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By
JOAN R. NEUBAUER Special
to the News Leader This Congress,
led by Barack Obama, continues to think of new and creative ways to undermine
our liberties and turn this nation into a Third World socialist country. Their latest
attempt comes in the form of the Financial Reform package slithering through
the halls of Congress. In December of
2009, the House passed its version and recently, the Senate passed its effort
to clamp down on banks and other financial institutions to “protect” the
American public. Once again, this
bill, with its over-regulation, will give vast powers to the federal
government over the financial industry and will, in effect, nationalize it. OPINION As Congress
tries to regulate an industry they call greedy, irresponsible and otherwise
unethical, they discount the role they played in this tragedy that pales in
comparison to anything William Shakespeare penned. During the
Carter administration, the President proposed legislation to loosen up on
bank regulations regarding home loans to make mortgages more available to
more people. Under Bill
Clinton, Congress extended that to require financial institutions to lend
money regardless of ability to pay it back. Despite the
protests of bankers, Congress passed the law and, lo and behold, more people
called themselves homeowners - with the bank holding the note of course - and
many of them lacked the income to pay it back. Now we see a
Congress jumping up and down in a frenzied fit and pointing fingers at
everyone but themselves and the democratic administrations that spawned the
legislation. In the
process, Congress has set to work to pass a bill that will give the federal
government the power to regulate every aspect of the industry, right down to
individual transactions. This bill will
allow the government to collect data on any person operating in financial
markets at any level, including the collection of personal transaction
records from local banks such as customers' addresses and ATM receipts. Don't chalk
this up to a conspiracy theory but rather a piece of legislation the Senate
passed by a vote of 59-39 on Thursday, May 27, and sent to a conference
committee in the House of Representatives where they'll reconcile differences
between the House and Senate versions. If this bill
becomes law, we'll have a new bureaucracy, the Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection, ostensibly to protect consumers from fraudulent and unethical
banking practices. In reality,
the bureau will have the power to "gather information and activities of
persons operating in consumer financial markets," including the names
and addresses of account holders, ATM and other transaction records and the
amount of money in each customer's account. This new
bureaucracy can then "use the data on branches and [individual and
personal] deposit accounts for any purpose," may keep all records on
file for at least three years and, during that time, they can make these
records publicly available upon request. "Mr.
President, make no mistake, behind the veil of anti-Wall Street rhetoric is
an unrelenting desire to manage every facet of commerce under the guise of
consumer protection,” Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama said. “They may be
interested in protecting consumers but they are more interested in managing
them." Shelby said
the ability of the Federal Reserve to collect such detailed information about
the most basic of financial transactions was the beginning of an effort by
government to regulate every financial action of every American citizen. Your money is
your private property. Such access to information about your private property
violates both the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution - your
right to privacy and your right to ownership of private property. If the
government can gather your information, they can very easily seize it without
cause, warrant or due process. In short
order, we'll find the federal government debiting accounts to pay taxes and
confiscate funds as they see fit. Call your
senators and representatives today. Tell them we
don't need to reform anything but Congress and their impractical and
unrealistic ideas of how businesses should run. Remind them
that they work for you and, unless they start listening to their employers,
unless they take their oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States” seriously, they may find themselves
looking for other employment after November. Joan R. Neubauer is an author, public speaker and
works as the public liaison officer for the Davis Mountains Trans-Pecos
Heritage Association in Alpine. She may be contacted at 432/837-6761 or dmtpha@sbcglobal.net. How
to deal with a cop killer Larry Gill is
a historian and is active in the Merkel museum, which is celebrating its
fifth anniversary this year. The museum has
had an active five years. It started out in a building that once was a
western wear store. It filled up
quickly because residents of Merkel anxiously donated articles of historic
interest. Two building expansions have increased the museum to more than
three times its original size. The displays
of vehicles, photographs, uniforms and other items are so well done the
museum looks like it has been there for decades. When Larry is
not doing museum work, he serves as a constable. Occasionally both his jobs
come together in some of his presentations to school kids. “I love to
dress up in some of the costumes and uniforms we have around here,” Larry
said. “Sometimes I dress up like Johnny Reb and tell some Civil War stories. “Since I’m a
peace officer, one of my favorite stories in the museum is about an incident
that occurred back in 1925 when a Merkel constable was killed,” he said.
“When I tell it, I wear my law enforcement clothes complete with gun,
gunbelt, hat, bandana and boots and try to re-enact the story. “The sheriff
from Big Spring came to Merkel and told the constable he needed some help,”
Larry said. “He said a man from Merkel had killed a man in Big Spring and the
killer was working on a farm south of Merkel. “The sheriff
and constable go out there to find the wanted man in a field grubbing tree
stumps,” he said. “As they walked toward the man, he reaches down and picks
up a rifle he had lying on the ground and shoots the constable in the
stomach. “He falls and
crawls over against a tree,” Larry said. “The sheriff starts running to keep
out of the line of fire and borrows a car from a neighboring farmer. “As he is
driving off, the man with the gun catches up to him and shoots him,” he said.
