The Patriots Main Page 
         Contact Us 
    
"The doorway to freedom is framed with muskets." - Charlton Heston

 Links: Americans for Prosperity    Kansans for Judicial Accountability
          Flint Hills Center for Public Policy   Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC (08 August 2008) – A U.S. Department Health and Human Services proposed regulation that would protect freedom of conscience for pro-life physicians and pharmacists will be rewritten to reflect pro-abortion demands.

{We publish from time to time things that are of historical and patriotic interest.  Oil is an invaluable resource and endemic to our national sovereignty. Snopes reports that this is a work in Progress.  The article is presented as received - Ed.}

by Anonymous

Like you, I've been absolutely blown away by what  has happened to the price of a gallon of gas.  More like just plain MAD!  But it's time (way past time, obviously) for all of us to put up, or  shut up. And by that I mean quit belly-aching to one another (trust me - I  do it as well - so I'm talking to myself, too, here!) ... and DO SOMETHING.  And trust me .. not buying gas from one or two of the 'Big  Boys' for a month, or electing to not buy gas on a given day. is not the  answer. The answer is one I know you know, and have heard many times  before from people a lot more well-versed in this than me: LESSENING our  dependence on foreign oil.  

Just poking around the Internet recently, I  simply "Googled" the search "Untapped U.S. Oil Reserves," and the result (like  the current price of a gallon of gas - BLEW ME AWAY!  Go ahead, take a  minute and see for youself!  Never mind, I'll share some of the highlights  I found.  

Ever heard of the Bakken Formation?

The U.S. Geological Service issued a report in April ('08) that only scientists and oilmen knew was coming. It was a revised report (hadn't been updated since '95) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota and extreme eastern Montana. 

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska 's Prudhoe Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable... at $107 a barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion. "When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea" says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature's financial analyst.   

"This sizeable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years," reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It's a formation known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the "Bakken." And it stretches from Northern Montana through North Dakota and into Canada .  For years, U.S. oil exploration has been considered a dead end. Even the "Big Oil" companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken's massive reserves... and we now have access of up to 500 billion  barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL! 

That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 41 years straight. 

"U.S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World!" Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006.  Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world - more  than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its  extraction. 

* 18 times as much oil as Iraq
* 21 times as much oil as Kuwait
* 22 times as much oil as Iran
* 500 times as much oil as Yemen - and it's  all right here in the Western United States.    
* 8 times as much oil as Saudi Arabia

HOW can this be? HOW can we NOT be extracting this?  Because we've not D E M A N D E D legislation to come out of Washington allowing its extraction, that's why!

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study, says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East - more than 2 TRILLION barrels. Untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.  
Don't think "Big Oil" will drop its price - even with this find? Think again!  It's all about the competitive marketplace, and if they can extract it (here) for less, they can afford to sell it for less - and if they DON'T, others will.  It will come down - it has  to.   

Take 5-10 minutes and compose an e-mail, fax or good old-fashioned letter to our elected officials in Washington ... and their respected leaders. Send them an e-mail/fax, DEMANDING an immediate Legislation/Energy Plan that calls for tapping into these (OUR OWN!) reserves, as well as allowing for the offshore drilling for OUR oil, in OUR offshore waters and inter-continental shelf ... not to mention Alaska. Technology ain't what it used to be, people (ever had arthoscopic surgery?) 

They can surgically extract OUR oil, and get us on the way to at least some measure of Energy independence, and accomplish it in an environmentally-friendly manner. If you don't take a little time to do this, then you should stifle yourself the next time you want to complain about gas prices ..  because by doing NOTHING, you've forfeited any right to complain.

by Greg Beck

Ronald Reagan once said, "…we have come to a time for choosing. Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, 'What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power.' But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector."And what is our government's legitimate function? Our Constitution's Preamble says "to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty."

On the contrary the founders were rugged individualists that inherently believed in property rights and distrusted authority.  They knew all too well about the abuse of power and individual/state's rights when too much power devolves to any central authority-- say like a despotic monarch or an overtaxing parliament/legislature.

