Video clips of the week - 2011: Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb 20, Feb. 27, Mar. 6, Mar. 13 [Tsunami], Mar. 20 [Tsunami]. Coast Comment: What should happen to Qaddafi? 2/27/11 Directly below we have written a parody on what can happen when government gets too cocky and irresponsible [In the piece 'On closing Halifax International....']. But there is nothing funny in what these four have allegedly done. And these actions don't speak harshly of their parties, but rather of their own flawed characters. An elected official gets to be in power because he or she is able to convince more voters that the electorate's chosing of them will be the right move. No one ever gets to power by suggesting that he or she will drink uncontrolably from the public trough - quite to the contrary. People are elected because they seem to offer a sense of honesty and integrity to the office they aspire, and it is tragic and sad when they betray that trust and sully their position. They, in essense, are saying to their constituents - 'I don't care about you, rather your election of me is now about me, and how this office can benefit me and my family.' So what should happen to them? At the very least, if found guilty, they should be made to repay what they took with interest and penalties. One of the penalties should be to lose their license to practise law, if he is a lawyer. If you go into a bank, hold it up, and then on the way out, have a change of heart and turn around and give back the money, you will still be charged with robbery. Depending on the severity of their crimes, prison should never be ruled out. They should be fired from office, and any pension they may have earned, be returned to the public treasury. And they should be banned from ever running for public office again. Harsh? Sure, but publicly elected officials are supposed to know better, to act better, and set examples for the rest of us. And if they know the penalties are severe going into the deal, they may think twice before they dip into that forbidden well once in office. Auditor General Jacques LaPointe and the RCMP have done a good job of uncovering this scandal and bringing it to our attention. If convicted, these four need to apologize, and make restitution. And they need not take any more of our hard earned money in the form of salaries or pensions. Not to diminish the seriousness of these alleged crimes, but Hosni Mubarak makes the four of them together look like rank amateurs. It is stipulated that in his 30 years of office he plundered Egypt for some $70 billion - which would make him the world's richest man. That money needs to come back to Egypt, and whatever it takes to make that happen, is being put in motion. Coast Comment: Stellar Investments announces ambitious new development....10/16/10
At this moment, there are four possible outcomes for Muammar Qaddafi: [1] He can kill himself - probably not, because's he's too defiant and egotistical; [2] He will be killed - strong possibility, as there are thousands who cannot stand the thought of him; [3] He can get asylum in a rogue country like Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea or somewhere in Africa - certainly high on the list, and he surely has enough money to pay off a corrupt leader; or, [4], He will be captured and tried as a terrorist.
Earlier this week, a former cabinet minister came out with the revelation that it was Qaddafi who ordered the downing of Pan Am 103 back in the late 80s. If this allegation can be proven, certainly the man needs to be captured and tried as a murderer. It was Qaddafi who engineered the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the former 'intelligence' minister directly responsible for the horrffic act that killed 270 on that terrible day. Al-Megrahi served a little over 11 days in prison for every person he murdered. We have written a 'Coast Comment' on this below, under the heading 'BP hits a new low....'
One can only imagine what goes on in what passes for a mind in this madman, but it would appear his end is near.
And it cannot come soon enough for those tortured and for the families of those murdered by him.
Coast Comment: What should our stand be on 'Mercy Killing'? 2/25/11
Above we make mention of the story of Stephan Bolton, the Liverpool man who recently turned himself into police and told them that he had euthanized his wife to stop her from suffering stage four breast cancer. We also said that this is a very complex issue with no easy answers. Comparisons with Robert Latimer are already being made.
Mr. Bolton has said that euthanasia was never discussed with his wife, so, on the surface, it would appear that his decision to end her life was a unilateral one. The motive, of course, will determine the outcome in any trial that may take place, and it is almost a given that there will be a trial even though Mr. Bolton has not yet been charged. However, if he played judge and jury with his wife's life, it will be difficult for him to 'walk' on this, and he has already said that he will accept whatever fate he is dealt. Certainly, at this juncture, it would appear he'll have little other choice. Responses on the News 95.7 site to this story have leaned hard on his getting his due in court.
So what can he be charged with? Probably, technically, murder, although not murder one. Generally in these cases the charge is pled down to second degree murder - still, though, a very serious charge with heavy consequences. That is what Mr. Latimer was charged with, and while now on parole, he was sent to prison, where he spent seven years. But the very word ‘murder’ is one generally reserved for those who in an evil way take the lives of innocent people. Certainly, no question, Charles Manson and Adolph Hitler fit that mold perfectly.
So, did Mr. Bolton, ‘murder’ his wife? Probably not in the evil, traditional sense of the word, although he has admitted to killing her. But there is a big difference in a well thought out, planned killing of an innocent person for some sort of gain, and that which appears to have transpired in Liverpool. Mr. Bolton admits that he has had terrible guilt over what he did, which is why he said he turned himself over to the RCMP. In his defense we do not for a second imagine that killing his wife was a decision he comfortably made, or once made, that he carried out with any degree of ease. Whether or not the legal system will take that into account remains to be seen, although it appeared to have done that with Mr. Latimer.
Time will tell what should happen. The problem Mr. Bolton has is actually fairly clear - by his own admission, he never discussed his intentions with his wife, and he openly has admitted killing her. While it's difficult to walk in another person's shoes, it is common knowledge in a civilized country that we just can't go around killing people, regardless of the reason - unless it was self defense, which this certainly was not. There is no question that this case will again fuel the debate on mercy killing.
