Will Blacks Be Welcome in Utah? Part 2

Just a short follow up on a previous blog about whether Blacks from New Orleans will be welcome in Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune had this article about a family that chose to stay in Utah.

A Utah Welcome Home
Neighbors pitch in to give evacuee family all they need

By Todd Hollingshead The Salt Lake Tribune

A touching story that shows that compassion for others is not limited or restricted to race or religion. It is sad to understand that we detest in others those character traits we despise in ourselves. I am afraid that those who cry "racist" the loudest are actually the most guilty.

Where Was Big Brother?

We have become a country of second-guessers, Monday morning quarterbacks and backseat drivers. It doesn’t matter what the event; the instant replay, blow by blow analysis and ceaseless dribble regarding who did what or who didn’t do what rolls out from the time the event begins until long after our interest ends.

The current classic example is the hearing when Former FEMA director Michael Brown appeared before a House Republican Committee hearing. He was slammed, ignored and rebuked for failure to perform tasks that were not his. Comments by Mr. Brown include:

"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," two days before the storm hit, Brown said…

"I've overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters. I know what I'm doing, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it," he said…

"So I guess you want me to be the superhero, to step in there and take everyone out of New Orleans," Brown said…

"We put that money in our budget request and it was removed by the Department of Homeland Security" he said…

Brown in his opening statement cited "specific mistakes" in dealing with the storm, and listed just two.

One, he said, was not having more media briefings.

As to the other, he said: "I very strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together. I just couldn't pull that off." ..

Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., “pushed Brown on what he and his agency should have done to evacuate New Orleans, restore order and improve communication.”

"Those are not FEMA roles," Brown said. "FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement. FEMA does not do communications."

In spite of his statements, the committee unleashed undue criticism and blame. It sounded like each member was taking the opportunity to make pre-authored statements that would distance themselves from the mess rather than addressing the problems and Mr. Brown’s comments.

"I'm happy you left," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. "That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job…"

Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., told Brown: "The disconnect was, people thought there was some federal expertise out there. There wasn't. Not from you…"

Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas told Brown: "I don't know how you can sleep at night. You lost the battle…"

In a testy exchange, Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn, compared Brown's performance unfavorably with that of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks…

The problems of Katrina are only being repeated with Rita.

I am terrified of the ‘where was Big Brother’ attitude that has been vented from these events. And the thing that upsets me the most is that the cry and hullabaloo is likely coming from only a few and amplified by the media. I have every faith and confidence that the majority of those that stayed or left shouldered the responsibility to care for and protect themselves

There are reports of people complaining that there is no power, water or sewage in many of the hard hit parishes in western Louisiana. Those who chose to stay should have done so with the understanding that they would be on their own. That means no help from the outside!!! What part of “Get out of Dodge” did they miss?

Reminds me of the note seen hanging on the wall of a car repair shop, “Lack of preparation on your part doesn’t necessarily constitute an emergency on my part.”

This country was built by people who had the courage and tenacity to do it themselves, with or without help from anyone else. But I see more and more, this independent attitude eroding away to a childlike dependency on a Big Brother, a Protector, an all powerful government.

It has been said so many times before, "Any government that has the power to supply you with everything you need, also has the power to take away everything you have.”

When Should We Leave Iraq?

The movement to declare the Iraqi War as unjustified, bring the troops home before another American is killed or another Iraqi is humiliated or tortured is appearing to gain steam. At least in the eyes of the media. I have noticed that the Media has had a field day as new icons for this movement have come to the fore front.

In a story from Yahoo News on September 23, entitled, Human Rights group alleges Iraq prisoner abuse, the author describes how 3 un-named soldiers have come forward and declared that in the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, abuse was a regular course of action.

The abuse was meted out as part of military intelligence interrogations or merely to "relieve stress" of troops, the report said.

"Everyone in camp knew if you wanted to work out your frustration you show up at the PUC (persons under control) tent. In a way it was sport," a sergeant is quoted as saying.

