January 6, 2021

 

God Bless America.

This is the face of America's future.  It has no knowledge of what occurred on September 11th.  Nor does this face know the true meaning to the terror that we experienced ten years ago. 

Their lives are filled with days of make believe and the more simple things about life.  The arms that hold them close when they are frightened are the only protection they need right now ~ there should be no other "world" outside the one they exist in today.

And as they grow it is left to us to gradually teach them what terrorism is and  the significance of  September 11. 

As adults it is our duty to grow them into good strong adult American citizens so that if ever they should have to live in fear, as America did on this day, they may not be as afraid, and will take action to protect America and her people....once again.

~~~

"I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be
 reduced by it." Maya Angelou

911 Motorcycle Convoy Set For This Weekend Through W. Maryland

By  David Hill

A motorcycle ride through Western Maryland and Northern Virginia commemorating 9/11 is expected to cause major traffic delays Friday and Saturday, state officials say.

Motorists are being advised to stay off roads or seek alternate routes as about 2,500 vehicles — including 1,800 motorcycles — are expected to make their way Friday from Cumberland, Md., to Arlington before heading back through Maryland on Saturday on their way to New York City.

The group of riders could stretch as much as 15 miles in length, according the Maryland State Highway Administration, and will make its way from Cumberland to Arlington between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday. Police will close most ramps along the route during that period.

“It’s going to have a significant impact,” said Lt. James E. DeFord, a Virginia State Police spokesman. “We want motorists to be patient and be aware that this is coming through. We’ll get them out of the way as fast as we can.”

The 10th annual ride, organized by America's 911 Foundation Inc., is scheduled to pass the sites in Pennsylvania, at the Pentagon in Arlington and in New York where planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Riders are expected to arrive in Cumberland between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Friday, and will then take Interstates 68 and 70 about 70 miles east to Hagerstown, arriving before 11 a.m.

After a midday break, they are expected to depart at 1 p.m., taking U.S. Route 15 south to Leesburg, Va., before traveling the Dulles Greenway to Arlington, where they are scheduled to arrive at about 3 p.m.

The group will then depart at 7 a.m. Saturday — after a memorial service at the Pentagon — traveling Interstate 395 to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, before passing through Baltimore’s Fort McHenry Tunnel and Interstate 95 on its way to New York.

In addition to organizing the ride, America's 911 Foundation funds a scholarship program for children of active first responders and raises money and provides assistance for emergency-response departments and employees.

The group posted a message on its website this week asking those caught in traffic during the ride to “remember that you are still here” and “please take this time to reflect” on the lives lost on Sept. 11.

Source;  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/18/motorcycle-convoy-set-as-911-tribute/

~HAPPY 4TH OF JULY~

Land of the free......................

Home of the brave.........

Thanks for the photo Sheri.

100th Birthday Of President Ronald Reagan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ronald Wilson Reagan Born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois

Died June 5, 2004


At 73 years of age was the oldest person to ever be elected President.


Reagan's administration saw the collapse of Communism and the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Key Part Of Obama Health Care Law Rejected By Judge

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge declared the foundation of President Barack Obama's health care law unconstitutional Monday, ruling that the government cannot require Americans to purchase insurance. The case is expected to end up at the Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson wrote that no court had expanded the Commerce Clause of the Constitution to allow the government to regulate a person's decision not to buy a product.

"At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance — or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage — it's about an individual's right to choose to participate," Hudson wrote.


In his order, he said he will allow the law to remain in effect while appeals are heard, meaning there is unlikely to be any immediate impact on other provisions that have already taken effect. The insurance coverage mandate is not scheduled to begin until 2014.

"The outcome of this case has significant public policy implications," Hudson wrote. "And the final word will undoubtedly reside with a higher court."

Even so, Republicans in Congress celebrated the ruling as validation of the arguments they had made for months while the law was pending. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., issued a statement urging the White House to agree to expedite a final ruling by appealing directly to the Supreme Court without first stopping at an appeals court.

