It is easy to identify Liberal Progressive public policy arguments if you remember three fundamentals; there is no liberty in Liberal, no progress in Progressive, and America is not exceptional.  Thus the Tulsa daily newspaper Associate Editor Mike Jones’ Sunday January 17 editorial becomes clear.  Jones demands that terrorists be tried in criminal courts.  He agrees with the current US Administration.  He betrays America and shows ignorance of history in fundamentally returning to the pre 9/11 mindset that killed nearly 3,000 innocent American and foreign civilians.

Jones’ position reflects that of the Clinton Administration when the World Trade Center was first bombed by Al-Qaeda in 1993.  Ramzi Yousef then used a truck bomb intended to break the foundation of Tower One hoping it would fall into Tower Two thereby bringing the entire complex down and kill 250,000 people.  The towers shook and swayed, but he only succeeded in killing six people and injuring 1,042 while causing nearly $300 million in property damage.  There was a trial and convictions, but that did not stop or apparently even slow Al-Qaeda’s return in 2001.  For more detail on Al-Qaeda, click here.

Understand that war has been declared by Al-Qaeda against the United States and all of Western Civilization.  This war does not require that America declare war in return – it is on regardless.  They are fighting for world political domination unified under Islamic law.  Islam is the only modern religion in which significant numbers of followers, often identified as fundamentalist Sunni, demand the establishment of religious totalitarianism worldwide.   Until leaders of Islam resolve this religious debate with their own – Islam in total is responsible for its own fanatics.  

In contrast, Christians are clearly directed by Jesus’ words to “render unto Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God what is God’s.”  In a democracy, the Cesar or the coin of the realm is public study, knowledge and participation in government, but that is another topic.  Christianity is a religion that teaches peace, love and charity not the beheading of others as Mohammad demonstrated for his followers during his lifetime.  Yes, evil has been done by Christians, but in overwhelming majority, people of the Christian faith rejected such radicals historically and dramatically generations long ago.  Now only Muslims can do the same within their own ranks, but until they do there is a case that Islam should pay compensation for acts of terror – out of oil revenues of course.

One of the more interesting books published in 2007 was Aaron Klein’s “Schmoozing With Terrorists.”  A respected international journalist working in Jerusalem, Klein quotes the real Jihadists leaders directly on US politics and how they love the Democrat Party.  They pledge “Eventually there will be a Muslim in the White House dictating the laws of shariah!”  They talk about how they are at war and clearly that they seek to kill all who are devout in Christian or Jewish faith and destroy the free-market liberty based economic system used throughout the world.  They are the ultimate proponents of the class warfare Democrats promote, but on steroids.  Muhammad Abdel-El, a spokesman and leader for the Popular Resistance Committees terror group said, “America will be overthrown.  We are seeing more and more signs that prove that the process had already started.”  These interviews were conducted prior to 2007 and, yes, they plan to stone to death Madonna and Britney Spears.

Now back to the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the panty bomber of Christmas 2009, which Jones uses to make his weak case.  The Geneva Convention (click here for more) is clear.  He should be tried by the military and, if found guilty as his confession suggests, shot as a spy.  He was not in uniform and was targeting civilians admitting, once subdued, that he was an agent of Al-Qaeda trained and supplied by the organization.

Jones, however, suggests that because America is a nation of law our criminal justice system should deal with this case.  However, our Constitution was established for our people not for every emotionally or mentally ill Tom, Dick, or Hussein foreign banker’s twisted trust baby that manages to board an airplane.

Specifically, the Constitution of the United States begins:  “We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Again, because some Leftists like Jones are a bit slow, this first paragraph of our establishing document clearly says “to ourselves and our Posterity … the United States of America” not the world.  If there is no difference or benefit to citizenship in these United States – what are taxpayers purchasing with huge percentages of their personal earnings seized by government at all levels?

To say that because Al-Qaeda does not wear uniforms and march in straight lines; they are not an army is beyond naïve – it is stupid and dangerous.  To say that American Citizenship provides no benefit that cannot be taken in minimal action by non-citizens is to betray all citizens of the United States of America.  

“We are the world” may be a happy song, but not the case despite the Liberal Progressive Anti-American mindset that would do away with American Sovereignty.  It is not the government’s job to grant privileges to non-citizens and if they think it is – it’s time for a new government.  The United States of America was established only by the consent of the governed and if it cannot protect citizens and provide specific benefits to them then what value is citizenship?  How long can we continue to provide consent in our own destruction and devolution of representative democracy as it was here established in these United States?