"One day (a sergeant) shows up and tells a PUC to grab a pole. He told him to bend over and broke the guys leg with a mini Louisville Slugger, a metal bat," he said...

"The accounts here suggest that the mistreatment of prisoners by the US military is even more widespread than has been acknowledged to date, including among troops belonging to some of the best trained, most decorated and highly respected units in the US Army," the report said.

Also Cindy Sheehan and her entourage marched on Washington demanding "Peace now" in an article in the Washinton Post:

Anti-War Demonstrators March on Washington

By JENNIFER C. KERR
The Associated Press
Saturday, September 24, 2005; 10:25 PM

Other notable quotes included:

"President Bush needs to admit he made a mistake in the war and bring the troops home, and let's move on," Rutherford said. His wife, Judy, 58, called the removal of Saddam Hussein "a noble mission" but said U.S. troops should have left when claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction proved unfounded...

"We found that there were none and yet we still stay there and innocent people are dying daily," she said...

"Bush Lied, Thousands Died," said one sign. "End the Occupation," said another...

Folk singer Joan Baez marched with the protesters and later serenaded them at a concert at the foot of the Washington Monument. An icon of the 1960s Vietnam War protests, she said Iraq is already a mess and the troops need to come home immediately. "There is chaos. There's bloodshed. There's carnage."

In the British paper, The Independent, there was a story entitled:

Soldier's chilling testimony fuels demonstrations against Iraq war
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
Published: 24 September 2005

The story details and embellishes reports from Hart Viges relating to mass killings and slaughter by US Troops in Iraq.

"I don't know how many innocents I killed with my mortar rounds," Mr Viges, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, said during a presentation this week at American University in Washington. "In Baghdad, I had days that I don't want to remember. I try to forget," he added...

The rare insight into the chaos of the combat ­ including an order to open fire on all taxis in the city of Samawa because it was believed Iraqi forces were using them for transport...

Actually, those are the only notable quotes from Mr. Viges. The balance of the article is the authors thoughts, updates on casualties in Iraq and some quotes from Kathy Kelly, a veteran campaigner with the group Voices in the Wilderness, declaring that Mr. Viges' testimony will greatly benefit her cause.

So, according to these reports, the country has galvanized behind the anti-war movement and the conscientious objectors and our boys are ready to come home? A grieving mother, a conscientious objector and a few un-named soldiers are not policy makers for the country. I don't want us to have to be there, but even if as a country, we chose now to leave Iraq, there are some harsh realities to face.

At this point, it really matter's little if the Administration lied about the weaponss of mass destrutcion or whether the Iraqi intelligence communtity duped us into believing they had WMD to prevent our aggression. The facts are that we are there and Saddam and his WMD are not.

What happens if we pull all of our troops home tomorrow or next week? There is no stable government, no constitution, no established laws, little working infastructure and what is there is being destroyed by the insurgents nearly as fast as we can repair it. There is great tension between the competing Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites over religion, security and soverenty. The insurgents under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, have vowed to remove all the infidels from the land and have declared war on the Shiite majority. They also have targeted any Iraqi that has worked for, cooperated with or smile favorably on an outsider. We are loosing a handful of troops each month while the Iraqis are loosing hundreds.

And what about the thousands of Iraqis that have been killed, maimed or lost loved ones because of the insurgents? The peace activists would have you believe that we are responsible for their sorrows because our presence is prolonging the insurgency. But they are actually being killed because they have dared to stand up and challenge the age-old totalitarian rule of dictators, oligarchs and theocracs that has dominated the region for millennia. If we left, their lives would not be spared, but would be annialilated immediately because they pose a threat to the controlists.