The founders believed in capitalism, free markets, and private businesses and believed that government, although a necessary evil, needed to be kept small, with its powers limited and dispersed to keep it from depriving people and businesses of the rewards of their work--their wages, their property, and their liberty.  That's why taxes, while necessary, need to be kept low.  Legitimate government functions need to be conducted and fairly paid for while only lightly infringing on an individual's liberty, money, or pursuit of happiness and the ability to take care of one's own family and their lives.

But too often today we're taken in by the politician's siren call of promises to deliver "free" education, "free" healthcare, Medicare, social security and other "entitlement" freebies.  We want to believe that and we want to trust their good intentions, but we know that there are no real "free" lunches.  Everything comes at some cost and that cost is always our freedom and ability to choose for ourselves. 

by Anonymous

If you drop a frog in boiling water he will leap right out. If you slowly heat the water he will be content until it's too late to get out. That is exactly how history works. It moves slowly and we sometimes never see any danger until it's too late.

Remember how suppressed workers were before unions came along? The unions leveled the playing field. Unfortunately, over a long period of time the pendulum swung too far. Slowly, businesses and factories closed and jobs left the country. We were comfortable and didn't see the change coming. We blamed everyone except ourselves for what happened. We weren't alert to how slow things change over time. World War II and the Korean War, demonstrated how powerful a united nation could be. Our nation and our families, were united. The father was the head of the family and the President was the head of the nation. Both were highly respected. We were content and happy.

We were good at fighting a hot war but we were unprepared to fight a cold war with the communists in the 50's. They knew they couldn't change us quickly, but they didn't care. Their philosophy was to wait it out and capture the minds of our children. They loaded our colleges with many of their professors and waited. You know our Broadcasters and Newspapers are Socialist Left Leaning Liberals. Dont wonder why, just remember all those College educated Journalism Majors running these media outlets. That is why. It didn't take long to see the results.

The 60′'s ushered in the radicals, drug culture, student protesters, and the Vietnam War. The aim of the cold war was to divide and conquer. They divided our families and the nation. The secret to defeating a polite and respectful people is to scream. The louder and longer you scream the better your chance of winning. Radicals are masters at this form of attack. They know if you constantly scream and repeat a lie it will eventually become the truth.

The media and Hollywood, hammered us with hate America themes and stories. Our service men, and women, were jeered, cursed, and spit on. Even the people, who latter wanted to become their President, trashed them. We lost our first War in history. There was no hero's homecoming for our fighting men and women.

The Reverend King, who was raised in the old school, peacefully changed the race issue and united the people. When he died the new breed of Black leaders like the Jesse Jackson's, Lewis Farakon,'s Al Sharpton's, and Rev. Wright's put a lid on his efforts and turned racism into a money making machine.

Corporations were green-mailed by threats of protests, product boycotts, or endless lawsuits. Every issue, large or small, became a race issue. The public recoiled in fear of being called a racist. Their voices were silenced because one word could cost you a career, get you fired, or get you sued.

Our politicians buckled under to the pressure. The Florida legislature issued a formal apology for having slavery 200 years ago. They were thanked by being asked for compensation. There is no end in sight for this kind of nonsense. America didn't capture slaves and bring them to America. Their own people sold them to slave traders from several nations. This knowledge doesn't stop the screamers. History is what it is and you can't change it although the screamers continually try to re-write history as they want to see it (to try to prove their point that America is Evil). There have been many tragic events in history. You should acknowledge them and move on.

The Socialists and screamers divided our nation into two separate Americas. We now have African-Americans, Mexican Americans and Arab Americans, although Africa or these other places have nothing to do with being an American. You can be one or the other but not both. You are what you were born to be. You do not subordinate our country to any foreign nation. It's equivalent to flying the African flag above the Stars and Stripes.

This election year could be the turning point in our history because the frog theory has come into play. It's time to step back and look at how the country has slowly changed since the cold war started. Don't get caught up in all the hype.

George McGovern was the first Presidential candidate to test the waters with college students. The Clinton's played a big role in his campaign. It was the worst campaign ever run. He was crushed in the election.

Step two was to infiltrate all the information vehicles such as Broadcasters, Newspapers, Magazines, and Movies. They were quite successful at that.