Police released him on Thursday from over-night custody, but say they continue to investigate.
Coast Comment: Four disgraced MLAs heading to court....2/16/11
If you've been following the news lately, you are aware of four MLAs who have just been charged with fiscal abuses while in office. These abuses have included buying items for their own personal use, using taxpayers' money. Three of them - Dave Wilson, Richard Hurlburt and Russell MacKinnon - are former MLAs, while Trevor Zinck has been sitting as an independent after being asked to leave the NDP last year. All have come under the microscopic eye of the RCMP, and each appears to be in serious trouble, with initial court dates set for the 20th. of April. A total of 53 charges have been laid. All face charges of fraud over $5,000, and this could carry by itself a 14 year prison sentence, if convicted.
Incidentally, if that figure is correct, that works out to about $6.5 million per day stolen, for every day of the 30 years he was in office. If the figure is only 10% of that, it still is $650,000 per day, a staggering number by anyone's standards.
Coast Comment: Building 7 revisited....11/14/10
There is now a movement afoot to reopen the investigation into the events of 9/11/01, especially the collapse of the Salomon Brothers Building in New York at a little after 5 on the afternoon of that terrible day. This building - also known as 'Building 7' - was the third building to come down that day, the other two, of course, being the Twin Towers of the WTC.
There are those who want us to believe that somehow this was an inside job. Rosie O'Donnell is one such person, but as a 'Bush hater,' she would love her theory to hold water. There is an entire 'conspiracy' group which firmly believes that the entire 9/11 events were engineered by the U.S. government, so that it could enact the Patriot Act. This act, in part, allows police agents to monitor suspected terrorists talking via phone and computer to their counter-parts in Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and other countries known to harbor terrorists. The U.S. far left saw this as an invasion of their rights, and those of the people being monitored. The virulent ACLU was solidly behind this. The ACLU is also solidly behind suing towns and cities for having Nativity scenes at Christmas, and they stand by NAMBLA for their 'right' to exist. NAMBLA, incidentally, is a group of adult men who like to 'date' young boys, the younger the better.
The reality, of course, is that there are terrorists among us - and overseas - who want to kill us, and any responsible government will do its best to make sure that this does not happen. This is not just an 'American thing' - rather these militant jihadists want to eradicate any Westerner who does not succomb to their warped views on life. The plot to kidnap and behead Prime Minister Harper - along with members of Parliament - a few years back was thwarted by such information under Canada's Anti-Terrorism unit.
So, the conspiracy theorists want us to believe that somehow this third collapse was due to strategically placed explosives, because of the way the building fell. They have managed to assemble some 1200 engineers and architects who will attest that this is what happened - i.e. a planned demolition, much in the same way a demolition company would detonate - and bring down - a tall building like Building 7. While their comments are compelling and of interest, in order for this to have taken place, this is what would have had to happen prior to that day:
1. Workers would have had to gone in weeks ahead and placed explosives on all the supporting beams; they could not have done that unnoticed by security and tenants - impossible;
2. Welders would have had to go in and partly cut through main support members so that the building would come down, literally, in its own footprint. Again, this could not have happened without scrutiny by those not involved - remember, this was an active office building, and the Mayor's Response Team had offices there;
3. If the planned demolition of the building had been the case, then there is no question that the American government would have had to be in on the entire thing.
Here's where that 'theory' goes off the rails: There was no need to pull down the Salomon Building, if the conspiracy holds water. The collapse of Tower One and Two was all that was needed to let us know that a new - and very different - war had just been declared on the United States If the U.S. government had been behind that fateful day - and not for a nanosecond do we think it was - pulling down a third building was simply over the top and unnecessary - we got the message by the destruction of the World Trade Center. Besides, if the Salomon Building had been part of a vast conspiracy, the chances of the plan being discovered would have been phenomenally great - a plan of this magnitude would have been impossible to conceal from even the cleaning crews. Planes going into two towers are one thing, but demolishing a third building under the circumstances conspiracy theorists wish us to believe would not have been possible and gone unnoticed.
But here's where it would get impossibly sticky. In order for any organization to assemble the people that would have been necessary to engineer such a disaster, they would have had to approach thousands. Understand this: that had, say 3,249 people been necessary to make 9/11 happen, it is inconceivable that only 3,249 would have been approached. They would have had to approach hundreds - if not thousands - more just to recruit the proper number. And out of those who thought it was a terrible - and unpatriotic - idea, someone, somewhere, would have gone public. Any other scenario simply makes no sense. Additionally, since the event, someone would have come forth and told their story, if for no other reason than they would have been paid millions for an exclusive. No one has.
So what brought down the Salomon Building? Debris from the Twin Towers severely damaged the building, and uncontrolled fires burning all day - which could not be extinguished because firemen had low water pressure and the sprinkler system failed to engage - certainly had the potential to weaken structural beams. Some actual TV reports - one from Fox, and the other from the BBC - show commentators announcing the collapse of the building before it happened. The explanation for this is simple: this was an amazingly hectic and chaotic day for everyone, and TV crews had probably been told by police and/or fire that because of a huge buldge in the building's structure midway up, that the building would collapse any second. The conspiracy crowd would want us to believe that the networks were 'in on this,' and that they 'knew' beforehand that the whole deal was pre-staged because they announced the collapse before it happened. This was the biggest story of the year, if not the decade to come, and one can only imagine all the theories and thoughts that were flying around that day. Confusion and awe at this attack were running rampant. Again, how on earth could a team have gone in there and planted explosives weeks in advance without someone detecting them? It just wasn't possible, and stretches one's imagination into the next millenium to believe so.
