My wife and I are both dog lovers. Some 17-plus years ago, and a little more than a year into our marriage, we drove over to the Frederick County Animal Control Shelter in the hopes of adopting.
Baseball is full of jargon and terms that are used in common parlance these days, such as “right down the middle” or “grand slam;” but what about the terms in baseball that are the most common and how they can put an ironic twist on the names of some of the players in Major League Baseball history.
I’d like to set the record straight. In a local town-hall style meeting, organized by Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence and Organizing for Action held at Frederick County’s Urbana Regional Library, opponents of the recently passed gun-control measure where characterized as somehow crazy or nuts. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Most nations are controlled by a small number of men. The United States is no exception. But today our government, that was wisely set up as a representative republic, is little more than a modern day oligarchy of elites.
“Nearly 40% of all gun sales don’t require a background check under current law…”– President Barack Obama via Twitter March 28, 2013.
The final piece of the constitutional puzzle that secured the freedoms of individuals in a fledgling republic was the incorporation of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. These amendments – The Bill of Rights – have been the primary safeguard for American citizens from a potentially powerful despotic centralized government.
WASHINGTON, DC – The leading advocate in the United States Senate for increased gun control measures has just introduced additional legislation that would prohibit even more weapons falling into the hands of millions of Americans.
Dr. Benjamin Carson, director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital has taken the conservative movement by storm over the past few weeks. What he does in the future in regards to acting on his political ambition is hard to predict…
This past week White House Press Secretary Jay Carney took to his usual perch in the White House’s James S. Brady Briefing Room where a noticeable murmur filled the air. The press secretary set down his portfolio at the podium and slipped his drink onto the shelf just beneath.
In the same week that the Department of Homeland Security directed the Transportation Security Agency to allow small knives, and some previously banned sporting goods back onto planes flown in the United States, it also directed the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, to discontinue the policy of allowing use of the facilities to scouting groups based on security and liability.
In the 2008 the Supreme Court ruled in the District of Columbia v. Heller case, that “the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.”
The people of the United States are victims of abuse on the highest order. Our political elites – more specifically the liberal elite – have made it their priority to create actual crises and misfortune or perceived ones to garner attention, favor and re-election to the detriment of American society.
According to the editorial board of The Frederick News Post, the referendum process – that is an integral part of the state's constitution – is nothing more than a loophole. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Nearly 21 years ago the City of Los Angeles succumbed to some of the greatest civil unrest the nation has ever seen outside of wartime.
Just prior to the 2008 presidential election, then Sen. Barack Obama laid out his agenda for his vision of America. He stated “…we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”
If certain Maryland legislators have their way, your body would be presumed to be property of the state. Maryland State Sen. Ron Young (D., Frederick) has put forth bill SB 40, which will presume that upon your death, your body becomes property of the state.
The House of Representatives once again elected John Boehner (R., OH) as Speaker. For the fiscal future and any hope of returning to a Constitutional Republic, the House floor might as well have been the USS Missouri; Reims, France; Yorktown; Appomattox or any other significant place of surrender.
Sam lies bleeding; he is in critical condition and is suffering from a hemorrhage that has not been addressed in years. The doctors that have overseen Sam’s care in the past have told him that a little loss of blood is of no concern.
As the rights of the individual American continue to erode on a national level, the crucibles of individual rights remain and grow on the state level. The pendulum of rights and freedom that have for decades swung in favor of the collective have begun to return to their rightful place – the individual.
Economic illiteracy has lent itself to ever encroaching Marxism. The "dumbing down" of Americans – specifically when it comes to economics – has made them susceptible to the lies of a government less interested in telling the truth than interested in creating a society where the government is the primary broker of power.
This should be America’s last official Thanksgiving celebration. After all, George Washington’s tribute to the “providence of Almighty God” with “a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness” rings somewhat hollow some 223 years later.
Four years ago I wrote about Barack Obama’s historic election when he addressed the students at George Mason University. What was written four years ago is even more true today as cries for bi-partisanship – read: “move my way or else,” – are an escalating movement toward a fiscal cliff and complete destruction of our republic.
Mitt Romney is the right choice this election. Last week I spelled out in detail why President Barack Obama should not be re-elected to another term. This week I follow up with reasons one should strongly consider voting for Mr. Romney.
Who do you trust? Who do you trust to lead our nation for the next four years? Do you trust President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney?
The election of Barack H. Obama in 2008 was indeed an historic one. As the son of a Kenyan father and American mother, Mr. Obama is the first man of color elected to the highest office in the land.
Wednesday’s presidential debate was revealing. It was revealing in the fact that it exposed Mr. Romney as someone who didn’t match the caricature manufactured by the president and his allies, as well as exposing the president as someone who was noticeably lost in his inability to defend his own record.
America was attacked on 9/11. On a beautiful Tuesday our nation came under attack. Eleven years to the day that al-Qaeda attacked our homeland, it once again lay in wait to attack America. This time it struck at one of our most vulnerable locations; the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
We live in a redistributive society. Since the Sixteenth Amendment passed in 1913, the United States Internal Revenue Service has held that those making more income pay an increasingly higher level in federal income taxes. This is the definition of a progressive system.
