Iraq Point

Could someone define what intermediate sanctions are please!? Could someone define what intermediate sanctions are please!? Could someone define what intermediate sanctions are please!? Could someone define what intermediate sanctions are, and their purpose in the criminal justice process, and their function as a sentencing alternative. Then in your opinion do you feel intermediate sanctions are an appropriate punishment? Explain your rationale.

Why would you want the government define life as beginnin at concepton? The government only kills or sanctions the killing of those who it considers to be living. Even if the government defined life as beginning 6-months before conception, they have stock-piles of agent orange that can kill them too. Bella : Some people believe that by defining life as begining at conception that the government will stop abortions.

What are trade agreements and tariff sanctions? I need to define Social Studies terms for school, but I can't find the definitions of these to words on dictionary.com: trade agreements (FTA) and tariff sanctions. What are the definitions of these two words? Thanks! :)

How do you define a pool pro? Is this people who are on sanctioned tours, or simply those who derive they income, or a significant portion thereof; from pool?

Can some one please define right and wrong in this context? and also tell me what a economic sanction is? Economic sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives if you debate please help out and if not i am puting this in the correct place so dont say i didnt

Some republican answer this, define absolute victory in Iraq? 1.) Iraqi military defeated (Battle won) 2.) Saddam Hussein Out of power (Battle won) 3.) Establishing democracy in Iraq (Battle lost) 4.) Establishing new Iraqi government (Battle lost) 5.) Exit strategy (Battle lost) 2 out of 3 ain't bad but it's no cigar. What to do at this point is beyond me. So I'm asking you how do we win, and define victory? We have created a mess over there, and pissed off the neighbors who didn't like us anyways, now Iraq is the battleground for terrorist? We are going on 4 years plus of this war and some troops are seeing their 5th deployments. I think we need a gradual withdrawl from Iraq, set up an embassy, leave a division there like Germany.....And go fight the terrorist wherever they may be.......Afghanistan, Pakistan. They are spread out from country to country. Hit the countries who support them with economic sanctions.

What are the penalties/sanctions for abuse as defined by Yahoo!?

How do the U.N. and the law define torture? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1505073/How-the-law-and-UN-define-torture.html Under the United Nations Torture Convention of 1984, torture involves intentional infliction of pain, by a public official, to obtain information. The full definition of torture in the convention is: "Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity." This definition excludes "pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions", which seems designed to permit the death penalty. Torture is also an offense under English law. The International Criminal Court Act 2001 similarly defines torture as "the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, upon a person in the custody or under the control of the accused; except that torture shall not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to, lawful sanctions". The Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture defines torture more broadly. It includes the "use of methods upon a person intended to obliterate the personality of the victim or to diminish his physical or mental capacities, even if they do not cause physical pain or mental anguish". Precisely what actions may fall within these definitions is a matter for courts and inter-governmental bodies to decide and this may vary over time. Amnesty International, which uses a broader definition of torture, says the understanding of what constitutes torture is not fixed for all time.

The court has defined law as that which must be obeyed and subject to sanctions.? Is this is true or false..? Please Explain

Define these law terms.? Legal Rules Non Legal Rules Sanctions Effective Law ok i need more simpler answers pls! not too technical but not too stupid. lol

Define these law terms.? in brief but not short answers? Legal Rules Non Legal Rules Sanctions Effective Law

Should the government be concerned with the institution of marriage? Is it the business of government to define marriage and to create legal distinctions between people who are married vs. those who are not? If laws pertaining to marriage were eliminated, then individuals and institutions (such as churches) would be free to define relationships however they want to, or they could treat all relationships as being equal. The government's involvement in marriage appears (to me) to violate the separation of church and state. In addition, treating married people differently from those of us who are unmarried is discriminatory. If two or more people want to enter into a legally binding contract as part of their commitment to each other, then the courts are needed for contractual enforcement purposes. Otherwise, government has no business defining relationships, especially when such definitions inevitably lead to state-sanctioned discrimination.

How would you define the group below, give lots of descriptive words please (read the details below)? What do you call a group dedicated to the destruction by any means of what they perceive as an unjust occupier who has war technology far exceeding what the group will ever have even if it means that their own citizens will die in massive numbers or live in massive poverty and a blockade of sorts through sanctions will be enacted on the country. This scenario has happened in a few different areas throughout the world so please don't attempt to pinpoint which area I am thinking of. Thank you for answering! They are fighting to reclaim their land obviously. I thought one could imply that from the question. No, there are a few of them in the world. Of course one is more obvious then the others currently.

define what politics is and what politics isn't? Should community leaders ( councilman & alderman ) sanction local ordinances even if the mass community is in disagreement. The majority of citizen in Black Jack, Missouri do not share the opinion of the Black Jack city council as it relates to the definition of family. . The coucil did not ask the citizen that put them into office how they feel about the current definition or the decsision not to change the definition. I hope the State legislators come forward and rectify this situation for all parties involved.

Why is football sanctioned since it hires a criminal element to play? I just read about this player who got convicted of illegal gambling and worse killing innocent animals and torturing other dogs in order to make them fight each other so he could be entertained with his low class associates. Another player committed murder. So as not to get sued for defamation I will not say his name but it is the same as a cartoon character. Why people tolerate this so callled sport. I wonder if my dad could get in trouble and possibly lose his job because he watches football games. He is a police detective and they have to maintain a high degree of ethics. My husband (we are newly married) would sit with my dad and some of his friends from work on Monday nights to watch football. I've known him for many years so this Monday night football has been going on for a long time. In order to be with my love I would often sit with him to keep him company. I noticed that another thing that defines football as a low class sport is the fact of beer commercials on tv.

The underlying principle of symbolic interactionism is:? The underlying principle of symbolic interactionism is: a. based on the premise that a history of man is a history of class conflict. b. that behavior is controlled by factors beyond one's control. c. how one's behavior depends on the way they define themselves and others. d. how society uses sanctions to control behavior.

Is waterboarding torture as defined in US law? United States Code Title 18, §2340(2) “torture” means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control.

The memory of the exodus in Jewish life? There are two ways that come to mind to define the Exodus experience as found in the Old Testament 1) Story of a birth of people, social unity and the forging of identity 2)Delivery from oppression, birth of freedom, and divine sanctioning of rights and responsibilities. How do you think this Exodus experience has evolved in contemporary Jewish life?

Survey Questions Lets see how many people come up with the same answers? Equitable relief does not include A. an award of monetary damages. B. rescission on a contract. C. an injunction. D. an award of specific performance. E. restitution and reformation. 2. Substantive law is that part of the law which A.deals solely with the public sector. B.establishes the rights of an individual. C.establishes the procedures whereby rights are enforced. D.efines how a judgment is to be enforced. E.is the same as equity laws. 4.The notion of civil disobedience is founded on what principle? A.That immoral or illegitimate laws should not be obeyed B.That political demonstrations can be used to obtain preferential treatment under the law C.that the political process can be controlled by small but vocal minorities D.That individuals should disobey the law when such disobedience will improve their own position in life E. Stare decisis 6.Which of the following cases would involve private law? A. Someone who refused to pay any income tax B.A citizen who sues a trucking company for injuries received in an automobile accident C. A citizen is tried for and convicted of burglary D. A citizen refuses to leash his dog in violation of state law E. A citizen files for an injunction against the government to stop the construction of a nuvlear power plant 7. Which of the following is the "reason" for law? A. To provide legal sanctions (that is punishment) B. To establish a structure of framework for government C. To provide protection of property D. To regulate human conduct E. To maintain stability in the social, political and economic system while at the same time permitting ordered change 9. What source of law provides that statutes and treaties made under the authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land? A. The common law B. The United States Constitution C. The United States Code of Federal Procedure D. The Uniform Commercial Code E. Murphy's Law 10. Which of the following best describes the relationship between law and ethics? A. Law and ethics are identical. B. Law imposes standards more strict than those contained in codes of ethics. C. Ethical values influence the development of the law, but the law does not influence ethical values. D. Ethical standards go beyond the law and are often not satisifed by mere conformance to the applicable laws. E. Law and ethics cannot be defined legally. 11. The doctrine of judicial review A. results from the fact that state and federal constitutions provide for three co-equal branches of government. B. is the source of the system of checks and balances. C. is the power of the judiciary to review the actions of the other branches of government and to declare such actions void if they violate the Constitution. D. is the power of the judiciary to interpret the intent of the legislature in applying a statute to a factual situation. E. is no longer valid. 12. Examples of public law include all of the following except A. contract law. B. constitutional law. C. criminal law. D. administrative law. E. U.S. Federal Court Procedural Rules. 13. suppose a dispute arises between a company that pollutes the air and a nearby farmer who is adversely affected by the pollution. If no federal or state statute controls this kind of pollution, the dispute involves A. private and civil law. B. public law and criminal law. C. procedural law and criminal law. D. common law, precedent, and public law. E. public law only. 14. Patricia Plaintiff files a lawsuit against Donald Defendant for breach of contract. This case is a/an A. criminal proceeding. B. equitable action. C. civil proceeding. D. public law case. E. tort proceeding. 15.Principles of law that reflect the customs and usages of society and are found in judicial decisions are called A. statutes. B. executive orders. C. common law. D. administrative law. E. constitutions. 17. Private law is that body of law which pertains to A. criminal law. B. constitutional law. C. administrative law. D. the relationship between individuals in an organized society. E. breach of a public duty. 19. Reginald owns a grocery and his clerks are on strike. Reginald is trying to operate the store with the help of his manager, but ten of the striking clerks are crowding near the store entrance with large picket signs. If Reginald asks you what can be done, your best answer would be for Reginald to A. seek a rescission that will return the clerks to their status quo. B. merge law and equity. C. seek a decree of specific performance. D. seek an injunction. E. hire Norris, Stallone and Segal. 20. Which of the following defines the method by which to obtain a rememdy in court? A. Private law B. Civil law C. Substantive law D. Procedural law E. Public law

Does the USGA Rules Book define what can be used as a ball marker on green? I believe marking your ball on the green serves two purposes: 1) Allows you to clean your ball. 2) As a courtesy to other players, it removes your ball as a distraction from their field of vision. That being said, I've noticed often some players will mark their ball spot using a tee. Obviously, a ball cannot roll over a tee, so it COULD be viewed as an obstruction; but usually, a tee-marker is NOT in one's Line of Putt. However, it could also be viewed as a distraction...a tee sticking up from the green surface. Does the USGA address specifically what can or cannot be used as a ball marker on the green? I cannot find a ruling. Is using a "tee" sanctioned by the USGA? Ever see tour pros mark their ball using a "tee"?

Do we need a TRIBUNAL to decide criminal cases that are not defined adequately by present laws? Can extrajudicial measures help to ensure that vulnerable people are not, or have not been, unjustly convicted? There ARE extrajudicial measures for young offenders; however, they assume guilt. For some groups (eg.mentally disabled), there are insufficient JUDICIAL measures to ensure that the INNOCENT ARE NOT FOUND GUILTY. See www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/f... There ARE TRIBUNALS to decide if people qualify for disability pensions. Should tribunals be considered for cases not adequately defined by CRIMINAL law? Should anyone suffer due to a flawed legal system in Canada? Could a tribunal be used to diagnose flaws and lead to new laws? My suggestion: a tribunal serve 1 purpose only – to intervene for those who may be wrongly convicted – and would EXCLUDE EXTRAJUDICIAL SANCTIONS. Remember, the courts have become enlightened about other minorities, so my suggestion is not unrealistic. ALTERNATIVES? Would like to here from amyone, but want to know your familiarity with the issue.

need some help in world history? The following is your vocabulary list 1.Negotiation 2.Discrimination 3.Non-Violent Resistance 4.Injustices 5.Oppressors 6.Racist 7.Massacre 8.Martial Law 9.Peninsula 10.Sanctions you will define these terms. Please type the definitions IN YOUR OWN WORDS

How many U.S. troop deaths does Iran need to be responsible for before we take action against them? Everyone knew it was Iran that was supplying the hi tech shaped charges that are being used to decimate even heavy tanks in road side bombs. Now that the U.S. is finally saying so and pointing a finger and defining how many U.S. citizens have been killed by their bombs in Iraq (172 and counting), when will we make them pay a price? Besides the watered down UN sanctions that mean nothing to Iran since they have massive trade with russia and china. And btw since everyone wanted us to let the UN handle the nuke issue with iran and let diplomacy deal with them, how is that working? Iran just laughs and goes on their merry way developing the bomb.

Is the fuzzy distinction between war, terrorism, and who commits it anything new? Since it is usually the victorious and powerful countries who get to write the history books, can we really say that our fuzzy definitions of what constitutes war and what constitutes terrorism is anything new? For instance, I would think that if any other country but the US had attacked Iraq without UN sanction that we would not be discussing it as a legitimate act of war, but of terrorism. However, since we do it, and we are the good guys, it must be legitimate war. Sorry, that is not the best example in the world, but its all I can think of right now. Is it safe to say that what constitutes war and what constitutes terrorism are solely defined by the most powerful and victorious nation? Conan-- please read the post I wrote, and not the post you want to think I wrote. In no way did I ever suggest that 9/11 wasn't terrorism. It was pure and simple. However, 9/11 and our rogue attack against Iraq, if not comparable, only because as horrible and as much suffering as 9/11 wrought, we lost 3000 people and a few buildings. Iraq has lost depending on estimates between 30,000 and 100,000 people and most of their infrastructure. I'm sorry. There isn't a comparison there. And if you can't see how the loss of tens of thousands of Iraqis is worse than the loss of 3000 Americans, than I have no way to communicate to you the worth of all human life.

Why don't we just privatize marriage? In the debate over whether to legalize gay marriage, both sides are missing the point. Why should the government be in the business of decreeing who can and cannot be married? Proponents of gay marriage see it as a civil-rights issue. Opponents see it as another example of minority "rights" being imposed on the majority culture. But why should anyone have--or need to have--state sanction for a private relationship? As governments around the world contemplate the privatization of everything from electricity to Social Security, why not privatize that most personal and intimate of institutions, marriage? "Privatizing" marriage can mean two slightly different things. One is to take the state completely out of it. If couples want to cement their relationship with a ceremony or ritual, they are free to do so. Religious institutions are free to sanction such relationships under any rules they choose. A second meaning of "privatizing" marriage is to treat it like any other contract: The state may be called upon to enforce it, but the parties define the terms. When children or large sums of money are involved, an enforceable contract spelling out the parties' respective rights and obligations is probably advisable. But the existence and details of such an agreement should be up to the parties. And privatizing marriage would, incidentally, solve the gay-marriage problem. It would put gay relationships on the same footing as straight ones, without implying official government sanction. No one's private life would have official government sanction--which is how it should be.

How many Iraqis and Afghans will die because of the US and US induced Civil wars next 25 years ? Causing civil wars or having people massacring each other is not defined as a war crime or as a direct genocide. regardless if 6-8 million people dies because of the US action inst it noneless a genocide and a crime against humanity? In my opinion the crime is equivalent, regardless on how people died. The same would be with economic sanctions, if one million dies because economic sanctions, it is a crime.. STARVING A POPULATION OR DENYING CIVILIANS MEDICINE IS AN ACT OF TERRORISM THE SAME AS BLOWING A BOMB http://blogs.zmags.org

Selective Morality of Some Membes In The South African Section? “Rogue" is defined as: viciousness, lack of principle, and propensity to engage in unilateral action. Now a classical example is Iraq and America. Saddam Hussein displayed viciousness and lack of principle when he attacked and used chemical warfare against both Iran and Iraqi Kurds; and unilateralism in his assaults on Iran and Kuwait. On the other hand the US used chemical warfare on a far greater scale against Vietnam, and its overall attack on Indochina was as vicious, and far more devastating than Iraq's on its local victims. The U.S. aided Saddam Hussein during the 1980s and protected him from any international sanctions. The US found his alleged possession of "weapons of mass destruction" intolerable only after he stepped out of line and ceased to be of service to them. This is lack of principle. The US also acts unilaterally as it commonly ignores international consensus and international law when they stand in the way of its national interest (read oil interests). I’ve checked postings by many pseudo moral torch bearers who always tell us that South African government supports terrorist states etc, just because they refuse to be foot soldiers of US and its sidekick, Britain. None of these delusional analysts have ever questioned the US actions. This is despite that the US is engaged in wholesale roguery. If Iraq was a terrorist state prior to US invasion, the countries that actively supported them when it started inflicting plain on others must at the least be classified as sponsors of terror. That bill fits the US perfectly, but our volunteer pseudo professors conveniently forget to bring this to the lecture room for the uneducated Zim..$ of this world. I submit that these pseudo moralists, who are fond of telling us that we have a moral duty to tell people that they would be murdered, raped, robbed etc if they come to SA, are themselves terrorists or, at the least, active supporters of a state in whole roguery. They therefore have no right to cast stones. Your views ……..and by the way, the usual parrots are welcome. Finally, I got what I had been looking for. I have been pushing Alf to agree that he is a racist and that racism motivates his postings. I knew that despite his silent protestations, the truth would come out soon. I am glad that he has finally confirmed my submissions. Now to the next confession – what was your involvement with the security police during apartheid? For your information, I only want you to tell other people here, I know!

Can you help me with this... [10points=best answer*]? I need to define these terms.. you dont have to define all the most definitions = best answer 10 points pagoda ideogram dalai lama economic sanctions market system aquaculture command system trade surplus Picasso indo-european communist Michealangelo apartheid universal suffage lingua franca oral tradition ecotourism thanks! i'm not lazy, i just have too much homework, so this would be a little help thanks! any defenitions appreciated

Who thinks that world title fights should be 15 rounds again? On Nov.13 1982, Ray Mancini defending his lightweight, stopped Duk Ku Kim in the 14th round, and Kim died as a result thereof. The WBC, which was not even the sanctioning body for the fight, immediately reduced the length of title fights from 15 to 12 rounds, when a team of their doctors determined that a fighter is most at risk after the 12th round. Both other bodies followed suit. I think title fights should go 15 Fighters have suffered brain trauma earlier in fights - it was glaringly apparent that something was very wrong with Gerald McClellan from the 7th onwards, and 15 had been the mandatory distance for decades with no other such problems. Kim was a mismatched fighter who had to lose a lot of weight rapidly to make 135. If anything, they should reform the way fighters weigh in. Remember Gatti/Gamache? A lot of important fights in the history of boxing could possibly have had different outcomes with the extra 3. The extra 3 defines a champion. sorry guys - 'lightweght title'. God- I'm tired. 'lightweight'. Big Buddy - Interesting analysis. I think you would be more interested in amateur boxing. These are professionals, my friend. 'smitty' - You are making a big mistake. I will humiliate on this forum to such an extent that you'll crawl back into your hole at every opportunity you can, and if you don't have a hole, better start digging one now. You are out of your league, little man - and if you doubt me, go take a look at my answers to other fools like you. If you want to carry on feeling sorry for yourself because you're black, do it on your own time, okay? To all contributors to this forum - Apparently, 'smitty' has not rethought his position towards me, and has foolishly decided on a confrontational course of action. Now, I have two choices here: Ignore this moron or tear him apart with words. The former is the easiest course of action but I'm going with the latter - because it's more fun and well...I'm kinda bored. I'm apologising to all you other guys up front, because this is supposed to be a forum on boxing, but linguistically tearing apart this closet Uncle Tom is too much of an opportunity to pass up. Who knows - maybe you guys will get a kick out of it. To all contributors to this forum - Apparently, 'smitty' has not rethought his position towards me, and has foolishly decided on a confrontational course of action. Now, I have two choices here: Ignore this moron or tear him apart with words. The former is the easiest course of action but I'm going with the latter - because it's more fun and well...I'm kinda bored. I'm apologising to all you other guys up front, because this is supposed to be a forum on boxing, but linguistically tearing apart this closet Uncle Tom is too much of an opportunity to pass up. Who knows - maybe you guys will get a kick out of it.

Philosophy Final Review? I have a philosophy final coming up. Please help me answer as many questions as possible. Ethical Theory: You should be able to: Explain why we need an ethical theory, as opposed to just a set of ethical rules Explain why we need to start with theory for utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics Cultural Relativism: You should be able to: State the cultural differences argument State the thesis of ethical egoism Give examples of disagreement in ethical matters Identify the logical flaw in the cultural differences argument Identify the consequences of cultural relativism, and explain why those consequences follow from the thesis of cultural relativism Explain Rachel’s strategies for minimizing the scope of disagreement about ethics Utilitarianism: You should be able to: State the greatest happiness principle Explain Mill’s definition of happiness and his concept of utility Distinguish between higher and lower pleasures (including examples) Explain who is competent to judge between higher and lower pleasures, and why Explain what a sanction is, and distinguish between the types of sanctions Mill gives Explain the proof of utiliatiranism Distinguish between rule and act utilitarianism Identify the two consequences Singer draws from the GHP State the demandingness objection and explain why this problem follows from the GHP State the integrity objection and explain why this problem follows from the GHP State the problem of rights and explain why this problem follows from the GHP Deontology: You should be able to: Define the terms a priori and a posteriori, formal and material, and pure and empirical Explain why the good will is unconditionally good Explain why happiness is not the ultimate end for humanity Final Exam Study Guide PHIL 2310 Mr. Hahn Fall 2009 State what gives actions moral worth and explain the shopkeeper (dealer) example State the key feature of duty and identify examples of duties Distinguish between hypothetical and categorical imperatives Explain how Kant derives the categorical imperative State the first two formulations of the categorical imperative Derive duties from the first two formulations of the categorical imperative Distinguish between perfect and imperfect duties and explain how this difference appears when evaluating duties Explain the concept of freedom Define autonomy and heteronomy of the will Explain the problem of moral patienthood and how it follows from the second formulation of the categorical imperative Explain the problem of special obligations and how it follows from the first formulation of the categorical imperative Explain the conflict of duties problem and give an example of this problem Virtue Ethics (for both Aristotle and Aquinas): You should be able to: Define happiness and state the criteria for happiness Explain the function argument Distinguish the parts of the human soul State Aristotle’s definition of virtue and explain each part of the definition Explain what parts of Aristotle’s definition are accepted by Aquinas, and which ones are not Give examples of virtues and show how they satisfy the definition Identify the theological virtues and give examples of how they influence moral reasoning Explain the doctrine of the mean (and why Aquinas does not include it in his definition) Explain how virtues shape the perception of the moral landscape Contrast Aristotle and Aquinas on the role of pride Give examples of how the virtues can develop State what the person of practical wisdom can do and explain the role of practical wisdom Explain the problem of justification Explain the codifiability problem (and why a virtue ethicist thinks this is an advantage rather than a problem) Explain how virtue ethics can guide our actions Natural Law: You should be able to: Define eternal, natural, and human law Explain the four characteristics of natural law State the precepts of natural law and give examples for each precept List the strengths of natural law theory Ethics of care: You should be able to: Explain why “traditional” philosophy has a male bias and give examples of that bias Contrast Kohlberg’s focus on justice with Gilligan’s focus on care in moral reasoning Explain why care is an important focus for the ethical experience of women State the elements that constitute a disposition to care & give examples of these elements Explain how an “obligation to care for” arises & give an example of such an obligation Final Exam Study Guide PHIL 2310 Mr. Hahn Fall 2009 Explain how “obligations to care for” can include institutions and ideas Explain how autonomy is understood in an ethics of care, and contrast that concept with the liberal notion of autonomy Identify similarities and differences in the role of virtue for ethics of care and virtue ethics Explain the essentialism objection to ethics of care Explain the problem of distant others and state possible responses to this problem State re

A very simple question .... or is it? Who are you, really? Daughter or son to your parents, husband or wife of somebody, a mother, a father, a professional? Unacceptable!. What a sad thing you are. Unable to answer such a simple question without falling back on references, and genealogies and what other people call you. Have you nothing of your own? Nothing to stand on that is not provided, defined, delineated, stamped, sanctioned, numbered and approved by others. How can you be expected to fight for someone else when you haven't the fairest idea: who--you--are ? (based on Babylon 5) So, the question is open: who are you?

sanction detection rates? I'm not English native!!! please help!! this is the definition: Sanction detections are charges/summonses, cautions, offences taken into consideration, penalty notices for disorder and formal warnings for cannabis possession. so in other words sanction detections are all crimes (defined by the law) detected?

Are you aware of how much damage the ANC is doing to South Africa's international reputation? South Africa's brief debut this year on the U.N. Security Council has tattered its reputation. It has prompted human rights activists to condemn South African President Thabo Mbeki for abandoning the human rights principles that defined the anti-apartheid movement and for routinely siding with some of the world's worst human rights abusers. In just over three months, South Africa has used its position on the 15-nation council to try to block discussion of human rights abuses in Burma and Zimbabwe. It initially backed Iran's efforts to evade sanctions for defying U.N. demands to subject its nuclear program to greater scrutiny. And it reacted coolly to Kosovo's bid for independence, lending its backing to a Russian effort to deny Kosovo's president the right to address the U.N. Security Council in its formal chambers. "It's a sad perversion of the anti-apartheid struggle," said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. "Mandela understood that the anti-apartheid struggle was a human rights movement and clearly stood with the human rights victims of the world."

What is the English definition of Religion? I am curious why some Christians have decided that their beliefs are not a religion. Webster defines Religion as: Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back -- more at RELY 1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance 2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices 3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS 4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith - re•li•gion•less Why do you believe that all other beliefs that worship a god should be labeled as a religion while your worship of a god is not? How long has Christianity not been considered a religion? Do not confuse this question as an insult, I am honestly curious.

