FiredUp Missouri Betrays Its Belief System

19 11 2007

I’ve stayed mostly out of the Blunt-Eckersley-Sunshine Law affair because many of the facts are not yet in. I know that I am leaning toward believing Eckersley because of the way Blunt’s team has built their defense on this situation. The whole act of releasing the papers and their public statements ring as little more than a smear tactic against someone who really does have a legitimate point against them. It’s the politics of personal destruction that is now the standard rather than the rule on both sides of the aisle. There is zero question something stinks in Jefferson City and that we need the investigation to find out what exactly has been going on.

Another reason I’ve stayed out of it is because I’m disgusted with the general response of the blogosphere regarding this issue. On both sides we’ve seen little more than partisan lock-stepping and a level of Three Blind Mice-ism where the legitimate questions raised regarding Eckersley and the Sunshine Law itself are being lost. It’s to the point that I’m really seeing true intolerance coming through on a lot of pages instead of even what you could pass as heated but reasonable political discussion. I don’t believe it will be too much longer before it would be impossible for anyone to have rational discussion because of the extremism that is coming through loudest right now.

The biggest example is a blog that I really believe is intolerance in an almost pure form…FiredUp Missouri. This site, which claims to be based on a number of beliefs, appears to be nothing but an extremist left-wing attack machine aimed at destroying anyone or anything conservative or Republican. While I’m fully behind their right to be doing such a thing on the internet, they have tried to present themselves as a group aimed at making Missouri as a whole better and someone trying to bring relevant discussion to the table to work out issues for the state. They have tried to present themselves as some valid, impartial news source to present truth regarding Matt Blunt and his staff when in reality they have been spinning and mocking in a manner that does not encourage serious discussion or debate of the issues. If anything, they do more to inflame those who identify as Republicans and alienate those of us in the middle who believe something is wrong but are tired of the continual harassment-style attacks upon the Governor.

After an attack on the News-Leader’s Tony Messenger, I really felt that people needed to take a hard look at FiredUp Missouri and see what they are really doing there. I would start with the fact the most slanderous postings have been made under a pseudonym instead of a valid name but I have been unable to verify these accusations that have been leveled against the FiredUp site. All I have been able to prove is that Jean Carnahan is really Jean Carnahan.

Let’s start with FiredUp Missouri’s mission: “Our mission is to keep Missourians informed and united in the fight for responsible government, strong communities, and secure families.” If this blog is really interested in uniting Missourians to fight for responsible government would we see them taking as harsh a stand against Jay Nixon and his use of state vehicles for his personal use and campaign use? Responsible government means that the politicians on both sides of the aisle are held to equal account for the times they skirt the law or appear to be skirting the law. If you use the search function on FiredUp’s page to look for “Jay Nixon state vehicle” you return seven results and not all about the situation involving Nixon and state vehicles. A search for “Matt Blunt state vehicle” returns thirty-three blog entries. Are we to believe a site that is aimed at UNITING people a fight for responsible government would be returning an almost 5 to 1 ratio of posts about Republican Matt Blunt’s potential violations versus those of Democrat Jay Nixon?

Their obvious heavy partisan slant in their postings does not tend to held build a strong community. That kind of intolerant-leaning rhetoric does little more than inflame others and cause further division in communities that are already fractured from the last decade-plus of partisan gamesmanship. The only way that you can really believe the people hiding behind FiredUp Missouri are interested in stronger communities is if the definition of “stronger community” is “a community that only listens to the views of the far-left side of the political spectrum and openly belittles and harasses anyone who is deemed moderate or conservative.” Of course, that definition is bunk and therefore you really cannot logically conclude FiredUp Missouri is fulfilling their mission to build stronger communities.

FiredUp also says they believe “that government is not “them,” but “us.”” OK, I’ll go with that. I could take the easy shot at them here to say that they mean only themselves and their views when they say the government is “us” but I’m sure they’re speaking in the greater “us” meaning the citizens of the state of Missouri. If we go with that definition, then we have to acknowledge that the citizens of Missouri are made up of people from all over the political spectrum. There are liberals, moderates and conservatives all with a voice to be heard and with valid points to be made on all sides. If FiredUp Missouri truly believes that the government is made up of us then I have to ask why they are only critical of one part of the government? Shouldn’t a group that believes the government is about “us” be more impartial in the stories they present and the editorial tone in those pieces?

