Can we ever find common ground other than the kind described in above?
Common Ground
Fighting Westboro with Class
Fighting Hate West Virginia Style. Westboro descending on Charleston, WV to inform the good people in the state capital that the Montcoal mining disaster happened because God hates …who even knows…oh ….they got a threatening note from West Virginia.
Charlestown fought back with class and style:
Westboro fanned out. (picket schedule)
They also went to VT to disrupt.
Westboro had mentioned deceased Morgan Harrington on their website. The VT student was murdered last fall after disappearing from a Metallica concert at UVA. Students organized and simply outnumbered qnd out performed Westboro in only the way United VT can do! Morgan’s parents were on hand to express their displeasure at having their daughter’s name dragged through the mud after her horrible fate.
According to WIBW:
BLACKSBURG, Va., (WIBW)_ Members of Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church turned up at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia on Friday morning.
They were there for a protest following the mine disaster which claimed the lives of at least 25 miners. Rescue teams continue to search for four more miners whose fate is still unknown.
The church claims the explosion was a result of a threatening memo that the church said was sent from West Virginia, the New York Times reported.
According to the Charleston Gazette, more than 300 counter-protesters were on hand for a counter demonstration against the six church members who showed up.
Nearby, larger numbers of church members fanned out across three locations in Blacksburg, Virginia nearly two years after the shootings at Virginia Tech that killed 32 people.
They too were met by counter protesters, including the father of Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who disappeared last October. Harrington said he couldn’t believe the Westboro Church was including Morgan’s memory in their protests.
What, if anything can be done to stop these vile people? They are using the very laws that make us tolerant Americans against us. Hopefully the Supreme Court case will castrate their efforts. I would contribute to any plan to legally put these disgusting wretches in their places. I think jail time sounds real good.
And when you thought they couldn’t go any lower, check out the parting shot. This sign was from the Sago mine disaster in 2006. However, they arrived at Montcoal, WV today with similar tactics. The poor people of Montcoal are trying to mourn their dead and recover their lost. They just don’t need this crap.
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens to Retire at the End of the Session
Justice John Paul Stevens has announced he will retire at the end of the session this summer. Justice Stevens is the oldest of the justices and will be 90 active years old on April 20th, according to the NY Times, he still plays tennis. He was appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975. He has served through the terms of 7 presidents.
Justice Stevens is seen as one of the liberals on the Supreme Court. He would classify himself as a conservative.
He sent his letter of resignation to President Obama today. His retirement does not come as a surprise. It was hinted at in the NY Times several weeks go because he only hired one new law clerk. Most justices have 4.
Justice Stevens seems like an institution on our Supreme Court.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) Not to Seek Re-election
Rep. Bart Stupak, the Blue Dog Democrat who was the hold out vote for the health care reform legislation has announced that he will not be seeking re-election. Readers will remember that he is the congressman who was speaking on the floor of the house when he was called a ‘baby killer.’
Bart Stupak probably wants to spend more time with his family rather than deal with the stress of re-election. He was also being targetted for defeat by the Tea Party, according to the Washington Times:TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan tells the Associated Press he’ll retire from Congress rather than seek a 10th term this year.
Stupak has drawn stinging criticism from opponents of the recently enacted health care overhaul after leading a bloc of anti-abortion Democrats whose last-minute support was crucial to its approval by the House.
The Tea Party Express is calling for his defeat at rallies in his sprawling northern Michigan district this week.
But Stupak tells the AP the attacks didn’t influence his decision and he could win re-election if he tried.
He plans to announce his decision at a 12:30 p.m. news conference at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
He says he wants to spend more time with his family and start a new career after 18 years in Congress.
This sort of explains the caliber of people we get running for elected office. Of course, Stupak PO’ed the right and the left. That will teach him to act on his own sense of integrity! [sarcasm alert]
New, Improved Proclamation? More on the Subject….
Here is the new proclamation issued by Governor McDonnell. The bold is mine:
Confederate History Month
WHEREAS, April is the month in which the people of Virginia joined the Confederate States of America in a four year war between the states for independence that concluded at Appomattox Courthouse; andWHEREAS, Virginia has long recognized her Confederate history, the numerous civil war battlefields that mark every region of the state, the leaders and individuals in the Army, Navy and at home who fought for their homes and communities and Commonwealth in a time very different than ours today; and
WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to reflect upon our Commonwealth’s shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present; and
WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to this war and was an evil and inhumane practice that deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are thankful for its permanent eradication from our borders, and the study of this time period should reflect upon and learn from this painful part of our history; and
WHEREAS, Confederate historical sites such as the White House of the Confederacy are open for people to visit in Richmond today; and
WHEREAS, all Virginians can appreciate the fact that when ultimately overwhelmed by the insurmountable numbers and resources of the Union Army, the surviving, imprisoned and injured Confederate soldiers gave their word and allegiance to the United States of America, and returned to their homes and families to rebuild their communities in peace, following the instruction of General Robert E. Lee of Virginia, who wrote that, “…all should unite in honest efforts to obliterate the effects of war and to restore the blessings of peace.”; and
WHEREAS, this defining chapter in Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live, and this study and remembrance takes on particular importance as the Commonwealth prepares to welcome the nation and the world to visit Virginia for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War, a four-year period in which the exploration of our history can benefit all;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert McDonnell, do hereby recognize April 2010 as CONFEDERATE HISTORY MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.