Hey Catholics, do you think these Popes were good Christians? 10th Century Obscenities Vile Princes of the Papacy "Popes maimed & were maimed, killed & were killed... Without question, these pontiffs constitute the most despicable body of leaders, clerical or lay, in history. They were, frankly, barbarians. Ancient Rome had nothing to rival them in rottenness." – Peter de Rosa (Vicars of Christ, p4 John XII (955-964). Born from an incestuous relationship between Pope Sergio III and his 13-year-old daughter Marozie. John, in turn, took his mother as his own mistress. Pope at 18, he turned the Lateran into a brothel. He was accused by a synod of "sacrilege, simony, perjury, murder, adultery and incest" and was temporarily deposed. He took his revenge on opponents by hacking off limbs. He was murdered by an enraged husband who caught him having sex with his wife. 11th Century Horror Church lords over ignorant squalor of millions 1095 - Pope Urban II calls upon the Franks to invade the more civilized Muslim world. Begins five centuries of warfare. "Let those who have hitherto been robbers now become soldiers." – Urban II addresses his gangsters. 1009: Rivalry from Islam prompts eastern churches to break with idolatry. This 'iconoclasm' begins breach with idol-worshipping Catholic west. Centuries of bloodshed ensue. 1079: The Council of Rome: Persecution of Berengarius & his followers who cannot stomach the dogma of 'transmutation of bread & wine into Christ. 12th Century Criminality Christian Church ally of murderous kings & rogue princes "Warrior Monks" - Muslim heads catapulted into the besieged city of Antioch by Christian Knights (Illumination from Les Histoires d'Outremer by William of Tyre 12th century, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris). 1118: Christian fanatics captured Saragossa; the beginning of the decline of Muslim civilization in Spain. 1184 Council of Verona condemns Waldensians for witchcraft. The charge is later extended to condemn heretics. 13th Century Wickedness Vile Crusaders Plunder & Murder for God 1204 Christian crusaders sack & ruin greatest Christian city, Constantinople. 1209 Pope Innocent III launches Albigensian Crusade against Christian Cathars of southern France. 7000 massacred in La Madeleine Church alone. 1211 Burning of Waldenses heretics at Strasbourg begins several centuries of persecution. German Teutonic Knights butcher their way through the Baltic lands, savage Catholic Poles & Orthodox Russians. 1231: Pope Gregory IX authorizes Inquisition for dealing with heretics. 1277 Pope John XXI, alarmed by rumors of pagan heresy among “scholars of arts in the faculty of theology" pressurizes Stephen Tempier, Bishop of Paris, to prohibit 219 philosophical and theological theses. The "Condemnations of Paris" is the first of 16 lists of censorship. 14th Century Catastrophe Church hostility to medicine allows plague to decimate Europe Burning of the Jews of Cologne – blamed by Christians for the Black Death (Liber Chronicarum Mundi). World Domination? "We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman pontiff." – Pope Boniface VIII, Bull Unun Sanctum, 1302 1311-12: Ecumenical Council of Vienne. It authorises the brutal suppression of the Knights Templar (mercenaries of the church who have outlived their usefulness). 1316-1334: Pope John XXII, world's richest man and first pontiff to promote theory of witchcraft. Sanctions bull allowing heresy charges to be brought against dead people. In 1320 he instructs French Inquisition to confiscate all property belonging to blasphemers or dabblers in black arts. 1347-50: The Black Death sweeps across Europe, killing one-third of the population. "Jews were burnt all the way from the Mediterranean into Germany... under torture confessing to have spread the plague by poisoning wells... the poison made from the skin of a basilisk (a kind of mythical serpent)..." – N. Cantor (In the Wake of the Plague) 15th century malevolence 1411 Dominican Vincente Ferrer revives anti-Jewish hysteria in Spain: "cohorts of the Devil and Anti-Christ, clever, warped and doomed." 1415 John Huss of Bohemia, critic of papal corruption but guaranteed personal safety, burned at the stake. "When dealing with heretics, one is not obligated to keep his word." – Pope Gregory XII. 1415 Pope John XXIII deposed: "The most scandalous charges were suppressed; the Vicar of Christ was only accused of piracy, murder, rape, sodomy and incest." – Gibbon (Decline & Fall) 1478: Pope Sixtus IV, in alliance with King Ferdinand of Spain, establishes the Spanish Inquisition. Jews, Moors and heretics will be imprisoned, tortured and murdered for centuries. The bisexual Sixtus, though suffering from syphilis, fathers children from his elder sister. 1486 Taking a break from book-burning, two Dominican monks, Henrich Kramer & James Sprenger, writ 1486 Taking a break from book-burning, two Dominican monks, Henrich Kramer & James Sprenger, write a best-seller – Malleus Maleficarum ('The Witches Hammer' ) – 'the most blood thirsty book ever written.' (Peter de Rosa, Vicars of Christ, p184) This unsurpassed nonsense rests on the bench of every magistrate and judge in Europe for three centuries and leads to tens of thousands of judicial murders. 1498 Dominican reformer, Savonarola – burner of books & ornaments of 'pagan immorality' – is himself burned for criticising the degenerate Pope Alexander VI. 16th Century Mayhem Pogroms & civil wars in the name of Jesus "My advice... is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss sulphur and pitch; it would be good if someone could also throw in some hellfire.." Martin Luther ("On the Jews and their lies" 1543) 1517: Martin Luther posts 95 theses at Wittenberg. The Reformation will turn Europe into a battleground. 1517 A Dominican monk Johann Tetzel swells papal coffers by selling indulgences ('souls freed from purgatory'!) 1524: Luther – no friend of the downtrodden – encourages savagery of German princes in putting down the two-year Peasants’ Revolt. Book Burners for Christ– Dominican monks in the service of Ferdinand proudly consign the wisdom of Moorish Spain to the flames (Berruguete, Prado Museum, Madrid) 1553 John Calvin, the "Protestant Pope" of Geneva proves his Christian credentials by having Michael Servetus, the Spanish physician, burned at the stake for heresy. Servetus had opposed Trinitarianism and infant baptism. Servetus, the discoverer of pulmonary blood circulation (an advance on Galen) had fled the Inquisition and had thought himself safe among Protestants. Oh dear. 1559 Introduction of Index of Forbidden Books (lasts until 1966) 1563 Following the Council of Trent, Jesuit Order becomes 'Defender of the Faith'. Huguenots are persecuted in France. Book Burners for Christ– Dominican monks in the service of Ferdinand proudly consign the wisdom of Moorish Spain to the flames (Berruguete, Prado Museum, Madrid) 1553 John Calvin, the "Protestant Pope" of Geneva proves his Christian credentials by having Michael Servetus, the Spanish physician, burned at the stake for heresy. Servetus had opposed Trinitarianism and infant baptism. Servetus, the discoverer of pulmonary blood circulation (an advance on Galen) had fled the Inquisition and had thought himself safe among Protestants. Oh dear. 1559 Introduction of Index of Forbidden Books (lasts until 1966) 1563 Following the Council of Trent, Jesuit Order becomes 'Defender of the Faith'. Huguenots are persecuted in France. EDIT. And this is only half of the list of immoral, evil, Popes. Keato. I only showed you HALF of the list of corrupt, immoral Popes. And if you choose to follow them as your spiritual leader, then that doesn't say much for you as a person. BTW, I got a life since I separated myself from Catholicism. I bet you're a choir boy who loves his priest. Lol. @Amazon. It gets worse, the Catholic church was NOT the first church. And if stating recorded history is bashing, then a lot of colleges are bashers. These are simply the ugly facts about Catholic Popes. Do I need to also address the problem of paedophile priest, too? Alex. Don't be an imbecile. Read what these Popes did. I don't know ANYONE who has even come close to committing the atrocities that these Popes did. And for you to even try and dismiss it as a simple mistake on their part is just ridiculous. Get a clue. @Cristoi. At least you are giving an intellectual answer on this. Kudos to you. The only thing "biased and suspect" is the entire foundation of the Catholic faith. Judge? Um, I've not condemned nary a soul, just merely pointing out some historical facts. Can you say the same? And if you disagree with the source...disprove it.

Help me edit this paper, (syntax, diction, sentence structure, thesis, etc.)? This is for my 11th grade American Lit class. Please help me correct on basis of Ideas and Content (Insight, Topic Narrow, Being clear and focused etc.) (Conventions: Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.), Word Choice, and Sentence Fluency. - Thanks in advance. :) Bartleby is stubborn, self-absorbed, rebellious, and insubordinate, yet many readers, and even the narrator, the Boss himself, have a deep sympathy for him. This passive-aggressive idea creates a paradox between the two characters. Whether it’s Bartleby’s passive-resistance when he “prefers not to” (Melville 3) work, or the Boss giving Bartleby thirty-two dollars after firing him (Melville 13), the Boss can not stop being nice to this insubordinate even though his work ethic is horrid. Bartleby also creates the paradox of being a human; humans cherish love, hope, conformity, freedom, and all other emotions that define what it means to be alive. This lack of humanity equates to the paradoxical relationship between the two. No matter how alien and lazy Bartleby is, the sympathies remain for the readers as well as the Boss. Throughout the novella Bartleby and the Boss quarrel because Bartleby refuses to do work; however, no matter how much Bartleby doesn’t work, the Boss always endows Bartleby with a second chance. This creates a paradox because the truth is, Bartleby won’t work. However, the Boss doesn’t do what a normal boss does, and continues to allow Bartleby to do his labors without punishment or sanctions. Eventually, the Boss gets despondent about Bartleby and decides he has to fire him. Rather than just letting him go, he actually pays Bartleby twenty extra dollars with his twelve dollar pay check. He gives Bartleby the twenty extra dollars in the hope that he will better his life, if not for his own sake, for the Boss’s. Later in the novella, the Boss has to move shops because Bartleby will not move from the shop. The Boss is forced by his former landlord to try to remove Bartleby because he still will not vacate the building. The Boss gets angry and starts yelling at Bartleby, but eventually calms down, and asks Bartleby “will you go home with me now-not to my office, but my dwelling” (Melville 18.) No boss in today’s society would ever offer an employee that chance. One explanation of the Boss’s sympathy towards Bartleby is his lack of human emotion. Bartleby is nothing more than an entity. Bartleby exhibits no love, conformity, hard work, hope, or freedom. Bartleby has the chance to conform and whenever the Boss asks him to edit his law copies. However, Bartleby always “prefers not to” and decides to go against the grain. This also helps create another paradoxical relationship because it causes the reader to question why the Boss would ever be sympathetic to someone or something that isn’t human. Why would he try to be nice to an entity? The lack of human perspective causes the reader to ponder the reason of the Boss’s sympathy. Bartleby and the Boss have a paradoxical relationship. This is shown through the Boss’s constant kindness. The Boss has the chance to just say “you’re fired,” or just leave Bartleby to die. However, whether it’s offering him money, housing, or a job, the Boss continues to find a soft spot in his heart for Bartleby. This sympathy is based on the fact that Bartleby is completely an entity, and no way human. He shows no love conformity, hard work, hope, or freedom. He is in all sense, an alien. If Bartleby was able to show these simple, human emotions, it wouldn’t be as easy to be sympathetic to. He’d just be seen as the stubborn, self-absorbed, rebellious, and lazy person he is. It's four paragraphs, it just doesn't add tabs to the electronic version.

I got one day left...? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something? Don't Delete this Q ok. All i need is a final opinion. Guilty or not guilty what will it be? thanks jerk

Please help me? I think i might get kicked out? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something?

HEY YOU BEHIND THAT KEY BOARD!! ANSWER THIS QUESTION 10 POINTS FOR BEST!!? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something?

HEY YOU COWARDING BEHIND THAT KEYBOARD!! ANSWER MY QUESTION FOR TEN POINTS!!? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something?

HEY YOU COWERING BEHIND YOUR little keyboard! Why dont you make ur self useful and answer this question???!!!!? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something? King Rio. Indeed you did recieve 2 points.

ANSER THIS FO 10 Points Dogg!!!? In a nut shell i sent a stupid email to classmates in a class that i was planning to attend this summer. It said I would do peoples's quizes for money. I NEVER ACTUALLY DID IT. All they've got is this email saying I would. I've talked to a few people about it including my english proff and they all seem to think that because I didnt do it, they cant expell me for it and that the meeting is going to be a real talk about it. My Eng proffesor said i should use the defense that this was nothing more than a sarcastic joke. To say its the kind of thing that students say when the proffesor is not around. That I thought it would be cool to be shocking and describe how i would "game the system. He compared it to someone being in line at the airport and someone saying "They must think were gonna blow up this plane. Like grandma over there is really carrying an IED in her oxygen tank": I dont know though. I mean if it isnot just a talk, there going to give me three days to enter a plea of guilty or not. If i plea guilty (OF WHAT!!!?) they impose sancitions that day, if not guilty then i go to like a trial kind of thing where evidence is presented before a committee and a decision is made. The thing is, I think that even if they dont have anything on me, they are probally going to try to make me plea out. I'm not guilty of cheating, I've never even had a day in that class so how could i have done it? I've been posting like crazy on here, and everyone seems to think that they are going to burn me for this. The collge doesnt have a formal cheating policy which is wierd but it does define cheating as ; The term “cheating” includes but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examination; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the Edison faculty or staff. This is like the "Minority Report". How can they get me for something that I never did. Especially to impose such serious sanctions based solely on an email? The thing is I didn't get a call from the VP. (I don't know if that is procedure or not) I just got an E-mail from the DEAN of Math and Science. saying I need to make an apointment immediately. So I made the apointment and the secretary was trying to not make the appointment interfere with my final exams this week. Does that mean, that they in fact are not trying to kick me out. She told me where to meet but not who would be there. So I looked up the room number under the school's database and found that it is the office of the District VP. That scares me because now it sounds like they are taking this to the next level. If they are following the procedures, right now the VP has already determined merit in the charges against me. That means that they are going to just hand me a paper saying they need to see me ( TO PLEA GUILTY) Should I succome to pressure if they want a guilty plea or should I take this all the way. Now let me tell you this, If they say "your expelled, now sign here" . I'm not doing it I'm a take it all the way. But what I think they are going to do, is keep the consequences witheld untill they get what they want. I dont think they have grounds for expulsion but i havent had an wince of sleep since i got the initial email on the 28th. Can someone tell me something?

Can Mormons challenge their leadership? If I was a Mormon, which logically would require that I accept those tenets which define the belief system of the LDS, would I be able to openly disagree with the Church Presidency or the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles without facing some sort of punishment from church authorities? Perhaps you agree with most LDS doctrines, but find yourself in disagreement with new doctrines issued by the ultimate church leadership... would you be excommunicated or punished for even suggesting an alternative doctrine or disagreement? In the Catholic faith (I am not Catholic, but I have attended Catholic schools as well as actively participated in several Catholic liturgy services) one may openly disagree with the Pope or the Cardinals without facing any kind of sanctioned punishment from the church authorities, even though obedience to the high authorities is stressed and ever-pervasive. I am wondering if it is the same in the LDS?

Can someone help me understand this? Doubtless, there is a universal justice emanating from reason alone; but this justice, to be admitted among us, must be mutual. Humanly speaking, in default of natural sanctions, the laws of justice are ineffective among men: they merely make for the good of the wicked and the undoing of the just, when the just man observes them towards everybody and nobody observes them towards him. Conventions and laws are therefore needed to join rights to duties and refer justice to its object. In the state of nature, where everything is common, I owe nothing to him whom I have promised nothing; I recognise as belonging to others only what is of no use to me. In the state of society all rights are fixed by law, and the case becomes different. But what, after all, is a law? As long as we remain satisfied with attaching purely metaphysical ideas to the word, we shall go on arguing without arriving at an understanding; and when we have defined a law of nature, we shall be no nearer the definition of a law of the State. I have already said that there can be no general will directed to a particular object. Such an object must be either within or outside the State. If outside, a will which is alien to it cannot be, in relation to it, general; if within, it is part of the State, and in that case there arises a relation between whole and part which makes them two separate beings, of which the part is one, and the whole minus the part the other. But the whole minus a part cannot be the whole; and while this relation persists, there can be no whole, but only two unequal parts; and it follows that the will of one is no longer in any respect general in relation to the other. But when the whole people decrees for the whole people, it is considering only itself; and if a relation is then formed, it is between two aspects of the entire object, without there being any division of the whole. In that case the matter about which the decree is made is, like the decreeing will, general. This act is what I call a law. When I say that the object of laws is always general, I mean that law considers subjects en masse and actions in the abstract, and never a particular person or action. Thus the law may indeed decree that there shall be privileges, but cannot confer them on anybody by name. It may set up several classes of citizens, and even lay down the qualifications for membership of these classes, but it cannot nominate such and such persons as belonging to them; it may establish a monarchical government and hereditary succession, but it cannot choose a king, or nominate a royal family. In a word, no function which has a particular object belongs to the legislative power. On this view, we at once see that it can no longer be asked whose business it is to make laws, since they are acts of the general will; nor whether the prince is above the law, since he is a member of the State; nor whether the law can be unjust, since no one is unjust to himself; nor how we can be both free and subject to the laws, since they are but registers of our wills. We see further that, as the law unites universality of will with universality of object, what a man, whoever he be, commands of his own motion cannot be a law; and even what the Sovereign commands with regard to a particular matter is no nearer being a law, but is a decree, an act, not of sovereignty, but of magistracy. I therefore give the name "Republic" to every State that is governed by laws, no matter what the form of its administration may be: for only in such a case does the public interest govern, and the res publica rank as a reality. Every legitimate government is republican;10 what government is I will explain later on. Laws are, properly speaking, only the conditions of civil association. The people, being subject to the laws, ought to be their author: the conditions of the society ought to be regulated solely by those who come together to form it. But how are they to regulate them? Is it to be by common agreement, by a sudden inspiration? Has the body politic an organ to declare its will? Who can give it the foresight to formulate and announce its acts in advance? Or how is it to announce them in the hour of need? How can a blind multitude, which often does not know what it wills, because it rarely knows what is good for it, carry out for itself so great and difficult an enterprise as a system of legislation? Of itself the people wills always the good, but of itself it by no means always sees it. The general will is always in the right, but the judgment which guides it is not always enlightened. It must be got to see objects as they are, and sometimes as they ought to appear to it; it must be shown the good road it is in search of, secured from the seductive influences of individual wills, taught to see times and spaces as a series, and made to weigh the attractions of present and sensible advantages against the danger of distant and hidden evils. The individ

A Question about a Passage for an Essay Question.? What exactly does this passage mean in detail? " A realistic analysis of the problems of human society reveals a constant and seemingly irreconcilable conflict between the needs of society and the imperatives of a sensitive conscience. This conflict, which could most briefly defined as the conflict between ethics and politics, is made inevitable by the double focus of the moral life. One focus is in the inner life of the individual, and the other in the necessities of man's social life. From the perspective of society the highest moral ideal is justice. From the perspective of the individual the highest ideal is unselfishness. Society must strive for justice even it it is forced to use means, such as self-assertion, resistance, coercion and perhaps resentment, which cannot gain the moral sanction of the most sensitive moral spirit. The individual must strive to realize his life by losing and finding himself in something greater than himself. "

Sociology question on "the village" by m. nightshamlan? As defined in class, the opposite of social control or dominant social norms is deviance. Identify at least (3) instances where a character was deviant and explain which social norms were violated. What were the social sanctions for these violations?

who is moving to Oklahoma? the senate passed the 10th amendment resoultion! STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 52nd Legislature (2009) HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1003By:Key AS INTRODUCED A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over certain powers; serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates; providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed; and directing distribution. WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."; and WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and WHEREAS, today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and WHEREAS, many federal laws are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 4 says, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”, and the Ninth Amendment states that ”The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people”; and WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 52ND OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE: THAT the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States. THAT this serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers. THAT all compulsory federal legislation which directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed. THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state's legislature of the United States of America, and each member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation. 52-1-5082SD11/17/08 for the record...sovereignty is not the same as seceding

Power being exercised in today's society? If power were defined as the ability to influence the behavious of others, either by threat, sanctions or manipulation, which modern day examples would you give of power being exercised?

HELP!!! HOW DO I STUDY FOR THIS TEST???????Any help would be soooo great? Below is what I expect students to have learned from an introductory class ay this point in the semester. 1. Define sociology. 2. What is the sociological imagination? 3. How and when did sociology develop? 4. Distinguish between personal troubles and public issues. 5. Who was W.E.B. DuBois and what did he study? What is double consciousness? 6. Discuss the functionalist, conflict and interactionist perspectives. Which perspective was extended by sociologist Herbert Blumer into the theory that people’s actions are based on how they interpret what goes on around them? 7. Where was the first Sociology department in the United States? 8. Who coined the term “sociology”? 9. What were Marx’s, Weber’s and Durkheim’s contributions to Sociology? 10. Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research. 11. Be able to distinguish among the following: theory, hypothesis, dependent variable, independent variable, operationalization, correlation, causation. 12. How do the different types of research methods (experiment, survey research, participant observation, nonparticipant observation, secondary research, content analysis) vary? 13. What is a sample? 14. What are the different types? 15. What is unobtrusive research? 17. How is culture defined? 18. Give examples of material and nonmaterial culture. 19. What are the components of culture? 20. Be able to define the following: norm, folkways, mores, laws, symbol, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, values, ideal culture, real culture, informal sanction, formal sanction. 21. What’s the difference between high culture and popular culture? 22. Explain the difference in how the Functionalists and Conflict Theorists view popular culture. 23. How have discoveries, inventions and diffusion contributed to cultural change? 24. Define culture shock, cultural universal, cultural lag, ethnocentrism, cultural relativity, subculture and counterculture 25. What is socialization? The nature-nurture debate? 26. What are feral children and what can we learn from them? 27. What is the self-concept? 28. What is Cooley’s Theory? What are the steps in the Looking Glass Self Theory? 29. What are the 3 stages in Mead’s Theory? What are significant and generalized others 30. What is Freud’s Theory? The id, ego and superego? 31. What is Piaget’s Theory? Kohlberg’s Theory 32. List some examples of agents of socialization. Which is the most important 33. How do Functionalists and Conflict Theorists view socialization? 34. What is gender socialization? 35. What are the elements of social structure? 36. Define status, status set, ascribed statuses, achieved statuses, master status and status symbol 37. Define role expectations, role performances, role ambiguity, role conflict, role strain, and role exit 38. What are groups? Primary and Secondary 39. What are social institutions? How do Functionalists and Conflict Theorists view them? 40. How do ethnomethodologists study social interaction? 41. What is Symbolic Interactionism? Which theorist is associated with this theory? 42. What is Dramaturgical Sociology? Distinguish between the frontstage and backstage. What does Goffman mean by impression management? 43. Distinguish between a group and an aggregate. What is a social category? 44. What are in-groups and out-groups? Membership groups? Reference groups? 45. What is the difference between mechanical and organic solidarity? Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft? 46. If Hitler asked you to electrocute a stranger, would you? What did Milgram have to say about this? Which variables made someone more or less likely to administer shocks? 47. What are the three group characteristics? Explain them completely. What are the different types of leadership 48. What is a formal organization? A bureaucracy? 49. What did Weber say about bureaucracies? What are the weaknesses. 50. What is the Japanese alternative? 51. What is deviance? What do we mean by the relative nature of deviance? 52. What are the various theories of Deviance? functionalist, strain, opportunity, control, differential association, labeling, conflict. 53. What is the profile of the average criminal? Who is most likely to be a victim? 54. What’s the problem with crime statistics? What’s the National Crime Victimization Survey? 55. Define the following terms: social stratification, life chances, social mobility (vertical and horizontal), intergenerational mobility, and intragenerational mobility. Be able to give examples of each. 56. Explain Marx’s theory of class stratification. 57. Distinguish between the functionalist and conflict perspectives on class stratification. 58. What are the “savage inequalities” according to Kozol? Which perspective best explains this? I did keep a record of al my notes to all of the chapters, but i didnt memorize them!!

Do you ever harbor a feeling that the fundies are on the wrong side in history? When I as 9, as well as believing that no Bronze Age god governed my life, I also believed, and many times more strongly, that Jim Crow and state-sanctioned hate in my native Georgia were unspeakably vile. I was only 9 and so I let the fact be known that I was "a traitor to the white race", and overnight I became a pariah dog. By no means is it as serious to me, the sad path which fundies are taking, but, you know, I have the same feeling that history will not be kind to them. American history certainly was on the side of a cotton-mill boy in backward Georgia in 1953, and it is on the side of American atheists in 2007. No matter how much cherry-picking of the Bible that fundies do, no matter their lies and really rather pathetic extortions, in not so many ticks of the clock, in universal terms, Christianity, as fundies define it, will be long-gone, yet another American oddity. Get away from Georgia? I was born there and came of age there, yes, but I did not say I was living there now.

What of Ockman's-Razor & the Economy......? 1) Recession defined as : temporary decline in economic-activity. @ http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=recession&searchmode=none 2) Economics defined as: {See numismatics@http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=numismatics&searchmode=nl } : what has been sactioned by custom or usage. _________________________________ I agree, cutting taxes won't help the recession, as people need that money for debt, bills, etc. or other liabilities, rather then assetts like more homes, cars, or other potential assetts. ___________________________________________ Solution: if our economy is built on sanctions and customs, and those sanctions and customs aren't working for us long-term(short-term fluctuates too much to base anything of substance on...) then why not lift the sanctions and assert new-customs into the economy? _________________________________________ This may be naieve but Ockman's razor suggests that the most simplest answer is most-likely. Agree/Disagree/Why? ********************************** ******************************** Sorry for the misspelling. It's Ockham's Razor. _________________________________ Check out the link to follow on Mr. Ockham's Razor, for He, was all about being practical, and wouldn't assume anything based on sanitary or non-sanitary issues if it did not offer a practical solution. _________________________ Ockham's razor isn't a method of solution only 20-percent of the time. It is...................THE.........- METHOD........at least 80-percent of the time, if it's not applied out-of-context as you may suggest. For proper context of Ockham's razor, try:............. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ockman%27s_razor TC: Thanx for showing'; You raise good points!

Good bye Bush, Do you think he has chance? Comments (380) Share on Facebook Manfred Nowak, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture, holds press conference... Manfred Nowak, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture, holds press conference... VIENNA (AP) - The U.S. is obligated by a United Nations convention to prosecute Bush administration lawyers who allegedly drafted policies that approved the use of harsh interrogation tactics against terrorism suspects, the U.N.'s top anti-torture envoy said Friday. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama left the door open to prosecuting Bush administration officials who devised the legal authority for gruesome terror-suspect interrogations. He had previously absolved CIA officers from prosecution. Manfred Nowak, who serves as a U.N. special rapporteur in Geneva, said Washington is obligated under the U.N. Convention against Torture to prosecute U.S. Justice Department officials who wrote memos that defined torture in the narrowest way in order to justify and legitimize it, and who assured CIA officials that their use of questionable tactics was legal. "That's exactly what I call complicity or participation" to torture as defined by the convention, Nowak said at a news conference. "At that time, every reasonable person would know that waterboarding, for instance, is torture." Nowak, an Austrian law professor, said it was up to U.S. courts and prosecutors to prove that the memos were written with the intention to incite torture. Nowak also said any probe of questionable CIA interrogation tactics must be independent and have thorough investigative powers. "It can be a congressional investigation commission, a special investigator, but it must be independent and with thorough investigative powers," Nowak said. On Thursday, Obama's press secretary suggested Obama does not care for an independent panel. Last week, the Obama administration released secret CIA memos detailing interrogation tactics sanctioned under Bush. The memos authorized keeping detainees naked, in painful standing positions and in cold cells for long periods of time. Other techniques included depriving them of solid food and slapping them. Sleep deprivation, prolonged shackling and threats to a detainee's family also were used. Nowak said Saturday that Obama's decision not to prosecute CIA operatives who used questionable interrogation practices violates the same U.N. convention. But at that point he did not specifically address the issue of how the convention would apply to those who drafted the interrogation policy and gave the CIA the legal go-ahead.

