Letters from our Readers - August 2006

Stand By Israel
In the summer of 1973 I lay on a beach discussing the Watergate scandal with a group of college students. The group was intelligent, articulate, and up-to-date on everything happening in American politics. The setting might appear to be any American beach; however, it was Haifa, Israel and most of the students were Israeli citizens.
Anyone wondering why we should become involved in helping Israel should visit the Middle East. They would find that many Arab countries cheered the deaths resulting from the attacks on the Twin Towers while most Israeli citizens shared our sorrow.
Israel, which consists of large numbers of residents born in the United States is considered, by a few, to be our 51st state. English is spoken everywhere, democratic government has prevailed since 1948 and visitors from the U.S. are treated as well as Israeli citizens. While many Arab states treat women like another mule for labor and child bearing, Israel was one of the first states to integrate females into their defense forces.
Christians from this country have additional reasons for supporting a Jewish state. Jesus was not only Jewish, but all the first apostles and first followers of Jesus were Jews. Christianity was considered a Jewish sect in the first and second centuries, until the Roman Emperor Constantine drove a wedge between the two groups.
Early gentile Christians accepted this bond with Judaism. The New Testament records the fact that gentile Christians provided financial assistance to the Jewish followers of Jesus living in Jerusalem. In modern Israel many Palestinian Arabs are alarmed by the large numbers of Christian immigrants to Israel, married to Jews.
The United States should work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflicts in the Middle East, but we must never abandon our strong relationship with Israel.
Jim Becka 
Splendora, TX

Rumsfeld is a Used Car Dealer
In David Albrights, When Could Iran Get the Bomb, July/August 2006 Bulletin, Albright touched on a key problem in this administration. The fact that Rumsfeld would actually site the U.S. intelligence "failure" in Iraq's WMD capability shows Rumsfeld as the used car dealer he truly is. The Bush Administration has blamed faulty intelligence time and again, and have used this as the reason for their current war crime in Iraq. The fact is, intelligence was spot on before manipulation of intelligence estimates by the vice president, Rumsfeld, and Powell (who now claims to have washed his hands of the administration altogether). Before their involvement, the intelligence estimates stated that Iraq posed no serious threat outside of it's borders. Yet Rice and Powell both sat straight-faced before Congress talking about a "mushroom cloud" in the U.S. from Iraqi WMD. Now these people are actually using their own lies (as they have long since been shown to be) to justify more aggression in the middle east. 
A house built on a straw foundation has a better chance of standing than these arguments. If Rumsfeld were actually concerned about peace, justice, and freedom in the world, he would be even more conservative than the experts are telling him to be, based on his claim that previously intelligence overestimated Iraq's WMD capability. In fact, this is instructive to the world that the United States has another agenda that it is completing. That is the true reason for the warcrimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that is the real reason the U.S. is seeking non-diplomatic resolutions in Iran. 
N.L. 
Former U.S. Intelligence Analyst

We Must Defend Israel 
We Ameriicans must not contribute to the destruction of Israel and a new "Holocaust!" The Muslim militants can't be trusted. Muslims are committed to the destruction of freedom and liberty in the name of Allah, and that will never change so long as they live. Muslims worldwide have no other allegiance, regardless of where they reside. Muslims intend to eliminate all Jews and Christians with whom they can never live peacefully under any circumstances. And no agreement or piece of paper is going to stop the killing. 
If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. 
If the Jews put down their weapons today, there will be no more Israel.
August 22, 2006, is an important date to Muslims, especially Shiites using the Islamic calendar. This year August 22 follows the end of 27 Rajab, Layat al-Isra Wal Mi'raj, the night the prophet Muhammad was supposedly transported from Mecca to Masjid al-Aqsa, the furthest mosque (now identified by Shiites as being a building in Jerusalem), and from there to heaven to receive Muslims' 5 daily prayers. When Muhammed ascended, the sky was reportedly lit up by lightening and/or fire. 
Iran's militant Shiite Muslim President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has "advised" the Jews of Israel "to pack up and move out of the region before being caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon." If Iran and/or other Shiite Muslims can attack Jerusalem with lightening and/or fire on August 22, they will, considering it their prophetic Muslim duty. And Iran has many missles that can strike like lightening, exploding, causing numerous fires and lighting up the sky. 
We Americans must defend and support Israel! Israel is the front line in our worldwide war against terrorism. If the United States of America and out American way of life is to survive, we must defeat Muslim terrorism wherever it exists, or we'll have to eventually make a last stand here in the USA in our own states, cities and neighborhoods. 
R. T. "Dan" Hanchey
Ridgeland, Mississippi

