In the chaos of the events following the horrific shooting rampage at Ft. Hood, naturally, all of the focus has been on the incident.  However, another important question – yet to be asked – is what happened at all of the other military installations and critical infrastructure locales.  I am curious whether Homeland Security initiated a red alert for those types of facilities and what else might have been secured.  For instance, were facilities such as Hoover Dam, The White House, or nuclear facilities put on lock-down? 

The response of Homeland Security, as well as critical facilities securities, should be address to the American people to let us know that emergency situation protocol worked or not.

A press conference with Lt. Colonel Cone, commander of Ft. Hood, has just completed.  At this hour reports are 12 dead and 31 wounded.  No word on demographics of wounded. 

Killer from Ft. Hood - Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan

The shooter was shot by a female civilian officer but did not die; Major Nidal Malik Hasan – the shooter – is reported out of surgery and is in stable condition.  Military sources indicate that this incident was a single shooter action and, probably, not multiple shooters as first reported. 

Lt. Col. Cone said that several units had personnel in the building during the shooting, so the investigation will be covered by several agencies in and outside of the military.

After a three-year long trial, an Italian Judge has convicted and sentenced 23 Americans – including the CIA Station Chief in Italy – of the kidnapping of an Egyptian Muslim cleric.  No word on how the Berlusconi government will react to this conviction.   Click here for story.

This action underscores the anti-American sentiment abroad that has been aided by President Obama, Speaker of the House Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid.  Through their continued war on America’s intelligence agencies, they have diminished the effectiveness of intel operations and placed America in greater danger of terrorists attack. 

This also reveals the subtle movement by Socialists throughout the world to undermine governmental operations in order to work toward a single world government. 

Let us hope that Obama, Pelosi, Reid and company may personally feel the impact of the naive decisions they are making on behalf of our nation.  The American people deserve leaders who believe in America first and are concerned with the safety of her people. 

One would expect a rebuke by Obama and Congress leadership of this insane action based on the oaths they swore in taking office.  However, we can dismiss any form of patriotism from this crew, especially our inept President, as he has no interest in foreign affairs or the war on terrorism.

It is said that in crisis, you meet your true self; and I suppose that is true – to an extent.   Most of us would consider this statement to mean “standing up for what is right,” “seeking justice,” or “separating the men from the boys” so to speak.  However, convictions have little to do with our basic instinct – to simply survive, first and foremost.  When faced with personal survival at stake, or that of one’s family, almost everyone would put aside their convictions, beliefs, and ideals in order to protect their safety or save them from starvation. 

No? Perhaps you feel that you are “too strong in principle” or have “much deeper beliefs.”  Allow me challenge you to answer this question:  If you were threatened with an ultimatum – say, to steal something from a neighbor or your child’s life would be taken, what would you do? 

I know what I would do – the same thing as most of you, I would save the child by forgoing my conviction that stealing is wrong, by disobeying one of God’s Commandments – “Thou shall not steal.”

People in crisis do desperate things in order to survive.  This simple statement is the basic concept from which power is derived.  When people are placed in lethal situations, they are forced, by lack of option, to do the bidding of another.  Tyranny is the art of creating crises that force people to behave in certain ways. 

Political coups, revolutions, and civil wars have all been used to throw a public into chaos, to disrupt the routine of the people.  This sets the stage for a new leader to charge in and quell the turmoil, therefore saving the country and its people. 

History is rife with examples of the “hero-turned-dictator” – Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Chavez.  With promises of peace, a better lifestyle, aid for the poor, and a general equilibrium in the society, these leaders all gained the necessary initial support of their people.  Once ensconced in power, these “saviors” were able to control every aspect of life for their citizens: supplies of food, energy and other resources; access to jobs and money; restrictions on movement, housing, transportation; and education of children. 

When access to basic necessities is limited or denied, people will either revolt at risk of death, or comply with the new rules, even if those rules compromise their beliefs.  Compliance is easier and much safer, and tyrants use this fear dynamic to subdue their people. 

To most Americans, the image of tyranny that first comes to mind is that of an evil totalitarian regime, a dictator, a despot. Yet, tyranny has other forms besides brute force.  Tyranny can come cloaked in the guise of benevolence…and that may be its most dangerous form. 

The Progressive / Democrat Socialist movement functions on the premise of control for the “good” of the people – benevolence being their calling card.  Their ideologies favor economic egalitarianism (a government managed economy where everyone’s stake and return is equitable) and liberal social policies (government provided services for all). 

At first glance, some of the ideas may sound positive, such as “health care for all,” but further examination reveals limits and restrictions on the individual for the sake of what is best for society as a whole [i.e. setting age limits on access to particular medical treatments, such as denying chemotherapy for cancer victims over 70 because society would receive little to no “return on investment” from these citizens.] 

By dictating the systems by which the people live and controlling the economic vehicles by which the country operates, a Socialist government withholds the freedom of the individual to make personal choices that are self-beneficial.  Rather than an individual being the tyrant, the entity of the government becomes the tyrant.

