Cry Freedom

My Thoughts on the Cindy Circus

2005-09-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Big news today, Cindy Sheehan was arrested...along with pictures of a smiling Cindy being carried off by the police after being warned 3 times to move on as they did not have a permit to do what they were doing. One protestor jumped the fence onto the White house lawn...he's damned lucky he was not shot. They had every right to, but no I feel the police did their best and showed a great deal of restraint in the entire incident. Of course, I"m sure that did not please Cindy as she would have loved a riot..that's, in my opinion, what she went there for. Other pictures show Cindy walking through the crowd blowing kisses to her fans...how arrogant...but she certainly is getting the attention she wanted.

Sadly the entire reason for the March on Washington, in my opinion, has been lost to the Cindy Circus. Just what was the reason...can anybody remember what that was? Well it started out by groups of people who were against the reasons we went to war in Iraq. Here are what the orginal beefs were..and questions myself would like answers to:

Why Did we invade Iraq
Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction
Do we have a FIRM EXIT STRATEGY and if not WHEN will we have one
WHERE IS BIN LAUDIN the one who did attack the US and how did Iraq get blamed?
But mainly WHEN WILL WE BRING OUR TROOPS HOME?

These are the legitimate questions that were being asked before the Cindy Circus came to town. These are the questions and the arguments we had wanted to bring forth. Instead we get a poor grieving mom who camped out on his vacation door step wanting yet another meeting with Bush as to why her son died. Again the entire march on Washington turned into that same thing. Did we get our point across intelligently based on facts and meaningful dialog? No instead the circus came to town and Cindy once again is plastered all over the news...and what did we accomplish? Cindy got arrested...well well now we really made our point didn't we.

Now before this march took place, our nation has witnessed the most devestating occurance in the history of the US. First Hurricane Katrina and then Rita. I was planning on going to the March on Washington, but when this began, I canceled cause I felt it was more important to see what I could do to help with the Hurricane relief and the people I saw suffering and literally dying before my eyes on the tv. What I was looking at looked like a third world country not the USA...so I decided that took priority. And yes, I will be leading the charge asking for a full investigation as to why the relief effort for Katrina was so badly handled. A non biased, non political investigation and I hope heads roll when we find out the truth about this latest major goof by our administration..but I digress...more on that later.

Now to add insult to injury, I read a statement made by Cindy that the Military has occupied New Orleans..where the HELL does this woman get off...has she no sense at all, no sense of honor or respect? Then upon further research I find the following article on Cindy...she was upset the hurrican took away her spotlight...well that was too much. Reading further even the extream leftist friends of hers could not handle that. So...in the interest of time here I have included that post regarding her remarks and my reply. I think that will say it all and will fully explain my thoughts on this latest showing of the Cindy Circus:

The Article:

Leftists Turn on Cindy Sheehan

Posted by Rocco DiPippo @ Monday 26 September 2005, 7:37 pm
It seems that Cindy "Look-at- Me!-Look-at Me!" Sheehan is now rubbing even far-leftists at the Daily Kos the wrong way.

In Saturday’s comments section of the flagship leftwing blog Sheehan laments that Hurricane Katrina is diverting attention from what should have been her big day. "i am watching cnn and it is 100 percent rita…even though it is a little wind and a little rain…it is bad, but there are other things going on in this country today…and in the world!!!!," the adolescent Cindy cries to Kos readers.

Sappy Cindy’s thoughtless comment ignites a backlash of anti-Sheehan remarks from the Kos community: "I’d like you to tell us it’s just a little wind and rain. They’ve lost their homes, jobs and businesses and gone through fear and panic while you bask in your fan’s adulation, party with your celebrity friends and play the star.

Shame on you, you’re jealous of media coverage of other’s suffering. You’ve become a caricature and I no longer support you. I’m ashamed I ever did," says commenter "Hibsnet."

Kos commenter "Rationality," jumps into the exchange and rips into Sheehan:

"Sorry Cindy, but I must say that the suffering in Texas right now is quite pertinent. In fact, at a time when we have people suffering, left homeless and devastated from "a little wind and a little rain," I think you can take a break from the camera just for a moment."

Commenter "Abuali" throws Sheehan to the mat by saying,

"That is damn stupid. The death toll from these hurricanes is still rising, and you really think the Iraq war doesn’t get covered? What a selfish woman! I’d be downright ashamed to read anything else you have to say from here on in."

Other commenters dive into the mix and trash Sheehan for all she’s worth. It gets so brutal that one can imagine the terrorist-loving Sheehan being reduced to tears as she realizes that people who once saw her as a potent weapon in their Bush-hate arsenals now view her with a combination of loathing and derision.

It is good to see that even among some leftists, Sheehan’s self-aggrandizing game of "Hate the U.S." is finally up.

Who will be the next "Great Left Hope?"

courtesy of : Moonbat Central » Blog Archive » Leftists Turn on Cindy Sheehan

AND MY REPLY TO THIS ARTICLE:

Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. (I'll be interested to see if they approve it)
September 26th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
If in fact this is true (I’d like to see some verification…just for my information) it does not surprise me. Cindy Sheehan has made this entire movement about her and her grief. When faced by others in the same boat and those of us who are proud of our soldiers standing by the oaths they took, we are put down. I have a fiance in Iraq, and while neither one of us agree with what led up to this war he is there because he took an oath like many others and they are simply trying to get home in one piece. Cindy on the other hand would have you think they are murderers, and spread lies about them using illegal ammunition and such. She also made the statement that New Orleans is being occupied by the Military. She’s gone too far and what at one time was a legitimate cause has turned into Cindy Circus. We DO NEED A FIRM EXIT STRATEGY from Iraq. There are questions that need to be addressed about why we went into Iraq. I WANT TO KNOW WHERE BIN LAUDIN is? Why is he still running free. These are questions I feel need to be addressed and actions that need to be taken. But when you slam our troops who are simply doing what they signed up to do she goes too far. Casey Sheehan not only enlisted the first time but REENLISTED AND THEN VOLUNTEERED FOR THE MISSION HE WAS KILLED ON. Casey was a Soldier and obviously believed in his duty…by Cindy’s own statements. She should honor that in her son and stop the “all about me and my grief” crap.

In appalled and furious that she would spew her poisen about the military helping out in the Gulf States. Seems to me that the military was the first to start rescuing people, the first to bring in supplies, the first to bring back law and order to a lawless town, and the first to get the evacuees out of the convention center and the dome. Now tell me…if we pulled all of our military out of all the Gulf states hit by Katrina and Rita…who do you think would be the first to complain? Right….Cindy…saying the troops left their job undone. They are there helping and making one hell of a difference…where was FEMA, the Administrations help agency? Some places still have not seen a FEMA or REDCROSS person/people. They have seen the military troops and other civilians putting themselves at risk to help with rescues, food, water, and clean up.