Rosie O'Donnell may be a successful talk-show host, and she may have a large bank account, but for the most part, she is a vapid, idiotic commentator on anything of substance or anything that requires any degree of thought.
But the U.S. government absolutely had nothing to do with it.
Coast Comment: Remembrance Day remembered....11/10/10
Everyone knows that November 11 is Remembrance Day. What many don't know are the specific sacrifices young Canadians have made so that we can be free. Somewhere in the Afghan theater today, there is a soldier who has sustained a horrible injury. Maybe he - or she - got in the way of an IED. Their life - or lives - will never be the same again. The physical maiming goes far deeper than losing a limb - one's whole psychological outlook on life will be changed forever.
There are parents everywhere who have loved ones in a far off land many can't even spell. They will go to sleep tonight not knowing if their child will one day return to the safety of Glace Bay, or Lunenburg, or Halifax, or wherever. Their child is on a 24/7 vigil in a deadly, hostile environment, because their child chose to protect their country instead of going to work for Home Depot or sell insurance. We are not in any way shape or form demeaning the latter two vocations - just that serving one's country from a military perspective makes the word 'job' take on an entirely new meaning.
There are soldiers who have children born without being there to comfort their wives and hold their new son or daughter. There are soldiers in freezing, vile conditions waiting for an enemy that in a very devout way, wants us dead simply because we have different beliefs than they. The enemy is relentless, they are cowards, they are prepared to fight this war with absolutely no rules. They are prepared to attack anyone, including young children. They cut people's heads off on live TV. This, of course, only makes it a much more dangerous war to fight, because we are civilized and are not used to such errant and deviant behavior.
We all remember the bumper stickers that said 'Make love, not war.' In a perfect world, that is a noble goal. In a world populated with the likes of the Taliban, we have no choice but to go over and try to kill them before they can kill us. To not do this would be totally irresponsible, and totally wrong and amazingly stupid.
Everyone knows someone who lost a son, an uncle, a father, a grandfather, or a brother in one of the many wars Canada has been part of over the past several decades. November 11 is a day to especially remember them - and those overseas - and give thanks and prayers for their safety [Although, we should remember them every day of the year....]. Please don't forget the 24 Canadians murdered by jihadists on September 11, 2001. No, they were not veterans, but they were casualties of a very different war than World War Two, and sadly, casualties of a war we will be in with very little end in sight for a very long time to come, if not forever.
Please, take a moment, and pray to bring our fighting men and women home safely. And if you have a neighbor or friend with someone overseas, pick up the phone and call them and stay in touch. They really need our support. Really, they do. And your kindness will not go unrewarded. Thank you.
Here is an excellent video produced by Lighthouse Publishing. And, here's an an equally excellent encapsulation of the day across Canada, as reported by the CBC.
Coast Comment: A 'billion' put in perspective....11/4/10
It's sometimes - or maybe all the time - difficult to wrap your head around what a 'billion' means. Well, let's try to put it in perspective: a billion seconds ago it was 1959. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
You may wonder why in the recent U.S. mid-term election, the policies of Barack Obama were so soundly rebuked. Well, he has been spending a billion dollars every 8 hours and 20 minutes of every day since he came into office -almost two trillion dollars. Yes, you read that correctly. By the way, a trillion dollars is a 10,000 square foot warehouse, packed with 4'x4'x6' pallets of hundred dollar bills, each one holding 96 cubic feet. Every day, three billion dollars - that's, to put it another way, almost seven [count 'em] CN Towers stacked one on top of another. Every day of the week, almost 13,000 feet up into the air. In a year, that's almost 900 miles high of hundred dollar bills - 900 miles. All we need to have happen is for the head of the Chinese Central Bank to wake up nervous one morning, and start dumping U.S. Treasury notes at a discount. "By selling American debt, China would weaken the value of the dollar, damage investor sentiment towards the U.S. economy and make it harder for Washington to finance its giant budget deficits," said Michael Schuman in a Time Magazine article. A fiscally irresponsible governnment - which the Obama one is - has serious potential to set off a world wide depression, the likes we have never seen. California is in debt to the tune of $138 billion. New York state, $60 billion. They will never be able to pay that back - never, ever, in my lifetime or yours, or our children's lifetimes. And on a national level, Obama has mortgaged future generations of Americans, and it will affect us right here in Nova Scotia. Don't go to this site unless you want to be shocked, but it is the U.S. National Debt Clock in real time. By comparison, the Canadian Debt Clock looks rosy - you may want to rail at our politicians, but somehow, they have managed to keep our debt at less than half the U.S. one, when pro-rated for population.
The effects of this out-of-control spending are already happening. The U.S. dollar has fallen over 20% since Obama came to power. While that's nice if you want to go to Florida for a few weeks, the bottom line is this: Nova Scotia - from an economic standpoint - is now more expensive to visit because our dollar costs more. When the dollar was at 65 cents U.S., Nova Scotia was a real bargain. Now, with our dollar at over one U.S. dollar, people will look at other options. Goods we produce cost more, which means we are no longer as competitive world-wide. Companies outside Canada will shop more eagerly to find a better price for their needs. This will mean potential plant closures, job lay-offs.
