This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
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Trinity Church is no more entitled to be 'near' ground zero than a mosque. The Islamic Cultural Center is at 96th Street in Manhattan.
I haven't heard any good reason to insist that building a Mosque invites another attack on Lower Manhattan.
Former Governor Pataki does not have a good argument. He attacked the Imam. If there is an issue with an Imam that has nothing to do with a building where worship takes place.
A Mosque is not an Imam and an Imam is not a Mosque. Nor should words of hate of any kind that advocates actions of murder of others be tolerated.
Quite frankly, Palin's religious bigotry is nothing more than hate mongering and an expression of cowards. It is important the 'culture of fear' remain a viable part of their rhetoric.
Fear works. And as noted with the Tea Party Group it moves them to tote guns as well. There is no reason for any words of hate surrounding religion in the USA.
I believe the 'statement' New York City has made in providing 'room' for a Mosque/Community Center near Ground Zero is a remarkable expression of forgiveness and inclusion in seeking a 'common peace' between all religions.
While the attacks on Ground Zero will never be erased from the memory or history of the country, in generations from now, with the inclusion of a Muslim community on 'tainted ground,' it will be a total mystery why extremists could ever establish the 'hate' necessary to carry out terrorist attacks against innocent people.
Now, looking down the road to our childrens' futures, do you want to view this building as an expression of peace and inclusion or an act of fear in not being able to contain the hate of extremists. Who, then, wins? How long is the 'fear' suppose to continue to victimize all Americans and the global community?
I believe the answers are simple and an insult not to realize.
There should be no confusion to realize there are 'issues of gender discimination' within many religious doctrines. The building of a Mosque near Ground Zero should not be overshadowed by political agenda or dogma. It may be that this Mosque will be the one that ends the 'stereotype,' so why risk the opportunity to provide a venue for the change the future demands? Clouding construction of a Mosque with other agendas will not solve them nor settle them because concrete was poured.
Disease Threatens Pakistan Flood Victims 13 August 2010
...Health officials Friday said the lack of clean drinking water and sanitation is spreading diarrhea and other diseases that could threaten lives. An estimated 1,600 people have died from over two weeks of record flooding in the country brought on by heavy monsoon rains. More storms are expected in the coming days across much of the country....
Thousands have fled their homes for fear of floods and landslides [AFP]
More Flood Misery in China as Mudslides Trap Thousands
Daniel Schearf
Beijing 13 August 2010
Fresh rains in western China have caused more flooding and mudslides, adding at least 20 people to a death toll well over 1,000 in Gansu Province alone. In addition, more than 10,000 people in the province are trapped in rising flood waters. Rescue workers have already been sent to the affected areas and more rains are expected in the coming days....
Better predicting is nice, but, the Climate Crisis needs to addressed in EFFECTIVE measuares that reduce emissions of ALL Greenhouse Gases including methane.
Fires, flooding fit into climate change predictions
This summer's weather disasters fit into the pattern forecast by climate scientists in key 2007 report on global warming (click title to entry - thank you) By Charles J. Hanley ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010
NEW YORK — Floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat: From smoke-choked Moscow to water-logged Pakistan, the planet seems to be having a midsummer breakdown. The weather-related cataclysms of July and August fit patterns predicted by climate scientists, the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization says — although those scientists always shy from tying individual disasters directly to global warming. The experts now see an urgent need for better ways to forecast extreme events like Russia's heat wave and the record deluge devastating Pakistan. They'll discuss such tools in meetings this month and next in Europe and America.
"There is no time to waste," because societies must be equipped to deal with global warming, British government climatologist Peter Stott said. The U.N.'s network of climate scientists — the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — has long predicted that rising global temperatures would produce more frequent and intense heat waves, and more intense rainfalls. In its latest assessment, in 2007, the Nobel Prize-winning panel said these trends "have already been observed."...
About five months after the house went up for sale Rove dumps his 'DC Wife.'
All the kings horses and all the kings men find it easy to divorce when their party in out of power and there is little to no focus on their 'misgivings' as moral men.
So, Rove decided he wasn't pleased with Limbaugh's lack of impulsion as measured by the 'bye-gone days' of George W., so he takes over the microphone to 'fine tune' the propaganda. Believe me, if Rove didn't feel things weren't going well he wouldn't be 'on the air.'
...Rove, who didn't know the show's call-in phone number, also admitted that he didn’t know what he had on tap for the program.
I have to agree, if there is anything the Bush's love, it is the USA military.
Dallas, TX) -- Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, yesterday made a surprise visit to U.S. troops.
The former First Couple showed up at the USO in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, mingling with returning soldiers and thanking them for their service.
The former president chatted and posed for photos, which were posted on the USO's Facebook page.
The Los Angeles "Times" reports that those commenting on the photos appreciated that the former President and first lady took the time to encourage the returning troops.
"What an AWESOME moment," Robert Rowe wrote. "If anyone can't see the President and First Lady's love for our nations troops, they must be dead or blind.