This is now the future that Americans face.  We must recognize the tyrant before it takes control of our basic needs; or we will be forced to comply with its oppression in order to simply survive.  And that is…Why It Matters.

xxx

House Democrats have finally completed their version of a health care reform bill.  The announcement was made moments ago by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).  The details of this mammoth bill – 1,990 pages – has finally been released for review and can be found at this link:  H.R. Health Care Reform Bill. 

One of the more interesting aspects of the announcement was the comment by House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) who said “befitting the importance of this legislation, the process of putting it together has been deliberative, transparent and open…”.  Considering that the negotiations for this House version of a health care reform bill have been done in secret in very overt and “in-your-face” closed-door sessions, with NO Republican or Independent input at all, Mr. Hoyer’s statement sounds absurd! 

Is the Democratic leadership so cocooned in their own perceived reality that they actually believe their own spin?  Or do they think that the American people are just stupid enough to believe any sound bite they hear?  Either way, Hoyer’s statement and the stealthy process in which this bill was developed are an insult to all Americans. 

Everyone agrees that some “reform” or “updating” of our health care system is needed.  However, the Democrats have determined that neither the Republicans, the Independents, nor the American people have the right to decide, moreover to even discuss, what options could be tried. 

To Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer – you have finally achieved the status you have been working toward…dictatorship.  You have become tyrants.  You are a disgrace to our country and to the positions that you hold (on behalf of the people, I might remind you).  We can only pray that your “Ides” may come sooner than March.

Despicable.

Details are just coming in from correspondents in Pakistan, where a huge car bomb has exploded in a Peshawar market killing nearly 100 people and injuring 200 more. Many others are trapped beneath fallen buildings.

While no claim of responsibility for the bombing has been forthcoming, Pakistani government officials are pointing blame toward Taliban and al Qaeda militants set on avenging the latest round of Pakistani army attacks on Taliban and al Qaeda strongholds.

This latest Peshawar bombing, the worst of 3 in the past month, occurs during the first official visit by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The mere audacity to attempt such a large-scale attack during a high-level U.S. visit illustrates the sharp decline in the region’s respect for and confidence in the United States.

Clinton, who was about three hours away in Islamabad during the incident, spoke with reporters to assure the Pakistanis of Washington’s “full support.”

“I want you to know that this fight is not Pakistan’s alone,” states Clinton. “So this is our struggle as well and we commend the Pakistani military for their courageous fight and we commit to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistani people in your fight for peace and security.”

Given the lack of expediency by the White House in implementing any military decisions, Clinton’s words will, no doubt, fall short of solid assurance for both the Pakistani government and the Pakistani people.

While new technology and vast capabilities of information gathering and communication is still an awesome thing for most of us, to our children, it’s just life.  Kids today have grown up in a techno-savvy world with faster and faster Internet connections, jazzy new phones that have all sorts of capabilities, and social networking or meeting and chatting online.  Most of today’s “cool” tech applications function in real-time; meaning the conversation (whether email, texting, chatting, or social networking) is going on at that moment – much like a telephone call.

Our schools have embraced new technology, as well, by using the Internet for research and learning tools for students.  Computer skills are even taught in kindergarten.  All of this is a wonderful advantage to the education of our children.  Through the creation of the Internet, they are able to see places where they might never be able to go, hear and communicate with others all around the world, go back in time to see the natural world at different stages, or go far into outer space to see worlds beyond our human view. 

I am very much in favor of computer technology for everyone, including our children.  However, we must all be aware that the computer is also an open conduit to a very dangerous world. 

My nieces and nephews love computers and spend hours playing games or looking at various sites.  We all watch them closely…but, you cannot be at their side 24/7.  This means we must talk to our kids and explain some hard but necessary life realities; such as people are not always honest, some people are looking to hurt you; some people might try to kidnap you.  The concept of explaining the harsh realities of life to young kids is heartbreaking as it takes away their precious innocence.

Lately, my nephews have been asking permission to go onto social networking sites such as Facebook.com or create their own web page on MySpace.com.  After all, “everyone else does,” they say.  To me this was a valid point:  if their friends are online, wouldn’t they enjoy chatting and sharing pictures too?  We have discussed real life many times and how dangerous the world can be, even in small towns or rural areas.  So, I decided to test them.  Read this and do some testing of your own…trust me you will be surprised at how trusting and innocent kids, including teens, can be. 