Jimmy Carter was the first President to demonstrate the leadership skills of the far left. Weak military, high taxes, runaway inflation, 19% mortgage rates, and plain incompetence ended his career in Washington. Iran, a small country at the time, took American hostages and kicked sand in our face. By negotiating from weakness Carter could not get the hostages released.

The Carter years were followed by the Reagan years. The nation got a clear look at the difference between a weak nation and a strong nation. Everyone should know this difference. When Ronald Reagan took over the hostages were quickly released, taxes were lowered, inflation dropped, mortgage rates dropped, and the military was strengthened. Russia quickly waved the white flag and waited for another Democrat term.

Clinton took over Carters uncompleted social programs. He weakened the military and tried to pass large government programs. An Intern derailed his Presidency. While he was tied up with his personal problems his lawyers ran the country. He passed up three opportunities to take out Osama Bin Laden. This eventually cost us the loss of our Twin Towers, thousands of American lives, and got us involved in a war with Iraq. By the end of his term the left had captured a large share of the media and it flexed its muscle in 2000. The hate Bush campaign got off to a roaring start. The brainwashing theory of repeating the same story over and over again was launched.

There were endless stories about our evil nation and its President. Top-secret plans were leaked to the press and printed for the entire world to see. Hollywood cranked out documentaries about the evil Bush administration and our evil military. The groundwork was laid for the next election. The ACLU flooded the courts with lawsuits and the Democrat party became a law firm. Almost every incumbent, or his or her spouse, is a lawyer.

The Democrats, Liberal Power Seekers, Socialists and screamers now have the perfect candidate because they can squash criticism by playing the race card. If you don't like Obama, or criticize him, you are a racist. They can hide his inexperience and background by turning him into a rock star and singing 'change and hope'. They don't tell us what kind of change, or how it will be done, only that you should hope for the best. By keeping the hype going they don't have to put anything of substance on the table. They also believe they can control Obama because Obama will do what they want.

The only thing we really know about Obama is that his wife has never been proud to be an American. They want us to believe that his liberal college professors, Rev. Pfleger, his ties to radicals Bill Ayer and Lewis Farakon, and listening to the Rev. Wright's hate talks for 20 years, has had no influence on his thinking. If they didn't influence his thinking, then who did? He wasn't in business and didn't see fit to serve his country. These people launched his political career and their organizations received earmarks in return for their campaign donations and political help. They must have had some influence. Rev. Wright's church received over $15 million. That's only one small local church. Think on a national scale.

The Change being promoted is a change back to the Carter years. It started in 2006 when the 'lawyer party' took over. There have been endless lawsuits and investigations in retaliation for the Clinton years. It keeps the lawyers busy but does nothing for the economy. The economy has been in a downward spiral since they took over.

Returning to the Carter years of high taxes, high inflation, and a weak military is not the change that is good for America. We cannot cower to a bunch of crazies whose only goal in life is to kill us.

The old sage's (those of over 50 years of age) MUST play a big role in this election. Our young people simply don't know what the older Americans know. The advantage of our aging is the knowledge we've accumulated. We know what United States means. We know what the seldom-heard word 'Respect' means. We know how wonderful freedom and independence is. You know the difference between a strong and a weak nation; and we know what it takes to keep it strong. We know history because we have lived it.

Although the old guard is dying off, and getting too tired to fight, we have to muster one more charge. If we don't, our children, and grandchildren, will never know the joy and freedom that is the bedrock of our country. The heat is slowly being turned up and the water is getting hot.

The old frogs better start jumping before it's too late.

By Kurt Van Keppel

In a recent editorial from WSJ [Wall Street Journal] it explains this phenomenon succinctly: raising taxes doesn’t increase tax revenues.  For those who studied macroeconomics of developing nations, this is no surprise.  In the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and even now, Latin American countries learned that raising taxes only leads to tax evasion and money flight. In fact, I recently read that the maximum revenue tax rate, is 23%.In addition to tax evasion, another result, far worse for the USA, is the suppression of investment.  By this I don’t mean investment in market funds. Rather, I mean that type of investment that drives the vast majority of employment growth and productivity in this country: small business investment. After a certain tax rate (23% would be delightful), my investment in business growth becomes less and less interesting. Better to put the money elsewhere (elsewhere is in traditional fund type “investments” that are taxed at a lower rate, and don’t create jobs or add to productivity).