Have you heard of codex alimentarius, what do you think of it? I heard this morning for the first time EVER of the international food trade organisation Codex Alimentarius which was set up in 1964! They have legislation in act today but its not law, it's up to the individual company and person to follow it. No one does, and for good reason... On Dec 31st 2009 the Codex Alimentarius WILL become law, I'll get to the point, here are some facts I found out today about C.A. If two countries one Codex compliant and one not Codex compliant, face the World Trade Organization and enter a dispute resolution process. The Codex compliant country automatically wins regardless of the merit of the case Codex is a Napoleonic Code Law system, stating anything not permitted is forbidden (creating a "positive list"), in regards to nutrients and herbs In 1994 Codex declared nutrients are defined as toxins, toxin meaning poison Because nutrients are defined as toxins, they will be limited to the "positive list" above (est. 18 nutrients) excluding Cocutine, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate which are important but do include Fluoride which has, according to physicians no biological benefits Codex would make nutrients that affect the human body Illegal, like heroin Under Codex, every dairy cow on the planet must be treated with Monsanto's Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone Under Codex, every animal used for human consumption on the planet must be treated with Sub-clinical Antibiotics and Exogenous Growth Hormones Codex requires all food be radiated, unless eaten locally and raw Codex sets limits for the dangerous industrial chemicals permit table in food, which are extremely high In 2001 twelve dangerous organic chemicals called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) were so dangerous, 176 countries agreed to be ban them world wide. Nine of the 12 are pesticides, Codex has brought 7 of the nine pesticides back. Foods containing these 7 pesticides cannot be stopped at our countries border, because it would be a World Trade Violation Codex, according to the World Trade Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation joint projections estimates that just the guideline and mineral alone will cause 3 Billion deaths worldwide. 1 Billion, through starvation (3rd world) and 2 Billion from preventable diseases of under nutrition (world wide) It will be illegal to send and distribute food aid to and in famine ridden countries!!!!!!! Every country in the world has to be Codex compliant in order not to get hit by World Trade Organization sanctions! When I first seen the doc (link Below) I thought it was crazy but followed it up and is indeed very true and i for one am terrified at the potential devastation such legislation will bring http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5266884912495233634 please tell me if you know anything about it or you opinions on it thanks sorry Codex is not a trade organization it's a trade commission......

does you kids school have a nutritional guideline? i found this at a school webside: Nutrition standards defined by 126-86-5 Limit total calories to no more than 200 per package Limit total fat to no more than 35% of the calories per product excluding nuts, seeds, cheese Limit saturated fat to less than 10% of the total calories Limit trans fat to less than or equal to 0.5 grams per package Reduce sugar content of food items to no more than 35% of calories per product excluding fruits Limit sodium to no more than 200 milligrams per product/package At all grade levels it is recommended that only water, 100% fruit/vegetable juice and non-fat 1% low-fat milk, flavored or unflavored be served. W.Va. code 18-2-6a permits juice beverages with a minimum of 20% juice. No candy, soft drinks, chewing gum or flavored ice bars will be distributed during the school day The WVBE strongly recommends that juice beverages not contain sugar. Limit fruit/vegetable juice portions to nom more than 4 0z. for elementary students No coffee-based products may be given to students Prohibit caffeine containing beverages with the exception of those containing trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine substances No foods containing non nutritive artificial sweeteners No foods shall be served or distributed to students in elementary schools from the time the first child arrives at school until 20 minutes after lunch is served Foods and beverages shall not be offered as a reward or used as a means of punishment Accountability and Compliance: Noncompliance with the rules and standards stipulated in section 126-86-4 may result in sanctions that include suspension or recovery of federal reimbursements.

I need help with following school questions. Introduction to Sociology? 1. According to Kingsley Davis, a manifest function of prostitution is that it A. protects the bargaining position of married women. B. provides a sexual outlet for men who can’t compete in the marriage market. C. increases sexual crimes of violence. D. keeps many women properly employed and off the streets. 2. Which of the following principles is illustrated by laws requiring the use of seat belts? A. Creation of values B. Emphasis on voluntary compliance C. Using laws to create norms D. Elimination of values 3. In Freudian theory, the _______ is the natural, unsocialized biological component of the psyche that includes hunger and sexual urges. A. id C. superego B. ego D. me 4. In Mead’s theory, the “I” is the A. self of which we’re aware. B. self as social object. C. spontaneous, creative part of the self. D. selfless, other-centered part of the self. 5. Your text argues that _______ help to explain what’s common to humankind across societies while _______ explains why people and societies differ from one another. A. cultural universals; genetics B. biological factors; culture C. social structure; biology D. technological advances; cultural universals 6. Lucinda has recently moved to the United States from Colombia. Her children no longer speak Spanish and are learning to live like American children. Lucinda’s children are experiencing A. multiculturalism. C. cultural relativism. B. ethnocentrism. D. assimilation. 7. Modern theories of cognitive development were developed primarily by A. Jean Piaget. C. Sigmund Freud. B. George Herbert Mead. D. Herbert Spencer. 8. The variable in a hypothesis that precedes or causes a change in the other variable in the hypothesis is called the _______ variable. A. control C. sample B. independent D. dependent 9. Which of the following is the correct definition of sanctions? A. Lifestyles that are opposed to the wider culture B. Rewards for conformity and punishments for nonconformity C. The forms of interaction through which people relate to one another D. The expectation that people will return favors when they’re obligated to do so 10. The transmission of culture from one person (or generation) to the next is dependent upon A. a large brain. B. the human capacity for creating and using technology. C. natural human instincts. D. the human capacity for language. 11. The difficulties that John and Mary experience in their marriage represent a personal trouble. According to C. Wright Mills, the fact that 250 out of every 1,000 marriages end in divorce within the first four years, however, is A. a public issue. B. a sign of moral collapse. C. a latent dysfunction of marriage. D. meaningless. 12. All of the following theoretical ideas are associated with Karl Marx, except A. economic determinism. B. dialectic. C. positivism. D. capitalism as a source of conflict and inequality. 13. Weber argues that part of the ideological foundation for capitalism came from A. economic determinism. C. the American frontier. B. Protestant religious values. D. changing modes of production. 14. The self-concept is best defined as A. the way other people perceive us. B. the spontaneous reaction we have to others in our daily lives. C. the selfish egocentric part of the self. D. a person’s thoughts regarding his or her personality and social roles. 15. According to theorists who embrace the symbolic interaction perspective, understanding human behavior requires us to A. recognize that meanings associated with behavior are static and don’t change. B. become a member of the group we’re studying. C. learn what behavior means to individual actors. D. be willing to imitate and enter into the behavior of others. 16. Irving Goffman developed the concept of total institutions after working in a A. mental hospital. C. cloistered monastery. B. prison. D. boot camp. 17. “Society is like an organism, the parts work in harmony to contribute to the maintenance of the whole. A healthy society is one that’s public.” These statements are consistent with which sociological perspective? A. Symbolic interaction B. Cultural determinism C. Structural-functional theory D. Conflict theory 18 Norms that characterize the customary, normal, and habitual ways people are expected to do things are known as A. mores. C. customs. B. laws. D. folkways. 19. Generalizing from what we’ve learned about monkeys, we can conclude that the effects of neglect A. have been overestimated. B. are severe and irreversible. C. are severe but may also be reversible. D. always end in premature death. 20. Social values are defined by your text as A. the normal, habitual ways of doing things. B. shared ideas about what’s a valuable goal. C. shared rules of conduct that specify how people ought to think and act. D. strong ideas about what’s morally right or wrong as enforced by the police powers of the

Why do people still believe the FISA nonsense about Bush when the Presidents powers are specifically limited? Without a court order The President may authorize, through the Attorney General, electronic surveillance without a court order for the period of one year provided it is only for foreign intelligence information;[10] targeting foreign powers as defined by 50 U.S.C. §1801(a)(1),(2),(3)[11] or their agents; and there is no substantial likelihood that the surveillance will acquire the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party.[12] Criminal sanctions follows violations of electronic surveillance by intentionally engaging in electronic surveillance under the color of law or through disclosing information known to have been obtained through unauthorized surveillance. The penalties for either act are fines up to $10,000, up to five years in jail, or both.[16] In addition, the statute creates a cause of action for private individuals whose communications were unlawfully monitored. The statute permits actual damages of not less than $1,000 or $100 per day. In addition, that statute authorizes punitive damages and an award of attorney's fees ok crabby, provide a link

Power being exercised in today's society? If power were defined as the ability to influence the behavious of others, either by threat, sanctions or manipulation, which modern day examples would you give of power being exercised?

Will Obama support a Proposal at U.N. to criminalize defamation of Islam? What do you think? UN Watch Briefing Proposal at U.N. to criminalize 'defamation of Islam' http://anti-jihad.org/blog/2009/03/defamation-of-islam/ "Geneva, March 11, 2009 -- A new U.N. resolution circulated today by Islamic states would define any questioning of Islamic dogma as a human rights violation, intimidate dissenting voices, and encourage the forced imposition of Sharia law. (See full U.N. text below.)" "UN Watch obtained a copy of the Pakistani-authored proposal after it was distributed today among Geneva diplomats attending the current session of the UN Human Rights Council. Entitled "Combating defamation of religions," it mentions only Islam." "While non-binding, the resolution constitutes a dangerous threat to free speech everywhere. It would ban any perceived offense to Islamic sensitivities as a "serious affront to human dignity" and a violation of religious freedom, and would pressure U.N. member states -- at the "local, national, regional and international levels" -- to erode free speech guarantees in their "legal and constitutional systems."" "It's an Orwellian text that distorts the meaning of human rights, free speech, and religious freedom, and marks a giant step backwards for liberty and democracy worldwide." "The first to suffer will be moderate Muslims in the countries that are behind this resolution, like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan, who seek international legitimacy for state-sanctioned blasphemy laws that stifle religious freedom and outlaw conversions from Islam to other faiths." "Next to suffer from this U.N.-sanctioned McCarthyism will be writers and journalists in the democratic West, with the resolution targeting the media for the "deliberate stereotyping of religions, their adherents and sacred persons."" "Ultimately, it is the very notion of individual human rights at stake, because the sponsors of this resolution seek not to protect individuals from harm, but rather to shield a specific set of beliefs from any question, debate, or critical inquiry." "The resolution's core premise -- that "defamation of religion" exists as legal concept -- is a distortion. The law on defamation protects the reputations of individuals, not beliefs. It also requires an examination of the truth or falsity of the challenged remarks -- a determination that no one, especially not the UN, is capable of undertaking concerning any religion."

What are the criminal penalties for police abuse? Police abuse is defined as the inappropriate and illegal use of police powers to coerce, harass, intimidate, arrest, assault and kill members of our community. A particularly vile and loathsome turd blossom who calls himself Raymond, Ron, High Mountain Wanker, Chief Scut, Independent Contard, Hau Kola and God knows what else recently made the following threat to a Y/A member under the name of Raymond: Nice to see u. which one are you. Little Texas MOE, Angry Fairy, see your starting at the bottom of the **** barrell again. So you must be one of them. You seem to have a problem with proving something. If you proclaim to know so much. Try doing something about it, instead of just talking about it. Ive never used by badge before to locate someone on here, But for you I could make an exception. Your manner and insults are based upon supposition and innuendo. Either put the F, up or shut up. For you literally do not have a clue of what you speak." Leave aside the fact that this the only badge this nasty little POS has is either a security guard's or something the old fart pulled out of a cracker jack box in 1952. Assume instead that this POS really does have some sort of police power. Under this scenario, what are the criminal sanctions that can be pursued against this miserable excuse for a turd-eater for abuse of police power? http://policeabuse.com/ The BOY obviously is not right.

Paragraph too complicated :s? My sister is doing her business coursework and basically the teacher has given her the outline of the work and all she has to do is put it into her own words and make it easier to understand but she's stuck on this paragraph and has asked me to help.. And who better to ask than the wonderful people on Y!A :) So here's the paragraph.. Its about the Health and Safety at Work Act.. Hopefully you can understand it better than me :s The Act defines general duties on employers, employees, contractors, suppliers of goods and substances for use at work, persons in control of work premises, and those who manage and maintain them, and persons in general. The Act enables a broad regime of regulation by government ministers through Statutory Instrument which has, in the years since 1974, generated an extensive system of specific provisions for various industries, disciplines and risks. It established a system of public supervision through the creation of the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive, since merged, and bestows extensive enforcement powers, ultimately backed by criminal sanctions extending to unlimited fines and imprisonment for up to two years. Further, the Act provides a critical interface with the law of the European Union on workplace health and safety. Your help is much appreciated :)

Religion and honor killings- is there a connection? For those who don't know what "honor killings" are, Human Rights Watch defines "honor killings" as this: Honor crimes are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce—even from an abusive husband—or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life. Several years ago we had a visit at my school by Rana Husseini. She is a Jordanian journalist who is most well known for exposing the horrors of honor killings in her country. After her lecture, we had an opportunity to stay behind and ask her questions. I raised my hand and asked is there any connection between religion and these killings. She adamantly said, "No, there is no connection whatsoever. These are purely motivated by culture and have nothing to do with religion." Although I do have the utmost respect for Rana Husseini, I felt dissatisfied with that answer. Is there really NO connection at all? Because it seems to me that religion at least sanctions/strengthens the 'obligation' that these men feel to keep the 'honor' of their families. [Sorry for the epic novel!!]

How would you define the group below, give lots of descriptive words please (read the details below)? What do you call a group dedicated to the destruction by any means of what they perceive as an unjust occupier who has war technology far exceeding what the group will ever have even if it means that their own citizens will die in massive numbers or live in massive poverty and a blockade of sorts through sanctions will be enacted on the country. This scenario has happened in a few different areas throughout the world so please don't attempt to pinpoint which area I am thinking of. Thank you for answering! They are fighting to reclaim their land obviously, in case you didn't know what they are fighting for. 1. Actually, Iraq never had good justification. 2. The attacks are against civilian and military targets. 3. Equal opposition and non opposition throughout the world. 4. Opposition represents majority in territory 5. Only against the settlers, not against their own citizens.