FiredUp says they believe “that the Good Book says how we treat the poor, the hurting, and the helpless is a measure of how we treat Him.” I absolutely agree with that statement but the Good Book (and by that I mean the Bible because based on their capitalization of Him they’re referring to the Christian God) says that we are to do more than just treat the poor, the hurting and the helpless with a measure of respect, concern and dignity that we would use when treating Him. That begs the question: Would the folks behind FiredUp Missouri treat Him in the same manner they’ve treated Matt Blunt, Ed Martin, Peter Kinder and others? If the answer is no then they are guilty of selective concern for their fellow man and believe that not all human beings are worthy of respect.

I’m not talking about their being critical of the actions of some of our politicans…that’s fair game in my mind. I’m talking about their attitude, their insinuations and their outright disrespect of the people. There is a basic human respect that needs to be out there. While we all fall short of that sometimes when it’s a habitual pattern as we see on the FiredUp Missouri website and in direct conflict with their stated belief system it makes you question whether those beliefs are little more than a tool to pull out to try and self-justify their actions.

There’s more to mention but I will end with this: Jean Carnahan wrote on the site “we still believe that on earth, God’s work must truly be our own.” Then I ask Jean Carnahan and those behind FiredUp Missouri whether they really feel their public vilification of anyone connected to the Republican party while ignoring elements of corruption and illegality on the part of the Democratic party is really fulfilling God’s work. When Jesus was on this earth he did not praise anyone who was openly living a sinful lifestyle or deliberately taking actions that were against the law or other people. At the very least, Jay Nixon’s misuse of state vehicles for personal use violates law and violates the people’s trust. (Maybe not to the degree of other things but it is still a violation.) Would God just give Jay Nixon a free pass because he’s a Democrat? I don’t believe He would do so, I highly doubt many who profess Christianity on either side of the political spectrum would say that He would do so.

If FiredUp Missouri wants to frame itself as a liberal activist website then I have no issue with that but they leave off the impression they’re a news site rather than just commentary. If they want leave the impression of being a news site then they need to at least acknowledge that the Democratic party and the leaders within that party have issues, failures and skeletons in their closets just like they so openly point out in the Republicans.


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Categories : FiredUp Missouri, blog, democrat, jay nixon, matt blunt, missouri, republican

Come See The Incompetent Side Of Sears

19 11 2007

My fiancee and I decided that we would register two places for our wedding.  She chose Bed Bath and Beyond and I picked Sears.  (She gets the girly stuff and I get the tools…)  We went to BB&B on Saturday as our “date night” and spent two and a half hours clicking on everything from spatulas to bed spreads.  Everything worked flawlessly and we had a great time getting it done.

Sunday after church we helped a friend and then went to Sears to do our other registry.  The polite way to phrase things would be to say it was a different experience than BB&B but that would be a little mild.  It was one headache after another and really has me regretting choosing them as a place for our registry.  The equipment didn’t work half the time and they can’t be bothered to get the biggest item on our list into our registry so it can be bought by my parents.

If you aren’t familiar with how these wedding registries work let me explain.  You sign up either online or in the store.  They hand you what looks like a pricing gun and you go around and click UPC codes or you click on bar codes on the tags for the prices for items.

We signed up on the “gift registry” kiosk and as soon as I finished entering the information for my fiancee and I the computer crashed.  We were supposed to get a print out with a bar code that would click into the scanner.  Instead, because the computer crashed, we had to enter the data manually for our registry code.  No big deal, really.  We had to find an online shopping computer to get the sixteen digit code and tap it in.  It took about fifteen minutes until we could get one of the associates to get the scanner gun working properly and the code entered.  Once done, my fiancee and I were off to get things for our new home.

The first place we went was bedding.  The scanner gun wouldn’t read the code.  It kept saying “ERROR” with a message the code was invalid.  When the woman working in that department tried to manually enter the code the unit crashed on her.  We had to go back to the beginning with the scanner.  We had to go the Sears website and click on the bedding to get it on the registry.  The scanner was fixed, the bedding was on the registry and we went back to it.