If we pulled out before there is a stable government, the country would plunge into civil war. It would likely become divided into three or more unstable ethnic regions with insurgents and terrorists continuing to decimate the population in an effort by each group to gain a majority by eliminating the opposition. I fear that the bloodbath would be remincent of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge or more recently, Yugoslovia as it divided into Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia where millions of people were brutilized, raped and massacred; men, women and children. Political and ethnic cleansing would be the order of the day.

But is that our problem? Is it okay for 100,000 or 500,000 Iraqis to be butchered as long as no more American soldiers loose their life? Which course is the most humane and moral? If we are to think globally and act locally with the enviroment, shouldn't we be doing the same politically? Where does our responsibility for freedom end? At our borders, with our allies, with our family?

Pulling the troops out of Iraq too soon would be selfish and much more self-serving than anything the administration is being accused of doing. It would create more instability in the region. It would demoralize those groups around the world that are hoping that someday their country will allow them the basic freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where the rule of dictators will be replaced by the rule of Law and their children will have hope for a productive future without fear.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Halloween and a Scary Christmas

I always did have a problem while growing up when we would harvest our garden in September and early October, but not celebrate Thanksgiving until the end of November. It was refreshing during the 2 years I lived in Canada to enjoy Thanksgiving on October 10, it helped make sense of the holiday.

Then as I grew older, it became irritating when the national holidays were assigned to the closest Monday. So Lincoln's birthday was February 12 and Washington's was February 22 but we would celebrate both on a Monday in between. I could almost accept that. But when Memorial Day was changed to the last Monday in May and Veteran's Day became the second Monday in November, it didn't take long to have trouble remembering that Veteran's Day was really November 11 and Memorial Day was May 28,... or was it the 31. (Oh well, does it really matter any more?)

I was gratified to realize that there was something sacred about Christmas, the Fourth of July and New Year's Day. I know there is nothing sacred about New Year's Eve, but it would have been very confusing to have it the last Monday of December or the first Monday of January if New Years Day was still on January 1. I suppose we could have had New Year's Eve and New Year's Day on the same day??

But back to the point. I walked into Walmart the other day, and noticed that the Halloween promotions were already displayed. I quickly calculated that with Halloween starting 6 weeks before the actual activity, we had about 3 weeks until the Christmas decorations arrived and 4 weeks until the Hanukkh menorahs lined the isles but I think someone forgot all about Thanksgiving. Well not forgot, everyone will want to take Friday off of work, but there certainly isn't any time or space in the media or markets for William, the Pilgrim or Tom Turkey.

So to make sure I have this straight, I need to buy the kid's Trick or Treat costumes on the way home from Back to School night so I will have plenty of time to shop for Christmas before I buy the pumpkins to carve before the candy is gone and then I will still have time to buy those final items on the Christmas wish list when I purchase the turkey and cranberries, but I have to set aside some time to make a dreidel, set up the tree and grab some noise makers before they all dissappear and still make it on time to the family picnic on Labor Day.

It's no wonder that we feel that the Holidays are a little overwhelming.

As The Chickens Come Home To Roost....

Several articles showed up today in the news as predictors of what we will continue to see. They each chronicle the typical government response to large sums of money; divert it to your own pet project or skim a large chunk off for you and your friends.

The first story, Money Earmarked for Evacuation Redirected by Rita Beamish of the Associated Press, reports on money that was earmarked for Hurricane Studies. She found that most of the money never made it where it was intended, but was redirected in to studies about the causeway and other unidentifiable places.

The $500,000 that Congress appropriated for the evacuation plan went to a commission that studied future options for the 24-mile bridge over Lake Pontchartrain, FEMA spokesman Butch Kinerney said.

The second, Louisiana Officials Indicted Before Katrina Hit, by By Ken Silverstein and Josh Meyer, LA Times Staff Writers, explains that State officials were already in trouble trying to accounting for $30 - $60 million dollars that had been given to them for hurricane and disaster preparedness and studies.

Senior officials in Louisiana's emergency planning agency already were awaiting trial over allegations stemming from a federal investigation into waste, mismanagement and missing funds when Hurricane Katrina struck.