Go after the Administration…demand a firm exit strategy, demand answers to why we went into Iraq. Fine…get an investigation going on that. But when you start slamming the troops you’d better start ducking, cause let me tell you there isn’t one damn troop there that would not rather be at home with their families…and they are not there to murder…it’s shoot or be shot in most cases…no troop wants to kill.

Cindy, you have completely ruined any credibility you may have had as a spokesperson for the Military Families I know. No one will take you seriously due to your circus act and your bad mouthing of our hardworking honor bound troops. Go home and let us that know how to have an intelligent debate based on facts and figures take the lead. NO MORE CINDY CIRCUS.

Oh and Cindy, sorry to dissappoint you…but death and the complete devestation of almost the entire Gulf coast does take priority over your “poor grieving me” antics.

So nuff said…I’ll step off my box.

Just my thoughts
AF Veteran and the proud Fiance of a ARMY SOLDIER

I think this says it all....

An Open Rebuttle to Bush's Latest Media Spin

2005-09-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, now this article really upset me and I'm going to take each of his statements point by point and write an open letter to Mr. Bush and whoever else will listen. My comments are in bold type

Laura

Bush: United States must not retreat in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) -- -- President Bush said Thursday that withdrawing American forces from Iraq would make the world more dangerous and allow terrorists "to claim an historic victory over the United States."

Bush said terrorists have been emboldened over the years by the hesitant U.S. response to a hostage crisis with Iran in the Carter administration, the bombing of U.S. Marines barracks in Lebanon during the Reagan administration, the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center during the Clinton administration, and other events.

This I agree with, we should have taken more decisive action in these instances. When we are attacked we must be swift and decisive in our actions against those who attack us. However, Iraq did not kill those 3,000 people on September 11. Osama Bin Laudin and his group did this. This is the person we should be hunting down and bringing charges against or fighting against. Instead, we put a force in Afhganistan....but put our full vengeance on Iraq and Saddam Hussein. We were told there were Weapons of Mass Destruction....we have yet to find them but hey that's just a minor little problem. We did manage to capture Saddam...meanwhile the Taliban and Osama are free to continue their activities. Now we are the Great world Parent bringing democracy to Iraq. So much for protecting the US.

"The terrorists concluded we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves," the president said. "The only way the terrorists can win is if we lose our nerve and abandon the mission.

What is our Mission Mr. Bush? I'm confused. First it was to retaliate for the Twin Towers bombing. Well, we can't seem to get those folks, so we went to Iraq, bombed the hell out of them all in the name of WMD's and now since we couldn't find those we've decided it is to bring democracy to the country. Ok..so how have we defended our country and the citizens of OUR COUNTRY?

"For the safety and security of the American people, that's not going to happen on my watch," he said. (Watch reaction to UK jailbreak in Iraq -- 2:34)

Funny as I sit and watch the news of Katrina and now Rita bearing down on us, it seems to me that we need our troops here at home to help protect our citizens here at home and help rebuild the completely devastated Gulf Coast. When Rita hits, the devastation will be something we've never in the history of our country have seen. The ramifications from these storms and their devastation is something we will have to deal with for years to come.

Now as to our security in the US. Would not it be better to use those troops to guard our borders ... making sure that these folks that came into our country and bombed us using our own planes can no longer get in. Daily we have immigrants coming into this country unchecked. It wouldn't surprise me that while we are busy in IRAQ and now tied up with the devastation of the Gulf Coast that these folks are here in our country...getting ready to strike yet another major blow to our country. We've already proven to the world that we cannot handle nor protect our citizens in our own country. Not to mention the cost of this war. Right now we need all the funds we can get our hands on to rebuild an entire section of our own country.

Bush spoke at the Pentagon after receiving a briefing on the global war on terrorism, focusing mainly on Iraq and Afghanistan. He was updated by Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq, and Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command, who spoke via a secure video conference. Vice President Dick Cheney joined the president.

Bush acknowledged that there are differences of opinion about Iraq and that some want the United States to withdraw to escape more violence.

"I recognize their good intentions but their position is wrong," the president said. "Withdrawing our troops would make the world more dangerous."

Pardon me, Mr. President, but I'm afraid your position is wrong here. Again, I must point out that we have yet to get the people responsible for 9/11. There were no WMD's. Now you insist on bringing democracy to a people that if they indeed wanted such a thing can do that on their own. Who are we to tell them that our way is the only way to be. Instead, you have killed over 1900 of our best and brightest, leaving their families without them. Many who have gone into tremendous debt and financial ruin by having their main bread winner overseas rather than at the better paying jobs they had. Are you helping those families? Now the main bread winner is dead...what are you doing to help those families that are now completely ruined? What are you doing to help the thousands that are sent home maimed and crippled for life? How could withdrawing from countries that do not want us there be any more dangerous then what we face today? Tell me? I want a good answer to that, cause thus far you have failed to give one. How can bringing our troops home to take care of us here in the US be anymore dangerous? Right now the US is a sitting duck just ripe for another attack but we are spread so thin we won't be able to stop it.

Ahhh now could the answer really be the control of the oil in those countries? Humm did I hit a nerve perhaps?

He said a pullout would embolden U.S. adversaries and allow Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden "to dominate the Middle East and launch more attacks on America and other free nations."

No tis better we stay the course and continue to stir up the nest of vipers that don't want us or our ideology in their country. Yes, well I suppose one could think like that. Mr. Bush, our presence there is what has emboldened these people. We've now given them an excuse to use to get people to rally behind them. They are fighting for their way of life. They don't want our ways there. Can you blame them...would you like them to come to the US and attack us because we have weapons of mass destruction and because they want to share Islam with us?

Bush acknowledged the loss of American lives in Iraq -- more than 1,900 dead -- and said "we'll honor their sacrifice by completing the mission and winning the war on terrorism."

Honor their sacrifice by protecting the citizens of the US here at home. Honor them by not adding more blood and death to this game you play.

The president said Iraqi forces are making progress toward taking responsibility for their country's security. They are increasingly taking the lead in joint operations with U.S. forces and "showing the vital difference they can make," the president said. Moreover, he said Iraqi troops are remaining behind and keeping cities safe after military operations have cleaned out terrorists.

They cannot even vote in a constitution. Why would they work to protect themselves, they never did in the past? Do you think that once we leave it won't go back to the same ways? Or do you plan on occupying their country forever?

The president said anew that Syria is not doing enough to prevent terrorists from entering Iraq. "We're getting limited cooperation" from Damascus, the president said.

Bush said that in Iraq, "The battle lines are drawn and there is no middle ground."

"If we fail that test, the consequences for the safety and security of the American people would be enormous," the president said. "Our withdrawal from Iraq would allow the terrorists to claim an historic victory over the United States."

Mr. Bush YOU have failed the test. When I see dead bodies in the streets of our country and babies and others dying in the streets. When there are still places that were completely wiped out by Katrina that still have received no aid from FEMA nor the RED CROSS. When the death toll from that storm grows daily because our government both local and federal failed to protect us? Don't worry about failing tests, thus far you and your government has a strong F+ average going. Our citizens don't feel secure anymore. They are scared and have no clue about their futures. So in this case it's not "IF" you have already failed our country and the citizens here.

