Common Sense Anyone? Anyone?

Well you have to read this yourself.

11-year-old saves baby bird’s life, gets fined $535

This is one of those stories that make you wonder what ever happen to common sense. Look I have nothing but respect for law enforcement including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they all have an incredibly tough job. But some times the law agencies gets little over zealous and seem to lose their common sense when dealing with people.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims it to be a clerical error and that the agent and State Trooper “had gone to inquire about the health of the woodpecker. At that point, they determined that no further action was necessary.” See I don’t think the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would have sent a State Trooper with the agent if it was a simple inquiry. State Troopers are usually sent along as back up if they are serving citations or warrants because of the chance of possible violence. So to me it’s obvious the were told to serve a citation. Now I don’t know who wrote up the citation whether it was the agent they ran into or when they called in to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to report the incident and the release. Why the agent didn’t take the citation the her superiors and explained?

But what is really sad is how events like this could affect and young girl and her trust in the system.

This also reminds me of other incidents as such the story of a 10-year old girl brought her lunch to school and a small kitchen knife to cut it.
Or the story of the 12-year old Girl Arrested for Doodling.

Each of these incidents were over reactions and a lack of common sense but what affects could these have on these children when it comes to trusting authority, law enforcement and the system of justice we like to believe in?

Incidents like these only end up embarrassing law enforcement agencies, an embarrassments that could have been avoided with a little common sense.

UR

Really Mr. President?

July 08, 2011 Remarks by the President on the Monthly Jobs Report

President Obama said,

“I believe that we can make things better. How we respond is up to us. There are a few things that we can and should do, right now, to redouble our efforts on behalf of the American people."

“Let me give you some examples. Right now, there are over a million construction workers out of work after the housing boom went bust, just as a lot of America needs rebuilding. We connect the two by investing in rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our railways and our infrastructure. And we could put back to work right now some of those construction workers that lost their jobs when the housing market went bust.”

Really Mr. President?

The President apparently thinks all construction is the same and all construction workers are the same. Well that’s not true, the men and women in the housing construction not the same as those in commercial construction or infrastructure construction. So how would a guy who installs floor or bath tile be needed on a road, bridge or railway? If you’re going to tile a bridge, well that’s going to be one expensive bridge. Maybe on road jobs we can have carpet installers put down carpets on the roads? Wouldn’t that be special?

Maybe if I put it in a way the President might understand. Take lawyers, you have Criminal Trial Lawyers, Divorce Lawyers, Contract Lawyers, Environmental Lawyers, Corporate Lawyers, Constitutions Lawyers, Bankruptcy Lawyers, and so on. If you are being tried for murder would you want a Criminal Trail Lawyer such as a Criminal Defense Attorney or a Contract Lawyer whose job is to write or read contracts and only court experience is in cases regarding a contract dispute?

So Mr. President we construction workers are not all the same. I'm a little supprised that the President Obama of all people would stereotype.

UR

Update July

Sorry for neglecting my blog but a lot been going on. First still I’m very busy trying to find work for the construction company I work for and in this economy it’s still very difficult. Second my stepson who has CF and was very close to dying received a double-lung transplant a month ago. Good news he is doing well and getting better every day but there is a lot to do to help is recovery and there can always be a complication. So I hope things will calm down a bit and I’ll get back to commenting on current events.

With all going on I just haven’t been wanting or having time blog. I keep hoping that will change. So many time something happen in the news or I think of something to blog about but I’ve been to tired too.

UR

It’s a Great Day For America!

That’s right Osama bin Laden is dead!

Not much more I can say.

Enjoy it while it last because the war of terror is not over and there will still be threats and attacks as long as terror cells existed. We will need to go after bin Laden’s #2, #3 & #4 particularly al-Zawahri who is bin Laden’s #2 and most likely his successor and who actually I see as bin Laden’s behind the scenes man and is a very dangerous man in is own right and perhaps more than bin Laden.

But hey at least we got him so it’s a great day!

