’s Common People. And in 1973, Casper Weinberger, then Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare, who was also a rich Republican, urged Richard Nixon to introduce a National Health Insurance Bill, which failed to get support in Congress and died on the vine as a result of the Watergate hearings.

When Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act he allegedly turned to an aide and said: “We just lost the South for a generation.” Johnson was right. Once the Civil Rights Act was approved and implemented most, if not just about all of the southerners, the very people who also benefited from Social Security and Medicare, turned their backs on the Democratic Party. They in essence bit the very hand that fed them, and swung over to the Republican Party. They reportedly did so because they did not want to share hospitals with “Black Americans.” Personally I find this accusation difficult to believe, but if there is a grain of truth to it, then all I can say is God have mercy on them and on America.

Those who would vote for a candidate or party that would deprive the elderly, the poor and the sick of public support, would do well to think twice and remember The Lords words in Matthew 25:41-46.

( Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment).

Another swing of the pendulum is in motion: after President Bush catering to the few and the privileged are we going to see what we all hope for? a president totally dedicated to the many, to you and me, to the great majority of the Americans.

An Old Soldier

Our website about Government and Environment: All the Perspectives
Our website about Democracy: For Democracy


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Thoughts of an Old Soldier: The right to vote

All The Perspectives, Los Angeles, August 11th 2008
From our correspondent in Germany Frank Libbon

Just last week while at the parking lot of the US Army Health Clinic in Wiesbaden, Germany, I engaged a very nice young lady who was waiting for her US Army Sergeant husband. I politely offered her a ride to the main gate of the installation and during our conversation ascertained that both her and her husband were Americans of Mexican decent, and that neither planned to vote. Mexican-Americans, serving and fighting for Our and Their Country, and yet so disillusioned that they are ready to surrender “their unalienable rights.” Without boring the reader just let me say that I took the opportunity to impart some information to this lady, about Our Constitution, Our Government, what went wrong over the past eight years and who was responsible for these wrongdoings. She listened very attentively and thanked me for the ride. As she started to get out of my car, she quietly turned, kissed me on the cheek and said: “ Thank you. I will vote - for Obama.”


Our Founding Fathers argued, debated and finally agreed on who in America had the right to vote, especially after Benjamin Franklin reminded them that it was the “common people” who shed their blood, sweat and tears that led to the defeat of the British. The Right to Vote is clearly embedded in the Declaration of Independence which states: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, drawing their just powers from the Consent of the governed.” The Constitution of the United States further confirms the Right of the People in Article Twelve of Our Bill of Rights which also clearly states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.”

It is important to remember that almost each generation gave the right to vote to more American citizens., Conservatives and racists strongly and sometimes through violence denied the right to vote to a large body of American citizens, poor white, women and African Americans. Many difficult challenges were overcome by the liberal Americans to give the right to vote to ALL.

In 1870, after the civil war the 15th Amendment stated:
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation
However it took the National voting rights of 1965 championed by President Lyndon Johnson to give black people the right to vote as they had been disenfranchised mostly in the South against the law of the land by dishonest tactics and very violent actions as well as many murders by the white supremacists calling themselves sometimes the Ku Klux Klan.

Women got their right to vote in 1920 through the 19th amendment after a very very long wait.

Quite less known is that only white males that were land owners or that paid taxes were eligible to vote after the American revolution. Only gradually the rights to vote was given by the states to all white men regardless of their wealth, only in 1860 almost a century after the American revolution, all white male were allowed to vote.

We can see that the right to vote for ALL American Citizens was a struggle of epic proportion and any American citizen should be enthusiastic about voting.

To my surprise on 5 August 2008 I came across an article by “The Team, Wal-Mart.Com,” reflecting that Wal-Mart was conducting seminars in an attempt to convince their employees to vote for the Republican Party. Is Wal-Mart insinuating that if their employees do not vote as Wal-Mart advised, that their employees might forfeit a pay raise, a promotion, or even their jobs? I hope not, for that might be construed as coercion, which is in violation of Federal Election Laws. A report by USA Today reflected that Wal-Mart donated over a million dollars to politicians, with over eighty percent going to the Republican Party during the 2004 elections - and The Rothenberg Political Report of 6 August 2008 reflects that Wal-Mart is now giving the Democratic Party greater contributions. They sure know how to cover all bets, don’t they? They could have made better use of that money by paying their employees decent wages especially since they have a reported annual revenue of 250 Billion Dollars. Wal-Mart is just one of many Big Money firms making big financial payments to politicians and political parties. Enron was reported to have made seven million dollars in donations since 1990, of which seventy-two to ninety-four percent went to the Republican Party. Don’t think these donations are acts of kindness. They weren’t and aren’t. They were and are solely meant to insure that these big firms get favorable legislation from Congress. The Big Money boys called them “campaign contributions” - Bill Moyers in his book entitled: “Bill Moyers on Democracy,” rightfully calls them what they really are - Bribes.

