Administrators first told the students to remove their American flag bandannas, which they did. The students were then told they had to turn their American flag t-shirts inside out. The students rightfully told the administrators that that was disrespectful and they chose to go home instead. The administrators told the students that they did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags. One student quoted an administrator as saying they were “starting a fight and that they were fuel to the fire.”  The students were told that they could wear the American flag any other day but today was sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it is supposed to be their holiday.

A statement released by the school district said that it did not agree with the school’s actions, but this came only after a storm of protest over the incident. More than 100 students were spotted leaving after school wearing the colors of the Mexican flag, including some who had the flag painted on their faces or arms. To their credit, I don’t think most of the Mexican-American students complained about the students wearing the American flag. This seems to be mostly about a bunch of idiotic school administrators who are afraid of their own shadows and cover their bad decisions by citing school rules that really don’t apply to the situation.

Let me try to put into perspective just how stupid the administrators decision was. Every school that I know of  flies the American flag while school is in session. Did the administrators haul down the American flag and hoist the Mexican flag that day? If they did I think that is actually a crime. When St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the country, are Irish-Americans offended when the American flag is flown during parades celebrating their culture and heritage? Similar questions could be asked about the celebrations for Mardi Gras, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Octoberfest, the Chinese New Year, and the many other cultural and religious celebrations that are held every year in the United States.

Unless I am mistaken, all the Mexican-American students that were supposed to be offended by the showing of the American flag are U.S. citizens first and Mexicans second. How can they be offended by the showing of the flag of the country they are citizens of? Celebration of their culture and heritage is not lessened or harmed by the showing of the American flag. In fact, if Mexican-Americans truly want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, they should show both the American flag and the Mexican flag. They should be equally proud of their Mexican heritage and the country they are citizens of. There shouldn’t be any day when students are prevented from displaying the American flag.  This doesn’t seem to me to be too hard a concept to grasp. But apparently it is for some school administrators in California.

Van Jones, the White House green jobs czar, resigned over the Labor Day weekend amid mounting criticism of some of his past words, actions, and political views. Some of his past radical activities and recent controversial stances attracted the attention of many conservatives, including Glenn Beck of Fox News. While Jones is considered a rising star in environmental circles, questions about his fitness for a White House-level office were raised when some of his past speeches and radical affiliations surfaced.

In order to clarify most of the criticisms that were raised I will simply list them below. If you want any further details on any of the items you can easily find more information from numerous sources.

• Jones was a self-described communist during the 1990s and previously worked with a group dedicated to Marxist and Leninist philosophies.

• Many of his recent and past comments have been racially charged and divisive.

• He advocated for the release of convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.

• He injected race into the Columbine school massacre by saying that “You’ve never seen a Columbine done by a black child. Never.”

• He has accused white businesses of polluting black neighborhoods.

• He signed a petition on the 911Truth.org web site suggesting that the Bush administration had deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen.

• He famously called Republicans “assholes” in a videotaped speech this year.

• Active in black nationalist movement.

In fact, Van Jones’s whole recent history is one of divisive, incendiary, and counter-productive statements and actions. Many people, both Republican and Democrat, have questioned how anyone like Van Jones could have been vetted for such an important position given his past statements and actions. The answer to that can be found in the fact that his two biggest supporters in Washington are the First Lady and the Vice President. I guess the vetting process results were thrown out the window in light of support like that.

The fact that the First Lady and Vice President supported Van Jones is very troubling. Are Van Jones’s beliefs and values shared by Michelle Obama and Joe Biden? For the sake of our country I hope his views are not shared by them. Another disturbing fact is that the whole controversy was completely ignored by most major newspapers and media outlets. If it wasn’t for Glenn Beck of Fox News and other conservative media, Van Jones would still be serving as the White House green jobs czar.

Van Jones is just one in a long list of White House appointees with a questionable past. I have lost track of how many tax cheats are serving in positions of importance in the Obama administration. Apparently Obama continues to think that the silent majority will continue to remain silent. This view despite evidence to the contrary in the form of a huge grassroots movement that is trying to convey the message to the Obama administration that we will no longer be silent on issues of national defense, health care, out of control spending, a burgeoning government bureaucracy, arrogance, and scorn for those who oppose Obama policies. I hope the upcoming 9/12 rally in DC this weekend will help drive home that message.

Evidence of the arrogance and disdain that many in the Obama administration have for those who oppose many of his policies and political appointments comes from Van Jones himself. In a sharply worded statement, Jones assailed his critics.

On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.

I would submit that the only lies and distortions are those that come from Van Jones himself. His past words and actions speak for themselves. You cannot smear someone by using the facts and ones own words and deeds. It is the proponents of reform who have taken up the tactics of lies and distortions to promote their own objectives. Their message is that it is either our way or the highway. The no longer silent majority begs to differ.