Is the inserted paragraph an improvement or did it make matters worse? The Proclamation was issued at the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Did any of them stop to think about the unintended consequences of this blunder?
I am not happy with the new paragraph buried within the ‘whereases.’ It sounds to me too much like the Governor is now saying slavery was the cause of the Civil War. Many historians, including those with Sons of the Confederate Veterans, would probably find that statement erroneous. Slavery was certainly factor, a strong factor in Civil War causes, but most folks agree that it was not the only cause.
We should acknowledge the Civil War as we enter the sesquicentennial time period. However, we need to talk about it with the sensitivity of 2010. And I have to say it, white people simply cannot tell black people how to feel about slavery. They just don’t have standing or the ‘right stuff.’ This situation is living proof why the heritage of Virginia cannot ever become political. Perhaps it simply is not up to government to keep our history alive.
UPDATE: Governor Wilder’s radio interview
Read Governor Wilders Proclamation from April, 1990.
Reverend Barbie? Barbie Ordained!
What will this girl think of next? Not bad for a lady born in 1959. Barbie has been ordained as an Episcopalian Priest. This move is a 2nd career for Miss Barbie. A little bio from the Deacon’s Bench (which is a Roman Catholic site):
The 11.5-inch-tall fictional graduate of Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif., has donned a cassock and surplice and is rector at St. Barbara’s-by-the-Sea in (where else?) Malibu, Calif.
She arrived at the church fully accessorized, as is Barbie’s custom. Her impeccably tailored ecclesiastical vestments include various colored chasubles (the sleeveless vestments worn at Mass) for every liturgical season, black clergy shirt with white collar, neat skirt and heels, a laptop with prepared sermon and a miniature, genuine Bible.
Apparently a devotee of the “smells and bells” of High Church tradition, the Rev. Barbie even has a tiny thurible, a metal vessel used for sending clouds of incense wafting toward heaven.
The Rev. Barbie, who in less than a week had drawn nearly 3,000 friends on her Facebook page, spends most of her time in the office of the Rev. Dena Cleaver-Bartholomew, rector of Christ (Episcopal) Church, in Manlius, N.Y., near Syracuse.
The Episcopalian Church began ordaining women in 1976. A handful of women were ordained before then but it wasn’t with the official sanction of the Episcopalian Church. The current leader of the church is Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, a real gutsy lady who is not without controversy. The American Episcopalian Church has undergone what many would consider a schism because of its official position on ordaining women and the role of gays in the church. I hope Barbie knows she is stepping in to a hornet’s nest.
Apparently Reverend Barbie isn’t for sale yet. Perhaps she will never be. The Mattel site sure isn’t featuring her. If there is enough interest, perhaps Mattel will ‘ordain’ her for sale. Should action figure dolls become religious figures? Today we have Reverend Barbie. There were rumors of Burka Barbie. Do we next have Taliban Ken? Rabbi Joe? Father What-a-Waste? Ayatollah Andy, G. I. Jesus? Where do we stop? Does having a ‘doll of the cloth’ cheapen religion or does it enhance it?
McTaxes?
The other day, some of us were batting around some conversation here on ‘Howlings and the subject of a drive through tax came up. I said I had never heard of anything like that. I called a family member who works in the city and would have reason to know about drive through taxes. She said the city had a meals tax and that was all.
I came back with that response. Another reader came along and told me I must never go to McDonalds and told me politely that I was incorrect. There was a carry out tax. Ok. Me wrong? Not the first time and won’t be the last. I retracted, corrected and did what normal people do in situations like that. So today I swung into McDonalds to see what I was missing (other than heartburn). There it was, TAKE OUT TAX, right there on the receipt.
I was madder than hell at those supervisors for sneaking a tax through on us. Then I got mad at myself for being so unaware. Then I contacted a friend who works for the county in high places. I was told there was no PWC ‘TAKE OUT TAX’ and that I had been robbed.
Do places other than McDonald’s charge a TAKE OUT TAX? How dare a restaurant call something a tax that is clearly a surcharge on their services? Well, they don’t. I sent Mr. Howler out bright and early for one more McD’s trip. i told him not to come home without a receipt. Myth.