Thirty-two years ago Ronald Reagan was campaigning for the office of president as the standard bearer of the Republican Party. Then like now, there were issues in the Middle East.
The philosophical divide couldn’t get much greater. In Tampa last week, GOP speakers proved just how inclusive the party actually is. While in Charlotte this week the Democratic National Convention’s top speakers aren’t looking to appeal to all Americans; just those they can win over through divisive rhetoric and actions.
An exceptional and classic vehicle rolls down a long highway. Its driver has taken a sharp left turn onto a seldom seen road. The engine has been misfiring terribly and is seemingly getting worse as the odometer wheels click off every mile. The suspension is straining as the road becomes increasingly bumpy.
Now that the Republican National Convention in Tampa (FL) is upon us, the real campaign for the White House has begun in earnest.
When your résumé is lacking – lie. Distortion of the truth is just what the Obama election team is relying on to cover the innumerable failures of Barack Obama’s term as president.
On August 1st the average American said enough is enough. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee led an effort to support Chick-fil-A as it took a political hit for comments made by its chief operating officer, Dan Cathy.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – Retired rock star Grace Slick, who most recently has been associated with the rock group Starship, had some stern words for the president this week.
As your employer I would like to remind you of your responsibilities as President of the United States. They are many and varied.
Carroll Creek and its linear park have been the hallmark accomplishment of Frederick’s renaissance for a generation of mayoral terms. Could all of this effort to develop our town for commerce and tourism be held up because we’ve gone “green?”
Maryland’s Constitution provides its citizens an opportunity to bring forth petitions to allow referendums to be put on the ballot that would overturn current legislation. It should remain that way.
Blaine Young, the Frederick County Board of Commissioner’s president, announced a proposal in mid-March that would have the taxpayers of Frederick receiving a $100 tax rebate as a result of a budget surplus.
“No taxation without representation” has been a battle cry for millions of people for centuries. This phrase even predates our own use when our ancestors expressed their dissatisfaction with the British crown some 240 – 250 years ago.
Finally, the public sector unions are being held accountable by their employers – the taxpayers. This week Wisconsin’s governor defeated Milwaukee’s mayor in a recall election that was based solely on policy differences.
The president’s moral and logical compasses have been altered. This week it was announced that he has taken the sole moral responsibility of nominating for execution those who are alleged al Qaeda operatives without any attempt to capture and question them for their knowledge of possible threats to the United States.
The president and his re-election team should be worried. If recent election results are any evidence, the president’s insistence on pandering to his hard-left base has alienated many of his more moderate or independent blue collar supporters.
The Obama-Biden campaign strategists have attempted to simplify the Obama agenda through a cartoon illustration of a woman named Julia at many different stages of her life. What it illustrates quite well is how an American woman – in this case Julia – is dependent on the state to protect her and provide for her through her entire cradle to grave existence.
What exactly is a progressive? To be more precise, what do members of the Progressive Caucus in the United States House of Representatives believe is the role of government?
The silence from leadership is deafening. The noise rising from the community is frightening. So-called leaders in the black community have allowed a mob mentality to set in the minds of certain communities.
What question would you ask the presidential candidates if you had the chance? Would you ask President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney about a nuclear Iran and how they would handle the news that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is about to announce the unveiling of a nuclear warhead.
There is nothing that ignites the passions of a city like the home team battling for the sportsman’s version of immortality with a strong run through a playoff tournament and coming out the victor.
The three branches of government are not co-equal; they have distinct differences and powers afforded them by the Constitution of the United States. The fact that as candidate Sen. Barack Obama campaigned on them as co-equal and many American students learn the same lesson doesn’t necessarily make it so.
Let the investigation continue, please! Fact: the killing of Trayvon Martin is a tragedy; everything else is still being sorted out.
Those denying that there is currently a “War on Women” have their proverbial heads firmly placed in Arabian Desert sand. It’s a significant issue, just not here in America.
Take a deep breath everyone; the State of Maryland is still trying to find a way to legalize marijuana. The House of Delegates currently has three bills being proposed for use of medical marijuana in Maryland. Two are highly restrictive and one would set up “compassion centers” throughout the state.
Rush Limbaugh upset a great number of people this past week when he used the terms “slut” and “prostitute” to describe Sandra Fluke’s personal life and her demand that Georgetown University provide – through the student healthcare plan – contraceptives free of charge to all women enrolled in the plan.
Currently in the Maryland Senate there is debate over the same-sex marriage bill that was recently passed by the Maryland House of Delegates. It is likely to pass and then be signed into law by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D).
Del. Patrick Hogan (R., Frederick) made a common sense stand yesterday that may please very few of his constituents.
A death sentence has been handed down this week by President Barack Obama’s administration. The United States Constitution’s First Amendment was sentenced to death.