So we spent about three more hours trying to go through everything with about 75% of the items actually working with the scanner.  It was frustrating but I guessed that it could be some kind of internet internet problem.  Finally we realized we needed to get to a church event and went to the last items we needed for our list…a washer and dryer.  My parents surprised me that afternoon by calling and saying to pick the ones we wanted and that they would be our wedding gifts.  My fiancee was more than a little happy and I was very grateful.  I let my fiancee pick out the washer and dryer she wanted and tried to scan them onto our registry.  (My parents live 1100 miles away so this is the easiest way for them to get it.)  The dryer scanned just fine.  The washer?  “ERROR.  Invalid code.”

Three associates tried to manually input the washer’s code into the scanner without any success.  We went to the online shopping kiosk and discovered that the washer was not listed online so we could not add it this way.   Finally after all the hassle we had me send a message to Sears customer service center with the problem and ask them to help with the problem after explaining that I tried that afternoon to get the item scanned at my local Sears store.

The response?  “We do not sell that washing machine online.  You will have to go to your local Sears store and have them add the item to your registry!”   That’s what I had just done!  Did the guy even bother to read what I had written or did he just check his inventory and send a stock response?

I really wonder what kind of system is in place at Sears if they cannot even put items that are in their store on a wedding registry?  If they can’t make sure the computers that handle registries are working properly?  Should someone who is going to potentially bring thousands of dollars into their business be treated that flippantly when you seek help adding an item that will net almost a thousand dollars for their business?

Most importantly…should I just can my Sears registry and find somewhere else that can provide what we were going to get there?


Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : incompetence, sears, wedding registry

Live Tonight From City Council

19 11 2007

I’ll be there tonight blogging live from the council meeting (internet permitting.)  However, I’m going to throw out something for those of you who read this blog.  If you have a question for a council member that you would like answered post them here and I will try to ask a council member before or after the meeting.  I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to ask them but if I can’t get them tonight I’ll talk to Louise Whall and see if I can find answers.   I do reserve the right not to ask a question if it’s personal in nature or overly insulting to the council member themselves.

Tonight’s council meeting will include bills on contributing money to the police/fire pension and fire department overtime, giving park rangers the right to cite people for violations of the law and more.  Let’s see if the peanut gallery will actually show up tonight or if these bills aren’t important enough for them to be vigilant.


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Categories : springfield, springfield city council, springfield fire, springfield police

A Challenge To You To Pitch In And Help!

17 11 2007

Today, I had the honor of working with other Ozarks residents to help improve part of the Ozark Greenways. We worked on this portion of the trail: trail-sign.jpg

Our mission today was to collect trash from the stream that runs along the Greenways trail. I was shocked at the amount of trash that was collected from just a one mile stretch of the creek bed.

trash1.jpg

That photo is just a small pile of the overall total of trash that was found in the creek bed by the volunteers. I picked up rolls of barbed wire and TV cable. Wal*Mart bags, Price Cutter bags, Taco Bueno wrappers and other fast food remnants. I found over a dozen plastic bags that once contained top soil. I found plastic tubs that looked like they contained everything from clothing to Pampers wet wipes. I have to admit it irritated me pretty good to see the massive amount of trash that was in just this small section of the creek because it really showed me how careless some people are with their trash.

“It’s not unusual,” Ryan from Ozark Greenways told me.

We had some great volunteers including the S.P.E.A.R. group from Central High School. (That stands for Students Protecting the Environment and Acting with Results.) We were able to get all the trash picked up in about two and a half hours.

So today while I was listening to some Carrie Pettit and picking up some beer cans from what appeared to be a drinking and drugs party just off the trail in the woods I thought about how all these people out here were giving so much more to Ozark Greenways than money could ever do for them. Sure, they need funding and I’m not downplaying that at all. I just realized that the manpower to clean up and help keep the trails in great shape for everyone could be a huge donation to the organization. This would be an especially great way to give if like me you really don’t have that much money to spare to donate to charitable organizations.

 

creek-bed.jpg

So here’s what I would like to propose to the Springfield blogging community. Sometime in the Spring (since we can’t guarantee weather in the dead of winter will be as great as today) we will set up with Ozark Greenways a “Trash Talk” day. This will be a day where bloggers from all over the Ozarks will come together to help improve or build a section of the Ozark Greenways. You can bring your family, you can invite your friends and you can invite the readers of your blogs. We’ll collect trash from along the trail or do other things that Ozark Greenways needs to have done but doesn’t always have the volunteer manpower to get it done.