The president opened his remarks by thanking U.S. troops for helping in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Bush, whose administration has been criticized for slow response to Katrina, said he talked on the phone with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff on Thursday about preparations being taken to respond to Hurricane Rita -- "a really big storm" with 165 mph winds.

More than 1.3 million residents in Texas and Louisiana were under orders to evacuate to avoid a deadly repeat of Katrina. The Category 5 storm is expected to hit the Texas coast this weekend.

"Officials at every level of government are preparing for the worst," Bush said. "Our armed forces have pre-positioned troops. We have resources there to help the federal, state and local officials to respond swiftly and effectively."

Bush thanked the 50,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, including thousands of National Guardsmen and reservists, on the ground helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"They saved a lot of lives," he said. "On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank them for their service."

Bush said it could take some time to identify precisely how the costs of dealing with Katrina and Rita will be offset with other cuts.

"We're now in the process of inventorying the costs," he said. "You got to understand, it takes a while to understand the size of the federal tab in this process -- it just doesn't happen overnight."

I've got one for you....THE WAR COSTS .... Lets cut that fat. Didn't I read about 1 billion dollars completely missing...man what that could do to help rebuild our Gulf Coast...hey it would be a start. Ah but then again Haliburton wouldn't be able to profit anymore ... yeah well I suppose you much watch out for their interests. Bring our troops home and stop sending money to countries that end up using it against us and fattening their arsenals. And Mr. President, since Haliburton got all the open bids on rebuilding the Gulf Coast, they'd still be making money...perhaps not as much as if we stayed in the middle east...but they'd still make a tidy profit at the expense of the US citizens. So really not too much of a worry there.

On Afghanistan, Bush said 18,000 U.S. troops serving there have not yet finished their mission.

His comment appeared to be at odds with President Hamid Karzai, who on Tuesday challenged the need for major foreign military operations in Afghanistan, saying his government does not believe there is still a "serious terrorist challenge." Karzai said airstrikes are no longer effective and that U.S.-led coalition forces should focus on rooting out terror bases and support networks.

Bush said, "The international community is helping Afghanistan become a lasting democracy. There are still terrorists who seek to overthrow the young government.

I'm sorry, I don't remember them asking for our help in this. Didn't we go there to get Osama Bin Laudin for killing 3,000 of our citizens on our own home ground? Where is he by the way? Have you checked with his family...you know the ones you had flown to safety after the bombings when no one else was allowed to fly anywhere? Now he has an apprentice who grows stronger every day and has extended his war into Iraq. Where is this person? Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has asked for your occupation of his country to stop. They have their democracy now...time for us to go now. After all you've accomplished bringing democracy to them now...if you're not going to capture Osama get out. Your mission is accomplished there...even though the original mission is not.

"You see, they want to return Afghanistan to what it was under the Taliban. A miserable place -- a place where citizens have no rights, women are oppressed, and the terrorists have a safe haven to plan and plot attacks. And that's why coalition forces and our special forces and Afghan forces are conducting precision raids against high-value targets in southeastern Afghanistan."

The head of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan said Thursday that Taliban rebels will keep fighting well into next year even though they have suffered heavy losses in recent battles. Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya's comments came amid the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces invaded in late 2001, with more than 1,200 people killed in the six months leading up to Sunday's historic legislative elections.

And do you think it will end in a year and we can go home and all will be beaver cleaver land? No matter when we leave these factions will come back and take back their country. And can you blame them Mr. Bush...after all it is THEIR country. Either capture Bin Laudin and his apprentice or leave. Let them live as they wish. If they want American democracy all they have to do is come here and live, our borders are easy to get across.

Just my Thoughts,

Laura M. Wandrie

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

We Should Have Listened to Caesar

2005-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

We Should Have Listened to Caesar…

By Gary R. Varner

Julius Caesar was a great military leader. He was also cruel, ambitious and unethical in his political dealings. But he was also an astute and wise politician. One of his warnings to his generation was “Beware of rulers who beat the drums of war to incite the citizenry to patriotism.” This should also be a warning for our generation.

Over the last few years, and in particular the last few months, we have seen Mr. Bush and his administration exposed for what they are. I hate to say this but Mr. Bush is intentionally pushing his agenda to actually create Armageddon. Bush is the representative of the extreme Christian right. Those millions of Pentecostals and evangelicals have found their champion. While it may seem far-fetched, these people want nothing more than the end of the world so that they may go to heaven. And Bush is doing all he can to satisfy their desires.

This is clear when you see how he is treating Iran and North Korea. Just a week or so ago Bush and his administration condemned the electoral process in Iran. He called it an unacceptable and undemocratic exercise. The front-runner at the time was Ayatollah Rafsanjani, an Iranian cleric who made tremendous strides in creating a more liberal and free environment in Iran. His remarks so outraged the Iranians that they voted for someone who they normally would have shied away from—the mayor of Tehran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an extreme conservative who welcomes the old Iranian style of government exercised during the Iranian Revolution. Bush has threatened and condemned Iran’s supposed aspirations to nuclear power and weaponry. By forcing the Iranian people to vote for someone they would normally never think to vote for, to show Bush that they cannot be bullied, they have put into power a man who is determined to obtain that power.

But let us look at this issue. Bush went to war under the misguided, or rather manufactured “intelligence” that Iraq had nuclear weapons—illusive, non-existent weapons of mass destruction. He has threatened both North Korea and Iran because they may be on the path to nuclear weapons as well. However, he has not threatened Israel or Pakistan or India or China even though those nations have such weaponry. And, of course, even though one single nuclear weapon is evil and should be outlawed the United States has thousands of them. What gives here?

Is it ok for the US to manufacture biological and nuclear weapons but to threaten a country that actually may have only intended to have nuclear energy as a way to provide power to homes, factories and farms? Is one bomb enough to go to war over while others may have tens or hundreds or thousands and be given the thumbs up?

Bush, in his recent speech given to garner support for his war effort, reminded the audience to remember September 11. He stated that we are fighting in Iraq to fight the terrorist responsible for 9/11. The American people know that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Bush continues to beat the drums of war. Does Iraq have terrorist? Yes it certainly does—but only because Bush created a favorable environment for them. He destroyed the regime of Saddam but he also destroyed the stability of the region and created an “us vs. them” mentality among the terrorist who believe that America is out to destroy their religion. Bush created the situation as it is today that breeds terrorism, contempt and hatred.

Bush and his administration have to address the terrible credibility gap that exists in the government. Before the war Secretary Rumsfeld said that the war might last six days or six weeks but he couldn’t imagine it would last six months. Recently his estimate was that it would take up to twelve years to resolve the conflict. Twelve years of young men and women dying and being maimed for what? Bush said that the sacrifices are worth it. These deaths are worth the destruction of a country and a culture that has existed for thousands of years? Worth the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis that were living their lives in peace before the war? Worth the destruction and theft of priceless artifacts that tell the story of an ancient civilization?