What is surprising, however is that American politicians and economists (those that do the press-reporting anyway), don’t seem to realize it. And furthermore, they don’t realize that when they raise taxes on the “rich”, they don’t touch the rich. For tax purposes, consider corporations like people. The USA already has the highest corporate tax rate among industrialized nations (can you believe it?! Check the WSJ). At the same time, we suffer the lowest tax revenue as a % of GDP. Why is this? Because large corporations enjoy incredible tax breaks that you and I can’t touch (or, with incredible perfidy, they relocate to tax havens – like Dubai. Ask Dick Cheney about Halliburton.)

So, when we increase taxes on the rich, who gets taxed? 40% of our population pays little to no tax. 2% pay 35% or more of all taxes. Who pays the other 65%? You do. I do. So do all our other “rich” friends, who are rich enough to pay the higher taxes on income, capital gains, dividends and interest income, but not rich enough to avoid them.

What do we do instead? Here’s my prescription

1. Taxation reform: close the loopholes, and lower the tax rate. This can easily be done at a rate that would come close to 23%, but also increase revenues as a % of GDP. It will the lower barriers to growth and attract reinvestment in the USA. Maybe Halliburton will move back.

2. Election and legislation reform: take the money out of politics, particularly the election process. Make all campaigns funded by government-only, to get honest people in Congress and to keep them honest while there. Remove earmarks as a hidden part of legislation and give the President an earmark line-item veto (Presidents, democrat and republican have asked for this for years).

3. Gov’t efficiency and budgeting reform: Balance the budget! How can you manage your house with annual deficits on top of a huge debt burden? How can our government? Reduce wasteful spending (earmarks) and entitlements. Reduce the size of government – the free market is more efficient than the government, and we are a capitalist, not socialist country.

4. Increase productivity. This starts with small business, continues with small business and ends with small business, which is the engine for employment, innovation and wealth distribution in this country (and all others). Small business is the bedrock of the middle class, which is in turn the bedrock of a democracy. How do this?

a. Lower regulations: regulatory burdens are burdens only for small business, not big ones. Big business benefits by regulations because they can afford it, and it increases their market share by driving away small business competitors / innovators.

b. Lower taxes: in addition to the above, how about allowing Sub-S Corporations (most small businesses) to submit taxes on a cash-accounting basis? This will reward high-growth by reducing taxes on “profits” that we don’t see. Here’s what I mean: in a high growth situation, by December 31 I will have invested most of my “profit” in inventory for next year. Then I have to pay more than 40% taxes on that figure – using cash that I either don’t have, or have to hold back from investment in new inventory, plant or equipment. This reduces my growth. If I paid taxes on a cash basis, then I would pay on the actual cash profit (anything not re-invested). When my business growth slows, that reinvestment does not occur, and I then pay taxes on a cash figure that balances out those years that I paid less.

Our economy is in trouble. We have an enormous debt, annual deficits and a tax system that burdens those of us who can save it. Thus, we are in for a painful time. My vote goes to the politicians who are willing to accept their share of the painful decisions up front, and make ours a little less so.

By David Pierson,  (Los Angeles Times Staff Writer)

Business A-Z: Union Pacific Railroad

 U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. said Union Pacific was not only responsible for the cost of firefighting and lost timber, but also damage to young growth, soil, wildlife, habitat, recreational uses and views. Damrell also ruled that the forest was more valuable because it was protected against logging by Congress.

Federal prosecutors said the settlement should send a message that the government is serious about prosecuting those who spark wildfires -- even by accident.

"We want those individuals or corporations operating lawfully in our national forests to be on notice," said U.S. Atty. McGregor W. Scott. "We're paying attention and very focused about regaining, not just [fire] suppression costs, but lost resources to the country."

