The 'Jesus Vote' Turns Away From Tradition

On January 23rd, 2008, George Washington University played host to an unusual gathering of Christian groups from around the nation. Members of the National Association of Evangelicals, Sojourners, and the Christian Coalition met to discuss the changing political landscape and the role that Christians needed to play in the new era being ushered in.

Not completely a congenial meeting, some new age Christians, along with many of the traditional Republican evangelicals, argued in favor of voting for the Democratic ticket in the upcoming election. Old style stalwarts would not be swayed by the arguments, which ranged from pointing out the corruption taking place among the Republicans, to the hypocrisy of the Republican stance against gay marriage while many of their numbers were being outed in public.

Others felt that the evangelical base, the Robertsons and the Dobsons of Christendom, had led the entire Christian entity in America down a road they weren't sure they should be heading down, with some openly saying that the public postures taken had actually led to a decline in church memberships.

The arguments made by many of the meeting goers was that the Christian community would be better served if they diversified their message. Claustrophobic was the catch word of the day, with pastors from different denominations saying that the past 20 years have forced a negative picture to emerge on American Christian due to a narrow minded focus on gay marriage and abortion issues. Although never saying they would give up trying to convince others of the righteousness of their cause, most at the convention said they wished to branch out and return to the work that Jesus had ordered of them. Mainly, feeding the poor, helping the homeless, taking care of the sick, and actually trying to help others understand the Bible. Fierce debate ensued among the different factions, with the meeting breaking up with everyone agreeing to disagree.

It was after this interesting gathering that Beliefnet conducted a non scientific survey of Christians and those who identify themselves as conservative Republican Christians. What they found was stunning to the core of the Republican base. While 41 per cent of those polled said they would vote Republican come November no matter what, 40 per cent said they were voting Democratic, with 19 per cent undecided. Panic set in among the old time Dobson/Robertson factions, and a nationwide effort has been in place for months now to try to reign in the rogue Christians. But the effort is failing. Many Christian voters are furious with the Republicans and the pick of Sarah Palin, as well as John McCain's erratic behaviour, has what Church of Christ pastor Joel Hunter calls "caused the Republican Party to forfeit 50 years of conservative Christian loyalty."

Hunter, a leader within, and former president of the Christian Coalition, explains that the evangelical movement fell prey to certain entities within their ranks who allowed political ambition to divert Christians away from trying to include the many, but instead has concentrated on hate and the exclusion of the few. Feeling at odds with the preachings of those who wish for the American Christian community to concentrate on hot button issues, many Christians such as Hunter are seeking to expand their message to be more inclusive of those who have been turned away by the old guard.

But the hard right conservative core isn't going down without a fight. As word spreads in many churches across the land of a new vision for how Christian America should go forward, the old guard desperately tries to throw a monkey wrench into the mix. On evangelical television shows, the factions that wish to spread the message of love are labeled 'misfits' who are lost. Those who want Christians to serve the poor, tackle the issue of AIDS, work on immigration and social injustice issues are dismissed by the old Christian right as 'loonies' who don't understand the Word of God.

The tactics are not working though. If anything, statements like that are driving more Christians, especially younger ones, away from the Republican pro-rich, pro-corporation stance, and into the arms of more liberal positioned churches, and more importantly, the Democratic Party. Amy Archibald, who is a student at an evangelical university sums up the feelings of many Christian youth. She says "I think it's a new movement starting. Most of us would never blindly follow the old Christian Right anymore. James Dobson has nothing to do with us." In some cities across the country, New Christians are taking to the streets to try to let people know that not all of those who believe in Jesus are corrupt windbags who are in it for the power and the money.

Others are outright angry at the Republican Party's 2008 campaign style. They don't believe a word they say, and are frustrated with the many, many lies that are being repeated, even when they are proven false. And the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's Vice Presidential pick sealed the deal for enough Christian voters to claim they are voting for the Democratic ticket this year. Says Joshua Crelmer of Youth for Christ " It was an insult to the intelligence of every Christian in America that they would try to fool us like this. We see the pick of the Alaskan Governor by the Republican Party as an attempt to placate us, when what we want is substance."

Indeed, within the Beliefnet poll is the telling story beyond who identifies with which Party. In a series of questions dealing with issues confronting today's Christians, a full 85 per cent of respondents said they didn't really care very much about the stance on gay marriage or abortion. The number one issue was the economy, followed by ending the Iraq War, caring for the poor, ending government corruption, stopping the government from torturing people, and seeking term limits for those in Congress. Very much the opposite of what the old guard finds important.