We established the main points that they knew:  don’t talk to strangers, don’t plan to meet with anyone you don’t know or don’t have permission to be with; don’t tell everyone your name and address; don’t ride in a car with strangers; etc. etc.  They could name all sorts of “do’s” and “don’ts”.  The boys told me that they would never talk to an adult online and would never divulge personal information.  They put up a solid argument for permission to “get on” these social networking sites. “Please let us get on Facebook,” they pled.  This is the conversation:

ME:  “If I allow you to go on Facebook, who will you chat with?”
BOYS:  “Only with our friends, no one else.” 
ME:  “Well, what if one of your friends has a cousin that he chats with and suggests that you meet him online?”
BOYS:  “Well, that’s okay because he’s a kid, right?”
ME:  “What if you get a message from someone’s parents?” 
BOYS:  “I would answer them and say ‘yes ma’am.”  (That made me laugh) 
ME:  “What if a kid asked to ‘be your friend’ [meaning allow them into your group of online chatters], and tells you that he is lonely and lives way out in the country in Alabama. What would you do?” 
BOYS:  “I would say, okay, I guess.” 
ME:  “Okay, the kid becomes your friend, you guys chat and exchange pictures, and he asks where you live?” 
BOYS:  “I’d tell him Tennessee.”
ME:  “He says his grandmother lives in Tennessee.  Where exactly do you live?”
BOYS:  “[city], Tennessee.” 
ME:  “He says, ‘WOW, my grandma lives there too!   What street are you on?”
BOYS:  “[street address]”. 
ME:  “Guys, the kid is NOT a kid, he is a 25 year old adult, who is obviously stalking children, and now he knows, what school you go to, how old you are, what you look like and EXACTLY where you live.” 

The boys were really stunned; after all, they had known this friend for a “long” time (for a kid) – a month or so.

Needless to say, we nixed the entire idea and they are not on a social networking site…that I know of…but can I really know?  They have cell phones and can text and access the Internet through those, as well.  Scary, isn’t it?

While this illustrates the thought processes of kids and tweens, it is important to note that teens may have a different view of the “stranger.”  As they push the envelope to discover the real world, rebellious teens may look to gain attention from a “sympathetic” or “cool” adult via the Internet.  Severe reaction without a guiding discussion from parents can often lead to rash behavior from their teen.

Taking away computer privileges or cancelling a teen’s profile on a social networking site could push teens into a more secretive mode.  The upshot is that they will always find a way to access the Internet, either through a friend, the library or a cell phone.  So bottom line – you must talk with your kids, know your kids, know their friends, and be sure that they realize the dangers of an anonymous “friend.”

Here are some research statistics from Microsoft, McAfee, and MSN

• More than 50% of teens use the Internet with no supervision;
• Almost 30% of younger kids surf with no supervision.
• 25% of all kids age 5-7 have a computer in their rooms.
• 1/3 of the kids online have been “cyber-bullied,” with some bullying spilling over into schools and buses.
• 1/2 of all parents do not use parental controls that are already on their computer systems.
• 4 of 5 parents fail to turn on the safety applications that they have added to their computer systems, as it slows down computer speed.
• Almost 2/3 of parents have not seriously discussed online security with their kids.
• And almost ½ of all parents did not know that their kids had online profiles on social networks or web sites. 

PC World’s Rick Broida suggests the following safety tips: 

1. Replace Google with Quintura, a kid-friendly search engine that produces G-rated results. 
2. Use KIDO’Z, a special browser that filters inappropriate content, great for ages 3-9. 
3. Another kid-safe browser option is KidZui.  
4. The best solution for parents seeking online protection for kids and teens is OpenDNS; which reroutes your Internet access through their servers then filters out inappropriate and malicious sites before they come into your home.  And, it’s FREE!

For more online safety tips visit: ConnectSafely.org and SafeKids.com. 

While you want to allow kids to explore the world, at the same time, you must protect them from those who might exploit them.  It is up to us – parents, grandparents, and families – to be proactive in learning about new technology and how it might have a dangerous aspect for our children. 

Take some time to talk with your kids about the Internet and other new “cool” technology devices.  Let them teach you how to use new gadgets; it will validate their opinions and make them feel part of the conversation. 

Most important, take this opportunity to better prepare your child to be cautious when divulging information to anyone.  Our kids are our most precious asset.  And that is…Why It Matters.

The dollar has suffered several major hits in the past week, including being replaced as the official trading currency for the oil industry. 

Read the latest piece on the death of the dollar from today’s New York Post here.

The article, “Dollar Loses Reserve Status to Euro and Yen,” by Paul Tharp includes the following frightening harbingers:

*Over the past three months banks have switched 63% of their new cash into Euros and Yen instead of American dollars.

*Central banks have decreased their shares of new cash put into dollars down by 37%.

*International central banks complain of lending money to the US to cover America’s debt, but are reimbursed by a currency that has lost 10% of its value since July.

THE VOTE IS IN…although the actual text of the bill is not written.

Senate Finance Committee passes the Baucus health care legislation outline (bill-to-be) with a vote of 14-9. Breaking ranks with her nine Republican colleagues, Maine Senator Olympia Snowe voted with the 13 Democrats. Not unusual for Sen. Snowe, whom some wonder why she claims to be conservative. Hmmmm.

Keep your eyes on the news today.  

The Senate Finance Committee will vote on the proposed health care reform legislation outline put forth by Committee Chairman, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).  The measure is expected to pass…much to the detriment of the American people, I fear.