Mr. Jefferson, Tear Down This Wall

Political cartoon from 1800
Library of Congress I learned something very interesting one day while watching the Glenn Beck program on Fox News, two things that most likely just sent any Liberal reader heading for the exits. Knowing this, I couldn’t write this piece using Glenn Beck as a source, so I decided to research on my own; something for which Beck should be applauded more often. He is singly responsible for a great many people who of late have taken a keen interest in their nation’s founding, and history in general. 

The cartoon above was run during the Presidential campaign of 1800, and the kneeling man is Thomas Jefferson, who was being attacked as an infidel by the Federalists. It is titled The Providential Detection, author unknown. From The Library Company of Philadelphia:

In this cartoon, the eye of God has instigated the American eagle to snatch from Jefferson’s hand the “Constitution & Independence” of the United States before he can cast it on an “Altar to Gallic Despotism,” whose flames are being fed by the writings of Thomas Paine, Helvetius, Rousseau, and other freethinkers. The paper, “To Mazzei,” dropping from Jefferson’s right hand, was a 1796 letter that was interpreted by Jefferson’s enemies as an indictment of the character of George Washington.

We know how the election turned out, but the history of Jefferson’s relation to God has been misconstrued ever since, and to this day people still mistakenly insist that Jefferson was anti-religion and cite him as the architect of the alleged “wall of separation”.   

Liberals use this misnomer to rail against any religious symbol on public land, from Nativity scenes on Town Hall lawns to crosses erected in desolate deserts. So it was intriguing to learn that as recently as 1850, the Capitol Building was used as a church. Of particular distinction is the fact that Thomas Jefferson attended these masses every Sunday. Strangely, Liberals who complain about these symbols, or about the audacity of school prayers at something as innocuous as a football game, shout that the “Constitution has a wall of separation”, and those things are a violation of the Constitution. Clearly, they claim to stand in defense of that which they have not read. The phrase “a wall of separation between church and state” is not contained anywhere in the Constitution, nor was it the Founders’ intent to include it at any time. The phrase is part of a passing sentence in a letter from Jefferson to The Danbury Baptists in response to a congratulatory address by that association. The full text of the sentence:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.
Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert E. Bergh, ed. (Washington, D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States, 1904), Vol. XVI, pp. 281-282.

For anyone who claims that Jefferson, or any of the other Founders, for that matter, were somehow anti-religion, or desirous of the segregation of faith and governance, keep in mind that all the presidents attended services in the Capitol building, and Thomas Jefferson was no exception, riding his horse the 1.6 miles, even in the pouring rain, to attend.

The video below explains even further how religious these Founders were, and why the hysteria about God and government being some sort of explosive mixture is nothing but foolishness from the Left.

Daniel James Wood is the author of Boomer, a political thriller available on Amazon.com and a recreational writer commenting on the political landscape at Sanity Sentinel.
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The Vice President has always been good for a quote, or in many cases, a misquote, when it comes to explaining the reality of our world. However, many times you wonder if he and the rest of us are living in the same world and reality or we are stuck in some sort of twilight zone world where reality takes on a distorted sense of truth. This twilight zone image came to mind earlier this week when the Vice president acknowledged that while the recovery from the recession was proceeding slower than expected, there is “no doubt we are moving in the right direction.”

If he thinks we are moving in the right economic direction, than he and I are stuck in some sort of distorted reality, given what is happening in my economic world:

- The Commerce Department reduced its estimate of the nation’s second quarter GDP growth from 2.4% to 1.6%, a 33% decrease.

- Unemployment continues to linger between 9.5% and 10.0% even though Joe’s administration predicted that unemployment would go to 8% unless the President’s economic stimulus package was passed. It was passed and we did not go to 8% unemployment, we went 15-20% higher.

- The stock market is down about 10% from its recent 2010 peak in April and does not appear to be ready to rise any time soon.

- This week we heard that the sale of existing houses dropped 27% in July vs. June, the biggest monthly drop in the four decades that the statistic had been kept. Guess the administration’s housing incentive program for first time buyers did not have much staying power.

- Also this week in the housing market, we found out that the sale of new homes was down over 12% in July vs. June and was down over 32% vs. the same time period in 2009. The annual sales rate of 276,000 new housing units is one of the lowest levels ever measured.

- This week we also found out that almost half of the people enrolled in the administration’s mortgage recovery program had dropped out of the program for various reasons, not the least of which was inefficient and and ineffective paperwork processing procedures. The number of home foreclosures in 2010 could be as high as one million with several credible sources estimating that the foreclosure number could increase 50% in 2011.

- On Thursday we heard that new weekly unemployment claims continue to linger between the 450,000 to 500,000, i.e. about half a million people a week are now filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. Hardly sounds like the economic turnaround we are told is coming even though the Vice President told the Washington Post on April 23, 2010, over four months ago, that the economy would soon be creating 500,000 jobs a month. Not quite there yet.

- The Vice President did not mention that the Federal government has incurred unbelievably high, record setting government spending deficits over the almost four years that the Democrats have had control of both houses of Congress and the almost two years they also controlled the White House.

So, in Joe’s world or twilight zone, shrinking economic growth rates, housing industry woes not seen in a long time, high unemployment, feeble private sector job creation, sky high national debt and mortgage foreclosures, and a falling stock market leave “no doubt we are moving in the right direction.”