But it gets bigger than this. Because the U.S. national debt is now so high, inflation will start to creep in as it did under fiscally incompetent Jimmy Carter. Under Carter, first mortgage rates in Canada rose to 22%. Yes, you read that correctly. One just cannot continue to borrow and borrow and borrow, with no pay-back plan in sight, without serious repercussions. Yet, this is precisely what Obama has done from day one - 900 miles of hundred dollar bills. Again, these are stacked one atop the other, NOT laid end to end.
Obama said in his news conference November 4th. that he lived 'in a bubble.' This just shows how completely out of touch with reality this man is. The president of the United States does not live in a bubble - he has access to any and all forms of the best communication tools anywhere, and the best economic advisers known to man. Obama has simply chosen to ignore them. The Obamas have decided to live 'in a bubble,' his wife travelling to Spain on the taxpayers' dime [see Coast Comment below], and he ramming through unpopular legislation by bribing people to get it done. Health-care had nothing to do with health care, but all to do with the government grabbing more and more power.
Because of our vast symbiotic relationship with America, what ends up being good for America is good for Canada and vice versa. The results of this election should see the creation of what is sorely needed to get the United States moving again - jobs. And once that happens people will come here in bigger numbers, and Americans will have more money to buy Canadian goods.
And that will be far better for us here at home.
Update, Nov. 25: Obama announces a $100 million budget cut, and a college student puts it in perspective.
Stellar Investments of Lunenburg has announced a new condo-hotel-apartment complex for their property on Masons Beach Road - all to be built on the former Sherman Zwicker homestead, adjacent to the Bluenose Golf Course, with a spectacular view of the town and ocean beyond. In keeping with the developers' sensitivity to their projects, the original house will be incorporated into the final plan, not razed. And in case you are not familiar with the developers, they are Susan and Gunther Reibling, who are no strangers to creative and artistic property development/renovation in the area.
So will this be a good thing for Lunenburg and the South Shore? No, it will be a great thing. In an article written by Robert Hirtle, he has interviewed this visionary two-some, and they have - correctly - stated that this complex will bring people into the town to stay a while. While their resort in itself will be a destination, so will all the wonderful things to see and do around it, like the downtown core, the waterfront, the town's many attractions, Blue Rocks. And beyond: Mahone Bay, Chester, Oak Island. You get the idea. This will mean visitors will stay longer, and leave tourist dollars behind. Naturally, this helps everyone.
But, we feel that the Reiblings are doing this for more than a profit motive. They really love the area, and have poured their hearts, their energy and resources into developments that, while on surface may not make financial sense for a while, have brightened up the downtown and saved significant, once-important structures from the wrecking ball. These older buildings were former works of art, monuments to their builders, were not cheap to originally construct and certainly not to restore. Yet, the Reiblings are leaving their mark so we and future generations can see - and admire - the beginnings of the town.
Every gorgeous area - no matter where - has a landmark hotel. In the Digby area, it's the Digby Pines. In Santa Barbara, it's the Biltmore. And in Lunenburg, it could be 'Casa del Mar,' or 'Inn on the Green.' Hmmm - maybe a contest to name it.
Lunenburg has evolved over the past three decades into one of the most colorful and interesting towns in all of North America. In the early 70s, you could buy an historic home there for $3-5,000. Why? Because no one wanted them. There were few art galleries, fewer nice places to dine. People grumbled about living there. No more. Lunenburg - as with all the towns on the South Shore today - is a vibrant, exquisite community which has had the touch of many artistic people like the Reiblings endowed upon it. To oppose this project is not only folly, but to want to thwart intelligent growth. More power to this visionary couple. We are lucky to have them - and others like them - who want to call Lunenburg home - and make it a better place to live. As a town - or city - gets its 'make-over,' it attracts more and more of the kinds of people who want to call it home and make it a great place to live. With them come their dreams, aspirations and ambitions, all of which get translated into another great restaurant, art gallery, craft shop or bed and breakfast. In case you missed it here again is the link for Robert Hirtle's excellent article.
Coast Comment: 'Then let them eat cake....' - 8/8/10
Michelle Obama has taken a group [about 35] of her friends to Southern Spain for a few days. This would not be so troubling, except for two reasons. One, she just came off a vacation in Maine - and will be going to Martha's Vineyard shortly. But this was entirely on the American taxpayers' dime. Totally. The plane trip, the hotel accommodations, the meals, the Secret Service, the everything. In a time where unemployment hovers near 10%, when many have simply given up looking for work, where government spending has gone through the roof, where people have lost their homes, their cars, their way of life, this kind of behavior on the part of a country's leader's wife simply boggles the imagination with its sheer arrogance.
But, what is really troubling is this [reason #2]: Instead of going to Spain, how about if she'd announced she was going to take her friends to the Gulf for a week to help with the clean-up? The PR she would have generated by this would have been phenomenal, and the spiritual - and economic - boost this would have given people there would have been unprecedented. The media coverage of that move would fill the airwaves for weeks, Instead, it is reported that she was responsible for bringing a billion dollars into the Andalusian economy.
Kirsten Powers - a democratic strategist and big supporter of Obama - said this last night: “Most Americans are just not going to relate to going to Spain with however many friends she has with her… staying at this exclusive hotel, spending all this money, and it is extremely tone-deaf. Politically, it is absolutely tone-deaf. I can’t even believe that she has done it, frankly. It is not what people do in their first term.” We have never seen Ms. Powers ever say anything negative about the Obamas - but she was not happy with this decision.