Israelis Tragic Mistake
Below are six reasons why Israels invasion of Lebanon is a mistake: 
1). Incursions into Lebanon Makes Israel Less Secure. Since its birth, Israel has enjoyed occasional periods of relative calm. The warships are docked, the bombers are grounded, the troops are at home. During such times, terrorist attacks are met with a measured response, using methods that will bring the specific perpetrators to justice. But when Israel responds to terror with overwhelming firepower as its doing now, avenging sevenfold the wrongs done to it, more Israelis die, more Israelis suffer. If Israel is surrounded by enemies, the policy of "ten eyes for one eye" creates even more enemies. If Israel is surrounded by vengeful adversaries, the over-kill policy only increases the cycle of vengefulness. In times past, Israels violent incursions into Lebanon have never bought her any measure of peace. Such attacks have spelled peril those on both sides of the Lebanese border. In short, if the goal of these incursions.
2.) Incursions into Lebanon unify Israels enemies. Israels overkill tactics provides plenty of fodder for those seeking to justify violence against it. Whenever Israel invades Lebanon, divisions are overlooked, hidden agendas set aside, and suddenly, all of Israels enemies remember the one goal they have in common. Contrary to our perception, the Muslim world is quite diverse. But theres one belief that binds every fundamentalist Saudi Imam to every liberal Iranian art student, one notion that connects every poor Indonesian fisherman with a palace-dwelling Bahraini princess: Israel is oppressing the Palestinians and must be opposed. Now, not every Muslim agrees on what to do about it. But theres nothing like seeing Israel rain terror on innocent Lebanese children to create an unfavorable consensus. You can be sure that every time Israel does something like this, anti-Israeli sentiment moves from parlor talk to planning. 
3.) Invading Lebanon does not rout the Hezbollah leadership. Unlike the Lebanese people who get hit by Israels bombs, the Hezbollah leadership is mobile. When Israel launches major invasions, Hezbollah can scurry, hide, and later, return.. A better response to terror is to simply wait for the advantage of surprise, then obtain information about whereabouts, then use small guided missiles against a specific, limited target. Weve all seen these tactics at work, seen those videos of a single vehicle ambling down the street, suddenly blown to smithereens by an Israeli guided missile. Invading Lebanon, however, eliminates a few Hezbollah fighters, murders innocent Lebanese, and leaves Hezbollah leadership not only intact, but more popular than ever. 
4.) Invasions create more support for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Before the current invasion, support for Hezbollah was limited. For every fervent supporter, there was someone who regarded Hezbollah as an unwelcome stand-in for Syria. But after Israels invasion, local support skyrocketed. Look at the people in these photos at the bottom of this email. If their family members were wary of Hezbollahs presence in their midst, they arent anymore. If theyd all felt it was better to just get along with the Israelis leave well enough alone, well, those days are over. That picture on the far left? What about that girls father or older brother? Did he get the message "Don't mess with Israel?" Nope. He got the message, Israelis are monsters and they and their American supporters deserve to die. And suddenly, what Hezbollah has been saying all along about Israel and the US sounds mighty convincing. 
5.) Israels aggressive actions make America less secure. Despite Israels "go it alone" self-image, Israel wouldnt last a week without US economic and military aid. This fact is widely understood in the Arab world, and you can be sure that, from schoolboy to head of state, blame for Israels bloody incursions will be laid at our feet. Of course, many Americans believe that world opinion doesnt matter, that we should carry on our way regardless of what anyone says. Nonetheless, having a good quarter of the earths population utterly despise us is not a good thing. In all our history, we have never been so uniformly hated. And just like Israel is taking out its wrath against Hezbollah by blowing up bystanders, each of us, in the minds of some, are considered fair game because of our leaderships policies. Thus, Israels destructive actions should give every American pause. 
6.) Lets not kid ourselves. This isnt warfare. You wanna fight in a war? Fine. Then go put on your little green costume, climb up in a tree, whip out your gun and shoot the bad guys. Or bring out your strongest fighters out to a big field, the other side brings theirs, face off, and have at it. Thats warfare. But this? Raining death onto people whose only crime is sharing location and ethnicity with the people you have a beef against? Thats not warfare. The weapons Israel is using in Lebanon are not designed to destroy structures, but to kill and maim. The little girl in that picture did nothing to harm anyone Its not a fight. Its not a battle. This isnt the "sad but inevitable civilian casualty." Its mass murder at a safe distance, killing people on their way to school or market, people whom, although unarmed and defenseless, are marked for death by no fault of their own. Theres no honor in such actions.
Well, then . . .what has Israel accomplished by invading Lebanon? It has: 
1. Endangered its citizens. 
2. Energized support for Hezbollah. 
3. Unified its enemies 
4. Spawn future terrorists 
5. Transformed one of the most progressive, promising, modern, Pro-Western Arab nations into a burned-out husk of pain and suffering. 
6. Killed dozens of innocent Lebanese citizens, and, if Israels past invasions are a guide, we can expect that figure to rise into the tens of thousands. 
7. Spread a strong wave of "I told you so," across the Arab world. 
So what can we do? Write congress and demand that the President call for an immediate and unconditional cease fire in Lebanon.
Peter J. Ellison

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
It appears that Governor Perry has drawn both Republicans and Democrats
together in rare unity to oppose his appointment to the 284th state District
Court judgeship of Cara Wood.
It usually takes a disaster to unite the two political parties. Well, Governor Perry has created the disaster by showing how absolute power corrupts absolutely in a two party system that already has the Republican Party in full control on both state and local levels and the Democrats praying to make a comeback by mounting opposition to what is normally an unopposed slate.
There is a reason why we need two political parties. Governor Perry has
demonstrated that quite unmistakably through this legal, quasi-ethical, yet widely criticized appointment that makes the Republican Party appear to be afraid to face an opponent. 
If Governor Perry wanted to breathe life into a political party, he and other local Montgomery County officials could not have done a better job than by sanctioning this incredulous appointment. Nancy McCoy will be elected in the fall because she has superior qualifications, deserves a fair
shot at the job, and because Governor Perry has shown that absolute power needs to end.
The Governor has clearly given the Democrats the ethical and moral edge in
this election. He has written a clear call for unity, and that call is strongly in opposition to his political intentions. 
Although it is not yet clear to many, the two party system has now returned
to Montgomery County. Our forefathers were right: absolute power does corrupt absolutely. History may mark this appointment as a watershed event in local politics. It already has prompted many to see an arrogance of power that needs to end. 
Steven Farber, MD