Seriously, this administration has no clue on how to turn around the economy, resulting in one of the longest and weakest recoveries of all time. Their reaction? Spend more money on dismal, failed incentive programs (Cash For Clunkers, first time home buyer incentive, Cash For Caulkers, Cash For New Energy Efficient Appliances, mortgage rescue, etc.), spend hundreds of billions of dollars on bailouts of financial institutions that either did not need to be bailed out (since most have already returned their TARP payments) or who deserved to fail due to their bad management (Citigroup, Bank Of America), spend hundreds of billions of dollars via an economic stimulus program which stimulated nothing (it has gotten so bad with this program that the administration has evolved from estimating how many jobs the stimulus created to how many jobs the stimulus created AND saved to how jobs created, jobs saved AND lives touched by the stimulus program), and the old favorite, blame Bush.

Bush has been gone for almost two years, the Republicans have been in the minority for almost four years in Congress and during part of that time, the Democrats had a filibuster proof majority in the Senate while also controlling the House Of Representatives. The result of this recent history? We are stuck in an economic ditch and to those of us in the real world, we have no doubt we are NOT moving in the right direction.

What is the root cause of our economic distress? Could it be that consumers and business are uncertain of the future and as a result, have hunkered down in the face of that uncertainty? What are we are uncertain about:

- Could it be we are uncertain how much more in health care taxes and health care costs we are actually going to have to spend on employees and ourselves since the majority of America feels that the recently passed health care reform legislation will not solve our health care cost problem but will certainly increase what we pay for our health care?

- Could it be we are uncertain what this administration will do tax wise, with the expiration of the so-called Bush tax cuts being just one area where the tax bite on American businesses and consumers could rise significantly?

- Could it be we are uncertain how much more we will have to pay in energy costs with the proposed onerous and ineffective cap and trade carbon program that could be passed?

- Could it be that we are uncertain if Social Security and Medicare will be saved from insolvency and how much that might cost?

- Could it be that we are uncertain when Washington politicians will actually get down to tackling the major issues of the country as opposed to just calling each other names and worrying only about their own re-election?

- Could it be we are uncertain that Washington politicians are actually able to solve a real problem (especially since they have never really solved a major problem) when one of the leading members of the Federal political class thinks everything is fine and moving in the right direction despite every indication it is not?

This administration has introduced so much uncertainly into the market and economy that people and businesses have decided to hunker down and protect their assets rather than go out and invest or spend their assets. And given this mind set, interest rates cannot go low enough stupid sales incentive programs cannot be rolled out to failure fast enough, and no amount of stimulus spending, especially the ridiculous programs from the first stimulus program, will solve the lack of credibility, lack of faith, and uncertainty problems we all currently have with Washington. That is why these incumbents need to be sent home in November and hopefully we can replace them with people that have the skills to remove the uncertainty in the country today.

Until November, consider the words of Rod Sterling, the creator of the TV show, “The Twilight Zone” in light of Joe Biden’s view of his world:

                           You are about to enter another dimension. 
                           A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. 
                           A journey into a wondrous land of imagination, next stop, the twilight zone.

Joe, indeed, must live in a wondrous land of imagination in another dimension where good is bad, dark is light, and we are all moving in the right direction despite all economic indicators.

Walter “Bruno” Korschek is the author of the book, “Love My Country, Loathe My Government – Fifity First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom and Destroying The American Political Class,” which is available at www.loathemygovernment.com and on line at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Our daily dialog on freedom in America can be joined at www.loathemygovernment.blogspot.com.
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Dr. Hasan A. Yahya

The debate over building the cultural Center (including mosque) at Ground Zero is moving but deviating from common sense. A American supporter wrote: “The fight over the mosque near Ground Zero shows how obsessed we remain with an enemy that may no longer exist.” An opponent of the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero holds a sign during a community board meeting to debate the issue on TIME Magazine Webpage reads:  ”HONOR 3000 9/11, NO MOSQUE”. Other article for TIME titled: “Ground Zero: Exaggerating the Jihadist Threat by Romesh Patnesar, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 201 reads:” The mosque’s critics and champions both say their goal is to counter radical Islam. In his Aug. 3 speech defending the Park51 project, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that “we would play into our enemies’ hands” if we were to deny American Muslims the right to build a mosque where they choose. “To cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists,” Bloomberg said. New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler, a mosque supporter, says, “Everybody’s liberty is at stake here.” The mosque’s opponents make the same argument in reverse. Gingrich has called the Cordoba Initiative part of “an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization.” Building the mosque, in the words of one conservative columnist, would be “a symbolic monument to the triumph of Islamism in the United States.”

 I believe that Muslims should be allowed to be given the chance to prove their innocence and to be free in their decisions as any other group in America, to build a Cultural Center at Ground Zero.  With respect to those who oppose the idea and make rhetoric ideological statements are understood and respected as opinions according to their build up perceptions of Muslims for  political purposes. But if we look at the matter logically and reasonably, the issue is directed unjustly against the Bill of Rights and the Constitution in the form of opposing the issue. In America, the free country, we observed freedom of speech and actions in many forms.

 -       A California atheist sues to remove the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance and loses ; then wins on appeal; then loses in the Supreme Court.

-       President George W. Bush is criticized for his idea of the Faith-Based Initiative, where faith-based organizations could get federal funds where previously they had been barred. Public school bus drivers are required to remove holiday decorations from their buses after complaints of “offended” parents.