In the words of another famous woman, Michelle's response was, 'If they don't like it, let them eat cake.'
Coast Comment: The new Arizona immigration law....5/27/10
Update, June 24: Please note - You may wonder why we are writing a piece on the new Arizona Immigration Law SB1070, which goes into effect in July. It’s simple: the people who cross over into Arizona from Mexico are not just Mexicans, but come from many other countries, several in the Middle East, as has been documented by this WSB-TV Atlanta news piece. Uncontrolled access to the United States leads to uncontrolled chaos, which, of course, is what has happened. Bottom line: the citizens of Arizona should have the right to live free from threat of crimes being committed against them by those who have no right to be there in the first place. The people of any place should have that right. What is therenot there not to understand about this? The state of Arizona - and those of New Mexico, Texas and California - have been under siege by an unlimited wave of illegal aliens, some of whom are hardened criminals, and some of whom may be terrorists. The citizens of any state - or province - should be able to go about their business - or do a simple thing like go to sleep - without having to worry about some criminal who has gotten into the country illegally, attacking them., or worse, wanting to murder them or their family. We just cannot understand what there is not to get about this. This new law is not racial prejudice, it is not indiscriminately profiling law-abiding people, and it is not aimed at unfairly attacking anyone. It is about making a terrible situation better. The problem, of course, is not just about illegal Mexican citizens choosing to go north. It goes much deeper than that, and to understand the horrific consequences of unbridled, illegal entrance to the United States, you have to understand another unbridled issue: hatred of us and everything we stand for - our countries, our lives, our values, our families - by militant Islamic groups. There is no easy way to say this: they want us dead. They cannot stand us, our way of life, they cannot tolerate freedom itself [There are 57 Islamic countries, and not one of them is a democracy]. They have zero tolerance for any views opposite to theirs, and in fact hanged a seven year old boy on June 10th., because his grandfather had supposedly spoken out against the Taliban the day before. The boy was accused of being a 'spy.' Seven. Can you comprehend this without going into a rage?
Last week, Mexican President Philipe Calderon, in addressing the U.S. Congress, had the nerve to excoriate Arizona for enacting this law. Have you read what happens to a non-Mexican national going into that country illegally? Arizona 1070, by comparison, is a day at the beach. Of course, El Jefe, if the immigration tide were to be turned back, the $17 billion that flows southward annually would be drastically diminished. Calderon may be a fool, but he is not stupid - replacing that kind of money coming into a country in economic trouble, as Mexico is, would not be easy. An attack on America will naturally affect Canada. One only has to look at what happened after 9/11. Border protection in Arizona, New Mexico, California and Texas is a joke - but not a funny one. It has to be fixed, and if not, you can bet your life that not if - but when - some terrorists get across into the United States, that they will not be coming for the sales at Walmart. And they don't have to come to Canada to inflict damage on this country. To ignore that horrendous hole in the southern border is like being on the top deck of the Titanic, and feeling safe, because 'the hole the ice made is so far away - and not very big in size.' Additionally, it has been said that if you are in favor of this law, that you are a 'racist,' because it supposedly will profile darker skinned people [70% of those polled in Arizona are for 1070]. The law specifically states that racial profiling cannot be used in an arrest [or even a traffic stop], and the racist charge is the same idiotic rhetoric leveled against those who do not like Obama. Hats off to Governor Jan Brewer for having the guts to stand up to this mess and to the brainless politicians on both sides who created it. "We sent letter after letter to the White House asking them to help us, for a solution," the governor said. "They didn't respond to one query - not one. So we just formulated what we feel is necessary to help alleviate this horrendous problem and protect our citizens." Ms. Brewer's concerns were brought to the surface last March, when the body of 58 year old Robert Krantz was found, shot, slumped over his ATV, foot-prints going back over the border. Mr. Krantz' family had ranched on the border farm since 1907, and he was known as a kind, gentle man who gave water and other aid to illegals. One only has to wonder the fear that border residents go to sleep with every night knowing that they could be robbed, or worse, killed, by criminals coming in from Mexico. It is a sobering thought, and one no law-abiding person anywhere should every have to think about. After all, this is Arizona, not some third-world nation at war with its neighbor. If you want it put into perspective, imagine living on the East side of the LaHave River in Bridgewater, and Mexico is on the West side. Imagine all kinds of illegal activity going on across the river - shootings, drug running, human smuggling. Now, further imagine that Ottawa will do nothing to stop the craziness from flowing into East Bridgewater. Now, you have the picture. It is so unfair that U.S. citizens living in a part of their country have to fear for their lives. But that is what the complete lack of border security is doing to thousands. All Arizona is doing is trying to protect their citizens, a fact that Washington has little interest in doing. P.S. If you go to 'Emails Received,' and scroll down to 'And other things,' there is a parody that pretty much puts the frustration of law-abiding citizens of Arizona - and other states - in perspective. This is simply shameful.... Update, May 31: Jan Brewer will be in Washington this week and asked to speak with Obama about this bill. His staff said he 'did not have time.' With the majority of Americans [70%] behind SB1070, we only see this as a major mistake on Obama's part. However, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's cancelled trip to Washington, maybe now he can find time.