McDonalds is not charging a tax. They have stupid words in front of the word tax, like TAKE OUT. Some are marked EAT IN. It is simply the 5% VA sales tax. Panic over. Prince William County does not have a meals tax. Past referendums have not passed. The City of Manassas does have a meals tax. McDonalds does not have a special tax.
I hope this clears up this misconception. Feel free to dispute. If someone knows something I don’t, I am all ears.
Mine Safety Issues
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UPDATE: 4/10/10 The 4 remaining miners at Montcoal have been found dead.
One has to ask, why doesn’t MSHA (Federal Mine Safety and Health Agency) do more to insist on safer mines? It makes no sense that the feds govern mine safety and the state can also. Yet a company has over 600 violations from one mine? How about the feds going in, shutting down the mines when they have glaring violations like ventilation systems not working and forcing the mines to pay the miners for time spent off the job until the mine is in compliance?
A current theme of mine is “this is 2010.” Coal mining has been unsafe since men first went into the bowels of the earth. Companies have gotten rich off the backs of miners. Part of our language comes from the dangers of mining (Canary in a coal mine). There are so many songs and films about the dangers of mining. Still we have companies that have zero regard for the ultimate safety of their workers.
Should we insist that the federal government protect miners by holding the companies’ respective feet to the fire about violations? Should mining safety be turned over to the state? Probably those who would battle any attempt to reform coal mining standards enforcement would be the coal miners and their families. They are a hard, tenacious group held together by the danger of the job. The key word here is J-O-B. A coal mine brings jobs to an undeveloped, economically depressed area. Mining is hard dangerous work but it pays well, especially when the unions are involved. Where are the unions during all this talk of violations?
Mining is good money if you live to spend it. Massey Energy and its CEO Don Blankenship might have a great deal to answer for once the dust has settled, the dead buried, and the lost found. We simply cannot have mining accidents like this in 2010. These miners aren’t our canaries!
Gov. McDonnell Declares April Confederate History Month in Virginia
Many past governors have avoided this topic. Governor McDonnell has issued a proclamation that April is Confederate History Month in Virginia. Here is the proclamation that is posted on the Governor’s website:
“It is important for all Virginians to reflect upon our commonwealth’s shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present.“
The action states that “this defining chapter in Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live, and this study and remembrance takes on particular importance as the commonwealth prepares to welcome the nation and the world to visit Virginia for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War, a four-year period in which the exploration of our history can benefit all.“
McDonnell’s proclamation heralds an upcoming anniversary April 17, 1861 which is the anniversary date that Virginia seceded from the union. McDonnell has issued about a dozen proclamations since taking office.
Perhaps it would have been more sensitive in 2010 for Governor McDonnell to have proclaimed April to be Civil War History month. Many young men lie buried here in Virginia who fought for the Union. 150 years later seems a long enough time to have divisive issues like north and south as part of our current dialogue.
Before anyone races over for the attack, let me state that I am currently looking at my picture of Robert E. Lee in my living room. I have had 2 dogs named for Stonewall Jackson, and my great-great grandfather was a Confederate soldier. Those are personal things that affect my family. I am free to honor our past heroes in any way I choose, from placing their likeness on my desk to naming my dogs after them. That isn’t the point. The point is, this is 2010 in Virginia. Sure, Virginia seceded and was a Confederate state. But, they had to fight someone didn’t they? One cannot study Confederate History without studying Civil War history.
The Civil War is still, even after 150 years, a very contentious subject. People are sensitive. The governor needs to be inclusive if he is going to tackle this subject for the sake of history. If there are other points to be made, perhaps they shouldn’t be and he should be more careful of the advice he is receiving.
UPDATE: The governor has issued an apology for an omission that mentions slavery. New Proclamation link
25 Killed, 4 Missing in WV Mining Blast
Around 3 pm today, residents of Montcoal, West Virginia heard an all too familiar sound of multiple sirens tearing through their small, close-knit mining town. 7 miners have been reported killed and 19 more are still missing.
The cause of the blast is unknown. However, that mine has had a series of safety violations, many resulting from not properly ventilating methane gas. According the the Washington Post:
Nine miners were leaving on a vehicle that takes them in and out of the long shaft, when a crew ahead of the them felt a blast of air and went back to investigate, said Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
They found nine workers, seven of whom were dead. Two others were injured. Two other nine-person crews and a safety inspector who had been working alone were believed trapped, perhaps about a mile and a half underground, said Stricklin, an administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health. Officials do not believe that the roof collapsed.
Dozens of rescuers were at the scene about 30 miles south of Charleston, but it was unclear whether the mine was safe enough for them to enter and look for the trapped men.