Why Have Elections At All
Today I read in the Courier possibly the strangest letter to the editor I have ever seen anywhere. A man made the bizarre argument that the political appointment of Republican Cara Wood that was ramrodded by lawyers who will now appear before her was proper since 1) she's the Republican and 2) she's going to win for this reason only as this is a Republican county. He further asserted that if we didn't like it, we should move to Houston. 
Wow. Why have elections at all? Why not save the taxpayers the expense and let some lawyers and Austin politicians decide all of our Montgomery County elections? Maybe they can anoint the next governor, too, and we can forgo that silly November exercise in democracy altogether. I spent more than 20 years on active duty in the Army defending our fundamental democratic freedoms and privileges, so it has been particularly disappointing for me to see what has happened to this election and the voters in Montgomery County. 
Interestingly, the writer never once argued that the Republican should take the bench without an election because she's more qualified, or even that she's qualified at all. This is probably because it's clear that the Democrat, Nancy McCoy, is the superior candidate on the merits.
This, in a nutshell, is what's wrong with politics today, and why voter apathy is so high. The voters should decide, as is their right. It's difficult to imagine the level of arrogance necessary to presume to determine how an election for Judge should come out in advance, based simply on the letters next to the candidates' names. I trust that most of the voters are more sophisticated than that, and also that they will take the time to educate themselves on the relative qualifications of the candidates. If they do, they will likely vote for Nancy McCoy.
Pat Voelz, LTC (RET) USA
Montgomery, TX 

Can You Say RLC?
Jim Doyle, in a recent edition of the Courier, argues that the Republican nominee for the 284th District Court should be elected in November because she's listed as the Republican, and for no other reason. He asserts further that it's somehow important to elect people to offices of all levels based on their presumed adherence to the Republican platform. Actually, blind, unquestioning devotion to a political platform, be it Republican or Democrat, is the last quality we need in a judge. The judge should be chosen based on qualifications, and, once elected, should exercise independent judgment and be completely apolitical in his or her rulings. Following the law, and not the partisan dictates of the Republican Party or anyone else, must be the judge's obligation. All you have to do is talk to Nancy McCoy, the Democratic candidate for the 284th District Court, for a few minutes to learn that this is exactly what she is about. Nancy McCoy is obviously more qualified than her opponent. And she will be completely fair to everybody. Politics and personal relationships will play no role in her decisions. Since it is on these bases that we should elect our next judge, that Judge should be Nancy McCoy. 
Kim Kingsbury 
Spring, TX 

Abortion
A volatile issue that fuels a flurry of emotions and thoughts. Everyone has an opinion. Pro-life, pro-choice, in between. Here are a couple of quotes that I found interesting. The first is from John Leo, "U.S. News and World Report," December 11, 1989: 
"A great gap appears in the otherwise consistent opinions of the left about preserving life. These opinions are anti-nuclear war, anti-capital punishment, anti-environmental degradation. You can't kill murders for their crimes, elephants for their tusks, minks for their fur, sequoias for lumber or snail darters in the course of building a dam. The only exception to this orgy of nonkilling is human fetuses. This is surely an odd departure from the evolving principle that we do not use killing to solve our problems." 
Here is the second quote: 
"How come, America? We brake for animals; we save the seals and protect the whales; we declare some birds endangered species; we even recycle to save the earth... but we murder our unborn children! 
I wonder... 
Ken McKee 
Montgomery, Texas

No Billionaire Left Behind
Thanks in part to King George's generous tax cuts, there was an increase of 69 new billionaires and multi-billionaires in the United States last year, a new total of 341.
For those working stiffs who are still relishing the few shillings in tax relief they got from George's tax cuts, think of how grateful those billionaires and multi-billionaires must be for the millions upon millions of pounds George has saved them in taxes.
But the greater benefits of the tax cuts have not yet been fully realized. With more and more of the nation's largest corporations having paid no taxes at all last year, largely because of relocating their operations overseas, King George will now take credit for expanding America's industrial empire throughout the world. Moreover, the abundance of serfs to perform cheap labor in other countries will further strengthen the aristocracy. Ah yes, no billionaire left behind. 
Paul G. Jaehnert
Vadnais Hts., MN

California Dreamer 
I am a long time sufferer of the chronic and non-curable syndrome called Fibromyalgia. I endure constant pain, long term sleep disorders, and a variety of other unpleasant and disabling effects from this syndrome. When I lived in California, I was able to legally acquire cannabis with a medical prescription. The use of cannabis 
eased my pain and allowed me to get a full night's sleep. It allowed me to work and participate as a functional member of society.
Now that I live in Texas, I am no longer able to acquire cannabis legally, and I am not willing to break the law to obtain it. This 
means that I cannot work, and must simply live with the tremendous pain or take pain killers which are addictive and unhealthy.
While alcohol and cigarette smoking kill millions, cannabis has never killed a single person, and in fact it has eased the suffering of many. For these reasons, I believe that congress should re-legalize a medically useful substance: cannabis. I will vote for anyone who supports cannabis legalization, and against anyone who opposes it.
F. Lorien Patton
Lindale, TX