May God Bless them ALL !" Richard Cruz wrote: "The look on that kid's face says it all...." And Shirley Lovely Fry added: "A President and First Lady who love their country and their country's military."
Why is it the women of the GOP support Same Sex Marriage, but, the men run and hide? Mary Cheney is gay and in a relationship with a child, Megan McCain and her Mom speak out loudly for the right to marry for same sex couples and even Laura Bush provides emotional support.
But, why are THE MEN removed from making a difference in their own children's lives? States Rights is a cop-out.
....After more than eight years of silence on the controversial issues, Mrs. Bush said in an interview with CNN's Larry KingTuesday, that gay marriage and abortion were points of contention with her husband, former President George W. Bush. Mrs. Bush in recent weeks has been promoting her memoir "Spoken from the Heart," in which she writes about her life both before and after becoming first lady....
I guess the 'distaff' side can openly embrace their children and their children's CIVIL RIGHTS, but, it ain't 'politically correct' for the men to do the same. Gee, what a bunch of two faced political puppets.
I don't want to hear it anymore. GM was bailed out with huge amounts of money from the USA Treasury and its CEO left with a golder parachuet.
Wall Street is racist and they may as well admit it !!!!! If ya ain't the 'color' of money the way they like it, ya ain't nobody,
OneUnited Bank has been criticized as having a poor record of lending to people in some low-income areas. It also paid for a luxurious lifestyle for its chairman despite posting huge losses.
This is absolutely no different than the issue with Countrywide. The minority banks cater to a very challenged patron and it was fine so long as it served the purpose of the Wall Street Wealth Merchants, but, now that they and the Republicans need 'scapegoats' so it all changes and there is EVERYTHING worng with issues of the 'same challenged' American populous.
The 'American Dream' is mostly unattainable by the people represented in Congressional districts where poverty exists. I have no doubt the Congressional people representing these districts seek to provide 'an edge' in the market place to minority citizens.
You know, I remember when President Clinton was in the White House, one of the issues he addressed was how to move minority citizens out of an impoverished status to where they can enjoy the American Dream. I believe it was Hillary at the time that had an interest in Wal-Mart and proposed to build them in stressed population areas.
Then there was a study indicating that Walmart did not improve the status of impoverished citizens, but, reinforced it. The reality was that Wall Street enjoys its profits and CEOs like the bonuses regardless of how poor their employees and contractors 'quality of life' remainds.
5. POVERTY RATES Counties that have gained Wal-Mart stores have fared worse in terms of family poverty rates, according to this study.
Wal-Mart and County-Wide Poverty - by Stephan Goetz and Hema Swaminathan, Social Science Quarterly, June 2006
The presence of a Wal-Mart store hinders a community's ability to move families out of poverty, according to this study. After controlling for other factors that influence poverty rates, the study found that U.S. counties that had more Wal-Mart stores in 1987 had a higher poverty rate in 1999 than did counties that started the period with fewer or no Wal-Mart stores. The study also found that counties that added Wal-Mart stores between 1987 and 1998 experienced higher poverty rates and greater usage of food stamps than counties where Wal-Mart did not build, all other things being equal. Although the study does not attempt to draw a conclusion about why Wal-Mart expands poverty, the study's authors suggest several possible factors, including a loss of social capital that occurs when locally owned businesses close and the shift from comparatively better paying jobs at independent retailers to lower paying jobs at Wal-Mart (an earlier, unpublished draft can be downloaded for free here.) Many university libraries also carry Social Science Quarterly.
6. SOCIAL AND CIVIC WELL-BEING This study found that Wal-Mart reduces a community's level of social capital, as measured by voter turnout and the number of active community organizations.
Wal-Mart and Social Capital - by Stephan J. Goetz and Anil Rupasingha, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Dec. 2006.
The presence of a Wal-Mart store reduces a community's level of social capital, this study found. The study examined communities that had or gained Wal-Mart stores in the 1990s and controlled for other variables known to affect social capital stocks in a community, such as educational attainment. "Both the initial number of [Wal-Mart] stores and each store added per 10,000 persons during the decade reduced the overall social capital measure," Goetz and Rupasingha found. Communities that gained a Wal-Mart had fewer non-profit groups and social capital-generating associations (such as churches, political organizations, and business groups) per capita than those that did not. Wal-Mart's presence also depressed civic participation and is associated with lower voter turnout in the 2000 presidential election. Goetz and Rupasingha hypothesize that the drop in social capital is owned to the disappearance of local businesses and the decline of the downtown following Wal-Mart's arrival.
The 'idea' of moving Wall Street to 'Ghetto Main Street' was to improve their qualify of life by offering benefits and equity to minority citizens. The reality works out to be just the opposite. Where pvoerty exists these 'low end' employers enjoy the profits without the hassle of unions.
The point is there is no solution Wall Street can offer that improves the impoverishment of citizens in the USA. And if Henry Paulson can walk away form racking the USA over the coals for bailouts to banks then there is a double standard at work with the minority members of the USA Congress currently being 'muckracked' for November.