Hudson is the first federal judge to strike down a key part of the law, which had been upheld by fellow federal judges in Virginia and Michigan. Several other lawsuits have been dismissed and still others are pending, including one filed in Florida by 20 states.

White House health reform director Nancy-Ann DeParle said the administration is encouraged by the two other judges who have upheld the law. She said the Justice Department is reviewing Hudson's ruling.

"We are disappointed in today's ruling but continue to believe — as other federal courts in Virginia and Michigan have found — that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional," said Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler.

Hudson sided with Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who argued the mandate overstepped the bounds of the Constitution.

"The ruling is extremely positive for anyone who believes in the system of Federalism created by our founding fathers," Cuccinelli said. "It underscores that the Constitution's limitations on federal power really do mean something."

Cuccinelli, a Republican, filed the lawsuit to defend a new state law passed in reaction to the federal overhaul that prohibits the government from forcing state residents to buy health insurance.

He argued that while the government can regulate economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce, the decision not to buy insurance amounts to economic inactivity that is beyond the government's reach.

"This lawsuit is not about health insurance, not about health care, it's about liberty," he said.

Hudson, a Republican appointed by President George W. Bush, sounded sympathetic to the state's case when he heard oral arguments in October, and the White House expected to lose this round.

Administration officials told reporters last week that a negative ruling would have virtually no impact on the law's implementation, noting that its two major provisions — the coverage mandate and the creation of new insurance markets — don't take effect until 2014.
www.wtkr.com

Big Crowds, Possible Protests At Airports

Of all the working people in America that dislike their jobs right now it has to be the people that put airline passengers through the pat-downs and scanners. I've never heard so much hoopla from Americans! We just can't be satisfied.

If you are flying somewhere during this holiday try to keep in mind that those people you meet at the airport are NOT out to give you a good feel. And they certainly don't have that job because they want to molest your child. In fact, they don't care how fat and overweight you look on the scanner.

The only goal is protection from enemy attack and your safety. It's not a personal thing so grin and bear it...........could always be worse.......there could be NO air transportation. Just remember: there are those that would just like to get the pat downs and scanning taken care of so they can continue on their way to a wonderful visit with loved ones.

Airport officials and federal inspectors are bracing for a possible organized protest Wednesday by passengers angry over new security requirements, but there was little evidence of backlash at Orlando International Airport on Tuesday.

A loosely organized "National Opt-Out Day" campaign pushed by various Internet sites and activists has called for passengers to protest the Transportation Security Administration's use of body scanners and enhanced pat-downs by demanding pat-downs if they are selected for body scanners. Their stated intention: to back up security lines on one of the busiest travel days of the year, the day before Thanksgiving.

With that — and amid the broader uproar that has emerged nationally in recent days from a wide variety of groups and politicians — TSA Administrator John Pistole held his first national press conference Tuesday, trying to assure people that the agency would do everything it can to process travelers efficiently and safely, without backing down.

"We will process people as quickly and efficiently and securely as possible," Pistole said in a telephone press conference. "If large groups of people, large numbers of people, intentionally slow down our process, I don't think we can avoid that having a negative impact on people making their flights on time."
An estimated 110,000 passengers are expected at Orlando International Airport today, about equally split between those coming and those going. On Sunday, the season is expected to peak with 116,000 passengers. Typically, a little more than 90,000 come and go.

Tuesday, when an estimated 109,000 passengers went through the airport, the scene was anything but bogged down, with nearly no lines. Tom Draper, assistant director of operations for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, said the lines have been running smoothly pretty much all week.

Passengers such as Tamara Pope, 37, a NASA engineer from Merritt Island who was flying with her husband and five children to visit family in Michigan for the holiday, found their biggest challenge was killing time after arriving early. She also pondered her choice, if necessary, between scanners and pat-downs for her children.