And so, when one contemplates what will happen next month, and Americans worry that Christian America will walk in lockstep with the Republicans once again, let your fears whisper away into the air. because the New Christian America that has emerged over these past couple of years has seen the abuses of power, the refusals to cooperate with the laws of our land, and have seen the law breaking being aided and encouraged by the so called leaders of the Christian far right extremists. The New Christian America is angry and fed up with the injustice of the Republican years of giving all of America's wealth to the rich and allowing the poor and the middle class to go under. And they are ready to make that anger felt by the Republican Party by either voting for the Democratic ticket or for no one at all. Now, that's progress..............

Biden Should Go For A Knockout Against Palin

(Warning- This piece is going to be insulting and derogatory. Those who can't stand the truth should turn away now.)

It seems as though the media are intentionally trying to lower expectations for the debate tonight between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. All the morning talk shows, all of the print media, and all over the internet, the only thing one can see or hear is pundits telling us that Palin does really, really well in debates because she's always got a good zinger or one liner. That she's an expert at deflecting hard questions and turning them into insults against her opponents and that's a danger to Biden.

What kind of poop are they trying to hand us? Shouldn't they be setting the bar just as high for Sarah Palin that they would expect from say, Hillary Clinton? During the primaries, Clinton, a woman herself in case anyone has forgotten, had a commanding grasp of the issues, and had the oratory and mental skills to stand and debate with her colleagues.

Everyone should be nauseous at this point. We should all be shocked and stunned and screaming from the roof tops about the audacity of the Republican Party putting this woman on the ticket. Easily blamed, McCain may have bowed to the pressure of the Party, but no one should have any illusions as to the people that placed the pressure on him to accept an unqualified far right extremist just to placate the Christian Coalition. It was the Party hierarchy. Which means that the Republican Party believes that Americans are morons, because that's exactly who they have put forth to be half a step away from the Oval Office.

This garbage about Biden having to be careful when debating Palin is just that, garbage. If Sarah Palin wants to play in the adult's sand box, then she had damned well be able to accept the political punches that come her way. Having already accepted the role of tower princess, locked away from all but the most gentle, softball reporters and questions, the public has gotten the impression that Palin is a fragile little thing, and the person who really makes policy for the Palin Administration in Alaska is her husband Todd.

Biden should and must end this farce once and for all by not allowing Palin to answer any question with vague references to Putin's rearing head. One tactic he can easily employ is to give an in depth answer to a question on either foreign or domestic policy, then turn to the mental midget and say " I think we should give Governor Palin a chance to express her views on the subject." The rest of us can then sit back and guffaw as Palin flails around like an Alaskan flounder, sputtering and talking about making moonshine in a fishing shack.

Millions and millions of Americans listen to this woman speak and become frightened, genuinely frightened. When a candidate for such a high office can not answer a question about which media outlets she gets her world view from, then we as Americans must realize that she doesn't have one beyond the talking points given to her from the Bush/McCain handlers. Reading Good Housekeeping does not a Presidential ticket make.

Luckily for the Republicans, the economy that they have been raping for the past eight years decided to take a dive just one month before the elections and a week before the debate. It diverted attention away from the investigation going on against Palin in Alaska, and the fact that she refuses to cooperate with it. Her husband, who holds no standing as an Alaskan government entity, also refused to testify when called. Why hasn't he been charged with contempt? Because the McCain campaign has basically hijacked the reigns of power in Alaska. A coup if you will.

Why won't the Palins release their financial records, and why won't McCain himself release his medical records or his family's financials? What's the big secret? Better yet, what are they hiding? These subjects should be slipped into the conversation by Biden tonight. Palin should be made to look like what she really is. Another neo-fascist criminal dressed in apple pie crust that the Republicans are trying to pass off as a brand new car. The way the Republicans are presenting Palin to us is like a used car salesman telling you you can kick the tires, but not take the car for a test drive before you but it.

Everyone should come to terms with the fact that the Republicans sre so trying to trick people into voting for them that their candidates that are running in Washington State don't even call themselves Republicans. They are on all the ballots as the GOP Party, and a court just allowed them to run that way, knowing that many people don't understand that GOP is the Republicans. They're ashamed of their own party for Christ's sake!

