Politics & Government - 1 July 2006

2006-07-01 13:49:48 · 27 answers · asked by noradrenrut 1 in Other - Politics & Government

Looking for section 8 housing in the greater cincinnati area
preferably Kennedy heights, pleasant ridge and silverton, norwood areas.

2006-07-01 13:48:04 · 3 answers · asked by chrlttbarker 1 in Government

WhyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

2006-07-01 13:46:15 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous in Immigration

2006-07-01 13:45:04 · 8 answers · asked by freshonemontoya 1 in Other - Politics & Government

2006-07-01 13:43:26 · 20 answers · asked by honiebee 3 in Law & Ethics

This might be long, but it is simply the greatest thing I have ever read. Enjoy.


One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me, it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.

Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You had better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.

But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog that intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warrior hood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims the same way big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. From sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

or example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

2006-07-01 13:39:39 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Government

Wouldnt we be better off with a democrat led govermant, just imagine universal healthcare, free college education and jobs with high pay and great benefits for everyone? And before any of u right wing conservative apes decide to give a smart remark YES this would mean higher taxes but a better quality of life.

2006-07-01 13:37:55 · 25 answers · asked by mariodw26 1 in Politics

Is there among people under 18?

2006-07-01 13:36:13 · 13 answers · asked by Ludwig Wittgenstein 5 in Other - Politics & Government

I Anger when i see the weak is abused

2006-07-01 13:34:22 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Civic Participation

I moved from delta to layton andnow my ex wants to know my address. He has threatened to kill me and slashed my car tires before. I was denied a protective order. I do not want him knowing my place of residence.

2006-07-01 13:33:35 · 10 answers · asked by Bridgette T 1 in Law & Ethics

2006-07-01 13:32:35 · 2 answers · asked by drveuwldna57chev 1 in Law Enforcement & Police

2006-07-01 13:31:12 · 9 answers · asked by sexy luv 1 in Law Enforcement & Police

2006-07-01 13:28:47 · 13 answers · asked by sa a 1 in Other - Politics & Government

2006-07-01 13:26:54 · 23 answers · asked by honiebee 3 in Politics

2006-07-01 13:26:17 · 16 answers · asked by josh 2 in Military

why would it matter that other had weapons of mass destrution, or anything else for that matter. Since we have more WMDS, and other weapons then anyone else, is it because we are being bullies, isnt the stand off just adding fuel to the fire. We know we have power as America, but I feel by blocking others to this power of our position, we are creating that hatred that makes other countries want to have these weapons. I also feel that if we want this stand off to end ok, we would need to set an example, by extending that oliver leaf, and saying do what you want, were going to throw our weapons out.

if none of this makes any since dont answer the question, and if you cant add any reasonable comments, dont answer. please

2006-07-01 13:25:17 · 14 answers · asked by Derrick 3 in Other - Politics & Government

boat was minesweeper she christened in 1944 boat is detailed and made entirely of wood, have all documents from navy captains,etc. Its encased in glass with mahogany frame and have program with my great granmothers picture in it, it was presented to my great grandfather by navy personell but i dont know who made it other than they worked for the u.s. navy. What would this be worth, im sure its the only one around. Thank You for any replys

2006-07-01 13:24:10 · 1 answers · asked by ohio1973 1 in Military

if you could do one thing to make the world a better place what would you do.

2006-07-01 13:19:30 · 11 answers · asked by reddogcudda 3 in Civic Participation

what im trying to say i live in a small town in iowa and these cops here seem to make up there own rules.they dont go by the state laws here.

2006-07-01 13:18:03 · 4 answers · asked by angel 2 in Law Enforcement & Police

He and his movement is nothing more than a front for modern day communism. 30 years ago at the first Earth Day, they were waving signs about a new ice age. What has happened since to totally go from ice age to greenhouse? The fall of the Soviet Union perhaps???

2006-07-01 13:17:43 · 17 answers · asked by tony_soprano_for_president 1 in Other - Politics & Government

2006-07-01 13:11:10 · 11 answers · asked by dorisludden55 1 in Military

and we agree on that....ALL OF US. How do you expect me or anyone for that matter to make the children pay for the sins of their parents? Do these children deserve an education? I know I am going to get ALOT of ......."they are degenerating the schools for OUR kids".....I GET THAT.....I know that is how you feel. BUT they are here and EVERYONE deserves an education.....should they stay home? They are not going anywhere (for a while at least)......Do these precious children deserve an education......regardless of how they got here?

2006-07-01 13:09:57 · 25 answers · asked by sqwirlsgirl 5 in Immigration

Ok, I am reposting this question due to it's extreme importance and time constraints. I have added more details and answers to the questions you have all asked. Please review my last two postings to get it all and feel free to look at others answers, but remember, what I REALLY need is good legal advice from someone who has a background in this area. I know alot, but I don't know the in's and out's of how the case would be tried. Please read the details if you want to help this dog out and get him back home to me where he will be taken care of and back with his buddies. Thanks...

2006-07-01 13:09:04 · 2 answers · asked by raildog 3 in Law & Ethics

2006-07-01 13:08:53 · 21 answers · asked by Robert T 2 in Immigration

Iam Going to the NVAY Bootcamp on december the 4th, i would like to know if anyone been there at that time of the year, and how was it. do you get to do most thing s indoors or is it all outdoors in the Illinois Winter.

2006-07-01 13:07:34 · 7 answers · asked by King_Taiq da 3rd 2 in Military

WACO, Texas - Cindy Sheehan and four other war protesters filed a lawsuit Friday challenging roadside camping and parking bans near President Bush's Crawford ranch. SERIOUSLY woman! get a therapist!

2006-07-01 13:06:49 · 18 answers · asked by Sunnydays 2 in Other - Politics & Government

2006-07-01 13:05:32 · 17 answers · asked by Friendly Neighbor 5 in Law Enforcement & Police

not just the president... any head of state. does anyone out there know how the law of oligarchy works? how can anyone who understands the most basic principles of this law, still actually believe that an individual person, regardless of their position, is the major deciding force in the direction of the political system? am i the only one who sees this belief as completely ignorant and ridiculous? I'm not talking about any conspiracy theories.. I'm directly relating to the fact that established hierarchies have more determining factor in the fate of a political system thanh any elected leader? do you really believe voting makes a democracy? voting has nothing to do with democracy.... now im just sad :(

2006-07-01 13:05:03 · 6 answers · asked by sleepingtao 2 in Law & Ethics

2006-07-01 13:04:27 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Military

2006-07-01 13:04:19 · 14 answers · asked by JOHN T 1 in Politics