"I'm a little worried," she said. "I have a special-needs child. I'm not sure he'd go for the pat-down. I don't know what's better when you have two pre-teen girls."

Three X-ray body scanners were installed at Orlando International two weeks ago, so most passengers will continue to go through the 12 metal detectors that have been in place for years. People are selected to go through the scanners either randomly or because something about them alerts a TSA officer.

Some passengers have complained that the scanners reveal breasts and genitalia to TSA officers, who monitor screens in a closed room and can't see the passengers. But the alternative is what Pistole calls "enhanced" pat-downs that have enraged some flyers when gloved officers traced the outlines of breasts, buttocks and genitalia through clothing.

"At this point, this is the new normal for passenger security screening," said Carolyn Fennell, spokeswoman for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "So being informed is helpful. And so is being patient."

The arrest of the so-called "underwear bomber" on a Detroit-bound plane Christmas Day has accelerated purchase of the scanners, which are able to detect explosives and non-metallic devices hidden under clothing. Nationally there are about 400 scanners in place in 70 airports. Pistole wants 1,000 by the start of 2012 and, eventually, at least 1,400.

Pistole took issue with criticism that the enhanced pat-downs are akin to sexual assaults and said his office is investigating any such complaints, including reviewing closed-circuit security tapes, to see if any officers go beyond strict guidelines.

"I'm sympathetic to those concerns, but I'm also trying to be respectful of those who want to have the highest level of confidence that everybody else on that plane has been has been thoroughly screened," he said.

Last week, in a response to the public uproar, the TSA decided to modify its pat-downs of children under 13 so they're less intrusive. Pistole said the decision was based as much on intelligence as response to concerned parents.

"We don't have any intelligence of children 12 and under being used in terrorist attacks by adults," he said. "Of course, we do have information of teenagers being used. So that's a concern."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

History Of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."

President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From left: Alvin J. King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees, Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Free Items and Discounts Offered To The Veterans

Restaurants and retail stores plan to salute America's veterans -- past and present -- by giving out a variety of discounts this Veteran's Day holiday.

On Thursday, Applebee's locations nationwide will offer veterans free meals from a special menu, which will feature a sirloin steak, among other items.

Many local restaurants are also participating.

Zia's Italian Grill in Salisbury will give out a free lunch on Thursday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. to anyone who's ever served in the military, said owner Alex Bubas.

Bubas served in the U.S. Army infantry during the Vietnam War from 1967-70. He saw action in the Tet Offensive, he said.

"Who said there's no free lunch? There is at Zia's on this special day," Bubas said.

Larry Layton, the owner of Layton's Restaurant in Ocean City, said vets should have an easy time finding his restaurant -- it's the one flying nine American flags. Layton serves in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and plans on giving all veterans a 20 percent discount Thursday.

"I think we all know that too many people forget why we're all here and how we have this beautiful beach here and why we haven't had five more 9/11s. People think it's all free, but it's not," Layton said.

Golden Corral restaurant will hold its free Military Appreciation dinner for all veterans Monday night.

BJ's on the Water in Ocean City will give veterans a free meal during the restaurant's traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving day.

Stewart Davis, the president of the Local Owners Restaurant Association, said his restaurant, Chef Stewart of Flannery's in Fruitland, will give veterans Thursday the special of buy one pit sandwich, get one free.

Davis said he realizes that a free sandwich is a small token of respect for the sacrifices made by America's military men and women.

"A lot of the time, they're really underappreciated. Anybody that comes up here, I'm always shaking their hand and thanking them, saying 'thank you' for my freedom," Davis said.

Carol Nicholson, the club manager for the American Legion Post 64, said her father served in the U.S. Navy for several decades and would have appreciated the growing support from American businesses during Veteran's Day.

"It's a good feeling, being a child of a veteran, seeing this more and more. I wish my dad was still alive to see it," Nicholson said.