“Then he went back to the constable, took the pistol from the constable’s
holster and shot him in the head. “He then came
back to Merkel to tell his family goodbye and began running south,” Larry
said. “They caught him at Lohn. He was hiding in a boxcar. “There was a
huge posse. Thousands of people were looking for this guy,” he said. “The
posse was led by the Abilene police chief. “The assistant
chief walked up to the man in the boxcar and told him if he would surrender
he wouldn’t be hurt,” Larry recounted. “He shot the assistant chief in the
leg. “That was it,”
he said. “Some of the men had dynamite and they threw it under the boxcar. “They got his
body out of there, secured it with a rope on the running board of the Abilene
police chief’s car, then they drove all over the county showing this man off,
sending the message that you don’t kill law enforcement officers,” Larry
said. “That might not go over too much today but it seemed perfectly all
right in 1925.” The museum has
a photograph of the man tied to the running board of the Model A vehicle. The people in
Merkel didn’t want him buried in the local cemetery but he was taken out to
the cemetery at night and placed in an unmarked grave. Sunday
is Father’s Day Next Sunday
will be father’s day. It is believed to have started on June 13, 1910, to
honor and commemorate fathers and male parenting. Fathers can be
known by other names like dad, papa, daddy or pop. I think to
fully understand the role of father and the family unit we need to look in
the Bible. Just as God
created marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24), He also had
the family in mind (Genesis 4:1 and 2.) God created
the family unit to have a father, mother and the children (Genesis 5:1 to 5.)
God also created the father with a special kind of love for his wife (Genesis
24:67) and children, just as God created the mother with a special kind of
love for her husband and her children (Ephesians 5:22 to 33.) Man is made in
the image of God but many times we fall short of what God wants us to be
(Romans 3:23.) God has a very
special love for us (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) and that can be seen when fathers
do what they should do (Hosea 11:1 to 4.) If things keep
going on in America, fathers and the family unit may become extinct. Yes, dads are
not perfect but we can respect or try to respect them and God put them in our
lives and we would not be here if it were not for them (Ephesians 6:1 to 4.) Let us
remember fathers Sunday. See you in
Church next Sunday. Brother J Stargazing
while camping out Recently, I
received an e-mail from Joe Garcia who reads “Stargazer” in the Kingsville
Record. "I am a
Cub Scout leader and am taking my boys camping June 11-13,” he wrote. “I want
to do an astronomy section one of these nights, something that the boys will
enjoy and learn from. “I would
greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have,” he wrote. “I am new to
this and want my boys to learn and have fun. Thank you for your time." After
re-reading my response to Joe, it occurred to me that my ideas might be of
interest to others, especially those who, like Joe, work with kids. So here are
some of my offerings. As the Sun is
setting in the west, have the kids watch the western sky and see who can be
the first to spot the "evening star." After it gets
darker and other stars begin to appear, it will be apparent that this
"star" is much brighter than all the other stars because it's not
really a star – it's the planet Venus, the nearest planet to Earth. Then as it
gets darker, have the kids look all around the night sky and try to find the
Moon. The Moon
wasn’t even out on June 12. That just happened to be the new Moon when it was
in the same direction as the Sun, thus it set at sunset and didn’t rise until
sunrise the next morning. Each night
thereafter, the Moon rises and sets nearly an hour earlier than the previous
night. This can lead
to a discussion about the phases of the Moon. Depending upon
how near to a city you are camping, you will likely encounter light
pollution. Point this out
to the kids, especially if you can see more light pollution in one direction
than another. Show how the
more light pollution there is, the fewer stars one can see. If you happen
to be far from city lights, show them the Milky Way which they can't see from
town. For a final
activity, help the kids learn to use the stars to find north and the other
directions. Have them
search the sky for the Big Dipper. Then show them that the two stars at the
outer end of the dipper's bowl are "pointer stars" pointing to
Polaris, the North Star. As they find
and identify Polaris, have them notice that it is not the brightest star in
the sky as many think. To dig a bit
deeper, these and other topics are elaborated in previous
"Stargazer" columns, which are archived on my Web site and in my
book, “Learning the Night Sky,” about which you can also learn more on my Web
site. Sky
Calendar. Friday
evening, June 18, the first quarter Moon is below Saturn. Early evening,
Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20, Venus passes within two moonwidths of
the Beehive star cluster low in the west, Use binoculars to see the subtle
cluster. Sunday
evening, June 20, the Moon is below Virgo's bright star Spica. Monday, June
21, Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Saturday, June
26, the full Moon, called the Flower Moon, Rose Moon, Strawberry Moon and
Honey Moon, shows a barely visible partial lunar eclipse low in the east just
before dawn. Friday, July
2, the midpoint of the year 2010. Saturday
morning, July 3, The Moon is above Jupiter.