What are liberals so afraid of? Why do black conservatives such as Congressman Allen West – who represents the 22nd House District of Florida – scare the liberal elite and the so-called black civil rights leaders?
I own stake in 458 companies. It wasn’t by choice and I expect to lose a great deal of money in the coming decade as my proxy is having a difficult time unloading my shares in these poorly performing companies.
How does President Barack Obama expect to get re-elected? He has consistently stated throughout his three years in office that "My administration will not rest until every American who is able and ready and willing to work can find a job.” Is he serious?
What does the occupy movement have that others don’t? They have a free rein to encamp on federal property – National Park Service (NPS) land – that would not be afforded to any other group.
A new year brings a lot of new things. It brings future broken resolutions; it brings hopes for a better year; it brings colder temps and longer days. In my case, it brought Charlie.
2012 is just around the corner and as I look back over the year, I hope for better times than what our country and world have suffered in 2011.
It’s quite easy. Really it can all be summed up in the words of a little boy.
Conservative attempts at scaling back the overreaching power that the Washington establishment has garnered over the past 50 years has been like Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the hill time and time again just to watch it roll back down.
Why is it then when certain members of the political elite class are in a position to defend the indefensible they claim racism?
What will the next President of the United States do with the millions of people here illegally? Better yet, what will the next president do with those who have been here for decades and have generations of family that have been born here?
Football may not hold the title of “America’s Pastime,” but it is the strongest thread that is woven through the fabric of our American sports quilt.
In a free market economy, the consumer decides which businesses succeed and which don’t. It shouldn’t be for politicians or interest groups to decide who wins or loses in the marketplace.
Disgusting, abhorrent, reprehensible are a few words that describe the actions of the administration at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s banner university – Penn State.
What’s this week’s top news story? Well, it is a story put forth by an unknown political operative regarding a confidentiality agreement made between the National Restaurant Association and two unidentified women.
Yes, Mitt Romney is the great hope for the establishment GOP, the mainstream media, and, of course, the political left. He is the least likely of the Republican candidates to disrupt the status quo…
Washington – Recent documents obtained from anonymous Department of Energy sources have set in motion another series of investigations that have uncovered yet another scandal for the Obama Administration.
Last Wednesday, Frederick was descended upon by scores – meaning little more than forty – local progressive protestors. They stood in unison with their idea of saving the American Dream.
Imagine seven of Maryland’s eight congressmen living less than 20 miles from each other. Imagine the City of Baltimore not having a congressman in the House of Representatives. Imagine the congressman representing Oakland, MD, living in North Potomac or one from Chevy Chase representing Keymar or Taneytown.
Where is the perfect candidate? The Republican electorate has a bevy of candidates that have thrown their hats into the political ring, but yet they seem to be unsatisfied with their choices. They are still hoping that a candidate will emerge from this pack as a true Reaganesque figure. One just might.
The rich need to pay their fair share! They have been getting off easy for much too long. The poor and middle class have been subsidizing lavish lifestyles for the uber-rich with their disproportionate level of revenue payments and this has got to stop now!
The first heavyweight uppercut of Election 2012 was delivered by the electorate in Queens and Brooklyn this week. It has left the White House and Democrat leadership staggering and in deep need of smelling salts.
My daughter just finished her first week of high school and was exasperated at the increase in the size of her homework. As a part of one of her very first assignments, she had to define roughly 100 separate terms for her government and civics class. The term “Enumerated Powers” was one on the list that stumped her.
If I could propose a way to make Social Security solvent and provide younger workers with a hybrid plan to encourage voluntary retirement plans, this is what I would proffer.
The Muppets return this fall with an all new movie for young and old alike. Release of the ninth Muppet movie Thanksgiving weekend comes nearly six years after the last theatrical release and 32 years since the first.
On President Barack Obama’s recent rural tour in Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, he continually harped on the inability of Washington to put aside partisan politics and get the work of the American people done.
If you had a progressive constitutional convention, what would the end product look like, and how would it compare to the United States Constitution written over 220 years ago?
The Tea Party is still the answer and the only hope to keep the United States from fiscal ruin. As the loosely knit group of like-minded fiscal conservatives becomes more and more organized, it risks the proposition of losing a large portion of its original supporters.
If you have kept yourself aware of popular literature and cinema over the past decade, you must be aware of the phenomenon created by J.K. Rowling. Her Harry Potter series of seven books and eight movies have spawned a sensation unlike any other.
The federal government will not default, no matter what the demagogues say. Default would be an inability for the United States to meet the obligations of covering Treasury Securities and debts.
Maryland is the first state in the union to require a formalized environmental curriculum for its pre-kindergarten through high school students. Although already a large part of the curriculum through many school districts, this move by the Maryland State Board of Education puts mandatory instruction of environmental issues on par with math and English.
To the political left in this country we aren’t Americans. We are niche groups that need to be labeled. We must fit into one of a number of tidy little boxes. This week we were all divided into the “haves” and “have-not.”