]]> http://www.themindoftefft.com/blog/2009/09/08/van-jones-downfall-came-from-his-own-words-and-actions-not-smear-campaign/feed/ 0 http://www.themindoftefft.com/blog/2009/04/20/tea-parties-driving-liberals-and-msm-nuts/ http://www.themindoftefft.com/blog/2009/04/20/tea-parties-driving-liberals-and-msm-nuts/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:46:37 +0000 Michael Tefft http://www.themindoftefft.com/blog/?p=1706 I attended a local Tea Party on April 15^th to join with thousands of others in voicing our displeasure with the recent bailouts, government giveaways and fiscal irresponsibility displayed by the federal government. The protest was much more than a protest about higher taxes, it was a protest against the increasingly irresponsible policies that are bankrupting our country and burdening future generations with a huge debt.

I am 60 years old and have never been to a political rally until I attended a McCain/Palin rally during the run-up to the 2008 Presidential elections. This Tea Party was my first political protest rally and I suspect it was the first protest rally for the majority of those who braved the rainy, windy weather to attend. The Tea Party was only one of many that were held nation wide, organized by a grassroots effort involving concerned citizens from not just the Republican party but Independents, Libertarians and even some Democrats.

The Tea Parties were a spectacular success, with conservative attendance estimates of 750,000 nation wide. You would think that 750,000 people gathering across the nation at one time would make for big headlines and lots of main stream media (MSM) coverage. You would thinks so, but unfortunately that did not happen. The MSM did its best to marginalize and even ridicule the genuine concerns of 750,000 United States citizens. Attendance figures were deliberately and grossly under-reported. Obscene teabagging jokes were made by CNN correspondents like Anderson Cooper as well as “journalists” from MSNBC and all the other liberal media.

Social media venues like Twitter had trolls using obscene language to attack and ridicule Tea Party participants and those blogging about the Tea Parties. There is a saying that if you are arguing with a liberal and he starts calling you names after 30 seconds, you have won the argument. So using that argument I would say that the Tea Party participants are winning over the liberals and MSM who have been mocking and attacking them with potty humor. The liberals and MSM are so intimidated and surprised by the scope of the protests and the fact that they were organized by a grassroots effort of people whom the liberals and MSM deemed incapable of pulling off such a feat has reduced them to potty humor and simply trying to ignore them.

I don’t know what the liberals and MSM answers will be to the next round of protests which are coming this summer. If they think this was a one time event they are sadly mistaken. No longer will we sit idly by and watch our country be destroyed, our Constitution be ignored and our beliefs be marginalized and ridiculed. We will be silent no more. Not only will we use the power of the vote to turn our country around but the combined sounds of our voices raised in protest by grassroots efforts. The Department of Homeland Security can try to label us “right wing extremists” but the founding fathers knew who we really are – Patriots.

Seems the Obama-Lincoln parallel is more about coincidence and symbolism than principles and beliefs.

He has turned the other cheek, and they slapped that one too.

Thomas complains that Obama was in “hot pursuit” of bipartisanship by socializing with the members of the GOP, inviting them to the White House and trying to sell them on his economic recovery plan – but he struck out. She quotes the statistic that only three GOP members of the Senate voted for the economic stimulus package that was “designed to pull the country out of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.”

Forgotten by Hurst and many other Democrats is the fact that not only did they slap the cheeks of President Bush for eight years but they were guilty of assault and battery. I never saw a glimmer of bipartisanship on the part of Democrats in all those years. They voted strictly along party lines, which is what Thomas is complaining that Republicans are currently doing. I suppose that now that the messiah is in office Republicans are expected to start rubber stamping all proposed Democratic legislation . Apparently, the urgency of the crisis that is facing America does not allow for dissent any more.

It has been so long since bipartisanship was exhibited in Washington that many Democrats have forgotten what it looks like. Bipartisanship is not President Obama “socializing” with Republicans, it is not about “inviting” Republicans to the White House and it is not about trying to sell his plans to them. Bipartisanship is about listening to what the other party has to say and actually incorporating some of their plans and ideas into a bill. That is something that has not been done with the current economic stimulus package which President Obama is about to sign. The Democrats idea of bipartisanship is that of a used car salesman. Be nice to the prospective customers, pretend to listen to what they say, give them some coffee and donuts and then sell them something they they don’t want or need.

Helen Thomas and President Obama both need to take a college course on bipartisanship and then try to actually practice it instead of paying lip service to it. Then maybe more of those ungrateful Republicans will actually vote for some of the Democrats legislation. Until then, you can expect more “cheek slapping” from the Republicans.

Anti-smoking groups said polls indicated 75 percent of Virginians favored a ban. The measure seems to have widespread bipartisan support. Anti-smoking groups have long pushed for an unconditional ban in all building, including restaurants. Gov. Kaine predicts that most restaurants and bars will choose not to build the needed separate smoking areas.

This is a dramatic advance for health because the number of restaurants that are going to invest in the partition are relatively small.  – Gov. Kaine

I do not smoke and I consider smoking a vile and nasty habit. I think cigarettes should be illegal just like marijuana but there is too much money to be made by taxing tobacco for that to ever happen. I never thought I would find myself siding with a tobacco manufacturer but I have to agree with David Sutton, an Altria spokesman, who criticized the ban as a government infringement on business.