Certainly, the Saddam regime was evil. However, their continued existence was up to the people of Iraq. There was an underground in place that wanted to remove that evil government and replace it with another. The US should have helped them do that, not go to war against the wishes of the American people and the majority of the world. He lied about the reasons to attack Iraq. He has created an environment in the US that recalls totalitarian governments of the worst kind. He continues to erode our freedoms and the protections of the Constitution and, more importantly, he continues to erode the safety of the world.

While Bush has spent over $200 Billion so far in his war in Iraq, the driving force behind September 11th runs free in a country almost forgotten. The United States went to war to rid Afghanistan of its Taliban dictators (even though we supported the same dictators earlier in their war against the Russians). The US is failing in Afghanistan, failing to capture Bin Laden, to wipe out the terrible Taliban presence. Today the Afghani people are afraid. The Taliban are regaining their strength and the US is often accused of mistreating the Afghani people to the extent that President Karzai is publicly criticizing American troop behavior. A recent news account quoted an Afghani law student he said “The Americans are the cause of the insecurity. If they were not here, there would not be any insecurity. The money they are spending on military expenses—if they spent half of it on the Afghan army and police and raised their skills, then there would not be any security questions.” Other Afghani people say that tensions are becoming worse as is the mood of the Afghani people as they see the American presence as one of occupation and one not of good will. Because of the current American presence and attitude towards Afghanistan many diplomats believe that the Karzai government will be dominated with heavy Islamic elements that may bring back the Taliban. Again Bush has created a habitat for terrorism. As a recent editorial in the Sacramento Bee said, [Bush] has painted this country into a corner from which no one is sure how, or whether, we can emerge successfully and honorably.”

I, for one, do not want any more Americans or Iraqis or Afghanis to die. Too many have already. Twelve more years of war will reduce Iraq to dust and barbarism and Afghanistan to a country of feudal war lords that it was under the Taliban. It is now reducing America to a despotic government out of touch with reality. Almost two thousand Americans, male and female, have died and over fourteen thousand wounded—many who will never be whole again. It is heartening that some members of Bush’s own party are rebelling and calling for an end to this madness. But all of us must do so. It is time to impeach a president for crimes that count. The Republicans attempted to remove President Clinton for bogus causes. Let us do so for a just cause. Let us take back America and restore the values that made it special and unique. Let us restore freedom, ethics, hope and decency in our own government. Let us remove the malignancy in the White House!

By Gary Varner, Author

That Long Road Home

2005-08-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

That Long Road Home

Another dawn has come and gone
and yet we are asked to carry on
somedays its just too damn hard to stay strong
with them so far away from where they belong

There are the days when we are just passing time
hoping to hear their voice on the end of that long distance line
Talking of days to come and hoping to ease their minds

At times duty and life leaves a soul torn
As day after day they fight in that brown dusty land so foreign
Souls that are weary and bodies so worn
While we anxiously and patiently wait
Hoping to one day see them coming down that long road home

By Laura Wandrie
copyright 2005

Back on the Soapbox

2005-08-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted here and there has been a great deal going on. The March to Washington plans are in full swing...and Cindy Sheehan,who's son was killed 5 days after going to Iraq by a roadside bomb, is sitting out side the residence of George Bush demanding answers....straight answers about our Troops in Iraq. We recently received news that on Thurday of this week she will be arrested as a "threat to national security" if she does not cease her protest. Well it seems nowdays if you don't support the BUSH LIES and DECEIT game you are a threat to national security. Humm...sad state of affairs. Sounds like the US has now come under dictatorship if you ask me. Anyone wishing to support Cindy, contact me at lauranewage@aol.com and I'll be happy to get you the info.

Now I'd like to talk a little about this "If you don't support Bush, you don't support our Troops" mentality I've run into time and time again. First of all let me say this is total and complete HOGWASH!!!!! I'm a veteran myself, my fiance is serving in Iraq...many of my friends are...hell my whole damn family has served in the military since the civil war. You will find no more staunch supporter of our troops than myself. Do I have to agree with the Administration and their greed, lies, and all conquering mentality to do so? HELL NO. I completely and totally support the troops! They are some of our best and brightest caught up in the greed of the current administration..who are standing by their oaths to serve our country...trying like hell to do their jobs and come home in one piece, while their families suffer at home...the financial hardships...the hardships of seperation. I spend hours and a great deal of my resources in outreach projects for our troops getting mail and care packages to them. Anyone who knows me, knows where I stand on the issue of our troops. But the reasoning behind this war and the Bushie administration I do not support. Bush got us into this mess with lies, and misinformation. This was top on his agenda when he came in office the first time...to go in and finish what his Father did not do...revenge, greed, ego and lies. And let us not forget many of his cronies are making millions on this war.

Here we are preaching Democracy to Iraq and daily our rights and freedoms are disappearing. If you don't agree with the administration, you are put on a watch list, or even worse arrested for "national security" reasons. My two groups plus this blog will probably cause me to be placed on a "watch" list if it is not already, but I really don't give a damn. Hey we gave them that right when enough of us did not fight against this Patriot Act. Its time the truth got out and someone has to be brave enough to stand up and say enough is enough. But don't ever make the mistake of saying I don't support our troops...cause those will be fighting words for me. Nuff said.

Moving On...

So lets look at whats going on. Rove still has his job even though it is a well known FACT that he (and possibly others) leaked the info on the CIA agent...humm ever heard of "loose lips sinks ships"? In the very least he should be removed from his job asap and preferably brought up on charges of High Treason for releasing information that was indeed a true risk to national security. Bush should be indicted for aiding and abetting a Federal Crime. And lets not forget the Bolten appointment. Congress did not get it done before they went on break, so as soon as they did Bush just simply appointed him. HUMMMM so much for checks and balances folks.
Oh and what about this Downing Street memo...humm seems like that has been pretty much hushed up. Oh and by the way...WHERE THE HELL IS BIN LAUDIN?

Oh and yes, lets not forget the 24 troop fatalities last week, 20 of them from the same hometown. What did Bush do...he left for a months' vacation on his ranch in Crawford Texas. HUMMMM oh well guess he needed the break hey? What about our troops stuck over in Iraq for a year or more at a time...some of them on 3 or 4 tours in the middle east. When do they get a vacation? When will they know peace again. And I'd like to know when Bush's daughters will be joining the military in order to support their Father's "War on Terror". Should they not step up to the plate?

Amazing....here we were ready to impeach President Clinton, because he had a affair, and had the misfortune of getting caught. What is wrong with that picture? Bush makes even Nixon look like a saint.

So when will this nation wake up and demand a complete and full accounting from this administration. When will we demand that this administration be brought up on charges of violating National Security and Treason. Of lying to the American public and putting our best and brightest in body bags...and for what?