In Brooklyn, NY, seven brave souls of Engine 202/Ladder 101/Battalion 32 were honored on June 11th with a dedication ceremony that renamed a portion of Richards Street adding Seven in Heaven Way to the street sign. The section of the street that was renamed is the home to their firehouse.
For those who are of the opinion that the country has morphed into one big overpowering federal conglomerate, there is hope. There are still 50 different states with 50 different and distinct governments.
The Special Olympics, which was born in the backyard of Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s Maryland home, is a thriving success nearly 50 years after starting as a novel summer camp for those with intellectual disabilities.
This past week outgoing Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates spoke to the United States Naval Academy graduates at commencement for the last time as secretary. His speech applauded the graduates, their families and those you supported them through four difficult years.
Let’s face it. The Democrats in Washington always decry Republicans as a party of scaremongers. In truth where do most of the scare tactics come from? The come from the left, of course.
One petition has failed while another will apparently succeed. The petition to overrule the commissioner’s selection of a committee to write a charter for Frederick County and instead have a special election to elect one failed terribly due to numerous mistakes in the implementation of the petition campaign.
On May 10th, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed into law a bill that will allow the State of Maryland’s illegal immigrant population to attend Maryland community colleges and universities at an in-state tuition rate.
I wept. I wept all alone in a Residence Inn in Marietta, Georgia. I was in a week-long training class when the news reached us. It was September 11, 2001; and, after being dismissed from our class early, I spent the next seven hours in my hotel suite overcome with disbelief.
For those who don’t believe the tentacles of our federal government are anti-capitalistic, you need look no further than the latest National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overreach.
The most recent General Assembly session in Annapolis demonstrates why democracy holds very little in the way of checks and balances.
As the local teams had their opening day ceremonies at Staley Field here in Frederick and the Keys opened up on a rainy night, here’s a glimpse of Opening Day from a different perspective.
The Frederick Keys have been a fixture in Frederick since 1989. Most of the fans who attend Keys games have never known a summer without them. They were born either after the Keys’ arrival in town or have moved into the area since.
Let’s put this issue to rest. There is a huge difference between private-sector unions and those of government employees. Private sector unions have for years collectively bargained for greater pay, greater benefits, safer working conditions and limiting labor hours. Many much needed reforms have taken place through the pressure of the “collective.”
In his short stint in the Illinois State Senate, President Barack Obama voted “present” 129 times. As a United States senator, Mr. Obama was absent for 24% of all votes. He has made a career of being politically shrewd.
How does one comprehend what is happening in Japan? A huge 9.0 earthquake followed by a mountain of water rushing ashore is difficult to imagine, let alone to understand.
Last November’s election has exposed the fact that there are few serious legislators on the left side of the aisle.
Madison WI – Proctor & Gamble senior management – including CEO Robert McDonald – toured downtown Madison this past week, visiting with the regional vice president of the Household Care division. They are expected to submit revised earnings estimates for the first quarter of 2011.
In Madison, Wisconsin, the people who were looking to overthrow the establishment have succeeded. The uprising and final blow that was levied upon the establishment was dealt, not in February, but on the first Tuesday of November 2010.
The Obama Administration has a terrible habit of interpreting the Constitution as it sees fit. It has acted as anything but a co-equal branch of government.
The Tunisian spark that lit the powder keg on January 25th has been roundly praised throughout the Western world as a revolution that will bring the end to the 30-year autocratic and repressive regime of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.
State Del. Kathy Afzali (R., Frederick 4-A) has offered up a legislative proposal – as promised in her campaign – that would require Maryland residents to present proof of identification when arriving at the polls on Election Day.
What were you taught regarding proper etiquette when the National Anthem is played? I know I was taught by my father to immediately remove my hat, face the flag and place my hand over my heart. At times I have remained silent or have sung along with others as the music played.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has it right! In its post by Laura Murphy on January 13th, the warning to all Americans – specifically legislators – was dead on.
What do parents want from their schools? They want their schools to provide the best possible education for their children to best prepare them for the next step in life.
The use of Hargett Farm property off Butterfly Lane is the subject of a survey put out by the City of Frederick for both residents and others who have an interest in the city’s business.
In the past five years the National Hockey League has taken a giant leap forward. Following the 2003-2004 season ownership, weary of uncontrolled salary escalation and thinning profits, couldn’t come together with the NHL players’ association on a collective bargaining agreement. The result was the cancellation of the season in its entirety.
Okay, so this isn’t a column, but I wanted to keep it light this wonderful Christmas Eve. Here is what I consider a collection of Christmas Classics with the top in each category.
The argument that eliminating earmarks won’t help reduce the deficit is either naïveté or simply misleading. Those who look only at the effect in actual dollars that the elimination of earmarks would have on the overall budget aren’t seeing the entire picture. Those who do understand are just looking to protect their pet projects, or, in the case of elected officials, their campaign coffers.
One year later the debate arises again. Last December I wrote on the immorality of the Estate Tax. At that time Congress was debating whether to allow the Estate Tax to be repealed for 2010 or instituted at a previous rate.