The Dems and Their Media Cronies
After the Menendez Brothers were convicted of murdering their mother and 
father so they could get their hands on their parents' cash, ' folks wondered how one could defend their heinous act. Playing to this question with dark humor some sage writer suggested we should be more forgiving and understanding since the poor boys were now orphans. From my point of view it was a classical dig at Liberals, even though it was made "tongue in cheek". 
Incredibly the Democrats and their Media cronies are preaching a similar 
construction of twisted logic to us. Only this time it's in regards to the Muslim Jihadists and their bloody partners, the North Korean Regime. And, as usual, by their spin, the Democrats must think were all the intellectual equivalent of "rocks". .
So, why do the Muslims need the Democrats version of the "you've murdered 
your parents now you're a poor orphan defense"? They need it because the 
'overwhelming' world wide Muslim support of these murdering cowardly Jihadists has brought down upon them Americans anger and revulsion toward their Jihadists religion. But, that's also why the Democrats say Muslims deserve our understanding and sympathy. Explanation? Because 'they' are now the victims (of their victims?) since they are being discriminated against and reviled by those who still have a spine. Worse yet, the Liberals claim our angry (sensible) reaction to their perverted, ghoulish maiming, and slaughtering is the reason these Muslims behave so murderously. Or the more we resist their murders, the more they will murder!! Got it? Yeah you-- with 
the IQ of a "rock”
This is not the enigmatic "which came first the chicken or the egg?" question-this one is a no brainer-- unless you're a liberal Democrat or Media reporter. (In their case I need to tell them)-- "The-cowardly-Jihadists-Muslims-behavior-came-first, then came the 
justifiable negative consequences. Got it? Quit trying to twist it around to blaming the real victims. You wouldn't do that to a rape victim-or would you?? Would you say the rapist is a victim too, because if "she" didn't 
provoke him (by being a female), (or Metaphorically a Christian/Infidel?) he 
wouldn't have raped her and now the poor man is being unfairly prosecuted for it?? . Apparently with you Liberals it just depends on whether the victim falls into one of "your" politically correct categories, which 
obviously doesn't include victims of Muslim terrorists.. You hypocrites!!
The Democrats imply we are also responsible for the "Poor" brutal North 
Korean Regime murdering over a million of their own citizens through starvation, while maintaining a well-fed million-man army. The Liberals say N..Korea's fear of us is the reason they maintain this army. (The truth is, 
it's to maintain the largest concentration camp in the history of the world). This same regimes Red army is waiting to pounce, just an hour from Seoul the capitol of South Korea. Their vivid threats to Nuke us and burn their neighbor South.Korea, with tens of thousands of missiles borders on an 
act of war. But according to the Democrats that's exactly why we should appease them, give them aid and treat them as civilized equals. We are supposed to ignore North Korea's "unbroken' record of deliberately starving their citizens and shamelessly lying and breaking treaties. According to the 
Democratic leftists and the old Media we should negotiate with them and assure them they can maintain their concentration camp without fear of consequences. God help us if we do.
The Liberals say the N. Koreans are isolated (lonely?), Their bad behavior and outcast status is our fault for not negotiating more "fake" treaties and our fault for not giving them the respect these sleazy thugs demand from us before the world stage. But, the fact is, their lying, murderous behavior 
came first. It's that kind of behavior that brought on these consequences of 
being isolated and publicly reviled as part of a Hitlerian style Axis of Evil. Of course these "facts" are irrelevant to the Leftists Democrats and their 'lackey Parrots' in the old, morally decayed, Liberal Media. To them the North Korean thugs are the victims.
It would seem at least as evil to empathize with and excuse the 'poor 
orphaned' Menendez brothers' who made themselves orphans, as it would be to 
excuse and empathize with the Muslims and the North Korean regime. It is they who have made themselves despised and unwelcome by supporting or committing mass murders and perverted mutilations, not sparing even defenseless women and children.
The only thing more cowardly than these thugs are those in the Democratic party and the Liberal media who are making sickening excuses for this barbaric behavior. You are without honor and unworthy of enjoying the 
benefits of this great country. Especially so since these benefits are being continuously paid for with the blood of "Honorable" men and women who live by Christian values. Values you so vilely disrespect. In that respect you have much in common with your cowardly Muslim Jihadists and the murderous North Korean thugs-- I'm beginning to understand why you feel compelled to defend these perverted butchers.
Paul Lebedzinski
Huntsville TX.

(Editors Note: Paul you may want to switch off FOX news for just a few minutes a day.)