-       We are a nation of many religious faiths, and many of us work for a government in some capacity. Is there any way that religion, and the religiousness of people, can be separated from government and the role of people in government?

 The goal of this article  is not to change minds, but to explain what is in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. What the Supreme Court might say on the issue! Religion makes only one direct and obvious appearance in the original Constitution that seems to point to a desire for some degree of religious freedom. .” The right of the citizens to the free enjoyment of their property legally acquired.”  That appearance is in Article 6, at the end of the third clause:

[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

This statement is simple and straight-forward, and applies to all offices in the entire United States, both state and federal. But the issue of the cultural building  project is not official federal, or state affairs. It is private affairs in a free country. More in the following examples to make us understand the issue of free choice of American people, being Jews, Muslims, or Christians, or any other faith.

The Issue is legal, American owners are free to use  their land. Look at the Oil wills in private properties in Texas.
1st Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
New Yorkers had the same to say, but more succinctly:” That the people have an equal, natural, and unalienable right freely and peaceably to exercise their religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that no religious sect or society ought to be favored or established by law in preference to others.”
The Muslims who intend to build the Muslim Cultural Center are American Tax payers and entitled by constitution to act as any other American group in America freely reflecting their faith.
 Christians built over the past decade tens of Churches in the Muslim Nations with no arguments or debate.
The Community Center at Park51 as described,  once built, the center will indeed house a mosque, “open and accessible to all” — but also a swimming pool, basketball court, auditorium, library, day-care facility, restaurant and cooking school.
The decision  is already made. Twenty-nine out of 30 lower Manhattan community-board members voted to approve it.
President Obama’s statement on Aug. 13 endorsing “the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan” is clear and sound according to Constitutional Law. (Opposition from Newt Gingrish and John Boehner). Opposing this statement is typical to Republicans opposition to Democratic Party in Politics. But President Obama has his Oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
Research directed error. Public opinion of nearly 70% of Americans in a CNN–Opinion Research Corporation poll say they oppose a (Ground Zero mosque), The question by the CNN Research Corporation poll has a purpose to have that public opinion reaction comes to that percentage, may be supporting their opinion. The question in scientific terms is biased, it is ideologically bound, (political or else). The question should be “How do you feel if American citizen group built a community Center in their property? I think the outcomes will not be the same. May be the outcomes will also be different if the term “Mosque” was replaced with Cultural Center. In any case the study by Bush the father, and Clinton in the 1990s, did the same about using research to show that all Americana  are Millionaires. The sample selection in California was biased by both teams to show supporting evidence to prove the opposite. The study error was in (purposive) sampling. The CNN Research Team did the same. Unfortunately. Furthermore, majority of Muslims in  the United States may have more or less or the same public opinion (than 70% ) for the project but they were ignored in the sample to satisfy CNN or TIMES  (whatever) ideology.  
 James Madison, on June 8, 1789, agreed to support a bill of rights in the Constitution, Madison was true to his word . He  rose and  gave a speech in the House where he introduced a series of articles of amendment. One concerned religious freedom: “The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed.” Madison’s proposal for the states. New Hampshire’s read:” Congress shall make no laws touching religion, or to infringe the rights of conscience.”
Finally, Obama statement came from his duty to defending the Constitution. The Presidential Oath of Office as codified in the Constitution in this way: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The constitution and the bill of Rights should be preserved, protected and  defended as President Barack Obama did. (1327 words) www.hasanyahya.com
Dr. Hasan A. Yahya is an American writer, scholar, and professor of philosophy. He’s the honorary member of the Arab & Muslim Writers Union-A&MWU). Has a 2 Ph.d degrees from MSU. He published 40 books plus (34 Arabic and 12 English), and 230 plus articles on sociology, religion, psychology, politics, poetry, and short stories. Philosophically, his writings concern logic, justice and human rights worldwide. Dr. Yahya is the author of Crescentologism: The Moon Theory,  and Islam Finds its Way, on Amazon. He’s an expert on Race Relations and Arab and Islamic cultures, and was invited to several TV shows and international conferences on religion, world affairs and future strategic planning. www.dryahyatv.com
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Whether internal or external, in an era of turbulence and turmoil a step in the right direction to calm the waters is indeed welcome by all peace-loving citizens.

Not only India, almost all nations around the world are caught in the web of violence, instability, ethnic rivalries and clashes, xenophobia, regional chauvinism etc. Yes, it is a frightening web.

As we are all aware of, our nation almost on a daily basis is confronted with many headaches be it in Kashmir, North-East and the so-called red-corridor infested with Maoist revolutionaries, threat from across the border, infiltration of terror elements into our country not only from across the Kashmir border even across from the North-Eastern side ie. Myanmar and from across the Nepal border. Kashmir permanently on the boil, even during Independence day while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing a crowd after the traditional flag-hoisting, a suspended policeman reportedly ‘gifted’ him a shoe from a distance. His father Farooq Abdullah is reportedly happy that on a special day like Independence day a citizen by ‘gifting’ a shoe to his son Omar has joined the elite club of George W Bush, Asif Ali Sardari and P.Chidambaram – all honored like this in the past.