Not often in life is one so astonished at how quickly great leadership can turn around an organization like the one I’ve seen over the past two years at my children’s elementary school.
Who fights over an old oaken bucket or an axe wielded by a monster of lumberjack? Who still wants to fight the Civil War or a backyard brawl?
Last Saturday Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts spread out throughout Frederick County, the region and the nation to collect non-perishable goods to supply local food banks with desperately needed food stock.
Marvin Glenn Shields, Petty Officer Third Class (CM), NMCB 11(Naval Mobile Construction Battalion) died the 10th of June 1965, Dong Xoai, South Vietnam.
In the election of 2008 the Democrat Party finally gained back the number of seats that they had lost to the Republicans in the 1994 “Gingrich Revolution.” The House, as a result, held 257 seats, a 79 seat majority.
I used to plead with my college roommate that he needed to vote. Vote for someone. Research the candidates and choose the one that you feel best portrays your values.
I am happy to report that 8th grade isn’t bad after all. Not that I am having flashbacks, nor have I enrolled as a student at the local middle school; but rather I am happy to report that the basis of our Declaration of Independence is being taught and taught correctly in Frederick County Public Schools.
Will bullets be flying in D.C. again? They very well may be. It has nothing to do with the fact that the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in the District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) ruled that – in simplest terms – our Constitution allows for the ownership and possession of firearms for the use of self-defense.
On March 9, 2010, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi assured us that we need to pass the healthcare legislation so we can learn what’s in the bill. She was speaking in defense of the soon-to-be-passed healthcare legislation. She could have been giving us a lesson of what the Law of Unintended Consequences actually means.
This Saturday on the Washington Mall a coalition of socialist, progressive and labor leaders called One Nation Working Together will call for the installation of European style socialism and a dismissal of critical pieces of our Constitution.
This past summer has truly been one of immersion in the sixties, the 1860’s that is. In August I spent a week in the home of the great grandson of possibly the greatest admiral to serve for the Confederate States of America. I spent a day of reflection on the battlefields of Gettysburg, and another in Ford’s Theater where President Abraham Lincoln was slain.
Whoever said it doesn’t matter for whom you vote? Well, it is less and less likely that the old adage will hold true this November. The surge of TEA Party (more conservative or libertarian) candidates on a national basis – and even local races – is drawing distinct lines for the national Republican Party.
In years past the greatest lament when it came to elections was voter apathy. That is not a concern this year.
In December of 2008 I wrote a column entitled “Time Is Money.” I thought it may be time for a little redux.
Fifty years ago Howard and Julianne took their vows as husband and wife Easter Monday 1960. At that time, the Catholic Church didn’t allow for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony to take place during the season of Lent.
If the left’s goal is to create a permanent voting bloc – to support its progressive agenda – the tool it will use to create this bloc is division through diversity. It aims to pit one monolithic group of people against the other.
It’s been dubbed the “Taj Mahal” and “Ivory Tower” but neither of these monikers does the building justice.
An eight year old boy at the Delaware shore was shopping with his family in the boardwalk’s version of a 5 &10 store. The family was getting the necessities to survive a week at the beach.
The great foe of the “Tea Party” is not and has never been people of color; rather it is socialism and the welfare state that the left and collectivist groups such as the National Association of Colored People) support.
One hundred and forty-six years ago today at the confluence of the Georgetown Pike (now Route 355), the Monocacy Junction of the B&O Railroad and just up river the Baltimore Pike to Baltimore (now Reich’s Ford Road), Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace lost the only Civil War battle on Union soil to Confederate forces.
Since a group of several brave men sat down in the City of Philadelphia to take on the task of adopting the Virginia Convention’s Lee Amendment and molding it into the document that we now know as the Declaration of Independence – over 234 years ago – our country has experienced quite a bit of change.
Death in the desert, drowned in a river, robbed, assaulted by “coyotes” (human trafficking smugglers), are what some illegal immigrants have faced on their way to United States. Working long hours in fields, pushed into prostitution, working in sweatshop-like conditions are what some illegal immigrants are subject to when the “succeed” in crossing the border.
Friedrich A. Hayek was the leading light in classical liberalism in the 20th Century. He was also well versed in psychology and political thought. He witnessed the acceptance of socialism in Europe, which developed into the totalitarian states of National Socialist Germany and the Fascistic Italy. He watched as the loss of individual freedoms was replaced with “freedom from want” by ever increasing socialist governments.
Things would just be better if the Jewish people would just go home. So, where’s home?
While Nero fiddled, Governor Bobby Jindal (R., LA) had been begging for approval and funding for the dredging and subsequent construction of 80 miles of sand-berm barrier islands.
Picnics, camping, boating, beach, bar-b-ques, department store sales – this is the modern incarnation of what Memorial Day has become. Just like so many of our national holidays, Memorial Day is just another long weekend that has turned into a marketing blitz. It is unofficially the “kickoff” for the summer season.