We continue to believe the business owners of restaurants and bars are most familiar with how to accommodate the needs of their patrons. They should have the opportunity and flexibility to determine their own smoking policy, and then the public can choose whether or not to frequent places where smoking is permitted.

While Mr Sutton’s quote was self-serving and Philip Morris is more interested in selling it’s products than standing for the rights of the businesses to self-regulate themselves I nevertheless agree with what he said. Businesses should have the right to make their own smoking policies and people are then free to either frequent that business or not.

The bill offers no relief for restaurant workers, who could be required against their wishes to work in smoking rooms, prompting the American Cancer Society to oppose it. “This bill does not protect me,” said Alie Jo Kuitek, a Richmond bartender who does not smoke. “Other people who choose to smoke should not impact my decision to lead a healthy lifestyle.” I really cannot sympathize with the Richmond bartender. If you don’t like to be around smokers I think the career choice of a bartender was not a very smart one. As for the restaurant workers, I am sure that businesses can find enough employees who do smoke to service the smoking only areas of the business.

Smoking bans should only apply to places where non-smokers have no choice but to frequent. Places like churches, workplaces, schools, universities, etc. Since there are more non-smokers than smokers most restaurants already have made separate accommodations for smokers and non-smokers. If smokers would only refrain from smoking for the hour or so that it takes to enjoy a meal in a restaurant, there would be no need for a smoking ban. Unfortunately a significant percentage of smokers could care less if they expose non-smokers to their vile habit in public. Thus we have a ban that could potentially drive some small businesses out of business due to a loss of customers or the expense of building a separate area for smokers. How sad.

And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse. By now, it’s clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. – President Obama

If comparing the current economic crisis to the Great Depression and saying the crisis may never reverse isn’t fear mongering, then I don’t know what is. And despite Obama’s campaign promise to work more closely with Republicans, so far not  many Republican proposed changes have been added to the stimulus package. Republicans and some conservative Democrats have expressed the need to reduce spending in the measure, to add tax cuts and reduce the cost of mortgages. So far the only concession made to Republicans is the addition of a tax break for homebuyers.

The stimulus bill is also laden with tens of billions of dollars earmarked for “pork barrel”  spending intended to benefit constituents of many of the politicians in Washington. Pork barrel spending was also something Obama campaigned against during the election. There are 34 new programs in the bill, new programs that don’t go away after two years. That’s $200 billion in entitlements. That money isn’t stimulus and it’s just going to add to the debt.

Despite bipartisan concerns about the cost of the package Republicans have failed to win any cut backs on the bill’s size. Instead of “reaching across the isle” to work with Republicans on the stimulus bill, Obama is using scare tactics to try to force through a bill that does not take into consideration legitimate bipartisan concerns.

As far as I am concerned, unless someone can show me statistics that prove that last years bailout package had any favorable impact on the current economic crisis, I don’t see why there is such a rush to push through the current  stimulus package. President Obama needs to keep his campaign promises and do away with the fear mongering and truly work with the Republicans on an effective stimulus package that reflects both spending and tax cuts.

There are currently no carriers home ported at Mayport and most of the estimated $600 million cost of the move would go towards construction of special facilities associated with maintaining the carrier’s nuclear power plant. The last carrier stationed at Mayport had been the conventionally powered John F. Kennedy, which was retired in 2007.

Gates told the committee that he worried about all the carriers being concentrated at a port “which does receive a lot of hurricanes.” I have lived in the Norfolk area for over 40 years and I can count the number of hurricanes that have come close to this area on one hand. No hurricane has ever caused extensive damage to this area in all that time. On the other hand anyone who has ever read a paper in the last 40 years knows that Florida is hit by more hurricanes than any other state in the United States. Our neighbor to the south, North Carolina, receives more hurricanes than Virginia does. It is worrying that our Defense Secretary is unaware of those facts and is basing a $600 million move on his version of reality.

As for the terrorist attack aspect of Gates concerns, a Navy admiral informally told a local Representative that the risk of a terrorist event in Norfolk knocking out the entire carrier fleet is less than 10 percent. The entire cold war was fought with only one carrier port on the east coast. Additionally, the Navy decision was made without a detailed risk analysis. Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat has said that the Navy’s plan is symptomatic of a planning process “so out of control that we’re not focusing on the areas that can truly help the country, like rebuilding the fleet and putting aircraft out there into the squadrons.”

At a time when the Navy is facing cancellations of some of it’s new weapons programs, such as the littoral combat ship, the Ford class of aircraft carrier and the DDG-1000 destroyer, it makes no sense to pay $600 million to move a single carrier from one port to another, given that there is no real justification for such a move. The real reasons have less to do with military planning and preparedness and more to do with politics. Moving a carrier from Norfolk would siphon hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the local economy while at the same time infusing the economy of Mayport with those same hundreds of millions. I wonder how many Florida politicians are supporting this move? I doubt if there is anyone in the Navy who is supporting it.