The insatiable "Need For Greed" 
I first became interested in the GOP as a youth in the late 1950's during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. In fact, I recall working for the campaign handing-out buttons reading "I Like Ike" with patriotic red-white-blue colors. And yes, I'm old! 
The Eisenhower administration was a true Republican organization that believed in less government, free enterprise and in rights of all Americans. At that time the GOP believed in bipartisanship and in doing what was best for the American People --- all Americans, not just the wealthy. In short, Eisenhower by working together believed in the "American Dream" for rich AND poor alike. 
I still believe in American democracy and in the right of every American to make a buck! I believe in American representative government and that people can still become millionaires by using their ingenuity and making profits. I believe that those who are millionaires have the right to make more money for themselves and their families. 
And there, folks, is where I draw the imaginary line. 
Today's GOP has lost its way. It has run amok. Instead of doing what's best for America and all Americans, the current GOP, unbridled, just DOES FOR ITSELF. There is an urgent and compelling "Need For Greed" that has undermined the GOP and our representative democratic republic's ideals. Consequently, we have all lost our American way. 
Today the wealthy seek greater wealth by stepping on our democratic representative principles to get richer. Ethics have been cast aside in order to reach the primary objective ever-more quickly --- the "Need For Greed". 
The GOP is impeding democratic ideals and is intruding more into the daily lives of Americans. Control is a paramount imperative at domestic and world levels. The Republican Party is rewriting our American Constitution to redevelop an America created in its own image. Apparently the GOP sees no "right" or "wrong" in its own objectives, behavior and actions. Yet it has no problem preaching "right" and "wrong" to all Americans and world nations. 
Folks, that is NOT the representation our forefathers had in mind when they fought against King George's England for basic freedoms and inalienable rights. 
That is NOT the Republicanism supported and practiced by the Eisenhower administration. Yet, American was a great nation during that administration and all Americans shared in its prosperity. 
So what happened? 
The "Need For Greed" has changed the core of our lives. There is no reason that the wealthy should not become more wealthy, but NOT at the ongoing expense of the majority of Americans and their families. 
At this point the only way to reverse course, the only way to return to open and honest American representative government is to vote-out the toxic elements. 
Instead of voting on party lines, we must vote for the best and most viable candidates. Those are the people we need in government at the national, state and local levels. We voters must get smarter in selecting the right people to represent us. Without such quality representation, we may as well become the Fascist dictatorship we are heading for. 
Most urgently, we must eliminate the "Need For Greed" as being the ultimate objective. 
Peter Stern
Driftwood, TX

The Blame Game
Today, people are blaming the oil companies for high gas prices. Unfortunately, the people should be blaming the creator of this situation: the federal
government.
In 1850, wood was our most commonly used fuel. Today, we still have plenty of
wood because our free market system replaced it with a better fuel: coal. And we
still have an abundance of coal because oil has replaced it. Our marvelous free market system was working very well without government interference. 
Now oil would normally take a secondary role to nuclear energy in our fuel
cycle evolution. However, massive government interference in our free market
system has stifled production of nuclear energy and oil.
We are awash in oil, but Congress refuses to allow drilling in the huge tracts
offshore and in Alaska. We also need more oil refineries. None have been built in the last 35 years because of government regulations. New nuclear power plants
also have been stopped by regulations. 
Congress is prohibited from regulating our energy sources by our Constitution.
But, Congress does it anyway because our voters are not paying attention to the
unconstitutional laws being passed. This is an election year so Congress is more
willing to listen if voters demand that these regulations be removed. Also, voters should know that if the oil industry gave up all profits, the price of gas would only drop about a dime per gallon.
Christopher H. Fogleman
Reseda, CA

Saving The Second Amendment
On July 25, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act by an impressive 322-19 margin. The bill - submitted before the House in March as an amendment to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act - protects every U. S. citizen’s Second Amendment rights during a time of crisis. The bill is currently in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Representative Bobby Jindal (R-LA), champion of this amendment, stated that passage of this bill “reaffirmed that in times of disaster, you cannot throw out the Constitutional amendment that guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms.… In the days following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, confiscations and prohibitions, and the means by which they were carried out, deprived law-abiding citizens of Louisiana not only of their right to keep and bear arms, but also of their rights to personal security, personal liberty, and private property, all in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States.”
The National Rifle Association has been a key supporter of this bill, and Chief NRA lobbyist, Chris Cox, led NRA’s efforts. Cox appropriately commented on the threat existing to second amendment rights by stating: "The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina confirmed a fear long-held by American gun owners: the day government bureaucrats declare our Second Amendment null and void, leaving law-abiding citizens defenseless in the midst of chaos and lawlessness. No matter what the circumstances, lawful gun owners have the right to possess their firearms in their homes, and if forced to evacuate, they have the right to transport their firearms to a safe place. Nobody has the right to disarm them. That's what this legislation ensures.”
Passage of this bill was a response to the behavior of law enforcement officers during the chaos that ensued in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. According to the bill, officers invaded citizens’ homes and forced citizens to surrender their weapons, leaving them defenseless against the onset of potential looters, rapists, and criminals. The amendment guarantees the rights of lawful weapon owners in future “Katrina-like” situations, where it may be necessary for citizens to protect their families and property from civil unrest when law enforcement agencies cannot. The bill also guarantees citizens the right to file suit against the U.S. government and to reclaim their weapons if government officers disregard this amendment.
The solidarity of Congress in protecting the rights of lawful weapon owners through intelligent, meaningful legislation is an action for which Congress most certainly should be praised. Thomas Jefferson stated, “No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” As the bill now rests in the hands of the Senate, I urge you to call Senators Cornyn and Hutchison to encourage them to co-sponsor this crucial piece of legislation. 
Gina Parker
Waco, TX