The rampant cronyism practiced by Palin should be brought up by Biden during this faux debate. We have all heard of and forgotten about the appointments Palin made in Alaska, especially the appointments of her high school friends to high positions like the Agriculture Department, where the only qualification the person had was the love of cows. Is this how Palin would pick her staff as Vice-President? Would she appoint the 'First Dude' to be Secretary of State should she end up in the Oval Office? Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this entire situation?

So go ahead Joe. There is absolutely no reason to treat this moron with any type of kid gloves. She jumped into this race knowing she wasn't qualified, loving the thought of the limelight, but now the demands of the Republican Party are that everyone pay deference to a woman who's only skills are the ability to insult the good works that others do. Expose this pork eater for the criminal she is. Play stump the candidate. Because right now, the only thing standing between the complete insanity of the McCain campaign ending up being in charge of the Executive Branch come January is you.

This entire show reminds one of the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The hatred that exists between the fans of both teams is so palpable, you could cut it with a knife. A hatred and a blind loyalty to their home teams that should the Yankees not make the playoffs but the Red Sox do, Yankee fans will root for any team that's playing the Sox and vice-versa. Those are the types of divisions that separate Americans and ones that are exasperated and fostered by the Republicans. They demand blind loyalty and they get it. Because any self respecting Republican that is voting for the Keyston Campaign of John McCain after he presented Sarah Palin as a qualified to be President running mate cares not about America or our survival as a nation. They only care about the home team winning the World Series.

Go ahead Joe. Let it all out against this little gutter snipe who doesn't even know where Arkansas is, let alone the intricacies of Middle Eastern policies. Go right for the jugular, the right hook knockout punch and let every Republican in the country whine and cry tomorrow. Because the fact of the matter is, Joe, that these people weren't voting for the Obama/Biden ticket no matter what any way, so all of their demands for light treatment of Sarah 'What's the Supreme Court' Palin and her imbecile surrogates who claim that voter questions are 'gotcha' attempts should be blissfully ignored. It's time for Palin to be on the receiving end of a public humiliation and there's no one better qualified to give her one than Joe Biden. Hit one out the park, Slugger!

How To Survive In America's New Hoovervilles

Hopefully this piece will not offend anyone's sensibilities, because the last thing I'd want to happen is to hurt one faction's feelings, and have no one heed the advice contained herein. Advice designed to help you through this crisis that's about to come crashing down around all of our heads.

There are several steps you and your family should be taking right this minute, (not tomorrow, not the next day, but today), to safeguard your very survival should the unthinkable happen and the markets collapse.

Before you listen to the naysayers who are running around claiming that the markets will correct themselves and no action by the Congress is necessary, bear in mind that as the credit for companies to keep goods and services moving dries up, the sky really is about to fall. Not only that, but for the better part of this past year, while many of us were screaming from the rafters that this very crisis was going to happen at this time this year, those very same naysayers called us tin foil hatters. So keep that in mind as you watch a brief respite from falling stocks today, because in the end, this orchestrated collapse of our economy is going to happen come hell or high water if we don't pay the ransom being demanded by the criminals on the Street.

Since the very first order of business is going to be food and shelter, we should first look to the professionals as to how to make your very own shanty shack. Ideally, you'll have been smart enough to gather camping gear, and if you did, you don't need to read any further. This is for those who find themselves suddenly homeless, and that's why we'll look at how the already homeless build their shacks and how they survive on a day to day basis.

Considering that there is safety in numbers, it's not advisable to go off into the woods or the desert by yourself. Should misfortune befall you, you'll be on your own, and that's never a good idea. So, the best idea would be to choose a site such as the lawns of state capitol buildings, the park across the street from the White House, or some other such publicly owned building.

When you first understand that you're going to have to take to the streets with your family, gathering essential items is your first order of business. Assuming you're going to be on foot due to the high price of gasoline, duffel bags and backpacks are the order of the day. A couple of tools you won't be able to do without are:

a small hand axe

a small hammer

a utility knife

a hunting knife

a handgun (just in case)

a high grade flashlight with extra batteries

a portable radio

one set of eating utensils for each family member

plastic or aluminum plates, bowls, and cups

sewing thread and needles

nylon rope

a hand shovel

lighters and matches

soap

a small first aid kit

deck of cards

pen and paper

And of course, you'll need blankets, coats, a change of clothes, and as much canned food as you can carry, as well as a can opener, a small frying pan, and a small pot.