UR

In Poor Taste

In the poor taste files

In Philadelphia Pa a new tradition has began. It’s called the Zombie Crawl. This is when people dress up as the walking dead or zombies and do a pub crawl or walk from bar to bar.

Now Zombie Crawls or Zombie Walks are not new it’s been going on for a couple years thru out the world. I myself think its pretty cool but what I fine in poor taste is when Philadelphia is having theirs. See many others zombie events happen thru out the year, usually in October because of Halloween.

But Philadelphia’s Zombie event is going to be held on April 24, 2011 which is Easter Sunday. Poster that posted about the event whose screen name is “Dead Meat Walking” posted in the comment section this

“The walk in to celebrate the most famous zombie of them all!”

Ok I get the humor of it. Look I’m no Holy Roller or even a church goer but I don’t think the resurrection of Jesus is the same as the walking dead much less a zombie. I think this is in poor taste. I would have considered it less poor taste if perhaps it was done on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.

If one is not into the religious view of Easter and that the resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Perhaps we can see in another light.

Easter falls around the same time as Spring. In pagan culture spring is celebrated in the sense of rebirth and new life. Today many Christians and Non-Christians will clean out their houses or what is called Spring Cleaning, they will also do yard work like cutting the dead off trees and rake out their gardens so that the can revitalize the soil and plant new seeds and bulbs or new plants . Because spring is the time to start a new.

So why not instead of only doing a physical housecleaning but also a spiritual housecleaning. Giving us a chance to rid ourselves of negatives such as resentments and ridding ourselves of our shortcomings. Perhaps while we rake out the and weed out our gardens so that we can add new soil and nutrients to the ground so we can plant new seeds and plants, we can also rake out our lives and add nutrients and plant new seeds of positivity. Such being less shy or less pushy or maybe taking more walks or actually stopping and appreciating a flower or the night sky. Maybe finishing something you started or actually going out and planting a garden or cleaning your house. Maybe giving up a vice. Making more time for others or making more time for you. Learning something new or making time to teach somebody something new. And yes maybe even go on a zombie walk just maybe not on Easter. Whatever it maybe as long as it’s a positive change that helps to start life a new. In others words be spring and perhaps you may even become resurrected.

UR

Reflection

Realism of “Taxation without representation” and Voting

So I saw a report about how some areas throughout America are trying to pass laws giving non-citizens of the US voting rights (I believe they are talking about legal non-citizens). Those trying to do this are justifying it on the bases that these non-citizens who are here and trying to obtain citizenship, are working and paying taxes and since they are paying taxes and yet can’t vote then their rights of “No taxation without representation” are being violated. Actually we have some cities and municipalities who have extended the privilege to vote to non-citizen in local election but not in State or Presidential elections.

Well first there is no such right in the US Constitution. “No taxation without representation” was an American political slogan that when back prior to the American Revolution. Even after the American Revolution the idea of “No taxation without representation” remained just an idea not an actual right.

Fact is many American citizens pay taxes without representation. We can only vote regarding to the district in which we live. Many people may live in one place but work in another. Such as someone who may live in a suburbs and works in a city. A city may collect a wage tax from those who work in the city but yet those who live out side the city cannot vote in city election, which could determine an increase in the city wage tax. This is also applies to those who may live in one State and work in a neighboring State. Those who live in another state cannot vote in the state they work in but yet they will have to pay taxes to that state. Unless something changed recently, I believe the residents of Washington D.C. (citizens) have no voting representation in congress but they can vote in Presidential election which only has been enacted since 1961.

Truth is the US Constitution doesn’t even declare voting as a right. It basically outlines the qualification for one to be a voter. Unlike free speech, religion or press and etc, the fact is voting is more of a privilege much like a drivers license. So if you meet the qualification to be a voter then you have the right to have the privilege to vote.

Look when I hear someone has achieved US citizenship and is going to vote I am thrilled to hear it. I don’t even care who they are going to vote for, I am just happy that they as a new American citizen what’s to be part of the process.

So to those who want to use “No taxation without representation” or voting as a right as a justification to give non-citizens the privilege to vote, you’ll have to come up with something better.


UR