Disgusted With Mismanagement Of Taxpayer Dollars
As a longtime homeowner and taxpayer who resides within the confines of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District, it was refreshing to see that a state representative actually pays attention to what goes on at state funded universities. 
I read with great interest an August 6th article printed in the Houston Chronicle, http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/east/news/4097224.html , wherein State Representative Harold Dutton spoke out against the Texas Southern University's board of regents during his keynote address at the school's summer commencement ceremony Saturday, August 5, 2006. Representative Dutton denounced the board of regents as “co-conspirators” in the fiscal mismanagement which ultimately led to the firing of TSU’s President, Pricilla Slade. He further said that the Legislature could act to remove the board of regents, if they failed to meet their responsibilities. 
On July 27th The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the North Harris Montgomery Community College District, alleging that the district violated Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2006/July/ . A May 13th Board of Trustee election and nearly a quarter billion dollar bond referendum vote was cancelled “after the Department interposed an objection to the District’s proposal to reduce the number of polling places for the 540,000 voters in the district from 84 to 12.”
Taxpayer dollars wasted over this “failed” election continue to climb from hundreds of thousands of dollars into possibly millions of dollars. Where do the state representatives stand on this illegally cancelled election, and why aren’t the current Board of Trustees of NHMCCD being called on the carpet for their part in the “hi-jacked” May 13th election?
NHMCCD has announced the “planned” early retirement of its President, John Pickleman. If it is true that his retirement had been discussed as long as two years ago, why is it that it wasn’t until after the DOJ lawsuit was filed that he announced his forthcoming departure?
Per a recent news release, NHMCCD announced that Susan Wright, executive director, district communication and media relations, who is leaving the district August 31 to pursue an independent venture, would be replaced by Steve Lestarjette, who was named to the new position of associate vice chancellor of public affairs.
How many more changes can we expect to see in the “leadership” at NHMCCD? Maybe we need to change out the entire Board of Trustees, and not wait until November when only three positions will be challenged at the polls.
J. Iverson
Spring, TX

Draft The Chicken Hawks
The Associated Press reported on August 1, 2006 that the top National Guard general stated that more than two-thirds of the Army National Guard's 34 brigades are not combat ready, mostly because of equipment shortages that will cost up to $21 billion to correct. 
Let's flash back to the start of the Iraq war in March of 2003 when Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld told us that our Army could actually fight three wars at the same time without a problem. He said we could engage North Korea as well as Iran while fighting Iraq without any difficulty whatsoever. 
Well, we've now been at war in Iraq longer then WWII, when our Armed Services under the guidance of FDR and General George C. Marshall ( Marshall built our defense up from 1.6 million men in 1941 to 8 million in 1945) had "real" wars against "real armies and navies in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. While we extracted unconditional surrenders from the Axis powers of Germany and Japan back in 1945, today we can't even control a small country (Iraq) with a "rag-tag" Army, no navy and no air force after 3 and 1/2 years of fighting! Worse, the "democratic (!!??!!) government in place in Iraq has hundreds of thousands of people in their streets demonstrating againt our country and in favor of Hezballah! 
But, have no fear. The chicken hawks and neo-cons now tell us that we should go to war against Syria and Iran! I say, let's have a limited draft of all of these tough chicken hawks. Instead of sending others to fight and die for their wacko ideals, they can lead the charge. My guess, you'll never see the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, DeLay, Brady, O'Reilly in uniform. Their forte is in words, not deeds. 
Jim Farrell 
Oak Ridge North 

Lower Taxes, not Higher Minimum Wages
One of our recent "my side is better than your side" political topics is the debate over raising the minimum wage. Since this is a mid-term election year, we will hear prospects of the possibility of a higher minimum wage from both the right and left wings of the political arena. But, as usual both wings are flapping off the same bird. 
When you look at the facts of basic economics, raising the minimum wage is nothing but a feel-good Band-Aid on a festering problem. 
The strength of any wage is its buying power. When I was a teenager pumping gas at a local service station in 1967, I made the then minimum wage of $1.25 an hour. But the gas that I was pumping into customers’ cars was only 24.9 cents a gallon. For my one hour of minimum wage, I could buy five gallons of gas. It would take over 2 ½ hours of minimum wage today to buy what one hour of minimum wage could buy then.
The buying power of any wage is dependent upon the cost of the items one buys. The cost of products and services is based on their cost of production. When the minimum wage goes up, the cost of production of almost all products and services will go up and the buying power of the individual dollar goes down. If minimum wage was raised by $2.00 today, within a few weeks the cost of living would rise to compensate for the new cost of production and the new minimum wage would have no more buying power than the present minimum wage. In fact, it might have less. And though many people would be excited about their new wage, no one is really any better off.
So, how do we help those on minimum wage? It’s easy (in concept at least). Simply lower the cost of production and thereby raise the buying power of each dollar. How could government lower the cost of production and thereby lower the cost of living for the poor (and everyone else)? The answer is simple - by lowering taxes! 
When you make money, you pay income tax. When you buy a product or a service, you pay sales tax. But that’s not all! Built into the price you pay before sales tax is added is the cost of the tax that the industry has to pay on any profit they may make. The prices of all products and services are adjusted to cover the cost of taxes involved in production.
If taxes are lowered on business, the cost of products and services go down. If income taxes are lowered, the useable portion of your income goes up. If sales tax is lowered, the buying power of your wages goes up.
When politicians talk about raising minimum wage, they are not really talking about helping the poor or anyone else. When they talk about lowering taxes, they are talking about helping the poor and everyone else.
Steve Casey 
Stonewall, LA 

Liar Liar Pants On Fire 
GOP Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison once told The Dallas Morning News in 1993 that senators should be restricted to two six-year terms. 
Also in 1993, Hutchison agreed to sign a pledge proposed by Rep. Jack Fields to limit future government service to two terms. 
And then after she won her first term in 1994 "Two-Term" Kay told The Austin American Statesman : “I’ve always said that I would serve no more than two full terms. This may be my last term or I could run for one more. But no more after that. I firmly believe in term limitations and I plan to adhere to that.”
So now Hutchison is running for her third term (do the math - 1994 + 12 = 2006). Her office admitted such to me on the telephone.
I have contacted the Senator dozens of times in the past concerning a wide array of issues and her office has always replied- except for my last 2 emails which asked this simple question. I telephoned her Houston office today while I was composing this letter and asked the question to one of her aides. The aide did not have any answer saying that she could not give an "opinion". Opinion?! What makes the answer to my question a matter of opinion? 
Since "Two Term" Hutchison reads this fine newspaper and contributes to the letters to the editor section perhaps she will explain her poor arithmetic skills to us in a future letter before the November elections.
The Senator could be very poor at math in which case I don't think she should be handling any duties which require numbers. Or maybe Alzheimer's is creeping in?
But my personal opinion is that the Senator is a liar.
Richard Amburgey
Spring, Texas