Evidently not much in Oklahoma.  We spend a considerable amount of money for education in Oklahoma, but it is not going where most Oklahomans think. Teachers, next time we ask for more money for education, we should make sure we say money that goes straight to the classroom with no stops along the way. 

The education budget primarily funds the salaries of those working in education agencies and the remainder then dribbles down to the classroom teachers and students. According to a study by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), the average teacher salary in Oklahoma is $38, 271 compared to an average salary of $74, 562 at the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System, $70, 655 at the Commission for Teacher Preparation, and $65, 581 at the State Department of Education.

What’s wrong with this picture?

To make matters worse, I am hearing from teachers all over the state about the duties they have to do in addition to teaching, such as staying late to clean the school’s bathrooms. Do any of the highly paid education agency workers do that? Didn’t think so.  

Any CEO worth their salt knows that during down economic times, you look at how you are spending money. That is exactly what Oklahoma must do. Let’s revamp our education funding system by diverting money from agencies and get it to where it will make a real difference: in the classroom with a great teacher. That’s where our kids’ lives are shaped every day. Only then will we see what great potential Oklahoma education truly has.

About the author: Ginger Tinney is the executive director of Professional Oklahoma Educators, a non-union, nonpartisan professional association for all school personnel. www.ProfessionalOklahomaEducators.org.    

(Editor’s note: lifelong musician and music historian Jim Downing offers a tribute on Bill Raffensperger)

Bill would’ve been 70 this year. He tried to take care of himself; he quit smoking and drinking years ago, not that he was ever much consumed by either. He never cared for illegal refreshments

 He’d had a heart attack and a bypass operation. A few years ago he was diagnosed with MS, but it went into remission. A few weeks ago he said he’d been having trouble swallowing, but he ate all that was on his plate. Had I known his family history, I would have said something, but it may have already been too late then.

He had fallen several times since the onset of MS. Last week he fell in the bathroom, got stuck and burned his shoulder on a heater. At the hospital they diagnosed esophageal cancer, possibly stage 3 or 4. The testing was awful. Tuesday he called to ask “Can I go now?”

He passed on Wednesday morning January 13.

He pretended to be a curmudgeon, but he was a kind and sensitive man. Well, he could be scathingly satirical, but he usually asked us not to repeat any of those things. (Hmm. I wonder what he’s said about us?) He claims he was bitching about something and someone asked him if there was anything that he would actually like.

“All I want is a woman that looks like Jane Fonda and plays the drums like Chuck Blackwell,” he said.

Bill may have been THE first rock and roll bass player in Tulsa. He started on Tuba and upright bass, and it’s pretty certain he had one of the first electric basses, a Dan Electro someone gave him.

There was this guy who watched him closely at some of those early gigs. The guy bought a bass and was soon taking Bill’s gigs away from him. That guy was Carl Radle, who unequivocally cited Bill as his favorite player. When Clapton’s band inducted Carl into the Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame, it was Bill who played bass

It was Frank McPeters. who suggested we ask Bill to join The Zigs. Drummers and bassists have to click. I never thought he’d even consider it, but he had no shame. We have to admit we’re now spoiled for life having played with Bill for the last six years. All bass players must now stand in his shadow by our reckoning.

He was a brilliant thinker and loved to read and watch science shows. He was quick-witted and often cracked us all up with his comments.

Bill played with Johnny Cale for most of the last 40 years and probably often before that. They’d known each other half a century. Cale has written a couple of hundred songs and he often doesn’t play them the way they are written. Imagine memorizing a catalog and being able to identify the song and recall it.

When Flash Terry toured Europe he took Bill along.

The last three years Bill also played with Tommy Crook on Friday nights at Lanna Thai. Trying to follow where Crook is going is no small feat. Crook plays songs with lots of chords and is likely to change key without notice.

Bill, like Cale, is of the generation that was playing in the early days of rock and roll, so they had to know current hits and a lot of the old standards from the forties and before.

Bill had the right feel for rock and roll. Some bass players are dubbed ‘frustrated guitar players’ who play busily. Bill was content to keep it simple and occasionally toss in some incredible lick just to remind you that he knew his axe inside-out. Like many unique players, his tone seemed to be in his hands – no matter what axe he played.

Humility was part of his credo. He brushed off compliments and disliked having his picture taken. He did not drop names, but occasionally something would slip out. This was usually only if there was a funny story involved. “That was the night Steve Stills sat in.” or “Frank Zappa? I had dinner with him in Hawaii.”