And federal auditors are still trying to track as much as $60 million in unaccounted for funds that were funneled to the state from the Federal Emergency Management Agency dating back to 1998.

The third, FEMA's Woes Were Merely the Beginning, by Nicole Gaouette, Alan Miller and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, LA Times Staff Writers, discusses the Federal Agency's problems and unpreparedness for such a disaster.

Interviews with federal officials indicate that recovery difficulties have gone beyond the Federal Emergency Management Agency and span key agencies in Washington, where top officials are trying to respond to a huge reconstruction problem for which they had no policies or plans. Large contracts are pouring out of agencies, but the task ahead involves issues Washington hasn't thought seriously about since the 1960s.

As we sift through these articles it becomes evident that Murphy's Law has been broken. There are too many people in high places that have risen far above their ability to perform and are now responsible for situations that they are completely unable to handle. As I read, I wanted to cry out and volunteer to manage these problems. There are many experienced individuals around the country that can properly plan, direct and succeed at this monstrous task. But the sad truth is that while they were busy learning the tricks of the trade, the present position holders were handing out campaign bumper stickers and soliciting contributions for the present office holders.

I worried when the majority of the appointees of President Clinton all seemed to come from Arkansas and the appointees of President Bush appear to have a home address of Texas.

Now the worry is over and the predictable results are in play. We have thousands of people handling billions of dollars in reconstruction money that don't know how to change a door knob or plan a family picnic.

The Supreme Court, John Roberts and the Rule of Law

I have been able to only hear some of the proceedings in the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I have read a great deal of what the opposing and supporting sides are saying about him. There are a few basic points that have emerged from the debate and should be elaborated upon.

First - The attitude of many people regarding the purpose of the Supreme Court has shifted over the last 50 years. Rather than being a body that reviews laws to determine if they are consistent with the Constitution and existing law, the Court is seen as a body that should decide the morality of law. This would empower them with the authority to create or to strike down laws according to the beliefs and attitudes of the members of the Court. It would negate the power of the people through the Congress to create laws. There was a reason the founding fathers invested the power to make laws in the Congress. By doing so, this power remains in the hands of the people. When it is given to 5 of the 9 Justices that are appointed by the President, we no longer have a democracy or a republic, but an oligarchy.

Second - Because too many special interests groups believe in the power of the Court to create law, they have adamantly stated that no person should be on the Court if the Justice does not hold the same moral values that they adhere to. We have seen repeated attacks on Judge Roberts as interrogators have tried to determine his personal beliefs and values on the principles they hold most dear. The most compelling reason to me that Judge Roberts in a perfect person for the job rests in his repeated declarations that his passion is preserving the Rule of Law, not in furthering any particular personal agenda. Any Justice on the Supreme Court should hold this standard in the decisions they address.

Finally - There are many legal activities that I personally feel are damaging to either individuals or society, but because they are currently legal, I must allow those who choose to do these acts the same freedom I expect them to allow me. If a law or activity is dangerous, destructive or harmful, it is the responsibility of the people through the Congress, not the Courts, to create or change the law. By following this path, we will find the true intent of the Founding Fathers when they stated that the purpose of the Constitution was "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."

Mud Slinging Govenor Takes on a Gun-toting President

An Associated Press article quoted the soft spoken Gov. Blanco:

Blanco: Body Recovery Taking Too Long Sep 13 2:41 PM US/Eastern

NEW ORLEANS

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco lashed out at FEMA on Tuesday, complaining the agency is moving too slowly in recovering the bodies of those killed by Hurricane Katrina.

The dead "deserve more respect than they have received," she said at state police headquarters in Baton Rouge.

She said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency still has not signed a contract with the company hired to handle the removal of the bodies, Houston-based Kenyon International Emergency Services.

Calls to a FEMA spokesman in New Orleans and the Homeland Security Department in Washington were not immediately returned.