So who’s with me? I’m challenging everyone from across the political spectrum from Sky Girl & Sniderman & Jim Lee to Paul Seale, JackeHammer and Vincent David Jericho. I’ll even extend the challenge to local media stars that I know visit the blog like Tony Messenger, Brian Lewis or Ron Davis and most of the staff of KSPR.   (That means you Joe and Christine!)  If you’re up to spending a morning helping Ozark Greenways with me just post in the comments. Also, if you’re just a reader of the blog and you would like to be a part of it just post your interest. (I understand until we have a date you can’t fully commit. I’m thinking a Saturday morning in March or April.)


Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : charity, local blog, ozark greenways, volunteer

Come Help Ozark Greenways!

15 11 2007

This Saturday, November 17th, there is a community work day for the Ozark Greenways to spruce up a section of the Ward Branch Greenway.

From the press release: “This section extends an existing mile of trail west from the Belgian Waffle & Pancake House underneath south Campbell, making its way to toward the Library Center. Not a long section, but a very important one, allowing trail users to travel safely under this very busy road.”

I really didn’t discover the Greenways trails until I started trying to lose weight earlier this year but they are a really valuable thing for our community. If you can take a few hours Saturday morning to help it would really benefit the community. They’re working from 9am-noon. If you would like to volunteer, e-mail Ryan at Ozark Greenways or just show up at the Belgian Waffle house at 9am.

If you have trimming and pruning tools you’re encouraged to bring them with you. Also, you’re advised to dress for the weather, wear work boots and gloves.


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Categories : ozarks greenways, springfield

What Does The Springfield R-12 District Have Against Children With Asperger’s Syndrome?

14 11 2007

 In the October 24 edition of the Community Free Press there was a front page story about Dawson Burlison and his mother’s struggle with the Springfield R-12 School District refusing to give accommodations to her son. (The link is to a photo of the front page…for some reason the archive section of the Community Free Press website isn’t working.) When I read the story my blood boiled because of the apparent disregard that some members of the Springfield School District had for this child with a legitimate, medically verified disorder. It’s as if the district was saying “it’s your problem, not ours. If the kid can’t cut it in our classes then tough.”

Technically, I guess we can say they have the right to not accommodate a child with special needs. Oh..no…wait. Isn’t there a little thing called the Americans With Disabilities act?

I was disappointed that none of our local television stations, radio talk show hosts or the News-Leader really picked up this story and demanded answers from the Springfield R-12 School District. (If they did, I missed the stories and apologize in advance.) I had hoped this was an isolated incident and the coverage in the CFP would result in actions being taken to help this child.

Then today, I found out that another child with Asperger’s Syndrome has been expelled from his elementary school because he said he was going to “beat up the teacher.” (EDIT Nov. 15:  I confirmed late last night he was suspended pending a hearing before the principal today.)  Apparently he’s been put in suspension twice for fighting with other children. (Aggression can be a part of Asperger’s Syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders especially when a child is provoked.) What this says to me is that instead of taking steps to help this child with Asperger’s they instead just threw him into a suspension as if he was a child without a disorder and then ran him off when he reacted to a teacher forcing him to take some action. Obviously, this teacher did not know how to handle a child with an autism spectrum disorder if they seriously thought a seven year old child was planning to beat them up and could actually do it.

I don’t have all the facts yet and I’m sure we’ll have something from the school to try and explain away why they took the action with the child today but it doesn’t change the fact we seem to have a pattern here. Twice in two months we see children with Asperger’s Syndrome who are being dealt with harshly by the Springfield R-12 School District. What are the district’s policies regarding dealing with children who have an autism spectrum disorder? Are their teachers trained to recognize the signs of Asperger’s or PDD or other autism spectrum disorders to know how to handle a student when their disorder causes them to react in an unexpected way? Do they even really care about these children and the struggles their families go through to try and give them an education and a shot at a mostly normal life?