Your shelter: If you can not gain access to large sheets of corrugated metal, don't fret, because you can still build a simple but effective little home. First, locate a tree or large rock and tether one end of a blanket to it by piling other rocks or tree limbs to that end. Or use a length of your rope. Stretch the blanket out carefully and anchor the other end to the ground, making sure that it slants upwards to allow rain to roll off of it. Next, take your shovel and dig a hole large enough under the blanket for you to rest comfortably in. Stretch another end of your blanket to where the mound of dirt you dug out is and tether that end under the mound with rocks and dirt. Finally, stretch the blanket over the other side and tether it the same way. You can now slide under the blanket and have some shelter from the elements. This foxhole shelter will suffice until you gather the wood and metal sidings you'll need later on to build your new home.

Food: Making sure to dig a fire pit and surrounding it with rocks, you can easily gather some wood and start a fire. Use kindling to get the fire going, then build it up slowly. Now, you can heat some of that canned food you were smart enough to take with you. Got Spam?

Bathrooms: If you're lucky enough to have chosen a park that has a public restroom, you're in better shape than most. You have toilets, a sink to wash yourself, your clothes, and your eating utensils. If not, then you're going to have to use the behind a tree method for toileting, and drag potable water around. That being such a pain in the ass, I recommend finding a park with a bathroom.

Socializing: It's only natural to be wary of your new neighbors and to try to keep to yourself at first. That's not going to happen, because as soon as you set up camp, the community is going to come over to check you out. They're going to want to see if you're an easy mark, and if you have things they might want to steal. At this point, it's ok, to let the handgun poke out from your waistband. Everyone will get the message and become immediately helpful and friendly. Now, you've got brand new friends and your nights won't be too boring because you can play poker or rummy. (Someone may have been ingenious enough to garner a bottle of moonshine!)

Panhandling: Hey, you've got to eat right? This is no time to be proud or shy. It doesn't matter that you used to be a Wall Street banker, that life is over now and you need money to buy food and beer. The first thing to do is to find a street corner that doesn't have a lot of army troops or regular police hanging around. Find a large piece of paper or cardboard and make a sign asking for help. Don't mention to anyone that stops that you used to work on Wall Street or you're dead meat. Say you were an auto worker or something if asked. To maximize profits, any time someone gives you any bills, put them in your pocket. This way, as people pass by, all they'll see is the change and be more willing to give you something. If they offer to buy you food, accept it, save it for later, and get back to work. If done correctly, you should be able to make enough for food and drink, and believe me, by now, you're going to be drinking.

Dealing with authorities: Say you're just walking along and you're stopped by some gung ho army guy or police officer. They ask you where you live because you look a little ragged. Give them your old address and say the water has been turned off or something along those lines. Do not look directly at them or you'll get tased. Do not smart talk them or you'll get tased. Do not disagree with them when they call you names or you'll get tased. And whatever you do, don't try to run, because not only will you get tased, but then you're getting some broken bones for sure.

As you settle into your new life, you'll begin to gain knowledge of how to survive on the streets and in the New Hoovervilles the Republican Party has so generously helped to provide for us. You'll learn the ins and outs of dumpster diving, and which restaurants pour lye on the food they throw away and which ones are sympathetic and leave good stuff. You'll learn how to shift from foot to foot as you wait in a four block long food bank or soup kitchen line. You'll learn how to forage for wood, metal sheets and nails to build a more permanent house in the shanty town. You'll learn what despair and hopelessness means, but try not to get too discouraged. Because if all else fails, you can shoot one of those big fat squirrels running around in the park. They say they make good eating.

There's many other things you need to know, but these basics should help you get started. Don't be afraid to ask questions of those who have been homeless for years, because they'll try to help you get situated. They too were like you when they became the first victims of capitalism run amok, and so, they know what you're going through. Hopefully this mini guide has helped prepare you for what's coming. If you haven't already begun to put together your survival kit, then do so now. Because if you think this entire article was just silliness, then go to the White House web site and read Presidential Directive NSPD-51 and HSPD-20. No one knows where this thing is headed, but if the actions of our government and Wall Street are any indication, we'll see each other in some park very soon indeed..........

My Ridiculous Bid To Become Premier Of The North American Union

In order to justify the continued lunacy of the candidacy of John McCain, the talking points of the Republican Party, and Sarah Palin as the choice for Vice-President, I have had to suspend all the rules of reality and when I did so, I realized that I too could be the leader of something big.