Give me your opinion insights and summary or how you understand this..? CHAPTER 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS Article One Basic Air Quality Policies SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999". SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles. - The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. The State shall promote and protect the global environment to attain sustainable development while recognizing the primary responsibility of local government units to deal with environmental problems. The State recognizes that the responsibility of cleaning the habitat and environment is primarily area-based. The State also recognizes the principle that "polluters must pay". Finally, the State recognizes that a clean and healthy environment is for the good of all and should therefore be the concern of all. SECTION 3. Declaration of Policies. - The State shall pursue a policy of balancing development and environmental protection. To achieve this end, the frame work for sustainable development shall be pursued. It shall be the policy of the State to: a. Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution management that shall be implemented by the government through proper delegation and effective coordination of functions and activities; b. Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizens and industries through the application of market-based instruments; c. Focus primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a comprehensive management program for air pollution; d. Promote public information and education and to encourage the participation of an informed and active public in air quality planning and monitoring; and e. Formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long-term adverse environmental impact of a project, program or activity. This shall include the setting up of a funding or guarantee mechanism for clean-up and environmental rehabilitation and compensation for personal damages. SECTION 4. Recognition of Rights. - Pursuant to the above-declared principles, the following rights of citizens are hereby sought to be recognized and the State shall seek to guarantee the enjoyment: a. The right to breathe clean air; b. The right to utilize and enjoy all natural resources according to the principles of sustainable development; c. The right to participate in the formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring of environmental policies and programs and in the decision-making process; d. The right to participate in the decision-making process concerning development policies, plans and programs projects or activities that may have adverse impact on the environment and public health; e. The right to be informed of the nature and extent of the potential hazard of any activity, undertaking or project and to be served timely notice of any significant rise in the level of pollution and the accidental or deliberate release into the atmosphere of harmful or hazardous substances; f. The right of access to public records which a citizen may need to exercise his or her rights effectively under this Act; g. The right to bring action in court or quasi-judicial bodies to enjoin all activities in violation of environmental laws and regulations, to compel the rehabilitation and cleanup of affected area, and to seek the imposition of penal sanctions against violators of environmental laws;and h. The right to bring action in court for compensation of personal damages resulting from the adverse environmental and public health impact of a project or activity. Article Two Definition of Terms SECTION 5. -Definitions.- As used in this Act: a.) "Air pollutant" means any matter found in the atmosphere other than oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and the inert gases in their natural or normal concentrations, that is detrimental to health or the environment, which includes but not limited to smoke, dust, soot, cinders, fly ash, solid particles of any king, gases, fumes, chemical mists, steam and radioactive substances; b.) "Air pollution" means any alteration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the atmospheric air, or any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate purposes; c.) "Ambient air quality guideline values" means the concentration of air over specified periods classified as short-term and long-term which are intended to serve as goals or objectives for the protection of health and/or public welfare. These values shall be used for air quality management purposes such as determining time trends, evaluating stages of deterioration or enhancement o the air quality, and in general, used as basis or taking positive action in preventing, controlling, or abating air pollution; d.) "Ambient air quality" means the general amount of pollution present in a broad area; and refers to the atmosphere's average purity as distinguished from discharge measurements taken at the source of pollution; e.) "Certificate of Conformity" means a certificate issued by the Department o Environment and Natural Resources to a vehicle manufacturer/assembler or importer certifying that a particular new vehicle or vehicle type meets the requirements provided under this Act and its rules and regulations; f.) "Department" means the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; g.)" Eco-profile" means the geographic-based instrument for planners and decision makers which present an evaluation of the environment quality and carrying capacity of an area. It is the result of the integration of primary data and information on natural resources and antropogenic activities on the land which evaluated by various environmental risk assessment and forecasting methodologies that enable the Department to anticipate the type of development control necessary in the planning area. h.)" Emission" means any air contaminant, pollutant, gas stream or unwanted sound from a known source which is passed into the atmosphere; i.) " Greenhouse gases" means those gases that can potentially or can reasonably be expected to induce global warming, which include carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, chloroflourocarbons, and the like; j.) "Hazardous substances" means those substances which present either : (1) short-term acute hazards such as acute toxicity by ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption, corrosivity or other skin or eye contact hazard or the risk of fire explosion; or (2) long-term toxicity upon repeated exposure, carcinogecity (which in some cases result in acute exposure but with a long latent period), resistance to detoxification process such as biodegradation, the potential to pollute underground or surface waters; k.)" Infectious waste " means that portion of medical waste that could transmit an infectious disease; l.)" Medical waste" means that materials generated as a result of patient diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals; m.) " Mobile source" means any vehicle propelled by or thorough combustion of carbon-based or other fuel, constructed and operated principally for the conveyance of persons or the transportation of property goods; n.) " Motor vehicle" means any vehicle propelled by a gasoline or diesel engine or by any means other than human or animal power, constructed and operated principally for the conveyance of persons or the transportation of property or goods in a public highway or street open to public use; o.) " Municipal waste" means the waste materials generated from communities within a specific locality; p)." New vehicle" means a vehicle constructed entirely from new parts that has never been sold or registered with the DOTC or with the appropriate agency or authority, and operated on the highways of the Philippines, any foreign state of country; q.) " Octane Rating or the Anti-Knock Index(AKI)" means the rating of the anti-knock characteristics of a grade or type of automotive gasoline as determined by dividing by two (2) the sum of the Research Octane Number (RON), plus the Motor Octane Number (MON); the octane requirement, with respect to automotive gasoline for use in a motor vehicle or a class thereof , whether imported, manufactured, or assembled by a manufacturer, shall refer to the minimum octane rating of such automotive gasoline which such manufacturer recommends for the efficient operation of such motor vehicle, or a substantial portion of such class, without knocking; r.) " Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)" means those substances that significantly deplete or otherwise modify the ozone layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse effects of human health and the environment such as , but not limited to , chloroflourocarbons, halons and the like; s.) "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)" means the organic compounds that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. These compounds resist photolytic, chemical and biological degradation, which shall include but not be limited to dioxin, furan, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, such as aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, hexachlorobenzene, lindane, toxaphere and chlordane; t.) "Poisonous and toxic fumes" means any emissions and fumes which are beyond internationally-accepted standards, including but not limited to the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values; u. " Pollution control device " means any device or apparatus used to prevent, control or abate the pollution of air caused by emissions from identified pollution sources at levels within the air pollution control standards established by the Department; v.) " Pollution control technology" means the pollution control devices, production process, fuel combustion processes or other means that effectively prevent or reduce emissions or effluent; w.) " Standard of performance " means a standard for emissions of air pollutant which reflects the degree of emission limitation achievable through the application of the best system of emission reduction, taking into account the cost of achieving such reduction and any non-air quality health and environmental impact and energy requirement which the Department determines, and adequately demonstrates; and x.) " Stationary source" means any building or immobile structure, facility or installation which emits or may emit any air pollutant. CHAPTER 2 AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Article One General Provisions SEC. 6. Air Quality Monitoring and Information Network - The Department shall prepare an annual National Air Quality Status Report which shall be used as the basis in formulating the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework, as provided for in Sec. 7. The said report shall include, but shall not be limited to the following: a.) Extent of pollution in the country, per type of pollutant and per type of source, based on reports of the Department's monitoring stations; b.) Analysis and evaluation of the current state, trends and projections of air pollution at the various levels provided herein; c.) Identification of critical areas, activities, or projects which will need closer monitoring or regulation; d.) Recommendations for necessary executive and legislative action; and e.) Other pertinent qualitative and quantitative information concerning the extent of air pollution and the air quality performance rating of industries in the country. The Department, in cooperation with the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), shall design and develop an information network for data storage, retrieval and exchange. The Department shall serve as the central depository of all data and information related to air quality. SEC. 7. Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework.- The Department shall within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act, establish, with the participation of LGUs, NGOs, POs, the academe and other concerned entities from the private sector, formulate and implement the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework for a comprehensive air pollution management and control program. The framework shall, among others, prescribe the emission reduction goals using permissible standards, control strategies and control measures to undertaken within a specified time period, including cost-effective use of economic incentives, managements strategies, collective actions, and environmental education and information. The Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework shall be adopted as the official blueprint with which all government agencies must comply with to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards. SEC. 8 Air Quality Control Action Plan- Within six (6) months after the formulation of the framework, the Department shall, with public participation, formulate and implement an air quality control action plan consistent with Sec. 7 of this Act. The action plan shall : a.) Include enforceable emission limitations and other control measures, means or techniques, as well as schedules and time tables for compliance, as may be necessary or appropriate to meet the applicable requirements of this Act; b.) Provide for the establishment and operation of appropriate devices, methods, systems and procedures necessary to monitor, compile and analyze data on ambient air quality; c.) Include a program to provide for the following : (1) enforcement of the measures described in subparagraph (a);(2) regulation of the modification and construction of any stationary source within the areas covered by the plan, in accordance with land use policy to ensure that ambient air quality standards are achieved; d). Contain adequate provisions, consistent with the provisions of this Act, prohibiting any source or other types of emissions activity within the country from emitting any air pollutant in amounts which will significantly contribute to the non-attainment or will interfere with the maintenance by the Department of any such ambient air quality standard required to be included in the implementation plan to prevent significant deterioration of air quality or to protect visibility; e.) Include control strategies and control measures to be undertaken within a specified time period, including cost effective use of economic incentives, management strategies, collection action and environmental education and information; f.) Designate airsheds; and g.)All other measures necessary for the effective control and abatement of air pollution. The adoption of the plan shall clarify the legal effects on the financial, manpower and budgetary resources of the affected government agencies, and on the alignment of their programs with the plans. In addition to direct regulations, the plan shall be characterized by a participatory approach to the pollution problem. The involvement of private entities in the monitoring and testing of emissions from mobile and/or stationary sources shall be considered. Likewise, the LGU's, with the assistance from the Department, shall prepare and develop an action plan consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework to attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards with their respective airsheds as provided in Sec. 9 hereof. The local government units shall develop and submit to the Department as procedure for carrying out the action plan for their jurisdiction. The Department, however, shall maintain its authority to independently inspect the enforcement procedure adopted. The Department shall have the power to closely supervise all or parts of the air quality action plan until such time the local government unit concerned can assume the function to enforce the standards set by the Department. A multi-sectoral monitoring team with broad public representation shall be convened by the Department for each LGU to conduct periodic inspections of air pollution sources to assess compliance with emission limitations contained in their permits. SEC. 9 Airsheds. - Pursuant to Sec. 8 of this Act, the designation of airsheds shall be on the basis of, but not limited to, areas with similar climate, meteorology and topology which affect the interchange and diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere, or areas which share common interest or face similar development programs, prospects or problems. For a more effective air quality management, a system of planning and coordination shall be established and a common action plan shall be formulated for each airshed. To effectively carry out the formulated actions plans, a Governing Board is hereby created, hereinafter referred to as the Board. The Board shall be headed by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as chairman. The members shall be as follows: a.) Provincial Governors from areas belonging to the airshed; b.) City/Municipal Mayors from areas belonging to the airshed; c.) A representative from each concerned government agency; d.) Representatives from people's organizations; e.) Representatives from non-government organizations; and f.) Representatives from the private sector. The Board shall perform the following functions: a.) Formulation of policies; b.) Preparation of a common action plan; c.) Coordination of functions among its members; and d.) Submission and publication of an annual Air Quality Status Report for each airshed. Upon consultation with appropriate local government authorities, the Department shall, from time to time, revise the designation of airsheds utilizing eco-profiling techniques and undertaking scientific studies. Emissions trading may be allowed among pollution sources within an airshed. SEC. 10. Management of Nonattainment Areas.- The Department shall designate areas where specific pollutants have already exceeded ambient standards as nonattainment areas. The Department shall prepare and implement a program that will prohibit new sources of exceeded air pollutant without a corresponding reduction in existing resources. In coordination with other appropriate government agencies, the LGUs shall prepare and implement a program and other measures including relocation, whenever necessary, to protect the health and welfare of residents in the area. For those designated as nonattainment areas, the Department, after consultation with local government authorities, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), people's organizations (POs) and concerned sectors may revise the designation of such areas and expand its coverage to cover larger areas depending on the condition of the areas. SEC. 11 Air Quality Control Techniques - Simultaneous with the issuance of the guideline values and standards, the Department, through the research and development program contained in this Act and upon consultation with appropriate advisory committees, government agencies and LGUs, shall issue, and from time to time, revise information on air pollution control techniques. Such information shall include: a.) Best available technology and alternative methods of prevention, management and control of air pollution; b.) Best available technology economically achievable which shall refer to the technological basis/standards for emission limits applicable to existing, direct industrial emitters of nonconventional and toxic pollutants; and c.) Alternative fuels, processes and operating methods which will result in the eliminator or significant reduction of emissions. Such information may also include data relating to the cost of installation and operation, energy requirements, emission reduction benefits, and environmental impact or the emission control technology. The issuance of air quality guideline values, standards and information on air quality control techniques shall be made available to the general public : Provided, That the issuance of information on air quality control techniques shall not be construed as requiring the purchase of certain pollution control devices by the public. SECTION 12. Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values and Standards.- The Department, in coordination with other concerned agencies, shall review and or revise and publish annually a list of hazardous air pollutants with corresponding ambient guideline values and / or standard necessary to protect health and safety, and general welfare. The initial list and values of the hazardous air pollutants shall be as follows : a.) For National Ambient Air Quality Guideline for Criteria Pollutants : Short Term a Long Term b Pollutants µg/Ncm ppm Averaging Time µg/Ncm ppm Averaging Time Suspended Particulate Matterc-TSP 230d 24 hours 90 -- 1 yeare -PM-10 150f 24 hours 60 -- 1 yeare Sulfur Dioxidec 180 0.07 24 hours 80 0.03 1 year Nitrogen Dioxide 150 0.08 24 hours -- -- -- Photochemical Oxidants 140 0.07 1 hour -- -- --- As Ozone 60 0.03 8 hours -- -- -- Carbon Monoxide 35 30 1 hour -- -- -- mg/Ncm 10 9 8 hours -- -- -- mg/Ncm Leadg 1.5 -- 3 monthsg 1.0 -- 1 year a.Maximum limits represented by ninety-eight percentile (98%) values not to be exceed more than once a year. b. Arithmetic mean c. SO2 and Suspended Particulate matter are sampled once every six days when using the manual methods. A minimum of twelve sampling days per quarter of forty-eight sampling days each year is required for these methods. Daily sampling may be done in the future once continuous analyzers are procured and become available. d. Limits for Total Suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than 25-50 um. e. Annual Geometric Mean f. Provisional limits for Suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than 10 microns and below until sufficient monitoring data are gathered to base a proper guideline. g. Evaluation of this guideline is carried out for 24-hour averaging time and averaged over three moving calendar months. The monitored average value for any three months shall not exceed the guideline value. b) For National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Source Specific Air Pollutants from : Industrial Sources/ Operations: Pollutants1 Concentration2 Averaging time (min.) Method of Analysis/ Measurement3 µ/Ncm ppm 1. Ammonia 200 0.28 30 Nesselerization/ Indo Phenol 2. Carbon Disulfide 30 0.01 30 Tischer Method 3. Chlorine and Chlorine Compounds expressed as Cl2 100 0.03 5 Methyl Orange 4. Formaldehyde 50 0.04 30 Chromotropic acid Method or MBTH Colorimetric Method 5. Hydrogen Chloride 200 0.13 30 Volhard Titration with Iodine Solution 6. Hydrogen Sulfide 100 0.07 30 Methylene Blue 7. Lead 20 30 AASc 8. Nitrogen Dioxide 375,260 0.20,0.14 30,60 Greiss- Saltzman 9. Phenol 100 0.03 30 4-Aminoantiphyrine 10. Sulfur Dioxide 470, 340 0.18, 0.13 30,60 Colorimetric-Pararosaniline 11. Suspended Particulate Matter-TSP 300 -- 60 Gravimetric 1 Pertinent ambient standards for Antimony, Arsenic, Cadmium, Asbestos, Nitric Acid and Sulfuric Acid Mists in the 1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations may be considered as guides in determining compliance. 2 Ninety- eight percentile (98%) values of 30-minute sampling measured at 250C and one atmosphere pressure. 3 Other equivalent methods approved by the Department may be used. The basis in setting up the ambient air quality guideline values and standards shall reflect, among others, the latest scientific knowledge including information on : a) Variable, including atmospheric conditions, which of themselves or in combination with other factors may alter the effects on public health or welfare of such air pollutant; b) The other types of air pollutants which may interact with such pollutant to produce an adverse effect on public health or welfare; and c) The kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be expected from presence of such pollutant in the ambient air, in varying quantities. The Department shall base such ambient air quality standards on World Health Organization (WHO) standards, but shall not be limited to nor be less stringent than such standards. SEC. 13. Emission Charge System. - The Department, in case of industrial dischargers, and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), in case of motor vehicle dischargers, shall, based on environmental techniques, design, impose on and collect regular emission fees from said dischargers as part of the emission permitting system or vehicle registration renewal system, as the case may be. The system shall encourage the industries and motor vehicles to abate, reduce, or prevent pollution. The basis of the fees include, but is not limited to, the volume and toxicity of any emitted pollutant. Industries, which shall install pollution control devices or retrofit their existing facilities with mechanisms that reduce pollution shall be entitled to tax incentives such as but not limited total credits and/or accelerated depreciation deductions. SEC. 14 Air Quality Management Fund. - An Air Quality Management Fund to be administered by the Department as a special account in the National Treasury is hereby established to finance containment, removal, and clean-up operations of the Government in air pollution cases, guarantee restoration of ecosystems and rehabilitate areas affected by the acts of violators of this Act, to support research, enforcement and monitoring activities and capabilities of the relevant agencies, as well as to provide technical assistance to the relevant agencies. Such fund may likewise be allocated per airshed for the undertakings herein stated. The Fund shall be sourced from the fines imposed and damages awarded to the Republic of the Philippines by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), proceeds of licenses and permits issued by the Department under this Act, emission fees and from donations, endowments and grants in the forms of contributions. Contributions to the Fund shall be exempted from donor taxes and all other taxes, charges or fees imposed by the Government. SEC. 15. Air Pollution Research and Development Program. - The Department, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), other agencies, the private sector, the academe, NGO's and PO's, shall establish a National Research and Development Program for the prevention and control of air pollution. The Department shall give special emphasis to research on and the development of improved methods having industry-wide application for the prevention and control of air pollution. Such a research and development program shall develop air quality guideline values and standards in addition to internationally-accepted standards. It shall also consider the socio-cultural, political and economic implications of air quality management and pollution control. ARTICLE TWO Air Pollution Clearances and Permits for Stationary Sources Sec. 16. Permits. Consistent with the provisions of this Act, the Department shall have the authority to issue permits as it may determine necessary for the prevention and abatement of air pollution. Said permits shall cover emission limitations for the regulated air pollutants to help attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards. These permits shall serve as management tools for the LGUs in the development of their action plan. SEC. 17 Emission Quotas. The Department may allow each regional industrial center that is designated as special airshed to allocate emission quotas to pollution sources within its jurisdiction that qualify under an environmental impact assessment system programmatic compliance program pursuant to the implementing rules and regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1586. SEC. 18. Financial Liability for Environmental Rehabilitation. As Part of the environmental management plan attached to the environmental compliance certificate pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1586 and rules and regulations set therefore, the Department shall require program and project proponents to put up financial guarantee mechanisms to finance the needs for emergency response, clean-up rehabilitation of areas that may be damaged during the program or project's actual implementation. Liability for damages shall continue even after the termination of a program or project, where such damages are clearly attributable to that program or project and for a definite period to be determined by the Department and incorporated into the environmental compliance certificate. Financial liability instruments may be in the form a trust fund, environmental insurance, surety bonds, letters of credit, as well as self-insurance. The choice of the guarantee instruments shall furnish the Department with evidence of availment of such instruments. ARTICLE THREE Pollution from Stationary Sources SEC. 19. Pollution From Stationary Sources.- The Department shall, within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, and every two (2) years thereafter, review, or as the need therefore arises, revise and publish emission standards, to further improve the emission standards for stationary sources of air pollution. Such emission standards shall be based on mass rate of emission for all stationary source of air pollution based on internationally accepted standards, but not be limited to, nor be less stringent than such standards and with the standards set forth in this section. The standards, whichever is applicable, shall be the limit on the acceptable level of pollutants emitted from a stationary source for the protection of the public's health and welfare. With respect to any trade, industry, process and fuel-burning equipment or industrial plant emitting air pollutants, the concentration at the point of emission shall not exceed the following limits: Pollutants Standard Applicable to Source Maximum Permissible Limits (mg/Ncm) Method of Analysisa 1. Antimony and Its compounds any source 10 as Sb AASb 2. Arsenic and its compounds Any source 10 as As AASb 3. Cadmium and its compounds Any source 10 as Cd AASb 4. Carbon Monoxide Any industrial Source 500 as CO Orsat analysis 5. Copper and its Compounds Any industrial source 100 ax Cu AASb 6. Hydrofluoric Acids and Fluoride compounds Any source other than the manufacture of Aluminum from Alumina 50 as HF Titration with Ammonium Thiocyanate 7. Hydrogen Sulfide i) Geothermal Power Plants c.d Cadmium Sulfide Method ii) Geothermal Exploration and well-testing e iii) Any source other than (i) and (ii) 7 as H2S Cadmium Sulfide Method 8. Lead Any trade, industry or process 10 as Pb AASb 9. Mercury Any Source 5 as elemental Hg AASb/Cold-Vapor Technique or Hg Analyzer 10. Nickel and its compounds, except Nickel Carbonyl f Any source 20 as Ni AASb 11. NOx i) Manufacture of Nitric Acid 2,000 as acid and NOx and calculated as NO2 Phenol-disulfonic acid Method ii) Fuel burning steam generators Phenol-disulfonic acid Method Existing Source 1,500 as NO2 New Source • Coal-Fired 1,000 as NO2 • Oil-Fired 500 as NO2 iii) Any source other than (i) adn (ii) Phenol-disulfonic acid Method Existing Source 1000 as NO2 New Source 500 as NO2 12. Phosphorus Pentoxideg Any source 200 as P2O5 Spectrophotometry 13. Zinc and its Compounds Any source 100 as Zn AASb a Other equivalent methods approved by the Department may be used. b Atomic Absorption Specttrophotometry c All new geothermal power plants starting construction by 01 January 1995 shall control HsS emissions to not more than 150 g/GMW-Hr d All existing geothermal power plants shall control HsS emissions to not more than 200 g/GMW-Hr within 5 years from the date of effectivity of these revised regulations. e Best practicable control technology for air emissions and liquid discharges. Compliance with air and water quality standards is required. f Emission limit of Nickel Carbonyl shall not exceed 0.5 mg/Ncm. g Provisional Guideline Provided, that the maximum limits in mg/ncm particulates in said sources shall be : 1. Fuel Burning Equipment a) Urban or Industrial Area 150 mg/Ncm b) Other Area 200 mg/Ncm 2. Cement Plants (Kilns, etc.) 150 mg/Ncm 3. Smelting Furnaces 150 mg/Ncm 4. Other Stationary Sourcesa 200 mg/Ncm a Other Stationary Sources means a trade, process, industrial plant, or fuel burning equipment other than thermal power plants, industrial boilers, cement plants, incinerators and smelting furnaces. Provided, further, that the maximum limits for sulfur oxides in said sources shall be : (1) Existing Sources (i) Manufacture of Sulfuric Acid and Sulf(on)ation Process 2.0gm.Ncm as SO3 (ii) Fuel burning Equipment 1.5gm.Ncm as SO2 (iii) Other Stationary Sourcesa 1.0gm.Ncm as SO3 (2) New Sources (i) Manufacture of Sulfuric Acid and Sulf(on)ation Process 1.5 gm.Ncm as SO3 (ii) Fuel Burning Equipment 0.7 gm.Ncm as SO2 (iii) Other Stationary Sourcesa 0.2 gm.Ncm as SO3 a Other Stationary Sources refer to existing and new stationary sources other than those caused by the manufacture of sulfuric acid and sulfonation process, fuel burning equipment and incineration. For Stationary sources of pollution not specifically included in the immediately preceding paragraph, the following emission standards shall not be exceeded in the exhaust gas : I. Daily And Half Hourly Average Values Daily Average Values Half Hourly Average Values Total dust 10 mg/m3 30 mg/m3 Gaseous and vaporous organic substances, expressed as total organic carbon 10 mg/m3 20 mg/m3 Hydrogen chloride (HCl) 10 mg/m3 60 mg/m3 Hydrogen fluoride (HF) 1 mg/m3 4 mg/m3 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) 50 mg/m3 200 mg/m3 Nitrogen monoxide (NO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), expressed as nitrogen dioxide for incineration plants with a capacity exceeding 3 tonnes per hour 200 mg/m3 400 mg/m3 Nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), expressed as nitrogen dioxide for incineration plants with a capacity of 3 tonnes per hour or less 300 mg/m3 Ammonia 10 mg/m3 20 mg/m3 II. All the Average Values over the Sample Period of a Minimum of 4 and Maximum of 8 Hours. Cadmium and its compounds, expressed as cadmium (Cd) total 0.05 Thallium and its compounds, expressed as thallium (Tl) mg/m3 Mercury and its Compounds, expressed as mercury (Hg) 0.05 mg/m3 Antimony and its compounds, expressed as antimony (Sb) Arsenic and its compounds, expressed as arsenic (As) total 0.5 mg/m3 Lead and its compounds, expressed as lead ( Pb) Chromium and its compounds, expressed as chromium (Cr) Cobalt and its compounds, expressed as cobalt (Co) Copper and its compounds, expressed as copper (Cu) Manganese and its compounds, expressed as manganese (Mn) Nickel and its compounds, expressed as nickel (Ni) Vanadium and its compounds, expressed as vanadium (V) Tin and its compounds, expressed as tin (Sn) These average value cover also gaseous and the vapor forms of the relevant heavy metal emission as well as their compounds. Provided, that the emission of dioxins and furans into the air shall be reduced by the most progressive techniques. Provided, further that all average of dioxin and furans measured over the sample period of a minimum of 5 hours and maximum of 8 hours must not exceed the limit value of 0.1 nanogram/m3. Pursuant to Sec. 8 of this Act, the Department shall prepare a detailed action plan setting the emission standards or standards of performance for any stationary source the procedure for testing emissions for each type of pollutant, and the procedure for enforcement of said standards. Existing industries, which are proven to exceed emission rates established by the Department in consultation with stakeholders, after a thorough, credible and transparent measurement process shall be allowed a grace period of eighteen (18) months for the establishment of an environmental management system and the installation of an appropriate air pollution control device : Provided, That an extension of not more than twelve (12) months may be allowed by the Department on meritorious grounds. SEC. 20 Ban on Incineration.- Incineration , hereby defined as the burning of municipal, biomedical and hazardous waste, which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes is hereby prohibited; Provided, however, That the prohibition shall not apply to traditional small-scale method of community/neighborhood sanitation "siga", traditional, agricultural, cultural, health, and food preparation and crematoria; Provided, further, That existing incinerators dealing with a biomedical wastes shall be out within three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act; Provided, finally, that in the interim, such units shall be limited to the burning of pathological and infectious wastes, and subject to close monitoring by the Department. Local government units are hereby mandated to promote, encourage and implement in their respective jurisdiction a comprehensive ecological waste management that includes waste segregation, recycling and composting. With due concern on the effects of climate change, the Department shall promote the use of state-of-the-art, environmentally-sound and safe non-burn technologies for the handling, treatment, thermal destruction, utilization, and disposal of sorted, unrecycled, uncomposted, biomedical and hazardous wastes. ARTICLE FOUR Pollution from Motor Vehicles Sec. 21. Pollution from Motor Vehicles. a) The DOTC shall implement the emission standards for motor vehicles set pursuant to and as provided in this Act. To further improve the emission standards, the Department shall review, revise and publish the standards every two (2) years, or as the need arises. It shall consider the maximum limits for all major pollutants to ensure substantial improvement in air quality for the health, safety and welfare of the general public. The following emission standards for type approval of motor vehicles shall be effective by the year 2003: a.) For light duty vehicles, the exhausts emission limits for gaseous pollutants shall be: Emission Limits for Light Duty Vehicles Type Approval (Directive 91/441/EEC) CO (g/km) HC + NOx (g/km) PMa (g/km) 2.72 0.97 0.14 a for compression-ignition engines only b) For light commercial vehicles, the exhaust emission limit of gaseous pollutants as a function of the given reference mass shall be : Reference Weight (RW) (kg) CO (g/km) HC + NOx (g/km) PMa (g/km) Category 1 1250< RW 2.72 0.97 0.14 Category 2 1250< RW<1700 5.17 1.4 0.19 Category 3 RW>1700 6.9 1.7 0.25 a for compression-ignition engines only c.) For heavy duty vehicles, the exhaust emission limits of gaseous pollutants shall be : Emission Limits for Heavy Duty Vehicles Type Approval (Directive 91/542/EEC) CO (g/k/Wh) HC (g/k/Wh) NOx (g/k/Wh) PM (g/k/Wh) 4.5 1.1 8.0 0.36a a In the case of engines of 85 kW or less, the limit value for particular emissions in increased by multiplying the quoted limit by a coefficient of 1.7 Fuel evaporative emission for spark-ignition engines shall not exceed 2.0 grams hydrocarbons per test. Likewise, it shall not allow any emission of gases from crankcase ventilation system into the atmosphere. b.) The Department, in collaboration with the DOTC, DTI and LGUs, shall develop an action plan for the control and management of air pollution from motor vehicles consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Framework. The DOTC shall enforce compliance with the emission standards for motor vehicles set by the Department. The DOTC may deputize other law enforcement agencies and LGUs for this purpose. To this end, the DOTC shall have the power to : (1) Inspect and monitor the emissions of motor vehicles ; (2) Prohibit or enjoin the use of motor vehicles or a class of motor vehicles in any area or street at specified times; and (3) Authorize private testing emission testing centers duly accredited by the DTI. c.) The DOTC, together with the DTI and the Department, shall establish the procedures for the inspection of motor vehicles and the testing of their emissions for the purpose of determining the concentration and/or rate of pollutants discharged by said sources. d.) In order to ensure the substantial reduction of emissions from a motor vehicles, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the DOTC and the Department shall formulate and implement a national motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program that will promote efficient and safe operation of all motor vehicles. In this regard, the DTI shall develop and implement standards and procedures for the certification of training institutions, instructors and facilities and the licensing of qualified private service centers and their technicians as prerequisite for performing the testing, servicing, repair and the required adjustment to the vehicle emission system. The DTI shall likewise prescribe regulations requiring the disclosure of odometer readings and the use of tamper-resistant odometers for all motor vehicles including tamper-resistant fuel management systems for the effective implementation of the inspection and maintenance program. SEC. 22 Regulation of All Motor Vehicles and Engines. Any imported new or locally-assembled new motor vehicle shall not be registered unless it complies with the emission standards set pursuant to this Act, as evidenced by a Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued by the Department. Any imported new motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced into commerce, sold or used unless it complies with emission standards set pursuant to this Act. Any imported used motor vehicle or rebuilt motor vehicle using new or used engines, major parts or components shall not be registered unless it complies with the emission standards. In case of non-compliance, the importer or consignee may be allowed to modify or rebuild the vehicular engine so it will be in compliance with applicable emission standards. No motor vehicle registration (MVR) shall be issued unless such motor vehicle passes the emission testing requirement promulgated in accordance with this Act. Such testing shall be conducted by the DOTC or its authorized inspection centers within sixty (60) days prior to date of registration. The DTI shall promulgate the necessary regulations prescribing the useful life of vehicles and engines including devices in order to ensure that such vehicles will conform to the emissions which they were certified to meet. These regulations shall include provisions for ensuring the durability of emission devices. SEC. 23. Second-Hand Motor Vehicle Engines. Any imported second-hand motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced into commerce, sold or used unless it complies with emission standards set pursuant to this Act. ARTICLE FIVE- Pollution from Other Sources SEC. 24 Pollution from smoking. Smoking inside a public building or an enclosed public place including public vehicles and other means of transport or in any enclosed area outside of one's private residence, private place of work or any duly designated smoking area is hereby prohibited under this Act. This provision shall be implemented by the LGUs. SEC. 25. Pollution from other Mobile Sources. The Department, in coordination with appropriate agencies, shall formulate and establish the necessary standards for all mobile sources other than those referred to in Sec. 21 of this Act. The imposition of the appropriate fines and penalties from these sources for any violation of emission standards shall be under the jurisdiction of the DOTC. CHAPTER 3 FUELS, ADDITIVES, SUBSTANCES AND POLLUTANTS Article One- Fuels, Additives and Substances SEC. 26 Fuels and Additives. Pursuant to the Air Quality Framework to be established under Section 7 of this Act, the Department of Energy (DOE), co-chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in consultation with the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the DTI, the DOST, the representatives of the fuel and automotive industries, academe and the consumers shall set the specifications for all types of fuel and fuel-related products, to improve fuel composition for increased efficiency and reduced emissions; Provided, however, that the specifications for all types of fuel and fuel-related products set-forth pursuant to this section shall be adopted by the BPS as Philippine National Standards (PNS). The DOE, shall also specify the allowable content of additives in all types of fuels and fuel-related products. Such standards shall be based primarily on threshold levels of health and research studies. On the basis of such specifications, the DOE shall likewise limit the content or begin that phase-out of additives in all types of fuels and fuel-related products as it may deem necessary. Other agencies involved in the performance of this function shall be required to coordinate with the DOE and transfer all documents and information necessary for the implementation of this provision. Consistent with the provisions of the preceding paragraphs under this section, it is declared that : a. not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no person shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or introduce into commerce unleaded premium gasoline fuel which has an anti-knock index (AKI) of not less that 87.5 and Reid vapor pressure of not more than 9 psi. Within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act, unleaded gasoline fuel shall contain aromatics not to exceed forty-five percent (45%) by volume and benzene not to exceed four percent (4%) by volume; Provided, that by year 2003, unleaded gasoline fuel should contain aromatics not to exceed thirty-five percent (35%) by volume and benzene not to exceed two percent (2%) by volume; b. not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no person shall manufacture, import, sell, supply , offer for sale, dispense, transport or introduce into commerce automotive diesel fuel which contains a concentration of sulfur in excess of 0.20% by weight with a cetane number of index of not less than forty-eight (48); Provided, That by year 2004, content of said sulfur shall be 0.05% by weight ; and c. not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no Person shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or introduce into commerce industrial diesel fuel which contains a concentration of sulfur in excess of 0.30% (by weight). Every two (2) years thereafter or as the need arises, the specifications of unleaded gasoline and of automotive and industrial diesel fuels shall be reviewed and revised for further improvement in formulation and in accordance with the provisions of this Act. The fuels characterized above shall be commercially available. Likewise, the same shall be the reference fuels for emission and testing procedures to be established in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Any proposed additive shall not in any way increase emissions of any of the regulated gases which shall include, but not limited to carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter, in order to be approved and certified by the Department. SEC. 27. Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives.- The DOE, in coordination with the Department and the BPS, shall regulate the use of any fuel or fuel additive. No manufacturer, processor or trader of any fuel or additive may import, sell, offer for sale, or introduce into commerce such fuel for additive unless the same has been registered with the DOE. Prior to registration, the manufacturer, processor or trader shall provide the DOE with the following relevant information: a. Product identity and composition to determine the potential health effects of such fuel additives; b. Description of the analytical technique that can be used to detect and measure the additive in any fuel ; c. Recommended range of concentration; and d. Purpose in the use of the fuel and additive. SEC. 28 Misfueling. In order to prevent the disabling of any emission control device by lead contamination, no person shall introduce or cause or allow the introduction of leaded gasoline into any motor vehicle equipped with a gasoline tank filler inlet and labeled " unleaded gasoline only ". This prohibition shall also apply to any person who knows or should know that such vehicle is designed solely for the use of unleaded gasoline. SEC. 29. Prohibition on Manufacture. Import and Sale of leaded Gasoline and of Engines and/or Components Requiring Leaded Gasoline. Effective not later than eighteen (18) months after the enactment of this Act, no person shall manufacture, import, sell, offer for sale, introduce into commerce, convey or otherwise dispose of , in any manner leaded gasoline and engines and components requiring the use of leaded gasoline. For existing vehicles, the DTI shall formulate standards and procedures that will allow non-conforming engines to comply with the use of unleaded fuel within five(5) years after the effectivity of this Act. Article Two Other Pollutants SEC. 30. Ozone-Depleting Substances. Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and other international agreements and protocols to which the Philippines is a signatory, the Department shall phase out ozone-depleting substances. Within sixty (60) days after the enactment of this Act, the Department shall publish a list of substances which are known to cause harmful effects on the stratospheric ozone layer. SEC. 31. Greenhouse Gases. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA) shall regularly monitor meteorological factors affecting environmental conditions including ozone depletion and greenhouse gases and coordinate with the Department in order to effectively guide air pollution monitoring and standard-setting activities. The Department, together with concerned agencies and local government units, shall prepare and fully implement a national plan consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international agreements, conventions and protocols on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. SEC. 32. Persistent Organic Pollutants. The Department shall, within a period of two (2) years after the enactment of this Act, establish an inventory list of all sources of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Country. The Department shall develop short-term and long-term national government programs on the reduction and elimination of POPs such as dioxins and furans. Such programs shall be formulated within a year after the establishment of the inventory list. SEC. 33. Radioactive Emissions. All projects which will involve the use of atomic and/or nuclear energy, and will entail release and emission of radioactive substances into the environment, incident to the establishment or possession of nuclear energy facilities and radioactive materials, handling, transport, production, storage, and use of radioactive materials, shall be regulated in the interest of public health and welfare by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), in coordination with Department and other appropriate government agencies. CHAPTER 4 INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM SEC. 34. Lead Agency.- The Department, unless otherwise provided herein, shall be the primary government agency responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Act. To be more effective in this regard, The Department's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) shall be converted from a staff bureau to a line bureau for a period of no more than two (2) years, unless a separate, comprehensive environmental management agency is created. SEC. 35 Linkage Mechanism. - The Department shall consult, participate, cooperate and enter into agreement with other government agencies, or with affected non-governmental (NGOs) or people's organizations (POs),or private enterprises in the furtherance of the objectives of this Act. SEC. 36. Role of Local Government Units.- Local Government units (LGUs) shall share the responsibility in the management and maintenance of air quality within their territorial jurisdiction. Consistent with Secs. 7,8 and 9 of this Act, LGUs shall implement air quality standards set by the Board in areas within their jurisdiction; Provided, however, that in case where the board has not been duly constituted and has not promulgated its standards, the standards set forth in this Act shall apply. The Department shall provide the LGUs with technical assistance, trainings and a continuing capability-building program to prepare them to undertake full administration of the air quality management and regulation within their territorial jurisdiction. SEC. 37 Environmental and Natural Resources Office.- There may be established an Environment and Natural Resources Office in every province, city, or municipality which shall be headed by the environment and natural resources officer and shall be appointed by the Chief Executive of every province, city or municipality in accordance with the provisions of Section 484 of Republic Act No. 7160. Its powers and duties, among others, are : a. To prepare comprehensive air quality management programs, plans and strategies within the limits set forth in Republic act. No. 7160 and this Act which shall be implemented within its territorial jurisdiction upon the approval of the sanggunian ; b. To provide technical assistance and support to the governor or mayor, as the case may be, in carrying out measures to ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities relative to air quality; c. To take the lead in all efforts concerning air quality protection and rehabilitation; d. To recommend to the Board air quality standards which shall not exceed the maximum permissible standards set by rational laws ; e. To coordinate with other government agencies and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of measures to prevent and control air pollution; and f. Exercise such other powers and perform such duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance. Provided, however, that, in provinces/cities/municipalities where there are no environment and natural resources officers, the local executive concerned may designate any of his official and/ or chief of office preferably the provincial, city or municipal agriculturist, or any of his employee; Provided, finally, that in case an employee is designated as such, he must have a sufficient experience in environmental and natural resources management, conservation and utilization. SEC. 38 Record-keeping, Inspection, Monitoring and Entry by the Department.- The Department or its duly accredited entity shall, after proper consultation and notice, require any person who owns or operates any emissions source or who is subject to any requirement of this Act to : (a) establish and maintain relevant records; (b) make relevant reports; (c) install, use and maintain monitoring equipment or methods; (d) sample emission, in accordance with the methods, locations, intervals and manner prescribed by the Department; (e) keep records on control equipment parameters, production variables or other indirect data when direct monitoring of emissions is impractical; and (f) provide such other information as the Department may reasonably require. Pursuant to this Act, the Department, through its authorized representatives, shall have the right of : (a) entry of access to any premises including documents and relevant materials as referred to in the herein preceding paragraph, b) inspect any pollution or waste source, control device, monitoring equipment or method required, and c) test any emission. Any record, report or information obtained under this section shall be made available to the public, except upon a satisfactory showing to the Department by the entity concerned that the record, report or information, or parts thereof, if made public, would divulge secret methods or processes entitled to protection as intellectual property. Such record, report or information shall likewise be incorporated in the Department's industrial rating system. SEC. 39. Public Education and Information Campaign.- A continuing air quality information and education campaign shall promoted by the Department, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). Consistent with Sec. 7 of this Act, such campaign shall encourage the participation of other government agencies and the private sector including NGOs, POs, the academe, environmental groups and other private entities in a multi-sectoral information campaign. CHAPTER 5 ACTIONS SEC. 40 Administrative Action.- Without prejudice to the right of any affected person to file an administrative action , the Department shall, on its own instance or upon verified complaint by any person, institute administrative proceedings against any person who violates: a) Standards or limitation provided under this Act; or b) Any order, rule or regulation issued by the Department with respect to such standard or limitation. SEC. 41. Citizen Suits. for purposes of enforcing the provisions of this Act or its implementing rules and regulations, any citizen may file an appropriate civil, criminal or administrative action in the proper courts against: (a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with the provisions of this Act or its implementing rules and regulations; or (b) The Department or other implementing agencies with respect to orders, rules and regulations issued inconsistent with this act; and/or (c) Any public officer who willfully or grossly neglects the performance of an act specifically enjoined as a duty by this Act or its implementing rules and regulations; or abuses his authority in the performance of his duty; or, in any manner, improperly performs his duties under this Act or its implementing rules and regulations: Provided, however, That no suit can be filed until thirty-day (30) notice has been taken thereon. The court shall exempt such action from the payment of filing fees, except fees for actions not capable of pecuniary estimations, and shall likewise, upon prima facie showing of the non-enforcement or violation complained of, exempt the plaintiff from the filing of an injunction bond for the issuance of a preliminary injunction. Within thirty (30) days, the court shall make a determination if the compliant herein is malicious and/or baseless and shall accordingly dismiss the action and award attorney's fees and damages. SEC .42 . Independence of Action.- The filing of an administrative suit against such person/entity does not preclude the right of any other person to file any criminal or civil action. Such civil action shall proceed independently. SEC. 43 Suits and Strategic Legal Actions Against Public Participation and the Enforcement of this act.- where a suit is brought against a a person who filed an action as provided in Sec. 41 of this Act, or against any person, institutions or government agency that implements this Act, it shall be the duty of the investigating prosecutor or the court, as the case may be, to immediately make a determination not exceeding thirty (30) days whether said legal action has been filed to harass, vex, exert undue pressure or stifle such legal recourses of the person complaining of or enforcing the provisions of this Act. Upon determination thereof , evidence warranting the same, the court shall dismiss the case and award attorney's fees and double damages. This provision shall also apply and benefit public officers who are sued for acts committed in their official capacity, their being no grave abuse of authority, and done in the course of enforcing this Act. SEC. 44 Lien Upon Personal and Immovable Properties of Violators. Fines and penalties imposed pursuant to this Act shall be liens upon personal immovable properties of the violator. Such lien shall, in case of insolvency of the respondent violator , enjoy preference to laborer's wages under Article 2241 and 2242 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the New Civil Code of the Philippines. CHAPTER 6 FINES AND PENALTIES SEC. 45. Violation of Standards for Stationary Sources. For actual exceedance of any pollution or air quality standards under this Act or its rules and regulations, the Department, through the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), shall impose a fine of not more than One hundred thousand pesos ( P 100,000.00) for every day of violation against the owner or operator of a stationary source until such time that the standards have been complied with. For purposes of the application of the fines, the PAB shall prepare a fine rating system to adjust the maximum fine based on the violator's ability to pay, degree of willfulness, degree of negligence, history of noncompliance and degree of recalcitrance. Provided, That in case of negligence, the first time offender's ability to pay may likewise be considered by the Pollution Adjudication Board; Provided, further, That in the absence of any extenuating or aggravating circumstances, the amount of fine for negligence shall be equivalent to one-half of the fine for willful violation. The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten percent (10%), every three (3) years to compensate for inflation and to maintain the deterrent function of such fines. In addition to the fines, the PAB shall order closure, suspension of development, construction, or operations of the stationary sources until such time that proper environmental safeguards are put in place; Provided, that an establishment liable for a third offense shall suffer permanent closure immediately. This paragraph shall be without prejudice to the immediate issuance of an ex parte order for such closure, suspension of development or construction, or cessation of operations during the pendency of the case upon prima facie evidence that their is imminent threat to life, public health, safety or general welfare, or to plant or animal life, or whenever there is an exceedance of the emission standards set by the Department and/or the Board and/or the appropriate LGU. SEC. 46. Violation of Standards for Motor Vehicles. No motor vehicle shall be registered with the DOTC unless it meets the emission standards set by the Department as provided in Sec. 21 hereof. Any vehicle suspected of violation of emission standards through visual signs, such as, but not limited to smoke-belching, shall be subjected to an emission test by a duly authorized emission testing center. For this purpose, the DOTC or its authorized testing center shall establish a roadside inspection system. Should it be shown that there was no violation of emission standards, the vehicle shall be immediately released. Otherwise, a testing result indicating an exceedance of the emission standards would warrant the continuing custody of the impounded vehicle unless the appropriate penalties are fully paid, and the license plate is surrendered to the DOTC pending the fulfillment of the undertaking by the owner/operator of the motor vehicle to make the necessary repairs so as to comply with the standards. A pass shall herein be issued by the DOTC to authorize the use of the motor vehicle within a specified period that shall not exceed seven (7) days for the sole purpose of making the necessary repairs on the said vehicle. The owner/operator of the vehicle shall be required to correct its defects and show proof of compliance to the appropriate pollution control office before the vehicle can be allowed to be driven on any public or subdivision roads. In addition, the driver and operator of the apprehended vehicle shall undergo a seminar on pollution control managem