My son attends a different district than Springfield and they have been OUTSTANDING in their treatment of him. They have provided therapy for him and the teachers in his regular classes either have training to deal with children like my son or have easy access to someone on the staff with experience that can come in and help them. The school district didn’t cast him aside, didn’t throw him into some “special education” class segregated from the other students and they didn’t just throw him into a day’s suspension because he pinched a teacher’s arm when she pulled him away from some toys. I find it hard to believe the Springfield R-12 School District can’t do the same things for children on the autism spectrum.

I don’t know if we’ll have any of our local media outlets approach this story and at least get an answer to this disturbing pattern. If someone at the school district sees this and wishes to respond I will be happy to post your response without editing it in any way. I will not say that I might not comment to what you have posted but I will not change a word of your statement. I just see something fishy going on and it’s time for an explanation.


Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : asperger's, autism, education, springfield, springfield r-12 school district

The LifeOfJason Review: Morningline with Chuck Booms

14 11 2007

There was a local radio buzz about the arrival of former Fox Sports Radio host Chuck Booms as the new lead host on KWTO’s Morningline.  I was curious about the new program because I had enjoyed Chuck when he was partnered with Kevin Kiley on the “Kiley and Booms” show.  He was witty, he was entertaining and he had a love of Cleveland that I just can’t understand but forgave because they have the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.  (Although since they keep refusing to put Rush in there, Cleveland’s lost that plus.)

I tuned in Monday and was planning a “first impressions” post here about the show but the Chuck Booms I heard that morning wasn’t Chuck Booms.  He sounded tentative, he sounded retrained and he sounded like a guy doing his first show in a new town.  I hoped this wasn’t the “new” Chuck Booms and decided to wait a day or two before I sat down with a critical ear to the program.

This morning it sounded like Chuck Booms was hosting a radio show.

I came away with the impression that this show will at least be more entertaining than the other morning local political talk show alternative.  Booms’ quick wit and obvious comedic training gives him the ability to snap off a one-liner that leaves you smiling and shaking your head in agreement at the same time.   There’s no question that Chuck Booms is going to elevate the level of that show to something more listenable than anything we’ve had since I’ve moved to Springfield in 2005.   (I would say it’s the best since I moved here in 2000 but he’s not quite above the level of the Ron Davis days yet.  It sounds like he can get there quickly, though.)

The only thing that disappointed me is that I expected from the buzz to see the show take a less Republican partisan direction and be more open to actual discussion of the issues without the RNC talking points.  Perhaps that’s too much to ask in a market as conservative and far-right wing friendly as Springfield but it seemed like the opportunity was there if someone was closer to the middle than the far-right wing political show further up the dial they could steal a significant chunk of the audience.   If it’s the same content then there’s no real reason for someone to stay once the “new radio host” smell wears off Chuck.  (Now, a lot of that will depend how versed Chuck Booms gets on local issues quickly.)

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about when it comes to his trumpeting the talking points.  This morning Chuck was calling out liberals who “support the troops but don’t support the mission.”   He went on to crow the usual Republican party lines about how you can’t support the troops without supporting the mission.  He went on to bring up the old chestnut about spitting on soldiers when they returned from Vietnam and said that “at least in the 60s and 70s you were honest about your hate for the troops.”  The extreme far-right feelings of Chuck were very clear and painted with a wide, intellectually dishonest brush.

Any reasonable person knows you can support the troops without supporting the mission as stated by President Bush.  It would be the same, for example, of being a fan of the Cleveland Browns and rooting for the players to succeed while being critical of the plays called by the coach or the players signed by the general manager.  This routine of “you hate the troops because you’re critical of the war” is doing nothing but continuing to make conservatives and Republicans look badly in the eyes of many independent and moderate voters who realize that while the surge is working that the overall plan before the war was faulty and based on incorrect intelligence information.  At the beginning the “you hate the troops” routine might have been effective in silencing some critics and firming up some of the more moderate Republican base but those times are long past.

It can certainly still get you guest spots on Fox News Channel and it will rally the extreme right so perhaps it can work in this market to a point.   The vast majority of the listeners to Booms’ competition would easily be on the far right in the political spectrum.  However, that host already has a trust level built with that hard core audience that really won’t be broken by a series of Clinton jokes regardless of how funny the joke.