Will we finally stand up and take this country back, give it back to the people...or will we forever remain sheep...following blindly...slowly but surly being lead to slaughter by the All Mighty Bush Machine.

Time to stand up folks...cause it may not be affecting you today...make no mistake it will and probably in the very near future. Don't say we didn't try to warn you...and don't come whining when it does if you don't wish to do anything to stop it.

Stepping off Soapbox
Laura

March for Peace

2005-07-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Join Cry Freedom in Marching for Peace In Washington

September 24th - 26th 2004

Cry Freedom is a group founded by Laura Wandrie, President of Pagans United in an effort to reach out to the mainstream population to help give our Country back to the American Citizens.

Cry Freedom is about taking back the Rights and Freedoms that our government officials apparently feel are no longer useful or valid. Freedoms that made this country once a Great Country, one that our Fore Fathers fought and died for, a country that many are still fighting and dying for every day. Cry Freedom is about giving the Great United States of America back to the people. And about fighting those who wish to take it away.

Join us September 24th - 26th in putting an end to the war, the lies, and the deceit. Help us demand an end to the War in Iraq, A firm exit Date, and to bringing our Troops home.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, September 24: Massive March, Rally & Festival

Sunday, September 25: Interfaith Service, Grassroots Training & Green Festival Book Event

Monday, September 26: Lobby Day, Mass Nonviolent Direct Action & Civil Disobedience

For more information contact laura@newage-journal.com or join us at CryFreedom@yahoogroups.com

Stay tuned for the Cry Freedom Website - CryFreedomUnityCampaign.com

More information will be forth coming.

The Time for Peace is NOW!!

Help us put a stop to the fighting and Bring our Brothers and Sisters Home Now.

Blessings,

Laura M. Wandrie

Cry Freedom

Cry Freedom Unity Campaign.com - Coming Soon

Blog Address - http://cryingfreedom.blogspot.com/

Pagans United

http://www.pagansunited.com

New Age Journal Online

http://www.newage-journal.com

Cry Freedom

2005-06-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Cry Freedom

Immenent Domain and Activists...Musings By Laura

2005-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Immenient Domain.....

Well, if you think about it this is really nothing new. Tis something that has gone on for centuries and centuries. Those who have take from those with less.

Tis a deadly cycle that right now has us in the mess we are in today. There is nothing wrong with activism if your motives are true. Its the only way to fight the corperate/government machines. The more we turn the other way and just hope it doesn''t happen to us the more this machine of theirs will take until there is nothing left for the common man who slaves every day just trying to make ends meet for their families.

The machine is working to get more power today through things like the Patriot Act, Imminent domain, the new ID Card system, and many other programs we know little of...take for instance a program I even posted an article here about how Bush wants everyone tested for mental health and placed on medication if it was indicated...that means anyone who does not conform to what the current society deems as "normal" will be in essence placed on medication to turn them into the sheep that they need to continue the plunder and ruination of this great country and mother earth as a whole. The schools are essentially "dumbing" down our children (I could rant forever on that one and perhaps will at one point or another) in an attempt to make sure they are the future sheep they will need to continue their plunder. And now it seems even the Media has lost their preverbal "balls" and are cowtowing to the machine.

So what other course is there for us. We must stand up for our rights the very rights this country was founded on...even though the great machine would have you think that part of history was different too. Our nation was not founded on Christian principles. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were agnostic, and or Unitarian Universalists. Check the real history...you will see. They were activists themselves in that they railed against the tyranny of the British Church's control and founded a new land here where they could be free to worship as they saw fit and build a life free from the dictatorship of the government/church. WHERE ALL MEN ARE EQUAL .... Gods but we have come a long way hey? What went wrong with that picture. This nation is now turning into that very thing that our founding fathers were completely against. Our rights and freedoms are disappearing faster than we realize...many things are being hidden and lies are being told. Our environment is also under siege by the all mighty rich and powerful. Greed and Ego is the name of the game and they don't care who or what they hurt in the process. And where do we get off forcing "Democratic" ideology down other countries throats when our own country has suddenly turned into a secret dictatorship? Please. Yes, we must be activists and we must stand together tall and proud and fight this injustice which grows worse and worse every day.

What these people do not realize is that this will be will be their own ruin as well, but they are blinded by greed and ego. They just don't realize how close they are to great catastrophe (of their own making) they are. I strongly believe that there are those of us who were meant to step forward at this time to help those in need through the trying times ahead. I see many of us coming forward and silently preparing for what is to come. It wont' be pretty at all, but we must do what we can now to either avert this somehow or survive whatever does come our way. Why do you think the purchasing of the land at Sabbats Grove is so vital right now. This will be a place of serenity, peace, learning, a sanctuary in the coming storms.

Oh my but I have rambled on here a bit. As much as the word "activists" sometimes leave a bad taste in my mouth...being the spiritual person that I am...I know that I can no longer hide with my head in the sand while my fellow brothers and sisters are being harmed and discriminated against. No longer can I hide my head in the sand while the powers that be rape mother earth in their own ignorance and greed. No more will I complain, but I will act...this is something I could not stop anymore than I could stop breathing...I've felt driven to do something...my guides will not let me hide on this one...so I am an activist I suppose. But my motives are true and pure and I seek only to make a better life for those who come after me. Tis for the future I work and for Mother Earth.

Just my thoughts,
Laura AKA Moonpanther

Demand an Exit Date from Iraq

2005-06-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

From: Laura M. Wandrie
Date: June 19, 2005
Subject: Demand an Exit Date
Contact: Laura Wandrie (lauranewage@aol.com)
Distribute Widely

How does the number 780 sound to you? What about 1, 540? Does 1, 677,
12, 762 or 150, 000 sound any different? Does the number 22, 111 hurt
your ears?

Would they sound any different if you were told that 780 is the
number of days our 150, 000 troops have been in Iraq since President
Bush declared "Mission Accomplished?" What about if you were told
that 1, 677 is the number of American's that have died in Iraq and
that 1, 540 of those deaths have been since President Bush
declared "Mission Accomplished?" And what if we told you that 12, 762
Americans have been wounded since the war began? 22, 111 is the
number of Iraqi civilians whose lives have been ended during this
war. Would those numbers anger you?

They should.

Before the war ever began, President Bush and his administration had
been fixing the "intelligence and facts around the policy" (Downing
Street Memo, http://afterdowningstreet.org) to support going to war
with Iraq. Before the war ever began, President Bush and Prime
Minister Tony Blair, were looking for ways to justify going to war
and were lying to the American and British people the entire time.

Because of the lies, half truths, and total irresponsibility of
President Bush thousands of American lives have been forever changed
or ended. Thousands of families have been torn apart, thousands of
children will never again see their fathers or mothers.

It has been 780 days since the war was declared over... yet our
troops are still in Iraq and are dying every day. It is time that we,
the American people, demand a definitive exit day from Iraq and hold
President Bush to that date.