I need help understanding this article. Please see the article below. Thanks in advance.? What is a Social Fact? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before beginning the search for the method appropriate to the study of social facts it is important to know what are the facts termed 'social'. The question is all the more necessary because the term is used without much precision. It is commonly used to designate almost all the phenomena that occur within society, however little social interest of some generality they present. Yet under this heading there is, so to speak, no human occurrence that cannot be called social. Every individual drinks, sleeps, eats, or employs his reason, and society has every interest in seeing that these functions are regularly exercised. If therefore these facts were social ones, sociology would possess no subject matter peculiarly its own, and its domain would be confused with that of biology and psychology. However, in reality there is in every society a clearly determined group of phenomena separable, because of their distinct characteristics, from those that form the subject matter of other sciences of nature. When I perform my duties as a brother, a husband or a citizen and carry out the commitments I have entered into, I fulfil obligations which are defined in law and custom and which are external to myself and my actions. Even when they conform to my own sentiments and when I feel their reality within me, that reality does not cease to be objective, for it is not I who have prescribed these duties; I have received them through education. Moreover, how often does it happen that we are ignorant of the details of the obligations that we must assume, and that, to know them, we must consult the legal code and its authorised interpreters! Similarly the believer has discovered from birth, ready fashioned, the beliefs and practices of his religious life; if they existed before he did, it follows that they exist outside him. The system of signs that I employ to express my thoughts, the monetary system I use to pay my debts, the credit instruments I utilise in my commercial relationships, the practices I follow in my profession, etc., all function independently of the use I make of them. Considering in turn each member of society, the foregoing remarks can be repeated for each single one of them. Thus there are ways of acting, thinking and feeling which possess the remarkable property of existing outside the consciousness of the individual. Not only are these types of behaviour and thinking external to the individual, but they are endued with a compelling and coercive power by virtue of which, whether he wishes it or not, they impose themselves upon him. Undoubtedly when I conform to them of my own free will, this coercion is not felt or felt hardly at all, since it is unnecessary. None the less it is intrinsically a characteristic of these facts; the proof of this is that it asserts itself as soon as I try to resist. If I attempt to violate the rules of law they react against me so as to forestall my action, if there is still time. Alternatively, they annul it or make my action conform to the norm if it is already accomplished but capable of being reversed; or they cause me to pay the penalty for it if it is irreparable. If purely moral rules are at stake, the public conscience restricts any act which infringes them by the surveillance it exercises over the conduct of citizens and by the special punishments it has at its disposal. In other cases the constraint is less violent; nevertheless, it does not cease to exist. If I do not conform to ordinary conventions, if in my mode of dress I pay no heed to what is customary in my country and in my social class, the laughter I provoke, the social distance at which I am kept, produce, although in a more mitigated form, the same results as any real penalty. In other cases, although it may be indirect, constraint is no less effective. I am not forced to speak French with my compatriots, nor to use the legal currency, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise. If I tried to escape the necessity, my attempt would fail miserably. As an industrialist nothing prevents me from working with the processes and methods of the previous century, but if I do I will most certainly ruin myself. Even when in fact I can struggle free from these rules and successfully break them, it is never without being forced to fight against them. Even if in the end they are overcome, they make their constraining power sufficiently felt in the resistance that they afford. There is no innovator, even a fortunate one, whose ventures do not encounter opposition of this kind. Here, then, is a category of facts which present very special characteristics: they consist of manners of acting, thinking and feeling external to the individual, which are invested with a coercive power by virtue of which they exercise control over him. Consequently, since they consist of representations and actions, they cannot be confused with organic phenomena, nor with psychical phenomena, which have no existence save in and through the individual consciousness. Thus they constitute a new species and to them must be exclusively assigned the term social. It is appropriate, since it is clear that, not having the individual as their substratum, they can have none other than society, either political society in its entirety or one of the partial groups that it includes - religious denominations, political and literary schools, occupational corporations, etc. Moreover, it is for such as these alone that the term is fitting, for the word 'social' has the sole meaning of designating those phenomena which fall into none of the categories of facts already constituted and labelled. They are consequently the proper field of sociology. It is true that this word 'constraint', in terms of which we define them, is in danger of infuriating those who zealously uphold out-and-out individualism. Since they maintain that the individual is completely autonomous, it seems to them that he is diminished every time he is made aware that he is not dependent on himself alone. Yet since it is indisputable today that most of our ideas and tendencies are not developed by ourselves, but come to us from outside, they can only penetrate us by imposing themselves upon us. This is all that our definition implies. Moreover, we know that all social constraints do not necessarily exclude the individual personality. [1] Yet since the examples just cited (legal and moral rules, religious dogmas, financial systems, etc.) consist wholly of beliefs and practices already well established, in view of what has been said it might be maintained that no social fact can exist except where there is a well defined social organisation. But there are other facts which do not present themselves in this already crystallised form but which also possess the same objectivity and ascendancy over the individual. These are what are called social 'currents'. Thus in a public gathering the great waves of enthusiasm, indignation and pity that are produced have their seat in no one individual consciousness. They come to each one of us from outside and can sweep us along in spite of ourselves. If perhaps I abandon myself to them I may not be conscious of the pressure that they are exerting upon me, but that pressure makes its presence felt immediately I attempt to struggle against them. If an individual tries to pit himself against one of these collective manifestations, the sentiments that he is rejecting will be turned against him. Now if this external coercive power asserts itself so acutely in cases of resistance, it must be because it exists in the other instances cited above without our being conscious of it. Hence we are the victims of an illusion which leads us to believe we have ourselves produced what has been imposed upon us externally. But if the willingness with which we let ourselves be carried along disguises the pressure we have undergone, it does not eradicate it. Thus air does not cease to have weight, although we no longer feel that weight. Even when we have individually and spontaneously shared in the common emotion, the impression we have experienced is utterly different from what we would have felt if we had been alone. Once the assembly has broken up and these social influences have ceased to act upon us, and we are once more on our own, the emotions we have felt seem an alien phenomenon, one in which we no longer recognise ourselves. It is then we perceive that we have undergone the emotions much more than generated them. These emotions may even perhaps fill us with horror, so much do they go against the grain. Thus individuals who are normally perfectly harmless may, when gathered together in a crowd, let themselves be drawn into acts of atrocity. And what we assert about these transitory outbreaks likewise applies to those more lasting movements of opinion which relate to religious, political, literary and artistic matters, etc., and which are constantly being produced around us, whether throughout society or in a more limited sphere. Moreover, this definition of a social fact can be verified by examining an experience that is characteristic. It is sufficient to observe how children are brought up. If one views the facts as they are and indeed as they have always been, it is patently obvious that all education consists of a continual effort to impose upon the child ways of seeing, thinking and acting which he himself would not have arrived at spontaneously. From his earliest years we oblige him to eat, drink and sleep at regular hours, and to observe cleanliness, calm and obedience; later we force him to learn how to be mindful of others, to respect customs and conventions, and to work, etc. If this constraint in time ceases to be felt it is because it gradually gives rise to habits, to inner tendencies which render it superfluous; but they supplant the constraint only because they are derived from it. It is true that, in Spencer's view, a rational education should shun such means and allow the child complete freedom to do what he will. Yet as this educational theory has never been put into practice among any known people, it can only be the personal expression of a desideratum and not a fact which can be established in contradiction to the other facts given above. What renders these latter facts particularly illuminating is that education sets out precisely with the object of creating a social being. Thus there can be seen, as in an abbreviated form, how the social being has been fashioned historically. The pressure to which the child is subjected unremittingly is the same pressure of the social environment which seeks to shape him in its own image, and in which parents and teachers are only the representatives and intermediaries. Thus it is not the fact that they are general which can serve to characterise sociological phenomena. Thoughts to be found in the consciousness of each individual and movements which are repeated by all individuals are not for this reason social facts. If some have been content with using this characteristic in order to define them it is because they have been confused, wrongly, with what might be termed their individual incarnations. What constitutes social facts are the beliefs, tendencies and practices of the group taken collectively. But the forms that these collective states may assume when they are 'refracted' through individuals are things of a different kind. What irrefutably demonstrates this duality of kind is that these two categories of facts frequently are manifested dissociated from each other. Indeed some of these ways of acting or thinking acquire, by dint of repetition, a sort of consistency which, so to speak, separates them out, isolating them from the particular events which reflect them. Thus they assume a shape, a tangible form peculiar to them and constitute a reality sui generis vastly distinct from the individual facts which manifest that reality. Collective custom does not exist only in a state of immanence in the successive actions which it determines, but, by a privilege without example in the biological kingdom, expresses itself once and for all in a formula repeated by word of mouth, transmitted by education and even enshrined in the written word. Such are the origins and nature of legal and moral rules, aphorisms and popular sayings, articles of faith in which religious or political sects epitomise their beliefs, and standards of taste drawn up by literary schools, etc. None of these modes of acting and thinking are to be found wholly in the application made of them by individuals, since they can even exist without being applied at the time. Undoubtedly this state of dissociation does not always present itself with equal distinctiveness. It is sufficient for dissociation to exist unquestionably in the numerous important instances cited, for us to prove that the social fact exists separately from its individual effects. Moreover, even when the dissociation is not immediately observable, it can often be made so with the help of certain methodological devices. Indeed it is essential to embark on such procedures if one wishes to refine out the social fact from any amalgam and so observe it in its pure state. Thus certain currents of opinion, whose intensity varies according to the time and country in which they occur, impel us, for example, towards marriage or suicide, towards higher or lower birth-rates, etc. Such currents are plainly social facts. At first sight they seem inseparable from the forms they assume in individual cases. But statistics afford us a means of isolating them. They are indeed not inaccurately represented by rates of births, marriages and suicides, that is, by the result obtained after dividing the average annual total of marriages, births, and voluntary homicides by the number of persons of an age to marry, produce children, or commit suicide. [2] Since each one of these statistics includes without distinction all individual cases, the individual circumstances which may have played some part in producing the phenomenon cancel each other out and consequently do not contribute to determining the nature of the phenomenon. What it expresses is a certain state of the collective mind. That is what social phenomena are when stripped of all extraneous elements. As regards their private manifestations, these do indeed having something social about them, since in part they reproduce the collective model. But to a large extent each one depends also upon the psychical and organic constitution of the individual, and on the particular circumstances in which he is placed. Therefore they are not phenomena which are in the strict sense sociological. They depend on both domains at the same time, and could be termed socio-psychical. They are of interest to the sociologist without constituting the immediate content of sociology. The same characteristic is to be found in the organisms of those mixed phenomena of nature studied in the combined sciences such as biochemistry. It may be objected that a phenomenon can only be collective if it is common to all the members of society, or at the very least to a majority, and consequently, if it is general. This is doubtless the case, but if it is general it is because it is collective (that is, more or less obligatory); but it is very far from being collective because it is general. It is a condition of the group repeated in individuals because it imposes itself upon them. It is in each part because it is in the whole, but far from being in the whole because it is in the parts. This is supremely evident in those beliefs and practices which are handed down to us ready fashioned by previous generations. We accept and adopt them because, since they are the work of the collectivity and one that is centuries old, they are invested with a special authority that our education has taught us to recognise and respect. It is worthy of note that the vast majority of social phenomena come to us in this way. But even when the social fact is partly due to our direct co-operation, it is no different in nature. An outburst of collective emotion in a gathering does not merely express the sum total of what individual feelings share in common, but is something of a very different order, as we have demonstrated. It is a product of shared existence, of actions and reactions called into play between the consciousnesses of individuals. If it is echoed in each one of them it is precisely by virtue of the special energy derived from its collective origins. If all hearts beat in unison, this is not as a consequence of a spontaneous, preestablished harmony; it is because one and the same force is propelling them in the same direction. Each one is borne along by the rest. We have therefore succeeded in delineating for ourselves the exact field of sociology. It embraces one single, well defined group of phenomena. A social fact is identifiable through the power of external coercion which it exerts or is capable of exerting upon individuals. The presence of this power is in turn recognisable because of the existence of some pre-determined sanction, or through the resistance that the fact opposes to any individual action that may threaten it. However, it can also be defined by ascertaining how widespread it is within the group, provided that, as noted above, one is careful to add a second essential characteristic; this is, that it exists independently of the particular forms that it may assume in the process of spreading itself within the group. In certain cases this latter criterion can even be more easily applied than the former one. The presence of constraint is easily ascertainable when it is manifested externally through some direct reaction of society, as in the case of law, morality, beliefs, customs and even fashions. But when constraint is merely indirect, as with that exerted by an economic organization, it is not always so clearly discernible. Generality combined with objectivity may then be easier to establish. Moreover, this second definition is simply another formulation of the first one: if a mode of behaviour existing outside the consciousnesses of individuals becomes general, it can only do so by exerting pressure upon them. [3] However, one may well ask whether this definition is complete. Indeed the facts which have provided us with its basis are all ways of functioning: they are 'physiological' in nature. But there are also collective ways of being, namely, social facts of an 'anatomical' or morphological nature. Sociology cannot dissociate itself from what concerns the substratum of collective life. Yet the number and nature of the elementary parts which constitute society, the way in which they are articulated, the degree of coalescence they have attained, the distribution of population over the earth's surface, the extent and nature of the network of communications, the design of dwellings, etc., do not at first sight seem relatable to ways of acting, feeling or thinking. Yet, first and foremost, these various phenomena present the same characteristic which has served us in defining the others. These ways of being impose themselves upon the individual just as do the ways of acting we have dealt with. In fact, when we wish to learn how a society is divided up politically, in what its divisions consist and the degree of solidarity that exists between them, it is not through physical inspection and geographical observation that we may come to find this out: such divisions are social, although they may have some physical basis. It is only through public law that we can study such political organisation, because this law is what determines its nature, just as it determines our domestic and civic relationships. The organisation is no less a form of compulsion. If the population clusters together in our cities instead of being scattered over the rural areas, it is because there exists a trend of opinion, a collective drive which imposes this concentration upon individuals. We can no more choose the design of our houses than the cut of our clothes - at least, the one is as much obligatory as the other. The communication network forcibly prescribes the direction of internal migrations or commercial exchanges, etc., and even their intensity. Consequently, at the most there are grounds for adding one further category to the list of phenomena already enumerated as bearing the distinctive stamp of a social fact. But as that enumeration was in no wise strictly exhaustive, this addition would not be indispensable. Moreover, it does not even serve a purpose, for these ways of being are only ways of acting that have been consolidated. A society's political structure is only the way in which its various component segments have become accustomed to living with each other. If relationships between them are traditionally close, the segments tend to merge together; if the contrary, they tend to remain distinct. The type of dwelling imposed upon us is merely the way in which everyone around us and, in part, previous generations, have customarily built their houses. The communication network is only the channel which has been cut by the regular current of commerce and migrations, etc., flowing in the same direction. Doubtless if phenomena of a morphological kind were the only ones that displayed this rigidity, it might be thought that they constituted a separate species. But a legal rule is no less permanent an arrangement than an architectural style, and yet it is a 'physiological' fact. A simple moral maxim is certainly more malleable, yet it is cast in forms much more rigid than a mere professional custom or fashion. Thus there exists a whole range of gradations which, without any break in continuity, join the most clearly delineated structural facts to those free currents of social life which are not yet caught in any definite mould. This therefore signifies that the differences between them concern only the degree to which they have become consolidated. Both are forms of life at varying stages of crystallisation. It would undoubtedly be advantageous to reserve the term 'morphological' for those social facts which relate to the social substratum, but only on condition that one is aware that they are of the same nature as the others. Our definition will therefore subsume all that has to be defined it if states: A social fact is any way of acting, whether fixed or not, capable of exerting over the individual an external constraint; or: which is general over the whole of a given society whilst having an existence of its own, independent of its individual manifestations. [4] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Moreover, this is not to say that all constraint is normal. We shall return to this point later. 2. Suicides do not occur at any age, nor do they occur at all ages of life with the same frequency. 3. It can be seen how far removed this definition of the social fact is from that which serves as the basis for the ingenious system of Tarde. We must first state that our research has nowhere led us to corroboration of the preponderant influence that Tarde attributes to imitation in the genesis of collective facts. Moreover, from this definition, which is not a theory but a mere resume of the immediate data observed, it seems clearly to follow that imitation does not always express, indeed never expresses, what is essential and characteristic in the social fact . Doubtless every social fact is imitated and has, as we have just shown, a tendency to become generalised, but this is because it is social, i.e. obligatory. Its capacity for expansion is not the cause but the consequence of its sociological character. If social facts were unique in bringing about this effect, imitation might serve, if not to explain them, at least to define them. But an individual state which impacts on others none the less remains individual. Moreover, one may speculate whether the term 'imitation' is indeed appropriate to designate a proliferation which occurs through some coercive influence. In such a single term very different phenomena, which need to be distinguished, are confused. 4. This close affinity of life and structure, organ and function, can be readily established in sociology because there exists between these two extremes a whole series of intermediate stages, immediately observable, which reveal the link between them. Biology lacks this methodological resource. But one may believe legitimately that sociological inductions on this subject are applicable to biology and that, in organisms as in societies, between these two categories of facts only differences in degree exist.

