“Iraq War Veteran Returns Home, Wife Faces Deportation”

Elena

This story demonstrates so many reasons why comprehensive immigration reform is urgently needed.  This injured veterans wife was brought here as a young child.  She has been here 15 years.   During their endeavor to legalize her status,  it was uncovered that she had deportation orders against her due to her fathers attempt to adjust the entire families status.

Jack Barrios, 25, knows a thing or two about war. He is an Iraq war veteran, who suffered brain damage and back and joint injuries while defending his homeland. At home in Los Angeles with his wife and two small children, Barrios is now on the front lines of a new battle.

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Carlos Castro: From Illegal Immigrant to Community Leader

MoonHowler

Today’s edition of the Washington Post features an article on FOA (Friends of Anti-bvbl) Carlos Castro. Carlos is known to many of us and is one of those community leaders we meet in the film 9500 Liberty. Originally from El Salvadore, Carlos left his war-torn country at age 24. He paid a coyote $800 to smuggle him to the USA over 30 years ago. He got caught, detained and deported crossing the border but soon snuck back over.

Now a citizen of the United States, Mr. Castro tells of his journey from illegal immigrant to president of Todos Supermarket, which specializes in foods and services to immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa at stores in the eastern end of the county.

Carlos Castro explains what has motivated him:

“We were very poor, and I had this great desire to break the cycle of poverty . . . I love to read, and as a teenager, I purchased a book by Dr. Robert Schuller called ‘You Can Become the Person You Want to Be.’ I got really inspired by that in my early years. I programmed myself to succeed by understanding that success does not come that easy, that you have to go the extra mile with that goal in mind of breaking that poverty cycle.”

He gives further advise to those who aspire to break the cycle of poverty:

To succeed, people “need a strong work ethic . . . Many of our children have no idea how to go about getting things on their own, how much hard work it takes to accomplish the good things in life. I explain to them that inheriting wealth can actually work against you if you don’t know how to handle it. In order for them to succeed, they need to prepare themselves with a good education and work habits.”

Carlos can be found at most community meetings. He continually lends his quiet courteous leaderhip to others. Prince William County is fortunate that there has been a pathway to citizenship for Carlos Castro.

Full story at Washingtonpost.com

 

McDonnell Says He Will Govern Same Way He Campaigned

MoonHowler

Despite a 17% margin, newly elected Bob McDonnell pledged to govern the way he campaigned and to steer towards the center. He and others have added that they have no mandate.

According to the Washington Post:

The state’s Republicans have recaptured the governor’s office after eight years out of power. But Gov.-elect Robert F. McDonnell made no mention Wednesday of issues that drive the party’s social conservatives, such as abortion and gun rights. He said during a packed news conference at the State Capitol that his focus would be to create jobs, keep taxes low and repair the state’s tattered budget.

“I just want to let everybody in Virginia know that I intend to govern the same way I campaigned,” he said. “I tried to tell people in a detailed way what we intend to do, and now that it’s time to govern, I want to go about the business of getting results and accomplishing those goals.”

This pledge is good news to independents and moderate Republicans who took McDonnell at his word. Virginia has generally profitted from those elected officials with a centrist philosphy. Let’s hope Governor-elect McDonnell can keep the uber-conservatives from nipping at his heels and will be able to keep his word.

The Title is in the Video/A Jon Stewart Post Mortem

MoonHowler

Jon Stewart strikes again. This time he checks out Dick Cheney who seems to have not left DC. The video speaks for itself.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
11/3/09 in :60 Seconds
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes		 Political Humor Health Care Crisis
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Indecision 2009 – Local Election Results
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes		 Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Election Post Mortem 2009

MoonHowler

Yesterday gave us Republcian wins in Virginia and New Jersey. The Virginia wins, for the most part, if one believes the polls, were expected. New Jersey seemed to be more of a surprise. The New York win seemed a bit more of a shocker, since so much attention had been paid to the 23rd Congressional district.

So lets hear those post mortems. Why do YOU think things happened as they did? It’s that or why NIcholas Cage is going broke.

The Never Forget Ship: USS New York

MoonHowler

 

Monday the USS New York came home, for the first time.  Forged from the steel recovered from the Word Trade Center, the New York sailed up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge, turned around, and saled back down to pier 88.  Crowds of onlookers watched,  including dignitaries and families of survivors.

 

 

According to NPR:

Families of September 11th victims as well as first responders gathered at a viewing area where they could see the crew on the deck of the battleship. Shots were fired in three bursts in a 21-gun salute

There are 361 sailors serving aboard the ship at present and about 13 percent are from New York State. There were many requests from Navy personal to serve on the ship. Rosaleen Tallon, who lost her brother, a firefighter, said she was proud the military was using the steel, transforming something twisted and ugly.