He opened for The Band at Carnegie Hall. He was in the first Clapton’s Crossroads documentary and is in the Cale documentary. Last time out, Tom Petty sat in

 There’s really no telling how many big names played with Bill or how many hugely famous people he met. He knew that was no true measure of who he was.

He was a good man; kind and generous. He was also very smart, wise and funny. If I can make time, I’d like to go through the Gazette archive and pull out all the funny comments he’s made.

“You know why people play bagpipes? Because they can’t play guitar,” he joked.

We loved Bill like a brother. His talent and personality will be sorely missed.

Quotes.

“His playing lifted me up.” – John Hoff
“He was one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met….” -Wanda Watson
“Amen Wanda. He was one of the nicest guys I ever worked with. Everyone who ever knew him will miss him.” Michael R. Green
” I am saddened to think that not enough people knew his genius.” -Greg Lew
“Bill was the best, a great friend, a wonderful person and an excellent musician.” –Rocky Frisco

When did the preferred language of the US change?  Moreover, when did people decide that it was okay to butcher it like a side of beef?  With all of the text speak and “press 1 for English” going on these days how is it that we, as even semi-educated beings, allow the utter raping of the language and never even really bat an eye? 

Now, I will tell you that I believe that humans are a comical creation to say the least and I do not believe that any one race, gender or sexual preference, for that matter, is better than any other.  I think that we have screw ups in every walk of life and also feel that you should be able to take a jab, laugh about yourself and roll with it.  That being said, I have no problems with you using your native tongue or form of lingo in your own setting or communication exchange, the problem I have is when you try to impose on me how I can or should communicate based on what you feel is right or have chosen to.

Leads me to ask the question.  Whatever Happened to…..The English Language?

The last time I checked we live in the United States.  I know this is considered the greatest country in the world (or at least it was), and that it is a great melting pot of different peoples.  If I were to go to another country to live and work I would be expected to learn the language in order to be a productive member of society, wouldn’t I?  I mean if I go to Mexico (or anywhere else) and make a phone call, is there a prompt that asks if I wish to continue that call in English?  I think not.  I need to take it upon myself to learn the language and fit in.  There are no special concessions.  Like I said before, I have no problem with people choosing to use their native language in their own setting or communication exchange.  If you grew up with that and are accustomed to speaking a particular language then by all means use it when you are with your family or around those who understand it.

I don’t want to just attack those of different nationalities, I want to spread this around so don’t just read that first part and freak out.  I think that English is being treated like a salad bar anymore, take and use what you want and if you do not want to leave it behind.  I am sorry, but my senior English teacher, Mrs. Bond must be freaking out.  We are an ever evolving people, that is understood, and as such need to adapt to what is going on around us.  We also need to recognize that all things have a time and a place.  That includes dialect. 

Take for instance text speak.  Nothing drives me nuts faster than when people use it in everyday conversation.  The lol’s, lmao, rofl, brb, and others that keep me guessing on what exactly is being said.  When I was a youth leader I was talking to a group of young people and suddenly one of the girls actually said, “LOL!”  I had to stop and think to myself, “Did I just hear that?”  I said to the girl, “You know were are right here, if you want to “laugh out loud” you can, we are here and will hear it.”  Save that stuff for on-line IM’s and phone texting.

It does not stop there, I know that we as a people are influenced by lots of cultures these days and that language spills over as part of that culture, be it country culture, urban culture, suburban culture, etc.  I just don’t understand why it is so accepted to take those influences and twist them into the English language.  As long as there has been spoken word there has been slang.  Slang is one thing, but to label a dialect as a language to me is absurd. We have people out there that have trouble with what is supposed to be the preferred language of the country. 

Slow down learn one, then move on.  Better yet, learn English and use it properly. 

 

About the author:  Ernie Osborn is just a regular joe that sees life around him a little differently.  He is a former youth leader that believes that life should be lived to the fullest.  His views and opinions may or may not reflect those of Tulsa Today.  Ernie serves as Concert Editor for Tulsa Today.  (In other words, if his writing strikes you and makes you think, great, or if it just makes you laugh and scratch your head that is fine too)

CALGARY, Alberta – Sitting next to a Tim Horton’s donut stand and guzzling a cup of their delicious coffee, your Red Dirt Reporter has a few hours before the flight out of Calgary takes off for Denver and the connection takes me home to Oklahoma City.

And as I sit here staring out the window into the light falling snow, watching planes be de-iced, the experience I just had gives me a lot to ponder.