His lies have cost the American people more than enough. It is time
to bring our troops home and to begin picking up the pieces our
President's lies have left scattered.

We encourage you to join with us in demanding that President Bush
give us a definite exit date from Iraq and that he stick with it. We
further encourage you to demand that Congress force George W. Bush
take responsibility for the damage his lies have caused and impeach
him.

For more information on how YOU can say enough is enough and demand
our troops be brought home, please contact Laura (lauranewage@aol.com)

###

Sources for Press Release:

Downing Street Memo
http://afterdowningstreet.org

American Casualties
http://www.antiwar.org/casualties

Oh and By The Way...

2005-06-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

WHERE IS BIN? Where is the progress there. Hey want weapons of Mass Destruction...look at North Korea, China, and India. They DO have weapons of mass destruction there and they are happily rubbing our nose in it. And hey so do we for that matter. But I suppose that is ok for us..just not for anyone else. HUMM What is wrong with that picture. Tis a sad sad state of affairs for this once great land of the United States. When will the American people wake up and finally realize the dangerous path we walk on.

Laura M. Wandrie

Cry Freedom

2005-06-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Cry Freedom

Call for Impeachment Proceedings on Bush

2005-06-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sent to Thomas E. Petri
Sent to Herb Kohl
Sent to Russel D. Feingold

Dear Sirs:

In light of recent information which surfaced do in main part by the BRITISH media and not our own, it is apparent that my beliefs that this entire War in Iraq was a lie and was begun to statisfy Bush's own personal agenda is the real truth here. The lies and deceit need to be made open and I personally shall work to start a move toward impeachment of President Bush. From the elections to this war, we have been lied to. Our civil rights are in grave danger of disappearing all in the name of homeland security. This must stop and stop now. Listen to the people who put you in office. We are angry and disillusioned that our government has lied, that the media has covered up the real news and that so many of our brightest and bravest have been sent home in body bags or permanently handicapped. THIS MUST STOP NOW! Call for impeachment of President Bush before he destroys our Country.

Regards,
Laura M. Wandrie

You may write to your congressmen using this simple form and link:

http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/39

Iraq-Gate...Let's Throw Bush Out..Call for Impeachment

2005-06-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

IRAQ-GATE, INTIMI-GATE AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the lead up to the war with Iraq, the American people were repeatedly told that the justification for going to war was that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and those weapons posed an imminent threat to the United States. They also were told that Iraq had a working relationship with Al Qaeda and connections with the tragedy of 9/11. Congressman Conyers saw through the phony justifications for this war and voted against giving the President a blank check to invade Iraq.

In statement after statement, high ranking Administration officials and the President and Vice President told us that Iraq had these weapons, was ready to use them. On August 26, 2002 Vice President Dick Cheney said "there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction." On October 7, 2002, the President said "[t]he Iraqi regime possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons." The White House spokesman said on January 9, 2003 "We know for a fact there are weapons there." On March 16, 2003, Vice President Cheney went even further with a chilling warning that "[w]e believe Saddam has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." In October of 2003, David Kay, the Administration’s point man in Iraq for finding weapons of mass destruction, declared that months after the President declared victory, he had yet to find any weapons of mass destruction.

In his State of the Union address, speaking before both the House and the Senate, the President infamously declared that "[t]he British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." It has since come to light that this statement was false and high ranking Administration officials knew it to be false.

Almost a year earlier, in response to an inquiry from the Vice President, the Central Intelligence Agency sent former Ambassador Joseph Wilson – who had worked in the President’s father’s Administration – to Africa to determine whether it was true that Saddam Hussein has attempted to acquire Uranium from Niger. He reported back that the allegation was false. Yet, somehow the allegation found its way into the most important address a President gives, the State of the Union address.

Congressman Conyers has been at the forefront of exposing how the Bush Administration cooked the books to make a case for war. He believes the Administration’s response has been disappointing. Rather than taking responsibility for this, they have attacked and intimidated Administration critics. Top White House adviser Larry Lindsey [was fired] when he told a newspaper that an Iraq war could cost $200 billion. General Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine general who was Bush's Middle East mediator, angered the White House when he told a foreign policy forum in October that Bush had far more pressing foreign policy priorities than Iraq and suggested there could be a prolonged, difficult aftermath to a war. He was not reappointed as Mideast envoy. A General threatened U.S. troops stationed in Iraq with reprisals if they publicly criticized the war. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz criticized the Army's chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki, after Shinseki told Congress in February that the occupation could require ‘several hundred thousand troops.

Slamming the door on the alleged Iraq-Al Qaeda connection, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recently reported that, "We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on the attacks against the United States." Meanwhile, the shoddy planning of the Administration in its rush to war has resulted in the deaths of nearly one thousand U.S. troops and countless Iraqi civilians.

Finally, and most disturbingly, Administration officials leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer to a journalist after her husband, former Ambassador Wilson, publicly challenged President Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium ore from Africa. Reportedly, the motivation for this leak was "revenge."

Congressman Conyers demanded that Attorney General John Ashcroft appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the criminal and malicious leaking of the identity of a covert operative in the Wilson affair, now known as Intimi-gate. While the Attorney General failed to follow the procedure called for in the special prosecutor regulations, he has tasked a U.S. Attorney with investigating this matter. A Grand Jury investigation is in progress

The "Downing Street Memo

2005-06-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well now it appears as if there is irrefutable proof that Bush was determined to go to war with Iraq at all costs...even to the point to outright lying about the intelligence found in regards to Weapons of Mass Destruction. This information was reported widely in the Brittish Press and nearly cost Tony Blair reelection...so one has to wonder why the American Press is doing very little to bring this inportant fact to light? Iraq is quickly turning into yet another Vietnam all because of the whim of our President. Tell me what is wrong with this picture. Our troops casulties continue to mount on a daily basis...the insurgents are NOT backing off they've stepped up the terror. And hey WHERE IS BIN????? Ok so we ousted a monster when we over took Bagdad...but where where all those weapons of Mass destruction? NO WHERE...and still I ask again...WHERE IS BIN? What exactly are we fighting for? But I'll post the info I picked up and let you decide. I wonder what else we don't know about and why is our American Press lying to us as well. It's about time we joined together and started asking some real serious questions here and stop this maddness.

The following is the infamous "Downing Street Memo" and some links to go and take action. It would seem we need to put a lease on our own "Dictators" in Washington.