Liberals are followers and Bush is a leader. Its better to be right than popular? President Bush's Accomplishments Abortion & Traditional Values 1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. 2. Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy. 3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. 4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services. 5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. 6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. 7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman. 8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. 9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools. 10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms). 11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline. 12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs. Budget, Taxes & Economy 1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. 2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. 3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. 4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. 5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. 6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. 7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. 8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. 9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. 10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. 11. Signed trade promotion authority. 12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. 13. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. 14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. 15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. 16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. 17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child. 18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. 19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. 20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year. Character & Conduct as President 1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency. 2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. 3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days: Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation. Education & Employment Training 1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. 2. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. 3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) 4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. 5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. 6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. 7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. 8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers. Environment & Energy 1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. 2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc. 3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives. 4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops. 5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger. 6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger. 7. Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California. 8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species. Defense & Foreign Policy 1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. 2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured. 3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. 4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed. 5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. 6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. 7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. 8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. 9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. 10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. 11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. 12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. 14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. 15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. 16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. 17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. 18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. 19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. 20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. 21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed. Globalization & Internationalism 1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). 2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. 3. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).* 4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer. 5. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." Government Reform 1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. 2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. 3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.* 4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. 5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals. Health 1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free. 2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes: A 10-year privatization option. Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine. More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors. New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford. Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration 1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. 2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004. 3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield). 4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders. 5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. 6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. 7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones. 8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. 9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. 10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability. 11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization. 12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens. 13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications. 14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack. Judiciary & Tort Reform 1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. 2. Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA. 3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary. 4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims. Politics 1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. 2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes. Second Amendment 1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right. 2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. 3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. 4. *See Globalization & Internationalism. Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism 1. Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself." 2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world. 3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families. 4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved. 5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible. 6. Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them. 7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states. 8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa. 9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, "No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity." As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles: Equal Justice Freedom of Speech Limited Government Power Private Property Rights Religious Tolerance Respect for Women Rule of Law

Can we stop Elitism and Create a Peaceful, Humane Society ? For other uses, see Elite (disambiguation) Look up elite, élite in a Dictionary.Elite (also spelt Élite) is taken from the latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the élite (the "elect," from French) is a relatively small dominant group within a larger society, which enjoys a privileged status which is upheld by individuals of lower social status within the structure of a group. When applied to an individual, as in the phrase "many elites come to this restaurant," the usage quite economically both refers to an individual within that class and establishes the speaker as non-elite. An elite is the result of economic and political forces within a social structure. Upon formation, societies have always had the tendency to stratify due to a combination of politics and ability. The position of an elite at the top of the social strata almost invariably puts it in a position of leadership and often subjects the holders of elite status to pressure to maintain their position as part of the elite. However, in spite of the pressures borne by its members, the existence of the elite as a social strata is usually unchanged. 1 Religious elite 2 Linguistic elite 3 Class elite 4 Educational elite 5 Financial elite 6 Military elite 7 Elitism Religious elite In religion the Latin form "elect" is preferred over the French form "elite" in discussing Cathar or Calvinist theology, for examples, and the social structure that is theologically driven. Other religious groups may use expressions like "the saints" to describe the elect. Linguistic elite Some elite groups speak a language that is not shared by the commonality: in Tsarist Russia and in Vietnam the elite spoke French, in Plantagenet England the elite spoke Anglo-Norman, and in Ptolemaic Egypt the elite spoke Koine Greek. (See linguistic imperialism.) Elites establish correct usage for the language when they share one with the commonality. Elite usage is reflected in "prescriptive" dictionaries; common usage is reflected in "descriptive" dictionaries. Elites establish cultural canons, which are more widely agreed-upon within the elite and more generally ignored or resented among the non-elite. In the 1950s, the British elite spoke what linguists of the time called U English. Class elite American style straw hat. Complex social rules can determine when an occasion is sufficiently informal so that a man may correctly wear this hat.Elite advantages are the usual ones of a dominant social class: easier access to capital and political power, more rigorous education largely free of indoctrination, resulting in cultural influence, and leadership. Elites may justify their existence based on claims of inherited position; with the rise in authority of science, certain 19th and 20th century elites have embraced pseudoscientific justifications of genetic or racial superiority. In Nazi Germany, genetic superiority was used as the basis of an imagined "Aryan" elite. Elite classes headed by monarchies have traditionally employed religious sanctions for their position. Meritocracy is a facet of society that tries to promote merit as a route to the elite. Societies such as that of the United States have it in their culture to promote such a facet [see Horatio Alger]. However, while it tends to be imperfect it sheds light as to what many believe to be the "ideal" elite: an elite that is porous and whose members have earned their position as society's top class. Aristocracy and oligarchy are social systems which feature an elite as the ruling class. An elite group, ranged round the alpha male, is a distinct feature of other closely-related social primates. Educational elite Elites are educated to govern. While common public education is often designed to educate the general population to produce knowledgeable and skilled citizens, the elite approach to education is often presented at a more intellectual and demanding level, and is geared to produce leaders of a sort. It is generally defined at education geared at producing an individual capable of thinking at an intellectual level more advanced than the general population, consisting of diverse philosophical ideals and theories in order to enable the elite to logically evaluate situations. Financial elite Wealth is not a sure sign of elite status, as the "new rich" are frequently seen as arriving from non-elite positions. Neither does an elite necessarily show a sense of public obligation. Military elite A military elite is a military unit of soldiers or recruits picked for their competence and put in a special, elite unit. Elite units enjoy some benefits as compared to other units, at least in the form of higher status, but often also higher pay and better equipment. Napoléons Imperial Guard would be a good example. Note that the word elite in the military sense is fundamentally different from most other uses of the term. A social or societal elite has usually not been picked by anyone except themselves and do not necessarily make part of the elite due to their competence. Military elite units do not exercise any special leadership over other units. In the societal and social sense of the word, the elite of the army is the officer corps, not the elite units. In the military community, it is considered doubtful if the creation of elite units are expected to do the same things as a regular military unit, only better, (as opposed to special forces that are expected to do other things than regular soldiers)is good resource manangement. Critics argue that it creates a negative "second class soldier"-feeling among the regular units. Furthermore they argue that an especially competent soldier does more good as an NCO or as just the guy who sets a good inspiring example for his comrades. Historically many elite forces have been created and maintained as much for political reasons as for military ones. The leaders feel they need something more politically reliable than ordinary units and create elite units, hoping that the priviliges, the extra political indoctrination that such elite forces are typically given and the pride in belonging to an elite will make them more loyal. Typically, it works. Waffen-SS would be an obvious example. Elitism In elite theory as developed by Marxist political scientists like Michael Parenti, all sufficiently large social groups will have some kind of elite group within them that actively participates in the group's political dynamics. When a group is arbitrarily excluded from the larger society, such as in the case of the racism that was widespread in the United States prior to the success of the American Civil Rights Movement, then elite members of the excluded group may form a counter-elite to fight for their group's interests (although they may be fighting for those interests only to the extent they mesh with the counter-elite's interests). Of course, the dominant elite can neutralize the counter-elite through the classic divide-and-conquer strategy of admitting key members of the counter-elite into the elite. Elitism usually draws envy and resentment from the lower classes and the counter-elite. There are cases where elites arguably use this resentment of an elite to maintain their position. See Communism. The Elite in the United States also use this method of control via popular culture and media influence. Author C. Wright Mills elaborates on this influence in his book The Power Elite. Look these up (*_*) Boston Brahmin Brahmin Elitism Mandarin Patrician Snob Leet

please PLZ I really need urhelp with summarising this interview i really need to get it done in the next couple of weeks but im kind of paranoid about it and its abit confusing becuse they talk about diffrent cultures, is there any chance you can help me? http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/21/lawrence_kirmayer.html Ever have the nagging feeling that our celebrity-driven, sound bite society is making us into a stupid, cynical, shallow people? Well, look to Oliver James, author of a May 2000 article in The Ecologist titled "Consuming Misery: Across the World, the Richer a Nation Gets, the More Unhappy Its People Become." As a critic of consumer culture, I did a double take when I saw that headline--evidence at last! In his book Britain on the Couch, James purports that our way of wealth lowers our levels of serotonin--which he calls the happiness brain chemical--thereby making us depressed. James is far from alone in equating advanced capitalism with mental illness. Here in the United States, a growing movement of therapist-activists battles "affluenza," defined as a debilitating mental state caused by having too much money. While much of the affluenza literature makes a certain kind of sense, all it takes is a cross-cultural perspective to see the problem with arguing that affluence causes depression--namely, it's not true. All of this is a roundabout way of introducing Lawrence Kirmayer. Dr. Kirmayer is a highly respected cultural psychiatrist at McGill University in Quebec. Unlike the affluenza crowd, Kirmayer has done a great deal of research on the mental health of aboriginal peoples, immigrants, and refugees. He points out that although our capitalist ways may be emotionally hazardous, it's unlikely that we are more depressed than poorer cultures. The only way to know for sure is to study those cultures, and research is generally lacking. Stay Free! talked to Kirmayer by phone in July 2003 about cross-culture mental illness more broadly. We found him to be a very nice man. --Carrie McLaren STAY FREE!: What mental problems are the most similar across cultures? KIRMAYER: At one pole you have organic disorders that are very similar across cultures, like Alzheimer's disease or epilepsy, and perhaps schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And at the other end you have what used to be called hysteria--dissociative disorders and so on. That said, there are differences cross-culturally even for something like schizophrenia. For example, people with schizophrenia appear to do better in nonurbanized, nonindustrialized countries. STAY FREE!: Why is that? KIRMAYER: It's not really clear, but it's probably in part because urban environments are not good for people vulnerable to schizophrenia. STAY FREE!: Is that unique to schizophrenia or is that the case for mental illness in general? KIRMAYER: Well, different illnesses don't respond precisely the same way to environmental and social factors. There are probably distinctive processes that underlie schizophrenia. The impact of noisy environments, for example, has been shown to contribute to relapse. One theory why people with schizophrenia do better in some countries has to do with family support and social integration. Someone who hallucinates is going to have a hard time working in a very technological society, but in a rural agrarian society they may still be able to do something useful for the family and community. STAY FREE!: Do the symptoms of schizophrenia vary in different cultures? KIRMAYER: Well, there have been studies that have shown differences in the frequency of various symptoms. For example, symptoms of catatonia--people becoming immobile--are more prevalent in some developing countries than they are in the West. Certain bodily symptoms are also more prevalent in some places. In many parts of the world, people with hallucinations may understand their experience in terms of religious systems--they may see themselves as being possessed, or talking to God. You get that in the West too, but you also have common technological interpretations--they think there is a radio transmitter in their tooth and so on. STAY FREE!: I've read that TV stations get a lot of phone calls from people with schizophrenia and manic depression telling them to stop broadcasting. KIRMAYER: Yeah, that's a common symptom of psychosis. People will go through this process of trying to figure out, "What could possibly explain this strange feeling that I'm having?" Most of the explanations sanctioned by medicine are basically that you have a "chemical imbalance" and that is very deflating. In another society, you might be told that you have had a significant religious experience, and even though you might still need to get some help, there might be something to valorize what's gone on for you. That tradeoff is harder in a very scientistic culture. Of course, even in our culture, where people are very secular and talk about things in scientific terms, there are still a lot of moral ideas about the person and about self-control. STAY FREE!: People say, "Get over it!" KIRMAYER: Exactly. STAY FREE!: If someone has symptoms that we associate with depression in the U.S., how might that problem differ in other cultures? KIRMAYER: There are two sets of issues. There is the issue of what is actually going on for people and the issue of how they understand it. These issues don't necessarily have to match up perfectly, but they interact. People interpret what's going on differently based on their cultural background. In the case of something like depression, how you interpret symptoms influences how things unfold. If you decide these feelings of exhaustion are a sign of depression, then that diagnosis suggests that you have certain other problems. That becomes part of a feedback loop--your thoughts chase each other in circles, and that in itself can intensify depression. Even though we can distinguish between what goes on physiologically and socially, the two levels interact. Once you understand that, you can find something that looks like depression everywhere in the world. In most places, the physical symptoms are the most important part of depression: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscular, and skeletal aches and pains and so on. In Japan, a lot of middle-aged women complain of shoulder pain, which is unusual in North America. The name for it is futeishuso which means "nonspecific complaint." Some of those people may actually have depression, but nobody's asked them, "Do you feel sad or low? Do you feel hopeless?" STAY FREE!: Because there's a stigma attached? KIRMAYER: Partly, yes, and partly because the notion of depression has not been so salient in Japanese psychiatry. Notions of anxiety disorders have been much more common. Psychiatrists don't see people with anxiety and depression, anyway--doctors of internal medicine deal with those patients. Psychiatrists only deal with the most severe disorders, schizophrenia and so forth. Until about five years ago or so there were no SSRI medications in Japan. Eli Lilly didn't even try to introduce Prozac in Japan initially because they thought there would be no market. Finally another pharmaceutical company did try, and now the idea of depression has taken off. STAY FREE!: How does the notion that depression is a biological condition affect the course of the illness? Are people in the West better or worse off for it? KIRMAYER: It depends. There's a Japanese psychiatrist, Yutako Ono, who used to tell people, "Depression is like pneumonia, so you have to take your medicine to make it go away." The implication is that it's not chronic. You can certainly promote an image of a mental disorder that is curable even if it is biological. STAY FREE!: But here it seems that the biological notion implies permanence. KIRMAYER: Well, but that kind of determinism is not necessarily tied to biology. In American folk psychology, there are notions of character, which imply that someone is or is not a particular way. In the U.S. over the past few years, there has been a huge swing away from the idea that people are molded by their social environment. Instead, there's the assumption that everything is determined by one's constitution. Sometimes it's rooted in genetics, sometimes something's wrong with the brain. The whole biological turn in psychiatry was really in excess of any specific evidence, but I think that it fits well with conservative politics in the U.S. right now. STAY FREE!: I've heard that people in more affluent nations are more often treated for mental illnesses like depression than people in nations of low or moderate wealth. So does this mean that there is more mental illness in affluent places or is it just a consequence of poor people not having access to mental health care? KIRMAYER: I think it's mostly the latter, though in many cases we don't know because there aren't enough epidemiological studies. If you want to make a generalization, then it's probably safe to say that poor countries have more mental-health problems, but by saying "poor" nowadays, you often mean societies where there is a huge level of conflict and violence. So it's not simply poverty--you can have a small, well-integrated rural society where people don't have a lot of material goods but they have excellent mental health. STAY FREE!: Do people in different cultures commit suicide for different reasons? KIRMAYER: Yes. Of course, the overriding reason, which is common across cultures, is overwhelming hopelessness and the desire to escape suffering. But there are also socially sanctioned reasons that can valorize suicide; in traditional Japan, suicide was a way of maintaining honor. To some extent, this is still a factor. People who have financial reversals will commit suicide not just to escape the problem but to make a gesture that acknowledges responsibility and hence restores honor in some way. Some of that's been exaggerated. There's been a stock image of the Inuit [the indigenous peoples of the arctic formerly called the Eskimo] as having a tradition of altruistic suicide in which older people sacrifice themselves for younger people. Granted, there were situations in which a whole family was starving and an elder would volunteer to be left behind. But that's a kind of self-sacrifice that people from many cultures could understand if they were facing similarly desperate circumstance so I'm not sure that should be viewed as suicide. STAY FREE!: Has any interesting work been done on social stereotypes? Like the idea that Eastern European Jews are more neurotic? KIRMAYER: The cultural historian Sandor Gilman has written a lot about the stereotype of the neurotic Jew. For the most part, it's not true--everybody's neurotic. But we have different styles of expression. Woody Allen isn't more neurotic than other people, but he has made a career out of talking about his anxieties. Spalding Gray is equally expressive of his self-doubt and anxiety but with a different cultural flavor. You find huge variations in how open people are about expressing things--these aren't just stereotypes, they are real cultural differences. But even though there are, for instance, certain Asian cultures where people don't express things verbally in the way some Mediterranean or North American groups would, it doesn't mean they aren't experiencing those things. Of course, within each social group you find enormous variation, and it's easy to overestimate the importance of any cultural trait. STAY FREE!: Scholars who study "subjective well-being" argue that Latin Americans and North Americans are happier than Asians. Is there any truth to this? KIRMAYER: Well, this relates to what I was saying: how people narrate their own experience will be influenced by culture. Happiness is a particular cultural value. In North America, it is important to indicate your success by exclaiming your happiness. In many other cultural contexts, however, people don't view the point of life as being happy; they may view it as being productive, as being honorable, as being a contributing member to society or to a family. I think the idea that we should be happy is a particularly American value. It fits very well with consumer capitalism, where the route to happiness is the consumption of products. It's certainly possible that the strategies someone uses to pursue well-being (such as through economic productivity) have built into them inevitable unhappiness, but we're not really encouraged to question our value system.

Why do libs avoid President Bush's Accomplishments? President Bush's Accomplishments Spotted at Rightnation.us and GOPUSA.com reprinted here for your pleasure. I encourage people who support Bush to learn how effective our President has been, and liberals ought to browse this too. Just remember, the liberal media can't cover up the truth of his accomplishments. The Bush Administration 2001-2004 Abortion & Traditional Values 1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. 2. Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy. 3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. 4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services. 5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. 6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. 7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman. 8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. 9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools. 10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms). 11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline. 12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs. Budget, Taxes & Economy 1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. 2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. 3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. 4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. 5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. 6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. 7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. 8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. 9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. 10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. 11. Signed trade promotion authority. 12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. 13. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. 14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. 15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. 16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. 17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child. 18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. 19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. 20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year. Character & Conduct as President 1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency. 2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. 3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days: Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation. Education & Employment Training 1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. 2. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. 3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) 4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. 5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. 6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. 7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. 8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers. Environment & Energy 1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. 2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc. 3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives. 4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops. 5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger. 6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger. 7. Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California. 8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species. Defense & Foreign Policy 1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. 2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured. 3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. 4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed. 5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. 6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. 7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. 8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. 9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. 10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. 11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. 12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. 14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. 15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. 16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. 17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. 18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. 19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. 20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. 21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed. Globalization & Internationalism 1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). 2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. 3. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).* 4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer. 5. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." Government Reform 1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. 2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. 3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.* 4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. 5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals. Health 1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free. 2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes: A 10-year privatization option. Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine. More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors. New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford. Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration 1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. 2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004. 3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield). 4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders. 5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. 6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. 7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones. 8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. 9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. 10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability. 11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization. 12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens. 13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications. 14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack. Judiciary & Tort Reform 1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. 2. Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA. 3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary. 4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims. Politics 1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. 2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes. Second Amendment 1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right. 2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. 3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. 4. *See Globalization & Internationalism. Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism 1. Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself." 2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world. 3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families. 4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved. 5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible. 6. Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them. 7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states. 8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa. 9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, "No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity." As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles: Equal Justice Freedom of Speech Limited Government Power Private Property Rights Religious Tolerance Respect for Women Rule of Law

What do you think of this?? I think people are just getting FED UP!! What is your take on this?? hange Type Size Legislators see twist on threats Mary Jo Pitzl The Arizona Republic Feb. 25, 2007 12:00 AM Two lawmakers in as many months have gone public about threats they received over their stance on illegal-immigration bills. It's a sign of the fevered sentiments about the issue, and, some fear, a breakdown of civility in the Legislature, where there is little consensus on what the state should do about the issue. And it's a case study in the power of the Internet to quickly spread a message, as well as the unpredictable and often abusive caroms those messages can take. advertisement Last week, Republican Rep. Bill Konopnicki told fellow members of the House of Representatives that he and his family had received threats because of his "no" vote on a bill that would have denied workers' compensation benefits to undocumented immigrants. One of those threats came in a letter to his home in Safford, which shook him to the point that he decided to go public. "I never thought that I would fear for my safety or for the safety of my family when I took my seat as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives," the three-term lawmaker said in an emotional floor speech. His experience came several weeks after Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, was flooded with e-mail threats over her sponsorship of a bill that would have banned citizen patrol groups unaffiliated with law enforcement. The bill prompted an immediate, and sharp, response after the Minuteman Project issued a news release opposing the legislation. Sinema publicly complained about e-mails that threatened her with physical harm and rape. She asked House leaders to postpone a hearing on her bill, citing security concerns. They didn't and the hearing proceeded peacefully. The hostile and often profane comments in the e-mails go beyond the frustration many people feel about immigration, lawmakers say. "They didn't say, 'We'll kill you,' but the threat was there," Konopnicki said of the messages he received. Likewise, Sinema said she feared for her safety after the string of threats filled up her e-mail and voice-mail boxes. Threats called common Some lawmakers, including House Speaker Jim Weiers, said threats to lawmakers are common and that the two recent cases are simply the only lawmakers to go public about it. Rep. Warde Nichols, R-Gilbert, said he received death threats after he sponsored legislation two years ago that would have defined marriage as between one man and one woman. Unfamiliar vehicles with unknown occupants would park outside his home, he said. He also said he received pornographic videotapes in the mail in unmarked boxes, which his kids rushed to open, requiring lengthy explanations when he returned home at night. Nichols said he kept the harassment quiet, sharing the threats with the state Department of Public Safety. "I think when you put it out there, it escalates things," he said. Word spreads fast on Net But the Internet reaches farther and faster than any lawmaker's statements from the Capitol and can take a local issue and give it international resonance. Sinema said that's what happened to her. Her bill on patrol groups caught fire once the Minuteman group issued a news release opposing the legislation, catching the attention of Web sites and bloggers nationwide and beyond. "What happens when they do that is the crazies come out," Sinema said, adding that the Minutemen in no way advocated violent or profane responses. John Craft, a professor at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the impersonal nature of the Internet makes it easier for people to send abusive and insulting messages. "You're not looking the person in the eye as you're calling them names, and I think that makes the difference," he said. Couple the Internet with the combustible immigration issue, and one person's stand in one corner of Arizona can circle the globe. Even the Catholic Church has not been immune from over-the-top criticism for its position in support of migrants' rights. "I've had to call the police," said Ronald Johnson Jr., executive director of the Arizona Catholic Conference, explaining that a letter in 2005 drew threats. Johnson said nothing in his experience compares with the passions immigration ignites. Sure, there some pushback for the church's position on abortion and gay rights, he said. "We touch all the hot buttons, but immigration tops them all," Johnson said. Maintaining civility At the Legislature, Speaker Weiers is trying to maintain a civil tone as talk again turns to immigration issues, spokesman Barrett Marson said. "The problem is, passions run high," Marson said. Konopnicki said he had asked Weiers to talk to Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, whose e-mail alerts to constituents on immigration bills triggered the threatening messages. One of those e-mails highlighted Konopnicki's "no" vote on a bill that would have denied workers' compensation coverage to workers who are found to be in the country illegally. Konopnicki, a business owner, said he voted against the bill because he believed it would open employers up to lawsuits, even if the employer had done everything in his power to determine a worker's legal status. The bill died on a tie vote. Pearce did not want to talk about his fellow Republican's problems, other than to say that he and Konopnicki have long disagreed on how to resolve immigration issues. An e-mail that Pearce sent to supporters portrayed the Safford Republican as working counter to immigration reform. "Bill Konopnicki continues to fight any real immigration enforcement," the e-mail said. "He has fought me for the past 5 to 6 years on employer's (sic) sanctions or any real enforcement." Konopnicki said he raised the issue publicly because he believes legislative discussion on immigration has devolved to an almost McCarthy-like tone. "(W)e are losing focus on the merits of the issues and are instead relegated to bearing insults and accusations," he said in his floor speech. "I can't help but recall the now famous words of the attorney, Joe Welch, when he asked Senator McCarthy: 'Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of honor?' " Pearce said his e-mails are a way to keep people up to date on issues. "We always remind people of politeness and decorum," he said. "We don't ask them to attack anybody." Rep. Pete Rios, a 22-year veteran of the Legislature, said the roiling emotions on immigration have not had a public parallel since the impeachment trial of then-Gov. Evan Mecham 20 years ago. "When it comes to immigration, it brings out a fringe element that says you've got to deny everything," said Rios, a Hayden Democrat who is Latino. Anything short of total denial brands a lawmaker unpatriotic and worse. Rios said he has heard it all, although like other lawmakers, he said the threats against family are a new twist. He said he is sympathetic with Konopnicki's plight. "He probably hasn't experienced it as much as those of us because he's a Republican, and he's not a minority," he said.

The cause of world unrest, poverty, wars, human rights attrocities and social depravation is? For other uses, see Elite (disambiguation) Look up elite, élite in a Dictionary.Elite (also spelt Élite) is taken from the latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the élite (the "elect," from French) is a relatively small dominant group within a larger society, which enjoys a privileged status which is upheld by individuals of lower social status within the structure of a group. When applied to an individual, as in the phrase "many elites come to this restaurant," the usage quite economically both refers to an individual within that class and establishes the speaker as non-elite. An elite is the result of economic and political forces within a social structure. Upon formation, societies have always had the tendency to stratify due to a combination of politics and ability. The position of an elite at the top of the social strata almost invariably puts it in a position of leadership and often subjects the holders of elite status to pressure to maintain their position as part of the elite. However, in spite of the pressures borne by its members, the existence of the elite as a social strata is usually unchanged. 1 Religious elite 2 Linguistic elite 3 Class elite 4 Educational elite 5 Financial elite 6 Military elite 7 Elitism Religious elite In religion the Latin form "elect" is preferred over the French form "elite" in discussing Cathar or Calvinist theology, for examples, and the social structure that is theologically driven. Other religious groups may use expressions like "the saints" to describe the elect. Linguistic elite Some elite groups speak a language that is not shared by the commonality: in Tsarist Russia and in Vietnam the elite spoke French, in Plantagenet England the elite spoke Anglo-Norman, and in Ptolemaic Egypt the elite spoke Koine Greek. (See linguistic imperialism.) Elites establish correct usage for the language when they share one with the commonality. Elite usage is reflected in "prescriptive" dictionaries; common usage is reflected in "descriptive" dictionaries. Elites establish cultural canons, which are more widely agreed-upon within the elite and more generally ignored or resented among the non-elite. In the 1950s, the British elite spoke what linguists of the time called U English. Class elite American style straw hat. Complex social rules can determine when an occasion is sufficiently informal so that a man may correctly wear this hat.Elite advantages are the usual ones of a dominant social class: easier access to capital and political power, more rigorous education largely free of indoctrination, resulting in cultural influence, and leadership. Elites may justify their existence based on claims of inherited position; with the rise in authority of science, certain 19th and 20th century elites have embraced pseudoscientific justifications of genetic or racial superiority. In Nazi Germany, genetic superiority was used as the basis of an imagined "Aryan" elite. Elite classes headed by monarchies have traditionally employed religious sanctions for their position. Meritocracy is a facet of society that tries to promote merit as a route to the elite. Societies such as that of the United States have it in their culture to promote such a facet [see Horatio Alger]. However, while it tends to be imperfect it sheds light as to what many believe to be the "ideal" elite: an elite that is porous and whose members have earned their position as society's top class. Aristocracy and oligarchy are social systems which feature an elite as the ruling class. An elite group, ranged round the alpha male, is a distinct feature of other closely-related social primates. Educational elite Elites are educated to govern. While common public education is often designed to educate the general population to produce knowledgeable and skilled citizens, the elite approach to education is often presented at a more intellectual and demanding level, and is geared to produce leaders of a sort. It is generally defined at education geared at producing an individual capable of thinking at an intellectual level more advanced than the general population, consisting of diverse philosophical ideals and theories in order to enable the elite to logically evaluate situations. Financial elite Wealth is not a sure sign of elite status, as the "new rich" are frequently seen as arriving from non-elite positions. Neither does an elite necessarily show a sense of public obligation. Military elite A military elite is a military unit of soldiers or recruits picked for their competence and put in a special, elite unit. Elite units enjoy some benefits as compared to other units, at least in the form of higher status, but often also higher pay and better equipment. Napoléons Imperial Guard would be a good example. Note that the word elite in the military sense is fundamentally different from most other uses of the term. A social or societal elite has usually not been picked by anyone except themselves and do not necessarily make part of the elite due to their competence. Military elite units do not exercise any special leadership over other units. In the societal and social sense of the word, the elite of the army is the officer corps, not the elite units. In the military community, it is considered doubtful if the creation of elite units are expected to do the same things as a regular military unit, only better, (as opposed to special forces that are expected to do other things than regular soldiers)is good resource manangement. Critics argue that it creates a negative "second class soldier"-feeling among the regular units. Furthermore they argue that an especially competent soldier does more good as an NCO or as just the guy who sets a good inspiring example for his comrades. Historically many elite forces have been created and maintained as much for political reasons as for military ones. The leaders feel they need something more politically reliable than ordinary units and create elite units, hoping that the priviliges, the extra political indoctrination that such elite forces are typically given and the pride in belonging to an elite will make them more loyal. Typically, it works. Waffen-SS would be an obvious example. Elitism In elite theory as developed by Marxist political scientists like Michael Parenti, all sufficiently large social groups will have some kind of elite group within them that actively participates in the group's political dynamics. When a group is arbitrarily excluded from the larger society, such as in the case of the racism that was widespread in the United States prior to the success of the American Civil Rights Movement, then elite members of the excluded group may form a counter-elite to fight for their group's interests (although they may be fighting for those interests only to the extent they mesh with the counter-elite's interests). Of course, the dominant elite can neutralize the counter-elite through the classic divide-and-conquer strategy of admitting key members of the counter-elite into the elite. Elitism usually draws envy and resentment from the lower classes and the counter-elite. There are cases where elites arguably use this resentment of an elite to maintain their position. See Communism. The Elite in the United States also use this method of control via popular culture and media influence. Author C. Wright Mills elaborates on this influence in his book The Power Elite. Look these up (*_*) Boston Brahmin Brahmin Elitism Mandarin Patrician Snob Leet