Mining disasters are not uncommon to that area. The last West Virginia accident was at the Sago mine in 2006. A list of mining disasters in that area can be found at WVminesafety.org
I feel certain everyone’s thoughts and prayers will be for the victims, the missing, their families, and the town of Montcoal.
More information: Beckley Register-Herald
UPDATE: During the night the nmber of dead increased significantly. 🙁 (6:30 am 4/6/10)
Congratulations Butler University!
No, Butler didn’twin the NCAA Championship, but they didn ‘t lose either. The final score was Duke 61, Butler 59. Butler played their hearts and souls and guts out and to miss the mark by only 2 points is heartbreaking. Somehow, despite the 2 point loss, Butler emerges victorious.
The fact that the Butler Bulldogs came this far is simply amazing.
So Duke gets to be King of the Dance once again. Coach Mike Krzyzewski was magnanimous in accepting the trophy. But Butler gets to be America’s best Dark Horse. And dark horses sometimes trump kings.
Donovan McNabb Traded to Redskins Yea or Nay?
So was this a good idea to take McNabb from the Eagles? Is McNabb over the hill? Is 34 too old for a quarterback? Opinions, please.
Rachel Maddow on Climate-gate and Acorn-gate
Maddow debunks much bull being floated about. She says much of what we have heard about all sorts of scandals are mostly ‘bull pucky. She lambastes the ‘unmooring of facts from politics’ and decries the ‘triumph of fake politics.’
What ever became of the thousands of data entries in England that were supposedly contrived? You know, the ones disproving climate change theories? The British Parliament investigated and found no falsified information.
Acorn has shut down (imagine that with no money). However, the California AG got unedited information and it seems that much of the truth lay on the editing floor. Gov. Schwarzenegger apparently became unhinged over the pimp stories morning, noon and night so he called on his AG to investigate. It seems there was much ado over nothing, but mission accomplished. I understand the politics of personal destruction. One doesn’t even have to leave Prince William County to witness them.
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The Gun Conundrum
Buying a gun is taking longer and longer these days, here in the Old Dominion. What’s the hold up? It seems that gun sales are up in Virginia. However, there are fewer state and federal employees to do that background checks. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch:
The Virginia State Police, the agency that administers the checks, acknowledges that there has been an increase in processing time.
Officials say it is tied to increased demand for firearms at the same time that budget and funding constraints have reduced the number of staffers available to handle the transactions.
Spokeswoman Corinne Geller said that since May 2009, the agency has lost 11 people from its 28-person staff at the Virginia Firearms Transaction Center, including two federally funded full-time workers who used to attend gun shows and conduct the computerized checks on-site.
She said the delays during peak periods can take four to six hours, with a few that require research into out-of-state records taking overnight.
So how many of the people who are grousing and grumbling were also those same people who advocated for smaller government and to cut back state spending?
Apparently some people find the state of the state unacceptable:
“This is not acceptable,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the pro-gun nonprofit group, Virginia Citizens Defense League.
Van Cleave had more to say:
Van Cleave said the delays are costing dealers money and keeping firearms out of the hands of people who need them.
“It is a safety issue,” Van Cleave said. “A person experiencing a death threat and who is denied a lawful gun purchase overnight would be left helpless at the hands of an assailant.”
He said he has received reports of dealers at gun shows losing up to half their business because purchasers’ background checks have not been completed by the time the show closes.
“We cannot afford to have our dealers weakened by artificially sagging sales and purchasers unreasonably inconvenienced,” he added.
Everyone seems to think their issue is more important than someone else’s. We need more cops, more library staff, more teachers, more magistrates, judges, clerical workers in the Bureau of Vital Statistics, more DMV employees. Too many people are hollering less government but are not willing to make the sacrifices needed. Cutting spending involves us all. Government waste is never in the area of our favorite thing to do. It is always in someone else’s camp.
I would prefer to pay more taxes and have restrooms and shorter lines. Throw in a sunset clause to 2 to get us over the hurdle. When those screaming less taxes and less government wake up to the realization that goods and services cost money and that government employees aren’t the ugly step children of private industry, then perhaps we can stop looking like an underpaid third world nation.
Meanwhile, the gun buyers will just have to suck it up and wait in line longer like everyone else is having to do. I hope they will be right out there leading the charge to raise taxes to pay for the goods and services we need to operate as a state. Should I be holding my breath?
Hopping Down the Calorie Trail….
USA TODAY – It’s something you may not want to hear. But with Easter approaching, have you ever thought how many calories does a chocolate Easter bunny have in it?
USA Today found a five and a half inch tall, solid chocolate Easter bunny has 958 calories in it.
If you break it down, you may feel better.
The head has 82 calories.
The ears have 49 calories.
For those who plan to munch on the rest, the legs have 279 calories and the body has 537 calories
I wonder if that is 49 calories for both ears or 1 ear? Betcha it is per ear.