With the election season now underway nationally, it is time to turn to one of the more interesting local races – the race for sheriff of Frederick County.
The rock band Genesis released a single from their 1983 self-titled album that will not be heard on the radio these days as it is deemed to be too offensive. What is this song that can’t be played on the radio you may ask?
If the nation’s capital – Washington, D.C. – was subject to over 1,000 kidnappings over the last three years (tied to illegal immigration), do you think there would be any debate on the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 2070 which strictly enforces illegal immigration?
This week the County of Santa Clara, CA, passed a law preventing restaurants from incorporating give-away items or prizes with meals – targeted at children – that are deemed unhealthy.
With the annual celebration of “Dollar Liberation Day” on April 15th behind us now, it pays to look at the dynamic change in how taxpayers are represented.
The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday announced plans to further limit the release of toxic greenhouse gases in a press release entitled “A Summary of Current Threats to Global Air Quality and Recommendations to Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” The new summary provides guidelines and details future requirements.
On Faith – There is a God. A higher being created the world where we are all born free with basic natural rights. Our founders acknowledged this time and time again.
On Thursday, April 10, 1980, a 13-year-old boy and his girlfriend were dropped off at a PAT bus stop on Middle Road by their parents. The stop was just 11 miles from their destination – the 10-year-old concrete coliseum called Three Rivers Stadium, the home of the presiding World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Hope for another Championship started that day.
If a recent survey is accurate, then the eventual care of patients will fall more and more upon the shoulders of physician assistants, nurse practitioners and far fewer doctors.
If you’ll recollect, the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” is the story centered on two suit makers or weavers, the Emperor, his court, the royal subjects and an innocent child, who eventually points out how the weavers swindled the Emperor by producing a “suit” made of invisible thread.
There once was a young man making his way in the world who was blessed by God with intelligence, strength and ingenuity.
As secularists worldwide continue their battle against religion, their successes may or may not have an absolute effect on our First Amendment.
Celebration of family and celebration of life are not family values, they are views filled with hate and discrimination. Huh?
The problem with “bi-partisanship” is that it signifies unanimity or compromise. In a nation of over 300 million, there should be very little unanimity and very little compromise.
Washington, D.C. – Former Vice-President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore announced victory yesterday as dozens of supporters braved the wind, cold and nearly four feet of snow to see the leader of America’s “green” movement speak on the Washington Mall yesterday.
When the smoke clears, one thing remains clear; the use of marijuana remains illegal for those intent on lighting up for their personal enjoyment.
In Tuesday’s New York Times editorial entitled “Don’t Give Up Now,” the cry for Democrats to fight on in the great Healthcare War of 2010 and ignore public sentiment is an overwhelming petition to pull out a dry wooden match, drag its phosphorous laden tip across the matchbox; and set the Constitution on fire!
With all due respect to Dick Morris, Eileen McGann and other noted columnists, I was the first to re-coin the phrase “It’s the shot heard ‘round the world!” as my wife and I sat watching the Massachusetts special election returns Tuesday evening.
This year April 1st, our constitutionally required decennial enumeration of citizens – the census – will begin. As from the beginning more than simple counting of heads will take place. This year’s census form will include 10 questions, including the required accounting for each member of the household.
The world is being hoodwinked. World leaders and influential policy makers met last month to put forth a plan to stop global warming which will increase restrictions on individual freedoms by bringing forth a new era of sweeping international government power that the world has not seen in hundreds of years.
Recently our neighbor to the southwest raised the ante on the Maryland racing industry. By overwhelming numbers the Jefferson County, West Virginia, voters approved a measure to take “racing” there to the next level. The measure that passed approved table games to complement the horse races and slots at Charles Town.
In the mid-1980’s Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, sang “…get your money for nothing and chicks for free.” He may have been singing about how easy money was made in the music industry when one reaches rock star status, but it could just as easily be sung by Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.
The grim reaper is soon to return to the U.S. taxpayer with scythe in hand. As the small business owners and individual farmers look to pass on family entities to the next generation, the current Congress looks to rescind the one year hiatus of relief – scheduled for 2010 – for the estate tax.
Almost 17 years ago a retired basketball coach and sportscaster, Jim Valvano, passed away. He will be remembered always by his enthusiasm for life, his David versus Goliath victory – North Carolina State beating Georgetown to win the NCAA national championship – and seven words of ultimate encouragement: Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up!
The demonization of the Frederick County Sheriff’s office continues. The latest attempt to derail the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency’s 287(g) program has reached the top steps of the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.
As the newly elected administration at Frederick’s City Hall moves in, one thing is certain; with or without the annexations, Frederick will need to grow. Mayor-elect Randy Mc Clement understands this. More homes will need to be built and land will need to be acquired if new business is to take up roots and provide good paying local jobs.
Mary, Mary quite contrary how does your city grow? Paraphrasing the old nursery rhyme gets to the point of what the future of Frederick County and its municipalities will face as it continues to grow. The quintessential issue – we as citizens of the city and/or county need to address – is how we will define growth over the next 20 to 30 thirty years.