After the ceremony, the USS New York headed up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. An official commissioning ceremony will take place Saturday. It will remain in New York until after Veterans day and will then go to Norfolk, Va. for about a year of crew training and exercises


 

 

Click here to see a video of the making of the USS New York and her sister ships.  It is truly amazing to see this ship arise from the ashes.

9500 Liberty to be Shown this Weekend

MoonHowler


Heads up folks! There will be 2 screenings of 9500 Liberty this weekend. The first one will be down in Charlottesville on Friday. The local screening will be this Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 pm at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle. There will be a discussion after the film screening.

Many people asked for advanced notice so here it is so you can make plans early.

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009
3:00 PM
St. Francis of Assisi (admission is free)
18825 Fuller Heights Road
Triangle, VA 22172

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
5:00 PM
Vinegar Hill Theatre (Cost is $6.50)
220 W Market Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902-5027

Update: Please note that the Triangle screening is free. The Vinegar Hill Theatre venue cost is $6.50

Today’s the Big Day November 3, 2009

MoonHowler

Today’s the big day. This is where all the efforts since the last election are finally realized. Some of us take it much more seriously than others. Some of us vote every time there is an election, regardless of issue. Others of us have to be dragged out, screaming and kicking, to exercise the most basic of American rights, while people in far away lands risk their very lives to do what some of us take for granted.

Poor Richard will be happy to be rid of the robo calls. I can’t say I disagree. I expect I have had over 10 a day for the past month. Many will be glad they no longer have to hear endlessly about the Virginia and New Jersey elections, before those 2 states settle back in to semi-obscurity, joining their other 48 sister states.

How is election day special to you? Is it just like any other day, where you squeeze in the polls just like another errand on the way home? Or is it a high holy day of Americana? Are you one of those who live and die for elections and politics?

Tell us your poll experiences? Uneventful? Full of seeing old friends and neighbors? Did you work the polls or did you do other work for your candidate of choice? Were the ‘dreaded union people’ out at your polling place?

“Murdered by Muslim Terrorists” or Nothing

MoonHowler

James Gadiel
James Gadiel
Eight years ago James Gadiel was killed in the World Trade Center.  He worked on the 103 floor of Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial services firm that was so devastated on 9-11.   Cantor Fitzgerald occupied floosrs 101-105 of the WTC which was 2-6 floors above the impact zone.  Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees, all of the employees in the offices at the time of the attacks.  In fact, Cantor Fitzgerald lost more people than any other company or agency on 9-11.

Peter Gadiel, James’ father, wants everyone in their hometown of Kent, Connecticut, to remember his son James.  And his hometown wants to memorialize James. However, the town coucil has rejected Peter’s wording.  He wants the memorial to read that his son was ‘murdered by Muslim terrorists.’  Some members of the town council object to the language and feel it is inflammatory and might alienate Muslim familes.

 

According to Peter Gadiel:

“It isn’t just overlooked, it’s suppressed,” Gadiel said. “It’s simply wrong to imply that people just died. The buildings didn’t just collapse, they didn’t just fall down — they were attacked by people with a specific identity, a specific purpose.”
 

Conversely:

Town officials call the phrase too controversial for a small town memorial, and they recently voted against erecting the plaque if Gadiel insists on the language.

“We perceive ourselves as a very warm, loving town,” said Ruth Epstein, a Kent selectman and one of two town leaders to vote the plaque down. “To disparage any one ethnic group is just against everything that we stand for here.”

Epstein noted that other Sept. 11 memorials, like the one at the Pentagon, don’t mention Muslim terrorists, and she said she does not want to alienate any members of her small and close-knit community.

“We have at least one Muslim family living here with children and it — it would be just awful to have them see something like that,” Epstein told Fox News.

So far, the matter is unresolved. Peter Gadiel refuses to back down. The town official refuse to back down. Meanwhile, the memorial to James does not exist. Gadiel feels that removing the word ‘Muslim’ is not being truthful. He harbors ill feelings because:

“Muslims have to acknowledge that it was their co-religionists who committed this act in their name,” he said. “I am offended that unlike so many others, they refuse to acknowledge that it was their people who did this.”

Full Story at Fox News

WASPS Award…60 Years Later

MoonHowler

Tonight’s Cold Case was pretty interesting. It was the story of a WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilot) in 1944 whose plane and remains were found when a pond was being emptied. The Cold Case crew discovered that she had been murdered. The rest is history, or so I thought. At the end of the show, mention was made of the fact that on July 1, 2009, President Obama and Congress presented 1,073 WASPs with the Congressional Gold Metal.