Five Union Pacific workers were accused of neglecting safety precautions when using power tools to repair track on Aug. 17, 2000, in Plumas National Forest. By failing to use spark shields and clear the area of flammable material, smoldering bits of metal were able to ignite a blaze that consumed 52,000 acres within the Plumas and Lassen national forests over three weeks, federal officials said.

A Union Pacific spokeswoman Tuesday said the settlement was reached to put the so-called Storrie fire behind them and it was agreed upon without any admission of liability on the part of its crew. She said the crew had extinguished the flames when the fire started, but a passing train reignited it.

"We feel our employees did all the right things," Zoe Richmond said. "These were extraordinary circumstances. . . . This happened in 2000. It was a long time ago and it's time for us to move on."

Legal experts said the settlement has broad implications because of the judge's view of the forest's value and Union Pacific's high level of liability in setting the blaze.

"It's an important development in the law to have courts saying decisions aren't limited to the value of timber," said Sean Hecht, executive director of the UCLA Environmental Law Center. "A calculation is now allowed to look at the value of wildlife and the ecosystem. It seems to me that's the correct view, otherwise it's like saying there's no consequence to someone burning land that didn't have salable timber."

More than 2,500 firefighters battled the flames without any loss of life or structure damage at a cost of $22 million. But U.S. attorneys argued that the actual cost of the blaze far exceeded just the firefighting resources and loss of valuable trees.

After recovering the costs of fighting the fire, $80 million will go to restoring landscapes and repairing ecological damage. Trees will be replanted, trails and roads improved and dangerous woody fuels cleared, officials said.

"The money received will go directly to remedy and heal the harm to these forests," said John Heil, a Forest Service spokesman.

Heil said a first payment of $35 million was received July 2, and a second is scheduled for Aug. 15. A final payment of $32 million is set for Oct. 15. Union Pacific's operating revenue in 2007 was $16.3 billion.

Authorities have heightened their efforts to recover costs associated with wildfires and punish those responsible. The Department of Justice established Fire Recovery Teams in California and Utah this year to bolster their ability to seek damages.

The $102-million figure marks a sizable increase from the previous record settlement targeting the origins of a wildfire -- $14 million in 2006 paid by Southern California Edison for its role in the 1994 Big Creek fire in the Sierra National Forest, officials said.

Over a five-year period, about two-thirds of state wildfires were started accidentally by humans, natural causes or unsafe use of equipment, according to a study by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

One-third were triggered by power tools and equipment. Arsonists were responsible for 7%.

Scott said the settlement sends a clear message that the government will aggressively argue its case.

"It will provide solid ground to pursue earlier resolutions to these cases," Scott said. "The law is on our side now and it provides motivation for our worthy opponents to settle as early as possible."

Hecht said the big question is how prosecutors can deal with fire starters who don't have the deep pockets of a railroad.

"It's exciting pursuing cases like this," Hecht said. "At the same time, it's important to remember things that inherently don't have monetary values like water quality violations."

The father of a disabled Delaware woman who recently earned the support of state lawmakers says the system – of courts, lawyers, hospitals and disability agencies – literally is combining to bring about the death of his daughter.

"The court system should not have the right to impose this kind of treatment on a mentally disabled person," Randy Richardson told WND today. His daughter, Lauren Richardson, has been disabled since an apparent drug overdose nearly two years ago.

Judie Brown of the American Life League recently issued a call to those who are concerned about such cases to help.

"The governor of Delaware, Ruth Ann Minner, is being asked by pro-life Americans across this nation to intervene in this case in order to save Lauren from what many fear is an imminent court order dictating that Lauren be starved and dehydrated to death," she wrote. "I am asking you to be one of those who communicates your passionate belief that Lauren's life is sacred and deserves to be protected from those who would order her death. The governor's e-mail address is governor.minner@state.de.us."

Brown said "it has been a source of ongoing sadness to read of the difficulties Lauren Richardson's father has had over the course of the past several months.