Then again, it IS a talk show so intellectual honesty in debate isn’t an imperative item for success.  Hopefully this won’t be the standard for debate on the new Morningline because otherwise it’s just the same old local talk radio in a shiny new package.  It may be better than KWTO has had for a while but it’s not anything that is going to really shatter the market.

Right now, I can’t go either way on the show.  I wouldn’t tell someone not to listen to it but it’s not something that I would tell someone to wake up early to hear.  I’ll probably go back in a week or so and sample again to see if what I heard today was more settling in by Chuck Booms or if this is the way it’s going to be from this point forward.  Hopefully, the debate will be more real and we’ll get Chuck’s wit mixed in with solid common sense wisdom.  I would give it a “C” but I can’t not acknowledge Booms’ quick wit.  If the show’s the same as today in a few weeks, that wit won’t earn as many points.

Grade: B 


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : chuck booms, kwto, radio, springfield

President Bush And Roy Blunt Harmed Autistic Children

13 11 2007

President Bush vetoed H.R. 3043, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill which included over $111 Billion for the National Institutes of Health to research and try to find a cure for autism among funding other therapy research.  Right now, one in every 150 children born in America will be diagnosed with autism.  Roy Blunt and George Bush apparently don’t care.  I guess they think that autistic kids would be better off not getting the key therapies to help them develop a chance to have as normal a life as possible.  After all, George is going to need someone to clean his pool filter after he goes back to the ranch.  Might as well get someone who can’t speak because of their autism and then they can’t tell the press about the small size of their paycheck.
I’m sure by now the far right is getting their nasty messages ready about how I’m some far left liberal bashing President Bush and Rep. Blunt but if you look through my history you can see I’m anything but liberal.  I’m just a conservative who realized in 2004 that President Bush does not care about the average American and that children in need are even further down President Bush’s list of people that matter to him.  I can see clearly that the Republicans are going to lose the White House in 2008 not because people like Hillary Clinton but rather despise what they’ve seen happen from Bush’s White House and other Republican leadership like Rep. Blunt.  The end result is that from 2008 until at least 2010 we’ll have unprecedented infringement on rights as the extremist left (like moveon.org) gets their payback for slights real or usually imagined upon them with a Democratic congress and rubber stamp Democratic President.

I remember the night of the 2006 elections talking to Rep. Blunt at the Republican watch party in Springfield at the Oasis Inn and Convention Center.  I was able to corner Rep. Blunt and ask him about his commitment to federal funding for autism research and he looked me in the eye and said that he was in favor of increasing federal funding for autism research and that he would vote in favor of bills that increase autism research funding.  I asked point blank, “so you won’t vote against autism funding?”  Rep. Blunt said “no.”

Well, H.R. 3043 includes:

  • A total of $37 million for autism activities at the Health Resources and Services Administration, a $17 million increase over Fiscal 2007 (as authorized in the Combating Autism Act)
  • $16.5 million for autism surveillance, research and awareness, a $1.5 million increase over Fiscal 2007 (as authorized in the Combating Autism Act)
  • An estimated $111.35 million for NIH-funded autism research.
  • $1 million directed to the NIH (through bill language) for implementation of the InterAgency Autism Coordinating Committee, which is responsible for developing a strategic plan to direct future autism research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

This bill not only would provide needed increases for the costs of research into the fastest growing developmental disability in America but get a committee that will help coordinate the research to make the studies more effective taken as a whole.  So basically, Rep. Blunt looked me in the eye and lied to me.  Yeah, I know, he’s a politician.  Truth isn’t exactly in large supply with anyone connected to a career in Washington, DC.   I’m smart enough to know the spin we’re about to have take place…”there was too much pork,” “it was too expensive a bill” or what President Bush said in his veto letter: “It exceeds the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012.”  Rep. Blunt apparently was in lock step with this view based on his no vote on the bill although I noticed nothing on his web site that mentions his voting no on this legislation.