In an unbelievable series of events, now two federal agencies have joined the boycott of Arizona by canceling out conventions or meetings there. The Mayor of Austin, Texas, Lee Leffingwell, has advised city workers not to go there because of racial profiling. Racial profiling is simply not a part of this law, and one has to wonder if any of those complaining about it have ever read it. For the record, the police can only stop someone and check their resident/citizenship IDs IF - and only IF - they are stopped for committing a crime. So, they cannot just pull someone over if they are dark-skinned. But if that dark-skinned person is caught robbing a store, or some other crime, then, yes, the police will have the right to find out if that person has any legal right to be in the state in the first place. And why should they not?
Police officers in Nogales, Arizona, have been threatened by the drug cartels 'not to seize our stuff.' Police who grabbed a shipment of marijuana a couple of weeks ago were told in no uncertain terms, 'not to do it again.' What is going to happen, unfortunately, is that sooner or later, there will be a cross-border incursion by these thugs, innocent people will be killed, and Washington will have to do something. Because now, it is doing nothing. It's difficult to imagine - living in Mahone Bay, or Chester, or Bridgewater or Lunenburg or some other beautiful town along our coast - what it would be like if our neighbors were hardened criminals out to kill us. 90% of illegal drugs coming into the U.S., come in through Arizona.
Basically, the American federal government, first under President Bush, and now under Obama, have pretty much - for political reasons - looked the other way regarding illegal immigration. No party wants to offend the Hispanic vote, which is becoming more substantial yearly. But that party - pardon the pun - is pretty much over.
The people in Arizona have had it, plain and simple. They are 'done' with all this. Phoenix is now one of the world leaders in cities for kidnapping and home invasions. Millions of dollars in illegal drugs flow across the border every month like a swift current in the Rio Grande. There are over 465,000 illegal aliens in that state alone. They get free education, free medical, welfare, and God-only-knows what else [see the comment at the end of this article how that happens]. No one can blame a Mexican for wanting to come North - they'd be crazy not to. One can only blame the insane politicians who have offered such a huge buffet by just crossing the imaginary line in the sand. The Obama administration has called the new law ‘subjective,’ and ‘discriminatory.’ Interesting, because the federal law - which U.S. border agents and other police [including Obama] are required to enforce - says that ‘anyone can be stopped at any time, for any reason or no reason, to check their papers' - a law with far more 'teeth' in it than 1070. The Arizona law clearly states that only someone caught in the commission of a crime can be asked if they have the proper residency documents. All the governor is doing is enforcing a water-downed version of the federal law, since the Feds have ignored it [see Jan Brewer's comment at the end of this story].
Obama has said he will send 1,200 National Guard troops to the border. Most will do desk jobs. It is common knowledge that 6,000 are required, one commentator put it at 10,000. So we have someone down a thirty foot well, and Farmer Obama shows up with a six foot rope and a great smile on his face because he is 'going to get that someone out.' Not going to happen. This parallels General David Patraeus’ request for 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan, and Obama commits to 30,000, some four months after the request was made [While he dithered, one has to wonder how many more troops needlessly died]. And then he sends them over in stages. We are building a garage and need 40 roof trusses, and the Barack Building Supply place sends 30 - the roof ain’t gonna happen. Obama's similar handling of the Gulf oil spill was evident when Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal begged Washington for help with 24 booms to keep the oil off shore - Obama agreed to supply six.
Illegal aliens from the Middle East getting into the United States have the potential to get into Canada - they are one country closer. Additionally, a terrorist on the 'no fly list' only has to book a ticket into Mexico City, and then wend his way northward. This exact scenario played out on May 30, when a passenger discovered on a 'no-fly' list, was hauled off an AeroMexico flight from Paris to Mexico City, the plane diverted to Montreal when U.S. authorities would not allow it to fly into American airspace. More will come out as this story unfolds, BUT it clearly shows the potential exposure the U.S. faces from an unsecured border.
Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General and Janet Napolitano, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, both have raised their opposition to the new law. However, when each was asked if he or she had read it, replied ‘No.' [If this subject wasn't so darned serious, this video would be hilarious].
And only you can answer that.
The governor told Obama that her state "is under siege," and that the situation has only been exacerbating over the past two decades. She was promised a meeting between the president's staff and her staff "in two weeks." Still, since both staffs were in the same room this afternoon, it seems counter-productive that nothing was discussed between them. We'll keep you posted....
Update, June 7: A young boy, taunting and throwing rocks at a U.S. border agent, was shot and killed today as he tried to get into the U.S. The boy was 15, but that is no excuse for his behavior. What is frightening is that when the border agent tried to get back to safety, the Mexican Army showed up pointing guns at the border patrol on the U.S. side. Granted this happened in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez corridor, but it just as easily could have happened in Arizona or anywhere else the two countries meet.
The border issues are heating up, and they need to be addressed. It will be interesting to see if the meeting between Obama's people and Governor Brewer's takes place as planned. It is scheduled in one week, the 17th. It is certainly a long over-due one.
Update, June 17: Ms. Brewer is scheduled for her meeting with Obama's people today. Will it happen? This is being posted at 10:14 a.m. ADT - we predict it will not.
11:27 p.m. ADT: No meeting, no call, promise broken, no surprise. On top of this Hillary Clinton told an Ecuadorian TV reporter today that a lawsuit will soon be filed against the State of Arizona for their bill 1070. Jan Brewer is hot.
Meantime, Arizona Congressman Gary Miller is introducing a bill which will deny citizenship to so-called 'anchor babies,' unless one of the parents at least is legal. Currently, any baby born in the U.S. is automatically given citizenship. The purpose of this bill will be to eliminate people sneaking into the country only to have a baby, and receive all the benefits of citizenship.