Briefly summarize the steps in the peer mediation process.? CLREP Welcomes You! Peer Conflict Mediation School Conflict Mediation Background Getting Started The CLREP Mediation Model How Does The Mediation Process Work? Peer Conflict Mediation Objectives School Conflict Mediation In our education and school systems today, every teacher must play many different roles, the most obvious being that of instructor with a solid background in a chosen field. Unfortunately, one of the roles that teachers must also assume is that of behavioral manager and disciplinarian. Misbehavior, disruptive behavior and student conflict demand much of our teachers' time. These interruptions rob students of the kind of learning environment conducive to achievement and steal instructional time from teachers. The problem is not new. In recent years, some thoughtful and innovative methods for dealing with school conflict have come into existence and are having remarkable success. One program that has made great strides in minimizing student conflict is Peer Conflict Mediation and Resolution. The concept is deceptively simple: students act as mediators in the resolution of conflicts between their own classmates. Informal methods of having peers confront and resolve conflict have been used with success by individual teachers for some time. The idea of a formal, school-wide peer mediation program is, however, somewhat innovative. What is it about mediation that makes it so popular and successful? In traditional reaction to student conflict, arbitrary and punitive solutions were often used to solve conflict. For example, if two students were involved in a fight, they typically would be sent to an administrator for disciplinary action. Suspensions would be likely (which are recorded on students' permanent records), parents would be summoned, and perhaps further punishment would be meted out. After suspensions, students often return bitter, angry, bent on revenge and, worse yet, days behind in their classwork. In mediation, suspensions for misconduct are the last resort, and many conflicts are resolved through mutually agreeable solutions rather than punishment. Although mediation is not, nor is it intended to be, a panacea for all conflicts, it can be used effectively with a variety of controversies. return to top Background School Conflict Mediation is an outgrowth of the neighborhood Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs which came into existence in the mid 1970s to help community members seek solutions to problems aside from formal court proceedings. Today, ADR programs are active in most major American cities and other advocates include members of the judiciary, law enforcement officers, and community leaders who act as the primary agents in resolving diverse conflict. This "court of first resort" has had great success. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, mediation programs found their way into school systems in southern California, Hawaii and New York. The University of Southern California aided in establishing programs aimed at reducing gang violence. Many people were surprised with the success that trained gang leaders were having in mediating problems without violence and reducing the number of students injured due to violence in school settings. The key to the success of school mediation is an increased feeling that students can make a difference and can control conflict and confrontation. As mediation programs are coming into being throughout our nation's school systems, educators are claiming that the 3 R's of education are now becoming the 4 Rs, i.e., "RESOLUTION" is coming into its own. return to top Getting Started Schools considering a peer conflict mediation initiative must first determine whether there is an interest and commitment to initiating such a project. Secondly, they must evaluate the most common conflicts seen in their school and determine if mediation can be used to resolve them. Once agreement is reached on the types of controversy that are appropriate for mediation, schools can contact CLREP and planning can begin for a school-based initiative. Once negotiations are complete, the initiative begins with introducing mediation to the student body at large. A variety of methods can be employed, such as guest speakers at student assemblies, question and answer sessions, or brochures and other printed material. One approach used during the pilot project was to introduce peer mediation via social studies classes with three classroom periods devoted to conflict and anger, communication, and the mediation process. Students who are interested in becoming mediators are then recruited and the training workshop is scheduled. The training itself emphasizes communication and questioning techniques, understanding anger and conflict, and role playing the mediation process. Once the training is complete and a mediation site in the school has been designated, the program is ready to be implemented. The impact of mediation is displayed in the positive reaction from schools and is having a profound effect on the lives of our young people. The benefits will be seen in years to come as the students of today take on the roles of adult citizens with the ability to resolve conflict in a non-adversarial manner. return to top The CLREP Mediation Model The Citizenship Law-Related Education Program of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland State Department of Education developed Peer Mediation as a direct response to the stated needs of Maryland schools which requested an alternative to the traditional disciplinary methods. A great deal of preliminary research was done to find the common elements of other successful programs, which were then incorporated into the Maryland Model of Conflict Mediation. The Maryland Model incorporates these three key elements into all school based initiatives. All students in the school are aware of the program as a viable alternative to traditional disciplinary sanctions. Students who are selected as mediators represent a cross-section of the school's population. The mediators are not viewed as members of an elite club. Teachers, administrators, students and parents are involved in the project's planning, training and implementation. This helps to enhance commitment and to ensure the success of the program. Based upon our initial pilot project in 1991 and evaluation data gathered from participating schools since that time, the CLREP Peer Conflict Mediation model includes the following four phases: Phase I: NEGOTIATION/PRE-PLANNING: School/sponsoring agency requests CLREP consultation to design an initiative. Phase II: PLANNING AND ORIENTATION: Planning, information sharing and recruitment for school involvement. Phase III: PEER MEDIATION TRAINING: Focus on understanding the importance of anger, conflict and communication in the mediation process. Mediation skill training for students and staff design of the specific school plan for implementation Phase IV: IMPLEMENTATION: School implements Peer Mediation Initiative with CLREP technical assistance and follow-up consultation. Each school-based initiative is designed to address the school's needs and requirements within this framework. For information on fees and initiating a project in your school or youth service agency call (410) 706-5360, fax (410) 706-5576 or e-mail us at info@clrep.org return to top How Does the Mediation Process Work? The actual mediation process involves a systematic approach to resolving conflicts. Regardless of the type of dispute, the mediation process applies a six-step method to reach agreement. The steps are: The mediators set the ground rules. The mediator asks each disputant to define the conflict and to express his or her feelings in a non-aggressive manner. Each disputant states the problem. The mediator restates and summarizes the information provided and asks questions to clarify issues. The mediator then asks the disputants for a proposed solution to the problem and then restates the proposal. The mediator should avoid offering solutions. When agreement is reached, a contract is written and signed by the disputants. Conflict Mediation is not peer counseling, nor is it intended to be sensitivity training. It is critical that the mediator remain neutral in order to aid in the resolution process. return to top Peer Conflict Mediation Objectives The underlying and primary objectives of peer mediation are: To increase student understanding that conflict is a natural and normal part of life. Physical confrontation is only one, and the least desirable, reaction to a conflict. To enable students to work in harmony with each other despite differences. To create a positive school climate by utilizing a process to resolve interpersonal conflict. To avoid suspensions and expulsions from school by providing alternative methods of dealing with misbehavior. To increase attendance and academic performance by decreasing the environment of conflict and violence. To develop an awareness and encourage the use of compromise as a viable alternative to conflict and to relate this to a deeper understanding of the American political system.

Is this why the libs hate BUSH? President Bush's Accomplishments Spotted at Rightnation.us and GOPUSA.com reprinted here for your pleasure. I encourage people who support Bush to learn how effective our President has been, and liberals ought to browse this too. Just remember, the liberal media can't cover up the truth of his accomplishments. The Bush Administration 2001-2004 Abortion & Traditional Values 1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. 2. Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy. 3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. 4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services. 5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. 6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. 7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman. 8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. 9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools. 10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms). 11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline. 12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs. Budget, Taxes & Economy 1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. 2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. 3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. 4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. 5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. 6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. 7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. 8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. 9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. 10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. 11. Signed trade promotion authority. 12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. 13. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. 14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. 15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. 16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. 17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child. 18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. 19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. 20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year. Character & Conduct as President 1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency. 2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. 3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days: Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation. Education & Employment Training 1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. 2. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. 3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) 4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. 5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. 6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. 7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. 8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers. Environment & Energy 1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. 2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc. 3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives. 4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops. 5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger. 6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger. 7. Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California. 8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species. Defense & Foreign Policy 1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. 2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured. 3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. 4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed. 5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. 6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. 7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. 8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. 9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. 10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. 11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. 12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. 14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. 15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. 16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. 17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. 18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. 19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. 20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. 21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed. Globalization & Internationalism 1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). 2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. 3. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).* 4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer. 5. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." Government Reform 1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. 2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. 3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.* 4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. 5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals. Health 1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free. 2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes: A 10-year privatization option. Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine. More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors. New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford. Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration 1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. 2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004. 3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield). 4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders. 5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. 6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. 7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones. 8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. 9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. 10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability. 11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization. 12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens. 13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications. 14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack. Judiciary & Tort Reform 1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. 2. Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA. 3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary. 4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims. Politics 1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. 2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes. Second Amendment 1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right. 2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. 3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. 4. *See Globalization & Internationalism. Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism 1. Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself." 2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world. 3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families. 4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved. 5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible. 6. Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them. 7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states. 8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa. 9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, "No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity." As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles: Equal Justice Freedom of Speech Limited Government Power Private Property Rights Religious Tolerance Respect for Women Rule of Law ________________________________________ TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror KEYWORDS: bushlegacy; bushrecord; georgewbush; gwb2004 ________________________________________ 1 posted on 03/12/2004 4:23:27 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife [ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies ] ________________________________________ To: Cincinatus' Wife Bush is our President. He fixed our country. He brought back family values. He made us strong in the face of danger. He is looing out for my childrens education. He has reduced my income tax. That's why he gets my vote. 2 posted on 03/12/2004 4:43:46 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (60 Senate seats changes the world!! Bury Kerry in 04!) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] ________________________________________ To: Cincinatus' Wife someone one point to the Medicare section and the savings accounts, someone scream at the conservatives who cry about drugs and point out $28,000 for ulcer surgery vs $500 for medicine; Medical Savings Accounts as a way to have larger deductibles and more patient responsibility. THESE ARE CONSERVATIVE PROGRAMS!! Newt was all over TV praising this program one week after they passed it but RUSH who is a headline reader has gotten it wrong and cost Bush 10 points in the polls. 3 posted on 03/12/2004 4:53:54 AM PST by q_an_a [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] ________________________________________ To: Cincinatus' Wife Bookmark for future reference 4 posted on 03/12/2004 5:05:46 AM PST by Semper Vigilantis (1 democrat + 1 democrat = 5 opinions, 6 tax increases, 2 more welfare programs & 0 solutions.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] ________________________________________ To: Cincinatus' Wife wide open borders that allow narco terrorists al qaeda and chi coms open easy access to CONUS? 5 posted on 03/12/2004 5:26:59 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] ________________________________________ To: Cincinatus' Wife Abortion & Traditional Values 1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. 2. Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy. 3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. 4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services. 5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. 6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. 7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman. 8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. 9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools. 10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms). 11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline. 12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs. Budget, Taxes & Economy 1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. 2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. 3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. 4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. 5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. 6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. 7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. 8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. 9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. 10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. 11. Signed trade promotion authority. 12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. 13. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. 14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. 15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. 16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. 17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child. 18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. 19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. 20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year. Character & Conduct as President 1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency. 2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. 3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days: Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation. Education & Employment Training 1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. 2. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. 3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) 4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. 5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. 6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. 7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. 8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers. Environment & Energy 1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. 2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc. 3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives. 4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops. 5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger. 6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger. 7. Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California. 8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species. Defense & Foreign Policy 1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. 2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured. 3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. 4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed. 5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. 6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. 7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. 8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. 9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. 10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. 11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. 12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. 14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. 15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. 16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. 17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. 18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. 19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. 20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. 21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed. Globalization & Internationalism 1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). 2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. 3. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty). 4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer. 5. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." Government Reform 1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. 2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. 3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security. 4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. 5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals. Health< 1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free. 2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes: A 10-year privatization option. Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine. More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors. New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford. Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration 1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. 2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004. 3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield). 4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders. 5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. 6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. 7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones. 8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. 9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. 10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability. 11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization. 12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens. 13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications. 14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack. Judiciary & Tort Reform 1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. 2. Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA. 3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary. 4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims. Politics 1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. 2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes. Second Amendment 1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right. 2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. 3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. 4. *See Globalization & Internationalism. Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism 1. Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself." 2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world. 3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families. 4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved. 5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible. 6.Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them. 7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states. 8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa. 9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, "No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity." As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles: Equal Justice Freedom of Speech Limited Government Power Private Property Rights Religious Tolerance Respect for Women Rule of Law

Would you like the true definition of Hypocrisy? Last month the Swiss foreign minister visited Iran and, together with President Ahmadinejad, attended the signing of a multi-billion euro contract for Iran to supply Switzerland with large amounts of natural gas over the next 25 years. The US State Department immediately condemned the deal and said it would be investigating whether it breached the Iran Sanctions Act. Israel complained too, describing the Swiss minister's visit to Tehran as an "act unfriendly to Israel". Various Jewish groups also joined in the protests, including the World Jewish Congress. This righteous indignation was entirely predictable but more than a little odd nevertheless. On March 30, the Swiss newspaper Sonntag retaliated with the revelation that Israel, supposedly observing an ironclad boycott of all things Iranian, has been buying Iranian oil for years. The story is in German but Israeli journalist <http://www.arendt-art.de/deutsch/elam_shraga.htm>Shraga Elam has provided me with a translation which I'll quote from here. "Israel imports Iranian oil on a large scale even though contacts with Iran and purchasing of its products are officially boycotted by Israel. Israel gets around the boycott by having the oil delivered via Europe. A reliable Israeli energy newsletter, EnergiaNews, reported this last week [March 18] ... "EnergiaNews got the information about the Iran trade from sources with ties to the management of Israeli Oil Refineries Ltd ... According to EnergiaNews the Iranian oil is liked in Israel because its quality is better than other crude oils. "The report by EnergiaNews editor Moshe Shalev states that the Iranian oil reaches various European ports, mainly in Rotterdam. It is bought by Israelis and the necessary European bill of lading and insurance papers are supplied. Then it is transported to Haifa in Israel. The importer is the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co (EAPC), which keeps its oil sources secret." EAPC was established in 1968 as a joint Israeli-Iranian company to transport oil from Iran to Europe. After the fall of the Shah, Iran ceased to play an active role in its affairs and there are ongoing legal disputes between the two partners. The Swiss report continued: "It is not clear if the Iranian exporters know about Israeli purchases of their oil. At the other end, the Israeli buyers and governmental offices are well aware of where the high-grade oil comes from, although it is a blatant defiance of the boycott. The EnergiaNews article even made it through Israeli censorship, which asked only for some changes in the text. The fact that the report cleared the censors increases the credibility of the information. In the past, such reports were forbidden. "When questioned by Sonntag, an energy expert of one of the leading Israeli papers confirmed the EnergiaNews report: Israel has been importing Iranian oil for many years. The expert stressed, however, that the purchases were made on the free market and not directly from Iran." Sonntag quoted a spokesman forOil Refineries Ltd as denying that his company imports and processes Iranian oil. However, Sonntag pointed to a report in Haaretz newspaper last October which said that an Israeli energy company called Paz would be refining Iranian oil and supplying it to the Palestinian Authority from the start of this year. This begs the question: if Iran is, as Bibi Netanyahu argues, an existential threat to Israel, why does the government allow such trade? Would Israel have the US attack Iran's nuclear programme and provoke a potential region-wide conflict while it cannot seem to wean itself from high quality Iranian crude? You'd think if Israelis are cowering in fear from an Iranian bomb and the arch antisemite Ahmadinejad, they wouldn't want to trade with such an enemy. When is a boycott not a boycott? When it's in your naked economic interest to circumvent it, apparently. But one should ask: if Israel doesn't honour its self-declared boycott of Iran, why should the rest of the world honour its boycott of Hamas and Gaza? If Israel doesn't honour its own boycott, then why should members of Congress vote with AIPAC when it proposes a measure that even Israel honours only in the breach? It's interesting to note from a discussion (in Hebrew) on the Kedma website that Israel does not formally define Iran as an "enemy nation" and therefore in a strictly legal sense such trade is permissible. Ironically, Iran too has a boycott against Israel in place and is violating its own measures in that regard. Furthermore, the same commenter notes that Israel last week dismissed attempts to engage Syria in a diplomatic process as a failure because Syria refuses to renounce its ties with Iran. Do I hear the word "hypocrisy"? sorry a it long, but ultimately rewarding ;o)

All democrats agree we must stay on course in Iraq? How do liberals feel now? In the first debate between candidates for the Democratic Party’s 2008 presidential nomination, the leading contenders made clear that whatever their differences with the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, they are all committed to maintaining the US occupation of the oil-rich country and that, if elected president, they would not hesitate to use US military power anywhere in the world to defend the geo-political interests of American imperialism. The debate, which was broadcast by MSNBC television from South Carolina State University, included ostensible front runners New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and former North Carolina senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards, as well as Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Also included were Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Alaska senator Mike Gravel. The debate was overshadowed by the deep crisis over the war in Iraq and the growing popular hatred of for the war—particularly among Democrat voters, who according to a poll released this week are 78 percent in favor of total withdrawal and 54 percent in favor of immediate withdrawal. While all of the candidates did their best to feign opposition to the war, the debate began just hours after the Senate approved a supplemental spending bill that will provide the White House with an additional $124 billion to continue the fighting and occupations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of those on the platform sought to cast the funding bill as an “antiwar” measure because of the toothless and non-binding timetable in the bill for the withdrawal of some troops from Iraq. “The Congress has voted, as of today, to end this war,” Clinton declared. Echoing the comments of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier in the week, Senators Clinton, Biden and Obama made it clear they were against “this” war—i.e., opposed to the way the Bush administration is conducting the occupation of Iraq, not “the” war itself. Clinton set the tone by claiming the US had done everything to help the Iraqi people to have “freedom” and “their own country” but now it was time for the Iraqis to decide whether they would “take that chance.” Blaming the Iraqi people for the devastating civil war that has resulted from the US invasion and the shattering of Iraqi society, Clinton said the Iraqi government had to provide “security and stability without our young men and women in the middle of their sectarian civil war.” These comments parallel previous statements by Clinton who has indicated that if elected she would keep large numbers of US troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future—not to protect the civilian population against sectarian reprisals,but to defend America’s “vital national security interests”: first and foremost, oil. In his remarks, Biden criticized Bush’s “fundamentally flawed policy” in Iraq, which he defined as the “notion of being able to set up a strong, central government in Baghdad that will be democratic.” The way forward, Biden said, was to “decentralize Iraq” and have a “limited central government” to “share their oil wealth.” Biden has been the most strident proponent of partitioning Iraq into ethno-religious statelets, dividing Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis. Such a proposal is a prescription for ethnic cleansing and mass killings on a scale not seen since the partitioning of India in the 1940s. Governor Richardson endorsed this reactionary proposal, calling for the US to establish a “political framework” to “divide oil revenues” and possibly “set up three separate entities.” Illinois Senator Barack Obama said he had opposed the war from the start and then attempted to justify his repeated votes to fund it as hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and more than 3,300 US soldiers have been killed. He claimed that the troops needed the best military hardware possible in order to “come home safely.” In reality, Congress has the power to assure the safe return of the troops by cutting off funding, something the Democratic leadership refuses to do. Representative Dennis Kucinich pointed out this anomaly, saying every time the Democrats voted to fund the war they were “reauthorizing the war all over again.” The Democrats, he said, “have the power to end the war right now, and that’s what we should do.” Criticizing the Senate war-spending bill, Kucinich said he had proposed a bill that called for the United Nations to provide peacekeepers and security forces that “will move in as our troops leave.” Gravel—a Vietnam-era senator who opposed the Nixon administration on the military draft and the war—also denounced the war-spending bill, saying he was “embarrassed” by what was going on in Congress. Because Bush is determined to continue the war, the Democrats should pass a law, he said, making it a “felony” to keep the troops in Iraq. Neither Kucinich nor Gravel enjoys any support from the Democratic Party leadership, let alone from the Wall Street investors and other corporate backers who are pouring millions of dollars into the campaigns of the top contenders. Nevertheless, they play a central role in fostering illusions that the pro-war and pro-big business Democratic Party can be pressured to stop the war and defend the interests of working people. Kucinich in particular presents himself as the “voice of conscience” in the Democratic Party and living proof that there is an antiwar, progressive faction within it. In the 2004 elections, the Ohio congressman also sought the party’s presidential nomination. After the Democratic Party leadership smothered the Howard Dean campaign—around which significant antiwar sentiment had gathered—it took measures to suppress antiwar opposition within the party and to make sure the elections were not turned into a referendum on Iraq. This campaign culminated in the nomination of a pro-war candidate—Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Kucinich immediately dropped his campaign and called for “unity” behind Kerry, thus attempting to confine the opposition to the war tightly within the borders of a pro-war party. Earlier this week Kucinich introduced three articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney for the campaign of lies about WMDs and Iraqi-al-Qaeda ties that was used to justify the war against Iraq, as well as similar fabrications used to prepare another war against Iran. These are indeed grounds for impeaching Cheney. However, there is zero support for this within the Democratic Party leadership, which is averse to any serious struggle that might bring masses of working people into a political confrontation with the Bush administration. For that reason, when the debate moderator asked for a show of hands from the Democratic candidates on who supported Kucinich’s action against Cheney, not one hand was raised. In the end, Kucinich and Gravel functioned as foils during the debate so that the leading Democratic contenders could re-assert their commitment to defending the interests of corporate America with military force. This point was noted by the Washington Post, which said that Kucinich and Gravel “provided a counterpoint of left-wing ideas that drew rebukes for a lack of seriousness from Biden and Obama. The challenges from the liberal flank allowed almost all the others to assert that, despite their criticisms of President Bush’s Iraq policy, they are ready to use military force to retaliate against future terrorist attacks.” Fully embracing the “global war on terrorism,” the leading Democratic candidates singled out as potential future targets of US military action not only Iran and North Korea, but also Russia and China. Biden also specifically raised the possibility of intervening in Darfur, which leading Democratic think tanks hope will be a launching point for defending US interest in Africa, while at the same time selling it to the American people as a “good, humanitarian” war. Kucinich pointed out that Obama and Clinton had told pro-Israeli lobby groups that “all options were on the table with Iran” and that this was a thinly-veiled threat to use nuclear weapons. Obama justified his remarks by saying a nuclear-armed Iran “will be a major threat to us and to the region.” Calling Iran “the largest state sponsor of terrorism” because of its support for Hezbollah and Hamas, Obama repeated the same threats made by Bush and Cheney in the run-up to the war with Iraq, saying Iran could “place a nuclear weapon into the hands of terrorists,” posing a “profound security threat for America.” Gravel pointed out that the US has carried out sanctions against Iran for 26 years, while constantly threatening the country with military strikes. “Tell me, Barack,” he said, “who do you want to nuke?” Obama shrugged the question off, responding, “I’m not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike, I promise you.” Biden was even more forceful, calling on Kucinich and Gravel to “stop all this happy talk here about the use of force doesn’t make sense. The use of force in Afghanistan is justified and necessary; in Darfur, justified and necessary; in the Balkans, justified and necessary. You guys can have your happy talk, there’s real life.” The debate made clear that the Democrats’ chief criticism of the war in Iraq is that it has placed an enormous strain on the fighting capacity of the US military and diverted attention from other threats to US interests throughout the world. The plan for “strategic redeployment” advocated by the Democratic candidates is aimed at maintaining colonial control in Iraq—by waging a bloody counter-insurgency with fewer troops, primarily US Special Forces and the Air Force—and freeing up troops for Afghanistan and interventions in other global hot spots. This support for militarism stems from the fact that the Democratic Party speaks for the same financial oligarchy as the Republicans. This truth was reiterated throughout the debate, as Clinton, Obama and Edwards went out of their way to praise the multi-millionaire and multi-billionaire hedge fund managers and Wall Street speculators who have enriched themselves at the expense of the great mass of working people. Clinton praised the people willing to invest their money in the “free market system” and the “entrepreneurial economy,” many of whom have poured some of that money into her multi-million-dollar campaign war chest. After repeating his refrain about being brought up poor and humble in a South Carolina textile mill town for the one thousandth time, John Edwards responded to a question about being hired by the $30 billion hedge fund Fortress Investment Group with the absurd claim that “those people in New York who work in financial markets understand—in some ways, at least—what can be done and can play a significant role in trying to lift people who are struggling.”

Does Anyone Question G W Bush's Greatness!!!!? THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT GEORGE W BUSH -the most socially conservative president of recent decades -the defeat of the Democrats’ Senate leader Tom Daschle in 2004 -the nominations of Justices Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court in 2005 -Banned Partial Birth Abortion -Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy -By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. -By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services -Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. -Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. -Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman -Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools -Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms) -Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline -Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs -Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. Signed trade promotion authority. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to to become teachers. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured. Leader by leader and member by member, al Qaida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaida leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaida leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).* The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country." Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.* Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. Equal Justice Freedom of Speech Limited Government Power Private Property Rights Religious Tolerance Respect for Women Rule of Law and the list goes on and on...... but need i say more??