President Bush apparently thinks the American public and conservative voters are idiots.  “It exceeds the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012″?  As of the time of my typing this letter the war in Iraq has cost America $468,425,668,151.  Don’t come to me and tell me that you’re being fiscally responsible and trying to balance the budget by denying sick children therapy when you’re spending millions to try and secure your place in history.  Don’t give me the war on terror routine anymore, Mr. President.  Afghanistan was a front on the war in terror before 9/11 and a legitimate war ground.  You made Iraq one.  I’m not an advocate of cutting and running because we need to clean the mess we made but do not tell me that you are interested in keeping a balanced budget when your war has thrown us into massive debt and expanded the federal government.  Here’s a headline, Mr. President:  Republicans believe in smaller government while making sure the needy in our society have their needs met.  Autistic children need therapy, Mr. President.  It’s not an option unless you’re happy with a group of adults who can’t communicate and have to be taken care of by their families because they’re unable to work or even leave the house unsupervised because of their condition.

President Bush said: “Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results and be good stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars. Because the legislation violates that commitment, I must veto this bill.”  You’re right on one thing, Mr. President.  We did send you to Washington to achieve results and be good stewards of our hard-earned tax dollars.  Now, Mr. President, here’s some information for you.  Americans don’t think funding your war to get your name in the history books is more important than taking care of important research into therapy to help children overcome the fastest growing developmental disability in America.  You want us to take you seriously that you want to be a good steward of our money?  Cut the flow of money to your Iraq war profiting buddies and take care of some children for a change.

Rep. Blunt, you betrayed one of your constituents with your vote.  Namely, my son.   However, since he can’t vote until 2020 you’re likely fine in losing his vote.  Unfortunately, his father, his future step-mother, his future step-grandfather and step-grandmother along with his future aunt, uncles, cousins and their friends all can vote right now.   Don’t expect them to fill in the arrow next to your name unless you actually step up and show some leadership on this issue.  President Bush no longer has coattails for you to ride upon and if you don’t wake up then you will lose your status as a mover and shaker that matters in DC.   Show those of us living in southwest Missouri that our children matter more to you than being on the good side of President Bush.


Comments : 16 Comments »

Categories : autism, democrats, politics, president bush, republicans, roy blunt

Al Sharpton On Dog The Bounty Hunter

13 11 2007

In regards to Dog the Bounty Hunter’s use of a racial slur in reference to his son’s girlfriend, Rev. Al Sharpton has been in the forefront of those issuing condemnation.  However, something struck me about his appearance on Hannity and Colmes when asked about Dog’s apology and asking for forgiveness:

“I think that forgiveness is always in order, but forgiveness without paying a price is asking for amnesty.” - Rev. Sharpton

Isn’t the whole point of forgiveness to accept it and move on?  I understand perhaps wanting someone to learn from it but isn’t what Sharpton is advocating here is someone paying penance for their sins?  And not to get overly spiritual on this but if Sharpton is a Christian pastor does Jesus tell us that forgiveness should come with the condition of paying a price?


Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : al sharpton, dog the bounty hunter

The Camera Adds More Than Ten Pounds

11 11 2007

On October 11th, I blogged while I was being interviewed by Paul Adler from KY3. The story on hate e-mails and comments ran in tonight’s post-football newscast and the first impression I had is that the old adage about the camera adding ten pounds seems a little low to me.

Paul did an excellent job with that story (click here to see it) and I want to thank him for speaking to me about this issue. Paul’s editing of our interview for the story kept my interview segments in context and I want to thank him for mentioning how some people have chosen to send insulting comments about my son’s autism because they disagree with me on some issue. I blogged back in August about someone calling my autistic son a retard at a local restaurant and trust me that it’s not the only time I’ve heard that word used in reference to my son and myself.

I sometimes find it hard to believe that in 2007 the word “retard” is still used so easily by people in their twenties and thirties. I can understand someone in their sixties or seventies using it because in their younger days the word did not have the same insulting meaning as it does in today’s lexicon.

My stories aren’t even among some of the worst I’ve heard. Spend some time with the family of a special needs child and you will find out quickly that tolerance of those with special needs is low in many areas of society and right here in the Ozarks.

Now, on the thank you front, I also want to thank Cassil’s Coffee Cafe for allowing us to do the interview there. They have good food and a great atmosphere if you want to get away or just have a nice chat with an old friend. I recommend those guys highly.

Again, Paul, great story and thank you again for the opportunity.

And to those of you visiting this blog because of the story tonight (and my blog count has jumped exponentially since it aired) thank you for taking the time to visit.


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Categories : autism, hate, ky3, local blog, paul adler, retard, springfield, springfield blog

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