Big Brother Wants My Water
Hello. I am writing regarding The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD). Here are a few interesting items. I have a petition on the web at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/469182702?ltl=1156182345  if readers are interested or they can email me at jeckels@wt.net. 
They have the authority to regulate water wells that have always been owned and controlled by the landowner. I understand that LSGCD does not want to take my water rights away from me. They simply want me to get an “authorization” permit to operate a well that has supplied my family for close to forty years. They also want to charge me for the water I pump. As a mater of fact the state of Texas has authorized water conversation organizations throughout the state and I understand that Colorado is doing the very same thing. LSGCD claims that only five counties in the state of Texas are not under regulation at this time. 
It affects me this way. If I owned cattle or livestock I could provide water for them without requiring regulation, although I cannot provide water to my children. I have 4 residences on my property and supply water to each one. My oldest son lives in a cabin, my youngest son and his fiancé live in another house, and I let an elderly widow live in her trailer on the back of my land. My youngest son receives Social Security disability due to a head injury, and the elderly lady is on a fixed income. I have let her live on my property for free because her income is so low. If I had a single residence on my well I could water my yard (seven acres) to my hearts content, as long as my well could not exceed 9,125,000 gallons a year, but I have to be regulated to provide my sons with water! Suppose we drilled a well for each of the four residences on my property. We would be able to pump 25,000 gallons a day from each well, that’s 100,000 gallons a day, without a permit or being metered or harassed. That is 36,500,000 gallons a year! It appears that even if I qualify as exempt from metering I would still have between three and four hundred dollars worth of fees to register and permit my well. If I do need a meter that is another three and four hundred dollars. It will probably be close to a thousand dollars per well. That is outrageous! Have you informed your rural readers that it appears as of now that it will cost well owners with more than one residence on a well close to a thousand dollars just to be legal to pump water from their own well? Then you can add the yearly fees that are sure to go up. Most of the people that I have talked to are convinced that ALL wells will be regulated in the near future. LSGCD has started with the larger wells and are working to eventually regulate all wells. Water well companies want this because of the profits they make installing meters on your well. 
LSGCD has a substantial budget (Projected at one million dollars this year) and it is projected to get bigger as time goes on. It also seems that their whole function is studies and regulation. That seems WRONG to me! The combined budget for LSGCD is $2,788,922.88 plus the proposed budget for this year of $1,036,882.00 to a grand total of $3,825,744.88 with nothing accomplished but studies and forecast. I know to the government that is not much money; however, to most of your constituents that are hoping to get out of the working class rut, it is a fortune! 
I was wondering, where Lake Conroe and newer subdivisions get their water from? I would also like to know where the water for The Woodlands Waterway comes from and how is it filled in times of drought. Where does the water come from for the other lakes in the Woodlands that have the fountains? The Woodlands, a MASTER planned community, gets all its water from wells according to The San Jacinto River Authority - Woodlands Division. They did not plan the water supply very well! 
I was raised and still live rurally. I do not have the lawn irrigation systems these subdivisions usually have. The well I draw my water from has been there since before The Woodlands and Lake Conroe were created. I feel that regulating my well because The Woodlands and other communities are now taxing the water supply is totally wrong. 
The well I have uses an air compressor to blow the water up out of the well and is stored above ground in a storage tank. Then there is a pump to pressurize the water in a pressure tank to feed the houses. This system has been in operation for about forty years now. The compressor is the original. I firmly believe that along with metering I will now be forced to rework the well to an inferior, more expensive, system to pump the water from the well. I oppose this as I am a working class man looking at trying to retire in the next few years. I do not have the resources to squander on unneeded inferior retrofits. 
In my opinion we have wasted years and millions of dollars while LSGCD works to regulate water usage and does studies. I feel the time and money would have been much better spent on solutions like a water treatment plant to take some of the surface water from somewhere like the San Jacinto River, just north of The Woodlands and supply The Woodlands. I am sure folks better educated and informed could think of many much better solutions!
Country people that I know do not water their lawns or wash their cars all the time. City dwellers do that sort of wasteful thing. Most country folks I know already conserve everything they have! That is where canning preserves came from. The sprinkler systems I see on business and in subdivisions are automatic and come on in the middle of the day or even when it is raining or flooding or run until the water runs off in the storm drain. I feel that allowing residents and business in The Woodlands and Conroe to water their lawns while I am being forced to spend what to me is a fair sum of money is not right. Especially since the water is from my well. I am supplying water for my sons and a retired woman on a fixed income; I should not be penalized for my good deeds. Why are you financially penalizing me? So I will in theory use less water, and allow others in the Woodlands and Conroe to water their grass at their whim?
I am asking you to stop letting state governments waste their constituent’s money obtained by fees and stop regulating all water used for living! In short I am asking you to make this a federal matter and once and for all establish that people have the right to unrestricted access to water on their land! 
Joseph Leo Eckels 
Cut And Shoot, Texas 