The Sun, Moon
and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east
rotation on its axis. Evenings,
Venus is prominent in the west northwest, Mars is mid way up in the west and
Saturn is high in the southwest. Mornings,
Jupiter, rising around 2 a.m., is brilliant in the southeast by dawn. Stargazer appears every other week, space
permitting. Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco. Contact
him at 918 N. 30th, Waco, 76707, (254) 753-6920 or paulderrickwaco@aol.com. See the Stargazer Web site at stargazerpaul.com. ‘Robin
Hood’ reviewed If you’re
looking for the romantic tale of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, Friar Tuck
and Little John with the wonderful Maid Marion, her soft yet remote
affections drawing at Robin’s emotions, don’t go see this movie. Legend is a
solidly formed series of myths that have emanated from the oral stories that
were repeated for hundreds of years by a specific ethnic or social group of
people. Robin Hood is
such a legend. It
started at the end of the Crusades and the fall of the Roman Empire in
the 1200s and 1300s. Robin was a
sole adventurer for 300 years, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Friar Tuck,
Little John and Maid Marion entered into the story more than 300 years later
as writers continued to expand on the legend with enthusiastic literary
license. Enter Ridley
Scott, director of “Gladiator,” with screenwriter Brian Helgeland, deciding
to create a story of Robin Hood’s humble beginning before the legend. A
prequel, if you will. Robin Hood’s
legend is tampered with, where legend becomes further fictionalized and
passed off as authentic. This is a
movie that will dazzle with battles, blood and gore. Robin’s
character, played by Russell Crowe, is not the affable, likeable man played
by Errol Flynn in 1938 or Kevin Costner’s 1999 portrayal. This Robin
Hood is a serious, brooding, battle-weary veteran of the Crusades who wants nothing
more than rest and distance from battle. The story
really begins when a dying knight makes Robin promise to return his sword,
illicitly taken from his father, to go to war as a young man. Robin agrees
to this dying man’s request and thus the plot develops. Robin, a
yeoman archer well below knight status, and his men don the uniforms of
deceased knights and return to a hero’s welcome in England. In his quest
to return the sword, he meets Maid Marion Loxley, the dead knight’s widow,
and father-in-law Sir Walter Loxley, to whom the sword belongs. So, in this
story, Maid Marion, played by the forever anemic looking but stunning beauty
Cate Blanchette, is of lower nobility, unfortunately downgrading her from the
original legend. The story
continues and Robin is asked by the old Sir Walter Loxley, played by the very
capable Max von Sydow, to take his son’s place in the family as his son who
has returned from King Richard’s wars. Robin is
amused and Maid Marion scoffs at the idea but both acquiesce for the sake of
the family and the lands. The feudal
Lords of England have been taxed to their limit and a rebellion is stirring
only to be averted as the nation unites to repel an invasion by King Philip
of France. This brings
you to the final climax of the movie and you’ll have to go see it to find out
what happens. Two pleasures
for me, not to mention the fair Cate Blanchette, in this movie was Yes, I liked
the movie. Yes, I recommend it. Yes, go see it. Ed’s rating is three
out of four stars. ««« “Robin Hood”
came in at $37.1 million, which is a very respectable showing against a power
house like “Iron Man,” which takes the weekend with $53 million The next
highest movie was “Letters to Juliet” bringing in $13.9 million. “Letters” is a
very sweet chick flick that will do OK dollar wise, But “Iron Man” and “Robin
Hood” will dominate the money until “Prince of Persia” debuts on the 27th
with Jake Gyllenhaal. “Sex and the
City 2” also will come out that weekend but it will fizzle at the box office. ‘Clash of the Titans’ "Release the Kraken." Zeus (Liem Neeson) orders Hades
to punish the rebellion by men against the gods. Hades has an agenda of his own, go become leader of all the gods and reign hell on man. To the rescue comes Perseus, played by Sam Worthington, the heroic Jake Sully from “Avatar.” Perseus is the unknowing illegitimate son of Zeus. The action begins when
Perseus begins his quest to defeat the Kraken
and send Hades back to the depths of darkness. There are great action scenes that will have you white knuckling the
armrest of your theater seat. Sam Worthington as Perseus gives a visual feast of action scenes throughout the movie. Medusa, played
by an unknown, Natalie Vadianova, will strongly
repulse and captivate simultaneously with her head of undulating snakes. The computer graphics are superb and border on the quality we saw in
Avatar. A PG-13 with no nudity and no vulgar language, the plot may have
been weak but, then again, this is a mythological story. So far,