"For those of you who are not familiar with her case, Lauren overdosed on heroin on August 28, 2006. She suffered oxygen deprivation as a result of the overdose and Lauren is now ... unable to speak out for herself. At the time of the overdose Lauren was expecting a baby. Her parents honored what they knew would have been her wish and did all they could to keep her healthy and comfortable until the child was born. Today, though Lauren may not be aware of it, she is the mother of Ember Grace, who was born in February 2007," Brown wrote.

Lauren's case has been compared to that of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman who died after courts ruled doctors could follow her husband's orders to deprive her of food and water until she died.

The Schiavo case, on which WND has reported exhaustively since 2002 – far longer than most other national news organization – ended in March 2005 when she died, despite a battle by her parents who wanted to care for her to overturn a court order allowing the removal of her feeding tube.

Randy Richardson says he now is battling his former wife, the medical establishment and the court system for the life of his daughter.

He told WND that the courts in Delaware are considering whether to designate that Lauren is in a persistent vegetative state, even though, "We've had doctors look at her … There are possibilities with treatments. But she's not getting treatments."

"The state does not allow this for prisoners. If they had treated a dog this way, they would be doing jail time," he told WND. "With therapy, she might be eating [by herself] within a couple months," he said. "Right now they're trying to hang her out to dry."

He said he's identified treatments that could be tried and therapy that could be attempted, and he's offered to provide the care his daughter needs, but has been rejected.

"My daughter has been there for 16 months. I've had enough," he said. "I'm really ticked about it. This Medicaid thing is paying huge numbers to keep her in this home when she could be at my home for nothing."  Even now, without substantive treatment, he said, "She has been trying to sit up and also has tried to verbalize. She looks good, is loving, she cries, she can giggle, she can't talk but does try to verbalize, we can tell when she's in pain or uncomfortable."

He previously posted a YouTube video of her, which can be seen here:

But he told WND the court-appointed lawyers have now banned him from showing any pictures or videos which reflect Lauren's condition.

He said he and Lauren's mother, from whom he is divorced, worked together following Lauren's accident to make sure her care was provided until her baby was born. Then Randy Richardson got a letter from his ex-wife's lawyer telling him the goal would be to "permit Lauren's starvation," according to Brown.

At LifeForLauren.org Lauren's father confirmed, "We struggle at times as we seek to share with the public the details of what is happening with Lauren because of the disagreement we have with Lauren's mother. We cannot understand her reasoning in refusing a path of hope, healing and restoration for Lauren and insisting on causing her death by withholding food and water from her. The issue in Lauren's case is the eternal truth that all people, no matter what their medical condition, bear the image of God and deserve basic care and an opportunity to be restored to health."

The statement from the House of Representatives said:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 144th General Assembly of the State of Delaware that it is against the public policy of this State and this State's interest in life, health and safety, for hydration and nutrition that is not harming a patient to be involuntarily removed from a non-terminal, apparently brain-incapacitated patient if doing so will cause the individual's death. Furthermore, such withholding of hydration and nutrition without: 1) clear written direction from a legally competent patient or, 2) a valid written advance health-care directive that was previously executed by a patient who is now incapacitated and that either allows such withholding under such circumstances or grants an agent authority to make that decision by an incapacitated patient is also against the public policy of the State of Delaware. The lawmakers' plan cites the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which "asserts that 'everyone has the right to recognition as a person before the law' and that 'all are equal before the law.'"

They also cite the Americans with Disabilities Act that "clearly identifies the rights of the disabled to access essential needs and have essential services provided to them."

Further, they affirm, "it is becoming increasingly apparent that persons who are suffering from severe brain injuries often have cognitive functions significantly beyond what medical science previously estimated."

Finally, they determine, "it is also becoming increasingly apparently that the diagnosis of 'persistent vegetative state' or 'PVS' is a category that recent science shows is far more uncertain and overly broad than had been previously thought, including a high rate of misdiagnoses of PVS patients who have not been able to exhibit responses, but whose consciousness can now sometimes be measured."

In an explanatory note accompany the resolution, the lawmakers said: "This Resolution establishes protections for mentally disabled individuals in the State of Delaware. The impetus for this Resolution comes from the case of Lauren Richardson, a 24-year-old Delaware woman who, after suffering brain injuries and impaired consciousness, now faces the possible removal of her nutrition and hydration, despite the absence of her clearly specified and legal consent to any such a course of action. The State of Delaware has, through recent legislation prompted by the abuses at the Delaware Psychiatric Center, endeavored to protect the rights of mentally disabled patients in the First State. Lauren, as a mentally disabled person, is enumerated those same protection and rights."