Per the White House we no longer have a “War on Terror.” It is an overseas contingency something or other. Now it seems that we don’t even have that. While the White House remains paralyzed overseas – waiting for the outcome of the run-off election in Afghanistan – the White House has declared war on private industry in the United States of America.
According to Real Clear Politics – a summary of five leading polls – the Congress enjoyed their highest approval ratings in years – in March of this year. The highpoint for the two legislative bodies was on March 12th with a rating of 37%.
Newsflash: According to Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, men and women are the same! This past weekend Senator Mikulski excoriated the insurance industry for treating men and women differently. She noted that women can pay much more for healthcare insurance than a man of the same age.
When did we – as a nation – embrace socialism, communism and totalitarian dictatorships as regimes that exist on the same morally equivalent plane to the democracy established by our Founding Fathers?
Two days ago the President of the United States spoke before the United Nations to put forth four points of his international focus as leader of free world.
Why the low turnout in the City of Frederick elections? There are numerous reasons, so here are a few as I see it.
Eight years ago today, an earthquake shook the American psyche as four passenger airliners carved scars into the New York skyline, the Pentagon and a farm in Somerset County, PA. When the tremors subsided – in true American fashion – we came together as one to start healing the wounds that a group of Islamic extremists – sponsored by al Qaeda – inflicted on that beautiful September morning.
What’s the big deal? Democratic strategists say when responding to the recent and rapid response by conservatives and libertarians to what seems like blatant propaganda on two fronts – both aimed at school aged children.
Home, life, auto and health insurance are all – depending on your needs – products that are designed to protect from catastrophic events. The debate currently being discussed in town hall meetings across this country misses the point entirely. Health insurance is a product issued to policyholders to cover medical costs. It not only covers catastrophic events, but just about everything over the co-pay or the deductible when satisfied.
President Barack Obama is doing a great job of burning bridges these days. Every speech, town hall, or press conference is laced with negatives. Since the campaign ended – some would say it hasn’t – the Obama Administration has been criticizing nearly every free market institution that drives our American nation.
The left wing machine is pushing the idea that opponents and skeptics of arguably the most sweeping change to our free market system are stooges or tools of corporate interests or a large right wing cabal. The leaders of these attacks on town hall participants are coming from the most politically powerful members of Congress and the White House itself.
On the surface the CARS program, better known as “Cash for Clunkers,” looks like a huge success. Traffic into American showrooms, according to reports, is at least double what it was previously. Sales of new vehicles are up substantially and on par with sales number prior to the downturn. So what could be wrong?
The American automobile industry, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. are publically traded corporations, private industry that – for the most part – has struggled to survive the marketplace in the past two decades. There are a multitude of reasons that the Big Three are failing while their foreign-owned counterparts have tapped into greater percentages of the American market share.
When President Barack Obama states that we can’t wait to implement a government sponsored healthcare reform, the public needs to be wary. The administration that sold us on transparency has been anything but.
The world has been exposed to the suggestions of eugenics since Plato who proposed a positive type. He suggested breeding should be done through a state controlled system to provide the state with the best possible outcomes in progeny.
We The People grant certain powers to the federal government. We as citizens of several independent states and commonwealths needed to establish ways to provide uniform justice, fair trade (between the states) and provide for national defense to protect the fledgling republic that had just been established. The founders established a document that protects the individual from the state.
On July 2nd, 1776 our Founding Fathers voted to declare independence from Great Britain. On July 4th they attached their signatures to a document that will be hailed as one of the greatest statements for individual freedom ever written. The preamble states the basic principles of individual rights, liberty, equality, and self-government or “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
I once spent two days with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. What is this island I speak of?
Current initiatives to make the world a "cooler" place will simply fail. Why will they fail? They will fail because the current proposals as presented do little if anything to encourage activity through positive and enterprising methods.
The Frederick County Board of Education must have just received their shipment of ZA 10 batteries. For those who don't know what ZA 10's are, they are batteries used in hearing aids.
What H.L. Mencken wrote more than 80 years ago should be flowing from the pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post and, of course, his own Baltimore Sun today. In 1926, Henry Louis Mencken, then a 46-year-old Baltimore native, wrote:
There are many reasons why there will be serious opposition to Judge Sonia Sotomayor – President Obama's current pick to replace the retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. This pick has been made strictly for political expediency and is not being made in the best interest of the people of the United States.
Twelve million dollars is approximately the maximum amount of money that the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program will spend this year to allow residents of our nation’s capital to attend the schools of their choice including private and parochial schools.
Throughout the 1970's, while a youngster would watch the typical Saturday morning television offerings from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Brothers cartoons, there were a series of three minute segments that were educational. These spots covered a wide spectrum of topics such as grammar, history, government, math, economics and science. Of course everyone knows these extended spots as Schoolhouse Rock.
Growing up just north of Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to have Sen. Arlen Specter as my senator from the time I could vote until 1992 when I left the Commonwealth.