www.delmarvanow.com

~ Birthday Today ~

HAPPY 235th BIRTHDAY TODAY

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

~~We All Know What Today Is ~~

TODAY IS ELECTION DAY !!!

U.S. Navy Birthday

HAPPY 235th BIRTHDAY

UNITED STATES NAVY

USS Freedom

Protesters Outnumbered At Soldier's Memorial Service

JAMES CITY —

— An hour before the memorial service for First Lt. Todd W. Weaver began Saturday afternoon, three members of Westboro Baptist Church, all women, stood quietly at the intersection of John Tyler Highway and Eagle Way holding anti-America signs.

Their message, however, was nearly lost in a sea of American flags held by the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle club and the more than 100 people who gathered at the right-of-way to support the family and friends of the 26-year-old soldier who died in combat in Afghanistan.

For more than an hour the counter protesters waved signs and flags, screamed pro-America chants and sang patriotic tunes in hopes of shielding the church's signs and drowning out the Westboro trio's anti-America songs.
Among the family supporters was Williamsburg resident Megan Moore who held a sign that read, "Son, friend, husband, father, hero…what you done" to honor the memory of her former Bruton High School classmate.

"I want his family to know there are a lot more people out here for him than against him," Moore said.

Watching one the Westboro picketers step on the American flag upset Jerry McCardle, but it made him wave his small one even harder.

"This really makes my blood boil, she's making a mockery of the flag and the country that's giving her the right to be out here and say these things," he said.

Vehicles traveling down John Tyler Highway honked horns and gave thumbs-up signs to the crowd at the intersection, many in it wearing "God is Love" T-shirts. Smaller flags dotted the island at the entrance to the chapel. White signs proclaiming "Support our Troops" lined Eagle Way across from Jamestown High School.

The small Kansas-based Westboro congregation announced its intention on Sept. 23 to picket Weaver's service. The group is known for using protests at soldiers' funerals to claim God hates America. The news of the congregation's plans to be in James City spread quickly around the community and many people began mobilizing groups to counter protest.

The crowd at the intersection was the largest group in support of Weaver, but several other gatherings formed along John Tyler Highway.

College of William and Mary Law School student Roxy Logan stood along the road with a "God Bless our Troops" sign.

"It's disgraceful what they're doing," Logan said of the Westboro group. "This family should be allowed to bury their family member in peace."

For the most part, the church members and the counter protesters demonstrated peacefully. However, there were times when the two groups battled each other in heated exchanges.

"Go to Iraq or Iran then," shouted one woman as the church members sang one of their songs.

Another person in the crowd quickly urged the woman to keep her composure, telling her "God will judge them in the end."

"I know," the woman said.

Several officers from James City County Police Department were on hand to help with crowd control and make sure the protest remained peaceful, said Chief Emmett Harmon.

Around 2 p.m., the Westboro members packed up their signs, loaded them into a minivan and drove away.

The members departure was met with cheers and song.

"Na na na na na na na. Hey, hey goodbye," the crowd sang as the protestors drove away.

www.dailypress.com

US Delegation Walks Out On Ahmadinejad's UN Speech

UNITED NATIONS – The U.S. delegation walked out of the U.N. speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday after he said some in the world have speculated that Americans were behind the Sept. 11 terror attacks, staged in an attempt to assure Israel's survival.

He did not explain the logic of that statement that was made as he attacked the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ahmadinejad has called for the destruction of Israel and is deeply at odds with the United States and European allies over its nuclear program and suspicions that it is designed to produce an atomic bomb. Iran says it is only working on technology for electricity generation.

The U.S. delegation left the hall after Ahmadinejad said there were three theories about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks:

_That "powerful and complex terrorist group" penetrated U.S. intelligence and defenses.

_"That some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians agree with this view."

The Americans stood and walked out without listening to the third theory, that the attack was the work of "a terrorist group but the American government supported and took advantage of the situation."