Since the general consensus seems to be that we are moving towards an inevitable North American Union consisting of Mexico, Canada, and the United States, I thought I'd apply for the newly formed Premiership of this new nation, and as my running mate, I choose corporate icon Ronald McDonald.

Now, before you go running for the little white coat and tin foil hat, you have to admit that what I propose is no more ridiculous than say, giving taxpayer money to a bunch of bottomless pit pig corporations. (Just kidding Corporate America! But I need the little man's vote!)

You see, since I have traveled fairly extensively over the course of my lifetime, I know the subtle differences of how people think in different areas of the country. Knowing those differences will give me an exclusive insight as to how best bring all factions to the table and get things done. It's very difficult to get a Seattle liberal to sit at the table with an Alabama redneck, (Can I say redneck? Shoot. I don't care.), but with plenty of Starbucks and fried 'gator, I'm sure the differences will just magically melt away.

Especially when people from both coasts, as well as those in the Heartland, understand that we are all a part of a brand new country called The North American Union, and as such, we must include those from Mexico and Canada as those who call themselves Namericans.

Now, if you're worrying about what sort of experience I would bring to the table, look at where I live and you'll see a virtual buffet of things that I have knowledge about. Living in Nebraska, surrounded by miles and miles of corn gives me the experience of not only knowing how to shuck a cob faster than you can blink, but since we use a lot of that corn to make ethanol, I have a keen insight into the workings of the energy industry. Not only that, but since corn is used to feed cattle,chicken, pigs, and make corn syrup, (which is used in virtually everything nowadays), I also know how to keep the food supply of our newly formed nation safe, produce it in greater quantities, and put something in every pot. (Or is it the other way around? Hmm.)

Having traveled to both Canada and Mexico several times, I have foreign policy experience. Being stuck directly in the middle of the current United States, I can't see either about to be assimilated countries from my house, not even with a telescope, (I know because I tried), but I have successfully navigated a drive from San Diego to Tampico, ordered native Mexican dishes without speaking a word of Spanish, hit a pinata', eaten the worm at the bottom of the bottle, and have set Vancouver and Ottowa alight by hitting many of their well known watering holes.

I've even been to Anchorage, and so understand fully the need to keep Vladmir Putin from rearing his KGB head over our airspace, you know, when he comes to visit us and he goes to where? That's right. Alaska. I'll put my foot up his Russian backside and set the world afire if need be to keep capitalism safe for the even bigger corporate conglomerates sure to arise from this merger between nations. (Don't worry Corporate America. I'll build enough bomb shelters to keep the rich safe from the fallout.)

Unlike some other people who think they're so smart, I'll go to Spain and visit with what's his name. I know Spain is our ally, and am even willing to forget having to revolt against them because of their stupid tea party. Or was that some other country that had a tea party to revolt against a government that no longer represented them? I can't remember, but you get the general idea. I'm willing to at least talk to our potential adversaries like what I call 'The Three F's'. You know, France, Finland, and the Falklands. I won't give away the store, but I'm willing to make concessions to remain friends with these rogue state sponsors of terrorism.

Since I've solved the oil crisis by producing more ethanol, I figure we'd better turn our attention to the problem of water supplies. With global warming on the rise and droughts springing in the southern parts of our new Union, invading Greenland would appear to be our only viable option. Knowing that the leaders of that country are actively seeking to deny the world drinking water by purposefully melting all the ice in their country, we would be derelict in our role as world leader if we didn't stop that from happening. Plus, it would create jobs by starting an industry for bottled glacier water! So I can run the economy too!

To help offset the current trade imbalance with countries like China, I've come up with a plan to save on shipping costs. We're going to have all of the products we import from there shipped directly to the WEST coast. It's a lot shorter distance than having to all the way across Europe and the Atlantic, and any shipping costs across the country will be offset by the jobs created in the train and trucking industries.

One of the first acts of my new administration will be to send my Vice-Premier to spread the love that clowns have with their hamburglars all over the world. What Head of State could recent the combination of a funny little clown who makes them laugh while feeding them at the same time. You've got to admit, my friends, it's a brilliant strategy to reassure the world that the North American Union is their friend. (For now.)

My second act to jump start the economy would be to reverse the 800 billion Ameros shoveled by the bucket full to Wall Street, and give it away to all Namericans as a stimulus package. But this time, Namericans can not spend their rebate on porn site memberships like 30% of you did last time around. You may, however, spend it on actual DVD's that deal with whatever subject matter you like. See? We'll have lots of freedom.