WHO INVENTED the TRINITY ? http://www.islamawareness.net/christiani... The three monotheistic religions-- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-- all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as "tawhid" in Islam, this concept of the Oneness of God was stressed by Moses in a Biblical passage known as the "Shema", or the Jewish creed of faith: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4) It was repeated word-for-word approximately 1500 years later by Jesus when he said "...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29) Muhammad came along approximately 600 years later, bringing the same message again: "And your God is One God: there is no God but He, ..." (The Qur'an 2:163). Christianity has digressed from the concept of the Oneness of God, however, into a vague and mysterious doctrine that was formulated during the fourth century. This doctrine, which continues to be a source of controversy both within and without the Christian religion, is known as the Doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity states that God is the union of three divine persons-- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-- in one divine being. If that concept, put in basic terms, sounds confusing, the flowery language in the actual text of the doctrine lends even more mystery to the matter: "...we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity...for there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost is all one...they are not three gods, but one God...the whole three persons are co-eternal and co-equal...he therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity..." (excerpts from the Athanasian Creed). Let's put this together in a different form: one person, God the Father + one person, God the Son, + one person, God the Holy Ghost = one person, God the What? Is this English or is this gibberish? It is said that Athanasius, the bishop who formulated this doctrine, confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it. How did such a confusing doctrine get its start? Trinity in the Bible References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at best. In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and preach to all nations. While this "Great Commission" does make mention of the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase "...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text--that is, not the actual words of Jesus-- as can be seen by two factors: 1) baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was done only in the name of Jesus; and 2) the "Great Commission" was found in the first gospel written, that of Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost--see Mark 16:15. The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the Epistle of I John 5:7. Biblical scholars of today, however, have admitted that the phrase "... there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is definitely a "later addition" to Biblical text, and it is not found in any of today's versions of the Bible. It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely man-made in origin. The Doctrine Takes Shape While Paul of Tarsus, the man who could rightfully be considered the true founder of Christianity, did formulate many of its doctrines, that of the Trinity was not among them. He did, however, lay the groundwork for such when he put forth the idea of Jesus being a "divine Son". After all, a Son does need a Father, and what about a vehicle for God's revelations to man? In essence, Paul named the principal players, but it was the later Church people who put the matter together. Tertullian, a lawyer and presbyter of the third-century Church in Carthage, was the first to use the word "Trinity" when he put forth the theory that the Son and the Spirit participate in the being of God, but all are of one being of substance with the Father. A Formal Doctrine Is Drawn Up When controversy over the matter of the Trinity blew up in 318 between two church men from Alexandria--Arius, the deacon, and Alexander, his bishop-- Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray. Although Christian dogma was a complete mystery to him, he did realize that a unified church was necessary for a strong kingdom. When negotiation failed to settle the dispute, Constantine called for the first ecumenical council in Church history in order to settle the matter once and for all. Six weeks after the 300 bishops first gathered at Nicea in 325, the doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was now seen as having three essences, or natures, in the form of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Church Puts Its Foot Down The matter was far from settled, however, despite high hopes for such on the part of Constantine. Arius and the new bishop of Alexandria, a man named Athanasius, began arguing over the matter even as the Nicene Creed was being signed; "Arianism" became a catch-word from that time onward for anyone who didn't hold to the doctrine of the Trinity. It wasn't until 451, at the Council of Chalcedon that, with the approval of the Pope, the Nicene/ Constantinople Creed was set as authoritative. Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the Trinity was now considered blasphemy, and such earned stiff sentences that ranged from mutilation to death. Christians now turned on Christians, maiming and slaughtering thousands because of a difference of opinion. Debate Continues Brutal punishments and even death did not stop the controversy over the doctrine of the Trinity, however, and the said controversy continues even today. The majority of Christians, when asked to explain this fundamental doctrine of their faith, can offer nothing more than "I believe it because I was told to do so." It is explained away as "mystery" -- yet the Bible says in I Corinthians 14:33 that "... God is not the author of confusion ..." The Unitarian denomination of Christianity has kept alive the teachings of Arius in saying that God is one; they do not believe in the Trinity. As a result, mainstream Christians abhor them, and the National Council of Churches has refused their admittance. In Unitarianism, the hope is kept alive that Christians will someday return to the preachings of Jesus: "... Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." (Luke 4:8) Islam and the Matter of the Trinity While Christianity may have a problem defining the essence of God, such is not the case in Islam. "They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for there is no god except One God" (Qur'an 5:73). It is worth noting that the Arabic language Bible uses the name "Allah" as the name of God. Suzanne Haneef, in her book What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims (Library of Islam, 1985), puts the matter quite succinctly when she says "But God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique, Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to believe in." (pp. 183-184) Looking at it from another angle, the Trinity designates God as being three separate entities -- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If God is the Father and also the Son, He would then be the Father of Himself because He is His own Son. This is not exactly logical. Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion. Monotheism, however, has as its fundamental belief that God is One; the Christian doctrine of the Trinity -- God being Three-in-One-- is seen by Islam as a form of polytheism. Christians don't revere just One God, they revere three. This is a charge not taken lightly by Christians, however. They, in turn, accuse the Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is, pointing out that the Qur'an sets it up as Allah the Father, Jesus the Son, and Mary his mother. While veneration of Mary has been a figment of the Catholic Church since 431 when she was given the title "Mother of God" by the Council of Ephesus, a closer examination of the verses in the Qur'an most often cited by Christians in support of their accusation, shows that the designation of Mary by the Qur'an as a "member" of the Trinity, is simply not true. While the Qur'an does condemn both trinitarianism (the Qur'an 4:171; 5:73) and the worship of Jesus and his mother Mary (the Qur'an 5:116), nowhere does it identify the actual three components of the Christian Trinity. The position of the Qur'an is that WHO or WHAT comprises this doctrine is not important; what is important is that the very notion of a Trinity is an affront against the concept of One God. In conclusion, we see that the doctrine of the Trinity is a concept conceived entirely by man; there is no sanction whatsoever from God to be found regarding the matter simply because the whole idea of a Trinity of divine beings has no place in monotheism. In the Qur'an, God's Final Revelation to mankind, we find His stand quite clearly stated in a number of eloquent passages, "... your God is One God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner." (the Qur'an 18:110) "... take not, with God, another object of worship, lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected." (the Qur'an 17:39) -- because, as God tells us over and over again in a Message that is echoed throughout ALL His Revealed Scriptures, "... I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore, serve Me (and no other) ..." (the Qur'an 21:92) Aisha Brown Courtesy: iiie@cssn.net

Ron Paul-Cesar Millan: The Dream Ticket fora good change? Ron Paul-Cesar Millan: My Dream Ticket by Linda Schrock Taylor by Linda Schrock Taylor DIGG THIS I realize that Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, not having been born in the United States, cannot actually run for VP. But please, do let me dream. Ron Paul should be the presidential choice of every person who loves the United States of America; every person who respects the Constitution, the Republic, the Promises, and the Philosophies upon which this nation was founded; of every person who wants an economically, educationally, Freedom-secured future for themselves and their children. There is no other who can hold a candle to Ron Paul, who is the most intelligent, principled, disciplined man I have ever met. There is no other I would send in his stead. Dr. Ron Paul is a true Statesman; most certainly not a 'politician'. Cesar Millan is my choice for Vice President because---if any nation on Earth is out-of-control; living in a dangerous 'red zone'; gravely in need of Discipline, Boundaries and Limitations, it is today's United States of America. The Constitution must again become the "Leader of the Pack" and everyone --- everyone --- must recognize and respect its Authority. Cesar, a man with astute insights into the behaviors of both creatures and humans; a teacher recognized as a proof-in-the-pudding authority on instilling Discipline, Boundaries, and Limitations, is the individual whose services are desperately needed in these most desperate of dog-eat-dog times. Consider the Presidency: How can the 'leader' of a republic expect or demand any respect from a citizenry that he has effectively gagged, discounted, abused, and minimalized? As we all have watched in horror, this (not)leader further destroys the honor of the office, and corrupts the Rights, Freedoms, and Input of the populace. He is out-of-control with his kingly dictates, demands, and direct orders. He is no leader-of-the-pack and only his blind and faithful few find anything about him, his decisions, about his actions, to be worthy of respect. He is not a leader; he is a bully. He is running off-collar and out-of-control. He is the 'red zone' and so very dangerous to the survival of our pack; of our America. Ron and Caesar, to the rescue! The Supreme Court clearly demonstrates a lack of Discipline, Boundaries and Limitations, as it methodically removes all Discipline, Boundaries and Limitations from a hedonistic, mis-educated, ethically-challenged populace. The Supremes write legislation (not their job!); dictate cultural trends (pushing the culture ever closer to Sodom, Gomorrah and a similar meltdown); give workers' retirement money to children and others who have never worked (Thieves!); condone the slaughter of the unborn (the future taxpayers); and much, too much, more. The Supremes pave the way for Evil while abdicating their constitutionally defined roles. This current system of Checks and Balances has checked our Rights, and put our nation totally out of balance--ethically and economically. The Supreme Court Disease is rapidly spreading, claiming millions of victims. We need Dr. Paul to effect a cure and stem the tide. Congress is completely out of control; a crazed pack, feeding in a frenzy upon the weaker members of the Republic (The taxpayers). There is more to be said about Congress, and endless examples to be sited, but frankly, I do not have the stomach for it. It is incomprehensible that so many citizens have been satisfied to shrug their shoulders and do nothing. America needs the Wisdom and the Discipline of Ron Paul and Cesar Millan. The Department of Education is worse than worthless. It is dangerous. It exists in a red zone of its own creation, The Department serves to destroy hope, potential, skills, scholarship, thought, inventiveness, national literacy, minds...and the lives of the American people. Unfortunately, this animal is beyond help and must be 'put down'. We must move swiftly to euthanize this creature; to make, and keep, America safe. The People must again be free to establish and live in a just and humane society, made up of just, rational, educated, thinking adults acting as leaders should; teaching young people to follow in great footsteps. To refer to the death of the Department of Education as "a mercy killing" would be an understatement of unbelievable proportions. It is imperative that we act to protect the children of America; to treat those who have already been harmed and molested; to insure that never again will a child be 'bitten' by such a destructive, poisonous, inhumane beast. State governments...no longer understand, let alone demand and defend, States' Rights. The individual states allow federal looters (beginning with the current president), as well as their state officials, to rape, rob, abuse, threaten, misinform, under educate, and otherwise harm citizens. When states lack the will and the guts to protect their citizens from beasts on a rampage, those states broadcast proof of their own lack of discipline, boundaries, and limitations. States weaken under threats from the big, bad Feddies. Once upon a time, an honorable, and very enlightened former Michigan Secretary of State refused to ask citizens for social security numbers (under the federal pretense that they were needed for drivers' licenses). She assured the people of Michigan that should she ever need the numbers, she certainly would not pass them on to the Federal Bullies. She fought hard, but eventually lost the battle when the Feds threatened her: if she persisted in her refusal, federal support for Michigan's schools would end. (Wait a minute! That money was ours to begin with! We send our money to Washington, even though the federal government should never be involved in local schooling decisions, then the States must practically prostitute themselves to get any of it back. States have the Right to keep the feds on a short leash, but their knees turn to jelly in the face of federal threats. States have become fearful and weak, and as Cesar has taught us, weak and fearful animals are the ones most likely to bite. Dr. Paul can stop the bleeding and treat the bites, while Cesar gets those tails out from between states' legs, and attempts to help the 50 animals grow a backbone. Local governments...ignore the wishes and needs of the People, while handing the citizens, their possessions, their Rights, and their security, right over to a far more dangerous beast---the Federal Government. Local governments make rulings and changes without consulting with, nor caring about, those individuals and businesses who will be most affected. City Hall rarely asks what people need in order to learn, live, thrive, be productive. Little-to-no leadership at this level (My Uncle Doug, Mayor, is an exception.) Another dangerous bite threat. Public schools...reward the unworthy; while driving the best from the "jobs project" (Thank you, John Taylor Gatto) by using lies, distortions, and cruelty. Public schools graduate the illiterate and the uneducated back into the culture, thereby widening the circle of ignorance; increasing the number of unproductive citizens; worsening destructive behaviors. Public schools, with their policies, their teachings, and their indoctrination, cloud the eyes of the culture and warp the judgement and self esteem of the nation's children. Public schools feed deviance, and further sicken the society. They are as a rabid dog to the security of this nation. Public schools should be euthanized, with the Federal Department of Education and its 50 clones. Churches are too often uncomfortable and quite unwilling to pass judgement on the most guilty of sinners. Churches should be stating, "This, that, and that other behavior are bad; wrong; illicit; no-no's; "just not done"!" But that role has become a very unpopular one, even though the culture is decaying from a lack of such corrections from proper sources. Churches used to provide the nation, its leaders, and its families, with core values; with sense of purpose; with faith in a power Higher than...advertisements, media, and a "Me, Me" perspective on Life. Churches used to provide moral support, advice, and guiding Biblical references, to parents, to local leaders, and even to Congress!! Yes, Congress once knew better! Churches used to provide moral boundaries for decision making at all leadership levels. Church leaders, once models of decorum, scholarship, honor, have too often been replaced by individuals as lacking --even more lacking---in Discipline, Boundaries, and Limitations---than their parishioners. I know of one who slid into church service one Sunday to show off the new athletic shoes he was wearing! In my home, and as poor as we were, we all still owned "Sunday shoes" that were worn with respect; to places and events worthy of respect and proper behavior. Sports shoes were for noisy gymnasiums, sandy lots, playgrounds, and ballfields. Frankly, I am appalled by most of the clothing worn to church services. If people have so little respect as to enter our Lord's dwelling wearing sleazy, sloppy, ill-fitting clothing, why do they even bother to attend? Scary times indeed---when church officials, leaders, and members are the ones most in need of role models, discipline, boundaries, and limitations. Families are disorganized and fractured. Too many fathers were never taught to conduct themselves with propriety, intelligence, wisdom (Thank you, Dr. Spock. We owe it all to you.) Others have just decided to selfishly ignore the responsibilities of parenting. Immature, undisciplined men provide very destructive role models for children. Immature, undisciplined men swear at umpires; hit wives and children; rage at sporting events. Immature, undisciplined men put their bad upbringing (and their arses) on display for everyone to see. Immature, selfish, undisciplined men refuse to acknowledge that the most attentive eyes, and listening ears, are those of his children. Too many men become hit-and-run fathers, leaving their children to grow up in poverty; in disorganized, discipline-lacking homes where, too often, children train for a lifetime of crime and ...hit-and-run parenting. How can a father teach discipline, boundaries and limitations, when he has none? Such a man is still a child, himself, and needs Ron Paul as a role model and leader; Cesar Millan to take control of behaviors and maintain a tight leash. Immature, undisciplined mothers, even grandmothers, flaunt tattoos, piercings, inappropriate clothing. Immature, undisciplined mothers proudly draw attention to their nasty mouths; rude personalities; to their too-often-unattractive cleavage, and more. Too many mothers, whether attractive or not, have become downright repulsive. They have so little self respect, and no regard for their children, screaming at them in public; dragging them by the hand through stores; failing to teach them to appreciate, respect, and take advantage of Life's opportunities. Shamelessly, immature and undisciplined mothers become pregnant without marriage; hold fathers to no obligations; but expect taxpayers to support their bad decisions; their bad habits. Immature, undisciplined mothers keep disorganized and dirty homes; providing poorly planned meals, if they provide any at all. Too many, and the number continues to grow, just lack the basic instincts of parenting. Observe the animals around you. The animals parent with more wisdom and common sense than a growing number of today's mothers, who lack the character and morals necessary to instill character and morals in their children. Ron Paul most certainly has his work cut out for him, but I have no doubt that he will handle it well. Mrs. Paul is a picture of grace, decorum, and prudence. There is no other I would send in her stead to be the role model for mothers, everywhere. Children...grow up as they have been guided, shaped, and led (or not led) by their families; by their schools and teachers; by the culture as sanctioned by the Supreme Court. The circle reaches its beginning and continues in ever more shocking and depressing steps; in ever more destructive cycles. We all must work together to save the children; to provide them with discipline, boundaries and limitations. If the tide does not turn soon, the United States of America will die out with our older generations, if not before. America will be Nevermore. I do worry so about the future of America. If another socialist like Hillary; if another fear monger like Bush; should win the 2008 election, I fear that ... the grafters; the looters; the entitlement classes; the unwise; the foolish; the stupid, and all those who base their voting decisions upon 30-second TV commercials (Thank you, Jim Trelease), will have chosen the 'leader' that they very much deserve. However, the rest of us do not want, and do not deserve, what the Hillary's, the McCain's, the Bush's have to offer. We deserve Better, and 'Better' is only attainable with Dr. Ron Paul as President. If only Cesar Millan could be his running mate... Possibly President Ron Paul would consider The Dog Whisperer for a Cabinet post. A new position could even be created---Head of Cabinet Heads---and Cesar could start there. What about "Comptroller of Congress and (its cohort in crime---that policy-writing, culture-warping, irresponsible) Supreme Court"? The Dog Whisperer is experienced and successful in handling the most manipulative, vicious, devious, dangerous creatures. He may as well begin at the top to provide the much needed retraining and remediation, then I cannot wait to watch him in action as he deals with Congress, next. Cesar's expense account would be minimal, for he accomplishes wonders using a short leash. Dr. Ron Paul has delivered hundreds, thousands of babies. Planning for; preparing for; then bringing about healthy births is his area of expertise. Let us put him In Charge, then strongly support him as he plans, prepares, and brings about the rebirth of this nation and a return to its Constitutional Republic roots. "Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark." (Spoken by Peekay in The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, pg 60) Dr. Ron Paul's philosophies and goals are far from random; hugely larger than slight; but the changes he will bring about will be remarkable; certainly "like a meteorite striking the earth." Ron Paul is the person to support and elect to the office of President of the United States of America in 2008. He is our chance to swivel and change directions. We must act to support this only foreseeable opportunity to return America to its wise, intelligent, productive, culturally-healthy, freedom-securing Founding Principles. July 24, 2007 Linda Schrock Taylor

How do you define theft? If I break into your home and take your things without permission that is stealing. But what if I buy an telephone company, get permits by the government to do business and charge you $50 for something that costs me no more than flipping a switch, how is that not robbing you blind? Does Congress not sanction theft and are we not robbed blind by big business?

What do you think about Saturday or Sunday being the Sabbath? The Sabbath is Saturday?

Is anti-Americanism a new phenomenon. Or did the WOT just bring out the haters that were always there? http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com/extra/the_falseness_of_antiamericanism.htm

Drug consumption rooms? What is the UK policy regarding this matter? The defining characteristic of Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) is that they are legally sanctioned environments where people can take illegal drugs. Their purpose is to reduce drug-related harms. The underlying assumption is that if problem drug users are provided with safe private environments within which to administer drugs there will be a reduction in unsafe public drug use. Is it possible for a private investor to set up a room for, say marijuana users, to administer their drug? In Spain it is possible for a private run organization to do that, and even cash in on it, as it is also possible to sell all the cannabis paraphernalia along with it (not the drug itself though, which has to be provided by users). What about this country? What would it be like for someone to do the same experiment here? miss_september_saphire: what I mean to say is you set up a public room where other people can come in and have a little bit of a splif. It is impossible for any law to put a ban on what people like eating or drinking. It can be argued that it is still illegal to sell, but nobody can tell you what you can and cannot do with it (even if you make the wrong decision). Mistery costumer: I personally think it would be a good idea, but this is not where I am coming from. I am asking because I do not fully understand UK drug policies. Say, for example, that I was an investor and that I wanted to open up a consuption room for pot users to come in and have a splif. I do not mean to say you provide with the drug itself, but maybe you can sell stickers, t-shirts, smoking paraphernalia, etc., to them while they get high on it. This is what the Spaniards have been doing for over 15 years now and it seems like they get on with it. Pot users will do their drug whether it is legal or illegal and I am looking into cashing in on it: UK laws permiting I mean. I hope I've made myself clear this time. Bob's-alive-and-well: you making sense mate. I do not drink either. I think Bob's bang on here: he is actually hitting it with the nail in the head. It is the unconciousness component in it which is actually putting me off. I've never started with it (I am teetotal) and I do not mean to start with it now. Thanks buddy.

WHO INVENTED the TRINITY ? http://www.islamawareness.net/Christianity/ The three monotheistic religions-- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-- all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as "tawhid" in Islam, this concept of the Oneness of God was stressed by Moses in a Biblical passage known as the "Shema", or the Jewish creed of faith: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4) It was repeated word-for-word approximately 1500 years later by Jesus when he said "...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29) Muhammad came along approximately 600 years later, bringing the same message again: "And your God is One God: there is no God but He, ..." (The Qur'an 2:163). Christianity has digressed from the concept of the Oneness of God, however, into a vague and mysterious doctrine that was formulated during the fourth century. This doctrine, which continues to be a source of controversy both within and without the Christian religion, is known as the Doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity states that God is the union of three divine persons-- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-- in one divine being. If that concept, put in basic terms, sounds confusing, the flowery language in the actual text of the doctrine lends even more mystery to the matter: "...we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity...for there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost is all one...they are not three gods, but one God...the whole three persons are co-eternal and co-equal...he therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity..." (excerpts from the Athanasian Creed). Let's put this together in a different form: one person, God the Father + one person, God the Son, + one person, God the Holy Ghost = one person, God the What? Is this English or is this gibberish? It is said that Athanasius, the bishop who formulated this doctrine, confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it. How did such a confusing doctrine get its start? Trinity in the Bible References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at best. In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and preach to all nations. While this "Great Commission" does make mention of the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase "...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text--that is, not the actual words of Jesus-- as can be seen by two factors: 1) baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was done only in the name of Jesus; and 2) the "Great Commission" was found in the first gospel written, that of Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost--see Mark 16:15. The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the Epistle of I John 5:7. Biblical scholars of today, however, have admitted that the phrase "... there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is definitely a "later addition" to Biblical text, and it is not found in any of today's versions of the Bible. It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely man-made in origin. The Doctrine Takes Shape While Paul of Tarsus, the man who could rightfully be considered the true founder of Christianity, did formulate many of its doctrines, that of the Trinity was not among them. He did, however, lay the groundwork for such when he put forth the idea of Jesus being a "divine Son". After all, a Son does need a Father, and what about a vehicle for God's revelations to man? In essence, Paul named the principal players, but it was the later Church people who put the matter together. Tertullian, a lawyer and presbyter of the third-century Church in Carthage, was the first to use the word "Trinity" when he put forth the theory that the Son and the Spirit participate in the being of God, but all are of one being of substance with the Father. A Formal Doctrine Is Drawn Up When controversy over the matter of the Trinity blew up in 318 between two church men from Alexandria--Arius, the deacon, and Alexander, his bishop-- Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray. Although Christian dogma was a complete mystery to him, he did realize that a unified church was necessary for a strong kingdom. When negotiation failed to settle the dispute, Constantine called for the first ecumenical council in Church history in order to settle the matter once and for all. Six weeks after the 300 bishops first gathered at Nicea in 325, the doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was now seen as having three essences, or natures, in the form of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Church Puts Its Foot Down The matter was far from settled, however, despite high hopes for such on the part of Constantine. Arius and the new bishop of Alexandria, a man named Athanasius, began arguing over the matter even as the Nicene Creed was being signed; "Arianism" became a catch-word from that time onward for anyone who didn't hold to the doctrine of the Trinity. It wasn't until 451, at the Council of Chalcedon that, with the approval of the Pope, the Nicene/ Constantinople Creed was set as authoritative. Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the Trinity was now considered blasphemy, and such earned stiff sentences that ranged from mutilation to death. Christians now turned on Christians, maiming and slaughtering thousands because of a difference of opinion. Debate Continues Brutal punishments and even death did not stop the controversy over the doctrine of the Trinity, however, and the said controversy continues even today. The majority of Christians, when asked to explain this fundamental doctrine of their faith, can offer nothing more than "I believe it because I was told to do so." It is explained away as "mystery" -- yet the Bible says in I Corinthians 14:33 that "... God is not the author of confusion ..." The Unitarian denomination of Christianity has kept alive the teachings of Arius in saying that God is one; they do not believe in the Trinity. As a result, mainstream Christians abhor them, and the National Council of Churches has refused their admittance. In Unitarianism, the hope is kept alive that Christians will someday return to the preachings of Jesus: "... Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." (Luke 4:8) Islam and the Matter of the Trinity While Christianity may have a problem defining the essence of God, such is not the case in Islam. "They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for there is no god except One God" (Qur'an 5:73). It is worth noting that the Arabic language Bible uses the name "Allah" as the name of God. Suzanne Haneef, in her book What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims (Library of Islam, 1985), puts the matter quite succinctly when she says "But God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique, Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to believe in." (pp. 183-184) Looking at it from another angle, the Trinity designates God as being three separate entities -- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If God is the Father and also the Son, He would then be the Father of Himself because He is His own Son. This is not exactly logical. Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion. Monotheism, however, has as its fundamental belief that God is One; the Christian doctrine of the Trinity -- God being Three-in-One-- is seen by Islam as a form of polytheism. Christians don't revere just One God, they revere three. This is a charge not taken lightly by Christians, however. They, in turn, accuse the Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is, pointing out that the Qur'an sets it up as Allah the Father, Jesus the Son, and Mary his mother. While veneration of Mary has been a figment of the Catholic Church since 431 when she was given the title "Mother of God" by the Council of Ephesus, a closer examination of the verses in the Qur'an most often cited by Christians in support of their accusation, shows that the designation of Mary by the Qur'an as a "member" of the Trinity, is simply not true. While the Qur'an does condemn both trinitarianism (the Qur'an 4:171; 5:73) and the worship of Jesus and his mother Mary (the Qur'an 5:116), nowhere does it identify the actual three components of the Christian Trinity. The position of the Qur'an is that WHO or WHAT comprises this doctrine is not important; what is important is that the very notion of a Trinity is an affront against the concept of One God. In conclusion, we see that the doctrine of the Trinity is a concept conceived entirely by man; there is no sanction whatsoever from God to be found regarding the matter simply because the whole idea of a Trinity of divine beings has no place in monotheism. In the Qur'an, God's Final Revelation to mankind, we find His stand quite clearly stated in a number of eloquent passages, "... your God is One God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner." (the Qur'an 18:110) "... take not, with God, another object of worship, lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected." (the Qur'an 17:39) -- because, as God tells us over and over again in a Message that is echoed throughout ALL His Revealed Scriptures, "... I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore, serve Me (and no other) ..." (the Qur'an 21:92) Aisha Brown Courtesy: iiie@cssn.net

Do uyou think we can say yes to mr pure?

Christians, have you ever thought about the repercussions of not allowing gay marriage? a marriage, that is sanctioned by the state, falls under the same statutes as a "civil union" All it means is that we have the rights, freedoms, and protections of the government. Since there is separation of church and state, then marriage, as defined by the law of the land, is not, can not be, and never will be a religious institution. If you take away the civil right to marry, based on "religious beliefs", you have entered religion into government. and the tide can then be swept both ways, and rightfully so. what happens when the government says, because marriage is a religious institution, that they will no longer reckognize it as a state protected union? we have separation of church and state, and we have freedom of religion....cleary laws need to be clear when stating that a religious institution has the right to refuse to embrace anyone who is in open homosexuality....but, quite honestly, dont you think that if we strip someone of a government given civil liberty, we risk losing our own state protection, equal rights and freedom of religion? Oliver...if you feel that strongly about it...then whatever you do...do NOT enter into homosexuality......but, the bible doesnt tell you to stop someone else.

I ask Democrates, are we going to stand for the Left wing doing what the are doing?Glenn Greenwald?

Who is a Hindu? There is no other religion for which the question of definition is so difficult. A Roman Catholic could be defined as a person who is baptized by a priest ordained within an apostolic succession going back to Jesus, and who accepts the Nicaean Creed and the authority of the Bishop of Rome. A Muslim is defined by the Muslims themselves as one who has affirmed the Islamic creed: that there is no god beside Allah and that Mohammed is Allah’s prophet. A Buddhist is one who has taken the triple refuge into the Buddha, his teachings and his community. But there seems to be no accepted definition of a Hindu, neither one sanctioned by Hindu tradition nor one on which the scholarly community agrees

What is Cora Aloran scam ?

Is a Prenup Romantic? A legal marriage is defined as a civil contract. It’s purpose is not to re-enforce vows, but only to establish rights of decision, and how property is to be dispersed when the marriage ends by a death or divorce. So how is a legal marriage contract any more or less romantic than a Prenup? A prenup only defines the marriage contract with certain specifics, such as who gets exactly what and in what portion, should a marriage end. If one partner objects to a prenup, , he/she should object to the marriage contract. They both represent the same unromantic topic of asset dispertion. Those who want a true commitment based on romance should forgo both legal marriage and a prenup. Just have ceremony, right? All the stuff in a marriage contract can be done via a living trust and simple legal agreemen,t which a couple should have anyway. Isn’t it true that the partner (usually the woman) only wants a state sanctioned marriage because of the financial benefit, should it ever end? Over 50% of all marriages end in divorce, yet 90% do not have prenups. Those that disagree with my aforementioned reasoning have obviously never been the breadwinner in a marriage that ended in divorce. BTW....most of you are missing the point. Marriage IS defined as a "civil contract" by most states. The rights, laws and conditions of this contract are clearly defined by the state. None of which are romantic. They only have to do with decision rights and property dispersion. Those of you who state that a prenup only defines what happens in a failed marriage, thus potentially dooming a marriage are right. Where you are misinformed is that the state laws and rules regarding marriage say the same thing. Mostly about who gets what when the marriage ends.

Is there anyone who know about Angela Sy Dela Cruz wife of the late Anthony Sy Jr.? as she is a scammer?