In another matter, part of the Buenos Aires National Park - about 3,500 acres - has been closed since 2006 because of safety concerns for those wishing to use it. This park is right on the border, and the 'closed zone' runs about three-quarters of a mile north from it. Border agents simply have lost control of that area to Mexican gangs. Here's the full story....
Update, June 18, 10:21 ADT: : This just in....Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General, has just announced plans to file a lawsuit against the State of Arizona for their new immigration law. The Governor of the state, Jan Brewer, was not contacted by the Obama people, rather she learned about it from the aforementioned clip on Ecuadorian TV last night.
Update, June 21: We would love to have been a fly on the wall when Governor Brewer saw this video from Sec'ty of Labor, Hilda Soulis for the first time. We almost fell out of our chair. The message in this PSA [public service announcement] is simply dripping with irresponsibility. Today Obama stated that there will be no securing of the border until there is immigration reform. That's fine, except he doesn't feel the effects of what the citizens of Arizona feel, dealing with increased crime and costs to their state on a monthly basis. Again, as with the oil spill, it shows a complete lack of understanding of the problem, how to fix it, or to give a fiddler's damn about it in the first place. Meantime, Mexico has just announced that it will be filing a lawsuit against Arizona, calling the new bill capable of 'the worst abuses in the history of humanity.' It's obvious that Calderon has missed some major events in the history of the world. A statement this stupid would indicate he might also have missed school altogether.
Update, June 23: Mexican drug cartels have firmly established themselves in Southern Arizona, and there isn't much local officials can do about it, since they cannot get any federal assistance. "To say that this area is out of our control is an understatement," said one officer who wished anonymity. "They have set up camps at the tops of mountains that are on the U.S. side of the border, and let the cartels know when to cross. They watch for the border patrol to head away from their area, and then radio in the shippers. It's crazy," he said. "This is America, and we have lost control of it. Those people [the cartel members] are very sophisticated, and have enormous fire-power." We're wondering if Obama and Biden might consider spending a night or two out there camping. We think not. More....
Meantime, today Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stated that 'the border has never been more secure' [under the Obama administration]. As a former Arizona governor, we just have no idea how she could make such a statement. Paul Babeu, sheriff of Pinal county, said 'This is absolutely untrue.' Mr. Babeu was on 'On the Record' [here's the complete interview] tonight and said that in 2006, prior to the Yuma border fence being completed, that 134,000 illegal immigrants crossed over. Three years later, the number had dropped by 95% to just 7,000. Now, most illegals go in through the Phoenix corridor, where, of course, there is no fence.
In another development, predator drones will be employed out of a naval air station in Corpus Christi to over-fly the border.
Update, June 27: In an unprecedented move, Obama Friday appointed former Houston police chief, Harold Hurtt, to run a key immigration post. The problem is that Mr. Hurtt has a reputation for not prosecuting illegal aliens. And in an equally unprecedented move, Gabrielle Gifford, an Arizona Democratic congress-woman, has come out against her party for canceling two conventions that were to have been held there. This will be getting a lot of attention.
Update, June 28: Well, the meeting that was supposed to have taken place on June 17th. between the Governor and Obama's people, finally did. It lasted an hour and a half, and at the end of it, when Ms. Brewer was interviewed as to its success, looked as if she'd just been informed that her entire family had been killed in a plane crash. "This is an outrage," she said, "Very disappointing," she offered. She had asked for 3,000 National Guard troops, and instead got a commitment for 542 - for only 120 days. Jan Brewer looked so upset, that it would not surprise this writer if she would make a motion for Arizona to secede. Difficult to believe, but she - and her state - are not going to take much more of this. And, when you have total idiots like Peggy West offering their two cents to initiate a boycott, you get some idea of how frustrating this has been for Arizona leaders. Oh, who is Peggy West? Well, she's a teacher in the Milwaukee school system - aren't they lucky! Here's video.
Update, July 6: The American National Holiday, July 4th., just ended, with tons and tons of fire-works exploding in the skies over America. However, we predict they were nothing compared to what is going to happen now that AG Eric Holder has officially filed a lawsuit against Jan Brewer and the State of Arizona. The same pious Eric Holder who just dismissed intimidation charges against the Black Panthers. Here is an actual clip of one of them taken outside a polling station in Philadelphia - these guys standing there spewing their hatred, blocking non-black voters from going in to vote in the last federal election. "Not enough evidence," Eric Holder said.
This is how screwed up the thinking is at the federal level. Obama is going after Arizona for trying to enforce the federal laws, and yet will not go after the so-called 'sanctuary cities' like San Francisco, Chicago and Houston, which have refused to share information on illegal aliens caught in crimes with ICE [Immigration, Customs Enforcement]. It simply makes no sense.
Update, July 15: Nine states announce they will be backing Arizona in their suit from the feds. Again, it's very important to understand this: all Arizona is going to do is what the federal government has failed to do - protect its citizens. Here's more,,,,
Update: July 28: In a move devastating to the people of Arizona, Judge Susan Bolton struck down parts of 1070 that have the teeth to make it work. This article pretty much expresses the feelings of the Arizona people. Obama has dug his grave on this one, because in an effort to appease the Hispanic vote, he has alienated a good portion of the main-stream voters. We'll keep you posted
Coast Comment: The G-20 - a catastrophe pandering to thugs....6/27/10
With great predictability - with great sad predictability - a group of anarchists has roamed into Toronto, not just to disrupt the G-20 meetings, but to inflict as much damage on the city and its people as possible. They are bullies, they are cowards, they are thugs. Worse, they are domestic terrorists. To see the 'mentality' of those the police and citizens of this great city had to deal with, go to this website.