--- "Noah T. Winer, MoveOn.org"

wrote:

>
> A London newspaper rocked British elections when it
> leaked a top
> intelligence official's report that President Bush
> was intent on
> invading Iraq long before he sought Congress'
> approval. Bush called Iraq
> an urgent threat, but the memo says "the
> intelligence and facts were
> being fixed around the policy" [1]. British
> officials are not denying
> the memo's accuracy, and a former senior American
> official called it "an
> absolutely accurate description of what transpired"
> [2].
>
> This revelation nearly cost Prime Minister Tony
> Blair his re-election,
> and it was all over the British press. But American
> newspapers barely
> mentioned this new evidence that Bush twisted the
> facts to justify war.
> The major newspapers ran one or two stories
> rehashing the British
> reports. Worse, TV network news shows haven't
> covered the memo at all
> [3].
>
> Readers of the New York Times recently demanded
> coverage of the British
> memo, and the newspaper finally wrote a full story
> [4]. We can do the
> same for network news.
>
> Please call or email the nightly news programs you
> watch, at:
>
> ABC World News Tonight
> Phone: 212-456-4040
> PeterJennings@abcnews.com
>
> CBS Evening News
> Phone: 212-975-3691
> evening@cbsnews.com
>
> NBC Nightly News
> Phone: 212-664-4971
> nightly@nbc.com
>
> PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
> Phone: 703-739-5000
> newshour@pbs.org
>
> Identify yourself as a viewer, then say something
> like:
>
> "Please investigate and report on the British memo
> suggesting
> the Bush administration manipulated intelligence to
> support its
> plans to invade Iraq. We need to know what really
> happened.
> Thank you for your time."
>
> It's important to track our impact. Please let us
> know you're calling
> at:
>
>
http://www.moveon.org/mediacorps/britishmemo.html?id=5614-3373012-nmbwrQbk4Jz_C6bunHFz1Q&t=1
>
> The American media's failure to question the Bush
> administration led to
> an unnecessary war. Now the media's failure to cover
> the war is making
> it impossible for Americans to unite behind an exit
> plan. This won't get
> better until we demand more coverage of the war.
>
> Thank you for all that you do,
>
> --Noah, Wes, Micayla, Matt and the MoveOn.org Team
> Wednesday, June 1st, 2005
>
> Sources:
> 1. The Downing Street Memo website
> http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/
>
> 2. "'Downing St. Memo' fizzling in U.S.," Seattle
> Times, May 18, 2005
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=733
>
> 3. "Network Viewers Still in the Dark on 'Smoking
> Gun Memo,'" FAIR, May
> 20, 2005
> http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2520
>
> 4. "New Public Editor Looks at 'Downing Street Memo'
> Coverage," New York
> Times, May 24, 2005
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=734
>
> ________________
>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is a letter to sign, at last count over 400,000
people have, going toward starting an official inquiry
and hopefully ending in impeachment...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here is the copy of the "Downing Street Memo" that my group obtained.

John Scarlett summarised the intelligence and latest JIC assessment.
Saddam's regime was tough and based on extreme fear. The only way to
overthrow it was likely to be by massive military action. Saddam was
worried and expected an attack, probably by air and land, but he was
not convinced that it would be immediate or overwhelming. His regime
expected their neighbours to line up with the US. Saddam knew that
regular army morale was poor. Real support for Saddam among the
public was probably narrowly based.

C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible
shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush
wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the
conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were
being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN
route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi
regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the
aftermath after military action.

CDS said that military planners would brief CENTCOM on 1-2 August,
Rumsfeld on 3 August and Bush on 4 August.

The two broad US options were:

(a) Generated Start. A slow build-up of 250,000 US troops, a short
(72 hour) air campaign, then a move up to Baghdad from the south.
Lead time of 90 days (30 days preparation plus 60 days deployment to
Kuwait).

(b) Running Start. Use forces already in theatre (3 x 6,000),
continuous air campaign, initiated by an Iraqi casus belli. Total
lead time of 60 days with the air campaign beginning even earlier. A
hazardous option.

The US saw the UK (and Kuwait) as essential, with basing in Diego
Garcia and Cyprus critical for either option. Turkey and other Gulf
states were also important, but less vital. The three main options
for UK involvement were:

(i) Basing in Diego Garcia and Cyprus, plus three SF squadrons.

(ii) As above, with maritime and air assets in addition.

(iii) As above, plus a land contribution of up to 40,000, perhaps
with a discrete role in Northern Iraq entering from Turkey, tying
down two Iraqi divisions.

The Defence Secretary said that the US had already begun "spikes of
activity" to put pressure on the regime. No decisions had been taken,
but he thought the most likely timing in US minds for military action
to begin was January, with the timeline beginning 30 days before the
US Congressional elections.

The Foreign Secretary said he would discuss this with Colin Powell
this week. It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take
military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case
was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD
capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We
should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the
UN weapons inspectors. This would also help with the legal
justification for the use of force.

The Attorney-General said that the desire for regime change was not a
legal base for military action. There were three possible legal
bases: self-defence, humanitarian intervention, or UNSC
authorisation. The first and second could not be the base in this
case. Relying on UNSCR 1205 of three years ago would be difficult.
The situation might of course change.

The Prime Minister said that it would make a big difference
politically and legally if Saddam refused to allow in the UN
inspectors. Regime change and WMD were linked in the sense that it
was the regime that was producing the WMD. There were different
strategies for dealing with Libya and Iran. If the political context
were right, people would support regime change. The two key issues
were whether the military plan worked and whether we had the
political strategy to give the military plan the space to work.

On the first, CDS said that we did not know yet if the US battleplan
was workable. The military were continuing to ask lots of questions.

For instance, what were the consequences, if Saddam used WMD on day
one, or if Baghdad did not collapse and urban warfighting began? You
said that Saddam could also use his WMD on Kuwait. Or on Israel,
added the Defence Secretary.

The Foreign Secretary thought the US would not go ahead with a
military plan unless convinced that it was a winning strategy. On
this, US and UK interests converged. But on the political strategy,
there could be US/UK differences. Despite US resistance, we should
explore discreetly the ultimatum. Saddam would continue to play hard-
ball with the UN.

John Scarlett assessed that Saddam would allow the inspectors back in
only when he thought the threat of military action was real.

The Defence Secretary said that if the Prime Minister wanted UK
military involvement, he would need to decide this early. He
cautioned that many in the US did not think it worth going down the
ultimatum route. It would be important for the Prime Minister to set
out the political context to Bush.

Conclusions:

(a) We should work on the assumption that the UK would take part in
any military action. But we needed a fuller picture of US planning
before we could take any firm decisions. CDS should tell the US
military that we were considering a range of options.

(b) The Prime Minister would revert on the question of whether funds
could be spent in preparation for this operation.

(c) CDS would send the Prime Minister full details of the proposed
military campaign and possible UK contributions by the end of the
week.

(d) The Foreign Secretary would send the Prime Minister the
background on the UN inspectors, and discreetly work up the ultimatum
to Saddam.

He would also send the Prime Minister advice on the positions of
countries in the region especially Turkey, and of the key EU member
states.

(e) John Scarlett would send the Prime Minister a full intelligence
update.

(f) We must not ignore the legal issues: the Attorney-General would
consider legal advice with FCO/MOD legal advisers.

(I have written separately to commission this follow-up work.)

MATTHEW RYCROFT

(Rycroft was a Downing Street foreign policy aide)

Thank you for your help with this.