Well, except that we will not tolerate protests against the government or the Corporate World. Anyone caught protesting either of those will be tasered on the spot, no questions asked. It's only reasonable after the Utopian leadership I'm going to give you. Other than that, the right can protest against the left and vice-versa. You can also protest against things beyond the government's control, like the sun rising in the east or something along those lines.

And if you are having reservations about my choice of running mate and what experience he has to be Vice-Premier, give it a rest. This guy has restaurants in almost every country in the world, for God's sake! How much more experience do you want in a national leader?

So that's it. That's my proposal to elect me Premier of the North American Union. I know that the issues I've addressed are going to take some time to absorb properly, so you've got one month to decide if my Mickey Mouse campaign has a shot at success. If you've got any other questions, you can always address them to my campaign spokesman, W.C. Fields. Now, all this thinking has worn me out, so I'm going to take a vacation (which I'll be doing a lot of during my reign as Premier) to Las Vegas, have a few Manhattans, throw a little dice and possibly even get some of that 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' whatchamacallit. I'll expect to see you all at the polls come November, doing the right thing, being patriotic, and well, all the rest of that stuff.

Nebraska Must Not Change Child Safe Haven Law

Ridiculed by most of the media in the nation after passing one of the most comprehensive and sweeping child safe haven laws ever, the State of Nebraska nevertheless went ahead and signed the legislation into law. Being the last state to sign this type of legislation intended to prevent child abuse before it started, Nebraska's law goes much further than most other states in that not only infants could be dropped off at so called 'safe haven' sites such as hospitals, but the wording also permits the safe drop offs of older children as well.

Since taking effect, 16 children of varying ages have been left at safe havens. In one case, a father of nine dropped all of his children off, and the media had a field day. But while reporting on the case of Gary Staton, the father who left his kids, aged one through seventeen, at Creighton Medical Center, they didn't tell the whole story. In an attempt to titillate the reader or viewer, they merely reported the fact that the children were left, and used the case to try to illustrate why the Nebraska law was backwards and needed to be change.

Mr. Staton is a single father to those nine children. He also has another daughter, who is 18 years old, and who, after the death of her mother, became the primary caretaker of the rest of her siblings. His wife of 17 years died last year, a woman for whom Gary would have gladly given his life for. Inconsolable, he fell into a deep depression, and stopped being able to take care of himself, let alone the children, who had to depend upon each other to survive. Gary ended up losing his job, and with the bills piling up, made the decision to take advantage of the new law by taking the children somewhere that he knew they would be safe.

Not the act of some irresponsible man as the media tried to portray him, Mr. Staton did what he did out of love and concern for the well being of those children, and it was only after all of the media attention that relatives stepped forward to heroically claim the kids. Where were they before the storm gathered and the crisis of mind became intolerable for Mr. Staton?

Other kids were being left at hospitals in Omaha and Lincoln, kids a little older than one would normally expect. With the media breathing down their necks, the politicians began to backpedal and some now speak of the need to change the wording of the law. But if changed to what others may deem to be 'acceptable' age limits for children to be safely left at these havens, what will happen to the older children who are in a very bad situation? The very nature of the law was to safeguard against abuse of children, and how will any change in the law accomplish that? Will we say that we will allow for the dropping off of children up to five years old, but not children who are five years and one week?

The argument that a lot of people are struggling and must be forced to raise their own children, with the mentality of 'pulling yourself up by your boot straps' are ridiculous, and must be ignored. Because despite the way the Staton story was presented to the public, those children were clearly in danger and it took courage to recognize that and bring them to others who could and would care for them properly. The same holds true for the other kids who have been left with hospital staff. Should we force parents who are either unable or unwilling to care for their young to keep them in an environment wherein they may be subjected to neglect and abuse? Where the core values of these kids might have been warped and twisted and we allow for the raising of more maladjusted young adults set loose upon an increasingly maladjusted society? Or would it not be better to allow these young ones to have a chance at a better life?

Any time a new law is passed, especially laws that allow for an escape hatch such as this law gives, there is going to be an initial rash of people who see a chance to get themselves out of a bad situation. This is normal, and will eventually subside as more parents are made aware of other options available to them. The course to take here is a public education campaign, not a changing of the law to appease those who could care less about the safety of potentially abused children, but only in headlines or catcalling from the sidelines. Politicians are never going to please everyone with every law they pass, but in the case of Nebraska's safe haven laws that allow for greater protections for children than any other state, they clearly got it right the first time. There is no need to revisit this law, and in fact, other states would do well to adopt it.