George Bush won the election in 2000, although he received only 47.9 percent of the popular vote, while Al Gore received 48.4 percent, or over five hundred thousand more popular votes. Bush won because he garnered 271 Electoral votes to Gore’s 266 Electoral votes. In 2004 Bush received 50.7 percent of the popular vote, with John Kerry receiving 48.3 percent of the popular vote. Both elections were not without problems as the public well knows, with serious questions about voter punch cards in Florida and Touch Screen voting machines in Ohio . Bush maintained that the “voters had given him a mandate” but according to my calculations three million more votes out of a total of over 121 million votes cast, is by no means a broad majority and doesn’t even come close to being a mandate. Bush and the Republican Party won the election because of two prime issues - terrorism and moral values. As for terrorism, one should recall that it was Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and not Saddam Hussein in Iraq who attacked America . The facts now available to the public and also known to many before the war, confirm that Saddam Hussein had absolutely no nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, nor ties with bin Laden, as this administration falsely maintained. The Congress and the American People were misled into going to war against a nation that could not and did not attack us, leading to the deaths of over four thousand of our fine soldiers, over thirty thousand wounded, and an estimated one hundred thousand Iraqi women and children killed. Where is the “morality” in that. Where is the morality in approving torture of prisoners, in arresting and confining American citizens without charges, and denying them access to lawyers, or authorizing wiretapping without a court order. Representative Wexler’s list of charges in his effort to have both Bush and Cheney impeached , a long ugly list of charges, is there for all to read.

Roe vs. Wade and abortion is another moral issue of great concern, especially to the Religious Right, which had more influence than the fight against terrorism in the election of George Bush. Before anyone charges me with being pro-abortion, be aware that I am the Father of seven children, have thirteen grandchildren, and two beautiful great-grandchildren. I believe that proves where I stand on abortion. George Bush got elected because Karl Rove and others cleverly made abortion a major issue, knowing full well that it would induce the Religious Right and others to vote for Bush and the Republican Party. Very clever indeed. Since the Republican Party has had control of the White House and both the Senate and the House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006, why then haven’t they done anything to revoke Roe vs. Wade or passed legislation prohibiting abortion? They didn’t and won’t do anything, because these issues bring in the votes that have kept them in power. And that is the only thing that concerns them - power. Think about it, and think hard.

The really sorry thing about all the injustice going on is how it has effected the hard working “common people,” who despair, and no longer believe that their representatives and government care about them. Many, too many, no longer trust the Congress, no longer do they believe they have a voice to be heard, and thus many refrain from even voting.When you get the time read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Federalist Papers - and while your at it also read: “The Genius of the People” by Charles L. Mee,Jr., “Bill Moyers on Democracy”, “Conservatives Without a Conscience” by John Dean, and “Our Endangered Values” by Jimmie Carter.

Have a Good Day.

An 80 years old American Soldier, who took the Oath to Defend the Constitution of the United States of America then and forever
Frank Libbon

Our historical website is: www.fordemocracy.com .
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LAST CALL BEFORE WAR

                                  President Bush has won the war and he does not want to understand it.
 
President Bush by using the THREAT of force had won the war before any American gun was fired but he is so obsessed by waging his own "real" war like his father did that he does no want tot understand it.
 
Even before moving the bulk of the American army to the border of Iraq President Bush determination and strong stance had succeeded in gathering all his allied around him and brought back the inspectors with added power to Iraq.
 
Continuing his threats backed up by more and more troops he was able to empower the inspectors to demands and obtain  any compliance from Iraq.
 
                                           HIS JOB WAS DONE AND WELL DONE
 
If him and his advisers had two ounces of common sense they would have turned over the continuation of the Inspector regime to France and Germany and Russia challenging them to do their job in completing the disarmament at least half as good as he did his task of submitting Saddam Hussein to a strong disarmament regime.
He would have been able to scold the French, the Russia and the UN with the full approval of the rest of the world.
They wanted more Inspectors, give it to them! Leave the long and messy disarmament problem to them.
 
                             UNFORTUNATELY PRESIDENT BUSH DOES NOT HAVE
                             THE SLIGHTEST CLUE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
 
 He has now officially declared war on Iraq, the consequences for the American people are going to be horrendous, I said it before and I am saying it again.
 
Although I am not dismissing the war itself with its American soldiers casualties and Iraqi casualties they will pale in comparison of what the future reserve for the American people.
President Bush after the world finally got rid of the cold war reinvented a new global war. He was able to unite more than one billion Muslim in a common hatred against the USA.
Future generations of American for decades and decades will not be safe anywhere in the world and that will continue for generations and generations.
He will need the UN more and more but had made a mockery of this institution.
He has set new lower standards for international relations.
 

THE LONG TERM DAMAGES ARE GIGANTIC.

February 2003

 

 

 

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