Mark Kornblau, spokesman of the U.S. Mission to the world body, issued a statement within moments of Ahmadinejad's attack.

"Rather than representing the aspirations and goodwill of the Iranian people," he said, "Mr. Ahmadinejad has yet again chosen to spout vile conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic slurs that are as abhorrent and delusional as they are predictable."

Ahmadinejad, who has in the past cast doubt over the U.S. version of the Sept. 11 attacks, called for establishment of an independent fact-finding U.N. body to probe the attacks and stop it from turning into another sacred issue where "expressing opinion about it won't be banned".

He said the U.S. used the attacks as a pretext to invade Afghanistan and Iraq that led to the killing of hundreds of thousands of people, saying the U.S. should have "designed a logical plan" to punish the perpetrators while not sheding so much blood.

Ahmadinejad boasted of the capture in February of Abdulmalik Rigi, the leader of an armed Sunni group whose insurgency in the southeast of Iran has destabilized the border region with Pakistan. He said authorities did not resort to violence, but captured the suspect after trailing his movements in an operation by Iranian secret agents. Rigi was later hanged.

The Iranian leader spoke of threats to burn the Quran by a small American church in Florida to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Although that church backed down, several copycat burnings were posted on the Internet and broadcast in the Muslim world.

"Very recently the world witnessed the ugly and inhumane act of burning the holy Quran," Ahmadinejad said.

He briefly touch on the four sets of sanctions imposed on his country by the United Nations over Tehran's refusal stop enriching uranium and to prove Iran is not trying to build an atomic bomb.

Some members of the Security Council have "equated nuclear energy with nuclear bombs," Ahmadinejad said.

He accused the United States of building up its nuclear arsenal instead of dismantling it and reiterated his call for a nuclear-free world.

"The nuclear bomb is the worst inhumane weapon which must totally be eliminated. The NPT (Nonproliferation Treaty) prohibits its development and stockpiling and calls for nuclear disarmament," the Iranian president said.

Ahmadinejad hinted that Iran is ready for talks on its nuclear program provided they are based on "justice and respect", suggesting that the U.S. and its allies must stop pressuring Iran through sanctions before Tehran will sit at the negotiating table.

He again rejected the U.N. Security Council sanctions as "illegal," blaming the U.S. as the power behind the measures.

"Those who have used intimidation and sanctions in response to the clear logic of the Iranian nation are in real terms destroying the remaining credibility of the Security Council," Ahmadinejad said.

Ahmadinejad has in the past called the Security Council a "satanic tool" and has called its anti-Iran resolutions "not worth a cent."

http://www.yahoo.com/

Nascar And The Star Spangled Banner

CONGRATULATIONS

NASCAR !!!!

You FINALLY found someone that can SING The Star Spangled Banner without the out of key sour notes and bad tempo!

Good idea to leave that song to the military.........or perhaps children...............

I might just enjoy this race for a change.

AMERICA- STILL THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE

~~WE WILL NEVER FORGET ~~

Glenn Beck Supporters Head For D.C. Rally - 'RESTORING HONOR'

WASHINGTON — Glenn Beck's supporters started boarding buses days ago in cities as far from the nation's capital as Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Houston.

Heading east for a grass-roots show of force on Saturday, they will join the conservative icon for a rally that he says is aimed at "restoring honor" to a troubled nation.

"People are upset with the direction of the country," says Patti Weaver, head of the Pittsburgh Tea Party, who is bringing 900 people on 16 buses to the event at the Lincoln Memorial. The rally will "continue to unite people who are upset with our government. … We can take our country back."

Beck has been criticized by civil rights groups such as the National Urban League for holding the rally at the site of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech on racial equality and on its 47th anniversary. The Fox News and radio talk-show host insists that his rally is about supporting the nation's troops — not about politics.

He has instructed his followers not to bring signs, and in a post on his website this week he chastised those who he says are trying to "label this a gathering of hatemonger's."