A priest who was with Terri Schiavo during her final hours in this life later told WND society has it all wrong – because it does not understand the difference between a futile treatment and a futile life.

Father Frank Pavone, of Priests for Life, said even healthy people, if brain-injured, are in danger under the current precedent of cases.

"Terry left no indication that she wanted to be deprived of food and water. Yet the courts insisted that this happen. Nor was Terri lacking a family ready to care for her, without complaint. Yet they were not allowed to," he said. "Many people fear that they will be given all kinds of machines and medicines against their will," Pavone told WND. "What they should fear is exactly the opposite, namely, that even when they indicate that they want appropriate treatments, these will be denied them."

A Delaware court in January awarded guardianship of Lauren Richardson to her mother, Edith Towers, who has told reporters her daughter would want artificial life support ended.

By Investors Business Daily

No one likes war. War is a horrific affair, bloody and expensive.  Sending our men and women into battle to perhaps die or be maimed is an unconscionable thought. Yet some wars need to be waged and someone needs to lead.  The citizenry and Congress are often ambivalent or largely opposed to any given war. It's up to our leader to convince them, that's why we call the leader 'Commander in Chief.'

George W.'s war was no different. There was lots of resistance to it. Many in Congress were vehemently against the idea. The Commander in Chief had to lobby for legislative approval.

Along with supporters, George W. used the force of his convictions, the power of his title and every ounce of moral persuasion he could muster to rally support. He had to assure Congress and the public that the war was morally justified, winnable and affordable. Congress eventually came around and voted overwhelmingly to wage war.

George W. then lobbied foreign governments for support. But in the end, only one European nation helped us. The rest of the world sat on its hands and watched. Things started to go bad. There were many dark days when all the news was discouraging. Casualties began to mount. It became obvious that our forces were too small. Congress began to drag its feet about funding the effort.

Many who had voted to support the war just a few years earlier were beginning to speak against it and accuse the Commander in Chief of misleading them. Many critics began to call him incompetent, an idiot and even a liar. Journalists joined the negative chorus with a vengeance.

As the war entered its fourth year, the public began to grow weary of the conflict and the casualties. George W.'s popularity plummeted. Yet through it all, he stood firm, supporting the troops and endorsing the struggle. Without his unwavering support, the war would have surely ended, then and there, in overwhelming and total defeat.

At this darkest of times, he began to make some changes. More troops were added and trained. Some advisers were shuffled, and new generals installed. Then, unexpectedly and gradually, things began to improve. Now it was the enemy that appeared to be growing weary of the lengthy conflict and losing support. Victories began to come, and hope returned.

Many critics in Congress and the press said the improvements were just George W.'s good luck. The progress, they said, would be temporary. He knew, however, that in warfare good fortune counts.

Then, in the unlikeliest of circumstances and perhaps the most historic example of military luck, the enemy blundered and was resoundingly defeated. After six long years of war, the Commander in Chief basked in a most hard-fought victory.

So on that historic day, Oct. 19, 1781, in a place called Yorktown, a satisfied George Washington sat upon his beautiful white horse and accepted the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

What? Were you thinking of someone else?

by John D'Aloia

Hundreds of millions of healthcare $$$ are funneled to care for those who should not be in this country while Medicare reimbursement rates are slashed.  I have lost track of whether the cuts have been restored - it really does not matter as reimbursement rate ping-pong games illustrate mindsets and political gotcha games, not reasoned governance.

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=bLJxmJZXgNI 

by Pharmacists for Life International

 

A July 17 article picked up by AP is touting Sanofi Pasteur's new Pentacel vaccine as a vaccine that will reduce the number of shots children receive. In fact, this is not true for most children who are already being vaccinated with Glaxo SmithKline's Pediarix, another 5-in-1 vaccine that has been widely used in the US for over 5 years.