Because in the end, if a parent who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can have the cognizant thought that they are not doing the right thing for their children, and needs to get the child or children to safety has a place they can bring them without the draconian measures of arresting them for doing the right thing, they are twice as likely to do so before abusive behaviour begins. The same holds true for parents or guardians who are in the position of Mr. Staton, who clearly understood he was incapable of acting as a responsible parent, and out of love, let his children go. If Nebraska takes this hard fought for safety net for children away due to pressure from far right wingnuts and the media, then the State of Nebraska will be endangering the very children they wished to protect in the first place.

Maybe it's not the Nebraska law that needs to be changed, but the thinking of those who label what is intended to help children as 'abandonment' and 'shucking responsibility'. Maybe it's the mindset of those who can not imagine ever doing something like that themselves, that is, until a situation like that of Mr. Staton comes along. Maybe proponents of changing the law in Nebraska because it was intended to save kids who are in 'immediate danger' need to explicitly explain the parameters of 'immediate danger' for the rest of us. Because if leaving 9 children in the care of a depressed, overwhelmed, barely functional father is not leaving them smack dab in the middle of 'immediate danger', then we need to redefine the meaning of that phrase also. Maybe the real problem is that there aren't more laws geared towards the actual protection of children, and maybe you can force your state's legislature to adopt laws that will provide a safety net for parents BEFORE abuse starts and not after.

No. Changing Nebraska's safe haven law is not the answer. Giving it time to settle is. In this time of fiscal uncertainty, it serves to save resources in the form of less police manpower having to go on ride alongs with social workers to remove children from homes where the situation became so bad, that the children were being abused. It serves to free up those same social workers to be able to work on cases where parents don't take advantage of the law, and keep their little ones in harm's way. It serves to give unwanted kids a chance to have a happier childhood, which is then reflected in their ability to contribute to society, rather than become maladjusted criminal types who clog up our courts and cost taxpayers to house them through their adulthoods in prisons. In the words of Herbert Ward "Child abuse cast a shadow the length of a lifetime".

While this argument will probably never change the minds of those who are too short sighted to see farther down the road than the immediate future, it does hopefully give pause to the knee jerk reaction of those who are crying out the old "See, I told you so" anthem. Because while they chant that anthem over and over and try to force the State of Nebraska to tow the national child safe haven law line, I'm reminded of another anthem by Pink Floyd that goes "Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone...............................!"

To The Supreme Court Of The United States: re; Troy Davis

To the honorable members of the Supreme Court of the United States,

As you are aware, Troy Anthony Davis will be executed tonight in the State of Georgia for the murder of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in a Burger King parking lot back in 1989. The sole evidence used against him was the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, seven of whom have recanted their testimony, and in fact have pointed their finger at one of the other supposed witnesses, namely one 'Red' Cole.

The recantations of these witnesses came about due to police coercion of their original testimony, with threats of bodily harm or imprisonment for non co-operation. This travesty of good old boy justice must not be allowed to stand. While fully understanding the mentality of police when one of their own is killed, we must, however badly the desire for revenge, make fully sure that one is actually guilty before a person is put to death for that crime. Lynch mob mentality should hold no place in the meting out of justice, and lynch mob mentality is exactly what the State of Georgia is proposing and intends to carry out.

There are many cases that provide precedence for the Court to stay the execution of Troy Anthony Davis, or to order a new trial. Since the resumption of the death penalty in 1977, more than 100 people have been released from their sentence of death due solely to unreliable eyewitness testimony. In the Davis case, that is literally all of the evidence they have against him. Eyewitness testimony. That has been recanted by most witnesses, one of whom, Antoine Williams, could not even read when ordered by police to sign a statement implicating Davis. The true finger of guilt has in fact been pointed at one of the witnesses who testified against Davis, but this evidence has been ignored by the State of Georgia.

No murder weapon was ever found, again bolstering Davis' argument that he was not the killer. There is virtually no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime, again, other than the tainted testimony. This alone brings about more than enough criteria for reasonable doubt, and the Court should find that had many of these facts been known at trial, no conviction would have ever taken place. The Court should also consider the fact that one of the attorneys on Davis' legal team was drunk while in court, and therefore Davis did not receive competent legal counsel.