grossing in at $125-plus million, I'm sure we'll see more
mythology movies. Who knows what Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon or Aphrodite will be up to next? If you like action movies, go ahead, see or rent this one. You won't
be disappointed. Ed's rating is three and a half stars. «««1/2 ‘Date
Night’ funny “Date Night”
is a very funny, if not hilarious, movie. Rated PG 13, I was a little
uncomfortable with the numerous sexual innuendos and double-entendres. There was no
nudity and negligible foul language, which, I'm supposing makes the
sexual dialog more acceptable. I can only say
I wouldn't take my 13-year-old daughter to this movie. I felt it should
be PG-17. Having said
that, as an adult, I enjoyed the movie. Phil and
Claire played by Steve Carell (The Office, The Forty Year Old Virgin) and
Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live, Sarah Palin impersonator) depict an ordinary
couple from the New Jersey "burbs" who become involved in a case of
mistaken identity. The premise is
formulaic but this movie makes it work. The mistaken identity results
from them stealing a restaurant reservation. The adventure
begins while they're enjoying their dinner, thinking they've been busted when
two thugs approach them and ask them to step outside. Well, that’s
not quite what happens. They end up being chased by mob thugs and corrupt
police. The ensuing
chase and evasion scenes become the hilarious mainstay of the movie. You will laugh
at the mishaps and turn-arounds that occur. There is an
obligatory car chase that has a new twist and will leave you holding your
stomach in uncontrollable, raucous laughter. The Hollywood
staple, Mark Walberg (Four Brothers), makes a surprise appearance as a by-
chance person who reluctantly assists them out of their potentially fatal
situation. I enjoyed the
Phil and Claire characters. Steve Carell and Tina Fey work well together and
played out the mayhem superbly. I'm
recommending this movie as a PG-17. I give it three and a half stars
out of four. Enjoy. «««1/2 Library
repairs needed To the Editor, I would like
to bring to Sanderson’s attention a looming need that exists at our library.
It is about to burn up. The wiring is
very bad. There is no equipment ground. Alas, the library was built before
computers – imagine that. All the
computers are connected to outlets that do not have a ground and the circuit
breakers are toast, hence the burning smell from overheated wiring and
circuit breakers. I see two
options. One is to upgrade the electrical system to code standards. Option two is
to get rid of all the computers. But I have a problem with that. I am the
biggest user of our library. Almost daily, I download studies to review at
home. I love our
library and its environment. If anyone is
against the badly-needed modernization of the library, please let me know so
I can look them up and convince them of their error in my typical bombastic
style. Jack Marsicano Sanderson Barn
offers thanks To the Editor, A big “thank
you” for donations of all the items you give to the American Legion
Auxiliary’s Bargain Barn. And a special
“thank you” for all who come and buy. There is so much to choose from at a
really low price. If anyone
knows of a veteran that needs help, please let a legionnaire or Auxiliary
member know. The money is
to be used to help veterans and to send girls to Bluebonnet Girls’ State.
Last year, two girls went. This year, there were three girls. And a very big
“special thank you” to Terrell County Judge Leo Smith, county workers and
Jack Marsicano for the dumpster to put items in. It will help keep the wind from scattering
items and keep the rain off. I cannot thank
Loretta and Jack Marsicano enough for all the help and things they have done.
Without their help, I could not have kept the place going. I must not
leave Johnny and Lorna Hogg out. After items have gone through several times,
they have put what is left in big, black trash bags and taken them to El
Paso. There, he
sorts through them and takes some to the Super Saver Store, a Christian store
that helps children with cancer. The rest, he gives to people in Mexico that
need help, all through Christian love. I appreciate
looking after the Bargain Barn because it gives me a chance to visit with the
people of Sanderson, whom I love dearly. Thanks to
everyone for your friendship and love. Henry Beth Hogg Sanderson Ashlyn, Colt
McDonald SAN ANTONIO –
Billy and Violita McDonald of Sanderson have announced the birth of twins
Ashlyn Violet and Colt William McDonald. The two were
born here April 29. Both weighed
in at three pounds, 12 ounces. Ashlyn Violet, who was born one minute before
her brother, was 17 inches long. Colt was a quarter inch longer. They were
welcomed by brothers Chris, Randy and Austin McDonald. Maternal
grandparents are Mauro and Yolanda Lopez. Paternal Grandparents are Zane McDonald and
Ann Flanagan. |
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