Like most things dealing with honoring WWII vets, this award was a long time coming. If you recall, the WWII Memorial was only dedicated a little more than five years ago. These women were highly resented as women in uniform. The fact that they could fly only added insult to injury. Their service was seen as doing men’s work back in those days. They only flew non-combatant flights yet 38 were killed in the line of duty.

This service branch started in 1942 and between 1942 and the end of the war more than 1000 women joined up. Today, only about 300 are still alive. Still, they must have been thrilled to finally have their efforts formally acknowledged.

According to the U.S. Airforce website:

Women’s Airforce Service Pilots Elaine Danforth Harmon, Bernice Falk Haydu and Lorraine H. Rodgers were joined by five female current Air Force pilots in the White House Oval Office to witness the president sign into law a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASP.

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Fernandez Taunts the City…Again

MoonHowler

More signs from our local gadfly, Mr. Fernandez.  

Pwc and mans. City

stop your racism. Ag

ainst native Americans

287g, another law by

white supremacists to

get rid of people of color

stop 287g…no more chains

on working people

equality & justice 4 all

 

The above was dictated to me and supposedly it is color coded as shown. The sign is roughly a 7 x 10.

The paragraph below is my opinion only. M-H

I expect the good people of Manassas and its surrounding areas have long been out of patience with this type of signage and with the gentleman who is allowing it to happen. Mr. F stands in the way of any healing our community might want to transpire. He continues to throw gasoline on a fire that is trying to go out. I suspect it is because if the fire goes out, he loses the attention he so desperately seeks. His 15 minute walk of fame is growing dimmer and dimmer.

Rush Accused President Obama of being an Egomaniac

MoonHowler

Chris Wallace interviewed today Rush Limbaugh on his show, News Sunday.  Rush  informed us that President Obama  is an egomaniac.  An egomaniac?  Rush has the audacity to say someone else is an egomaniac?  Speechless.   

 

This video is the mother lode of insults and national antagonism.  Limbaugh  bashes the President, calling him a man-child and a little boy, brags about earning $400,000 a year, talks about his addiction, whines about the NFL (and blames Obama),  and all the other things we have come to expect from this radio actor.  He says Vice President Biden is a windbag and pompous. 

 

Rush feels it is his talent, not the news, that has made him what he is.  Rush seems to be all the negative attributes he has attached to President Obama.  How odd.  Who remembers when he talked this way about Bill Clinton?

Is this the most arrogant, egotistical evil man in the world?  I just think he is Un-American.  He makes me like Glenn Beck, who I do not think is evil, just misguided.

 

Click for full video

Dierdre Scozzafava Drops Out Of NY House Race

MoonHowler

Moderate Republican Dierdre Scozzafava has dropped out of the NY House Race. Three people were running in this  special election: Scozzafava, the moderate Republican, Hoffman, the conservative Republican, and Democrat Bill Owens. Enter Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson who threw endorsements to Hoffman. The money poured in from all over.

The Huffington Post notes:

“In today’s political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money – and as I’ve been outspent on both sides, I’ve been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record,” Scozzafava said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Scozzafava’s decision is a “selfless act” and that the committee is immediately endorsing Hoffman. That support will include financial backing and efforts to get voters to the polls.

Scozzafava also got a gentle nudge to step aside last week from congressional Republicans who had supported her candidacy. Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, tacitly acknowledged Thursday that Hoffman might be the stronger candidate for the party, saying the Conservative Party candidate would be “welcome in our conference.”

The NRCC and RNC moved quickly Saturday to endorse Hoffman, but strategists said television ads run by NRCC in the district will continue criticizing Owens, not backing Hoffman.

Some have called the race a test of the GOP’s future: whether traditional conservative ideology would lead the way forward or if a more inclusive approach would draw more people back to the party.

 

Once again outsiders have tilted a race. The people of NY have really been disenfranchised because of Palin and Thompson. Tennessee and Alaska are a long way from NY.

Earlier in the evening I chided Slowpoke over caring what happened in NY. I shouldn’t have. This NY race is an election microcosm of what’s really going on in this country. If moderates are being pushed back further and further to the right, what is to become of the country? Will the left move more towards the center, or will both sides square off at their respective poles, like 2 old grizzly bears?

The flaw is, there are many of us in the middle, we prefer to call ourselves moderates, who just don’t like being forced into the left or right. A third party might just have to emerge that represents Americans rather than the fringes.

Is this the new Tea Party Rebellion?  It looks to me like the big dogs got sent in to disturb a semi local election.  It defintely doesn’t seem like what a true conservative would want, much less a tea-partier.