Frankly speaking, in this era of turbulence and turmoil each nation is undergoing nightmares, knows no peace and harmony but each craves for such an ambience to prevail across the world. Bitter experiences in the form of internal violence by terrorist outfits, bombings, suicide-bombings, killing hundreds and hundreds of civilians that too on a daily basis in Pakistan affecting the very existence of that nation – once a promoter of terror elements aided and abetted by its authorities to take on India, its neighbouring country, to upset the peaceful atmosphere in the Kashmir Valley as also the entire India now finds themselves in a piquant situation as the same terror-outfits have finally turned against its Creator. Now the ruling Pakistani leaders though with much reluctance have turned towards the nations across the world to help them in fighting terror prevalent in their country. Even its ‘all weather friend’ USA terms it ‘the epicentre of terrorism’ joining hands with other nations holding the same opinion.

In the backdrop of such a pathetic situation, now affecting other nations also, Russia has convened a summit of four nations, including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is the initiator of the summit with Sergi Lavrov, Foreign Minister assisting him. Pakistan is represented by President Asif Ali Sardari, Afghanistan by Hamid Karzai and Tajikistan by Emomali Rakhmon.

All the four nations are victims of terrorism and drug menace hence unanimous in their views in fighting the menace and rooting it out from the respective nations. Chechniya is a thorn in the flesh of Russians and only less than a year has elapsed when two Chechniyan women suicide- bombers got exploded in a train in the busy hours killing hundreds of innocent citizens. Pakistan’s case already pointed out. The situation in Afghanistan in other words “Afghan imbroglio” is already known to everyone across the world. Taliban militants with ruthless precision target any spot they like and love to hit and these elements still hold on to ‘archaic’ rules and implement verdicts according to Shariat laws, such as hanging in public, stoning to death, beheading and point blank firing reminding medieval periods. Even US, British and NATO forces combinedly found it an ardous task to eliminate those elements from the soil of Afghanistan. Remember the war commenced in 2001 and ten years already elapsed terrorists still on prowl and committing maximum destruction. Still a positive step, though a small step, is a welcome one and hence the Sochi summit has its own significance.

While talking about Afghanistan joining the pact against narcotics it is worthwhile to note here that there the drug empire is reportedly run by Abdul Khali Karzai, the elder brother of President Hamid Karzai. On account of the same reason Hamid Karzai signing the pact is something worth watching in the days to come.

Tajikistan once a part of erstwhile Soviet Union like Russia too is a terror infested nation. About six months ago Tajikistan also came under a violent uprising and authorities had a tough time tackling it.

Apart from eliminating terrorism and drug menace, agreements on power generation, transport and overall infrastructure development, economic and trade co-operation and providing a safe route for transporting ammunition to Afghanistan to take on Taliban and Al-Quaeida elements – accords on the overall development of the region reached amicably in the framework of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.

Next conference is reportedly to be held at Tajikistan.

Let the whole world wake up and plunge into a joint venture in the coming days, for the creation of a more peaceful world devoid of hatred animosities greed, selfishness and treachery to make the world a better place to live in before it is too late.

Please visit my website : www.reflectnews.com At the very outset,let me introduce myself to you. My name is K.R.Surendran,hailing from a village called Pulluvazhy near Perumbavoor.Five books in Malayalam are there to my credit now,and they are “Pooviriyumkunninte- Santhathikal”(Stories),Gloriyayude Dinarathrangal”(Stories), “Mumbai- Sketchukal”(Novelettes), and “Indiayude Bhoopadam” (Novel) and “Pulluvazhy”(novel). Please visit my website: www.reflectnews.comAt the very outset,let me introduce myself to you. My name is K.R.Surendran,hailing from a village called Pulluvazhy near Perumbavoor.Five books in Malayalam are there to my credit now,and they are “Pooviriyumkunninte- Santhathikal”(Stories),Gloriyayude Dinarathrangal”(Stories), “Mumbai- Sketchukal”(Novelettes), and “Indiayude Bhoopadam” (Novel) and “Pulluvazhy” (Novel).  An English novel penned by me -”Some Grassway Realitites With A Romantic Touch”- has been published recently.
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It was thirty first day of October, 1984 when a security personal fired gunshots and murdered a person who was one of the strongest leaders of the world. It was perhaps the day of great sadness that a person who was the architect of the modern image of the nation of India was gunned down so mercilessly. The person lying on the ground was one of the greatest ladies of the world. She was one of the most popular leaders of the twentieth century. She was Indira Gandhi.

A Strong Leader

Indira Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was one of the strongest leaders of post-independence India. She had remained prime minister of India for the longest period. Her rule was praised; her rule was criticised, too. But during her rule, India had built up her image as one of the developing countries of the world.

Her capacities as a national leader and an able administration were at the hardest test during India’s war against Pakistan in 1971. The nation of Bangladesh can be said as the fruit of the strong will power shown by Indira Gandhi. Had she been not so shrewd in taking quick decisions, the Bangladesh would have not emerged as an independent nation after the war of 1971.

Able Administrator

During the time she remained in office, the Indian economy had progressed considerably. One of the major achievements of India during this period was the self-sufficiency in production of food grains. It was very crucial for a nation having the second largest population in the world.

She was only daughter of another great leader of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Unfortunately she was shot dead by her own security personnel on 31st October 1984. After her death, her son Rajiv Gandhi had become prime minister of India.

Indiahas seen unprecedented economic progress during rule of Indira Gandhi. However her decision to impose emergency for some period in 1975 had been disliked by many.