President George W. Bush led. President William Jefferson Clinton led. Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan led. No matter what your opinion of our last four presidents in regard to their policies, they were leaders.
Just as a beaten dog will eventually turn on his owner, or a slave endeavor to escape the bondage of even the most benevolent master, a people can only be suppressed so long before they cry “No more!”
A little over 235 years ago, the Sons of Liberty organized a protest – led by Samuel Adams of the New England resistance. He called a meeting near Boston Harbor to protest Gov. Thomas Hutchison’s refusal to allow several ships laden with East India Company tea to return to England without first unloading its cargo and paying the subsequent import duty.
Recently the Frederick County Board of Education, without public comment, rescinded their three-year-old policy regarding what distance constitutes whether a student will receive busing services or will walk from home to their public school. This rule applies not only to high school students, but middle school, elementary school and kindergarten students as well.
The puppeteers are running the White House. The president isn't intelligent enough to make decisions on his own. He fumbles his words and is incoherent. He is prone to gaffes.
Whether one believes in a higher being or not, our founders did. Those who finesse the issue that they may or may have not been Christians obfuscate the point. They believed in a higher being. They more importantly believed that all rights that were bestowed upon man were given by that higher being, God.
Sarah Norris, a columnist for The Frederick News-Post, on February 28 submitted a column which gave us an insider’s view of early morning at a Frederick County high school. Ms. Norris describes the scene of fellow students ignoring the morning ritual of patriotic recitation that American students have recited for decades – the Pledge of Allegiance.
Those whose trade is to pit one income bracket against another to empower themselves in no way serve our nation. These class warfare instigators are akin to a head coach intentionally creating animosity between two of his own players. It doesn't make the team effective; they'll root for each other to fail; they'll never be championship contenders.
Our society was founded on the principles of individual rights, responsibility and freedom. What our Founders envisioned would occur, if government was left unchecked, has come to pass.
For those not familiar with the Boy Scout program, there is a reason that those who participate stay with it and become Eagle Scouts. They tend to go on and lead very successful lives (president, astronaut, corporate CEOs, great fathers and husbands).
During the past two years our country has taken a turn on to an unmapped and rocky road. Our financial institutions have left us practically faithless in their ability to operate soundly.
Although I agree with Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger on most of his decisions, I have to come down on the opposite side of his decision to use the property off Butterfly Lane as a new city park.
This Sunday, our nation and hundreds of millions of people worldwide will sit down and watch what is arguably the biggest single sporting event in the world. This Sunday the 43rd edition of the National Football League's Super Bowl will be held in Tampa, Florida.
Where has the belief in the American people gone? President Ronald Reagan knew the solution to solving America's crisis wasn't seated in further governmental intrusion. He knew it was the unleashing of the American spirit that for over 200 years spurred the meteoric growth and prosperity of the United States. He saw that America was the shining "City on a Hill."
George Mason, the "father" of our Bill of Rights, was instrumental in securing our rights by refusing to sign on to the Constitution without the protections for the individual citizen.
In a recent survey (unofficial) of vehicles that travel the highways and byways from Washington to Pittsburgh over the past few months, it was noted that 99% of vehicles with a Democrat or left leaning bumper sticker did not have a United States flag flanking it with pride. That is, they did not have the United States flag emblazoned upon their tailgate, bumper or rear window.
Robert Burns, the 18th century Scottish poet, first laid these words to the music of an old Scottish folk melody in the late 1780's. Since then this song has been a way to bring in the New Year in a celebratory way.
"Remember that time is money" is a line often attributed to the great patriot Benjamin Franklin. What does that mean to us today? Essentially it carries the same meaning, albeit in a much different environment than colonial America.
I rarely respond directly to other columnist's points of view or more precisely an individual column, but our local WFMD star and Frederick News Post columnist, Katherine Heerbrandt, couldn't be more wrong on so many items in her December 17 column.
Now the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has stepped into the illegal immigrant fray. Why?
On November 25, CASA de Maryland, the prominent immigrant rights group in the state, filed suit against the Frederick County Sheriff's Office to obtain information regarding the execution of the 287(g) program. This program effectively allows state and local governments to act in a seamless fashion in regards to those detained for violations of immigration law.
Secular socialism has made steady inroads into our society since the early 1960s when prayer was being removed from the schools. What has this led too?
Well, the ugly head of unforeseen consequences has reared its ugly head. The Town of Walkersville, in its determination to keep the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from building their worship and conference facilities, has ultimately broken the back – if not the pocketbook – of the Banner School family.
What does it mean to be a patriotic American? Recently that question was brought up by some politicians and pounced on by many pundits. Well, if you don't jump to conclusions, like so many have, this subject can be looked at as a way to follow up on the true transformation of our society since its founding 232 years ago.
Ninety-five percent of taxpayers won't see tax increases, astounding! Ninety-five percent of Americans will receive a tax cut, amazing! Only 60% of Americans pay income taxes. What?
|