Defend the Constitution 
In 1960 I joined the army, I did not raise my hand and say, "Heil Hitler", nor did I pledge allegiance to any dictator. I did not pledge allegiance to any king either. I pledged to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America. 
I am so appalled at the number of people who support the Bush administration in violating the constitution. They seem to trust that all this administration will listen to are phone calls of terrorists. They therefore feel it is alright for Bush to violate the constitution by not obtaining warrants from judges as required by law. In fact, they can listen first and have 72 hours afterwards to get a warrant. 
But Bush refuses to even do that. He therefore has put himself above the law. He has violated his oath of office to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America. He is acting as a dictator or a king, not as an American president. 
I do not understand why the American people are not incensed at this arrogance. I am reminded of the best seller of the 50's, "A Nation of Sheep". Now, more than 50 years later America is still a nation of sheep. So many Americans are trusting Bush to only listen to calls of terrorists. Have they forgotten Watergate and President Nixon's enemy list? Have they forgotten FBI chief Herbert Hoover's unchecked power to blackmail our nation's leaders with his illegal acts? Without warrants we have no balance of powers and therefore we have a dictator. The judge realized that in the opinion that was given last week, yet Bush has appealed as he hopes his conservative supreme court will once again illegally rule in his favor as they did to make him president. 
Yet there are Americans who are willing to give Bush dictatorial powers as they mistakenly feel he is their protector. They couldn't be more wrong. Al Qaida was in Afghanistan protected by the Taliban government. We sent our army there to support the war lords in overthrowing the Taliban government. We succeeded in doing that. However, we did not destroy the Taliban or Al Qaida as they retreated into Pakistan. Al Qaida was NOT in Iraq and would have opposed Saddam Hussein as he had a secular government and Al Qaida fights to establish Islamic fundamentalist governments such as the taliban government. But for whatever reason Bush decided to turn from fighting Al Qaida and attack Iraq. Iraq was NOT a threat to America and all the reasons Bush gave to invade have been proven to be lies. America violated international law and invaded a country who had not provacated us. 
Just like in Vietnam we did not send enough troops to win the war and all we have done is establish a Shite government friendly with the Shite government of Iran. Instead of having a Sunni government in Iraq who considered Iran a enemy, we have a Shite government who will ally with Iran as soon as we leave. Meanwhile, we have created a civil war we can not control as we do not have enough troops there to do so. The Bush administration did not remember our mistakes in Vietnam and so they repeated our mistakes in Vietnam and our troops are paying the price. 
We had 3000 lose their lives in the collapse of the twin towers, now after 5 years of war in Iraq, we have over 2500 Americans who have lost their lives and thousands more who have returned maimed. Yet the Bush administration has cut deeply the funds to our Veterans Hospitals. How is that supporting our troops? Oh, this administration is such hypocrites, they do not care who they hurt to cut taxes for the rich. 
Meanwhile, the Taliban is regaining power in Afghanistan and once again gaining territory from the warlords. Al Qaida is alive and well in Pakistan as we practically ignore them and are no longer trying to defeat them. The most recent terrorist scare the British discovered and stopped was funded from Pakistan. How is Bush protecting us when he no longer is even attempting to destroy Al Qaida? He has diverted all his attention to a war that had nothing to do with terrorists and once again is deceiving Americans by saying he is fighting terrorists in Iraq to protect us. The terrorists in Iraq are just trying to get America out of Iraq and now they are terrorising their own people as Shites kill Sunnis and Sunnis kill Shites in a civil war. 
Bush attempts to label any one who sees through his lies as unpatriotic and disloyal. However, we are the loyal opposition and say our enemy is the terrorists of Al Qaida and our efforts should be in Afghanistan and Pakistan to destroy them and get their leaders "dead or alive." The civil war in Iraq is a terrible mistake of the Bush administration and has taken our troops away from the real enemy, the Al Qaida 
terrorists. So, Al Qaida is regaining strength in Pakistan and supporting the Taliban in their quest to regain power in Afghanistan. 
The Bush administration is NOT protecting us, they are making us weaker by fighting an illegal war in Iraq and giving power to the Shites who are allies of Iran. That will make the middle east even more dangerous to America and the civilized world. 
No, I did not vow to support a dictator or king when I joined the army in 1960, I vowed 
to defend the constitution of the United States of America and no time in my lifetime has our constitution been in more danger then today as the Bush administration assails it. I am too old to once again join the army to defend the constitution, all I can do is write and say WAKE UP AMERICA , STOP BEING SHEEP, STOP BEING BLIND FOLLOWING THE BLIND OR YOU WILL CAUSE AMERICA TO FALL IN THE DITCH OF DEFEAT. 
Join the patriots in Conneticut who voted out Lieberman as the democratic nominee for senator for supporting Bush against the interests of America. Vote out all the blind leaders who are leading us into a ditch. Support our troops by getting them out of harms way in a civil war in Iraq. Put them where they can do some good in Afghanistan fighting to preserve a friendly government against the renewed threat of the Taliban. Put them there to keep Al Qaida from re-establishing itself there and gather strength to spread terrorism around the world including America. Vote for leaders who will restore the funds for the veterans hospitals that our troops need so badly. That is truly "supporting the troops." Vote for leaders who will support and defend the constitution of the United states of America. 
God Bless America and wake us up to defend our devinely inspired constitution from those who would destroy it. 
Bill Talley 
Houston, Texas

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