Dear Daughter

During freedom movement Jawaharlal Nehru frequently remained in jail. He used to write letters to his daughter. The letters written to Indira by her father Jawaharlal Nehru is treasure of Indian literature. In these letters he educated her about Indian culture and the ongoing freedom movements of the world. Most of these letters are written while her father was detained in jail. It was the time when the British rulers of India were used to keep important leaders of the country in jail.

For reading similar articles and seeing portraits of great leaders of the world, visit the following links.

PORTRAIT OF MAHATMA GANDHI

PORTRAIT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

I write SHORT STORIES and articles ABOUT PAINTING.
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21 March 2010
Expressing satisfaction over the ongoing Youth Congress elections, All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said they were being held in a democratic manner.
Inspecting the elections at a couple of places here, Mr. Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka, congratulated Youth Congress members for their active participation. Both spent nearly 30 minutes in a marriage hall at Kattur where the panchayat-level elections were being held.
Mr. Gandhi verified the voters’ list and inspected the counting of votes of nine panchayats in Tiruverambur block. He interacted with about 150 candidates and some party leaders.
Puliyur A. Nagarajan, representing the Tiruchi District Congress Committee (South), urged Mr. Gandhi to allow beneficiaries employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to be deployed for agriculture work in view of the acute shortage of farm labour. Mr. Gandhi assured him that the suggestion would be considered.
Congress functionaries M. Raja Ramanathan and D. Guna suggested that elections be held for the Congress just as they were done in the case of the Youth Congress.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi witnessed ward-level elections at the YMCA complex in Puthur. Arriving here from Kochi by a special flight, he and Ms. Priyanka Gandhi drove straight to the building to monitor the election process.
Sources said Mr. Gandhi interacted with the candidates, who were seated in a separate enclosure within the building premises. In all, there were 88 candidates, with the number of voters being around 2,000.
During his about 15-minute stay here, Mr. Gandhi also ascertained details about party membership from the Assistant Electoral Officer.
A tight security cordon was thrown around in the city in view of his visit.
S. Sujatha, Mayor; M. Rajasekaran, MLA; Jerome Arockiyaraj, Tiruchi Urban District Congress Committee president; and Subha Somu, Member, National Backward Class Commission, saw off Mr. Gandhi and Ms. Priyanka Gandhi at the airport when they left for New Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi’s samosa story
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi stopped at an Amethi roadside joint to relish a samosa on 27 march 2010.
As Gandhi enjoyed his samosa, several curious people watched him, as his security kept them at bay.
Rahul bought half a dozen samosas and bread pakoras and paid Ram Bharose, the vendor, for them.
Bharose said he took the Rs100 note as “Rahul’s blessings”.
Rahul, spent time in Amethi taking stock of ongoing development programmes.
He also held meetings and interactive sessions with locals.
Also Rahul Gandhi has asked the UPA government to review the below-poverty line (BPL) list.
The Congress MP made the demand last week while attending a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee attached to the rural development ministry, which is finalising ways to revise estimates on the number of the poor. Rahul’s stress apparently was on making the BPL list more “inclusive”.
“Rahul Gandhi was concerned about the anomalies in the 2002 BPL list and sought clarifications from the minister. He insisted that the existing list has excluded a number of eligible people and wanted corrective measures,” said a ministry official who attended the April 13 discussions in Parliament House Annexe. The meeting was called to review the progress of the Indira Awaas Yojana, a housing scheme for the poor. This article is posted by Press Brief.
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SOLUTION TO MAKE AN END TO THE VOILENCE AND KILLINGS!

      A peacemaking article

 Written by:  Emaad Muzaffar

 Student Manav Rachna Gurgaon India 

 From   last week violence has erupted in the valley again over the death of four civilians by the security forces. Kashmir has been under curfew and many separatist leader are put under arrest so that to maintain peace and law and order situations in Srinagar.Voilence erupted again when Kashmir opened on Monday and shutted immediately after killings

            Many media persons were also gagged by the government in Srinagar.Here yesterday evening a senior correspondent of News x Suhail Bukhari said on a debate that I am confined to my office since last night and we are also not allowed even to go out. Several more media persons were also put under house arrest.

                      Mainstream political parties have no feelings, sympathies with those who died but they want to gain their political situations by making all the killings a political issue rather than giving appropriate solutions to stop the violence. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently removed a top honest cop of Srinagar city SSP Javaid Riyaz Bedar and several other police officers for failure to control law and order and firing on Javaid Ahmad Malla.But these transfers have not  resulted in peacekeeping of the city  whereas violence increasing in the city.

               All these killings were done by the central reserve police forces in Srinagar but the Government has taken no action against the forces but is from time to time taking actions against the state police. Omar Abdullah is a hope for some positive people in Kashmir who think that he will make peace in the valley.

     The best solution to stop violence and killings and step towards peace making is to take serious action and conduct a serious inquiry with a full watch and seriousness of the Government of Jammu Kashmir.

 And taking this issue to the central government including the Honble Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to look into the killing inquiries and present law and order situations.

      Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must conduct an all party meeting and must discuss the security, law and order and also must look after the solution of peace making in Kashmir.

  Opposition must also make appropriate points in front of the Government and must persuade the families peacefully rather than describing false feelings and sympathies.

All the forces must become people friendly and must show some restrain by making small use of forces while stone pelting and protests and must stop the killings of the innocent boys.