Justices of the Court, while considering the merits of granting a stay of execution, please consider that many proponents of the death penalty have called for a new trial for Troy Davis. Proponents that include former FBI Director William Sessions, who has said that executing Davis would be "intolerable." These death penalty supporters have, to a person, reviewed the case against Davis and called the case a "travesty of justice."

Consider also the actions of the officials and courts of the State of Georgia. In this, an election year, it would not benefit the Chatham County District Attorney's Office should it be found that their office had wrongly prosecuted an innocent man. Undue pressure has been placed upon the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to reverse their decision of last year staying the execution. The Attorney General of the State of Georgia has secluded himself and refused to accept lawful petition for redress from the People. These are not the actions of law enforcement officers with nothing to hide, and their actions should speak loudly enough by themselves to give the Court pause. The listed extenuating circumstances, and others not listed here, cry out for Your Honors to issue a writ of Habeus Corpus, a stay of the execution, and an order setting aside the guilty verdict of Troy Davis, with the date for a new trial, one in which Davis will be exonerated, set for as soon as possible.

In many cases, the death penalty is clearly warranted. Wanton killings can not go unpunished, murderers of children should never escape the long arm of the law, and cold, calculated snuffing out of human life should have no place in a civilized society. But what we have in the case of Troy Anthony Davis is a clear case of injustice, and to allow this execution to take place would be to make us all complicit in the murder of an innocent man. Allowing this execution to go forward would do little more than reinforce the lynch mob mentality that is permeating the air, and for the reasons stated, the Court should and must consider the relief asked for.

A Plea To MSNBC On Behalf Of Troy Davis

Dear MSNBC, since Troy Davis is incarcerated in Georgia and sentenced to die Tuesday for a crime that he did not commit, he can not write to you himself. So I'm doing it for him.

Found guilty of the murder of a police officer more than 15 years ago on the testimony of nine witnesses, seven of those same witnesses have recanted their testimony, and in fact have pointed the finger of guilt towards one of the other two remaining witnesses. The seven have all said that they were coerced into giving false testimony by police at the time, with threats of bodily harm, or incarceration themselves.

And so, Troy Davis has been fighting this battle for his life all this time, pretty much out of the sight of the public. With the exceptions of Amnesty International, who has written an extensive report on his case, and the N.Y. Times, there has been almost no coverage whatsoever of the fact that the State of Georgia does not care hat Troy Davis is innocent. They're going to murder him any way. The school of thought is that he was convicted, it doesn't matter if there is overwhelming evidence of his innocence, and that since it's not Unconstitutional to execute an innocent man, they're going to proceed as scheduled. That is, unless they get a spotlight shone on them, which is what the Davis family desperately needs.

CNN tried to gain access to Mr. Davis, but was rebuffed by prison officials, and so they dropped the story. No profit in a story of an innocent man if you can't talk to him, I know. But just this one time, will MSNBC step up to the plate and make a few phone calls, or fly someone to Georgia to try to interview state lawmakers or someone before it's too late. We all know that when the mainstream media gets involved, the powers that be are a little more willing to take a step back.

No less than Pope Benedict, the European Union, and Bishop Desmond Tutu have tried to intervene on behalf of Troy Davis, but alas, we all know what good that will do. The U.S. and especially it's government, do not appreciate being told what to do by foreigners. But the one thing they fear more than anything in the world is bad publicity, and that's exactly what MSNBC has the power to give them.

So, on behalf of all of those who have been trying to shine a light on a tragedy about to happen, I humbly ask that you write this story up, get it on the air, demand accountability from Georgian officials, and help us to stop the execution of an innocent man. It used to be the train of thought that better for ten guilty men to go free rather than one innocent man be executed for a crime he didn't commit, but in these troubling times, the adage has turned on itself to mean that they would rather execute ten innocent men/women, rather than allow one guilty person to go free.

Hell, they rather just execute ten innocent people period, and if that's the country we have reduced ourselves to, can the complete collapse of our society be far behind. Help us, MSNBC, to help Troy Davis. Just once, put profit to the side, and do the right thing. You'll forever be remembered as the network that went out on a limb to stop an innocent man from being killed. The network that hears the voices of it's listeners, mainly us, and took action when everyone else was afraid to.

Because if this case does not get immediate publicity, they will kill Troy Davis, period. Innocence doesn't matter to these people. A cop was killed, and so they are sure as shoot going to kill someone back, even if that someone is an innocent man. Ain't that America, it's something to see baby....................................