Beck's supporters, however, talk about the event in political terms. The keynote speaker is Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and a potential 2012 White House aspirant. In her home state of Alaska, Palin's endorsement appears to have helped propel a little-known lawyer named Joe Miller to a possible upset victory over incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Tuesday's Republican primary. Miller, who was backed by the Tea Party, is almost 1,700 votes ahead and awaiting a final tally of absentee ballots.

Many of Beck's supporters identify themselves as members of the small-government, anti-tax Tea Party or other conservative grass-roots groups and they recruited rally-goers through those organizations.

"It's time for Americans to let themselves be heard instead of being spoken to or spoken for by people who don't represent us," says Dan Baltes of Salt Lake City, who boarded a bus at 2 a.m. Wednesday for the 50-plus hour ride to Washington, D.C.

Baltes, who runs a group called Americans Against Immigration Amnesty, says "the government has a deaf ear to our best interests."

Thelma Taormina of Houston, who has organized two busloads from Texas, says she's concerned that the Obama administration and Congress are passing legislation that strips Americans of their rights. The sweeping new health-care law means people are going to "lose our human rights in one fell swoop" and new credit-card legislation aimed at protecting consumers' rights "means they can go into your personal bank accounts and get information," she says.

Taormina says she hopes the rally "wakes up America."

How much attention the rally gets likely will depend on how many people show up. Beck's permit from the National Park Service estimates 300,000 attendees.

Beck, who last year called President Obama a "racist" and accused him of having a "deep-seated hatred for white people," says he never intended to hold his rally on the anniversary of King's speech. He says he was hoping for Sept. 12th, but that's a Sunday and he didn't want to have the rally on the Sabbath. That Aug. 28 was the only other day the site was available that worked with his schedule was a matter of "divine providence" not political intent, he says.

Al Sharpton, who has organized his own rally and march on Saturday, is skeptical.

"Is he going to address civil rights?" Sharpton asks. His event on Saturday at a once-segregated city high school and a march to the Martin Luther King memorial site on the National Mall will include other civil rights leaders and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Beck, whose Fox News show averages more than 2 million viewers a day, says critics are being unfair.

"Those opposing the rally do so from a position of ignorance," he wrote. "They have no idea what this rally is going to be. … It's not about bigotry or politics. It's about the content of character and merit. I hope those at the counter rallies this Saturday and others opposing this event actually listen to the words with an open mind."

Sharpton and others say they've already heard enough from Beck, Palin and those who support them.

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, who has helped organize previous events marking the anniversary of King's speech, said Beck's event is about "division and separation."

Sharpton says he'll avoid confrontations with Beck supporters. "We don't want to make the day about them," he says. "We want to make the day about 'the dream.'

www.usatoday.com

GUMBORO MUDBOG WELCOMES OUR SOLDIERS

Charity Event For the Soldiers At Walter Reed Hospital!

Come out and show your support for our wounded warriors. The August 28th Charity Event is for the soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital!

This Saturday roughly 65 soldiers and some family members from the Walter Reed Hospital will roll onto Delmarva and attend the Gumboro Mudbog!

These courageous men and women are the same men and women that risked life and limb so that we remain free today!

And these are the brave men and women that gave their time and dedication to us and to this great country that we all share. It is safe to say that without them, without their sacrifices, without their loyalty and devotion to ALL of us and America, even small events like the races we plan to attend would not be the same.

Make plans Delmarva, to be at the Gumboro Mudbog on Saturday to show these wonderful heroes just how much we appreciate what they have all done. Let's show these fine, devoted people how Delmarva celebrates HEROES!

LET'S GIVE THEM A HEROES WELCOME AND MAKE THEM PROUD OF US! And let's make this the biggest charity Gumboro Mudbog has ever had!

Admission: Adults $7.00
Children under 10 Free (ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT!!!)

Pit admission will now be $5 per person.