Just why do people put up with the absurd security measures imposed on us? They’re invasive and unnecessary. “We the people” are made to endure the insanity of government-imposed security measures. It was these same measures that allowed a major breach to take place as happened in Amsterdam on Christmas Day when Nigeria’s very own “crotch bomber” was allowed to board – with the help of the mysterious “sharp-dressed man” – and he proceeded to try and blow up his flight as it approached landing in Detroit. Your loving government doesn’t want you to know about the crotch bomber’s handler, the sharp-dressed man.

Moving on …

Some would argue that “safety” is imperative. I understand that reasoning but as I watch girls of the age of 9 and elderly women being groped and violated by complete strangers – in front of everyone – it strikes this liberty-loving individual to actively question just what the hell we are doing?

My traveling companion and I, spending the Christmas holiday here in Canada, were forced to endure the heightened security measures as we came through the Calgary airport. Arriving nearly four hours early, as we have been instructed for the past several days.  We got our baggage checked, after we were forced to stuff everything , except this very laptop computer, our iPhones, wallet and a book to read. Everything else had to be put in our bags and checked through onto Oklahoma City.

I should note that we had to go to a local mall, here in Calgary, and buy another suitcase in anticipation of what we would endure this morning. Good thing we did, otherwise some stuff would probably have been left behind.

All the while, I am thinking, ‘We have to be inconvenienced because of THEIR major security breach in Amsterdam.’ It’s as if this whole situation was allowed to happen so they can ramp up security measures so they can make our traveling experience more miserable and more unpleasant.

So, after being told we could not go through customs and security until 2.5 hours before our flight to Denver, we were forced to wait around. Eventually we got through and then we stood in line, waiting for our few items to be sent through the X-ray machine. This process took approximately half-an-hour. Canadian security authorities were clearly understaffed. Lines began backing up and our line, in particular, was exceedingly slow. The security officials were telling us nothing.

Up ahead, we could see people being thoroughly “patted down.” Women were patted down by women and men by men.

I got through the metal detector just fine. My zipper, thankfully, didn’t set it off. But it was the pat down (or as a TSA guy at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport jokingly called it as he felt me all over “a free body massage”) that really bugged me.

A beefy Canadian security guy told me to put my arms out like a common criminal and he proceeded to check me out – thoroughly. I was waiting for him to tell me to turn my head and cough. But seriously, “Garrett” (as he was identified on his nametag) patted me down all over. He checked down my pants, checked my crotch and racked me in the process and made me feel like I was about to be processed into prison. I mean, I had taken off my belt so my jeans were sagging. It’s as if we’re all being prepared to be sent to ye olde gulag.

After being violated by “Garrett,”  I went over to put my boots back on and grab my laptop, wallet and iPhone. However, a guy who reminded me of the actor Dave “Gruber” Allen, said “May I check your laptop?”

What could I say? No? He proceeded to swab my laptop. He put the swab in a machine and it was processed. Meanwhile, the Canuck rummaged through my wallet. Was I about to be robbed? What is this? I rolled my eyes and he checked the swab and I was cleared to take my stuff and move on.

Walking over to the Tim Horton’s stand to get my coffee and donut, I couldn’t help but think that the ever-expanding security state here in Canada and in my native United States is actively preparing us for further violations of our civil rights and our rights as humans to be treated with dignity.

One of my favorite writers, Christopher Hitchens, has a great column on the front page of Canada’s terrific National Post newspaper. Headlined “Fresh idiocies loading at gate: We fumble with security while terrorists fly high,” Hitchens notes that when it came to the asinine handling of the “crotch bomber” in Amsterdam “the watch list, the tipoff, the many worried reports from colleagues and relatives, the placing of the name on a “central repository of information” don’t prevent the suspect from boarding a plane, changing planes, or bringing whatever he cares to onto a plane.”

Indeed, Mr. Hitchens. Yet it happened and here we are. Being pawed over by sullen security folks who act as if they’re prison guards ready to put us all on lockdown if we dare question anything they do.

And yes, we have been on the slippery slope for much of the 2000’s.

Entering into 2010 and a new decade, I can’t help but wonder what inconveniences and horrors await the innocent majority of travelers who simply want to get from point A to point B.

UPDATE: We actually got on an earlier flight to Denver and made it to Oklahoma City earlier than expected. However, our bags were not on the flight, as we told they were. Had to scramble to get them in late at night. Interesting trip, to say the least.

About the author: Andrew Griffin is the editor of RedDirtReport.com. Visit the site here.