"What we saw yesterday is a bunch of thugs that pretend to have a difference of opinion with policies and instead choose violence to express those so-called differences of opinion," Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief spokesman Dimitri Soudas said Sunday.
Over a billion dollars was spent on securing the conference, a huge portion of that to ensure that these creeps didn't get anywhere near where the meetings were taking place. This was just not a Toronto 'problem.' Seattle held the World Trade Organization meeting in 1999, and was just over-whelmed by the violence. Ditto for Pittsburg last year for the G-20.
This is what we would do if we had to power to do so:
1. Any demonstrator has to be registered, and charged an entrance fee. This fee will help pay for security and for numbers that they must wear; any demonstrator caught without a number on will be arrested, and a minimum sentence of 90 days in jail; numbers will be used to identify registrants from video tape. Take the number off, and you will go to jail.
2. Absolutely no hoods, masks, goggles or anything else that could shield identity will be allowed in; no back packs or large purses. These deranged creatures brought in billiard balls, hammers and even jars of urine, which were thrown at a CBC news crew.
3. At the first sign of a violent outburst, tear gas will be used in a manner never before employed. They will acknowledge understanding of this in the registration form.
4. It will be a felony, with a stiff prison sentence, for anyone caught destroying property. Any policeman/woman who feels their life is being threatened will have the right to use deadly force, and ask questions later.
It's important to understand that we do not fault the Toronto police in how this has been handled. Not at all. We believe they have done the best they could under the circumstances. And there always is a fine line between allowing people to demonstrate and in wanting to curtail that demonstration because of potential violence. BUT - and it's a huge 'BUT' - these conferences always draw the nuts and the crazies, and they need to be shown that civilized human beings will not put up with their destructive and out-of-control behavior. Would it be easy to register these people? Absolutely not, it would be a night-mare. But an easier night-mare than picking up after they have had their destructive run at the city, regardless of where that city is. It is simply insanity to allow these absolute criminals the rein they have been given.
Peaceful demonstrations are part and part of our way of life. We have no problem with them. But, these demonstrations never are. If there were ever a scenario where the expression 'Prepare for the worst and hope for the best applies,' it is this. Enough, surely, is enough.
YouTube has just turned five. The immensely popular web-site where almost anyone can post a video on line, has become a main-stay in the entertainment field for many.
How many videos are on YouTube? Well, that’s hard to answer, because new ones just keep getting posted. But - Wow! - if you could watch every one that’s on there now, it would take you [yes] 1700 years of non-stop eye-gluing. My wife is on there, as are many assorted videos on Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater, Chester [Go to the bottom of the 'Home Page' to link up with these...], and how to hook a rug. You can see a 7 minute movie on what San Francisco was like in 1907, or how to drive a Model T Ford. You can watch the hilarious 'Breakfast with Ginger,' and world-class commercials like this one....What you can watch is pretty much only limited by your imagination.
Dave Carroll gets back at United for treating him shabbily - if you have not seen this, you must....As of this date, 8.6 million hits!
Obama proudly admits he’s a Muslim, not once, but many times. He also tells the world that he has done what no one else has ever done - he's been to 57 states - with two to go!
You mightn’t have 1700 years, but next time you get a few moments, go on in and check it out. But watch out, because it’s easy to get hooked…like that proverbial rug.
Happy Birthday, and many more to come - certainly for the next 1700 years
Coast Comment: Is $79,000 too much to give to Osprey Ridge? - 5/1/10
Is a $79,000 grant for Osprey Golf Course a good thing? "We had a lot of bad weather last year," Osprey Business Manager Bill McInnes said. "It really put us behind...."
Osprey - which is entirely membership owned - is a class act, and hosted The Royal Canadian Golf Association's Canadian Women's Senior Championship and the Nova Scotia Amateur last year. Personally, I am not a golfer, and have never had a lot of interest in the sport. Perhaps that lack of desire is based on the fact that I used to caddy when I was about 10, [the game was only about six years old then] and hated walking around looking for some guy's ball. And if I was lucky, I made a couple of bucks for a strenuous afternoon. However, having said that, I have high respect for the game as a sport, and have many friends who are insane for every opportunity to play golf. When I lived in Honolulu, I marveled at those who would fly over from Tokyo every Friday night to play because the time on the plane was less than they had to spend waiting to tee-off in their homeland [Of course many fell in love with the city and the 'cheap' real estate there {Where in Tokyo 600 square foot condos sold for $5 million, and where a bedroom was a drawer you pulled out from the wall and crawled into, a 1500 square foot two bedroom in Hawaii would have been less than half that} and bought condo after condo which pushed their already stratospheric prices even higher - but that's another story].
So, a local club that promotes a healthy life-style needs a little help? Let's give it to them, without any rancor. Osprey is one more good reason to visit the South Shore - and many do because of it. And the money they leave behind on gas, lodging, shopping and meals will more than make up that $79,000 short-fall.
'Fore!!!'
See you at the 19th. hole....Here's more from Keith Corcoran, of Lighthouse Media.