In the end by concluding ,I request to the citizens of Srinagar to stop stone pelting stop their anger and must do a peaceful protests with positive slogans rather than violent.

 The author is the student of Manav Rachna International School Sec:46 Gurgaon India and is intrested in politics,genral knowledge.
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On second day of his UttarPradesh visit, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi interacted with the media . He started his interaction with an opening remark, “As in rest of the states, Youth Congress and the NSUI is going through the elections and same is being done in UP. And the thought behind this as you all well know is to bring the youth into politics on the basis of merit. We have got good response in UP, even more than my expectation. People across caste and religion are showing interest in this scheme. I am quite happy to see all this. So, this is our process and our first step. We will finish it within a year in the country and it will convert into a continuous system onwards”.

Replying to a query on similar elections in the Congress Party and his Mission 2012 for UP he said, “I have spoken on this issue time and again. This is my habit to focus on the responsibilities assigned to me. My responsibility lies in as a Member of Parliament from Amethi and General Secretary of Congress in charge of Youth Congress and the NSUI. I focus on these issues. My responsibility is to bring the youth into the Youth Congress and to open the doors of these organizations for them. This is my mission and work, I focus on. Whether Congress Party too should go through such type of elections is the concern of Congress leadership, its senior leaders and its senior bodies.

Congress General Secretary further said, “There are number of goals but the larger goal is making the Youth Congress and the NSUI` open organizations’. It is an ongoing goal. Hopefully, we would set up a type of system that will make it perpetual whereby it would start and carry on. There are also sub-goals, smaller goals which, of course, have time limits. Democracy is at one level a process and at another level a set of values and a set of ideas. We can set up a process and we set a process in Punjab, in Gujarat and we are setting up the process in Uttar Pradesh. For this process to transform itself into an idea, requires a certain degree of participation, a certain depth of participation. It will only happen with time. If you will look at our democratic system in 1950 and compare it to our democratic system in 2009, the difference is that the idea of democracy has taken hold. It has taken us 60 years; in fact it has taken us much longer because our idea of democracy is much longer. So, system and process is our Skelton, and it is easy to build a system and process. And we have clear time frame on how to build system and when, what part of system is to be built. The idea of democracy is going to depend on the people who come into this system.

What I see, wherever I go- as I saw in AMU yesterday- what I see among the youngsters is very quick appreciation of this idea. They have a very quick understanding of this idea. So, I am quite hopeful that this will gather steam very quickly. We had KSU elections in Kerala, and it had tremendous impact on the youth of Kerala. Not only in our organization, but also on the organizations that stands opposed to us. They have been asked a question that if KSU has become a democratic force why can’t you? So, there are serious implications of the Youth Congress becoming a democratic force. Other political parties can not ignore this. So, that is some of the thinking behind what we do”.

On becoming Prime Minister Congress General Secretary said, “We have the most capable person as the Prime Minister of this country and this is the fact that is not only accepted by the Congress Party but it is also accepted by the people in the opposition and it is accepted by people in other countries. The rest of the world also understands and appreciates Manmohan Singhji’s capability. The issue of Prime Minister which you keep raising- I have answered this many times- I have one agenda and I focus on that agenda. My agenda is how I ensure that as many bright and young people come into politics. How do I ensure that an organization like the Youth Congress and the NSUI can open its doors to the energy of this country? That’s why I spend my time for them. There are many people who are much more capable than me as far as being Prime Minister is concerned”.

Responding to a question that youth of good and political family background are only visible with him, he said, “First of all, you people tend to focus on these youth. I have with me around 600 or more youth in the Youth Congress who have worked in Tamil Nadu or elsewhere. For example Meenakshi Natarajan, no body knows her; she does not have any connection. Our Youth Congress President Ashok Tanwar, no body knows him. The problem is; the youth coming from general background you don’t focus on that. If you look at the system of whole Youth Congress there are plenty of people like that. Our elected state presidents are like that. You have focussed Punjab, its president Bittuji have some relation with ex-CM. Okay….but what is the reality…? If we have to run a democratic organization, then we can not tell someone not to come just on the basis that he is a son of some politician. As I have told earlier, democracy is an idea and it will take time to run smoothly. When people will participate in a big way…it will automatically solve it. But if you want to meet those youth having no connections, I will show you in bulk. There is no dearth of such people; they are in a big number in the Youth Congress.

On the issue of price hike he said, “I regularly discuss it with the Prime Minister and he has said that government is making all efforts to improve the situation. But for the time being, the price of pulses has raised but government is leaving no stone unturned to control it. Secondly, hoarding is a big issue at the state level which results in price rise. “.

On being asked why he does not speak on employment in his membership drive, he said, “One thing should be clear. Youth Congress and the NSUI are political organizations. It must have the expression and participation of the youth what I am doing. The function of NSUI and the Youth Congress is not to provide employment. These are not employment exchanges; they are political organizations. And the political organizations are being turned into youth organizations. Lot of ideas will come about employment generation out of these organizations. The youngsters who will come into theses organizations will have views on employment and they will affect policies on employment. But it is not direct responsibility of Youth Congress and the NSUI to provide employment. Employment is an issue because of the way we educate our people, we train our people. Issues about which we and Digvijay Singhji were discussing to provide vocational training; issues of relevance of our education to the job market. There are issues of education but Youth Congress and NSUI is not a place to solve this”.