All drivers & 1 crew person FREE in pits

Gate opens at 11:00 AM
Race will begin @ 1:00pm

Don't forget the kids!! POWER WHEEL RACING AT EACH EVENT!!

Registration will be held from 11:00am until 12:30pm
(Mini-open & Unlimited Classes $50 to register)

ALL EVENTS WILL BE “RUN FOR MONEY ”
(Cash prize determined by number of participants per class)
*****RAFFLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY*****
NOTICE
NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED
NO EXCESS VEHICLES IN THE PITS.

For more information on racing and for directions go to www.gumboromudbog.com

COALITION TO HONOR GROUND ZERO

MEDIA ALERT

COALITION TO HONOR GROUND ZERO http://stop911mosque.com


Contact: Coalition to Honor Ground Zero at stop911mosque@gmail.com or (212) 726-1124


STOP THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE

AMERICA WILL NOT BACK DOWN FROM SEEKING THE TRUTH AND SPEAKING OUR VOICES OF CONSCIENCE

MAJOR PROTEST AND PRESS CONFERENCE ON SUNDAY AT THE PROPOSED MOSQUE SITE


DATE: Sunday morning, August 22


BACKGROUND: On August 19-22, 2010, America’s 9/11 Foundation, an organization that first coalesced eight weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, will conduct its ninth trek for motorcyclists to the three 9/11 crash sites, at Shanksville, PA, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center site in New York City. (http://www.americas911ride.org).


SUNDAY MORNING EVENTS AT GROUND ZERO: On Sunday morning, at 8:30 a.m. a flag line and memorial at Ground Zero will gather at Ground Zero to greet the arriving Memorial Ride.


Following the flag line, which will be joined by members of the Coalition to Honor Ground Zero, the Coalition will invite all patriots to move to the site of the controversial proposed mosque for a major rally to begin at approximately 10:30a.m.


WHO: Motorcyclists from across America; the Coalition to Honor Ground Zero; Blue Collar Corner; The Bravest; 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America; Women United International (http:womenunitedcodered.org); ACT Manhattan; and many other organizations and leaders to be announced, as well as local residents living in the Ground Zero area. The Coalition to Honor Ground Zero is calling upon all patriots to show support for the missions of America’s 9/11 Foundation and of the Patriot Guard Riders, by joining the flag-line at Ground Zero in the morning. Further information about participating organizations and speakers will be released later this week.


Many of the participants in the Memorial Ride are members of the Patriot Guard Riders (http://www.pgrny1.org/) and other military and first responder support groups, who will be forming the flag line starting at Ground Zero at 8:30AM for the Ride’s concluding ceremonies. The Patriot Guard Riders (nearly 200,000 strong nation-wide) ride escort and stand flag lines in honor and respect of those who have given their all in service to America.

"We are inviting all to join us in actively honoring our active and veteran servicemen and women and our first responders including firemen, police and EMT workers on Sunday." says Dave Kern, NY State Captain of the Patriot Guard Riders.

PLEASE VISIT
Coalition to Honor Ground Zero
http://stop911mosque.com

www.resistnet.com

UPDATE: Vote Clears Way For GROUND ZERO Mosque

NEW YORK — A New York City panel today denied landmark status to a building near ground zero, freeing organizers to build an Islamic center and mosque there.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s decision allows organizers to transform the 152-year-old building into an Islamic community center blocks from the site of the Sept. 11 attacks.

National and New York politicians and the Anti-Defamation League have come out in recent weeks against plans for the mosque, saying it disrespects the memory of Sept. 11 victims. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has supported the mosque.

The commission voted 9-0 against granting landmark status to the building.

Commissioners said the building didn’t meet historic criteria to qualify as a landmark.

A leading Jewish oranization come out against the mosque last week. The Anti-Defamation League said "some legitimate questions have been raised" about the Cordoba Initiative's funding and possible ties with "groups whose ideologies stand in contradiction to our shared values.

www.timesdispatch.com