2005-05-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

As the eagle cries so do I..it's time to take our Country back.

Now this is really a hoot, our federal government sponsoring Religious programs. A fine example of brainwashing to control the masses backed by federal money. Just how long are we going to stand by and slowly let the government control every facet of our lives? What happened to seperation of Church and State. Obviously this administration has no clue what that is or is choosing to ignore it. Government has now found a way into the Mainstream religious movement to use it's dogma to control the masses as the religious right has done for centuries...they are simply buying into this popular method of control and paying for it with our tax dollars. If you ask me not much different from the religious fanatics we are fighting in the middle east...humm - Laura Wandrie

Over the past three years, the federal government has awarded more than one million dollars to the "Silver Ring Thing," an abstinence-only organization that describes its mission as "offering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as the best way to live a sexually pure life."

Last week, in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and Jenner & Block LLP against the federal government for funding religious activities in an abstinence-only program, the Silver Ring Thing substantially altered and removed religious content from its website.

During the "Silver Ring Thing's" flagship three-hour program members testify about how accepting Jesus Christ improved their lives, quote Bible passages, and urge audience members to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into their lives. In addition, the official silver ring of the program is inscribed with a reference to the biblical verse "1 Thess. 4:3-4," which reads "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor."

The "Silver Ring Thing" is an extensive, nationwide effort that uses government funds for aggressive religious recruitment. Since April 2003, it has held three events in the Boston area and is scheduled to hold a fourth in October of this year. But, it has also held events in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and is scheduled to visit Georgia, Ohio, and North Carolina, among other states, in the coming year.

"A sanitized version of the website does not change the fact that the "Silver Ring Thing" in its core programming is nothing more than a vehicle for converting young people to Christianity," said Sarah Wunsch, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts. "Taxpayer dollars should play no part in such a program."

Get more information on the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom program.

Memorial Day Dedication

2005-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to All Those Who Serve Our Nation both Past and Present

As I ponder the upcoming Memorial day, my mind wonders back through my own families' history where every generation has served our country in the Military. I came from a long line of warriors and ended up carrying on that tradition when it was my turn, and my own son is determined to pick up that torch in a few short years. I think of the years, as a child, where my own father was in one conflict or another from Korea to Viet Nam and the sacrifices he and my family made so that you and I could enjoy the freedoms we often times take for granted today.

Duty, Honor, and Loyalty have always had deep meaning for me and even while I strongly disagree with the Powers that be in Washington today, I do completely honor those troops who are carrying on the tradition of Duty and Honor today serving in Iraq. My Thanks and Loyalty goes out to all those Soldiers and their Families, both past and present for all that they do. On this Memorial Day, my thoughts and my heart is with them and all our brothers and sisters serving in Iraq. May they make it home safely and find the peace of mind to continue on with their lives when their duty is over.

So this weekend as you enjoy the extra day off from work, attending the picnics and celebrations, let us all take a few moments and remember our troops, both past and present, and give thanks for all that they and their families do for us. The path of the Soldier is a long hard one fraught with many sacrifices, many times ending in the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. Keep them in your hearts and minds this weekend and send them healing energy to sustain them until we bring them home.

I salute you all,
Laura M. Wandrie

New Age Journal Online
http://www.newage-journal.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN THE STRUGGLE OF A DOVE
Author: Artis
http://allpoetry.com/poets/artis

Fifteen days before this country
gives memorials to the fallen,
where our former veterans
bow heads and pray,
I stumbled on it's visage,
early as I made my way,
to collect the morning news
and start my day.

It was high up on my flagpole,
from my mailbox where old glory,
has been waving since
the day the wars began,
in support of all the dying,
and the wounding
of our young boys,
sent to foreign lands without
a proper plan,
in the hell of Iraq
and Afghanistan.

Just beneath that flag
I'd posted a large sign
meant for George Bush
it's red letters written boldly
asked, "Where's Bin??
almost four years now have passed us,
16 hundred boys have perished,
and we still can't get
an answer out of him,
nor a capture to avenge Americans,
and the many others
who became victims.

Now above that simple statement,
impaled on my pointed flagpole,
which I'd formed from
tubes of long aluminum,
a white dove somehow had fallen,
from the sky, and pierced it's bosom,
one could see the struggles it
made for freedom
in the blood stained feathers
spattered below him.

Maybe he was ill and weary
and flew down upon that shaft
and then bled there
in the night until he died
trying oh so hard to break free
of the trap he'd fallen into
but that grip of terror
would not be denied.

Like the dove of peace we promised,
would bring harmony to old lands,
that for centuries have all
lived in constant war,
from the sky like bombs it tumbled,
as democracy was mumbled,
bringing bitter death like
all the years before,
leaving many asking
what it all was for.

Bin still breathes
while we've impaled,
the breasts of many
men with shrapnel
on the pointed ends of
flags all waving high,
while thousands of civilians
in a place Bin does not live in
have been slaughtered
with the guilty as they die.

Iraq's become a pinpoint
where insurgents hang their victims
both American, and Muslim everyday
sent by many other nations,
with their martyred celebrations,
in a place of gathered
soldiers they can slay.

meanwhile bush is building bases
in that country of Iraq
while they're closing bases
in the U.S.A.
just like doves we're stuck forever
in that hellhole of his making
where bin laden sends
his killing force to play.

Later I retrieved a ladder
and removed that tragic dove
who'd been blindly led to death
upon my flag,
and I buried him in gardens,
of bright daffodils and tulips
in a frosted, sealed tight,
Zip locked, body bag.

But the dove of peace still struggles
far away in desert sands,
where it's efforts to find
freedom still fall short,
and it's hopes fall short of flying
while so many good are dying
coming home in body bags
their lives too short,
six more young men butchered
in today's reports,
let's find bin,
resolve this conflict, or abort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Artis

What's Wrong With This Picture...

2005-05-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

I just heard today that another long time company here in my town has announced their decision to move the plant to Mexico...it was a complete shock!!!! Plants have been shutting down left and right around here and moving out of country, yet Bush claims that jobs are increasing....where? In Mexico?Also, it really angers me that they can fly kids and people in from other countries on expensive transport, send them to the finest hospitals here in the US and take care of their medical needs for FREE and then send them back FREE....provide them with FREE medicine....and so on and so on ...yet the kid down the block from me with Cancer is losing his home because of the cost of his care....what is wrong with that picture and why aren't more people pissed off about that....what about our kids, our grandparents, our parents, do they not deserve the same treatment as some child or person from a third world country?? When does it end? I actually heard a senator on TV do a press conference and he said that outsourcing our jobs to places like India and Mexico is GOOD for our economy...because if those people make more money then, and I quote: "they can buy Levi's® jeans from us." Excuse me, but Levi's® jeans are not made in America anymore either...I believe they went to China or Mexico...so what planet is he living on?People, we have to vote...we have to say NO MORE....it will only get worse and worse if we continue on the course we are on.Laura Wandrie