I am amazed at the brashness demonstrated by some people. This is the lady that was given over a week to prepare for the worst disaster to strike this country and when her turn came to "stand and deliver," she failed miserably. Now to top it off, she continues to rant and rave against the people that are bailing her out. What kind of a dog bites the very hand that feeds them?

The other disgusting reality is that if the Govenor had done her job properly in the beginning and had evacuated the area properly or had supplied the aid needed, there would not be the amount of dead bodies to recover.

I work with disaster victims all the time in my occupation. If this was a business enterprise, most companies would have told her to take a flying leap at the moon. No amount of potential profit would justify working with this nasty, demanding, cantacerous, spiteful snippet. But to avoid confirming her damaging dialogue, the Federal Government and its supportive agencies are stepping forward and addressing the problems.

The Govenor's cadundrum is grasping the enormity of the task and the reality of the steps needed to avoid providing additional ammunition from future mistakes. Since she didn't grasp it in the beginning I don't know why we should be surprised when she can't grasp it now.

I have had other clients that fit the mold of the Govenor. The over-riding similarity between them is that since they really don't know what they want or how things should be done, they have a difficult time recognizing the goal when they reach it.

It was gratifying to see that the Mayor of New Orleans has changed his tune and is now trumpeting a more positive melody of how soon the City will be open and back in business.

My own company is sending personnel to work with the local restoration firm that will dryout the Hyatt Regency. This building will work as a staging ground for the other restoration companies that will do the cleanup and restoration. The amount of manpower and equipment to dryout and restore these communities is beyond the scope of most people. If too many people are allowed in to begin the work too soon, situations reminiscent of the Superdome and Convention Center will emerge again as too many start competing for too few resources.

My daddy used to say that when the mouth was open, the ears were closed. I hope that the Govenor can close her mouth long enough to see and hear what is actually happening and not spend her time inventing negative accusations to sling mud on the President. A mud slinging Govenor against a gun-toting President, I wonder who would win that fight?

Let's Play Katrina, The Blaming Game

The accusations of failure and deliction of duty on behalf of the federal government that are oozing out of the goo left by Katrina would be hilarious if not for the fact that too many people are not checking the facts and are believing them. There have been many articles in the media dealing with the proper order of responsibility and the dismal failures on the local level. The article,

The Left's False Assault on President Bush by Peter Ferrara, Posted Sep 8, 2005 in Human Events is the most concise to date dealing with the actual facts.

Mr. Ferrara makes several important points,

1. The federal government is not the first responder
2. FEMA is a financial institution and has no law enforcement authority or personel
3. The resources of FEMA are designed to restore the communities after the fact
4. The National Guard are not under the direction of the President, but the Govenor
5. It is illegal for federal troops to be used against United States Citizens.

These restrictions were set in place to protect the rights of the citizens from being trampled by a dictator minded President. It is ironic that the very people that have complained that President Bush is taking away our freedoms, liberties and setting up a dictatorship, complained when he did not take control and overpower the State and Local officials.

When we understand the way the country is supposed to be run, it is easy to see that the failures to protect and preserve the people of New Orleans lies directly in the laps of the Mayor first, and then the Govenor. I am also amazed that Mayor Nagin and Govenor Blanco are the only ones that are screaming that they were abandoned. Why aren't the Govenors and Mayors of Mississippi and Alabama making the same statements? They have expressed a desire for aid to have come sooner, but they are not blaming the problems they have on President Bush. They are digging in and fixing the mess themselves.

There was little that could have been done to avert the havoc that Katrina unleashed on the city. We do not have the ability to build strong enough to withstand the intense winds and tidal surges that came with this storm. We didn't even know what 145 mph winds would do to the buildings. The tragedy here is the mismanagement of resources, the failure to learn from previous experiences and the paltry partisan politics on the part of the local officials that costs the lives of hundreds of people in New Orleans. If these people are not held accountable for involuntary manslaughter, they should at least be booted from office. If the citizens of Louisiana are unwilling to do this, then they will have made their own bed and will have to sleep in it.