Congress General Secretary said that he is impressed to see the enthusiasm of youth in every state. Replying to a question of which state has stood to his mark he said, “You should rather ask me which state has not stood up to my mark in my initiatives. This is a matter of awareness. . We started it from Punjab and we found less credibility in our process there as that was the first time we had started such elections. We had around 30-35 thousand members in Punjab which jumped to around 3.5 lakh after the elections. We got our all committees elected. After that, we went to opposition ruled Gujarat. There, the level of awareness is more; we had around 40 thousand members; now we have around 7.5 lakh members. Then we went to Tamil Nadu where we had around 35 thousand members which jumped to around 14.5 lakhs. So, wherever we are going, our process is moving forward with a good speed. There is no lack of interest or awareness. There is no any state where the youth has not welcomed this move. Even a tiny state like Tripura, we got one lakh membership; in Pondicherry, we have around 80 thousand members. The youth of this country is willing to enter the politics but its doors are closed to them. It was true for Youth Congress and the NSUI…and other organizations too…it was closed. I have opened the door and I will even break it in coming days. So, there are lots of interest in this system”.

Talking on the views of the youth on historical issues like Babri disputes he said, “First of all I m not trying to create a generation. The generation is already there. What I am saying is; the generation that is there should have entry into the political system in a systematic rational manner. Second thing, where these organization should be focusing? To me if you are a youth organization you should focus on the future. So the idea in the youth congress and the NSUI that I give is to tell the youth of this country where these organizations are going to take this country. But they are democratically elected organizations, so they have their own views about issues of the past. So, I will say look at the future, but what these organization thinks you have to ask these organizations.

On being asked about the Muslim youth arrested in different states, Digvijay Singh, Congress General Secretary in charge of UP replied the question. Mr Singh said, “I will take this question as Rahul ji is not aware because we have all the list of all those Muslim boys who have been arrested in different states. So, along with our president Mr Amresh Mishra of the Anti- communal Front…we are trying to find out the actual position and status of all these families whose boys have been arrested under various acts and in different states. So, Rahulji is not aware of that.

Replying to a query whether he is shying to participate in the debate on Liberhan Commission, Congress General Secretary said, “You know I m not shying away from anything. You know me well. I feel that there are plenty of senior people who are more than capable of debating on the Liberhan commission. I have right now a programme that is being set all the way. I have an election schedule that I have to follow. If I had not come here now, we would not be able to hold the elections. I have other commitment. So, it was pretty much imperative for me to come here, otherwise I would have to delay the UP membership and the election process”.

Congress General Secretary said that whatever he had said on the issue of Muslim Prime Minister is well published by the press. He had said yesterday in Aligarh that anybody irrespective of his caste, religion and region can become the PM of India.

This article is posted by Press Brief.
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On June 20, 2010, the Umu Anioma Foundation created by Prince Ohai, an Anioma indigene based in United States announced the successful unveiling of what the Group called “new Anioma logo”. The logo which represents the past, present and future of Anioma people carries number “37″ presenting the region as the 37th unit of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the message “Ofu Obi Bu Ike Anyi” (Unity is our strength)

The Umu Anioma Foundation Inc is a Non Governmental Profit Organization incorporated under the Georgia law on June 11, 2010 not affiliated to any religious or political group whatsoever. Membership of the Organization encompasses Anioma indigenes with sheer aims and visions of contributing to the development of the region. Major decisions of the Organization emanates from the board of directors set up to govern it. Prominent members of the Foundation include Queenesther Nwaise, Clementina Unoma Nicholas, Vincent Ngozi Mokwenye and Anthony Ndikanwu.

The Umu Anioma Foundation believes that the only means through which the region can develop is its official recognition as one of the states that make up the Nigerian polity. The region which is one of the major oil producing areas remains grossly undeveloped with no visible signs of infrastructural development even in the face of catastrophic and dreadful erosion threatening to sweep up the region. Majority of the region’s representatives have also failed in both the upper and lower chambers to effectively reward the indigenes with developments and have circumvented acting towards easing the people’s afflictions and anguishes.

There are also those who believe that development is far from the region because it is lumped with other ethnic-groups with dissimilar cultural kinship, a situation that has hindered the flow of growth in the area. Not a few also believe that the related Igbo ethnic-group has failed in its kinship expectations to in helping the people advance the agitation for a separate state cause. The feeling is that people have become silently disregarded, worsened by the remiss of the Federal Government towards the agitation for a separate state. The agitation for Anioma State is a 59 year-old project, now older than the Nigerian federation itself, still waxing stronger in the face of stiff disagreement by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Many times, states have been created in the country by the Gowon, Murtala, Babangida and Abacha regimes but the Anioma State have been left to exist only in the minds of the people like an illusion without any explanation from the governments even though the agitation remains the oldest and meets with set criteria. The attempt first opposed and suppressed in 1951 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the House has not died in the hearts of the people.   

Critics and friends of the region alike believe that the Anioma people have been lethargic and languid towards winning a separate state from the Federal Government which why the agitation has remained a mere dream and not realism. They further maintain that as the older generation of Anioma agitators passes away, only a few members of the present family have energetically made known their commitments towards the Anioma cause. Thus much as the region has produced successful politicians, academics, technocrats, leaders of thoughts, sports men and women and stakeholders that have ridden on the strength of the Anioma nation, many of them continue to turn blind eyes to particular issues that unease the people. Many youths of Anioma extraction are inexcusably, unwarrantably and indefensibly ignorant of the towns and communities that make up the region.