Disastrous Floods, Salt Lake vs New Orleans

I work in the Flood and Fire Restoration business in the Salt Lake City area. I received a call to handle a sewer back-up in one of our local cities. It had a couple of anomalies, a dog was fell in the sewer line and plugged it up and it moved twice, stuck each time and flooded a total of 18 homes. The city did not accept any liability for the problem, but agreed to pay for the cleanup and restoration costs in the name of public safety and then will go after any liable parties that may be uncovered.

The ironic piece to this story is that this back-up occurred two days before Katrina hit New Orleans. I was able to compare both disasters side by side. The thing that struck me most was that in both cases, the residents were victims. They had done nothing to cause the problems they were facing and looked to others to solve the problem. Both felt helpless as the government agencies worked their way through the web of potential legalities before being able to take a position. Our company was called out and stood at the ready, but needed to wait until either the City or the residents agreed to pay for our services before we could begin.

It took a couple of hours, but the City did agree to pay for the costs of cleanup, allowing my crews that were standing by to begin. Once this decision was made, the residents pulled together to help one another and several offered to wait and allow others with more seriously damaged homes to be cleaned first.

Aside from the fiascos at the Superdome and the Convention Center in New Orleans, the residents from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have acted in much the same manner. There are emerging many stories of heroism and sacrifice. I hope we will hear more of them as time goes on.

I am sure that out of the million people displaced by the hurricane, there were only a few thousand that we are embarrassed to know. That is less than 1%. The angry accusations aimed at the federal government are coming from people who either failed at their job during Katrina or have a history of Bush Bashing. Either way, they really are not a creditable source.

More on this later.

Guns Save Lives

Here is an interesting article about how concealed weapons actually save 3-4 times more lives each year than are destroyed.

Guns Save Lives: A Fact that Scares the Left

I especially like the part about the The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence's use of a study that was later revoked by the author. I guess that even lousy data can support a flawed idea.

Continued Threats by Al Queda

On this, the 4th anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Towers, Al Queda released a new video vowing to continue their crusade against all non-believers of their radical philosophies. They claim, "We love peace, but peace on our terms, peace as laid down by Islam, not the so-called peace of occupiers and dictators." It is ironic that their definition of peace is the same definition they condemn.

Unfortunately for their movement, there have only been a handful of people around the world that have succumbed to their fear tactics. Most of us have continued with our lives and many have volunteered and are courageously fighting around the world to defeat these tyrannical outcasts from society.

I pray that we all may have the fortitude and endurance to live, fight and if needed die for the cause of freedom for all mankind regardless of race, religion or gender.

Will Blacks Be Welcome In Utah?

The article, Black refugees ask if Utah will really accept them, recently interviewed diplaced refugees from New Orleans whether they felt they would be welcome in Utah. The majority expressed apprehension and distain for the Beehive State and didn't think they would be accepted.

I have heard several people here in Utah express concern about having large amounts of refugees coming to the state, but the concerns had nothing at all to do with race, but with honesty and work ethic. Anyone who is willing to work hard and give to the community is welcome. Those who want a welfare check, have crimminal intentions or are waiting to be persecuted are invited to seek haven in another location.

Active Mormons do make up a large part of the population, but there are plenty of Catholics, Protestants, Jews and general reprobates for most people to find a kindred spirit. One or more Utah cities have consistantly been voted in the top 10 cities to live in the United States. There is less crime, higher student scores, a greater percentage of the population attending religious services and clean, semi-affordable housing.

But the sad thing that always seems to occur is when others choose to live in Utah because of the values, standards and cleanliness, instead of embracing the standards and values that made this a desirable place to live, they usually try to change it to become just like the place they chose to leave. I have never understood that.