Several Anioma personalities serving the government only recall that the Anioma State cause is a dignified one only after they have left offices because they experience one form of marginalization or the other inside lonely retirement homes. Politicians have also trickily used the cause to gather support for themselves only to abandon it upon arrival at government houses. Support of royal fathers from the region is also deficient. It could be argued that only a few Anioma monarchs have genuinely shown interest in the Anioma State cause and have spread the message beyond areas of their traditional jurisdiction. The Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien is prominently regarded to fall within the group of Anioma monarchs in the hunt for a separate state for the people.

What this gives is a depiction that the Umu Anioma Group definitely requires an enlightenment battle to achieve their basic aim of Anioma State since there is no doubt that only “a unified single voice that is calling for statehood for our dear Anioma land” will ensure that a state is carved out for the people. The Umu Anioma Group may also have to work closely with the traditional rulers of the Anioma communities to achieve better results, first by enlightening them on the benefits of statehood within the context of the Nigerian society and delegating the monarchs to reach out to the grassroots from where the idea will be forced down the throat of the Federal Government. Radical peaceful but approach may be necessary to ensure that the state is handed the people.

The Group may also have to work closely with the other ethnic-groups in Delta State who already are crying fowl on the lumping of the Anioma people in the state. For one, the other ethnic groups have reservations for Asaba as the state capital, which is why no Anioma indigene has emerged as the governor of the state since the creation of the state 19 years ago by the Ibrahim Babangida administration. If the other ethnic groups in the state are pushing for a state for the Anioma people because they intend to see them exit the state and the Anioma are also doing so, surely they Federal Government will accord Anioma State with quicker consideration.

For Umu Anioma, working with the rest of Nigerians to ensure that developments reach the Anioma will mean positioning its presence at least in Asaba, Abuja and one South-eastern city. It is an idea that will famously make Umu Anioma a household name on the visionary road to winning the much sought-after Anioma State for its people. In all, the Group has demonstrated that “Igwe Bu Ike” with a membership strength of nearly 2,000 still running. It is a group that everyone is willing to give in his/her best for the Anioma people.

Again, the Group has only established that with collective decisions and the people holding their own destinies in their hands can succeed where political office holders and their representatives have failed dolefully. The Group is demanding is the collective efforts of the people as a requisite for making Anioma land the best place for all which is now and never. With radical approaches the Group has also willed that there is no better moment than now to ensure that development reaches Anioma land. The distinct logo design tells it all in a better language comprehensibly explicable to every illustrious son and daughter of the land.

Interestingly, the Group has set the ball rolling with the unmasking of a logo which will expectedly convey the message to the Federal Government that only the creation of Anioma State will guarantee the sense of belonging of the people in one Nigeria since there are much smaller states in the country that are incomparable to Anioma in geographical size, language homogeneity, cultural affinity, history of origin, economic reliability, expression of the people to live as one and other standards set for actualization of a state in the country. If all of these are a true consideration of what should form a state in the definition of the Nigerian constitution, then Anioma by far should constitute a state in Nigeria.    

The Umu Anioma Group is an online group open to every Anioma indigene including political office holders and top government functionaries who could as well utilize the opportunities presented by the Group to spread developments to their own Anioma land. As the convener has stated “There is no sitting on the fence for anyone single member”. Everyone needs to act positively towards the development of the region. Indigenes with dreams and visions towards leaving positive and indelible impacts on Anioma may register their membership on facebook group of “Umu Anioma Foundation” and their membership will be warmly welcomed.

Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. emekaesogbue@yahoo.com
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What do the two have in common? They are two of the most dangerous places on the planet! Both make the wild, wild West look tame. Both are places where no one wants to venture without the high risk of loss of life. Both nations have “pockets of violence” where warning signs are posted- DO NOT ENTER! 

Who would have ever believed that America, the land of the free and brave would have parts of its own home land off limits to its citizenry?

How long will we allow drug dealers and Mexican immigrants to keep expanding into our sovereign territory and do NOTHING? And when we (as in the state of Arizona) do create a law to enforce other laws, the Obama administration decides to sue them. The Federal government is suing a state government because the Federal government isn’t doing what it is legally bound to do?

How far we have come is amazing: amazingly scary!

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Thursday she’s angry over comments by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that the Obama administration will sue the state over its new immigration law. In a June 8 media interview in Ecuador that began circulating Thursday in the U.S., Clinton said President Barack Obama thinks the federal government should determine immigration policy and that the Justice Department “will be bringing a lawsuit against the act.”

What’s the State Department got to do with Arizona one might ask!

Remember when we have National parks that were  filled with tourists, picnic grounds, and family outings? That’s no longer possible in Buenos Aires National park, nor much of Arizona south of Interstate Eight. In fact it’s not been possible since 2006. The federal government closed a portion of a US park in Arizona four years ago due to violence perpetuated by illegal aliens and smugglers along the US/Mexico border.

Maybe the president will be up to the task of “kicking some ass” to get the United States border secured?

The only problem is that he would have to start with kicking himself first!

As a spiritual-futurist, I have a BA degree majoring in history. One cannot know the future without knowing the past which holds clues to what is on the horizon. The world is in such a rapid expansion of knowledge that we are close to entering a tipping point that will forever change earth as we know it.
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